Monitoring Environmental Changes in the Mediterranean Coastal Landscape: The Case of Cukurova, Turkey

This paper describes a remote sensing approach used to monitor temporal land use/cover (LULC) changes in Cukurova, an extensive coastal plain in the southeast Mediterranean coast of Turkey. The area has varied terrain ranging from low-lying alluvial deposits to rocky hills and mountains characterized by limestone outcrops. The ecological and economic importance of the area can be attributed to the existence of important coastal ecosystems (e.g., wetlands and sand dunes) and a wide range of industries located along the eastern coast. Temporal changes in the coastal landscape between 1984 and 2000 were evaluated using digital interpretation of remotely sensed satellite data. Pairwise comparison methods were used to quantify changes from 1984 to 1993 and 1993 to 2000 using multitemporal Landsat TM and ETM+ images, acquired in 1984, 1993, and 2000, respectively. Total change area was 2448 ha from 1984 to 1993 and increased more than twofold, to 6072 ha from 1993 to 2000. Change trends were determined using the information provided from individual change detection outputs of different periods. The most prominent changes were estimated to have occurred in agriculture, urban, and natural vegetation cover. Agriculture has increasingly grown over marginal areas, whereas urban development occurred at the expense of prime croplands across both time steps.     

辽宁沿海经济带城市化对气候影响的实证分析

以辽宁沿海经济带为研究对象,利用1997—2008年辽宁沿海各城市的城市化和气候指标,运用线性拟合、主成分分析方法探索城市化对气候的影响。结果表明,除盘锦和大连的气温在城市化影响下呈现微弱的下降趋势外,其他各地的年均温和年降水量均随着城市化进程的发展呈现波动性上升趋势。城市规模、产业结构合理水平、下垫面变化和城市环境共同构成葫芦岛、锦州、营口和大连城市气候变化的主要因素,而在盘锦和丹东,城市规模和城市环境是第一主成分,产业结构合理水平和下垫面变化是第二主成分。在未来的发展过程中,辽宁沿海经济带应控制人口数量,合理调整产业结构,减少污染物排放,增加绿地面积,从而协调城市化发展与气候之间的关系。     

An Index to Determine Vulnerability of Communities in a Coastal Zone: A Case Study of Baler, Aurora, Philippines

A coastal community vulnerability index (CCVI) was constructed to evaluate the vulnerability of coastal communities (Buhangin, Pingit, Reserva, Sabang, and Zabali) in the municipality of Baler, Aurora, Philippines. This index was composed of weighted averages of seven vulnerability factors namely geographical, economic and livelihood, food security, environmental, policy and institutional, demographic, and capital good. Factor values were computed based on scores that described range of conditions that influence communities’ susceptibility to hazard effects. Among the factors evaluated, economic and livelihood, policy and institutional and food security contributed to CCVI across communities. Only small variations on CCVI values (i.e., 0.47–0.53) were observed as factor values cancelled out one another during combination process. Overall, Sabang received the highest CCVI, which was contributed mainly by geographical and demographic factors. This technique to determine factors that influenced communities’ vulnerability can provide information for local governments in enhancing policies on risk mitigation and adaptation.     

Recovery of Danish coastal dune vegetation after a wildfire

The initial recovery of vegetation after a wildfire in a coastal dune area in NW Jutland, Denmark, was studied over a 5-yr period by means of permanent plots representing various dune communities along a topographical gradient. The impact of the fire varied with the position of the plots. Fens and south-facing dunes were little affected while dune heath plots were severely affected including loss of the O-horizon. Post-fire conditions included presence of remaining soil organic matter, a soil seed bank and surviving below-ground plant parts. The soil surface remained stable during the study period. The initial five years of recovery comprised of an initial three-year recruitment phase during which cover and number of species increased and the quantitative species composition changed markedly, followed by two years of a declining rate of change. 38 species of vascular plants were recorded, 35 are regular components in dune, dune heath and heath fen and were recruited from the seed bank, from locally dispersed seeds and/or by sprouting from surviving vegetative parts. The remaining three species were ‘aliens’, dispersed from sources outside the area. Crustose lichens had an important role in the initial recovery by stabilizing the surface and probably inhibiting seed germination, whereas mosses mostly had a subordinate role. The seral position of the plots, as well as the expected time needed for full recovery of pre-fire vegetation, vary with topography and initial soil conditions. Five years after the fire the fen and the south-facing dune probably need less than a decade for full recovery. The remaining plots are judged to be relatively early seral; their full recovery into mature dry or moist dune heath vegetation and O-horizon is expected to need several centuries.     

Rapid shoreline retreat along the Esmeraldas coast, Ecuador: natural and man-induced processes

Along the coast facing the Pacific Ocean in the province of Esmeraldas (Ecuador) one can observe some stretches where a process of rapid erosion is currently in progress. If it is not prevented, it seriously risks compromising the development of any form of utilization. In this paper, which summarizes the observations carried out in three different periods (1989, 1992 and 1999), we express the opinion that this process is the product of two distinct main causes. Along the Atacames bay, which may be considered as the main seaside resort of Quito, the capital of Ecuador, progressive cliff retreat is not only very dangerous for the existing tourist settlements, but also hinders their further development. The shoreline dynamics that seems to be due only to ‘natural’ causes (sea level rising, or the lastEl Niño event) are so active that defence works are not recommended. At Camarones the erosion of the coast is clearly due to the systematic destruction of mangroves by man. Also as a result of the lastEl Niño event, the situation has become alarming and it could rapidly get worse. By means of the present contribution, the Authors intend to attract the attention of the international scientific community upon the processes, not surveyed so far, affecting the ‘weakest’ stretches of the Ecuadorian coast.     

浙江近岸海域环境功能区质量状况分析

根据浙江省舟山海洋生态环境监测站多年资料,对浙江省近岸海域环境功能区达标趋势及影响因素进行分析。结果表明,2009年浙江近岸海域环境功能区平水期、丰水期、枯水期达标面积分别为9541、10715、842km2,全年达标面积7333km2,占所监测海域面积的16.4%。浙江省近岸海域环境功能区水质达标的主要超标指标为无机氮和活性磷酸盐,另有部分区域溶解氧、化学需氧量、pH指标超标。整个杭州湾水体处于严重富营养化水平,象山湾和泗礁-大衢-岱山岛以西的舟山海域处于中度富营养化水平。东经122度以东的舟山海域及浙中南近岸海域处于轻度富营养或贫营养水平,2002年以来浙江近岸海域水体的富营养化程度逐步下降。2001—2004年近岸海域环境功能区达标率均低于3%,达标区主要分布在舟山海域,2005年开始达标区域扩展到温州海域,"十一五"以来浙江省近岸海域环境功能区水质达标率呈增加趋势。     

Quantifying coastal inundation vulnerability of Turkey to sea-level rise

The vulnerability of low-lying coastal areas in Turkey to inundation was quantified based on the sea-level rise scenarios of 1, 2, and 3 m by 2205. Through digital elevation model (DEM) acquired by the shuttle radar topography mission (SRTM), the extent and distribution of the high to low-risk coastal plains were identified. The spatio-temporal analysis revealed the inundated coastal areas of 545, 1,286, and 2,125 km² at average rates of 5, 10, and 15 mm yr⁻¹ for 200 years, respectively. This is equivalent to minimum and maximum land losses by 2205 of 0.1–0.3% of the total area and of 1.3–5.2% of the coastal areas with elevations of less than 100 m in the country, respectively. This study provides an initial assessment of vulnerability to sea-level rise to help decision-makers, and other concerned stakeholders to develop appropriate public policies and land-use planning measures.     

Shoreline development and degradation of coastal fish reproduction habitats

Coastal development has severely affected habitats and biodiversity during the last century, but quantitative estimates of the impacts are usually lacking. We utilize predictive habitat modeling and mapping of human pressures to estimate the cumulative long-term effects of coastal development in relation to fish habitats. Based on aerial photographs since the 1960s, shoreline development rates were estimated in the Stockholm archipelago in the Baltic Sea. By combining shoreline development rates with spatial predictions of fish reproduction habitats, we estimated annual habitat degradation rates for three of the most common coastal fish species, northern pike (Esox lucius), Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis) and roach (Rutilus rutilus). The results showed that shoreline constructions were concentrated to the reproduction habitats of these species. The estimated degradation rates, where a degraded habitat was defined as having ≥3 constructions per 100 m shoreline, were on average 0.5 % of available habitats per year and about 1 % in areas close to larger population centers. Approximately 40 % of available habitats were already degraded in 2005. These results provide an example of how many small construction projects over time may have a vast impact on coastal fish populations.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s13280-014-0522-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Can Hediste diversicolor (Nereidae, Polychaete) be considered a good candidate in evaluating PAH contamination? A multimarker approach

The aim of this study was to develop a preliminary characterization of the biological responses of Hediste diversicolor to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) under controlled laboratory conditions. In order to test the effects of PAH exposure, a battery of biomarkers was applied to the polychaetes by exposing them to sublethal concentrations of benzo[a]pyrene (0.1 and 0.5 mg L⁻¹) for 10 d under laboratory conditions. The battery of biomarkers tested included oxidative stress biomarkers (glutathione content, enzymatic activities of catalase, glutathione S-transferases, glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidases), total oxyradical scavenging capacity (TOSC) toward peroxyl and hydroxyl radicals and activity of acyl CoA oxidase (AOX) as a marker of peroxisome proliferation measured in the entire body; lipofuscin and neutral lipid accumulations and levels of Ca²⁺-ATPase activity analyzed in the intestinal epithelium; lysosomal membrane stability and genotoxic effects measured as DNA strand breaks and frequency of micronuclei in coelomocytes. Chemical analyses were also carried out to verify the polychaete’s benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) bioaccumulation levels after the exposure period. The results obtained indicate that B[a]P caused significant changes in most of the parameters measured in H. diversicolor. Biological responses to the organic compound were particularly significant for the biomarkers measured in the intestinal epithelium and in coelomocytes, emphasizing that these tissues were more affected during our experimental conditions. Considering the key trophic role of this benthic species in estuarine and coastal ecosystems, this study confirmed that H. diversicolor is an appropriate bioindicator of organic contamination.     

Climate Warming and Pikeperch Year-Class Catches in the Baltic Sea

Climate change scenarios concerning the Baltic Sea predict increase in surface water temperatures. Pikeperch (Sander lucioperca (L.)) inhabits the coastal areas of the northern Baltic Sea and is an important fish species for the Finnish fisheries. The year-class strength of pikeperch varies strongly between years and significantly depends on water temperature. We aimed to study the effects of changing temperature conditions on pikeperch fisheries and distribution based on commercial catch data from the period 1980–2008 in the Finnish coastal areas of the Baltic Sea. The results indicated that warmer summers will produce stronger pikeperch year-classes that consequently contribute significantly to the future catches. The average temperature in June–July explained 40% of the variation in the year-class catches in the Gulf of Finland and 73% in July–August in the Archipelago Sea. During the study period, the distribution of pikeperch catches expanded toward north along the coasts of the Bothnian Sea.