Magnetic Signature of Industrial Pollution of Stream Sediments and Correlation with Heavy Metals: Case Study from South France

Industrial pollution is one of the most important environmentalthreats, with serious consequences for the future. Thus, its detailed study is of great importance. Apart from expensive andtime-consuming chemical methods, several rapid and cheap proxymethods have been developed recently, one of them being based on rock-magnetic parameters. In the present paper we examine the use of rock-magnetic methods designed to assess the degree of pollution of recent stream sediments taken from the Arc river (Provence, France). The aim was to identify industrially-derived magnetic particles and to link this `magnetic pollution' to concentrations of heavy metals. Geological basements allow the easy determination of magnetic particles of industrial origin. Our results clearly demonstrate that magnetic anomalies, observed in the stream sediments along the river, can be explained by human activities, as they correlate well with concentrations of lead, zinc, iron and chromium.     

Observation of giant diffusivity along dislocation cores

Diffusion of atoms in a crystalline lattice is a thermally activated process that can be strongly accelerated by defects such as grain boundaries or dislocations. When carried by dislocations, this elemental mechanism is known as "pipe diffusion." Pipe diffusion has been used to explain abnormal diffusion, Cottrell atmospheres, and dislocation-precipitate interactions during creep, although this rests more on conjecture than on direct demonstration. The motion of dislocations between silicon nanoprecipitates in an aluminum thin film was recently observed and controlled via in situ transmission electron microscopy. We observed the pipe diffusion phenomenon and measured the diffusivity along a single dislocation line. It is found that dislocations accelerate the diffusion of impurities by almost three orders of magnitude as compared with bulk diffusion.     

Foraging Behavior of Alberes Cattle in a Mediterranean Forest Ecosystem

The dietary composition of the semiferal cattle population in the Alberes Natural Park in northeastern Spain was determined four times per year, from June 2002 to February 2004, by microhistological analysis of a total of 120 fecal samples. Woody species, mainly the Quercus and Erica genera, formed the bulk of the diet, reaching 89% of it in winter. However, in spring and summer, the proportion of woody and herbaceous species varied between samples, depending on the habitat where they were collected. The forest samples contained 67% woody species in summer, whereas grassland samples only contained 44%. The results showed that the Alberes cattle population grazed actively in Mediterranean forests and consumed a high proportion of the most combustible species, such as the Erica genus (39% of the epidermal fragments in winter samples). Even when grassland habitat was utilized, in spring and summer, one-third of the diet was from woody species. Some bovines, such as the Alberes cattle breed, can therefore survive year-round in a forest habitat with little forage supplementation, and the consumption of a predominantly woody diet would be expected to reduce forest fire hazards.     

Einfluss der Nährstoffversorgung des Bodens auf die Anfälligkeit von Kartoffelknollen gegenüber Lagerfäulen,verursacht durchFusarium coeruleum (Lib.) Sacc.

Zusammenfassung Kartoffelknollen von Düngungsparzellen mit unterschiedlichen N?hrstoffgaben wurden nach künstlicher Infektion mitFusarium coeruleum auf ihre F?uleanf?lligkeit geprüft. Die gr?sste F?uleausbreitung zeigte sich bei Knollen von der ungedüngten Parzelle, gefolgt von der NPK-Variante. Einen deutlich hemmenden Einfluss hatte Calzium, sowohl mit als auch ohne NPK-Düngung gegeben. Ebenso wirkten auch die Elemente Mg, Mn, Cu und B befallssenkend.     

Is leaf area of Norway spruce (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Picea abies</Emphasis> L. Karst.) and European larch (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Larix decidua</Emphasis> Mill.) affected by mixture proportion and stand density?

Key message

Trees with otherwise equal dimensions have different leaf areas if they are located in different stand types. While leaf area of European larch is affected by mixture proportion, leaf area of Norway spruce is affected by stand density.

Context

Leaf area is a key parameter for evaluating growth efficiency of trees, and therefore needs to be measured as consistently and accurately as possible. This is even more important when comparing monospecific and mixed stands.

Aims

The aim of the study is to find combinations of parameters and allometric relationships that can be used to estimate accurately the leaf area of individual trees.

Methods

Allometries of the measured leaf area of 194 trees in 12 stands were analysed in order to find variables affecting leaf area. Existing functions from the literature were validated. Finally, models were fitted to find the most appropriate method for estimating leaf area of mixed and monospecific stands of Norway spruce and European larch.

Results

Allometric relationships of leaf area to other measurable characteristics of trees vary in different stand types. Besides individual tree dimensions such as diameter and crown surface area, leaf area of Norway spruce is related to stand density, whereas the leaf area of European larch is dependent on the admixture of Norway spruce in the stand.

Conclusion

In contrast to models for estimating individual tree leaf area of Norway spruce, models for leaf area of European larch have to consider mixture proportions in order to correctly interpret the growth efficiency of mixed stands.