Environmental

Do urban ‘heat islands’ hint at trees of future?

by Staff Writers
New York NY (SPX) Apr 27, 2012


Seedlings did eight times better in New York City’s Central Park than at comparable suburban and rural sites.

City streets can be mean, but somewhere near Brooklyn, a tree grows far better than its country cousins, due to chronically elevated city heat levels, says a new study. The study, just published in the journal Tree Physiology, shows that common native red oak seedlings grow as much as eight times faster in New York’s Central Park than in more rural, cooler settings in the Hudson Valley and Catskill Mountains.

Red oaks and their close relatives dominate areas ranging from northern Virginia to southern New England, so the study may have implications for changing climate and forest composition over a wide region.

The “urban heat island” is a well-known phenomenon that makes large cities hotter than surrounding countryside; it is the result of solar energy being absorbed by pavement, buildings and other infrastructure, then radiated back into the air. With a warming climate, it is generally viewed as a threat to public health that needs mitigating.

On the flip side, “Some organisms may thrive on urban conditions,” said tree physiologist Kevin Griffin of Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, who oversaw the study. Griffin said that the city’s hot summer nights, while a misery for humans, are a boon to trees, allowing them to perform more of the chemical reactions needed for photosynthesis when the sun comes back up.

With half the human population now living in cities, understanding how nature will interact with urban trees is important, the authors say. “Some things about the city are bad for trees. This shows there are at least certain attributes that are beneficial,” said lead author Stephanie Y. Searle, a Washington, D.C., environmental researcher who was a Columbia undergraduate when she started the research.

In spring 2007 and 2008, Searle and colleagues planted seedlings in northeastern Central Park, near 105th Street; in two forest plots in the suburban Hudson Valley; and near the city’s Ashokan Reservoir, in the Catskill foothills some 100 miles north of Manhattan.

They cared for all the trees with fertilizer and weekly watering. Maximum daily temperatures around the city seedlings averaged more than 4 degrees F higher; minimum averages were more than 8 degrees higher. By August, the city seedlings had developed eight times more biomass than the country ones, mainly by putting out more leaves.

The researchers largely ruled out other factors that might drive tree growth, in part by growing similar seedlings in the lab under identically varying temperatures, and showing much the same result. Due to air pollution, the city also has higher fallout of airborne nitrogen-a fertilizer-which could have helped the trees as well, said Searle, but temperature seemed to be the main factor.

Other experiments done in Japan and Arizona have shown that higher temperatures, especially at night, may promote growth of rice plants and hybrid poplar trees. A 2011 study by a Lamont-based group showed that conifers in far northern Alaska have grown faster in recent years in step with rising temperatures.

Some Eastern Seaboard trees also seem to be seeing growth spurts in response to higher carbon-dioxide levels alone, according to a 2010 study by scientists at the Smithsonian Institution. However, heat can cut both ways; in lower latitudes, rising temperatures and shifting weather patterns appear to be pushing some species over the edge by causing ecological changes that stress them; massive die-offs are underway in the U.S. West and interior Alaska.

There is already some evidence that with warming climate, New York area forest compositions are already changing, with northerly species dwindling and southerly ones that tolerate more heat coming in, said Griffin. Red oaks are probably not immune to increasing heat, so there is no guarantee that they would do well in the New York City of the future.

New York City has some 5.2 million trees and is in the midst of a campaign to plant more. “Cities are special places-they might be laboratories for what the world will look like in coming years,” said Gary Lovett, a forest ecologist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, N.Y., some 90 miles north of Manhattan. With temperatures projected to rise, he said, “what kinds of trees are doing well there now might be related to what kinds might do well up here in a number of years.”

The study’s other authors are affiliated with the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand; Black Rock Forest Consortium in Cornwall, N.Y.; and Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovoth, Israel. The paper, “Urban environment of New York City promotes growth in northern red oak seedlings,” is available here.

Related Links
The Earth Institute at Columbia University
Forestry News – Global and Local News, Science and Application

Scientists find higher concentrations of heavy metals in post-oil spill oysters from Gulf of Mexico

by Staff Writers
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 27, 2012


Oyster shells like this one, collected from the Gulf of Mexico after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, have been shown to contain higher concentrations of three heavy metals common in crude oil – vanadium, cobalt, and chromium – than specimens collected before the spill. Credit: California Academy of Sciences.

As the two-year anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico approaches, a team of scientists led by Dr. Peter Roopnarine of the California Academy of Sciences has detected evidence that pollutants from the oil have entered the ecosystem’s food chain.

For the past two years, the team has been studying oysters (Crassostrea virginica) collected both before and after the Deepwater Horizon oil reached the coasts of Louisiana, Alabama, and Florida.

These animals can incorporate heavy metals and other contaminants from crude oil into their shells and tissue, allowing Roopnarine and his colleagues to measure the impact of the spill on an important food source for both humans and a wide variety of marine predators. The team’s preliminary results demonstrate that oysters collected post-spill contain higher concentrations of heavy metals in their shells, gills, and muscle tissue than those collected before the spill.

In much the same way that mercury becomes concentrated in large, predatory fish, these harmful compounds may get passed on to the many organisms that feed on the Gulf’s oysters.

“While there is still much to be done as we work to evaluate the impact of the Deepwater Horizon spill on the Gulf’s marine food web, our preliminary results suggest that heavy metals from the spill have impacted one of the region’s most iconic primary consumers and may affect the food chain as a whole,” says Roopnarine, Curator of Geology at the California Academy of Sciences.

The research team collected oysters from the coasts of Louisiana, Alabama, and Florida on three separate occasions after the Deepwater Horizon oil had reached land: August 2010, December 2010, and May 2011. For controls, they also examined specimens collected from the same localities in May 2010, prior to the landfall of oil; historic specimens collected from the Gulf in 1947 and 1970; and a geographically distant specimen collected from North Carolina in August 2010.

Oysters continually build their shells, and if contaminants are present in their environment, they can incorporate those compounds into their shells. Roopnarine first discovered that he could study the growth rings in mollusk shells to evaluate the damage caused by oil spills and other pollutants five years ago, when he started surveying the shellfish of San Francisco Bay.

His work in California revealed that mollusks from more polluted areas, like the waters around Candlestick Park, had incorporated several heavy metals that are common in crude oil into their shells.

To determine whether or not the Gulf Coast oysters were incorporating heavy metals from the Deepwater Horizon spill into their shells in the same manner, Roopnarine and his colleagues used a method called “laser ablation ICP-MS,” or inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

First, a laser vaporizes a small bit of shell at different intervals along the shell’s growth rings. Then the vaporized sample is superheated in plasma, which causes the various elements in the sample to radiate light at specific, known frequencies. This light allows scientists to identify and quantify which chemical elements are present in a particular growth ring.

Roopnarine and his colleagues measured higher concentrations of three heavy metals common in crude oil-vanadium, cobalt, and chromium-in the post-spill specimens they examined compared to the controls, and this difference was found to be statistically significant.

In a second analysis, the scientists used ICP-MS to analyze gill and muscle tissue in both pre-spill and post-spill specimens. They found higher concentrations of vanadium, cobalt, and lead in the post-spill specimens, again with statistical significance.

In a final analysis, the team examined oyster gill tissue under the microscope and found evidence of “metaplasia,” or transformation of tissues in response to a disturbance, in 89 percent of the post-spill specimens. Cells that were normally columnar (standing up straight) had become stratified (flattened)-a known sign of physical or chemical stress in oysters.

Stratified cells have much less surface area available for filter feeding and gas exchange, which are the primary functions of oyster gills. Oysters suffering from this type of metaplasia will likely have trouble reproducing, which will lead to lower population sizes and less available food for oyster predators.

The team presented their data at a poster session at the American Geophysical Union meeting in December 2011, and is preparing their preliminary findings for publication.

However, their work is just beginning. In addition to increasing the number of pre- and post-spill oyster specimens in their analysis, the team also plans to repeat their analyses using another bivalve species, the marsh mussel (Geukensia demissa).

Roopnarine is also planning to create a mathematical model linking the oyster and mussel to other commercially important species, such as mackerel and crabs, to demonstrate the potential impact of the oil spill on the Gulf food web.

Scientists don’t currently know how these types of trace metals move through the food web, how long they persist, or how they impact the health of higher-level consumers, including humans-but the construction of a data-driven computer model will provide the framework for tackling these important questions.

Roopnarine and his colleagues have faced a number of challenges during the course of their study. Unfortunately, pure crude oil samples from Deepwater Horizon have remained inaccessible, making it impossible for the team to compare the heavy metal ratios they have documented in the oysters to the ratios found in the Deepwater Horizon oil.

Additionally, the chemical compositions of artificial dispersants and freshwater that were intentionally spread in the Gulf to alleviate the spill are also unknown-additional variables that could affect the team’s research. The team is hopeful that they will eventually be able to analyze these samples, thus shedding more light on their results.

Related Links
California Academy of Sciences
Our Polluted World and Cleaning It Up

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Cyber Space

Richard Stallman: CISPA really abolishes people’s right not to be unreasonably searched

Published on Apr 27, 2012 by

Soon, Americans may find every private email they write could be opened, copied and inspected by government snoopers. The latest cyber security bill – called CISPA – has passed the House of Representatives, coming a step closer to becoming law. President Barack Obama has threatened to veto the act, if it goes through in the Senate. He cited civil liberty concerns as the reason for his threat. CISPA has raised a massive outcry with internet users and freedom activists, who say it’s a hard hit on people’s privacy. Reaction now from Dr Richard Stallman, who’s President of the Free Software Foundation. He’s in Tunis.

New ISP will defend users from SOPA -CISPA -government spying

Published on Apr 27, 2012 by

As the battle rages on over regulations for the Internet, one man is proposing a solution that could curb the concerns over online privacy. Legislation is being pushed in America right now that could stop online piracy, but would at the same time also infringe on the rights of many. Could all that change, though? One new Internet Service Provider will challenge the government if a user’s information is requested. Nicholas Merrill, executive director for The Calyx Institute, joins us to explain how he plans on changing the ISP landscape.

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Survival / Sustainability

Food Storage Wheat How-to Video: Cracking Wheat in Your Blender

Uploaded by on Oct 20, 2008

Learn how to easily crack wheat in your blender. For more tip, tricks, and recipes for using food storage everyday in your own recipes, visit http://everydayfoodstorage.net

 

Week 5 of 52: Pet Care

Tess Pennington
Ready Nutrition

Our furry friends are more to us than just pets, and for many of you, they are a precious family member. Caring for them during a disaster is extremely important. You need to know that when an unexpected storm occurs, many of our animals face anxiety just as we do. Knowing how your pet will react before, during and after a storm is the first step in ensuring their safety. Making sure that you anticipate your pet’s needs during an emergency because it will help them cope with this disruption into their daily routines. Also, have a pet survival kit and a pet first aid kit set aside for your pet, as this too ensures their safety.

Preps to buy:

  • Extra harness, leash, and/or carrier
  • ID tags with your contact information
  • 1-2 week supply of food for all pets (if not already bought in week 1)
  • 2-5 gallons of water for each pet
  • Pet first aid kit
  • Current vaccination and medical records for each animal (contact your veterinarian).
  • 2 weeks worth of medication for each animal (if applicable). Note: Pay attention to the expiration date and routinely rotate medicines to ensure they are not wasted.

Read Full Article Here


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Activism

Canada protests against tuition-fee increase continue

Published on Apr 27, 2012 by

Students in the Canadian province of Quebec have been protesting against a government move to raise higher education costs by 50 per cent for three months.

The Quebec government has now offered a compromise but the dispute remains unsettled as students are not accepting compromise with any tuition increase.

Al Jazeera’s Daniel Lak reports.

Malaysian police fire tear gas at electoral reform rally

Published on Apr 28, 2012 by

Malaysian police have clashed with tens of thousands of protesters calling for an overhaul of the country’s electoral system.

Security forces in the capital fired tear gas and water cannon at the demonstrators, after they broke through a barricade near Independence square.

Malik Imtiaz Sarwar, a Malaysian lawyer and president of the National Human Rights Society, tells Al Jazeera the demonstrators should have been allowed to protest peacefully.

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Psy – Ops

Systems of Control and Social Subtext – 1/4

Published on Apr 27, 2012 by

Max Igan – Surviving The Matrix – April, 27th, 2012

Systems of Control and Social Subtext – 2/4

Systems of Control and Social Subtext – 3/4

Systems of Control and Social Subtext – 4/4

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Community

Loneliness becoming ‘the norm’ in Japan

Published on Apr 27, 2012 by

Japanese society has long had a reputation for close-knit families and companies and for group culture. This year, however, the average number of people in a Tokyo home dropped below two for the first time.

NLI Research Institute says that, by 2020, living alone will be the norm in Japan. The think-tank’s Akio Doteuchi says: “People are becoming more isolated. They used to live in friendly communities where neighbours would help them.

“Now people want to protect their privacy, so people in these communities have never even met their neighbours. They don’t know if they live alone or it’s a couple or a family.

“So sometimes people die alone without anyone noticing.”

Mike Firn reports from Tokyo.

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