Search results for "Monitoring"
showing 10 items of 3614 documents
Conservation value of forest plantations for bird communities in western Kenya
2008
Tree plantations of native and exotic species are frequently used to compensate for forest loss in the tropics. However, these plantations may support lower species diversity and different communities than natural forest. We therefore investigated bird communities in stands of natural forest, different types of tree plantations and secondary forest in Kakamega Forest, western Kenya. We compared birds differing in habitat specialisation, i.e. forest specialists, generalists, and visitors. We recorded significant differences in mean species richness and number of individuals among the different forest types. Stands of natural forest and plantations of indigenous tree species comprised more sp…
High seedling recruitment of indigenous tree species in forest plantations in Kakamega Forest, western Kenya
2009
Tree plantations are often used to compensate for the destruction and conversion of natural forests in the tropics. An important question is whether these plantations allow for the regeneration of indigenous tree species and are expected to transform into more natural forests in the future. To evaluate the potential of differently managed forest types for seedling recruitment of indigenous tree species we studied structural characteristics as well as tree and seedling communities in stands of natural forest, different types of tree plantations and secondary forest in Kakamega Forest, western Kenya. Forest types differed considerably in structural characteristics and tree composition with st…
Ecological assessment of developing carbon sequestration in Shenyang, China
2012
Carbon sequestration in urban ecosystems is becoming an international climate change initiative for sustainable development. Drawing upon field work undertaken in the author's native Shenyang, China, this research reports upon the natural process of carbon sequestration from the atmosphere into urban ecosystems. The risks associated within carbon sequestration in urban ecosystems are investigated and utilised the analysis of ecological carbon cycle status and integrated climate policy with reference to the sustainable development of urban planning. The primary method of this paper is the ecologically–based life assessment of urban ecosystems relevant to tackling barriers for developing carb…
New insights into submarine tailing disposal for a reduced environmental footprint: Lessons learnt from Norwegian fjords
2021
Submarine tailing disposal (STD) in fjords from land-based mines is common practice in Norway and takes place in other regions worldwide. We synthesize the results of a multidisciplinary programme on environmental impacts of STDs in Norwegian fjords, providing new knowledge that can be applied to assess and mitigate impact of tailing disposal globally, both for submarine and deep-sea activities. Detailed geological seafloor mapping provided data on natural sedimentation to monitor depositional processes on the seafloor. Modelling and analytical techniques were used to assess the behaviour of tailing particles and process-chemicals in the environment, providing novel tools for monitoring. To…
Flood risk assessment and mapping in peri-urban Mediterranean environments using hydrogeomorphology. Application to ephemeral streams in the Valencia…
2012
Abstract This paper proposes a methodology for mapping flood risk in ephemeral streams, based on assessing flood hazards and global exposure. The method has been applied to the peri-urban area of Valencia, extended over the floodplains of the Barranco del Carraixet and Rambla de Poyo catchments. Hazard was assessed using hydrogeomorphological methods. Global exposure was estimated as a combination between the economic value of land use and human exposure, following a previous study carried out by Camarasa, A.M., Lopez, M.J. and Soriano, J., 2011. Mapping temporally variable exposure to flooding in small Mediterranean basins using land-use indicators, Applied Geography 31 (19), 136–145. Synt…
Application and evaluation of biomagnetic and biochemical monitoring of the dispersion and deposition of volcanically-derived particles at Mt. Etna, …
2010
article i nfo Article history: Received 6 August 2009 Accepted 4 January 2010 Available online xxxx Biomagnetic monitoring, using tree leaves as passive surfaces for particle collection, has been shown to be a promising technique for assessing the dispersion and deposition of particles in the context of anthropogenic pollution. By comparing leaves' magnetic properties with trace metal levels measured in the leaves, we here assess the utility of the biomagnetic technique as a sensitive, fast and inexpensive method for assessment of volcanic plume deposition. Samples of sweet chestnut leaves (Castanea sativa) were collected from the area surrounding Mt. Etna volcano in Sicily during the 2008 …
Continuous monitoring of hydrogen and carbon dioxide at Mt Etna
2013
article i nfo This study assessed the use of an H2 fuel cell as an H2-selective sensor for volcano monitoring. The resolution, repeatability, and cross-sensitivity of the sensor were investigated and evaluated under known laboratory conditions. A tailor-made device was developed and used for continuously monitoring H2 and CO2 at Mt Etna throughout 2009 and 2010. The temporal variations of both parameters were strongly correlated with the evolution of the volcanic activity during the monitoring period. In particular, the CO2 flux exhibited long-term variations, while H2 exhibited pulses immediately before the explosive activity that occurred at Mt Etna during 2010.
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) in Volcano island (Aeolian archipelago) mud utilized for therapeutic purpose
2007
This paper examines the possible presence, distribution, nature and sources of 18 Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) as constituents of the mud pools collected in Vulcano Aeolian Island. PAH are important from environmental and toxicological point of view. Analysis was performed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) in selected ion monitoring (SIM). The total concentration of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons ranged from 112 to 154 μ g/Kg of dry matrix. The volcanic mud, used for therapeutic purposes, are moderately contaminated.
Evaluation of cliff recession in the Valle dei Templi in Agrigento (Sicily)
2015
Abstract The sacral complex of the Valle dei Templi in Agrigento, added in the UNESCO Heritage Site List, stands over the crest of a rigid calcarenite cuesta, which overlies a layer of partially saturated (S = 6–12%) carbonate sand. In turn, the sand stratum lies on a thick stratum of clays. The environment is highly prone to landslides as highlighted by several previous studies that identify the undermining of slopes and the discontinuity pattern, occurred in the late Neotectonic phase, as causes of cliff failure. For wider and less exposed areas, where the undermining local instabilities can be present because of the specific morphology of the site, a recent research has proposed a new in…
Trace elements mobility in soils from the active hydrothermal area of Nisyros (Greece)
2014
Nisyros Island, Greece, is a stratovolcano known for its intense hydrothermal activity. On June 2013, during a multidisciplinary field campaign, soil samples were collected in the caldera area to determinate the main mineralogical paragenesis and to investigate the distribution of trace elements concentrations and the possible relationship to the contribution of deep originated fluids. Soil samples were analysed with XRD and for the chemical composition of their leachable (deionized water) and near total (microwave digestion) fraction both for major and trace elements. All data were compared to a local background soil. The results allow to divide the samples in 2 groups: Lakki Plain and Ste…