scholarly journals Highly Productive Boreal Ecosystem Chernevaya Taiga - Unique Rainforest in Siberia

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evgeny Abakumov ◽  
Sergey Loiko ◽  
Nikolay Lashchinsky ◽  
Georgy Istigechev ◽  
Anastasia Kulemzina ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boreal Forests ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Tropical Rainforests ◽  
Fertility Level ◽  
Ecological Traits ◽  
Interconnected System ◽  
Boreal Ecosystem ◽  
Very High

Boreal forests are one of the largest stores of carbon on Earth, and two-thirds of them are located in Siberia. Despite the fact that these forests have a significant influence on the global climate, they continue to remain understudied. Chernevaya taiga is a unique example of a highly productive Siberian boreal ecosystem. This type of forest is characterized by a series of unique ecological traits, the most notable of which are the gigantism of the perennial herbaceous plants and bushes, complete lack of moss cover on soil surface, and the type of soil it grows on, notable for its particularly high rate of decomposition of vegetative remains and low humic acid content. Abundant rainfall actively washes out nutrients from the top layers of the soil, but its fertility level remains very high. In fact, based on the existing data, it is twice as high as that of fertilized agricultural lands. In some ways the conditions within this type of forest closely resemble those observed in tropical rainforests. Microbiota associated with soil and plants represent an integral part of an interconnected system and contribute significantly to productive processes in soils. Its impacts on the environment require further study, since it could lead to discoveries that will help improve soil fertility without harming the natural environment.

scholarly journals The Status of Contaminants in Bald Eagles and Wildland Firefighters in the Teton Ecosystem

2008 ◽  
Vol 31 ◽  
pp. 117-124
Author(s):  
George Montopoli ◽  
Hank Harlow ◽  
W. Smith, MD ◽  
A. Wheeler, MD ◽  
Andy Byerly ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Boreal Forests ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Bald Eagle ◽  
Bald Eagles ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Lead Ammunition ◽  
The Status ◽  
Small Sample Sizes

Advancing global climate change and associated desiccation of temperate and boreal forests, exacerbated by extensive clear-cutting, may increase poisoning of aquatic ecosystems with high levels of contaminants, especially Hg. We report on contaminants identified in nestling bald eagles and wildland firefighters of the Teton Ecosystem (Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) and the Snake River Unit (SRU), Wyoming) during summers of 2006, 2007 and 2008. In bald eagles, we focus primarily on mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), and selenium (Se) because each was detected in all nestlings during all summers at moderate levels. In wildland firefighters, we report primarily on Hg due to potential contamination from Hg when fighting fires and ingesting smoke and particulates produced by those fires. We feel that studying Hg both in the eagles and humans simultaneously is a better indicator of the general health of the environment than studying them separately. Both humans and bald eagles occupy top tiers on the food web, and intricately reflect the status of the environment. Results of the bald eagle analyses showed trends indicating increases in Hg and Pb from 2006 to 2007, and decreases from 2007 to 2008. Selenium essentially remained constant from 2006 to 2007 and increased from 2007 to 2008. In wildland firefighters, Hg appears to be elevated in those firefighters who are exposed to significant levels of smoke and particulates, both in 2007 and 2008. Conjectures about firefighters, however, are not statistically significant due to small sample sizes and logistical problems. Encouraging trends in bald eagle contaminant levels from 2007 to 2008 suggest reduction (or stabilization) of contaminant concentrations in the Teton Ecosystem. We also encourage the continued elimination of Pb attributable to humans (lead ammunition, lead shot, etc.) from the Teton Ecosystem. We encourage periodic monitoring of contaminants in the Teton Ecosystem, minimally at five-year intervals (Harmata 1996), unless unexpected events mandate more immediate monitoring. In wildland firefighters, we suggest a well-designed, comprehensive research study for summer 2009, to immediately address future ecological issues that are emerging due to climate change.

Biology, Management, and Protection of North American Sturgeon

2002 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Extinction Risk ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Shortnose Sturgeon ◽  
Management Options ◽  
Connecticut River ◽  
Acipenser Brevirostrum ◽  
Survival And Reproduction ◽  
Very High ◽  
Existing Data

<em>Abstract.</em>—The shortnose sturgeon, <em>Acipenser brevirostrum</em>, is a long-lived species that grows slowly, matures at an advanced age, and spawns only intermittently. In the Connecticut River, there are two distinct subpopulations of shortnose sturgeon, which have been separated by the Holyoke Dam for 157 years. My research addressed the viability and persistence for these two separate populations and the effects of dispersal, variation in survival and reproduction, and catastrophes. My risk-based approach used a stage-based metapopulation model that I constructed in RAMAS<sup>®</sup> GIS incorporating the available data. Based on the existing data, this population model for the shortnose sturgeon metapopulation in the Connecticut River made several predictions. The observed stability of the two subpopulations was possible either: with reproduction in both upper and lower subpopulations and small to moderate rates of dispersal between them; or with no reproduction in the lower subpopulation, very high reproduction in the upper subpopulation and high rate of net downstream dispersal. My results provided estimates of extinction risk for the shortnose sturgeon metapopulation under various management options and highlighted three key areas for future research, demonstrating the value of a risk-based approach. This approach is particularly useful for management of long-lived aquatic species.

Accelerated Erosion and Sedimentation in Southeast Asia

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Avijit Gupta
Keyword(s):  
Southeast Asia ◽  
Sediment Yield ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Drainage Basin ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Sediment Yields ◽  
Erosion Rates ◽  
Sediment Transfer ◽  
Very High

Periodic attempts to plot global distribution of erosion and sedimentation usually attribute most of Southeast Asia with a very high sediment yield (Milliman and Meade 1983). The erosion rates and sediment yield figures are especially high for maritime Southeast Asia. Milliman and Syvitski (1992), for example, listed 3000 t km−2 yr−1 for the archipelagos and peninsulas of Southeast Asia. They provided a number of natural explanations for the high erosion rate: location near active plate margins, pyroclastic eruptions, steep slopes, and mass movements. This is also a region with considerable annual rainfall, a very substantial percentage of which tends to be concentrated in a few months and falls with high intensity. Part of Southeast Asia (the Philippines, Viet Nam, Timor) is visited by tropical cyclones with heavy, intense rainfall and possible associated wind damage to existing vegetation. The fans at the foot of slopes, the large volume of sediment stored in the channel and floodplain of the rivers, and the size of deltas all indicate a high rate of erosion and episodic sediment transfer. This episodic erosion and sediment transfer used to be controlled for most of the region by the thick cover of vegetation that once masked the slopes. When vegetation is removed soil and regolith de-structured, and natural slopes altered, the erosion rates and sediment yield reach high figures. Parts of Southeast Asia display striking anthropogenic alteration of the landscape, although the resulting accelerated erosion may be only temporary, operating on a scale of several years. Over time the affected zones shift, and slugs of sediment continue to arrive in a river but from different parts of its drainage basin. The combination of anthropogenic alteration and fragile landforms may give rise to very high local yields. Sediment yields of more than 15 000 t km−2 yr−1 have been estimated from such areas (Ruslan and Menam, cited in Lal 1987). This is undoubtedly towards the upper extreme, but current destruction of the vegetation cover due to deforestation, expansion of agriculture, mining, urbanization, and implementation of large-scale resettlement schemes has increased the sediment yield from < 102 to > 103 t km−2 yr−1.

Mammalian Herbivory, Ecosystem Engineering, and Ecological Cascades in Alaskan Boreal Forests

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
John P. Bryant ◽  
Roger W. Ruess
Keyword(s):  
Boreal Forests ◽  
Phenotypic Expression ◽  
Sympatric Species ◽  
Human Environment ◽  
Cascading Effects ◽  
Mammalian Herbivores ◽  
Human Perceptions ◽  
Boreal Ecosystem ◽  
Leaf Stripping ◽  
Casual Observer

The mammalian herbivores of the taiga forests include members of the largest (moose) and smallest (microtines) vertebrates that inhabit North American terrestrial biomes. Their abundance in a particular area fluctuates dramatically due to seasonal use of particular habitats (moose) and external factors that influence demographic processes (microtines). The low visibility of herbivores to the casual observer might suggest that these animals have minimal influence on the structure and the function of boreal forests. On the contrary, seedling herbivory by voles, leaf stripping by moose, or wholesale logging of mature trees by beaver can profoundly change forest structure and functioning. These plant-herbivore interactions have cascading effects on the physical, chemical, and biological components of the boreal ecosystem that shape the magnitude and direction of many physicochemical and biological processes. These processes, in turn, control the vertical and horizontal interactions of the biological community at large. Herbivores act as ecosystem engineers (Jones et al. 1994) in that they reshape the physical characteristics of the habitat, modify the resource array and population ecology of sympatric species, and influence the flux of energy and nutrients through soils and vegetation. Additionally, many herbivores are central to a variety of human activities. Both consumptive and nonconsumptive use of wildlife represents a pervasive aspect of life in the North. In this chapter, we examine the interactions of mammalian herbivores with their environment, with an emphasis on moose, and attempt to delineate the biotic and abiotic conditions under which herbivores influence the phenotypic expression of vegetation. We also examine the role of herbivores, and of wildlife in general, in the context of human perceptions and interactions with their environment. Human-environment interactions are both direct and indirect and pertain to a variety of social expressions. The relationship between humans and wildlife has economic, cultural, and psychological dimensions, which underscore the importance of these animals in a broader social, as well as ecological, context. Northern ecosystems such as the boreal forest are characterized by extreme seasonality and pronounced change in resource availability between summer and winter. Not surprisingly, these conditions are reflected in the population dynamics of the animals that inhabit these environments, particularly in smaller-bodied herbivores.

Comorbidity of Bipolar and Substance Use Disorders

2020 ◽  
pp. 75-82
Author(s):  
Josh E. Becker ◽  
E. Sherwood Brown
Keyword(s):  
Bipolar Disorder ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Treatment Adherence ◽  
Substance Use Disorder ◽  
Psychological Factors ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Special Treatment ◽  
Poor Treatment ◽  
Very High

Bipolar disorder and substance use disorder co-occur at very high rates. The high rate is likely due to a complex interaction of biological, social, and psychological factors, and some research suggests that use of substances may be to mitigate symptoms associated with bipolar disorder. Some studies have shown that men with bipolar disorder may be at a higher risk for a substance use disorder than women. The co-occurrence of these disorders leads to poorer treatment outcomes because of higher rates of suicidality, poor treatment adherence, lower quality of life, and more frequent relapse. This population deserves special treatment consideration.

scholarly journals Analysis and Visualization of Data Assimilating Hive and COGNOS Insight 10.2.2

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (2.6) ◽  
pp. 318
Author(s):  
Mandeep Virk ◽  
Vaishali Chauhan ◽  
Urvashi Mittal
Keyword(s):  
Big Data ◽  
Data Analysis ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Huge Data ◽  
Suitable Form ◽  
Visualization Of Data ◽  
Very High

Data analysis is the most grueling tasks in the coinciding world. The size of data is increasing at a very high rate because of the procreation of peripatetic gadgets and sensors attached. To make that data readable is another challenging task. Effectual visualization provides users with better analysis capabilities and helps in deriving evidence about data. Many techniques and tools have been invented to deal with such problems but to make these tools amendable is the main mystification. It is the big data that originated as a technology which is proficient in assembling and transforming the colossal and divergent figures of data, providing organizations with meaningful insights for derivingimprovedresults. Big data is accustomed to delineate technologies and techniques which are used to store, manage, distribute and analyze huge data sheets. The existent of administrating this research is to make the data readable in a more suitable form with less comprehend. Mainly the research emphasizes on the fabrication of using COGNOS insight 10.2.2 for visualizing data and implementing the analyzed results derived from the hive. The assimilation between tools has also been reformed in this research. 

scholarly journals The competitiveness of Czech agrarian trade within the context of the global crisis

2013 ◽  
Vol 59 (No. 4) ◽  
pp. 183-193 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Smutka ◽  
J. Burianová
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
World Trade ◽  
World Economy ◽  
Agricultural Trade ◽  
High Rate ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
The World ◽  
Territorial Structure ◽  
Merchandise Trade ◽  
Very High

World trade underwent a significant shock within the recent years, which caused a decline in the world economy primarily in the year 2009. Within the following years (2010 and 2011), the high rate of growth from the years preceding the crisis could not be restored. The crisis had an impact on all segments of the merchandise trade, whereby the trade in agricultural and food products was affected the least by the crisis. In the case of the Czech Republic, the crisis of the global and national economy was reflected in the case of agricultural trade primarily by the way of a decline in the rate of the growth of export, which was very high in the period prior to the crisis. As far as the territorial structure and commodity structure of agricultural trade is concerned, their development in the years 2008&ndash;2011 was not affected in any largely significant manner. In relation to the main objective of this article, which was to identify the effects of the crisis on the competitiveness of Czech agricultural trade, it may be stated that the crisis itself did not worsen the competitiveness of agricultural trade in any significant manner. &nbsp;

scholarly journals Origin, diversity and distribution of freshwater epigean amphipods in Maghreb

2019 ◽  
Vol 55 ◽  
pp. 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khaoula Ayati ◽  
Ramzi Hadjab ◽  
Hichem Khammar ◽  
Sonia Dhaouadi ◽  
Christophe Piscart ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Northern Africa ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Undescribed Species ◽  
General Lack ◽  
The World ◽  
Low Diversity ◽  
Freshwater Amphipods ◽  
Freshwater Fauna ◽  
Very High

Northern Africa, although one of the world hotpots of biodiversity, is poorly studied and the freshwater fauna living in this part of the world remains partly unknown. This study focused on the diversity and distribution of the poorly known epigean freshwater amphipods. We performed an exhaustive analysis of the literature on this group of crustaceans and sampled 106 additional localities from the eastern part of Algeria and in Tunisia. Our results showed an important diversity with 25 species (including the presence of at least three new undescribed species) and a very high rate of endemism with 52% of species occurring at on only 1 or 2 sites. We also highlighted a very low diversity on each site with only 4.4% of sites harboring more than 1 species. The comparative distribution of certain species between Europe and Maghreb and also between the western and eastern part of Northern Africa allow us to discuss some hypotheses about the factors underlying this endemism and the biogeographical origin of species. However, our study revealed a general lack of knowledge in the region, especially in the South of Morocco and Algeria. Hence, more information would be needed to propose adapted conservation strategies of freshwater fauna in Maghreb.

scholarly journals Mitigating Effects of Climate Change and Deforestation on Bees With Respect to Their Ecology and Biology

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Musiliyu Oladipupo Mustafa ◽  
Olubusola Temitope Adeoye ◽  
Folorunso Ishaq Abdulalzeez ◽  
Olukayode Dare Akinyemi
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Royal Jelly ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Tropical Rainforests ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Honey Production ◽  
The World ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Populous Country

<p>Deforestation occurs around the world; though tropical rainforests are particularly targeted, it is considered to be one of the contributing factors to global climate change. While Nigeria is probably best known today for its oil deposits, according to the World Resources Institute, Nigeria is home to 4,715 different types of plant species, and over 550 species of breeding birds and mammals, making it one of the most ecologically vibrant places of the planet. It is also one of the most populous country with appalling deforestation record. This situation is hence making our ecosystems, biodiversity, agriculture and other natural endowments highly unsecured. The Forest provides excellent resources for bees and beekeeping, and bees are a vital part of forest ecosystems. Bees are essential for sustaining our environment because they</p><p>Pollinate flowering plants and conserves biological biodiversity along with their products (honey, propolis, bee wax, royal jelly and bee venom) which are beneficial to man. Conservation of the forest is therefore imperative for sustainable beekeeping. The study reviews the different causes of climate change and how they affect different natural forest activities which are weather-dependent. Also how climate change and other causes (both natural and man-made) lead to deforestation, which in turn distort sustainable honey production in Nigeria. Different sustainable measures hoped to alleviate the effects of climate change and deforestation where also discussed. </p>

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