Pathways of rural change: an integrated assessment of metabolic patterns in emerging ruralities

While rural transformations are nothing new in human history, current processes of rural change occur under multiple forces at an unprecedented pace, involving profound and unexpected changes in land use and users, and rapid transformations in the metabolic patterns of rural systems. The present special section aims to shed light on current drivers and pathways of rural change by analyzing, under a common conceptual and theoretical framework, examples of new ruralities that are emerging as responses across different world regions. Within this context, this introduction presents: (1) common research questions of the six presented cases of rural change; (2) the general theoretical and methodological framework of integrated assessment of societal metabolism adopted to analyze rural systems and (3) the main contributions and conclusions that could be drawn from six context-specific case studies from Asia, Latin America and Europe.     

Development of vegetative and generative organs in magnetic orientation types of radish in a weak permanent magnetic field

Experiments have been performed to evaluate the impact of weak permanent horizontal magnetic field of about 400 A/m on seed formation in the main magnetic orientation types of radish, the north-south (NS) and west-east (WE) types. The results show that external magnetic field exposure retards plant progression through all stages of ontogeny but does not alter the ratio of NS and WE types. Under its effect, the numbers of pods and seeds and seed weight decrease in the NS-type but increase in the WS-type plants. Therefore, external magnetic field acts as an ecological factor that differentiates the responses of radish plants depending on the type of their magnetic orientation. Differences in the sensitivity of plants to magnetic field exposure are explained by specific features of their physiological status.     

Industrial pollution does not cause an increased incidence of nephropathies in the bank vole

Studies in the vicinities of copper smelters and in undisturbed areas of the Middle Urals have been performed to evaluate the effect of industrial pollution with heavy metals on macro- and micromorphological parameters of kidneys (weight, weight index, the spectrum and frequency of histopathologies) in the bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus Schreber, 1780) and on the accumulation of Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb in this organ. It has been found that the kidneys of voles from polluted areas accumulate considerable amounts of heavy metals, with their concentrations increasing with age and/or sexual maturation. The kidney weight, index, and the frequency and severity of the majority of observed nephropathies also increase upon change in the reproductive-age status of animals. These parameters show no dependence on the degree of industrial pollution: at individual level, none of the heavy metals accumulated in the kidneys has produced any effect on the frequency and severity of nephropathies. These results contradict the prevailing opinion that toxicants play the determinant role in the development of nephropathies in small mammals inhabiting polluted areas. Therefore, the causes of nephropathies should be sought among other factors, not related to pollution.     

The WTO,ecology, and Russia: The time to make decisions

The relationship between the principle of free trade and nature conservation is one of the most acute and multifaceted problems in international business. The diversity of WTO activities implies the necessity of interdisciplinary studies utilizing the expertise and experience of specialists in international law and ecologists. In this paper, provisions of the WTO set of agreements and procedures for dispute settlement within the WTO framework are considered as applied to environmental protection.     

Quantifying nitrogen process rates in a constructed wetland using natural abundance stable isotope signatures and stable isotope amendment experiments

This study describes the spatial variability in nitrogen (N) transformation within a constructed wetland (CW) treating domestic effluent. Nitrogen cycling within the CW was driven by settlement and mineralization of particulate organic nitrogen and uptake of NO3-. The concentration of NO3- was found to decrease, as the delta15N-NO3- signature increased, as water flowed through the CW, allowing denitrification rates to be estimated on the basis of the degree of fractionation of delta15N-NO3-. Estimates of denitrification hinged on the determination of a net isotope effect (eta), which was influenced byprocesses that enrich or deplete 15NO3- (e.g., nitrification), as well as the rate constants associated with the different processes involved in denitrification (i.e., diffusion and enzyme activity). The influence of nitrification on eta was quantified; however, it remained unclear how eta varied due to variability in denitrification rate constants. A series of stable isotope amendment experiments was used to further constrain the value of eta and calculate rates of denitrification, and nitrification, within the wetland. The maximum calculated rate of denitrification was 956 +/- 187 micromol N m(-2) h(-1), and the maximum rate of nitrification was 182 +/- 28.9 micromol N m(-2) h(-1). Uptake of NO3- was quantitatively more important than denitrification throughoutthe wetland. Rates of N cycling varied spatially within thewetland, with denitrification dominating in the downstream deoxygenated region of the wetland. Studies that use fractionation of N to derive rate estimates must exercise caution when interpreting the net isotope effect. We suggest a sampling procedure for future natural abundance studies that may help improve the accuracy of N cycling rate estimates.     

The Bag Filterhouse for Oil-Fired Power Plants

This Report, published as Informative Report No. 7 of the Air Pollution Control Association’s TI-5 Public Utilities Committee, began to move through the 14 step approval procedure of APCA’s Technical Council in February 1964 Comments made by members of the Technical Council were considered in the preparation of the final report. It is now published as representing the best thinking of the Association. It is an extremely timely and informative report.     

Atmospheric Deposition and Ionic Input in Adirondack Forests

Major mechanisms for input of ions to forest ecosystems in the central Adirondack Mountains of New York State were studied. Precipitation and throughfall in adjacent northern hardwood and lake margin coniferous forests were continuously sampled from May 2, 1979 to May 7, 1980. Important mechanisms for transport of ions from atmosphere to forest floor were identified using regression analyses and the assumption that deciduous and coniferous forests capture particulates and aerosols with differing efficiencies. Sodium was delivered in precipitation and dry-fall and interacted little with the forest canopies. Hydrogen, potassium, and magnesium were also deposited primarily by bulk precipitation but hydrogen was retained by foliage while additional quantities of potassium and magnesium were leached from tree canopies. Impaction of suspended particulates and/or aerosols on forest vegetation was an important source of additional sulfate and nitrate, and these ions contributed to the leaching of calcium from foliage.     

Temporal and geographical genetic variation in the amphipod Melita plumulosa (Crustacea: Melitidae): Link of a localized change in haplotype frequencies to a chemical spill

Anthropogenic effects such as contamination affect the genetic structure of populations. This study examined the temporal and geographical patterns of genetic diversity among populations of the benthic crustacean amphipod Melita plumulosa in the Parramatta River (Sydney, Australia), following an industrial chemical spill. The spill of an acrylate/methacrylate co-polymer in naphtha solvent occurred in July 2006. M. plumulosa were sampled temporally between December 2006 and November 2009 and spatially in November 2009. Genetic variation was examined at the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I locus. Notably, nucleotide diversity was low and Tajima’s D was significantly negative amongst amphipods collected immediately downstream from the spill for 10 months. We hypothesize that the spill had a significant localized effect on the genetic diversity of M. plumulosa. Alternate explanations include an alternate and unknown toxicant or a localized sampling bias. Future proposed studies will dissect these alternatives.