Present and future climate resources for various types of tourism in the Bay of Palma,Spain

The Bay of Palma, in Mallorca, is a leading region for beach holidays in Europe. It is based on a mass tourism model strongly modulated by seasonality and with high environmental costs. Main tourism stakeholders are currently implementing complementary activities to mitigate seasonality, regardless of climate change. But climate is—and will remain—a key resource or even a limitation for many types of tourism. Assessing the present conditions and exploring the future evolution of climate potential for these activities have become a priority in this area. To this end, the climate index for tourism (CIT)—originally designed to rate the climate resource of beach tourism—is adapted to specifically appraise cycling, cultural tourism, football, golf, motor boating, sailing and hiking. Climate resources are derived by using observed and projected daily meteorological data. Projections have been obtained from a suite of Regional Climate Models run under the A1B emissions scenario. To properly derive CITs at such local scale, we apply a statistical adjustment. Present climate potentials ratify the appropriateness of the Bay of Palma for satisfactorily practicing all the examined activities. However, optimal conditions are projected to degrade during the peak visitation period while improving in spring and autumn. That is, climate change could further exacerbate the present imbalance between the seasonal distributions of ideal climate potentials and high attendance levels. With this information at hand, policy makers and regional tourism stakeholders can respond more effectively to the great challenge of local adaptation to climate change.     

The status of mammal populations in the middle Urals and factors determining their distribution and density

Changes in the distribution and abundance of some game mammals have been analyzed over the past 100–150 years. Correlations between changes in the population density of species in slightly and strongly transformed habitats have been revealed, which show that the influence of anthropogenic factors on the population density of species has a highly complex pattern. Transformation of habitats leads to disturbances in the species composition of communities, changes in the population density of species, and disruption of functional relationships between them.     

Impact of industrial pollution on Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) radial growth in the areas of mineral fertilizer factory “Achema”

The aim of research was to assess the changes of annual radial increment of Scots pine forests in the vicinity of intensive and moderate industrial pollution of “Achema” factory producing mineral fertilizers. Our results indicate that the radial growth of the pine tree can be divided into three different periods: growth promotion, growth inhibition and growth recovery. Low levels of nitrogen emissions were beneficial for tree growth: the radial increment in the intensive and moderate pollution zones increased by 15–25% and 10%, respectively compared to control. During the growth inhibition period, the total annual industrial emission was 37–40 kt, and 40–45% radial growth loss was observed for the closest and 15–20% for the most distant stands. The radial growth decrease slowed down and the recovery of damaged stands began in 1990–1992 then air pollution was considerably reduced. The rate of forest recovery was high for the most damaged stands: their radial growth was close to control in 2000–2011.     

On monitoring anthropogenic airborne uranium concentrations and (235)U/(238)U isotopic ratio by Lichen - bio-indicator technique

Lichens are widely used to assess the atmospheric pollution by heavy metals and radionuclides. However, few studies are available in publications on using lichens to qualitatively assess the atmospheric pollution levels. The paper presents research results applying epiphytic lichens as bio-monitors of quantitative atmospheric contamination with uranium. The observations were conducted during 2.5 years in the natural environment. Two experimental sites were used: one in the vicinity of a uranium contamination source, the other one - at a sufficient distance away to represent the background conditions. Air and lichens were sampled at both sites monthly. Epiphytic lichens Hypogimnia physodes were used as bio-indicators. Lichen samples were taken from various trees at about 1.5m from the ground. Air was sampled with filters at sampling stations. The uranium content in lichen and air samples as well as isotopic mass ratios (235)U/(238)U were measured by mass-spectrometer technique after uranium pre-extraction. Measured content of uranium were 1.45 mgkg(-1) in lichen at 2.09 E-04 microgm(-3) in air and 0.106 mgkg(-1) in lichen at 1.13 E-05 microgm(-3) in air. The relationship of the uranium content in atmosphere and that in lichens was determined, C(AIR)=exp(1.1 x C(LICHEN)-12). The possibility of separate identification of natural and man-made uranium in lichens was demonstrated in principle.     

Deposition rates of unattached and attached radon progeny in room with turbulent airflow and ventilation

In this paper deposition rate coefficients for unattached and attached radon progeny were estimated according to a particle deposition model for turbulent indoor airflow described by Zhao and Wu [2006. Modeling particle deposition from fully developed turbulent flow in ventilation duct. Atmos. Environ. 40, 457–466]. The parameter which characterizes turbulent indoor airflow in this model is friction velocity, u*. Indoor ventilation changes indoor airflow and friction velocity and influences deposition rate coefficients. Correlation between deposition and ventilation rate coefficients in the room was determined. It was shown that deposition rate coefficient increases with ventilation rate coefficient and that these parameters of the Jacobi room model cannot be assumed to be independent. The values of deposition rate coefficients were presented as functions of friction velocity and ventilation rate coefficient. If ventilation rate coefficient varies from 0.1 up to 1 h⁻¹, deposition rate coefficients for unattached and attached fractions were estimated to be in the range 3–110 h⁻¹ and 0.015–0.35 h⁻¹, respectively.     

Improving dialogue among researchers,local and indigenous peoples and decision-makers to address issues of climate change in the North

Ambio - The Circumpolar North has been changing rapidly within the last decades, and the socioeconomic systems of the Eurasian Arctic and Siberia in particular have displayed the most dramatic...     

Comparison of particulate mass, chemical species for urban, suburban and rural areas in central Taiwan, Taichung

Aerosol samples for PM2.5, PM(2.5-10) and TSP were collected from June to September 1998 and from February to March 1999 in central Taiwan. Ion chromatography was used to analyze the acidic anions: sulfate, nitrate and chloride in the Universal samples. The ratios of fine particle concentrations to coarse particle concentrations displayed that the fine particle concentrations are almost greater than that of coarse particle concentrations in Taichung area. The average concentrations of PM2.5, PM(2.5-10) and TSP in urban sites are higher than in suburban and rural sites at both daytime and night-time. Chloride dominated in the coarse mode in daytime and in fine mode in night-time. Nitrate can be found in both the coarse and fine modes. Sulfate dominated in fine mode in both daytime and night-time.     

Suitability of process-based tree growth models for addressing tree response to climate change

Empirical models of tree growth have been used for many years to predict timber yields and other properties of trees. However, such models rely on measured relationships between tree growth and historic environmental conditions. As anthropogenic actions alter the environment, especially atmospheric composition, empirical models become less reliable and process-based models become more useful. Process-based models are challenged to simulate growth of structurally and physiologically complex organisms using explicit mathematical expressions to capture growth response to environmental conditions. In this review we summarize the physiological requirements of process-based models and examine the capabilities of six published models (CARBON, ECOPHYS, PGSM, TREE-BGC, TREGRO, W91) for simulating tree response to changes in environmental conditions (elevated temperature, increased CO(2) concentration, and enhanced concentrations of tropospheric ozone). These analyses indicate that current models are reliable integrators of environmental effects on individual processes (e.g. photosynthesis), but may be less reliable where physiological acclimation occurs or when extrapolated to growth of specific tree compartments.     

Dynamics of radionuclide concentrations in calcified tissues of reindeer in the western Russian Arctic

The specific activities of artificial and natural nuclides were determined in bone and teeth of reindeer that had lived before, during, and after nuclear tests on the Archipelago Novaya Zemlya and of reindeer from the nearby mainland region. In bone of reindeer from Novaya Zemlya, 90Sr and 210Pb are the main source of beta-activity, the 210Po is the main source of the alpha activity. In bone of reindeer that lived on Novaya Zemlya during underground tests, the 90Sr activity was relatively high (0.75 +/- 0.20 Bq/g dry weight). In animals that lived after the tests were banned, the level was significantly lower (0.44 +/- 0.17 Bq/g) and did not differ from the level of the 90Sr activity found in the mainland reindeer bone. On Novaya Zemlya, the concentrations of the natural 210Pb in bone of the recent reindeer (0.57 +/- 0.19 Bq/g) is similar to that which was in the teeth of reindeer a hundred years ago (0.65-0.75 Bq/g) and significantly higher than in the recent mainland reindeer from different regions (0.18-0.17 Bq/g).     

Heavy metal pollution in sediments of the Pasvik River drainage

The purpose of this paper is to study the regional impacts of heavy metals (Ni, Cu, Co, Zn, Cd, Pb, Hg) on the watershed of the Pasvik River. On the basis of sediment investigations at 27 stations of the watershed, background concentrations of the heavy metals, vertical distribution of heavy metals in sediments, heavy metal concentrations in surface sediments, contamination degree, and risk index were determined. The atmospheric emissions of Ni, Cu, Co, Zn, Cd and Hg from the smelters and waste waters from tailing dams and mines of the Pechenganickel Company are likely to be the main sources of increasing concentrations observed in recent sediments of the lower river reaches. Lead showed a different pattern from the other heavy metals--increasing Pb concentrations in the upper sediment layers towards the Norwegian side.