Mapping risks associated with soil copper contamination using availability and bio-availability proxies at the European scale

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Soil contamination by trace elements like copper (Cu) can affect soil functioning. Environmental policies with guidelines and soil survey measurements...     

Towards a Regional Index of Biological Integrity: the Example of Forested Riparian Ecosystems

Our premise is that measures of ecological indicators and habitat conditions will vary between reference standard sites and reference sites that are impacted, and that these measures can be applied consistently across a regional gradient in the form of a Regional Index of Biological Integrity (RIBI). Six principles are proposed to guide development of any RIBI: 1) biological communities with high integrity are the desired endpoints; 2) indicators can have a biological, physical, or chemical basis; 3) indicators should be tied to specific stressors that can be realistically managed; 4) linkages across geographic scales and ecosystems should be provided; 5) reference standards should be used to define target conditions; and 6) assessment protocols should be efficiently and rapidly applied. To illustrate how a RIBI might be developed, we show how four integrative bioindicators can be combined to develop a RIBI for forest riparian ecosystems in the Mid-Atlantic states: 1) macroinvertebrate communities, 2) amphibian communities, 3) avian communities, and 4) avain productivity, primarily for the Louisiana waterthrush (Seirius motacilla). By providing a reliable expression of environmental stress or change, a RIBI can help managers reach scientifically defensible decisions.     

Shine a light: Under-ice light and its ecological implications in a changing Arctic Ocean

The Arctic marine ecosystem is shaped by the seasonality of the solar cycle, spanning from 24-h light at the sea surface in summer to 24-h darkness in winter. The amount of light available for under-ice ecosystems is the result of different physical and biological processes that affect its path through atmosphere, snow, sea ice and water. In this article, we review the present state of knowledge of the abiotic (clouds, sea ice, snow, suspended matter) and biotic (sea ice algae and phytoplankton) controls on the underwater light field. We focus on how the available light affects the seasonal cycle of primary production (sympagic and pelagic) and discuss the sensitivity of ecosystems to changes in the light field based on model simulations. Lastly, we discuss predicted future changes in under-ice light as a consequence of climate change and their potential ecological implications, with the aim of providing a guide for future research.     

Love and work: career–family attitudes of new entrants into the labor force

This paper reports the development of the Career–Family Attitudes Measure (CFAM), a new 56-item instrument for measuring individuals' attitudes towards managing the career and family interface. The measure was administered to a large sample of high school students and factor analyzed to reveal six dimensions of career and family attitudes, which were then scaled. Females in the sample had significantly more positive attitudes towards Balance and Independence than did males, while males had significantly more positive attitudes towards Dominance and Spousal Support than did females. Antecedents such as parental employment history and educational aspirations were significantly related to several of the scales. Results indicated that career–family attitudes involve preferences for the integration of career and family rather than for trade-offs between them. Research to establish the validity and explore the many applications of the CFAM is needed. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Long-term effects of lead poisoning on bone mineralization in vultures exposed to ammunition sources

Long-lived species are particularly susceptible to bioaccumulation of lead in bone tissues. In this paper we gain insights into the sublethal effects of lead contamination on Egyptian vultures (Neophron percnopterus). Our approach was done on the comparison of two populations (Canary Islands and Iberian Peninsula) differing in exposures to the ingestion of lead ammunition. Blood lead levels were higher in the island population (Canary Islands range: 5.10-1780 μg L⁻¹n = 137; Iberian Peninsula range: 5.60-217.30 μg L⁻¹n = 32) showing clear seasonal trends, peaking during the hunting season. Moreover, males were more susceptible to lead accumulation than females. Bone lead concentration increased with age, reflecting a bioaccumulation effect. The bone composition was significatively altered by this contaminant: the mineralization degree decreased as lead concentration levels increased. These results demonstrate the existence of long-term effects of lead poisoning, which may be of importance in the declines of threatened populations of long-lived species exposed to this contaminant.     

Source term characterisation using concentration trends and geochemical associations of Pb and Zn in river sediments in the vicinity of a disused mine site: Implications for contaminant metal dispersion processes

River sediment at a disused lead-zinc mine was analysed to provide an understanding of the chemical nature of the source term for contaminated sediment exported from the site. Changes in concentration and geochemical associations of Pb and Zn were measured using aqua regia digestion and the BCR sequential extraction procedure. Sediment in the immediate vicinity of the mine was highly contaminated with Pb (max. c. 11,000 mg kg⁻¹) and Zn (max. c. 30,000 mg kg⁻¹), but these values declined rapidly within 1 km of the mine due to dilution and hydraulic sorting. Lead fractionation changed from being predominantly in the reducible fraction to being in the acetic acid-extractable fraction, whereas Zn was predominantly in the residual fraction. This material is transported as fine sediment in the river system.     

Developing and applying a soil erosion model in a data-poor context to an island in the rural Philippines

Soil erosion in many parts of the developing world poses a threat to rural livelihoods, to the sustainbility of the agricultural sector, and to the environment. Most erosion prediction models are mechanistic and unsuited to quantify the severity of soil erosion in a data-limited developing world context. The model developed in this paper for Negros Island, in the central Philippines, is based on the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation, but contains important innovations such as the movement of eroded soil over the landscape, simulating deposition on lower slopes and in waterways. It also includes a term describing farmer strategies to reduce soil erosion, which are typically ignored in erosion prediction models. A two-sample t-test found that model-predicted sediment loading values were not significantly different from field-measured sediment loading values when corrected for watershed size (P = 0.857). The model predicts an annual loss of 2.7 million cubic meters of sediment to waterways such that by 2050 more than 416,000 ha of agricultural land will be rendered unproductive due to erosion. Farmer behavior conserves soil, but on the steepest slopes soil conservation practices are not adequate to prevent erosion. Of two proposed strategies to control soil erosion in the rural Philippines, the model suggests that a complete switch to tree crops would conserve more soil than universal terrace adoption. However, even under these conservation scenarios, erosion threatens the areal extent of upland agriculture on Negros, and hence the sustainability of the island’s food supply.

Atmospheric deposition of nitrogen emitted in the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires to coastal waters of de la Plata River

The Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires (MABA) is the third mega-city in Latin America. Atmospheric N emitted in the area deposits to coastal waters of de la Plata River. This study describes the parameterizations included in DAUMOD-RD (v.3) model to evaluate concentrations of nitrogen compounds (nitrogen dioxide, gaseous nitric acid and nitrate aerosol) and their total (dry and wet) deposition to a water surface. This model is applied to area sources and CALPUFF model to point sources of NO_x in the MABA. The models are run for 3 years of hourly meteorological data, with a spatial resolution of 1 km². Mean annual deposition is 69, 728 kg-N year^?1 over 2 339 km² of river. Dry deposition contributions of N-NO₂, N-HNO₃ and N-NO₃^? to this value are 44%, 22% and 20%, respectively. Wet deposition of N-HNO₃ and N-NO₃^? represents 3% and 11% of total annual value, respectively. This very low contribution results from the rare occurrence of rainy hours with wind blowing from the city to the river. Monthly dry deposition flux estimated for coastal waters of MABA varies between 7 and 13 kg-N km^?2 month^?1. These results are comparable to values reported for other coastal zones in the world.     

Reality check on career success and weak paradigms: chance still favors the hearty soul

In an earlier article, we discussed the effects of dissensus and low paradigm development on the lives and scholarly successes of junior scholars. Our analysis painted a somewhat bleak picture, but our advice for moving forward was simple, actionable, and therefore hopeful. Based on the bleak picture that was painted, one particular aspect of our work, career‐level evaluation reliability, was recently critiqued. We respond to that critique here. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.