Urban Geology for the Enhancement of the Hypogean Geosites: the Perugia Underground (Central Italy)

Urban geology analyses natural risks and promotes geoheritage in urban areas. In the cities, characterized by a high cultural value, the hypogean artificial cavities, often present in the downtown, offer a unique opportunity to show the geological substratum. Moreover, these places could be a point of interest in urban trekking with the abiotic component of the landscape as a topic (geotourism). To investigate these areas, rigorous bibliographic research and a geomorphological assessment are the first steps, but, besides, non-invasive methods are new techniques increasingly in demand. In this paper, we present a multidisciplinary study on the Etruscan Well (third century B.C.), one of the most important Etruscan artefacts in Perugia (Umbria region, Central Italy). The characteristics of the sedimentary deposits outcropping along the perimeter walls have been collected. Moreover, to show the underground geoheritage, we provide a 3D model of the well and the surrounding area integrating a georeferenced laser scanner survey with ground-penetrating radar prospecting. We aim to obtain a tridimensional mapping of accessible internal rooms to depict the geological characteristics of the Etruscan Well, also revealing a surrounding network of buried galleries. The results are not only a meaningful advancement in the archaeological, geological and historical knowledge of the downtown of Perugia but are a hint for the geoheritage promotion and dissemination, providing images and 3D reconstruction of underground areas.

RAPID RIPARIAN ASSESSMENT OF SELECTED CRITICAL RIVERS IN MISAMIS ORIENTAL, PHILIPPINES

Abiotic component, biotic component, land cover/land use, riparian, rivers

The Adaptability of Public School Teachers amidst the Pandemic

Abiotic component, biotic component, land cover/land use, riparian, rivers

Thermal stress responses of two sympatric crayfishes in Louisiana, Procambarus clarkii Girard, 1852 and Procambarus zonangulus Hobbs & Hobbs, 1990 (Decapoda: Astacoidea: Cambaridae)

Water temperature is an important abiotic component in farmed and wild crayfish habitats as it influences individual and population characteristics including growth, metabolic activity, and overall population vigor. Thermal limits, however, have not been established for the two commercially important crayfishes in Louisiana, the red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii (Girard, 1852) and the southern white river crayfish P. zonangulus (Hobbs & Hobbs, 1990). We aimed to determine the thermal stress responses for the two species. Thermal stress was examined by the critical thermal maxima (CTmax) for crayfish acclimated to 24, 27, or 30 °C for two weeks prior to experimentation. Water temperature in all acclimation trials was increased 1 °C h–1 and the end-point temperature for an individual was determined by the failure of righting response within 30 seconds. CTmax values (±SD) for P. clarkii acclimated at 24, 27, and 30 °C were 39.5 ± 0.5, 39.1 ± 0.3, and 39.4 ± 0.7 °C respectively, and 39.8 ± 0.8, 38.8 ± 0.8, and 39.0 ± 0.6 °C for P. zonangulus. CTmax did not differ significantly between species in any of the acclimation treatments. Thermal stress was also examined by measuring P. clarkii and P. zonangulus hemolymph glucose concentration every two hours for crayfish acclimated at 26 °C for two weeks and water temperature increased 1 °C h–1. Hemolymph glucose concentration began to increase at 36 °C in P. zonangulus and 38 °C in P. clarkii. Large increases in mean hemolymph glucose concentration (±SE) were observed in both P. clarkii (67.19 mg–dl ± 24.55) and P. zonangulus (74.11 mg–dl ± 18.04) at 40 °C.

Pemanfaatan Sensor Mikro DHT11-Arduino untuk Monitoring Suhu dan Kelembaban Udara

Climatic factors are an abiotic component that determines ecosystem characteristics. Rapid development activities require capable observation instruments and able to provide a variety of weather data to analyze their impact on the environment. This study aims to develop an instrument for measuring temperature and humidity as an essential component of climatic factors based on the DHT11-Arduino microsensor. Tests carried out at 30 scattered points in Cikarang Raya, Bekasi Regency, West Java. Data from the DHT11-Arduino microsensor measurement results are compared with the results of ground measurement and satellite imageries data in the same period through statistical tests. This research shows the DHT11-Arduino microsensor is able to measure temperature and humidity in Cikarang Raya with a significance level of 0.05-0.01. The correlation between microsensor and the comparative data in observing the temperature reached 0.934, while the humidity reached 0.687. The distribution of temperature and humidity of the instruments shows a similar pattern. Using DHT11-Arduino microsensor to observe temperature and humidity has proven to be feasible and able developed to obtain climatic factors data as part of sustainable ecosystem management.

The role of biotic and abiotic components of the aquatic ecosystem in the formation of ecological trouble of Tsimlyansk and Manych reservoirs

The relative importance of indicators of biotic and abiotic components of aquatic ecosystems of Tsimlyansky and Manych (Proletarian and Veselovsky) reservoirs is investigated in the process of formation of States of ecological trouble: “environmental stress, environmental emergency and ecological disaster”, which are provided by a number of existing normative- methodological documents. For this purpose, the shares of indicators as a percentage of their total number in the dynamics of negative changes in aquatic ecosystems were compared on the basis of long-term monitoring information of Roshydromet and data of own expeditionary studies in reservoirs on hydrobiological, toxicological and physico-chemical indicators. It is established that the role of the biotic component increases with the deterioration of the aquatic ecosystem of the Tsimlyansk reservoir, on the contrary, decreases in Manych. The role of the abiotic component is great and similar in all reservoirs; it increases already in a state of emergency environmental situation, but in an environmental disaster is somewhat reduced. It is concluded that the proposed new approach to the analysis of the role of biotic and abiotic components in the development of negative changes in the ecosystem opens up new opportunities in the study of the water quality formation and the state of water bodies.

Trying to underline geotourist profile of National park visitors: Case study of NP Fruška Gora, Serbia (Typology of potential geotourists at NP Fruška Gora)

Geotourists, as visitors with a specific preference for geoheritage and attractive geodiversity, have been identified and typified by many authors worldwide. Considering that Serbia is recognized as an area of geotourism in its initiation phase, this type of research has not been conducted thus far. In spite of global trends, geotourism as a special interest form of travel does not exist in this region, and is principally related to speleotourism and pure admiration of aesthetic values of geodiversity. As one of the first studies of geotourism of such character in Serbia, the research presented within was conducted to reveal whether there is a certain level of interest for geoheritage amongst the general public. The questionnaire was conducted in 2015 on the territory of Vojvodina Province (North Serbia), counting a total of 198 respondents. Bearing in mind the lack of geotourism terminology within the study area, the general public is not familiar with the existence, attractiveness and even degradation of geodiversity. Hence, questions aimed to discover respondents’ habits and tendencies during travel, their attitude in everyday life, particularly towards nature (including the abiotic component). Last of all, the goal of the presented study is also to reveal whether there are certain types of potential geoheritage lovers - geotourists depending on their social-demographic characteristics. With specific profiles identified, results could be later used for geotourism planning, education, promotion and management in the Vojvodina region and wider.

Vertical Distribution Of Hard Corals In Southern Siladen Island

This study was aimed at provide information on hard coral distribution in southern Siladen Island. The work was done using SCUBA gear Line Intercept Transect (LIT). Thirty m long-line transects were placed at the reef flat, 5 m depth, 10 m depth, 15 m depth, and 20 m depth. A total of 44 hard coral genera was recorded, and the highest number of genre was found at 5 m depth. Coral species diversity was also high enough at the reef flat (1.032) and 5 m depth (1.28). Coral reef condition at 10 m depth was good enough as well and categorized as productive due to much higher percent of the biotic component than the abiotic component. The dominant life forms consisted of tabulate Acropora and branching corals at the reef flat, encrusting corals, branching corals, and foliose corals at 5 m, encrusting corals at 10 and 20 m depth, and massive corals, encrusting corals, and branching corals at 15 m depth, respectively. Keywords: coral reef, distribution, LIT, vertical zonationl. Abstrak Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menyediakan informasi tentang distribusi karang batu di sebelah selatan pulau Siladen. Penelitian ini dilakukan menggunakan alat selam SCUBA dan metode transek intersep garis. Tali transek sepanjang 30 m diletakkan di rataan terumbu, kedalaman 5, 10, 15, dan 20 m. Total 44 genera karang batu ditemukan pada penelitian ini, dan jumlah genera terbanyak ditemukan pada kedalaman 5 m. Keanekaragaman spesies karang juga cukup tinggi di daerah rataan terumbu (1,032) and 5m (1,28). Kondisi terumbu karang pada kedalaman 10 m juga cukup baik dan dikategorikan produktif karena tingginya komponen biotik dibandingkan dengan komponen abiotik. Bentuk pertumbuhan yang dominan masing-masing terdiri dari Acropora meja dan karang bercabang di rataan terumbu karang, karang encrusting, karang bercabang, dan foliose pada kedalaman 5 m, karang encrusting pada kedalaman 10 dan 20m, serta karang masif, karang encrusting dan karang bercabang pada kedalaman 15m. Kata kunci: Terumbu karang, distribusi, Transek Intersep Garis, Zonasi vertikal.

The abiotic contribution to total CO₂ flux for soils in arid zone

As an important component of ecosystem carbon budgets, soil carbon dioxide (CO2) flux is determined by a combination of a series of biotic and abiotic processes. Although there is evidence that the abiotic component can be important in total soil CO2 flux, its relative importance has never been systematically assessed. In this study, the total soil CO2 flux (Rtotal) was partitioned into biotic (Rbiotic) and abiotic (Rabiotic) components over eight typical landscapes in a desert–oasis ecotone, including cotton field, hops field, halophyte garden, reservoir edge, native saline desert, alkaline soil, dune crest and interdune lowland in the Gurbantunggut Desert, and the relative importance of these two components was analyzed. Results showed that Rabiotic always contributed to Rtotal for the eight landscapes, but the degree of contribution varied greatly. In the cotton and hops fields, the ratio of Rabiotic to Rtotal was extremely low (< 10 %); whereas Rabiotic was dominant in the alkaline soil and dune crest. Statistically, Rabiotic/Rtotal decreased logarithmically with rising Rbiotic, suggesting that Rabiotic strongly affected Rtotal when Rbiotic was low. This pattern confirms that soil CO2 flux is predominantly biological in most ecosystems, but Rabiotic can dominate when biological processes are weak. On a diurnal basis, Rabiotic resulted in no net gain or loss of carbon but its effect on instantaneous CO2 flux was significant. Temperature dependence of Rtotal varied among the eight landscapes, determined by the predominant components of CO2 flux: with Rbiotic driven by soil temperature and Rabiotic regulated by the rate of change in temperature. Namely, declining temperature resulted in negative Rabiotic (CO2 went into soil), while rising temperature resulted in a positive Rabiotic (CO2 released from soil). Furthermore, without recognition of Rabiotic, Rbiotic would have been either overestimated (for daytime) or underestimated (for nighttime). Thus, recognition that abiotic component in total soil CO2 flux is ubiquitous in soils has widespread consequences for the understanding of carbon cycling. While the abiotic flux will not change net daily soil CO2 exchange and not likely directly constitute a carbon sink, it can alter transient soil CO2 flux significantly, either in magnitude or in its temperature dependency.