Amount Of Litter Research Articles

Soil Biophilic Elements (С, N, Р) and Microbial Respiration Activity in Forest Parks of Moscow and Rural Forests

In six forest parks of Moscow and four rural forests (5 plots each, n = 50), soil physical, chemical and microbial properties of the upper 10 cm layer were assessed in combination to vegetation properties. The content of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) in soil and microbial biomass was determined. It was revealed that soil density, pH value, content of N–\({\text{NO}}_{3}^{ - },\) Ca and heavy metals (Pb, Cu, Ni, Zn) increase in forest parks compared to rural forests. In the soil of the forest parks, a decrease in the content of microbial biomass C (Cmic), its basal respiration (BR), and microbial C- and N-availability (Cmic/C, Nmic/N, BR/C) was noted. The changes of soil microbial properties are mainly driven by the abundance of leaf litter and the content of available soil C (13–35% of the explained variance). The microbial response to the soil enrichment by low molecular weight organic substrates (carbohydrates, carboxylic and phenolic acids, amino acids, amino sugars) in forest parks and rural forests did not differ significantly. In the soils of forest parks, no changes in microbial mineralization and immobilization of P (Pmic, Pmic/P) were found as well. The impact of urbanization on the forest ecosystems has led mainly to a decrease in the intensity of processes associated with soil C and N cycles. Apparently, such changes are caused by the recreational activity and the management practice of green spaces in the city, which leads, in particular, to a decrease in the amount of forest litter in parks compared to rural forests.

Biology Teacher Candidates Awareness on Marine Plastic Litter

Plastic litter is a global problem that threatens marine environment. The increase in plastic production is in line with the increase in the amount of plastic litter that pollutes the marine environment. This is due to a lack of awareness of the dangers of plastic litter which threatens the marine environment. This research was quantitative descriptive research in the form of a survey. The research aimed to find out how aware biology teacher candidates (BTC) are of marine plastic litter (MPL) issues. This research involved 204 biology education students of FKIP UMRAH. The research was carried out in June 2022. Data was collected using a questionnaire. Data was analyzed descriptively quantitatively. The results showed that students have good awareness of the MPL issues. This could be seen from students’ perceptions regarding the causes of the MPL issues and the impact of MPL. It was also demonstrated by students’ active participation in overcoming the MPL issues with a good category, as well as students’ behavior towards MPL which can threaten the marine ecosystem and the life within it with a very good category.

Diversity in selection patterns of five grassland songbirds in dry-mixed grasslands of Alberta

Declining grassland bird populations across North America continue to be a concern. Understanding local relationships between grassland bird abundance and vegetative and landscape characteristics will enable more prescriptive recommendations to be made to land managers. We used point count survey data collected by the MULTISAR (Multiple Species At Risk) program along with field measurements of habitat and landscape characteristics on 15 ranches in the Dry Mixed-grass Subregion in southern Alberta to improve our understandings of habitat relationships for five grassland bird species: Baird’s Sparrow (<em>Centronyx bairdii</em>), Sprague’s Pipit (<em>Anthus spragueii</em>), Thick-billed Longspur (<em>Rhynchophanes mccownii</em>), Chestnut-collared Longspur (<em>Calcarius ornatus</em>), and Grasshopper Sparrow (<em>Ammodramus savannarum</em>). We used generalized linear mixed models to examine the relationship between the predicted abundance of a species and covariates that represented vegetative structure (e.g., litter), management (e.g., range health), and anthropogenic features (e.g., energy development) of habitat site selection. Model results demonstrate four vegetation structure covariates were of most importance for predicting abundance, including litter, vegetation height, bare soil, and shrub cover. Quadratic relationships were found with litter amounts for the predicted abundance of Baird’s Sparrow, Chestnut-collared Longspur, and Grasshopper Sparrow. Contrastingly, higher amounts of litter reduced the predicted abundance of Thick-billed Longspur. The relationship of vegetation height was quadratic for Sprague’s Pipit and was positive for Baird’s Sparrow, but negative for Thick-billed Longspur. As bare soil percentage increased, the predicted abundance of Baird’s Sparrow and Chestnut-collared Longspur decreased, with Sprague’s Pipit showing a quadratic association. Negative relationships were found with increased amounts of shrub cover for Chestnut-collared Longspur, Sprague’s Pipit, and Thick-billed Longspur. Our results help to further understand individual grassland bird species’ habitat requirements, enabling us to provide land management recommendations for maintaining, improving, or creating the heterogenic environments needed for a variety of grassland birds in the Dry Mixed-grass Subregion.

Hosszú távú kaszálás hatása a vegetációra és a biomassza összetételére a Nyugat-Cserhát pannon száraz gyepeiben

This study is focusing on the vegetation of seminatural dry grasslands. Those loess grasslands are valuable with large biodiversity; however their long-term preservation requires regular conservation management. The report demonstrates the results of mowing experiment, designed to suppress the spread of unpalatable grass species, Calamagrostis epigeios. The study site is located in mid-successional loss grasslands, in the Western-Cserhát, near Rád, northern Hungary.&#x0D; The study aims to the investigate the followings: Can the unpalatable Calamagrostis epigejos be suppressed by mowing? Are there possibilities to increase the diversity of sward by this? The study aims, to measure potential value-increasing effect of mowing, and to determine the carrying capacity in the aspect of grassland management.&#x0D; In 2001, Camagrostis epigeios was the species with the highest coverage rate according to the both treatment types, with an average cover value of 63%. However, as a result of mowing, a significant difference was detected in the amount of litter and legumes species as well. The number of species showed a slight increase in both types of treatment, from 15 to 37 in the mowed plots, but also from 18 to 27 in the control plots. We concluded that mowing twice a year was beneficial to modify botanical composition of a grassland. In a way it was suited well for agricultural usage, in particular grazing which can replace the expensive and time-consuming scythe. It is also a suitable management measure for controlling the native invader species as a Calamagrostis epigeios, and can significantly increase the proportion of species with higher forage values.&#x0D; Mowing has significantly increased the density of Calamagrostis epigeios, the species richness, and the diversity in the course of secondary succession. Therefore, mowing twice a year proved to be a successful management measure for controlling Calamagrostis epigeios, and for obtaining a sward composition. The treatment was effective in restoring grassland composition, although the achievement and maintenance of favourable conservation status for the grassland habitat require long-term management planning and regular treatment. According to the objectives, mowing not only promotes the control of the invasive species, but also the economic utilization of the area.

The Spatial Composition of Beach Litter in North Central Timor Regency, East Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia

ABSTRACTMarine litter is currently an environmental problem that has become a global issue and attracts everyone's attention because it has a significant negative impact on the marine and coastal environment. One of the concerns at this time is the amount of marine litter in coastal areas. The purpose of this study is to determine the type and composition of waste on the beach. This study was conducted on nine coastal beaches of the North Central Timor Regency in August 2020. The sampling technique was used by adapting the Guidelines on Survey and Monitoring of Litter method. Sampling was carried out by drawing a line 100 m long parallel to the coast and a transect width of 10 m from land to sea with sampling boundaries, namely dunes, vegetation and anthropogenic activities. The results of the study show that the composition of plastic waste is 79,7%, paper and cardboard 3,5%, foam and cork 2,7%, cloth 1,8%, glass and ceramics 1,6%, rubber 2,6%, wood 1,9%, metal 1%, and others 5,3%. The category of litter that dominates the entire study beach is plastic.Keywords: Beach, litter, plastic, North Central Timor Regency, Timor Leste

Environmental perception of regular beach of Itaipu, Niterói, RJ, about the anthropogenic litter after awareness activities

Anthropogenic litter is a problem in the marine and coastal environment. Beaches are affected by the presence of litter on their sands. The large amount of litter discarded on beaches is possibly due to the actions of human. In this sense, the aim of this work is to introduce environmental awareness actions among beach goers in relation to the presence of litter in the sand strip to minimize the effects of this problem. This study evaluated the environmental perception of beachgoers at Itaipu, Niterói, RJ, Brazil, in relation to anthropogenic litter through awareness-raising activities. The questionnaire applied to assess the perception and collection of litter in the study area before and after an awareness activity realized to assess the behavior change. Although litter were found on both days, the results showed a significant difference in the values of Kg residues collected/person in the study area between the two days, showing the importance of carrying out environmental awareness activities in solid residues management processes in coastal.

Keanekaragaman Serangga Tanah di Tegakan Kenanga (Cananga odorata (Lam.) Hook. f. &amp; Thomson) dengan Perlakuan Pemupukan

Ylang-ylang (Cananga odorata (Lam.) Hook. f. &amp; Thomson) or ylang- ylang from the Annonaceae family is one of the forests. This study aimed to determine the diversity and abundance of soil surface insects in Kenanga (Cananga odorata (Lam.) Hook. f. &amp; Thomson) stands that were treated with fertilization. The research procedure includes determining the location of observations, taking samples using the pitfall trap method, measuring environmental factors, identifying insects, and analyzing data. The total number of soil fauna in the pre-fertilized treatment was found to be 14 orders and 1421 individuals, while for the post-fertilized treatment was found to be 16 orders and 2108 individuals. In each plot, there was an increase in the number of individuals who it was given fertilizer treatment except for fertilizer treatment. The factor of increasing individual insects is not only from fertilizer application but also from micro-habitat factors, namely the amount of litter, undergrowth, temperature and humidity. The morphospecies that experienced the most significant increase in the number of individuals was Formicidae. A relatively high index of ant species diversity was found in the control plot.&#x0D; Keywords: Cananga odorata, biodiversity, fertilizer, insects

Breakwaters as habitats for synanthropes: Spatial associations of vertebrates and vegetation with anthropogenic litter

Urban infrastructures can provide ‘novel’ habitats for marine and terrestrial animals and plants, enhancing their ability to adapt to urban environments. In particular, coastal infrastructures characterized by a complex three-dimensional morphology, such as breakwaters, could provide species refuges and food. We investigated the role of breakwaters in providing habitat for vertebrates and plants, and the influence of anthropogenic litter in regulating the value of these structures as habitat. We sampled vertebrate and plant species and quantified the amount of anthropogenic litter on breakwaters and adjacent rocky habitats at several sites in three different countries (Italy, Spain and Chile). We found breakwaters to accumulate more litter items (e.g. especially plastics) than adjacent rocky habitats by means of their large-scale (i.e., 1 m) structural complexity. Birds, which used the artificial infrastructure as transitory habitat, reached similar abundances in breakwaters compared with adjacent rocky platforms. In contrast, synanthropic mammal species, such as Rattus norvegicus and feral cats, were slightly more frequent on breakwaters and appeared to use them as permanent habitat. Plants were frequent in the upper zone of breakwaters and, even though many macrophyte species can trap litter, their cover correlated negatively with anthropogenic litter density. Therefore, breakwaters provide either transitory or permanent habitats for different species, despite functioning as a sink for anthropogenic litter. Thus, new infrastructure should be designed with lower structural complexity in their supralittoral zone limiting the proliferation of synanthropic species. In addition, restricting public access to sensitive areas and enforcing littering fines could enhance the ecological value of these novel habitats by reducing the benefits to pest species.

Differential Impacts of Acacia Invasion on Nutrient Fluxes in Two Distinct Bornean Lowland Tropical Rain Forests

Invasive Acacia species can alter nutrient cycling processes in forest ecosystems, particularly affecting total litterfall production and litter decomposition patterns. This study examined the effects of exotic Acacia mangium Willd. on total litterfall production, nutrient concentrations in leaf litterfall fractions, leaf litter decomposition, and nutrient release in lowland heath (HF) and mixed dipterocarp forests (MDF) in Brunei Darussalam, Borneo. Above-ground litterfall traps were installed in HF and MDF with and without invasive Acacia present, representing four habitat types in total, and monthly collections were conducted for 12 months. Litter decomposition bags were deployed to determine the rates of decomposition and nutrient release. Habitats invaded by Acacia exhibited higher total litterfall production, increased leaf litter concentrations of nitrogen, potassium, and calcium, and increased addition of all nutrients measured in litter (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and magnesium, especially in the Acacia-invaded mixed dipterocarp forest (AMDF) and nitrogen and potassium in Acacia-invaded heath forest (AHF)), reduced nitrogen and potassium use efficiencies in AHF, and reduced stand-level nitrogen and calcium use efficiencies in AMDF. Litter decomposition rates and nutrient release were lower in AMDF than in the three other habitats. The significantly higher total litterfall production coupled with higher nutrient addition in the two Acacia-invaded habitats is expected to progressively increase the abilities of these habitats to produce large quantities of nutrient-rich litter and will likely eventually lead to an enrichment of nutrients in the soil, thus facilitating further invasion by Acacia, particularly in the MDF.

Modelling floating riverine litter in the south-eastern Bay of Biscay: a regional distribution from a seasonal perspective

Abstract. Although rivers contribute to the flux of litter to the marine environment, estimates of riverine litter amounts and detailed studies on floating riverine litter behaviour once it has reached the sea are still scarce. This paper provides an analysis of the seasonal behaviour of floating marine litter released by rivers within the south-eastern Bay of Biscay based on riverine litter characterizations, drifters, and high-frequency radar observations and Lagrangian simulations. Virtual particles were released in the coastal area as a proxy of the floating fraction of riverine litter entering from rivers and reaching the open waters. Particles were parameterized with a wind drag coefficient (Cd) to represent their trajectories and fate according to the buoyancy of the litter items. They were forced with numerical winds and measured currents provided by high-frequency radars covering selected seasonal week-long periods between 2009 and 2021. To gain a better insight into the type and buoyancy of the items, samples collected from a barrier placed at the Deba River (Spain) were characterized at the laboratory. Items were grouped into two categories: low-buoyancy items (objects not exposed to wind forcing, e.g. plastic bags) and highly buoyant items (objects highly exposed to wind forcing, e.g. bottles). Overall, low-buoyancy items encompassed almost 90 % by number and 68 % by weight. Weakly buoyant items were parameterized with Cd = 0 % and highly buoyant items with Cd = 4 %; this latter value is the result of the joint analysis of modelled and observed trajectories of four satellite drifting buoys released at the Adour (France), Deba (Spain), and Oria (Spain) river mouths. Particles parameterized with Cd = 4 % drifted faster towards the coast through the wind, notably during the first 24 h. In summer, over 97 % of particles beached after 1 week of simulation. In autumn this value fell to 54 %. In contrast, low-buoyancy items took longer to arrive at the shoreline, particularly during spring with fewer than 25 % of particles beached by the end of the simulations. The highest concentrations (&gt;200 particles km−1) were recorded during summer for Cd = 4 % in the French region of Pyrénées-Atlantiques. Results showed that the regions in the study area were highly affected by rivers within or nearby the region itself. These results couple observations and a river-by-river modelling approach and can assist decision-makers on setting emergency responses to high fluxes of floating riverine litter and on defining future monitoring strategies for heavily polluted regions within the south-eastern Bay of Biscay.

Nitrogen and Carbon Mineralization from Green and Senesced Leaf Litter Differ between Cycad and Angiosperm Trees.

Plant leaf litter decomposition is directly influenced by the identity of the source plants and the leaf age. Defoliation of forests by tropical cyclones (TC) transfers copious amounts of high-quality green leaf litter to soils. We used a soil amendment approach with the incubated buried bag method to compare carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) mineralization dynamics of green and senesced leaf litter from cycad Cycas micronesica and angiosperm Morinda citrifolia trees on the island of Guam. Soil priming increased the decomposition of pre-existing organic C, and were greater for green leaf litter additions than senesced leaf litter additions. Available N content increased by day 14 and remained elevated for the entire 117-d incubation for soils amended with green M. citrifolia litter. In contrast, available N content increased above those in control soils by day 90 and above those in soils amended with senesced litter by day 117 for green C. micronesica litter. The net N mineralization rate was higher than control soils by 120% for the senesced litter treatments and 420% for the green litter treatments. The results reveal a complex but predictable interplay between TC defoliation and litter quality as defined by tree identity. We have illuminated one means by which increased frequency of intense TCs due to climate change may alter the global C and N cycles.

Beach litter contamination of the Turkish middle Black Sea coasts: Spatial and temporal variation, composition, and possible sources.

Marine litter is one of the biggest environmental problems nowadays. Sinop, is located in the heart of Türkiye's Black Sea coast, has a small population, and is a popular fishing and tourist destination. In this study, marine litter amount, composition, and possible sources were investigated, and seasonal comparisons were made between in Sinop beaches. Marine litter amount was found as 0.29-7.67items·m-2 and 3.46-49.09g·m-2 and beaches were classified as moderate to extremely dirty. Plastics were the highest ratio (88.14-98.46%) and "plastic pieces 2.5> <50cm" were the major litter type. The major possible litter source was improper waste disposal (33.36%) and litter items originated from mainly land-based sources (74.13%). The result of this study shows that there is a significant litter problem on the coasts. The solution of this problem can be possible to take rational measures against marine litter pollution with education and management policies.

Strong Responses of Soil Greenhouse Gas Fluxes to Litter Manipulation in a Boreal Larch Forest, Northeastern China

Alterations in plant litter inputs into the soil are expected to significantly affect soil greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, the influence on boreal forest soils is not clear, given the large amount of accumulated soil organic matter that may buffer the impacts from the input of fresh litter. In this study, we conducted a litter manipulation experiment to explore the effects of the litter layer on soil GHG fluxes in a Dahurian larch (Larix gmelinii) forest ecosystem in northeastern China. Three litter treatments were implemented, namely aboveground litter removal (LR), litter double (LD), and unchanged litter input (CK). The associated microclimate, litter characteristics, and soil properties were also measured. The results showed that this larch forest soil acts as a source of CO2 and N2O but acts as a sink for CH4 for all litter manipulation treatments. LD increased the soil CO2 and N2O fluxes by 15% and 34%, while LR decreased them by 8% and 21%, respectively. However, soil CH4 uptake decreased by 34% in LD treatment and increased by 22% in LR treatment, respectively. Litter manipulation treatments can not only affect soil GHG fluxes directly but also, via their effects on soil MBC, NH4+−N, and NO3−−N content, indirectly affect variations in soil CO2, CH4 and N2O fluxes, respectively. Our study highlights the importance of the plant litter layer in regulating soil GHG between the atmosphere and soil in a Dahurian larch forest ecosystem, especially for litter addition. Considering the natural increase in litter quantity over time, this important regulatory function is essential for an accurate estimation of the role of boreal forests in mitigating future climate change.

Marine litter pollution of breeding colony and habitat use patterns of Black-tailed gulls in South Korea

Marine litter can affect the survival of the breeding population in seabird colonies. In this study, five 5 m × 5 m quadrats were installed at a Black-tailed gull (Larus crassirostris) breeding colony on Nan Island to collect marine litter and regurgitated pellets, from which the types, sizes, and quantities of marine litter were identified. Global positioning system (GPS) devices were attached to five adult gulls to investigate their major foraging habitats during the breeding period. Eighty-two pieces of marine litter were found, of which 74.4 % were related to fishing; all pellets contained fishing-related marine litter. Over half of the foraging habitats included fishing areas (ports and fish farms). This study is the first to quantitatively demonstrate the exposure of breeding colonies of Black-tailed gulls, the most dominant Korean seabird, to marine litter pollution during the breeding period; the birds forage predominantly in fishing areas close to their breeding colonies during this period.

Relationships between marine litter and type of coastal area, in Northeast Atlantic sandy beaches

Marine litter represents a threat to the marine environment, being estimated that around eight million items are discarded daily in the ocean. Monitoring marine debris became a relevant topic of research as marine litter is one of the descriptors of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, for European Union's member states. Nevertheless, the patterns and processes governing the disposal of waste in coastal areas are still not clear. Our study relates characteristics of eleven coastal areas in Portugal (urbanization, slope, distance to an estuary, length, and type of substrate) to the type and abundance of marine litter found. A total of 7743 items were identified, with the main types of litter found being plastic (71.2%), paper (16.3%), and sanitary waste (9.1%). A clear spatial distribution pattern was observed, with more litter items recorded in the zone corresponding to the high tide line (2.3 items m−2). It was also verified that both beaches and seasons influenced the amount of litter found. Plastic, the dominant marine litter group, was abundant on the vast majority of beaches. It was possible to identify litter with land and sea origins. The litter with land origin came mainly from sanitary and sewage-related waste while the litter with marine origin came mainly from fisheries, including aquaculture.

Sources and management of marine litter pollution along the Bay of Bengal coast of Bangladesh

Marine debris is often detected everywhere in the oceans after it enters the marine ecosystems from various sources. Marine litter pollution is a major threat to the marine ecosystem in Bangladesh. A preliminary study was conducted to identify the sources of marine litter (plastics, foamed plastic, clothes, glass, ceramic, metals, paper, and cardboard) along the Bay of Bengal coast. From the observations, the range of abundance of the collected marine litter was 0.14–0.58 items/m2. From the ten sampling sites, the highest amount of marine litter was observed for aluminium cans (3500), followed by plastic bottles (3200). The spatial distribution pattern indicated that all the study areas had beach litter of all types of materials. The present investigation showed that plastics were the dominating pollutants in the marine ecosystem in Bangladesh. The clean-coast index (CCI) value indicated that the Cox's Bazar coast was clean to dirty class. The abundance, distribution, and pollution of marine litter along the coastal belts pose a potential threat to the entire ecosystem. This study will help come up with ways to manage and get rid of marine litter along the coast in an effective way.

Dynamics of Enzyme Activities during the Decomposition of Castanopsis carlesii Leaf Litter in the Forest Canopy and Forest Floor in a Mid-Subtropical Area

Enzyme activity plays a pivotal role in leaf litter decomposition, but the variations have not been well addressed in the forest canopy with amounts of leaf litter. Therefore, eight enzymes related to carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus mineralization were checked during Castanopsis carlesii leaf litter decomposition in the forest canopy and on the forest floor from April 2021 to February 2022. The results displayed that most enzyme activities were lower in the forest canopy compared to the forest floor during litter decomposition, except for acid phosphatase, polyphenol oxidase, and peroxidase activities. Moreover, enzyme stoichiometry and enzyme vector features indicated that the microbes in both habitats were limited by carbon and phosphorus during litter decomposition. Much stronger carbon limitation was detected on the forest floor, while phosphorus limitation was higher in the forest canopy. Phosphorus limitation was weakened, but carbon limitation was strengthened in the forest canopy with leaf litter decomposition. Additionally, the redundancy analysis revealed that air temperature dominated the variations in enzyme activities during litter decomposition in the forest canopy, and litter mass-loss rate in each period explained much more dynamics on the forest floor compared with those in the forest canopy. These results provide new insight into a comprehensive understanding of litter decomposition in subtropical forests.

Soil fauna precipitate the convergence of organic matter quality during decomposition

Plant litter constitutes the dominant resource to soil food webs, which gradually decompose litter and transform it into soil organic matter. A central paradigm of this transformation posits that differences in quality between distinct litter types disappear during decomposition, as litter types converge towards similar physicochemical characteristics. Yet, this paradigm is debated and not based on clear metrics. It is also largely derived from microbial decomposition studies, while the effect of litter‐feeding soil animals, by transforming large quantities of litter into faeces, remains poorly documented. We addressed this knowledge gap by quantifying the variability in physicochemical characteristics amongst leaf litter of six tree species of contrasting quality, before and after conversion into faeces by six soil animal species. We found that litter conversion into faeces by diverse soil animals largely reduced the variability in physical and chemical characteristics between contrasting litter types. We also evaluated the consequences of this animal‐driven convergence on further microbial‐driven convergence during decomposition, by decomposing intact litter and soil animal faeces and comparing the chemical characteristics of decomposed materials. Chemical variability amongst uningested litter and amongst soil animal faeces converged at similar rates. This indicates that animal‐ and microbial‐driven convergence are additive, and that soil animals precipitate organic matter quality convergence during decomposition. We propose here a new framework and an associated metric to study changes in organic matter quality variability during decomposition, which we argue are essential for an improved understanding and modelling of litter decomposition and soil organic matter formation.

From city to sea: Spatiotemporal dynamics of floating macrolitter in the Tiber River

Rivers are undoubtedly the main pathway of waste dispersed in the environment that from land reaches oceans and seas increasing the amount of marine litter. Major cities are a great source of riverine litter as large urbanization can originate pressure on the integrated waste management resulting in litter entering the rivers. Within this study, we aim to investigate the dynamic of floating riverine macrolitter (items >2.5 cm) in the city of Rome before it reaches the sea by assessing the composition, amount, and seasonal trends of litter transported from the urban centre to the main river mouth of Tiber River. Visual surveys for a whole year (March 2021–February 2022) were conducted from two bridges, Scienza Bridge (in the city) and Scafa Bridge (at the main river mouth) and followed JRC/RIMMEL protocol for riverine litter monitoring. Overall, similar litter composition was observed from the city centre to the mouth with a prevalence of plastic material, mainly related to fragmentation process (i.e. plastic pieces) and single use items, mainly in food and beverage sectors. An extrapolated annual loading of 4 × 105 items/year was estimated at the main mouth of Tiber River. The litter flux seems to be influenced by the seasonal variability and hydrometeorological parameters. The frequency of size classes decreases with increasing size in both sites, and more than half of the recorded items were below 10 cm. Specific categories belonging to “other plastics” have been reported related to anti-Covid-19 behaviour such as face masks and beverage sector, e.g. bottle lids and rings. The main colour of plastics was white, suggesting weathering process of floating riverine litter. This study contributes to increasing knowledge of the origin, composition and spatiotemporal dynamics of riverine floating litter from the city and entering the sea.

Abundance and composition of marine litter on the coasts of the Dardanelles (Canakkale Strait, Turkey).

The amount of human-origin litter in sea surface water, sediment, and beaches has been increasing for decades. Initially described in marine coastal systems in the 1960s, marine litter (ML) is nowadays commonly observed in all marine systems. There is even a gigantic island consisting of garbage in the gyre area of the Atlantic Ocean. In relation to this significant problem, ML was collected from seven stations on beaches along the Dardanelles for the first time in the period May 2017-May 2018 and was seasonally and regionally analyzed in terms of densities and weights. ML was categorized by material type (plastic, rubber, paper, etc.) and field of use (mixed packaging wastes, personal use products, fishing wastes, etc.). Total numbers and weights of ML during the study were 5751 items and 115.7kg in an area of 15,980 m2, respectively. Density and weight of ML ranged from 0.050 to 1.182 items/m2 and from 0.446 to 78.46g/m2, respectively. The main ML component was plastic items in terms of both density (90.95%) and weight (53.76%) according to material type. Additionally, mixed packaging wastes (MPW) were the most common ML items in terms of density (82.14%) and weight (49.38%) according to usage. According to the clean-coast index, while Kilya (St.2) and Kepez (St.5) beaches were dirty, Seddulbahir (St.1) beach was clean. The beaches in other stations were neither dirty nor clean (medium) according to the index. At the end of the study, suggestions for a regional strategy were made.