Terrestrial Part Research Articles

The role of large-scale atmospheric circulations on long-term variations of PM10 concentrations over Turkey.

PM10 is widely identified as an important atmospheric pollutant posing a serious threat to human health and environment as well as it influences the climate system. To unearth the mechanism involved in its sources and circulation behavior in environment, this study focuses on the role of large-scale atmospheric circulation on the long-term variability of PM10 over Turkey by applying rotated empirical orthogonal functions (REOF) analysis. As a result of the implementation of REOF to the daily PM10 data for 80 air quality stations throughout the period 2010-2020, first REOF mode (REOF1 44.9% in winter, 43.2% in spring, 39.5% in summer and 31.6% in fall) for all the four seasons indicated the role of local emission sources on the variations of PM10, which show high PM10 values in different geographical regions. The results of the second mode (REOF2, 17.9% in winter, 14.0% in spring, 14.0% in summer and 16.3% in fall) indicate the role of large-scale atmospheric circulations on the values of PM10. From the REOF2 analysis and extracted synoptic composite maps, the strength of southerly winds and the presence of southwesterly winds at low levels are very important in transporting of dust pollutants from the Arabian Peninsula and Northern Africa, respectively, to the eastern (EAR) and southeastern (SEAR) regions of Turkey during winter. In spring, sand particles in the interior terrestrial part of the country are carried to the northern regions by the effect of large-scale southerly winds, which cause above-normal PM10 concentrations in the Black Sea region of Turkey. In summer, dust particles together with warm dry air intrusion to the eastern region of Turkey by strong easterly winds are sourced by Caspian Sea and result in high PM10 values. Our findings emphasize that the long-term variations in air quality over Turkey are affected secondary by the variations in the large-scale atmospheric circulations with primary contributions from the changes in local emission sources.

Effects of variable ice–ocean surface properties and air mass transformation on the Arctic radiative energy budget

Abstract. Low-level airborne observations of the Arctic surface radiative energy budget are discussed. We focus on the terrestrial part of the budget, quantified by the thermal-infrared net irradiance (TNI). The data were collected in cloudy and cloud-free conditions over and in the vicinity of the marginal sea ice zone (MIZ) close to Svalbard during two aircraft campaigns conducted in the spring of 2019 and in the early summer of 2017. The measurements, complemented by ground-based observations available from the literature and radiative transfer simulations, are used to evaluate the influence of surface type (sea ice, open ocean, MIZ), seasonal characteristics, and synoptically driven meridional air mass transports into and out of the Arctic on the near-surface TNI. The analysis reveals a typical four-mode structure of the frequency distribution of the TNI as a function of surface albedo, the sea ice fraction, and surface brightness temperature. Two modes prevail over sea ice and another two over open ocean, each representing cloud-free and cloudy radiative states. Characteristic shifts and modifications of the TNI modes during the transition from winter to spring and early summer conditions are discussed. Furthermore, the influence of warm air intrusions (WAIs) and marine cold-air outbreaks (MCAOs) on the near-surface downward thermal-infrared irradiances and the TNI is highlighted for several case studies. It is concluded that during WAIs the surface warming depends on cloud properties and evolution. Lifted clouds embedded in warmer air masses over a colder sea ice surface, decoupled from the ground by a surface-based temperature inversion, have the potential to warm the surface more strongly than near-surface fog or thin low-level boundary layer clouds because of a higher cloud base temperature. For MCAOs it is found that the thermodynamic profile of the southward-moving air mass adapts only slowly to the warmer ocean surface.

Endophytic Strains of <i>Bacillus thuringiensis</i> for the Development of Means to Control the Number of the Colorado Potato Beetle in Potato Crops

Currently, the search for B. thuringiensis strains to be used as biological control agents is based on their toxicity to insects in laboratory tests. At the same time, a number of strains of these bacteria are able to exist in symbiotic relationships with host plants, including being endophytes. The ability of B. thuringiensis strains to penetrate into the internal tissues of plants was evaluated by counting colony-forming units (CFU) of microorganisms 7 days after inoculation of sterile potato plants in test tubes; insecticidal activity was tested on larvae of the 3rd age obtained from overwintered adults of the Colorado beetle collected from fields in the Chishminsky and Iglinsky districts of Bashkortostan. It was shown that the strain of B. thuringiensis B-5351, which inhabits the surface (50.01 ± 8.10 CFU × 105/g) and internal tissues (38.92 ± 9.62 CFU × 105/g) of plant shoots, but has less insecticidal activity than the strain B. thuringiensis B-5689, which exhibits high insecticidal activity and colonizes mainly plant roots (25.37 ± 3.82 CFU × 105/g), reduced colonization of potato crops by the Colorado potato beetle, and also increased the yield of tubers in a 2-year experiment (2020–2021). Under the influence of B. thuringiensis B-5351, a decrease in the number of larvae of early age was observed, in contrast to B. thuringiensis B-5689, which caused longer metamorphosis processes. Apparently, the effect of B. thuringiensis B-5351 was the death of insects. It is important that processing B. thuringiensis B-5351 contributed to a significant decrease in the number of late-instar larvae on crops treated with this strain, as well as the degree of defoliation of plants by the pest, which was not observed with the action of B. thuringiensis B-5689. On plots treated with B. thuringiensis B-5351, the yield of commercial tubers and the total yield increased. A method is proposed for studying the endophytic potential of strains in relation to the terrestrial part of plants to search for biocontrol agents as a basis for creating algorithms for constructing microbiomes in agrocenoses.

The Role of Cancer and Somatic Stem Cells in the Anti-Inflammatory and Antitumor Effects of Aconitum baicalense Extract on Experimental Breast Cancer.

We studied the effects of the extract of the terrestrial part of Aconitum baicalense in BALB/c female mice at the early stages after the injection of N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU). The extract reduced inflammatory activity and tumor growth in the mammary gland. The antitumor and anti-inflammatory effects of the extract are based on the inhibition of cancer stem cells, hematopoietic stem cells, and hematopoietic progenitor cells that promote inflammation. The extract of A. baicalense disrupted the recruitment of epithelial progenitor cells and angiogenesis precursors to the mammary gland preventing neovascularization and transformation of epithelial cells into tumor cells.

Metagenomic and metatranscriptomic insights into sulfate-reducing bacteria in a revegetated acidic mine wasteland

The widespread occurrence of sulfate-reducing microorganisms (SRMs) in temporarily oxic/hypoxic aquatic environments indicates an intriguing possibility that SRMs can prevail in constantly oxic/hypoxic terrestrial sulfate-rich environments. However, little attention has been given to this possibility, leading to an incomplete understanding of microorganisms driving the terrestrial part of the global sulfur (S) cycle. In this study, genome-centric metagenomics and metatranscriptomics were employed to explore the diversity, metabolic potential, and gene expression profile of SRMs in a revegetated acidic mine wasteland under constantly oxic/hypoxic conditions. We recovered 16 medium- to high-quality metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) containing reductive dsrAB. Among them, 12 and four MAGs belonged to Acidobacteria and Deltaproteobacteria, respectively, harboring three new SRM genera. Comparative genomic analysis based on seven high-quality MAGs (completeness >90% and contamination <10%; including six acidobacterial and one deltaproteobacterial) and genomes of three additional cultured model species showed that Acidobacteria-related SRMs had more genes encoding glycoside hydrolases, oxygen-tolerant hydrogenases, and cytochrome c oxidases than Deltaproteobacteria-related SRMs. The opposite pattern was observed for genes encoding superoxide reductases and thioredoxin peroxidases. Using VirSorter, viral genome sequences were found in five of the 16 MAGs and in all three cultured model species. These prophages encoded enzymes involved in glycoside hydrolysis and antioxidation in their hosts. Moreover, metatranscriptomic analysis revealed that 15 of the 16 SRMs reported here were active in situ. An acidobacterial MAG containing a prophage dominated the SRM transcripts, expressing a large number of genes involved in its response to oxidative stress and competition for organic matter.

Effect of Foliar Treatment with Aqueous Dispersions of Silver Nanoparticles on Legume-Rhizobium Symbiosis and Yield of Soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.)

Interest in the use of silver as a component of plant protection products and growth regulators appeared relatively recently with the development of methods for the effective stabilization of colloidal systems containing nanoparticles of this metal. In the present work, we studied the effect of foliar treatments with aqueous dispersions of silver nanoparticles stabilized by polyhexamethylene biguanide hydrochloride with an average diameter of 6 ± 1 nm and a zeta-potential of +47.4 ± 1.3 mV on legume-Rhizobium symbiosis, which largely determines the efficiency of soil nitrogen assimilation and the yield of soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.). Based on the results of a two-year field experiment, it was shown that treatments with low doses of silver nanoparticles lead to a significant increase in the number of root nodules and an increase in soybean yield. The observed biological effectiveness of silver nanoparticles dispersions is explained by an increase in the enzymatic activity of peroxidases and polyphenol oxidases in the terrestrial part of plants. It is very likely that the treatment with silver nanoparticles and the increase in peroxidase activity in non-infected parts of the plant lead to a more effective prevention of the penetration of rhizobacteria into the aboveground soybean organs, which, in turn, may be the reason for the observed decrease in the activity of peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase in parts of plant roots susceptible to rhizobia. The latter, as is known, contributes to an easier flow of the nodulation process and the development of legume–Rhizobium symbiosis.

Intermittent Growth of a Newly-Born Volcanic Island and Its Feeding System Revealed by Geological and Geochemical Monitoring 2013–2020, Nishinoshima, Ogasawara, Japan

The island-forming Nishinoshima eruptions in the Ogasawara Islands, Japan, provide a rare opportunity to examine how the terrestrial part of Earth’s surface increases via volcanism. Here, the sequence of recent eruptive activity of Nishinoshima is described based on long-term geological and geochemical monitoring of eruptive products. Processes of island growth and temporal changes in the magma chemistry are discussed. The growth of Nishinoshima was sustained by the effusion of low-viscosity andesite lava flows since 2013. The lava flows spread radially with numerous branches, resulting in compound lava flows. Lava flows form the coherent base of the new volcanic edifice; however, pyroclastic eruptions further developed the subaerial volcanic edifice. The duration of three consecutive eruptive episodes decreased from 2 years to a week through the entire eruptive sequence, with a decreasing eruptive volume and discharge rate through time. However, the latest, fourth episode was the most intense and largest, with a magma discharge rate on the order of 106 m3/day. The temporal change in the chemical composition of the magma indicates that more mafic magma was involved in the later episodes. The initial andesite magma with ∼60 wt% SiO2 changed to basaltic andesite magma with ∼55 wt% SiO2, including olivine phenocryst, during the last episode. The eruptive behavior and geochemical characteristics suggest that the 2013–2020 Nishinoshima eruption was fueled by magma resulting from the mixing of silicic and mafic components in a shallow reservoir and by magma episodically supplied from deeper reservoirs. The lava effusion and the occasional explosive eruptions, sustained by the discharge of magma caused by the interactions of these multiple magma reservoirs at different depths, contributed to the formation and growth of the new Nishinoshima volcanic island since 2013. Comparisons with several examples of island-forming eruptions in shallow seas indicate that a long-lasting voluminous lava effusion with a discharge rate on the order of at least 104 m3/day (annual average) to 105 m3/day (monthly average) is required for the formation and growth of a new volcanic island with a diameter on km-scale that can survive sea-wave erosion over the years.

Defining a single set of calibration parameters and prestorm bathymetry in the modeling of volumetric changes on the southern Baltic Sea dune coast

The studies described herein aimed to estimate the accuracy of determination of the volumetric changes on the dune coast of the southern Baltic Sea through the application of the XBeach numerical model, which is crucial for coastal engineering. In the first phase of the study, the profile (1D) mode of the model was adapted to 19 cross-shore profiles located along the Dziwnów Spit.The model was calibrated with a storm event in 2009 that caused significant changes to dunes and beaches. Cross-shore profiles were measured approximately one and a half months before and after the storm. An evaluation of model performance was made based on the Brier skill score (BSS), the visual match of the profile shape (VMS), the absolute volumetric change error (m3/m) and the relative volumetric change error (%). In this study, parameters related to the asymmetry transport (facua) and the dune erosion algorithm (wetslp) were taken into account.The best results for model calibration on all 19 cross-shore profiles were obtained with facua values ranging from 0.16 to 0.40 and wetslp values from 0.35 to 0.60. The calibration of individual profiles yielded good results, with an average absolute error of approximately 4 m3/m and an average relative error of ca. 20%. The poorest results were collected for the profiles situated near coastal engineering structures, where the average absolute error was 10 m3/m and the relative error was 60%. The possibility of accepting one set of parameter values for all the profiles at once was also investigated. These studies revealed that the application of one set of facua and wetslp values for all profiles simultaneously resulted in a relative volumetric change error of ca. 25% on average, with the maximum of about 40%.Due to the difficulty of collecting data just before and after the storm event, complex studies using all available bathymetric data were performed. Using a joint dataset composed of prestorm topography recorded before that storm and bathymetry from different years, a simulation of the 2009 storm event was carried out. The studies revealed that the prestorm bathymetry and the randomness of the selection of calibration parameters have similar effects on the accuracy of volumetric changes.Moreover, the impact of the nearshore bathymetry (to a depth of 2 m) on modeling the volumetric changes in the terrestrial part of the shore is evident. A change in the sea bottom inclination and a successive change in the nearshore sediment volume can increase the difference between modeled and actual volumetric changes.

Occurrence of Tankhoy field coals in South Baikal bottom sediments

The purpose of the study is to describe the first finds of coal-bearing clays and coals in the bottom sediments of the southern basin of Lake Baikal and compare them with terrestrial coal-bearing deposits of the Tankhoy field. Comparative analysis of the lithological composition and colour of bottom sediments and terrestrial sections, as well as the concentration of organic carbon and conducted palynological analysis allowed their correlation. At the lake’s depth of 900 m the authors discovered a coal-bearing strata in situ (st 56), which later was stratigraphically correlated with the terrestrial coalbearing part of the Tankhoy suite. The fragments of coal found in bottom sediments basically along the entire Tankhoy field, especially bedrock coals on the underwater slope in South Baikal up to 1300 m deep prove the distribution of the coal-bearing part of the Tankhoy suite in the sublacustrine part of the lake throughout the entire slope (from 5 to 10 km offshore) and confirm the distribution area of the Tankhoy paleolake over a significant area of the contour of modern southern basin of Lake Baikal. The finds of coal-bearing strata on these and other various sub-bottom depths, i.e. under various pressure and temperature conditions, suggest that coals themselves and coal-bearing mudstones may be a generation facility of secondary microbial methane. This should be taken into account when searching for gas hydrocarbon and gas hydrate accumulations as well as assessing methane cycles in Lake Baikal.

Synchronization for VHF Data Exchange System

In wireless communications, rapid acquisition of synchronization parameters is essential. Very High Frequency (VHF) Data Exchange System (VDES), a new maritime communication system developed on the basis of traditional Automatic Identification System (AIS), uses time division multiple access (TDMA) and belongs to burst communication. Therefore, synchronization is the top priority of VDES research. VDES includes the terrestrial part and satellite part, named as VDE-TER and VDE-SAT, and the two parts have different channel conditions. This paper studies synchronization algorithms for VDE-TER and VDE-SAT respectively on the basis of different channel conditions and focuses on the derivation, the theoretic analysis and performance simulation of the algorithms.

ПОБЕГООБРАЗОВАНИЕ EPILOBIUM HIRSUTUM L. В СВЯЗИ С АДАПТАЦИЯМИ ТРАВ СЕЗОННОГО КЛИМАТА К УСЛОВИЯМ ПЕРЕМЕННОГО УВЛАЖНЕНИЯ / ОБВОДНЕНИЯ

One of the fundamental problems of modern biology is the identification of adaptations of organisms to existence in different environments of the biosphere, the mechanisms and methods of the formation of their adaptations. A comparative analysis of shoot formation and ontogenesis of individuals makes it possible to reveal these features in plant biomorphs, including during the development of reservoirs by herbs by mesophytes. The article describes the shoot formation of the hygromesophyte Epilobium hirsutum L. The development and structural-functional zoning of shoots were assessed from the standpoint of modular organization and compared with the peculiarities of shoots formation in mesophytic and hydrophyte grasses. Shown: their similarity with monocarpic shoots of mesophytic herbs at the initial stages; further prolongation in the form of basipetal development through heterochronies and heterotopies with the development of lateral sylleptic shoots as in hydrophytes; increasing the area of the assimilating surface of an individual and ensuring the autonomy of individual shoot systems due to this with early morphological disintegration of the individual. It is proposed to distinguish the following stages in the development of the terrestrial part of the shoot system: vegetative uniaxial shoot - monocarpic shoot - disjunctive system of monopodial shoot - synflorescence system (double heterothetical frondose-frondular brush) at the shoot apex and replacement shoots in the transitional phase of its development in the zone of renewal , broken by the middle zone of inhibition, is more multicomponent and branched in comparison with those in mesohygrophytes like Veronica longifolia L., but less complexity than in hydrophytes - the aquatic form of V. anagallis-aquatica L. It is noted that the early transformation of the universal module (monocarpic shoot) into the main module (the shoot system formed on its basis) is provided by polyvariance in the development of leaf rudiments and axillary structures of elementary modules (elementary metameres) in connection with the conditions of the location of the apex and demonstrates possible mechanisms of adaptation of flowering plants with a sympodial long-shoot model of shoot formation to life in water bodies: abbreviation of ontogeny of an individual and monocarpity of ramet with polycarpicity of an organism (prolongation of ontogeny of an individual).

Medium and large-sized mammals in dry forests of the Colombian Caribbean

Mammalian populations are fundamental at functional and ecological levels within ecosystems and are inconstant threat of reduction world wide and in the Neotropic. We evaluated population variables, habitat use, and threats to medium and large mammals (weight &gt; 1 kg) in the terrestrial part of the Tayrona National Natural Park (Santa Marta-Colombia). We carried out in direct annual observations with camera traps between 2012 and 2017, both in rainy and dry seasons. We estimated the richness, relative abundance (RAI), and functional diversity of the mammals present in the area. We recorded 15 species, distributed in seven orders (Carnivora, Rodentia, Pilosa, Cingulata, Lagomorpha, Didelphimorphia, and Cetartiodactyla), 11 families and 13 genera. The species with the highest capture frequency was Dasyprocta punctata (142, RAI = 0.85), followed by Cuniculus paca (56, RAI = 0.33), Odocoileus virginianus (51, RAI = 0.30), and Cerdocyon thous (41, RAI = 0.24). We observed a marked use and preference of habitat in the seasonal dry ever green forest. This finding coincides with the highest value of functional richness (S1= 293.88) for this ecosystem, probably due to its features, such as green vegetation and abundant water streams. Our results reveal stability of the species richness across the years studied, suggesting good health of the mammal populations in the studied area.

DETERMINATION OF EDTA IMPACT ON THE CONTENT AND DISTRIBUTION OF LEAD IN THE SYSTEM «SOIL-PLANT» DURING PHYTOREMEDIATION

Like any other biogeochemical process, the transition of heavy metal ions from the soil through the root system to the terrestrial part of the plants is characterized by the rate, which depends on a number of factors. These factors include: the physicochemical characteristics of the soil itself (pH, humus content); properties of heavy metal ion (radius, oxidation number, surrounding ligands); ambient temperature, daylight hours; morphological features of plants. In the present paper, at the same values of the factors of first three groups, the ability of some species of agricultural plants (oats, white mustard, maize and sunflower) to extract lead compounds from the soil and accumulate them in the underground and ground parts was investigated. The results of analysis showed that the lead content in the soil in all cases after the 30-day growing cycle was decreased. The most significant decrease in the concentration of heavy metal in the soil was observed for the samples where oats were grown. The smallest change is for the samples where the sunflower was grown. It was found that, under the conditions of the experiment, the efficiency of lead extraction increases with its concentration in the soil. Addition of EDTA to contaminated soil increases the rate of absorption of lead compounds by plants. For maize, a lead reduction of 5% was observed when EDTA was added to the soil. For mustard and oats, the lead content of the soil was almost unchanged when EDTA was added. The most significant reduction in lead concentration with the addition of EDTA was observed for the soil on which the sunflower was grown - by 63%. The calculations showed that during the first 30 days of growth, the terrestrial parts of the studied plants absorb only about 0.1% of the total lead content in the soil-plant system. According to the results of the conducted studies, the cumulation coefficients for the investigated crops were determined: for sunflower the maximum value was 2.47 (in the presence of EDTA), for mustard - 0.94, for corn - 0.79, for oats - 1.58. Therefore, oats and sunflowers have the best cumulative properties among the studied crops. Maximum lead uptake was set for sunflower in the presence of EDTA.

ZONING AND LIGHT-COLOR OBJECT-SPATIAL-SPATIAL ANALYSIS OF STOPS AND STOPPING AREAS OF THE DNIEPER

Cross-section zoning and light-color object-space-environmental analysis (so-called "SCOPS analysis") of stop spaces and corresponding spaces of adjacent stopping areas are given. These territories, in their totality, determine the end-to-end structure of the city of Dnieper. The material is presented in alphabetical order. This allows not only to structure the list of street names and stopping areas, but also to immediately identify through the stopping-territorial corridors (Fig. 1-2). Within these corridors, a number of hierarchically subcontracted "corridors" ("green", light-colored, traffic-light corridors, etc.) are generated. These inter-territorial corridors permeate the entire city. They have hierarchical subordination. Their “stop-and-go rating” is immediately visible in the table structure. It is determined by the number of appropriate stops or stopping complexes. In addition to the stopping points, “zoning corridors” are immediately visible in the structure of the table. They are visible: a) in capital letters Z, A, B, C, D and F, b) in Arabic numerals 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, c) in Roman numerals 0, I, II and III. The letters indicate the nature and potential of prospects for the development of ultra-zone (underground) stop areas. Arabic numerals - indicate the nature and potential of the prospects for the development of their terrestrial part. Roman numerals - indicate that they belong to a particular category of tariff zones operating in the Dnieper. In particular, 0 and Z (Zero) indicate that there are no prospects for development. A 5 and F indicate that the prospects are very good. The scientific novelty of the obtained results is that the through analysis allows to see the whole picture of prospects of development of stop territories as a whole (within the whole city). In this case, both stop-territorial and zoning, as well as light-colored and other "corridors" are revealed. Also undesirable links of "light-colored clutter" of these corridors are revealed.

PROSPECTS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF STOP-TERRITORIAL STRUCTURES AND SUBCONTRACTING SUB-STRUCTURES OF CITIES AND SETTLEMENTS AT DIFFERENT LEVELS OF THE HIERARCHY

The general methodical questions concerning problems and principles of the cross-cutting concept formation of development perspectives of stop-territorial structures and subcontracting sub-structures of cities and settlements of different hierarchy level are considered. These structures are considered as independent stop-and-near-stop-territorial structural units of the modern living environment of the population. In this case, the generalized concept of pedestrian radius of accessibility is taken as a basis for the formation of cross-classification of stop-and-near-stop-territories. It is considered from the point of view of the periodic influx of regular Stop users. In doing so, it divides the whole stop-territorial space into nine zones. These areas include: Core, Stopping Area, By-stopping, Near-stopping, Around-stopping, Buffer Zone, Red Zone, Infra Zone and Ultra Zone. The red zone contains the so-called "red lines" of the area of gravity of the regular Stop users. The infra zone is the Blind Zone, an area of surrounding urban and transport infrastructure.The ultra zone is the zone where the horizontal and vertical gradients of development of stop-territorial structures and subcontracting sub-structures of cities and settlements of different levels of hierarchy. It is with the development of this "Ultra Zone" that the authors link the process of the "construction boom" in Ukraine, in particular in crowded urban areas. And that's why: "In-Zone" [or "Ultra-Zone"] is an area that is buried beneath the "Core" of the Stop. In other words, in the Ultra Zone, the development of the stop-and- near-stop-space changes from “horizontal” to “vertical”. It is in this area that the garages of locals (including permanent stop users) and out-of-street public transport (high-speed tram or subway, in particular, their underground stops), as well as part of office, commercial and robotic industrial structures should be located. This makes it possible to release the "historically" formed terrestrial part of each stop-and-near-stop space from the "conventionally-unnecessary" and "environmentally-polluting" elements. The implementation of the "urban boom" on the territory of Ukraine (in particular, in the Ultra zone) is likely to be possible in the near future and everywhere, throughout the territory. But the full-fledged and consistent "functioning" of such an urban boom requires immediate adaptation of the relevant legislative gradient to EU standards.First and foremost, it is necessary to adapt the urban gradient – with the simultaneous reorganization of all the architectural activities of the country. Only a major reorganization of architectural activity opens the broadest and truest path to the swiftest possible implementation of the "urban boom" that will lead Ukraine out of the economic abyss and break away from universal poverty.

Revising the limits of the coastal area in the regulations of the iberoamerican region. Are they appropriate for risk management and adaptation to climate change?

Coastal laws define the boundaries of the coastal zone. Both a terrestrial part and a marine part are usually included, which can be anything from ten to two hundred or more meters. They are usually declared public domain zones, and a protection zone, parallel to the coastal edge, is often determined. The function of the protection zone is to reduce pressures of anthropogenic origin on coastal ecosystems, its services and, simultaneously, mitigate extreme natural phenomena within the inhabited areas of the coast. Protection zones are established according to different types of criteria. In this study, they have been classified into two main groups: scientific/universal criteria and functional/operational criteria.Integrated coastal zone management addresses complex problems for the organization of economic uses and activities, based on the protection of ecosystems, while addressing coastal risks. At present, erosion is one of the most serious issues affecting the coast, a problem that is likely to intensify as a result of sea level rise, which is an effect of climate change. The objective of this paper is to analyze regulations affecting the coast in the Ibero-American Region, paying special attention to the definition of the geographical area. Results of this study are: most laws, especially in the terrestrial area, use arbitrary criteria and metric distances. In the marine environment, the limit of the coastal zone is usually fixed up to 12 nautical miles from the Territorial Sea. On few occasions, natural-physical criteria are used, which take into account the characteristics of the coast and anthropic criteria, such as the socio-economic reality. This means that limits have been established that are politically functional, as well as practices that do not take into account the vulnerability of the area, the functioning of coastal ecosystems or protection against natural risks. We are in no doubt that, faced with the challenge of establishing adaptation measures for the effects of climate change, the search for a new delimitation of the coastal zone should be considered an urgent matter.

Understanding the Coastal Ecocline: Assessing Sea–Land Interactions at Non-tidal, Low-Lying Coasts Through Interdisciplinary Research

Coastal zones connect terrestrial and marine ecosystems forming a unique environment that is under increasing anthropogenic pressure. Rising sea levels, sinking coasts, and changing precipitation patterns modify hydrodynamic gradients and may enhance sea-land exchange processes in both tidal and non-tidal systems. Furthermore, the removal of flood protection structures as restoration measure contributes locally to the changing coastlines. A detailed understanding of the ecosystem functioning of coastal zones and the interactions between connected terrestrial and marine ecosystems is still lacking. Here, we propose an interdisciplinary approach to the investigation of interactions between land and sea at shallow coasts, and discuss the advantages and the first results provided by this approach as applied by the research training group Baltic TRANSCOAST. A low-lying fen peat site including the offshore shallow sea area on the southern Baltic Sea coast has been chosen as a model system to quantify hydrophysical, biogeochemical, sedimentological, and biological processes across the land-sea interface. Recently introduced rewetting measures might have enhanced submarine groundwater discharge as indicated by distinct patterns of salinity gradients in the near shore sediments, making the coastal waters in front of the study site a mixing zone of fresh- and brackish water. High nutrient loadings, dissolved inorganic carbon, and dissolved organic matter originating from the degraded peat may affect micro- and macro-phytobenthos, with the impact propagating to higher trophic levels. The terrestrial part of the study site is subject to periodic brackish water intrusion caused by occasional flooding, which has altered the hydraulic and biogeochemical properties of the prevailing peat soils. The stable salinity distribution in the main part of the peatland reveals the legacy of flooding events. Generally, elevated sulfate concentrations are assumed to influence greenhouse gas emissions, mainly by inhibiting methane production, yet our investigations indicate complex interactions between the different biogeochemical element cycles (e.g. carbon and sulfur) caused by connected hydrological pathways. In conclusion, sea-land interactions are far reaching, occurring on either side of the interface, and can only be understood when both long-term and event-based patterns and different spatial scales are taken into account in interdisciplinary research that involves marine and terrestrial expertise.

Numerical and physical modelling of future Rhône Delta (Switzerland)

The Rhône River on its Swiss course flows through the Lake of Geneva before traversing Geneva and continuing towards France. The river is entirely canalized upstream of the Lake of Geneva, over a length of about 160 km. Hence, a large river restoration project, the Third Rhône River Correction, is being planned for the upcoming 20-30 years. One of the first works to be realized will be the restoration of a delta estuary of the Rhône River into the lake. This delta will propose morphological diversity over a length of about 1.5 km, for a width of about 0.8 km, and will consist of a terrestrial part and a lake part. Both numerical and physical modelling have been performed to assess the morpho-dynamic potential of this delta. The morphological numerical modelling predicts evolution of the delta within a time frame of 30 years. The maritime numerical modelling shows the deformation of the delta head due to storm events on the lake, as well as the related littoral transport. The computations allowed assessing the progressive development of the delta into the lake, as well as the evolution of the terrestrial part and of a secondary river stretch. This allowed determining 3 interesting geometries to be tested on a physical model. The physical model has been constructed at an undistorted 1: 75 scale and reproduces morphology of the Rhône River and its delta with a movable bed and a movable delta. Two different materials have been mixed to simulate the sand and gravel parts of the sediment transport. Also, a wave generator has been used to reproduce storm events on the lake. This paper presents a comparison of numerical and physical model predictions of the morpho-dynamic behavior of the delta, including the influence of coastal events on the estuary dynamics.

Restoration of a Danube floodplain forest: what happens to species richness of terrestrial beetles?

Along the upper Danube, between river kilometer 2,472 and 2,464 (Bavaria, Germany), a managed hardwood forest was reconnected to the river via a newly carved floodplain channel. We report the stepwise alteration of the diversity of terrestrial beetles for six successive years from 2007 to 2012. In a 2-year preliminary period (2007–2008), we recorded the baseline stage before the technical measures were implemented (2009–2010) and the onset of restoration occurred (2011–2012) with a continuous water flow in the new channel and seven flooding events. Each sample plot was equipped with a pitfall trap, an emergence photo-eclector, an arboreal photo-eclector, and a flight interception trap in breast height and in the canopy, respectively. The beetle communities act as an indicator to detect possible disturbance events when a riparian hardwood forest is stepwise transformed to become a new floodplain ecosystem. Within the 6-year study period, we trapped 62,107 individual beetles, representing 85 families, 544 genera, and 1,191 species. Compared to the baseline stage, the abundance and the number of species decreased, including rare and red list species. On functional level, the species decline was particularly pronounced for zoophagous and mycetophagous species. Finally, we suppose that the 2-year period since the launch of the new channel is too short for the establishment of a beetle community adjusted to the terrestrial part of the developing new floodplain forest.

GEOMOPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND ENVIRONMENTAL SENSITIVITY INDEX FOR OIL SPILLS OF ANAVYSSOS BAY, ATTICA

The study of the coastal and shallow marine geomorphology of the adjacent bays of Anavyssos and Aghios Nikolaos (southeastern Attica) was carried out by acoustic scanning of the seafloor with an echo sounder and sonar side scan; topographical sections perpendicular to the shoreline, collection and analysis of surface sediments; determination of long-term shoreline displacements by comparing old and modern aerial photographs and satellite imagery. The terrestrial part of the coastal area consists of many landforms, such as lagoons, cliffs, beachrocks, tombola etc. The beaches affected by intense human activity have gentle slopes, low elevations and a coarse-grained texture. The remote sensing analysis showed that, over the last six decades, there are some small shoreline changes of the order of ± 2 meters. The bays have relatively gentle gradients covered by sand in their shallower parts and patches of Posidonia Oceanica towards the open sea. Taken into account the texture of sediments and landforms that make up the terrestrial part of the coasts, four categories (1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th) of Environmental Sensitivity Index for oil spill (ESI) have been identified and an ESI map is created serving as a quick reference for oil spill responders and coastal zone managers.