Phylogenetic taxonomy of the marine mite genus Rhombognathides (Acari: Halacaridae: Rhombognathinae)

This study examined the impacts of the alien waterweed, water hyacinth, on the abundance and diversity of aquatic macroinvertebrates in the littoral areas of northern Lake Victoria in Uganda. The weed had undergone explosive growth on the lake causing serious disruption to people, the economy and the ecosystem. This study was confined to impact of the weed in the littoral zone, not to the large floating mats of vegetation which float across the lake and clog large areas of shoreline.The littoral area studied comprised of fringing mats of Eichhornia crassipes (Mart) Solms (water hyacinth) to the lakeward of Cyperus papyrus; water hyacinth mats undergoing colonisation by Vossia cuspidata (Roxb.) Griff.; and a typical Cyperus papyrus L shore with no outer floating mat of water hyacinth. Numerical abundance (Nos. m^–2) and diversity (No. of taxa) of macroinvertebrates recovered from pure Eichhornia crassipes and the Eichhornia-Vossia succession increased from the fringe of the Cyperus papyrus towards the open water. In the typical Cyperus papyrus fringe, in the absence of water hyacinth, abundance was highest at the papyrus/open water interface and dropped off sharply towards open water. The Shannon–Weaver diversity index (H) of macroinvertebrates decreased progressively from pure Eichhornia crassipes stands, to Vossia/Eichhornia beds and Cyperus papyrus stands (H=0.56, 0.54 and 0.34, respectively) but were not significantly different. Dissolved oxygen decreased from open water into vegetation where it approached anoxia. Water hyacinth appeared to enhance the abundance and diversity of aquatic macroinvertebrates at the interface with the open water. The impoverished abundance and diversity of the macroinvertebrates deeper into the vegetation mats suggested negative environmental impacts of the water hyacinth when the fringe is too wide. Further research is recommended to establish the optimum width of the fringe of stationery water hyacinth that promotes maximum abundance and diversity of aquatic macroinvertebrates and, possibly, of other aquatic life. Since this study in 1997, there has been a dramatic decrease in Eichhornia infestations and by June 2000 it appeared largely to exist only as fringing vegetation in bays and inlets.     

Application of short-form oral health impact profile on elderly Japanese

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to use the oral health impact profile (OHIP‐14) to evaluate the impact of oral disease on the quality of life of a group of independently‐living elderly persons in an urban area of Japan. Subjects: A total of 1244 participants of the Senior Citizen's College, who attended the lectures once a week. They were community‐dwelling, independently‐living people over 60 years of age. Measurements: Japanese version of the short‐form OHIP‐14. Results: Internal reliability for the 14 items overall was very high (Cronbach's α = 0.95). Report of ‘painful aching’ and ‘uncomfortable to eat’ were the two most highly scored items using the mean sum OHIP‐14 score. A multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that the sum OHIP‐14 score had significant associations with self‐assessment of general health, dental status, and a perceived need for dental treatment. However, age, gender, dissatisfaction with financial status or education level was not significantly associated with the sum OHIP‐14. Compared with that of other countries, the items were ranked similarly, whereas the perceived magnitudes of the problems were quite different from other population. Conclusions: The OHIP‐14 in Japanese had a high internal reliability, was significantly associated with dental status and comparable ranking for items when compared with studies from other countries.     

<Emphasis Type="Bold">Multi-disciplinary approach to changes in agro-pastoral activities since the Sub-Boreal in the surroundings of the “narse d’Espinasse” (Puy de Dôme,French Massif Central)</Emphasis>

The narse or peat marsh of Espinasse (Saulzet-le-Froid district) situated in the southern part of the Chaîne des Puys has been the subject of a new pollen analysis concentrating on the anthropogenic impact on vegetation evolution since the Sub-Boreal. Human occupation of the surroundings of the narse is dated as early as the Neolithic, which is usual for the region. There is nevertheless an isolated record of Fagopyrum related to the Neolithic. This is a unique occurrence in the Massif Central. For successive periods and up to the recent past, a dynamic of various anthropization phases has been reconstructed. The combination of palynological data with archaeological and historical sources has for certain periods, mainly from the 11^th to 13^th centuries, provided new insights on the social and technical management of the territory. Furthermore, geochemical and micromorphological characterisation of sedimentary organic matter has led to the identification of erosive crises and silting which would have followed massive tree cutting in the region. On the local scale, the highly degraded organic matter at the top of the peat profile is the consequence of the current drainage of the marsh.     

Comparative LCA of industrial objects

Goal, Scope and Background  This paper is the second part of the publication which is devoted to comparative LCA analysis of the industrial pumps. The previous paper deals with the methodological aspects concerning quality assessment and forms an independent work. This paper uses practically only the methodological suggestions made there. The main aim of the presented study is to make a comparison between the industrial pumps which are based on two different technologies. The Life Cycle Assessment method is used to check whether the differences of the manufacturing processes influence the level of the potential environmental impact during the whole life cycle of the analysed products. Methods  The Life Cycle Assessment is carried out using the Ecoindicator99 method. Additionally, an extensive quality analysis of the LCA study is made (Part I). To make the process of an identification of the data easier and faster, they are assigned to a special data documentation form. To ensure the credibility of the LCA results different methods of interpretation are used. Results and Discussion  The LCA analysis shows clear superiority of the pumps manufactured using modern technology. It seems that this superiority results not only from the differences in the emissions, but also from different characteristics of effectiveness in the usage stage. Thanks to the uncertainty analysis, each LCA result is provided with the range of uncertainty. Conclusions  The LCA results are supported by different techniques of interpretation: the sensitivity-, the contribution-, the comparative-, the discernability- and the uncertainty analysis. There is strong evidence of the superiority of the pumps based on the modern technology. Recommendations and Outlook  The main source of the environmental impact in the case of pumps is the usage stage and the consumption of energy. That is why it should be the main area to improve. The LCA results show that actions taken in the usage stage and energy consumption can lead to a considerable reduction of the environmental impacts.     

Development of damage function of acidification for terrestrial ecosystems based on the effect of aluminum toxicity on net primary production

Background  Acidification is one of the important impact categories for life cycle impact assessment. Although its characterization has progressed during this decade through the employment of midpoint approaches, only limited studies of endpoint approaches have been performed. Objective. This study aimed at developing damage function of acidification for terrestrial ecosystems in Japan. Damage function expresses a quantitative relationship between the inventory and endpoint damage. Methods  The geographical boundary was limited in Japan both for emission and impact. In this study, sulfur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen monoxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) (NO and NO₂ collectively mean NO_x), hydrogen chloride (HC1), and ammonia (NH₃) were considered as major causative substances of acidification. Net primary production (NPP) of existing vegetation was adopted as an impact indicator of terrestrial ecosystems. The aluminum toxicity was adopted as the major factor of effect on terrestrial ecosystems due to acidification. The leachate concentration of monomeric inorganic aluminum ions was selected to express the plant toxicity of aluminum. Results and Discussion  The results of damage function gave utilizable factors both for a midpoint approach and an endpoint approach; Atmospheric Deposition Factor (ADF) and Damage Factor (DF) applicable to the former and the latter, respectively. The ADF indicates an increase of H⁺ deposition per unit area to an additional emission of causative sustance. The additional emission corresponds to some alternatives in industry, not the baseline emission. The DF indicates the total NPP damage in all of Japan due to the additional emission of causative substances. The derived NPP damage is on the order of one millionth of the NPP itself. HC1 and NH3 showed larger ADFs and DFs than that of SO₂ and NO_x. The reason was ascribed to the relatively large source-receptor relationships (SRR) of HC1 and NH₃. However, since the method applied to determine the SRR of HC1 and NH₃ has larger uncertainties than that of SO₂ and NO_x, attention is needed to handle the difference. Conclusion  The damage function easily defines the concrete NPP damage due to an additional emission. The impact indica tor, NPP, also has an advantage in its mass unit that is directly summable through the entire impact categories. Expansion of endpoints, such as in aquatic ecosystems, material degradation, human health, and biodiversity aspects of terrestrial ecosystems, is an important subject for future work. Further, uncertain analyses for major parameters will provide helpful information on the reliability of damage function.     

Temporal and spatial genetic structure in Vitellaria paradoxa (shea tree) in an agroforestry system in southern Mali

Ten microsatellite loci were used to investigate the impact of human activity on the spatial and temporal genetic structure of Vitellaria paradoxa (Sapotaceae), a parkland tree species in agroforestry systems in southern Mali. Two stands (forest and fallow) and three cohorts (adults, juveniles and natural regeneration) in each stand were studied to: (i) compare their levels of genetic diversity (gene diversity, HE; allelic richness, Rs; and inbreeding, FIS); (ii) assess their genetic differentiation (FST); and (iii) compare their levels of spatial genetic structuring. Gene diversity parameters did not vary substantially among stands or cohorts, and tests for bottleneck events were nonsignificant. The inbreeding coefficients were not significantly different from zero in most cases (FIS = -0.025 in forest and 0.045 in fallow), suggesting that the species is probably outbreeding. There was a weak decrease in F(IS) with age, suggesting inbreeding depression. Differentiation of stands within each cohort was weak (FST = 0.026, 0.0005, 0.010 for adults, juveniles and regeneration, respectively), suggesting extensive gene flow. Cohorts within each stand were little differentiated (FST = -0.001 and 0.001 in forest and fallow, respectively). The spatial genetic structure was more pronounced in fallow than in forest where adults showed no spatial structuring. In conclusion, despite the huge influence of human activity on the life cycle of Vitellaria paradoxa growing in parkland systems, the impact on the pattern of genetic variation at microsatellite loci appears rather limited, possibly due to the buffering effect of extensive gene flow between unmanaged and managed populations.     

Allocation in recycling systems

‘Design for Recycling’ and dematerialization by enhancing the durability of products are major aspects of the quest for sustainable products. This article presents an LCA-based model for the integrated analyses of the product chain, its recycling systems, and its waste treatment systems at the ‘End of Life’ stage. The model is an extension of the EVR (Eco-costs/Value Ratio) model which has been published in this journal (Vogtländer et al. 2001), but can also be applied to other life cycle interpretation models, since the model as such is not restricted to the use of the eco-costs as a single indicator. The model has been developed to evaluate the design alternatives of complex products like buildings and cars. These products comprise several subsystems, each with its own special solution at the End of Life stage: Extending of the product life, object renovation, re-use of components, re-use of materials, useful application of waste materials, immobilization with and without useful applications, incineration with and without energy recovery, land fill. Since complex product systems always comprise a combination of these design alternatives, a methodology is given to calculate and allocate the eco-costs of the total system in order to select the best solution for sustainability. The methodology is characterized by:

1. A main allocation model of the recycling flow based on physical relationships,
2. a strict separation of the market value, the costs and the ecocosts in the system,
3. a main allocation model for extension of lifetime based on ‘depreciation of eco-costs’, parallel to economic depreciation.

     

The impact of stocking on the genetic integrity of Arctic charr (Salvelinus) populations from the Alpine region

There is a long tradition of artificially stocking lakes and rivers with fish in the hope to increase the quality and amount of fish that can be harvested. The animals used for stocking often originate in distant hatcheries or hatcheries that breed fish from remote regions. This stocking practice could have effects on the genetic integrity of resident populations. We have analysed here a case of the influence of stocking on Alpine populations of the Arctic charr (usually included into Salvelinus alpinus, but revised to Salvelinus umbla Kottelat 1997 ) within a unique geographical and historical setting. The Königssee in the Bavarian Alps (Berchtesgaden) was heavily stocked several times during the last century. However, a sample of the ancestral Königssee population still exists in the Grünsee, which lies close to Königssee, but 1000 m higher. To trace the influence of stocking in Königssee we have analysed more than 300 individuals from 10 lake populations, including the source populations of the fish used for stocking. From these we have sequenced a part of the mitochodrial control region and have typed them at six microsatellite loci. The differential distribution of haplotypes, as well as assignment tests, show that the influence of stocking on the genetic integrity of the Königssee population has been negligible. However, our data reveal that in another lake included in our study (Starnberger See), the ancestral population was apparently replaced completely by the populations used for stocking. The major difference between the lakes is the relative preservation of ecological integrity. Königssee was ecologically stable in the past, whereas Starnberger See was heavily polluted at one point, with charr approaching extinction. Interestingly, in a lake neighbouring Starnberger See, the Ammersee, which was also subject to strong pollution but not stocked, the ancestral population has recovered. Our data suggest that the practice of artificial stocking should be reconsidered, or at least monitored for effectiveness.     

Vegetation dynamics of south-western Italy in the last 28 kyr inferred from pollen analysis of a Tyrrhenian Sea core

A continuous pollen record covering the last 28 kyr was obtained from core C106 collected in the Bay of Salerno in the southern Tyrrhenian Basin, seven radiocarbon dates and the recognition of two tephra layers (Y3 and Pompeii Pumice) providing good chronological constraints. The clear climatic signal given by the pollen spectra integrated by isotopic data, combined with comparisons with other Mediterranean sites, allowed the Last Glacial, Late Glacial and Holocene periods to be distinguished in the core. In particular, the Last Glacial period is characterised by large quantities of herbaceous and steppe elements such as Artemisia. The beginning of the Late Glacial has been correlated with the first increase of deciduous Quercus and the reduction of steppe and herbaceous elements. The Younger Dryas event is recorded only by oxygen isotopes while the vegetation does not seem to change, as in other Mediterranean sites. The Holocene corresponds to rich deciduous and evergreen forests. The first features which could be interpreted as signs of human presence are represented by a few grains of Juglans, Castanea and cereal-type while intensive olive cultivation and deforestation seem to fall within the Middle Ages. Received October 10, 2001 / Accepted June 20, 2002 Correspondence to: Elda Russo Ermolli     

How LCA studies deal with uncertainty

In recent years many workers have examined the implications of various sources of uncertainty for the reliability of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Indeed, the International Standardization Organization (ISO) has recognised the relevance of this work by including several cautionary statements in the ISO 14040 series of standards. However, in practice, there is a risk that the significance of these uncertainties for the results of an LCA could be overlooked as practitioners strive to complete studies on time and within budget. This paper presents the findings of a survey of LCA studies we made to determine the extent to which the problem of uncertainty had been dealt with in practice. This survey revealed that the significance of the limitations on the reliability of LCA results given in the standards has not been fully appreciated by practitioners. We conclude that the standards need to be revised to ensure that LCA studies include at least a qualitative discussion on all relevant aspects of uncertainty.