Guano Deposits Research Articles

Differential Responses of Arctic Vegetation to Nutrient Enrichment by Plankton- and Fish-Eating Colonial Seabirds in Spitsbergen.

The role of seabirds as sea-land biovectors of nutrients is well documented. However, no studies have examined whether and how colonial seabirds that differ in diet may influence terrestrial vegetation. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to describe and compare plant communities located in the vicinity of the two most common types of seabird colonies in Arctic, occupied by piscivorous or planktivorous species. Within 46 plots arranged in four transects in the vicinity of planktivorous (little auk, Alle alle) and piscivorous colonies (mixed colony of Brunnich’s guillemot, Uria lomvia, and black-legged kittiwake, Rissa tridactyla) we measured the following: guano deposition, physical and chemical characteristics of soil, total nitrogen and its stable isotope signatures in soil and plants, ground vegetation cover of vascular plants and mosses, and the occurrence of lichens, algae and cyanobacteria. Using LINKTREE analysis, we distinguished five plant communities, which reflected declining influence along a birds fertilization gradient measured as guano deposition. SIMPROOF test revealed that these communities differed significantly in species composition, with the differences related to total soil nitrogen content and δ15N, distinctive levels of phosphates, potassium and nitrates, and physical soil properties, i.e., pH, conductivity and moisture. The communities were also clearly distinguished by distance from the bird colony. The two colony types promoted development of specific plant communities: the immediate vicinity of the planktivorous colony characterized by a Deschampsia alpina–Cerastium arcticum community while under the piscivorous colony a Cochlearia groenlandica–Poa alpina community was present. Despite the similar size of the colonies and similar magnitude of guano input, differences between ornithogenic communities were connected mostly to phosphate content in the soil. Our results show that the guano input from seabirds which have different diets can affect High Arctic vegetation in specific and more complex ways than previously realized.

STUDY OF DIVERSITY OF FUNGI OF MANDEEPKHOL CAVE DURING POST RAINY SEASON SITUATED IN RAJNANDGAON, CHHATTISGARH, INDIA

Nowadays scientists are fascinated towards cave microorganisms which includes Bacteria, Fungi , A ctinomycetes etc . In Chhattisgarh state of India one unexplored cave naming Mandeepkhol is found in mountain range of Salewara nearly 100 k . m . away from Durg district . It is multi channel and temperature rang es from 26oC - 28oC throughout the year with the humidity 80 - 90 %. The cave is totally dark with less twilight zone . The microorganisms in a cave is a matter of interest . Present paper deals with the fungal diversity of the cave during post rainy season . 71 reported species with 24 genera and two sterile mycelia were isolated . Among them Deuteromycotina fungi dominated over the member of Ascomycotina and Zygomycotina . Out of total isolates 8 species ( 6 genera ) belong to Zygomycotina, 4 species ( 4 genera ) belong to Ascomycotina and 59 species ( 14 genera ) belong to Deuteromycotina . Maximum numbers of species were isolated from guano deposits followed by leaf litter and log and twig deposits .

The Arctic Soil Bacterial Communities in the Vicinity of a Little Auk Colony.

Due to deposition of birds' guano, eggshells or feathers, the vicinity of a large seabirds' breeding colony is expected to have a substantial impact on the soil's physicochemical features as well as on diversity of vegetation and the soil invertebrates. Consequently, due to changing physicochemical features the structure of bacterial communities might fluctuate in different soil environments. The aim of this study was to investigate the bacterial assemblages in the Arctic soil within the area of a birds' colony and in a control sample from a topographically similar location but situated away from the colony's impact area. A high number of OTUs found in both areas indicates a highly complex microbial populations structure. The most abundant phyla in both of the tested samples were: Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Chloroflexi, with different proportions in the total share. Despite differences in the physicochemical soil characteristics, the soil microbial community structures at the phylum level were similar to some extent in the two samples. The only share that was significantly higher in the control area when compared to the sample obtained within the birds' colony, belonged to the Actinobacteria phylum. Moreover, when analyzing the class level for each phylum, several differences between the samples were observed. Furthermore, lower proportions of Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria were observed in the soil sample under the influence of the bird's colony, which most probably could be linked to higher nitrogen concentrations in that sample.

New Mineral NamesAntipiniteAnzaite-(Ce)BettertoniteBobshannoniteCalcinaksiteKhvoroviteLeguerniteLukkulaisvaaraiteMinjiangiteMöhniteMoraskoiteNickelpicromeritePilawite-(Ce)RalphcannoniteYeomanite

This New Mineral Names has entries for 15 new minerals, including antipinite, anzaite-(Ce), bettertonite, bobshannonite, calcinaksite, khvorovite, leguernite, lukkulaisvaaraite, minjiangite, mohnite, moraskoite, nickelpicromerite, pilawite-(Ce), ralphcannonite, and yeomanite. # Antipinite* {#article-title-2} N.V. Chukanov, S.M. Aksenov, R.K. Rastsvetaeva, K.A. Lysenko, D.I. Belakovskiy, G. Farber, G. Mohn and K.V. Van (2015) Antipinite, KNa3Cu2(C2O4)4, a new mineral species from a guano deposit at Pabellon de Pica, Chile. Mineralogical Magazine, 79(5), 1111–1121. Antipinite (IMA 2014-027), ideally KNa3Cu2(C2O4)4, was discovered in the guano deposit at the lower part of the northern slope of Pabellon de Pica Mountain, Tarapaca Region, Chile. The new mineral honors Mikhail Yuvenal’evich Antipin (1951–2013), a Russian specialist in the crystallography and crystal chemistry of organometallic and coordination compounds. Antipinite occurs in association with halite, salammoniac, chanabayaite, and joanneumite. The host gabbro consists of amphibole, plagioclase, minor clinochlore, and accessory chalcopyrite. Antipinite forms isometric and short prismatic crystals up to 0.1×0.1×0.15 mm, and random aggregates up to 0.6 mm across. The new mineral is blue, translucent, with pale blue streak and a vitreous luster. It is brittle, with a Mohs hardness ~2. The cleavage is medium in three directions, which were not determined. D meas = 2.53(3) and D calc = 2.549 g/cm3. Antipinite does not fluoresce under UV radiation. It is optically biaxial (+), α = 1.432(2), β = 1.530(2), and γ = 1.698(5) (λ = 589 nm); 2 V meas …

Penguin activity modify the thermal regime of active layer in Antarctica: A case study from Hope Bay

Monitoring permafrost and active layer is essential for prognostic research of future climate scenarios. Although biotic factors have a prominent role in active layer behavior, apart from vegetation effects, their influence remains little investigated. It is generally assumed that frozen ground exerts influence on nesting fauna, whereas, on the other hand, land colonization by birds, such as penguins can also interfere with the soil thermal regime. However, to our knowledge, no studies report on permafrost and active layer regime changes under penguin activity. We present a comparative study of two adjacent sites located in Hope Bay, one representing an active penguin rookery-S1, and another, an adjacent abandoned site currently vegetated-S2. Soil temperature and water content, and air temperature were monitored hourly from 2009 to 2011. Current penguin activity and the resulting deposition of guano during spring and summer in S1 is an important factor for explaining the higher number of thaw degree days due to direct physical impact and chemical reactions caused by rapid guano decomposition. In the vegetated S2 site, the snow pack lasted longer, showing the highest mean minimum temperature and larger thermal insulation, as well as larger FDD than those found in the bare soil of the active rookery (S1), and lower n-F, due to greater thermal insulation. Penguins played a significant role in changing the active layer depth and thermal regime, and represent a neglected actor on the ground thermal regime in Antarctic terrestrial environments.

Stable isotopes and digital elevation models to study nutrient inputs in high-arctic lakes

Five major factors control nutrient and organic matter inputs in high-Arctic lakes, all potentially affected by climate change: ice cover; run-off from the watershed; aquatic and terrestrial primary productivity; guano deposition from birds. Quantifying these controls is a key first step to understand what combination of factors underlies the biological productivity in Arctic lakes and drives their ecological response to climate change. Based on C and N elemental content and stable isotope analysis in sediments belonging to three lakes in North Spitsbergen (Svalbard), Digital Elevation Models and drainage maps, we propose an integrated approach for the analysis of nutrient and organic matter inputs in lakes and the role of catchment hydro-geomorphology in determining inter-lake differences in the isotopic composition of sediments. Given its high run-off and large catchment, organic deposits in Tvillingvatnet were dominated by terrestrial inputs, whereas inputs were mainly of aquatic origin in Storvatnet, a lowland lake characterised by low potential run-off. In Kolhamna, organic deposits seemed to be dominated by inputs from birds. Isotopic signatures were similar between samples within each lake, representing precise tracers for studies on the effect of climate change on biogeochemical cycles in lakes. The presented approach proved to be an effective research pathway for the identification of factors underlying nutrient and organic matter inputs within each water body, as well as for the modelling of expected changes in nutrient content associated with changes in isotopic composition of sediments.

Effects of nesting waterbirds on nutrient levels in mangroves, Gulf of Fonseca, Honduras

Mangroves provide numerous ecosystem services, including biodiversity values such as nesting sites for piscivorous waterbirds. High concentrations of waterbirds at nest sites are hypothesized to affect ecosystem dynamics, yet few studies have examined their effects as a nutrient source in mangroves. We examined the effects of nutrient enrichment by colonial waterbirds at a mangrove rookery in the Gulf of Fonseca, Honduras. We compared nutrient inputs via bird guano deposition and macronutrient levels in the vegetation and soils between a small island that hosted large numbers of roosting waterbirds and an adjacent island with little evidence of waterbird activity. Nest density at the rookery was 1721 ± 469 nests ha−1. Rookery birds deposited 7.2 ± 3.4 g m−2 day−1 guano dry weight, delivering an estimated 1.12 Mg ha−1 nitrogen and 0.16 Mg ha−1 phosphorus to the island over a 120 day breeding season. This large nutrient influx contributed to substantially higher concentrations of biologically important nutrients in the rookery soils (seven times more plant available phosphorus, eight times more nitrate, and two times more ammonium). Rookery mangrove leaves contained significantly higher concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus compared to the control site. These results suggest that colonial waterbirds significantly influence nutrient dynamics of mangroves at local scales. Further research is needed to understand the effects of avian derived nutrients on mangrove growth rates, nutrient export to adjacent waters, invertebrate communities, and mangrove associated fisheries.

Eco‐morphological differentiation in Lake Magadi tilapia, an extremophile cichlid fish living in hot, alkaline and hypersaline lakes in East Africa

Ecological diversification through divergent selection is thought to be a major force during the process of adaptive radiations. However, the large sizes and complexity of most radiations such as those of the cichlids in the African Great Lakes make it impossible to infer the exact evolutionary history of any population divergence event. The genus Alcolapia, a small cichlid lineage endemic to Lakes Magadi and Natron in East Africa, exhibits phenotypes similar to some of those found in cichlids of the radiations of the African Great Lakes. The simplicity within Alcolapia makes it an excellent model system to investigate ecological diversification and speciation. We used an integrated approach including population genomics based on RAD-seq data, geometric morphometrics and stable isotope analyses to investigate the eco-morphological diversification of tilapia in Lake Magadi and its satellite lake Little Magadi. Additionally, we reconstructed the demographic history of the species using coalescent simulations based on the joint site frequency spectrum. The population in Little Magadi has a characteristically upturned mouth--possibly an adaptation to feeding on prey from the water surface. Eco-morphological differences between populations within Lake Magadi are more subtle, but are consistent with known ecological differences between its lagoons such as high concentrations of nitrogen attributable to extensive guano deposits in Rest of Magadi relative to Fish Springs Lagoon. All populations diverged simultaneously only about 1100 generations ago. Differences in levels of gene flow between populations and the effective population sizes have likely resulted in the inferred heterogeneous patterns of genome-wide differentiation.

Stable isotopes in guano: Potential contributions towards palaeoenvironmental reconstruction in Tabon Cave, Palawan, Philippines

Tabon Cave is a key site for the understanding of modern human dispersals in the Philippine archipelago and Island Southeast Asia. Nestled in the karst landscape that borders the southwestern coast of Palawan, it has delivered the earliest confirmed Homo sapiens remains in the Philippines dating to the late Pleistocene, as far back as around 47 ka. Among other methods, the broad characteristics of the environment in which these humans once lived may be drawn using stable isotope analysis of the rich guano deposits in the cave, an approach that follows a growing number of studies indicating the potential of guano as a palaeoenvironmental archive. δ13C values reveal the general prevalence of C3 forest tempered by savannah woodland with grassland contributions both well before and slightly after a securely-dated fireplace at 32 ka; the lower interval would refer to OIS 3 or older interglacial periods, while the upper interval would refer to the transition either before or after the Last Glacial Maximum. No useful conclusions are drawn from δ15N results due to suspected ammonia fractionation. Pending future dating efforts for confirmation, this preliminary study contributes to the development of an alternative and promising palaeoenvironmental proxy and hopes to shed further light on the prehistoric odysseys that took place across Island Southeast Asia.

Archaeology of Guano: Preliminary Results of the Survey Conducted in Caleta Robles (Mejillones, Chile), 1862–83

The exploitation of guano was one of the first important economic activities in Chile and Bolivia during the 19th century. Although its development was brief and less successful than the guano industry in neighbouring Peru, it laid the foundation of a state business system based on the granting of franchises to private companies, regulation of the maritime trade and modernisation of the extractive process to improve the exploitation of mineral resources.Caleta Robles, a guano production centre between 1862 and 1883, succeeded the exploitation of other guano deposits on the Mejillones peninsula coast from the 1840s. It represents a highly relevant coastal archaeological site illustrating the early development of the mining industry in the north of Chile.The preliminary results of the investigations conducted on this site have created an understanding of the spatial distribution of the different functional areas relating to the different phases of the production process and their adaptation to suit the peculiar topographical conditions of the site.

Chanabayaite, Cu2(N3C2H2)Cl(NH3,Cl,H2O,□)4, a new mineral containing triazolate anion

A new mineral, chanabayaite, has been discovered at a guano deposit located at Mt. Pabellon de Pica near the village of Chanabaya, Iquique Province, Tarapaca region, Chile. It is associated with salammoniac, halite, joanneumite, nitratine and earlier chalcopyrite. Chanabayaite occurs as blue translucent imperfect prismatic crystals, up to 0.05 × 0.1 × 0.5 mm in size, and their radial aggregates. Chanabayaite is brittle, with a Mohs’ hardness of 2. The cleavage is perfect on (001) and imperfect on (100) and (010). Dmeas = 1.48(2) g/cm3, Dcalc = 1.464 g/cm3. The mineral is optically biaxial (–), α = 1.561(2), β = 1.615(3), γ = 1.620(2), 2Vmeas = 25(10)°, 2Vcalc = 33°. Pleochroism is strong, Z ≈ Y (deep blue) ≫ X (pale blue with gray tint). IR spectrum is given. The chemical composition (electron microprobe data for Cu, Fe and Cl; gas chromatography data for H, N, C and O) is as follows (wt %): 32.23 Cu, 1.14 Fe, 16.13 Cl, 3.1 H, 29.9 N, 12.2 C, 3.4 O, total is 98.1. The empirical formula is (Z = 4): Cu1.92Fe0.08Cl1.72N8.09C3.85H11.66O0.81. The structural model was based on the single-crystal X-ray diffraction data (R = 0.1627). Chanabayaite is orthorhombic, space group Imma, a = 19.484(3), b = 7.2136(10), c = 11.999(4) A, V = 1686.5(7) A3, Z = 2. In chanabayaite, chains of the corner-sharing Cu(l)-centered octahedra and single Cu(2)-centered octahedra are linked via 1,2,4-triazolate anions C2N3H2-. NH3 and Cl– are additional ligands coordinating Cu2+. Chanabayaite is a transformational mineral species formed by leaching of Na and one third of Cl and partial dehydration of the protophase Na2Cu2Cl3(N3C2H2)2(NH3)2 • 4H2O. The strongest reflections in the powder X-ray diffraction pattern [d, A (I, %) (hkl)] are detected: 10.19 (100) (101), 6.189 (40) (011), 5.729 (23) (301), 5.216 (75) (211, 202), 4.964 (20) (400), 2.830 (20) (602, 413, 503), 2.611 (24) (123, 422, 404).

Bacterial diversity is strongly associated with historical penguin activity in an Antarctic lake sediment profile.

Current penguin activity in Antarctica affects the geochemistry of sediments and their microbial communities; the effects of historical penguin activity are less well understood. Here, bacterial diversity in ornithogenic sediment was investigated using high-throughput pyrosequencing. The relative abundances of dominant phyla were controlled by the amount of historical penguin guano deposition. Significant positive correlations were found between both the bacterial richness and diversity, and the relative penguin number (p < 0.01); this indicated that historical penguin activity drove the vertical distribution of the bacterial communities. The lowest relative abundances of individual phyla corresponded to lowest number of penguin population at 1,800–2,300 yr BP during a drier and colder period; the opposite was observed during a moister and warmer climate (1,400–1,800 yr BP). This study shows that changes in the climate over millennia affected penguin populations and the outcomes of these changes affect the sediment bacterial community today.

The crystal structure of the natural 1,2,4-triazolate compound NaCu2Cl3[N3C2H2]2[NH3]2·4H2O

Abstract The crystal structure of a new natural compound NaCu2Cl3[N3C2H2]2[NH3]2·4H2O, (further denoted I in the text) from a guano deposit located on the Pabellón de Pica Mountain, Iquique Province, Tarapacá Region, Chile, was studied by single-crystal low-temperature (200 K) XRD, R=2.42%. The compound I is orthorhombic, space group P212121; a=19.484(3), b=7.2136(10), c=11.999(4) Å, V=1686.5(7) Å3, Z=4. The crystal structure of I contains zig-zag chains of the corner-sharing Cu(1)-centered octahedra running along the a axis and isolated Cu(2)-centered octahedra connected with the chains via 1,2,4-triazolate anions. This structural fragment is close to that found in the mineral chanabayaite, Cu2(N3C2H2)2Cl(NH3, Cl, H2O, □)4. In contrast to Na-free chanabayaite, in the structure of I Na cations occupy Na(H2O)6 octahedra connected via common edges to form chains parallel to the chains of Cu(1)-centered octahedra. I is the second natural compound, after chanabayaite, with 1,2,4-triazolate anions N3C2H2 – and is assumed to be a protophase of chanabayaite; the latter was presumably formed as a result of Na and Cl leaching and dehydration of I.

Antipinite, KNa3Cu2(C2O4)4, a new mineral species from a guano deposit at Pabellón de Pica, Chile

AbstractThe new oxalate mineral antipinite is found in a guano deposit located on the Pabellón de Pica Mountain, Iquique Province, Tarapacá Region, Chile. Associated minerals are halite, salammoniac, chanabayaite, joanneumite and clays. Antipinite occurs as blue, imperfect, short prismatic crystals up to 0.1 mm × 0.1 mm × 0.15 mm in size, as well as their clusters and random aggregates. The mineral is brittle. Mohs hardness is 2; Dmeas = 2.53(3), Dcalc = 2.549 g cm–3. The infrared spectrum shows the presence of oxalate anions and the absence of absorptions associated with H2O molecules, C–H bonds, CO32–, NO3– and OH– ions. Antipinite is optically biaxial (+), α = 1.432(3), β = 1.530(1), γ = 1.698(5), 2Vmeas = 75(10)°, 2Vcalc = 82°. The chemical composition (electron-microprobe data, C measured by gas chromatography of products of ignition at 1200°C, wt.%) is Na2O 15.95, K2O 5.65, CuO 27.34, C2O3 48.64, total 99.58. The empirical formula is K0.96Na3.04Cu2.03(C2.00O4)4 and the idealized formula is KNa3Cu2(C2O4)4. The crystal structure was solved and refined to R = 0.033 based upon 4085 unique reflections with I &gt; 2σ(I). Antipinite is triclinic, space group P1, a = 7.1574(5), b = 10.7099(8), c = 11.1320(8) Å, α = 113.093(1), β = 101.294(1), γ = 90.335 (1)°, V = 766.51(3) Å3, Z = 2. The strongest reflections of the powder X-ray diffraction pattern [d, Å (I,%) (hkl)] are 5.22 (40) (111), 3.47 (100) (032), 3.39 (80) (210), 3.01 (30) (033, 220), 2.543 (40) (122, 034, 104), 2.481 (30) (213), 2.315 (30) (143, 310), 1.629 (30) (146, 414, 243, 160).

A case for chemical weathering in soils of Hurd Peninsula, Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica

The soils of the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica are considered weakly developed. Chemical weathering processes are generally considered to be negligible except in areas that receive large additions of seabird guano. In this paper we describe and analyze 19 soils on Hurd Peninsula, Livingston Island in the South Shetland Island Archipelago. The soils were classified according to US Soil Taxonomy and were generally weakly developed Gelorthents, Humigelepts and Haplorthels. However, B horizon formation, rubification and increases in extractable Fe and Al were observed on toposequences of raised beaches. The deposition of tephra and/or guano is likely responsible for the chemically driven processes. Guano deposits contain phosphates and oxalic acid, causing phosphatization and/or dissolution of silicates. Input of tephra with easily weatherable minerals may account for metastable mineral formation. Tephra deposition in the oldest raised beaches has formed a fine-textured mantle overlying the coarser textured subsoils. Highly weatherable tephra, as opposed to guano deposition, appears to influence soil formation at Hurd Peninsula.

Monitoring burrowing petrel populations: A sampling scheme for the management of an island keystone species

ABSTRACTBurrow‐nesting petrels (order Procellariiformes) are keystone species in island ecosystems, where they modify habitat through guano deposition and burrow digging. Burrowing petrels are among the most threatened groups of birds, yet robust long‐term monitoring data remain scarce because of the financial and logistical constraints of working on offshore breeding islands, the variety of surveying strategies used, and the birds' below‐ground breeding behavior. We examined the sampling requirements of monitoring programs to detect changes in the number of breeding pairs of gray‐faced petrels (Pterodroma gouldi), a common species in northern New Zealand. We first examined the relationship between burrow entrance density and breeding pair density using 4 years of data from 3 large colonies. We then conducted a simulation‐based power analysis to assess the ability of different burrow‐occupancy sampling regimes to detect changes in breeding bird abundance. Power to detect change was influenced by population growth rates, initial bird density, inter‐annual variation in abundance, plot size, number of plots, intervals between surveys, time of year surveys are undertaken, and duration of the monitoring program. Our analyses suggest that, under the most suboptimal monitoring conditions, at least 45 randomly assigned 5‐m‐radius plots surveyed annually during the incubation period for ≥20 years will be required to detect a 1% annual change in breeding bird abundance. Because power will vary depending on project specifications, local conditions, and potential change, we created an online application with over 50,000 combinations of starting parameters (https://landcare.shinyapps.io/petrels). This allows managers to determine the power of different combinations of survey intensities while maintaining consistency and maximizing efficiency. © 2015 The Wildlife Society.

Earliest evidence of pollution by heavy metals in archaeological sites.

Homo species were exposed to a new biogeochemical environment when they began to occupy caves. Here we report the first evidence of palaeopollution through geochemical analyses of heavy metals in four renowned archaeological caves of the Iberian Peninsula spanning the last million years of human evolution. Heavy metal contents reached high values due to natural (guano deposition) and anthropogenic factors (e.g. combustion) in restricted cave environments. The earliest anthropogenic pollution evidence is related to Neanderthal hearths from Gorham's Cave (Gibraltar), being one of the first milestones in the so-called “Anthropocene”. According to its heavy metal concentration, these sediments meet the present-day standards of “contaminated soil”. Together with the former, the Gibraltar Vanguard Cave, shows Zn and Cu pollution ubiquitous across highly anthropic levels pointing to these elements as potential proxies for human activities. Pb concentrations in Magdalenian and Bronze age levels at El Pirulejo site can be similarly interpreted. Despite these high pollution levels, the contaminated soils might not have posed a major threat to Homo populations. Altogether, the data presented here indicate a long-term exposure of Homo to these elements, via fires, fumes and their ashes, which could have played certain role in environmental-pollution tolerance, a hitherto neglected influence.

Wading bird guano enrichment of soil nutrients in tree islands of the Florida Everglades

Differential distribution of nutrients within an ecosystem can offer insight of ecological and physical processes that are otherwise unclear. This study was conducted to determine if enrichment of phosphorus (P) in tree island soils of the Florida Everglades can be explained by bird guano deposition. Concentrations of total carbon, nitrogen (N), and P, and N stable isotope ratio (δ15N) were determined on soil samples from 46 tree islands. Total elemental concentrations and δ15N were determined on wading bird guano. Sequential chemical extraction of P pools was also performed on guano. Guano contained between 53.1 and 123.7g-Nkg−1 and 20.7 and 56.7g-Pkg−1. Most of the P present in guano was extractable by HCl, which ranged from 82 to 97% of the total P. Total P of tree islands classified as having low or high P soils averaged 0.71 and 40.6gkg−1, respectively. Tree island soil with high total P concentration was found to have a similar δ15N signature and total P concentration as bird guano. Phosphorus concentrations and δ15N were positively correlated in tree island soils (r=0.83, p<0.0001). Potential input of guano with elevated concentrations of N and P, and 15N enriched N, relative to other sources suggests that guano deposition in tree island soils is a mechanism contributing to this pattern.

A Late Holocene environmental history of a bat guano deposit from Romania: an isotopic, pollen and microcharcoal study

A 1.5-m-long core from a bat guano deposit in Zidită Cave (western Romania) has provided a 900-year record of environmental change. Shifts in δ13C values of bulk guano (between −22.6 and −27.5‰) combined with guano-sourced pollen and microcharcoal information show significant changes in the structure of vegetation and plant biomass. Cave guano δ13C values reflect the dietary preferences of bats which are controlled by local vegetation dynamics, which in turn depend on local climatic conditions. Neither δ13C values nor pollen association in guano changed strikingly over the Medieval Warm Period (MWP) and Little Ice Age (LIA) transition. Instead, an overall decreasing trend of δ13C values between ca. AD 1200 and 1870–1900 defines the duration of LIA. A shift toward cooler and wetter conditions at ca. AD 1500 noticed in the pollen record by an increase in Fagus sylvatica and Alnus and the decrease of Carpinus betulus, may indicate the first major change at the beginning of the LIA. Evidence for two major cold spells occurring around AD 1500 and ca. AD 1870 comes from both δ13C and pollen record. In between these events, the cave region experienced a warmer and drier climate but colder and wetter than the MWP, favouring the expansion of Quercus, Fraxinus and Tilia simultaneously with the decrease of F. sylvatica and Poaceae. Human impact in the studied area is mainly related to agriculture, grazing and deforestation. The effects are most pronounced after AD 1845 when the pollen of cereals increases and Zea is recorded (AD 1845). Higher percentages of microcharcoal particles in the guano sequence are generally correlated with agricultural activities like land cleaning via controlled fires.

Shilovite, natural copper(II) tetrammine nitrate, a new mineral species

AbstractThe new mineral shilovite, the first natural tetrammine copper complex, was found in a guano deposit located on the Pabellón de Pica Mountain, near Chanabaya, Iquique Province, Tarapacá Region, Chile. It is associated with halite, ammineite, atacamite (a product of ammineite alteration) and thénardite. The gabbro host rock consists of amphibole, plagioclase and minor clinochlore, and contains accessory chalcopyrite. The latter is considered the source of Cu for shilovite. The new mineral occurs as deep violet blue, imperfect, thick tabular to equant crystals up to 0.15 mm in size included in massive halite. The mineral is sectile. Its Mohs hardness is 2. Dcalc is 1.92 g cm–3. The infrared spectrum shows the presence of NH3 molecules and NO3– anions. Shilovite is optically biaxial (+), α = 1.527(2), β = 1.545(5), γ = 1.610(2). The chemical composition (electron-microprobe data, H calculated from ideal formula, wt.%) is Cu 26.04, Fe 0.31, N 30.8, O 35.95, H 4.74, total 100.69. The empirical formula is H12.56(Cu1.09Fe0.01)N5.87O6.00. The idealized formula is Cu(NH3)4(NO3)2. The crystal structure was solved and refined to R = 0.029 based upon 2705 unique reflections having F &gt; 4σ(F). Shilovite is orthorhombic, space group Pnn2, a = 23.6585(9), b = 10.8238(4), c = 6.9054(3) Å, V = 1768.3(1) Å3, Z = 8. The strongest reflections of the powder X-ray diffraction pattern [d, Å (I,%) (hkl)] are: 5.931 (41) (400), 5.841 (100) (011), 5.208 (47) (410), 4.162 (88) (411), 4.005 (62) (420), 3.462 (50) (002), 3.207 (32) (031), 2.811 (40) (412).