scholarly journals Stable Isotope Hydrology of Cave Groundwater and Its Relevance for Speleothem-Based Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction in Croatia

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 2386 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maša Surić ◽  
György Czuppon ◽  
Robert Lončarić ◽  
Neven Bočić ◽  
Nina Lončar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction ◽  
Isotope Hydrology ◽  
Drip Water ◽  
Isotopic Records ◽  
Stable Isotope Hydrology ◽  
Kinetic Fractionation ◽  
Glacial Periods ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Precipitation Δ18o

Speleothems deposited from cave drip waters retain, in their calcite lattice, isotopic records of past environmental changes. Among other proxies, δ18O is recognized as very useful for this purpose, but its accurate interpretation depends on understanding the relationship between precipitation and drip water δ18O, a relationship controlled by climatic settings. We analyzed water isotope data of 17 caves from different latitudes and altitudes in relatively small but diverse Croatian karst regions in order to distinguish the dominant influences. Drip water δ18O in colder caves generally shows a greater resemblance to the amount-weighted mean of precipitation δ18O compared to warmer sites, where evaporation plays an important role. However, during glacial periods, today’s ‘warm’ sites were cold, changing the cave characteristics and precipitation δ18O transmission patterns. Superimposed on these settings, each cave has site-specific features, such as morphology (descending or ascending passages), altitude and infiltration elevation, (micro) location (rain shadow or seaward orientation), aquifer architecture (responsible for the drip water homogenization) and cave atmosphere (governing equilibrium or kinetic fractionation). This necessitates an individual approach and thorough monitoring for best comprehension.

Past testate amoeba communities in landslide mountain fens (Polish Carpathians): The relationship between shell types and sediment

The Holocene ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 095968362199464
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Marcisz ◽  
Krzysztof Buczek ◽  
Mariusz Gałka ◽  
Włodzimierz Margielewski ◽  
Matthieu Mulot ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Testate Amoebae ◽  
Mineral Matter ◽  
Testate Amoeba ◽  
Run Off ◽  
Number Of Factors ◽  
Depth To Water Table ◽  
Polish Carpathians ◽  
The Relationship

Landslide mountain fens formed in landslide depressions are dynamic environments as their development is disturbed by a number of factors, for example, landslides, slopewash, and surface run-off. These processes lead to the accumulation of mineral material and wood in peat. Disturbed peatlands are interesting archives of past environmental changes, but they may be challenging for providing biotic proxy-based quantitative reconstructions. Here we investigate long-term changes in testate amoeba communities from two landslide mountain fens – so far an overlooked habitat for testate amoeba investigations. Our results show that abundances of testate amoebae are extremely low in this type of peatlands, therefore not suitable for providing quantitative depth-to-water table reconstructions. However, frequent shifts of dominant testate amoeba species reflect dynamic lithological situation of the studied fens. We observed that high and stable mineral matter input into the peatlands was associated with high abundances of species producing agglutinated (xenosomic) as well as idiosomic shells which prevailed in the testate amoeba communities in both analyzed profiles. This is the first study that explores testate amoebae of landslide mountain fens in such detail, providing novel information about microbial communities of these ecosystems.

scholarly journals Forecasting Agroforestry Ecosystem Services Provision in Urban Regeneration Projects: Experiences and Perspectives from Milan

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 2434 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ambrogio Zanzi ◽  
Federico Andreotti ◽  
Valentina Vaglia ◽  
Sumer Alali ◽  
Francesca Orlando ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Food System ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Urban Food System ◽  
Notable Increase ◽  
Living Fences ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Pollution Removal ◽  
The Relationship

The expansion of urban agglomerates is causing significant environmental changes, while the demand and need for sustainability keep on growing. In this context, urban and peri-urban agriculture can play a crucial role, mainly if associated with an agroecological approach. Indeed, the extensive use of living fences and tree rows can improve the environmental quality, assuring ecosystem services (ES), developing a sustainable urban food system and increasing local productions and the related socio-economic improvements. This study aims to assess the benefits of an agroecological requalification of a dismissed peri-urban area in the South Milan Agricultural Regional Park (Italy), by evaluating two possible scenarios, both involving planting trees and shrubs in that area. The software I-Tree Eco simulates the ecosystem services provision of planting new hedgerows, evaluating the benefits over 30 years. The study underlines the difference between the two scenarios and how the planted area becomes an essential supplier of regulating ecosystem services for the neighbourhoods, increasing carbon storage and air pollution removal. Results were then analysed with a treemap, to better investigate and understand the relationship between the different ecosystem services, showing a notable increase in carbon sequestration at the end of the simulation (at year 30). The study shows a replicable example of a methodology and techniques that can be used to assess the ES in urban and peri-urban environments.

scholarly journals The effect of a nighttime zoo event on spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi) behavior

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darby Proctor ◽  
Michelle Smurl
Keyword(s):  
Nonhuman Primates ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Behavioral Changes ◽  
Physiological Data ◽  
Spider Monkeys ◽  
Normal Operating ◽  
Late Night ◽  
Behavioral Observations ◽  
Zoo Animals ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract The relationship between zoo animals, particularly nonhuman primates, and visitors is complex and varies by species. Adding complexity to this relationship is the trend for zoos to host events outside of normal operating hours. Here, we explored whether a late-night haunted-house style event influenced the behavior of spider monkeys. We conducted behavioral observations both on event nights and nights without the event. The spider monkeys were active and outside more frequently on event nights compared to the control nights indicating that their typical nighttime behavior was altered. However, it is difficult to definitively conclude whether the behavioral changes were a result of the event being aversive or enriching. Our findings suggest that zoos should conduct behavioral observations of and collect physiological data from their animals, especially if they are sensitive to environmental changes, when implementing new events, including those occurring outside of normal operating hours to ensure high levels of animal welfare.

The impact of executives’ perceptions of environmental threats and organizational slack on innovation strategies

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 216-230 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chengyuan Wang ◽  
Biao Luo ◽  
Yong Liu ◽  
Zhengyun Wei
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Theory ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Organizational Slack ◽  
Least Squares Regression ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Environmental Threats ◽  
Innovation Strategies ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The paper aims to study the relationship between executives’ perceptions of environmental threats and innovation strategies and investigate the moderating effect of contextual factor (i.e. organizational slack) on such relations. It proposes a dualistic relationship between executives’ perceptions of environmental threats and innovation strategies, in which different perceptions of environmental threats will lead to corresponding innovation strategies, and dyadic organizational slack can promote such processes. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on a survey with 163 valid questionnaires, which were all completed by executives. Hierarchical ordinary least-squares regression analysis is used to test the hypotheses proposed in this paper. Findings The paper provides empirical insights about that executives tend to choose exploratory innovation when they perceive environmental changes as likely loss threats, yet adopt exploitative innovation when perceiving control-reducing threats. Furthermore, unabsorbed slack (e.g. financial redundancy) positively moderates both relationships, while absorbed slack (e.g. operational redundancy) merely positively influences the relationship between the perception of control-reducing threats and exploitative innovation. Originality/value The paper bridges the gap between organizational innovation and cognitive theory by proposing a dualistic relationship between executives’ perceptions of environmental threats and innovation strategies. The paper further enriches innovation studies by jointly considering both subjective and objective influence factors of innovation and argues that organizational slack can moderate such dualistic relationship.

scholarly journals Monitoring studies should consider temporal variability to reveal relations between cyanobacterial abundance and environmental variables

2015 ◽  
Vol 87 (3) ◽  
pp. 1717-1726 ◽  
Author(s):  
JULIANA WOJCIECHOWSKI ◽  
ANDRÉ A. PADIAL
Keyword(s):  
Temporal Variability ◽  
Environmental Variables ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Environmental Variability ◽  
Time Lag ◽  
Cyanobacteria Blooms ◽  
Environment Variables ◽  
Sampling Points ◽  
The Relationship

One of the main goals of monitoring cyanobacteria blooms in aquatic environments is to reveal the relationship between cyanobacterial abundance and environmental variables. Studies typically correlate data that were simultaneously sampled. However, samplings occur sparsely over time and may not reveal the short-term responses of cyanobacterial abundance to environmental changes. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that stronger cyanobacteria x environment relationships in monitoring are found when the temporal variability of sampling points is incorporated in the statistical analyses. To this end, we investigated relationships between cyanobacteria and seven environmental variables that were sampled twice yearly for three years across 11 reservoirs, and data from an intensive monitoring in one of these reservoirs. Poor correlations were obtained when correlating data simultaneously sampled. In fact, the 'highly recurrent' role of phosphorus in cyanobacteria blooms is not properly observed in all sampling periods. On the other hand, the strongest correlation values for the total phosphorus x cyanobacteria relationship were observed when we used the variation of sampling points. We have also shown that environment variables better explain cyanobacteria when a time lag is considered. We conclude that, in cyanobacteria monitoring, the best approach to reveal determinants of cyanobacteria blooms is to consider environmental variability.

scholarly journals Reconstruction of drip-water δ<sup>18</sup>O based on calcite oxygen and clumped isotopes of speleothems from Bunker Cave (Germany)

2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 377-391 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Kluge ◽  
H. P. Affek ◽  
T. Marx ◽  
W. Aeschbach-Hertig ◽  
D. F. C. Riechelmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Variation Method ◽  
Clumped Isotopes ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Drip Water ◽  
The Holocene ◽  
Water Composition ◽  
Kinetic Isotope ◽  
Cave Drip Water ◽  
Clumped Isotope ◽  
Kinetic Fractionation

Abstract. The geochemical signature of many speleothems used for reconstruction of past continental climates is affected by kinetic isotope fractionation. This limits quantitative paleoclimate reconstruction and, in cases where the kinetic fractionation varies with time, also affects relative paleoclimate interpretations. In carbonate archive research, clumped isotope thermometry is typically used as proxy for absolute temperatures. In the case of speleothems, however, clumped isotopes provide a sensitive indicator for disequilibrium effects. The extent of kinetic fractionation co-varies in Δ47 and δ18O so that it can be used to account for disequilibrium in δ18O and to extract the past drip-water composition. Here we apply this approach to stalagmites from Bunker Cave (Germany) and calculate drip-water δ18Ow values for the Eemian, MIS3, and the Holocene, relying on independent temperature estimates and accounting for disequilibrium. Applying the co-variation method to modern calcite precipitates yields drip-water δ18Ow values in agreement with modern cave drip-water δ18Ow of −7.9 ± 0.3‰, despite large and variable disequilibrium effects in both calcite δ18Oc and Δ47. Reconstructed paleo-drip-water δ18Ow values are lower during colder periods (e.g., MIS3: −8.6 ± 0.4‰ and the early Holocene at 11 ka: −9.7 ± 0.2‰) and show higher values during warmer climatic periods (e.g., the Eemian: −7.6 ± 0.2‰ and the Holocene Climatic Optimum: −7.2 ± 0.3‰). This new approach offers a unique possibility for quantitative climate reconstruction including the assessment of past hydrological conditions while accounting for disequilibrium effects.

Investigating cave responses to regional climate change: an approach to calibrate speleothem proxies in Madagascar

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ny Riavo G. Voarintsoa ◽  
Antsa Lal’Aina J. Ratovonanahary ◽  
Avotriniaina Z. M. Rakotovao ◽  
Steven Bouillon
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Regional Climate ◽  
Winter Season ◽  
Regional Climate Change ◽  
Environmental Signals ◽  
Drip Water ◽  
Internal Parameters ◽  
Monitoring Study ◽  
Water Ph ◽  
Specific Factors

&lt;p&gt;Caves are an excellent natural laboratory for understanding the transfer processes of the region&amp;#8217;s environmental signals to speleothems. At least eight speleothems have produced high resolution paleoclimate and paleoenvironment records from Anjohibe Cave, NW Madagascar. However, due to the remote and difficult access to many caves in Madagascar, no studies have yet been done to understand the transfer of climate and environmental changes of the region to the cave. This is the first monitoring study to understand the linkage between regional climatology and various responses in Anjohibe Cave. We monitored (1) the drip water pH, TDS, EC, temperature, &amp;#948;&lt;sup&gt;13&lt;/sup&gt;C&lt;sub&gt;DIC&lt;/sub&gt;, &amp;#948;&lt;sup&gt;18&lt;/sup&gt;O&lt;sub&gt;w&lt;/sub&gt;, &amp;#948;&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;H&lt;sub&gt;w&lt;/sub&gt;, and elemental (Ca, Mg, Sr) composition, and (2) the cave atmosphere &lt;em&gt;p&lt;/em&gt;CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;, relative humidity and temperature. Results show that air-to-air transfer is fast, and the internal parameters closely vary with the regional climatology. In contrast, rainfall to drip signal transfer is not immediate, and it can take few months to one season for the signals to be detected in the drip water due to the &amp;#8220;epikarst storage effect&amp;#8221;. The deposition of CaCO&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; is inferred to occur late in the dry austral winter season, during which prior carbonate precipitation was also detected. Since the growth of speleothems is influenced by numerous cave-specific factors, this study, although preliminary, indicates that Anjohibe Cave drip waters are capable of registering changes in its surrounding environment. A longer monitoring study is expected in the future to constrain the timing and the mode of transfer.&lt;/p&gt;

Paleoenvironmental reconstruction of the central Levantine Corridor during the Pliocene: insights from lacustrine settings 

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Greenlee ◽  
Silas Dean ◽  
Nicolas Waldmann
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Data Science ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Laser Diffraction ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction ◽  
Cosmogenic Isotopes ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Geochemical Proxies ◽  
Favorable Conditions

&lt;p&gt;This study aims to reconstruct the paleoenvironmental and climatic conditions affecting the Levantine corridor during the early Pliocene. For the purpose of this study, a ~20 m continuous core sequence was retrieved out of the ~200 m long, tilted Erk el Ahmar sequence previously dated by cosmogenic isotopes to ~3.5 Ma. The record include intercalating units consisting of sands, silts, and clays that were sampled in high resolution in order to analyze a variety of sedimentological and geochemical proxies of past climate and environmental changes. We present new preliminary, high-resolution sedimentological (laser diffraction granulometry), petrophysical (magnetic susceptibility) and compositional (X-ray fluorescence) data along with accompanying statistical analysis performed with an advanced suite of data-science tools. These results reveal new cycles of environmental change in the area, which appears to be orbitally controlled, and include dramatic changes also indicated by discrete strata of fossil fragments. Moreover, cycles of deposition can also provide hints on the major hydrological controlling mechanisms. This project provides new light into favorable conditions for the subsistence of perennial lake environments in the Levantine Corridor, which in turn may have facilitated faunal migration between Africa and Eurasia.&lt;/p&gt;

Temperature signals of ice core and speleothem isotopic records from Asian monsoon region as indicated by precipitation δ18O

2021 ◽  
Vol 554 ◽  
pp. 116665
Author(s):  
Wusheng Yu ◽  
Tandong Yao ◽  
Lonnie G. Thompson ◽  
Jean Jouzel ◽  
Huabiao Zhao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Asian Monsoon ◽  
Ice Core ◽  
Monsoon Region ◽  
Asian Monsoon Region ◽  
Isotopic Records ◽  
Precipitation Δ18o
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