Maternal provisioning of sequestered defensive steroids by the Asian snake <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhabdophis tigrinus</Emphasis>

Summary.   Rhabdophis tigrinus obtains defensive steroids (bufadienolides) from its diet and sequesters those compounds in specialized structures on its neck known as nuchal glands. Hatchling snakes lacking these steroids must acquire them from toads consumed as prey. Here we show that females provision bufadienolides to their offspring in amounts correlated to the quantity in their own nuchal glands; thus, chemically protected mothers produce defended offspring. Bufadienolides can be provisioned to embryos via deposition in yolk and by transfer across the egg membranes within the oviducts. Maternally provisioned bufadienolides persist in the nuchal glands of juvenile snakes from the time of hatching in late summer until the following spring, when toads of ingestible size become abundant. Therefore, maternal provisioning may provide chemical protection from predators for young R. tigrinus in the absence of dietary sources of bufadienolides.     

Influence of a collapsed coastal landfill on metal levels in sediments and biota--a portent for the future?

In May 2008 a coastal landslide deposited landfill debris onto the shore near Lyme Regis, UK. Six months later, intertidal sediments and biota from the area were sampled to determine whether the landslip had affected distribution and bioavailability of metals in the area and if there were any biological effects. Highest sediment concentrations for the majority of metals occurred near the landslip zone and in several cases exceeded Threshold Effects or Probable Effects Levels (As, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Zn). The 1 M HCl-extractable fraction of Cd, Pb and Zn in sediments also increased near the landslip. Metal bioaccumulation by intertidal biota showed variability between different species and metals, but there were several instances of increased accumulation near the landslip through increased availability from seawater, sediment and dietary sources. In most cases, metal concentrations in molluscs exceeded Oslo and Paris Commission (OSPAR) background concentrations (BCs) together with background assessment concentrations (BACs) at some sites. Kidney tissues in winkles (Littorina littorea) were measured for evidence of oxidative stress using the Total Oxyradical Scavenging Capacity (TOSC) assay. Responses to peroxynitrite, peroxyl and hydroxyl radicals suggested raised levels of TOSC in animals from the sites close to or east of the landfill waste. There have been very few studies of direct impact of landfills on the marine environment and this study could serve as a practical model for similar events driven by sea level rise.     

Evaluation of coastal zone sustainability: an integrated approach applied in Shanghai Municipality and Chong Ming Island

A systems approach has been applied to the examination of sustainable development in the coastal zone. This complex system is envisaged as comprising three sub-systems: environment and resources, economic development and society. A sustainability indicator system based on these three sub-systems has been set up to evaluate the nature of development in the coastal zone. The administrative regions of the Municipality of Shanghai and Chong Ming Island (in the Yangtze Estuary) have been selected as two coastal zones in which to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the approach. The approach indicated that the development process in Shanghai is one of weak sustainability with relatively rapid social and economic development at the cost of environment and resource degradation. In contrast, social and economic development in Chong Ming County has been limited to protect the regional environment and resources indicating a more sustainable approach to development.     

The EU-project ERAPharm. Incentives for the further development of guidance documents?

- Triggered by the detection of a large variety of pharmaceuticals in surface waters, soils and groundwaters across the world (e.g. Halling- Sørensen et al. 1998, Daughton & Ternes 1999, Jones et al. 2001, Heberer 2002) and the widespread occurrence of endocrine active compounds and related effects in the environment (e.g. Purdom et al. 1994, Tyler et al. 1998, Vethaak et al. 2002), pharmaceuticals in the environment have become an issue for both the scientific and the public community. During the last few years, our understanding of the fate and effects of pharmaceuticals in the environment has progressed significantly. However, there are still a number of uncertainties concerning the effects of pharmaceuticals on the environment and the assessment of potential exposure (e.g. Hanisch et al. 2004, Salomon 2005). These uncertainties will be addressed by the EU-project ‘Environmental risk assessment of pharmaceuticals’ (ERAPharm). This project, a specific targeted research project, is carried out within the priority ‘Global change and ecosystems’ of the 6th framework programme of the European Union. ERAPharm has started on 1st October 2004; the project duration is three years.     

Foliar Phenolics in Sugar Maple (Acer Saccharum) as a Potential Indicator of Tropospheric Ozone Pollution

Tropospheric O₃ has been implicated in the declining health of forest ecosystems in Europe and North America and has been shown to have negative consequences on human health. We have measured tropospheric ozone (O₃) in the lower canopy through the use of passive monitors located in five woodlots along a 150 km urban–rural transect, originating in the large urban complex of Toronto, Canada. We also sampled foliage from 10 mature sugar maple trees in each woodlot and measured the concentration of a number of phenolic compounds and macronutrients. O₃ concentrations were highest in the two rural woodlots, located approximately 150 km downwind of Toronto, when compared to the woodlots found within the Greater Toronto Area. Foliar concentrations of three flavonoids, avicularin, isoquercitrin, and quercitrin, were significantly greater and nitrogen concentrations significantly lower at these same rural woodlots, suggesting some physiological disruption is occurring in those sites where exposure to tropospheric O₃ is greater. We suggest that foliar phenolics of sugar maple may be a biochemical indicator of tropospheric ozone exposure.     

Riparian Ecosystem Management Model: Sensitivity to Soil,Vegetation, and Weather Input Parameters1

Abstract: The Riparian Ecosystem Management Model (REMM) was developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture‐Agriculture Research Service (USDA‐ARS) and its cooperators to design and evaluate the efficiency of riparian buffer ecosystems for nonpoint source pollution reduction. REMM requires numerous inputs to simulate water movement, sediment transport, and nutrient cycling in the buffer system. In order to identify critical model inputs and their uncertainties, a univariate sensitivity analysis was conducted for nine REMM output variables. The magnitude of each input parameter was changed from ?50% to +50% from the baseline data in 12 intervals or, in some cases, the complete range of an input was tested. Baseline model inputs for the sensitivity analysis were taken from Gibbs Farm, Georgia, where REMM was tested using a 5‐year field dataset. Results of the sensitivity analysis indicate that REMM responses were most sensitive to weather inputs, with minimum daily temperature having the greatest impact on the nitrogen‐related outputs. For example, the 100% change (?50% to +50%) in minimum daily temperature input values yielded a 164.4% change in total nitrogen (N), a 109.3% change in total nitrate (NO₃), and a 127.1% change in denitrification. REMM was most sensitive to precipitation with regard to total flow leaving the riparian vegetative buffer zone (199.8%) and sediment yield (138.2%). Deep seepage (12.2%), volumetric water content (24.8%), and pore size index (6.5%) in the buffer soil profile were the most influential inputs for the output water movement. Sediment yield was most sensitive to Manning’s coefficient (46.6%), bare soil percent (40.7%), and soil permeability (6.1%). For vegetation, specific leaf area, growing degree day coefficients, and maximum root depth influenced the nitrogen related outputs. Overall results suggest that because of the high sensitivity to weather parameters, on‐site weather data is needed for model calibration and validation. The model’s relatively low sensitivity to vegetation parameters also appears to support the use of regional vegetation datasets that would simplify model implementation without compromising results.     

Assessing representativeness of places for conservation reservation and heritage listing

Problems arising from application of the representative criterion for conservation and natural heritage evaluation are discussed. An ecological basis to this criterion is suggested that focuses on those key environmental factors dominating biotic response. A methodology is proposed that utilizes computer-based methods of establishing and interrogating spatial data bases (geographic information systems), environmental modeling, and numeric analysis. An example is presented illustrating some of the advantages and limitations of classification and dimension reduction techniques in both defining bioenvironments and displaying their spatial distribution. The advantages of this method for representativeness evaluation are that it maximizes the utility of available data, is explicit and repeatable, and enables large areas to be analyzed at relatively fine scales.     

The quantification and distribution of pollution Pb at a woodland in rural south central Ontario, Canada

Lead concentrations and Pb isotope ratios were measured in the forest floor, mineral soil and vegetation at a white pine and a sugar maple stand in a woodland in south central Ontario. Lead concentrations decreased and 206Pb/207Pb ratios increased with mineral soil depth reflecting the mixing of pollution and natural Pb sources. Lead concentrations and 206Pb/207Pb ratios at 20-30 cm depth were approximately 6-7 mg/kg and 1.31-1.32, respectively. Assuming an integrated 206Pb/207Pb ratio in deposition over time of 1.18, estimated from lichen measurements and published data for the region, approximately 65% of Pb in the surface (0-1 cm) mineral soil is from anthropogenic sources. Approximately 90% of pollution Pb is found in the 0-10 cm soil layer (Ah) and less than 3% of the pollution Pb is present in the forest biomass and mull-type forest floor combined. Despite low Pb concentrations in vegetation (<2.5 mg/kg), we estimate that between 65 and 100% of the Pb in vegetation and approximately 75% of the Pb in the forest floor is from pollution sources. In total, the pollution Pb burdens at the pine and maple stands are estimated to be 860 and 750 mg/m2, respectively.