Hydrological Droughts in the Białowieża Primeval Forest, Poland, in the Years 1951–2020

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 1744
Author(s):  
Leszek Hejduk ◽  
Ewa Kaznowska ◽  
Michał Wasilewicz ◽  
Agnieszka Hejduk
Keyword(s):  
Surface Waters ◽  
Fungal Pathogens ◽  
Insect Pests ◽  
Habitat Conditions ◽  
Primeval Forest ◽  
The Past ◽  
Low Flows ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Hydrological Droughts ◽  
Białowieża Primeval Forest

The occurrence of hydrological drought, caused by rainfall deficiency, poses a threat to forest areas—not only due to the danger of fire, but as a result of changes in habitat conditions. It is predicted that more frequent periods of drought and high temperatures will reduce the stability of forests and increase their susceptibility to industrial pollution, pressure from insect pests, fungal pathogens, and fires. The main aim of this study was to investigate the current streamflow droughts in the catchment area of the Narewka River as an indicator of hydrological droughts in the Białowieża Primeval Forest for the period 1951–2020. The research presented in this paper shows that low flows of surface waters have appeared as an indicator of hydrological droughts almost every year since 1983. The analysis of the trend over the past 70 years shows that the aggregated annual volumes of low flows and the number of days with low flows are increasing significantly. This indicates a significant and relatively permanent change in the seasonal structure of the river runoff in the event of low summer flow.

scholarly journals Basic morphometric parameters of antlers in Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus L.) from imperial hunts in the Białowieża Primeval Forest

2021 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Milivoje Urošević ◽  
Milosava Matejević ◽  
Panče Dameski
Keyword(s):  
Roe Deer ◽  
Capreolus Capreolus ◽  
Morphometric Parameters ◽  
Habitat Conditions ◽  
Game Species ◽  
Primeval Forest ◽  
Uniform Beam ◽  
Left And Right ◽  
Białowieża Primeval Forest

Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus L.) is adaptable to various habitat conditions and is widespread across Europe. The Białowieża Primeval Forest is an area in the moderate zone of lowland Europe and it is habitat for different game species. For the purposes of this study, the morphometric parameters of roe deer antlers shot in the Białowieża Primeval Forest by the Russian Czar Nicholas II during his reign (1894-1917) were analysed. Length of left and right beams, circumference of the left and right coronets, circumference of the left and right, length of the first and second tine end of the left and right beams, and inside span were measured and analysed. The results showed that during the imperial roe deer hunts in the period 1894 to 1917 in Białowieża Primeval Forest, individuals of similar morphometric trophy characteristics were hunted. The trophies were, on average, characterized by a slightly longer left beam, uniform beam circumference, coronet circumference, and very similar tine ends lengths.

DEVELOPMENT OF STREAMFLOW DROUGHT INDICES IN THE MORAVA RIVER BASIN

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ondrej Ledvinka ◽  
◽  
Pavel Coufal ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Kendall Test ◽  
Drought Indices ◽  
Drought Period ◽  
Left Hand ◽  
Low Flows ◽  
Current Period ◽  
Catchment Size ◽  
Morava River ◽  
The Stability

The territory of Czechia currently suffers from a long-lasting drought period which has been a subject of many studies, including the hydrological ones. Previous works indicated that the basin of the Morava River, a left-hand tributary of the Danube, is very prone to the occurrence of dry spells. It also applies to the development of various hydrological time series that often show decreases in the amount of available water. The purpose of this contribution is to extend the results of studies performed earlier and, using the most updated daily time series of discharge, to look at the situation of the so-called streamflow drought within the basin. 46 water-gauging stations representing the rivers of diverse catchment size were selected where no or a very weak anthropogenic influences are expected and the stability and sensitivity of profiles allow for the proper measurement of low flows. The selected series had to cover the most current period 1981-2018 but they could be much longer, which was considered beneficial for the next determination of the development direction. Various series of drought indices were derived from the original discharge series. Specifically, 7-, 15- and 30-day low flows together with deficit volumes and their durations were tested for trends using the modifications of the Mann– Kendall test that account for short-term and long-term persistence. In order to better reflect the drivers of streamflow drought, the indices were considered for summer and winter seasons separately as well. The places with the situation critical to the future water resources management were highlighted where substantial changes in river regime occur probably due to climate factors. Finally, the current drought episode that started in 2014 was put into a wider context, making use of the information obtained by the analyses.

Stability and Folding of the Unusually Stable Hemoglobin from Synechocystis is Subtly Optimized and Dependent on the Key Heme Pocket Residues.

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheetal Uppal ◽  
Mohd. Asim Khan ◽  
Suman Kundu
Keyword(s):  
Molten Globule ◽  
Life Forms ◽  
Model System ◽  
Heme Pocket ◽  
The Past ◽  
Specific Manner ◽  
Delivery Vehicles ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Key Residues ◽  
Synechocystis Sp

Aims: The aim of our study is to understand the biophysical traits that govern the stability and folding of Synechocystis hemoglobin, a unique cyanobacterial globin that displays unusual traits not observed in any of the other globins discovered so far. Background: For the past few decades, classical hemoglobins such as vertebrate hemoglobin and myoglobin have been extensively studied to unravel the stability and folding mechanisms of hemoglobins. However, the expanding wealth of hemoglobins identified in all life forms with novel properties, like heme coordination chemistry and globin fold, have added complexity and challenges to the understanding of hemoglobin stability, which has not been adequately addressed. Here, we explored the unique truncated and hexacoordinate hemoglobin from the freshwater cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 known as “Synechocystis hemoglobin (SynHb)”. The “three histidines” linkages to heme are novel to this cyanobacterial hemoglobin. Objective: Mutational studies were employed to decipher the residues within the heme pocket that dictate the stability and folding of SynHb. Methods: Site-directed mutants of SynHb were generated and analyzed using a repertoire of spectroscopic and calorimetric tools. Result: The results revealed that the heme was stably associated to the protein under all denaturing conditions with His117 playing the anchoring role. The studies also highlighted the possibility of existence of a “molten globule” like intermediate at acidic pH in this exceptionally thermostable globin. His117 and other key residues in the heme pocket play an indispensable role in imparting significant polypeptide stability. Conclusion: Synechocystis hemoglobin presents an important model system for investigations of protein folding and stability in general. The heme pocket residues influenced the folding and stability of SynHb in a very subtle and specific manner and may have been optimized to make this Hb the most stable known as of date. Other: The knowledge gained hereby about the influence of heme pocket amino acid side chains on stability and expression is currently being utilized to improve the stability of recombinant human Hbs for efficient use as oxygen delivery vehicles.

scholarly journals The maturity index for Uropodina (Acari: Mesostigmata) communities as an indicator of human-caused disturbance in selected forest complexes of Poland

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Napierała ◽  
Jerzy Błoszyk
Keyword(s):  
Soil Quality ◽  
National Park ◽  
Reproductive Strategies ◽  
Nature Reserves ◽  
Maturity Index ◽  
Primeval Forest ◽  
New Methods ◽  
Precise Evaluation ◽  
Białowieża Primeval Forest

AbstractThe necessity of monitoring changes occurring in soil compels us to look for new methods that will allow easy and precise evaluation of the soil quality in a given area. One proposed method is the maturity index (MI) – an index that is based on the distribution of species along the r-to-K continuum in examined populations. In this study, mites from the suborder Uropodina (Acari: Mesostigmata) were examined for their appropriateness in MI-based assessments of soil quality. The first aim of the study was to establish the criteria on the basis of which the evaluation of the r-to-K reproductive strategies was conducted for Uropodina in the examined communities. The second aim was to evaluate the performance of the maturity index of communities of Uropodina as indicator of human-caused disturbance in five areas that are legally protected in Poland. The selected areas were: Białowieża Primeval Forest, Gorce National Park, and three nature reserves: Jakubowo, Las Grądowy nad Mogilnicą, and Cisy Staropolskie im. Leona Wyczółkowskiego. We found that as many as 68 out of the 96 analyzed Uropodina species in Poland are K-stategists. The highest values of the maturity index were recorded for the nature reserves Cisy Staropolskie im. Leona Wyczółkowskiego and the Białowieża Primeval Forest.

scholarly journals Copper Phyllosilicates-Derived Catalysts in the Production of Alcohols from Hydrogenation of Carboxylates, Carboxylic Acids, Carbonates, Formyls, and CO2: A Review

Catalysts ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 255
Author(s):  
Dien-Thien To ◽  
Yu-Chuan Lin
Keyword(s):  
Carboxylic Acids ◽  
Catalytic Performance ◽  
Spatial Effect ◽  
Synthesis Methods ◽  
The Past ◽  
Surface Areas ◽  
Preparation Conditions ◽  
Remedial Actions ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Size Interaction

Copper phyllosilicates-derived catalysts (CuPS-cats) have been intensively explored in the past two decades due to their promising activity in carbonyls hydrogenation. However, CuPS-cats have not been completely reviewed. This paper focuses on the aspects concerning CuPS-cats from synthesis methods, effects of preparation conditions, and dopant to catalytic applications of CuPS-cats. The applications of CuPS-cats include the hydrogenation of carboxylates, carboxylic acids, carbonates, formyls, and CO2 to their respective alcohols. Besides, important factors such as the Cu dispersion, Cu+ and Cu0 surface areas, particles size, interaction between Cu and supports and dopants, morphologies, and spatial effect on catalytic performance of CuPS-cats are discussed. The deactivation and remedial actions to improve the stability of CuPS-cats are summarized. It ends up with the challenges and prospective by using this type of catalyst.

scholarly journals Thermodynamic and Energy Efficiency Analysis of a Domestic Refrigerator Using Al2O3 Nano-Refrigerant

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 5659
Author(s):  
Farhood Sarrafzadeh Javadi ◽  
Rahman Saidur
Keyword(s):  
Temperature Gradient ◽  
Technological Changes ◽  
Nanoparticle Concentration ◽  
Evaporator Temperature ◽  
Domestic Refrigerator ◽  
The Past ◽  
Nano Lubricant ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Energy Efficiency Analysis ◽  
Al2o3 Nanofluid

Refrigeration systems have experienced massive technological changes in the past 50 years. Nanotechnology can lead to a promising technological leap in the refrigeration industry. Nano-refrigerant still remains unknown because of the complexity of the phase change process of the mixture including refrigerant, lubricant, and nanoparticle. In this study, the stability of Al2O3 nanofluid and the performance of a nano-refrigerant-based domestic refrigerator have been experimentally investigated, with the focus on the thermodynamic and energy approaches. It was found that by increasing the nanoparticle concentration, the stability of nano-lubricant was decreased and evaporator temperature gradient was increased. The average of the temperature gradient increment in the evaporator was 20.2% in case of using 0.1%-Al2O3. The results showed that the energy consumption of the refrigerator reduced around 2.69% when 0.1%-Al2O3 nanoparticle was added to the system.

Quantifying landscape change during the last two centuries in Białowieża Primeval Forest

2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 217-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Mikusinska ◽  
Bernadetta Zawadzka ◽  
Tomasz Samojlik ◽  
Bogumiła Jędrzejewska ◽  
Grzegorz Mikusiński
Keyword(s):  
Landscape Change ◽  
Primeval Forest ◽  
Białowieża Primeval Forest

scholarly journals Global nutrient transport in a world of giants

2015 ◽  
Vol 113 (4) ◽  
pp. 868-873 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher E. Doughty ◽  
Joe Roman ◽  
Søren Faurby ◽  
Adam Wolf ◽  
Alifa Haque ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Surface Waters ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Recent Literature ◽  
Late Quaternary ◽  
Nutrient Transport ◽  
Anadromous Fish ◽  
Upward Movement ◽  
The Past ◽  
Large Animals ◽  
Continental Interior

The past was a world of giants, with abundant whales in the sea and large animals roaming the land. However, that world came to an end following massive late-Quaternary megafauna extinctions on land and widespread population reductions in great whale populations over the past few centuries. These losses are likely to have had important consequences for broad-scale nutrient cycling, because recent literature suggests that large animals disproportionately drive nutrient movement. We estimate that the capacity of animals to move nutrients away from concentration patches has decreased to about 8% of the preextinction value on land and about 5% of historic values in oceans. For phosphorus (P), a key nutrient, upward movement in the ocean by marine mammals is about 23% of its former capacity (previously about 340 million kg of P per year). Movements by seabirds and anadromous fish provide important transfer of nutrients from the sea to land, totalling ∼150 million kg of P per year globally in the past, a transfer that has declined to less than 4% of this value as a result of the decimation of seabird colonies and anadromous fish populations. We propose that in the past, marine mammals, seabirds, anadromous fish, and terrestrial animals likely formed an interlinked system recycling nutrients from the ocean depths to the continental interiors, with marine mammals moving nutrients from the deep sea to surface waters, seabirds and anadromous fish moving nutrients from the ocean to land, and large animals moving nutrients away from hotspots into the continental interior.

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