Relationship between 137Cs in some undisturbed New Zealand soils and rainfall

Soil Research ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 655 ◽  
Author(s):  
LR Basher ◽  
KM Matthews

Soil samples were collected from 10 undisturbed sites in South Canterbury and Manawatu, New Zealand, to examine the relationship between 137Cs in soils and rainfall. The results were used to test a previously derived model relating cumulative deposition of 137Cs from atmospheric fallout to mean annual rainfall. There were strong correlations between mean measured levels of 137Cs in soils from the undisturbed sites and rainfall, and between the mean measured levels in soils and those predicted by the model. The moder can therefore be used to estimate input levels of137Cs for erosion studies and to verify the suitability of local measurements of the input value from sites assumed to be undisturbed. Coefficients of variation in soil-Cs at the undisturbed sites ranged up to 30%, indicating that up to 10 samples may be needed to estimate the input value with a standard error � 10%.

1991 ◽  
Vol 65 (03) ◽  
pp. 263-267 ◽  
Author(s):  
A M H P van den Besselaar ◽  
R M Bertina

SummaryIn a collaborative trial of eleven laboratories which was performed mainly within the framework of the European Community Bureau of Reference (BCR), a second reference material for thromboplastin, rabbit, plain, was calibrated against its predecessor RBT/79. This second reference material (coded CRM 149R) has a mean International Sensitivity Index (ISI) of 1.343 with a standard error of the mean of 0.035. The standard error of the ISI was determined by combination of the standard errors of the ISI of RBT/79 and the slope of the calibration line in this trial.The BCR reference material for thromboplastin, human, plain (coded BCT/099) was also included in this trial for assessment of the long-term stability of the relationship with RBT/79. The results indicated that this relationship has not changed over a period of 8 years. The interlaboratory variation of the slope of the relationship between CRM 149R and RBT/79 was significantly lower than the variation of the slope of the relationship between BCT/099 and RBT/79. In addition to the manual technique, a semi-automatic coagulometer according to Schnitger & Gross was used to determine prothrombin times with CRM 149R. The mean ISI of CRM 149R was not affected by replacement of the manual technique by this particular coagulometer.Two lyophilized plasmas were included in this trial. The mean slope of relationship between RBT/79 and CRM 149R based on the two lyophilized plasmas was the same as the corresponding slope based on fresh plasmas. Tlowever, the mean slope of relationship between RBT/79 and BCT/099 based on the two lyophilized plasmas was 4.9% higher than the mean slope based on fresh plasmas. Thus, the use of these lyophilized plasmas induced a small but significant bias in the slope of relationship between these thromboplastins of different species.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paola Mazzoglio ◽  
Ilaria Butera ◽  
Pierluigi Claps

<p>The intensity and the spatial distribution of precipitation depths are known to be highly dependent on relief and geomorphological parameters. Complex environments like mountainous regions are prone to intense and frequent precipitation events, especially if located near the coastline. Although the link between the mean annual rainfall and geomorphological parameters has received substantial attention, few literature studies investigate the relationship between the sub-daily maximum annual rainfall depth and geographical or morphological landscape features.<br>In this study, the mean of the rainfall extremes in Italy, recently revised in the so-called I<sup>2</sup>-RED dataset, are investigated in their spatial variability in comparison with some landscape and also some broad climatic characteristics. The database includes all sub-daily rainfall extremes recorded in Italy from 1916 until 2019 and this analysis considers their mean values (from 1 to 24 hours) in stations with at least 10 years of records, involving more than 3700 stations.<br>The geo-morpho-climatic factors considered range from latitude, longitude and minimum distance from the coastline on the geographic side, to elevation, slope, openness and obstruction morphological indices, and also include an often-neglected robust climatological information, as the local mean annual rainfall.<br>Obtained results highlight that the relationship between the annual maximum rainfall depths and the hydro-geomorphological parameters is not univocal over the entire Italian territory and over different time intervals. Considering the whole of Italy, the highest correlation is reached between the mean values of the 24-hours records and the mean annual precipitation (correlation coefficient greater than 0.75). This predominance remains also in sub-areas of the Italian territory (i.e., the Alpine region, the Apennines or the coastal areas) but correlation decreases as the time interval decreases, except for the Alpine region (0.73 for the 1-hour maximum). The other geomorphological parameters seem to act in conjunction, making it difficult to evaluate, with a simple linear regression analysis, their impact. As an example, the absolute value of the correlation coefficient between the elevation and the 1-hour extremes is greater than 0.35 for the Italian and the Alpine regions, while for the 24-hours interval it is greater than 0.35 over the coastal areas.<br>To further investigate the spatial variability of the relationship between rainfall and elevation, a spatial linear regression analysis has been undertaken. Local linear relationships have been fitted in circles centered on any of the 0.5-km size pixels in Italy, with 1 to 30 km radius and at least 5 stations included. Results indicate the need of more comprehensive terrain analysis to better understand the causes of local increasing or decreasing relations, poorly described in the available literature.</p>


1974 ◽  
Vol 14 (67) ◽  
pp. 249 ◽  
Author(s):  
AN Smith ◽  
TB Spence

Seventy-one trials were sown to wheat during the years 1964-66, and of these 54 were successfully harvested. They were of 5 x 2 factorial design with five levels of superphosphate and two levels of nitrogen ; there were three replications. Superphosphate increased grain yield in two thirds and nitrogen in about one sixth of the trials. The yield of grain and the increase in grain yield resulting from fertilizer application were markedly affected by seasonal conditions. Soil samples were taken from each site and analysed for pH, and for 'available' phosphate by ten extractant methods. The yield increase was correlated with superphosphate applied and 'available' phosphate in the model : -Y = bo+b1S+b2vS+b3P+b4P2+b5vSP and the highest coefficient of determination was 31.4 per cent. When pH and average annual rainfall were put into the equation -Y = bo+b1pH+b2RA+b3S+b4vS+b5P+b6P2+b7vSP the highest coefficient of determination was 54.4 per cent.


2012 ◽  
Vol 70 (2) ◽  
pp. 431-439 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard L. O'Driscoll ◽  
Johannes Oeffner ◽  
Adam J. Dunford

Abstract O'Driscoll, R. L., Oeffner, J., and Dunford, A. J. 2013. In situ target strength estimates of optically verified southern blue whiting (Micromesistius australis) – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 70: 431–439. Estimates of the acoustic target strength (TS) of southern blue whiting (Micromesistius australis) at 38 kHz were obtained using an autonomous acoustic–optical system (AOS) mounted on a demersal trawl. Data were collected from aggregations of spawning adult [mean fork length (FL) 34.4 cm] and immature (mean FL 24.6 cm) southern blue whiting south of New Zealand. Mean TS was estimated from 162 tracks containing 695 echoes from targets identified from video as southern blue whiting. The mean TS was –37.9 dB with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of –39.7 to –36.6 dB for 21 immature fish and –34.6 dB (95% CI –35.4 to –34.0 dB) for 141 adults. A logarithmic fit through the mean TS values produced a TS–fork length (FL) relationship from optically verified targets of TS = 22.06 log10FL – 68.54. This new relationship gives TS values within 1 dB of those estimated using the relationship recently adopted by ICES for blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou) of TS = 20 log10TL – 65.2 (where TL is total length) obtained from in situ measurements, but higher values than those estimated from the previous relationship for southern blue whiting of TS = 38 log10FL – 97, which was based on swimbladder modelling.


2016 ◽  
Vol 56 (11) ◽  
pp. 1775 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. M. Nicol ◽  
J. L. Klotz

On the basis of published reports, the daily intake of the alkaloid ergovaline from the consumption of endophyte-containing ryegrass in New Zealand ranges from 0.008 to 0.287 mg ergovaline/kg LW0.75.day. Most of the reports are based on the use of standard endophyte-containing ryegrass and, thus, it is difficult to disassociate the impact of ergovaline consumption from that of lolitrem B. However, physiological effects of ergovaline consumption, such as reduced circulating prolactin concentration, vasoconstriction and elevated core temperature, have been detected at fairly low ergovaline intake, whereas decreased feed intake, liveweight gain and milk production have not generally been observed in animals at an intake below 0.07 mg ergovaline/kg LW0.75.day. Intakes above this value represent only 17% of published values. There are insufficient data to suggest a threshold ergovaline intake associated with heat stress with animal-welfare implications. The relationship between published ergovaline intake and the corresponding ergovaline concentration in pasture is poor (R2 = 0.48), but on average an intake of 0.07 ergovaline/kg LW0.75.day is associated with an ergovaline concentration in ryegrass of 0.70 mg/kg DM. About 16–18% of published ergovaline concentrations in ryegrass pasture exceed this value. The ergovaline concentration in ryegrass is greater in the basal parts of the plant than in the leaf and during the late summer–autumn than in spring. Animals grazing in the lower sward horizons (horizontal grazing plane) are more at risk of high ergovaline intake, although the reduction in grazing intake induced by grazing at low pasture height aids in limiting ergovaline intake. As pasture growth rates decline in late summer, supplementary feed may be used to maintain stocking rate and, if such feeds have zero ergovaline concentration, they serve to dilute the mean dietary ergovaline intake. Ergovaline-containing ryegrass pastures are widely used in New Zealand. It appears that farmers consider the risks of depressed animal production on these pastures to be less than the benefits ergovaline bestows through its deterrent effect of specific insect attack and thus greater survival and pasture persistence.


Author(s):  
F.O Abulude ◽  
S.D Fagbayide ◽  
A.S Efunboade

Agro-meteorology is the relationship between agriculture and weather. All farm activities are affected by weather. Therefore it is always necessary to monitor the weather as a forecast. The aim of the research was to monitor the weather and rainwater samples obtained at Federal College of Agriculture, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria. For the eight months periods, results were obtained. The mean results for the physicochemical parameters were: TDS (12.25 mg/L), temp (28.13 oC), pH (6.63), EC (24.25µS/cm), Free CO2 (24.38mg/L), nitrate (0.16mg/L), phosphate (0.17mg/L), sulphate (0.18mg/L). The rainwater was colorless and had no odor. The mean meteorological data: The prevailing wind directions were from SE, mostly in May, June, July and November and NE. The dry and wet temperatures were 22-29 oC and 20-26 oC respectively. The maximum value was observed in the month of July. The correlation matrix showed that there were many strong correlations in the physicochemical properties. The months of May, June and July had the highest wind speed. In these months there would be a need to use a windbreaker around the crops planted to avoid soil erosion and damaging of plants.


2011 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Owen F. Price ◽  
Ross A. Bradstock

Planned fire is used globally to minimise the risk of unplanned fire, but it is important to measure the return for effort in terms of the reduction of risk per unit area of planned fire. Here, we use 30 years of fire mapping from four subregions of the Sydney region to compare the annual extent of unplanned fire with previous planned and unplanned fire. Using linear mixed modelling, we were able to discriminate the relative influence of previous fire, seasonal rainfall and weather during the peak fire season. The mean annual area burnt over the period was 4.11%, comprising 0.53% planned and 3.58% unplanned. We found that weather during the fire season was the most influential factor. Annual rainfall had a modest negative relationship with unplanned fire area. Past fire had some influence, but the relationship implied that approximately three units of planned fire are required to reduce the unplanned fire area by one unit. Managers would need to burn 5.4% per year to halve unplanned fire extent, a ten-fold increase on recent levels. This would increase the total area burnt, and have other effects that need to be considered (from smoke and greenhouse gas emissions, and changes to biodiversity).


Soil Research ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 67 ◽  
Author(s):  
PL Singleton ◽  
M Mcleod ◽  
HJ Percival

The relationship between Si in soil solution and allophane and halloysite content was studied by using a drainage sequence of three New Zealand soils from rhyolitic volcanic alluvium. Clay mineralogy was compared with soil colour and drainage. Allophane and halloysite contents of two morphologically similar soils from rhyolitic volcanic ash were also studied and possible reasons for differences in mineralogy were determined. Allophane was estimated by acid oxalate and pyrophosphate dissolution. The Al/Si ratio of the allophane was determined and the allophane content of the soil was estimated from the Si extracted in acid-oxalate. Halloysite was estimated by differential thermal analysis of the whole soil. Soil samples were centrifuged with a dense water-immiscible organic liquid to displace the soil solution from between soil particles. The Si in soil solution was then determined by spectrophotometry. Allophane was predominant when Si in soil solution was <10gm-3, and halloysite was predominant when Si in soil solution was >10gm-3. Low Si in soil solution and the presence of allophane was associated with well drained horizons which could be identified by their ochreous colour. High Si in soil solution, the absence of allophane and predominance of halloysite, was associated with poorly drained horizons. These horizons could be identified by their pale colour (chroma <2). In two morphologically similar soils, the change from allophane dominance in one soil to hahoysite dominance in the other soil also corresponded to an increase in Si in soil solution. This was probably the result of slightly slower horizon permeability which increased Si in soil solution to a level favouring halloysite formation.


1995 ◽  
Vol 269 (5) ◽  
pp. H1713-H1722 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. R. Pries ◽  
T. W. Secomb ◽  
P. Gaehtgens

The objective of this study was to quantify the heterogeneity of topological, morphological, and hemodynamic parameters in microvascular networks and to identify functionally relevant correlations among these parameters. Seven networks in the rat mesentery (383-913 vessel segments per network) were examined, and measurements were made of segment generation, diameter, length, and hematocrit in all segments (n = 3,129) and of flow velocity (only in 3 networks, 1,321 segments). In addition, hematocrit, flow rate, and pressure were derived for all segments from a mathematical simulation. All parameters obtained exhibit heterogeneous distributions with coefficients of variation ranging from 0.28 (capillary diameter) to > 1.5 (volume flow and pressure gradient). Several strong correlations exist between parameters, e.g., discharge hematocrit increases with vessel diameter, and shear rate increases with intravascular pressure. Because of such correlations, the extrapolation from average values for "typical vessels" to network properties can lead to substantial errors. For example, the mean network transit time estimated based on averaged quantities is 6.5 s, which is about 60% higher than the true value (4.08 s). Simplified models of the vascular bed may therefore be inadequate to describe functional properties of the microcirculation.


1945 ◽  
Vol 21 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 39-45
Author(s):  
C. ELLENBY

1. A method is described by means of which the surface area of puparia of Drosophila melanogaster may be measured. 2. Measurement of almost 200 puparia showed that the relationship between surface area, per mg., and body weight could best be expressed in the form of the equation S=7.7049-2.1099X, where S=surface area, sq. mm. per mg. wet weight, for prepupae of mean wet weight X mg. As the standard error of estimate, ±0.117, is equal to only 2.2% of the mean surface area per mg., the surface area can be accurately estimated from the wet weight. 3. The prepupal oxygen consumption, per mg. wet weight, is shown to decrease steadily with increasing body weight; with an increase in mean wet weight from 0.847 to 1.700 mg., the oxygen consumption, per mg., decreases by about 50%. 4. Utilizing the above regression equation, the surface area of prepupae of known oxygen consumption was estimated and thus the oxygen consumption per sq. mm. of body surface. These values show no significant variation with increasing body weight, so that it can be concluded that the oxygen consumption of prepupae of D. melanogaster is proportional to the surface area.


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