Ecosystem Management and Ecological Modeling

It is the intention of this paper to demonstrate that environmental technology must be supplemented by other tools to be able to solve environmental problems properly. Five cases are used to illustrate the possibilities of ecological engineering, a new engineering field based on ecology, as chemical engineering is based on chemistry. It encompasses restoration of ecosystems, utilization of ecosystems to the benefit of both mankind and nature, construction of ecosystems, and ecologically sound planning of ecosystems from a holistic point of view. Ecological engineering requires a good knowledge of the system properties of ecosystems to be able to fully utilize the possibilities that ecosystem management offers. Models reflecting the ecosystem properties are furthermore needed to be able to quantify the effects of the ecological engineering solutions to the environmental problems. This is clearly demonstrated in two of the five case studies presented in the paper

Testing Grain-Surface Chemistry in Hot Core Regions

Wetensch. publicatieFaculteit der Wiskunde en Natuurwetenschappe

Star and Planet Formation with ALMA: an Overview

Submillimeter observations with ALMA will be the essential next step in our understanding of how stars and planets form. Key projects range from detailed imaging of the collapse of pre-stellar cores and measuring the accretion rate of matter onto deeply embedded protostars, to unravelling the chemistry and dynamics of high-mass star-forming clusters and high-spatial resolution studies of protoplanetary disks down to the 1 AU scale.Comment: Invited review, 8 pages, 5 figures; to appear in the proceedings of "Science with ALMA: a New Era for Astrophysics". Astrophysics & Space Science, in pres

The environmental impacts of land transformation in the coastal perimeter of the Mar Menor lagoon (Spain)

Assigned to WIT Press all rights under copyright that may exist in and to the Work and any associated written or multimedia components or other enhancements accompanying the Work.The distinctive environment of the lagoon has long been attractive for visitors. A surge in touristic activities has taken place in the area since the early 1960s, characterised by intense urban development along the lagoon s perimeter to accommodate the growing seasonal population. This phenomenon has particularly affected La Manga, a sandy bar which is 20 km in length. La Manga acts as a barrier between the lagoon and the Mediterranean Sea, crossed by five, more or less functional channels called golas . The urbanization process has changed the water flow system between the inside and seawater through the channels. The changes have affected coastal dynamics, the longitudinal profile of the coast and the lagoon s ecosystem. The coastal lagoon is also highly threatened by other pollution variables derived from agricultural lands. The water derived from the Tajo-Segura transfer generated a profound land transformation of the adjacent agricultural areas, which changed from extensive dry crop farming to intensively irrigated crops, disturbing the lagoon dramatically. This paper analyzes both land transformations around the coastal perimeter of the Mar Menor during the last 50 years and shows the environmental impact with its consequences on the ecosystem. Although numerous biological studies have been carried out in the Mar Menor, a better understanding of the consequences of land transformation in the perimeter of the lagoon is still necessary to understand the lagoon s situation. The results of territorial management in the Mar Menor lagoon need to be addressed in order to develop successful strategies in the area to protect this valuable ecosystem and its services.García-Ayllon Veintimilla, S.; Miralles García, JL. (2014). The environmental impacts of land transformation in the coastal perimeter of the Mar Menor lagoon (Spain). International Journal of Design and Nature and Ecodynamics. 9(2):109-128. doi:10.2495/DNE-V9-N2-109-128S1091289

Grain Surface Models and Data for Astrochemistry

AbstractThe cross-disciplinary field of astrochemistry exists to understand the formation, destruction, and survival of molecules in astrophysical environments. Molecules in space are synthesized via a large variety of gas-phase reactions, and reactions on dust-grain surfaces, where the surface acts as a catalyst. A broad consensus has been reached in the astrochemistry community on how to suitably treat gas-phase processes in models, and also on how to present the necessary reaction data in databases; however, no such consensus has yet been reached for grain-surface processes. A team of ∼25 experts covering observational, laboratory and theoretical (astro)chemistry met in summer of 2014 at the Lorentz Center in Leiden with the aim to provide solutions for this problem and to review the current state-of-the-art of grain surface models, both in terms of technical implementation into models as well as the most up-to-date information available from experiments and chemical computations. This review builds on the results of this workshop and gives an outlook for future directions