Rates of shoreline change along the coast of Bangladesh

Bangladesh, at the confluence of the sediment-laden Ganges and Brahmaputra Rivers, supports an enormous and rapidly growing population (>140 million in 2011), across low-lying alluvial and delta plains that have accumulated over the past few thousand years. It has been identified as one of the most vulnerable places in the world to the impacts of climate change and sea-level rise. Although abundant sediment supply has resulted in accretion on some parts of the coast of Bangladesh, others are experiencing rapid erosion. We report a systematic assessment of rates of shoreline change over a 20-year period from 1989 to 2009, using Landsat satellite images with pixel resolution of 30 m on the ground. A Band ratio approach, using Band-5 divided by Band-2, discriminated the water line on images that were largely cloud-free, adequately registered, and at comparable tidal stages. Rates of shoreline change were calculated for >16,000 transects generated at 50 m intervals along the entire mainland coastline (>1,100 km) and major islands, using the End Point Rate (EPR) method in the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) extension in ArcGIS®. Erosion characterises most of the seaward margin of the Sundarbans in western Bangladesh. Retreat rates of up to 20 m/yr are typical, with little evidence that local devastation of the mangrove fringe by Cyclone Sidr in November 2007 had resulted in uncharacteristic long-term rates of retreat where it made landfall. Erosion exceeded accretion in the Barguna Patuakhali coastal zone, most of which eroded at up to 20 m/yr, but with truncation of the southern tip of the Patharghata Upazila at up to 100 m/yr. In Bhola, erosion at rates of up to 120 m/yr were observed along much of the coast, but in the Noakhali Feni coastal zone, similar rates of erosion were balanced by rapid accretion of the main promontory by more than 600 m/yr. Rates of change were more subdued in the Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar coastal zones of southeast Bangladesh. Islands in the Meghna estuary were especially dynamic; Hatiya Island accreted along some of its shoreline by 50 km² between 1989 and 2009, but lost 65 km² through erosion elsewhere, resulting in the island moving south. Similar trends were observed on adjacent islands. The overall area changed relatively little across the entire coastline over the 20-year period with accretion of up to 315 km², countered by erosion of about 307 km².     

Two and three-dimensional shoreline behaviour at a MESO-MACROTIDAL barred beach

The present work investigates cross-shore shoreline migration as well as its alongshore variability (with deformation) on timescales of days to years using 6 years of time-averaged video images. The variability of the shoreline is estimated through empirical statistical methods with comprehensive reference to three scales of variability. At the meso-to macro-tidal barred Biscarrosse beach, shoreline responds in decreasing order at seasonal (winter/summer cycles, 52%), event (storms, 28%) and inter-annual scales. Whereas seasonal evolution is dominated by wave climate modulation, short-term evolution is influenced by tidal range and surf-zone sandbar characteristics. The influence of tide range and sandbars increases when timescale decreases. This is even more the case for the alongshore deformation of the shoreline which is dominated by short-term evolution. An EOF analysis reveals that the first mode of shoreline change time series is associated with cross-shore migration and explains 58% of the shoreline variability. The rest of the modes are associated to deformation which explain 42% of shoreline variability.     

Numerical simulation of benzene transport in shoreline groundwater affected by tides under different conditions

● An approach for assessing the transport of benzene on the beach was proposed. ● The behavior of benzene in the subsurface of the beach was impacted by tide. ● Tidal amplitude influenced the travel speed and the benzene biodegradation. ● Hydraulic conductivity had the impact on plume residence time and biodegradation. ● Plume dispersed and concentration decreased due to high longitudinal dispersivity. The release and transport of benzene in coastal aquifers were investigated in the present study. Numerical simulations were implemented using the SEAM3D, coupled with GMS, to study the behavior of benzene in the subsurface of tidally influenced beaches. The transport and fate of the benzene plume were simulated, considering advection, dispersion, sorption, biodegradation, and dissolution on the beach. Different tide amplitudes, aquifer characteristics, and pollutant release locations were studied. It was found that the tide amplitude, hydraulic conductivity, and longitudinal dispersivity were the primary factors affecting the fate and transport of benzene. The tidal amplitude influenced the transport speed and percentage of biodegradation of benzene plume in the beach. A high tidal range reduced the spreading area and enhanced the rate of benzene biodegradation. Hydraulic conductivity had an impact on plume residence time and the percentage of contaminant biodegradation. Lower hydraulic conductivity induced longer residence time in each beach portion and a higher percentage of biodegradation on the beach. The plume dispersed and the concentration decreased due to high longitudinal dispersivity. The results can be used to support future risk assessment and management for the shorelines impacted by spill and leaking accidents. Modeling the heterogeneous beach aquifer subjected to tides can also be further explored in the future study.     

The use of slope and visual information in sandhoppers: innateness and plasticity

Mediterranean sandhoppers of the species Talitrus saltator (Montagu) from the Tyrrhenian population of Burano (Grosseto, Italy) were tested by rearing under different conditions in order to enquire into the innateness and modifiability of orientation with respect to substrate slope and landscape features. Tests were conducted from November 1990 to November 1991. The results were as follows: the sandhoppers responsed to slope only by orienting themselves downslope on dry substrate and upward on a wet one. These responses appeared to be innate but modifiable by experience. Visual dishomogeneity (half horizon covered with a black strip), with a horizontal substrate, elicited an innate orientation towards the black shape, again modifiable by experience. When a black strip was positioned around the upper half of the inclined arena, the sandhoppers responded differently, dependent upon their prior experience: wild individuals responded to the visual stimulus, amphipods reared in optical homogeneity did not make a choice and those reared in conditions identical to those of the test arena responded to slope by orienting downwards and away from the balck strip. With a black strip around the lower half of the inclined arena and with a dry substrate identical responses were shown by wild-caught and laboratory-reared sandhoppers, i.e., downslope and towards the black strip.     

Fluoride distribution in the environment along the gradient of a phosphate-fertilizer production emission (southern Brazil)

Airborne fluoride was determined in the rainwater, surface soil and groundwater along a gradient of emission of a phosphate fertilizer factory in Rio Grande, southern Brazil. Concentrations of fluoride in rainwater and groundwater achieved 3 mg l⁻¹ and 5 mg l⁻¹, respectively, and were dependent on pH. The fluoride deposited from emissions accumulated in a superficial horizon of soil in quantities comparable to those in the manufactured end-products—up to 23,000 mg kg⁻¹. Fluoride distribution in the environment is controlled by physical–chemical parameters of emission, rain intensity and soil properties. The highest fluoride concentrations were registered at a close distance of up to 2 km from the factory. The distribution of fluoride in groundwater resembled the same distribution in rainwater due to the high permeability of the local soils. Fluoride penetration to the groundwater also depended on the type of vegetation cover. The groundwater in woodland areas was less affected by contamination of fluoride than in the grassland areas, most probably because of the influence of eucalyptus throughfall, which increases the pH of wet precipitates.     

杭州湾南岸滩涂环境状况及与贝类养殖的关系

浙江省慈溪市滩涂环境与贝类养殖的调查结果显示,杭州湾海域水中石油类及无机氮含量介于Ⅱ、Ⅲ类海水水质标准之间,无机磷平均含量超过Ⅳ类海水水质标准。滩涂底质总体上符合海洋沉积物第一类标准,但一些样点多氯联苯(PCBs)超标。分离到2 976株细菌,隶属17个属及肠杆菌科的部分属,具有明显的陆源性特点。发现浮游生物71种,主要为硅藻类等广盐性种类,大部分为贝类的主要天然饵料。石油类、Cd、Cr、Hg、Cu及PCBs残留量在一些贝体内不同程度地超过GB 18421—2001《海洋生物贝类质量标准》。为有效改良和保育滩涂环境,提高养殖贝类的产量和质量,在揭示滩涂环境与贝类养殖关系的基础上,提出了一些统筹兼顾的措施和建议。     

Recent shoreline evolution and beach erosion along the central Adriatic coast of Italy: the case of Molise region

A study on the modern dynamics and shoreline changes from 1954 to 2014 of the Molise coast (central Adriatic Sea) has been carried out. Short to long-term shoreline changes and associated surface area variations have been assessed in GIS environment for the study coast, subdivided in nine coastal segments (S1-S9), by using 100-m regularly spaced transects. In addition, the possible influence of natural and anthropogenic factors, especially of climatic variability and engineered shoreline defense structures, has been investigated. The Molise coast has experienced notable long-term erosion (period 1054-2014) that caused an overall coastal land loss of approximately 940,000 m². Erosion was, yet, limited to coastal segments S1 and S7, nearest to the mouths of major rivers, namely Trigno and Biferno, while the major part of the study coast has remained essentially stable or even advanced. Increased shoreline protection by defense structures has generally favoured shoreline stability and frequently generated shoreline advance, except for segments S1 and S7. Observed differences in shoreline change rates over time at the decadal to interannual scale, have not find a response in the analysis of available data on meteo-marine conditions of the Molise coast and climate variability indices, pointing out the need to improve knowledge on meteomarine conditions and on climatic variability forcing of the study area. From 2004 to 2014, the Molise shoreline remained essentially stable. Nonetheless, most recent shoreline changes (period 2011-2014) and modern shoreline dynamics indicate that erosion has become more widespread, involving at least part of segments S2-S3 and S8-S9, located south of the river mouth segments. The localized long-term shoreline retreat and most recent shoreline erosion appear to be primarily related to channel adjustments of the Biferno and Trigno rivers that occurred since the 1950s under the control of human interventions on the rivers, especially the construction respectively of a dam and a check dam along their lower courses, that trap of most of their solid load, affecting so adversely the sediment budget of the river mouths areas and adjacent beaches. Overall data acquired on the recent shoreline evolution and modern shoreline dynamics of the Molise coast and on related causal factors provide a good basic knowledge for regional coastal management purposes, and for further scientific purposes. Particularly, they suggest the opportunity to deepen a number of aspects such as the relationship between the coast and river catchments feeding it, the possible influences on the Molise shoreline dynamics of the neighbouring coasts, the efficiency/obsolescence of defense structures and the present-day vulnerability to coastal erosion of the Molise coast.     

杭州湾南岸滩涂环境状况及与贝类养殖的关系

浙江省慈溪市滩涂环境与贝类养殖的调查结果显示，杭州湾海域水中石油类及无机氮含量介于Ⅱ、Ⅲ类海水水质标准之间，无机磷平均含量超过Ⅳ类海水水质标准。滩涂底质总体上符合海洋沉积物第一类标准，但一些样点多氯联苯（PCBs）超标。分离N2976株细菌，隶属17个属及肠杆菌科的部分属，具有明显的陆源性特点。发现浮游生物71种，主要为硅藻类等广盐性种类，大部分为贝类的主要天然饵料。石油类、Cd、Cr、Hg、Cu及PCBs残留量在一些贝体内不同程度地超过GB18421-2001《海洋生物贝类质量标准》。为有效改良和保育滩涂环境，提高养殖贝类的产量和质量，在揭示滩涂环境与贝类养殖关系的基础上，提出了一些统筹兼顾的措施和建议。     

Multi-model analysis of tree competition along environmental gradients in southern New England forests.

Robust predictions of competitive interactions among canopy trees and variation in tree growth along environmental gradients represent key challenges for the management of mixed-species, uneven-aged forests. We analyzed the effects of competition on tree growth along environmental gradients for eight of the most common tree species in southern New England and southeastern New York using forest inventory and analysis (FIA) data, information theoretic decision criteria, and multi-model inference to evaluate models. The suite of models estimated growth of individual trees as a species-specific function of average potential diameter growth, tree diameter at breast height, local environmental conditions, and crowding by neighboring trees. We used ordination based on the relative basal area of species to generate a measure of site conditions in each plot. Two ordination axes were consistent with variation in species abundance along moisture and fertility gradients. Estimated potential growth varied along at least one of these axes for six of the eight species; peak relative abundance of less shade-tolerant species was in all cases displaced away from sites where they showed maximum potential growth. Our crowding functions estimate the strength of competitive effects of neighbors; only one species showed support for the hypothesis that all species of competitors have equivalent effects on growth. The relative weight of evidence (Akaike weights) for the best models varied from a low of 0.207 for Fraxinus americana to 0.747 for Quercus rubra. In such cases, model averaging provides a more robust platform for prediction than that based solely on the best model. We show that predictions based on the selected best models dramatically overestimated differences between species relative to predictions based on the averaged set of models.     

Coastal dune development and sand drifting management along an artificial shoreline: the case of Dunkirk harbour,northern France

Harbour development along the low-lying coastline of northern France necessitated the construction of a seaport protruding into the sea. The extension of the port of Dunkirk resulted in the creation of an artificial shoreline consisting of a sea dike fronted by a beach, connected to a jetty protecting the seaport access. This study illustrates how harbour infrastructure can give rise to new kinds of aeolian landforms: e.g. the spontaneous initiation of aeolian dunes on a seaport dike resulting in specific dune types. However, this coastal dune development induced unexpected sand invasion of harbour infrastructure. The aim of this study was to test the effectiveness of various types of windbreaks on a dike as a means of limiting sand drift and solving sand invasion problems. Seven experimental fences installed in the eastern part of the dike were monitored over an 11 month period. The experimental fences tested in this study demonstrated their effectiveness on an asphalt coated dike. Over the whole survey period, the most efficient fences were those installed close to a sand source, at the beach-dike limit. These experiments will aid the Port of Dunkirk in building a management plan for its shoreline, which is being designed in order to preserve the diversity of landscapes, and to control sand invasion which necessitates costly sand removal operations.     

Orientation of homing pigeons at magnetic anomalies

Summary Young homing pigeons released at a site on the edge of a magnetic anomaly and then in the center of the anomaly show better orientation at the anomalous site than birds released there for the first time. To test the possibility that this improvement is the result of birds learning to obtain navigational information at magnetic anomalies, several groups of pigeons were trained at a series of different anomalies, in different directions from their home loft. When these birds were than tested at an unfamiliar anomaly they were disoriented. They showed no evidence of having learned to obtain navigational information at magnetic anomalies. It is suggested that the disorientation seen at anomalies may be due to a disturbance of position-fixing information at the release site.     

Moon orientation in sandhoppers: effects of lighting treatments on the persistence of orientation ability

The moon orientation rhythm persists in sandhoppers removed from environmental entrainments relative to moon periodicity. In order to investigate the underlying mechanism, the crustacean amphipods Talorchestia capensis and Talitrus saltator were collected at new moon and exposed in the laboratory to an artificial light during the day, but to a variety of lighting treatments during the night: (1) continuous dark, (2) dim light in phase with the natural moon, (3) continuous dim light. The animals were tested under the moon 9–21 days later by using a new type of arena. The ability to orientate in a direction perpendicular to the shore persisted in sandhoppers under treatments 1 and 2, but not under treatment 3. A disturbance due to a phototactic tendency in Talorchestia was also observed in animals captured on the day of the test when exposed to unnatural lighting, but not when they were kept under natural light. The present findings show that the timing mechanism allowing compensation for changes in the moon’s position also persists in animals that have been long removed from entraining factors. The dependence of this orientation ability on nocturnal lighting and the disturbing effect of sudden changes in light intensity support the idea that the phasal lighting of the moon, and perhaps sunrise and sunset act as resetting factors for the moon’s orientation rhythm.     

Arsenic trophodynamics along the food chains/webs of different ecosystems: a review

In drinking water, arsenic (As) food chain accumulation may pose a risk to human health. An attempt was made to synthesise the published information concerning As trophic transfer along the food chain/web of various marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems. Some investigations included As speciation. Further objectives were to outline the factors potentially influencing As trophodynamics and to understand the consequence of As trophic transfer in the environment.     

Long-term change in mussel (Mytilus californianus Conrad) populations along the wave-exposed coast of southern California

Mussel (Mytilus californianus) populations were studied throughout California to determine changes over the past few decades, and, in particular, to determine if declines reported for southern California have occurred outside of the region. We compared mussel cover, biomass, and bed thickness reported in historic studies in the mid-1970s to 1980s with measurements made in 2002. Mussel cover and biomass in southern California declined markedly over the past few decades with a mean cover loss of 31.2% (40.2% loss) and biomass loss of 25.1 kg m⁻² (51.3% loss). Changes in mussel bed thickness were not as strong as cover and biomass, but also appeared to decline over time. Declines were limited to the southern California region, since mussel cover, biomass, and bed thickness remained unchanged or increased at sites in central and northern California. Causes for mussel declines in southern California are unknown, but may include human visitation, increased sea surface temperatures, and pollution.     

Orientation behavior of homing pigeons at the Gernsheim anomaly

Pigeons were released at four release sites within the Gernsheim anomaly, a magnetic 'hill' with a peak 199 nT above the regional reference field and gentle 'slopes' to all sides, situated 44 km south of the Frankfurt loft. Local magnetic conditions at the sites differed in total intensity and in direction and steepness of the intensity gradient. At all sites, the pigeons were well oriented, showing counterclockwise deviations from the home directions that were most pronounced in the western part of the anomaly. There was no systematic difference in orientation behavior or homing performance between the sites within the anomaly and a control site outside. No effect of the local gradient direction was found, nor did the difference in intensity between home loft and the release site affect behavior. This argues against the use of magnetic navigational factors. However, pigeons released for the first time within the anomaly tended to have longer mean vectors with increasingly steeper gradients, which could mean that the birds might somehow have realized the anomalous nature of the local magnetic conditions and ignored them, relying on non-magnetic cues instead.Communicated by R. Gibson     

Analysis and nonlinear modeling of the mound-building ant Formica lugubris spatial multi-scale dynamic in a larch-tree stand of the southern French Alps

Determinism in the evolution of a mound-building ant Formica lugubris (Hymenoptera:Formicidae) colony and the impact of environmental perturbations were analyzed using several methods. Variation in dome volume of ant-hills and their activity were followed in a larch forest of the southern French Alps for 8 consecutive years. The dynamic of domes was graphically visualized, and the deterministic component of variations was assessed using linear and nonlinear models (neural networks) in the context of auto-regressive and spatial multi-scale dependences hypothesis. An analysis of residuals was carried out (errors from the best global model) and nonpredictable data were located in perturbed areas (forest clearings and wind-throws).The dynamic of ant colony in the stand was simulated constructing a web of interacting neural net models. Evolution of virtual ant-hills was in accordance with real observed dynamic. The study revealed a very active dynamical system resulting from ants self-organizing in dome construction and confirmed that silvicultural practices can have a negative impact on ant colonies.     

不同理论方程模拟华南桉树人工林蒸散量的比较

森林生态系统蒸散作为生态系统中的重要生态过程,联系着生态系统的水分平衡和能量平衡,并与养分循环密切相关.以雷州半岛桉树人工林纪家、河头林场为研究样地,在样地调查的基础上,对林地有关气象因子、土壤水文生态因子作了近4 a的定位观测.选取TURC公式、Penman-Monteith方程(PM)和周国逸公式作为代表,三者分别以温度为指标、以辐射与能量转换为驱动因子和以物理过程为主导的蒸散量理论计算方法.并将理论计算结果同水量平衡法估算结果进行比较.结果表明,尽管各种计算方法的结果均存在一定的波动性,但是其波动的原因是不一样的.对于PM方程而言,结果对所选参数有一定的依赖性.对于周国逸公式来说,在计算较小时间尺度(≤1 a)蒸散量时可能会出现一定的波动,波动的原因可能在于参数的时间尺度匹配问题.对于TURC公式,计算结果波动的根本原因在于其公式的经验局限性.理论计算值同水量平衡估算结果比较说明,三者均可以在一定程度上反映系统的年蒸散量.比较而言,周国逸公式计算结果的波动性范围较小,较适用于热带、亚热带森林生态系统蒸散量的计算.     

Physiological tolerance predicts species composition at different scales in a barnacle guild

This study examined how the species composition of an intertidal barnacle guild varied according to physical gradients in the environment at small scales governed by microclimates, medium scales of wave exposure and large scales of latitude. Barnacle distributions at small and medium scales were sampled in Ireland between 51°29′ and 52°44′N and 6°50′ and 10°08′W. Sampling on European shores spanned ~18° latitude from 37°05′ to 55°16′N. Barnacle surveys mainly took place in 2003–2004. An index of wave fetch was calculated along the wave exposure gradient using a digital coastline-based model that was supported by a biological exposure scale. A ‘dryness’ index was defined according to mean monthly wind speed, fetch along the average wind direction and mean monthly air or sea surface temperatures for 2 years (January 2001–December 2002) which is the period when the most recent adults in the barnacle community would have settled and grown to adulthood. The proportion of the dry-loving barnacle Chthamalus montagui Southward increased within the barnacle guild at all scales as the habitat became warmer and drier. Barnacle densities were high in all habitats, mean densities ranged from a minimum of 4.16 cm⁻² on moderately exposed shores to a maximum of 6.27 cm⁻² in sunlit or south-facing microclimates. Percentage cover of barnacles across the gradient of latitudes was usually >70%. The results suggest that the distribution and abundance of interacting barnacle species on European coasts is strongly controlled by abiotic factors, most likely temperature and desiccation.     

Benthic-slope fishes found at 900m depth along a transect in the western N. Atlantic Ocean

The species composition of the benthic-slope fish fauna of the Middle Atlantic Bight is described from trawl catches taken from a depth of about 900 m in August, 1969. Two species associations and an intermediate area are apparent. The difference between the two associations is partially attributable to differences in species composition, but primarily to a difference in species dominance. The small number of samples precludes geographic and bathymetric delineation of these associations, as well as conclusions about their temporal stability. Diversity values appear to be relatively high for the benthic fishes of the upper slope, but comparison with values for temperate estuaries and coastal fishes indicates a narrow range for all of these habitats, and considerable overlap in values from the different environments. Environmental stability may be of less importance in determining the diversity of fish faunas than of benthic invertebrate faunas because of the mobility of fishes and ontogenetic changes in their habitat preference.     

The status of beaches and shoreline development options on the French Riviera: a perspective and a prognosis

Beach conservation and management on the high-value French Riviera in southeastern France have had mixed fortunes in shoreline economic development strategies over the past half century. Prior to 1965, socio-economic growth related to immigration and tourism resulted in considerable pressure on the coastal zone, leading in particular to beach erosion and degradation of beach environmental quality. Between 1965 and 1980, over 20% of the 132 km-long French Riviera was permanently altered through the implantation of yachting harbours and reclamation fill structures, while beach-based recreation had a rather low ranking as a development choice, except in the two major resorts of Cannes and Nice which exhibit a densely urbanized seafront. On this preponderantly boldrocky coast, the mediocre recreational value inherited by many of the beaches from the regional geologic setting, and from development pressures and earlier errors in coastal management, left them vulnerable to appropriation and so-called ‘valorization’ by yachting harbour and estate developers. Over the last decade, artificial shoreline development has virtually ceased, in response to several more or less interrelated factors. These include relative stagnation of socio-economic growth, increasing development and maintenance costs of yachting harbours, saturation of the yachting harbour market as a result of the burgeoning of new, often cheaper, resorts and of reconversion of commercial and shipbuilding ports to leisure ports in the Mediterranean, more stringent legislation, since 1986, on the implantation of residential and major engineering structures on the coastline, pressure for conservation of the cultural and environmental heritage, and greater demand for beach recreational space. This situation has forced a diversification of shore-based activities, as it has been realised that better managed beaches may balance economic aspirations while contributing to enhanced environmental quality and sensible shoreline conservation. This change in strategy has entailed considerable efforts and money on the improvement of coastal water quality, the provision of amenities for beach-goers, and especially the nourishment of eroding beaches and the creation of several artificial beaches. The extent to which beaches will continue to play a role in the sustainable development of French Riviera resorts will depend largely on the capacity of local authorities to maintain environmental quality in the face of inherited and persistent handicaps such as beach erosion.