Search results for "DFI"

The decline of the cork oak growing in Sicily is accompanied by the loss of the functions proper to agroforestry systems

2021

The cork oak is one of the most important tree species in the Mediterranean basin, where it covers more than 2 million hectares. Among evergreen oaks, Quercus suber stands out for the variety of cultural systems in which it has been successfully employed, including typical agroforestry systems. Accordingly, a wide range of ecosystem services may be associated to cork oak, including the preservation of biodiversity, carbon sequestration and forage production. In the Mediterranean, the cork oak represents a key species for many natural and seminatural landscapes and habitats, as well as playing a prominent role for the economic and social development of local communities. However, there is in…

Emissions of Greenhouse Gases and Climate Politics in the Latvian Waste Sector

2015

According IPCC guidelines for determination of greenhouse gases in waste management (IPCC 2006) the quantity of greenhouse gases must be determined for the emissions of CO2, CH4, N2O for such treatment activities: disposal of solid waste, biological treatment of solid waste and incineration and open burning of waste. Presented report reviles the current situation of this field in Latvia and conclusions on its minimization actions. The data received from Latvian environmental data bases shows that the quantity of disposed unsorted municipal waste is rising and created sanitary landfill system with anaerobic digestion of bio mas (the content of it in the disposed waste reaches 40–50 %) is pro…

Ocean-scale connectivity and life cycle reconstruction in a deep-sea fish

2014

Author's version of an article in the journal: Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. Also available from the publisher at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2013-0343 As human exploration and harvesting moves to the high seas, ecological understanding of the deep sea has become a priority, especially in those commercially exploited species whose life cycle, habitat use, and demographic structure remain poorly understood. Here we combine otolith trace element and stable isotope analyses with microsatellite data to investigate population structure and connectivity in the migratory deep-sea black scabbardfish (Aphanopus carbo), sampled along a latitudinal gradient spanning much of …

A novel thermodynamic approach for the complexation study of toxic metal cations by a landfill leachate

2018

Landfill leachates can contaminate nearby aquifers. The hazards deriving from this contamination also depend on the chemical speciation of various contaminants. A novel approach is proposed here to face this problem from a chemical thermodynamics point of view. The complexing ability of the soluble fraction of a landfill leachate (collected from Bellolampo, Palermo, Italy) towards Pb2+, Cd2+ and Cu2+ has been investigated at T = 298.15 K in NaClaq at I = 0.1 mol dm−3. The soluble fraction of the landfill leachate was first characterized by different analytical techniques. Then, its acid–base properties were studied by ISE-H+ potentiometric titrations and modelled by the so-called diprotic-l…

Characterization of automotive shredder residues before and five years after landfill disposal

2015

The paper illustrates the results of an extensive analytical characterization study of automotive shredder residues (ASR), also known as "fluff". The analyses concerned material fractions and their content, with special reference to heavy metals (e.g. Cd, Cr, Hg, Pb, Cu) and arsenic. Elution tests on the original materials were also conducted. Moreover, chemical concentrations of ASR samples after about five years' landfill residence was assessed, in order to verify possible changes resulting from both in-situ leaching and organic matter degradation phenomena. Results show that lead seems to be the most critical element in view of possible ASR acceptance in non-hazardous waste landfills bec…

Color constancy in goldfish: the limits

2000

Color constancy was investigated in behavioral training experiments on colors ranging from blue to yellow, located in the color space close to Planck's locus representing the main changes in natural skylight. Two individual goldfish were trained to peck at a test field of medium hue out of a series of 13-15 yellowish and bluish test fields presented simultaneously on a black background. During training the tank in which the fish were swimming freely was illuminated with white light. Correct choices were rewarded with food. During the tests differently saturated yellow or blue illumination was used. The degree of color constancy was inferred from the choice behavior under these illuminations…

Seasonal benthic nepheloid layer in the Gulf of Riga, Baltic Sea: Sources, structure and geochemical interactions

2005

Abstract The sources of particles, as well as the geochemical structure and interfacial exchange were studied for the summer benthic nepheloid layer of the shallow (50 m) Gulf of Riga. The material was sampled at nine stations during three cruises of August 2001–2003 with a main focus on the deep waters. Suspended particulate matter (SPM) and its major (N, Si, P, Al, Fe, Mn, Ca) elements were determined as the principal parameters. The results indicate the summer benthic nepheloid layer as an important component of the environmental regime of the Gulf of Riga. The nepheloid layer develops as a result of the near-bottom hydrodynamics and a corresponding saline structure below the thermocline…

CHARACTERIZATION OF SHIP AND WILDFIRE EMISSION TRANSPORT EVENTS IN SOUTHERN SICILY, BASED ON BLACK CARBON OBSERVATIONS ANALYSIS DURING 2015 – 2016 AT…

The goldfish--a colour-constant animal.

1996

A series of either thirteen or fifteen coloured test fields with hues from blue through grey to yellow were presented on a black background. Goldfish were trained on a bluish-grey test field by food reward. In the training situation, the setup with the coloured papers was illuminated with white light. In the test situation, the colour of the illumination was changed to blue or yellow. In both test illuminations the goldfish preferred the training field in the same way as under white illumination despite the fact that this test field stimulated the cone types very differently from the training situation. As test fields were present that excited the cones in exactly the same way as under whi…

New Business Models for innovating the cork sector and contrasting cork oak woodland abandonment

2021

The traditional agro-silvo-pastoral system is characterized by wooded grasslands derived from human-induced transformation of forests by tree clearing and tillage. One of the most common tree species of agro-silvo-pastoral systems in Sicily is cork oak (Quercus suber L.). According to the regional inventory these species cover 18830 ha (Camerano et al., 2011) from sea level up to 600 m a.s.l. in siliceous and volcanic substrates. Traditional management of cork oak forest is an example of integration of sustainable land use and biodiversity conservation. Cork oak woodlands are ecologically sensitive and maintained by active human management. Currently, this ecosystem in the Mediterranean Bas…