Will the application of Ammonium-Ferric-Hexacyano-Ferrate enhance the vertical migration of radiocaesium?

The consideration of a possible enhanced vertical migration of radiocaesium with the application of ammonium-ferric-hexacyano-ferrate (AFCF) as countermeasure, due to the colloidal nature of AFCF, made us set up a series of migration experiments. For the study two soil types were considered, which were either left unplanted or cultivated with ryegrass. Two AFCF concentrations, 1 and 10 g m^-2, and an untreated control were applied. A simple diffusion–convection model was fitted to the data.The application of AFCF did not enhance the downward migration of radiocaesium in the profile. Moreover, for an unplanted sandy soil the application of AFCF significantly retarded the migration: 10 g AFCF m^-2 decreased the convection term, V, from 0·78 to 0·42 cm a^-1 and the diffusion component, D, from 0·21 to 0·09 cm² a^-1. For all other experimental conditions (unplanted loamy soil, ryegrass cultivated sandy and loamy soil), the application of AFCF did not have any effect on radiocaesium migration. Since AFCF does not promote the vertical migration of radiocaesium, enhanced groundwater contamination is improbable.     

Transport of particulate material and dissolved tracer in a highly permeable porous medium: comparison of the transfer parameters

We are experimentally studying, by means of short-pulse injection, the transport and deposition kinetics of suspended particles (silts of the order of 10 microm) in a highly permeable medium consisting of a column of gravel. In our experiments, the breakthrough curves (BTCs) are well described by analytical solutions of a convection/dispersion model with first-order deposition kinetics. All the transport parameters calculated by the model for both particles and dissolved tracer depend on the flow rate. We demonstrate the existence of a critical flow rate, determined experimentally, beyond which the transfer time for the particles is longer than that for the tracer. This phenomenon is unusual in comparison with the results available in the literature. The increase in transfer time of particles in comparison to tracer leads us to assume a purely mechanical phenomenon, that is, collision between particles and grains of the medium with instantaneous reset in motion when the flow rate is sufficient to avoid settling. Thanks to the polydispersivity of the injected suspension and the control of grain size at the outlet, it can also be determined that the coarser particles are recovered before the finer particles, as expected when one considers the size-exclusion effect.     

Diet of young Atlantic bluefin tuna (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Thunnus thynnus</Emphasis>) in eastern and western Atlantic foraging grounds

Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) are highly migratory predators whose abundance, distribution, and somatic condition have changed over the past decades. Prey community composition and abundance have also varied in several foraging grounds. To better understand underlying food webs and regional energy sources, we performed stomach content and stable isotope analyses on mainly juvenile (60–150 cm curved fork length) bluefin tuna captured in foraging grounds in the western (Mid-Atlantic Bight) and eastern (Bay of Biscay) Atlantic Ocean. In the Mid-Atlantic Bight, bluefin tuna diet was mainly sand lance (Ammodytes spp., 29% prey weight), consistent with historic findings. In the Bay of Biscay, krill (Meganyctiphanes norvegica) and anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) made up 39% prey weight, with relative consumption of each reflecting annual changes in prey abundance. Consumption of anchovies apparently declined after the local collapse of this prey resource. In both regions, stable isotope analysis results showed that juvenile bluefin tuna fed at a lower trophic position than indicated by stomach content analysis. In the Mid-Atlantic Bight, stable isotope analyses suggested that >30% of the diet was prey from lower trophic levels that composed <10% of the prey weights based upon traditional stomach content analyses. Trophic position was similar to juvenile fish sampled in the NW Atlantic but lower than juveniles sampled in the Mediterranean Sea in previous studies. Our findings indicate that juvenile bluefin tuna targeted a relatively small range of prey species and regional foraging patterns remained consistent over time in the Mid-Atlantic Bight but changed in relation to local prey availability in the Bay of Biscay.     

Modeling the carbon dynamics of the La Grande hydroelectric complex in northern Quebec

A mechanistic semi-empirical carbon cycle model of the La Grande reservoir complex in northern Quebec, Canada was conceived in order to investigate the climate impact of such a large alteration of the continental water cycle. The model includes inputs from the drainage basin, organic matter release from flooded soils, CO₂ emissions across the water-atmosphere interface and sedimentation. Most input data stems from previous research by our group on those ecosystems. The model includes the seven reservoirs of the La Grande complex and was run for periods of 50 and 100 years. Terrigeneous dissolved, particulate and suspended soil carbon fluxes and concentrations were computed. Over 100 years, 31.3 × 10¹² g C are released from flooded soils, equivalent to 28-29% of inputs from the drainage basin. 40-74% of dissolved organic carbon is mineralized. CO₂ fluxes over 100 years are 50.5-79.8 × 10¹² g C, 46.4-67.9 × 10¹² g C more than in the absence of reservoirs. The increase in mineralization of organic matter and in CO₂ emissions is a result of the increase in cumulated water residence time due to the creation of the reservoirs. Changes in other carbon sinks and sources likely offset a part of this additional carbon flux to the atmosphere. In the first years following flooding of the reservoir, organic carbon release from flooded soils exceeds CO₂ emissions, implying the downstream export of large quantities of eroded soil organic carbon. After this initial period, CO₂ emissions are fuelled by organic carbon originating from the drainage basin.     

Benefits of protected areas for nonbreeding waterbirds adjusting their distributions under climate warming

Climate warming is driving changes in species distributions and community composition. Many species have a so-called climatic debt, that is, shifts in range lag behind shifts in temperature isoclines. Inside protected areas (PAs), community changes in response to climate warming can be facilitated by greater colonization rates by warm-dwelling species, but also mitigated by lowering extirpation rates of cold-dwelling species. An evaluation of the relative importance of colonization-extirpation processes is important to inform conservation strategies that aim for both climate debt reduction and species conservation. We assessed the colonization-extirpation dynamics involved in community changes in response to climate inside and outside PAs. To do so, we used 25 years of occurrence data of nonbreeding waterbirds in the western Palearctic (97 species, 7071 sites, 39 countries, 1993–2017). We used a community temperature index (CTI) framework based on species thermal affinities to investigate species turnover induced by temperature increase. We determined whether thermal community adjustment was associated with colonization by warm-dwelling species or extirpation of cold-dwelling species by modeling change in standard deviation of the CTI (CTI_SD). Using linear mixed-effects models, we investigated whether communities in PAs had lower climatic debt and different patterns of community change than communities outside PAs. For CTI and CTI_SD combined, communities inside PAs had more species, higher colonization, lower extirpation, and lower climatic debt (16%) than communities outside PAs. Thus, our results suggest that PAs facilitate 2 independent processes that shape community dynamics and maintain biodiversity. The community adjustment was, however, not sufficiently fast to keep pace with the large temperature increases in the central and northeastern western Palearctic. Our results underline the potential of combining CTI and CTI_SD metrics to improve understanding of the colonization-extirpation patterns driven by climate warming.     

Assessment of patch quality by ladybirds: relative response to conspecific and heterospecific larval tracks a consequence of habitat similarity?

Summary. Aphid colonies can reach high levels of abundance but last for short periods of time. The larvae of aphidophagous ladybirds (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) that feed on these colonies might therefore suffer from starvation, which favours the occurrence of cannibalism and intraguild predation. Thus, the assessment of patch quality becomes crucial and it has been shown that female ladybirds refrain from laying eggs in the presence of an oviposition deterring semiochemical deposited by their larvae. Adalia bipunctata (L.), Adalia decempunctata (L.) and Coccinella septempunctata L. are 3 sympatric species of ladybirds, which can co-occur in aphid colonies. As a consequence, their eggs and larvae are under threat, not only from cannibalism but also intraguild predation. Females should, therefore, also use the tracks deposited by heterospecific larvae to assess the quality of aphid colonies as oviposition sites. The expectation is that: 1- the strength of the reaction to each other’s larval tracks should be correlated with percentage habitat overlap and that 2- the reaction to conspecific larval tracks should be stronger than to heterospecific tracks. In order to test these hypotheses, females’ oviposition behaviour was analysed and a chemical analysis of the tracks of their larvae undertaken. The results show that oviposition behaviour is not related to habitat overlap. Both species of Adalia react to tracks of their own larvae and those of C. septempunctata, but A. decempunctata reacted more strongly than A. bipunctata. C. septempunctata reacted very slightly to its own tracks but not to those of either species of Adalia. The larval tracks are mainly composed of alkanes. Those of the two species of Adalia are qualitatively 100% similar and 60% so when the quantitative results are compared. They are, however, only 24–29% similar to those of Coccinella septempunctata.     

Influence of Building Density and Roof Shape on the Wind and Dispersion Characteristics in an Urban Area: A Numerical Study

The Computational Fluid Dynamics code CFX-TASCflow is used for simulating the wind flow and pollutant concentration patterns in two-dimensional wind-tunnel models of an urban area. Several two-dimensional multiple street canyon configurations are studied corresponding to different areal densities and roof shapes. A line source of a tracer gas is placed at the bottom of one street canyon for modelling street-level traffic emissions. The flow fields resulting from the simulations correspond to the patterns observed in street canyons. In particular and in good agreement with observations, a dual vortex system is predicted for a deep flat-roof street canyon configuration, while an even more complex vortex system is evidenced in the case of slanted-roof square street canyons. In agreement with measurement data, high pollutant concentration levels are predicted either on the leeward or the windward side of the street canyon, depending on the geometrical details of the surrounding buildings.