Fringe Zone Research Articles

Land Use Change of the ‘Small Hobby Gardens’ in the Peri-Urban Area of Szeged, Hungary

One of the main characteristics of the rural-urban fringe is the rapidly transforming hybrid landscape. This mixed land use is changing fast and is conspicuous since the early 1990s‟ in Hungary. Before the transition, the development process was regulated and determined by the national government. In the post socialist transition, the market economy transferred the peri-urban areas to other context. The aim of this paper is to present how the ruralurban fringe of a post-socialist country has developed during different regimes among different conditions. Furthermore not only the different regimes among different conditions determine the transformation of the peri-urban area in post socialist countries, but also the special administrative and historical urban space is productive of other location and development ways than as usual. Thus, the second aim of this paper is to discuss how the regional (The Great Hungarian Plane) characteristics of the cities can determine the changes of the rural-urban fringe. The „small hobby garden‟ is an important urban space of the peri-urban areas. They were created in the 1960s‟. The gardens had agricultural and recreational functions. Before 1989 they were a significant part of the Hungarian economy and social life. People had their own land property and the owners could sell their grown vegetables during the socialism. After the transition the hobby gardens lost their roles, thus they are important „only‟ in local. In the last one and a half decade the gardens have undergone various changes. The functions and the land use of the small hobby gardens have become wider. The rural-urban fringe zone of Szeged has more, various garden zones than it is usual in the Great Hungarian Plane. Thus, Szeged is suitable to present the development of rural-urban fringe, especially to present the transformation of the small hobby garden zones in Hungary.

Electron acceptor-dependent identification of key anaerobic toluene degraders at a tar-oil-contaminated aquifer by Pyro-SIP

Bioavailability of electron acceptors is probably the most limiting factor in the restoration of anoxic, contaminated environments. The oxidation of contaminants such as aromatic hydrocarbons, particularly in aquifers, often depends on the reduction of ferric iron or sulphate. We have previously detected a highly active fringe zone beneath a toluene plume at a tar-oil-contaminated aquifer in Germany, where a specialized community of contaminant degraders codominated by Desulfobulbaceae and Geobacteraceae had established. Although on-site geochemistry links degradation to sulphidogenic processes, dominating catabolic (benzylsuccinate synthase α-subunit, bssA) genes detected in situ appeared to be more related to those of Geobacter spp. Therefore, a stable isotope probing (SIP) incubation of sediment samples with (13)C(7)-toluene and comparative electron acceptor amendment was performed. We introduce pyrosequencing of templates from SIP microcosms as a powerful new strategy in SIP gradient interpretation (Pyro-SIP). Our results reveal the central role of Desulfobulbaceae in sulphidogenic toluene degradation in situ, and affiliate the detected bssA genes to this lineage. This and the absence of (13)C-labelled DNA of Geobacter spp. in SIP gradients preclude their relevance as toluene degraders in situ. In contrast, Betaproteobacteria related to Georgfuchsia spp. became labelled under iron-reducing conditions. Furthermore, secondary toluene degraders belonging to the Peptococcaceae detected in both treatments suggest the possibility of functional redundancy among anaerobic toluene degraders on site.

Assessment of MTBE biodegradation in contaminated groundwater using 13C and 14C analysis: Field and laboratory microcosm studies

Radiolabelled assays and compound-specific stable isotope analysis (CSIA) were used to assess methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) biodegradation in an unleaded fuel plume in a UK chalk aquifer, both in the field and in laboratory microcosm experiments. The 14C-MTBE radiorespirometry studies demonstrated widespread potential for aerobic and anaerobic MTBE biodegradation in the aquifer. However, δ13C compositions of MTBE in groundwater samples from the plume showed no significant 13C enrichment that would indicate MTBE biodegradation at the field scale. Carbon isotope enrichment during MTBE biodegradation was assessed in the microcosms when dissolved O2 was not limiting, compared with low in situ concentrations (2 mg/L) in the aquifer, and in the absence of O2. The microcosm experiments showed ubiquitous potential for aerobic MTBE biodegradation in the aquifer within hundreds of days. Aerobic MTBE biodegradation in the microcosms produced an enrichment of 7‰ in the MTBE δ13C composition and an isotope enrichment factor (e) of −1.53‰ when dissolved O2 was not limiting. However, for the low dissolved O2 concentration of up to 2 mg/L that characterizes most of the MTBE plume fringe, aerobic MTBE biodegradation produced an enrichment of 0.5–0.7‰, corresponding to an e value of −0.22‰ to −0.24‰. No anaerobic MTBE biodegradation occurred under these experimental conditions. These results suggest the existence of a complex MTBE-biodegrading community in the aquifer, which may consist of different aerobic species competing for MTBE and dissolved O2. Under low O2 conditions, the lower fractionating species have been shown to govern overall MTBE C-isotope fractionation during biodegradation, confirming the results of previous laboratory experiments mixing pure cultures. This implies that significant aerobic MTBE biodegradation could occur under the low dissolved O2 concentration that typifies the reactive fringe zone of MTBE plumes, without producing detectable changes in the MTBE δ13C composition. This observed insensitivity of C isotope enrichment to MTBE biodegradation could lead to significant underestimation of aerobic MTBE biodegradation at field scale, with an unnecessarily pessimistic performance assessment for natural attenuation. Site-specific C isotope enrichment factors are, therefore, required to reliably quantify MTBE biodegradation, which may limit CSIA as a tool for the in situ assessment of MTBE biodegradation in groundwater using only C isotopes.

Evolution of granulite enclaves and associated gneisses from Purulia, Chhotanagpur Granite Gneiss Complex, India: Evidence for 990–940 Ma tectonothermal event(s) at the eastern India cratonic fringe zone

Migmatitic quartzofeldspathic gneisses at Purulia, Chhotanagpur Granite Gneiss Complex (CGGC) contains layers and enclaves of high Mg–Al granulite and two-pyroxene granulites. Petrographic, geothermobarometric and pseudosection analyses of the high Mg–Al granulite reveal a strongly decompressive (Δ P = 6 kbar) retrograde trajectory after attaining the peak at 870 °C, 11 kbar. The metamorphic evolution ensued through partial melting of biotite-bearing assemblage. Texturally-constrained monazite grains yield population age of ca. 990–940 Ma which might bracket the timing of decompressive metamorphism in the high Mg–Al granulite broadly coinciding with the age of anatexis of the host gneisses. Associated mafic granulites underwent similar metamorphic evolution, but their contrasting bulk chemistries are responsible for mineralogical and textural variability. Formation and stabilization of garnet in one bulk composition of mafic granulite and breakdown of garnet in the other could be reconciled as products two different P– T segments of same metamorphic evolutionary history. Discrete population of older monazite ages (ca. 1800 Ma) in the host gneisses possibly implies variable degrees of inheritance. It is proposed that the ca. 990–940 Ma tectonothermal event caused extensive partial melting in the lower crust of the eastern Indian cratonic fringe zone. Widespread occurrence of ca. 1000–900 Ma metamorphism in the CGGC can be correlated with those in the Rayner–Eastern Ghats Belt in the Indo-Antarctic sector. All these areas experienced high-grade metamorphism as a result of Indo-Antarctic collision during the assembly of Rodinia.

Experimental and Modeling Investigation of Shallow Water Table Fluctuations in Relation to Reverse Wieringermeer Effect

Soil column experiments and modeling investigations were performed to study the behavior of shallow water table in response to various recharge events. Hence, shallow water table fluctuations inside sandy (Toyoura sand) and clayey (Chiba light clay) soil columns in response to surface and sub-surface recharge events were investigated under laboratory conditions. Experimental results showed that small application of water could raise the shallow water table level more than 100 times in depth in the case of Toyoura sand and more than 50 times in the case of Chiba LiC, reflecting a reverse Wieringermeer effect (RWE) response type of groundwater. This rise was associated with a prompt change of pressure head values which exhibited instantaneous fluctuations of centimeters due to the addition of millimeters of water. The recharge volumes leading to such disproportionate water table rise were successfully estimated using a simple analytical model based on the moisture retention curve of the soil and considering the hysteresis effect on soil water dynamics within the capillary fringe zone.

The Reshaping of Cairo's City of the Dead: Rural Identity versus Urban Arena in Cairene Cultural Narrative and Public Discourse

Cairo's City of the Dead embodies the social and cultural stratification that has occurred over the course of Egyptian history. Nowadays, its syncretic culture is a mixture of urban and rural aspects - a 'rurban' culture. In an effort to escape from the poverty of their hamlets, rural migrants started to move to the capital during the last decades of Ottoman rule, ending up in the fringe zones of the city. During the second wave of migration in the twentieth century, the poorest segments illicitly occupied abandoned or rarely visited funeral courtyards. The article explores how this district has been restructured by the occupation. It analyses the meaning of the physical and cultural transformations of funerary spaces, as well as the migrants' role in the formation of the locality.

Ephemeral Bio-engineers or Reef-building Polychaetes: How Stable are Aggregations of the Tube Worm Lanice conchilega (Pallas, 1766)?

Dense aggregations of tube-worms can stabilize sediments and generate oases for benthic communities that are different and often more diverse and abundant than those of the surroundings. If these features are to qualify as biogenic reefs under nature-conservation legislation such as the EC Habitats Directive, a level of stability and longevity is desirable aside from physical and biological attributes. Lanice conchilega (Pallas, 1766) is widely distributed around the European coast and aggregations of this tube-dwelling polychaete are known to have a positive effect on the biodiversity of associated species in inter- and sub-tidal areas. This increases the value of L. conchilega-rich habitats for higher trophic levels such as birds and fish. However, L. conchilega is currently not recognized as a reef builder primarily due to uncertainty about the stability of their aggregations. We carried out three studies on different spatial and temporal scales to explore a number of properties relating to stability: (1) Individual aggregations of L. conchilega of ∼1 m(2) were monitored for up to 1 year, (2) records of L. conchilega from a 258-ha area over a 35-year period were analyzed, (3) the recovery of a population of L. conchilega subjected to disturbances by cultivation of Manila clams (Ruditapes philippinarum) was followed over 3 years. The studies provided evidence about the longevity of L. conchilega aggregations, their resistance to disturbance, their resilience in recovering from negative impact and their large-scale persistence. The results showed that populations of L. conchilega were prone to considerable fluctuation and the stability of aggregations depended on environmental factors and on recruitment. The tube-worms proved to be susceptible to disturbance by cultivation of Manila clams but demonstrated the potential to recover from that impact. The long-term monitoring of a large L. conchilega population in the Bay of Mont Saint Michel (France) indicated that aggregations can persist over many decades with a constant, densely populated core area and an expanding and contracting more thinly populated fringe zone. The stability of aggregations of L. conchilega and the structures they form do not unequivocally fit the currently accepted definition of a reef. However, given L. conchilega's accepted reef-like potential to influence diversity and abundance in benthic communities, we suggest clarifying and expanding the definition of reefs so that species with records of significant persistence in particular areas and which otherwise meet expectations of reefs are included within the definition.

Ecophysiological differences between fringe and dwarf Avicennia marina mangroves

In this investigation, morphological and physiological differences between fringe and dwarf Avicennia marina (Forsk.) Vierh. growing in seawater and hypersalinity were compared along a tree height and productivity gradient in Richards Bay, South Africa. Dwarf trees had thicker leaves and cuticles, lower specific leaf area and salt gland frequency, while the concentrations of total chlorophyll and chlorophylls a and b were lower by 26, 23 and 39%, respectively, compared to fringe trees. Soil ψ and soil salinity were −3.04 ± 0.09 MPa and 36 ± 3 psu in the fringe zone, compared to −7.24 ± 0.38 MPa and 58 ± 5 psu, respectively, in the dwarf zone. Midday minimum xylem ψ was −4.3 ± 0.23 MPa in the fringe zone and −6.4 ± 0.28 MPa in the dwarf zone. In leaves of dwarf trees, the concentration of Na+ was 30% higher, while those of K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+ were lower by 41, 38 and 55%, respectively, than fringe trees. The Na+/K+ ratio of leaves was 2.1 ± 0.03 for fringe and 5.6 ± 0.05 for dwarf trees. Rates of secretion of Na+, Cl−, K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+ over 24 h were significantly lower in dwarf trees by 44, 45, 78, 66 and 54%, respectively. In fringe trees, the rate of secretion of Na+ and Cl− was about 28% higher during the night than during the day, while in dwarf trees the corresponding increase was about 174%. CO2 exchange, leaf conductance, quantum yield of PS II, ETR through PSII and intrinsic photochemical efficiency of PS II were significantly lower in dwarf trees by 50, 83, 39, 33 and 12%, respectively.

Detecting the spatial differentiation in settlement change rates during rapid urbanization in the Nanjing metropolitan region, China

Urbanization produced significant landscape changes throughout the world. China has been experiencing accelerated urbanization during the past decades. Rapid land use/land over conversion occurred nationwide in urbanization, manifesting noteworthy characteristics of landscape dynamics. In this study, we investigated the spatial differentiation in settlement change rates among 1-km(2) land units in the Nanjing metropolitan region, a representative rapidly urbanizing region in China. Remotely sensed detection using Landsat TM data of 1988-2006 showed that settlement increase, termed as positive growth (PG), was predominant in the study area; while settlement decrease, termed as negative growth (NG), also had a considerable proportion, which was mainly attributed to the increase of green lands and the shrink of rural settlements. Along the urban-rural gradient, PG and NG showed similar mono-peaked patterns. The urban fringe zone with a consistent width of about 4 km was identified as the hot zone of both PG and NG over the three unequal periods. For both PG and NG, high-rated changes tended to exhibit more aggregative patterns along the gradient in the urban fringe zone. Settlement changes showed apparent anisotropy across directions. The directional distribution of PG was significantly negatively correlated to the topographic variables, suggesting that the mountains constrained urban expansion in an "area-weighted inverse-distance power" form. Significant correlation between PG and NG in a time-lagged manner showed the "increase-decrease" fluctuation occurred in settlement changes, reflecting the "urban expansion-land reconfiguration" process in rapid urbanization in Nanjing.

Surface Elevation Change and Susceptibility of Different Mangrove Zones to Sea-Level Rise on Pacific High Islands of Micronesia

Mangroves on Pacific high islands offer a number of important ecosystem services to both natural ecological communities and human societies. High islands are subjected to constant erosion over geologic time, which establishes an important source of terrigeneous sediment for nearby marine communities. Many of these sediments are deposited in mangrove forests and offer mangroves a potentially important means for adjusting surface elevation with rising sea level. In this study, we investigated sedimentation and elevation dynamics of mangrove forests in three hydrogeomorphic settings on the islands of Kosrae and Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). Surface accretion rates ranged from 2.9 to 20.8 mm y−1, and are high for naturally occurring mangroves. Although mangrove forests in Micronesian high islands appear to have a strong capacity to offset elevation losses by way of sedimentation, elevation change over 6½ years ranged from −3.2 to 4.1 mm y−1, depending on the location. Mangrove surface elevation change also varied by hydrogeomorphic setting and river, and suggested differential, and not uniformly bleak, susceptibilities among Pacific high island mangroves to sea-level rise. Fringe, riverine, and interior settings registered elevation changes of −1.30, 0.46, and 1.56 mm y−1, respectively, with the greatest elevation deficit (−3.2 mm y−1) from a fringe zone on Pohnpei and the highest rate of elevation gain (4.1 mm y−1) from an interior zone on Kosrae. Relative to sea-level rise estimates for FSM (0.8–1.8 mm y−1) and assuming a consistent linear trend in these estimates, soil elevations in mangroves on Kosrae and Pohnpei are experiencing between an annual deficit of 4.95 mm and an annual surplus of 3.28 mm. Although natural disturbances are important in mediating elevation gain in some situations, constant allochthonous sediment deposition probably matters most on these Pacific high islands, and is especially helpful in certain hydrogeomorphic zones. Fringe mangrove forests are most susceptible to sea-level rise, such that protection of these outer zones from anthropogenic disturbances (for example, harvesting) may slow the rate at which these zones convert to open water.

Nitrogen fertilization enhances water-use efficiency in a saline environment

Effects of salinity and nutrients on carbon gain in relation to water use were studied in the grey mangrove, Avicennia marina, growing along a natural salinity gradient in south-eastern Australia. Tall trees characterized areas of seawater salinities (fringe zone) and stunted trees dominated landward hypersaline areas (scrub zone). Trees were fertilized with nitrogen (+N) or phosphorus (+P) or unfertilized. There was no significant effect of +P on shoot growth, whereas +N enhanced canopy development, particularly in scrub trees. Scrub trees maintained greater CO(2) assimilation per unit water transpired (water-use efficiency, WUE) and had lower nitrogen-use efficiency (NUE; CO(2) assimilation rate per unit leaf nitrogen) than fringe trees. The CO(2) assimilation rates of +N trees were similar to those in other treatments, but were achieved at lower transpiration rates, stomatal conductance and intercellular CO(2) concentrations. Maintaining comparable assimilation rates at lower stomatal conductance requires greater ribulose 1.5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase activity, consistent with greater N content per unit leaf area in +N trees. Hence, +N enhanced WUE at the expense of NUE. Instantaneous WUE estimates were supported by less negative foliar delta(13)C values for +N trees and scrub control trees. Thus, nutrient enrichment may alter the structure and function of mangrove forests along salinity gradients.

Sedimentation within and among mangrove forests along a gradient of geomorphological settings

Coastal wetlands provide important ecological services to the coastal zone, one of which is sediment retention. In this study we investigated sediment retention across a range of geomorphological settings and across vegetation zones comprising coastal wetlands. We selected six coastal wetlands dominated by mangroves over a gradient from riverine to tidal settings in Southeast Queensland, Australia. Each site was comprised of three distinct vegetation communities distributed as parallel zones to the coast line: seaward fringe mangroves, landward scrub mangroves and saltmarsh/ cyanobacteria mat of the high intertidal zone. We measured suspended sediment retention and sedimentation rates. Additionally, in order to assess the origin of sediment transported and deposited in the mangroves, glomalin, a novel terrestrial soil carbon tracer, was used. Our results show a mean average sedimentation of 0.64 ± 0.01 mg cm −2 spring tide −1, which was variable within sites, regardless of geomorphological setting. However, geomorphological setting influenced spatial patterns of sediment deposition. Riverine mangroves had a more homogeneous distribution of sediments across the intertidal zone than tidal mangroves, where most sedimentation occurred in the fringe zone. Overall, the fringe zone retained the majority of sediment entering the coastal wetland during a tidal cycle with 0.90 ± 0.22 mg cm −2 spring tide −1, accounting for 52.5 ± 12.5% of the total sedimentation. The presence of glomalin in suspended sediments, and thus the relative importance of terrigenous sediment, was strongly influenced by geomorphological setting, with riverine mangroves receiving more glomalin in suspended solids than tidal mangroves. Glomalin was also differentially deposited within the vegetation zones at different geomorphological settings: primarily at the fringe zone of tidal mangroves and within the scrub zone of riverine mangroves. The differences we observed in the spatial distribution of sedimentation and the difference in the origin of the sediment deposited in riverine and tidal mangroves are likely to have an impact on ecological processes.

Mapping Beur Cinema in the New Millennium

RECENT EVENTS IN FRANCE have drawn international attention to the difficulties facing the nation's young people in an extremely tight labor market. In November 2005, riots on the outskirts of many major cities caused over 200 million euros of property damage and one death. The rioters were mostly young men from housing projects in urban fringe zones, or banlieues, with no religious or political agenda and no ties to Islamist fundamentalism. Rather, their actions were motivated by a general frustration at their lack of possibilities for social mobility; unemployment nationally stands at 22 percent for people ages sixteen to twentyfour, and it can reach as high as 30 to 40 percent in some banlieue areas.1 The use of the term racaille, or scum, by then Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy to refer to the rioters raised a storm of controversy. Supporters praised Sarkozy, the center-right politician who was elected President of France in 2007, for his willingness to take a hard line with delinquency, but his critics were furious at his perceived lack of tolerance for the difficult economic and social situation that led to the riots. This debate blossomed during the presidential election into a full-blown discussion by all the major candidates about French national identity, a topic that raised questions about the ability of the French republican model to integrate recent immigrants and their descendants into mainstream French society. Since his election, Sarkozy has provoked further criticism from the Left for his creation of a new government ministry that explicitly links immigration to integration and national identity. In addition to highlighting the French unemployment situation, the 2005 riots and the recent presidential debates also demonstrated to a broad audience the situation of topographical segregation that has come to characterize many cities in France. The riots were primarily confined to suburban areas and rarely reached any of the city centers. These neighborhoods in difficulty are defined by landscapes of grim cites, the low-income high-rises constructed by the French government from the 19505 through the 19705 as a hasty attempt to house a rapid influx of foreign workers in a time of unprecedented economic growth. Designated by various French euphemisms such as ZUP (zones a urbaniser en priorite) or ZUS (zones urbaines sensibles), these suburban areas are inhabited by a high concentration of immigrants from France's former colonies and their descendents. Some critics argue that the architecture of the cites itself has created a world in which topographic segregation from the city mirrors cultural segregation because the architectural enormity and impersonality are so depressing that anyone with the means to do so leaves. The cites end up as zones of highly concentrated social pathology, where poverty, police confrontations, drug dealing, unemployment, and general despair become the norm (Laurence and Vaisse, par. 14). Immigrants, who make up a disproportionately high percentage of the nation's low-income population, and others who are unable to leave end up enmeshed in a process of de facto ghettoization. Their integration into mainstream society is slowed in part because of racial and ethnic discrimination, but also in part because they come from les quartiers defavorises. The perceived conflation of topographical and cultural segregation that characterizes the poorer banlieues in France has led, in part, to the dissemination in the media of unfavorable images of disaffected youth and burning cars such as those broadcast worldwide during the 2005 riots. However, these marginal urban spaces have also been sites of a significant cultural renaissance in France, giving rise to many new rap and rai artists as well as to the birth of a dynamic and multifaceted literary and film tradition. This article addresses one aspect of this cultural renaissance, the production of films in France by artists of North African origin or their descendents. …

High-resolution monitoring of biogeochemical gradients in a tar oil-contaminated aquifer

The detailed understanding of in situ biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in porous aquifers requires knowledge on biogeochemical gradients, the distribution of individual redox species and microorganisms. The generally limited spatial resolution of conventional monitoring wells, however, hampers appropriate characterization of small-scale gradients and thus localization of the relevant processes. Groundwater sampling across a BTEX plume in a sandy aquifer by means of a novel high-resolution multi-level well (HR-MLW) is presented here. The presence of distinct and steep biogeochemical gradients is demonstrated in the centimeter and decimeter scale, which could not be resolved with a conventional multi-level well. The thin BTEX plume with a vertical extension of only 80 cm exhibited a decline of contaminant concentrations by two orders of magnitude within a few centimeters in the upper and lower fringe zone. The small-scale distribution of sulfate, sulfide and Fe(II) in relation to the contaminants and elevated δ34S and δ18O values of groundwater sulfate strongly indicated sulfate and iron reduction to be the dominant redox processes involved in biodegradation. High microbial activities and biomass especially at the plume fringes and the slope of chemical gradients supported the concept that the latter are regulated by microbial processes and transverse dispersion, i.e. vertical mixing of electron donors and acceptors. Transverse dispersion therefore was suggested to be a driving factor controlling biodegradation in porous aquifers, but not exclusively limiting natural attenuation processes at this site. Broad overlapping zones of electron donors and electron acceptors point towards additional factors limiting anaerobic biodegradation in situ. The identification of small-scale gradients substantially contributed to a better understanding of biodegradation processes and hence is a prerequisite for the development of reliable predictive mathematical models and future remediation strategies.

Microbial Composition and Structure of Aerobic Granular Sewage Biofilms

Aerobic activated sludge granules are dense, spherical biofilms which can strongly improve purification efficiency and sludge settling in wastewater treatment processes. In this study, the structure and development of different granule types were analyzed. Biofilm samples originated from lab-scale sequencing batch reactors which were operated with malthouse, brewery, and artificial wastewater. Scanning electron microscopy, light microscopy, and confocal laser scanning microscopy together with fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) allowed insights into the structure of these biofilms. Microscopic observation revealed that granules consist of bacteria, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), protozoa and, in some cases, fungi. The biofilm development, starting from an activated sludge floc up to a mature granule, follows three phases. During phase 1, stalked ciliated protozoa of the subclass Peritrichia, e.g., Epistylis spp., settle on activated sludge flocs and build tree-like colonies. The stalks are subsequently colonized by bacteria. During phase 2, the ciliates become completely overgrown by bacteria and die. Thereby, the cellular remnants of ciliates act like a backbone for granule formation. During phase 3, smooth, compact granules are formed which serve as a new substratum for unstalked ciliate swarmers settling on granule surfaces. These mature granules comprise a dense core zone containing bacterial cells and EPS and a loosely structured fringe zone consisting of either ciliates and bacteria or fungi and bacteria. Since granules can grow to a size of up to several millimeters in diameter, we developed and applied a modified FISH protocol for the study of cryosectioned biofilms. This protocol allows the simultaneous detection of bacteria, ciliates, and fungi in and on granules.

Microbial Composition and Structure of Aerobic Granular Sewage Biofilms

Aerobic activated sludge granules are dense, spherical biofilms which can strongly improve purification efficiency and sludge settling in wastewater treatment processes. In this study, the structure and development of different granule types were analyzed. Biofilm samples originated from lab-scale sequencing batch reactors which were operated with malthouse, brewery, and artificial wastewater. Scanning electron microscopy, light microscopy, and confocal laser scanning microscopy together with fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) allowed insights into the structure of these biofilms. Microscopic observation revealed that granules consist of bacteria, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), protozoa and, in some cases, fungi. The biofilm development, starting from an activated sludge floc up to a mature granule, follows three phases. During phase 1, stalked ciliated protozoa of the subclass Peritrichia, e.g., Epistylis spp., settle on activated sludge flocs and build tree-like colonies. The stalks are subsequently colonized by bacteria. During phase 2, the ciliates become completely overgrown by bacteria and die. Thereby, the cellular remnants of ciliates act like a backbone for granule formation. During phase 3, smooth, compact granules are formed which serve as a new substratum for unstalked ciliate swarmers settling on granule surfaces. These mature granules comprise a dense core zone containing bacterial cells and EPS and a loosely structured fringe zone consisting of either ciliates and bacteria or fungi and bacteria. Since granules can grow to a size of up to several millimeters in diameter, we developed and applied a modified FISH protocol for the study of cryosectioned biofilms. This protocol allows the simultaneous detection of bacteria, ciliates, and fungi in and on granules.

Canopy interactions of rainfall in an off-shore mangrove ecosystem dominated by Rhizophora mangle (Belize)

Bulk precipitation, throughfall and stemflow were collected to study anthropogenic effects on above-ground nutrient cycling in an off-shore mangrove forest (Rhizophora mangle L.) on Twin Cays, Belize. Samples were collected in a nitrogen limited fringe and phosphorus limited dwarf zone, and from an adjacent nitrogen fertilized fringe and a phosphorus fertilized dwarf zone. Inorganic cations and anions, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nitrogen (DON) were analysed. Throughfall represented 84% of precipitation volume. Sea salt ions (Cl−, Na+, SO42- and Mg2+) and DOC accounted for the highest proportion of solutes in rainwater, throughfall and stemflow in R. mangle stands. Non-marine sources dominated the flux of DON, DOC, NO3-, NH4+, and inorganic P (Pi) in bulk precipitation and throughfall and partially contributed to Ca2+ and K+. Deposition ratios (throughfall deposition:bulk deposition) showed that inorganic NH4+, and less so Pi were retained in the canopy of R. mangle from throughfall while all other solutes increased. Canopy leaching contributed in increasing order to net throughfall of Ca2+, Cl−, SO42-/K+, Mg2+ and Na+ but dry deposition dominated the net throughfall flux during the investigated period. Fertilizer treatment and zone did only slightly affect solute concentrations of hot-water extracts of leaves, of throughfall and stemflow in stands of similar stature. While litterfall and primary production have previously been shown to increase substantially upon nutrient enrichment of mangroves we therefore conclude that fertilization, as a surrogate of anthropogenic eutrophication, may not increase nutrient leaching from mangrove canopies, and thus may only have a minor effect on soluble organic matter cycling and inputs into mangrove food webs.

Herbivore responses to nutrient enrichment and landscape heterogeneity in a mangrove ecosystem

Complex gradients in forest structure across the landscape of offshore mangrove islands in Belize are associated with nutrient deficiency and flooding. While nutrient availability can affect many ecological processes, here we investigate how N and P enrichment interact with forest structure in three distinct zones (fringe, transition, dwarf) to alter patterns of herbivory as a function of folivory, loss of yield, and tissue mining. The effects of nutrient addition and zone varied by functional feeding group or specific herbivore. Folivory ranged from 0 to 0.4% leaf area damaged per month, but rates did not vary by either nutrient enrichment or zone. Leaf lifetime damage ranged from 3 to 10% of the total leaf area and was caused primarily by the omnivorous tree crab Aratus pisonii. We detected two distinct spatial scales of response by A. pisonii that were unrelated to nutrient treatment, i.e., most feeding damage occurred in the fringe zone and crabs fed primarily on the oldest leaves in the canopy. Loss of yield caused by the bud moth Ecdytolopha sp. varied by zone but not by nutrient treatment. A periderm-mining Marmara sp. responded positively to nutrient enrichment and closely mirrored the growth response by Rhizophora mangle across the tree height gradient. In contrast, a leaf-mining Marmara sp. was controlled by parasitoids and predators that killed >89% of its larvae. Thus, nutrient availability altered patterns of herbivory of some but not all mangrove herbivores. These findings support the hypothesis that landscape heterogeneity of the biotic and abiotic environment has species-specific effects on community structure and trophic interactions. Predicting how herbivores respond to nutrient over-enrichment in mangrove ecosystems also requires an assessment of habitat heterogeneity coupled with feeding strategies and species-specific behavior measured on multiple scales of response.

Effects of Season, Rainfall, and Hydrogeomorphic Setting on Mangrove Tree Growth in Micronesia

ABSTRACTSeasonal patterns of tree growth are often related to rainfall, temperature, and relative moisture regimes. We asked whether diameter growth of mangrove trees in Micronesia, where seasonal changes are minimal, is continuous throughout a year or conforms to an annual cycle. We installed dendrometer bands on Sonneratia alba and Bruguiera gymnorrhiza trees growing naturally within mangrove swamps on the islands of Kosrae, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Pohnpei, FSM, and Butaritari, Republic of Kiribati, in the eastern Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean. Trees were remeasured monthly or quarterly for as long as 6 yr. Annual mean individual tree basal area increments ranged from 7.0 to 79.6 cm2/yr for all S. alba trees and from 4.8 to 27.4 cm2/yr for all B. gymnorrhiza trees from Micronesian high islands. Diameter increment for S. alba on Butaritari Atoll was lower at 7.8 cm2/yr for the one year measured. Growth rates differed significantly by hydrogeomorphic zone. Riverine and interior zones maintained up to seven times the annual diameter growth rate of fringe forests, though not on Pohnpei, where basal area increments for both S. alba and B. gymnorrhiza were approximately 1.5 times greater in the fringe zone than in the interior zone. Time‐series modeling indicated that there were no consistent and statistically significant annual diameter growth patterns. Although rainfall has some seasonality in some years on Kosrae and Pohnpei and overall growth of mangroves was sometimes related positively to quarterly rainfall depths, seasonal diameter growth patterns were not distinctive. A reduced chance of moisture‐related stress in high‐rainfall, wetland environments may serve to buffer growth of Micronesian mangroves from climatic extremes.

Acoustically enhanced electrodynamic loudspeakers

An electro-dynamic loudspeaker is provided with dampening arrangements that contribute to improved acoustical properties for the electro-dynamic planar loudspeaker. The dampening arrangements include providing a frame having a curved sidewall surface for reducing standing waves. Another design provides for a ferrofluid being disposed between the diaphragm and magnets of the electro-dynamic loudspeaker in order to dampen the resonance frequency of the device. In addition, a diaphragm of an electro-dynamic loudspeaker is provided with a short turn of conductor disposed along a fringe zone at an edge of the diaphragm in order to electro-dynamically dampen the edge resonance of the film.