The long-horned beetles of south Florida (Cerambycidae: Coleoptera): biogeography and relationships with the Bahama Islands and Cuba

1996 ◽  
Vol 74 (12) ◽  
pp. 2154-2169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Browne ◽  
Stewart B. Peck
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
Distance Effect ◽  
Florida Keys ◽  
Neotropical Region ◽  
South Florida ◽  
The West ◽  
The Past ◽  
South Central ◽  
Theory Of Island Biogeography ◽  
Species Area

South Florida is a floral and faunal transition zone between the Nearctic region and the West Indian part of the Neotropical region. Ninety-one species of Cerambycidae are known from the south Florida mainland and 53 species of Cerambycidae from the Florida Keys. The cerambycid fauna of south Florida is about equally of Neotropical (53%) and Nearctic origin (47%). Since the Florida Keys were entirely submerged several times in the Pliocene and Pleistocene epochs, the present cerambycid fauna is predominantly the result of late Pleistocene – Holocene overland dispersal from south-central Florida and overwater dispersal from the West Indies (Bahama Islands and Cuba). Species–area and species–distance relationships for the islands form significant regression lines as predicted by the equilibrium theory of island biogeography. 'The presence of a "distance effect" is surprising, since it is usually considered that only during the past 10 000 years has the southern tip of the Florida peninsula been fragmented into the present-day islands of the Keys by a rising sea level. An alternative geological scenario, supported by this study, suggests that the present islands of the Keys have appeared as the sea level fell only within the past 6000 years, and the fauna is a more recently derived one.

Evaluating Linkages of Weather Patterns and Water Quality Responses in South Florida Using a Synoptic Climatological Approach

2013 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 425-438 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott C. Sheridan ◽  
Douglas E. Pirhalla ◽  
Cameron C. Lee ◽  
Varis Ransibrahmanakul
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Florida Keys ◽  
Coastal Ocean ◽  
South Florida ◽  
Wide Field ◽  
Sea Level Pressure ◽  
Study Region ◽  
Level Pressure ◽  
Circulation Patterns

AbstractCoastal ocean ecosystems are impacted by atmospheric conditions and events, including episodic severe systems such as hurricanes as well as more regular seasonal events. The complexity of the atmosphere–ocean relationship makes establishing concrete connections difficult. In this paper, this relationship is assessed through synoptic climatological methods, a technique well established in applied climatological research but heretofore rarely used in assessing coastal ocean water quality and ecological status. Historical sea level pressure data are used to define 10 circulation patterns across the southeastern United States and adjacent Gulf of Mexico, based on the spatial pattern of sea level pressure, which can then be associated with the presence of cyclones, precipitation, and wind stress. The frequency of these patterns, and their deviation from climatological means, is then compared with Sea-Viewing Wide Field-of-View Sensor (SeaWiFS) chlorophyll observations over the Florida Bay and south Florida shelf for the period 1997–2010. Several circulation patterns indicative of cyclonic activity over the broader region are associated with increased chlorophyll levels in the study area, while several other patterns, indicative of anticyclonic conditions, are associated with decreased chlorophyll levels. These relationships are spatially and temporally variable, generally with stronger correlations observed in winter and spring, and farther north in the study region when compared with more southern locations near the Florida Keys. The results here demonstrate the potential of using synoptic analysis and derived statistics for tracking and modeling changes in chlorophyll and other indicators related to water quality and biological health.

A 5700-year-old beach-ridge set at Cape Canaveral, Florida, and its implication for Holocene sea-level history in the southeastern USA

The Holocene ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 095968362110499
Author(s):  
Kathleen Rodrigues ◽  
Frank W Stapor ◽  
William J Rink ◽  
James S Dunbar ◽  
Glen Doran
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
Atlantic Coast ◽  
High Water ◽  
South Florida ◽  
Beach Ridge ◽  
Beach Ridges ◽  
The Past ◽  
History Of ◽  
Depositional Age ◽  
Holocene Sea Level

The Cape Canaveral Peninsula is the largest Holocene coastal sand deposit composed of beach ridges on the Atlantic coast of Florida. It is composed of 16 beach-ridge sets that are separated by erosional surfaces. Despite its prominence as a Holocene coastal depocenter, there are a limited amount of chronological data constraining the timing of its formation. In this study, we apply optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating on sand-sized quartz and radiocarbon dating on individual marine shells to develop a refined chronology of the Cape Canaveral beach-ridge plain with particular focus on constraining the depositional age of the northwesterly-most, and geographically oldest, beach-ridge set on the peninsula. We obtain an average OSL age of 5680 ± 240 years ( n = 4) for the initiation of coastal deposition at Cape Canaveral. The new ages, and the organization of beach ridges into 16 distinct sets indicates that the Cape Canaveral beach-ridge plain experienced an ~5700-year history of alternating deposition and erosion, with 75% of present-day Cape Canaveral (Beach-ridge Sets 5–16) deposited over the past 2000 years and Beach-ridge Sets 8–16 comprising 50% of the area over the past 1000 years. Because the minimum swale elevations of the ~5700-year Beach-ridge Set 1, and those of all the younger beach-ridge sets, are within several decimeters of present-day mean higher high water, we hypothesize that all the beach ridges present at Cape Canaveral could have been deposited at or within decimeters of present-day sea level. There is no evidence for Holocene “highstand” events over the past 5700 years in the published sea level curves from northeast and south Florida, which are based on subsurface estuarine foraminifera/leaf litter and mangrove peat data, respectively. This dichotomy illustrates the need to integrate both subaerial and subsurface data to produce a more realistic Holocene sea-level curve for the southeastern United States.

Sea-level history of the past two interglacial periods: new evidence from U-series dating of reef corals from south Florida

2011 ◽  
Vol 30 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 570-590 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel R. Muhs ◽  
Kathleen R. Simmons ◽  
R. Randall Schumann ◽  
Robert B. Halley
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
South Florida ◽  
Reef Corals ◽  
The Past ◽  
History Of ◽  
New Evidence

scholarly journals Παλαιοπεριβαλλοντική εξέλιξη της λιμνοθάλασσας του Κίτρους Πιερίας, ΒΔ Θερμαϊκός Κόλπος

2017 ◽  
Vol 44 ◽  
pp. 90
Author(s):  
Α.Σ. Δημητράκος ◽  
Κ. Βουβαλίδης ◽  
Γ. Συρίδης ◽  
Κ. Αλμπανάκης
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
The West ◽  
Rapid Phase ◽  
The Past ◽  
Initial Stage ◽  
Geomorphological Evolution ◽  
Low Rate

This paper deals with the palaeoenvironmental evolution of the Kitros Pierias Lagoon, located at the west coastline of the Thermaikos Gulf, during the upper Holocene. In addition, the palaeoenvi-ronmental units distinguished in the study area were correlated with the Holocene sea level rise in Thermaikos Gulf. The study is based on the sedimentological and stratigraphical analysis of a core 9.5 m long. Sedimentological and palaeontological analysis was carried out in all selected core sam-ples. The determination of the lithophases and biophases allowed the estimation of the stratigraphy-cal units, the interpretation of the geomorphological evolution and the characterization of the palaeo-environmental conditions. According to the results, we can conclude that the area under investigation was a transitional lagoonal environment, semi-enclosed at its initial stage progressively transformed to an isolated sallow basin. The formation of the semi-enclosed lagoon has been commenced after the conclusion of the rapid phase of sea level rise i.e. 6,000 BP years. Finally, the gradual isolation of the lagoon is attributed to low rate of the sea level rise e.g. over the past 4,000 years..

scholarly journals Shift in Pacific Sea Level Trends Will Affect the West Coast

Eos ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terri Cook
Keyword(s):  
Pacific Ocean ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
West Coast ◽  
Eastern Pacific ◽  
Eastern Pacific Ocean ◽  
The West ◽  
Sea Levels ◽  
The Past

The first study on the shift toward higher sea levels in the eastern Pacific Ocean over the past 5 years indicates it will continue, leading to much higher seas on the western coasts of the Americas.

Managing rivers for conservation and ecotourism in the Kruger National Park

1995 ◽  
Vol 32 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 227-233 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. J. Venter ◽  
A. R. Deacon
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Good Condition ◽  
Kruger National Park ◽  
Rapid Expansion ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
The West ◽  
The Past ◽  
Management Actions ◽  
Flow Through ◽  
Three Rivers

Six major rivers flow through the Kruger National Park (KNP). All these rivers originate outside and to the west of the KNP and are highly utilized. They are crucially important for the conservation of the unique natural environments of the KNP. The human population growth in the Lowveld during the past two decades brought with it the rapid expansion of irrigation farming, exotic afforestation and land grazed by domestic stock, as well as the establishment of large towns, mines, dams and industries. Along with these developments came overgrazing, erosion, over-utilization and pollution of rivers, as well as clearing of indigenous forests from large areas outside the borders of the KNP. Over-utilization of the rivers which ultimately flow through the KNP poses one of the most serious challenges to the KNP's management. This paper gives the background to the development in the catchments and highlights the problems which these have caused for the KNP. Management actions which have been taken as well as their results are discussed and solutions to certain problems proposed. Three rivers, namely the Letaba, Olifants and Sabie are respectively described as examples of an over-utilized river, a polluted river and a river which is still in a fairly good condition.

The New Islamic State

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farhad Khosrokhavar
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
Modern Society ◽  
Islamic State ◽  
Imagined Community ◽  
The West ◽  
Patriarchal Family ◽  
The Past ◽  
The World ◽  
The Creation

The creation of the Islamic State in Iraq and Sham (ISIS) changed the nature of jihadism worldwide. For a few years (2014–2017) it exemplified the destructive capacity of jihadism and created a new utopia aimed at restoring the past greatness and glory of the former caliphate. It also attracted tens of thousands of young wannabe combatants of faith (mujahids, those who make jihad) toward Syria and Iraq from more than 100 countries. Its utopia was dual: not only re-creating the caliphate that would spread Islam all over the world but also creating a cohesive, imagined community (the neo-umma) that would restore patriarchal family and put an end to the crisis of modern society through an inflexible interpretation of shari‘a (Islamic laws and commandments). To achieve these goals, ISIS diversified its approach. It focused, in the West, on the rancor of the Muslim migrants’ sons and daughters, on exoticism, and on an imaginary dream world and, in the Middle East, on tribes and the Sunni/Shi‘a divide, particularly in the Iraqi and Syrian societies.

scholarly journals Alongshore Wind Forcing of Coastal Sea Level as a Function of Frequency

2006 ◽  
Vol 36 (11) ◽  
pp. 2173-2184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Holly F. Ryan ◽  
Marlene A. Noble
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Frequency Response ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Response Function ◽  
Wind Field ◽  
Frequency Response Function ◽  
The United States ◽  
The West ◽  
Coastal Sea ◽  
Alongshore Wind

Abstract The amplitude of the frequency response function between coastal alongshore wind stress and adjusted sea level anomalies along the west coast of the United States increases linearly as a function of the logarithm (log10) of the period for time scales up to at least 60, and possibly 100, days. The amplitude of the frequency response function increases even more rapidly at longer periods out to at least 5 yr. At the shortest periods, the amplitude of the frequency response function is small because sea level is forced only by the local component of the wind field. The regional wind field, which controls the wind-forced response in sea level for periods between 20 and 100 days, not only has much broader spatial scales than the local wind, but also propagates along the coast in the same direction as continental shelf waves. Hence, it has a stronger coupling to and an increased frequency response for sea level. At periods of a year or more, observed coastal sea level fluctuations are not only forced by the regional winds, but also by joint correlations among the larger-scale climatic patterns associated with El Niño. Therefore, the amplitude of the frequency response function is large, despite the fact that the energy in the coastal wind field is relatively small. These data show that the coastal sea level response to wind stress forcing along the west coast of the United States changes in a consistent and predictable pattern over a very broad range of frequencies with time scales from a few days to several years.

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