Efficacy of Vegetated Buffers in Preventing Transport of Fecal Coliform Bacteria from Pasturelands

An experimental study was conducted in Tillamook, Oregon, USA, to quantify the effectiveness of edge-of-field vegetated buffers for reducing transport of fecal coliform bacteria (FCB) from agricultural fields amended with dairy cow manure. Installation of vegetated buffers on loamy soils dramatically reduced the bacterial contamination of runoff water from manure-treated pasturelands, but the size of the vegetated buffer was not an important determinant of bacterial removal efficiency. Only 10% of the runoff samples collected from treatment cells having vegetated buffers exhibited FCB concentrations >200 colony forming units (cfu)/100 mL (a common water quality standard value), and the median concentration for all cells containing vegetated buffers was only 6 cfu/100 mL. The presence of a vegetated buffer of any size, from 1 to 25 m, generally reduced the median FCB concentration in runoff by more than 99%. Results for FCB load calculations were similar. Our results suggest that where substantial FCB contamination of runoff occurs from manure-treated pasturelands, it might be disproportionately associated with specific field or management conditions, such as the presence of soils that exhibit low water infiltration and generate larger volumes of runoff or the absence of a vegetated buffer. Buffer size regulations that do not consider such differences might not be efficient or effective in reducing bacterial contamination of runoff.     

Agricultural drainage ditches mitigate phosphorus loads as a function of hydrological variability

Phosphorus (P) loading from nonpoint sources, such as agricultural landscapes, contributes to downstream aquatic ecosystem degradation. Specifically, within the Mississippi watershed, enriched runoff contributions have far-reaching consequences for coastal water eutrophication and Gulf of Mexico hypoxia. Through storm events, the P mitigation capacity of agricultural drainage ditches under no-till cotton was determined for natural and variable rainfall conditions in north Mississippi. Over 2 yr, two experimental ditches were sampled monthly for total inorganic P concentrations in baseflow and on an event-driven basis for stormflows. Phosphorus concentrations, Manning's equations with a range of roughness coefficients for changes in vegetative densities within the ditches, and discharge volumes from Natural Resources Conservation Service dimensionless hydrographs combined to determine ranges in maximum and outflow storm P loads from the farms. Baseflow regressions and percentage reductions with P concentrations illustrated that the ditches alternated between being a sink and source for dissolved inorganic P and particulate P concentrations throughout the year. Storm event loads resulted in 5.5% of the annual applied fertilizer to be transported into the drainage ditches. The ditches annually reduced 43.92 +/- 3.12% of the maximum inorganic effluent P load before receiving waters. Agricultural drainage ditches exhibited a fair potential for P mitigation and thus warrant future work on controlled drainage to improve mitigation capacity.     

Impact of untreated wastewater irrigation on soils and crops in Shiraz suburban area, SW Iran

In this study an assessment is made of the negative impacts of wastewater irrigation on soils and crops sampled along the Khoshk River channel in suburban area of Shiraz City, SW Iran. For this purpose, samples of soil profiles (0–60 cm in depth) and crops were collected from two wastewater irrigated sites and a tube well-irrigated (control) site. Total concentrations of the five heavy metals (Ni, Pb, Cd, Zn and Cr) and their phytoavailable contents were determined. The Pollution Load Indexes (PLIs) and Contamination Factors (CFs) for soils and Hazard quotients (ΣHQ) for some vegetables were also calculated. The results showed the use of untreated wastewater has caused the following changes as compared to control site: (1) a 20–30% increase in organic matter content of soil; (2) increase in pH by 2–3 units; (3) significant concentration increase in Ex-Ca especially in top layers of soil resulting in high CEC; (4) build up of heavy metals (notably Pb and Ni) in topsoil above Maximum Permissible Limits (MPLs) indicating a moderate contamination (PLI > 1, CF > 2.5); (5) contamination of some vegetables (spinach and lettuce) with Cd due to its high phytoavailability in topsoil causing a HQ > 1; (6) excessive accumulation of Ni and Pb in wheat due to continual addition of heavy metals through long-term wastewater application. The study concludes that strict protection measures, stringent guidelines and an integrated system for the treatment and recycling of wastewater are needed to minimize the negative impacts of wastewater irrigation in the study area.     

The structure of the latero-frontal cirri on the gills of certain lamellibranch molluscs and their role in suspension feeding

Photomicroscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used to determine the fine structure of the latero-frontal cirri on the gills of three species of bivalve mollusc: Mytilus edulis Linn., Barnea candida (Linn.), and Petricola pholadiformis Lam. The component cilia are seen to branch off alternately along the length of each cirrus. Each of these free, lateral lengths of the cilia are separated from the next on their side by a mean distance of 0.6 m. They extend to a mean length of 2.7 m in M. edulis, the species described in detail. It is shown that a complete straining mesh can be formed over the gill ostium during normal filtering and the aperture of this mesh correlates well with the previously recorded filtering efficiency for Mytilus.     

Arrival timing and seasonal reproductive performance in a long-distance migratory landbird

The date when a landbird migrant arrives on its breeding grounds may have reproductive consequences. Generally, early arriving individuals begin breeding earlier and consequently experience greater seasonal reproductive performance. Here, we describe relationships between arrival timing and seasonal reproductive performance in the American redstart (Setophaga ruticilla), a long-distance passerine migrant, arriving at northerly breeding grounds in Michigans eastern Upper Peninsula. Evidence suggests that both males and females benefited from early arrival at the breeding grounds. Early males appeared to settle on higher quality territories and hatched nestlings sooner than later arrivals. Early females began their clutches early, produced heavier nestlings and possibly laid more eggs than later arrivals. Larger clutches and heavier offspring increase the likelihood of offspring recruiting into the breeding population. The findings of this study point to fitness consequences arising from when a bird arrives at its breeding grounds. These results also have implications for understanding how events occurring during spring migration influence reproductive performance as migratory delays likely influence arrival timing.Communicated by: W. Wiltschko     

Adsorption of crude oil on arctic terrain

Arctic terrain was divided into three layers, moss, detritus and clay, and each layer was contacted with Norman Wells crude oil. Chromatographic analysis of the crude oil extracts of the terrain layers showed that the adsorption capacity of the terrain increased with increasing organic content. The higher molecular weight n-alkanes were adsorbed to a greater extent than lower n-alkanes on the moss and detritus layers. Of the aromatics, p-xylene was adsorbed to a greater extent than benzene on all three layers of the terrain. Retention of crude oil components on Arctic terrain in the event of an oil spill would be in accord with these findings.