Hotspots and key periods of Greenland climate change during the past six decades

We investigated air temperature and pressure gradients and their trends for the period 1996–2014 in Greenland and compared these to other periods since 1958. Both latitudinal temperature and pressure gradients were strongest during winter. An overall temperature increase up to 0.15 °C year^?1 was observed for 1996–2014. The strongest warming happened during February at the West coast (up to 0.6 °C year^?1), weaker but consistent and significant warming occurred during summer months (up to 0.3 °C year^?1) both in West and East Greenland. Pressure trends on a monthly basis were mainly negative, but largely statistically non-significant. Compared with other time windows in the past six decades, the period 1996–2014 yielded an above-average warming trend. Northeast Greenland and the area around Zackenberg follow the general pattern but are on the lower boundary of observed significant trends in Greenland. We conclude that temperature-driven ecosystem changes as observed in Zackenberg may well be exceeded in other areas of Greenland.     

Interactions between soil texture and placement of dairy slurry application: II. Leaching of phosphorus forms

Managing phosphorus (P) losses in soil leachate folllowing land application of manure is key to curbing eutrophication in many regions. We compared P leaching from columns of variably textured, intact soils (20 cm diam., 20 cm high) subjected to surface application or injection of dairy cattle (Bos taurus L.) manure slurry. Surface application of slurry increased P leaching losses relative to baseline losses, but losses declined with increasing active flow volume. After elution of one pore volume, leaching averaged 0.54 kg P ha(-1) from the loam, 0.38 kg P ha(-1) from the sandy loam, and 0.22 kg P ha(-1) from the loamy sand following surface application. Injection decreased leaching of all P forms compared with surface application by an average of 0.26 kg P ha(-1) in loam and 0.23 kg P ha(-1) in sandy loam, but only by 0.03 kg P ha(-1) in loamy sand. Lower leaching losses were attributed to physical retention of particulate P and dissolved organic P, caused by placing slurry away from active flow paths in the fine-textured soil columns, as well as to chemical retention of dissolved inorganic P, caused by better contact between slurry P and soil adsorption sites. Dissolved organic P was less retained in soil after slurry application than other P forms. On these soils with low to intermediate P status, slurry injection lowered P leaching losses from clay-rich soil, but not from the sandy soils, highlighting the importance of soil texture in manageing P losses following slurry application.     

Interactions between soil texture and placement of dairy slurry application: I. Flow characteristics and leaching of nonreactive components

Land application of manure can exacerbate nutrient and contaminant transfers to the aquatic environment. This study examined the effect of injecting a dairy cattle (Bostaurus L.) manure slurry on mobilization and leaching of dissolved, nonreactive slurry components across a range of agricultural soils. We compared leaching of slurry-applied bromide through intact soil columns (20 cm diam., 20 cm high) of differing textures following surface application or injection of slurry. The volumetric fraction of soil pores >30 microm ranged from 43% in a loamy sand to 28% in a sandy loam and 15% in a loam-textured soil. Smaller active flow volumes and higher proportions of preferential flow were observed with increasing soil clay content. Injection of slurry in the loam soil significantly enhanced diffusion of applied bromide into the large fraction of small pores compared with surface application. The resulting physical protection against leaching of bromide was reflected by 60.2% of the bromide tracer was recovered in the effluent after injection, compared with 80.6% recovery after surface application. No effect of slurry injection was observed in the loamy sand and sandy loam soils. Our findings point to soil texture as an important factor influencing leaching of dissolved, nonreactive slurry components in soils amended with manure slurry.     

Accumulation of (137)Cs in Brazilian soils and its transfer to plants under different climatic conditions

The spatial distribution and behaviour of the global fallout (137)Cs in the tropical, subtropical and equatorial soil-plant systems were investigated at several upland sites in Brazil selected according to their climate characteristics, and to the agricultural importance. To determine the (137)Cs deposition density, undisturbed soil profiles were taken from 23 environments situated between the latitudes of 02 degrees N and 30 degrees S. Sampling sites located along to the equator exhibited (137)Cs deposition densities with an average value of 219Bqm(-2). Extremely low deposition densities of 1.3Bqm(-2) were found in the Amazon region. In contrast, the southern part of Brazil, located between latitudes of 20 degrees S and 34 degrees S, exhibited considerably higher deposition densities ranging from 140Bqm(-2) to 1620Bqm(-2). To examine the (137)Cs soil-to-plant transfer in the Brazilian agricultural products, 29 mainly tropical plant species, and corresponding soil samples were collected at 43 sampling locations in nine federal states of Brazil. Values of the (137)Cs concentration factor plant/soil exhibited a large range from 0.020 (beans) to 6.2 (cassava). Samples of some plant species originated from different collecting areas showed different concentration factors. The (137)Cs content of some plants collected was not measurable due to a very low (137)Cs concentration level found in the upper layers of the incremental soils. Globally, the soil-to-plant transfer of (137)Cs can be described by a logarithmic normal distribution with a geometric mean of 0.3 and a geometric standard deviation of 3.9.     

A novel, sexually selected trait in poeciliid fishes: female preference for mustache-like, rostral filaments in male Poecilia sphenops

Female choice can often drive the elaboration of male traits, leading to the evolution of secondary sexual traits. In the Mexican molly, Poecilia sphenops (Poeciliidae), some males exhibit a mustache-like structure on the upper maxilla, the function of which has not been previously recognized. The mustache consists of epidermal outgrowths at the edge of the scales that appear to have no sensory function. Trait expression varies within as well as among populations of P. sphenops, but is not linked to male body size polymorphism. In mate choice experiments, female P. sphenops exhibited a visual mating preference for males with mustaches, suggesting that the trait may be sexually selected. Since the mating behavior of P. sphenops involves contact of the male’s snout and the female genital region prior to copulation, we hypothesize that the mustache may also convey tactile signals to the female.     

Insecticide residues in bats along a land use-gradient dominated by cotton cultivation in northern Benin,West Africa

Many regions in Africa are currently being converted from subsistence to cash crop farming such as cotton. Agricultural intensification is usually accompanied by increased use of pesticides, which can have an impact on non-target organisms. Bats are particularly sensitive to insecticide loads while providing substantial ecosystem services as predators of herbivorous insects. In this study, pesticide residues in bats in a landscape in northern Benin were investigated, which spanned a land use gradient from an agricultural zone dominated by cotton farms, through a buffer zone, and into a national park. Insecticides used in cotton cultivation, such as endosulfan, chlorpyrifos, flubendiamide, and spirotetramat, as well as persistent insecticides such as bis(4-chlorophenyl)-1,1,1-trichloroethane (DDT), lindane, and aldrine, were analysed. Insecticide residues detected in bats comprised DDT, endosulfan, and their corresponding transformation products. Maximum concentrations in the sampled bats were 11.2 mg/kg lipid of p,p′-DDE (median: 0.0136 mg/kg lipid) and 0.797 mg/kg lipid of β-endosulfan (median: below detection limit [DL]). While insecticide concentrations were below lethal concentrations our data suggest that DDT had probably been recently used in the study region, and larger scale use would pose an increased risk for bat populations due to the high biomagnification of DDT.     

Butyltin compounds in sediment and molluscs from the shipping strait between Denmark and Sweden

The distribution of tributyltin (TBT) contamination in the subtidal zone of the waters between Denmark and Sweden was investigated in relation to major international shipping lanes. Sediment and different benthic molluscs were sampled in transects along and perpendicularly to the shipping lanes in the Sound (?resund) and the Kattegat/Skagerrak region. The samples were analysed for TBT and its degradation products, dibutyltin (DBT) and monobutyltin (MBT), using GC-PFPD. In sediments, the TBT concentration ranged from <1 to 19 ng g(-1) dry weight (dw) with a strong correlation between the TBT concentration and the organic fraction in sediment (r(2)=0.90) in the samples collected in the Sound, where the highest concentrations were found. This relationship was not observed in the samples from the Kattegat because the TBT concentration in most sediment samples was below the limit of detection. In the molluscs, TBT and its degradation products were detected in all samples from the entire area with concentrations ranging from 8.1 ng g(-1) dw in Buccinum undatum to 1316 ng g(-1) dw in Nuculana pernula. The deposit-feeding bivalve N. pernula was found to have a particularly high accumulation potential for TBT. In addition, a strong correlation between TBT concentrations in sediment and N. pernula was found. Therefore this species seems to be an ideal organism for monitoring sediment contamination. The TBT concentration in N. pernula was found to decrease gradually along the shipping lanes from the Sound, through the Kattegat and into the Skagerrak.     

Development of Tools for Integrated Monitoring and Assessment of Hazardous Substances and Their Biological Effects in the Baltic Sea

The need to develop biological effects monitoring to facilitate a reliable assessment of hazardous substances has been emphasized in the Baltic Sea Action Plan of the Helsinki Commission. An integrated chemical–biological approach is vitally important for the understanding and proper assessment of anthropogenic pressures and their effects on the Baltic Sea. Such an approach is also necessary for prudent management aiming at safeguarding the sustainable use of ecosystem goods and Services. The BEAST project (Biological Effects of Anthropogenic Chemical Stress: Tools for the Assessment of Ecosystem Health) set out to address this topic within the BONUS Programme. BEAST generated a large amount of quality-assured data on several biological effects parameters (biomarkers) in various marine species in different sub-regions of the Baltic Sea. New indicators (biological response measurement methods) and management tools (integrated indices) with regard to the integrated monitoring approach were suggested.     

Thermal treatment for pathogen inactivation as a risk mitigation strategy for safe recycling of organic waste in agriculture

Thermal treatment at temperatures between 46.0°C and 55.0°C was evaluated as a method for sanitization of organic waste, a temperature interval less commonly investigated but important in connection with biological treatment processes. Samples of dairy cow feces inoculated with Salmonella Senftenberg W775, Enterococcus faecalis, bacteriophage ?X174, and porcine parvovirus (PPV) were thermally treated using block thermostats at set temperatures in order to determine time-temperature regimes to achieve sufficient bacterial and viral reduction, and to model the inactivation rate. Pasteurization at 70°C in saline solution was used as a comparison in terms of bacterial and viral reduction and was proven to be effective in rapidly reducing all organisms with the exception of PPV (decimal reduction time of 1.2 h). The results presented here can be used to construct time-temperature regimes in terms of bacterial inactivation, with D-values ranging from 0.37 h at 55°C to 22.5 h at 46.0°C and 0.45 h at 55.0°C to 14.5 h at 47.5°C for Salmonella Senftenberg W775 and Enterococcus faecalis, respectively and for relevant enteric viruses based on the ?X174 phage with decimal reduction times ranging from 1.5 h at 55°C to 16.5 h at 46°C. Hence, the study implies that considerably lower treatment temperatures than 70°C can be used to reach a sufficient inactivation of bacterial pathogens and potential process indicator organisms such as the ?X174 phage and raises the question whether PPV is a valuable process indicator organism considering its extreme thermotolerance.