Wolf Creek Cold Regions Model Set-up, Parameterisation and Modelling Summary

Non-Peer ReviewedWolf Creek Research Basin is in the Upper Yukon River Basin near Whitehorse, Yukon and is representative of headwaters in the northern Coast Mountains. It was established in 1993 to better develop northern hydrological models, and related hydrological process, ecosystem and climate science. Yukon Environment maintains Wolf Creek hydrometeorological and hydrometric stations and conducts regular snow surveys in the basin. A number of hydrological models have been tested on Wolf Creek and all have had great difficulty in simulating the cold regions hydrological processes that dominate its streamflow response to snowmelt and rainfall events. Developments in understanding hydrological processes and their interaction with terrestrial ecosystems and climate at Wolf Creek have lead to the development of the Cold Regions Hydrological Model (CRHM) by a consortium of scientists led by the University of Saskatchewan and Environment Canada. CRHM comprehensively incorporates the blowing snow, intercepted snow, sublimation, melt energetics, infiltration to frozen soils, organic terrain runoff and other cold regions hydrological phenomenon and discretizes the catchment on a hydrological response unit basis for applying water and energy balance calculations. The model is intended for prediction of ungauged basins with parameter selection from physically measurable properties of the river basin or regional transference of calibrated values. In Russia, a long tradition of cold regions hydrological research has led to the development of the Hydrograph model by the State Hydrological Institute, St. Petersburg. The Hydrograph model contains several promising innovations regarding the formation and routing of runoff, discretizes the basin using hydrological response units and addresses some (but not all) cold regions hydrological processes. Hydrograph parameter selection is made from both physically measured properties and those that are calibrated, but the calibrations can be easily regionalized. Test simulations of runoff processes using CRHM and Hydrograph for Wolf Creek Research Basin was undertaken using data archives that had been assembled and cleaned up in a related project by the University of Saskatchewan. The test simulations are a demonstration of model capabilities and a way to gain familiarity with the basin, its characteristics and data and to better compare model features. Data available included a GIS database of basin characteristics (topography and vegetation distribution) and the hydrometeorological and hydrometric observational dataset from Yukon Environment. The sub-surface hydrology presented a formidable unknown in parameterising the model. Hydrograph performed well in initial simulations of the basin hydrograph for multi-year runs. Several issues with observational data quality created substantial uncertainty in evaluating the model runs

Formation and modern state of ecosystem in Tolmachevskoye reservoir (Kamchatka) and the acclimatized there population of kokanee ( <i>Oncorhynchus nerka kennerlyi</i>)

Evolution of local ecosystem in Tolmachevskoye reservoir and changes in its artificial population of kokanee salmon are traced on the data of authors’ observations in 2009-2013 and previous archival and cited data. Decreasing of inorganic phosphorous, nitrogen, and bioavailable iron is detected in the water against a background of water warming. As the result, phytoplankton production and abundance decrease, its species composition becomes simpler, chlorophyll а concentration becomes lower. Zooplankton abundance is stable (1-2 g/m3), as before the reservoir appearance, but species structure of plankton crustaceans is changed, and the copepods Cyclops scutifer , small cladocerans Holopedium gibberum, Bosmina longirostris , and Daphnia ( Daphnia ) cristata group prevail recently. The salmon food spectrum is wide and includes a lot of unedible fractions as wood chips and plant detritus; coefficient of consumption is high - these factors indicate a deficiency of forage resources for fish. The fish condition indicates a chronic malnutrition. The state of female gonads is satisfactory, without any visible pathology, as in 2003-2007, but the oocytes resorption goes concurrently with maturation of gonads that is a sign of hard competition for the food within the kokanee population. The current stable state of the population differs from preceded stages of its development by lower stock add smaller size of fish, the age of spawning is now 4-7 years. Among other freshwater fish, the kokanee salmon is distinguished by high content of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Artificial populations in Kamchatka could be considered as a resource for both amateur or sport fishing and commercial aquaculture

Global assessment of aquatic Isoëtes species ecology

1. Isoetes are iconic but understudied wetland plants, despite having suffered severe losses globally mainly because of alterations in their habitats. We therefore provide the first global ecological assessment of aquatic Isoetes to identify their environmental requirements and to evaluate if taxonomically related species differ in their ecology. 2. The assessment resulted in an extensive new database on aquatic Isoetes, ecological niche analyses, and descriptive species accounts. We compiled a global database that includes all known environmental data collected from 1935 to 2023 regarding aquatic Isoetes. We then evaluated the environmental drivers of 16 species using 2,179 global records. Additionally, we used hypervolume analysis to quantify the ecological niches of the two species with the greatest number of records, finding significant differences and evidence that Isoetes echinospora occupies a wider ecological niche than Isoetes lacustris. 3. Fifty-nine species (30% of the c. 200 Isoetes species known today) were categorised as aquatic and were mainly reported in the Americas and northern Europe. About 38% of the aquatic species are threatened with extinction or are endemic to a small region, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List in 2023. Many species were determined to be sensitive to certain water physical and chemical factors, generally preferring oligotrophic conditions such as low total phosphorus, moderate total nitrogen, moderate to low pH, and low conductivity. 4. This analysis includes ecological data in the assessment of rare/threatened aquatic plants globally. This new database and the ecological analyses completed defined the ecological requirements of several species and identified knowledge gaps, which can aid management actions and future research. 5. This paper highlights ecological significance and environmental sensitivities of aquatic Isoetes. The current level of knowledge is inadequate for a large proportion of known taxa. We affirm the extreme need to support global, collaborative initiatives on which to build future conservation strategies

Altimetry for the future: Building on 25 years of progress

In 2018 we celebrated 25 years of development of radar altimetry, and the progress achieved by this methodology in the fields of global and coastal oceanography, hydrology, geodesy and cryospheric sciences. Many symbolic major events have celebrated these developments, e.g., in Venice, Italy, the 15th (2006) and 20th (2012) years of progress and more recently, in 2018, in Ponta Delgada, Portugal, 25 Years of Progress in Radar Altimetry. On this latter occasion it was decided to collect contributions of scientists, engineers and managers involved in the worldwide altimetry community to depict the state of altimetry and propose recommendations for the altimetry of the future. This paper summarizes contributions and recommendations that were collected and provides guidance for future mission design, research activities, and sustainable operational radar altimetry data exploitation. Recommendations provided are fundamental for optimizing further scientific and operational advances of oceanographic observations by altimetry, including requirements for spatial and temporal resolution of altimetric measurements, their accuracy and continuity. There are also new challenges and new openings mentioned in the paper that are particularly crucial for observations at higher latitudes, for coastal oceanography, for cryospheric studies and for hydrology. The paper starts with a general introduction followed by a section on Earth System Science including Ocean Dynamics, Sea Level, the Coastal Ocean, Hydrology, the Cryosphere and Polar Oceans and the ‘‘Green” Ocean, extending the frontier from biogeochemistry to marine ecology. Applications are described in a subsequent section, which covers Operational Oceanography, Weather, Hurricane Wave and Wind Forecasting, Climate projection. Instruments’ development and satellite missions’ evolutions are described in a fourth section. A fifth section covers the key observations that altimeters provide and their potential complements, from other Earth observation measurements to in situ data. Section 6 identifies the data and methods and provides some accuracy and resolution requirements for the wet tropospheric correction, the orbit and other geodetic requirements, the Mean Sea Surface, Geoid and Mean Dynamic Topography, Calibration and Validation, data accuracy, data access and handling (including the DUACS system). Section 7 brings a transversal view on scales, integration, artificial intelligence, and capacity building (education and training). Section 8 reviews the programmatic issues followed by a conclusion

Altimetry for the future: building on 25 years of progress

In 2018 we celebrated 25 years of development of radar altimetry, and the progress achieved by this methodology in the fields of global and coastal oceanography, hydrology, geodesy and cryospheric sciences. Many symbolic major events have celebrated these developments, e.g., in Venice, Italy, the 15th (2006) and 20th (2012) years of progress and more recently, in 2018, in Ponta Delgada, Portugal, 25 Years of Progress in Radar Altimetry. On this latter occasion it was decided to collect contributions of scientists, engineers and managers involved in the worldwide altimetry community to depict the state of altimetry and propose recommendations for the altimetry of the future. This paper summarizes contributions and recommendations that were collected and provides guidance for future mission design, research activities, and sustainable operational radar altimetry data exploitation. Recommendations provided are fundamental for optimizing further scientific and operational advances of oceanographic observations by altimetry, including requirements for spatial and temporal resolution of altimetric measurements, their accuracy and continuity. There are also new challenges and new openings mentioned in the paper that are particularly crucial for observations at higher latitudes, for coastal oceanography, for cryospheric studies and for hydrology. The paper starts with a general introduction followed by a section on Earth System Science including Ocean Dynamics, Sea Level, the Coastal Ocean, Hydrology, the Cryosphere and Polar Oceans and the “Green” Ocean, extending the frontier from biogeochemistry to marine ecology. Applications are described in a subsequent section, which covers Operational Oceanography, Weather, Hurricane Wave and Wind Forecasting, Climate projection. Instruments’ development and satellite missions’ evolutions are described in a fourth section. A fifth section covers the key observations that altimeters provide and their potential complements, from other Earth observation measurements to in situ data. Section 6 identifies the data and methods and provides some accuracy and resolution requirements for the wet tropospheric correction, the orbit and other geodetic requirements, the Mean Sea Surface, Geoid and Mean Dynamic Topography, Calibration and Validation, data accuracy, data access and handling (including the DUACS system). Section 7 brings a transversal view on scales, integration, artificial intelligence, and capacity building (education and training). Section 8 reviews the programmatic issues followed by a conclusion

STATE AS AN INVESTOR AND CUSTOMER IN POSTGRADUATE EDUCATION: NATIONAL RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES NETWORK

The article provides an analysis of the state policy as an investor in the course of reforminghigher education system. Here the authors contemplate the problem of underutilization of resources of the network of national research universities by the state as a customer that decides on admission quotas for postgraduate education. The article provides an analysis of interaction between the state as an investor and customer and one specific national research university in the course of reforming higher education system. The article presents an organizational solution for optimization of university resources exploitation throughout the process of postgraduate education

Genetic diversity of Culex pipiens mosquitoes in distinct populations from Europe: contribution of Cx. quinquefasciatus in Mediterranean populations

International audienceBackground: Mosquitoes of the Culex pipiens complex are cosmopolitan, and important vectors of neglected tropical diseases, such as arbovirosis and lymphatic filariasis. Among the complex taxa, Cx. pipiens (with two forms pipiens and molestus) and Cx. quinquefasciatus are the most ubiquitous mosquitoes in temperate and tropical regions respectively. Mosquitoes of this taxa lack of morphological differences between females, but have frank behavioral and physiological differences and have different trophic preferences that influence their vectorial status. Hybridization may change the vectorial capacity of these mosquitoes, increasing vector efficiency and medical importance of resulting hybrids. Methods: Culex pipiens s.l. from 35 distinct populations were investigated by the study of mtDNA, symbiotic bacterium Wolbachia pipientis, nuclear DNA and flanking region of microsatellite CQ11 polymorphism using PCR with diagnostic primers, RFLP analysis and sequencing. Results: Six different mitochondrial haplotypes were revealed by sequencing of the cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene and three different Wolbachia (wPip) groups were identified. A strong association was observed between COI haplotypes/groups, wPip groups and taxa; haplogroup A and infection with wPipII appear to be typical for Cx. pipiens form pipiens, haplotype D and infection with wPipIV for form molestus, while haplogroup E, characteristic of Cx. quinquefasciatus, were correlated with wPipI and found in Cx. pipiens sl. from coastal regions of Southern Europe and Mediterranean region. Analysis of microsatellite locus and nuclear DNA revealed hybrids between Cx. pipiens form pipiens and form molestus, as well as between Cx. pipiens and Cx. quinquefasciatus, in Mediterranean populations, as opposed to Northern Europe. Phylogenetic analysis of COI sequences yielded a tree topology that supported the RFLP analysis with significant bootstrap values for haplotype D and haplogroup E. Conclusions: Molecular identification provides the first evidence of the presence of hybrids between Cx. quinquefasciatus and Cx. pipiens as well as cytoplasmic introgression of Cx. quinquefasciatus into Cx. pipiens as a result of hybridization events in coastal regions of Southern Europe and Mediterranean region. Together with observed hybrids between pipiens and molestus forms, these findings point to the presence of hybrids in these areas, with consequent higher potential for disease transmission

Contribution of Cx. quinquefasciatus in Mediterranean populations

Background: Mosquitoes of the Culex pipiens complex are cosmopolitan, and important vectors of neglected tropical diseases, such as arbovirosis and lymphatic filariasis. Among the complex taxa, Cx. pipiens (with two forms pipiens and molestus) and Cx. quinquefasciatus are the most ubiquitous mosquitoes in temperate and tropical regions respectively. Mosquitoes of this taxa lack of morphological differences between females, but have frank behavioral and physiological differences and have different trophic preferences that influence their vectorial status. Hybridization may change the vectorial capacity of these mosquitoes, increasing vector efficiency and medical importance of resulting hybrids. Methods: Culex pipiens s.l. from 35 distinct populations were investigated by the study of mtDNA, symbiotic bacterium Wolbachia pipientis, nuclear DNA and flanking region of microsatellite CQ11 polymorphism using PCR with diagnostic primers, RFLP analysis and sequencing. Results: Six different mitochondrial haplotypes were revealed by sequencing of the cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene and three different Wolbachia (wPip) groups were identified. A strong association was observed between COI haplotypes/groups, wPip groups and taxa; haplogroup A and infection with wPipII appear to be typical for Cx. pipiens form pipiens, haplotype D and infection with wPipIV for form molestus, while haplogroup E, characteristic of Cx. quinquefasciatus, were correlated with wPipI and found in Cx. pipiens sl. from coastal regions of Southern Europe and Mediterranean region. Analysis of microsatellite locus and nuclear DNA revealed hybrids between Cx. pipiens form pipiens and form molestus, as well as between Cx. pipiens and Cx. quinquefasciatus, in Mediterranean populations, as opposed to Northern Europe. Phylogenetic analysis of COI sequences yielded a tree topology that supported the RFLP analysis with significant bootstrap values for haplotype D and haplogroup E. Conclusions: Molecular identification provides the first evidence of the presence of hybrids between Cx. quinquefasciatus and Cx. pipiens as well as cytoplasmic introgression of Cx. quinquefasciatus into Cx. pipiens as a result of hybridization events in coastal regions of Southern Europe and Mediterranean region. Together with observed hybrids between pipiens and molestus forms, these findings point to the presence of hybrids in these areas, with consequent higher potential for disease transmission.publishersversionpublishe

Open shells of revolution : method of analytical regularisation

Based on the idea of an analytical regularisation a mathematically rigorous and numerically efficient approach is proposed to solve the potential problem for open arbitrary shaped shell of revolution with Dirichlet boundary condition. The initial integral equation is reduced to a form admitting decomposition of the integral kernel into the sum of the Green’s function for a sphere, which includes all the singularities of the reformulated problem, and a smooth remainder. An effective calculation technique for the coefficients of the Fourier expansion of the remainder was obtained. Using the analytical regularisation, the problem is equivalently reduced to an infinite system of linear algebraic equations of the second kind. Such equations can be effectively and efficiently solved by standard numerical methods. The convergence improvement of the series describing the surface charge is implemented.5 page(s