Evaluation of long-term trends in hydrographic and nutrient parameters in a southeast US coastal river

The Nassau River estuary is located in northeast Florida adjacent to the eutrophic St. Johns River. Historically, development has been sparse in the Nassau River's catchment; thus, the system may provide a relatively undisturbed aquatic environment. To monitor the condition of the Nassau River estuary and to discern spatial and temporal trends in water quality, nutrients and hydrographic variables were assessed throughout the estuary from 1997 to 2011. Hydrographic (temperature, salinity, total suspended solids, and turbidity) and nutrient parameters (total phosphorus, ortho-PO₄ ^3?, total nitrogen, NH₄ ⁺, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, and NO₃ ^?) were monitored bimonthly at 12 sites in the mesohaline and polyhaline zones of the river. Nonparametric Kendall's Tau was implemented to analyze long-term water quality patterns. Salinity was found to increase with time, particularly in the mesohaline sampling sites. Dissolved oxygen decreased over time in the estuary and hypoxic conditions became increasingly frequent in the final years of the study. Nutrients increased in the estuary, ranging from 149 to 401 %. Rainfall data collected in adjacent conservation areas did not correlate well with nutrients as compared with stream discharge data collected in the basin headwaters, outside of the conservation lands, attributed here to expanding urbanization. During the study period, the Nassau basin underwent rapid human population growth and land development resulting in commensurate impacts to water quality. Nutrient and physical data collected during this study indicate that the Nassau River estuary is becoming more eutrophic with time.     

Mean Annual Temperature and Total Annual Precipitation Trends at Canadian Biosphere Reserves

This article examines instrumental climate records from a varietyof stations associated with the following Biosphere Reserves across Canada: (i) Waterton Lakes, (ii) Riding Mountain, (iii) Niagara Escarpment, (iv) Long Point, and (v) Kejimkujik (Candidate Biosphere Reserve). Annual series are generated fromdaily temperature and precipitation values. In addition, homogeneous data are used from other stations and regional records to supplement the records from the local biosphere stations. Long term trends are identified over the period of the instrumental record. In general, data from the interval 1900 to 1998 show cooler temperatures in the 1920's, warmingfrom the early 1940's into the early 1950's, cooling into the1970's, and subsequent warming. At many stations, 1998 is the warmest in the instrumental record. Comparisons with the regional data sets show good agreements between the temperatureseries. The 20th century warming is approximately 1.0 °C in the Riding Mountain area and 0.6 °Cin the Long Point, Niagara Escarpment, and Waterton Lakes areas.There has been slight cooling in the Kejimkujik area over the past half century. Precipitation data show increasing trends inthe Kejimkujik, Long Point, Niagara Escarpment, and Waterton Lakes areas with no long term trend in the Riding Mountain area. This work is part of the Canadian Biosphere Reserves Association (CBRA) Climate Change Initiative (CCI), designed to present climate change information to Biosphere Reserve communities to allow local organizations to understand climate change and adapt to potential impacts.     

Spatial and temporal trends of selected trace elements in liver tissue from polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from Alaska, Canada and Greenland

Spatial trends and comparative changes in time of selected trace elements were studied in liver tissue from polar bears from ten different subpopulation locations in Alaska, Canadian Arctic and East Greenland. For nine of the trace elements (As, Cd, Cu, Hg, Mn, Pb, Rb, Se and Zn) spatial trends were investigated in 136 specimens sampled during 2005-2008 from bears from these ten subpopulations. Concentrations of Hg, Se and As were highest in the (northern and southern) Beaufort Sea area and lowest in (western and southern) Hudson Bay area and Chukchi/Bering Sea. In contrast, concentrations of Cd showed an increasing trend from east to west. Minor or no spatial trends were observed for Cu, Mn, Rb and Zn. Spatial trends were in agreement with previous studies, possibly explained by natural phenomena. To assess temporal changes of Cd, Hg, Se and Zn concentrations during the last decades, we compared our results to previously published data. These time comparisons suggested recent Hg increase in East Greenland polar bears. This may be related to Hg emissions and/or climate-induced changes in Hg cycles or changes in the polar bear food web related to global warming. Also, Hg:Se molar ratio has increased in East Greenland polar bears, which suggests there may be an increased risk for Hg(2+)-mediated toxicity. Since the underlying reasons for spatial trends or changes in time of trace elements in the Arctic are still largely unknown, future studies should focus on the role of changing climate and trace metal emissions on geographical and temporal trends of trace elements.     

Variations in global temperature and precipitation for the period of 1948 to 2010

Climate change has impacts on both natural and human systems. Accurate information regarding variations in precipitation and temperature is essential for identifying and understanding these potential impacts. This research applied Mann–Kendall, rescaled range analysis and wave transform methods to analyze the trends and periodic properties of global and regional surface air temperature (SAT) and precipitation (PR) over the period of 1948 to 2010. The results show that 65.34 % of the area studied exhibits significant warming trends (p?<?0.05) while only 3.18 % of the area exhibits significant cooling trends. The greatest warming trends are observed in Antarctica (0.32 °C per decade) and Middle Africa (0.21 °C per decade). Notably, 62.26 % of the area became wetter, while 22.01 % of the area shows drying trends. Northern Europe shows the largest precipitation increase, 12.49 mm per decade. Western Africa shows the fastest drying, ?21.05 mm per decade. The rescaled range analysis reveals large areas that show persistent warming trends; this behavior in SAT is more obvious than that in PR. Wave transform results show that a 1-year period of SAT variation dominates in all regions, while inconsistent 0.5-year bands are observed in East Asia, Middle Africa, and Southeast Asia. In PR, significant power in the wavelet power spectrum at a 1-year period was observed in 17 regions, i.e., in all regions studied except Western Europe, where precipitation is instead characterized by 0.5-year and 0.25-year periods. Overall, the variations in SAT and PR can be consistent with the combined impacts of natural and anthropogenic factors, such as atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, the internal variability of climate system, and volcanic eruptions.     

Characterization of elemental pollution and its variations in sediments and suspended particulate matter from the River Elbe via multi-element analysis combined with chemometric data evaluation

Sediments and suspended particulate matter taken from about 100 sampling sites along the River Elbe from the source to the mouth during the period 1992 and 1998 have been analyzed for the concentrations of more than 60 elements in each sample. The analytical data were subsequently processed by means of multivariate statistics in order to characterize the charge of the River Elbe with inorganic pollutants to elucidate pollution trends. Using factor analysis 18 elements were found to be enriched by human activities. By means of cluster analysis--using the 18 anthropogenically influenced elements as variables--the sampling sites were aggregated into groups having similar element distributions. Thus, the entire stretch of the River Elbe was divided into three sections of characteristic elemental pollution. Finally, the trends in anthropogenic pollution within the characteristic regions since the early nineties were assessed. It turned out that most of the anthropogenically influenced elements showed a decrease in the upper and middle parts of the river, whereas no decrease could be verified in the estuary region.     

Impacts of pesticides in a Central California estuary

Recent and past studies have documented the prevalence of pyrethroid and organophosphate pesticides in urban and agricultural watersheds in California. While toxic concentrations of these pesticides have been found in freshwater systems, there has been little research into their impacts in marine receiving waters. Our study investigated pesticide impacts in the Santa Maria River estuary, which provides critical habitat to numerous aquatic, terrestrial, and avian species on the central California coast. Runoff from irrigated agriculture constitutes a significant portion of Santa Maria River flow during most of the year, and a number of studies have documented pesticide occurrence and biological impacts in this watershed. Our study extended into the Santa Maria watershed coastal zone and measured pesticide concentrations throughout the estuary, including the water column and sediments. Biological effects were measured at the organism and community levels. Results of this study suggest the Santa Maria River estuary is impacted by current-use pesticides. The majority of water samples were highly toxic to invertebrates (Ceriodaphnia dubia and Hyalella azteca), and chemistry evidence suggests toxicity was associated with the organophosphate pesticide chlorpyrifos, pyrethroid pesticides, or mixtures of both classes of pesticides. A high percentage of sediment samples were also toxic in this estuary, and sediment toxicity occurred when mixtures of chlorpyrifos and pyrethroid pesticides exceeded established toxicity thresholds. Based on a Relative Benthic Index, Santa Maria estuary stations where benthic macroinvertebrate communities were assessed were degraded. Impacts in the Santa Maria River estuary were likely due to the proximity of this system to Orcutt Creek, the tributary which accounts for most of the flow to the lower Santa Maria River. Water and sediment samples from Orcutt Creek were highly toxic to invertebrates due to mixtures of the same pesticides measured in the estuary. This study suggests that the same pyrethroid and organophosphate pesticides that have been shown to cause water and sediment toxicity in urban and agriculture water bodies throughout California, have the potential to affect estuarine habitats. The results establish baseline data in the Santa Maria River estuary to allow evaluation of ecosystem improvement as management initiatives to reduce pesticide runoff are implemented in this watershed.     

闽江入海断面溶解无机氮长时间序列分析及入海通量估算

为深入研究闽江口富营养化机制,于1985—2021年在闽江入海断面开展了水质监测。采用结合局部加权回归散点平滑法(LOWESS)的季节性肯达尔检验(SK检验)对断面溶解无机氮(DIN)及其各组分浓度变化趋势进行分析,同时结合水文资料对入海通量进行估算。结果表明:DIN浓度范围为0.728~3.140 mg/L,在37年间整体呈上升趋势,但不显著。各组分中NO₂-N和NH₃-N浓度分别呈显著和极显著下降趋势,而NO₃-N浓度呈极显著上升趋势。DIN组分中NO₂-N和NH₃-N比重不断减小,而NO₃-N比重不断增大,目前已成为DIN的主要组成部分。DIN入海通量范围为3.59×10⁴~14.85×10⁴ t,在37年间缓慢增加,其各组分入海通量长期变化趋势同浓度变化类似。从长期来看,DIN及其各组分浓度的变化趋势主要受流域环境变化及下游福州市含氮废水排放影响,而在短期则受台风、降水等一些突发环境事件的影响较大。     

The risk of harmful algal blooms (HABs) in the oyster-growing estuaries of New South Wales, Australia

The spatial and temporal variability of potentially harmful phytoplankton was examined in the oyster-growing estuaries of New South Wales. Forty-five taxa from 31 estuaries were identified from 2005 to 2009. Harmful species richness was latitudinally graded for rivers, with increasing number of taxa southward. There were significant differences (within an estuary) in harmful species abundance and richness for 11 of 21 estuaries tested. Where differences were observed, these were predominately due to species belonging to the Pseudo-nitzschia delicatissima group, Dinophysis acuminata, Dictyocha octonaria and Prorocentrum cordatum with a consistent upstream versus downstream pattern emerging. Temporal (seasonal or interannual) patterns in harmful phytoplankton within and among estuaries were highly variable. Examination of harmful phytoplankton in relation to recognised estuary disturbance measures revealed species abundance correlated to estuary modification levels and flushing time, with modified, slow flushing estuaries having higher abundance. Harmful species richness correlated with bioregion, estuary modification levels and estuary class, with southern, unmodified lakes demonstrating greater species density. Predicting how these risk taxa and risk zones may change with further estuary disturbance and projected climate warming will require more focused, smaller scale studies aimed at a deeper understanding of species-specific ecology and bloom mechanisms. Coupled with this consideration, there is an imperative for further taxonomic, ecological and toxicological investigations into poorly understood taxa (e.g. Pseudo-nitzschia).     

抚河河口富营养化现状评价

2009年4-5月对抚河下游分流处及河口进行浮游生物及水质状况的调研,基于优势种评价法和污水生物系统法并结合化学评价对其富营养化状况进行评价.共检出11大类,230种浮游生物.生物优势种评价法与化学营养状况指标法分析均表明,抚河下游分流处、东支河口和西支河口水体均呈富营养型.污水生物系统评价结果表明,抚河下游分流处水体介于多污染带与β中污带之间;东支河口水体介于多污染带与β中污带中间;西支河口水体处于多污染带.与分流处相比,河口浮游生物密度激增,还增加了金藻、黄藻、甲藻等浮游植物种类,说明河口富营养化程度比分流处严重,其中金溪湖处河口营养化程度最严重.     

Occurrence of PCBs in raw and finished drinking water at seven public water systems along the Hudson River

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were measured in raw and finished drinking water at seven Public Water Systems (PWSs) along the Hudson River as part of a baseline monitoring program prior to the extensive sediment dredging of the Upper Hudson River. Water samples were either analyzed using an Aroclor method (based on USEPA Method 508) or a congener method (Modified Green Bay Mass Balance Method). Using the congener-based method, raw water concentrations ranged from <9.3 to 164.3 ng/L and finished water concentrations ranged from <9.3 to 186.6 ng/L. Using the Aroclor method, finished water concentrations ranged from <5.0 to 200.9 ng/L. Most finished water samples above 73.0 ng/L were from a PWS with wells drilled near the river. Excluding the well data, total PCB concentrations in raw water at systems in the Upper River were similar to concentrations at systems in the Lower River, though the congener patterns differed. Paired comparison of total PCB concentrations using the two analytical methods showed good agreement, although raw water showed a different relationship than finished water.     

Distribution and ecotoxicological significance of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sediments from Iko River estuary mangrove ecosystem

The distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in epipelic and benthic sediments from Iko River estuary mangrove ecosystem has been investigated. Total PAHs ranged from 6.10 to 35.27 mg/kg dry weight. Quantitative difference between the total PAHs in epipelic and benthic sediments showed that the benthic sediment known for higher capability to serve as sink for chemical pollutants accumulated less PAHs. This implies that PAHs in the epipelic sediment may plausibly be from industrial sources via runoff and/or of biogenic origin. A strong pyrolytic source fingerprint has been detected with slight influence of petrogenic sources. Total organic carbon normalized PAHs (sum of 16 PAHs, 59.7 to 372.4 mg/kg OC) were under (except for ES3 and BS3) the threshold effects concentrations (TEC, 290 mg/kg OC). Total PAHs in Iko River estuary sediments were in the range between ERL and ERM.     

Multi-model ensemble simulation and projection in the climate change in the Mekong River Basin. Part I: temperature

This paper evaluates the performance of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5) in simulating annual and decadal temperature in the Mekong River Basin from 1950 to 2005. By use of Bayesian multi-model averaging method, the future projection of temperature variation under different scenarios are also analyzed. The results show, the performances of climate model are more accurate in space than time, the model can catch the warming characteristics in the Mekong river Basin, but the accuracy of simulation is not good enough. Bayesian multi-model averaging method can improve the annual and decadal temperature simulation when compared to a single result. The projected temperature in Mekong River will increase by 0.88 °C/100 year, 2.15 °C/100 year and 4.96 °C/100 year for the RCP2.6, RCP4.5, and RCP8.5 scenarios, respectively, over the twenty-first century. The findings will be beneficial for local people and policy-maker to formulate regional strategies against the potential menaces of warming scenarios.     

Detecting water quality patterns in New Hampshire’s estuaries using National Coastal Assessment probability-based survey data

Between 2000 and 2006, the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services and the University of New Hampshire collected water quality samples at 25 to 40 stations per year in a 56.5-km² estuary as part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Coastal Assessment program. Due to the high density of stations, probabilistic statistics for the estuary could be calculated with low uncertainty. The proportions of the estuary exceeding thresholds in each year were calculated for temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll a, nitrogen as nitrate and nitrite, nitrogen as ammonium, phosphorus as orthophosphate, total suspended solids, and fecal coliform bacteria. These values were tested for trends over time and correlations with climate variables. The same statistical tests were applied to monthly grab sample data from a representative station in the estuary. The outcomes of the statistical tests on the two datasets were compared to determine if they provided similar information to coastal managers. Trends and correlations were equally likely to be detected using the probability-based data and the fixed station data, but the results were different for the two datasets. The differences were likely due to the distributed nature of the probability-based sampling design, which places stations in all sections of the estuary. In addition, expressing the probabilistic datasets as estimated proportions reduced variability in volatile parameters, such as bacteria, relative to the grab sample dataset. It will be important to develop tools to rectify trends from probability-based surveys with fixed station monitoring to provide clear information to managers.     

Spatiotemporal analysis of the effect of climate change on vegetation health in the Drakensberg Mountain Region of South Africa

The impact of climate change on mountain ecosystems has been in the spotlight for the past three decades. Climate change is generally considered to be a threat to ecosystem health in mountain regions. Vegetation indices can be used to detect shifts in ecosystem phenology and climate change in mountain regions while satellite imagery can play an important role in this process. However, what has remained problematic is determining the extent to which ecosystem phenology is affected by climate change under increasingly warming conditions. In this paper, we use climate and vegetation indices that were derived from satellite data to investigate the link between ecosystem phenology and climate change in the Namahadi Catchment Area of the Drakensberg Mountain Region of South Africa. The time series for climate indices as well as those for gridded precipitation and temperature data were analyzed in order to determine climate shifts, and concomitant changes in vegetation health were assessed in the resultant epochs using vegetation indices. The results indicate that vegetation indices should only be used to assess trends in climate change under relatively pristine conditions, where human influence is limited. This knowledge is important for designing climate change monitoring strategies that are based on ecosystem phenology and vegetation health.     

Monitoring programme revision highlights long-term salinity changes in selected South African rivers and the value of comprehensive long-term data sets

Determination of data adequacy for detection of long-term salinity changes was an important task in the revision of the South African National Chemical Monitoring Programme (NCMP). The NCMP has been running for more than 30 years with several hundred active monitoring sites. Twenty-five sites on major rivers had sufficient continuous data for the estimation of salinity changes over a 25-year period and statistically significant upward or downward trends occurred at 17 of the 25 sites. Most sites were too far apart for detailed analysis of whole river systems, though an upward trend is apparent in the Lower Orange River and a downward trend in the Great Fish River. Salinity in the Tugela River remained stable, well below the 70 mS m( - 1) guideline for drinking water. The results underline the importance of long-term data sets for assessing and managing aquatic systems and provide the impetus to continue building and maintaining long-term sampling programmes.     

Sustainability of winter tourism in a changing climate over Kashmir Himalaya

Mountain areas are sensitive to climate change. Implications of climate change can be seen in less snow, receding glaciers, increasing temperatures, and decreasing precipitation. Climate change is also a severe threat to snow-related winter sports such as skiing, snowboarding, and cross-country skiing. The change in climate will put further pressure on the sensitive environment of high mountains. Therefore, in this study, an attempt has been made to know the impact of climate change on the snow precipitation, water resources, and winter tourism in the two famous tourist resorts of the Kashmir Valley. Our findings show that winters are getting prolonged with little snow falls on account of climate change. The average minimum and maximum temperatures are showing statistically significant increasing trends for winter months. The precipitation is showing decreasing trends in both the regions. A considerable area in these regions remains under the snow and glacier cover throughout the year especially during the winter and spring seasons. However, time series analysis of LandSat MODIS images using Normalized Difference Snow Index shows a decreasing trend in snow cover in both the regions from past few years. Similarly, the stream discharge, comprising predominantly of snow- and glacier-melt, is showing a statistically significant declining trend despite the melting of these glaciers. The predicted futuristic trends of temperature from Predicting Regional Climates for Impact Studies regional climate model are showing an increase which may enhance snow-melting in the near future posing a serious threat to the sustainability of winter tourism in the region. Hence, it becomes essential to monitor the changes in temperature and snow cover depletion in these basins in order to evaluate their effect on the winter tourism and water resources in the region.     

Comprehensive analysis of an ecological risk assessment of the Daliao River estuary, China

At present, most estuarine ecological risk studies are based on terrestrial ecosystem models, which ignore spatial heterogeneity. The Daliao River estuary has representative characteristics of many estuaries in China, and we used this estuary as the study area to formulate an estuarine ecological risk evaluation model. Targeting the estuary's special hydrodynamic condition, this model incorporated variables that were under the influence of human activities and used them as the major factors for partitioning sections of the river according to risk values. It also explored the spatial and temporal distribution laws of estuarine ecological risk. The results showed that, on the whole, the ecological risk of the Daliao River estuary area was relatively high. At a temporal level, runoff was the main factor resulting in differences in ecological risk, while at the spatial level, the ecological risk index was affected by pollutants carried by runoff from upstream, as well as downstream pollution emissions and dilution by seawater at the mouth of the sea. The characteristics of this model make it possible to simulate the spatial and temporal risk distribution in different regions and under different rainfall regimes. This model can thus be applied in other estuarine areas and provides some technical support for analysis and control of ecological destruction in estuary areas.     

Plant Phenology in Western Canada: Trends and Links to the View From Space

One feature of climate change is the trends to earlier spring onset in many north temperate areas of the world. The timing of spring flowering and leafing of perennial plants is largely controlled by temperature accumulation; both temperature and phenological records illustrate changes in recent decades. Phenology studies date back over a century, with extensive databases existing for western Canada. Earlier spring flowering has been noted for many woody plants, with larger trends seen for species that develop at spring's start. Implications for ecosystems of trends to earlier spring arrival include changes in plant species composition, changes in timing and distribution of pests and disease, and potentially disrupted ecological interactions. While Alberta has extensive phenology databases (for species, years, and geographic coverage) for recent decades, these data cannot provide continuous ground coverage. There is great potential for phenological data to provide ground validation for satellite imagery interpretation, especially as new remote sensors are becoming available. Phenological networks are experiencing a resurgence of interest in Canada (www.plantwatch.ca) and globally, and linking these ground-based observations with the view from space will greatly enhance our capacity to track the biotic response to climate changes.     

From lake to estuary,the tale of two waters: a study of aquatic continuum biogeochemistry

The balance of fresh and saline water is essential to estuarine ecosystem function. Along the fresh-brackish-saline water gradient within the C-43 canal/Caloosahatchee River Estuary (CRE), the quantity, timing and distribution of water, and associated water quality significantly influence ecosystem function. Long-term trends of water quality and quantity were assessed from Lake Okeechobee to the CRE between May 1978 and April 2016. Significant changes to monthly flow volumes were detected between the lake and the estuary which correspond to changes in upstream management. and climatic events. Across the 37-year period, total phosphorus (TP) flow-weighted mean (FWM) concentration significantly increased at the lake; meanwhile, total nitrogen (TN) FMW concentrations significantly declined at both the lake and estuary headwaters. Between May 1999 and April 2016, TN, TP, and total organic carbon (TOC), ortho-P, and ammonium conditions were assessed within the estuary at several monitoring locations. Generally, nutrient concentrations decreased from upstream to downstream with shifts in TN/TP from values >?20 in the freshwater portion, ~?20 in the estuarine portion, and <?20 in the marine portion indicating a spatial shift in nutrient limitations along the continuum. Aquatic productivity analysis suggests that the estuary is net heterotrophic with productivity being negatively influenced by TP, TN, and TOC likely due to a combination of effects including shading by high color dissolved organic matter. We conclude that rainfall patterns, land use, and the resulting discharges of runoff drive the ecology of the C-43/CRE aquatic continuum and associated biogeochemistry rather than water management associated with Lake Okeechobee.     

关于近岸海域生态环境监测技术体系的探讨

在近岸海域环境管理从污染控制管理发展为生态环境综合管理的情况下,厘清近岸海域生态环境监测技术体系并加以完善十分必要。通过对中国环境监测和管理发展的梳理得出,中国近岸海域生态环境监测技术体系在生态环境、污染和损害等方面已有一定的基础;研究国内外环境监测和管理的发展趋势发现,中国近岸海域生态环境监测技术体系在河口区域、生态恢复力、风险源、灾害、海域使用影响、湿地损害、生物入侵、环境风险源方面需要不断完善,质量保证和质量控制方面也需要加强。