A comparative study of the effects of metal contamination on collembola in the field and in the laboratory

We examined the species diversity and abundance of Collembola at 32 sampling points along a gradient of metal contamination in a rough grassland site ( Wolverhampton, England), formerly used for the disposal of metal-rich smelting waste. Differences in the concentrations of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn between the least and most contaminated part of the 35 metre transect were more than one order of magnitude. A gradient of Zn concentrations from 597 to 9080 mug g(-1) dry soil was found. A comparison between field concentrations of the four metals and previous studies on their relative toxicities to Collembola, suggested that Zn is likely to be responsible for any ecotoxicological effects on springtails at this site. Euedaphic ( soil dwelling) Collembola were extracted by placing soil cores into Tullgren funnels and epedaphic ( surface dwelling) species were sampled using pitfall traps. There was no obvious relationship between the total abundance, or a range of commonly used diversity indices, and Zn levels in soils. However, individual species showed considerable differences in abundance. Metal "tolerant'' (e.g., Ceratophysella denticulata) and metal "sensitive'' (e.g., Cryptopygus thermophilus) species could be identified. Epedaphic species appeared to be influenced less by metal contamination than euedaphic species. This difference is probably due to the higher mobility and lower contact with the soil pore water of epedaphic springtails in comparison to euedaphic Collembola. In an experiment exposing the standard test springtail, Folsomia candida, to soils from all 32 sampling points, adult survival and reproduction showed small but significant negative relationships with total Zn concentrations. Nevertheless, juveniles were still produced from eggs laid by females in the most contaminated soils with 9080 mug g(-1) Zn. Folsomia candida is much more sensitive to equivalent concentrations of Zn in the standard OECD soil. Thus, care should be taken in extrapolating the results of laboratory toxicity tests on metals in OECD soil to field soils, in which, the biological availability of contaminants is likely to be lower. Our studies have shown the importance of ecotoxicological effects at the species level. Although there may be no differences in overall abundance, sensitive species that are numerous in contaminated sites, and which may play important roles in decomposition("keystone species'') can be greatly reduced in numbers by pollution.

Developing a method to characterize indoor environmental parameters in naturally ventilated classrooms

Until recently, there has been little investigation concerning the poor indoor air quality (IAQ) in classrooms. Despite the evidence that the educational building systems in many of the UK institutions have significant defects that may degrade IAQ, systematic assessments of IAQ measurements has been rarely undertaken. When undertaking IAQ measurement, there is a difficult task of representing and characterizing the environment parameters. Although technologies exist to measure these parameters, direct measurements especially in a naturally ventilated spaces are often difficult. This paper presents a methodology for developing a method to characterize indoor environment flow parameters as well as the Carbon Dioxide (CO2) concentrations. Thus, CO2 concentration level can be influenced by the differences in the selection of sampling points and heights. However, because this research focuses on natural ventilation in classrooms, air exchange is provided mainly by air infiltration. It is hoped that the methodology developed and evaluated in this research can effectively simplify the process of estimating the parameters for a systematic assessment of IAQ measurements in a naturally ventilated classrooms.

A new solution of the rendering equation with stratified Monte Carlo approach

This paper is turned to the advanced Monte Carlo methods for realistic image creation. It offers a new stratified approach for solving the rendering equation. We consider the numerical solution of the rendering equation by separation of integration domain. The hemispherical integration domain is symmetrically separated into 16 parts. First 9 sub-domains are equal size of orthogonal spherical triangles. They are symmetric each to other and grouped with a common vertex around the normal vector to the surface. The hemispherical integration domain is completed with more 8 sub-domains of equal size spherical quadrangles, also symmetric each to other. All sub-domains have fixed vertices and computable parameters. The bijections of unit square into an orthogonal spherical triangle and into a spherical quadrangle are derived and used to generate sampling points. Then, the symmetric sampling scheme is applied to generate the sampling points distributed over the hemispherical integration domain. The necessary transformations are made and the stratified Monte Carlo estimator is presented. The rate of convergence is obtained and one can see that the algorithm is of super-convergent type.

The spatial distribution of carbon dioxide in an environmental test chamber

The spatial distribution of CO2 level in a classroom carried out in previous field work research has demonstrated that there is some evidence of variations in CO2 concentration in a classroom space. Significant fluctuations in CO2 concentration were found at different sampling points depending on the ventilation strategies and environmental conditions prevailing in individual classrooms. However, how these variations are affected by the emitting sources and the room air movement remains unknown. Hence, it was concluded that detailed investigation of the CO2 distribution need to be performed on a smaller scale. As a result, it was decided to use an environmental chamber with various methods and rates of ventilation, for the same internal temperature and heat loads, to study the effect of ventilation strategy and air movement on the distribution of CO2 concentration in a room. The role of human exhalation and its interaction with the plume induced by the body's convective flow and room air movement due to different ventilation strategies were studied in a chamber at the University of Reading. These phenomena are considered to be important in understanding and predicting the flow patterns in a space and how these impact on the distribution of contaminants. This paper attempts to study the CO2 dispersion and distribution at the exhalation zone of two people sitting in a chamber as well as throughout the occupied zone of the chamber. The horizontal and vertical distributions of CO2 were sampled at locations with a probability that CO2 variation is considered high. Although the room size, source location, ventilation rate and location of air supply and extract devices all can have influence on the CO2 distribution, this article gives general guidelines on the optimum positioning of CO2 sensor in a room.

The use of mechanical aeration and its effects on water mass

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Spatial variability of soil CO2 emission in a sugarcane area characterized by secondary information

Soil CO2 emission (FCO2) is governed by the inherent properties of the soil, such as bulk density (BD). Mapping of FCO2 allows the evaluation and identification of areas with different accumulation potential of carbon. However, FCO2 mapping over larger areas is not feasible due to the period required for evaluation. This study aimed to assess the quality of FCO2 spatial estimates using values of BD as secondary information. FCO2 and BD were evaluated on a regular sampling grid of 60 m × 60 m comprising 141 points, which was established on a sugarcane area. Four scenarios were defined according to the proportion of the number of sampling points of FCO2 to those of BD. For these scenarios, 67 (F67), 87 (F87), 107 (F107) and 127 (F127) FCO2 sampling points were used in addition to 127 BD sampling points used as supplementary information. The use of additional information from the BD provided an increase in the accuracy of the estimates only in the F107, F67 and F87 scenarios, respectively. The F87 scenario, with the approximate ratio between the FCO2 and BD of 1.00:1.50, presented the best relative improvement in the quality of estimates, thereby indicating that the BD should be sampled at a density 1.5 time greater than that applied for the FCO2. This procedure avoided problems related to the high temporal variability associated with FCO2, which enabled the mapping of this variable to be elaborated in large areas.

Spatial variability of physical attributes of an alfisol under different hillslope curvatures

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Geoestatística e atributos do solo em áreas cultivadas com cana-de-açúcar

The intense traffic of agricultural machines in soils cultivated with sugar cane can cause soil compaction. Therefore, the objective of this research was to characterize the spatial variability of soil physical attributes and content organic matter of a eutroferric Red Latosol gibbisitic (under Basalt) and dystroferric Red Latosol caulinitic (under Sandstone) in the depths of 0.0-0.2m and 0.2-0.4m in areas cultivated with sugar cane. Soils were sampled at the crossing points of a grid at regular intervals of 10m and at depths of 0.0-0.2m and 0.2-0.4m. Bulk density, macroporosity, organic matter content and soil penetration resistance were measured for all sampling points. The physical attributes show values of soil penetration resistance, bulk density and macroporosity above average for these soils. The studied variable presented a larger range and minor variation coefficient in the eutroferric Red Latosol (Oxisol Eutrustox) when compared with the dystroferric Red Latosol (Oxisol Haplustox), in the studied depths. It is recommended a bigger number of samples to study the eutroferric Red Latosol attributes and the depth of 0.2-0.4m.

Variabilidade espacial de populações de Diatraea saccharalis em canaviais e sugestão de método de amostragem

A broca Diatraea saccharalis é uma das mais importantes pragas da cana-de-açúcar no Brasil. O manejo de áreas infestadas está embasado no controle biológico com Cotesia flavipes, cujas liberações são feitas em função da população de lagartas da praga em campo. Por esta razão, a estimativa desta população é de fundamental importância para o sucesso do programa de manejo. Assim, o objetivo do presente trabalho foi estudar a variabilidade espacial de D. saccharalis em canaviais e sugerir um método de amostragem que permitisse uma estimativa adequada das populações em campo. Seis campos de aproximadamente 1 ha cada um foram amostrados, em grid retangular de aproximadamente 10 x 10 m, com ilhas. Cada ponto de amostragem foi representado pela coleta das formas biológicas da praga no interior dos colmos em 2 m de sulco. Na maioria das áreas, as populações de formas imaturas de D. saccharalis distribuíram-se de forma contagiosa, com alcance do semivariograma variando de 18 a 80 m. Com base no alcance médio, estimou-se em seis o número médio de pontos de amostragem por hectare que deveriam ser feitos para representar adequadamente a área. Este número foi menor do que o estimado utilizando parâmetros da estatística clássica. Sugere-se que, para estimativa das formas imaturas de D. saccharalis em canaviais, a amostragem seja feita em grid de 40 x 40 m, o que resulta em aproximadamente seis pontos de amostragem por hectare e permitirá, na maioria das áreas, efetuar levantamentos com independência e coeficientes de variação menores que 50%.

Forma da paisagem como critério para otimização amostral de latossolos sob cultivo de cana-de-açúcar

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Determinantes locais da decomposição foliar e de raízes finais em um ecossistema semiárido do nordeste brasileiro

The decomposition process exercises an extensive control over the carbon cycle, affecting its availability and nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. The understanding of leaf decomposition patterns above the soil and fine roots decomposition below the soil is necessary and essential to identify and quantify more accurately the flow of energy and matter in forest systems. There is still a lack of studies and a large gap in the knowledge about what environmental variables act as local determinants over decomposition drivers. The knowledge about the decomposition process is still immature for Brazilian semiarid region. The aim of this study was to analyze the decomposition process (on leaves and fine roots) of a mixture of three native species for 12 months in a semiarid ecosystem in Northeast Brazil. We also examined whether the rate of decomposition can be explained by local environmental factors, specifically plant species richness, plant density and biomass, soil macro-arthropods species richness and abundance, amount of litterfall and fine root stock. Thirty sampling points were randomly distributed within an area of 2000 m x 500 m. To determine the decomposition rate, the litterbag technique was used and the data analysis were made with multiple regressions. There was a high degradation of dead organic matter along the experiment. Above ground plant biomass was the only environmental local factor significantly related to leaf decomposition. The density of vegetation and litter production were positively and negatively related to decay rates of fine roots, respectively. The results suggest that Caatinga spatial heterogeneity may exert strong influences over the decomposition process, taking into account the action of environmental factors related to organic matter exposure of and the consequent action of solar radiation as the decomposition process main controller in this region

Efeitos das variáveis ambientais locais sobre a abundância, a riqueza e a biomassa da macrofauna de solo em um ecossistema semiárido no estado do rio grande do norte, nordeste do brasil

The soil macrofauna is influenced to several biotic and abiotic environmental factors, from changes in the physical environment to a variety of interactions among the species involved, affecting the patterns of biodiversity of soil fauna. The power and specificity of the mechanisms that act on soil organisms vary greatly depending on environmental conditions at different scales of space and time. The Caatinga has great spatial heterogeneity of vegetation, climate and soil, so the soil macrofauna would follow this local spatial variation in the environment? This study aimed to investigate the effects of local environmental variables on biological parameters (taxa richness, total abundance and biomass) of soil macrofauna in a fragment of caatinga in João Câmara, Rio Grande Norte, Northeast Brazil. The study was conducted in the Cauaçu farm, where a grid of 2000m x 500m was drawn, and later, 30 sampling points were randomly selected. The methodology used to collect the macrofauna was the TSBF method. We tested the effects of 10 environmental variables on macrofauna across the plots and across the layers of soil. The hypothesis that macrofauna soil responds to changes in the environment was not supported throughout the plots, but was confirmed to soil layers. The soil macrofauna shows a pattern of concentration in the surface layer and decreases considerably in the deeper layers. This pattern had significant and positive relationship with the aerial plant biomass and fine root stock. The aerial plant biomass releases plant necromass that accumulates in the surface layer, providing an important source of resource and shelter for soil macrofauna, explaining their greater abundance in this layer. The roots are used as a means for the arrival of nutrients to the soil from the primary production, thus a greater amount of root conditions higher food intake for macrofauna, especially the herbivores

Influência do manejo do solo nas propriedades químicas e físicas em topossequência na bacia do rio Araguaia, Estado do Tocantins

A conversão do Cerrado nativo em áreas de exploração agrícola pode modificar os processos de decomposição e síntese da matéria orgânica do solo e, assim, na disponibilidade de nutrientes. Objetivou-se avaliar as propriedades químicas e físicas do solo em topossequência caracterizada por apresentar uso com pastagem cultivada com Brachiaria brizantha ao lado do Cerrado nativo, na camada de 0- 15 cm de profundidade. O estudo foi realizado no município de Colmeia, Estado do Tocantins. Foram determinados 10 pontos de coleta (cinco para Cerrado nativo e cinco para pasto) para cada posição do relevo (topo, encosta e pedimento); em cada ponto amostral, foram coletados solos em três profundidades (0-5, 5-10 e 10- 15 cm), totalizando 90 amostras. Foram realizadas as seguintes análises químicas e físicas: C orgânico, P, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, H + Al, pH e granulometria. O C orgânico não apresentou diferença (p > 0,05) entre os valores encontrados no Cerrado nativo e pastagem e as posições do relevo avaliadas. A conversão de Cerrado nativo para uso agropecuário reduziu os teores de P. Os teores de K trocável não foram alterados pela retirada da cobertura vegetal original. Observou-se aumento dos teores de areia quando se passou da meia-encosta para o pedimento.

O relevo na interpretação da variabilidade espacial dos teores de nutrientes em folha de citros

Foliar diagnosis is a method for assessing the nutritional status of agricultural crops, which helps in the understanding of soil fertility and rationalized application of fertilizers taking into account economic and environmental criteria. The study aimed to use the landrelief as criteria to assist in interpreting the spatial variability of nutrient content of the citrus leaf. The leaves were collected at regular intervals of 50 m, totaling 332 sampling points. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, geostatistics and induction of decision tree. With the aid of digital elevation model (MDE) and the profile planaltimetric, the area was divided into three different landrelief and sub-strands. The highest values for nutrients from the leaves of citrus were observed at the top (concave area) segments on a half-slope and lower slope. The nutrients from the citrus leaves showed high values of correlation (above 0.5) with the altitude of the study area. The technique of geostatistics and the induction of decision tree show that the relief is the variable with the greatest potential to interpret the maps of spatial variability of nutrients from the citrus leaves.

Levantamento de plantas daninhas aquáticas no reservatório de Alagados, Ponta Grossa-PR

O monitoramento de macrófitas da represa Alagados um reservatório artificial de água que abastece parcialmente a população do município de Ponta Grossa-PR se faz necessário, uma vez que resíduos urbanos, bem como dejetos de áreas rurais, são descartados direta ou indiretamente nesse ambiente. Os objetivos deste trabalho foram realizar o inventário de plantas aquáticas coletadas entre agosto de 2007 e julho de 2008 no entorno do lago, como medida de monitoramento da área; indicar a frequência das espécies e apresentar um diagnóstico sobre o crescimento populacional destas; e identificar áreas onde a colonização por macrófitas é intensa, podendo tornar-se problema ambiental. Para realizar esse inventário, foram efetuadas 10 coletas em 48 pontos de amostragem ao longo das margens do lago da represa. Exsicatas foram depositadas no Herbário da Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa (HUPG). Foram amostradas 54 espécies, distribuídas em 16 famílias de angiospermas, 8 monocotiledôneas e 8 dicotiledôneas, e outras duas famílias de pteridófitas.