Efficiency of the ISM Code in Finnish Shipping Companies

Due to increasing waterborne transportation in the Gulf of Finland, the risk of a hazardous accident increases and therefore manifold preventive actions are needed. As a main legislative authority in the maritime community, The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has set down plenary laws and recommendations which are e.g., utilised in the safe operations in ships and pollution prevention. One of these compulsory requirements, the ISM Code, requires proactive attitude both from the top management and operational workers in the shipping companies. In this study, a crosssectional approach was taken to analyse whether the ISM Code has actively enhanced maritime safety in the Gulf of Finland. The analysis included; 1) performance of the ISM Code in Finnish shipping companies, 2) statistical measurements of maritime safety, 3) influence of corporate top management to the safety culture and 4) comparing safety management practices in shipping companies and port operations of Finnish maritime and port authorities. The main results found were that maritime safety culture has developed in the right direction after the launch of the ISM Code in the 1990´s. However, this study does not exclusively prove that the improvements are the consequence of the ISM Code. Accident prone ships can be recognized due to their behaviour and there is a lesson to learn from the safety culture of some high standard safety disciplines such as, air traffic. In addition, the reporting of accidents and nearmisses should be more widely used in shipping industry. In conclusion, there is still much to be improved in the maritime safety culture of the Finnish Shipping industry, e.g., a “no blame culture” needs to be adopted.Siirretty Doriast

Biotic stress accelerates formation of climate-relevant aerosols in boreal forests

Boreal forests are a major source of climate-relevant biogenic secondary organic aerosols (SOAs) and will be greatly influenced by increasing temperature. Global warming is predicted to not only increase emissions of reactive biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) from vegetation directly but also induce large-scale insect outbreaks, which significantly increase emissions of reactive BVOCs. Thus, climate change factors could substantially accelerate the formation of biogenic SOAs in the troposphere. In this study, we have combined results from field and laboratory experiments, satellite observations and global-scale modelling in order to evaluate the effects of insect herbivory and large-scale outbreaks on SOA formation and the Earth's climate. Field measurements demonstrated 11-fold and 20-fold increases in monoterpene and sesquiterpene emissions respectively from damaged trees during a pine sawfly (Neodiprion sertifer) outbreak in eastern Finland. Laboratory chamber experiments showed that feeding by pine weevils (Hylobius abietis) increased VOC emissions from Scots pine and Norway spruce seedlings by 10-50 fold, resulting in 200-1000-fold increases in SOA masses formed via ozonolysis. The influence of insect damage on aerosol concentrations in boreal forests was studied with a global chemical transport model GLOMAP and MODIS satellite observations. Global-scale modelling was performed using a 10-fold increase in monoterpene emission rates and assuming 10% of the boreal forest area was experiencing outbreak. Results showed a clear increase in total particulate mass (local max. 480 %) and cloud condensation nuclei concentrations (45 %). Satellite observations indicated a 2-fold increase in aerosol optical depth over western Canada's pine forests in August during a bark beetle outbreak. These results suggest that more frequent insect outbreaks in a warming climate could result in substantial increase in biogenic SOA formation in the boreal zone and, thus, affect both aerosol direct and indirect forcing of climate at regional scales. The effect of insect outbreaks on VOC emissions and SOA formation should be considered in future climate predictions.Peer reviewe

From Plants to Birds: Higher Avian Predation Rates in Trees Responding to Insect Herbivory

BACKGROUND: An understanding of the evolution of potential signals from plants to the predators of their herbivores may provide exciting examples of co-evolution among multiple trophic levels. Understanding the mechanism behind the attraction of predators to plants is crucial to conclusions about co-evolution. For example, insectivorous birds are attracted to herbivore-damaged trees without seeing the herbivores or the defoliated parts, but it is not known whether birds use cues from herbivore-damaged plants with a specific adaptation of plants for this purpose. METHODOLOGY: We examined whether signals from damaged trees attract avian predators in the wild and whether birds could use volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions or net photosynthesis of leaves as cues to detect herbivore-rich trees. We conducted a field experiment with mountain birches (Betula pubescens ssp. czerepanovii), their main herbivore (Epirrita autumnata) and insectivorous birds. Half of the trees had herbivore larvae defoliating trees hidden inside branch bags and half had empty bags as controls. We measured predation rate of birds towards artificial larvae on tree branches, and VOC emissions and net photosynthesis of leaves. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS AND SIGNIFICANCE: The predation rate was higher in the herbivore trees than in the control trees. This confirms that birds use cues from trees to locate insect-rich trees in the wild. The herbivore trees had decreased photosynthesis and elevated emissions of many VOCs, which suggests that birds could use either one, or both, as cues. There was, however, large variation in how the VOC emission correlated with predation rate. Emissions of (E)-DMNT [(E)-4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatriene], beta-ocimene and linalool were positively correlated with predation rate, while those of highly inducible green leaf volatiles were not. These three VOCs are also involved in the attraction of insect parasitoids and predatory mites to herbivore-damaged plants, which suggests that plants may not have specific adaptations to signal only to birds

Onko lämpökäsitelty puu kestävää puuainestuholaisia vastaan?

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Birch (Betula spp.) leaves adsorb and re-release volatiles specific to neighbouring plants - a mechanism for associational herbivore resistance?

v2010o

Sulphuric acid and aerosol particle production in the vicinity of an oil refinery

In this paper we introduce in-situ observations of trace gases, aerosol particles and their precursors in the vicinity of an oil refinery and industrial area in Kilpilahti, Southern Finland. We conducted a one-month measurement campaign near the oil refinery during summertime when the sulphur dioxide concentrations at the site are typically the highest. The source areas around the measurement location were divided into three sectors: oil refinery area, industrial area and non-industrial area. The atmospheric concentrations of aerosols and trace gases showed a large temporal variability, when exposed to the different source areas. The median sulphur dioxide concentrations for the oil refinery, industrial and non-industrial area were 1.88 ppbv, 0.75 ppbv and 0.38 ppbv, respectively, and the corresponding sulphuric acid concentrations were 11.5 × 106 molecules/cm3, 4.4 × 106 molecules/cm3 and 1.3 × 106 molecules/cm3. The observed concentrations were similar to what have been measured in urban or industrial sites. The ratio between sulphuric acid and sulphur dioxide was the highest when the air mass was coming from the oil refinery. The correlation between the sulphuric acid and 1-2 nm particle concentrations was significant, but the composition of the particles remained unknown as no neutral sulphuric acid clusters were detected with the mass spectrometer. Only a few new particle formation events were observed during the measurement period, and during these events a large fraction of the particle growth could be explained by sulphuric acid condensation.</p

Photos of the real and the artificial larvae.

<p>A) A fifth instar <i>Epirrita autumnata</i> larva on a branch. B) Larval feeding damage on mountain birch (<i>Betula pubescens</i> ssp. <i>czerepanovii</i>) leaves. C) A plasticine larva on a mountain birch branch. D). A beak marking on a plasticine larva indicating a predation attempt by an insectivorous bird.</p