Marginal bleaching of thalli of Rhizocarpon as evidence for acid rain in the Norra Storfjället, Sweden

Recent lichen surveys in the foreland of The Syterb?cken glacier reveal that the crustose lichens, principally species of Rhizocarpon section Rhizocarpon, exhibit marginal bleaching, readily distinguishable from normal pigmented forms. The largest elliptical thallus of Rhizocarpon measured 290 mm maximum diameter on a bedrock outcrop beyond the margin of Little Ice Age moraines in the upper Syterb?cken Valley. Many small and large thalli of Rhizocarpon suffered damage to the periphery of individual thalli. We examine here some of the possible hypotheses explaining these occurrences. Among others, these are bedrock lithology, ice crystal blasting, long-term snowbank cover, ultraviolet exposure and acid rain. While at this time none of the possibilities can be ruled out entirely, acid rain would appear to be at least one of the factors involved. Acid rain, which is known to produce a soil pH as low as 3.3 in the field area, appears to provide a high input of H(+) ions that the lichen algal component cannot withstand. However, the lack of similar effects on associated foliose or fruticose forms raises the possibility that perhaps two or more factors specific to the environment of Rhizocarpon are operating.     

Effects of mid-trimester induced abortion on the subsequent pregnancy

The outcome of the pregnancy following (a) a mid-trimester termination of pregnancy (TOP) for fetal neural tube defect (NTD) (77 women=group 1); (b) mid-trimester TOP for fetal Down's syndrome (13 women=group 2); (c) delivery of a baby with NTD (119 women=group 3) was studied. The prenatal fetal loss was relatively high in all groups. In group 1 it was similar to that found in other studies after first trimester TOP, in group 2 it was associated with advanced maternal age and the unexpected finding in group 3 was not attributable to advanced maternal age. It is suggested that a previous NTD per se might increase the risk of fetal loss in the next pregnancy. A previous mid-trimester TOP for NTD was not associated with an increase in premature labour, small for dates babies or congenital abnormality in the next pregnancy, but there was a slight increase in the number of babies weighing less than 2500 g.     

Do children have one third less peripheral vision than adults?

The following report is a case study example of how problematic information can invade and percolate through the literature on forensic human factors and ergonomics. Initially, a highly doubtful assertion was used to bolster an argument made in a legal case of wrongful death. The assertion was supported through reference to a number of cited works. When the trail of evidence was pursued, however, it became clear that diverse citations had all branched from one, single, original and doubtful source. The fundamental issue, whether children have one third less peripheral vision than adults turns out to be much more complex than the original, simplistic spatial conception suggested. The case study illustrates the importance of ascertaining original citations and is yet another example of the frustration that often accompanies forensic activity where financial and legal concerns frequently over-ride the fundamental search for knowledge.     

Using social media images to assess ecosystem services in a remote protected area in the Argentinean Andes

Ambio - Social media images are a novel source of data to assess how people view and value the environment. Access to these images is often free, the volume and spread of images is expanding...     

Motorcycle conspicuity: An evaluation and synthesis of influential factors

Motorcycles are overrepresented in fatal motor vehicle accidents: The death rate for motorcycle riders of about 35 per 100,000,000 miles of travel compares with an overall vehicle death rate of 2.57 per 100,000,000 miles. In the attempt to reduce the frequency of automobile-motorcycle collisions, numerous studies have manipulated motorcycle and motorcyclist characteristics to enhance conspicuity. In this paper, we give a review of studies that examined the effectiveness of these measures. Subsequently, we take a critical look at the methods used in these studies to evaluate the effectiveness of conspicuity treatments. Furthermore, we identify factors yet to be considered in the empirical research in this area that may contribute to collisions with motorcycles. These include information-processing failures at the identification and decision stage, as well as more or less permanent factors potentially responsible for different information-processing failures. Transient factors related to the failure to detect motorcycles might include alcohol, fatigue/lack of sleep, inattention, and information overload, whereas more permanent factors might include “cognitive” conspicuity and fi eld dependence.     

Human factors and safety in the design of intelligent vehicle-highway systems (IVHS)

Intelligent Vehicle-Highway Systems (IVHS) have been proposed in the wake of rapid worldwide growth in traffic volume and density. These systems involve the application of advanced sensor, communications, computational, and control technologies to the design of highways and vehicles to improve traffic flow and safety. Similar technologies have been applied in other transportation systems such as aviation and air-traffic control, and it is suggested that the human factors insights derived from these systems can be usefully applied, proactively rather than retroactively, in IVHS design. Several safety and human factors issues relevant to the design of IVHS technologies, both near-term and long-term, are discussed, including: (a) the optimization of driver mental workload in highly-automated “hybrid” systems; (b) the design of in-vehicle navigation aids and the resolution of display conflicts; (c) individual and group differences in driver behavior and their implications for training and licensure; (d) the evolution and integration of IVHS technologies; and (e) traffic management and the regulation of driver trust in IVHS. Successful resolution of these issues and their incorporation in IVHS design will provide for fully functional systems that will serve the twin needs of reducing traffic congestion and improving highway safety.     

Human impacts on the stream-groundwater exchange zone

Active exchanges of water and dissolved material between the stream and groundwater in many porous sand- and gravel-bed rivers create a dynamic ecotone called the hyporheic zone. Because it lies between two heavily exploited freshwater resources—rivers and groundwater—the hyporheic zone is vulnerable to impacts coming to it through both of these habitats. This review focuses on the direct and indirect effects of human activity on ecosystem functions of the hyporheic zone. River regulation, mining, agriculture, urban, and industrial activities all have the potential to impair interstitial bacterial and invertebrate biota and disrupt the hydrological connections between the hyporheic zone and stream, groundwater, riparian, and floodplain ecosystems. Until recently, our scientific ignorance of hyporheic processes has perhaps excused the inclusion of this ecotone in river management policy. However, this no longer is the case as we become increasingly aware of the central role that the hyporheic zone plays in the maintenance of water quality and as a habitat and refuge for fauna. To fully understand the impacts of human activity on the hyporheic zone, river managers need to work with scientists to conduct long-term studies over large stretches of river. River rehabilitation and protection strategies need to prevent the degradation of linkages between the hyporheic zone and surrounding habitats while ensuring that it remains isolated from toxicants. Strategies that prevent anthropogenic restriction of exchanges may include the periodic release of environmental flows to flush silt and reoxygenate sediments, maintenance of riparian buffers, effective land use practices, and suitable groundwater and surface water extraction policies.     

Geochemical evidence of pollutants from coalfired generating stations in late Pleistocene palaeosols in the Dalijia Shan,northwestern China

Surface palaeosols in two tills and a diamicton from an area in northwestern China were analysed for geochemical pollutants. Elevated levels of Br, As and Sb indicate that pollution from coal-burning and/or coal-fired electricity generating stations is delivered by aeolian transport into palaeosols dating from the last glaciation. Because the climate in the field area is sub-humid (precipitation <760 mm) the relative movement of soluble elements in palaeosols dating from early and late stades of the last glaciation is not expected to be high. The glacial and aeolian parent materials of the palaeosols indicate differences that are probably related to their source areas and to the incorporation of geochemical pollutants.     

Driver Workload Response to In-Vehicle Device Operations

A central concern of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) is the effect of in-vehicle devices (e.g., cell phones, navigation systems, radios, etc.) on driver performance and safety. As diverse and innovative technologies are designed and implemented for in-vehicle use, questions regarding the presence and use of these devices assume progressively greater importance. Further concerns for advanced driver training require us to develop and validate reliable and effective procedures for assessing such effects. This work examines a number of candidate procedures, in particular the evaluation of change in cognitive workload as a strategy by which such goals might be achieved.     

Spatially Characterizing Visitor Use and Its Association with Informal Trails in Yosemite Valley Meadows

Ecological impacts associated with nature-based recreation and tourism can compromise park and protected area goals if left unrestricted. Protected area agencies are increasingly incorporating indicator-based management frameworks into their management plans to address visitor impacts. Development of indicators requires empirical evaluation of indicator measures and examining their ecological and social relevance. This study addresses the development of the informal trail indicator in Yosemite National Park by spatially characterizing visitor use in open landscapes and integrating use patterns with informal trail condition data to examine their spatial association. Informal trail and visitor use data were collected concurrently during July and August of 2011 in three, high-use meadows of Yosemite Valley. Visitor use was clustered at statistically significant levels in all three study meadows. Spatial data integration found no statistically significant differences between use patterns and trail condition class. However, statistically significant differences were found between the distance visitors were observed from informal trails and visitor activity type with active activities occurring closer to trail corridors. Gender was also found to be significant with male visitors observed further from trail corridors. Results highlight the utility of integrated spatial analysis in supporting indicator-based monitoring and informing management of open landscapes. Additional variables for future analysis and methodological improvements are discussed.