Search results for " IMPACT"
showing 10 items of 1078 documents
“Porţile de Fier/Iron Gates” Gorges Area (Danube) Fish Fauna
2014
AbstractAn important fisheries sector of the Danube, the “Iron Gates” area, was studied by famous naturalists along the history like Marsigli, Haeckel, Kner, Antipa and Bănărescu. After more than half a century after the last main publication in this area, the “Iron Gates” Danube sector suffered significant human impact, and an assessment of the fish fauna was needed. The paper summarizes the trend of fish species along the XIX to XXIst centuries, and reveals the appearance of new species. The study includes data from about 65 fish species, belonging to: Acipenseridae, Polyodontidae, Clupeidae, Salmonidae, Esocidae, Cyprinidae, Cobitidae, Siluridae, Ictaluridae, Anguillidae, Lotidae, Gaster…
Thymallus thymallus (Linnaeus, 1758), Ecological Status in Maramureş Mountains Nature Park (Romania)
2016
Abstract Thymallus thymallus is considered a species of significant protective importance within the Vişeu Watershed. The state of habitats characteristically inhabited by Thymallus thymallus within the Maramureş Mountains Nature Park is balanced between reduced (one third of the lotic sectors where the species was identified), average (one third) and good (one third). The excellent conservation status is currently missing for populations of this fish in the Vișeu Basin. Human impact types identified as contributing towards the decreasing state of Thymallus thymallus habitats and therefore populations in the studied area in comparison with its natural potential are: poaching, minor riverbed…
Environmental Characteristics and Anthropogenic Impact Jointly Modify Aquatic Macrophyte Species Diversity
2018
Species richness and spatial variation in community composition (i.e. beta diversity) are key measures of biodiversity. They are largely determined by natural factors, but also increasingly affected by anthropogenic factors. Thus, there is a need for a clear understanding of the human impact on species richness and beta diversity, the underlying mechanisms, and whether human-induced changes can override natural patterns. Here, we dissect the patterns of species richness, community composition and beta diversity in relation to different environmental factors as well as human impact in one framework: aquatic macrophytes in 66 boreal lakes in Eastern Finland. The lakes had been classified as h…
Severe effects of long-term drought on calcareous grassland seed banks
2018
Climate change models project shifts in precipitation patterns at regional and global scales. Increases in dry areas and the occurrence of drought predicted in future scenarios are likely to threaten grassland ecosystems. Calcareous grassland seed banks have proven to be resistant to short-term drought, but their responses to long-term drought are unknown. Here we show that 14 years of summer drought changed calcareous grassland seed bank composition, reducing its size and richness, and that these responses do not simply reflect patterns in the above-ground vegetation. Moreover, the effect of drought was larger on seed banks than on vegetation, and above-ground responses mediated by soil de…
Characteristics, Main Impacts, and Stewardship of Natural and Artificial Freshwater Environments: Consequences for Biodiversity Conservation
2020
International audience; In this overview (introductory article to a special issue including 14 papers), we consider all main types of natural and artificial inland freshwater habitas (fwh). For each type, we identify the main biodiversity patterns and ecological features, human impacts on the system and environmental issues, and discuss ways to use this information to improve stewardship. Examples of selected key biodiversity/ecological features (habitat type): narrow endemics, sensitive (groundwater and GDEs); crenobionts, LIHRes (springs); unidirectional flow, nutrient spiraling (streams); naturally turbid, floodplains, large-bodied species (large rivers); depth-variation in benthic commu…
Population and reproductive dynamics of the polychaete Pygospio elegans in a boreal estuary complex
2016
Pygospio elegans is an opportunistic, wide-spread spionid polychaete that reproduces asexually via fragmentation and can produce benthic and pelagic larvae, hence combining different developmental modes in one species. We documented the density, size distribution, and reproductive activity of P. elegans at four sites in the Danish Isefjord-Roskilde Fjord estuary complex, where all modes of reproduction were reported. We compared population dynamics of this species to environmental parameters such as salinity, temperature, and sediment characteristics (grain size, sorting, porosity, water content, organic content, C/N). We observed that new cohorts—resulting either from sexual or asexual rep…
Impact Analysis Using Life Cycle Assessment of Asphalt Production from Primary Data
2020
Road construction and maintenance have a great impact on the environment, owing to the huge volumes of resources involved. Consequently, current production procedures and technologies must be properly investigated, for identifying and quantifying the life cycle environmental impacts produced. In this paper, primary data, i.e., site-specific data directly collected or measured on a reference plant, are analyzed for calculating the impact of the production of a hot mix asphalt. The analysis is performed in a from &ldquo
Combined gasification-oxidation system for waste treatment with supercritical water: Lca and performance analysis
2020
In this study the environmental performance of a first-of-its-kind integrated process based on supercritical water gasification and oxidation (SCW-GcO), was evaluated using life cycle assessment (LCA). The process was applied to the treatment of carbon black and used oil as model wastes. Mass and energy balances were performed using Aspen Plus, and the environmental assessment was carried out through SimaPro. A “from cradle to grave” approach was chosen for the analysis, considering impact categories such as climate change, ozone depletion, human toxicity, particulate matter, land use, resource depletion, and other relevant indicators. The environmental profile of the SCW-GcO process was co…
“Natural wine” consumers and interest in label information: An analysis of willingness to pay in a new Italian wine market segment
2019
Abstract Increasing public attention to issues of health and environmental sustainability has contributed to a growing consumer demand for “natural” food and drinks. As has been observed, this trend has also affected the wine market, leading to the spread of so-called “natural wine”. According to the literature, consumers who are aware of the social and environmental impact of their consumption choices pay more attention to the information displayed on the label as a tool to reduce the risk associated with their purchase. This study seeks to identify which consumers are willing to pay for natural wine and to understand what information on the label influences their choice. This study is one…
Smart Urban Energy Districts and Energy Policies
2018
The deployment of smart cities appears a strategic factor for reducing environmental impact and increasing competitivity of economic systems across the world. Although terminology is similar worldwide, the different political assets and social enviroments largely affect the development models. Drivers indeed are quite different, such as the speed at which transformations take place. As a result, implementation of measures is carried out differently and realizations of smart city projects can be strongly different. Europe, China and U.S.A. approaches are compared in this paper to provide the reader with a broader view about different smart city implementations, with a focus on the electricit…