Socio-environmental implications of process-based restoration strategies in large rivers: should we remove novel ecosystems along the Rhône (France)?

River restoration efforts require interdisciplinary approaches involving fluvial geomorphology, hydraulic engineering, ecology, sedimentology, chemistry, social geography, and sociology. We investigated the functioning of artificial structures called “Casiers Girardon” (groyne fields) in the Rhône River. We assessed potential benefits and risks linked to removing the Rhône groyne fields in a restoration context, with particular focus on the potential for increased bank erosion. Hydraulic, morphological, chemical, ecological, and social issues resulting from dismantlement were studied for terrestrialized and aquatic Casiers Girardon. Only 10% of Casiers Girardon have maintained their aquatic features, whereas most of the Casiers are terrestrialized. Our results help to confirm the effectiveness of restoration actions; however, they also indicate uncertainties and additional knowledge needs, especially in regard to potential incompatibilities between Casier restoration and conservation. Then, an interdisciplinary conceptual model was developed to identify interventions to be considered in Casiers Girardon, according to their terrestrialization rate and physiochemical characteristics (connectivity, amount of gravel vs. fine sediment, contamination level). This model synthetizes scientific results and expert judgment and provides management recommendations based on ecological and sociological expectations about the restoration of Casiers Girardon. The model highlights high heterogeneity in functioning and ecological potential between terrestrialized and aquatic Casiers. Dismantling of terrestrialized Casiers has strong potential to provide multiple benefits, whereas aquatic Casiers could be maintained as valuable backwaters. The managing guidelines for the Casiers Girardon of the Rhône River should be adapted according to local conditions, as well as expected benefits and needs, and conducted in co-ordination with all actors involved in and affected by the restoration.     

Photoactive titanium dioxide nanoparticles modify heterotrophic microbial functioning

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Nanoparticulate titanium dioxide (nTiO2) is frequently applied, raising concerns about potential side effects on the environment. While various...     

Reduced riparian zone width compromises aquatic macroinvertebrate communities in streams of southern Brazil

Recent changes in Brazilian legislation reduced the width of riparian forest buffer needed to be preserved in private properties from 30 to 15 m or less. The consequences of these modifications can be dramatic, mainly because riparian buffer width is an important parameter for riparian forest structure and functioning. Our study assessed whether (1) macroinvertebrate family richness and Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) family richness decrease with reduced riparian buffer width; (2) taxonomic composition and functional feeding group (FFG) composition of macroinvertebrates vary with a reduced riparian buffer width; and (3) reduced riparian buffer width similarly influence the macroinvertebrate community in different stream substrates. We selected three fragments with different riparian buffer widths (>40, <30, and <15 m) in three streams (fourth and fifth orders) in the Sinos River watershed, southern Brazil. Our results show that on all substrate types, reducing the width of the riparian buffer altered neither the macroinvertebrate richness nor EPT richness. However, EPT richness was greater in the substrates stone and gravel than leaf litter, independent of riparian buffer width. There was a significant difference in macroinvertebrate composition among riparian buffer widths. The macroinvertebrate composition and FFG differed among substrates, independent of riparian buffer width. This study showed that riparian buffer widths <15 m altered the macroinvertebrate community. A width greater than 15 m is necessary to maintain the composition and trophic conditions of macroinvertebrate families similar to those found in reference states of conservation.     

Instrumental and bio-monitoring of heavy metal and nanoparticle emissions from diesel engine exhaust in controlled environment

In the present article we characterized the emissions at the exhaust of a Common Rail (CR) diesel engine, representative of lightduty class, equipped with a catalyzed diesel particulate filter (CDPF) in controlled environment. The downstream exhausts were directly analyzed (for PM, CO, CO2, O2, HCs, NOx) by infrared and electrochemical sensors, and SEM-EDS microscope; heavy metals were chemically analyzed using mosses and lichens in bags, and glass-fibre filters all exposed at the engine exhausts. The highest particle emission value was in the 7–54 nm size range; the peak concentration rose until one order of magnitude for the highest load and speed. Particle composition was mainly carbonaceous, associated to noticeable amounts of Fe and silica fibres. Moreover, the content of Cu, Fe, Na, Ni and Zn in both moss and lichen, and of Al and Cr in moss, was significantly increased. Glass-fibre filters were significantly enriched in Al, B, Ba, Cu, Fe, Na, and Zn. The role of diesel engines as source of carbonaceous nanoparticles has been confirmed, while further investigations in controlled environment are needed to test the catalytic muffler as a possible source of silica fibres considered very hazardous for human health.     

Photodegradation of the pure and formulated alpha-cypermethrin insecticide gives different products

Alpha-cypermethrin is a broad-spectrum insecticide widely used in the treatment of rice crops, mainly commercialized as a CONTEST^® formulation. The photodegradation of alpha-cypermethrin and of the commercial formulation has not yet been systematically investigated in paddy water under natural conditions. Here, paddy water solutions of alpha-cypermethrin and CONTEST^® formulation at 5.0 mg L^?1 were irradiated under simulated sunlight for 10 days. Hydrolysis experiments were carried out on the same solutions preserved in the dark. Analysis by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry was developed for the identification of photodegradation products. Results show that degradation of pure alpha-cypermethrin and the formulation counterpart produces both common and different photodegradation products. Five out eleven photodegradation products were identified for the first time, in particular three in the alpha-cypermethrin paddy water solution and four in the formulation. Our findings underline the importance of carrying out photodegradation experiments directly on the commercial formulation, since degradation products could be different from the pure insecticide.     

Absorption and translocation of sulfometuron-methyl in sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) at different growth stages

ABSTRACT

In Brazil, weed management in sugarcane fields is mainly done with the use of selective herbicide formulations. For many years, diuron+hexazinone was one of the main herbicide mixture formulations used in sugarcane. Later, sulfometuron-methyl was included in the same mixture, which was marketed as a new herbicide formulation for residual in-season weed control in sugarcane. The mixture diuron+hexazinone+sulfometuron-methyl has been widely used in commercial sugarcane fields in Brazil. However, recent field observations have shown that sugarcane plants at different growth stages varied in their phytotoxicity levels after treatment with diuron+hexazinone+sulfometuron-methyl. Greenhouse and laboratory studies were conducted to determine ¹⁴Csulfometuron-methyl absorption and translocation, as well as ¹⁴C distribution in sugarcane at two growth stages, 2 to 3 leaves and 5 to 6 leaves. ¹⁴Csulfometuron-methyl absorption by sugarcane did not differ between the two growth stages. Different patterns of ¹⁴C accumulation were observed, which may explain variations in sulfometuron-methyl phytotoxic responses observed in the field.     

Identifying Potential Conflict Associated with Oil and Gas Exploration in Texas State Coastal Waters: A Multicriteria Spatial Analysis

Recent interest in expanding offshore oil production within waters of the United States has been met with opposition by groups concerned with recreational, environmental, and aesthetic values associated with the coastal zone. Although the proposition of new oil platforms off the coast has generated conflict over how coastal resources should be utilized, little research has been conducted on where these user conflicts might be most intense and which sites might be most suitable for locating oil production facilities in light of the multiple, and often times, competing interests. In this article, we develop a multiple-criteria spatial decision support tool that identifies the potential degree of conflict associated with oil and gas production activities for existing lease tracts in the coastal margin of Texas. We use geographic information systems to measure and map a range of potentially competing representative values impacted by establishing energy extraction infrastructure and then spatially identify which leased tracts are the least contentious sites for oil and gas production in Texas state waters. Visual and statistical results indicate that oil and gas lease blocks within the study area vary in their potential to generate conflict among multiple stakeholders.     

Transport and modification of humic substances present in Antarctic snow and ancient ice

We performed a study of fulvic acids extracted from fresh and aged snow, and from recent and ancient ice in Antarctica. The fresh snow samples were collected in coastal and inland sites to evaluate the influence of the distance from the sea on organic matter transport. Moreover, in a site (Melbourne Mountain) samples were collected at different heights to study the influence of altitude on transport. The obtained results showed that dissolved fulvic acid concentrations are influenced neither by distance nor by height while particulate fulvic acid concentrations are influenced by both parameters. Moreover, the results showed that fulvic acids transported for a long distance can undergo chemical modifications. Chemical modifications are better evidenced by the analysis of samples taken in trenches at different depth, which showed structural changes attributable to the loss of nitrogen-containing compounds and to an increase in aromatic character of the structures due to reduction and/or condensation processes. With ageing, the humification process proceeds with heavy carbon losses as demonstrated by results obtained from fulvic acids isolated from ice aged between twenty-five thousand and seventy thousand years.     

Quantifying and mapping species threat abatement opportunities to support national target setting

The successful implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity's post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework will rely on effective translation of targets from global to national level and increased engagement across diverse sectors of society. Species conservation targets require policy support measures that can be applied to a diversity of taxonomic groups, that link action targets to outcome goals, and that can be applied to both global and national data sets to account for national context, which the species threat abatement and restoration (STAR) metric does. To test the flexibility of STAR, we applied the metric to vascular plants listed on national red lists of Brazil, Norway, and South Africa. The STAR metric uses data on species’ extinction risk, distributions, and threats, which we obtained from national red lists to quantify the contribution that threat abatement and habitat restoration activities could make to reducing species’ extinction risk. Across all 3 countries, the greatest opportunity for reducing plant species’ extinction risk was from abating threats from agricultural activities, which could reduce species’ extinction risk by 54% in Norway, 36% in South Africa, and 29% in Brazil. Species extinction risk could be reduced by a further 21% in South Africa by abating threats from invasive species and by 21% in Brazil by abating threats from urban expansion. Even with different approaches to red-listing among countries, the STAR metric yielded informative results that identified where the greatest conservation gains could be made for species through threat-abatement and restoration activities. Quantifiably linking local taxonomic coverage and data collection to global processes with STAR would allow national target setting to align with global targets and enable state and nonstate actors to measure and report on their potential contributions to species conservation.     

Evaluation of genotoxicity and coumarin production in conventional and organic cultivation systems of Mikania glomerata Spreng

Abstract

Mikania glomerata Sprengel, popularly known as “guaco,” is used in Brazilian folk medicine for several inflammatory and allergic conditions. Besides, the popular use “guaco” is indicated by the Brazilian Ministry of Health as a safe and effective herbal medicine. The biological activity of M. glomerata extracts is due to the presence of the coumarins, a large family of phenolic substances found in plants and is made of fused benzene and α-pyrone rings. Considering that there are few data on the biological effects of the extracts of M. glomerata, mainly in genetic level, this work aims to evaluate, in vitro, the genotoxicity and coumarin production in M. glomerata in conventional and organic growing. The data showed that the organic culture system showed double the concentration of coumarin being significantly more productive than the conventional system. Besides, the results of comet assay suggest that extracts of M. glomerata cultivated in a conventional system was genotoxic, increased DNA damage levels while the organic extracts seem to have antigenotoxic effect possibly due to the concentration of coumarins. Additional biochemical investigations are necessary to elucidate the mechanisms of action of M. glomerata extracts, which were found to have a role in protection against DNA damage.