Apocalypse then? The Laacher See eruption (13ka BP) and its human impact along a proximal-to-distal transect

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felix Riede
Keyword(s):  
Human Impact ◽  
Human Impacts ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Volcanic Field ◽  
Compound Events ◽  
Western Germany ◽  
The Alps ◽  
Legacy Data ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
Near Future

<p>Approximately 13,000 years BP, the Laacher See volcano, located in present-day western Germany (East Eifel volcanic field, Rhenish Shield) erupted cataclysmically. Airfall tephra covered Europe from the Alps to the Baltic. As part of an on-going project investigating the potential ecological and human impacts of this eruption, legacy data harvested from a variety of disciplinary sources (palynology, pedology, archaeology, geological grey literature) is now combined with recent geoarchaeological work, to provide new insights into the distribution of the Laacher See fallout and its impact on contemporaneous hunter-gatherer populations. This detailed reconstruction of human impact 13,000 years ago also forms the basis for reflection on modern strategies for coping with the emerging risks posed by extreme and compound events in the present and near future.</p>

The Later Prehistory of North-West Europe

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Bradley ◽  
Colin Haselgrove ◽  
Marc Vander Linden ◽  
Leo Webley
Keyword(s):  
Social Development ◽  
Iron Age ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Low Countries ◽  
North West ◽  
Social Forms ◽  
Fresh Perspective ◽  
Western Germany ◽  
New Evidence ◽  
Late Mesolithic

The Later Prehistory of North-West Europe provides a unique, up-to-date, and easily accessible synthesis of the later prehistoric archaeology of north-west Europe, transcending political and language barriers that can hinder understanding. By surveying changes in social forms, landscape organization, monument types, and ritual practices over six millennia, the volume reassesses the prehistory of north-west Europe from the late Mesolithic to the end of the pre-Roman Iron Age. It explores how far common patterns of social development are apparent across north-west Europe, and whether there were periods when local differences were emphasized instead. In relation to this, it also examines changes through time in the main axes of contact between the various regions of continental Europe, Britain, and Ireland. Key to the volume's broad scope is its focus on the vast mass of new evidence provided by recent development-led excavations. The authors collate data that has been gathered on thousands of sites across Britain, Ireland, northern France, the Low Countries, western Germany, and Denmark, using sources including unpublished 'grey literature' reports. The results challenge many aspects of previous narratives of later prehistory, allowing the volume to present a distinctively fresh perspective.

scholarly journals Modelling the flow of nitrogen and phosphorus in Europe: from loads to coastal seas

1995 ◽  
Vol 31 (8) ◽  
pp. 141-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. H. W. Beusen ◽  
O. Klepper ◽  
C. R. Meinardi
Keyword(s):  
Surface Water ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Human Impacts ◽  
Water Discharge ◽  
Surface Water Quality ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
The North ◽  
Surface Water Flow ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
Parameter Values

A model is described that aims at predicting surface water quality from N- and P-inputs on a European scale. The model combines a GIS-based approach to estimate loads, geohydrological data to define model structure and statistical techniques to estimate parameter values. The model starts with an inventory of sources of N and P: agriculture, wastewater and (for N) atmospheric deposition. Nitrogen flows are assumed to follow both surface- and groundwater flows, while for phosphorus only surface water flow is taken into account. A calibration of loss terms of N and P (assumed to be constants for the whole of Europe) by comparing total inputs to measured loads shows good agreement between observations and calculated river discharges. For the coastal seas of Europe concentrations are calculated by assuming conservative behaviour of N and P. Freshwater quality problems occur in western Europe with its intensive agriculture and high population density and locally in southern Europe where dilution is low due to low water discharge. In the marine environment the main problem areas are the Baltic and Black seas, with much lower impacts in the North and Adriatic Sea; in other coastal waters human impacts are essentially negligible.

scholarly journals Identifying Human-Induced Spatial Differences of Soil Erosion Change in a Hilly Red Soil Region of Southern China

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 3103
Author(s):  
Dong Huang ◽  
Xiaohuan Yang ◽  
Hongyan Cai ◽  
Zuolin Xiao ◽  
Dongrui Han
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Human Impact ◽  
Human Impacts ◽  
Southern China ◽  
Red Soil ◽  
Jiangxi Province ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Gravity Center ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
Spatial Differences

Soil erosion (SE) processes are closely related to natural conditions and human activities, posing a threat to environment and society. Identifying the human impact on regional SE changes is increasingly essential for pertinent SE management. Jiangxi province is studied here as a representative area of hilly-red-soil regions within southern China. The main objectives of this study were to investigate the changing trend of SE within Jiangxi and identify human impacts on regional SE change from the perspective of spatial differences, through a new approach based on a gravity-center model. Our results showed that SE status presented an overall amelioration from 1990 to 2015, while the average soil erosion modulus (SEM) declined from 864 to 281 Mg/(km2·a). Compared to the situation under human and natural impacts, human-induced spatial differences of SE change demonstrated that the western and northwest regions showed stronger negative effects; the southern region shifted towards negative effects; the northeast region presented a much weaker negative effect. Our results indicated that 4 cities with strong negative effects need more attention in further SE management suited to their local conditions and development, and also suggested that the approach based on a gravity-center has potential for identifying the human impact on regional SE change from the perspective of spatial patterns.

scholarly journals Human impacts and their interactions in the Baltic Sea region

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcus Reckermann ◽  
Anders Omstedt ◽  
Tarmo Soomere ◽  
Juris Aigars ◽  
Naveed Akhtar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Human Impacts ◽  
The Other ◽  
Indigenous Species ◽  
General Description ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Baltic Sea Region ◽  
The Baltic

Abstract. Coastal environments, in particular heavily populated semi-enclosed marginal seas and coasts like the Baltic Sea region, are stongly affected by human activities. A multitude of human impacts, including climate change, affects the different compartments of the environment, and these effects interact with each other. As part of the Baltic Earth Assessment Reports (BEAR), we present an inventory and discussion of different human-induced factors and processes affecting the environment of the Baltic Sea region, and their interrelations. Some are naturally occurring and modified by human activities (i.e. climate change, coastal processes, hypoxia, acidification, submarine groundwater discharges, marine ecosystems, non-indigenous species, land use and land cover), some are completely human-induced (i.e. agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries, river regulations, offshore wind farms, shipping, chemical contamination, dumped warfare agents, marine litter and microplastics, tourism, coastal management), and they are all interrelated to different degrees. We present a general description and analysis of the state of knowledge on these interrelations. Our main insight is that climate change has an overarching, integrating impact on all of the other factors and can be interpreted as a background effect, which has different implications for the other factors. Impacts on the environment and the human sphere can be roughly allocated to anthropogenic drivers such as food production, energy production, transport, industry and economy. We conclude that a sound management and regulation of human activities must be implemented in order to use and keep the environments and ecosystems of the Baltic Sea region sustainably in a good shape. This must balance the human needs, which exert tremendous pressures on the systems, as humans are the overwhelming driving force for almost all changes we see. The findings from this inventory of available information and analysis of the different factors and their interactions in the Baltic Sea region can largely be transferred to other comparable marginal and coastal seas in the world.

scholarly journals Towards Conservation of Genetic Variation of Tropical Tree Species With Differing Successional Status: The Case of Mansonia altissima A. Chev and Triplochiton scleroxylon K. Schum

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 194008291986426
Author(s):  
Akin Akinnagbe ◽  
Oliver Gailing ◽  
Reiner Finkeldey ◽  
Amadu Lawal
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Human Impact ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Human Impacts ◽  
Genetic Erosion ◽  
Primary Forest ◽  
Timber Species ◽  
Pioneer Species ◽  
Forest Patch ◽  
Successional Status

Two important West African timber tree species with differing successional status, Mansonia altissima A. Chev and Triplochiton scleroxylon K. Schum were investigated in this study. Triplochiton scleroxylon is a pioneer species found in open forests, whereas Mansonia altissima is a nonpioneer light-demanding tree species occurring in closed forests. Amplified fragment length polymorphism markers were used to compare the genetic diversities of these two timber species in stands with different degrees of human impact (isolated forest patch, logged forest, farmland, plantation, and primary forest). Contrasting effects of human impact on genetic diversity were detected for these two timber species. The results suggested severe effects of human impact on the genetic diversity of Mansonia altissima, a nonpioneer species. However, no adverse effect was recorded in Triplochiton scleroxylon, a pioneer species. These findings indicate that nonpioneer tree species could be more prone to genetic erosion than pioneer tree species as a result of adverse human impacts. Therefore, conservation of genetic diversity in both pioneer and nonpioneer tree species populations would likely necessitate different measures.

Whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus (L.)) landings in the Baltic Sea during the past 100 years: combining official datasets and grey literature

2013 ◽  
Vol 64 ◽  
pp. 133-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aare Verliin ◽  
Lauri Saks ◽  
Roland Svirgsden ◽  
Markus Vetemaa ◽  
Mehis Rohtla ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Coregonus Lavaretus ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Baltic

scholarly journals Winter tourism under climate change in the Pyrenees and the French Alps: relevance of snowmaking as a technical adaptation

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1325-1347 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre Spandre ◽  
Hugues François ◽  
Deborah Verfaillie ◽  
Marc Pons ◽  
Matthieu Vernay ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Projections ◽  
Reference Period ◽  
Winter Tourism ◽  
French Alps ◽  
Ski Resorts ◽  
The Alps ◽  
Natural Snow ◽  
Snow Conditions ◽  
Near Future

Abstract. Climate change is increasingly regarded as a threat for winter tourism due to the combined effect of decreasing natural snow amounts and decreasing suitable periods for snowmaking. The present work investigated the snow reliability of 175 ski resorts in France (Alps and Pyrenees), Spain and Andorra under past and future conditions using state-of-the-art snowpack modelling and climate projections using Representative Concentration Pathways RCP2.6, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5. The natural snow reliability (i.e. without snowmaking) elevation showed a significant spatial variability in the reference period (1986–2005) and was shown to be highly impacted by the ongoing climate change. The reliability elevation using snowmaking is projected to rise by 200 to 300 m in the Alps and by 400 to 600 m in the Pyrenees in the near future (2030–2050) compared to the reference period for all climate scenarios. While 99 % of ski lift infrastructures exhibit adequate snow reliability in the reference period when using snowmaking, a significant fraction (14 % to 25 %) may be considered in a critical situation in the near future. Beyond the mid-century, climate projections highly depend on the scenario with either steady conditions compared to the near future (RCP2.6) or continuous decrease in snow reliability (RCP8.5). Under RCP8.5, our projections show that there would no longer be any snow-reliable ski resorts based on natural snow conditions in the French Alps and Pyrenees (France, Spain and Andorra) at the end of the century (2080–2100). For this time period and this scenario, only 24 resorts are projected to remain reliable with snowmaking, all being located in the Alps.

A qualitative approach to evaluating the impact of human interventions on the middle Charente River (West France)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amélie Duquesne ◽  
Christine Plumejeaud-Perreau ◽  
Jean-Michel Carozza
Keyword(s):  
Human Impact ◽  
Human Impacts ◽  
Anthropogenic Impacts ◽  
River Management ◽  
Anthropogenic Pressure ◽  
Human Intervention ◽  
Impact Index ◽  
Human Interventions ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The City

<p><span>Although many studies have analyzed the impact of human interventions on European rivers over decades or centuries, researchers have rarely evaluated the geomorphological effects of these anthropogenic pressures on fluvial systems. However, quantifying anthropogenic impacts is fundamental to understanding how rivers are affected by human interventions and to improving the river management and restoration. The aim of this study is to propose a new and original qualitative method to estimate the importance of human impacts on rivers over the last three centuries using the middle Charente River as a test case. The study area is an anastomosing, low-energy and little mobile river of the lowlands of Western France. It extends from the city of Angoulême (Charente) to the city of Saintes (Charente-Maritime), with a length of approximately 100 km. The study segment has been subjected to high anthropogenic pressure since the High Middle Ages, and it was enhanced during the 19th century to facilitate navigation and terrestrial transportation, to ensure the exploitation of the water's driving force (water mills and paper mills), to maintain the local people (fishing dams and agro-pastoral uses) and to allow for flood protection. To understand and estimate the anthropogenic heritage of the Charente River, this study employed a two-stage method: 1) an inventory of the human interventions on the fluvial system through the consultation of geo-historical data (textual archives, historical maps and iconography) dating from the end of the 17th century to the 2010s and 2) an evaluation of the human impact of each human intervention, sub-category and category of intervention based on the calculation of the Cumulative Human Impact Index. The Cumulative Human Impact Index is composed of several qualitative attributes graded by an evaluator. The results allow one 1) to generate a database and typology of the human interventions affecting the middle Charente River over the long term; 2) to map the cumulative impacts of human interventions on the study area; and 3) to analyze the unitary and overall impact of each human intervention, sub-category and category of intervention on the river landscape's heritage. Finally, this study concludes with 1) a discussion of the advantages of using a qualitative methodology for the estimation of anthropogenic impacts and 2) a reflection on the use of the maps of cumulative human impacts for Charente River management and restoration.</span></p>

scholarly journals Anthropogenic transformation of regional landscape park “Verkhno-Dnistrovski Beskidy”

2014 ◽  
pp. 313-321
Author(s):  
Pavlo Telish
Keyword(s):  
Key Words ◽  
Human Impact ◽  
Human Impacts ◽  
Anthropogenic Transformation ◽  
Recreational Impacts ◽  
Regional Landscape ◽  
Human Transformation

The main types of human impacts in the RLP “Verhnodnistrovski Beskidy” have been analyzed. The biggest changes here have been caused by agricultural, forestry, pastoral, residential and recreational impacts. For RLP territory in the context of rural councils, the value of human transformation and the ways of its reduction have been set. Key words: RLP “Verkhnodnistrovski Beskidy”, human impact, human-induced transformation.

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