Reproduction of Donax venustus Poli 1795, Donax semistriatus Poli 1795 and Intermediate Morphotypes (Bivalvia: Donacidae) in the Littoral of Málaga (Southern Spain)

The reproduction and sexual cycles of Donax venustus Poli 1795, Donax semistriatus Poli 1795, and individuals with intermediate shell morphotypes were studied in the littoral of Málaga (Southern Spain) from February 1990 to January 1991, using histology and analysing the changes in flesh dry weight. The littoral of Málaga has mild seawater temperatures and several upwellings with high levels of chlorophyll a. Due to these environmental conditions, the reproductive periods of these bivalve species are very extensive, from February to November. The histological study shows asynchronous sexual cycles, with continuous but partial individual spawnings from April to November in about 50% of the D. semistriatus population, and percentages higher than 40% of the sample in most months for D. venustus. An important decrease in the ratio flesh dry weight/length³ was noted from June to August in the three populations; this is apparently related with peaks of spawning. Based on the macroscopic observation of the gonads, on the flesh dry weight study and on histological data, the sexual cycle of the intermediate morphotypes is simultaneous and similar throughout the year with those of D. venustus and D. semistriatus .     

Evaluation of correlations between precipitation, groundwater fluctuations, and lake level fluctuations using spectral methods (Wisconsin, USA)

Spectral methods and 2 years of daily data were used to estimate the phase lag between precipitation and groundwater-level response, and two decades of quarterly data were used to analyze the interaction between precipitation, lake levels and groundwater in the Trout Lake watershed located in Vilas County, Wisconsin, USA. The phase-lag function between precipitation and groundwater response is used to estimate recharge travel time. The recharge travel time and precipitation–groundwater–lake interactions have been traditionally studied using time-domain methods such as physically-based modeling. In this article, the innovative and efficient use of spectral methods is demonstrated to uncover the time scales that are significant in those interactions and estimate the recharge travel time, which is extracted from the underlying daily time series data. The results consistently show that precipitation leads groundwater-level response by up to 5 days in all cases. The effects of precipitation on lake and groundwater levels display strong similarities. Both the precipitation–lake level and the precipitation–groundwater level coherency functions show significant peaks at interannual and seasonal frequencies. The groundwater level–lake level coherency function shows a significant, broad peak at interannual frequencies, and no significant peak at seasonal frequencies, demonstrating the predominance of annual and lower frequencies in groundwater–lake interaction.     

Trends,drivers and impacts of changes in swidden cultivation in tropical forest-agriculture frontiers: A global assessment

This meta-analysis of land-cover transformations of the past 10–15 years in tropical forest-agriculture frontiers world-wide shows that swidden agriculture decreases in landscapes with access to local, national and international markets that encourage cattle production and cash cropping, including biofuels. Conservation policies and practices also accelerate changes in swidden by restricting forest clearing and encouraging commercial agriculture. However, swidden remains important in many frontier areas where farmers have unequal or insecure access to investment and market opportunities, or where multi-functionality of land uses has been preserved as a strategy to adapt to current ecological, economic and political circumstances. In some areas swidden remains important simply because intensification is not a viable choice, for example when population densities and/or food market demands are low. The transformation of swidden landscapes into more intensive land uses has generally increased household incomes, but has also led to negative effects on the social and human capital of local communities to varying degrees. From an environmental perspective, the transition from swidden to other land uses often contributes to permanent deforestation, loss of biodiversity, increased weed pressure, declines in soil fertility, and accelerated soil erosion. Our prognosis is that, despite the global trend towards land use intensification, in many areas swidden will remain part of rural landscapes as the safety component of diversified systems, particularly in response to risks and uncertainties associated with more intensive land use systems.     

On the OH initiated oxidation of C2-C5 aliphatic aldehydes in the presence of mineral aerosols

Clay particles are present in large quantities in mineral dust of atmospheric aerosols, and their interaction with organic species may influence atmospheric reactions and the prediction of environmental risks. However, the kinetics and mechanisms of adsorption and reaction of atmospheric volatile organic compounds on aerosol surfaces are not well understood.In this work, quantum chemical methods are used to study the adsorption of C2-C5 aliphatic aldehydes on silicate clusters active sites, and their subsequent reaction with OH radicals. It is shown that adsorption may occur in two different ways, and that the adsorption complex structure determines the subsequent path of its reaction with OH. The initial step in the OH reaction with acetaldehyde occurs according to the same mechanism as in the gas phase, i.e., the aldehydic hydrogen abstraction. Starting from propanal, another abstraction channel becomes increasingly important, involving mainly the abstraction of a β-hydrogen of the aliphatic chain. In the presence of a silica monomer model surface, the reaction rate of aldehydes with OH free-radicals is smaller than in the gas phase. Furthermore silicates are good sinks for trapping these aldehydes. Thus, our results may have implications in the study of tropospheric chemistry and cosmochemistry.     

Anthropogenic debris on beaches in the SE Pacific (Chile): Results from a national survey supported by volunteers

Anthropogenic marine debris (AMD) is an ubiquitous problem, which has motivated public participation in activities such as beach surveys and clean-up campaigns. While it is known that beaches in the SE Pacific are also affected by this problem, the quantities and types of AMD remain largely unknown. In the context of an outreach project, volunteers (1500 high-school students) participated in a nation-wide survey of AMD on 43 beaches distributed randomly along the entire Chilean coast (18°S to 53°S). The mean density of AMD was 1.8 items m⁻² and the major types were plastics, cigarette butts and glass. Densities in central Chile were lower than in northern and southern Chile, which could be due to different attitudes of beach users or to intense beach cleaning in central regions. We suggest that public participation in surveys and cleaning activities will raise awareness and thereby contribute to an improvement of the situation.     

An overview of the Gulf of Batabanó (Cuba): Environmental features as revealed by surface sediment characterisation

The main environmental features of the Gulf of Batabanó, Cuba, Caribbean, were investigated through the analyses of surface sediments collected at 23 sites. In order to highlight the potential threats affecting the sedimentary compartment of this area, samples were analysed for: granulometry, mineralogy, heavy metals concentration (As, Cd, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn), organic carbon, total nitrogen and radionuclides. Findings were compared with published data and “grey” literature.Results showed: granulometric homogeneity and a widespread carbonatic condition all over the gulf, probably due to stable bathymetry and lack of terrigenous input (except for the La Coloma basin); a rather pristine environment for what concerns heavy metals pollution, except for La Coloma where a large arsenic input was recorded; very low levels of natural and artificial radioactivity; a relevant quantity of sedimentary organic matter, providing biota with useful substrate for feeding and enhancing the food-web development while indirectly supplying lobster fisheries. Combined data highlighted the impact of the Dique Sur in reducing terrigenous input in the coastal area.Future studies should focus on dating of sediment cores for identifying and quantifying the changes acting in the gulf and on investigating the origins of the large arsenic input to La Coloma.     

Genetic variability of the blue and red shrimp Aristeus antennatus in the Western Mediterranean Sea inferred by DNA microsatellite loci

Genetic variation at eight microsatellite loci was studied in nine populations of the blue and red shrimp Aristeus antennatus to investigate whether distinct stocks are present in the Western Mediterranean Sea. A high level of gene flow and no evidence of genetic partitioning were discovered. No significant variation was found (F_ST = 0.00673, P-value = 0.067) even when shrimps from exploited and those from deep-water unexploited grounds were compared. No evidence of reduction or expansion of population size in the recent past was found, as indicated by the bottleneck and interlocus g-tests. Our results are consistent with previous studies using mitochondrial gene methods and allozymes, indicating that, for this species, extensive pelagic larval dispersal and adult migration are probably responsible for the genetic homogeneity observed. In particular, due to a different bathymetric distribution of males and females, reported to be associated with different water masses and hence with possible differential dispersal capacity between sexes, the hypothesis of sex-biased dispersal was tested. Mean values of corrected assignment indices and mean relatedness values were higher for males, suggesting that females are the more widely dispersing sex. Molecular assessment of A. antennatus from the Western Mediterranean provides data of biological and evolutionary interest for the successful management of such a highly valuable fishery resource.     

Biosorption with autochthonous and allochthonous fungal biomasses for bioremediation and detoxification of landfill leachate

Landfill leachates are not adequately treated in traditional wastewater treatment plants, on account of their problematic peculiarities: i.e., dark colour, high concentration of recalcitrant pollutants and COD, and high toxicity. In this work, 19 biomasses (15 autochthonous and 4 allochthonous) were exploited in biosorption treatment for the remediation of a leachate (influent) and the effluent coming from the biological oxidation with activated sludge and nitrification–denitrification treatment. The effects of the initial pH, the biomass amount, and the medium for the biomass pre-culture were considered. The best configuration was: pH 5, 5 g L^??1 biomass cultivated on STY medium. Eventually, the two most effective biomasses, Cunninghamella bertholletiae MUT 2861 and Aspergillus fumigatus MUT 4050, were used in consecutive 2 h cycles in a batch biosorption experiment. The effectiveness of the treatment decreased in subsequent cycles in terms of decolourisation (31–15%). COD, Cl^?, SO₄^2?, total N, and toxicity were removed mainly in the second cycle of treatment (up to ??36, ??12, ??15, ??17 and ??49%, respectively). The results suggest that the effluent toxicity was basically due to uncoloured substances, which were mainly removed after coloured molecules.