Bright moonlight triggers natal dispersal departures

Upon leaving their natal area, dispersers are confronted with unknown terrains. Species-specific perceptual ranges (i.e. the maximum distance from which an individual can perceive landscape features) play a crucial role in spatial movement decisions during such wanderings. In nocturnal animals that rely on vision, perceptual range is dramatically enhanced during moonlight, compared to moonless conditions. This increase of the perceptual range is an overlooked element that may be responsible for the successful crossing of unfamiliar areas during dispersal. The information gathered from 143 radio-tagged eagle owl Bubo bubo juveniles in Spain, Finland and Switzerland shows that, although the decision to initiate dispersal is mainly an endogenous phenomenon determined by the attainment of a given age (～6 months), dispersers leave their birthplace primarily under the best light conditions at night, i.e. when most of the lunar disc is illuminated. This sheds new light into the mechanisms that may trigger dispersal from parental territory.     

Chapter one: exposure measurements

Determining human exposure to suspended particulate concentrations requires measurements that quantify different particle properties in microenvironments where people live, work, and play. Particle mass, size, and chemical composition are important exposure variables, and these are typically measured with time-integrated samples on filters that are later submitted to laboratory analyses. This requires substantial sample handling, quality assurance, and data reduction. Newer technologies are being developed that allow in-situ, time-resolved measurements for mass, carbon, sulfate, nitrate, particle size, and other variables. These are large measurement systems that are more suitable for fixed monitoring sites than for personal applications. Human exposure studies need to be designed to accomplish specific objectives rather than to serve too many purposes. Resources need to be divided among study design, field sampling, laboratory analysis, quality assurance, data management, and data analysis phases. Many exposure projects allocated too little to the non-measurement activities.     

Greenhouse gas dynamics in an urbanized river system: influence of water quality and land use

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Rivers act as a natural source of greenhouse gases (GHGs). However, anthropogenic activities can largely alter the chemical composition and microbial...     

Residential Indoor,Outdoor, and Workplace Concentrations of Carbonyl Compounds: Relationships with Personal Exposure Concentrations and Correlation with Sources

Abstract

Personal 48-hr exposures of 15 randomly selected participants as well as microenvironment concentrations in each participant’s residence and workplace were measured for 16 carbonyl compounds during summer–fall 1997 as a part of the Air Pollution Exposure Distributions within Adult Urban Populations in Europe (EXPOLIS) study in Helsinki, Finland. When formaldehyde and acetaldehyde were excluded, geometric mean ambient air concentrations outside each participant’s residence were less than 1 ppb for all target compounds. Geometric mean residential indoor concentrations of carbonyls were systematically higher than geometric mean personal exposures and indoor workplace concentrations. Additionally, residential indoor/outdoor ratios indicated substantial indoor sources for most target compounds. Carbonyls in residential indoor air correlated significantly, suggesting similar mechanisms of entry into indoor environments. Overall, this study demonstrated the important role of non-traffic-related emissions in the personal exposures of participants in Helsinki and that comprehensive apportionment of population risk to air toxics should include exposure concentrations derived from product emissions and chemical formation in indoor air.     

Life cycle inventory analyses for five waste management options for discarded newspaper.

This paper presents the results of life cycle inventory (LCI) analyses that were carried out to determine the environmental impacts (emissions, resource extractions and land use) of different newspaper waste management options for the Helsinki Metropolitan Area (HMA). LCI analyses were performed for five product systems, in which discarded newspapers were divided into two streams: separately collected newspapers and newspapers in mixed waste. In all the options, the manufacturing and printing processes of newspaper were kept unchanged. The waste management alternatives included combinations of material recycling, energy recovery and landfilling. These product systems were modelled using the current collection rate of newspaper and four additional collection rates. The LCIs of the product systems showed that the life cycle phase causing the most environmental impacts was the paper mill. When comparing the different waste management systems, the energy recovery options were in general superior to landfilling. The ecological implications of the increased energy recovery and decreased material recycling of newspaper were, however, not yet considered in the study. These aspects were assessed in the life cycle impact assessment (LCIA), which was performed after the LCI phase.     

Human dietary intake of organochlorines from Baltic herring: implications of individual fish variability and fisheries management

This study examines the extent to which Finnish human dietary intake of organochlorines (PCDD/Fs and PCBs) originating from Northern Baltic herring can be influenced by fisheries management. This was investigated by estimation of human intake using versatile modeling tools (e.g., a herring population model and a bioenergetics model). We used a probabilistic approach to account for the variation in human intake of organochlorines originating from the variation among herring individuals. Our estimates were compared with present precautionary limits and recommendation for use. The results show that present consumption levels and frequencies of herring give a high probability of exceeding recommended intake limits of PCDD/Fs and PCBs. Furthermore, our results clearly demonstrate that in the risk management of dioxinlike organochlorines, regulating fishing (in this case increasing fishing pressure) is a far less effective way to decrease the risk than regulating the consumption of herring. Increased fishing would only slightly decrease organochlorine concentrations of herring in the Finnish fish market.     

Sediment: curse or blessing for Tonle Sap Lake?

It has been claimed that Tonle Sap Lake is rapidly filling with sediment as a result of increasing sediment yields from the catchment. Infilling of the lake basin would have serious implications for the magnitude of flooding in central Cambodia and the Mekong Delta region and threaten the lake's unique ecosystem. In this article, we synthesize the results of radiocarbon dating of sediment cores and hydrodynamic modeling results to provide an empirically based assessment of this issue. We find that current sedimentation rates within the lake basin proper are low and have been for several millennia. However, sedimentation at the lake margin and in its floodplain is relatively high, which presents a range of issues for riparian communities.     

Participation and empowerment-based development of socio-cultural indicators supporting regional decision-making for eco-efficiency

This article describes a process of developing socio-cultural indicators to support local and regional decision-making for eco-efficiency. Although eco-efficiency is calculated using environmental and economic variables, decisions on local and regional levels cannot ignore the socio-cultural impacts. The indicators were developed by a participatory process that was based on involvement and empowerment of local actors. The process ensured policy relevance and meaningful indicators and advanced their future use in the decision-making.     

Spatial information in ecosystem service assessment: data applicability in the cascade model context

Spatial information and geographical information systems (GISs) are widely used in ecosystem service research, but both the information and the methods need to be properly understood in order to make coherent analyses. We discuss the practical challenges of incorporating spatial data to ecosystem service assessment in an agricultural landscape and apply the ecosystem service cascade model to put different data into context. We review the prerequisites and practices for successful ‘ecosystem service GIS’ and provide a structured view of the information and data needed in the assessment of ecosystem services at a regional scale. Due to the heterogeneity of the spatial data, the regional characteristics should be considered in environmental decision-making through ethnographic research on local expertise to make optimal choices in using spatial information.     

Does defoliation induce chemical and morphological defenses in the leaves of silver birch seedlings under changing climate?

Summary.  We examined the effects of defoliation con-currently with elevated temperature and CO₂ on some chemical and morphological characteristics in the leaves of silver birch seedlings (Betula pendula). We also analyzed the consequent changes in the palatability of leaves for adult blue alder leaf beetles (Agelastica alni). Under the different climatic treatments, the seedlings were subjected to three fertilizer treatments (0 kg, 130 kg and 270 kg N ha⁻¹) and defoliation treatments (0%, 25% and 50% of the total leaf area). In each climatic treatment, fertilization increased the nitrogen content in the leaves, but decreased total concentrations of soluble phenolics, detected by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and insoluble condensed tannins. Defoliation, both independently and in combination with elevated temperature and CO₂, decreased the concentrations of the phenolics. Compared to the intact controls, the leaves of the defoliated seedlings were smaller and tougher. Under elevated temperature, the beetles consumed a smaller amount of the leaves of plants subjected to the high fertilization, while under ambient climatic conditions, fertilization increased the feeding. The total leaf consumption was higher under the ambient climatic conditions than under elevated temperature, elevated CO₂ or the combination of elevated temperature and CO₂.