Reliability and usability of tourism climate indices.

Tourism climate indices (TCI) are commonly used to describe the climate conditions suitable for tourism activities, from the planning, investment or daily operations perspectives. A substantial amount of research has been carried out, in particular with respect to new indices formulae adapted to specific tourism products, and parameters and their weighting, taking into account surveys on the stated preferences of tourists, especially in terms of comfort. This paper illustrates another field of research, which seeks to better understand the different sources of uncertainty associated with indices. Indeed, slight differences in formula thresholds, variations in computation methods, and also the use of multimodel ensembles create nuances that affect the ways in which indices projections are usually presented. Firstly, we assess the impact of differences in preference surveys on the definition of indices thresholds, in particular for thermal comfort. Secondly, we compare computation methods for France, showing the need to better specify detailed data sources and their use to ensure the comparability of results. Thirdly, using multimodel ensembles for the Mediterranean basin, we assess the uncertainty inherent in long-term projections, which are used in modelling the economic impact of climate change. This paper argues in favour of a more cautious use of tourism comfort indices, with more consideration given to the robustness of data (validation, debiasing, uncertainty assessment, etc.) and users’ needs, from the climate services perspective.This paper was written by a team participating in the EU FP7 project CLIM-RUN “Climate Local Information in the Mediterranean region Responding Users Needs” (2011–2014)

Soil properties of bare patches in rangelands of South African's grasslands

A loss of grassy cover accompanied by the development of bare soil patches, are the most notable forms of rangeland degradation in grasslands of South Africa. Concerns are growing over the threat of loss of nutritious perennial grass species and the lack of regrowth of the bare patches. Grazing and different rangeland tenure systems -communal and freehold, which is equal to continuous and rotational grazing system - are considered to be of major importance for rangeland degradation. The continuous grazing system is seen to be more affected, but the development of bare patches is not restricted to communal land. We hypothesized that (1) soil properties of bare patches in South Africa´s grasslands are not different in different tenure systems, and (2) soil properties differ with size of bare patches, where big patches are more degraded. To test this, we sampled soils at communal and commercial land in the Thaba Nchu area of South Africa with the following design: we selected three farms per tenure system, 6 randomly chosen plots (100x100m) per farm, and within these plots we sampled 5 bare patches of different sizes (0-10 cm) per plot, where the soil sample (3 replicates) were taken out of the middle of the bare patch. Additionally, soils of adjacent grass were sampled. The results showed that in total, there were more bare patches in continuous grazing systems, evaluated by aerial pictures, but we couldn´t find any differences in bulk density and carbon stocks, between the tenure systems. Additionally, and surprisingly, we found no significant differences in soil organic carbon stocks between bare soil samples and grass samples. There was no clear relationship between bare patch size and nutrient contents. Other nutrients like phosphor were significantly enlarged at the bare patch compared to the grass samples. According to our results, we conclude, that the bare patches seem to develop in different pathways: i) along tracks of grazing animals, (ii) around termite hills, where the termite construction seems to be an initial starting point of bare patches and (iii) on staying and lying places of the grazing animals, which aslo explain the higher nutrient contents at the bare patches

Texture controls on the size distribution and properties of nano- and small microaggreates in soil

Soil microaggregates (SMA) with a size of <250 µm are one of the key factors influencing soil properties of ecological and structural relevance. In order to better understand their role in soil ecosystems, a quantitative understanding about the building units (BU) is necessary. The BU (divided into small SMA (<20 µm) and nanoparticles (NP, <220 nm)) where analyzed to quantify their size distribution and chemical composition. This approach will help to evaluate the properties of BU required for SMA formation.Soils with different clay contents of a Luvisol site (Scheyern, Germany) were fractionated into SMA and NP by wet sieving and pressure filtration. The differentiation between free and occluded BU was carried out by mechanical disaggregation using ultrasonic treatment. The size distribution of small SMA was analyzed with a XPT particle analyzer, while the abundance and chemical composition of NP were analyzed by field flow fractionation (AF4) coupled to a UV detector and ICP-MS.According to the mass distribution of the macroaggregate (8 mm-250 µm), large and small SMA fractions, the soils could be grouped into low (15, 18 and 19%) and high (28 and 30%) clay content. The proportion of occluded small and large SMA was increased with clay content. Interestingly the free small SMA proportion was constant and independent from clay content. Also the particle size distribution (PSD) of free small SMA did not correlate with clay content. The similar PSD of free and occluded small SMA was interpreted as a pool of potential BU for the formation of new aggregates. The NP showed three different size fractions. The evaluation of the elements Al, Si and Fe in these size fractions revealed different mass ratios and gave an insight into the composition of free and occluded NP

Bodentypologische Bewertung des Nährstoffstatus deutscher Ackerböden

Phosphor (P) ist einer der am stärksten limitierenden Nährstoffe im Pflanzenbau. Die zukünftige Abnahme der natürlichen P-Reserven hat die Diskussion um nachhaltige Managementstrategien in der Landwirtschaft entfacht. Dabei gewinnt der Unterboden als Nährstoffreservoir seit kurzem vermehrte Aufmerksamkeit. Erste Studien an Dauerfeldversuchen deuten darauf hin, dass sich große Vorräte von pflanzenverfügbarem P im Unterboden befinden, die bei Nährstoffmangel im Oberboden von den Pflanzen genutzt werden können. Wir gehen davon aus, dass die P-Versorgung allgemein gut ist, aber von Bodentyp und -art abhängt. Ziel der Studie war es, einen Überblick der P-Versorgung für deutsche Ackerböden bis in 1 m Tiefe zu geben. Hierfür wurde eine repräsentative Auswahl von ca. 100 Ackerstandorten aus der Bodenzustandserhebung Landwirtschaft des Thünen-Instituts verwendet. In einem systematischen Raster wurden landwirtschaftliche Böden beprobt, mit Teilproben aus den Tiefenabschnitten 0-10 cm, 10-30 cm, 30-50 cm, 50-70 cm und 70-100 cm. An den homogenisierten, getrockneten und auf 2 mm gesiebten Teilproben wurde Calciumlactat-lösliches P (PCAL) als Proxy für pflanzenverfügbares P analysiert. Die bisherigen Daten deuten an, dass die P-Versorgung an über 70% der Standorte ideal bis hoch ist (Gehaltsklassen C und D) und an ca. 13% der Standorte niedrig bis sehr niedrig (A, B). PCAL-Gehalte nahmen mit der Tiefe ab und waren in 70-100 cm um eine Zehnerpotenz niedriger als in 0-30 cm Tiefe. Trotzdem befanden sich an sandigen und schluffigen Standorten durchschnittlich 30% der PCAL-Vorräte in einer Tiefe von 30-100 cm und 16-17% dieser Vorräte sogar unterhalb von 50 cm (PCAL50). Zur Nährstoffverteilung an tonigen Standorten kann noch keine Aussage gemacht werden, da hierzu noch keine repräsentative Anzahl von Standorten analysiert worden ist. Braunerde und Parabraunerde lagen mit 14 und 11% PCAL50 unter dem Schnitt, während bei den P-reichen Böden PCAL50 in Tiefenumbruchböden und Plaggenböden mit 22 und 46% am höchsten war. Unsere Ergebnisse belegen, dass sich im Unterboden große Nährstoffvorräte befinden, aber auch die Oberböden gut mit P versorgt sind. Die Tiefenverteilung ist zum Teil texturabhängig, wird aber auch vom Bodentyp und der Landnutzungsgeschichte beeinflusst. Um die relativen Anteile des PCAL am Gesamt-P zu bestimmen, sind entsprechende Analysen in Arbeit

Geochemische Rekonstruktion von Brandrückständen: Unterscheidung von pyrogenem Kohlenstoff mit unterschiedlicher Transportdistanz

Der Eintrag von Brandrückständen in Böden und Sedimente ist oftmals schwer räumlich zuzuordnen; das Material kann über mehrere hunderte km durch die Luft getragen werden. Des Weiteren gibt es keine zuverlässigen analytischen Methoden um das Ausgansmaterial (Hartholz, Weichholz, Gräser) von Brandrückstanden auf molekularer Ebene zu rekonstruieren. Ziel dieser Studie ist es (i) die Transportdistanz von Brandrückständen zu rekonstruieren und (ii) diese Brandrückstände verschiedenen Holz- und Grasarten zuzuordnen. Wir haben dafür Analysen von Stickstoff- (δ15N) und Kohlenstoff- (δ13C) Isotopen, Lignin-stämmigen Phenolen, Black Carbon (BC; via Benzolpolycarbonsäuren, BPCA) sowie polyzyklische aromatischen Kohlenwasserstoffe (PAK) an laborproduzierten Holzkohlen (stellvertretend für den Kurzstreckentransport) und Aerosolen (stellvertretend für den Langstreckentransport) bei verschiedenen Temperaturen (300, 350, 400, 450, 500 und 600 °C) angefertigt. Es zeigt sich, dass sich die Zusammensetzung von BC und PAK dazu eignen sowohl Aerosole und Holzkohlen, als auch das Ausgansmaterial beider zu unterscheiden. Die prozentuelle Verteilung von Phenanthren und 4-Ring PAK (Fluoranthen, Pyren, Chrysen und Benz[a]anthracen) in Holzkohlen und Aerosolen unterscheiden sich signifikant voneinander (p < 0,01). Zusätzlich ermöglichen der Biplot von Indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyren zu Benzo[ghi]perylen (IP/(IP + B[ghi]P)) versus Fluoranthen zu Pyren (Flua/(Flua + Py)) und das Verhältnis von B5CA (Benzolpentacarbonsäure) zu B6CA (Mellitsäure) die Unterscheidung von Aerosolen und Holzkohlen und offenbaren damit ihr Potential zur Unterscheidung von Transportdistanzen der Brandrückständen in Böden und Sedimenten. Darüber hinaus ermöglicht das Verhältnis von 1,7- Dimethylphenanthren (DMP) zu 1,8- DMP (1,7/1,8) zu (1,7 + 2,6)/(1,7 + 1,8 + 2,6) DMP die Unterscheidung der Ausgangsprodukte wie Hartholz, Weichholz und Gräser

The New Instantaneity: How Social Media are Helping us Privilege the (Politically) Correct over the True

The recent sacking of the eminent scientist Tim Hunt from one of the UK’s leading research institutions is only the latest in a series of cases where public individuals have been derided for comments made in jest on social media, with serious consequences for their professional and personal lives. This article discusses the case of Tim Hunt as an example of the extent to which the privileging of the correct over the true which has long pervaded media discourse is taken to the extreme by the instant-response culture of social media. It points to the emergence of a new form of instantaneity enabled by these networked forms of communication that serves to reinforce systemic inaction rather than the change widely associated with these technologies. It draws on philosophy and Critical Theory as useful conceptual frameworks for highlighting the ways in which Twitter & co. increasingly call us to action but crowd out thought, thereby passing over opportunities for real social change

Intestinal motility distal of a deviating ileostomy after rectal resection with the construction of a primary anastomosis:results of the prospective COLO-MOVE study

Purpose No consensus exists regarding the use of preoperative bowel preparation for patients undergoing a low anterior resection (LAR). Several comparative studies show similar outcomes when a single time enema (STE) is compared with mechanical bowel preparation (MBP). It is hypothesized that STE is comparable with MBP due to a decrease in intestinal motility distal of a newly constructed diverting ileostomy (DI). Methods In this prospective single-centre cohort study, patients undergoing a LAR with primary anastomosis and DI construction were given a STE 2 h pre-operatively. Radio-opaque markers were inserted in the efferent loop of the DI during surgery, and plain abdominal X-rays were made during the first, third, fifth and seventh postoperative day to visualize intestinal motility. Results Thirty-nine patients were included. Radio-opaque markers were situated in the ileum or right colon in 100%, 100% and 97.1% of the patients during respectively the first, third and fifth postoperative day. One patient had its most distal marker situated in the left colon during day five. In none of the patients, the markers were seen distal of the anastomosis. Conclusion Intestinal motility distally of the DI is decreased in patients who undergo a LAR resection with the construction of an anastomosis and DI, while preoperatively receiving a STE

Richness of termite genera in a semi-arid region (Sertão) in NE Brazil (Isoptera)

The genus richness of the termite fauna of a semiarid area (caatinga) in Northeastern Brazil was investigated in the dry season of 1996 and the rainy season of 1998. Eight genera belonging to three termite families (Termitidae, Rhinotermitidae and Kalotermitidae) were found in assessments of termite nests and mounds, investigation of dead wood, and cardboard baits buried 10 cm deep in the soil. The nestbuilder guild was represented by only three genera: Nasutitermes, Constrictotermes and Microcerotermes. Their density (about 1-3 nests ha-1) was very low. In mounds of Constrictotermes, the genus Inquilinitermes is almost invariably found as an inquiline. During the dry season of 1996, wood-inhabiting Kalotermitidae (Neotermes sp.) were abundant in dead branches still attached to the trees. In dead wood on the ground we recorded Heterotermes of the Rhinotermitidae, and Amitermes and Termes of the Termitidae. A relatively high activity of Heterotermes on the baits was recorded within 3 months of exposure. Thus, this site is characterized by a very low genus diversity of termites; nest builders are rare, but soil- and wood-dwelling species are highly active in spite of the adverse conditions (drought) which reign during the larger part of the year

Detectable contributions of colloids to soil P and C content in arid and hyperarid region of the Atacama (Chile)

Atacama Desert is mainly known as the driest place on Earth where life has been developed under arid to hyper arid conditions since Oligocene-Miocene. Therefore, soils of Atacama contain fingerprints of past and present life which might be used as an analog to study the evolution of life under equivalent arid conditions, like Mars. In this study, we quantify the colloidal phosphorus and carbon distribution in the first 10 cm of soil profile along an altitudinal transect. Samples were taken along a transect in the region of Quebrada Aroma spanning from the arid Percordillera of the Andes (2720 m a.s.l.) towards the hyper arid core of the desert (1340 m a.s.l.). Water dispersible colloids (WDC) were separated and measured using the field-flow-field fractionation (FFF) method and subsequently their Corg and P content were characterized and quantified by detectors (DLS, ICP-MS, UV, OCD, fluorescence). Data was compared to total C, P and (available) Olsen-P also measured in the samples. The Olsen-P (available-P) varied within the Aroma transect from ca. 2 to 8 mg P kg-1, but was not related to either altitude or depth in the upper soil (0-10 cm). Colloidal P contents ranged from <0.1 to 4 mg P kg-1 soil, with increasing trend from low to higher elevations. Thereby, suggesting an increasing proportion of the available P potential being present in the WDC fraction. The Colloidal Corg content of the Aroma transect did range from 65 to 90 (for sites 2020 to 1340m) and 110 mg Corg kg-1 soil WDC (2720 m). Colloidal Corg content as a function of the altitude showed a similar trend to the Corg content of the soils: the highest colloidal Corg content was found at 2720 m. The proportion of soil Corg within the colloidal fraction was up to 6% of the bulk soil organic matter (OM) content, as the OM content was intensively enriched in the colloidal fraction. Further quantification of phosphorus and carbon content in WDC in deeper part of soil is required to obtain a more comprehensive view of role of colloidal inputs and dynamics in the Atacama Desert