Microclimate and Plant Growth at Isachsen and Mould Bay

In discussing the botany of the northwestern Queen Elizabeth Islands I noted that the available climatic data did not suggest a significant difference between the summer climate of Isachsen and of Mould Bay; yet Mould Bay harbours plant species that are absent from Isachsen, and specimens from there are less depauperate than those from Isachsen. It seemed probable that Mould Bay, which is better protected from winds off the Arctic Ocean, might have less of the very low stratus that often covers Isachsen and which must pass less sunlight than do sheets of high stratus and altostratus. The available data on cloud cover, which do not include cloud height and which are inevitably somewhat subjective, indicated no marked difference between the stations, and sunshine records were lacking for both. With three years' bright sunshine data now available for Isachsen and Mould Bay, I have extracted the summer figures from the Monthly Record of Meteorological Observations in Canada. The growth period at Isachsen extends from mid June to early August, and July is clearly the critical month. The Isachsen total for August 1969 is missing, but for the other 8 months Isachsen exceeded Mould Bay only once. The Mould Bay excess for July was 25 per cent or more in each year. Although soil surface and screen temperatures differ little at Isachsen on heavily overcast days, thermograph records kept by D. St-Onge showed: that on predominantly sunny days the soil surface maxima exceeded the screen maxima by 20-30°F (11-17°C). Thus modest differences in total bright sunshine can be very important to plant growth in this region where almost all activity is confined to the lowest 10 cm of air and much of it to the lowest 3 cm. A longer record is needed before we can fully accept a higher July sunshine figure for Mould Bay; but if the three years of record are nearly representative they must go far in explaining the better growth at this station. However, there is a distinct possibility that diffuse sunlight through thin cloud, not registered by the Campbell-Stokes recorder, adds to Mould Bay's advantage

General Ecology and Vascular Plants of the Hazen Camp Area

Lists 107 vascular plants with brief notes on characteristic habitats. The principal habitiats in a 25 sq mi area are described (map) and the ecological factors analyzed, with June-Aug temperature graph. The general aridity of the area is emphasized, the relative biotic richness being due to favorable summer temperatures, low wind velocity and absence of stratus cloud. Flowering dates for 14 species are tabulated

Mycology in the Canadian Arctic

Reviews studies of fungi north of the limit of spruce, and discusses arctic fungi characteristics and potential scientific significance. Environmental adaptations in reproduction, life cycle, dispersal, host plants, and morphology are described. Extensions in the known ranges of four species are noted

Nuclear Structure And Behavior In Species Of The Uredinales

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/141150/1/ajb209322.pd

Development of techniques for the assessment of climate change impacts on estuaries : a hydrological perspective.

Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2012.Global climate change is a naturally occurring phenomenon, influencing weather and climate patterns. However, the greatest cause for concern at present is the rate at which climate change is currently occurring. Natural shifts in climate take place over a period of many thousands of years, not in a matter of decades, which is what is occurring at present. In South Africa, climate change is projected to have different regional effects, which in turn could impact on the components of the terrestrial hydrological system, such as land use. The alteration of the catchment upstream of the estuaries could affect the quantity and quality of streamflows entering estuaries. This could impact negatively upon estuaries, thereby reducing the considerable biodiversity in estuaries and the ecosystems goods and services provided by estuaries which would reduce the significant revenue provided by these systems. The research undertaken in this project investigates the possible effects of climate change, and changes in upstream land use on freshwater inflows into estuarine ecosystems using a daily hydrological model. Owing to the regionality of climate change in South Africa 10 estuaries in different climatic regions were selected for this investigation. Climate output from five GCMs under the SRES A2 climate scenario for the present (1971 – 1990), intermediate (2046 – 2065) and distant future (2081 – 2100) periods was used as input for the selected climate input. Results of these simulations show that the eastern regions of South Africa may experience considerable increases in the occurrence of high intensity rainfall events into the future. This could influence the abiotic factors of the system which may impact upon the biotic components of estuaries, as these systems are physically controlled. In the western regions the difference of the magnitude of flows between present and projected future is minimal. However, projected increases in temperature could influence evaporation, thereby decreasing future flows into estuaries. This, in some instances, may result in systems turning hyper-saline, which could have far reaching implications, both ecologically and economically. Additionally, an investigation, as to the possible effects of irrigation and climate change combined on flows entering and breaching events of the Klein estuary, was undertaken. Hence, simulations including and excluding irrigation routines have been completed. Results from these simulations illustrate the detrimental effects of irrigation into the future periods, especially during 1 in 10 low flow years, when flows into the Klein estuary cease completely. Breaching event results illustrate that climate change could have a negative impact on this estuarine system as the number of events decreases into distant future period. The addition of agricultural abstractions decreases the number of breaching events markedly. Therefore, the link between the marine and terrestrial hydrological systems is lost which could, if this estuary is isolated from the ocean for an extended period of time, become extremely detrimental to the ecological integrity of the Klein estuary. This highlights the value and vulnerabilities of estuarine ecosystems in South Africa to future climate and upstream land use changes

Enzymatically Assisted CO₂ Removal from Flue-Gas

AbstractThe enzyme carbonic anhydrase is an enzyme known to enhance CO2 absorption rates. However, for economic viability in enzyme based absorption technology long term stability under process relevant conditions is needed. Thus, here enzyme stability for extended times are investigated with respect to pH, temperature and solvent. Temperatures and pH stability were tested for up to 100hours incubation and the enzyme was temperature stable up to 60°C and in the pH range from 7 to 11, with some residual activity between pH 5 and 12. Furthermore, enzyme stability was tested for 7 different capture solvents for 150 days, at 1M or 3M solvent concentrations, 40°C and pH between 8-9 and 10. Residual activity was found with all samples ranging from 12 to 91% of the initial activity. This study show that this enzyme can indeed be used for extended periods in process relevant conditions, and thus shows promise for industrial implementation as a catalyst in carbon capture