Winter Hydrology and NO3− Concentrations in a Forested Watershed: A Detailed Field Study in the Adirondack Mountains of New York1

Abstract: More than 85% of NO₃^? losses from watersheds in the northeastern United States are exported during winter months (October 1 to May 30). Interannual variability in NO₃^? loads to individual streams is closely related to interannual climatic variations, particularly during the winter. The objective of our study was to understand how climatic and hydrogeological factors influence NO₃^? dynamics in small watersheds during the winter. Physical parameters including snow depth, soil temperature, stream discharge, and water table elevation were monitored during the 2007‐2008 winter in two small catchments in the Adirondack Mountains, New York State. Snowpack persisted from mid‐December to mid‐April, insulating soils such that only two isolated instances of soil frost were observed during the study period. NO₃^? export during a mid‐winter rain‐on‐snowmelt event comprised between 8 and 16% of the total stream NO₃^? load for the four‐month winter study period. This can be compared with the NO₃^? exported during the final spring melt, which comprised between 38 and 45% of the total four‐month winter NO₃^? load. Our findings indicate that minor melt events were detectable with changes in soil temperature, streamflow, groundwater level, and snow depth. But, based on loading, these events were relatively minor contributors to winter NO₃^? loss. A warmer climate and fluctuating snowpack may result in more major mid‐winter melt events and greater NO₃^? export to surface waters.     

What people think about the environment and its relationship to their health: perceptions of health at different scales of environment in Hamilton,Ontario

This study examines lay perceptions of the environment and its perceived relation to health at three scales: the environment at large, the neighbourhood, and the home. Interviews were conducted with residents from two contrasting neighbourhoods in the industrial city of Hamilton, Canada. The results reveal variations in perceptions of the environment–health link between residents in the two study neighbourhoods as well as across the different scales. Air pollution and proximity to industry were frequently implicated in lay understandings of the general and neighbourhood environments. In contrast, the home environment was seen as relatively insulated and safe. Furthermore, personal control mechanisms (e.g. cleanliness) were believed to mitigate adverse health impacts in the home and yard while the general environment was seen to be outside of such control. The significance of the findings is discussed in terms of future research and policy relevance.     

Invasive cordgrass modifies wetland trophic function

Vascular plants strongly control belowground environments in most ecosystems. Invasion by vascular plants in coastal wetlands, and by cordgrasses (Spartina spp.) in particular, are increasing in incidence globally, with dramatic ecosystem-level consequences. We examined the trophic consequences of invasion by a Spartina hybrid (S. alterniflora x S. foliosa) in San Francisco Bay (USA) by documenting differences in biomass and trophic structure of benthic communities between sediments invaded by Spartina and uninvaded sediments. We found the invaded system shifted from an algae-based to a detritus-based food web. We then tested for a relationship between diet and tolerance to invasion, hypothesizing that species that consume Spartina detritus are more likely to inhabit invaded sediments than those that consume surface algae. Infaunal diets were initially examined with natural abundance stable isotope analyses and application of mixing models, but these yielded an ambiguous picture of food sources. Therefore, we conducted isotopic enrichment experiments by providing 15N-labeled Spartina detritus both on and below the sediment surface in areas that either contained Spartina or were unvegetated. Capitellid and nereid polychaetes, and oligochaetes, groups shown to persist following Spartina invasion of San Francisco Bay tidal flats, took up 15N from labeled native and invasive Spartina detritus. In contrast, we found that amphipods, bivalves, and other taxa less tolerant to invasion consumed primarily surficial algae, based on 13C enrichment experiments. Habitat (Spartina vs. unvegetated patches) and location of detritus (on or within sediments) did not affect 15N uptake from detritus. Our investigations support a "trophic shift" model for ecosystem response to wetland plant invasion and preview loss of key trophic support for fishes and migratory birds by shifting dominance to species not widely consumed by species at higher trophic levels.     

Comparative skeletochronological analysis of Kemp’s ridley (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Lepidochelys kempii</Emphasis>) and loggerhead (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Caretta caretta</Emphasis>) humeri and scleral ossicles

Skeletochronological analysis of Kemp’s ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) and loggerhead (Caretta caretta) sea turtle humeri and scleral ossicles was conducted to (1) describe the characteristics of scleral ossicles in these species, (2) determine whether the scleral ossicles contain annually deposited skeletal growth marks and (3) evaluate the potential for skeletochronological analysis of ossicles to obtain age data for size classes and species of sea turtles whose humeri exhibit prohibitive amounts of growth mark resorption. Humeri, entire eyes, and/or individual scleral ossicles were collected from stranded, dead sea turtles that were found along the coasts of Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, and Texas, USA. Samples were taken from a total of 77 neritic, juvenile Kemp’s ridleys ranging from 21.1 to 56.8 cm straightline carapace length (SCL), as well as two Kemp’s ridley hatchlings. For loggerheads, samples were obtained from 65 neritic juvenile and adult turtles ranging from 44.7 to 103.6 cm SCL and ten hatchlings. Examination of the ossicles revealed the presence of marks similar in appearance to those found in humeri. The number of marks in the ossicles and humeri of individual juvenile Kemp’s ridleys for which both structures were collected (n = 55) was equivalent, strongly indicating that the marks are annual. However, in large juvenile and adult loggerhead turtles (n = 65), some significant resorption of early growth marks was observed, suggesting that although ossicles might be useful for skeletochronological analysis of small juveniles, they may not provide a reasonable alternative to humeri for obtaining age estimates for older loggerhead sea turtles.