(Tables, page 17-18), Chemical composition of ferromanganese concretions of the lakes of Northern Savolax in Eastern Finland

This paper discusses the occurrence of manganese-rich concretions in the lakes of Northern Savolax in Eastern Finland. The samples were collected in the summer of 1905 and left to dry for 2 months at room temperature. The quantity of H2O mentionned in the analysis was obtained by dessication at 155°C. The amount of Mn is calulated as MnO2 although other valences might be present in the samples. The contents in CO2 and organic substances was not determined. J. Aschan determined that as a general rule, in Finland the manganese rich lake deposits are rather associated with soft bottom sediments while the iron rich deposits are more assocaited with hard or sandy bottoms.

Annotated record and chemical composition of iron-manganese nodules from the Baltic Sea

Iron-manganese concretions, closely related to lacustrine ores and deep sea manganese nodules, are presently forming in different parts of Gulfs of Bothnia and Finland. They can be divided according to physical form into three distinct groups: (1) round pea-shaped concretions, (2) ring-shaped concrections, and (3) flat sheets and crusts of concretionary material. A definite correlation was found to exist between the form i.e. type of concretions and their chemical composition (Mn/Fe ratio). Trace element concentrations were generally rather high, although not as high as in deep sea manganese nodules. X-ray and DTA was used to study the mineralogy and crystal structure of the concretions. Surface concentrations and geographical distribution of the concretions were estimated on the basis of samples, diving observations and echo-grams.

GEMS-GLORI world river discharge database

The GEMS-GLORI register, circulated by UNEP for review in 1996, lists 555 world major rivers discharging to oceans (Q > 10 km**3/year, or A > 10 000 km**2, or sediment discharge > 5Mt/year, or basin population >5M people). Up to 48 river attributes are listed, including major ions and nutrients (C, N, P) in both dissolved, particulate, organic and inorganic forms. For many rivers, two or three sets of data are provided with relevant periods of records and references. Although half of the selected rivers are not yet documented for water quality, most of the first 40 rivers are well described (Irrawady, Zambezi, Ogooue, Magdalena, are noted exceptions). Altogether about 10 000 individual data from 500 references are listed. The global coverage in terms of river discharge and/or drainage area ranges from 40 to 67% for most major water quality attributes but drops to 25% for some organic and/or particulate forms of N and P. Planned development of the register includes collection of information on particulate chemistry and data on endorheic rivers and selected tributaries.

Literature review of elasmobranch bycatch and retention rate

To address growing concern over the effects of fisheries non-target catch on elasmobranchs worldwide, the accurate reporting of elasmobranch catch is essential. This requires data on a combination of measures, including reported landings, retained and discarded non-target catch, and post-discard survival. Identification of the factors influencing discard vs. retention is needed to improve catch estimates and to determine wasteful fishing practices. To do this we compared retention rates of elasmobranch non-target catch in a broad subset of fisheries throughout the world by taxon, fishing country, and gear. A regression tree and random forest analysis indicated that taxon was the most important determinant of retention in this dataset, but all three factors together explained 59% of the variance. Estimates of total elasmobranch removals were calculated by dividing the FAO global elasmobranch landings by average retention rates and suggest that total elasmobranch removals may exceed FAO reported landings by as much as 400%. This analysis is the first effort to directly characterize global drivers of discards for elasmobranch non-target catch. Our results highlight the importance of accurate quantification of retention and discard rates to improve assessments of the potential impacts of fisheries on these species.

Global assessment of soil phosphorus retention potential

Limited availability of P in soils to crops may be due to deficiency and/or severe P retention. Earlier studies that drew on large soil profile databases have indicated that it is not (yet) feasible to present meaningful values for "plant-available" soil P, obtained according to comparable analytical methods, that may be linked to soil geographical databases derived from 1:5 million scale FAO Digital Soil Map of the World, such as the 5 x 5 arc-minute version of the ISRIC-WISE database. Therefore, an alternative solution for studying possible crop responses to fertilizer-P applied to soils, at a broad scale, was sought. The approach described in this report considers the inherent capacity of soils to retain phosphorus (P retention), in various forms. Main controlling factors of P retention processes, at the broad scale under consideration, are considered to be pH, soil mineralogy, and clay content. First, derived values for these properties were used to rate the inferred capacity for P retention of the component soil units of each map unit (or grid cell) using four classes (i.e., Low, Moderate, High, and Very High). Subsequently, the overall soil phosphorus retention potential was assessed for each mapping unit, taking into account the P-ratings and relative proportion of each component soil unit. Each P retention class has been assigned to a likely fertilizer P recovery fraction, derived from the literature, thereby permitting spatially more detailed, integrated model-based studies of environmental sustainability and agricultural production at the global and continental level (< 1:5 million). Nonetheless, uncertainties remain high; the present analysis provides an approximation of world soil phosphorus retention potential.

The interstitial subsoil fauna on the beach of Sarso Island, Red Sea

The scope of this research was to find out, how important is the presence of brackish water for the formation of the characteristical littoral subsoil fauna in the interstitial spaces of beaches. There is little precipitation in the Red Sea area and therefore little influence of freshwater on the beach. Moreover, the sandy beach of Sarso Island (Farasan Archipelago) is bordered landwards and underneath by solid limestone, preventing subsoil fresh water, if there is any, from penetrating into the beach region. The salinity of the interstitial water from Sarso beach lies a little above the salinity of the adjacent sea. The microfauna of Sarso beach is composed to a rather big proportion of such species that are known to be characteristical littoral subsoil water species, partially of world wide distribution. The ecological analysis of this fauna, i.e. the freeliving Nematodes, reveals the presence of two distinct associations: 1. the association of the low level subsoil region, close to the sea, with clear interstitial water, subject to regular exchange with the water of the adjcent sea. 2. the association of the high level subsoil region, 4-10 meter distant from the sea, with brownish water. Contrary to earlier results there is no distinction in salinity between the two associations, so it is not longer justified to apply the term brackish water fauna on the animals living in the association of the high level subsoil region.

Eddy covariance and environmental data of boreal bogs plant species

In boreal bogs plant species are low in number, but they differ greatly in their growth forms and photosynthetic properties. We assessed how ecosystem carbon (C) sink dynamics were affected by seasonal variations in photosynthetic rate and leaf area of different species. Photosynthetic properties (light-response parameters), leaf area development and areal cover (abundance) of the species were used to quantify species-specific net and gross photosynthesis rates (PN and PG, respectively), which were summed to express ecosystem-level PN and PG. The ecosystem-level PG was compared with a gross primary production (GPP) estimate derived from eddy covariance measurements (EC). Species areal cover rather than differences in photosynthetic properties determined the species with the highest PG of both vascular plants and Sphagna. Species-specific contributions to the ecosystem PG varied over the growing season, which in turn determined the seasonal variation in ecosystem PG. The upscaled growing-season PG estimate, 230 g C/m**2, agreed well with the GPP estimated by the EC, 243 g C/m**2. Sphagna were superior to vascular plants in ecosystem-level PG throughout the growing season but had a lower PN. PN results indicated that areal cover of the species together with their differences in photosynthetic parameters shape the ecosystem-level C balance. Species with low areal cover but high photosynthetic efficiency appear to be potentially important for the ecosystem C sink. Results imply that functional diversity may increase the stability of C sink of boreal bogs.

Annotated record of the detailed examination of Mn deposits from the Snellius II - Cruise 4 stations in the vicinity of the island of Misool, Eastern Indonesia

The chemical analyses of ferromanganese encrustations found on the seabed west of Misool, eastern Indonesia, indicate that these deposits formed in a way different from that of world-wide occurring manganese nodules. Ferromanganese coated pebbles and fragments that were found in the deeper parts of the study area probably originate from nearby ridges. The ferromanganese crust on the upper part of a dolomite fragment of ?30 kg is likely to be formed by hydrogenous processes, whereas that from the lower part seems to be formed by diagenetic processes mainly. These assumptions are supported by pore-water data from two box cores taken in the same area. The manganese and iron profiles versus depth in these cores indicate a high flux of these metals to the uppermost sediment layer, and possibly into the overlying bottom water. Factor analysis for the principal components of the microprobe analytical results of the mainly hydrogenous ferromanganese crust demonstrates a strong correlation of manganese with the trace metals, of iron with phosphorus and an antipathetic relationship between iron and manganese. Similar results have also been reported for abyssal manganese nodules in the world oceans. Factor analysis for the principal components of the analytical data obtained for the diagenetic ferromanganese crust results in a clear dolomite (Ca/Mg) dilution factor only.