Adjusting irrigation abstraction to minimise the impact on stream flow in the East of Scotland

Abstractions of surface and groundwater for irrigation in Scotland are currently subject to control in only two small catchments. Under the terms of the EU Water Framework Directive, it will be necessary to introduce new legislation to control abstractions elsewhere. To help in the development of appropriate policy for Scotland a study has been carried out to examine the significance of irrigation and the effectiveness of different types of control strategies in terms of the economics of potato cropping and stream hydrology in Scotland. This paper presents the findings of the hydrological study and highlights some of the spatial and temporal issues that need to be considered in the selection of control mechanisms, if they are to be successful in achieving objectives for environmental improvement.The study was focussed on two catchments in the east of Scotland, the Tyne and West Peffer. The effectiveness of several different abstraction control strategies was examined to see how stream flows in the catchment would be modified by their implementation. The results of the study demonstrated that the West Peffer catchment in particular is significantly affected by irrigation abstractions. Control mechanisms based on allowable monthly abstraction volumes and flow-based abstraction bans would be of considerable help in restoring stream flows to their natural levels, but would modify the hydrological regime in slightly different ways. A spatial analysis of stream flows demonstrated that implementation of controls based on a single monitoring point may be ineffective at maintaining acceptable levels of flow throughout the catchment and that this may require a tighter control at the monitoring point.     

Summary of regulatory/policy/economic issues related to nitrogen

This is a summary of the two presentations from the session that dealt with the regulatory, policy and economic issues related to nitrogen compounds and the need to reduce their emissions. The papers were presented by Ronald Evans and Jan Willem Erisman. Information on ecological impacts of nitrogen species and atmospheric relationships are presented in other papers in this special issue. This summary provides an overview of the discussions from the above presentations.     

Bone mineral density in male Baltic grey seal (Halichoerus grypus)

Bone mineral density (mg cm(-3)) was studied in male Baltic grey seals (4-23 years of age) by noninvasive computed tomography (pQCT). The material was grouped according to year of collection. Group A: 1850-1955, a period before the main introduction of organochlorines (OCs); Group B: 1965-1985, a period with very high OC contamination; and Group C: 1986-1997, a period with decreasing concentrations of OCs. The reproducibility of the measurements was good with a Coefficient of Variation (CV) ranging from 0.1% to 2.1%. Trabecular bone mineral density of the radius was significantly higher in specimens collected 1986-1997 than in those collected 1965-1985 (p < 0.05). Cortical bone mineral density of the mandible was significantly lower in specimens collected 1986-1997 compared with those collected 1850-1955 (p < 0.05). These results indicate different responses over time in trabecular and cortical bone. During the period of very high OC contamination (1965-1985), trabecular bone density was lowest, whereas cortical bone density was lowest in specimens collected 1985-1997, representing a period of fairly low OC contamination. The mechanisms behind these effects are not known. However, it can be assumed that OCs are involved. Information about residue levels of OCs in the studied individuals is lacking and, therefore, it was not possible to evaluate the impact of OCs in this respect.     

Long Term Trends in Sulphur and Nitrogen Deposition in Europe and the Cause of Non-linearities

Emissions of sulphur and oxidized nitrogen compounds in Europe have been reduced following a series of control measures during the last two decades. These changes have taken place during a period in which the primary gases and the wet deposition throughout Europe were extensively monitored. Since the end of the 1970s, for example land based sulphur emissions declined by between 90 and 70% depending on the region. Over the same period the total deposition of sulphur and its partitioning into wet and dry deposition have declined, but the spatial pattern in the reduction in deposition differs from that of emission and has changed with time. Such non-linearities in the emission-deposition relationship are important to understand as they complicate the process of assessing the effects of emission reduction strategies. Observed non-linearities in terrestrial sulphur emission-deposition patterns have been identified in north west Europe due to increases in marine emissions, and are currently slowing the recovery of freshwater ecosystems. Changes in the relative amounts of SO₂ and NH₃ in air over the last two decades have also changed the affinity of terrestrial surfaces for SO₂ and have therefore changed the deposition velocity of SO₂ over substantial areas. The consequence of this effect has been the very rapid reduction in ambient SO₂ concentration in some of the major source areas of Europe, where NH₃ did not change much. Interactions between the different pollutants, generating non-linearities are now being incorporated in long-range transport models to simulate the effects of historical emission trends and to provide projections into the future. This paper identifies non-linearities in emission deposition relationships for sulphur and nitrogen compounds in Europe using data from the EMEP long-rang transport model and measured concentration fields of the major ions in precipitation and of SO₂ and NO₂ in surface air.     

Renewable energy in remote communities

This research has demonstrated that even in a small urbanised country like Britain, communities can still be remote. The paper analyses the nature of remote settlements and suggests that beyond the rural idyll, there are deprived communities. In order to obtain real data, a study area in the North Pennines was selected. The types of remote communities were evident throughout the study area and one of each type was selected for further study. It became clear that villages with an industrial base had most potential, due to high energy demand, vulnerability and community involvement. A village with a high measure of multiple deprivation and suffering from fuel poverty was chosen for a more detailed investigation. Energy demand profiles were developed and candidate technologies nominated. The latter were tested by filters that assessed fitness for application, robustness and autonomy. The most appropriate combinations of technologies were proposed. The residents and their community representatives were involved in the process and recognised the benefits of the proposals to themselves and others.     

“Vybuchovy trojuhelnik”: A software tool for evaluation of explosibility of coal mine atmosphere

Rescue operations during mine fires or methane explosions are highly dangerous for rescue workers. The knowledge of the composition of the coal mine atmosphere and the calculations of its explosibility may help to increase the safety of the rescuers. In the Czech Republic, a system called “Mine Gas Laboratory” (DPL) has been used for these purposes. The DPL allows measurement of the composition of the mine atmosphere and transmits the data necessary for evaluation to the surface. Up to now the explosibility evaluation of the coal mine atmosphere has depended either on the rescuers’ experience or on software code calculation. The code called “Vybuchovy trojuhelnik” (explosion triangle) is a graphical computing system intended for fast assessment of explosibility of fuel–air mixture. This article introduces the code and describes two simple methods of explosibility evaluation. The first method is “explosion triangle analysis”—a graphical method based on empirical graphs transformed into equations. The second method uses thermodynamic calculation based on chemical balance dynamics and Gibbs and Helmholtz energy. According to the requirements of the Czech Bureau of Mining (CBU) and Central Mine Rescue Service (HBZS), the code solves the problems of explosion triangle for both standard and non-standard coal mine atmosphere compositions. Unfortunately, the atmosphere composition must be introduced manually due to the unknown format of the data transmitted from the old DPL model. On 1 September 2005, a project started to develop a new system for on-line monitoring and atmosphere explosibility evaluation. The system should be able to measure CO₂, O₂, CH₄, H₂ and CO concentrations as well as the wind speed, temperature and humidity. The “Vybuchovy trojuhelnik” code will be used as a basis for explosibility evaluation, and an on-line connection with the new model of DPL will be established.     

Estimates of health benefits due to reductions in ambient NO2 levels

A method is presented here by which the actual numbers of individuals in the U.S. population who would be expected to suffer respiratory illness as a result of exposure to ambient nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) concentrations in excess of the Federally-designated ambient air quality standard can be estimated. At the same time we have attempted to quantify how these adverse health effects would be alleviated by various degrees of reductions in current ambient concentrations. In addition, the health benefit expected to be derived by various NO_x emission control strategies will be examined utilizing the health benefit estimation method presented.It is estimated that there were approximately 33.2×10⁶ excess cases of respiratory illnesses in the U.S. in 1973 associated with ambient NO₂ concentrations in excess of the national ambient standard. A reduction of approximately 50 to 60 percent below 1973 NO₂ levels is needed to essentially eliminate excess respiratory illness associated with ambient NO₂ concentration.     

Combining geodiversity with climate and topography to account for threatened species richness

Understanding threatened species diversity is important for long‐term conservation planning. Geodiversity—the diversity of Earth surface materials, forms, and processes—may be a useful biodiversity surrogate for conservation and have conservation value itself. Geodiversity and species richness relationships have been demonstrated; establishing whether geodiversity relates to threatened species’ diversity and distribution pattern is a logical next step for conservation. We used 4 geodiversity variables (rock‐type and soil‐type richness, geomorphological diversity, and hydrological feature diversity) and 4 climatic and topographic variables to model threatened species diversity across 31 of Finland's national parks. We also analyzed rarity‐weighted richness (a measure of site complementarity) of threatened vascular plants, fungi, bryophytes, and all species combined. Our 1‐km² resolution data set included 271 threatened species from 16 major taxa. We modeled threatened species richness (raw and rarity weighted) with boosted regression trees. Climatic variables, especially the annual temperature sum above 5 °C, dominated our models, which is consistent with the critical role of temperature in this boreal environment. Geodiversity added significant explanatory power. High geodiversity values were consistently associated with high threatened species richness across taxa. The combined effect of geodiversity variables was even more pronounced in the rarity‐weighted richness analyses (except for fungi) than in those for species richness. Geodiversity measures correlated most strongly with species richness (raw and rarity weighted) of threatened vascular plants and bryophytes and were weakest for molluscs, lichens, and mammals. Although simple measures of topography improve biodiversity modeling, our results suggest that geodiversity data relating to geology, landforms, and hydrology are also worth including. This reinforces recent arguments that conserving nature's stage is an important principle in conservation.     

Effect of Macroalgal Expansion and Marine Protected Areas on Coral Recovery Following a Climatic Disturbance

Disturbance plays an important role in structuring marine ecosystems, and there is a need to understand how conservation practices, such as the designation of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), facilitate postdisturbance recovery. We evaluated the association of MPAs, herbivorous fish biomass, substrate type, postdisturbance coral cover, and change in macroalgal cover with coral recovery on the fringing reefs of the inner Seychelle islands, where coral mortality after a 1998 bleaching event was extensive. We visually estimated benthic cover and fish biomass at 9 sites in MPAs where fishing is banned and at 12 sites where fishing is permitted in 1994, 2005, 2008, and 2011. We used analysis of variance to examine spatial and temporal variations in coral cover and generalized additive models to identify relations between coral recovery and the aforementioned factors that may promote recovery. Coral recovery occurred on all substrate types, but it was highly variable among sites and times. Between 2005 and 2011 the increase in coral cover averaged 1%/year across 21 sites, and the maximum increase was 4%/year. However, mean coral cover across the study area (14%) remained at half of 1994 levels (28%). Sites within MPAs had faster rates of coral recovery than sites in fished areas only where cover of macroalgae was low and had not increased over time. In MPAs where macroalgae cover expanded since 1998 there was no recovery. Where coral was recovering on granite reefs there was a shift in relative prevalence of colony life‐form from branching to encrusting species. This simplification of reef structure may affect associated reef fauna even if predisturbance levels of coral cover are attained. Efecto de la Expansión de Macroalgas y Áreas Marinas Protegidas sobre la Recuperación de Coral Después de una Perturbación Climática