Kenfig NNR (National Nature Reserve) is a coastal sand dune system in south Wales, UK. The site is an important location for
the conservation of the fen orchidLiparis loeselii, a significant proportion of the UK population is found solely on the site. Approaches to the mapping and monitoring of the
habitats at Kenfig NNR using EO (Earth Observation) methods are investigated.
Typical airborne EO missions over such sites produce more than a single source of EO data; these may include various optical
imaging sensors with different spectral ranges, film cameras and ranging devices to measure topography. Conservation managers
are thus presented with the problem of which sources of data to use when producing a land cover map of the site of interest.
Using a data set gathered over the Kenfig NNR site, we investigate land cover mapping methods for conservation. The land cover
types of interest typically cover small areas within a much larger site so they present a hard problem for the EO data and
associated classification methods to solve. Land cover classifications produced from the data sets provide a set of competing
hypotheses of land cover type for the site.
Methods we use to resolve this competition between the data sets include voting methods, data fusion methods and a method
utilising fuzzy logic to aggregate information. This paper is intended to act as an introduction to some of the issues involved
in using EO data for habitat mapping in highly heterogeneous coastal dune environments and to present some preliminary results
of the performance of each method. 相似文献
Rare earth elements in our environment are becoming important because of their utilization in permanent magnets, lamp phosphors, superconductors, rechargeable batteries, catalyst, ceramics and other applications. This study was conducted to evaluate the level of rare earth elements (REE) and the variability of their anomalous behavior in groundwater samples collected from Lagos and Ogun States, Southwest, Nigeria. REE concentrations were determined in 170 groundwater samples using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, while the physicochemical parameters were determined using standard methods. Lagos State groundwater is enriched with REE [sum REEs range (mean ± SD)]; [0.365–488 (69.5 ± 117)] µg L?1 than Ogun State groundwater [sum REEs range (mean ± SD)]; [1.14–232 (22.6 ± 41.1)] µg L?1. Boreholes are more enriched with REEs than wells. Significant (P < 0.05) positive correlation (R = Pearson) was recorded in Lagos State groundwater between sum REEs and Fe (R = 0.55). However, there were no significant correlations between sum REEs, pH (R = 0.073) and HCO32? (R = 0.157) in Ogun State groundwater. Chondrite-normalized plot shows that Lagos groundwater exhibits positive Ce anomaly, while Ogun State groundwater does not. The source of REE in Lagos State may be from the ocean and leaching from wastes dumpsites, while the source in Ogun State groundwater may be from the rocks. 相似文献
This paper analyses the contents and species distributions of rare earth elements (REEs) in the water-suspended particulate-sediment
system of the Baotou section of the Yellow River, China, with known anthropogenic REE input from industrial discharges. The
major forms of REEs were suspended and dissolved in the mainstream and the tributaries of the Baotou section, respectively.
The concentrations of the dissolved and suspended REEs had the same trends in the overlying water along the mainstream, which
increased from the Seqi section (site A) to the mouth of the Sidaosha River (site D), reaching a maximum value at site D,
and tending to decrease thereafter. The contents of REEs in sediment cores showed enrichment with light rare earth elements
(LREEs). The bound to carbonates and to Fe–Mn oxides are the major forms of REE in the secondary phase and the REE exhibited
LREE enrichment pattern and moderate Eu depletion in suspended particulates and surface sediments. The contents and species
distributions of REEs in the water-suspended particulate-sediment system of the Baotou section suggest that the anthropogenic
source of REEs from Baotou city have enhanced REE accumulation to the Baotou section. This information is important for predicting
possible pollution resulting from anthropogenic REE input into rivers. 相似文献
Leaching behavior and gastrointestinal bioaccessibility of rare earth elements (REEs) from hospital waste incineration (HWI) fly and bottom ash samples collected from Beijing and Nanjing Cities were assessed. In the same ash sample, the leaching concentrations of individual REEs determined by the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) were higher than those detected by the European standard protocol (EN-type test), thereby suggesting that the low pH value of leaching solution was an important factor influencing the leachability of REE. The REE bioaccessibility results, which were evaluated using the physiologically based extraction test (PBET), indicated that REEs were highly absorbed during gastric phase by dissolution; and subsequently precipitated and/or re-adsorbed in small intestinal phase. The relative amounts of the total REEs extracted by the TCLP method, EN-type test and PBET test were compared. In addition to the pH value of extraction solutions, the chelating role of REEs with organic ligands used in the PBET method was also an important parameter affecting REE adsorption in human body. Additionally, this study showed that REEs were extracted by these methods as concomitants of heavy metals and anions (NO3–, F–, SO42–, and Cl–) from HWI ash, which probably caused the remarkably complex toxicity on human body by the exposure pathway.
Summary Analyses of leaf extracts ofDicerandra frutescens, a highly aromatic mint plant from central Florida listed as an endangered species, revealed presence of 12 closely related monoterpenes. The principal of these, (+)—trans-pulegol, is a new natural product, the synthesis of which is described. The terpenes are produced in glandular capsules that release their contents upon injury of the leaf. Data from bioassays with ants and cockroaches indicate that the terpenes serve for defense against insects.Dicerandra does, however, have a leaf-eating enemy, the caterpillar of a pyralid moth,Pyrausta panopealis. The discovery of a new natural product from an endangered species raises questions about the chemical implications of species extinction. 相似文献
Hematite (Fe2O3) chemical reduction into FeO and Fe3O4 by releasing O2 at high temperatures is considered one of the generally accepted mechanisms for processing waste minerals and clay into lightweight
aggregate construction materials. In many case studies, this mechanism has not been strictly confirmed. To verify whether
hematite can effectively release O2 at 1,000–1,260°C, a material containing hematite, simulating waste sediments from a Taiwanese reservoir, was shaped into
pellets and fired into lightweight aggregates at high temperatures for 20 min and studied with various techniques. As revealed
by the X-ray absorption near-edge structure technique, almost all the hematite remained as Fe(III) in the pellets when fired
at 1,000–1,260°C, implying a negligible release of O2 leading to the creation of pores. This finding shows that the generally accepted mechanism for lightweight aggregate formation
associated with hematite decomposition into FeO, Fe3O4, and O2 is invalid. Furthermore, Fe(III)-containing composites were formed in the fired pellets. Although firing at 1,000°C can trigger
the decomposition of the components K2CO3, Na2CO3, and CaCO3 with a release of CO2, the sintering reaction was seemingly too weak to encapsulate the gases effectively. For pellets fired at 1,050–1,150°C,
pores grew in size because the sintering reaction sufficed to generate a glassy phase that could better encapsulate gases. 相似文献
This study reports the results of geochemical investigations carried out in the Strait of Sicily (Central Mediterranean Sea) during the oceanographic cruise BANSIC 2000, focusing on the area around the Pantelleria Island. We evaluate the interface processes between dissolved phase and suspended particulate matter in the water columns on the basis of Y/Ho ratio and rare earth elements and yttrium distributions that are suitable to trace the occurrence of different water layers in Central Mediterranean Area. The main source of trace elements to the sea water system was recognized in the atmospheric fallout, while different scavenging mechanisms among Y and rare earth elements occur. Cation exchange at the dissolved phase-suspended media interface is driven by their external electronic configurations as monitored through the Y/Ho ratios, shape, and amplitude of the tetrad effects calculated along the water columns. The shape and amplitude of the tetrad effects in bottom waters suggest that the preferential Y scavenging from deep water layers depends on the hydrothermal activity in the seafloor. Here, Y is surface-complexed through the formation of inner-sphere complexes; Ho and other heavy rare earth elements are sorbed onto suspended particulate matter surfaces as weak outer-sphere complexes; these materials have a montmorillonite like nature; and preferential incorporation medium rare earth elements in crystal structures of biogenic carbonates is suggested by the relationship between the Eu anomaly and the nutrient contents of water masses. 相似文献
Adaptive cluster sampling (ACS) is a targeting sampling method that provides unbiased abundance estimators for populations
of rare species that may be inadequately sampled with simple random sampling (SRS). ACS has been used successfully to estimate
abundances of rockfish and sardine larvae from shipboard surveys. In this study, we describe the application of ACS for subtidal
macroalgae. Using SCUBA, we measured abundances of Codium mamillosum, C. pomoides, and Halimeda cuneata at three islands and two levels of wave exposure. The three species were relatively patchy and could be sampled with ACS
at one site per dive. Their distributions differed among islands and with exposure to wave energy, with H. cuneata found at only one island. ACS is a useful tool for understanding the spatial distribution and abundance of populations of
rare benthic species, but, as was the case in this study, may not be as efficient as sampling with SRS with comparable replication. 相似文献
The causes of species rarity are of critical concern because of the high extinction risk associated with rarity. Studies examining individual rare species have limited generality, whereas trait‐based approaches offer a means to identify functional causes of rarity that can be applied to communities with disparate species pools. Differences in functional traits between rare and common species may be indicative of the functional causes of species rarity and may therefore be useful in crafting species conservation strategies. However, there is a conspicuous lack of studies comparing the functional traits of rare species and co‐occurring common species. We measured 18 important functional traits for 19 rare and 134 common understory plant species from North Carolina's Sandhills region and compared their trait distributions to determine whether there are significant functional differences that may explain species rarity. Flowering, fire, and tissue‐chemistry traits differed significantly between rare and common, co‐occurring species. Differences in specific traits suggest that fire suppression has driven rarity in this system and that changes to the timing and severity of prescribed fire may improve conservation success. Our method provides a useful tool to prioritize conservation efforts in other systems based on the likelihood that rare species are functionally capable of persisting. 相似文献
Fine mesh (0.080 mm) zooplankton samples were collected along an onshore-offshore transect during three cruises (February to May, 1983) off southwest Nova Scotia, Canada. The small harpacticoid copepod Microsetella norvegica was numerically the dominant copepod during the winter (February) cruise, where it composed up to 50% of the total zooplankton, and was consistently among the three most abundant copepods during the spring cruises. Due to its small size (<0.45 mm in length), M. norvegica has rarely been reported from plankton surveys of the northwest Atlantic. However, existing reports indicated it varies interannually from being a rare to an abundant member of the zooplankton community in the northwest Atlantic. 相似文献
The importance of facilitation to local community dynamics is becoming increasingly recognized. However, the predictability of positive interactions in stressful environments, the balance of competition and facilitation along environmental gradients, and the scaling of local positive interactions to regional distributions are aspects of facilitation that remain unresolved. I explored these questions in a habitat specialist, Delphinium uliginosum, and a moss, Didymodon tophaceus, both found in small serpentine wetlands. I tested three hypotheses: (1) moss facilitates germination, growth, and/or fecundity of D. uliginosum; (2) facilitation is stronger at the harsher ends of gradients in soil moisture, toxicity, and/or biomass; and (3) facilitation is reflected in positive associations at the levels of local abundance and regional occurrence. Although considerable competitive interactions occurred in later life stages, moss strongly facilitated D. uliginosum seedling emergence. There was no evidence that this facilitative effect weakened, or switched to competition, in benign environments. D. uliginosum was more locally abundant and more frequently present, across a large portion of its range, with than without moss, indicating a net facilitative effect in the face of competitive influences. Facilitated recruitment, possibly by seed retention, was found to be an important control on abundance and distribution in this rare species. 相似文献