The basque ecological debt: global socioecological impacts of a small open economy

4 p.

Ecological aspects of New Forest streams, draining one of Britain's unique areas

This article describes the streams of this unique area of Britain and reviews the published and some unpublished information that is currently available. None of the rivers in the New Forest are more than 30 km long. Many reaches have been artificially straightened, channelized and regraded since the 1840's. The stream waters are typically base-poor, with low nutrient concentrations. Primary productivity and standing crops of algae are predictably low when compared with other streams carrying higher concentrations of minerals and nutrients. The earliest records on the macroinvertebrate fauna go back to the late 19th Century. By 1940, over 20 species of Trichoptera and 10 species of Plecoptera had been recorded, but only four species of Ephemeroptera. Twenty species of fish occur in the streams of the New Forest of which the most common are brown trout, minnow, bullhead, stone loach, brook lamprey and eel.

Ecological change in Lough Erne: influence of catchment changes and species invasions

Lough Erne in Northern Ireland has been the subject of much research over the last 30 years by, amongst others, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD). In this article, the authors provide a summary of a workshop held on the 16–17th October 2003 in Enniskillen, on the shores of Lough Erne, which gave an opportunity to step back and take a holistic look at the Erne lakes. Ecological change has been driven by many factors, including land use changes and species invasions. The workshop consisted of five sessions which are summarised in this article: Session 1 – Invasive species, nutrients, phytoplankton and macrophytes; Session 2 – Zooplankton, benthic macroinvertebrates and fish; Session 3 – An ecosystem approach – relating the previous sessions; Session 4 – How does Lough Erne fit into lake classifications? Implications of the Water Framework Directive; Session 5 – Using new techniques to examine food webs and species invasions. Identifying a future research programme for Lough Erne.

Generation time and utilization of energy by aquatic bacteria. [Translation from: Trudy Instituta Biologii Vnutrennykh Vodnany 11(14), 198-202, 1966.]

Recent research has shown that the biomass of bacteria in lakes and other water-bodies can attain significant values. The huge production of bacteria is brought about by their great rate of reproduction. In a series of cases their biomass exceeds the biomass of phytoplankton. Therefore in a study of the biological productivity of water bodies it is necessary to calculate the biomass and production not only of the phyto- and zooplankton, but also of bacteria.The authors uses different methods and formulae to to compare the time of one generation of the bacteria.

Aproveitamento da água de chuva para fins não potáveis em uma atividade industrial: estudo de caso de uma edificação a ser construída, Rio de Janeiro, RJ

A escassez de água é um dos maiores desafios do nosso século. Parece mentira, uma vez que do planeta são ocupados por água. Essa abundância aparente leva-nos a considerar a água como um elemento barato, farto e inesgotável. Contudo, desse total, 97,5% são de água salgada, restando 2,5% de água doce, dos quais 1,75% formam geleiras, sendo, portanto, inacessíveis. E o pior: a exploração irracional da água doce armazenada nos lençóis subterrâneos, rios e lagos está ameaçando a magra fatia de 0,75% da água que pode ser usada pelo homem. Se a escassez e a poluição já são problemas concretos em muitos países, os quais já instituíram um efetivo gerenciamento de seus recursos hídricos, no Brasil a preocupação de cientistas e ambientalistas nem sempre é levada a sério. Afinal, temos mais de 12% da água potável do globo. No entanto, esta riqueza é extremamente mal distribuída: cerca de 80% estão na região amazônica; os 20% restantes distribuem-se desigualmente pelo país, atendendo a 95% da população. Cada vez que chove, milhões de litros de água, que normalmente deveram se infiltrar no solo correm pelos telhados e pelo asfalto até acabar em um rio poluído, sem nenhuma possibilidade de uso. E essa água pode e deve ser aproveitada, tanto para evitar enchentes quanto para economizar recursos hídricos e financeiros. Dessa forma, o objetivo deste trabalho foi o de estruturar um projeto de um sistema de coleta e aproveitamento da água de chuva, para fins não potáveis, para uma edificação a ser construída nas instalações de uma indústria de reparo e construção naval. Para tanto, foi apresentada uma metodologia cuja tecnologia para captação e aproveitamento da água de chuva baseou-se num levantamento bibliográfico e foi validada através da aplicação em um estudo de caso. Espera-se que este trabalho seja o ponto de partida para muitos outros dentro da indústria, procurando incentivar o aproveitamento da água de chuva para consumo não potável e criando assim uma consciência ecológica em todos os níveis da empresa, contribuindo dessa forma para a sustentabilidade.

Sensitivity of sturgeons to environmental hypoxia: a review of physiological and ecological evidence

In this essay, three lines of evidence are developed that sturgeons in the Chesapeake Bay and elsewhere are unusually sensitive to hypoxic conditions: 1. In comparison to other fishes,sturgeons have a limited behavioral and physiological capacity to respond to hypoxia. Basal metabolism, growth, feeding rate, and survival are sensitive to changes in oxygen level, which may indicate a relatively poor ability of sturgeons to oxyregulate. 2. During summertime, temperatures >20°C amplify the effect of hypoxia on sturgeons and other fishes due to a temperature oxygen "squeeze" (Coutant 1987). In bottom waters, this interaction results in substantial reduction of habitat; in dry years, sturgeon nursery habitats in the Chesapeake Bay may be particularly reduced or even eliminated. 3. While evidence for population level effects due to hypoxia is circumstantial, there are corresponding trends between the absence of Atlantic sturgeon reproduction in estuaries like the Chesapeake Bay where summertime hypoxia predominates on a system-wide scale. Also, the recent and dramatic recovery of shortnose sturgeon in the Hudson River (4-bid increase in abundance from 1980 to1995) may have been stimulated by improvement of a large portion of the nursery habitat that was restored from hypoxia to normoxia during the period 1973-1978.

Ecological significance of seasonal variation in clutch-size of Arctodiaptomus bacillifer in alpine lakes of high altitudes (Val Bognanco) [Translation from: Bollettino di Zoologia 37 491-492, 1970]

This brief paper describes the significance of seasonal variation in clutch-size of the copepod Arctodiaptomus bacillifer in alpine lakes of high altitudes (Val Bognanco). Seasonal dynamics of the zooplankton of these lakes was studied during summer and autumn of 1968 and 1969and results are summarised.

The efficiency of plankton in the utilization of the sun radiation [Translation from: Briroda, 12, 29-35, 1948]

The efficiency of utilisation of the sun's radiation by natural communities has not been properly demonstrated with what so far has been obtained of reliable values, and it represents a great interest in many respects. A systematic study of the biotic balance of lakes was done in the course of a succession of summers starting in 1932, extensive material was obtained, which permitted to compute a value fear the utilisation of the sun's radiation by plankton in lakes, and to compare this with corresponding values for marine plankton and terrestrial vegetation.

Ecological study of the River Lambourn. Report for the period October 1970 to March 1972

A small investigation of the ecology of the river Lambourn was carried out during 1967-70. During this period it became clear that detailed and reliable information could only be obtained by a much larger investigation. The present study was planned to meet the minimum requirements. No pumping is expected during this period and, since the pumping carried out during the pilot scheme was on a small scale, it is reasonable to assume that the river is still relatively unaffected by pumping.The present investigation has two main objectives both of which depend on obtaining a detailed picture of the ecology of the river at the present time. First, it will provide basic information on the state of the river prior to the development of the pumping scheme which will be available for comparison at any later date. Secondly, it may be possible to use some of the data to predict the ecological changes which may occur if the flow of the river is altered by the pumping scheme. This report is part of a series of fives studies on the River Lambourn which were undertaken between 1970 and 1979. [PDF contains 83 pages]

Ecological study of the River Lambourn. Report for the period October 1970 to September 1973

Few detailed studies have been made on the ecology of the chalk streams. A complex community of plants and animals is present and much more information is required to achieve an understanding of the requirements and interactions of all the species. It is important that the rivers affected by this scheme should be studied and kept under continued observation so that any effects produced by the scheme can be detected. This need has been recognised by the Thames Conservancy and the Water Resources Board who jointly sponsored this investigation on one of the chalk streams involved in the scheme. The present investigation has two main objectives both of which depend on obtaining a detailed picture of the ecology of the river at the present time. First, it will provide basic information on the state of the river prior to the development of the pumping scheme which will be available for comparison at any later date. Secondly, it may be possible to use some of the data to predict the ecological changes which may occur if the flow of the river is altered by the pumping scheme. The study covers suspended solids, invertebrates, fish.This report is part of a series of fives studies on the River Lambourn which were undertaken between 1970 and 1979. [PDF contains 24 pages]

Ecological study of chalk and limestone streams. Annual Report October 1974 to September 1975

Few detailed studies have been made on the ecology of the chalk streams. A complex community of plants and animals is present and much more information is required to achieve an understanding of the requirements and interactions of all the species. It is important that the rivers affected by this scheme should be studied and kept under continued observation so that any effects produced by the scheme can be detected. The report gives a brief synopsis of work carried out during the second year of a four year ecological study sponsored jointly by the Thames Water Authority and the Central Water Planning Unit. It assumes some familiarity with the investigations carried out on the River Lambourn during the preceding three years which was sponsored jointly by the Thames Conservancy and Water Resources Board (immediate predecessors of the present sponsoring organisations). (PDF contains 31 pages)

Ecological study of chalk and limestone stream. Annual report October 1975 to September 1976

Few detailed studies have been made on the ecology of the chalk streams. A complex community of plants and animals is present and much more information is required to achieve an understanding of the requirements and interactions of all the species. It is important that the rivers affected by this scheme should be studied and kept under continued observation so that any effects produced by the scheme can be detected. The report gives a brief synopsis of work carried out during the third year of a four year ecological study sponsored jointly by the Thames Water Authority and the Central Water Planning Unit. It assumes . It assumes some familiarity with the investigations carried out on the River Lambourn during the preceding three years which was sponsored jointly by the Thames Conservancy and Water Resources Board (immediate predecessors of the present sponsoring organisations). (PDF contains 35 pages)

Ecological study of chalk streams. Lambourn project. Interim report October 1977 to April 1979

Few detailed studies have been made on the ecology of the chalk streams. A complex community of plants and animals is present and much more information is required to achieve an understanding of the requirements and interactions of all the species. It is important that the rivers affected by this scheme should be studied and kept under continued observation so that any effects produced by the scheme can be detected. The report gives a synopsis of work carried out between 1971 and 1979 focusing on the present phase 1978-1979. It assumes some familiarity with the investigations carried out on the River Lambourn during the preceding years. The aims of the present phase of the project may be divided into two broad aspects. The first involves collecting further information in the field and includes three objectives: a continuation of studies on the Lambourn sites at Bagnor; comparative studies on other chalk streams; and a comparative study on a limestone stream. The second involves detailed analyses of data previously collected to document the recovery of the Lambourn from operational pumping and to attempt to develop simple conceptual and predictive models applicable over a wide range of physical and geographical variables. (PDF contains 43 pages)

Ecological study of the River Lambourn. Report for the period October 1973 to September 1977

The investigations described in this report were carried out to fulfill three distinct but interrelated objectives. In 1973 the Thames Conservancy were making plans for a second stage of their groundwater scheme which would take water from the chalk aquifers in the valley of the Kennet and they wanted basic information on the ecological state of this river and its upper tributaries. Little appeared to be known about limestone streams and a preliminary study of one of the streams in this area was desirable as a basis for planning more detailed studies if these were needed later. At a progress meeting held in March 1976 the problems and opportunities presented by the developing drought conditions were considered. It was concluded that the ecological effects of the exceptionally low natural flows should be studied and that it would be important to assess the ecological impact of the groundwater scheme if it was brought into operation that year. This could only be done on the Lambourn and the Winterbourne and it was decided that considerable effort should be diverted there for this purpose and that the field observations should be extended to cover any recovery period after the end of the drought. To make this possible it was agreed that the studies of invertebrates and detritus on the Kennet should be reduced considerably and that the proposed study of the limestone stream should be abandoned. The revised objectives were as follows: A detailed ecological study of several sites on the Kennet and its tributaries above Kintbury, extending over at least two years and involving observations on wate r weeds , invertebrates, fish, detritus and the trophic relationships within the river community. Quantitativ e and qualitative sampling of water weeds and invertebrates during one year at a number of sites on several chalk streams to determine whether the patterns and relationships found in the Lambourn are also found at the other sites. Observations on the Lambourn at Bagnor were to continue for most of the period to look for long-term fluctuations and to enable these sites to act as controls with which the other sites could be compared. Further detailed studies on the Lambourn and the Winterbourne to assess the impact of low flows, trial pumping and the operation of the groundwater scheme.

Ecological effects of trial pumpings in the Upper Lambourn: Stage 1 group pumping test Upper Lambourn group, September - November 1975

This report to the Thames Water Authority and Central Water Planning Unit is on research carried out in conjunction with the Stage 1 Group Pumping Test of five boreholes in the upper Lambourn Group for a period of three months in September, October and November 1975. The aim of the study was to assess the ecological effects of the pumpin g of five bore-holes in the upper Lambourn. That is, to determine how the seasonal sequence of ecological events in the river differed from what would hav e occurred had no pumping taken place. Since this 'experiment' has no control it is not possible to make a direct assessment. Nevertheless, by careful monitoring of ecological events before, during and after the pumping it is possible to document changes in th e river and by reference to the data already available for the Rive r Lambourn, normal seasonal changes in the flora and fauna can be separated from changes which may be attributable to the pumping and subsequent events.