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PubMed2003

Assessment of global industrial-age anthropogenic arsenic contamination.

Arsenic, a carcinogenic trace element, threatens not only the health of millions of humans and other living organisms, but also global sustainability. We present here, for the first time, the global industrial-age cumulative anthropogenic arsenic production and its potential accumulation and risks in the environment. In 2000, the world cumulative industrial-age anthropogenic arsenic production was 4.53 million tonnes. The world-wide coal and petroleum industries accounted for 46% of global annual gross arsenic production, and their overall contribution to industrial-age gross arsenic production was 27% in 2000. Global industrial-age anthropogenic As sources (as As cumulative production) follow the order: As mining production>As generated from coal>As generated from petroleum. The potential industrial-age anthropogenic arsenic input in world arable surface in 2000 was 2.18 mg arsenic kg(-1), which is 1.2 times that in the lithosphere. The development of substitute materials for arsenic applications in the agricultural and forestry industries and controls of arsenic emissions from the coal industry may be possible strategies to significantly decrease arsenic pollution sources and dissipation rates into the environment.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Biodegradabilities of some chain oils in groundwater as determined by the respirometric BOD OxiTop method.

The respirometric BOD OxiTop method was used to monitor the biodegradation of different chain oils (mineral, rapeseed and tall oils) over 28 days in groundwater, as well as in standard conditions described by OECD 301 F. The aim of the study was to gather more information about the biodegradability of forestry oils in groundwater, as well as about the suitability of the automatic OxiTop method for biodegradation measurements. The BOD OxiTop method proved to be a precise and reliable technique for determining the biodegradations of different oils. Some comparative studies were also made using a traditional IR method in order to clarify the total oil concentrations. The results show that if biodegradation only is to be monitored, the OxiTop method is preferable. This is due to the influence of other reactions aside from biodegradation on total hydrocarbon concentrations when using the IR method.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗
PubMed2003

Environmental contaminants in liver and kidney of free-ranging northern goshawks (Accipiter gentilis) from three regions of Germany.

The northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) is a top predator in the terrestrial food web of large parts of the Holarctic. Due to its sedentary nature and well-investigated feeding ecology, it represents the most suitable bird of prey species in continental Europe for monitoring environmental pollutants. We analyzed the levels of organochlorine pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), and nonessential heavy metals in organ samples of 62 free-ranging northern goshawks found dead or injured in Germany from 1995 to 2001. Our results indicate significant differences in the contaminant burden of northern goshawks between three regions in Germany. Presumably, these differences were caused by different application periods and legislative restrictions before the German reunion, especially for the use of DDT in agriculture and forestry. Extraordinarily high residues of PCBs and DDE, the main metabolite of DDT, were found mainly in livers of northern goshawks inhabiting Berlin. Body condition is highly negatively correlated with the contamination level of the individual, especially for the persistent and lipophilic organochlorines and for mercury. PCB concentrations in hepatic tissue increase rapidly with age, and birds in their first summer had significantly lower levels than birds in their first winter or older. Adult female northern goshawks from Berlin had significantly higher hepatic concentrations of most of the higher-chlorinated PCBs and of cadmium than males from the same region. Cadmium residues were in general higher in renal tissue than in hepatic tissue, and cadmium levels in kidneys increased with age. Lead concentrations indicative of acute lead poisoning were detected in one bird and suggested in two others. All other heavy metal concentrations were low and represent background levels for birds of prey in Germany.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Use of Daphnia spp. for the ecotoxicological assessment of water quality in an agricultural watershed in South-Central Chile.

Because of the importance of surface waters from the Chillán River watershed (Chile) for recreation, agricultural irrigation, and the production of drinking water, local concern about river water quality has increased considerably during the last decade. Agricultural and forestry activities in the watershed, characterized by an intensive use of pesticides, are thought to play an important role in the generation of non-point-source pollution, whereas the discharge of urban wastewater from the city of Chillán constitutes a major point source of pollution. In the present investigation, acute and chronic laboratory bioassays using Daphnia spp. were conducted on surface water samples from 17 river stations located throughout the watershed. Sampling occurred on 6 occasions during a 16-month period (2000 to 2001) and included both high and low flow conditions. Almost all toxic effects observed in summer were directly related to the discharge of urban wastewater, whereas toxicity in rural areas was mainly detected during the winter period when rainfall and river flow are high. Toxicity test results were compared with measured physicochemical water-quality data. Mortality and alterations in reproductive success of Daphnia spp. were not consistently reflected in detected chemical pollution. With only one exception (atrazine), detected pesticide concentrations were below known toxicity levels. However, additive and synergistic effects of the presence of a mixture of pesticides could not be excluded as a possible cause of observed toxicity. At several stations, filtering of the water sample led to a strong decrease in toxicity, which suggests the presence of xenobiotics attached to the smaller sediment fraction. Inclusion of sediment chemical analysis and sediment toxicity testing in future work should therefore be encouraged. The presented approach provided information about the adverse effects of human activities on surface water quality in the watershed, not easily obtained from classical monitoring schemes. In specific cases, the approach may represent an economically attractive alternative to physicochemical analyses. Modifications to the proposed methodology should be introduced if the effects of intrastorm and interstorm variability of water quality are to be analyzed.

Agriculture↗
PubMed2005

Methanogen communities in a drained bog: effect of ash fertilization.

Forestry practises such has drainage have been shown to decrease emissions of the greenhouse gas methane (CH(4)) from peatlands. The aim of the study was to examine the methanogen populations in a drained bog in northern Finland, and to assess the possible effect of ash fertilization on potential methane production and methanogen communities. Peat samples were collected from control and ash fertilized (15,000 kg/ha) plots 5 years after ash application, and potential CH(4) production was measured. The methanogen community structure was studied by DNA isolation, PCR amplification of the methyl coenzyme-M reductase (mcr) gene, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis. The drained peatland showed low potential methane production and methanogen diversity in both control and ash-fertilized plots. Samples from both upper and deeper layers of peat were dominated by three groups of sequences related to Rice cluster-I hydrogenotroph methanogens. Even though pH was marginally greater in the ash-treated site, the occurrence of those sequences was not affected by ash fertilization. Interestingly, a less common group of sequences, related to the Fen cluster, were found only in the fertilized plots. The study confirmed the depth related change of methanogen populations in peatland.

Bacteria↗
PubMed2001

Effects of Elevated Carbon Dioxide and Nitrogen Fertilization on Mycorrhizal Fine Roots and the Soil Microbial Community in Beech-Spruce Ecosystems on Siliceous and Calcareous Soil.

To study the responses of forests to global change, model ecosystems consisting of beech and spruce trees were maintained in open top chambers for 4 years under four conditions, namely with normal and elevated CO2 and with low and high nitrogen input, each replicated four times. Each open top chamber (height 3 m, diameter 3 m, soil depth 1.5 m) contained two separate soil compartments containing nutrient-poor siliceous and nutrient-rich calcareous soil. Here, we focus on the fine roots and the soil microbial community in these model ecosystems. At the time of planting, the fine roots were cut back according to forestry practice, and the newly formed roots were colonized by the indigenous soil microflora. After 4 years, the total biomass of fine roots, when averaged over all treatments, was almost the same in each of the two soil types; it was highest in the top 100 mm of soil (60%) and decreased sharply in deeper soil layers. Fungal biomass associated with the fine roots, consisting mainly of ectomycorrhizal fungi, was estimated using the ergosterol content as a marker. It was much higher in fine roots in the siliceous than in the calcareous soil, indicating considerably enhanced ectomycorrhiza formation in the nutrient-poor siliceous soil. Elevated atmospheric CO2 stimulated fine root production by ca. 85% and 43% in the top 100 mm of calcareous and siliceous soils respectively. Increased nitrogen input caused a slightly reduced production of fine root biomass in the calcareous soil but increased it by 33% in the siliceous soil. Marker substances for microorganisms were analyzed in the root-free soil. The amounts of carbon released by fumigation/extraction (a general marker for microbial biomass) and chitin (a marker for fungal biomass) were significantly higher in the top layer of the siliceous than of the calcareous soil, but they did not respond significantly to the treatments with elevated CO2 or the nitrogen fertilizer. The total concentration of the phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) and the number of the PLFAs did not differ between the two soil types. However, four of the eight most abundant PLFAs differed significantly between the two soil types. Principal component analysis revealed clearly separated clusters for the two soil types. Although analysis did not reveal any significant changes in response to the treatments, the concentration of the PLFA typical for ectomycorrhizal fungi was significantly higher under conditions of elevated CO2 in the nutrient-rich calcareous soil.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2002

National policies for biosphere greenhouse gas management: issues and opportunities.

Biosphere greenhouse gas (GHG) management consists of preserving and enhancing terrestrial carbon pools and producing biomass as a fossil fuel substitute. The discussion of this topic has focused primarily on carbon-accounting and project-level issues, particularly relating to carbon sequestration as a source of emissions credits under the Kyoto Protocol. While international consensus on these matters is needed, this paper argues that an important domestic policy agenda also deserves attention. National policies for biosphere GHG management are necessary to bring about large-scale changes in land-use, forestry, and agricultural practices and can address some of the technical and policy issues that have proven to be particularly problematic from carbon-accounting and project-level perspectives. These policies should minimize land-use and resource-management conflicts, account for collateral benefits, and ensure institutional compatibility with existing resource-management regimes. Issues relating to project permanence, leakage, and transaction costs should also be addressed. A range of policy instruments should be used and biosphere GHG management should be one component of an integrated approach to environmental and resource management. Countries promoting biosphere GHG management as an important element of their climate change strategies should be developing these domestic policies to complement international negotiations and to demonstrate that carbon sequestration and biomass production can make an effective contribution to the stabilization of atmospheric GHG concentrations.

Air Pollution↗
PubMed2006

Directions of change in land cover and landscape patterns from 1957 to 2000 in agricultural landscapes in NW Spain.

The aim of this work is the analysis of the dynamics in cultural landscapes, focused on the spatial distribution of changes in land cover and landscape patterns, and their possible linkages. These dynamics have been analyzed for the years 1957 and 2000 in a sector of the north of Galicia (NW Spain) characterized with diverse landscapes. Afforestation processes linked to agriculture abandonment and forestry specialization were the main processes observed in the study area, with the exception of the southern mountainous sector that was dominated by ploughing of scrubland for conversion into grassland, reflecting a specialization in livestock production. The structural changes that have taken place in most of the study area were related to the heterogeneity aspects, although the mountainous sectors were characterized by changes in heterogeneity and fragmentation. According to the tests performed, the comparison of the spatial distribution of both dynamics showed a certain statistical significance, reflecting the interrelationship between patterns and processes. This approach could be useful for the identification of areas with similar characteristics in terms of spatial dynamics so as to define more effective and targeted landscape planning and management strategies.

Agriculture↗
PubMed2001

Traditional land-use systems and patterns of forest fragmentation in the highlands of Chiapas, Mexico.

The influence of slash-and-burn agriculture and tree extraction on the spatial and temporal pattern of forest fragmentation in two municipalities in the highlands of Chiapas, Mexico was analyzed. The data series were derived from two subsets of satellite images taken in 1974 and 1996. The analysis was based on area, edge, shape, core area, and neighbor indices. During the 22 years, the dense forest decreased by 8.9%/yr in Huistan and by 8.6%/yr in Chanal, while open/disturbed forest, secondary vegetation, and developed area increased in both municipalities. The total number of fragments increased by 1.4%/yr and 2.3%/yr in Huistan and Chanal, respectively. Dense forest showed the highest increase in the number of fragments (6%/yr in Huistan and 12%/yr in Chanal), while edge length, core area, and number of dense forest core areas decreased. The larger fragments of dense forest present in 1974 were divided into smaller fragments in 1996; at the same time, they experienced a process of degradation toward open/disturbed forest and secondary vegetation. Two different fragmentation patterns could be distinguished based on agricultural or forestry activities. Forest fragmentation did not occur as a continuous process; the pattern and degree of fragmentation were functions of land tenure, environmental conditions, and productive activities. The prevalence of rather poor soil conditions, small-holdings, growing human population densities, increasing poverty, and the absence of alternative economic options will maintain a high rate of deforestation and forest fragmentation in the studied region.

Agriculture↗
PubMed2001

Home range size and choice of management strategy for lynx in Scandinavia.

Annual and seasonal home ranges were calculated for 47 Eurasian lynx in four Scandinavian study sites (two in Sweden and two in Norway). The observed home ranges were the largest reported for the species, with study site averages ranging from 600 to 1,400 km2 for resident males and from 300 to 800 km2 for resident females. When home range sizes were compared to the size of protected areas (national parks and nature reserves) in Scandinavia, it was concluded that very few protected areas contained sufficient forest to provide space for more than a few individuals. As a direct consequence of this, most lynx need to be conserved in the multiuse semi-natural forest habitats that cover large areas in Scandinavia. This conservation strategy leads to a number of conflicts with some land uses (sheep and semidomestic reindeer herding, and roe deer hunters), but not all (forestry and moose harvest). Accordingly research must be aimed at understanding the ecology of these conflicts, and finding solutions.

Agriculture↗
PubMed1998

Evaluating the Role of Plantations as Carbon Sinks: An Example of an Integrative Approach from the Humid Tropics

/ Despite their fast growth, tropical plantations are a small sink of atmospheric carbon because they occupy only a small area in relation to other land uses worldwide. Proper design and management of plantations can increase biomass accumulation rates, making them more effective C sinks. However, fast-growing plantations can extract large amounts of nutrients from the soil, and site fertility declines may limit sustained plantation forestry after a few rotations. We measured aboveground biomass accumulation, carbon sequestration, and soil chemistry in three young plantations of 12 indigenous tree species in pure and mixed designs in the humid lowlands of Costa Rica. Annual biomass increments for the three mixed plantations ranged from 10-13 Mg/ha. The mixtures of four species gave higher biomass per hectare than that obtained by the sum of one fourth hectare of each species in pure plots. At this early age of the plantations, estimated annual C sequestration values were comparable to other reports from young plantations of exotic species commonly grown in the tropics. Four years after planting, decreases in soil nutrients were apparent in pure plots of some of the fastest growing species, while beneficial effects on soils were noted under other species. The mixed plots showed intermediate values for the nutrients examined and, sometimes, improved soil conditions. A mixture of fast and slower growing species yields products at different times, with the slower growing species constituting a longer term sink for fixed carbon. Examination of the role of tropical plantations as C sinks necessitates integrative approaches that consider rates of C sequestration, potential deleterious effects on ecosystem nutrients, and economic, social, and environmental constraints.KEY WORDS: Native trees; Aboveground biomass; Stem increments; Rotation length; Soil nutrients; Economics

Journal Article↗
PubMed1998

Window Sensitivity Functions for Line Transect Sampling

/ The estimation of animal or plant abundance by the line or belt transect sampling method has been investigated by many authors, including biologists, statisticians, biometricians, wildlife scientists, and fisheries and forestry specialists. The method has reached wide acceptance over the last 30 years, and the theoretical development has continued to expand, both from a parametric and a nonparametric point of view. This article examines the line transect sampling method from a slightly different perspective. If the line transect region is regarded as a rectangle with length L and width 2w, then by a selection of viewing window is meant a choice of w, with the intent being to search for optimal viewing windows, with the goal in mind of improving variances of estimators of population density, reducing sampling effort, while maintaining the property of unbiasedness. The notions of increasing window sensitivity (IWS) and decreasing window sensitivity (DWS) are introduced, and a method of deriving confidence intervals is discussed.KEY WORDS: Line transection sampling; Population estimation; Probability detection function; Window sensitivity function; Strip census.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1998

RESEARCH: Diversion of the Ganges Water at Farakka and Its Effects on Salinity in Bangladesh

/ The Ganges River supplies water to the southwest region of Bangladesh mainly through one of its distributaries-the Gorai River. India commissioned a barrage on the Ganges River at Farakka in April 1975 to divert water and make the Bhagirathi-Hooghly River navigable. The diversion has reduced the dry season discharge of the Ganges and Gorai rivers in Bangladesh. Statistical analyses indicate that the changes in the dry season discharge of these rivers are significant. Reduced discharge in the Gorai River has induced accelerated sedimentation and increased salinity in the southwest region of Bangladesh. Empirical analyses demonstrate the relationship between discharge in the Gorai River and salinity. Analyses also determine the requirement of flow for the Ganges and Gorai rivers to keep salinity at threshold limits. Increased salinity has caused negative effects on agriculture, forestry, industry, and drinking water in the southwest region of Bangladesh.KEY WORDS: Bangladesh; Ganges River; Gorai River; Farakka diversion; Salinity

Journal Article↗
PubMed1999

A Conceptual Model for Defining and Assessing Condition of Forest Stands.

/ Determining what indicators can be used to measure forest health has been much discussed but largely unresolved in the forestry literature. A model is presented in which the condition of a stand is quantified relative to a suitable target condition based on a preselected set of stands that, in the opinions of the managers, meet management objectives. Each stand was characterized by a list of variables that were selected from the existing forest database. We termed these characterizations stand profiles. Profiles of inventory data for 28 stands, each managed for either wildlife habitat or timber production in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest in eastern Oregon, USA, were used to develop this model. Healthy stands were represented by points in multidimensional scaling space that fell within the bounds of a 65% kernel density estimation of the distribution of stands preselected for each management objective. Stands falling outside these bounds were, by definition unhealthy, and the distance from the bounds is a measure of degree of unhealthiness. Operationally, the objectives of silvicultural manipulations would be to maintain or move points to within the target space by selectively manipulating the values composing stand profiles. The direction and length of the trajectory associated with manipulations is an indicator of the effect of management actions. More work needs to be done to develop and validate this method. KEY WORDS: Monitoring forest condition; Forest health; Decision making; Silviculture prescriptions; Forest management; Forest pests; Forest diseases; Forest insects

Journal Article↗
PubMed2003

Genetic transformation of conifers and its application in forest biotechnology.

Genetic modification of conifers through gene transfer technology is now an important field in forest biotechnology. Two basic methodologies, particle bombardment and Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, have been used on conifers. The use of particle bombardment has produced stable transgenic plants in Picea abies, P. glauca, P. mariana, and Pinus radiata. Transgenic plants have been produced from Larix decidua, Picea abies, P. glauca, P. mariana, Pinus strobus, P. taeda, and P. radiata via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Agrobacterium-mediated transformation has advantages over particle bombardment such as a simpler integration pattern and a limited rearrangement in the introduced DNA. At present, genetic transformation of conifers has been directed toward improving growth rate, wood properties and quality, pest resistance, stress tolerance, and herbicide resistance, which will drive forestry to enter a new era of productivity and quality.

Agrobacterium tumefaciens↗
PubMed2005

Occupational risk factors for kidney cancer: a cohort study in Sweden.

Although many studies have examined the associations between occupational exposures and kidney cancer, the evidence is not consistent. To examine the risk of occupational exposures on kidney cancer, we carried out a follow-up study on the economically active Swedish population, based on the latest update of the Swedish Family-Cancer Database. We calculated standardized incidence ratios (SIR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for different occupational groups, adjusted for age, period, and socioeconomic status. The reference group was all the economically active population. An increased risk of renal parenchymal cancer was observed for miners and quarry workers, drivers, sales agents, transport workers, and public safety and protection workers among men, and launderers and dry cleaners among women. Significantly increased SIRs of renal pelvical cancer were also observed for the food manufacture workers among men, and journalists and shoe and leather industry workers among women. Male forestry workers, smelters, and metal foundry workers had increased risk for unspecified kidney cancer. Although smoking may explain some of these results, exposure to gasoline, diesel, their exposure products, some metal and chemicals in shoe and leather works, and dry-cleaning products may be associated with kidney cancer.

Confidence Intervals↗
PubMed2004

Is there an increased risk of knee osteoarthritis among farmers? A population-based case-control study.

OBJECTIVES: Occupational workload is generally considered a to be contributing cause in the development of knee osteoarthritis, in addition to well-known risk factors such as age, female gender, excess weight and previous knee injuries. Farmers have an increased risk of developing hip osteoarthritis, but it is uncertain if farming is influencing the occurrence of knee osteoarthritis. The aim of this population-based case-control study was to investigate the risk of radiographically verified femorotibial osteoarthritis among farmers and those in some other physically demanding occupations. METHODS: A mailed questionnaire inquiring about previous occupations was answered by 778 subjects having X-ray verified osteoarthritis in the femorotibial joint and 695 matched controls. The reply frequency was 89%. Mean age of the participants was 63 years, 43% were male and 57% female. The relationship between knee osteoarthritis and occupation was analysed by multiple logistic regression, with adjustment for a number of variables. RESULTS: Men who had worked for 11-30 years in the building and construction industry had a 3.7-times (95% CI 1.2-11.3) increased risk of knee osteoarthritis. Farm work was not related to an increased risk for men. However, women who had worked for 11-30 years in farming tended to have an increased risk (OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.0-4.5). Forestry, letter-carrying (postal), cleaning and healthcare work was not related to knee osteoarthritis. Excess weight, heredity and previous knee injuries were strong risk factors, whereas smoking showed a negative relationship to knee osteoarthritis. CONCLUSION: Work in building and construction occupations, but not in farming, was associated with an increased risk of knee osteoarthritis.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Identification of differentially expressed cDNA clones in Tilia platyphyllos-Tuber borchii ectomycorrhizae using a differential screening approach.

No information is presently available on the molecular mechanisms that control the morphogenesis of the truffle, an ectomycorrhizal ascomycetous fungus of great economic interest not only for forestry and agronomy but also for the organoleptic properties of its hypogeous fruitbodies. A Tilia platyphyllos- Tuber borchii model system was used in order to identify genes induced or up-regulated during symbiosis, since their isolation is a prerequisite for the understanding of the molecular bases of mycorrhizal development and regulation. The strategy applied involved the construction of an ectomycorrhizal cDNA library and random selection of clones, followed by a differential screening procedure to analyse cDNA expression in uninfected roots, ectomycorrhizae and free-living mycelia. The results revealed that many genes - and more plant genes than fungal genes - are expressed at higher levels during the symbiotic phase. Several clones were also investigated in order to understand their biological function. This study represents the first attempt to extend our knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying the establishment of ectomycorrhiza in Tuber species.

Ascomycota↗