Search results for "Earth"
showing 10 items of 12204 documents
The thermal structure, subglacial topography and surface structures of the NE outlet of Eyjabakkajökull, east Iceland
2020
Abstract This study presents the detailed surveys of the NE outlet of Eyjabakkajokull glacier, East Iceland, from the combination of low-frequency ground penetrating radar (GPR), unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and GNSS measurements. Data analyses reveal the complex subglacial topography with a prominent, up to 45-m-deep longitudinal trough in the central part of the outlet that serves as the main trunk for the fast ice flow during the glacier surges. During the last decade (2010–2018), the studied part of the glacier has thinned by 4.37 m/yr on average and the ice margin has retreated ~750 m. We detect a boundary between scatter-free zone and zone of intense scattering near the ice margin an…
Direct and indirect effects of sea ice cover on major zooplankton groups and planktivorous fishes in the Barents Sea
2019
AbstractReductions in Arctic sea ice affect marine food webs through a multitude of direct and indirect effects. We here analysed direct, indirect, and delayed associations between winter sea ice cover and year-to-year changes in biomasses of the main zooplankton groups (copepods, krill, amphipods) and planktivorous fishes (capelin, polar cod) in the central and northern Barents Sea from 1980 to 2015. Climate effects and species interactions were estimated jointly in a Bayesian state-space model framework. We found that population biomass of capelin increased in years with low sea ice cover, while biomasses of copepods and amphipods decreased. Furthermore, results suggested strong bottom-up…
Zooplankton species as indicators of trophic state in reservoirs from Mediterranean river basins
2019
Zooplankton abundance and composition is sensitive to eutrophication, and its top-down effect in the planktonic food web can alter the classification of the trophic state of waterbodies based on th...
Arctic sea ice algae differ markedly from phytoplankton in their ecophysiological characteristics
2021
Photophysiological and biochemical characteristics were investigated in natural communities of Arctic sea ice algae and phytoplankton to understand their respective responses towards variable irradiance and nutrient regimes. This study revealed large differences in photosynthetic efficiency and capacity between the 2 types of algal assemblages. Sea ice algal assemblages clearly displayed increased photoprotective energy dissipation under the highest daily average irradiance levels (>8 µmol photons m-2 s-1). In contrast, phytoplankton assemblages were generally light-limited within the same irradiance ranges. Furthermore, phytoplankton assemblages exhibited more efficient carbon assimilat…
Proposal to Achieve Floodplain Connectivity in Alțâna Sector on Hârtibaciu River (Transylvania, Romania)
2016
Abstract The process of supplying water to the new anthropogenic wetland is achieved gravitationally, and the excess water in the wetland will be directed towards the Hârtibaciu River in a similar natural way. The fish and fauna of the Hârtibaciu River have a disrupted lateral connectivity due to its banks embanking including in the proximity of the Alţâna locality. The newly proposed anthropogenic wetland would improve habitat quality for the fish species of conservation interest, Rhodeus amarus (Bloch, 1782), and increase its population numbers. A new fish species, Chondrostoma nasus, was identified for the first time in the Hârtibaciu River.
Physiological Responses of Wetland Species Rumex Hydrolapathum to Increased Concentration of Biogenous Heavy Metals Zn and Mn in Substrate
2020
Abstract The aim of the present study was to determine if individuals of Rumex hydrolapathum Huds native to saline wetlands are able to tolerate high concentration of biogenous heavy metals Zn and Mn in substrate and to accumulate high concentration of these metals in aboveground parts. Plant physiological status was monitored by using non-destructive analysis of chlorophyll and chlorophyll a fluorescence. R. hydrolapathum plants accumulated up to 1840 mg·kg−1 Zn and 6400 mg·kg−1 Mn in older leaves. The usefulness of monitoring changes in chlorophyll concentration and chlorophyll a fluorescence parameters to predict physiological response of R. hydrolapathum plants to excess Zn and Mn was n…
The “Porţile de Fier/Iron Gates” Nature Park (Romania) Some Danube Northern Tributaries Fish Fauna
2014
Abstract The relative larger size of the Berzasca River, respectively the relatively constant environmental conditions, with relatively stenotopic ichthyocenosis, suffered small qualitative and quantitative fish fauna modifications in time, compared to the smaller rivers such as Sirinia, Liubcova/Oreviţa and Mraconia. The Danube “Iron Gates” I Lake influences the lower sectors of the studied rivers in term of fish species exchange. The accidental droughts in the karstic zones of the studied lotic sectors have a negative influence on the spatial continuity of the local fish fauna, and the climate change can increase these influence in the future. All the studied rivers play an important role…
Land Cover Trade-offs in Small Oceanic Islands: A Temporal Analysis of Pico Island, Azores
2017
Livestock production has been highly relevant in the Azores, boosted by European agricultural policies, increasing the demand for pasture and competing for space with other land uses. Therefore, it is important to understand the spatial evolution of pasture and related LULC trade-offs. This study describes a GIS-based LULC change detection approach to identify, map and assess pasture-related land use changes and respective trade-offs in Pico Island in the period between 1998 and 2013 (15 years). Pasture in 1998 occupied a total area of 17131 ha (about 39% of Pico Island surface), while in 2013 this same area was of 17621 ha (about 40% of Pico Island surface). During this period, about 16316…
Forest bioenergy harvesting changes carbon balance and risks biodiversity in boreal forest landscapes
2020
Climate solutions relying on forest bioenergy may be in conflict with carbon sequestration and storage by forests as well as conservation of biodiversity. We quantified effects of forest-residue harvesting for bioenergy on both forest carbon balance and biodiversity in a boreal forest landscape. Through a modeling framework, we simulated forest development in four real watersheds with three scenarios: (i) with and (ii) without forest-residue harvesting and (iii) set aside to study the conservation potential of these landscapes in the future without management. We simulated changes in the forest carbon stocks and in the quality and quantity of deadwood resources for 100 years and combined t…
Ecosystem carbon response of an Arctic peatland to simulated permafrost thaw
2019
Permafrost peatlands are biogeochemical hot spots in the Arctic as they store vast amounts of carbon. Permafrost thaw could release part of these long-term immobile carbon stocks as the greenhouse gases (GHGs) carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and methane (CH 4 ) to the atmosphere, but how much, at which time-span and as which gaseous carbon species is still highly uncertain. Here we assess the effect of permafrost thaw on GHG dynamics under different moisture and vegetation scenarios in a permafrost peatland. A novel experimental approach using intact plant–soil systems (mesocosms) allowed us to simulate permafrost thaw under near-natural conditions. We monitored GHG flux dynamics via high-resolution…