Constraining natural and anthropogenic disturbances in the delivery of coastal ecosystem services

Coastal ecosystems provide key services that benefit human wellbeing yet are undergoing rapid degradation due to natural and anthropogenic pressures. This thesis seeks to understand how disturbances impact salt marsh and estuarine ecosystem functioning in order to refine their role in coastal ecosystem service delivery and predict future resilience. Salt marsh survival relative to sealevel rise increasingly relies on the accumulation and preservation of soil organic carbon (SOC). Firstly, I characterized SOC development and turnover in a New England salt marsh and found that salt marsh soils typically store marsh grass-derived compounds that are reworked over centuries-to-millennia. Next, I assessed how two common marsh disturbances – natural ponding and anthropogenic mosquito ditching – affect salt marsh carbon cycling and storage. Salt marsh ponds deepen through soil erosion and decomposition of long-buried marsh peat. Further, the SOC lost during pond development is not fully recouped once drained ponds are revegetated and virtually indistinguishable from the surrounding marsh. Mosquito ditches, which were installed in ~ 90% of New England salt marshes during the Great Depression, did not significantly alter marsh carbon storage. In Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, a US National Estuary, we tested relationships among measures of estuarine water quality, recreational activity, and local socioeconomic conditions to understand how the benefits of cultural ecosystem services are affected by shifts in water quality associated with global change and anthropogenic activity. Over a 24-year period, water quality degradation coinciding with increases in Chlorophyll a is associated with declines in fishery abundance and cultural ecosystem service values ($0.08 – 0.67 million USD). In combination, incorporation of both anthropogenic and natural disturbances to coastal ecosystem functioning and service delivery can produce improved estimates of ecosystem service valuation for effective resource decision-making under future climate scenarios.

Long-Term Spatiotemporal Variation of Net Primary Productivity and Its Correlation With the Urbanization: A Case Study in Hubei Province, China

Net primary productivity (NPP) is a critical component in terrestrial ecosystem carbon cycles. Thus, quantitatively estimating and monitoring the dynamics of NPP have become key aspects for exploring the carbon cycle of terrestrial ecosystems. Anthropogenic activity, such as urbanization, has significant effects on NPP and increases pressure on the natural resources of a specific region. However, to date, although many studies have focused on the relationship between NPP variation and urbanization, they usually ignored any differences at a long-term spatiotemporal variation of urbanization factors, which led to the insufficient understanding of the urbanization-induced impacts on NPP. As a result, this study effectively explored the spatiotemporal variation of NPP from 2001 to 2012 and its corresponding relationship with urbanization, taking the Hubei Province in China as a case study area. To clarify the degree of urbanization, the spatial distribution and temporal variation of population and gross domestic product (GDP) were simulated based on the elevation-adjusted human settlement index and nighttime lights data. The major results showed that high NPP areas were located in those highlands with widespread woodland, in which the NPP value continued to grow during the period. The low NPP areas were mainly distributed in urban areas, and the NPP value had a continued and visible loss. The population and GDP both had a strong correlation with NPP. The significant negative correlation was concentrated in the center of Hubei, with a dense population and developed economy. In order to further realize their complex relationship, the correlation coefficients between the annual NPP and the two factors from 2001 to 2012 were calculated, and the changing trends were investigated. Overall, the findings of this study may provide a reference for studies on the interaction between ecological environment and socioeconomic processes under the background of global rapid urbanization.

Spatial and temporal variation of the ambient noise environment of the Sikkim Himalaya

Ambient noise characteristics are perused to assess the station performance of 27 newly constructed broadband seismic stations across Sikkim Himalaya and adjoining Himalayan foreland basin, installed to study the seismogenesis and subsurface structure of the region. Power spectral densities obtained at each station, compared against the global noise limits, reveal that observed vertical component noise levels are within the defined global limits. However, the horizontal components marginally overshoot the limits due to the tilt effect. Ambient noise conditions significantly vary with different installation techniques, analysis revealing that seismic sensors buried directly in the ground have reduced long-period noise in comparison to pier installations. Tectonic settings and anthropogenic activities are also noted to cause a significant rise across short-period and microseism noise spectrum, varying spatially and temporally across the region. Day-time records higher cultural noise than night-time, while the microseism noise dominates during the monsoonal season. An assessment of the effect of the nationwide lockdown imposed due to COVID-19 pandemic revealed a significant decrease in the short-period noise levels at stations installed across the foreland basin marked with higher anthropogenic activity. Our study summarizes the overall ambient noise patterns, validating the stability and performance of the seismic stations across the Sikkim Himalayas.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF WATERWATER IN THE SLAVSKY DISTRICT OF THE KALININGRAD REGION BY HYDROLOGICAL SEASONS

The aim of the work is to research the chemical composition of surface watercourses in the Slavsky district of the Kaliningrad region in the winter hydrological season, and to compare the results with the data previously obtained by the authors for the autumn hydrological season and partly for the summer hydrological season. Watercourses and monitoring points for research have been identified: r. Zlaya, r. Shluzovaya, r. Nemoninka and r. Osa. In the winter season, water samples were taken, hydrometric characteristics were measured, and primary hydrochemical indicators were determined. On the basis of the obtained hydrochemical data, integral indicators were calculated to assess the quality of water, using combined lists of maximum permissible concentrations of pollutants. When monitoring hydrochemical indicators, it was revealed that the studied watercourses are, to one degree or another, subject to pollution. The water quality class in them varies from "moderately polluted" to "extremely dirty". When comparing the seasons, a tendency was revealed to improve the quality of water, which is associated with the water content of rivers, as well as with the cycles of natural and anthropogenic activity. The work has theoretical and practical significance. The data can participate in the planning of rational use of natural resources and the selection of measures to improve the geoecological state of the river network of the Slavsky region. The research can serve as a supplement to the formation of the general geoecological picture of the Kaliningrad region.

Physical-Chemical Characteristic and Trophic Status of Some Small Lakes in Ciliwung Watershed, West Java Indonesia

Small lakes are important freshwater resources to support the quality of human life. However, small lakes in the watershed are becoming threatened ecosystems because of increasing land-use changes and anthropogenic activity. The study aimed to determine characteristic physical-chemical parameters and trophic status some small lake in Ciliwung Watershed to support the sustainable management of small lakes in the Ciliwung watershed in preventing eutrophication effects. The data was collected in April and June 2021. Measurement and analysis of water quality parameters were conducted by insitu and Laboratory. Some parameters were not in accordance with the Government Regulation number 22/2021 for class II water quality criteria (WQC), including TSS (>50 mg.L-1)., TP (>0.03 mg.L-1), COD (>25 mg.L-1) and DO (<3 mg.L-1), especially for Lake Sunter and Lake Cincin.There are two groups of lakes based on water quality and trophic status. Lake Telaga Warna Lake Cikaret, and Lake Cilodong were classified as eutrophic while lake Sunter and Lake Cincin were classified as hypereutrophic lake Lake Telaga Warna, Lake Cikaret, and Lake Cilodong, located at the upper and middle watershed, are eutrophic, characterized by deeper bottom and higher Secchi depth. At the lower watershed, Lake Sunter and Lake Cincin are hypereutrophic characterized by higher nutrients (TN and TP), COD, temperature, conductivity, salinity, and TDS. The downstream area was a densely populated area that contributed high pollution from upstream and middle of Ciliwung watershed.

Spaceborne evidence for significant anthropogenic VOC trends in Asian cities over 2005-2019

Trends of formaldehyde (HCHO) linked to anthropogenic activity over large cities located in the Asian continent are calculated for the period 2005–2019 using the Quality Assurance for Essential Climate Variables (QA4ECV) dataset from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) aboard the Aura satellite. Contributions due to anthropogenic emissions are isolated by applying a correction based on near-surface temperature in order to account for interference from local biogenic emissions. Strong positive trends are derived over the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent (up to 3.6% yr-1 and 2.4% yr-1 respectively) where regulations of anthropogenic non-methane volatile organic compound (NMVOC) emissions are currently limited. Weaker trends are observed over cities located in China, where the air pollution action plan (2013) may have mitigated NMVOC trends early on, but targeted legislature concerning VOC emissions was only recently introduced. HCHO trends for cities located in South and Equatorial Asia are mostly not significant or very uncertain. Cities located in Taiwan and Japan (regions in Asia where legislation has been in place since the early 2000s) display mostly negative trends.

Review of Long-Term Trends in the Equatorial Ionosphere Due the Geomagnetic Field Secular Variations and Its Relevance to Space Weather

The Earth’s ionosphere presents long-term trends that have been of interest since a pioneering study in 1989 suggesting that greenhouse gases increasing due to anthropogenic activity will produce not only a troposphere global warming, but a cooling in the upper atmosphere as well. Since then, long-term changes in the upper atmosphere, and particularly in the ionosphere, have become a significant topic in global change studies with many results already published. There are also other ionospheric long-term change forcings of natural origin, such as the Earth’s magnetic field secular variation with very special characteristics at equatorial and low latitudes. The ionosphere, as a part of the space weather environment, plays a crucial role to the point that it could certainly be said that space weather cannot be understood without reference to it. In this work, theoretical and experimental results on equatorial and low-latitude ionospheric trends linked to the geomagnetic field secular variation are reviewed and analyzed. Controversies and gaps in existing knowledge are identified together with important areas for future study. These trends, although weak when compared to other ionospheric variations, are steady and may become significant in the future and important even now for long-term space weather forecasts.

Impact of anthropogenic activity on the chemical regime of underground waters

The article is dedicated to definition of the tendency to change and pattern of formation of the chemical regime of underground waters in the Turyanchay-Girdimanchay interfluve in the Shirvan steppe, Azerbaijan as a result of anthropogenic activity. The subsoil waters studied are spread in the zone between the Turyanchay and Girdimanchay rivers. From 1930 to 2019 based on analysis of the observation of the chemical regime of subsoil waters, the natural regime of the groundwaters in the studied area strongly changed as a result of irrigation and construction works. In 1930 the average mineralization degree of subsoil waters was 26.8 gram/liter in the zone. The level of subsoil waters approaches the surface and is exposed to strong evaporation as a result of irrigation and filtration of waters from irrigation channels. Consequently, the mineralization rate of subsoil waters increased and mass secondary salinization process occurred in the irrigated lands. The average mineralization degree of subsoil waters was 33.6–34.5 gram/liter in the research zone in the 1960s-1970s. Collector-drainage networks were built and basic washing of soils is carried out in order the prevent secondary salinization and regulate the level of subsoil waters. After the 1970s the mineralization rate of subsoil waters began to decrease due to basic washing, intensive irrigation and the activity of the collector-drainage network.The average mineralization degree decreased to 15.1 gram/liter. The mineralization degree of the water in the Main Shirvan Collector which takes subsoil waters formed in the zone with 253,000 hectares and which discaharges them into the Caspian Sea decreased more than 3 times in comparison with 1995. At present the mineralization degree of collector water is 1.8–2.5 gram/liter while its mineralization degree was 8.81 gram/liter in 1995. Formation of the process in a favourable direction enchances the potential of using collector water for irrigation, technical and other purposes and creates a basis for elimination of water deficiency in drought years. The research shows that anthropogenic activity mainly plays an important role in formation of the chemical regime of subsoil waters.

Bioremediation Capacity of Edaphic Cyanobacteria Nostoc linckia for Chromium in Association with Other Heavy-Metals-Contaminated Soils

Anthropogenic activity is the main factor contributing to soil pollution with various toxic metals, including Cr(VI), which dictates the need for decontamination. Often, the traditionally used remediation methods (soil removal, stabilization/solidification, physicochemical extraction, and soil washing) are not sufficiently efficient. Among gentle soil remediation, options can be considered. The aim of this study is to assess the ability of Nostoc linckia to remediate soils contaminated with Cr(VI) in association with other metals. Metal uptake by biomass was assessed using neutron activation analysis, while the components of Nostoc biomass were determined using specific methods. The capacity to accumulate chromium from the contaminated environment (Cr in association with Fe, Ni, Cu, and Zn) by the Nostoc linckia is kept at a high level for three generations of cyanobacterium, and the capacity to accumulate Fe, Ni, Cu, and Zn is growing over the cultivation cycles. The process of accumulation of heavy metals is associated with significant changes in the biochemical composition of Nostoc biomass. Due to the high bioaccumulation capacity and the specific growth mode with the formation of crusts on the soil surface, the edaphic cyanobacteria Nostoc linckia is an important candidate for the bioremediation of soil contaminated with chromium in association with other metals.