Tropical Wet Season Research Articles

Modeling seasonal salinity variations in a large West African lagoon (Nokoué, Benin): Major drivers and mechanisms

Nokoué lagoon is a shallow water body connected to the Gulf of Guinea through the long and narrow Cotonou channel. The salinity dynamics in the lagoon is investigated using the 3D SYMPHONIE numerical model. We first validate the model using salinity and water level data. Simulated and observed salinity and water level variations compare well demonstrating that the reference model simulation correctly reproduces the dynamics of the lagoon. By performing several simulations with varying external forcings and freshwater fluxes, the main drivers of salinity variability in the lagoon are identified. We first focus on the salinization phase of the lagoon at the end of the tropical wet season (between November and February), and we investigate the total change in salinity and the salt fluxes involved in these variations. The high frequency salt fluxes associated with the ocean tide import salt from the ocean via the Cotonou channel to the south of the lagoon. Baroclinic fluxes, associated with the influence of salt on density and associated pressure gradient, increase this local salinity input in the south, but also play a major role in the dispersion of salt throughout the lagoon. Two rivers provide a permanent freshwater inflow in the north/ northeast of the lagoon that limits the salinization of the whole lagoon. Finally, wind-generated high frequency recirculation, partially prevents the salinisation of the North-East of the lagoon. During the desalinization period (between May and September), the lagoon salinity variations are highly sensitive to the magnitude of river inflow. At a constant river flux rate, the lagoon attains an equilibrium state in salinity. As this equilibrium is reached, both the overall salinity level and the time needed to achieve it decrease notably with higher fluxes. Beyond 100 m3 s-1, only a small area near the Cotonou channel retains higher salinity, while surpassing 500 m3 s-1 results in complete desalination of the entire Nokoué lagoon.

Tyre additive chemicals, tyre road wear particles and high production polymers in surface water at 5 urban centres in Queensland, Australia

Plastics pollution is a global issue impacting every part of our environment. Tyre road wear particle (TRWP) plastics pollution is thought to be one of the largest pollution sources in urban environments. These plastics are also of concern due to the presence of additive chemicals, incorporated during manufacture, that can be released into the surrounding environment. This study aimed to provide information on concentrations of a range of anthropogenic plastics related pollutants in the Australian environment through a scoping study of surface water in 5 key urban centres around Queensland, Australia. Samples were analysed for a suite of 15 common tyre additive chemicals, TRWPs and 6 common high production polymers, and included the new transformation product of concern 6PPD-quinone which has recent reports of causing mass mortality events in certain aquatic species. The additives were ubiquitously detected (2.9–1440 ng/L) with 6PPD-quinone concentrations lower than in previous studies (<0.05–24 ng/L) and TRWPs detected at 18 of the 21 sites (<MDL to between 690 and 1990 μg/L). Of the high production polymers, polyethylene and polypropylene were detected at the highest concentrations (16–1750 and <0.7–37 μg/L respectively) with profiles highly variable between sites. A traffic related additive profile was determined at 7 sites, which all had nearby traffic related sources. Concentrations of additive chemicals were significantly correlated with average daily traffic volumes (p = 0.006), although concentrations of TRWPs were not correlated. Generally, concentrations were in line with or lower than concentrations in other geographical regions, although it is noted samples were collected during the dry season and further sampling during the tropical wet season would be of interest.

RATIONALIZATION OF DISCHARGE DATA FLUCTUATIONS USING MINIMUM RESIDUALS MODEL OF MOVING AVERAGE METHODS IN CITARUM CASCADE RESERVOIRS

Since 1981, a cascade of dams consisting of the Saguling, Cirata, and Jatiluhur reservoirs has been constructed along the Citarum River in order to fulfill demands for flood control, water supply, and electrical power generation, and this requires the implementation of an appropriate hydrological approach. The efficient operation of a water resource system requires an accurate water flow analysis that approximates the actual fact as closely as possible to minimize risks in decision-making. Discharge is a random and stochastic component in hydrology, influenced by rainfall variations with a maximum in the tropical wet season and a minimum in the dry season. Thus, discharge analysis requires a statistical approach especially minimum residuals. Values for average annual inflows has constructed through four different calculation techniques for the moving average method to rationalize the fluctuations in discharge data Citarum cascade reservoirs by reducing randomness in the data, with the eventual aim of obtaining more rational trend lines. An analysis of minimum residuals between the results of the calculation and those of model regressions has demonstrated that the cumulative moving average calculation technique provides the best fit among all the models with the smallest residual value, as shown in its lowest mean squared error values of 0.83, 2.04, and 1.77 for the three reservoirs.

Effects of alternate wetting and drying technique on greenhouse gas emissions from irrigated rice paddy in Central Luzon, Philippines

ABSTRACTAlternate wetting and drying (AWD) technique has been widely reported to reduce methane (CH4) emission from irrigated rice paddies. However, little is known about its feasibility in an environment that has distinct weather conditions involving tropical wet season (WS). To investigate the AWD’s feasibility in terms of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions both in dry season (DS) and WS, 3-year field experiments were conducted in Central Luzon, Philippines. Three treatments of water management were continuous flooding (CF), flooding when surface water level naturally declines to 15 cm below the soil surface (AWD), and site-specific AWD that modified the criteria of soil drying (AWDS). Methane and nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes were measured using a closed chamber method, and the global warming potential (GWP) of the two GHGs was calculated. Rice grain yield did not significantly differ among treatments. In accordance with the previous findings, the seasonal total CH4 emission was significantly greater in WS than in DS. The effect of treatment was significant, but the reduction rate by AWD was just 1.7% compared to CF. The seasonal total N2O emission was significantly affected by cropping season and treatment. The AWD increased the N2O emission by 97%, especially in DS. The resultant GWP did not significantly differ among three treatments. The results indicate that the AWD and AWDS with the current settings were insufficient to reduce the annual GHG emissions in this site. However, fragmentary results obtained in the last DS suggest that an earlier rice residue incorporation and keeping dry soil conditions in the preceding fallow season is effective in reducing CH4 emission in combination with an earlier implementation of AWD.

Estimating the Exposure of Coral Reefs and Seagrass Meadows to Land-Sourced Contaminants in River Flood Plumes of the Great Barrier Reef: Validating a Simple Satellite Risk Framework with Environmental Data

River runoff and associated flood plumes (hereafter river plumes) are a major source of land-sourced contaminants to the marine environment, and are a significant threat to coastal and marine ecosystems worldwide. Remote sensing monitoring products have been developed to map the spatial extent, composition and frequency of occurrence of river plumes in the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), Australia. There is, however, a need to incorporate these monitoring products into Risk Assessment Frameworks as management decision tools. A simple Satellite Risk Framework has been recently proposed to generate maps of potential risk to seagrass and coral reef ecosystems in the GBR focusing on the Austral tropical wet season. This framework was based on a “magnitude × likelihood” risk management approach and GBR plume water types mapped from satellite imagery. The GBR plume water types (so called “Primary” for the inshore plume waters, “Secondary” for the midshelf-plume waters and “Tertiary” for the offshore plume waters) represent distinct concentrations and combinations of land-sourced and marine contaminants. The current study aimed to test and refine the methods of the Satellite Risk Framework. It compared predicted pollutant concentrations in plume water types (multi-annual average from 2005–2014) to published ecological thresholds, and combined this information with similarly long-term measures of seagrass and coral ecosystem health. The Satellite Risk Framework and newly-introduced multi-annual risk scores were successful in demonstrating where water conditions were, on average, correlated to adverse biological responses. Seagrass meadow abundance (multi-annual change in % cover) was negatively correlated to the multi-annual risk score at the site level (R2 = 0.47, p &lt; 0.05). Relationships between multi-annual risk scores and multi-annual changes in proportional macroalgae cover (as an index for coral reef health) were more complex (R2 = 0.04, p &gt; 0.05), though reefs incurring higher risk scores showed relatively higher proportional macroalgae cover. Multi-annual risk score thresholds associated with loss of seagrass cover were defined, with lower risk scores (≤0.2) associated with a gain or little loss in seagrass cover (gain/−12%), medium risk scores (0.2–0.4) associated with moderate loss (−12/−30%) and higher risk scores (&gt;0.4) with the greatest loss in cover (&gt;−30%). These thresholds were used to generate an intermediate river plume risk map specifically for seagrass meadows of the GBR. An intermediate river plume risk map for coral reefs was also developed by considering a multi-annual risk score threshold of 0.2—above which a higher proportion of macroalgae within the algal communities can be expected. These findings contribute to a long-term and adaptive approach to set relevant risk framework and thresholds for adverse biological responses in the GBR. The ecological thresholds and risk scores used in this study will be refined and validated through ongoing monitoring and assessment. As uncertainties are reduced, these risk metrics will provide important information for the development of strategies to manage water quality and ecosystem health.

Sex and age differences in habitat use by invasive cane toads (Rhinella marina) and a native anuran (Cyclorana australis) in the Australian wet-dry tropics

Although generalized habitat use may contribute to the success of invasive taxa, even species that are typically described as habitat generalists exhibit non-random patterns of habitat use. We measured abiotic and biotic factors in 42 plots (each 100 × 10 m) along a 4.2-km long unpaved road in tropical Australia, at a site that had been invaded by cane toads (Rhinella marina Bufonidae) seven years previously. We also counted anurans at night in each of these plots on 103 nights during the tropical wet season, over a five-year period, beginning soon after the initial toad invasion. Spatial distributions differed significantly among adult male toads (n = 1047), adult female toads (n = 1222), juvenile toads (n = 342) and native frogs (Cyclorana australis Hylidae, n = 234). Adult male toads were closely associated with water bodies used as calling and/or spawning sites, whereas adult female toads and native frogs were most commonly encountered in drier forested areas on sloping ground. Juvenile toads used the margins of the floodplain more than conspecific adults did, but the floodplain itself was rarely used. Understanding which components of the habitat are most important to specific age and sex classes within a population, or how invasive species differ from native species in this respect, can clarify issues such as the spatial and temporal location of ecological impact by an invader, and the most effective places for control of the invader with minimal collateral effects on the native biota.

ESA-MERIS 10-Year Mission Reveals Contrasting Phytoplankton Bloom Dynamics in Two Tropical Regions of Northern Australia

The spatial and temporal variability of phytoplankton blooms was investigated in two tropical coastal regions of northern Australia using the MEdium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) full mission (2002–2012) reduced resolution dataset. Satellite-derived proxies for phytoplankton (Chlorophyll-a (Chl), Fluorescence Line Height (FLH), Maximum Chlorophyll Index (MCI)) and suspended sediment (Total Suspended Matter (TSM)) were jointly analyzed for two clusters of the Great Barrier Reef Wet tropics (GBRW; 15°–19.5°S; Queensland) and the Van Diemen Gulf (VDG; 9°–13°S; Northern Territory). The analysis of time-series and Hovmöller diagrams of the four MERIS products provided a unique perspective on the processes linking phytoplankton blooms and river runoff, or resuspension, across spatio-temporal scales. Both regions are characterized by a complex oceanography and seasonal inflows of sediment, freshwater and nutrients during the tropical wet season months (November to April). The GBRW is characterized by a great variability in water clarity (Secchi depth 0–25 m). A long history of agricultural land use has led to a large increase in the seasonal discharge of sediments and nutrients, triggering seasonal phytoplankton blooms (&gt;0.4 mg∙m−3) between January and April. In contrast, the VDG is a poorly flushed, turbid (Secchi depth &lt;5 m) environment with strong tidal-energy (4–8 m) and very limited land use. Phytoplankton blooms here were found to have higher Chl concentrations (&gt;1.0 mg∙m−3) than in the GBRW, occurring up to twice a year between January and April. Over the 10-year MERIS mission, a weak decline in Chl and TSM was observed for the VDG (Sen slope: −2.85%/decade, τ = −0.32 and −3.57%/decade, τ = −0.24; p 0.05), while no significant trend in those two satellite products was observed in the GBRW. Cyanobacteria surface algal blooms occur in both regions between August and October. The MCI and FLH products were found to adequately complement Chl, while TSM provided relevant insight for the assessment of sediment resuspension and river runoff.

Effect of Rhabdias pseudosphaerocephala on prey consumption of free-ranging cane toads (Rhinella marina) during Australian tropical wet seasons

The development of biological control measures to reduce the impact of invasive species is a desired goal. Rhabdias species have recently been advocated as biological control agents for invasive anurans. This study describes a field-based approach to support laboratory results on the potential impact of the lung nematode Rhabdias pseudosphaerocephala on the prey consumption of its host, the invasive cane toad (Rhinella marina, Bufonidae). Toads were sampled from various populations in the Wet Tropics of Australia during the wet seasons of 2010 and 2012. Consumed prey items were counted in 212 cane toads and identified to class and order levels and the number of lung nematodes was counted for each toad. The number of R. pseudosphaerocephala in free-ranging cane toads affected negatively the diversity of prey items consumed, but was not related to the number of prey items or the number of ants consumed. The results suggest that infection of free-ranging cane toads by the lung nematode reduces their range of prey items. Possible reasons could be a reduced locomotor activity resulting in changes of foraging modes of infected toads which was reported from some laboratory trials. Infection of cane toads by R. pseudosphaerocephala may therefore have the potential to alter the impact of cane toads on invertebrate communities and their competition for food resources with native Australian anurans.

Performance of different rice lines in Zn-deficient soil

Ten rice lines with different responses to Zn deficiency were grown in a Zn deficient soil with 0 (Zn0) or 10 (Zn10) mg Zn kg -1 soil. The soil was a fine montmorillonitic calcareous Typic Hydraquent from Tiaong, Quezon, Philippines (DTPA-extractable Zn 0.04 mg kg -1 , pH 7.8). Portions (3 kg) of the soil were placed in plastic pots and flooded with water for 3 wk. Pregerminated seeds were then sown and the plants were grown for 3 wk in a glasshouse under typical humid tropical wet-season conditions. The following measurements were made: Zn deficiency score by the IRRI Standard evaluation system for rice , number of leaves with Zn deficiency symptoms, number of tillers, plant height, shoot dry weight, and shoot Zn content.

Laboratory simulation of the salt weathering of schist: II. Fragmentation of fine schist particles

AbstractRecent developments in long term landform evolution modelling have created a new demand for quantitative salt weathering data, and in particular data describing the size distribution of the weathered rock fragments. To enable future development of rock breakdown models for use in landscape evolution and soil production models, laboratory work was undertaken to extend existing schist/salt weathering fragmentation studies to include an examination of the breakdown of sub‐millimetre quartz chlorite schist particles in a seasonally wet tropical climate. Laser particle sizing was used to assess the impact of different experimental procedures on the resulting particle size distribution. The results reveal that salt weathering under a range of realistic simulated tropical wet season conditions produces a significant degree of schist particle breakdown. The fragmentation of the schist is characterized by splitting of the larger fragments into mid‐sized product with finer material produced, possibly from the breakdown of mid‐sized fragments when weathering is more advanced. Salinity, the salt addition method and temperature were all found to affect weathering rates. Subtle differences in mineralogy also produce variations in weathering patterns and rates. It is also shown that an increase in drying temperature leads to accelerated weathering rates, however, the geometry of the fracture process is not significantly affected. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

The role of moisture cycling in the weathering of a quartz chlorite schist in a tropical environment: findings of a laboratory simulation

AbstractLong‐term weathering of a quartz chlorite schist via wetting and drying was studied under a simulated tropical climate. Cubic rock samples (15 mm × 15 mm × 15 mm) were cut from larger rocks and subjected to time‐compressed climatic conditions simulating the tropical wet season climate at the Ranger Uranium Mine in the Northern Territory, Australia. Fragmentation, moisture content and moisture uptake rate were monitored over 5000 cycles of wetting and drying. To determine the impact of climatic variables, five climatic regimes were simulated, varying water application, temperature and drying. One of the climatic regimes reproduced observed temperature and moisture variability at the Ranger Uranium Mine, but over a compressed time scale.It is shown that wetting and drying is capable of weathering quartz chlorite schist with changes expected over a real time period of decades. While wetting and drying alone does produce changes to rock morphology, the incorporation of temperature variation further enhances weathering rates. Although little fragmentation occurred in experiments, significant changes to internal pore structure were observed, which could potentially enhance other weathering mechanisms. Moisture variability is shown to lead to higher weathering rates than are observed when samples are subjected only to leaching. Finally, experiments were conducted on two rock samples from the same source having only subtle differences in mineralogy. The samples exhibited quite different weathering rates leading to the conclusion that our knowledge of the role of rock type and composition in weathering is insufficient for the accurate determination of weathering rates. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Wood biodeterioration control potential of Acalypha hispida leaf phenolic extract in combination with Trichoderma viride culture filtrate

The phenolic extract of Acalypha leaves inhibited growth of Gloeophyllum sepiarium and Pleurotus sp. (test wood-rot fungi) in potato dextrose agar, starch agar, starch glucose agar, carboxyl methyl cellulose agar and carboxyl methyl cellulose glucose agar. Fungicidal or fungistatic concentration of the extract (10–14 mg/ml) depended on the medium. However a lower concentration of the extract (8–10 mg/ml) in combination with Trichoderma viride culture filtrate caused a similar inhibitory pattern. Degradation of obeche (Triplochiton scleroxylon), mahogany (Khaya ivorensis) and walnut (Lovoa trichilioides) by the test fungi was limited or prevented by extract treatment of 8–10 mg/g wood. A similar inhibitory effect again occurred when a combination of T. viride filtrate and lower extract concentration (6–8 mg extract per gram of wood) was used. On-going wood decay was limited or halted by a combined treatment involving 8–12 mg extract per gram of wood depending on the fungal residence period. Treated stakes exposed to 6 months of tropical wet season retained resistance to fungal attack including soft rot. The phenolic extract of A. hispida may prove useful in an integrated chemical and biological approach to wood treatment.

Energetics and water flux of the marbled velvet gecko (Oedura marmorata) in tropical and temperate habitats.

The gecko Oedura marmorata was studied in two different climatic zones: the arid zone of central Australia and in the wet-dry tropics of northern Australia. Doubly labelled water was used to measure field metabolic rate (FMR) and water flux rates of animals in the field during the temperate seasons of spring, summer and winter, and during the tropical wet and dry seasons. FMRs were highest in the tropical wet season and lowest in the temperate winter. The geckos in central Australia expended less energy than predicted for a similarly sized iguanid lizard, but geckos from the tropics expended about the same amount of energy as predicted for an iguanid. Water flux rates of geckos from the arid zone were extremely low in all seasons compared to other reptiles, and although water flux was higher in tropical geckos, the rates were low compared to other tropical reptiles. The standard metabolic rates (SMRs) of geckos were similar between the two regions and among the seasons. Geckos selected higher body temperatures (T bs) in a laboratory thermal gradient in the summer (33.5°C) and wet (33.8°C) seasons compared to the winter (31.7°C) and dry (31.4°C) seasons. The mean T bs selected in the laboratory thermal gradient by geckos from the two regions were not different at a given time of year. The energy expended during each season was partitioned into components of resting metabolism, T b and activity. Most of the energy expended by geckos from central Australia could be attributed to the effects of temperature on resting lizards in all three seasons, but the energy expended by tropical geckos includes a substantial component due to activity during both seasons. This study revealed variability in patterns of ecological energetics between populations of closely related geckos, differences which cannot be entirely attributed to seasonal or temperature effects.

Creep feeding and prepartum supplementation effects on growth and fertility of Brahman-cross cattle in the dry tropics

Post-partum anoestrus is a primary contributor to low branding rates in Bos indicus cattle herds in the dry tropics of northern Australia [Entwistle, K. W. (1983). Australian Meat Research Committee Review No. 431. To increase branding rates, it was hypothesised that creep feeding for a short period in mid-late lactation during the latter half of the growing season may trigger an earlier onset of post-partum oestrus cycling, just as short-term, high-level, prepartum supplementation can achieve. Two experiments were conducted using Fn Brahman-cross cows (1/2, 5/8 and 3/4 crosses with Beef Shorthorn) which calved from late October to late Januarv. Cows were mated from mid-late Januarv to mid-April. Calves in one treatment in both experiments had ad libitum access to creep feed (calf pellets: 16% crude protein, 10 MJ ME/kg) for 4042 days from late February to early April. In experiment 2, the effects on cow growth and fertility due to supplementation with either cottonseed meal (1.5 kg/day) or molasses with 7.4% (w/w) urea for 49 days late in the dry season before calving ('spike' feeding) were also evaluated. Control cattle were unsupplemented. Creep feed was only consumed at 0.1 and 0.4 kg/day in experiments 1 and 2, respectively. Short-term creep feeding had no consistent effects on cow liveweights, condition, or fertility, or on calf growth and temperaments under extensive grazing conditions during the tropical wet season. Spike feeding reduced weight loss by 0.2-0.4 kg/day (P&lt;0.01). The effects on liveweights did not persist into the wet season. There were no effects on cow fertility in this year of extreme weather conditions, when 4 months of nutritional and climatic stress followed supplementation.

Niche Partitioning in a Tropical Wet Season: Lizards in the Lavrado Area of Northern Brazil

Niche Partitioning in a Tropical Wet Season: Lizards in the Lavrado Area of Northern Brazil

Agronomic studies on soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) in the dry season of the tropics. III. Effect of artificial photoperiod extension on phenology, growth and seed yield

Soybean cultivars developed for the tropical wet season performed poorly when grown in the dry season in north-west Australia. The proposition that breeding for later flowering time might enhance yields was tested by using artificial photoperiod extension (14 h day-1 for 28 days post-emergence) to delay flowering of field plots of agronomically improved genotypes. Canopy development and interception of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), dry matter (DM) accumulation, seed yield and seed composition were examined, and compared with that from plants grown under natural photoperiods. Photoperiod extension delayed flowering an average 24 days, and maturity by an average 14.5 days, the effect being greater in the earlier-flowering genotypes. Differences among genotypes and photoperiod treatments in above-ground DM at the beginning and end of flowering were almost entirely due to the consequences of differences in phenology for cumulative PAR interception. DM at maturity was a simple linear function of crop duration (r2 = 0.95**), while seed yield exhibited an optimum-type response with DM ( R2 = 0.79**). The net consequence was that photoperiod extension increased DM production by an average 2.23 t ha-1 and seed yield by an average 0.65 t ha-1. The analyses suggested that a crop duration of c. 143-146 days would be needed to maximize seed yield under the agronomic conditions of the study, whereas the longest duration among the agronomically improved genotypes under natural photoperiod conditions was 136 days. It was concluded that breeding to constrain precocious flowering under short day conditions would be a viable strategy to improve the yield potential of soybean in the dry season.

The effect of foliage pathogens on growth of peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.) in tropical Northern Australia

The effect of foliage pathogens on growth and development and final yield of Virginia Bunch peanuts was assessed under tropical wet season conditions in the Ord River Irrigation Area. Applications of the fungicides chlorothalonil and benomyl were used to manipulate onset and severity of disease during the season. Heavy disease pressure in unprotected plots caused severe defoliation and a 30% reduction in commercial yield. This yield reduction, associated with significantly lower pod numbers, was probably due to defoliation causing reduced interception of incident photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) during pod fill and reduced efficiency of conversion of intercepted PAR to reproductive yield. The latter was due to the effect of foliage pathogens on either photosynthetic capacity of remaining leaves, or patterns of assimilate distribution. Data on PAR interception and remaining leaf area alone did not adequately explain the effects of foliage pathogens on crop yield. Canopies with maximum disease control maintained leaf area indices well in excess of that necessary for full interception of incident radiation until maturity. However, commercial yields of pods and kernels from these plots were significantly lower than for those with intermediate foliage protection. This effect was probably due to altered patterns of assimilate distribution between vegetative and reproductive plant parts. The rate of increase in kernel size in fully protected plots was lower than in those with less effective pathogen management, so that a greater proportion of the total pod yield consisted of small, immature pods which were lost during the commercial threshing process.

Transport of iron, manganese, cadmium, copper and zinc by magela creek, Northern territory, Australia

Five major flood events occurring in Magela Creek during the 1978–1979 tropical wet season were sampled for conductivity, suspended solids and the trace metals iron, manganese, cadmium, copper and zinc. All concentrations were found to be very low, as were the denudation rates for trace metals and suspended materials. These results are as expected since the catchment is highly weathered, and is relatively undisturbed by man. The variations in conductivity, suspended solids and trace metal concentrations during individual flood events are also discussed.