Precipitation, pH and metal load in AMD river basins: an application of fuzzy clustering algorithms to the process characterization

In the present work, Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) processes in the Chorrito Stream, which flows into the Cobica River (Iberian Pyrite Belt, Southwest Spain) are characterized by means of clustering techniques based on fuzzy logic. Also, pH behavior in contrast to precipitation is clearly explained, proving that the influence of rainfall inputs on the acidity and, as a result, on the metal load of a riverbed undergoing AMD processes highly depends on the moment when it occurs. In general, the riverbed dynamic behavior is the response to the sum of instant stimuli produced by isolated rainfall, the seasonal memory depending on the moment of the target hydrological year and, finally, the own inertia of the river basin, as a result of an accumulation process caused by age-long mining activity.     

Nutrient subsidies to belowground microbes impact aboveground food web interactions

Historically, terrestrial food web theory has been compartmentalized into interactions among aboveground or belowground communities. In this study we took a more synthetic approach to understanding food web interactions by simultaneously examining four trophic levels and investigating how nutrient (nitrogen and carbon) and detrital subsidies impact the ability of the belowground microbial community to alter the abundance of aboveground arthropods (herbivores and predators) associated with the intertidal cord grass Spartina alterniflora. We manipulated carbon, nitrogen, and detrital resources in a field experiment and measured decomposition rate, soil nitrogen pools, plant biomass and quality, herbivore density, and arthropod predator abundance. Because carbon subsidies impact plant growth only indirectly (microbial pathways), whereas nitrogen additions both directly (plant uptake) and indirectly (microbial pathways) impact plant primary productivity, we were able to assess the effect of both belowground soil microbes and nutrient availability on aboveground herbivores and their predators. Herbivore density in the field was suppressed by carbon supplements. Carbon addition altered soil microbial dynamics (net potential ammonification, litter decomposition rate, DON [dissolved organic N] concentration), which limited inorganic soil nitrogen availability and reduced plant size as well as predator abundance. Nitrogen addition enhanced herbivore density by increasing plant size and quality directly by increasing inorganic soil nitrogen pools, and indirectly by enhancing microbial nitrification. Detritus adversely affected aboveground herbivores mainly by promoting predator aggregation. To date, the effects of carbon and nitrogen subsidies on salt marshes have been examined as isolated effects on either the aboveground or the belowground community. Our results emphasize the importance of directly addressing the soil microbial community as a factor that influences aboveground food web structure by affecting plant size and aboveground plant nitrogen.     

Copper complexation by tannic acid in aqueous solution

The speciation of titrated copper in a dissolved tannic acid (TA) solution with an initial concentration of 4 mmol organic carbon (OC)/l was investigated in a nine-step titration experiment (Cu/OC molar ratio = 0.0030–0.0567). We differentiated between soluble and insoluble Cu species by 0.45 μm filtration. Measurements with a copper ion selective electrode (ISE) and diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) were conducted to quantify unbound Cu(II) cations (‘free’ Cu) and labile soluble Cu complexes. For the DGT measurements, we used an APA hydrogel and a Chelex 100 chelating resin (Na form). Insoluble organic Cu complexes (>0.45 μm) was the dominant Cu species for Cu/OC = 0.0030–0.0567 with a maximum fraction of 0.96 of total Cu. At Cu/OC > 0.0100, Cu-catalysed degradation of aggregate structures resulted in a strong increase of free Cu and (labile) soluble Cu complexes with a maximum fraction of 0.28 and 0.32 of total Cu, respectively. Labile (i.e. DGT-detectable) soluble Cu complexes had a relatively high averaged diffusion coefficient (D) in the APA hydrogel (3.50 × 10⁻⁶– 5.58 × 10⁻⁶ cm² s⁻¹).     

Effectiveness of Panama as an intercontinental land bridge for large mammals

Habitat fragmentation is a primary driver of wildlife loss, and establishment of biological corridors is a common strategy to mitigate this problem. A flagship example is the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor (MBC), which aims to connect protected forest areas between Mexico and Panama to allow dispersal and gene flow of forest organisms. Because forests across Central America have continued to degrade, the functioning of the MBC has been questioned, but reliable estimates of species occurrence were unavailable. Large mammals are suitable indicators of forest functioning, so we assessed their conservation status across the Isthmus of Panama, the narrowest section of the MBC. We used large-scale camera-trap surveys and hierarchical multispecies occupancy models in a Bayesian framework to estimate the occupancy of 9 medium to large mammals and developed an occupancy-weighted connectivity metric to evaluate species-specific functional connectivity. White-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari), jaguar (Panthera onca), giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla), white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), and tapir (Tapirus bairdii) had low expected occupancy along the MBC in Panama. Puma (Puma concolor), red brocket deer (Mazama temama), ocelot (Leopardus pardalis), and collared peccary (Pecari tajacu), which are more adaptable, had higher occupancy, even in areas with low forest cover near infrastructure. However, the majority of species were subject to ≥1 gap that was larger than their known dispersal distances, suggesting poor connectivity along the MBC in Panama. Based on our results, forests in Darien, Donoso–Santa Fe, and La Amistad International Park are critical for survival of large terrestrial mammals in Panama and 2 areas need restoration.     

Effect of the veterinary ionophore monensin on the structure and activity of a tropical soil bacterial community

Abstract

Monensin (MON) is a coccidiostat used as a growth promoter that can reach the environment through fertilization with manure from farm animals. To verify whether field-relevant concentrations of this drug negatively influence the structure and activity of tropical soil bacteria, plate counts, CO₂ efflux measurements, phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) and community-level physiological profiling (CLPP) profiles were obtained for soil microcosms exposed to 1 or 10?mg kg^?1 of MON across 11?days. Although 53% (1?mg kg^?1) to 40% (10?mg kg^?1) of the MON concentrations added to the microcosms dissipated within 5?days, a subtle concentration-dependent decrease in the number of culturable bacteria (<1 log CFU g^?1), reduced (?20 to ?30%) or exacerbated (+25%) soil CO₂ effluxes, a marked shift of non-bacterial fatty acids, and altered respiration of amines (1.22-fold decrease) and polymers (1.70-fold increase) were noted in some of the treatments. These results suggest that MON quickly killed some microorganisms and that the surviving populations were selected and metabolically stimulated. Consequently, MON should be monitored in agronomic and environmental systems as part of One Health efforts.     

Morphometric and genetic analysis as proof of the existence of two sturgeon species in the Guadalquivir river

Morphometric and genetic methods were used to identify two sturgeon species, Acipenser naccarii Bonaparte, 1836, and A. sturio Linnaeus, 1758, captured in some of the principal rivers of the Iberian Peninsula, including the Guadalquivir. After measuring 25 Iberian specimens from a fishery and several Spanish and Portuguese museums and applying stepwise discriminant analysis (SDA), four specimens preserved in different museums [two specimens from the Guadalquivir river (EBD-8173 and EBD-8174), one specimen from the Tagus river (MUC1) and one specimen from the Mondego river (MUC46B)], as well as five specimens captured in the Guadalquivir river in the 1940s but not preserved (CM1, CM2, CM3, CM4 and CM5), were identified as A. naccarii. After cloning and characterisation of a satellite-DNA family, HindIII, from A.␣naccarii genome, its absence from the genome of A.␣sturio was determined. Using this satellite-DNA as a genetic marker and by means of dot-blotting, we demonstrate that the DNA of the two specimens captured during the mid-1970s in the Guadalquivir river cross-hybridised with HindIII satellite-DNA sequences of A.␣naccarii. We conclude that A. naccarii is autochthonous to the Iberian Peninsula and is not, as was previously believed, endemic to the Adriatic Sea. Received: 28 November 1996 / Accepted: 10 March 1997     

Fluoride Concentration in Drinking Water in The Province of Soria (Central Spain) and Caries in Children

The fluoride content in the water supply of the Soria province is not normally above 0.2mg L^–1 and its geographical distribution is related to the lithological and geological features of the zone, the highest concentration being associated with the Miocene clay formation of the Almazán Basin.A statistical analysis confirms a connection between this fluoride content and tooth decay among children in rural areas. However, other factors such as oral hygiene and diet have been found to affect tooth decay.     

Factors driving the seasonal dynamics of Pseudo-nitzschia species and domoic acid at mussel farming in the SW Mediterranean Sea

ABSTRACT

The seasonal variations in Pseudo-nitzschia species and domoic acid (DA) concentration were investigated, at three shellfish farms in SW coastal Mediterranean. In parallel, the toxicity of mussels was tested. Two distinct groups of species were enumerated according to morphology and size (Pseudo-nizschia delicatissima and P. seriata groups). DA was detected over a nine-week period from July to October 2012 in the Lagoon, with a maximum concentration recorded in July (12.71?ng?DA?L^?1). DA was positively correlated with the presence of P. seriata-group and P. delicatissima-group and was mostly occurred during P limitation period in seawater. No DA was found in mussels that were collected during the period of DA absence in seawater. Our results suggest that temperature, salinity, inorganic and organic nutrients were significant for the seasonal dynamics of P. seriata and P. delicatissima groups, but that the P limitation was the most driving factor for DA production in these areas. The relative influence of environmental factors should be further studied to better understand the recent surfacing of massive blooms of toxigenic Pseudo-nitzschia in SW Mediterranean coast.     

Prelaying maternal condition modifies the association between egg mass and T cell-mediated immunity in kestrels

Theoretical models of parental care predict differential allocation in relation to the expected fitness of the offspring. As birds must allocate all the resources required for embryonic development in self-contained packages, maternal egg allocation takes a central role in avian life histories. It is predicted that mothers can influence offspring performance by varying the size or composition of their eggs. In this context, T cell-mediated immune response has been revealed as a valuable tool to evaluate fledgling fitness. However, little is known about its relationships to egg mass. I describe a negative association between egg mass and cellular immune response in Eurasian kestrel nestlings (Falco tinnunculus) throughout 3 years. To explore how environmental conditions could mediate this relationship, I experimentally supplied food to females before egg formation in the third study year. I found that this relationship turned to positive in food-supplied females without any effect on egg size. This result shows that environmental conditions before egg formation mediate the relationship between egg mass and future immune response of the nestlings. I suggest that females may be constrained in improving the future immune response of their offspring due to resource allocation trade-offs determined by their pre-laying condition.