Latitudinal and bathymetric trends in body size of the deep-sea gastropod<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Troschelia berniciensis</Emphasis> (King)

Body size is a fundamental topic in ecology with important implications for community structure and biodiversity. Although there are numerous studies addressing patterns of geographic variation of body size in deep-sea benthos, results are conflicting. Thus geographic patterns of body size in deep-sea organisms remain poorly described. We analysed depth and latitudinal trends of body size in a species of gastropod, Troschelia berniciensis (King, 1846) from the eastern North Atlantic. We tested the hypotheses that (1) body size increases linearly with latitude and (2) body size increases with depth. Results partially supported the predictions. Firstly, there was a significant linear increase of body size with latitude, but this trend was weak. Secondly, body size decreased with depth. Environmental gradients that cause large-scale patterns of body-size variation in surface environments would have little effect on communities living at great depths. Latitudinal and depth clines may be produced by independent mechanisms that operate on different scales of time and space.Communicated by J.P. Thorpe, Port Erin     

Bioaccessibility of arsenic in soils developed over Jurassic ironstones in eastern England

Jurassic ironstones outcropping over parts of eastern England give rise to soils with arsenic concentrations in excess of the UK soil guideline value of 20 mg kg⁻¹ for residential areas. Total arsenic concentrations were determined for 73 ironstone derived soils and bioaccessible arsenic determined using an in vitro physiologically based extraction test. The bioaccessible arsenic concentration for these soils was found to be well below the soil guideline value with a mean concentration of 4 mg kg⁻¹ and a range of 2–17 mg kg⁻¹. The bioaccessible fraction ranges from 1.2 to 33%. Data from a sequential extraction test based on the use of aqua regia as the main extractant is presented for a subset of 20 of the soils. Chemometric data reduction is used to demonstrate that the bioaccessible arsenic is mainly contained within calcium iron carbonate (sideritic) assemblages and only partially iron aluminosilicates, probably berthierine, and iron oxyhydroxide phases, probably goethite. It is suggested that the bulk of the non-bioaccessible arsenic is bound up with less reactive iron oxide phases.     

The Orthodoxy And Sustainable Development A Potential For Broader Involvement Of The Orthodox Churches In Ethiopia And Russia

In recent years, churches across the world have become involved in dialogue on the theory and practice of sustainable development. A number of Western churches have expressed their concern about climate change and destructive living patterns, stressing the need for human beings to exercise the care for all creation based on a life of sharing and sacrifice. Some Orthodox churches, however, quite recently included the environmental issues in their agendas. While the Bases of Social Concept, a major doctrine of the Russian Orthodox Church adopted in 2000, for the first time emphasises the Churchs position in overcoming environmental crisis and presents a solid basis on which to build the future environmental strategy of the Church, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church has not yet drawn up a programme document that might serve as a framework for the Churchs current extensive activities in the field of biodiversity conservation and sustainable forestry practices. Hence, despite certain closeness of both institutions, there is the potential for strengthening their roles in promoting sustainable development, based on the Biblical concept that the Earth belongs to the Lord and humans are responsible stewards assigned the duty to work for creation and care for it. This paper seeks to demonstrate by means of comparable analysis between the two Churches, Orthodox in nature but different in rites and religious practices, that traditional, highly conservative faiths may serve as powerful instruments of spreading out the ideas of sustainable development as the basis of spiritual revival in the situation of the two concurrent and interrelated crises – spiritual and ecological.Readers should send their comments on this paper to: BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.     

Public Participation and Effective Water Governance at the Local Level: A Case Study from a Small Under-Developed Area in Chile

The concept of participation in rural development has been evolutionary for the past two decades with those involved, such as development agencies and governments, particularly in rural water supply, re-evaluating their active role. The move towards effective community participation has encouraged a shift from the traditional top-down to a bottom-up approach whereby there is a decentralisation of unevenly distributed resources and power to empower a community and allow mobility of ‘people participation’. The Molinos water project is the first large-scale development project of its kind introduced into the village of Molinos in an under-developed area of Chile, where there has been no tradition of people participation. The project objective was to implement a low technology, low budget water treatment plant to the village of Molinos. Various aspects have hindered the continued development of the project including both technical and financial. In terms of people participation, the initial approach used was the top-down approach. There was a failure to fully integrate the community or inform the community in a formal manner about the project and consult them regarding key project issues. This case study illustrates that the lack of comprehensive consultation and the low level of participation of the community on the participatory scale does not achieve much in terms of people-centred benefits. For governance at the local level to be effective, participation should be inclusive and communicative so as to enhance transparency throughout the project lifetime. Readers should send their comments on this paper to: BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.     

Modelling future soil chemistry at a highly polluted forest site at Istebna in Southern Poland using the "SAFE" model

The multi-layer dynamic model SAFE was applied to the forested catchment Istebna (Southern Poland), to study recovery from acidification. Environmental pollution in the area has been historically high. The model uses data from an intensive monitoring plot established in 1999 in a spruce stand, which was planted in 1880. Observations showed that the soil was depleted of base cations. The measured base saturation in 1999 was between 5 and 8% in the different soil layers. Model predictions assuming full implementation of the UNECE 1999 Gothenburg Protocol and present day base cation deposition show that the base saturation will slowly increase to 20% by 2100. Despite large emission reductions, Istebna still suffers from the very high loads of acidifying input during the past decades. Soil recovery depends on future emissions especially on base cation deposition. The recovery will be even slower if the base cation deposition decreases further.     

Heavy metals in zooplankton from the Southern Baltic

Samples of zooplankton and suspended matter were collected using a Bongo net (0.33/0.50 mm mesh net), and Nucleopore filters, respectively, from the Southern Baltic off Poland. Major classes of zooplankton, and selected heavy metals (Fe, Co, Ni, Mn, Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn, Cr) were determined in the collected samples. Concentrations of heavy metals in zooplankton were corrected for metals contributed by particulate matter adhering to zooplankton organisms. Heavy metals levels measured in nearshore samples (Bay of Gdańsk, Pomeranian Bay) were higher than those in the samples from the open sea. The only exception was cadmium exhibiting larger concentrations in the offshore as compared to the nearshore samples (0.8 vs. 1.3 microg/g d.w.). This was attributed to decreased concentrations, of both dissolved and particulate cadmium, caused by algal bloom. Larger concentrations of heavy metals in the Bay of Gdańsk in comparison with the Pomeranian Bay (e.g. Cd-1.3 vs. 0.8 microg/g, Cu-20.5 vs. 8.3 microg/g, Pb-12.9 vs. 1.2 microg/g, Cr-12.4 vs. 1.4 microg/g) were attributed to the direct discharge of the Vistula river to the Bay of Gdańsk, while the Pomeranian Bay receives the Odra river runoff indirectly, via the Szczecin Lagoon. The nonlinear estimation of the data set was used to evaluate concentrations of heavy metals in Copepoda and Cladocera. Copepoda proved to be enriched with heavy metals in comparison with Cladocera.     

Concerns and future preparedness plans of a vulnerable population in New Jersey following Hurricane Sandy

Knowing how people prepare for disasters is essential to developing resiliency strategies. This study examined recalled concerns, evacuation experiences, and the future preparedness plans of a vulnerable population in New Jersey, United States, following Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Understanding the responses of minority communities is key to protecting them during forthcoming disasters. Overall, 35 per cent of respondents were not going to prepare for an event. Intended future preparedness actions were unrelated to respondents' ratings of personal impact. More Blacks and Hispanics planned on preparing than Whites (68 versus 55 per cent), and more Hispanics planned on evacuating than did others who were interviewed. A higher percentage of respondents who had trouble getting to health centres were going to prepare than others. Respondents' concerns were connected to safety and survival, protecting family and friends, and having enough food and medicine, whereas future actions included evacuating earlier and buying sufficient supplies to shelter in place.