The Algarve climatophilous vegetation series – Portugal: a base document to the planning, management and nature conservation Les séries de végètation climatophiles de l’Algarve - Portugal: un document de base pour la planification, gestion et conservation de la nature

This work was developed as part of PhD research devoted to the flora and vegetation of the Caldeirão and Monchique mountains that aims to identify the vegetation climatophilous series and use them as an environmental diagnosis of Algarve administrative province phyto-ecological subregions. Biogeographic and bioclimatic considerations are presented, as well as the study area pedological and lithological characterization. For each of the seven climatophilous series the dynamic and catenal behaviours, as well as the main characteristic plants that constitute the successional stages, are given. The corresponding patrimonial value is studied

Mineral composition through soil-wine system of portuguese vineyards and its potential for wine traceability

The control of geographic origin is one of a highest priority issue regarding traceability and wine authenticity. The current study aimed to examine whether elemental composition can be used for the discrimination of wines according to geographical origin, taking into account the effects of soil, winemaking process, and year of production. The elemental composition of soils, grapes, musts, and wines from three DO (Designations of Origin) and for two vintage years was determined by using the ICP-MS semi-quantitative method, followed by multivariate statistical analysis. The elemental composition of soils varied according to geological formations, and for some elements, the variation due to soil provenance was also observed in musts and wines. Li, Mn, Sr and rare-earth elements (REE) allowed wine discrimination according to vineyard. Results evidenced the influence of winemaking processes and of vintage year on the wine’s elemental composition. The mineral composition pattern is transferred through the soil-wine system, and differences observed for soils are reflected in grape musts and wines, but not for all elements. Results suggest that winemaking processes and vintage year should be taken into account for the use of elemental composition as a tool for wine traceability. Therefore, understanding the evolution of mineral pattern composition from soil to wine, and how it is influenced by the climatic year, is indispensable for traceability purposesinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Giving credit to reforestation for water quality benefits.

While there is a general belief that reforesting marginal, often unprofitable, croplands can result in water quality benefits, to date there have been very few studies that have attempted to quantify the magnitude of the reductions in nutrient (N and P) and sediment export. In order to determine the magnitude of a credit for water quality trading, there is a need to develop quantitative approaches to estimate the benefits from forest planting in terms of load reductions. Here we first evaluate the availability of marginal croplands (i.e. those with low infiltration capacity and high slopes) within a large section of the Ohio River Basin (ORB) to assess the magnitude of the land that could be reforested. Next, we employ the Nutrient Tracking Tool (NTT) to study the reduction in N, P and sediment losses from converting corn or corn/soy rotations to forested lands, first in a case study and then for a large region within the ORB. We find that after reforestation, N losses can decrease by 40 to 80 kg/ha-yr (95-97% reduction), while P losses decrease by 1 to 4 kg/ha-yr (96-99% reduction). There is a significant influence of local conditions (soils, previous crop management practices, meteorology), which can be considered with NTT and must be taken into consideration for specific projects. There is also considerable interannual and monthly variability, which highlights the need to take the longer view into account in nutrient credit considerations for water quality trading, as well as in monitoring programs. Overall, there is the potential for avoiding 60 million kg N and 2 million kg P from reaching the streams and rivers of the northern ORB as a result of conversion of marginal farmland to tree planting, which is on the order of 12% decrease for TN and 5% for TP, for the entire basin. Accounting for attenuation, this represents a significant fraction of the goal of the USEPA Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force to reduce TN and TP reaching the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico, the second largest dead zone in the world. More broadly, the potential for targeted forest planting to reduce nutrient loading demonstrated in this study suggests further consideration of this approach for managing water quality in waterways throughout the world. The study was conducted using computational models and there is a need to evaluate the results with empirical observations

Geochemical reactivity of subsurface sediments as potential buffer to anthropogenic inputs: a strategy for regional characterization in the Netherlands

Geochemical reactivity of subsurface sediments as potential buffer to anthropogenic inputs: a strategy for regional characterization in the Netherland

A GIS model-based assessment of the environmental distribution of g-hexachlorocyclohexane in European soils and waters

The MAPPE GIS based multimedia model is used to produce a quantitative description of the behaviour of γ-hexachlorocyclohexane (γ-HCH) in Europe, with emphasis on continental surface waters. The model is found to reasonably reproduce γ-HCH distributions and variations along the years in atmosphere and soil; for continental surface waters, concentrations were reasonably well predicted for year 1995, when lindane was still used in agriculture, while for 2005, assuming severe restrictions in use, yields to substantial underestimation. Much better results were yielded when same mode of release as in 1995 was considered, supporting the conjecture that for γ-HCH, emission data rather that model structure and parameterization can be responsible for wrong estimation of concentrations. Future research should be directed to improve the quality of emission data. Joint interpretation of monitoring and modelling results, highlights that lindane emissions in Europe, despite the marked decreasing trend, persist beyond the provisions of existing legislation. An spatially-explicit multimedia modelling strategy was applied to describe the historical distribution of γ-HCH in European soils and surface waters

Normal background concentrations of contaminants in the soils of England : available data and data exploration

This draft report describes the completed Work Package 1 and 2 tasks of the Defra commissioned Science and Research Project SP1008 - Establishing data on normal/background levels of soil contamination in England. Work Package 1 (WP1) has investigated the available soil data sets that can be used to determine the Normal Background Concentrations (NBCs) for contaminants in soils from England. A database of available data set information has been created investigating the sample coverage, the sampling strategy and methods, the laboratory procedures, and the robustness, format and availability of the data. Key data sets are the British Geological Survey’s G-BASE topsoils for urban and rural areas and the National Soil Inventory (XRFS reanalysed) data which, although at a reduced sampling density compared to G-BASE, has complete coverage for both England and Wales. Supplementary minor data sets are also included in the Project’s extensive bibliographic database. There are also large data sets available that specifically target a particular land use or activity, i.e. not systematically collected, e.g. the BGS Mineral Reconnaissance Programme (MRP) soils. Such data will not be used to estimate NBCs as they will cause a substantial bias in the determinations. This data and information gathering phase will underpin subsequent work packages of this project. Work Package 1 has also addressed some key questions such as, “what are the priority contaminants?” and “what is meant by a normal background concentration?

Crommet Creek Conservation Area Management Plan

The Crommet Creek Conservation Area comprises the largest block of natural lands in the immediate Great Bay watershed, and in New Hampshire’s North Atlantic Coast Ecoregion. It includes the entire watershed of two tidal creeks that flow directly into the Great Bay Estuary. The area has been identified by the Great Bay Resource Protection Partnership as a protection priority due to the size of the natural area; the diversity of habitats and wildlife it supports; and it’s integral role in protecting the regional water quality and resources within the Great Bay Estuary. The Conservation Area includes headwater wetlands, and the entire spectrum of freshwater and estuarine wetland and aquatic communities along both Lubberland and Crommet creeks. The Great Bay is a shallow inland tidal estuary of national importance for migratory birds. The Great Bay supports 29 species of waterfowl, 27 species of shorebirds, 13 species of wading birds, osprey and bald eagle. The Estuary is unique in that it is recessed 9 miles from the ocean along the Piscataqua River. Although development is increasing in the watershed, it remains one of the more healthy and viable estuarine ecosystems on the North Atlantic coast