A hydrogeological assessment of Wybunbury Moss

This is a technical report of a hydrogeological assessment by the Environment Agency, an assessment to inform the Stage 3 review of Consents under the Habitats Directive for Wybunbury Moss, a National Nature Reserve and Special Area of Conservation in Cheshire. In the Stage 2 Review of Consents, one groundwater licence could not be clearly assessed as having no significant impact and so was taken forward to Stage 3. Further work has been carried out to refine the understanding of groundwater flow and the extent of the actual groundwater catchment of Wybunbury Moss, including three drilled boreholes, the monitoring of groundwater levels in the boreholes by data-loggers for more than 18 months and the sampling and analysis of the groundwater from the boreholes. Results of this further work are shown in Appendixes. From this work, a geological cross-section and Conceptual Model has been produced, and a map showing the revised understanding of the groundwater catchment of Wybunbury Moss. It also includes in Appendix I, the Stage 2 Review of Consents previously made

TRY plant trait database – enhanced coverage and open access

Plant traits—the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants—determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait‐based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits—almost complete coverage for ‘plant growth form’. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait–environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives

Measurement of the gamma ray background in the Davis Cavern at the Sanford Underground Research Facility

Deep underground environments are ideal for low background searches due to the attenuation of cosmic rays by passage through the earth. However, they are affected by backgrounds from γ-rays emitted by 40K and the 238U and 232Th decay chains in the surrounding rock. The LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) experiment will search for dark matter particle interactions with a liquid xenon TPC located within the Davis campus at the Sanford Underground Research Facility, Lead, South Dakota, at the 4,850-foot level. In order to characterise the cavern background, in-situ γ-ray measurements were taken with a sodium iodide detector in various locations and with lead shielding. The integral count rates (0--3300~keV) varied from 596~Hz to 1355~Hz for unshielded measurements, corresponding to a total flux in the cavern of 1.9±0.4~γ cm−2s−1. The resulting activity in the walls of the cavern can be characterised as 220±60~Bq/kg of 40K, 29±15~Bq/kg of 238U, and 13±3~Bq/kg of 232Th

How to get your model results used : a guide to stakeholder engagement

The usage of modelling results by their intended audience is an important aspect of undertaking any project. However, providing the appropriate results in the correct way to key stakeholders is not a straightforward task. Fortunately, there is a growing body of work about approaching the engagement of stakeholders in a way to maximize the impact of modelling results. Using the lessons learnt from a number of recent workshops, including those conducted for the benefits realization process undertaken for the Environment Agency of England and Wales, suggestions for best practice are presented and their relative merits discussed. Best practice for getting groundwater modelling results used by their intended audience is proposed

The neural control of oviposition in the locust Schistocerca Gregaria

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:D61212 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

The application of 3D geological modelling to aquifer recharge assessments in an urban environment

The development of an attributed 3D model of the Quaternary deposits across 75 km2 of central Manchester and Salford is providing a basis for new types of applied (thematic) outputs. Proprietary software designed specifically for use in Quaternary sequences has been used to construct a model of the glacial and post-glacial sequences in an area now undergoing rapid regeneration. The potential of the model to deliver information relevant to a range of practical applications is illustrated by an urban groundwater case study centred on the industrial area of Trafford Park. The sensitivity of the Permo-Triassic sandstone bedrock aquifer to pollution and the extent to which recharge may occur have been analysed through detailed characterization of the underlying superficial deposits. Potential hydrogeological pathways from ground surface to the sandstone are identified, and thematic outputs show the importance of the Manchester Ship Canal and related waterways as potential sources of recharge and pollution of the bedrock aquifer. The move towards 3D modelling of the shallow subsurface provides flexibility in meeting user needs that is not available from conventional 2D geological sources. It is suggested that modelling of this type should be used by site developers and remediators to design more targeted and cost-effective site investigations and risk assessments