Local initiatives and adaptation to climate change

Climate change is expected to lead to an increase in the number and strength of natural hazards produced by climatic events. This paper presents some examples of the experiences of community-based organisations (CBOs) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) of variations in climate, and looks at how they have incorporated their findings into the design and implementation of local adaptation strategies. Local organisations integrate climate change and climatic hazards into the design and development of their projects as a means of adapting to their new climatic situation. Projects designed to boost the resilience of local livelihoods are good examples of local adaptation strategies. To upscale these adaptation initiatives, there is a need to improve information exchange between CBOs, NGOs and academia. Moreover, there is a need to bridge the gap between scientific and local knowledge in order to create projects capable of withstanding stronger natural hazards.     

The role of leaf litter as a protective barrier for copper-containing pesticides in orchard soils

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This study assessed the capacity of leaf litters to adsorb copper ions applied as a copper-based pesticide. Leaf litters of two fruit tree species...     

Air pollution exposure—the (in)visible risk factor for respiratory diseases

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - There is increasing interest in understanding the role of air pollution as one of the greatest threats to human health worldwide. Nine of 10...     

The Tourism Carrying Capacity of Underwater Trails in Isabel Island National Park, Mexico

The popularity of ecotourism in the marine protected areas of Mexico has increased over the last 10 years; in particular there is a large development of a SCUBA diving industry in the Mexican Pacific including Isabel Island. Given the risks associated with human activity in the marine environments around this island, we propose two ecotourism management strategies: (1) the creation and use of underwater trails, and (2) the estimation of the specific tourism carrying capacity (TCC) for each trail. Six underwater trails were selected in sites that presented elements of biological, geological, and scenic interest, using information obtained during field observations. The methodology used to estimate the TCC was based upon the physical and biological conditions of each site, the infrastructure and equipment available, and the characteristics of the service providers and the administrators of the park. Correction factors of the TCC included elements of the quality of the visit and the threat and vulnerability of the marine environment of each trail (e.g., divers’ expertise, size and distance between groups of divers, accessibility, wind, coral coverage). The TCC values ranged between 1,252 and 1,642 dives/year/trail, with a total of 8,597 dives/year for all six trails. Although these numbers are higher than the actual number of recreational visitors to the island (~1,000 dives per year), there is a need for adequate preventive management if the diving sites are to maintain their esthetic appeal and biological characteristics. Such management might be initially directed toward using only the sites and the TCC proposed here.     

Environmentally extended social accounting matrix for Chile

This study uses information from the input–output tables 2008, national accounts, household survey, and environmental pollutant emissions to elaborate an environmentally extended social accounting matrix for Chile. A linear multisector model is then generated in order to determine the effects that a sectoral shock on demand would have on economic development. The results show the typical economic trade-offs, concluding that it is necessary to consider economic relationships in order to assess the full impact of a sector on economic activity, income distribution, and pollution. The sectors commerce, construction, and food industry strongly increase economic growth and employment and decrease inequality. Nonetheless, when also considering the environmental effects, no sectors can be identified that contribute systematically and significantly to all the areas of economic development.     

Phytoplankton food quality determines time windows for successful zooplankton reproductive pulses

Recruitment success at the early life stages is a critical process for zooplankton demography. Copepods often dominate the zooplankton in marine coastal zones and are prey of the majority of fish larvae. Hypotheses interpreting variations of copepod recruitment are based on the concepts of "naupliar predation," "nutritional deficiency," and "toxic effect" of diatom diets. Contradictory laboratory and field studies have reached opposite conclusions on the effects of diatoms on copepod reproductive success, blurring our view of marine food-web energy flow from diatoms to higher consumers by means of copepods. Here we report estimates of copepod feeding selectivity and reproduction in response to seasonally changing phytoplankton characteristics measured in a highly productive coastal upwelling area off the coast of central Chile. The variable phytoplankton diversity and changing food quality had a strong and highly significant impact on the feeding selectivity, reproduction, and larval survival of three indigenous copepod species. Seasonal changes in copepod feeding behavior were related to the alternating protozoan-diatom diets, mostly based on dinoflagellates and ciliates during winter and autumn (low highly unsaturated fatty acids [HUFA]/polyunsaturated fatty acids [PUFA] availability), but switched to a diet of centric and chain-forming diatoms (high HUFA/PUFA availability) during the spring/summer upwelling period. Ingestion of diatom cells induced a positive effect on egg production. However, a negative relationship was found between egg hatching success, naupliar survival, and diatom ingestion. Depending on the phytoplankton species, diets had different effects on copepod reproduction and recruitment. In consequence, it seems that the classical marine food web model does not apply to some coastal upwelling systems.     

Air pollution, precipitation chemistry and forest health in the Retezat Mountains, Southern Carpathians, Romania

In the Retezat Mountains concentrations of O3, NO2 and SO2 in summer season 2000-2002 were low and below toxicity levels for forest trees. While NH3 concentrations were low in 2000, the 2001 and 2002 concentrations were elevated indicating possibility for increased N deposition to forest stands. More than 90% of the rain events were acidic with pH values <5.5, contributing to increased acidity of soils. Crown condition of Norway spruce (Picea abies) and European beech (Fagus sylvatica) was good, however, defoliation described as >25% of foliage injured increased from 9.1% in 2000 to 16.1% in 2002. Drought that occurred in the southern Carpathians between fall 2000 and summer 2002 and frequent acidic rainfalls could cause the observed decline of forest condition. Both Norway spruce and European beech with higher defoliation had lower annual radial increments compared to the trees with low defoliation. Ambient O3 levels found in the Retezat did not affect crown condition of Norway spruce or European beech.     

Distribution of Heavy Metals in Surface Sediments from an Antarctic Marine Ecosystem

The concentrations of lead, cadmium, copper,chromium, iron, manganese and zinc in surfacesediments collected from Potter Cove, in the 25de Mayo Island (King George Island), Antarctica, andits drainage basin, were measured by atomic absorptionspectroscopy. The obtained results were use todetermine the areal and vertical distribution of themetals of in the Cove and potential sources of thesemetals to this environment. The geochemical datasuggest that most of the metals found in Potter Coveconstitute a redistribution of autochthonous materialswithin the ecosystem. Therefore, the metalconcentrations can be considered to be present atnatural background levels in surface sediments.     

Transbranchial potentials and ion fluxes across isolated,perfused gills of Uca rapax

Transbranchial potentials (TP) and sodium or chloride fluxes were measured in an apparatus designed for the simultaneous perfusion of eight isolated gills of Uca rapax. In anterior gills perfused with U. rapax–saline (US) the TP varied almost linearly from-7.5 to +10 mV inside, and in posterior gills from +2 to-8.5 mV (inside), on exposure to salinities ranging from 8.7 through 52, i.e. 25 to 150% seawater (100%=34.6 S). Sodium influx and efflux in anterior gills exposed to US, 8.7 or 43.3 S (0.7 to 4.0 mmol h^–1 g^–1 dry wt) were always greater than in posterior gills (0.5 mmol h^–1). The chloride fluxes were slightly smaller than sodium fluxes in anterior gills, while in the posterior gills the chloride influx (2.8 to 4.6 mmol h^–1) was always larger than chloride efflux (0.6 to 1.1 mmol h^–1) or the sodium fluxes. At least three ion-transport mechanisms may be present in these gills: (1) an internal ( = basolateral), ouabain-sensitive Na⁺, K⁺ pump, restricted to anterior gills; (2) a furosemide-sensitive Na⁺, K⁺, 2Cl^– (plus water) transporter, apparently restricted to posterior gills, and (3) a Na⁺ exchanger (and possibly other as yet unidentified ion transporters, as suggested by large increases of the chloride influxes caused by amiloride), probably located on the apical membranes of the epithelial cells of both gill types. The differential selectivity of the gills of U. rapax for sodium or chloride may limit the transbranchial movements of either ion, without a reduction of the overall permeability of these crabs.Communicated by N.H. Marcus, Tallahassee