Societal Stability and Environmental Change : Examining the Archaeology - Soil Erosion Paradox

This paper critically examines the soil-exhaustion and societal collapse hypothesis both theoretically and empirically. The persistence of civilisations, especially in theMediterranean, despite intensive and erosive arable farming, creates what is described here as the archaeology-soil erosion paradox. This paper examines the data used to estimate past erosion and weathering rates, before presenting three case studies which engage with the theoretical arguments. Study 1 shows 5000 years of high slope erosion rates with both soil use and agriculture continuously maintained in the catchment. Study 2 shows how ancient agricultural terraces were constructed as part of integrated agricultural systems which fed the ancient city of Stymphalos - now abandoned. Study 3 presents a recent example of how after the removal of terraces high soil erosion rates result during intense rainstorms but that arable agriculture can still be maintained whilst external costs are borne by other parties. What these case studies have in common is the creation of soil and increased weathering rates whilst productivity is maintained due to a combination of soft bedrocks and/or agricultural terraces. In societal terms this may not be sustainable but it does not necessarily lead to land abandonment or societal collapse – this is the paradox

The variability of precipitation patterns over the central and west Pacific Ocean

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Meteorology and Physical Oceanography, 1983.Microfiche copy available in Archives and Science.Bibliography: leaves 38-41.by Kevin James Edward Walsh.M.S

Les dynamiques de la végétation et des anthroposystèmes d’altitude cernées par l’anthracologie pastorale et minière à l’échelle d’un haut vallon alpestre (Freissinières, France)

This review paper outlines the reconstruction of vegetation and altitude anthroposystem dynamics, at the scale of the Freissinières high valley, based on the anthracological analysis of mining and (agro-) pastoral carbonised deposits, dating from the Bronze Age to the Renaissance. Archaeological and chronological features of the various deposit contexts, sampling protocol and laboratory methods used, have been outlined. All the obtained data has been summarized in diagrams, and attempts have been made to model vegetation dynamics and areas of firewood supply for mining and pastoral activities. Thus, this study identifies the major subalpine floristic changes that have occurred since the Bronze Age, the development of wood pasture and the lowering of the upper limit of dense forest associated with heathlands and thicket expansion. In addition, this study characterises the evolution of supply practices of fuel wood and the management of uncultivated area -particularly during the Middle Ages- and grasps the leaf-fodder cycle, documented by charcoals at the turn of the Modern era

Etnoarcheologia dei paesaggi alpini di alta quota nelle Alpi occidentali: un bilancio preliminare

The study of the interaction between human groups and mountain environment is crucial for archaeological research. Ethnoarchaeology contributes the analysis of this interaction in modern and contemporary contexts, aimed at creating analogical models for interpreting the past and understanding human strategies in historical and modern periods. The EthWAL project (Ethnoarchaeology of Western Alpine upland Landscapes), started in 2013, and aims to be a reference for the study of human activities in the alpine uplands during the modern and contemporary age. This is a multidisciplinary (associating archaeological methods to ethnography, historiography, spatial analysis and soil analysis) and multiscalar project (small to large scale). Specific attention is given to traditional pastoral huts. The results of this project will be useful for archaeology and contribute to the management of cultural heritage in high altitude landscapes

Individual calcium syntillas do not trigger spontaneous exocytosis from nerve terminals of the neurohypophysis

Recently, highly localized Ca(2+) release events, similar to Ca(2+) sparks in muscle, have been observed in neuronal preparations. Specifically, in murine neurohypophysial terminals (NHT), these events, termed Ca(2+) syntillas, emanate from a ryanodine-sensitive intracellular Ca(2+) pool and increase in frequency with depolarization in the absence of Ca(2+) influx. Despite such knowledge of the nature of these Ca(2+) release events, their physiological role in this system has yet to be defined. Such localized Ca(2+) release events, if they occur in the precise location of the final exocytotic event(s), may directly trigger exocytosis. However, directly addressing this hypothesis has not been possible, since no method capable of visualizing individual release events in these CNS terminals has been available. Here, we have adapted an amperometric method for studying vesicle fusion to this system which relies on loading the secretory granules with the false transmitter dopamine, thus allowing, for the first time, the recording of individual exocytotic events from peptidergic NHT. Simultaneous use of this technique along with high-speed Ca(2+) imaging has enabled us to establish that spontaneous neuropeptide release and Ca(2+) syntillas do not display any observable temporal or spatial correlation, confirming similar findings in chromaffin cells. Although these results indicate that syntillas do not play a direct role in eliciting spontaneous release, they do not rule out indirect modulatory effects of syntillas on secretion

Tropical Cyclones and Climate Change

Since the Eighth International Workshop on Tropical Cyclones (IWTC-8), held in December 2014, progress has been made in our understanding of the relationship between tropical cyclone (TC) characteristics, climate and climate change. New analysis of observations has revealed trends in the latitude of maximum TC intensity and in TC translation speed. Climate models are demonstrating an increasing ability to simulate the observed TC climatology and its regional variations. The limited representation of air-sea interaction processes in most climate simulations of TCs remains an issue. Consensus projections of future TC behavior continue to indicate decreases in TC numbers, increases in their maximum intensities and increases in TC-related rainfall. Future sea level rise will exacerbate the impact of storm surge on coastal regions, assuming all other factors equal. Studies have also begun to estimate the effect on TCs of the climate change that has occurred to date. Recommendations are made regarding future research directions