Water's Edge Research Articles

The Weathersfield Affair

The Weathersfield Affair

Fishing behavior in the red fox: Opportunistic-caching behavior or surplus killing?

Fishing behavior in the red fox: Opportunistic-caching behavior or surplus killing?

Chemical elements accumulation specifics in the top of floodplain plants growing in the Yugan river valley of Surgut District, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous District-Yugra

The present article describes the heavy metal content (Ni, Pb, Cd) in the top plant phytomass: blue marsh bog (Eleocharis palustris (L.) Roem. Schult.), furcular Anemonidium (Anemonidium dichotomum (L.) Holub), bayonet rush (Juncus filiformis L.), blue marsh vetchling (Lathyrus palustris L.), carex acuta (Carex acuta L.), reed canary grass (Phalaroides arundinacea L.), clump speedwell (Veronica longifolia L.), silverweed cinquefoil (Potentilla anserina L.), common burnet (Prunella vulgaris L.), and water sedge (Carex aquatilis Wahlenb.) growing in the Yugan River valley, Surgut District, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Distric t- Yugra. Species, morphological and systematic features of plants were accounted. Field and chemical methods were used in the present research. The plant material was analyzed using MGA 915-MD atomic absorption spectrometer. The study revealed that observed plant species differ in heavy metals accumulation specifics, namely: water sedge accumulates Ni, Pb, Cd more than other plant species, sedge sharp - Ni, marsh bog - Ni, reedgrass - Pb, threadfoot - Pb and Cd. Based on the data obtained, we can conclude that Ni, Pb, Cd content was within standard limits in all the studied plants.

Wildfires cause rapid changes to estuarine benthic habitat

Estuaries are one of the most valuable biomes on earth. Although humans are highly dependent on these ecosystems, anthropogenic activities have impacted estuaries worldwide, altering their ecological functions and ability to provide a variety of important ecosystem services. Many anthropogenic stressors combine to affect the soft sedimentary habitats that dominate estuarine ecosystems. Now, due to climate change, estuaries and other marine areas might be increasingly exposed to the emerging threat of megafires. Here, by sampling estuaries before and after a megafire, we describe impacts of wildfires on estuarine benthic habitats and justify why megafires are a new and concerning threat to coastal ecosystems. We (1) show that wildfires change the fundamental characteristics of estuarine benthic habitat, (2) identify the factors (burnt intensity and proximity to water's edge) that influence the consequences of fires on estuaries, and (3) identify relevant indicators of wildfire impact: metals, nutrients, and pyrogenic carbon. We then discuss how fires can impact estuaries globally, regardless of local variability and differences in catchment. In the first empirical assessment of the impact of wildfires on estuarine condition, our results highlight indicators that may assist waterway managers to empirically detect wildfire impacts in estuaries and identify catchment factors that should be included in fire risk assessments for estuaries. Overall, this study highlights the importance of considering fire threats in current and future estuarine and coastal management.

Taking the bait: Developing a bait delivery system to target free-ranging crocodiles and varanid lizards with a novel conservation strategy.

In tropical Australia, conditioned taste aversion (CTA) can buffer vulnerable native predators from the invasion of a toxic prey species (cane toads, Rhinella marina). Thus, we need to develop methods to deploy aversion‐inducing baits in the field, in ways that maximize uptake by vulnerable species (but not other taxa). We constructed and field‐tested baiting devices, in situ with wild animals. Apparatus were set next to waterbodies and baited concurrently at multiple locations (over water, water's edge, and on the bank). Baits were checked and replaced twice daily during the trial; remote cameras recorded visitation by native predators. Bait longevity was compared at sun‐exposed and shaded locations over 12 h. The strength required to remove baits from apparatus was measured in varanids and crocodiles. The device promoted high rates of bait uptake by freshwater crocodiles (47% baits consumed), varanid lizards (19% baits consumed), and non‐target taxa (34% baits consumed). Targeting specific predators can be achieved by manipulating bait location and time of deployment, as well as the force required to dislodge the bait. Crocodiles were best targeted with over‐water baits, whereas varanid lizards preferred baits located at the edges of waterbodies. When testing bait longevity in ambient conditions, during the daytime baits desiccated fully within 12 h, and faster in the sun than in the shade. Based on studies using captive animals, the “pulling force” strength of reptilian predators scaled with body size and was greater in crocodiles than in varanid lizards. We present the first conservation baiting protocol designed specifically for reptiles. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of widespread and taxon‐specific deployment of aversion‐inducing baits to buffer the impacts of invasive cane toads, and our methods are applicable (with modification) to other research and management programs globally.

State Building in Crisis Governance: Donald Trump and COVID-19.

State Building in Crisis Governance: Donald Trump and COVID-19.

Adjusting New Ruralism: The ‘soul’ of Waddington, N.Y. and placemaking at the Water's edge

Despite significant contributions to the multidisciplinary literature in rural development, U.S. planning scholarship has tended to privilege an urban focus given challenges accompanying globalization, the migration of people from rural to urban areas, as well as cultural-practice perceptions of ‘rural’ within the profession. As a result, frameworks have prevailed that are designed to improve livability in cities, including two dominant conceptualizations -- New Urbanism (NU), and New Ruralism (NR), the latter consisting of approaches that preserve or enhance rural-urban edges for the benefits of urban areas. Often overlooked are deep rural areas and their unique development challenges enabled by geographic isolation and compounded by population decline. In this relative vacuum of attention, the Northern New England Chapter of the American Planning Association (NNECAPA) drew on its experience to recommend a counterpoint to NR, calling for an adjusted New Ruralism ([a]NR) framework to better assess and guide planning and development in more remote rural areas to create places in which people can thrive. The purpose of this paper is threefold: first, to introduce the framework as part of the scholarly literature; second, to suggest the placemaking activities evident in Waddington, N.Y, a small village near the Canadian border along the St. Lawrence River, not only contribute to the community's “soul,” but also makes the community an ideal case study among those NNECAPA is collecting to further define its [a]NR conceptual umbrella. Finally, in undertaking our documentation in this task, we answer the regional chapter's call to help improve its scaffolding. Through the nexus of practical placemaking and the broader rural studies knowledge front, we suggest three major adjustments, represented visually as a model of intersecting restructured mindsets and corresponding, more specified strategies for further deliberation.

The state of the European oyster population in Tsemesskaya bay

Ostrea edulis (Linnaeus, 1758) is listed in the Red Book. There are many assumptions about her disappearance. The European oyster is found in marine fouling of reinforced concrete piers. Oysters on stilts were located from the water's edge and a meter deep, there were practically no lower ones. Depth 2.5 – 3.5 m . Ostrea edulis L. is endangered, so it is necessary to conduct additional research on the diseases of these mollusks to establish the causes of degradation of natural populations of the European. It is necessary to take measures to restore the population of the European oyster, such as breeding oysters that are not susceptible to diseases.

Тенденції та перспективи розвитку кадастру земель водного фонду Закарпатської області

The purpose of the proposed study is to comprehensively study the current state of the lands of the water fund of the Transcarpathian region, to identify trends and prospects for its development in a market economy. Method. Water resources play a significant socio-economic, environmental and biosphere role. Floodplains, as a kind of biogeocenoses and an integral part of modern landscapes, through the system of energy flows in them, carried out under the influence of living matter and various natural and anthropogenic factors, affect other types of ecosystems and the biosphere as a whole. The main problematic issues of land use are: disturbance of natural landscapes (slopes, beaches) as a result of intensive development of the coast, taking into account natural conditions; unreasonable construction of floodplains, which has exacerbated the crisis in their basins; plowing of lands within the coastal protection strips to the water's edge; deforestation, which is carried out primarily in the coastal areas of rivers, lakes, seas, reservoirs negatively affects the state of the lands of the water fund. To solve these problems, it is very important to study the rational use of water resources in artificial and natural terms, which will contribute to the preservation and reproduction of these vulnerable objects. Results. Features of land use of the water fund of the Transcarpathian region are considered. The component structure of the lands of the water fund and the peculiarities of its territorial differentiation are studied. The shares of artificial and natural water bodies in the Transcarpathian region have been determined. A detailed description of water fund lands and their structure, data on the area of land occupied by water bodies (rivers and streams, lakes and coastal closed reservoirs), hydraulic and other water facilities, as well as coastal protection strips, the distribution of water fund lands by land users, as well as the distribution of water fund lands within the administrative districts of the Zakarpattia region. Scientific novelty and practical significance. The analytical database of water fund lands, which contains accounting and reference data with territorial reference for the necessary analysis and synthesis of information in different territorial sections, will ensure the efficiency and reliability of detailed theoretical and practical studies of water fund lands for multiple and multi-purpose using.

Coupling mechanism of water and greenery on summer thermal environment of waterfront space in China's cold regions

Water and greenery space is an essential part of the urban ecosystem and plays a vital role in alleviating the urban heat island effect. Water and greenery differently affect the urban microclimate. After coupling the two factors, the quantitative human thermal environmental experience analysis needs to be revealed. This study investigated the thermal environment of the waterfront space with the greenery of Tianjin in the cold regions of China. Different types of microscale water were analyzed to evaluate their thermal environment in summer using subjective and objective analysis and model simulation. We concluded the coupling mechanism of waterfront greenery and thermal evaluation standard. The results show that water and greenery's coupling effect peaked at 14:00 and waterfront at 4–8 m. Conversely, the cooling effect was more significant at 3–6 m from the water's edge, where the location was suitable for construction as verified by the optimization model. The prerequisite of coupling mechanism was suitable green coverage rate and vegetation type, based on the comprehensive analysis of four cases. The objective effects of different waterfront distances on the thermal comfort of Heat Index (HI) and the subjective evaluation of Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) for people were quantified. This research provides a theoretical basis and data support for urban waterfront renewal in cold regions.

Unlisted

Unlisted

Selection of Monitoring points for the Number and Infectivity of the Main Vectors of West Nile Virus in the Volgograd Region

Relevance. Since 1999, the incidence of West Nile fever has been recorded in the Volgograd region. The main vectors of West Nile virus in Russia are Cx mosquitoes. pipiens L. and Cx. modestus Fic. An objective assessment of the entomological situation and infection rate of these species within the framework of epidemiological surveillance of West Nile fever is possible only in biotopes with sufficiently high numbers of mosquitoes; therefore, the choice of sampling points is an urgent task. Purpose of the study. Analysis of the West Nile virus main vectors - mosquitoes Cx. pipiens L. and Cx. modestus Fic. average number, occurrence and infection rate at the various open biotopes of the Volgograd region to justify the choice of optimal points for entomological monitoring. Materials and methods. The catching and accounting of the mosquitoes’ number was carried out in 2015–2019 from May to August in the third decade of each month in a floodplain forest, at a personal plot, a summer cottage and on bank of water body. To catch mosquitoes, automatic traps Mosquito Magnet Executive and LovKom-1 were used. The accounting unit was the number of mosquitoes collected in both traps per trap-night. The average number, the index of occurrence and infection rate were determined by generally accepted methods. Detection of West Nile virus RNA in samples of mosquito pool suspensions was performed by RT-PCR using the AmpliSense WNV-FL reagent kit. The results were statistically processed using Microsoft Excel 2016 (Microsoft Corporation, USA). Results. In the 2015-2019 period, 17468 mosquitoes of the genus Culex: 8258 species – Cx. pipiens L., 9210 species – Cx. modestus Fic. were collected in over than 80 trap nights at the selected stationary points of the Volgograd region. Average number of Cx. pipiens L. was: in the floodplain forest – 4.6 individuals per 1 trap-night; at the personal plot – 183.9; at the summer cottage – 30.2; on the bank of water body – 194.3. Average number of Cx. modestus Fic. was: in the floodplain forest – 5.2 individuals per 1 trapnight; at the personal plot – 8.3; at the summer cottage – 2.5;on the bank of water body – 444.6. Occurrence index Cx. pipiens L. was highon the bank of water body and at the personal plot (47.1% and 44.5%, respectively), much lower – at the summer cottage (7.3%) and in the floodplain forest (1.1%). Level of WNV infection among Cx. pipiens L.on a personal plot was 5.4%, on a summer cottage – 3.6%,on the bank of water body – 2.2%. No infected samples were found among Cx. pipiens L. collected from the floodplain forest. WNV RNA in samples from mosquitoes Cx. modestus Fic. found only in individuals caughton the bank of water body. Their infection rate was 1.2%. Discussion. Ecological plasticity of Cx. pipiens L. mosquitoes allows them to live in settlements and near water bodies. Mosquitoes of the species Cx. modestus Fic. do not fly away from ponds, breeding places. Conclusion. High numbers and occurrence of the Cx. pipiens L. mosquitoes were observed at a personal plot within the city andon the bank of water body, Cx. modestus Fic. –on the bank of water body. WNV RNA positive samples were detected from mosquitoes collected at the personal plot, the summer cottage andon the bank of water body. To monitor the number and infection rate among Cx. pipiens L., points of registration and sampling should be placed in open stationson personal plots in settlements, banks of water bodies and summer cottages. We recommend to carry entomological monitoring for Cx. modestus Fic. out onlyon the banks of water bodies along the water's edge in reed thickets. The placement of the main WNV vectors number and infection rate monitoring points in the floodplain forest is not advisable.

Research on Ecological Restoration of Urban Water Based on PSR Model: A Case of Tai'an City

The management and restoration of urban water ecological environment is a complex systemic project involving many factors and difficult to operate. In accordance with the theory of water ecology, this study proposes specific strategies for creating a biodiverse environment at the water's edge and in the water, taking into account the actual situation in Tai'an City.

DIVERSITY AND RESIDENTIAL STATUS OF WADER BIRDS AT HODAL IN PALWAL DISTRICT, IN HARYANA, INDIA.

Waders belonging to order Charadriiformes are commonly found along shorelines and mudats that wade in order to forage for food (such as insects or crustaceans) in the mud or sand. Bogs, marshes, mudats, shorelines, ponds, and ooded areas are all popular habitats for wading birds. The waders include storks, spoonbills, cranes, herons, egrets and ibises. They have certain physical and behavioural adaptations for living on or near water. Wading birds depend on water as a source of food, shelter, and nesting sites. Wading birds wade into shallow water to obtain food, instead of swimming and diving in water in search of feed that is not found on land. If we study the morphology of wading birds, they have lots of characteristics and adaptations that are useful in a watery habitat. Long legs of the wading birds help them to keep their feathers high and dry when wading into water in search of food. A long neck and a long bill are adaptations that make it possible to strike at prey while walking around on long legs. The benets of wading bird′s long, thin, spread-out toes are three-fold: toes help them to keep their balance and also help them to walk in mud without sinking. While walking in water and mushy mud, thin toes are easier to lift and set down. Spread-out toes also prevent them from sinking into soft mud in the water and at the water's edge, and above all those toes also disperse the weight of these big, tall birds, helping them keep their balance over their long legs. Waders are ecologically dependent on wetlands, as they provide good habitat to them for feeding, roosting, breeding, nesting, pre-migratory requirements, migration and protection from predators. So, wet lands plays an important part in the life cycle of wading birds. Wetlands have got highest capacity and are often extremely rich in bird and animal life. The present study aims at the assessment of diversity and residential status of wading birds in Yamuna basin near Hodal in Palwal District. It is located at 27°53′39″N and 77°22′09″E having an average elevation of 190 meters. Many ornithologists pay lots of their attention on eld study of birds during the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth century and till today many more are involved in the study of avian diversity near rivers. Avian fauna of Kalesar forests in immediate vicinity of River Yamuna in Yamuna-nagar District has been analysed by Kalsi (1998). Kulkarni et al.(2011) reported 151 species of birds from river Godavari; Balapureet al. (2012) reported 63 avian species from river Narmada. Other workers like Bahuguna(2008), Taketal.(2010), Gupta & Kaushik (2011), Gupta et.al(2012), Anupma et al (2014), Ankita et al (2019) have studied wetlands birds in various regions along the banks of rivers.

Beyond the Water's Edge: Geotechnics in the Wet

Gaining insight into the subsurface and developing an understanding of what's hidden below ground is a key to the design and construction process. Geotechnical engineers and geologists often develo...

СОСТОЯНИЕ МИКРОФИТНЫХ ЦЕНОЗОВ НА УРЕЗЕ ВОДЫ В ОКРЕСТНОСТЯХ ПОРТА ЕРСАЙ И ПОС. КУРЫК (ВОСТОЧНЫЙ КАСПИЙ)

Microphytic cenoses that develop on coastal rocks in the area of the water's edge can serve as particularly bright indicator biosystems that clearly display any harmful effects on their habitat. Developing, in fact, in the water-land boundary conditions, in the area of direct impact of the surface film of continuously moving water, they are a kind of " sponges " that collect a variety of agents carried by sea currents from sources of pollution. Accumulating in these communities, such agents are able to change the balance of species in the structure of these coenoses in a short time, as well as cause morphological changes in the species themselves. These modifications of the appearance can be caused both by their phenotypic norm of reaction to the presence and high concentrations of the contaminating agent, and by mutations provoked by one or another agent. Based on the obtained results describing the state of microepiphytic and microepilitic cenoses in various locations located at the end of July 2019 in the vicinity of the port of Ersai and the village of Kuryk, it can be concluded that the communities of all three locations were under stress – however, to a significantly different degree.

Thanatocoenoses of mollusc shells in the north-western part of the Black Sea

Following death, mollusc shells become elements of thanatocoenoses of bottom and coastal deposits. At the early stages of succession of storm strands, the conservation of mollusc shells in the coastal deposits is high, which allows to obtain a larger number of shells to determine their traits. The probability of finding shells of rare mollusc species in the coastal strands is significantly higher than in bottom grab samples. Therefore, the taxonomic composition of the thanatocoenoses may correspond to the actual composition of mollusc assemblage in the adjacent coastal waters. Determination of the maximum age of molluscs from coastal emissions by sclerochronological methods can be more accurate characteristics of the lifespan of the considered mollusc species. Wind waves are one of the hydrodynamic processes influencing the formation of coastal emissions. The maximum wave activity in the coastal zone of the sea contributes to an increase in the deposition of storm emissions in the coastal zone. Studies of thanatocoenoses of marine molluscs in storm emissions in the north-western part of the Black Sea were carried out at three test sites, differing in the degree of wave load on the coastal zone. Analysis of coastal emissions in different parts of the coastal zone — various distance from the water's edge—allows us to determine the frequency and power of wave activity, as well as to identify the dominant species of macrozoobenthos in each area. The composition and quantitative characteristics of storm emissions created by wave activity of various intensities demonstrates the relationship between benthic biocoenoses of molluscs and thanatocoenoses of the coastal zone. The dominance of bivalve mollusc shells in emissions corresponds to the ruling species of molluscs in benthic biocoenoses. Shells of molluscs of the family Mytilidae were dominant in coastal emissions of the analysed areas. The maximum concentration of aquatic organisms is presented in emissions located near the edge of seawater. A dependence between the total mass of biogenic components in coastal sediments and different distances from the water edge has been revealed for the north-western part of the Black Sea.

At the Water's Edge: Coastal Settlement, Transformative Adaptation, and Well-Being in an Era of Dynamic Climate Risk.

With accelerating climate change, US coastal communities are experiencing increased flood risk intensity, resulting from accelerated sea level rise and stronger storms. These conditions place pressure on municipalities and local residents to consider a range of new disaster risk reduction programs, climate resilience initiatives, and in some cases transformative adaptation strategies (e.g., managed retreat and relocation from highly vulnerable, low-elevation locations). Researchers have increasingly understood that these climate risks and adaptation actions have significant impacts on the quality of life, well-being, and mental health of urban coastal residents. We explore these relationships and define conditions under which adaptation practices will affect communities and residents. Specifically, we assess climate and environmental stressors, community change, and well-being by utilizing the growing climate change literature and the parallel social science literature on risk and hazards, environmental psychology, and urban geography work, heretofore not widely integrated into work on climate adaptation.

ОЦЕНКА СТЕПЕНИ ЗАГРЯЗНЕНИЯ ДОННЫХ ОТЛОЖЕНИЙ МАЛЫХ РЕК РОСТОВСКОЙ ОБЛАСТИ

Purpose: to study the degree of pollution of bottom sediments of small rivers of the Rostov region. Materials and Methods: the research was carried out in 2019–2020 according to the decree of the Government of Rostov region of 25.09.2013 no. 595 and in accordance with the orders of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment no. 432 of 08.10.2014 and no. 112 of 24.02.2014. The work on monitoring the pollution of bottom sediments carried out by the authors included: samples selection, description, conservation, delivery and preparation; conducting an integral assessment of toxicity. The studies were carried out on microalgae according to the biotesting method for inhibiting the growth of unicellular algae Chlorella vulgaris Beijer and ciliates Paramecium caudatum. A sample was considered toxic if the value of the toxic effect was 50 % or more. In case of detecting high toxicity, the repeated sampling to determine the prevailing priority and specific pollutants was carried out. Results: according to the approved research program, 70 samples (33 in 2019, 37 in 2020) at 21 water bodies were selected. As a result of an integrated assessment of the toxicity of bottom sediments of water bodies, an excess was revealed only in two samples taken in 2019 at the site of the river Temernik. Conclusions: the results of biotesting did not reveal an excess of the permissible toxicity values in all areas of water bodies, except for the river Temernik, where a slight excess was revealed (55 %). In this case, when forming a program for the environmental protection measures implementation, more attention should be paid to a number of other environmental problems of water bodies in the region, among which a special place is taken by low water associated with both climate change and excessive water consumption for the needs of economic activities, land plowing to the water's edge, washing out dams and other blocking structures, including due to improper functioning of culverts.

О влиянии ПАВ на байкальскую олигохету Mesenchytraeus bungei Michaelsen

Pollution of natural objects with surfactants is relevant, including for the lake Baikal. Here, until the near future, there was a constant increase in the tourist flow and, as a result, the ingress of these pollutants into the reservoir. First of all, the inhabitants of the littoral zone come into contact with the incoming pollutants. In this regard, the work evaluated the effect of surfactants on the survival rate of the Baikal endemic oligochaetes Mesenchytraeus bungei Michaelsen, 1901. These enchitreids are a common species. They are widespread throughout the lake from the water's edge to the deepest depths. Therefore, M. bungei is recommended as an indicator object for ecological monitoring of the lake Baikal. The tested compounds are representatives of different types of surfactants: anionic – sodium lauryl sulfate, cationic –cetyltrimethylammonium bromide and nonionic – tween-80. Baikal oligochaetes M. bungei Michaelsen, 1901 were collected in July – August 2020 in the splash zone of Lake Baikal in settlement Bolshiye Koty (South Baikal). Enchitreid about 1.8-2.0 cm long was used in the experiments. After adaptation to laboratory conditions (2 days with water aeration using a microcompressor), further incubation was carried out in glass or plastic cages with nonsterile Baikal water at a temperature of 8–10 °C and an illumination of 250-300 lux. River sand was placed at the bottom, the layer thickness of which was 0.8-1.5 cm. Baikal oligochaetes M. bungei Michaelsen, 1901 turned out to be sensitive to the anionic surfactant sodium lauryl sulfate and cationic cetyltrimethylammonium bromide at a content of 0.005-0.006 mM. So, with the addition of 0.006 mM sodium lauryl sulfate for 3 days of the experiment, the proportion of dead individuals of the test object was 40%, at 0.0125 mM – 60%, at 0.025 mM – 90%, and at 0.05 mM complete death of all enchitreid individuals was observed. Adding CTAB at a concentration of 0.005 mM increased the proportion of dead oligochaetes to 40%. TAB twice – up to 0.01 mM – led to the death of all worms. The nonionic surfactant tween-80 did not have a negative effect on the Baikal oligochaetes in the concentration range from 1 to 60 mM. The tested surfactants to reduce the degree of their effect on the survival of oligochaetes can be arranged in the following row: cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (LC100 = 0.01 mM)> sodium lauryl sulfate (LC100 = 0.05 mM)> tween-80 (harmless up to 60 mM inclusive).