Effects of age, sex and reproductive status on persistent organic pollutant concentrations in “Southern Resident” killer whales

“Southern Resident” killer whales (Orcinus orca) that comprise three fish-eating “pods” (J, K and L) were listed as “endangered” in the US and Canada following a 20% population decline between 1996 and 2001. Blubber biopsy samples from Southern Resident juveniles had statistically higher concentrations of certain persistent organic pollutants than were found for adults. Most Southern Resident killer whales, including the four juveniles, exceeded the health-effects threshold for total PCBs in marine mammal blubber. Maternal transfer of contaminants to the juveniles during rapid development of their biological systems may put these young whales at greater risk than adults for adverse health effects (e.g., immune and endocrine system dysfunction). Pollutant ratios and field observations established that two of the pods (K- and L-pod) travel to California to forage. Nitrogen stable isotope values, supported by field observations, indicated possible changes in the diet of L-pod over the last decade.     

Small‐scale variability in surface moisture on a fine‐grained beach: implications for modeling aeolian transport

Small‐scale variations in surface moisture content were measured on a fine‐grained beach using a Delta‐T Theta probe. The resulting data set was used to examine the implications of small‐scale variability for estimating aeolian transport potential. Surface moisture measurements were collected on a 40 cm × 40 cm grid at 10 cm intervals, providing a total of 25 measurements for each grid data set. A total of 44 grid data sets were obtained from a representative set of beach sub‐environments. Measured moisture contents ranged from about 0% (dry) to 25% (saturated), by weight. The moisture content range within a grid data set was found to vary from less than 1% to almost 15%. The magnitude of within‐grid variability varied consistently with the mean moisture content of the grid sets, following an approximately normal distribution. Both very wet and very dry grid data sets exhibited little internal variability in moisture content, while intermediate moisture contents were associated with higher levels of variability. Thus, at intermediate moisture contents it was apparent that some portions of the beach surface could be dry enough to allow aeolian transport (i.e. moisture content is below the critical threshold), while adjacent portions are too wet for transport to occur. To examine the implications of this finding, cumulative distribution functions were calculated to model the relative proportions of beach surface area expected to be above or below specified threshold moisture levels (4%, 7%, and 14%). It was found that the implicit inclusion of small‐scale variability in surface moisture levels typically resulted in changes of less than 1% in the beach area available for transport, suggesting that this parameter can be ignored at larger spatial scales. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Terrestrial Laser Scanning of grain roughness in a gravel-bed river

This paper demonstrates the application of Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) to determine the full population of grain roughness in gravel-bed rivers. The technique has the potential to completely replace the need for complex, time-consuming manual sampling methods. Using TLS, a total of 3.8 million data points (mean spacing 0.01 m) were retrieved from a gravel bar surface at Lambley on the River South Tyne, UK. Grain roughness was extracted through determination of twice the local standard deviation (2σ_z) of all the elevations in a 0.15 m radius moving window over the data cloud. 2σ_z values were then designated to each node on a 5 cm regular grid, allowing fine resolution DEMs to be produced, where the elevation is equivalent to the grain roughness height. Comparisons are made between TLS-derived grain roughness and grid-by-number sampling for eight 2 m² patches on the bar surface. Strong relationships exist between percentiles from the population of 2σ_z heights with measured a-, b-, and c-axes, with the closest matches appearing for the c-axis. Although strong relationships exist between TLS-derived grain roughness (2σ_z), variations in the degree of burial, packing and imbrication, results in very different slope and intercept exponents. This highlights that conventional roughness measurement using gravel axis length should be used with caution as measured axes do not necessarily represent the actual extent to which the grain protrudes into the flow. The sampling error inherent in conventional sampling is also highlighted through undertaking Monte Carlo simulation on a population of 2000 clasts measured using the grid-by-number method and comparing this with the TLS-derived population of grain roughness heights. Underestimates of up to − 23% and overestimates of up to + 50% were found to occur when considering the D₈₄, and − 20% and overestimates of up to + 36% were found to occur when considering the D_50.     

Impact of LUCC on Ecosystem Service Value in the Up and Middle Reaches of Dongting Lake Basin, China

Supported by geographical information system, using Costanza method and referring to terrestrial ecosystem service value in China, the influence of land use and land cover change (LUCC) between 1980 and 2000 on ecosystem service value in the up and middle reaches of Dongting Lake basin was analyzed in this study. The results showed that the estimated value of ecosystem services decreased 8.416 9×10~8 CNY over a 21-year period, and the main reasons were that the land for forest use was exploited for cropland and construction land use in study area. Further analysis results showed that the value of single ecosystem service function such as gas regulation, climate regulation, soil formation and conservation, biodiversity conservation, raw materials as well as recreation decreased significantly; and that of provision of water conservation, waste treatment and food production increased obviously in the area. The results of coefficient sensitivity analysis indicated that these estimates were reliable.     

强透水砂卵石复杂地层的高压旋摆喷灌浆处理技术

通过对复杂地层的结构和各种防渗材料进行深入研究,选择合适的施工机具,改进工艺。在试验分析的基础上,根据不同的地层确定科学的施工控制参数,进一步对两层强透水带采取简单易行的深层充填堵漏工程措施,达到理想防渗效果。经对嘉陵江和白龙江流域砂卵（砾）石地层多个工程实例统计分析,其防渗系数 >1×10-4 cm/s,而复杂强透水地层经试验分析计算和抽水验证, <5×10-5 cm/s。介绍了采用单排孔替代2双排或三排高喷孔在复杂地层中的施工过程控制措施和充填式堵漏工程处理措施,应用实例可供类似工程借鉴。     

基于空间子集的地震数据分析方法(英文)

野外空间采样密度的提高将增加室内数据分析的工作量,常规的基于地震数据的点与线分析方法有一定的局限性。本文简要说明空间子集的抽取方法,列举了正交子集和斜交子集的特点,并通过三维可视化展示了子集数据的空间特性。提出在数据处理中利用子集的时间切片：（1）分析地震道空间分布的均匀性和规则性;（2）研究面波及规则干扰的空间分布特点;（3）检测叠前数据中的异常信息;（4）监控叠前去噪的效果。实际数据的应用结果表明基于空间子集的分析方法是一种独特有效的地震数据分析方法,从另一种视角观察地震数据,可以发现其中某些新的特征,以提高处理人员对数据的洞察能力。     

Some effects of sampling design on water quality estimation in streams / Quelques effets de la stratégie d’échantillonnage sur l’estimation de la qualité de l’eau des rivières

Abstract

Abstract Stream sampling programmes for water quality estimation constitute a statistical survey of a correlated population. The properties of parameter and other estimates made from sample values from such programmes are set in the context of statistical sampling theory. It is shown that a model-based rather than a design-based approach to statistical analysis is usually appropriate. The influence of model structure and sampling design on the robustness and suitability of estimation procedures is investigated, and relationships with kriging are demonstrated. Methodology is discussed with reference to data from a UK sampling programme     

High‐frequency storm event isotope sampling reveals time‐variant transit time distributions and influence of diurnal cycles

High‐frequency sampling of stable water isotopes in precipitation and stream water during winter and summer storm events was carried out in a 2·3 km² lowland agricultural catchment. During peak flows of monitored events, the responses of δ²H and δ¹⁸O were comparable and inferred the dominance (ca 70%) of ‘old’ pre‐event water. Transit Time Distribution (TTD) inferred by a gamma function were fitted (Nash–Sutcliffe = 0·8) and were also similar for δ²H and δ¹⁸O. However, the shape (α) and scaling (β) parameters were markedly different for summer and winter events. Consequently, when antecedent wetness was high, mean transit times were in the order of days; when drier, they increased to months. Moreover, while the responses of δ²H and δ¹⁸O exhibited similar gradual recovery to pre‐event conditions during winter hydrograph recessions, they differed dramatically on summer recessions. Time series analysis showed that δ²H isotope content was correlated with the diurnal cycle of air temperature, suggesting an evaporative fractionation pattern which could be reproduced by a temperature‐based first‐order autoregressive model. The heavier δ¹⁸O isotope showed no evidence for such diurnal variability. The study highlights the utility of high‐frequency stable isotope sampling to explore the time‐variant nature of TTDs. Furthermore, it shows that the time of sampling in a diurnal cycle may have crucial significance for interpreting stream isotope signatures, particularly δ²H. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Spatial variations in throughfall in a Moso bamboo forest: sampling design for the estimates of stand‐scale throughfall

We investigated the spatial and seasonal variations in throughfall (Tf) in relation to spatial and seasonal variations in canopy structure and gross rainfall (Rf) and assessed the impacts of the variations in Tf on stand‐scale Tf estimates. We observed the canopy structure expressed as the leaf area index (LAI) once a month and Tf once a week in 25 grids placed in a Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) forest for 1 year. The mean LAI and spatial variation in LAI did have some seasonal variations. The spatial variations in Tf reduced with increasing Rf, and the relationship between the spatial variation and the Rf held throughout the year. These results indicate that the seasonal change in LAI had little impact on spatial variations in Tf, and that Rf is a critical factor determining the spatial variations in Tf at the study site. We evaluated potential errors in stand‐scale Tf estimates on the basis of measured Tf data using Monte Carlo sampling. The results showed that the error decreases greatly with increasing sample size when the sample size was less than ～8, whereas it was near stable when the sample size was 8 or more, regardless of Rf. A sample size of eight results in less than 10% error for Tf estimates based on Student's t‐value analysis and would be satisfactory for interception loss estimates when considering errors included in Rf data. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A comparison of pre‐ and post‐remediation water quality,Mineral Creek,Colorado

Pre‐ and post‐remediation data sets are used herein to assess the effectiveness of remedial measures implemented in the headwaters of the Mineral Creek watershed, where contamination from hard rock mining has led to elevated metal concentrations and acidic pH. Collection of pre‐ and post‐remediation data sets generally followed the synoptic mass balance approach, in which numerous stream and inflow locations are sampled for the constituents of interest and estimates of streamflow are determined by tracer dilution. The comparison of pre‐ and post‐remediation data sets is confounded by hydrologic effects and the effects of temporal variation. Hydrologic effects arise due to the relatively wet conditions that preceded the collection of pre‐remediation data, and the relatively dry conditions associated with the post‐remediation data set. This difference leads to a dilution effect in the upper part of the study reach, where pre‐remediation concentrations were diluted by rainfall, and a source area effect in the lower part of the study reach, where a smaller portion of the watershed may have been contributing constituent mass during the drier post‐remediation period. A second confounding factor, temporal variability, violates the steady‐state assumption that underlies the synoptic mass balance approach, leading to false identification of constituent sources and sinks. Despite these complications, remedial actions completed in the Mineral Creek headwaters appear to have led to improvements in stream water quality, as post‐remediation profiles of instream load are consistently lower than the pre‐remediation profiles over the entire study reach for six of the eight constituents considered (aluminium, arsenic, cadmium, copper, iron, and zinc). Concentrations of aluminium, cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc remain above chronic aquatic‐life standards, however, and additional remedial actions may be needed. Future implementations of the synoptic mass balance approach should be preceded by an assessment of temporal variability, and modifications to the synoptic sampling protocol should be made if necessary. Published in 2009 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.