Indicators Of Anthropogenic Changes Research Articles

Устьевые участки рек как индикаторы антропогенных изменений геоэкологического состояния устьевых областей рек Арктической зоны Российской Федерации

Устьевые участки рек как индикаторы антропогенных изменений геоэкологического состояния устьевых областей рек Арктической зоны Российской Федерации

Parki w Uniejowie i Turku ostojami rodzimej flory leśnej w rolniczym krajobrazie środkowej Polski

Badaniami objęto florę roślin naczyniowych parku zamkowego w Uniejowie i parku miejskiego im. Żerminy Składkowskiej w Turku. Pierwszy z ogrodów został założony w dolinie Warty, drugi w dolinie niewielkiego cieku o nazwie Folusz. W sezonach wegetacyjnych 2018–2019 przeprowadzono spisy roślin naczyniowych w obu obiektach. Wśród odnotowanych gatunków wydzielono grupy: socjologiczno-ekologiczne, siedliskowe oraz geograficzno-historyczne. Bazując na analizie flory w zakresie spektrum geograficzno-historycznego określono dla badanych obiektów wybrane wskaźniki antropogenicznych zmian. W charakteryzowanych obiektach odnotowano łącznie 314 gatunków roślin naczyniowych. Flora parku zamkowego w Uniejowie obejmuje 217 gatunków, a w parku miejskim im. Żerminy Składkowskiej stwierdzono 202 taksony roślin naczyniowych. We florach badanych ogrodów odnotowano 217 gatunków rodzimych i 97 obcego pochodzenia. Parki są siedliskiem dla takich gatunków jak: Gagea pratensis, Thalictrum flavum, Galium schultesi oraz Corydalis intermedia. Szatę roślinną założenia ogrodowego w Uniejowie charakteryzuje wyższy wskaźnik naturalności flory (25%), niż flory parku w Turku (10,9%). Rezultatem tego są wyższe wskaźniki obrazujące antropogeniczne przemiany obiektu leżącego w Turku. Parki wokół zabytkowych obiektów (zamków, pałaców, dworów) oraz duże parki miejskie stanowią refugia flory naturalnych siedlisk w krajobrazie antropogenicznym.

Создание базы данных ценных природных территорий для муниципальных и региональных ГИС на примере Вологодской области

Preservation of biological diversity is one of the most important conditions for sustainable development and rational nature management. To solve a set of problems related to the study and conservation of biodiversity, it is proposed to use the geoinformation approach as a specific synthesis and integration of cartographic, landscape, population and ecosystem approaches. GIS technology allows you to combine extensive descriptive information with cartographic objects; use multi-layered multiscale information not only in research, but also in environmental and nature-use tasks. The global trend in the study of biodiversity and the dynamics of ecosystems is the creation of global information resources by combining databases, software packages for analysis and modeling into a single information environment, which allows for comprehensive research, scientific forecasting and making informed management decisions for the rational use of natural resources. One of the priority directions of the international programs of the world biodiversity research (the VI/22 Forest Biological Diversity Convention, 2001) is associated with the study of rare species that are an important link in the conservation of biological diversity and the main indicator of anthropogenic change in the planet's ecosystems. Inventory of the diversity of rare species and reliable methods for assessing their condition are necessary for the creation of Red Books, Pas’ Inventories and identification of the representativeness of the existing network of PAs, organization of scientifically based environmental ratings of regions and countries. Currently, in connection with the threat of the disappearance of the “Red Data Book” species, spatial analysis and monitoring of the effectiveness of measures taken to conserve biodiversity within the framework of national strategies is needed. The relevance of the topic of the presented work is conditioned by the necessity of systematization and generalization of the accumulated material on the variety of valuable habitats and rare species of the Vologda region for presenting it in an accessible format using modern geoinformation technologies.

THE DETERMINATION OF LOCAL CHANGES IN THE SUPPORTING ECOSYSTEM SERVICE OF SOIL ON THE TERRITORY OF OIL AND GAS PRODUCTION

The temporary withdrawal of agricultural land for the construction or overhaul of wells and pipelines laying is, in essence, an interference with the natural soil-forming process, the result of which is a change in the implementation of the ecosystem functions of the soil and, consequently, ecosystem services of the soil. The article analyses the influence of industrial activity and soils reclamation on the implementation of the supporting ecosystem service of soil. Such indicators as agrophysical, physico-chemical, chemical indices of soil, species composition, trophic structure and the state of the indicator groups of the invertebrates (rainworms, enchitrides, larvae of elaterids), the number of the microorganisms of the main ecofunctional and taxonomic groups (bacteria that absorb organic and mineral nitrogen, actinomycetes, microscopic fungi, oligotrophic bacteria), enzymatic activity and soil toxicity were selected as indicators of anthropogenic change. Four soil samples were taken at each experimental and background site for the reckoning of mesofauna (50×50×30 cm). Thus, 1 m² of land was surveyed on each experimental area. The final evaluation of the soil condition at different points was carried out using the integral index of the biological state of the soil (IIBS). Following the research of the agro-ecological state of the soil on the territory of two rehabilitated sites of oil and gas production wells local changes in the supporting ecosystem service are defined within the spread of gray forest soil. It is established that the general unfavorable property of background and recultivated soils is high density indices. Unfavorable agrophysical properties determine the differentiation of the parameters of the analyzed indicators of the supporting ecosystem service of soil. The article proves the expediency of using the complex of the most informative biological indicators to assess the quality of reclamation and the state of reclaimed soils.

Sediment-bound metals as indicators of anthropogenic change in estuarine environments

Sedimentary metal indicators were used to assess the environmental ‘health’ of 38 estuaries on the central Australian east coast. Unlike many environmental indicators, the mean enrichment quotient (MEQ) provides the pristine condition and magnitude of anthropogenic change in estuarine condition, not confounded by natural spatial and temporal variation. MEQ is the mean normalised surficial concentration of Cu, Pb and Zn divided by their normalised background concentration. MEQs, identified from an extensive sedimentary database (n=2269), were used to derive a Metal Enrichment Index (MEI) comprising five impact categories. Population density and proportion of urbanised catchment were consistent with increased sedimentary metal concentrations, whereas estuarine sensitivity and metal enrichment were poorly correlated. No correlation was established between metal enrichment and estuary type or sedimentary facies. MEI can be used as a tool to meet the needs of policy-makers and estuarine managers by providing a tool by which human-induced change may be measured.

Tet genes as indicators of changes in the water environment: Relationships between culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches

The aim of this study was to identify tetracycline resistance determinants that could be used as molecular indicators of anthropogenic changes in aquatic environments. Two parallel approaches were used to examine the prevalence of tet genes: a culture-based method involving standard PCR and a method relying on quantitative PCR. The studied site was the Łyna River in Olsztyn (Poland). The culture-dependent method revealed that the concentrations of doxycycline-resistant bacteria harboring the tet(B) gene were higher in wastewater and downstream river samples than in upstream water samples. The tet(B) gene was transferred from environmental bacteria to Escherichia coli. The results generated by the culture-independent method validated statistically significant differences in tet(B) concentrations between upstream and downstream river sections, and revealed that tet(B) levels were correlated with the presence of other tetracycline resistance genes, dissolved oxygen concentrations, temperature and doxycycline concentrations in water. Our findings indicate that doxycycline-resistant bacteria, in particular E. coli harboring tet(B) or increased concentrations of tet(B), are potentially robust indicators of changes in water environments.

Regional Nutrient Trends in Streams and Rivers of the United States, 1993−2003

Trends in flow-adjusted concentrations (indicators of anthropogenic changes) and observed concentrations (indicators of natural and anthropogenic changes) of total phosphorus and total nitrogen from 1993 to 2003 were evaluated in the eastern, central, and western United States by adapting the Regional Kendall trend test to account for seasonality and spatial correlation. The only significant regional trend was an increase in flow-adjusted concentrations of total phosphorus in the central United States, which corresponded to increases in phosphorus inputs from fertilizer in the region, particularly west of the Mississippi River. A similar upward regional trend in observed total phosphorus concentrations in the central United States was not found, likely because precipitation and runoff decreased during drought conditions in the region, offsetting the increased source loading on the land surface. A greater number of regional trends would have been significant if spatial correlation had been disregarded, indicating the importance of spatial correlation modifications in regional trend assessments when sites are not spatially independent.

Vertebrates in the diet of the tawny owl Strix aluco in northern Podlasie (NE Poland) - comparison of forest and rural habitats

Tawny owls' pellets were collected in north-easter n Poland at eight sites situated in forests or at f orest edges and four sites in agricultural landscapes. In total , 2046 vertebrate prey items were found, including 1459 at the forest sites and 587 at the rural sites. The types of prey most commonly captured by forest owls were amphibians (25.7%) and Myodes glareolus (14.6%), while rural owls preferred amphibians (17 .7%), birds (17.4%) and Mus musculus (16.2%). Comparisons of proportions of selected pre y taken by tawny owls made between forest and rural habitats revealed that the capture frequencies of insectivor es, M. musculus , Apodemus agrarius and birds are the best indicators of anthropogenic changes in tawny owls' habitats.