Morphological and Physiological Damage by Surfactant-Polluted Seaspray on Pinus pinea and Pinus halepensis

This paper reports morphological and physiological damage caused by polluted seaspray to coastal pine forests in Liguria (Northern Italy) and suggests the most reliable parameters for surfactant-pollution biomonitoring. Concentrations of surfactants in surface seawater, seaspray, and that deposited on Pinus halepensis and Pinus pinea needles were determined in samples from five sites. Decline of the pines in the Western part of Liguria was greater than in the East, and was associated with higher surfactant levels deposited on the crowns. Chloride content of needles was higher in damaged pines, even if it did not reach toxic levels. Stomata micromorphologies did not differ between species in the crown parts facing the sea, while differences were significant in the back crown parts that were not directly exposed to polluted sea breezes. Water content and noon water potential indicated interference in water relations of damaged trees. In conclusion, none of the investigated parameters was by itself a comprehensive index of surfactant damage. A simultaneous survey of several parameters is suggested to investigate the impact of surfactants on coastal vegetation. The most useful parameters were: directionality of crown damage, surfactant depositions on the needles, chloride accumulation in the needles, structural injury to epistomatal chambers, needle water content and potential.     

Monitoring morphological and vegetation changes and flow events in dryland river channels

Monitoring of impacts of floods in river valleys of dryland regions has become important with the onset and threats of desertification and is likely to become even more vital with predictions of increased effects of climate and land use change. It is also needed in order to conform to requirements of the EU Water Framework Directive. Monitoring in such regions sets particular challenges. This paper explains a system of low-cost monitoring of changes in morphology, vegetation and sediment cover in channels and valley floors of ephemerally flowing streams. It has been applied in SE Spain for 10 years and has proved very effective. In particular, the use of simple crest-stage recorders for measuring flow height and the use of real-time differential GPS for rapid and accurate survey and for relocating points have proved very valuable. Part of the monitoring is focused on the interaction of plants and channel processes. Small changes in and around vegetation associated with flow events have been detected by a combination of quadrat surveys and cross-profiling of the channel. A range of flow events has been measured over the period of monitoring, demonstrating their differing effects and the varying sensitivity and responsiveness of different sites. The sporadic occurrence of flood events in such an environment means that a strategy of monitoring several sites and of continuation over many years has great benefits.     

The Radial Increment and Stemwood Element Concentrations of Scots Pine in the Area Influenced by the Narva Power Plants in Northeast Estonia

Soil is an important component of a watershed. Understanding soils and their interactions with the other components are, thus, considered to be critical and essential for conservation of resources and management of the watershed. Development of soil sampling and analysis programs are crucial for these purposes. Site-specific soil data are needed to identify current soil characteristics, as well as to validate datasets gathered for watershed-scale modelling of non-point sources (NPS) of pollutants arising from various land-use activities, hydrodynamics and water quality. The Koycegiz Lake–Dalyan Lagoon watershed, located in the southwest of Turkey along the Mediterranean Sea Coast, was selected as the study area for watershed modelling purposes. Development of soil sampling plans, their practical optimization, soil analyses and interpretation are presented in this article. The soil analyses conducted include physical, chemical and specific soil characteristics. Within the framework of this study, soil fertility parameters are presented and evaluated. Such an approach used is recommended for especially developing countries where up-to-date data sets are not fully available and/or centrally publicized.     

The near-closure of a lagoon in western Iceland: how accurate were predictions of impacts on environment and biota?

The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) project instigated in connection with the near-closure of the large fjord-like lagoon Gilsfjörður in sub-arctic western Iceland with a road is described and discussed. Three phases were involved: a survey of pre-impact conditions of areas possibly affected as well as control areas, predictions of impacts of the road, and assessment of impacts up to 5–6 years after completion of the project. Emphasis was placed on birds and benthic flora and fauna. Although several predictions were upheld, others were not. The most unexpected changes were the elimination of kelp forest and some associated fauna inside the road as well as from large areas outside it. Feeding areas of the knot (Calidris canutus) and female eiders (Somateria mollissima) with ducklings also changed in unexpected ways. Unforeseen changes can partly be traced to inadequate knowledge of communities and their functioning in the area. The ecological requirements of many species involved, e.g. with respect to salinity, were imperfectly known. The predictions of engineers on the effects of the project on physical factors were not as accurate or detailed as desired. Some critical predictions of the engineers failed to make an impact on the ecologists, who then failed to predict some major changes in the biota, such as the disappearance of kelp forest outside the road. This study highlights some problems probably shared by many EIAs: (a) the near impossibility of finding suitable control areas, (b) the lack of ecological understanding of even common species, and possibly (c) inadequate communication between engineers and ecologists.     

An inverse model for the analysis of the Venice lagoon food web

A steady-state model of the Venice lagoon food web was constructed, based on a comprehensive set of data, which were collected in the years 2001-2005. Energy flows were estimated by means of an inverse methodology of constrained optimization based on the Minimum Norm criterion, i.e. on the minimization of both the sum of squares of the residuals and of the sum of squares of energy flows. The solution was constrained by a set inequalities, which were derived from general eco-physiological knowledge and site specific data on energy flows. The trophic network was represented by thirty-two nodes, including single-species compartments for the species of high economical or ecological relevance. Mass balance equations were weighted, in order to obtain meaningful results in presence of large differences, up to 5 orders of magnitude, among biomasses. A perturbation technique was applied, with the purpose of reducing the risk of finding solutions heavily affected by the set of constraints and of obtaining a more robust representation of the energy flows. The main patterns of energy flow are consistent with those obtained in previous attempts at modelling the Venice lagoon food web. Micro- and macro-phytobenthos account for the largest fraction of the primary production. Energy is then transferred towards higher trophic levels by means of two main pathways: the recycling of dead biomass through the detritus compartment and the direct consumption by grazers. The first pathway is the most important and accounts for approximately two/thirds of the energy transferred to the second trophic level.     

Using a fire propagation model to assess the efficiency of prescribed burning in reducing the fire hazard

We examined how fire hazard was affected by prescribed burning and fuel recovery over the first six years following treatment. Eight common Mediterranean fuel complexes managed by means of prescribed burning in limestone Provence (South-Eastern France) were studied, illustrating forest and woodland, garrigue and grassland situations. The coupled atmosphere-wildfire behaviour model FIRETEC was used to simulate fire behaviour (ROS, intensity) in these complex vegetations. The temporal threshold related to the effectiveness of prescribed burning in reducing the fire hazard was assessed from derivated fuel dynamics after treatment. The study showed that prescribed burning treatment was effective for the first two years in most of the Mediterranean plant communities analysed. Thereafter, all forests and shrublands were highly combustible with a fire line intensity of more than 5000 kW/m except for pine stands with or without oak (medium intensity of 2000 kW m⁻¹ 3 years after treatment). Low fire line intensity (900 kW m⁻¹) was obtained for grassland which was entirely treatment-independent since the resprouter hemicryptophyte, Brachypodium retusum, is highly resilient to fire. Fire behaviour was greatly affected by fuel load accumulation of Quercus ilex in woodland, and by standing necromass of Rosmarinus officinalis in treated garrigue. Pure pine stands with shrub strata similar to garrigue showed a lower fire intensity due to wind speed decrease at ground level under tree canopy, underlining the advantage of maintaining a proportion of canopy cover in strategic fuel-break zones.     

Trace metals assessment in water, sediment, mussel and seagrass species--validation of the use of Posidonia oceanica as a metal biomonitor

The accumulation of trace metals (Cd, Co, Cr, Hg, Ni and Pb) was measured in water, sediment, the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis and the seagrass Posidonia oceanica. Samples were collected in three locations of the north-western Mediterranean (Canari, Livorno and Porto-Torres) which present different levels and sources of human impact. Analyses in the different compartments (water, sediment, M. galloprovincialis and P. oceanica) have allowed to identify Canari as the most Cd, Co, Cr and Ni contaminated site; Livorno as the most Hg contaminated and Porto-Torres as the most Pb contaminated. Furthermore, for the first time, metal concentrations found in P. oceanica have been compared with those found in the water column, in the sediment and in the recognized metal bio-indicator species M. galloprovincialis and the results obtained have led to the same conclusions. Thus, this study allows to validate the use of P. oceanica as metal biomonitor of coastal waters.     

Stabilised Coal Ash Studies in Italy

The ENEL Ash Research Centre - (Brindisi, Italy) - has started a research programme on the use of coal ash derived from its thermoelectric power plants as a component of blocks for artificial habitats. After preliminary laboratory tests, systematic physical, chemical, and biological tests were carried out in an experimental installation constructed in the area of the Torrevaldaliga power plant (80 km NW of Rome).

Two reef models - each made by assembling pyramids of 225 20 × 20 × 20 cm blocks - were submerged in two tanks (10 × 2 × 1.5 m) with running sea water (water flow: 3-5 cm s-1). the ash blocks were composed of fly ash (52.1%), bottom ash (26.1%), hydrated lime (5.2%) and water 16.6%, while concrete blocks were made of pozzolanic cement, sand and gravel. After two years, ash based blocks showed no weathering, volume variation or swelling; marked compressive strength and sonic velocity increases have, on the contrary, been recorded. No significant leaching of chemical elements of environmental concern was found. the biotic settlement on the ash blocks proved greater in quantity and better in quality than that on the concrete blocks; on ash blocks 62 species were found, compared to 54 on concrete. Ash-based materials seem to be more suitable for the settlement of the macrobenthos.     

Radioactive Contamination in the Italian Seas: An Overview Also in the Light of the European Marina-Med Project

Following a similar project performed for the Northern European Seas in the years 1985-1990, a study on the radioactive contamination of the Mediterranean Sea has recently been conducted by a group of experts of the European Union (MARINA-MED Project). Its aim was to assess the radiological exposure of the population of the European Union, due both to natural and man-made radionuclides in the Mediterranean Sea. A review of the conclusions of this study is presented, with special attention to the environmental radioactive data. the Italian radioactive monitoring organisation is described. Starting from this experience, some proposals for new research projects are presented.