Mercury pollution trends in subarctic lakes in the northern Swedish mountains

Despite many years of research about mercury pollution, data concerning high-latitude regions of Europe are limited, particularly studies of long-term temporal trends. It is not clear whether the mercury load at high latitudes follows the recent decreasing trends in European mercury emissions or whether the load is still high because of continuing global emissions. In this study we use sediments from 12 lakes, located above the Arctic Circle in the Swedish mountains, to assess the past and recent mercury pollution situation, especially for the last 200 y. The mercury load increased clearly in sediment deposited from the late 19th or early 20th century to a peak between 1960 and 1990. This peak represents an enrichment of 1.4 to 4.2 times over background concentrations. This enrichment is comparable with enrichments in sediments from lower latitudes as well as other Arctic regions. Since the 1990s mercury concentration has declined in 8 of the 12 lakes, i.e., similar to emission trends in Europe.     

Comparing spatial and temporal changes in metal trends (Cr,Ni, Pb and Zn) on the Portuguese shelf since the 1970s

Comparison between an archive dataset, collected during the 1970s (1974–1977), and samples taken during the PALEO1 cruise (2002) enabled evaluation of large-scale and long-term spatiotemporal changes in Al, Cr, Ni, Pb and Zn contents in bulk surface sediments in four areas of the Portuguese shelf. The so-called gradient method (GM) with normalisation to Al, a proxy for terrigenous clay content, was applied. The studied areas are distributed from north to south along the western margin, with the northernmost located off shore the Ave and Douro rivers, a central one located off shore the Lis River and a southern one located off shore the Mira River. One-way ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to identify differences among study areas and periods of sample collection. A comparison of metal contents in 2002 samples with the Portuguese classification scheme regulation for deposition of dredged materials in coastal areas indicates good environmental quality in terms of Cr, Ni, Pb and Zn levels. Nevertheless, the GM results suggest an increase in metal loadings relative to Al from the 1970s to the 2002 samples (except for Pb). The Algarve area on the southern shelf is characterised by having high number of sites with metal level on class 2. These high values have traditionally been explained by a substantial supply of natural metals from the Guadiana, Tinto and Odiel rivers that drain areas Iberian Pyrite Belt formations. This supply has probably been magnified by present and past mining activities. For quality evaluation of marine sediments, especially when using total metal contents, this study shows the importance of considering all possible sources of metal loading. The natural grain size and composition variability have also a crucial influence on the metal content, and the combined evaluation allows a more holistic perspective.     

On the road to ‘research municipalities’: analysing transdisciplinarity in municipal ecosystem services and adaptation planning

Transdisciplinary research and collaboration is widely acknowledged as a critical success factor for solution-oriented approaches that can tackle complex sustainability challenges, such as biodiversity loss, pollution, and climate-related hazards. In this context, city governments’ engagement in transdisciplinarity is generally seen as a key condition for societal transformation towards sustainability. However, empirical evidence is rare. This paper presents a self-assessment of a joint research project on ecosystem services and climate adaptation planning (ECOSIMP) undertaken by four universities and seven Swedish municipalities. We apply a set of design principles and guiding questions for transdisciplinary sustainability projects and, on this basis, identify key aspects for supporting university–municipality collaboration. We show that: (1) selecting the number and type of project stakeholders requires more explicit consideration of the purpose of societal actors’ participation; (2) concrete, interim benefits for participating practitioners and organisations need to be continuously discussed; (3) promoting the ‘inter’, i.e., interdisciplinary and inter-city learning, can support transdisciplinarity and, ultimately, urban sustainability and long-term change. In this context, we found that design principles for transdisciplinarity have the potential to (4) mitigate project shortcomings, even when transdisciplinarity is not an explicit aim, and (5) address differences and allow new voices to be heard. We propose additional guiding questions to address shortcomings and inspire reflexivity in transdisciplinary projects.     

Multifaceted Value Profiles of Forest Owner Categories in South Sweden: The River Helge å Catchment as a Case Study

Forest landscapes provide benefits from a wide range of goods, function and intangible values. But what are different forest owner categories’ profiles of economic use and non-use values? This study focuses on the complex forest ownership pattern of the River Helge å catchment including the Kristianstad Vattenrike Biosphere Reserve in southern Sweden. We made 89 telephone interviews with informants representing the four main forest owner categories. Our mapping included consumptive and non-consumptive direct use values, indirect use values, and non-use values such as natural and cultural heritage. While the value profiles of non-industrial forest land owners and municipalities included all value categories, the forest companies focused on wood production, and the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency on nature protection. We discuss the challenges of communicating different forest owners’ economic value profiles among stakeholders, the need for a broader suite of forest management systems, and fora for collaborative planning.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s13280-012-0374-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

前工业时期的大气污染:它对于对酸性物质敏感的瑞典湖泊的Ph值来说是至关重要的吗?

在瑞典,自20世纪中期以来,酸雨引起了大面积表层水的酸化.矿物燃料的燃烧和金属的生产中硫的排放是酸性物质积累的主要来源.在公众的意识中,酸性物质的积累是与工业时期有密切关系的,尤其是过去的50年.然而,在对湖水沉积物分析的基础上对湖水pH值的演变与大气污染的研究已经表明了从长远来看的重要性.在这里,使用沉积物的记录资料,我们提出了一个概念性的观点,即大规模的大气酸性积累,至少从中世纪开始就已经对环境产生影响.硫的来源是前工业时期的采矿业和金属工业,这些产业从硫化物矿砂中提取银、铅和其它金属.在瑞典南部这种早期过度的硫的积累并没有引起表层水的酸化;相反的、引起了水的碱化,即湖泊的pH值和生产力的增加.我们提出的作用机制是,过量的硫引起了流域土壤中快速的阳离子交换,改变了湖水中的铁-磷循环,在此循环过程中释放出磷,增加湖水的生产力.     

On the Intrinsic High Temperature Calcium Oxide-Sulfur Dioxide Reaction Using the Vacuum Thermogravimetric Analysis Technique

Abstract

The high temperature CaO/SO2 reaction was studied using four Swedish limestones and one dolomite as sorbents. The measurements were carried out in a vacuum thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) apparatus in order to investigate the intrinsic reaction mechanism. The reaction was found to be fast at the beginning due to the surface reaction, while the subsequent stage was controlled by the product layer diffusion, showing a lower reaction rate. The reaction rate increased as temperature increased up to 1000 °C in the range tested. SO2 partial pressure weakly affected the reaction. The fine sorbent particles used in the study resulted in the high CaO conversion. Further grinding of the sorbents gave a small increase in CaO conversion. Sintering generally decreased the initial reactivity but might not affect the ultimate CaO capacity. The larger pores in nascent CaO particles were valuable for the initial reaction conversion.     

瑞典中部梅拉伦湖早期富营养化的沉积物证据及重金属污染

梅拉伦湖是瑞典中部100多万居民的供水源和娱乐区,有重大的环境影响.为了建立评估目前的营养水平和重金属污染水平的背景资料,分析了取自湖泊的沉积岩心.从硅藻推断的湖水磷浓度表明,20世纪前南比约克盆地(梅拉伦湖东部的一个盆地)中的营养物水平比以前假定的(约6ugTP/L)要高(10～20μgTP/L).从3个盆地(南比约克盆地、伊斯塞尔盆地以及艾斯雪盆地)获得的稳定性同位素和铅浓度分析结果表明,19世纪以及早些时候由于汇水盆地广泛开展的金属生产和加工,特别是在贝里斯拉根地区,使得该湖泊受到污染.在20世纪关闭了采矿和金属工厂之后该湖泊的铅污染形势有了相当大的好转过去的采矿业所造成的铅污染比20世纪末汽车尾气排放、矿石然料燃烧以及现代生产所造成的污染要严重.     

Does testis weight decline towards the Subarctic? A case study on the common frog, Rana temporaria

Interpopulation comparisons of variation in resource availability and in allocation patterns along altitudinal and latitudinal gradients allow insights into the mechanisms shaping the life history of animals. Patterns of between-population differences in female life history traits have been studied intensively across a wide range of taxa, but similar investigations in males have remained scarce. To study if testis weight—a measure of reproductive investment—varies on a geographical scale in anurans, we focussed on the variation in relative testis weight (RelTW) and asymmetry in 22 populations of the common frog Rana temporaria along a 1,600-km latitudinal transect across the Scandinavian peninsula. We found that RelTW decreased towards the north. Body mass and body length both had independent positive effects on testes mass. We found evidence for directional asymmetry (DA) in testis weight with the right testis being larger than the left. The level of DA in testis weight was not related to latitude, but both body mass and testes mass had independent positive effects on asymmetry. We discuss the northwards decrease in RelTW in terms of a decreased reproductive investment as a possible consequence of harsher environmental conditions, and perhaps also, weaker sexual selection in the north than in the south.     

Hydrologic Calibration and Validation of SWAT in a Snow‐Dominated Rocky Mountain Watershed,Montana, U.S.A.1

Abstract: The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) has been applied successfully in temperate environments but little is known about its performance in the snow‐dominated, forested, mountainous watersheds that provide much of the water supply in western North America. To address this knowledge gap, we configured SWAT to simulate the streamflow of Tenderfoot Creek (TCSWAT). Located in central Montana, TCSWAT represents a high‐elevation watershed with ～85% coniferous forest cover where more than 70% of the annual precipitation falls as snow, and runoff comes primarily from spring snowmelt. Model calibration using four years of measured daily streamflow, temperature, and precipitation data resulted in a relative error (RE) of 2% for annual water yield estimates, and mean paired deviations (Dv) of 36 and 31% and Nash‐Sutcliffe (NS) efficiencies of 0.90 and 0.86 for monthly and daily streamflow, respectively. Model validation was conducted using an additional four years of data and the performance was similar to the calibration period, with RE of 4% for annual water yields, Dv of 43% and 32%, and NS efficiencies of 0.90 and 0.76 for monthly and daily streamflow, respectively. An objective, regression‐based model invalidation procedure also indicated that the model was validated for the overall simulation period. Seasonally, SWAT performed well during the spring and early summer snowmelt runoff period, but was a poor predictor of late summer and winter base flow. The calibrated model was most sensitive to snowmelt parameters, followed in decreasing order of influence by the surface runoff lag, ground water, soil, and SCS Curve Number parameter sets. Model sensitivity to the surface runoff lag parameter reflected the influence of frozen soils on runoff processes. Results indicated that SWAT can provide reasonable predictions of annual, monthly, and daily streamflow from forested montane watersheds, but further model refinements could improve representation of snowmelt runoff processes and performance during the base flow period in this environment.