Transport of pollutants through the water and subsurface soil using simulated acid rain

The mobility of heavy metals (Zn, Cd, Pb and Ni) was studied in the laboratory acidic leaching two different soils around Ibadan with simulated acid rain. The sampling was carried out from two different sites viz: Orogun and Ilupeju respectively. For Orogun site a depth of 128cm was reached (consisting of four horizons). Different length of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes were cut for different soil horizon depth as observed on the field. The PVC pipes were packed with requires masses of soil. This is then leached using simulated acid rain of different pH of 2.0, 4.0, 6.0 and 8.0 after spiking with known volume of standard solution of metals of interest. It was found that simulated acid rain enhanced the mobility of metals in solution. The pH, Cation Exchange capacity, % clay and organic matter were found to contributed majority to the mobility of metals. Generally as observed, the mobility of metal was to follow the order Zn>Ni>Pb>Cd as the soil is becoming more acidic

Exploitation of soil biota ecosystem services in agriculture: a bioeconomic approach

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A preliminary classification of lake types in Northern Ireland

The EC Water Framework Directive (WFD) introduces the concept of the ecological status of surface waters. The WFD requires that water bodies within an ecoregion are divided into waterbody "types" or "ecotypes". The waterbody type is determined by physico-chemical descriptors. A group of representatives from two government environmental agencies (Environment and Heritage Service and the Industrial Research and Technology Unit) and the two universities (Queen's University Belfast and the University of Ulster) in Northern Ireland, has been established to develop methods for measuring the ecological status of lakes, for the purposes of the WFD. The work here is that contributing to the first objective classification into waterbody types.

Littoral vegetation of Lake Tohopekaliga: community descriptions prior to a large-scale fisheries habitat-enhancement project

An extreme dry-down and muck-removal project was conducted at Lake Tohopekaliga, Florida, in 2003-2004, to remove dense vegetation from inshore areas and improve habitat degraded by stabilized water levels. Vegetation was monitored from June 2002 to December 2003, to describe the pre-existing communities in terms of composition and distribution along the environmental gradients. Three study areas (Treatment-Selection Sites) were designed to test the efficacy of different treatments in enhancing inshore habitat, and five other study areas (Whole-Lake Monitoring Sites) were designed to monitor the responses of the emergent littoral vegetation as a whole. Five general community types were identified within the study areas by recording aboveground biomasses and stem densities of each species. These communities were distributed along water and soils gradients, with water depth and bulk density explaining most of the variation. The shallowest depths were dominated by a combination of Eleocharis spp., Luziola fluitans, and Panicum repens; while the deeper areas had communities of Nymphaea odorata and Nuphar luteum; Typha spp.; or Paspalidium geminatum and Hydrilla verticillata. Mineralized soils were common in both the shallow and deep-water communities, while the intermediate depths had high percentages of organic material in the soil. These intermediate depths (occurring just above and just below low pool stage) were dominated by Pontederia cordata, the main species targeted by the habitat enhancement project. This emergent community occurred in nearly monocultural bands around the lake (from roughly 60–120 cm in depth at high pool stage) often having more diverse floating mats along the deep-water edge. The organic barrier these mats create is believed to impede access of sport fish to shallow-water spawning areas, while the overall low diversity of the community is evidence of its competitive nature in stabilized waters. With continued monitoring of these study areas long-term effects of the restoration project can be assessed and predictive models may be created to determine the efficacy and legitimacy of such projects in the future.

A utilização de tecnologias digitais de geoprocessamento na identificação de unidades de paisagem na bacia hidrográfica do rio Iguaçu-Sarapuí (RJ)

A Bacia do Rio Iguaçu-Sarapuí integra a região hidrográfica da Baía de Guanabara. Sua área de drenagem, com cerca de 726 km2, corresponde a aproximadamente 20% do total da área de contribuição à Baía, da ordem de 4600 km2 . Os municípios abrangidos pela bacia do Rio Iguaçu são: Nova Iguaçu, Duque de Caxias, Belford Roxo, São João de Meriti, Nilópolis, Mesquita e uma pequena parte do município do Rio de Janeiro. O presente trabalho tem como objetivo utilizar metodologias destinadas à identificação das unidades de paisagem na Bacia Hidrográfica do Rio Iguaçu, baseado nos conceitos de Paisagem Integrada e utilizando como suporte tecnologias digitais de geoprocessamento. Para o desenvolvimento desta pesquisa foram utilizados dados de diferentes fontes e órgãos governamentais de planejamento que trate desta temática. Os dados ao qual o texto se refere são: bases cartográficas em diferentes escalas de abordagem, Imagens Sensoriais Landsat 7, relatórios e diagnóstico da área em estudo. A identificação das unidades de paisagem na bacia do Rio Iguaçu-Sarapuí é feita a partir da delimitação das unidades de relevo e informações sobre o uso do solo, aspectos geológicos e pedológicos. O trabalho foi baseado no apoio das tecnologias digitais de geoprocessamento que permite uma melhor correlação entre diferentes tipos de informações tanto dos aspectos físicos, geológicos como também das ações antrópicas, classificando-as quanto ao grau de intervenção. O resultado do trabalho nesta região foi a elaboração de um diagnóstico ambiental das limitações e susceptibilidade ao desenvolvimento de determinadas atividades distribuindo-as espacialmente na bacia. A utilização de um Sistema de Informação Geográfica, em especial o Arc Gis 9.2 teve uma importância relevante na elaboração da pesquisa. Uma vez que este sistema trabalha com grandes volumes de informações e na análise integrada de objetos complexos, além de permitir a elaboração de um banco de dados espacial no próprio projeto. O que o diferencia dos demais Sistema de Informação Geográfica, tornando-o uma ferramenta eficiente na gestão integrada dos recursos naturais.

A GIS-based model of soil erosion and transport

Soil erosion is a natural process that occurs when the force of wind, raindrops or running water on the soil surface exceeds the cohesive forces that bind the soil together. In general, vegetation cover protects the soil from the effects of these erosive forces. However, land management activities such as ploughing, burning or heavy grazing may disturb this protective layer, exposing the underlying soil. The decision making process in rural catchment management is often supported by the predictive modelling of soil erosion and sediment transport processes within the catchment, using established techniques such as the Universal Soil Loss Equation [USLE] and the Agricultural Nonpoint Source pollution model [AGNPS]. In this article, the authors examine the range of erosion models currently available and describe the application of one of these to the Burrishoole catchment on the north-west coast of Ireland, which has suffered heavy erosion of blanket peat in recent years.

Modelling soil erosion and transport in the Burrishoole catchment, Newport, Co. Mayo, Ireland

The Burrishoole catchment is situated in County Mayo, on the northwest coast of the Republic of Ireland. Much of the catchment is covered by blanket peat that, in many areas, has become heavily eroded in recent years. This is thought to be due, primarily, to the adverse effects of forestry and agricultural activities in the area. Such activities include ploughing, drainage, the planting and harvesting of trees, and sheep farming, all of which are potentially damaging to such a sensitive landscape if not managed carefully. This article examines the sediment yield and hydrology of the Burrishoole catchment. Flow and sediment concentrations were measured at 8-hourly intervals from 5 February 2001 to 8 November 2001 with an automatic sampler and separate flow gauge, and hourly averages were recorded between 4 July 2002 and 6 September 2002 using an automatic river monitoring system [ARMS]. The authors describe the GIS-based model of soil erosion and transport that was applied to the Burrishoole catchment during this study. The results of these analyses were compared, in a qualitative manner, with the aerial photography available for the Burrishoole catchment to see whether areas that were predicted to contribute large proportions of eroded material to the drainage network corresponded with areas where peat erosion could be identified through photo-interpretation.

An investigation of various types of arc welded joints

In the last few years there has been much discussion as to the relative merits or arc welded joints as compared to riveted joints. There is an old precedent which must be removed before arc welding will come into its own. The purpose of this paper is to help establish confidence in this process of fabrication with special regard to strength and reliability.