Development of a test method against hot alkaline chemical splashes.

High temperature alkaline chemical liquids have caused injuries and hazardous situations in Finnish pulp manufacturing mills. There are no requirements and/or test method standards concerning protection against high temperature alkaline chemical splashes. This paper describes the test method development process to test and identify materials appropriate for hot liquid chemical hazard protection. In the first phase, the liquid was spilled through a stainless steel funnel and the protection performance was evaluated using a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) film under the test material. After several tentative improvements, a graphite crucible was used for heating and spilling the chemical, and a copper-coated K-type thermometer with 4 independent measuring areas was designed to measure the temperature under the material samples. The thermometer was designed to respond quickly so that peak temperatures could be measured. The main problem was to keep the spilled amount of chemical constant, which unfortunately resulted in significant variability in data.     

No evidence of systematic pre-emptive loggings after notifying landowners of their lands’ conservation potential

Landowners can intentionally impair biodiversity values occurring on their land to pre-empt biodiversity protection. This often leads to significant negative effects on biodiversity. We studied whether landowners in Finland engaged in pre-emptive loggings after they were notified that their wooded mires are candidate sites for a mire protection program. After the notification, harvesting rates of the candidate wooded mires were significantly lower compared to harvesting rates of similar but non-candidate wooded mires. Annual and monthly harvesting rates indicated that notifying landowners of the conservation potential did not launch systematic pre-emptive logging behavior. Nevertheless, part of the candidate wooded mires were logged, so some landowners place more weight on other values than the biodiversity ones. Pre-emptive behavior has been observed in other studies suggesting that many country- or system-specific factors such as cultural background or level of compensation can affect landowners’ behavior.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s13280-020-01354-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Remediation of heavy metal-contaminated forest soil using recycled organic matter and native woody plants

The main aim of this study was to determine how the application of a mulch cover (a mixture of household biocompost and woodchips) onto heavy metal-polluted forest soil affects (i) long-term survival and growth of planted dwarf shrubs and tree seedlings and (ii) natural revegetation. Native woody plants (Pinus sylvestris, Betula pubescens, Empetrum nigrum, and Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) were planted in mulch pockets on mulch-covered and uncovered plots in summer 1996 in a highly polluted Scots pine stand in southwest Finland. Spreading a mulch layer on the soil surface was essential for the recolonization of natural vegetation and increased dwarf shrub survival, partly through protection against drought. Despite initial mortality, transplant establishment was relatively successful during the following 10 yr. Tree species had higher survival rates, but the dwarf shrubs covered a larger area of the soil surface during the experiment. Especially E. nigrum and P. sylvestris proved to be suitable for revegetating heavy metal-polluted and degraded forests. Natural recolonization of pioneer species (e.g., Epilobium angustifolium, Taraxacum coll., and grasses) and tree seedlings (P. sylvestris, Betula sp., and Salix sp.) was strongly enhanced on the mulched plots, whereas there was no natural vegetation on the untreated plots. These results indicate that a heavy metal-polluted site can be ecologically remediated without having to remove the soil. Household compost and woodchips are low-cost mulching materials that are suitable for restoring heavy metal-polluted soil.     

Sulphur dioxide adsorption in Scots pine canopies exposed to high ammonia emissions near a Cu-Ni smelter in SW Finland

Since 1994 the nickel-processing plant at the Cu-Ni smelter at Harjavalta, south-west Finland, has emitted considerable amounts of NH(3) into the atmosphere. The effects of NH(3) emissions on nitrogen and sulphur deposition in throughfall and the foliar nutrient status were investigated in a Scots pine stand at 0.5 km distance. Bulk deposition, stand throughfall and percolation water (20 cm depth) samples were collected at 4-week intervals during 1992-1998. pH and the Ca, Mg, K, NH(4) and SO(4) concentrations were determined on the samples. NH(3) emissions have strongly increased the scavenging of SO(2) from the air in the pine stand, and the increased levels of N and S deposition were clearly evident as increased foliar N and S concentrations and larger needle size. The increased input of SO(4) into the forest floor was not associated with an increase in the leaching of Ca and Mg from the surface soil layers.     

Biochemical transformation of birch leaf phenolics in larvae of six species of sawflies

Summary. We investigated the biochemical transformation of individual phenolic compounds of mountain birch leaves in larvae of six birch-feeding sawfly species: Amauronematus amplus, Pristiphora alpestris, Nematus brevivalvis, Priophorus pallipes, Arge sp. and Nematus viridis by comparing the phenolic residues in larval faeces to those of their leaf diet. Partial hydrolysis of hydrolysable tannins, isomerisation of chlorogenic acid and glycosylation of flavonoid aglycones were observed in all studied species. Moreover, we found considerable among-species variation in the composition of phenolic compounds in larval faeces. In addition to foliar phenolics, seventeen non-foliar phenolic metabolites, including eight phenolic acids and nine flavonoid glycosides were detected from the faeces. Of the non-foliar phenolic acids, four were egested species-specifically and only two by all six sawfly species. We also detected differences in the ratios of chlorogenic acid isomers in the faeces of different species, which can indicate different physiological conditions in the guts of studied larvae. In addition to the qualitative differences, quantitative differences were detected in the egestion of chlorogenic acids, possible o-quinone precursors in the larvae. Detected differences, either qualitative or quantitative, could not be explained by seasonal changes in the content of compounds in the leaf diet.     

Reproductive effort in relation to maternal social rank in reindeer (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Rangifer tarandus</Emphasis>)

In polygynous mammals, high-quality females may increase their fitness by providing superior care to their offspring. Based on the agonistic interactions of female reindeer in an experimental herd during two consecutive years (1997 and 1998), we tested whether maternal social rank influenced: (1) winter body-mass change of females, (2) preparturition reproductive effort (measured as fecundity, the birth mass and the birth date of their calves), (3) preweaning maternal effort (measured as calves preweaning mortality, early preweaning and late preweaning growth rate and September body mass of calves), and (4) postweaning maternal effort (measured as calves body-mass change during their first winter). In the models, we included September females body mass as a covariate to separate the effects of maternal rank and body mass. We also tested whether the effect of social rank on maternal efforts was dependent on offspring sex. High-ranked females gained body mass whereas low-ranked females lost weight during the winter. Fecundity was higher and date of birth was earlier in high-ranked females than in subordinates, whereas no effect of females rank on birth mass of calves was found. Early preweaning growth rate and September body mass of calves increased with increasing females social rank, whereas late preweaning daily growth rate of calves was not influenced by females rank. Calves preweaning mortality was only influenced by year, which also explained most of the variance in the winter body-mass change of calves. The effects of females rank on the reproductive-efforts parameters studied were not specific to offspring sex. These findings suggest that females rank influences reproductive effort during the preparturition, as well as the preweaning, period, the effect being sex independent.Communicated by R. Gibson     

Endocrine and metabolic alterations in the mink (Mustela vison) due to chronic phytoestrogen exposure

Phytoestrogens are natural components of plant-based food items with beneficial health effects. The aim of the present study was to investigate the chronic effects of dietary phytoestrogens, genistein (8 mg kg(-1) day(-1)) and beta-sitosterol (50 mg kg(-1) day(-1)), on the weight regulation of the mink (Mustela vison). The parental generation was exposed from August 2002 to May-June 2003 to either beta-sitosterol or genistein, while the kits were exposed through gestation and lactation. Food consumption and body masses were monitored monthly. Plasma lipid, glucose, total protein and hormone (ghrelin, leptin, triiodothyronine and thyroxine) concentrations were measured from the parents in August 2002, January 2003 and at the end of the experiment in May-June 2003 when the kits were 21 days of age. Relative food intake was higher in the beta-sitosterol-exposed minks than in the control or genistein minks in September 2002. Plasma leptin and total protein concentrations were lower in the beta-sitosterol kits compared to the control kits. Furthermore, plasma ghrelin levels and liver phosphorylase activities of the mink kits were higher due to genistein exposure. In mink kits, exposure to both phytoestrogens reduced the plasma thyroxine concentrations. The kidney glycogen concentrations and the muscle phosphorylase activities of phytoestrogen-treated adult minks were elevated. The results of this study suggest that minks are sensitive to perinatal phytoestrogen exposure.     

Temporal pessimism and spatial optimism in environmental assessments: An 18-nation study

The personal assessments of the current and expected future state of the environment by 3232 community respondents in 18 nations were investigated at the local, national, and global spatial levels. These assessments were compared to a ranking of each country's environmental quality by an expert panel. Temporal pessimism (“things will get worse”) was found in the assessments at all three spatial levels. Spatial optimism bias (“things are better here than there”) was found in the assessments of current environmental conditions in 15 of 18 countries, but not in the assessments of the future. All countries except one exhibited temporal pessimism, but significant differences between them were common. Evaluations of current environmental conditions also differed by country. Citizens' assessments of current conditions, and the degree of comparative optimism, were strongly correlated with the expert panel's assessments of national environmental quality. Aside from the value of understanding global trends in environmental assessments, the results have important implications for environmental policy and risk management strategies.     

Postmetamorphic Xenopus laevis shows decreased plasma triiodothyronine concentrations and phosphorylase activity due to subacute phytosterol exposure

Postmetamorphic South African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis) were exposed to a phytosterol mixture (ca. 80% β-sitosterol and less sitostanol, campesterol, and campestanol) for 14 days at 30 μg l⁻¹ in a flow-through system. The effects of phytosterols (PS) on the plasma thyroid hormone (T₃ and T₄), testosterone, leptin-immunoreactive peptide and tissue glycogen concentrations were determined. The following enzyme activities were also analyzed from the liver and muscle: glycogen phosphorylase and lipase, and from the liver only: glucose-6-phosphatase. The plasma T₃ concentration was lower in the PS-exposed female frogs. Both muscle lipase and glycogen phosphorylase activities were also lower in the PS-exposed animals. These results could indicate that the basal metabolic rate and locomotion activity of the frogs were decreased. The effects could not be attributed to the possible estrogenicity of the PS mixture. Further studies will be needed to evaluate the possible significance of these effects.     

Effects of increased content of leaf surface flavonoids on the performance of mountain birch feeding sawflies vary for early and late season species

Summary. The effects of artificially added flavonoid aglycones to birch leaf surfaces on the larval performance of six species of leaf-chewing sawflies were investigated. Significantly negative effects of increased contents of both total flavonoid and individually fed flavonoid compounds were found for the larval performance of certain mid to late and late, but not early season, sawfly species. Species-specific variations in the quantity of faecal flavonoid glycosides, which were examined to investigate whether effective glycosylation of foliar flavonoid aglycones in larvae correlated with varying tolerance to these compounds, also yielded significant species-specific differences between early and late season species. The results suggest seasonal adaptations in host plant use by sawflies feeding on mountain birch, such that phenologically earlier species are better adapted to coping with leaf surface flavonoid aglycones, which occur in the highest concentrations in young leaves.