Problems in characterizing the ecological quality of soil in relation to human activities

The soil ecosystem is composed of various groups of organisms which have complex relations. The physical structure and chemical characteristics of the soil provide the boundary conditions. In view of various deteriorating human activities, it is important to find soil quality characteristics with respect to its most important function: the ecological function. An enumeration has been given of chemical, physical and biological soil parameters which are more or less important for soil quality. Several of these parameters are discussed. For use as indicators of deterioration, for a given site, the optimum values of the soil parameters have to be established, as well as acceptable deviations from the optimum, taking into account natural fluctuation. It is concluded that, due to lack of data, such an approach is not possible at this moment. However, it might be possible to identify those soil parameters which should be taken into consideration when evaluating human activities.Paper presented at a Symposium held on 14 and 15 October 1982, in Utrecht, The Netherlands.     

Analytical approaches to the determination of phosphorus partitioning patterns in sediments

Three methods for phosphorus fractionation in sediments based on chemical extractions have been applied to fourteen aquatic sediment samples of different origin and characteristics. Two of the methods used different approaches to obtain the inorganic fractions. The Hieltjes and Lijklema procedure (HL) uses strong acids or bases, whereas the Golterman procedure (G) uses chelating reagents. The third one, the Standards, Measurements and Testing (SMT) protocol, was proposed in the frame of the SMT Programme (European Commission) which aimed to provide harmonisation and the validation of such methodologies. This harmonised procedure was also used for the certification of the extractable phosphorus contents in a sediment certified reference material (CRM BCR 684). Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to group sediments according to their composition and the three extraction methods were applied to the samples including CRM BCR 684. The data obtained show that there is some correlation between the results from the three methods when considering the organic and the residual fractions together. The SMT and the HL methods are the most comparable, whereas the G method, using a different type of reagent, yields different distribution patterns depending on sample composition. In relation to the inorganic phosphorus, the three methods give similar information, although the distribution between non-apatite and apatite fractions can be different.     

Monitoring of agriculture soils in the Czech Republic

In the Czech Republic a complex monitoring of agriculture soils has commenced. This paper describes the approach to establishing monitoring plots. Comparing the results of Systematic Soil Survey and those from the first period of agriculture monitoring demonstrates that a representative set of plots was achieved. Soil properties (physical, chemical, biological and agronomical), atmospheric deposition (some parameters being monthly and some only for the summer and winter season) and selected other influences (application of pesticides, irrigation, etc.) are all monitored. Results for atmospheric deposition in the Czech Republic from the first period and Bavaria [Bayerische Landesanstalt für Bodenkultur und Pflanzenbau, 1992) are also compared. Data are evaluated by a statistical package (Statgrafics) and prepared for future transfer into a suitable GIS.     

Application of the benthic index of biotic integrity to environmental monitoring in Chesapeake Bay

The Chesapeake Bay benthic index of biotic integrity (B-IBI) was developed to assess benthic community health and environmental quality in Chesapeake Bay. The B-IBI provides Chesapeake Bay monitoring programs with a uniform tool with which to characterize bay-wide benthic community condition and assess the health of the Bay. A probability-based design permits unbiased annual estimates of areal degradation within the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries with quantifiable precision. However, of greatest interest to managers is the identification of problem areas most in need of restoration. Here we apply the B-IBI to benthic data collected in the Bay since 1994 to assess benthic community degradation by Chesapeake Bay Program segment and water depth. We used a new B-IBI classification system that improves the reliability of the estimates of degradation. Estimates were produced for 67 Chesapeake Bay Program segments. Greatest degradation was found in areas that are known to experience hypoxia or show toxic contamination, such as the mesohaline portion of the Potomac River, the Patapsco River, and the Maryland mainstem. Logistic regression models revealed increased probability of degraded benthos with depth for the lower Potomac River, Patapsco River, Nanticoke River, lower York River, and the Maryland mainstem. Our assessment of degradation by segment and water depth provided greater resolution of relative condition than previously available, and helped define the extent of degradation in Chesapeake Bay.     

Multiple approaches to assess the safety of artisanal marine food in a tropical estuary

In this study, metal and metalloid concentrations and pathogens were measured in shellfish at different locations in a tropical estuary, including sites impacted by sewage and industry. Oyster, mangrove snails and mud snails did not exceed Australian and New Zealand Food Standards maximum levels for copper, lead or estimated inorganic arsenic at any site although copper concentrations in oysters and mud snails exceeded generally expected levels at some locations. Bacterial community composition in shellfish was species-specific regardless of location and different to the surrounding water and sediment. In the snails Telescopium telescopium, Terebralia palustris and Nerita balteata, some bacterial taxa differed between sites, but not in Saccostrea cucullata oysters. The abundance of potential human pathogens was very low and pathogen abundance or diversity was not associated with site classification, i.e. sewage impact, industry impact and reference.     

A mobile monitoring system to understand the processes controlling episodic events in Corpus Christi Bay

Corpus Christi Bay (TX, USA) is a shallow wind-driven bay and thereby, can be characterized as a highly pulsed system. It cycles through various episodic events such as hypoxia, water column stratification, sediment resuspension, flooding, etc. Understanding of the processes that control these events requires an efficient observation system that can measure various hydrodynamic and water quality parameters at the multitude of spatial and temporal scales of interest. As part of our effort to implement an efficient observation system for Corpus Christi Bay, a mobile monitoring system was developed that can acquire and visualize data measured by various submersible sensors on an undulating tow-body deployed behind a research vessel. Along with this system, we have installed a downward-looking Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler to measure the vertical profile of water currents. Real-time display of each measured parameter intensity (measured value relative to a pre-set peak value) guides in selecting the transect route to capture the event of interest. In addition, large synchronized datasets measured by this system provide an opportunity to understand the processes that control various episodic events in the bay. To illustrate the capability of this system, datasets from two research cruises are presented in this paper that help to clarify processes inducing an inverse estuary condition at the mouth of the ship channel and hypoxia at the bottom of the bay. These measured datasets can also be used to drive numerical models to understand various environmental phenomena that control the water quality of the bay.     

Linking multimetric and multivariate approaches to assess the ecological condition of streams

Few attempts have been made to combine multimetric and multivariate analyses for bioassessment despite recognition that an integrated method could yield powerful tools for bioassessment. An approach is described that integrates eight macroinvertebrate community metrics into a Principal Components Analysis to develop a Multivariate Condition Score (MCS) from a calibration dataset of 511 samples. The MCS is compared to an Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) derived using the same metrics based on the ratio to the reference site mean. Both approaches were highly correlated although the MCS appeared to offer greater potential for discriminating a wider range of impaired conditions. Both the MCS and IBI displayed low temporal variability within reference sites, and were able to distinguish between reference conditions and low levels of catchment modification and local habitat degradation, although neither discriminated among three levels of low impact. Pseudosamples developed to test the response of the metric aggregation approaches to organic enrichment, urban, mining, pastoral and logging stressor scenarios ranked pressures in the same order, but the MCS provided a lower score for the urban scenario and a higher score for the pastoral scenario. The MCS was calculated for an independent test dataset of urban and reference sites, and yielded similar results to the IBI. Although both methods performed comparably, the MCS approach may have some advantages because it removes the subjectivity of assigning thresholds for scoring biological condition, and it appears to discriminate a wider range of degraded conditions.     

Participatory integrated assessment of adaptation to climate change in Alpine tourism and mountain agriculture

Winter tourism and mountain agriculture are the most important economic sectors in a major part of the Swiss Alps. Both are highly sensitive to changing climatic conditions. In the framework of the CLEAR project, results from climate impact research in the field of tourism and agricultural production were used to investigate the perception of climatic change by stakeholders and to assess possible adaptations. We used a participatory integrated assessment (PIA) to involve the knowledge, values and experiences of the various social actors in tourism and agriculture (e.g., skiers, tourism managers, farmers) in the research process. Whereas climate change may have various severe direct impacts on the tourism industry, depending on the region, agricultural production may generally benefit from changed climatic conditions. But because of the dependence of farmers on “off-farm” income, the loss due to declining winter tourism in specific areas may cause more important indirect effects. However, the two sectors may adapt actively by choosing from a variety of strategies, and the loss of income from the tourism industry may support the re-evaluation of the various functions agriculture plays in mountain regions, beyond the production of food. The study demonstrates the suitability of the PIA approach to elucidate the interactions between different stakeholders and their perception of the climate change phenomena. A similar participatory approach could be a useful tool to transfer research results and expert knowledge to the political process addressing adaptations to climate change. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

A regional algorithm to model mesozooplankton biomass along the southwestern Bay of Bengal

A three-dimensional regression analysis attempted to model mesozooplankton (MSP) biomass using sea surface temperature (SST) and chlorophyll-a (Chl-a). The study was carried out from January 2014 to July 2015 in the southwestern Bay of Bengal (BoB) and sampling was carried out on board Sagar Manjusha and Sagar Purvi. SST ranged from 26.2 to 33.1 °C while Chl-a varied from 0.04 to 6.09 μg L^?1. During the course of the study period, there was a weak correlation (r?= 0.32) between SST and Chl-a statistically. MSP biomass varied from 0.42 to 9.63 mg C m^?3 and inversely related with SST. Two kinds of approaches were adopted to develop the model by grouping seasonal datasets (four seasonal algorithms) and comprising all datasets (one annual algorithm). Among the four functions used (linear, paraboloid, the Lorentzian and the Gaussian functions), paraboloid model was best suited. The best seasonal and annual algorithms were applied in the synchronous MODIS-derived SST and Chl-a data to estimate the MSP biomass in the southwestern BoB. The modelled MSP biomass was validated with field MSP biomass and the result was statistically significant, showing maximum regression coefficient for the seasonal algorithms (R²?=?0.60; p?=?0.627; α?= 0.05), than the annual algorithm (R²?=?0.52; p?=?0.015, α?=?0.05).     

Polonium 210Po in the phytobenthos from Puck Bay

The aim of the work was to determine the 210Po content in phytobenthos species (seaweeds and angiosperms) from Puck Bay (southern Baltic). Alpha spectrometry was used to measure and calculate the activities and concentrations of polonium 210Po in the phytobenthos. The activity of 210Po in Puck Bay waters was determined to estimate the bioconcentration factors (BCF) of these plants. The 210Po concentration in water was estimated at 0.25 mBq dm(-3). The lowest polonium concentration in the phytobenthos was found in Cladophora rupestris (0.12 Bq kg(-1) wet wt.), the highest in Chara crinita (1.12 Bq kg(-1) wet wt.). Polonium is accumulated in these phytobenthos species; the bioconcentration factors (BCF) ranged from 450 to 4400.     

Seasonal variation for the ratio of BaP to BeP at different sites in Great Xiamen Bay

From March 2008 to February 2009, PM(10) samples were collected and analyzed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) at eight sampling sites in Great Xiamen Bay, China. Analyses of the seasonal and spatial variations of these compounds revealed the following results. Significantly high levels of PAHs were found in the winter compared to the summer, sometimes exceeding 100 ng m(-3), and the spatial variations were influenced most by the sampling site surroundings. Composition profiles of PAHs of an urban and a rural site were shown to be very similar with a positive correlation coefficient larger than 0.9 at the 0.01 level of significance for the same season. Diagnostic ratios, together with principal component and multiple linear regression analysis, showed that more PAHs were from grass/wood/coal combustion in winter than in other seasons. The ratios of benzo[a]pyrene to benzo[e]pyrene (BaP-BeP) in winter and fall were 0.6-1.7 times higher than those in spring and summer, suggesting the importance of local emissions of PAHs. The BaP-BeP ratios in Kinmen were generally lower than those in Xiamen, indicating that the aging degree of PAHs was higher in Kinmen than in Xiamen. The external input of PAHs from upwind urban and industrial areas was one of the key factors causing high levels of PAHs in PM(10) in Great Xiamen Bay in winter.     

莱州湾表层沉积物中多氯联苯的测定方法及分布特征探究

以加速溶剂萃取法 (ASE)、索氏提取法/气相色谱法测定了莱州湾表层沉积物中的12种PCBs的浓度水平,探讨了它的分布特征并将两种方法进行了对比;同时测定了渤海湾北部海域表层沉积物中PCBs的含量,与莱州湾进行了比较。结果表明,莱州湾海域表层沉积物检测出8种多氯联苯(PCBs),浓度范围是N.D.~48.40 ng ·g ^-1dw。该海域多氯联苯的分布特征是近岸高,离岸低,由近岸向湾外延伸方向依次递减;渤海湾PCBs的浓度范围是0.15~68.30 ng ·g ^-1dw,和莱州湾差别不大。索氏提取法测定12种多氯联苯类化合物的基质加标回收率为78.00%~104.85%,相对标准偏差为0.95%~3.64%;加速溶剂萃取法的基质加标回收率为90.00%~102.00%,相对标准偏差为0.65%~2.75%;相对于渤海湾北部海域而言,莱州湾区域只是受到轻度污染,属于低风险生态区,不会对生物产生毒副作用;而前者则处于中度污染水平,可能会对生物产生毒副作用。     

海州湾潮间带大型底栖动物多样性研究

2015年10月和11月调查了海州湾潮间带A、B 2个断面的大型底栖动物,共发现大型底栖动物29种,其中A断面发现19种,B断面23种;潮间带大型底栖动物的总平均丰度为1 790 m~(-2),总平均生物量185.11 g/m~2。A、B 2断面的丰度生物量差异较大,主要是由于2个断面底质类型不同造成的。潮间带Shannon-Wiener多样性指数平均值为2.90,波动为2.44~3.45,其沉积物环境存在轻度有机质污染。     

Effects of pesticides used in agriculture on the development of precocious puberty

The present study aims to evaluate the effects of pesticides on premature breast development. Forty-five girls (group 1) with premature breast development living in the Menderes region, where greenhouse cultivation is the main income, 16 girls (group 2) living in Izmir city with early puberty, and 33 girls (group 3) who had no signs of puberty were included in the study. Endosulphan 1, endosulphan 2, endosulphan sulphate, methoxychlor, vinclozolin, 4,4-dichlorodiphenyldichlorethylene (DDE), 4,-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), and 2,4-DDT were evaluated in the serum and adipose tissues of the groups by using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method. With the exception of 4,4'-DDE, the pesticides studied were undetectable in the serum and adipose tissue samples. The levels of basal luteinizing hormone (LH), stimulated LH, follicle-stimulating hormone, and the long axis of the uterus and both ovaries were significantly different in the girls who had premature thelarche and detectable 4,4'-DDE levels compared to the girls who had premature thelarche and undetectable 4,4'-DDE levels in serum and adipose tissues. The presence and levels of pesticides in serum and adipose tissues were not related to precocious puberty (PP). The mechanisms that lead to PP may also result in obesity, and obesity may be the underlying cause for PP in this group.     

Quantity and quality management of groundwater: An application to irrigated agriculture in Iraklion,Crete

A quantity-quality problem in which pollution generates production externalities is analyzed empirically. Water is pumped by farmers from a common access aquifer, and deep percolation resulting from the irrigation causes accumulation of pollutants in the aquifer. Pollution negatively affects the production of the agricultural output through the deterioration of the groundwater quality. By comparing the cooperative with the noncooperative solution, an optimal policy scheme in the form of water taxes is determined. The scheme induces farmers acting noncooperatively to follow policies that correspond to the regulator's optimum. The model is applied to the case of groundwater management in the Iraklio prefecture of Crete. Agricultural production functions are estimated using an externality variable as explanatory variable. An optimal control model that corresponds to the cooperative solution is solved using multiple shooting methods. Paths for water stock, salinity stock, and water use at the regulator's optimum are derived. The optimal water tax is calculated in the final stage.     

2015—2018年海州湾及邻近海域浮游植物群落结构特征

根据2015—2018年春、夏季海州湾及邻近海域8个航次的调查资料,对该海域浮游植物种类组成、优势种、丰度及多样性进行了调查,应用相关性分析和典范对应分析(CCA)研究了环境因子对海州湾浮游植物群落结构的影响,共发现浮游植物96种,其中硅藻80种.中肋骨条藻(Skeletonema costatum)在各航次均是第一优...     

Relation of fish and shellfish distributions to habitat and water quality in the Mobile Bay estuary, USA

The Mobile Bay estuary in the northern Gulf of Mexico provides a rich habitat for many fish and shellfish, including those identified as economically and ecologically important. The National Estuary Program in Mobile Bay has focused on restoration of degraded estuarine habitat on which these species depend. To support this effort, we used statistical techniques of ordination, cluster analysis, and discriminant analysis to relate distributions of individual fish and shellfish species and species assemblages to two dozen water quality and habitat variables in a geo-referenced database. Species appeared to respond to dominant gradients of low to high salinity and upland to offshore habitat area; many of the 15 communities identified via cluster analysis showed aggregated spatial distributions that could be related to habitat characteristics. Species in the Mobile River Delta were distinct from those in other areas of the estuary. This analysis supports habitat management in the Mobile Bay estuary; however, due to mobility of organisms among sampling locations and the dynamic environmental conditions in estuaries, we conclude that the analyses presented here are most appropriate for an evaluation of the estuary as a whole.