Climate Warming and Calling Phenology of Frogs near Ithaca, New York, 1900–1999

Abstract: Because ambient temperature strongly influences reproduction in frogs, the seasonal timing of frog calling provides a sensitive index of biotic response to climate change. Over the last century, daily temperatures increased during 5 of the 8 months key to gametogenesis in frogs and toads near Ithaca, New York ( U.S.A.). Earliest dates of calling frogs recorded by Albert Hazen Wright between 1900 and 1912 near Ithaca were compared to those from the New York State Amphibian and Reptile Atlas Project for 1990–1999 for the three counties surrounding Ithaca. Four species are now calling 10–13 days earlier, two are unchanged, and none is calling later. The data suggest that climate has warmed in central New York State during this century and has resulted in earlier breeding in some amphibians—a possible first indication of biotic response to climate change in eastern North America.     

The fungal colonisation of rock-art caves: experimental evidence

The conservation of rock-art paintings in European caves is a matter of increasing interest. This derives from the bacterial colonisation of Altamira Cave, Spain and the recent fungal outbreak of Lascaux Cave, France—both included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Here, we show direct evidence of a fungal colonisation of rock tablets in a testing system exposed in Altamira Cave. After 2 months, the tablets, previously sterilised, were heavily colonised by fungi and bacteria. Most fungi isolated were labelled as entomopathogens, while the bacteria were those regularly identified in the cave. Rock colonisation was probably promoted by the dissolved organic carbon supplied with the dripping and condensation waters and favoured by the displacement of aerosols towards the interior of the cave, which contributed to the dissemination of microorganisms. The role of arthropods in the dispersal of spores may also help in understanding fungal colonisation. This study evidences the fragility of rock-art caves and demonstrates that microorganisms can easily colonise bare rocks and materials introduced into the cavity.     

Cadmium uptake by the water hyacinth: Effects of root mass,solution volume,complexers and other metal ions1

At a fixed Cd²⁺ concentration water hyacinth ($\text{Eichhornia crassipes}$) plants with greater root mass (dry weight) take up more metal ions as a function of time, and more metal ions are taken up by a plant as the solution volume is increased. Experiments in which several different metal ion complexers were present suggest that (1) the roots possess sites which initially reversibly bind free Cd²⁺, (2) some added complexers can compete with these root sites for free Cd²⁺, and (3) with time Cd²⁺ bound to the roots is translocated into into the root tissues effectively removing it from the equilibrium processes in solution. Many metal ions are taken up by the plant but only the micronutrient Zn²⁺ competes well with Cd²⁺ for uptake. Thus, there may be binding sites on the roots for specific metal ions.     

The challenge of integrating non-continuous processes – milk powder plant case study

The integration of non-continuous processes such as a milk powder plant presents a challenge for existing process integration techniques. Current techniques are generally based on steady and continuous operation which for some industries is not the case. Milk production varies considerably during the year as dairy cows in New Zealand are grazed on pasture. In this paper the potential for indirect heat transfer between the several plants using a heat recovery loop and stratified tank at a typical New Zealand dairy factory is investigated. The maximum amount of heat recovery is calculated for a range of recirculation loop temperatures. The maximum amount of heat recovery can be increased considerably if the temperature of the hot fluid in the recirculation loop is varied depending on which condition the site is operating under.