Nitrate and sulphate dynamics in peat subjected to different hydrological conditions: Batch experiments and field comparison

International audienceConservation of ecosystems that depend on water management and water quality has to be considered. We combined a field monitoring and batch experiments to better understand the impact of hydrological perturbations on peatland functioning. Factors influencing the dynamics of nitrate and sulphate concentration observed in two sites with different hydrological conditions in a south Normandy peatland were determined through the comparison of field and lab experiment. The effects of nitrate input, and oxic or anoxic conditions on nitrate and sulphate concentrations were investigated in bioreactors, using peat samples from field sites influenced by different hydrologic regimes. In this experiment, peat samples were subjected to similar conditions to address the effects of NO 3 and O2 concentrations (chemical effects), and the effect of hydrologic regimes and peat soil moisture (physical effects) on nitrate and sulphate dynamics. Cl , SO2 4 and NO 3 were monitored for 215 h. Nitrate was significantly reduced in most experiments. A complete nitrate reduction after 215 h in soil under anoxic conditions was observed. A denitrification process was also found under aerobic conditions depending on the peat site sampling, i.e. depending on the hydrological conditions. This process was interpreted as a heterotrophic denitrification. Sulphate monitoring revealed that 400 mg L 1 were produced in peat from the peat site with high hydrologic fluxes under aerobic conditions. Clear differences in chloride concentration (deviance analysis, P < 0.05), sulphate concentration and nitrate consumption dynamics (deviance analysis, P < 0.0001) were observed, for similar experimental chemical conditions, between the samples from the two peat sites. These differences were related to the field chemical variations observed and they indicate that part of the field nitrate and sulphate dynamics is linked to different bacterial activity and not only to nutrient fluxes variations

Environmental factors influencing older adults\u27 walking for transportation: a study using walk-along interviews

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Current knowledge on the relationship between the physical environment and walking for transportation among older adults (≥ 65 years) is limited. Qualitative research can provide valuable information and inform further research. However, qualitative studies are scarce and fail to include neighborhood outings necessary to study participants’ experiences and perceptions while interacting with and interpreting the local social and physical environment. The current study sought to uncover the perceived environmental influences on Flemish older adults’ walking for transportation. To get detailed and context-sensitive environmental information, it used walk-along interviews.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Purposeful convenience sampling was used to recruit 57 older adults residing in urban or semi-urban areas. Walk-along interviews to and from a destination (e.g. a shop) located within a 15 minutes’ walk from the participants’ home were conducted. Content analysis was performed using NVivo 9 software (QSR International). An inductive approach was used to derive categories and subcategories from the data.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Data were categorized in the following categories and subcategories: access to facilities (shops & services, public transit, connectivity), walking facilities (sidewalk quality, crossings, legibility, benches), traffic safety (busy traffic, behavior of other road users), familiarity, safety from crime (physical factors, other persons), social contacts, aesthetics (buildings, natural elements, noise & smell, openness, decay) and weather.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The findings indicate that to promote walking for transportation a neighborhood should provide good access to shops and services, well-maintained walking facilities, aesthetically appealing places, streets with little traffic and places for social interaction. In addition, the neighborhood environment should evoke feelings of familiarity and safety from crime. Future quantitative studies should investigate if (changes in) these environmental factors relate to (changes in) older adults’ walking for transportation.</p