Intensification in pastoralist cereal use coincides with the expansion of trans-regional networks in the Eurasian Steppe

The pace of transmission of domesticated cereals, including millet from China as well as wheat and barley from southwest Asia, throughout the vast pastoralist landscapes of the Eurasian Steppe (ES) is unclear. The rich monumental record of the ES preserves abundant human remains that provide a temporally deep and spatially broad record of pastoralist dietary intake. Calibration of human δ13C and δ15N values against isotope ratios derived from co-occurring livestock distinguish pastoralist consumption of millet from the products of livestock and, in some regions, identify a considerable reliance by pastoralists on C3 crops. We suggest that the adoption of millet was initially sporadic and consumed at low intensities during the Bronze Age, with the low-level consumption of millet possibly taking place in the Minusinsk Basin perhaps as early as the late third millennium cal BC. Starting in the mid-second millennium cal BC, millet consumption intensified dramatically throughout the ES with the exception of both the Mongolian steppe where millet uptake was strongly delayed until the end of first millennium cal BC and the Trans-Urals where instead barley or wheat gained dietary prominence. The emergence of complex, trans-regional political networks likely facilitated the rapid transfer of cultivars across the steppe during the transition to the Iron Age

Phytoplankton and Zooplankton: In Lakes Erie, Lake Huron and Lake Michigan: 1984

With the acknowledgement that biological monitoring was fundamental to charting ecosystem health (Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement 1978), EPA\u27s program was developed for Lakes Erie, Huron and Michigan to: 1) monitor seasonal patterns, ranges of abundance and, in general, structure of the phytoplankton and zooplankton communities; 2) relate the biological components to variations in the physical, nutrient and biological environment; and 3) assess the annual variance to allow better long-term assessments of trophic structure and state. Several offshore stations (9-11) on several cruises (9-11) during the spring, summer and autumn of 1984 and winter of 1985 were sampled. By examining changes in the phytoplankton and zooplankton in relation to water chemistry, evidence was found suggesting little change in the trophic status of Lakes Huron and Michigan while an improvement in the trophic status of Lake Erie was evident. The offshore region of Lake Michigan is experiencing changes in phytoplankton and zooplankton composition consistent with nutrient control and top-down control by fish. Even so, the biomass of phytoplankton and zooplankton and the trophic status of the lake have not changed significantly. The appearance and establishment of Daphnia pulicaria in offshore waters of Lake Huron suggest a change in the forage fish base. With the exception of the resurgence of Asterionella formosa in Lake Erie, plankton composition has changed little since the 60\u27s. However, dramatic reductions in biomass of nuisance and eutrophic indicator species have occurred. These changes are consistent with expectations of long-term nutrient control. However, a change in piscivory is evident that has apparently allowed the establishment of the large cladoceran Daphnia pulicaria

Trophic Interactions: Changes in Phytoplankton Community Structure Coinciding with Alewife Introduction (Alosa pseudoharengus)

Conesus Lake is a eutrophic lake (MILLS 1975) and the most western of the Finger Lakes of New York State, USA. Abundance of a top level predator, the walleye (Stizostedion vitreum vitreum), decreased from a high of 12,000 individuals in 1966 to 9,614 individuals in 1975 to 1,850 individuals by 1985 in Conesus Lake (ABRAHAM 1989). Coincidental with the decline of the walleye in Conesus Lake was the proliferation of an obligate planktivore, Alosa pseudoharengus (ABRAHAM 1988). During the late 1970s (probably 1978 or 79), the alewife was accidentally introduced and became established in the lake. The pre-alewife zooplankton community was dominated by Daphnia pulex, Conochilus unicornis and Cyclops bicuspidatus. The overwhelming dominance of D. pulex in 1972 was impressive. It was the dominant cladoceran on each of the 50 sampling days throughout the year (CHAMBERLAIN 1975). Abundance reached as high as 36 individuals/L in the summer and 13 individuals/L in December. The pre-alewife phytoplankton community was dominated by larger (\u3e70 μm, greatest axial linear dimension) colonial, filamentous and unicelluar algae or net phytoplankton (MILLS 1975). With excellent historical phytoplankton and zooplankton data available, an opportunity existed to examine the impact of alewife introduction on plankton community structure in a large-lake ecosystem (13.7 km2) over a 16-year period

Newsletter Spring 2004

Newsletter from the Department of Environmental Science and Biology for Spring 2004.https://digitalcommons.brockport.edu/env_news/1009/thumbnail.jp

Agricultural BMPs in the Conesus Lake Watershed: Monitoring Impact

A goal of this project is to demonstrate the effectiveness of various agricultural management plans on steep-sloped highly erodable hydrologically sensitive farm lands to upstate farmers

New York’s North Coast A Troubled Coastline: Lake Ontario Embayments Initiative

The North Coast of New York State stretches over 140 miles through seven counties from the Niagara River in the west to the St. Lawrence River in the east creating a boundary between the Province of Ontario in Canada and New York State. The bays, river and creek mouths, wetlands, and ponds, generally called the embayments in this report, are the subject of this initiative. Located on the south shore of Lake Ontario, they are of vital importance to the economic well-being of the area and are threatened by pollution. The embayments are suffering from many impairments that significantly limit their recreational use and ultimately affect the economic development of a region which has not been touched by the national upswing in the economy. By identifying their usage and identifying their water quality problems and impairments, we hope to develop an awareness and concern for the environmental health of these embayments and to create a dialog that will ultimately influence policy makers on the need to develop sources of government funding to restore these unique but ecologically damaged ecosystems

Phytoplankton and Zooplankton Composition, Abundance and Distribution: Lake Erie, Lake Huron and Lake Michigan-1983

An in-depth comparison of phytoplankton and zooplankton from Lakes Erie, Huron and Michigan is presented based on extensive lake-wide surveys during spring, summer and autumn of 1983. This comparison was achieved by the application of standard and consistent identification, enumeration and data-processing techniques of plankton along north-south transects in Lakes Huron and Michigan and east-west transects in Lake Erie. For lakes Erie, Huron and Michigan respectively, 436, 411 and 452 algal taxa and 71, 61 and 73 zooplankton taxa were identified. Based on indicator species and species associations, the plankton assemblage was consistent with a mesotrophic-eutrophic designation for Lake Erie, oligotrophic destination for Lake Huron, and mesotrophic-oligotrophic designation for Lake Michigan. Species lists for each are provided. Original source data for each station visit are provided in the attached microfiche

Chemical Analysis of Water from Buttonwood, Larkin, Round Pond and Northrup Creeks, Lake Ontario Basin West: May 1987 - May 1988

As the local contribution to the Rochester Embayment Remedial Action Plan, the Monroe County Health Department contracted with SUNY Brockport to extend the ongoing sampling program in order to obtain one full year of data. The general objectives of this study of Buttonwood, Larkin, Northrup and Round Pond Creeks were: 1. To compare the water quality of stream water from watersheds having different land-use patterns; 2. To compare the water quality of stream water above and below the Spencerport Sewage Treatment Plant; 3. To obtain time trend data on chemical and physical characteristics of runoff water of these creeks; 4. To estimate nutrient mass loadings of these streams; and 5. To establish and maintain a statistically defensible data set that would permit determination of baseline conditions for evaluations of trends

Newsletter Fall 2002

Newsletter from the Department of Environmental Science & Biology for Fall 2002.https://digitalcommons.brockport.edu/env_news/1004/thumbnail.jp