Correction to: Status and trends of circumpolar peregrine falcon and gyrfalcon populations

While collating contributions and comments from 36 researchers, the coordinating authors accidentally omitted Dr. Suzanne Carrière from the list of contributing co-authors. Dr. Carrière’s data are described in Tables 1 and 3, Figure 2 and several places in the narrative. The new author list is thus updated in this article.     

Assessment of global bioenergy potentials

So far, various studies assessed global biomass potentials and came up with widely varying results. Existing potential estimates range from 0 EJ/a up to more than 1,550 EJ/a which corresponds to about three times the current global primary energy consumption. This paper provides an overview of the available research on bioenergy potentials and reviews the different assessments qualitative way with the objective to interpret previous research in an integrated way. In the context of this paper we understand bioenergy as energy from biomass sources including energy crops, residues, byproducts and wastes from agriculture, forestry, food production and waste management. In this review special attention was paid to the difference between residue and energy potentials, land availability estimates, and the geographical resolution of existing potential estimates. The majority of studies concentrate on energy crop potentials retrieved from surplus agricultural land and only few publications assess global potentials separated by different world regions. It results that land allocated to the exclusive production of energy crops varies from 0 to 7,000 ha, depending on land category and scenario assumptions. Only a small number of available potential assessments consider residue potentials as well as energy crop potentials from degraded land. Future energy crop potentials are assumed to vary in the mean from 200 to 600 EJ/yr. In contrast residue potentials are expected to contribute between 62 and 325 EJ/yr. The highest potentials are assigned to Asia, Africa and South America while Europe, North America and the Pacific region contribute minor parts to the global potential.     

Radionuclide migration in forest ecosystems--results of a model validation study

The primary objective of the IAEA's BIOMASS Forest Working Group (FWG) was to bring together experimental radioecologists and modellers to facilitate the exchange of information which could be used to improve our ability to understand and forecast radionuclide transfers within forests. This paper describes a blind model validation exercise which was conducted by the FWG to test nine models which members of the group had developed in response to the need to predict the fate of radiocaesium in forests in Europe after the Chernobyl accident. The outcomes and conclusions of this exercise are summarised. It was concluded that, as a group, the models are capable of providing an envelope of predictions which can be expected to enclose experimental data for radiocaesium contamination in forests over the time scale tested. However, the models are subject to varying degrees of conceptual uncertainty which gives rise to a very high degree of divergence between individual model predictions, particularly when forecasting edible mushroom contamination. Furthermore, the forecasting capability of the models over future decades currently remains untested.     

Model testing using data on 137Cs from Chernobyl fallout in the Iput River catchment area of Russia

Data collected for 10 years following the Chernobyl accident in 1986 have provided a unique opportunity to test the reliability of computer models for contamination of terrestrial and aquatic environments. The Iput River scenario was used by the Dose Reconstruction Working Group of the BIOMASS (Biosphere Modelling and Assessment Methods) programme. The test area was one of the most highly contaminated areas in Russia following the accident, with an average contamination density of 137Cs of 800,000 Bq m-2 and localized contamination up to 1,500,000 Bq m-2, and a variety of countermeasures that were implemented in the test area had to be considered in the modelling exercise. Difficulties encountered during the exercise included averaging of data to account for uneven contamination of the test area, simulating the downward migration and changes in bioavailability of 137Cs in soil, and modelling the effectiveness of countermeasures. The accuracy of model predictions is dependent at least in part on the experience and judgment of the participant in interpretation of input information, selection of parameter values, and treatment of uncertainties.     

Laboratory-numerical studies of stratified spin-up flows

The stability of stratified rotating flows is investigated by means of laboratory experiments and numerical simulations in axisymmetric cylindrical and annular containers with both horizontal and sloping bottoms. The baroclinic current is initiated via incremental spin-up/down of a linearly stratified fluid by an abrupt change in the rotation rate of the system. Particular attention is given to the non-linear flow regime (finite Rossby numbers). It is found that axisymmetric spin-up current loses its azimuthal symmetry when the Burger number drops below unity, and breaks into a system of large-scale cyclonic and anticyclonic vortices with predominantly vertical axis of rotation. Eddies always develop at the density fronts formed by the corner regions adjacent to the sidewalls of the container. It is shown that the stability of the spin-up flow is largely affected by the bottom slope and the structure of the bottom boundary layer.     

Online single particle measurement of fireworks pollution during Chinese New Year in Nanning

Time-resolved single-particle measurements were conducted during Chinese New Year in Nanning, China. Firework displays resulted in a burst of SO_2, coarse mode, and accumulation mode(100–500 nm) particles. Through single particle mass spectrometry analysis, five different types of particles(fireworks-metal, ash, dust, organic carbon-sulfate(OC-sulfate), biomass burning) with different size distributions were identified as primary emissions from firework displays. The fireworks-related particles accounted for more than70% of the total analyzed particles during severe firework detonations. The formation of secondary particulate sulfate and nitrate during firework events was investigated on single particle level. An increase of sulfite peak(80SO_3~-) followed by an increase of sulfate peaks(97HSO_4~-+ 96SO_4~-) in the mass spectra during firework displays indicated the aqueous uptake and oxidation of SO_2 on particles. High concentration of gaseous SO_2, high relative humidity and high particle loading likely promoted SO_2 oxidation. Secondary nitrate formed through gas-phase oxidation of NO_2 to nitric acid, followed by the condensation into particles as ammonium nitrate. This study shows that under worm, humid conditions, both primary and secondary aerosols contribute to the particulate air pollution during firework displays.     

Multi-criteria risk management with the use of <Emphasis Type="Italic">DecernsMCDA</Emphasis>: methods and case studies

Emerging challenges of risk management, environmental protection, and land-use planning requires integration of stakeholder values and expert judgment. The process of decision making in situation of high uncertainty can be assisted through the use of decision support systems (DSSs). Such DSSs are often based on tools for spatial data representation (GIS) and environmental models that are integrated using multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA). This paper presents DecernsMCDA implementing all major types of multi-criteria methods and tools (AHP, MAUT, Outranking) under the same user interface. In addition to providing ability for testing model uncertainty associated with selection of specific MCDA algorithms, DecernsMCDA implements new algorithms for parameter uncertainty analysis based on probabilistic approaches and fuzzy sets. The paper illustrates application of DecernsMCDA for selecting remedial alternative at radiologically contaminated sites.     

Intensification of treatment processes for oily wastewater: Theoretical foundations for calculating the hydrodynamic characteristics of tube coalescers

We present the results of theoretical studies of the pressure fluid flow fundamental characteristics in tube coalescers used in the treatment processes for oily wastewater. It is shown that three different regions of flow (wall sublayer, transition sublayer, and flow kernel), having their own hydrodynamic characteristics, are formed in a cross section of the tube coalescer. In the viscous wall sublayer (of thickness δ_*), viscous frictional forces exceed inertial forces (Re_δ* < 1), and “creeping flow” is observed. This region borders on the transition sublayer (of thickness δ_** = δ_*), in which inertial forces exceed viscous frictional forces (Re_δ** > 1). For both laminar and turbulent flow, distribution laws of local velocities and velocity gradients along the pipe radius are obtained in each of the three regions. In the flow kernel, the linear distribution law of velocity gradients gives a square distribution law of velocities for both types of flow, but for the turbulent flow, the correction coefficients A = β and B = 2β ? 1 must be introduced.