Coastal Plain Research Articles

Prevention of water ingress during the operation of oil wells at some facilities of the Siyazan monoclinal field

The Siyazan monocline is located in the Caspian-Guba oil-gas region and stretches for 90 km along the foothills of the South-Eastern Caucasus. This 800 m wide strip-shaped area is located between Zorat station and Karachay. It consists of areas with different structures according to the terrain. It stretches from Atacay to Kilkilay in the southeast with a coastal plain and low hills, while the North-West area passes through relatively high plains and forests. Wells are often drilled deep (about 1000 m long and more), equipped with uncemented, ready-made filter casing, and the entire unit is operated together. The upper part of the unit consists of oil-saturated chalk sediments, and the lower part consists of non-retentive (clay-sandy) rocks. As a result, only the upper part of the bed is exploited. The surface of the Siyazan monoclinal deposit has many water networks crossing it (Garachay, Caghajugchay, Valvalechay, Shabranchay, Kilkilachay, Atachay). The tributaries of these water bodies do not dry up even in the summer months. Ready-made filters are used in wells exploiting layers of chalk sediments located at an angle of 70–80o. Over time, irrigation in such wells occurs due to the opening of holes in the perforation interval to large distances and bottom water entering the well from lower wells.

Shoreline advance due to the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake

Large earthquakes can instantaneously reshape coastal landforms owing to fault zone ruptures that uplift the Earth’s surface. On January 1, 2024, in the north of the Noto Peninsula, central Japan, an Mj7.6 (Mw7.5) earthquake occurred, triggering coastal uplift of up to 4 m. To measure the resulting shoreline advance, we analyzed orthophotos taken before and after the earthquake, focusing on two bays in the northwest of the Noto Peninsula where the largest uplift occurred. In response to the uplift, the shoreline advanced by up to 200 m, increasing the total area of the coastal plains by 0.46 km2. The maximum shoreline extension occurred in the midsection of both bays, while the extension at the edges was less than 20 m, possibly reflecting the shoreface topography and bathymetry existing before the uplift. The uplift exposed previously undersea rocks, forming new coastal plains and extending river channels. Our results indicate that coastal landforms such as sandy beaches, coastal plains, shore platforms, and the sediment budgets of feeding drainage systems were substantially altered by this earthquake, and a long recovery period is anticipated. Our findings serve as a crucial benchmark for tracking future changes in shorelines in response to coastal landform adjustments.

GPS telemetry facilitates the identification of forage plant species for endangered Carnaby’s cockatoos (Zanda latirostris) at inland breeding sites and post-breeding dispersal locations in Western Australia

Carnaby’s cockatoos (Zanda latirostris) are an endangered species that has experienced major loss of habitat over the past century. Proponents seeking land clearing approval that may impact Carnaby’s cockatoos need to provide detailed habitat assessment. However, the current forage species list is outdated and generally restricted to the Swan Coastal Plain rather than the Carnaby’s full distribution range. This study provides an updated forage list, including the Swan Coastal Plain and much of the Carnaby’s breeding and non-breeding areas outside this region. Carnaby’s cockatoos were captured and satellite tagged, at five breeding sites in the wheatbelt and Great Southern areas in Western Australia (between 2017 and 2022). Spatial data collected from the tags facilitated the identification of forage plants used by Carnaby’s cockatoos. A total of 44 ‘new’ native plant species were identified as Carnaby’s cockatoo forage species, including five genera that have not previously been recorded. The updated forage list will inform proponents and regulators on the potential use of habitat patches by Carnaby’s cockatoos, aiding the referral process and enabling the protection and conservation of important and diminishing habitat resources.

Thinned slash pine (Pinus elliottii) stand response to midrotation vegetation control and fertilization on flatwoods sites

Midrotation management including vegetation control and fertilization can improve growth and yield of southern pine stands. This study investigated the 12-year response of slash pine (Pinus elliottii), thinned at midrotation to additional treatments of herbicide, fertilization, liming (one site), and combinations of these treatments in the Coastal Plain region of Georgia, USA. There was a significant treatment x stand age interaction observed at the Ware County site for height (p<0.001), dbh (p<0.001) and individual tree green weight (p<0.001). The herbicide + NPK and herbicide treatments resulted in the most consistent growth improvements 0 to 4 years post-treatment compared to the untreated control. The lime + NPK and herbicide treatment resulted in the longest lived (4 to 12 years) significantly improved growth response. Results revealed no tested treatments improved growth during the 12-year study duration at the Wayne County site. Results from this study suggest that thinned slash pine stands with diagnostics indicating midrotation fertilization or vegetation control may be beneficial do not always respond as expected to inputs. When stands are responsive, single application midrotation treatments can offer long-term growth improvements, yet growth response can differ depending on time since application.

Assessing Flood Risks in Coastal Plain Cities of Zhejiang Province, Southeastern China

Constructing a precise and effective evaluation index system is crucial to flood disaster prevention and management in coastal areas. This study takes Lucheng District, Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province, southeastern China, as a case study and constructs an evaluation index system comprising three criterion levels: disaster-causing factors, disaster-gestation environments, and disaster-bearing bodies. The weights of each evaluation index are determined by combining the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the entropy method. The fuzzy matter-element model is utilized to assess the flood disaster risk in Lucheng District quantitatively. By calculating the correlation degree of each evaluation index, the comprehensive index of flood disaster risk for each street area is obtained, and the flood disaster risk of each street area is classified according to the risk level classification criteria. Furthermore, the distribution of flood disaster risks in Lucheng District under different daily precipitation conditions is analyzed. The results indicate that: (1) the study area falls into the medium-risk category, with relatively low flood risks; (2) varying precipitation conditions will affect the flood resilience of each street in Lucheng District, Wenzhou City. The flood disaster evaluation index system and calculation framework constructed in this study provide significant guidance for flood risk assessment in coastal plain cities.

The Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) of Sonora: Distribution, Ecology, and the First Records of Aedes deserticola Zavortink and Toxorhynchites septentrionalis (Dyar and Knab) in México

The diversity and distribution of mosquitoes from Sonora, Mexico, was documented through entomologic surveys conducted in the four physiographic regions and sub-regions of Sonora: the Sonoran Plain, the Sierra Madre Occidental, the Northern Mountains and Plains, and the Pacific Coastal Plain. Immature stages were collected from aquatic habitats, while adult mosquitoes were collected using Shannon traps, resting in vegetation, and by human landing collections. Overall, 11,316 specimens, which comprised 493 larvae, 224 larval exuviae, 400 pupal exuviae, 33 pupae, 4552 females, 5607 males, and seven male genitalia, were identified. Two subfamilies: Anophelinae and Culicinae, seven tribes, 10 genera, 23 subgenera, and 56 species are reported below. Of these, one tribe, one genus, five subgenera, and 15 species were recorded for the first time in Sonora. Two species, Aedes deserticola Zavortink and Toxorhynchites septentrionalis (Dyar and Knab), are the first recordings of their kind nationwide. Toxorhynchites septentrionalis was also barcoded with the cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene. The presence of Psorophora columbiae (Dyar and Knab) is confirmed in Mexico. Taxonomic notes, new geographic distribution limits of mosquitoes in Sonora, and information regarding their importance as disease vectors are provided. By adding Ae. deserticola and Tx. septentrionalis and confirming Ps. columbiae in Mexico, there are currently 251 mosquito species in the Country.

Occurrence and enrichment mechanism of arsenic-rich groundwater from eastern coastal China

Groundwater arsenic (As) contamination represents a noteworthy occurrence within coastal aquifers. This work employs an approach of chemical analysis and geochemical modelling to study the occurrence and enrichment mechanism of As-rich groundwater within coastal aquifers in East China. Recent hydrogeological survey demonstrates that the As contaminated samples are clustered in Rudong Bay and As contamination occurs within both reducing and oxidizing coastal aquifers. The Piper, Gibbs, and Rock-Weathering diagrams signify shallow and deep groundwater are Na–HCO3 and mixed Na·Ca·Mg–HCO3 facies respectively, and the hydrochemistry of contaminated groundwater is governed by weathering and dissolution. Moreover, high salinity in shallow groundwater can be associated with seawater intrusion. The PHREEQC modeling predicts that As (V) (HAsO42−) is the dominant As speciation in shallow groundwater, while As (Ⅲ) (H3AsO3) is the counterpart in deep groundwater. Statistical analysis of chemicals and modeling calculations suggest that alkaline desorption is responsible for As enrichment in shallow groundwater, while reductive dissolution is the primary processes governing As enrichment in deep groundwater. Redox and pH vibrations play an important role in generating the differences of As enrichment mechanism between shallow and deep aquifers in the coastal plain. The findings of this study may enhance understanding the occurrence and enrichment mechanism about As-rich groundwater within coastal area aquifers.

Texas Water Observatory: A Distributed Network for Monitoring Water, Energy, and Carbon Cycles under Variable Climate and Land Use on Gulf Coast Plains

Abstract In the Gulf Coastal Plains of Texas, a state-of-the-art distributed network of field observatories, known as the Texas Water Observatory (TWO), is developed to better understand the water, energy, and carbon cycles across the critical zone (encompassing aquifers, soils, plants, and atmosphere) at different spatiotemporal scales. Using more than 300 advanced real-time/near-real-time sensors, this observatory monitors high-frequency water, energy, and carbon storage and fluxes in the Brazos River corridor, which are critical for coupled hydrologic, biogeochemical, and land–atmosphere process understanding in the region. TWO provides a regional resource for better understanding and/or managing agriculture, water resources, ecosystems, biodiversity, disasters, health, energy, and weather/climate. TWO infrastructure spans common land uses in this region, including traditional/aspirational cultivated agriculture, rangelands, native prairie, bottomland hardwood forest, and coastal wetlands. Sites represent landforms from low-relief erosional uplands to depositional lowlands across climatic and geologic gradients of central Texas. We present the overarching vision of TWO and describe site design, instrumentation specifications, data collection, and quality control protocols. We also provide a comparison of water, energy, and carbon budget across sites, including evapotranspiration, carbon fluxes, radiation budget, weather, profile soil moisture and soil temperature, soil hydraulic properties, hydrogeophysical surveys, groundwater levels, and groundwater quality reported at TWO primary sites for 2018–20 (with certain data gaps). In conjunction with various Earth-observing remote sensing and legacy databases, TWO provides a master testbed to evaluate process-driven or data-driven critical zone science, leading to improved natural resource management and decision support at different spatiotemporal scales. Significance Statement We provide the vision, design setup, and data acquisition of a state-of-the-art network of field observatories across the Gulf Coastal Plains of Texas. This observatory provides a wealth of measurements of the water, energy, and carbon fluxes, thereby providing a critical testbed for improving the understanding of terrestrial hydrological, biogeochemical, and atmospheric processes across diverse land-use and climate conditions.

Seasonal influence on the cultivation of important oyster species and their productivity in east and south eastern coastal plains of Odisha

Seasonal influence on the cultivation of important oyster species and their productivity in east and south eastern coastal plains of Odisha

Gap analysis and impact of cluster frontline demonstration on pulses (Pigeon pea) in east & south eastern coastal plain zone of Odisha

Gap analysis and impact of cluster frontline demonstration on pulses (Pigeon pea) in east & south eastern coastal plain zone of Odisha

Exploring potential dairy and arable farm system integration to enhance nutrient circularity: A case study analysis from Oamaru's coastal plains

Exploring potential dairy and arable farm system integration to enhance nutrient circularity: A case study analysis from Oamaru's coastal plains

The Role of Nutrient and Energy Limitation on Microbial Decomposition of Deep Podzolized Carbon: A Priming Experiment

AbstractSoil carbon decomposition is primarily driven by microbial activities and is regulated by factors which stimulate or impede microbial functions. Deep podzolized carbon (DPC), found in the United States Southeastern Coastal Plain, is situated well below the soil surface in horizons isolated from active plant input. This carbon is characterized by high C:N ratios (>30) which could reflect nutrient limitation of microbial decomposition. To uncover the energy or nutrient limitation on DPC degradation, a 90‐day priming experiment was performed with soils from the surface horizon and DPC horizons (i.e., Bh1 and Bh2) received the additions of 13C‐labeled alanine and glucose. This resulted in prominent priming effects: addition of alanine increased basal decomposition of soil organic carbon by 918 ± 51% and 737 ± 7% in Bh2 and Bh1, respectively. Glucose relative priming was 505 ± 28% in Bh1 and 606 ± 77% of basal respiration in Bh2. These strong responses to substrate input highlight the susceptibility of DPC to loss when microbial carbon and nutrient constraints are alleviated. After 90 days, glucose addition increased the microbial biomass in DPC horizons relative to alanine addition, with the latter showing no difference from ultrapure‐water control. The response of the microbial biomass indicates constraint by a lack of energy sources both by the paucity of labile substrates and reduced availability of organic matter as a result of podzolization. Our study has important implications for predicting the response of DPC in Coastal Plain soils in the context of land management and global change.

Impact of Cluster Front Line Demonstration (CFLD) on Yield & Economics of Toria in Rain-fed North Eastern Coastal Plain Zone of Odisha

Toria is one of the most important oilseed crop after harvest of Kharif rice in rainfed areas of Balasore district of Odisha. Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Balasore conducted Cluster Front Line Demonstration programme on Toria during Rabi 2019-20 to assess its impact on yield and income gap through scientific cultivation practices. The study was conducted in four villages of the district covering 180nos. farmer to find out the extension gap, technology gap, technology index and economic indexes of the crop before and after the intervention. The study revealed that, average yield of 8.5q/ha was obtained in the CFLD plot which was 44.06 per cent higher than the farmer’s practice. Similarly, the technology gap, extension gap and technology index were found to be 1.5q/ha, 2.6q/ha and 15 per cent, respectively. The average gross income in demonstrated plot was found to be Rs.34840/ ha as compared to Rs.23420/ha in farmers practice. Likewise, average net income of Rs.17040/ha was found in demonstration plot while it was Rs.8420/ha in farmers plot. The Benefit-cost ratio was found to be 1.96 in the demonstration plot which is higher as compared to 1.56 at farmer’s practices. The Study was conducted by Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Balasore to analyze the yield gap of Toria (Brassica campestris var. toria) through Cluster frontline demonstration in North Eastern Coastal Plain Zone of Odisha.

Arab-Jewish ‘neighbourly relations’ in rural Mandatory Palestine: the case of Khirbat ʿAzzun – Raʿanana

This article explores Arab-Jewish intercommunal interactions in Rural Mandatory Palestine. The relations between Zionist settlers and Arab inhabitants in Palestine is an oft-told story of mostly-tense encounters that peaked in the War of 1948 and the Nakba. Starting with the settlement of the Arab villagers of Khirbat ʿAzzun and the Zionist colonists of Raʿanana in Palestine’s coastal plain, this article offers close, mutually contradictory yet complementary perspectives on these neighborly interactions. Such micro-historic inspection casts a focused light on the fine threads that made up the fabric of Arab-Zionist relations in Palestine’s extensive rural areas during the decades before the Nakba and the foundation of the State of Israel. It shows how common interests encouraged dynamic instability and delicate coexistence, while considerable gaps triggered confrontations. These confrontations, however, were a local matter, not a national one, unpleasant but bearable in the context of rural intercommunal interactions in Palestine’s changing countryside.

Sea Level Rise in Europe: Observations and projections

Abstract. Sea level rise (SLR) is a major concern for Europe, where 30 million people live in the historical 1-in-100-year event flood coastal plains. The latest IPCC assessment reports provide a literature review on past and projected SLR, and their key findings are synthesized here with a focus on Europe. The present paper complements IPCC reports and contributes to the Knowledge Hub on SLR European Assessment Report. Here, the state of knowledge of observed and 21st century projected SLR and changes in extreme sea levels (ESLs) are documented with more regional information for European basins as scoped with stakeholders. In Europe, satellite altimetry shows that geocentric sea level trends are on average slightly above the global mean rate, with only a few areas showing no change or a slight decrease such as central parts of the Mediterranean Sea. The spatial pattern of geocentric SLR in European Seas is largely influenced by internal climate modes, especially the North Atlantic Oscillation, which varies on year-to-year to decadal timescales. In terms of relative sea level rise (RSLR), vertical land motions due to human-induced subsidence and glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) are important for many coastal European regions, leading to lower or even negative RSLR in the Baltic Sea and to large rates of RSLR for subsiding coastlines. Projected 21st century local SLR for Europe is broadly in line with projections of global mean sea level rise (GMSLR) in most places. Some European coasts are projected to experience a RSLR by 2100 below the projected GMSLR, such as the Norwegian coast, the southern Baltic Sea, the northern part of the UK, and Ireland. A relative sea level fall is projected for the northern Baltic Sea. RSLR along other European coasts is projected to be slightly above the GMSLR, for instance the Atlantic coasts of Portugal, Spain, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Higher-resolution regionalized projections are needed to better resolve dynamic sea level changes especially in semi-enclosed basins, such as the Mediterranean Sea, North Sea, Baltic Sea, and Black Sea. In addition to ocean dynamics, GIA and Greenland ice mass loss and associated Earth gravity, rotation, and deformation effects are important drivers of spatial variations of projected European RSLR. High-end estimates of SLR in Europe are particularly sensitive to uncertainties arising from the estimates of the Antarctic ice mass loss. Regarding ESLs, the frequency of occurrence of the historical centennial-event level is projected to be amplified for most European coasts, except along the northern Baltic Sea coasts where a decreasing probability is projected because of relative sea level fall induced by GIA. The largest historical centennial-event amplification factors are projected for the southern European seas (Mediterranean and Iberian Peninsula coasts), while the smallest amplification factors are projected in macro-tidal regions exposed to storms and induced large surges such as the southeastern North Sea. Finally, emphasis is given to processes that are especially important for specific regions, such as waves and tides in the northeastern Atlantic; vertical land motion for the European Arctic and Baltic Sea; seiches, meteotsunamis, and medicanes in the Mediterranean Sea; and non-linear interactions between drivers of coastal sea level extremes in the shallow North Sea.

The LTAR Croplands Common Experiment at the Gulf Atlantic Coastal Plain.

The Gulf Atlantic Coastal Plain (GACP) Long-Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) Network site is characterized by hot and humid summers with low gradient stream channels surrounded by wetland forests and croplands. Beneath its sandy soils, a confining layer stifles recharge to the deeper aquifer system, so a substantial proportion of streamflow is driven by shallow subsurface baseflow. Agricultural practices in the area consist of forage and livestock production, forestry, and rotational cropping systems dominated by cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) and peanut (Arachis hypogaea). Certain factors impose challenges to the viability of GACP agricultural systems, like changing economics and demographics, as well as pest and disease pressures. The GACP communicates with stakeholders from various backgrounds, who provide their perspectives as agricultural research service scientists execute their research plans. The GACP LTAR common experiment (CE) is carried out via plot- and field-scale studies. The plot-scale CE compares prevailing practices, determined from regional data, with an alternative treatment including winter covers, such as the biofuel feedstock carinata (Brassica carinata, A. Braun), to provide both economic and environmental benefits. The field-scale CE is observational; key variables are monitored for two farms where management practices largely emulate the prevailing treatment. Data collection efforts quantify vegetation, hydrology, soils, and climate data to produce datasets for modeling and statistical analysis. Research teams quantify relationships between land management, environment, and socioeconomic benefits. Ultimately, the GACP LTAR site works to facilitate agricultural system health and wellbeing at local, regional, and national scales by providing long-term science-based solutions.

Hydrological drought and floodplain disconnectivity: quantifying flow thresholds in a large coastal plain river

ABSTRACT Hydrological drought and river disconnectivity worsen from dams and human activities. This research investigates how dam constructions exacerbate hydrological drought and river disconnectivity in Apalachicola River system. Data from two hydrological stations (1928-2022), a hydrographic survey, high-resolution LiDAR, and a triangular irregular network (TIN) were used to identify three connectivity flow (141.5 m3/s, 169.8 m3/s, and 226.4 m3/s) categories, each impacting floodplain differently. A relative elevation model (REM) was also developed for floodplain connectivity assessment. Findings show a significant increase in the frequency, duration, and magnitude of connectivity low flow events from pre-dam to post-dam periods, especially at the 169.8 m³/s connectivity flow threshold. A 20th percentile variable threshold shows increasing hydrological drought. Drought increases have led to decreased connectivity between tributaries and the main river system, and an increase in the moderately disconnected floodplain area from 37.1% to 46.0%. Adaptive management strategies are needed to address drought-induced floodplain disconnectivity

Population genomics of a specialized insect, Tetraopes texanus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), across a fragmented grassland system

AbstractSpecialist insects are especially susceptible to loss of genetic diversity in the face of habitat destruction and fragmentation. Implementing effective conservation practices for specialist insects will benefit from knowledge of population structure and genetic diversity. Because insects are hyper-diverse, characterizing the population structure of all species within the insect community is untenable, even if focused within a particular habitat type. Thus, concentrating on a single species specialized to a particular habitat type is needed to infer general trends. Here, we investigate the range-wide population genetics of Tetraopes texanus Horn 1878 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), which provides a useful model of grassland insects due to its’ habitat specificity and unique biology. Tetraopes texanus occurs primarily in Texas and Oklahoma, into Northern Mexico, and possibly into eastern New Mexico but also occurs in Black Belt prairies of Mississippi and Alabama. Mitochondrial and nuclear DNA (RAD-seq) analysis identified two distinct population clusters of T. texanus corresponding to the Texas and Oklahoma population and the Mississippi and Alabama population. Demographic models indicate ongoing, though incomplete, isolation of the two populations, with estimated dates of divergence in the mid-Pleistocene, coinciding with the end of a glacial period and a shift in glacial interval. These results can inform conservation of grassland adapted insects and offers insight to the biogeography of the Gulf Coastal Plain.

From the Northern Hajar Foothills to the Batinah Coast – a Geoarchaeological Survey at Saham and Dahwa (Northern Oman)

This geoarchaeological survey was dedicated to (i) the Umm an-Nar (2700–2000 BCE) settlement site of Dahwa and surrounding areas in the foothills of the Hajar Mountains as well as (ii) the coastal area near Saham on the Batinah coastal plain in northern Oman, the latter without focus on a specific cultural epoch. Stratigraphic sections from the proximal coastal plain provide insights into highly dynamic episodic sedimentation patterns with thick units of variable grain sizes and sorting. In one of the stratigraphic profiles in the town of Saham, a small anthropogenic pit or channel was found, interpreted as a pit hearth used by the Samad culture (300 BCE–100/200 CE) based on granulometry, thin-section analysis, clustered macro-charcoals, amorphous organic remains, as well as luminescence and 14C dating. Our coincidental discovery of this site indicates that there might be abundant traces of the Samad culture buried in the thick alluvium, from a period of hydrologically favourable conditions c. 50–300 CE. The Umm an-Nar dating of the Dahwa archaeological site in the foothills of the Hajar Mountains was confirmed for the first time by luminescence dating, although the low dose rate and high scatter of equivalent doses pose substantial challenges to the regional application of this method.

Cat out of the bag: Coastal and Gangetic plains outside protected areas require focus for fishing cat conservation in southern West Bengal, India

State of West Bengal is the last stronghold for fishing cats in the country. Although Fishing cats has been mentioned as a vulnerable wetland species, few works have been conducted on their distribution pattern, habitat or ecology. Our study uses camera traps in various urban and rural wetland areas of southern West Bengal spanning more than 67,000 km2 to identify their presence. Out of 38 potential habitats, 24 regions came up with evidence of these cats spanning through the eight districts of southern West Bengal. We used presence absence data to fit an ensemble model to delineate suitable habitat for the species in the southern West Bengal. Results indicated areas less than 30 m of elevation and enough annual precipitation that functions healthy hydrological cycle in the areas of lower Gangetic plains to be most suitable for fishing cats. High mortality of the species due to retaliation and roadkill is a known fact for the species in the state. Hence, we also demarcated conservation priority zones for the species in the southern West Bengal which suggested agricultural lands (51.02 %), wetlands (21.22 %), vegetation cover (18.6 %) with populistic tourism spots in urban patches of southern West Bengal need to have focus from the concerned authority to save the remaining habitats. Accordingly, we further identified potential roadkill zones over state and national highways within the suitable habitat of the southern West Bengal.