Artificial Waterways Research Articles

Importance of the arboreal-shrubby hedges as habitat for birds in an intensive farming area of the Turin-Cuneo plain (NW Italy).

We sampled the bird community of hedges and tree rows along the waterways of a portion of the western Po plain with a surface of about 320 Kmq. Maize fields cover more than 60% of the agricultural surface crossed by many natural and artificial waterways both in the “Piana di Carmagnola” (a flood plain at 235-240 m asl) and in the “Pianalto di Poirino” (a lower plateau at 255-265 m asl). The observations were collected by transect counts during the months of May and June 2009, and expressed as IKA. We detected 45 species and Nightingale, Blackcap and Blackbird were the most abundant of the 34 breeding species that include 2 SPEC 2 (Red Backed Shrike and Turtle Dove) and one SPEC 3 (Green Woodpecker). The low numbers of Tits population and the absence of Wren may be partly due to the effects of the previous hard winters. Hedges in the floodplains were richer than those in the lower plateau and have more bush-nesting birds and more trans-Saharan migrants. The Nightingale population in the hedges of the whole area can be estimated at about 1200 pairs. The research confirmed the importance of the presence of hedges and tree rows within the intensively cultivated plain, which allow a number of species of birds to settle and nest in an area otherwise extremely and increasingly trivialized by monocultures and commercial and industrial settlements.

Using long-term monitoring to investigate the changes in species composition in the harbour of Ghent (Belgium)

The macroinvertebrate community of the harbour of Ghent was studied by analysing 135 samples taken at different sampling locations from 1990 until 2008. The results showed that the current Crustacea and Mollusca communities are mainly represented, in terms of abundances, by alien species. In total, seven alien and four indigenous crustacean species were found. Mollusc diversity was higher, with a total of 14 species, four of which were alien. Macroinvertebrate diversity was very low at the beginning of the 1990s, but increased due to the improvement of the chemical water quality achieved by sanitation and stricter environmental laws. This is reflected by the dissolved oxygen concentration, which increased from an average of 2 mg/l to an average of 9 mg/l, allowing more sensitive species to establish. Since 1993, the number of alien taxa has augmented, whereas the number of native taxa has remained stable. The improvement of the chemical water quality and the simultaneous increase in total number of species were also reflected in an increase of the Multimetric Macroinvertebrate Index Flanders, which is used to assess the ecological water quality in Flanders. Due to intensive international boat traffic and the low species diversity, the harbour of Ghent is highly vulnerable for invasions. Stronger regulations and a better understanding about the contribution of shipping, shortcuts via artificial water ways, habitat degradation and environmental pollution are required to reduce the further spread of alien species.

A Landscape of Energy Abundance: Anthracite Coal Canals and the Roots of American Fossil Fuel Dependence, 1820–1860

AbstractBetween 1820 and 1860, the construction of a network of coal-carrying canals transformed the society, economy, and environment of the eastern mid-Atlantic. Artificial waterways created a ne...

Science versus myth: was there a connection between the Marmara Sea and Lake Sapanca?

AbstractThe existence of an alternative strait between the Black and Marmara Seas, east of today's İstanbul Strait, on the route of İzmit Gulf–Lake Sapanca–Lower Sakarya Valley, was already claimed at the end of the 19th century and has also been considered in several recent studies. Firstly, in historical documents over the last 2500 years, some natural and artificial waterways between the Marmara Sea and Lake Sapanca have been reported. Secondly, according to the present geomorphological research between the İzmit Gulf and Lake Sapanca, the gutter‐like morphology, which was formed by the tectonics of the North Anatolian Fault in the centre of the plain, is suggested as a suitable geomorphic feature for a possible waterway between the gulf and the lake. Thirdly, the İzmit Plain that lies between the İzmit Gulf and Lake Sapanca is studied in this paper through its sedimentology. The facies associations of the basin‐fill deposits are examined here through the lithological descriptions and fossil assemblages in nine cores drilled in the plain. All these data suggest that the shoreline in the Quaternary did not lie much further landward from its current position, that the inner part of the plain was covered by a lagoon/coastal‐swamp environment and that a connection may have existed at an unknown time (perhaps for the last time during the Middle/Late Pleistocene) with perhaps only partial reuse during the last millennia in the course of catastrophic seismic movements and consecutive floods. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Dynamics of a vertical axis hydrokinetic energy conversion system with a rectifier coupled multi-pole permanent magnet generator

Hydrokinetic energy conversion systems (HECSs) are increasingly being considered as attractive alternative solutions for electric power generation from marine/tidal currents, river streams and other artificial waterways. Use of vertical axis turbines and multi-pole permanent magnet generators (PMGs) are also gaining considerable attention. This work develops a set of dynamic numerical models for vertical axis turbines that employ PMGs for electromechanical energy conversion. Issues such as weak startup behaviour, torque-ripple propagation and system losses are accommodated in the formulations. With emphasis on the electrical and electromechanical subsystems, various key observations have been validated through experiments conducted in a controlled environment. The modelling scheme has been found to be flexible and detailed enough in representing the expected system behaviour. Various limitations and scope of further work are also highlighted in this work.

The discovery of the nonindigenous, mottled fingernail clam, Eupera cubensis (Prime, 1865) (Bivalvia: Sphaeriidae) in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (Illinois River Drainage), Cook County, Illinois

The nonindigenous mottled fingernail clam, Eupera cubensis is reported from the Upper Mississippi River Basin for the first time. This record represents a significant northern range expansion for the species in the United States. It appears to be presently confined to a 35-km stretch of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (CSSC), an artificial waterway that connects the Mississippi River drainage to the Great Lakes. Although the introduction of this species to the Great Lakes basin poses uncertain risks to the general aquatic community, the immediate effects of Eupera cubensis on the fauna of the CSSC are expected to be minimal.

Detection of Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia duodenalis in surface water: A health risk for humans and animals

The objective of the present study was to determine the degree of contamination by Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia duodenalis in a river basin in a livestock farming area in Galicia (NW, Spain). Water samples (50 l) were collected at 22 points in the main basin (including 5 recreational areas), and at the source and mouth of the 3 most important rivers and at the mouth of a smaller, secondary river. Faecal samples were collected from dairy cattle selected at random from 18 herds farmed in the area. A total of 139 neonatal calves, 480 heifers and 697 cows were sampled. The prevalence, intensity of infection and the risk associated with the spread of infection by both enteropathogens were determined. Water and faecal samples were collected in spring, summer, autumn and winter of 2007. The species and genotypes of these parasites present in the water samples were identified. In both water and faecal samples, more parasitic stages were collected in spring and summer than in autumn and winter. In spring, Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts were detected in 33 (9.4%) cows from 13 (72.2%) herds, and G. duodenalis cysts were detected in 56 (16.0%) cows from 15 farms (83.3%); the intensity of infection ranged from 5 to 7895 G. duodenalis cysts per gram of faeces. Infective stages of Cryptosporidium spp. and G. duodenalis were also detected in respectively 26 (89.6%) and 27 (93.1%) water samples, in spring. The mean concentrations of parasites ranged from 2 to 1200 Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts per litre and from 2 to 400 G. duodenalis cysts per litre. Cryptosporidium parvum, C. andersoni, C. hominis and assemblages A-I, A-II, E of G. duodenalis were detected. The presence of both protozoans must be monitored in cattle, in sources of water used for recreational purposes and in artificial waterways used by farmers (water channels, animal drinking water and drainage systems).

Ramsey Abbey, Cambridgeshire: Excavations at the Site of a Fenland Monastery

We know remarkably little about the archaeology of the great fenland abbeys. Ramsey stands with Peterborough, Crowland, Thorney and Ely as one of the principal late-Saxon, post- Regularis Concordia monasteries of eastern England and shares their significance. It ranked among the most important ecclesiastical institutions in England and prospered until the Dissolution. This paper presents new interpretations of the layout of the Benedictine abbey, linked to the recent discovery of possible late-Saxon monastic buildings. It includes rare evidence for a later medieval artificial waterway (or 'lode'), with an adjacent crane and possible storehouse: their implications for monastic trade and economy are set within the wider fenland context.

Innovations dans les transports industriels en France : le désenclavement du bassin stéphano-ripagérien (1750-1850)

Résumé Avant l’ère du rail la majorité les transports « industriels » s’effectuent par le biais de la voie d’eau et notamment des canaux. Ces voies navigables artificielles sont le fruit d’une longue tradition technique française. Le bassin stéphano-ripagérien n’échappe pas à cette logique, les projets naissants au sein de cet espace industriel sont pour la plupart influencés par cette culture technique. Comment un espace tel que celui-ci, berceau du rail français, a-t-il adopté une innovation anglaise qui remet totalement en cause la culture technique française ? Le début du 19 e siècle marque, en France, le début de l’industrialisation et donc de l’influence technique anglaise sur le continent. Malgré cet état de fait il faudra toute la persévérance et la compétence des ingénieurs des Mines pour mener à bien ce transfert de technologie. JEL : N73, O31

Genetic differentiation among populations of Minona ileanae (Platyhelminthes: Proseriata) from the Red Sea and the Suez Canal

The phenomenon of Lessepsian migration has stimulated the interest of biologists ever since the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, concerning, in particular, the possible effects of migrants on Mediterranean autochthonous communities. So far, most attention has been devoted to macrofaunal taxa – yet, the nature of the sandy shores of the Canal may constitute an ideal habitat for many interstitial taxa. However, studies on these organisms, and especially on “inconspicuous” taxa, such as the microturbellaria, are almost completely lacking. A recent sampling campaign along the shores of the Suez Canal, aimed at studying the composition and distribution of free-living Platyhelminthes in the area, potential invaders of the Mediterranean Sea, revealed the occurrence of the interstitial species Minona ileanae (Neoophora: Proseriata), first described on specimens collected in the Gulf of Eilat-Aqaba (Red Sea). The presence of a significant population of this species in the Suez area, a possible source of colonizers of the Canal, allowed comparison between its genetic pattern and those obtained from three populations collected in the Canal. Their genetic structure was surveyed by means of ISSR (Inter-Simple Sequence Repeat) molecular markers. UPGMA cluster analysis based on the matrix of interindividual dissimilarity (1-relatedness) and the assignment test revealed sharp genetic divergence among the four samples with a highly significant F ST value (0.155, P < 0.001). The significant genetic differentiation may be related to a post-1869 colonisation of the Canal with swift genetic divergence, due to either different pressure selection of the habitats and/or the short life cycle of M. ileanae, or, more convincingly, to an early migration to the Isthmus in pre-Lessepsian periods, during i) the Last Interglacial Optimum, ii) the Holocene Climatic Optimum, or iii) across the artificial waterways built by the ancient Egyptians from the 13th century B.C. onwards. The remarkable tolerance shown in laboratory of the species to salinity values ranging from as low as 10‰ to 80‰ supports the possibility that M. ileanae may have survived in the water bodies of the Isthmus in pre-Lessepsian times.

Stones used in Milan architecture

The city of Milan lies in a plain with clayey soil well suited to brick-making, but no stone deposits. An ample supply of stone is available, however, in the surrounding hills and mountains, which are connected to the city via both natural and artificial waterways. The types of stone used since Roman times include: granite, marble and gneiss from Ossola Valley; dolomite from Lake Maggiore; detrital limestone from Ceresio Valley; sandstone from the Brianza Hills; black limestone and marble from Lake Como; and conglomerate and sandstone from the Adda River basin. Traditionally, the chief uses have been dimension stone (all stones), column shafts (granite), slabs (marble), moulding (dolomite, limestone) and ornamental (marble, dolomite, limestone).

Artificial waterway design affects fish assemblages in urban estuaries

Fishes were collected from residential canal estates leading directly off natural estuaries and artificial lakes with control tidal exchange in south‐east Queensland, Australia, to test the model that the difference in artificial waterway design affects fish assemblages. A total of 17 779 fish representing 52 species was caught, including 23 species of economic importance (45% of the catch). Total fish abundance and species richness differed little among sites within or between the two artificial habitats (canals and lakes) in either of the seasons sampled (winter and spring). Multivariate analysis showed, however, that assemblages differed among sites within the same artificial habitat. The differences were best explained by the distance sites were from open water, while salinity, water temperature and dissolved oxygen explained little of the variability. Most species were found in canals and lakes, but there were enough differences in composition between the habitats to detect a difference in both seasons (significant ANOSIM tests). Salinity was lower in lakes because of the tidal restrictions, and while this was only weakly correlated with differences in fish assemblages, it had the most explanatory power of any environmental variable. New recruits arrived later in lakes than canals, perhaps because of the barriers to tidal flow. A survey the following year showed that differences among individual lakes were consistent through time, offering insights into the influence of different tidal barriers on fish assemblages. The design change from canals to lakes has a minor influence on fish assemblages and alters the timing of recruitment.

Suän, Zetti, Wüer - Namen im Umkreis der Oberwalliser Flurbewässerung

An archaic dialect, ancient wooden houses, the special rye bread or the artificial irrigation channels (suones) - they all belong to the typical "sights" of the Valais that are widely known but little investigated. In our paper we record the names of waterways in the German-speaking Valais, above all we derive proper names and appellatives etymologically and look into their geografic and diachronic distribution from first documentary evidence back in the 13th century up to present-day oral recordings, from the language boundary near Siders to the Rhone glacier. Not claiming completeness and not wanting to collect all suones an onomastic explanatio of the most important names and appellatives is given which denote artificial waterways. Tools and work processes are listed and a typology and morphology of the names of the waterways is set up.

Use of Electric or Bubble Barriers to Limit the Movement of Eurasian Ruffe ( Gymnocephalus cernuus)

Eurasian ruffe ( Gymnocephalus cernuus) is an aquatic invasive species accidentally introduced via ballast water to the Great Lakes in the mid-1980s. Fish barrier technology is being studied to stop the spread of invasive fish species such as ruffe. Electrical barriers have been constructed, most notably in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, to prevent non-indigenous species such as ruffe from spreading into areas where they are currently absent. Information on the response of an invasive fish to barriers can help managers determine strategies to prevent the spread of these species via artificial waterways. In this laboratory study electrical barriers were set up to determine effectiveness of four electrical settings for repelling Eurasian ruffe measuring 10 cm or more in length. In separate tests, airbubble curtains with two bubble sizes and densities were created to test this type of barrier in blocking movement of ruffe less than 10 cm in length. The most effective electrical settings found (5 ms, 6 Hz) repelled only about half of the attempted passes. When ruffe were offered food or shelter on the opposite side of the electrical barrier, neither food-starved nor shelter-deprived ruffe made significantly more attempts to cross the barrier. Ruffe were significantly repelled by all air-bubble curtains, but a large proportion of passes (4.5 passes per fish on average in the treatments) were still observed. Electrical barrier settings and air-bubble curtains used in this study were found ineffective at completely blocking the movement, but somewhat effective at inhibiting the passage of ruffe.

A review of the impacts of aquaculture and artificial waterways upon coastal ecosystems in the Gulf (Arabian/Persian) including a case study demonstrating how future management may resolve these impacts

Preliminary calculations indicate that western Gulf intertidal mud and sand flat habitats such as those found in Kuwait may contribute some 30 percent of the gross marine productivity for this state, more than double that of any other intertidal biotope. Mud flats are dominated by a microbial mat system; recent application of the stable isotope ratio technique confirms a link between mat production and commercial fish and shrimp species. These findings demonstrate the importance of intertidal productivity so that dredging and coastal reclamation represent one of the most serious impacts on the Gulf environment. In addition, Gulf fish stocks are now fully exploited and many Gulf countries are placing further stress on coastal ecosystems through the development of aquaculture. Most of these countries now have coastal management plans with zoning of areas for conservation, recreation and development and future planning prioritization should ensure sustainability of marine biodiversity, fisheries, aquaculture, aesthetic and recreational values for coastal habitats during development. Recent coastal construction projects in Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait demonstrate that even within development zones it is possible to mitigate impact and even expand areas of marine productivity. Key factors are multidisciplinary approaches to design, which promote good water circulation, avoid stagnation, prevent salinity rise due to evaporation and sustain water of bathing quality. It is suggested that artifically created lagoons and waterways could be managed to provide nursery areas suitable for fishery stock enhancement.

Guest Editorial: The Legacy of Conflicts

Guest Editorial: The Legacy of Conflicts

Modelling hydrodynamics and water quality in the separation waterway of the Yulin offshore industrial park, Taiwan

Numerical models are often used to evaluate the potential impact of human alternation of natural water bodies and to help the design of the alternation to mitigate its impacts. This paper describes a case study in which an estuarine hydrodynamic and water quality model was used to help the design of the artificial waterway for an offshore industrial park. Yulin offshore industrial park is located at the central western coast of Taiwan. To mitigate its impacts on the nearby coastal area, the industrial park is buffered by a waterway separating it from the main island. The original design of the separation waterway has a width of 500 m. However, this width has been a controversial issue for the past 10 years. Since the separation waterway receives discharges from two streams in the main island, the Shu-Chu-Liao Stream and Hsin-Hu-Wei Stream, the potential inundation during flood events and water quality conditions during low flow periods are two of the major considerations for the width of the waterway. A vertical two-dimensional, real-time model of estuarine hydrodynamics and water quality was modified and used to determine the rational width of the separation waterway. The model modification is necessary to account for the multiple outlets into the sea when the whole system of the separation waterways is completed. Model calibration and verification were conducted with current, residual velocity, salinity, and water quality variables measured in the completed portion of the waterway. The overall performance of the model was in qualitative agreement with the available field data. The model was then used to evaluate several scenarios of different widths for the yet-to-be completed system of separation waterways. Based on the model simulation results, a 200 m wide waterway, bordered by 300 m wide flood plain, is recommended for adoption. The model simulation indicated that coastal water quality standard may be attained and inundation by the 50-year flood may be avoided by such a separation waterway.

Differences in trophodynamics of commercially important fish between artificial waterways and natural coastal wetlands

Extensive artificial waterways have replaced natural wetlands and created new estuarine habitats on the southern Queensland coast, Australia. Economically important fish species found in adjacent natural wetlands of mangrove, saltmarsh and seagrass also occur in the artificial waterways. Stable isotope analyses ( δ 13C, δ 15N) were used to test whether the relative importance of basal sources of energy varied for foodwebs found in artificial (canals and tidal lakes) and natural waterways. None of the fish species differed in their isotope values between artificial waterways. In contrast, isotopic signatures of snub-nosed garfish ( Arrhamphus sclerolepis; Hemiramphidae) varied greatly between natural and artificial waterways, having highly enriched δ 13C values (−10.5‰) in natural wetlands, demonstrating reliance on seagrass (−11.4‰), and significantly less enriched values (−19.0‰) in artificial waterways, consistent with either local algal sources (−19.8 to −20.4‰) or a mixture of seagrass and other less enriched autotrophs from adjacent natural wetlands. Isotopic signatures of sand whiting ( Sillago ciliata; Sillaginidae) were also significantly more enriched in natural (−18.2‰) than artificial (−21.0‰) habitats, but means were not far enough apart to distinguish between different sources of nutrition. δ 13C values of yellowfin bream ( Acanthopagrus australis; Sparidae) did not differ between artificial and natural habitats (about −20‰ in both). δ 15N values of fish varied among habitats only for A. sclerolepis, which in artificial waterways had values enriched by 2‰ over those in natural waterways. This was consistent with a shift from seagrass (relatively depleted δ 15N) as a source in natural habitat to algal sources (relatively enriched δ 15N) in artificial habitats. This study provides some of the first evidence that at least some fish species rely on different autotrophs in artificial waterways than in adjacent natural wetlands.

Inter‐relationships between standing crop, biodiversity and trait attributes of hydrophytic vegetation in artificial waterways

1. The extensive British canal system potentially provides a favourable habitat for aquatic plants and, because of its uniformity, it is ideal for studying relationships between disturbance intensity (largely from boat traffic) and communities of aquatic macrophytes.2. The standing crop and species composition of aquatic plants were measured in summer at 396 sites distributed randomly over the canal network. We also quantified the number of rare species and ‘attribute groups’ (groups of species sharing similar suites of biological traits). These data were analysed in relation to standing crop, assumed to indicate a disturbance gradient.3. Consistent with unimodal models and the Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis, maximum hydrophyte species richness occurred at an intermediate biomass (50–200 g DWm−2). This corresponded to a low frequency of low magnitude disturbance (light boat traffic) on navigable sections, or occasional high magnitude disturbance (the post‐interventionist phase) on sections currently unnavigable and subject to active vegetation management. The frequency of rare species was also the greatest under these conditions, reflecting the availability of regeneration niches.4. Sorting of species into attribute groups revealed that the overall relationship between species richness and standing crop comprised of closely overlapping unimodal responses of nine attribute groups, superimposed on a core vegetation of Potamogeton pectinatus, together with greater representation of filamentous algae, lemnids and elodeids with increasing standing crop (i.e. assumed low disturbance). High species richness was associated with the overlap of functionally different groups of species, rather than with disturbance‐mediated coexistence of functionally similar plants.5. The analysis of a matrix of sites and the representation of plant traits weighted by the biomass of species that displayed them, in relation to different aspects of disturbance, highlighted a shift from traits associated with resilience (turions, unanchored floating or submerged leaves, low body flexibility, budding, small body size), or competitiveness (entire leaves, low reproductive output, high biomass density, large body size) at high standing crop, through to attributes more associated with resistance to disturbance (rhizomes, tubers, streamlining of foliage, low biomass density) at low standing crop.6. Comparison with a stochastic null model of change in species number along a constrained gradient, after correction for variation in sampling effort, indicated that sites towards the tails of the gradient (excluding those with extremely low biomass) supported more species than might be expected from chance alone, while the most species‐rich sites in mid‐gradient generally supported many fewer species than expected.7. We suggest that a disturbance regime that maintains intermediate standing crops would be appropriate for the conservation of species‐rich aquatic vegetation. Precise definition of this regime, under a range of circumstances, requires the study of temporal change at representative sites.

Relationship between the Carbon Fiber Strands Assembly and the Amount of Attached Microorganism.

Relation between the form of assembly of carbon fiber strands and the amount of attached microorganism was studied by using an artificial waterway set up at the side of the pond AZAMI. A variety of rectangular sail-type carbon samples were prepared by arranging a definite number of the strands (N) in parallel to each other in width of A cm and in length of B cm. These samples were placed on a setting frame with a length of L0, and then immersed in the circulating water pumped up continuously from the pond during the period of each four months in winter and summer. The amount of microorganism attached and proliferated in carbon fiber entanglement network was evaluated by weight increase(Winc). It was found that Winc depends on the relative length, B/L0 and the value of N/A, namely, compactness of the strand consisting of 12, 000 monofilaments. The former value was closely related to easy separation of the strand into monofilaments that gives rise to an increase in effective surface area of carbon fibers for initial attachment of microorganism, while the latter was a function of an effective volume of network in water for proliferation of microorganism. A suggestion obtained was, further, that aerobe microorganism was preferential species within the carbon fiber network perturbed by water flow which leads to an increase in the rate of exchange of water in the network and this probably be related to the high bending modulus of carbon fiber filament. A most preferable result for proliferation of microorganism was obtained at the condition of B/L0=1.4 and N/A=2.7, and the average distance between neighboring carbon monofilaments entrapped in the aggregates of microorganism reached to about 750μm corresponding to ca. 100-folds of the diameter of carbon monofilaments.