Toxic effects of acid rain on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems

1984 ◽  
Vol 62 (8) ◽  
pp. 986-990 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. K. Rutherford
Keyword(s):  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Acid Precipitation ◽  
Forest Growth ◽  
Toxic Effects ◽  
Economic Damage ◽  
Soil Productivity ◽  
Biological Processes ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Toxicological Effects

The historical perspective as well as the nature and causes of acid precipitation are presented. The toxicological effects of acid precipitation on lakes, other water bodies, fish, and invertebrate fauna are reviewed. In addition, the effects of this phenomenon on soil productivity and forest growth are examined. It appears that grave toxic effects have been and are being experienced by aquatic systems, but there is little reliable evidence of economic damage to crops, natural vegetation, and soil and biological processes. There may be insidious long-term effects on terrestrial ecosystems, particularly in the more susceptible areas.

Nutrient cycling differs between cropped soils with century-old and recently pyrolyzed biochar

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor Burgeon ◽  
Julien Fouché ◽  
Sarah Garré ◽  
Ramin Heidarian-Dehkordi ◽  
Gilles Colinet ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nutrient Cycling ◽  
Soil Solution ◽  
Nutrient Dynamics ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Nutrient Concentrations ◽  
Soil Productivity ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Mitigation And Adaptation

<p>The amendment of biochar to soils is often considered for its potential as a climate change mitigation and adaptation tool through agriculture. Its presence in tropical agroecosystems has been reported to positively impact soil productivity whilst successfully storing C on the short and long-term. In temperate systems, recent research showed limited to no effect on productivity following recent biochar addition to soils. Its long-term effects on productivity and nutrient cycling have, however, been overlooked yet are essential before the use of biochar can be generalized.</p><p>Our study was set up in a conventionally cropped field, containing relict charcoal kiln sites used as a model for century old biochar (CoBC, ~220 years old). These sites were compared to soils amended with recently pyrolyzed biochar (YBC) and biochar free soils (REF) to study nutrient dynamics in the soil-water-plant system. Our research focused on soil chemical properties, crop nutrient uptake and soil solution nutrient concentrations. Crop plant samples were collected over three consecutive land occupations (chicory, winter wheat and a cover crop) and soil solutions gathered through the use of suctions cups inserted in different horizons of the studied Luvisol throughout the field.</p><p>Our results showed that YBC mainly influenced the soil solution composition whereas CoBC mainly impacted the total and plant available soil nutrient content. In soils with YBC, our results showed lower nitrate and potassium concentrations in subsoil horizons, suggesting a decreased leaching, and higher phosphate concentrations in topsoil horizons. With time and the oxidation of biochar particles, our results reported higher total soil N, available K and Ca in the topsoil horizon when compared to REF, whereas available P was significantly smaller. Although significant changes occurred in terms of plant available nutrient contents and soil solution nutrient concentrations, this did not transcend in variations in crop productivity between soils for neither of the studied crops. Overall, our study highlights that young or aged biochar behave as two distinct products in terms of nutrient cycling in soils. As such the sustainability of these soils differ and their management must therefore evolve with time.</p>

scholarly journals Anthropogenic Effects on Forest Ecosystems at Various Spatio-Temporal Scales

2002 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 827-841 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Bredemeier
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Long Range ◽  
Acid Deposition ◽  
Soil Degradation ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Soil Productivity ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
The World

The focus in this review of long-term effects on forest ecosystems is on human impact. As a classification of this differentiated and complex matter, three domains of long-term effects with different scales in space and time are distinguished: 1- Exploitation and conversion history of forests in areas of extended human settlement 2- Long-range air pollution and acid deposition in industrialized regions 3- Current global loss of forests and soil degradation.There is an evident link between the first and the third point in the list. Cultivation of primary forestland — with its tremendous effects on land cover — took place in Europe many centuries ago and continued for centuries. Deforestation today is a phenomenon predominantly observed in the developing countries, yet it threatens biotic and soil resources on a global scale. Acidification of forest soils caused by long-range air pollution from anthropogenic emission sources is a regional to continental problem in industrialized parts of the world. As a result of emission reduction legislation, atmospheric acid deposition is currently on the retreat in the richer industrialized regions (e.g., Europe, U.S., Japan); however, because many other regions of the world are at present rapidly developing their polluting industries (e.g., China and India), “acid rain” will most probably remain a serious ecological problem on regional scales. It is believed to have caused considerable destabilization of forest ecosystems, adding to the strong structural and biogeochemical impacts resulting from exploitation history.Deforestation and soil degradation cause the most pressing ecological problems for the time being, at least on the global scale. In many of those regions where loss of forests and soils is now high, it may be extremely difficult or impossible to restore forest ecosystems and soil productivity. Moreover, the driving forces, which are predominantly of a demographic and socioeconomic nature, do not yet seem to be lessening in strength. It can only be hoped that a wise policy of international cooperation and shared aims can cope with this problem in the future.

scholarly journals Long-Term Economic Simulation: Even-Aged and Uneven-Aged Examples from the Missouri Ozark Forest Ecosystem Project (MOFEP)

2005 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Treiman ◽  
John Dwyer ◽  
David Larsen
Keyword(s):  
Forest Ecosystem ◽  
Landscape Management ◽  
Forest Products ◽  
Forest Growth ◽  
Economic Outcomes ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Decision Matrix ◽  
Using Data

Abstract Much of the software and many of the algorithms commonly used to simulate forest growth and harvesting activities have been optimized for short-term projections based primarily on larger-sized trees and are focused on even-aged silvicultural systems. Using data on trees 1.5 in. dbh and larger from the Missouri Ozark Forest Ecosystem Project (MOFEP), we have adapted the widely available Landscape Management System (LMS) and Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS) software to make long-term simulations using even and uneven-aged silvicultural management systems. MOFEP is designed to test the long-term effects of even-aged, uneven-aged, and no harvest treatments on a variety of ecosystem attributes. To simulate the economic outcomes of these three treatments, we have written new LMS algorithms that simulate the effects of uneven-aged harvesting. Our results show that in the Missouri Ozarks even-aged and uneven-aged management silvicultural systems yield long-term (100 years) economic outcomes that are not statistically different. This result reinforces the need for land managers or landowners to consider esthetics, nontraditional forest products, and other nonmarket values in their decision matrix. North. J. Appl. For. 22(1):42– 47.

Terrestrial ecosystem loss and biosphere collapse

2014 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 542-563 ◽  
Author(s):  
Glen Barry
Keyword(s):  
Percolation Theory ◽  
Landscape Connectivity ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystem ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Spatially Explicit ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Intact Core

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose a measurable terrestrial ecosystem boundary to answer the question: what extent of landscapes, bioregions, continents, and the global Earth System must remain as connected and intact core ecological areas and agro-ecological buffers to sustain local and regional ecosystem services as well as the biosphere commons? Design/methodology/approach – This observational study reviews planetary boundary, biosphere, climate, ecosystems, and ecological tipping point science. It presents a refinement to planetary boundary science to include a measurable terrestrial ecosystem boundary based on landscape ecology and percolation theory. The paper concludes with discussion of the urgency posed by ecosystem collapse. Findings – A new planetary boundary threshold is proposed based on ecology's percolation theory: that across scales 60 percent of terrestrial ecosystems must remain, setting the boundary at 66 percent as a precaution, to maintain key biogeochemical processes that sustain the biosphere and for ecosystems to remain the context for human endeavors. Strict protection is proposed for 44 percent of global land, 22 percent as agro-ecological buffers, and 33 percent as zones of sustainable human use. Research limitations/implications – It is not possible to carry out controlled experiments on Earth's one biosphere, removing landscape connectivity to see long-term effects results upon ecological well-being. Practical implications – Spatially explicit goals for the amount and connectivity of natural and agro-ecological ecosystems to maintain ecological connectivity across scales may help in planning land use, including protection and placement of ecological restoration activities. Originality/value – This paper proposes the first measureable and spatially explicit terrestrial ecosystem loss threshold as part of planetary boundary science.

Suppression of VAM fungi and micronutrient uptake by low-level P fertilization in long-term wheat rotations

1997 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 59-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Jill Clapperton ◽  
H. Henry Janzen ◽  
Adrian M. Johnston
Keyword(s):  
Northern Great Plains ◽  
Soil Productivity ◽  
P Fertilization ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Vam Fungi ◽  
Wheat Roots ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Micronutrient Uptake ◽  
Phosphorus Application

AbstractThe long-term effects of cropping practices on plant-available micronutrient concentrations in soils of the northern Great Plains of North America have not been adequately determined. We measured micronutrient uptake by wheat in a crop rotation experiment established at Lethbridge, Alberta in 1911. Phosphorus application at low rates (20 kg P ha-1 yr-1) since 1972 suppressed uptake of Zn, Cu, and Ca in the two years in which they were measured, 1991 and 1993. Vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungi are plant symbiotic fungi that are known to increase the uptake of relatively immobile micronutrients such as Cu, P, and Zn. The functioning of these fungi is known to be affected by high-levels of P fertilization. Assessment of wheat roots showed that low-level P fertilization had significantly reduced the length of root colonized and the percentage of roots colonized by VAM fungi. The results show the importance of considering microbial ecology when assessing the effects of agricultural practices, including low-input practices, on soil productivity and crop nutrient value.

scholarly journals Exploring genetic moderators and epigenetic mediators of contextual and family effects: From Gene × Environment to epigenetics

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (4pt2) ◽  
pp. 1333-1346 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven R. H. Beach ◽  
Gene H. Brody ◽  
Allen W. Barton ◽  
Robert A. Philibert
Keyword(s):  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Genotypic Variation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Biological Processes ◽  
Adult Health ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Family Effects ◽  
Community Environments ◽  
Family Based

AbstractIn the current manuscript, we provide an overview of a research program at the University of Georgia's Center for Family Research designed to expand upon rapid and ongoing developments in the fields of genetics and epigenetics. By placing those developments in the context of translational research on family and community determinants of health and well-being among rural African Americans, we hope to identify novel, modifiable environments and biological processes. In the first section of the article, we review our earlier work on genotypic variation effects on the association between family context and mental and physical health outcomes as well as differential responses to family-based intervention. We then transition to discuss our more recent research on the association of family and community environments with epigenetic processes. In this second section of the article, we begin by briefly reviewing terminology and basic considerations before describing evidence that early environments may influence epigenetic motifs that potentially serve as mediators of long-term effects of early family and community environments on longer term health outcomes. We also provide evidence that genotype may sometimes influence epigenetic outcomes. Finally, we describe our recent efforts to use genome-wide characterization of epigenetic patterns to better understand the biological impact of protective parenting on long-term shifts in inflammatory processes and its potential implications for young adult health. As will be clear, research on epigenetics as a mediator of the connections between family/community processes and a range of health outcomes is still in its infancy, but the potential to develop important insights regarding mechanisms linking modifiable environments to biological processes and long-term health outcomes already is coming into view.

LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF AN OIL PIPELINE INSTALLATION ON SOIL PRODUCTIVITY

1988 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
pp. 177-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. L. B. CULLEY ◽  
B. K. DOW
Keyword(s):  
Crop Yields ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Soil Productivity ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Oil Pipeline ◽  
Soil Mixing ◽  
Right Of Way ◽  
Period Effects ◽  
Alfalfa Field

Crop yields and heights and soil chemical properties on and immediately adjacent to an oil pipeline right-of-way (ROW) were monitored over a 10-yr period. Effects of soil mixing on chemical properties were still apparent despite good crop management. With the exception of alfalfa, field crop yields on the ROW were reduced by an average of 28% 10 yr after installation. Key words: Soil mixing, degradation, crop heights

scholarly journals Environmental Hazards of Boron and Vanadium Nanoparticles in the Terrestrial Ecosystem—A Case Study with Enchytraeus crypticus

Nanomaterials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1937
Author(s):  
Angela Barreto ◽  
Joana Santos ◽  
Mónica J. B. Amorim ◽  
Vera L. Maria
Keyword(s):  
Avoidance Behavior ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystem ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Opposite Pattern ◽  
Toxicological Effects ◽  
Short Term Exposure ◽  
Enchytraeus Crypticus

From the start of the 21st century, nanoecotoxicological research has been growing in fast steps due to the need to evaluate the safety of the increasing use of engineered nanomaterials. Boron (B) and vanadium (V) nanoparticles (NPs) generated by anthropogenic activities are subsequently released in the environment; therefore, organisms can be continuously exposed to these NPs for short or long periods. However, the short and long-term effects of BNPs and VNPs on soil organisms are unknown. This work aimed to recognize and describe their potential toxicological effects on the model species Enchytraeus crypticus, assessing survival and reproduction, through a longer-term exposure (56 days (d)—OECD test extension of 28 d), and avoidance behavior, through a short-term exposure (48 hours (h)). After 28 d, BNPs did not induce a significant effect on E. crypticus survival, whereas they decreased the organisms’ reproduction at 500 mg/kg. From 10 to 500 mg/kg, VNPs decreased the E. crypticus survival and/or reproduction. After 56 d, 100 to 500 mg/kg BNPs and 50 to 500 mg/kg VNPs, decreased the reproduction output of E. crypticus. The estimated Effect Concentrations (ECx) based on reproduction, for BNPs, were lower at 56 d compared with 28 d; for VNPs, an opposite pattern was found: ECx 28 d < ECx 56 d. BNPs did not induce an avoidance behavior, but organisms avoided the soil contaminated with 10 mg VNPs/kg. The tested NPs showed different E. crypticus apical effects at 28 d from the ones detected at 56 d, dependent on the type of NPs (B vs. V). In general, VNPs showed to be more toxic than BNPs. However, the effects of VNPs were alleviated during the time of exposure, contrarily to BNPs (which became more toxic with extended duration). The present study adds important information about NPs toxicity with ecological significance (at the population level). Including long-term effects, the obtained results contributes to the improvement of NPs risk assessment.

scholarly journals From Understanding to Sustainable Use of Peatlands: The WETSCAPES Approach

Soil Systems ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerald Jurasinski ◽  
Sate Ahmad ◽  
Alba Anadon-Rosell ◽  
Jacqueline Berendt ◽  
Florian Beyer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Community ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Microbial Community Composition ◽  
Sustainable Use ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Integrative Approach ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Alder Forest

Of all terrestrial ecosystems, peatlands store carbon most effectively in long-term scales of millennia. However, many peatlands have been drained for peat extraction or agricultural use. This converts peatlands from sinks to sources of carbon, causing approx. 5% of the anthropogenic greenhouse effect and additional negative effects on other ecosystem services. Rewetting peatlands can mitigate climate change and may be combined with management in the form of paludiculture. Rewetted peatlands, however, do not equal their pristine ancestors and their ecological functioning is not understood. This holds true especially for groundwater-fed fens. Their functioning results from manifold interactions and can only be understood following an integrative approach of many relevant fields of science, which we merge in the interdisciplinary project WETSCAPES. Here, we address interactions among water transport and chemistry, primary production, peat formation, matter transformation and transport, microbial community, and greenhouse gas exchange using state of the art methods. We record data on six study sites spread across three common fen types (Alder forest, percolation fen, and coastal fen), each in drained and rewetted states. First results revealed that indicators reflecting more long-term effects like vegetation and soil chemistry showed a stronger differentiation between drained and rewetted states than variables with a more immediate reaction to environmental change, like greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Variations in microbial community composition explained differences in soil chemical data as well as vegetation composition and GHG exchange. We show the importance of developing an integrative understanding of managed fen peatlands and their ecosystem functioning.

Effects of prolonged lead supplementation on cadmium accumulation in sheep

1999 ◽  
Vol 1999 ◽  
pp. 100-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
P.C. Chiy ◽  
M.O. Mohammed ◽  
C. J. C. Phillips
Keyword(s):  
Sewage Sludge ◽  
Toxic Metals ◽  
Industrial Pollution ◽  
Cadmium Accumulation ◽  
Toxic Effects ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Human Food ◽  
Cadmium And Lead

Maximum concentrations of toxic metals in human food have been established for cadmium and lead independently, but both metals may be increased concurrently in sewage sludge and other forms of industrial pollution. Synergism exists between the two metals in their toxic effects (Kaji et al., 1995), which emphasises that the toxic thresholds cannot be prescribed for metals in isolation. An experiment was conducted that investigated the medium and long-term effects of adding lead to the diet of sheep, to determine whether the animal's metabolism would adapt to alter the effects of lead on the accumulation of other toxic metals.

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