Assessment Of Anthropogenic Impact Research Articles

Assessing comprehensive anthropogenic impacts at a regional scale using ecological integrity

Various anthropogenic disturbances, such as urbanization, agricultural production, and infrastructure development, are contributing to global and regional ecosystem degradation. However, comprehensive quantitative assessment methods for evaluating regional-scale anthropogenic impacts remain insufficient. This study introduces a comprehensive assessment framework based on ecological integrity (EI) derived from the landscape condition model (LCM), combined with commonality analysis and other quantitative methods. This framework was applied to the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) region in North China to assess the spatio-temporal variations and spatial aggregation of EI, identify the major drivers of EI degradation, and determine the formation mechanisms of resultant EI patterns. The anthropogenic impacts, as measured by EI, exhibit significant spatial and aggregation heterogeneity across functional zones. This heterogeneity, along with the observed temporal variations (2000–2022), is attributed to diverse anthropogenic disturbances within intricate biophysical and socioeconomic contexts. This framework can indirectly improve the R2 of multiple linear regression models related to EI by identifying grassland and cropland as suppressor variables to enhance the predictive capacity of other variables. Consequently, this framework enables decision-makers to accurately identify major drivers of EI degradation, such as road construction and urbanization, and understand the combined effects of major drivers and suppressor variables on the resultant EI patterns. Lastly, within specific policy contexts, this framework offers several management implications for mitigating anthropogenic threats to EI, including effectively regulating urbanization and restoring forest landscapes. This framework provides fundamental support for anthropogenic impact assessment and management strategy design at a regional scale.

Benthic Foraminifera as Bio-Indicators of Trace Element Pollution at St. Martin’s Island, Bangladesh

Benthic Foraminifera occupied all marine environments. The practice of utilizing benthic foraminifera for monitoring the state of the marine environment has garnered widespread recognition all over the world. Changes in foraminiferal assemblage indicate the level of environmental stress. The prime concern of the present research is to evaluate the abundance and distribution of benthic foraminifera stress and how anthropogenic stresses affect their diversity in St. Martin's Island, Bangladesh. About 250 foraminifera specimens were collected, of which 22 species, 19 genera, and 17 families of predominantly benthic provenance were recognized. Astrorhiza holds the first position in order of relative abundance and frequency of occurrence followed by the Elphidium, Robulus, and Eponoides. The stress-tolerant and heterotrophic genera (Quinqueloculina, Elphidium, Ammonia, Trochammina) dominated the sensitive or symbiont genera (Calcarina, Operculina, Cibicides, Nummulites). Analysis of various diversity indices reveals that the northern part of the island near the boat terminal shows a lower diversity of benthic foraminifera. The southern part of the island shows moderate diversity indicating less pollution. For the investigation of the Foraminiferal shell, in addition to statistical computing, SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy), EDX (Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis), and XRD (X-ray Diffraction) analyses have been utilized. From the EDX analysis, it has been found that lower oxygen (O) with a weight range of (36.51-53.71%) and calcium (Ca) with a weight range of (30.44-53.38%) are the primary components of the foraminifera test. The shells also contain higher percentages of trace elements such as silicon (Si), magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), chlorine (Cl), sodium (Na), aluminum (Al), and manganese (Mn). Anthropogenic activity is the main source of these trace elements, which clearly demonstrates the island's environmentally stressed condition. The intrusion of these elements in the benthic foraminiferal shell indicates they react to anthropogenic contaminants. These exogenous trace elements are responsible for particular morphological distortion of foraminifera shells which are also observed in St. Martin’s Island. The outcomes from the current research will build a foundation for future researchers focusing on anthropogenic impact assessment and sustainable coastal management in Bangladesh. The Dhaka University Journal of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Vol. 12(2), 2023, P 1-14

Integral Assessment of Anthropogenic Impact on the Baikal Natural Territory: Methodological Approaches and Typology of Municipal Districts

Integral Assessment of Anthropogenic Impact on the Baikal Natural Territory: Methodological Approaches and Typology of Municipal Districts

From remote to urbanized: Dispersal of antibiotic-resistant bacteria under the aspect of anthropogenic influence

Antibiotic resistance is a growing global concern, but our understanding of the spread of resistant bacteria in remote regions remains limited. While some level of intrinsic resistance likely contributes to reduced susceptibility to antimicrobials in the environment, it is evident that human actions, particularly the (mis)use of antibiotics, play a significant role in shaping the environmental resistome, even in seemingly distant habitats like glacier ice sheets.Our research aims to bridge this knowledge gap by investigating the direct influence of human activities on the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in various habitats. To achieve a comprehensive assessment of anthropogenic impact across diverse and seemingly isolated sampling sites, we developed an innovative approach utilizing Corine Land Cover data and heatmaps generated from sports activity trackers. This method allowed us to make meaningful comparisons across relatively pristine environments.Our findings indicate a noteworthy increase in culturable antibiotic-resistant bacteria with heightened human influence, as evidenced by our analysis of glacier, snow, and lake water samples. Notably, the most significant concentrations of antibiotic-resistant and multidrug-resistant microorganisms were discovered in two highly impacted sampling locations, namely the Tux Glacier and Gas Station Ellmau.

Новый подход к оценке выбросов от горных предприятий с учетом углеродного следа

Introduction. Regions with developed mining and mining processing industries are characterized, as a rule, by intense anthropogenic impact on the environment. It is necessary to assess the scale of the environmental impact taking into account a number of factors, such as: geographical location, climatic conditions, quantity and quality of extracted minerals, as well as technological indicators of their development. The negative impact on the environment during the extraction of minerals can be local, regional and global in nature. If local problems may be solved directly within the framework of a mining enterprise by applying environmental measures, then regional and global impacts need to be addressed taking into account many factors. An example of the regional and global scale of the impact of a mining enterprise on the environment is its impact on atmospheric air. Significant amounts of dust and gas emissions can spread beyond the territory of the sanitary protection zone, resulting in the migration of pollutants into water bodies and soils, and chemical transformations in the atmosphere will lead to the formation of acid rain, destruction the ozone layer and the emergence of the greenhouse effect. To ensure environmental safety in mining regions, it is necessary to reduce atmospheric air pollution, the effectiveness of which is assessed taking into account the results of a geoecological assessment, evaluation of the natural potential of the territory, analysis of anthropogenic load, protection of the territory of mining areas. In the geoecological assessment of anthropogenic impact, it is necessary be aware of the scale of the environmental impact of mining enterprises and apply a regional indicator that should take into account the specifics of enterprises and the effectiveness of environmental protection measures. The purpose of the work. Carrying out an assessment of territories subject to geoecological changes in the environment, consider the results of a geoecological assessment, evaluation of the natural potential and protection of the territory, analysis of anthropogenic load and a regional indicator that takes into account the scale of impact, the specifics of the enterprise, technological features of field development and the effectiveness of environmental protection measures. Methodology. The research was conducted on the basis of an analysis of literary data from Russian and foreign sources. Methods of geoecological assessment, patterns of interrelation of gas and dust emissions from mining facilities were considered, patterns of distribution of emissions in the air were evaluated, taking into account the specifics of the relief and climate of the mining region, and technological features of field development. The paper proposes a general concept of geoecological regulation by determining the composition and volume of pollutants from the technological process, taking into account the carbon footprint of the enterprise, assessing the relationship between gas and dust emissions from mining facilities and the patt erns of emissions in the air. The purpose of the research. Assessment of methods for determining the composition and volume of pollutants from the technological process, taking into account the carbon footprint of the enterprise, assessment of the regularity of the spread of emissions in the air, considering the specifics of the relief and climate of the mining region, as well as technological features of the field development. Results and discussion. As a result of the work, patterns of emission of gas and dust emissions into the atmosphere from technological processes at a mining enterprise have been established, taking into account climatic conditions and terrain. It is proposed to conduct a geoecological assessment of a mining enterprise taking into account the natural potential and protection of the territory, to form a structure for estimating specific emissions, which allows further taking into account the carbon footprint for the enterprise. Conclusions. It is proposed to use specific direct and indirect emissions of the enterprise when conducting a geoecological assessment of the impact of mining enterprises on atmospheric air, which will allow further use of data to assess the carbon footprint of the enterprise.

A Brief Study to Assess the Environmental Impact Generated by Jilț North Open Pit

Abstract As the extension of the valid periods for lignite exploitation licenses in the current perimeters in the Oltenia basin is considered (except for those perimeters that will deplete the exploitable resource) until the horizon of the year 2030 (possibly even 2035), it is crucial to ensure that extractive activities take place under safe conditions, and, above all, under legal conditions regarding environmental protection. Despite the significant and undeniable negative effects of current lignite mining, this industrial sector has multiple possibilities at its disposal to minimize the negative impact on the environment and, moreover, to restore affected areas. In this context, within this paper, our goal is to identify, describe, and evaluate the environmental impact produced by lignite mining activities in the Jilț North open pit. To achieve this, well-known and recommended techniques and procedures from the specialized literature are used, taking into account the legislative provisions stipulated by Emergency Ordinance no. 195/2005 on environmental protection (approved by Law no. 265/2006) and the Mines Law no. 85/2003, as well as the guidelines outlined for anthropogenic impact assessment by Law no. 292/2018.

Assessment of Anthropogenic Impact on Ecosystem Service Safety of Agboyi River in Lagos, Southwestern, Nigeria

The Agboyi River in Lagos, Nigeria provides important ecosystem services; however, anthropogenic activities are polluting the river, necessitating periodic monitoring. This study assessed the heavy metal content (lead, cadmium, chromium, copper, and arsenic) in water samples from the river. Additionally, we evaluated various physicochemical parameters, including pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), conductivity, hardness, magnesium, calcium, chloride, sulfate, and nitrate. The values of each heavy metal were used to calculate human average daily ingestion (ADI), average daily dermal exposure (ADDE), hazard quotient (HQ), and carcinogenic risk (CR). The physicochemical analysis revealed non-permissible levels of TDS, electrical conductivity, alkalinity, hardness, magnesium, calcium, sulfate, nitrate, chloride, and phosphate. The heavy metal analysis showed intolerable levels of lead, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, and copper. The ADIs for the heavy metals were within the recommended dietary intake (RDI), but their ADDEs exceeded the RDI, except for chromium. The HQ and CR for all heavy metals exceeded recommended limits. Seasonal variations were observed in the physicochemical parameters, with TDS, turbidity, acidity, nitrate, and phosphate being higher in the wet season, while other parameters were higher in the dry season. The water poses health hazards to users, indicating the need for river remediation.

Monitoring of Anthropogenic Impact on the Baikal Natural Territory: munisipal Level

The purpose of the presented study is to develop a methodology for assessing the anthropogenic impact on the environment in the municipalities of the Baikal Natural Territory (BNT) and applying the obtained methodology to the studied territory. The article analyzes the existing methodological approaches to the assessment of anthropogenic impact on the environment. To carry out a comprehensive integrated assessment, the authors proposed an algorithm for calculating the anthropogenic impact index based on 22 indicators integrated into 7 subindexes (impact on the atmosphere, water and forest resources, agricultural impact, solid waste, disturbed lands and objects of accumulated harm, as well as background impact).The weight of the indicators was determined by interviewing experts representing the scientific community (leading experts in the field of integrated assessments of certain types of impacts or specialists in the field of environmental problems of the BNT), the expert community (leading analytical agencies developing environmental ratings), as well as the environmental management system of the regions included in the BNT. The inertial nature of the anthropogenic impact characteristic of municipalities within the boundaries of the BNT, as well as the general tendency to reduce the impact, has been revealed. At the same time, the absence of positive changes in the environmental state was noted, especially characteristic of the largest impact centers with their inherent unfavorable environment, which suggests the need to take measures to reduce the impact. The advantage of the methodology proposed by the authors can be considered the possibility of extending monitoring in the future, which opens up the possibility of using this algorithm to assess the environmental situation and form environmental policy priorities. The analysis of the results confirmed the quality of the integrated assessment methodology and showed that the districts, cities and towns of the BNT are highly polarized in terms of the level of anthropogenic impact concentrated in certain areas, primarily in the zone of atmospheric influence. The main strengthening of the AI is characteristic of municipalities located along transport corridors, the axis of which is the Trans-Siberian Railway, The Baikal–Amur Mainline and the «Power of Siberia» gas pipeline.

A dataset of zooplankton occurrence, abundance, and biomass in the Far East seas and adjacent Pacific Ocean waters.

Planktonic animals drifting or floating in the sea have small body sizes and weights from hundreds to thousands of milligrams, and are primarily the food for other zooplankton and macrofauna: fish, cephalopods, seabirds and marine mammals, and also the larval pool of many benthic invertebrates. This paper describes a unique dataset of zooplankton collected from 1984 to 2013 in the North Pacific (the Bering Sea, Sea of Okhotsk, Sea of Japan and adjacent Pacific Ocean waters), one of the most productive and economically important regions of the world's oceans using a Juday net made of kapron sieve No. 49 (0.168 mm mesh) with a 0.1 m2 opening. The information in this dataset has already been used to quantify the inventory of marine biological resources and assess the waters of the Russian Far Eastern seas and adjacent Pacific Ocean. In 2016, five tabular reference books were printed in Russian in limited numbers containing the species composition, occurrence (number and percentage of samples), abundance and biomass (in individuals per cubic meter, milligrams per cubic meter) of zooplankton in the surveyed area. The data are grouped by species, developmental stages, size fractions (animal length of 0.6-1.2 mm "fine/small," 1.2-3.2 mm "medium" and >3.2 mm "large"), standard regions (their total area is more than 6 million km2 ), vertical layers of water, light and dark time of the day, four seasons of the year and multiyear periods, in which there were considerable changes in the biota of the region caused by global climate and oceanographic factors. This information has recently been verified, corrected, translated into English, transformed from text to digital format, and supplemented by GIS with maps of the standard regions by which data were aggregated using morphometric parameters (volume of water in cubic kilometers in the region, in its epipelagic 0-200 m, and upper epipelagic 0-50 m water layers, occupied area in square kilometers, longitude and latitude of their centroids in decimal degrees) to increase their availability to the scientific community worldwide. The data enable the evaluation of the total plankton stock of the Russian Far Eastern seas in the North Pacific (in trillions of specimens and thousands of tons), recalculate the volumetric characteristics of density into areal characteristics (in billions of specimens per square kilometer or tons per square kilometer), and, using previously published tables on calorific value and chemical composition of zooplankton, obtain their energy characteristics. Such data are crucial for the proper management of marine resources, aquaculture development, nature conservation, and the assessment of the anthropogenic impact on nature. The presented metadata provide a detailed description of how this unique dataset was created, sources and volume of gathered information, its benefits and drawbacks, some results on the quantitative inventory of marine biological resources and assessment of waters in the North Pacific, and future prospects for the use of this type of dataset in applied and fundamental research. There are no copyright restrictions on the data; please cite this data paper when the data are used in publications.

Comprehensive assessment of anthropogenic loads and consequences of their influence on the environmental state of water bodies (as exemplified by the Gruzka River, Kirovohrad Region)

The relevance of the research is determined by the need of developing and improving the methods for assessing the extent and consequences of anthropogenic loads' impact on water bodies.
 The research was carried out as part of the study and research activities conducted by the Department of Hydroecology and Water Research of OSENU. It is dedicated to the topic "Assessment of Anthropogenic Impact on Aquatic Ecosystems".
 The purpose of the work is to determine the environmental status of water bodies based on the comprehensive approach (calculations related to the consequences of anthropogenic loads' impact on water resources and the environmental state of surface waters, including assessment of pollution risks and failure to achieve environmental objectives).
 Research methods include assessment of the characteristics of unstudied rivers' water resources in terms of hydrology based on the used meteorological data (climate-runoff model); assessment of anthropogenic loads' impact on water resources and on prospects of achieving a good environmental state of water bodies in accordance with the requirements of the EU's WFD; assessment of environmental risks based on the Prob function application and creation of a scale of water quality indicators and risks correspondence.
 Determination of a comprehensive indicator of the Gruzka River's water resources use showed that reduction of water flow characteristics due to climate changes does not significantly affect the river's environmental condition that remains "unsatisfactory".
 It was also established that household wastewater is the main pollutant of the Gruzka River that supplies water to reserve water reservoir Lelekivske (City of Kropyvnytskyi, Kirovohrad Region). Almost all criteria related to assessment of the consequences of anthropogenic loads (wastewater discharge, plant and animal husbandry, chemical and physico-chemical parameters) indicate a risk of not achieving a good ecological state. During the modern period, the river continues suffering from significant anthropogenic influence whose level is close to the limit of ecosystem sustainability.
 It was established that the use of ER environmental risk that is based on the Prob indicator complements the information about the river's environmental state.
 The proposed comprehensive approach can be used for water bodies that remain unsufficiently studied in terms of hydrology and hydrochemistry.

Integral Assessment of Anthropogenic Impact on the Baikal Natural Territory: Methodological Approaches and Typology of Municipal Units

Integral Assessment of Anthropogenic Impact on the Baikal Natural Territory: Methodological Approaches and Typology of Municipal Units

Determination of elements in river water

Main textThe need for quality assessment of anthropogenic impact on environmental pollution is increasing due to discharge from various industries, the use of chemicals in agriculture and the consumption of fossil fuels. Diminishing resources such as natural waters used for the cultivation of agricultural products, plant and animal habitats are under severe pollution pressure and are at constant risk. Several parameters, such as Pb, Cd, Ni, Hg were listed by Water Framework Directive in Directive (2008/105/EC) in the priority substances. Cadmium and Hg were identified as priority hazardous substances whereas As is an important contaminant for its potential toxicological and carcinogenic effects.An inter-comparison study is organised in EURAMET TC-MC in order to demonstrate the capability participants for measuring five elements in river water. The participants carried out measurements for analytes: Pb, Cd, Ni and As as mandatory elements, and Se as an optional one. Participants were asked to perform the measurements with respect to the protocol provided.To reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. Note that this text is that which appears in Appendix B of the BIPM key comparison database https://www.bipm.org/kcdb/.The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by the CCQM, according to the provisions of the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (CIPM MRA).

Water Quality and Anthropogenic Impact Assessment Using Macroinvertebrates as Bioindicators in a Stream Ecosystem

Water Quality and Anthropogenic Impact Assessment Using Macroinvertebrates as Bioindicators in a Stream Ecosystem

A clear north-to-south spatial gradience of chloride in marine aerosol in Chinese seas under the influence of East Asian Winter Monsoon

Particulate chloride is a major component of sea salt particles and plays a key role in atmospheric chemistry. Anthropogenic pollutants over the northeastern Asia can be transported to the adjacent seas through the northwest monsoon, which profoundly influences the chloride chemistry over the seas. In this study, spatial distribution of particulate chloride and its sources over the Chinese seas were investigated based on shipboard particle samplings especially online Single Particle Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (SPAMS) over Bohai Sea, North Yellow Sea, and South Yellow Sea (SYS) during a cruise in November 2012. A strong north-to-south (N-S) gradience in marine aerosol composition was found. The Cl−/Na+ ratios in PM2.5 and single particle composition by SPAMS indicated remarkable chloride enrichment in marine aerosol in the north (Bohai Sea), while depletion in southern SYS. The results of size distribution showed that particulate chloride had higher concentration in coarse particles, while the Cl−/Na+ ratio was much higher in submicron particles. In the north (38–40°N), biomass burning, carbonaceous, and Pb-rich type particles had high fractions in all chloride-containing particles identified by SPAMS (on average 66%). Combining chemical composition with back trajectory, it was found that fine-mode chloride enrichment in the north was mainly due to anthropogenic emission especially coal combustion and biomass burning from northern China. However, the high fine-mode chloride depletion in the south (32–34°N) was probably due to acid replacement by sulfate in aged aerosol during atmospheric transport. Our new findings reveal that marine aerosol in Chinese seas would show a clear N-S pattern of more fresh and anthropogenic enriched particles in the north, but more aged aerosol in the south during the East Asia Winter Monsoon, which provides new insights for the quantitative assessment of anthropogenic impact on marine aerosol and future modeling study.

Fast gas-chromatographic determination of acetylene dissolved in water: gas extraction in a column with hydrophobic sorbent and simultaneous catalytic hydrogenation

ABSTRACT We report on a novel modus operandi in the gas-chromatographic determination of ultra small contents (from 20 ng/l) of acetylene dissolved in water by employing a flame-ionisation detector with hydrogen as a carrier gas. The method bases on the gas extraction of acetylene with a frontal variant of liquid-gas chromatography in a tube with fluro-plastic carrier and simultaneous catalytic hydrogenation of acetylene to produce ethane in the presence of platinum deposited on the sorbent surface. The method in view gives way to a 20-fold decrease in the detection limit of acetylene against extraction with no hydrogenation. A plausible application of the method is the assessment of anthropogenic impact on the environmental hydrosphere embarking from the concentration of dissolved acetylene.

Многомасштабная оценка и картографирование антропогенного воздействия на атмосферный воздух

The authors present a method of multi-scale integrated assessment of anthropogenic impact on the atmospheric air as part of a comprehensive environmental assessment of the European states territory. Multiscale assessment enables identifying areas of the greatest impact and determining the relations between objects of administrative-territorial division. The methodology is based on the aggregation of indicators of human exposure to atmospheric air at various scale levels. For a multi-scale assessment of the anthropogenic impact, 3 levels of research were selected

Mycobiota of the upper layer of pine forests litter in the parks of Surgut in the environmental assessment of anthropogenic impact on these territories

The paper studies mycobiota of the upper layer of pine forests litter in the parks of Surgut: Za Saimoy, Energetikov, Kedrovy Log, Neftyanik. The author identified 52 isolates of soil microscopic fungi belonging to 14 genera. Most of the isolates anamorphic (mitospore) fungi are represented by 9 genera: Acremonium, Annellosporium, Aspergillus, Fusarium, Humicola, Penicillium, Trichoderma, Ulocladium, Verticillium. Zygomycetes belong to three genera Absidia, Mucor and Umbelopsis. Ascomycetes are represented by two genera: Eupenicillium and Talaromyces. The author also isolated Mycelia sterilia group. Representatives of the genera Absidia, Trichoderma, Fusarium and Penicillium are found in the mycocenoses of the studied parks. The genera Trichoderma, Fusarium and Penicillium also dominate by the number of isolates. Umbelopsis isabellina species is abundant in the Kedrovy Log park. Species of the genus Trichoderma are abundant in the Neftyanik park. Light-colored micromycetes of the group Mycelia sterilia are found and abundant only in the Za Saimoy park. Cellulolytics of the genus Trichoderma and the species Annellosporium nemorosum are abundant in the Energetikov park. Thus, mycobiota of the upper layer litter of the studied parks is close to the mycobiota of the background podzolic soils. It contains fungal species typical of the background soils. Fungi resistant to anthropogenic influences dark-colored micromycetes Ulocladium alternarie and phytopathogenic species Verticillium dahlia var. longisporum. were found in the minority only in the Energetikov park. The obtained data allow us to conclude that the anthropogenic influence on the structure of the mycocenosis of the Energetikov park is more pronounced, but in general it does not have a significant effect on the mycobiota of the upper layer litter of the studied parks.

Trace element fractions in sediments of urbanised lakes of the arctic zone of Russia.

This paper presents the comprehensive evaluation of the level of accumulation of some of the most dangerous environmental pollutants (V, Co, Sn, Ni, Cr, Mn, Cd, Cu, Pb, Sb, Zn) and analyses their chemical forms in sediments of four small lakes located within Murmansk urban territory. Furthermore, the authors first studied morphology and chemical composition of industrial dust collected from the snow covering the ice of Lake Srednee. Fieldwork was carried out in April 2019. The results showed that sediments of the Murmansk urban lakes are significantly enriched in the content of the toxic metals and metalloids Cd, Pb, Sb, Zn, Cu, V, and Ni. An integrated assessment of anthropogenic impact using the pollution load index (PLI) and geoaccumulation index (Igeo) revealed a moderate to the extremely strong pollution level in recent sediment layers. The analysis of the fractions of the elements showed that they are mainly associated with stable compounds, such as primary minerals or persistent technogenic compounds (slag, matte, and dust). However, humic substances are a significant accumulative matrix for most studied elements. The share of the most mobile fractions does not exceed 30% for the vast majority of elements, even in the most polluted layers. The accumulation of the major part of pollutants can be attributed to the activities of the main industrial objects of the city (thermal power plant, coal port, transport infrastructure), and the impact of the global atmospheric transport of pollutants to the Arctic regions of Russia.

Shell morphology, growth and longevity of Unio tumidus (Bivalvia: Unionidae) from an archaeological site and contemporary population inhabiting the Oder estuary

Mussel shells are often found in archaeological excavations and can provide information useful for ecological reconstruction and assessment of anthropogenic impact on waters. In this study, two sample groups of swollen river mussel (Unio tumidus) which occurred during the Early Middle Ages (EMS) and currently (MS) in the Oder river estuary (Baltic basin) were compared. Allometric shell growth, morphological characteristics of the shell (length, width, height and thickness), age structure and growth of mussels were analysed using the von Bertalanffy equation. All three types of allometric growth (isometry and both positive and negative allometry) were observed in the studied mussels. In both groups, typical values of shell length, width, height and thickness were recorded. However, higher values of these morphological characteristics were recorded in the EMS group. Moreover, the EMS group, compared with the MS group of U. tumidus, was characterised by a higher longevity (12 and 10 years, respectively) and asymmetric length (L∞) (93.09 and 83.23 mm, respectively). Both groups of mussels had a similar growth rate (k). Larger shell sizes in the EMS group were probably caused by differential preservation and/or differential archaeological recovery, and resulted from differences in the age structure, especially higher mortality rate amongst individuals older than 6 years in the MS group.

Ecological and Economic Assessment of Anthropogenic Impact on Deer Pastures

Due to the great industrial pressure, the northern territories suffer from heavy pollution. This leads to the deterioration of all biological resources in this region, the breakage of natural food chains, including the deer food resources which are crucial for the traditional nature management practices of the indigenous peoples of the North. Unsatisfactory conditions at deer pastures and the improper use of the pasture lands lead to the reduction of deer foraging lands due to their transformation into industrial facilities (mostly). This calls for an assessment of environmental damages done to the territories. It is also crucial to perform an economic assessment of actions aimed at the reduction of anthropogenic load in the polluted areas.