Land degradation a matter of attitude? A case study from southern Transylvania (Romania)

A better public perception and knowledge on land degradation increases the individual and collective responsibility in land use and land management. Based on interviews, this paper presents results of evaluation of public perception and attitude towards degrading phenomena in the central part of Romania, an area prone to geomorphologic processes, with different land uses and a high proportion of degraded land. The research reveals natural causes, improper land use, categories of land owned, socio-economic causes and involvement of institutions as key aspects of public perception. Our research could be useful in the identification and design of measures in regional planning to attract population in prevention, mitigation and rehabilitation actions on degraded land.     

Genotoxic effects and molecular docking of 1,4-dioxane: combined protective effects of trans-resveratrol

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In this study, the protective effects of trans-resveratrol (t-resv) against 1,4-dioxane-induced toxicity in meristematic cells were investigated. For...     

The co-movements between geothermal energy usage and CO2 emissions through high and low frequency cycles

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Geothermal energy is considered environmentally friendly than fossil fuel sources, and geothermal power plants are expected to have a low carbon...     

DNA damage effect of cyprodinil and thiacloprid in adult zebrafish gills

Cyprodinil and thiacloprid are two of the most commonly used pesticides in Turkey. It is more likely to reach humans or animals due to their widespread use. This study aims to investigate whether there is a DNA damage risk due to cyprodinil and thiacloprid exposure. Zebrafish, which is used as a model organism in health and environmental research, and comet assay were chosen to demonstrate this damage. Ten zebrafish per group were exposed to 2 different concentrations for each pesticides (0.31 and 0.155 mg/L for cyprodinil and 1.64 and 0.82 mg/L for thiacloprid) for 21 days. After, gills were excised and comet assay was performed. Photos of an average of 50 cells per slide were taken and were analyzed with visual evaluation program. DNA damage was found to be increased in the 0.31 mg/L cyprodinil, 0.82 mg/L thiacloprid, and 1.64 mg/L thiacloprid treatment groups when compared to the control group (p < 0.001). Average tail DNA percentage parameter values were 9.45 ± 0.51, 10.30 ± 0.34, 11.17 ± 0.33, and 2.47 ± 0.06 respectively. Cyprodinil and thiacloprid were identified as genotoxic agents that should be investigated further.

     

Governing trade-offs in ecosystem services and disservices to achieve human–wildlife coexistence

Sustaining wildlife populations, which provide both ecosystem services and disservices, represents a worldwide conservation challenge. The ecosystem services and Ostrom's social–ecological systems frameworks have been adopted across natural and social sciences to characterize benefits from nature. Despite their generalizability, individually they do not include explicit tools for addressing the sustainable management of many wildlife populations. For instance, Ostrom's framework does not specifically address competing perspectives on wildlife, whereas the ecosystem services framework provides a limited representation of the social and governance context wherein such competing perspectives are embedded. We developed a unified social–ecological framework of ecosystem disservices and services (SEEDS) that advances both frameworks by explicitly acknowledging the importance of competing wildlife perspectives embedded in the social and governance contexts. The SEEDS framework emulates the hierarchical structure of Ostrom's social–ecological systems, but adds subsystems reflecting heterogeneous stakeholder views and experiences of wildlife-based services and disservices. To facilitate operationalizing SEEDS and further broader analyses across human–wildlife systems, we devised a list of variables to describe SEEDS subsystems, such as types and level of services and disservices, cost and benefit sharing, and social participation of stakeholders. Steps to implement SEEDS involve engaging local communities and stakeholders to define the subsystems, analyze interactions and outcomes, and identify leverage points and actions to remedy unwanted outcomes. These steps connect SEEDS with other existing approaches in social–ecological research and can guide analyses across systems or within individual systems to provide new insights and management options for sustainable human–wildlife coexistence.     

Throughfall,stemflow, and interception characteristics of coniferous forest ecosystems in the western black sea region of Turkey (Daday example)

This study aims to identify precipitation, throughfall, stemflow, precipitation, and interception processes in pure black pine, pure Scots pine, and mixed black pine–Scots pine forest ecosystems and present the precipitation partitioning according to different stand types. Throughfall and stemflow measurements were performed using five standard precipitation gauges in a pilot area established to represent pure black pine, pure Scots pine, and mixed black pine–Scots pine stands in the Bezirgan Basin. The total precipitation was measured in an open field close to the study area. Throughfall values were calculated as the percentage of precipitation measured in an open field. According to the results of the study, the throughfall values were 69.8% in black pine, 73.9% in Scots pine, and 77.7% in the mixed black pine–Scots pine stands; the stemflow values were 2.6% in black pine, 5.9% in Scots pine, and 3.1% in the mixed black pine–Scots pine stands; the amounts of precipitation reaching the forest floor were 72.3% in black pine, 79.8% in Scots pine, and 80.7% in the mixed black pine–Scots pine stands; and the interception values were found to be 27.7% in black pine, 20.2% in Scots pine, and 19.2% in the mixed black pine–Scots pine stands.     

Distribution of natural radionuclides in surface soils in the vicinity of abandoned uranium mines in Serbia

The activity concentrations of natural radionuclides in soils from the area affected by uranium mining at Stara Planina Mountain in Serbia were studied and compared with the results obtained from an area with no mining activities (background area). In the affected area, the activity concentrations ranged from 1.75 to 19.2 mg kg^?1 for uranium and from 1.57 to 26.9 mg kg^?1 for thorium which is several-fold higher than those in the background area. The Th/U, K/U, and K/Th activity ratios were also determined and compared with data from similar studies worldwide. External gamma dose rate in the air due to uranium, thorium, and potassium at 1 m above ground level in the area affected by uranium mining was found to be 91.3 nGy h^?1, i.e., about two-fold higher than that in background area. The results of this preliminary study indicate the importance of radiological evaluation of the area and implementation of remedial measures in order to prevent further dispersion of radionuclides in the environment.     

Seasonal variation, sources, and gas/particle concentrations of PCBs and OCPs at high altitude suburban site in Western Black Sea Region of Turkey

Daily gas and particle phase samples were collected during winter and summer seasons in Bolu, which is located in the high altitude Western Black Sea Region of Turkey. Samples were analyzed to determine the concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs). Concentrations of endosulfan sulfate and methoxychlor were found to be highest in the summer and winter periods, respectively. The measured average concentration of endrin was considerably higher (10-50 fold) than the values reported in the literature for similar sites. The agricultural areas located to the south, south-east and south-west of the sampling point were identified as source regions. PCBs were found predominantly in the gas phase in both seasons and 3-chlorinated biphenyls were found to be abundant in the winter period, due to pollutants transported from the city centre and a waste incineration plant by southerly and easterly winds. The concentrations of PCB-180 and PCB-194 were found to be higher than values reported in the literature. The correlation between atmospheric concentrations and temperature was obtained by using Clausius-Clapeyron (CC) plots. The CC plots for most of the OCPs showed shallow negative slopes with low r(2) values, which might be due to the presence of local sources, i.e., agricultural areas around the sampling site and the dominance of evaporation. The CC plots showed steep positive slopes for most of the PCB compounds. Most of the PCB compounds were carried from the ongoing local sources.