660 research outputs found
Simple tools for assessing water quality and trophic status in transitional water ecosystems
No full textIn this study we have developed an index for assessing trophic status and water quality in transitional aquatic ecosystems of Southern Europe. The index has been developed from the water quality index of the U.S. National Sanitation Foundation and integrates the main causal factors (inorganic nutrients), the key biological elements (primary producers) and indicator of effects (oxygen) of eutrophication. Six main variables have been used: relative coverage of benthic phanerogams and opportunistic macroalgae species, and concentrations of dissolved oxygen, phytoplankton chlorophyll-a, dissolved inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus. Non-linear functions are used to transform each measured variable into its quality value. Each quality value is then multiplied by a weighting factor, to take into account the relative contribution of each variable to the overall water quality. Finally, the index value is calculated as the sum of the weighted quality values, ranging from 0 (poorest state) to 100 (best condition). The index has been tested and validated in six transitional water ecosystems which differ in anthropogenic pressures and eutrophication levels, for which data sets were available from 1989 to 2004: Sacca di Goro (Northern Adriatic Sea, Italy), Lesina Lagoon (Southern Adriatic Sea, Italy), Ria Formosa (Algarve, Southern Portugal), Mar Menor (Murcia, Southern Spain), Etang de Thau (Herault, Southern France) and Gulf of Gera (Lesvos Island, Greece). The index assessments have been compared with evaluations from the IFREMER (French Research Institute for the Exploitation of the Sea) classification scheme (France) and the trophic index TRIX (Italy), which are currently used for national monitoring of coastal waters and lagoons. Based on the conclusions of this study we suggest to use the index for monitoring water quality in shallow coastal transitional waters, where benthic vegetation controls primary productivity, which makes indices based on phytoplankton only (e.g., TRIX) unsuitable
Application of Specific Exergy to Macrophytes as an Integrated Index of Environmental Quality for Coastal Lagoons
No full textThis work aims to explore the application of specific exergy on macrophytes as an
integrated index to assess ecosystem health in coastal lagoons, and to analyse its possible application in view of the implementation of the Water Framework Directive of the European Union. Exergy and specific exergy are calculated as a function of the biomass multiplied by a weighting factor (beta), which express the quantity of information embedded in the biomass. Until now only few general values of beta have been published. Therefore, we have extended the calculation of beta values for 244 seaweed and seagrass species which are common in Mediterranean coastal lagoons. The estimated beta values have been then compared with macrophyte-based indicators which have been recently developed, namely the Ecological Evaluation Index and the IFREMER classification scheme. Overall, we found a good agreement between beta values and macrophyte indicators. Furthermore, the specific exergy was calculated for 81 sites in coastal lagoons of Southern France and compared with existing classification schemes, finding a good agreement between them. As a result, we argue that specific exergy may be used as an integrated index that is able to synthesize and complement existing approaches.JRC.H.5 - Rural, water and ecosystem resource
Ecosystem functions, biogeochemical processes and primary producers along eutrophication gradients in Mediterranean coastal lagoons.
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Coastal Lagoons of Southern Europe: Recent Changes and Future Scenarios
No full textAs a consequence of their location between land and open sea, coastal lagoons are subject to strong anthropogenic pressures due to tourism and/or heavy shellfish/fish farming. Furthermore, they receive fresh water from their catchment areas loaded with urban, agricultural and/or industrial effluents and domestic sewages. These pressures are responsible for important ecosystem alterations i.e. eutrophication, bacterial contamination, algal blooms (toxic or not), anoxia and fish kills. Further, additional problems arise from costal erosion, subsidence and effects related to extreme meteorological events, typical from Mediterranean areas. The development of management tools for coastal lagoons is a complex task requiring interdisciplinary research and active interaction with the end-users. By developing and implementing a set of information tools (Environmental databases, GIS, watershed and lagoon hydrodynamic coupled with biological models), the DITTY project aimed at the development of the scientific and operational bases for a sustained and rational utilisation of the available resources in Southern European lagoons in five case studies: Ria Formosa (Portugal), Mar Menor (Spain), Thau Lagoon (France), Sacca di Goro (Italy) and gulf of Gera (Greece). During this project, a set of scenarios was defined with end-users and stakeholders, addressing issues such as population growth, change in land use or resource exploitation, dredging operations, water reuse etc… whenever appropriate. Effect of climate change is also considered, taking 2015 as time horizon.JRC.H.5 - Rural, water and ecosystem resource
Overheated, Cu-bearing magmas in Zaldivar Porphyry Copper Deposit, Northern Chile: Geodinamic evidence
No full textThe Zaldivar porphyry copper deposit, Northern Chile, consists of two major intrusions, the 290 Ma Zaldivar, and the more recent Miocene (38.7 Ma) Llamo porphyry. Five types of inclusions have been identified in quartz phenocrysts from Llamo porphyry, including melt inclusions (M), and four types of fluid inclusions, called MS (multi solids), B (brines), G (vapor-rich) and W (aqueous), respectively. Melt remnants, well preserved as M-inclusions, homogenize around 1000 °C. They show a rhyolitic composition, comparable to the most evolved acidic rhyolitic end member found elsewhere in the regional magmatism and to worldwide volcanic rhyolitic glass. High silica content in some inclusions can, however, be due to partial remelting of the quartz host during the heating run. Cooper content in the same inclusions ranges between 0.03 and 0.57 wt.%, with an average concentration of 0.10 wt.%, suggesting a major magmatic source for the copper (orthomagmatic model). MS inclusions, which contain a number of solids at room temperature, mostly
Atritermus pedestris Belokobylskij, Zaldivar-Riveron & Quicke, NEW SPECIES
No full textAtritermus pedestris Belokobylskij, Zaldivar-Riverón & Quicke NEW SPECIES (Figs. 1 A–B, 2 A–B) Holotype: female, MADAGASCAR, Mahajanga Province, Parc National de Baie de Bali, elev. 10 m, 16 ° 00’ 36 ” S 45 ° 15 ’ 54 ” E, 26-30 Nov. 2002, coll. Fisher, Griswold et al. CAS (CASENT No. 2066001). Paratypes. 15 females, same data as holotype: 10 females (CAS, CASENT numbers 2066000, 2066002–9, 2066299); two females (ZISP, CASENT numbers 2019490 – 91); two females (CNIN-UNAM, CASENT numbers 2020384 and 2066700); one female (BNHM, CASENT number 2020379; specimen sequenced). Description. Female (n = 16). Body length 1.8–1.9 mm. Head (dorsal view) 1.3–1.4 x wider than medial length, 1.6–1.7 x wider than mesosoma at tegulae; distinctly roundly narrowed behind eyes. Antenna approximately 0.8 x as long as body length. Scapus 1.8 x longer than wide. First flagellar segment 3.0– 3.2 x longer than apical width, 1.2–1.3 x longer than second segment. Penultimate flagellar segment 1.7–1.8 x longer than wide, 0.5–0.6 x as long as first segment, 0.8–0.9 x as long as last segment. Last flagellar segment without apical spine. Transverse diameter of eye 1.0– 1.2 x longer than temple length (dorsal view). Antennal socket 1.0– 1.1 x longer than distance between sockets, 1.1–1.2 x longer than distance between socket and eye. Eye 1.2– 1.3 x higher than transverse diameter. Malar space 0.8–0.9 x eye height, 1.8 –2.0x higher than basal width of mandible. Face 1.3–1.4 x wider than eye height and 1.2–1.3 x wider than face and clypeal height combined. Hypoclypeal depression 0.6–0.7 x as wide as distance from nearest part of depression to eye, approximately 0.4 x as wide as face width. Hypostomal flange distinct. Mandible 1.2 x longer than broad. Head below eyes distinctly convex and roundly narrowed (frontal view). Mesosoma. 1.4–1.5 x longer than high, 1.6–1.7 x longer than wide. Mesonotum 2.6 –3.0x longer than pronotum, 1.8 x longer than propodeum (dorsal view). Mesoscutum 1.4 x wider than medial length. Prescutellar depression bearing 5 carinae, with finely granulose sculpture between each carina, about half as long as scutellum. Legs. Hind femur 4.0– 4.3 x longer than wide. Hind tarsus 0.8–0.9 x as long as hind tibia. Hind tibia slen- der, slightly widened posteriorly. Second segment of hind tarsus 0.4 x as long as hind basitarsus, 1.2–1.3 x longer than fifth hind tarsal segment (excluding pretarsus). Metasoma. 2.1–2.2 x longer than maximum width, 1.2–1.3 x longer than head and mesosomal length combined. First tergum strongly widened basally, then distinctly and almost linearly widened toward subapex and weakly widened apically, 0.6 x as long as its apical width, 1.3–1.5 x longer than propodeum. Apical width of first tergum 1.7 x width at dorsope, 2.7 x width at base. Median length of second tergum about 1.1 x basal width, 1.8 –2.0x first tergum length, 1.2–1.3 x third tergum length. Combined length of second and third terga 1.8 –2.0x basal width of second tergum, 1.6 x their maximum width. Ovipositor sheath 0.3–0.4 x as long as metasoma, 0.6–0.7 x as long as mesosoma, 1.2–1.5 x longer than first tergum. Sculpture and pubescence. Head smooth, dorsal part of face finely striate. Lateral portion of pronotum coarsely rugose-striate with dense granulation. Median lobe of mesoscutum at least finely rugulose-granulate, lateral lobes finely granulate anteriorly and almost entirely smooth posteriorly. Scutellum smooth. Mesopleuron mostly smooth, partially rugulose, rugose anteriorly. Propodeum densely and sometimes very finely granulate and at least partially rugulose; areola large, wide, pentagonal. Hind coxa smooth, finely punctulategranulate dorsally. Hind femur mostly smooth with fine reticulation laterally. First tergum with coarse and sparse longitudinal striae, virtually smooth medially between dorsal carinae, slightly rugulose. Second and third terga mostly smooth, second tergum finely striate on narrow lateral areas. Vertex with sparse, very short and recumbent microsetae. Hind tibia dorsally with dense, short and semi-erect setae, their length about 0.5 x as long as maximum width of hind tibia. Color. Head red-brown or light red-brown, malar space yellow. Mesosoma yellow. First tergum yellow; second and third terga brownish yellow or yellow, dark brown on narrow basal parts of both terga. AntennaPublished as part of Belokobylskij, Sergey A., Zaldivar-Riverón, Alejandro, Regagnon, Virginia León- & Quicke, Donald L. J., 2007, A new genus of Lysitermini (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Lysiterminae) from Madagascar and its taxonomic placement based on 28 S rDNA sequence data, pp. 25-37 in Zootaxa 1461 on pages 28-30, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17643
Mesocentrus palaeoeuropaea Butcher & Zaldivar-Riverón & Kamp & Rolo & Baumbach & Quicke 2014, sp. nov.
No full textMesocentrus palaeoeuropaea sp. nov. † (Figs 4–7) Holotype ♂. Braconidae /C. V. Henningsen [the collector]/ 22-6-1953 [the collecting date]. No further information is available. Length of body 3.25 mm and of fore wing c. 3.3 mm. Antenna with 19 flagellomeres, median flagellomeres nearly quadrate, scapus weakly flared apically. Fore wing vein (RS+M)a strongly sinuate (Fig. 7). Width of head 1.6 x width of face. Face produced into a distinct point medio-dorsally between antennal sockets. Clypeus separated from face dorsally by a distinct groove. Hypoclypeal depression strongly convex medio-dorsally. Malar suture weak, curved. Occipital carina not weakened mediodorsally. Frons strongly depressed laterally. Mesosoma 2 x longer than maximally high. Fore wing vein (RS+M)a strongly sinuate (Fig. 7). Fore wing vein 3RSa 1.5 x r-rs, 0.38 x 3RSb, vein (RS+M)a strongly sinuous. Hind wing vein 1M 1.1 x M+CU, m-cu antefurcal. Fore tibia with weak longitudinal dorsal ridge (Fig. 5C). Fore telotarsus approximately 0.8 x length of fore basitarsus. First metasomal tergite approximately as long as posteriorly wide with submedial carinae apparently more prominent than medial carina. 2 nd metasomal tergite longitudinally striate. 3 rd tergite apparently entirely smooth. Notes. Differs from extant species of Mesocentrus in having a distinct (though weak) midlongitudinal ridge on the fore tibia, a groove separating the clypeus from the face medio-dorsally, and flared basal flagellomeres. Whilst it could be argued that it might equally be placed in an extinct genus rather than Mesocentrus, the differences are rather slight and only the lack of dorsal separation of the clypeus in Mesocentrus would support its monophyly relative to the extinct species. Despite careful visual examination we were unable to determine whether the eyes of the fossil specimen are setose as in the extant species, and such detail is below the resolution of the synchrotron imaging system employed, though it seems likely that they are at least less setose if not completely glabrous. Etymology. Name refers to its ancient European provenance.Published as part of Butcher, Buntika Areekul, Zaldivar-Riverón, Alejandro, Kamp, Thomas Van De, Rolo, Tomy Dos Santos, Baumbach, Tilo & Quicke, Donald L. J., 2014, Extension of historical range of Betylobraconinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) into Palaearctic Region based on a Baltic amber fossil, and description of a new species of Mesocentrus Szépligeti from Papua New Guinea, pp. 449-463 in Zootaxa 3860 (5) on pages 453-454, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3860.5.4, http://zenodo.org/record/493027
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