Impacts of Environmental Changes on Soil Erosion Across Europe

2006 ◽  
pp. 729-742
Author(s):  
Mike Kirkby
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Environmental Changes

scholarly journals Temporal Stability of Vegetation Cover across the Loess Plateau Based on GIMMS during 1982–2013

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 315
Author(s):  
Chunyan Zhang ◽  
Shan Guo ◽  
Yanning Guan ◽  
Danlu Cai ◽  
Xiaolin Bian
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Vegetation Cover ◽  
Vegetation Index ◽  
Normalized Difference Vegetation Index ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Temporal Stability ◽  
Reference Conditions ◽  
Reference Period ◽  
The Loess Plateau

The Loess Plateau, covering approximately 640,000 km2, has experienced the most severe soil erosion in the world. A greening tendency has been noticed since implementing the Grain to Green Program (GTGP), which may prevent further soil erosion. Therefore, understanding the underpinning basis of greening stability and persistence is important for sustainable improvement. Global Inventory Modeling and Mapping Studies (GIMMS) normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) datasets for 1982–2013 were used to investigate the temporal stability and persistent time (PT) of vegetation over the Loess Plateau, utilizing the coefficient of variation (CV) and the estimation of tendencies of vegetation greening starting from the selected reference conditions. Two periods from 1982 to 1999 (as the reference period) and 2000 to 2013 were selected by considering the GTGP since 1999. The results indicate that: (1) A significant increase in vegetation cover occurred in the low NDVI area (NDVI < 0.3), with a high fluctuation from 2000 to 2013 compared with the reference period. Moreover, the fluctuation in vegetation is more related to precipitation variation since 1999. (2) Most areas recovered in the greening trend of the first period starting in 2009, occurring in 28.7% (2628 of 9148) of the total area. (3) The revegetated areas have a low PT and a high CVvi, that is, the revegetated areas need a long time to recover from disturbances. Therefore, we identify the sensitive areas with PT = 4; further management needs to be implemented for sustainable development in these areas. These results provide a method to quantify the stability and persistence of the complex interactions between vegetation greenness and environmental changes, particularly in fragile areas.

scholarly journals Salinity changes and anoxia resulting from enhanced run-off during the late Permian global warming and mass extinction event

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 441-453 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elsbeth E. van Soelen ◽  
Richard J. Twitchett ◽  
Wolfram M. Kürschner
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Hydrological Cycle ◽  
Seawater Temperature ◽  
Late Permian ◽  
Terrestrial Environment ◽  
Shallow Marine ◽  
Run Off ◽  
Extinction Event

Abstract. The late Permian biotic crisis had a major impact on marine and terrestrial environments. Rising CO2 levels following Siberian Trap volcanic activity were likely responsible for expanding marine anoxia and elevated water temperatures. This study focuses on one of the stratigraphically most expanded Permian–Triassic records known, from Jameson Land, East Greenland. High-resolution sampling allows for a detailed reconstruction of the changing environmental conditions during the extinction event and the development of anoxic water conditions. Since very little is known about how salinity was affected during the extinction event, we especially focus on the aquatic palynomorphs and infer changes in salinity from changes in the assemblage and morphology. The start of the extinction event, here defined by a peak in spore : pollen, indicating disturbance and vegetation destruction in the terrestrial environment, postdates a negative excursion in the total organic carbon, but predates the development of anoxia in the basin. Based on the newest estimations for sedimentation rates, the marine and terrestrial ecosystem collapse took between 1.6 and 8 kyr, a much shorter interval than previously estimated. The palynofacies and palynomorph records show that the environmental changes can be explained by enhanced run-off and increased primary productivity and water column stratification. A lowering in salinity is supported by changes in the acritarch morphology. The length of the processes of the acritarchs becomes shorter during the extinction event and we propose that these changes are evidence for a reduction in salinity in the shallow marine setting of the study site. This inference is supported by changes in acritarch distribution, which suggest a change in palaeoenvironment from open marine conditions before the start of the extinction event to more nearshore conditions during and after the crisis. In a period of sea-level rise, such a reduction in salinity can only be explained by increased run-off. High amounts of both terrestrial and marine organic fragments in the first anoxic layers suggest that high run-off, increased nutrient availability, possibly in combination with soil erosion, are responsible for the development of anoxia in the basin. Enhanced run-off could result from changes in the hydrological cycle during the late Permian extinction event, which is a likely consequence of global warming. In addition, vegetation destruction and soil erosion may also have resulted in enhanced run-off. Salinity stratification could potentially explain the development of anoxia in other shallow marine sites. The input of freshwater and related changes in coastal salinity could also have implications for the interpretation of oxygen isotope records and seawater temperature reconstructions at some sites.

scholarly journals Salinity changes and anoxia resulting from enhanced runoff during the late Permian global warming and mass extinction event

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elsbeth E. van Soelen ◽  
Richard J. Twitchett ◽  
Wolfram M. Kürschner
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Sea Water ◽  
Hydrological Cycle ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystem ◽  
Late Permian ◽  
Terrestrial Environment ◽  
Shallow Marine ◽  
Extinction Event

Abstract. The Late Permian biotic crisis had a major impact on marine and terrestrial environments. Rising CO2 levels following Siberian Trap volcanic activity were likely responsible for expanding marine anoxia and elevated water temperatures. This study focusses on one of the stratigraphically most expanded Permian-Triassic records known, from Jameson land, east Greenland. High resolution sampling allows for a detailed reconstruction of the changing environmental conditions during the extinction event and the development of anoxic water conditions. Since very little is known about how salinity was affected during the extinction event, we especially focus on the aquatic palynomorphs and infer changes in salinity from changes in the assemblage and morphology. The extinction event, here defined by a peak in spore/pollen, indicating disturbance and vegetation destruction in the terrestrial environment, postdates a negative excursion in the total organic carbon, but predates the development of anoxia in the basin. Based on the newest estimations for sedimentation rates, the marine and terrestrial ecosystem collapse took between 1.6 to 8 kyrs, a much shorter interval than previously estimated. The palynofacies and palynomorph records show that the environmental changes can be explained by enhanced runoff, increased primary productivity and water column stratification. A lowering in salinity is supported by changes in the acritarch morphology. The length of the processes of the acritarchs becomes shorter during the extinction event and we propose that these changes are evidence for a reduction in salinity in the shallow marine setting of the study site. This inference is supported by changes in acritarch distribution, which suggest a change in palaeoenvironment from open marine conditions before the start of the extinction event to more near-shore conditions during and after the crisis. In a period of sea-level rise, such a reduction in salinity can only be explained by increased runoff. High amounts of both terrestrial and marine organic fragments in the first anoxic layers suggest that high runoff, increased nutrient availability, possibly in combination with soil erosion, are responsible for the development of anoxia in the basin. Enhanced runoff could result from changes in the hydrological cycle during the late Permian extinction event, which is a likely consequence of global warming. In addition, vegetation destruction and soil erosion may also have resulted in enhanced runoff. Salinity stratification could potentially explain the development of anoxia in other shallow marine sites. The input of fresh water and related changes in coastal salinity could also have implications for the interpretation of oxygen isotope records and sea water temperature reconstructions in some sites.

Linking transcription, RNA polymerase II elongation and alternative splicing

2020 ◽  
Vol 477 (16) ◽  
pp. 3091-3104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luciana E. Giono ◽  
Alberto R. Kornblihtt
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Alternative Splicing ◽  
Rna Polymerase Ii ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Transcription Elongation ◽  
Single Gene ◽  
Regulation Of Gene Expression ◽  
Regulation Of Transcription ◽  
Stepping Stones ◽  
Eukaryotic Transcription

Gene expression is an intricately regulated process that is at the basis of cell differentiation, the maintenance of cell identity and the cellular responses to environmental changes. Alternative splicing, the process by which multiple functionally distinct transcripts are generated from a single gene, is one of the main mechanisms that contribute to expand the coding capacity of genomes and help explain the level of complexity achieved by higher organisms. Eukaryotic transcription is subject to multiple layers of regulation both intrinsic — such as promoter structure — and dynamic, allowing the cell to respond to internal and external signals. Similarly, alternative splicing choices are affected by all of these aspects, mainly through the regulation of transcription elongation, making it a regulatory knob on a par with the regulation of gene expression levels. This review aims to recapitulate some of the history and stepping-stones that led to the paradigms held today about transcription and splicing regulation, with major focus on transcription elongation and its effect on alternative splicing.

Seeking to uncover biology's chemical roots

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
pp. 435-443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Addy Pross
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Biological Systems ◽  
Significant Development ◽  
The Road ◽  
Physical Chemical ◽  
Systems Chemistry ◽  
Biological World ◽  
Inanimate Matter ◽  
The Origin Of Life ◽  
Opening Up

Despite the considerable advances in molecular biology over the past several decades, the nature of the physical–chemical process by which inanimate matter become transformed into simplest life remains elusive. In this review, we describe recent advances in a relatively new area of chemistry, systems chemistry, which attempts to uncover the physical–chemical principles underlying that remarkable transformation. A significant development has been the discovery that within the space of chemical potentiality there exists a largely unexplored kinetic domain which could be termed dynamic kinetic chemistry. Our analysis suggests that all biological systems and associated sub-systems belong to this distinct domain, thereby facilitating the placement of biological systems within a coherent physical/chemical framework. That discovery offers new insights into the origin of life process, as well as opening the door toward the preparation of active materials able to self-heal, adapt to environmental changes, even communicate, mimicking what transpires routinely in the biological world. The road to simplest proto-life appears to be opening up.

Holocene diatom assemblages from Dunderbukhta sediments, West Svalbard

2019 ◽  
pp. 242-245
Author(s):  
Ksenya V. Poleshchuk ◽  
Zinaida V. Pushina ◽  
Sergey R. Verkulich
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Ecological Groups ◽  
Diatom Assemblages ◽  
Diatom Analysis ◽  
Diatom Flora ◽  
Sediment Samples ◽  
Ecological Zones ◽  
Middle Holocene ◽  
Temperature Trends

The diatom analysis results of sediment samples from Dunderbukta area (Wedel Jarlsberg Land, West Svalbard) are presented in this paper. The diatom flora consists of four ecological groups, which ratio indicates three ecological zones. These zones show environmental changes of the area in early–middle Holocene that is demonstrating periods of regression and temperature trends.

DIVERSITY OF FISH LARVAE AROUND THE ESTUARY OF THE BANYUASIN RIVER, SOUTH SUMATERA PROVINCE

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Moh. Rasyid Ridho ◽  
Enggar Patriono ◽  
Sarno Sarno ◽  
Sahira Wirda
Keyword(s):  
Initial Phase ◽  
Sampling Method ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Fish Larvae ◽  
River Estuary ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Critical Phase ◽  
Morisita Index ◽  
Index Value

The initial phase of the fish life cycle is a critical phase associated with high mortality due to sensitivity to predators, food availability, and also environmental changes that occur in nature. Disruption of the initial stages of fish life has a negative impact on fish populations. Until now there has been no information about fish larvae around the Banyuasin River Estuary. Therefore, research is needed on the diversity of fish larvae around the Banyuasin River Estuary, South Sumatra Province. This research were used purposive sampling method, sampling technique in the form of Cruise Track Design with continuous parallel survey trajectory. Based on the results of the study found as many as 10 families consisting of 1483 individuals of fish larvae in March and 1013 individuals of fish larvae in May consisting of Engraulidae 1,601 individuals of fish larvae, Mungiloidei as many as 109 individuals, Leiognathidae 50 individuals, Chanidae 453 individuals, Scatophagidae 20 individuals , Belonidae 39 individuals, Gobioididae 5 individuals, Chandidae 183 individuals, Syngnatihidae 6 individuals, and Gobiidae 30 individuals fish larvae. The index value of fish larvae diversity is classified as medium category (March 1.02 and May 1.12), Morisita index shows the distribution pattern of fish larvae classified as a group (March 0-14.17 and May 2.43-10.40 ), and the evenness index value is in the medium category (March 0.437 and May 0.521).

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