Digital Commons Network^™

Optimising Oak Woodland Establishment Into Uk Upland Pastures In The Context Of Climate Change; And The Role Of Oak Woodland In Soil Hydrological Recovery For Natural Flood Management, Thomas Murphy

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

Increases in the magnitude and extremity of upland (>250-300m a.s.l.) precipitation associated with anthropogenic climate change (ACC) and coinciding with soil compaction leave downstream communities at elevated flood risk. The study examines changes in upland precipitation and the impact of upland ‘Atlantic’ oak (Quercus robur, Quercus petraea) woodland establishment on the recovery of soils for natural flood management (NFM). The soil moisture, livestock grazing and dispersal constraints for potential oak woodland expansion in upland pastures are assessed. The study is located within Dartmoor National Park (DNP) and finds greater increases in precipitation in upland areas than the lowland site, …

Environmental Concentrations Of Antifouling Paint Particles Are Toxic To Sediment-Dwelling Invertebrates, Christina Muller-Karanassos, William Arundel, Penelope K. Lindeque, Thomas Vance, Andrew Turner, Matthew Cole

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.

Polystyrene Foam As A Source And Sink Of Chemicals In The Marine Environment: An Xrf Study, Andrew Turner

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.

The Social Infrastructure Of The Smart City: How Can "Smart Cities" Be More Inclusive?, K Willis

School of Art, Design and Architecture

The smart city promises a new model of integrated urban design bringing together people, urban spaces and smart technologies. The quote above highlights the question of not only who owns the frameworks of the smart city but also more importantly who has access and what does this access enable them to do. We need to ask carefully who is included and recognise that the smart city often excludes the very people, communities and place it claims to help. The key is to establish how marginalised or excluded groups may benefit – or not – in these initiatives. In order to …

Impacts Of Land Covers On Stormwater Runoff And Urban Development: A Land Use And Parcel Based Regression Approach, Long Zhou, Guoqiang Shen, C Li, Tian Chen, S Li, Robert Brown

School of Art, Design and Architecture

Extensive studies have shown that stormwater yield and quality in a city are heavily influenced by its land uses and land covers (LULC). However, the majority of these studies have been done at the major watershed levels using remote sensing data with only a few urban LULC types and at lower resolutions. This empirical study uses the City of Corvallis, Oregon in the U.S. as a case to establish robust regression relations between existing urban LULC and stormwater yield or quality at the land parcel level by environmental models and high-resolution spatial data. The environmental models are based on parcel-level …

Social Services And Mutual Aid In Times Of Covid-19 And Beyond: A Brief Critique, Dana Neacsu

Human Rights Brief

No abstract provided.

Pathways To Accountability For Starvation Crimes In Yemen, Laura Graham

Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law

No abstract provided.

Editor’S Remarks

Jackson Purchase Historical Society Journal Archive

Editor’s Remarks

James S. Humphreys

Hazardous Metal Additives In Plastics And Their Environmental Impacts, Andrew Turner, Montserrat Filella

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Historically, many additives and catalysts used in plastics were based on compounds of toxic metals (and metalloids), like arsenic, cadmium, chromium(VI), and lead. Despite subsequent restrictions, hazardous additives remain in plastics in societal circulation because of the pervasiveness of many products and the more general contamination of recycled goods. However, little is understood about their presence and impacts in the environment, with most studies focusing on the role of plastics in acquiring metals from their surroundings through, for example, adsorption. Accordingly, this paper provides a review of the uses of hazardous, metal-based additives in plastics, the relevant European regulations that …

What The Presence Of Regulated Chemical Elements In Beached Lacustrine Plastics Can Tell Us: The Case Of Swiss Lakes, Montserrat Filella, Juan Carlos Rodríguez-Murillo, Andrew Turner

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

AbstractPlastics (n = 3880) have been sampled from 39 beaches of ten Swiss lakes of varying sizes, hydrodynamics, and catchments, with a selection (n = 598) analysed for potentially hazardous (and regulated) chemical elements (As, Ba, Br, Cd, Cr, Hg, Pb, Sb, Se) by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. Plastic objects and fragments with identifiable or unidentifiable origins were present on all beaches surveyed, and were often most abundant in proximity to major riverine inputs. Chemical elements were detected in between two (Hg) and 340 (Ba) samples with maximum concentrations exceeding 2% by weight for Ba, Cd, Cr, Pb, and Sb. Inter-element …

Children, Military Families And Soldier Citizenship, Richard Yarwood, Naomi Tyrrell, Claire Kelly

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.

Coastal Dunes As A Sink And Secondary Source Of Marine Plastics: A Study At Perran Beach, Southwest England, Andrew Turner, Sara L. Amos, Tracey Williams

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.

Atomic Spectrometry Update: Review Of Advances In The Analysis Of Metals, Chemicals And Materials, Simon Carter, Robert Clough, Andy Fisher, Bridget Gibson, Ben Russell

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

This review covers advances in the analysis of advanced materials, metals, fuels and lubricants, nanostructures, ceramics, refractories, organic and inorganic chemicals, catalysts and nuclear materials by a range of techniques including X-ray, ICP, LIBS, mass spectrometry, synchrotron-based techniques, plus non-destructive and ablation surface techniques.

Predicting Dominance Of Sand Transport By Waves, Tides, And Their Interactions On Sandy Continental Shelves, E. V. King, D. C. Conley, G. Masselink, N. Leonardi

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Plasticity Of Thermal Performance Curves In A Narrow Range Endemic Water Beetle, Susana Pallarés, Wilco C.E.P. Verberk, David T. Bilton

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Moving Towards More Sustainable Aquaculture Practices: A Meta‐Analysis On The Potential Of Plant‐Enriched Diets To Improve Fish Growth, Immunity And Disease Resistance, Miriam Reverter, N Tapissier‐Bontemps, Samira Sarter, Pierre Sasal, Domenico Caruso

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

AbstractAquatic animal diseases are one of the major limiting factors in aquaculture development, with disease emergence forecast to increase with global change. However, in order to treat increasing diseases in a context of global emergence of antimicrobial resistance and strengthening regulations on antimicrobial use, sustainable alternatives are urgently needed. The use of plant supplements to increase fish immunity and disease resistance has gained much popularity within the last decades. The use of functional supplements, such as plants, can also improve growth and feed assimilation, contributing to a better optimization of aquaculture resources (e.g. fish meal inclusion). We conducted a systematic …

Delivering A Low Carbon Energy Transition Through Planning: Monitoring Outcomes In Plymouth, Luke Jones, Jon Selman, Stephen Essex, Olivia Wilson

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Given the urgency presented by climate change and global warming, local planning authorities have become active agents in the low carbon energy transition. This transition has been defined as “a radical, systemic and managed change towards a ‘more sustainable’ or ‘more effective’ patterns of provision and use of energy” (Rutherford and Coutard, 2014, p.1354). It is associated with a shift from centralised fossil fuel production and distribution of energy (such as coal, gas and oil) to more decentralised renewable energy production (such as solar and wind), which is consumed on-site or locally. Alongside other government policy interventions, such as carbon …

Across The River: Ferries As A Vehicle For Exploring Riverborderscapes, Eva Mcgrath

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

This thesis uses the concept of the riverborderscape to provide new understandings of watery geographies, borders and landscape. This is a spatial and conceptual term used to explore the space of the river through a holistic approach, focusing upon the materialities, experiences and narratives that shape, emerge within and construct this space. These ideas are applied in relation to three rivers that form an everyday border between places at different scales in the South West of England: the River Tamar (regional), River Torridge (district) and Helford River (parish). Research is situated on and across the river, through the routes of …

Visual Anthropological Methods In Earthquake Risk Communication: A Transdisciplinary Approach, Johanna Ickert

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

Increases in disaster losses, in combination with emerging cascading crises, are provoking a fundamental rethinking of prevailing disaster risk reduction measures, including risk communication principles and practices. The resulting paradigm shift towards participation, action, and prevention is firmly outlined in the Sendai Framework’s call for (1) more people-centred approaches and (2) the broader use of innovative information and communication technology (ICT). However, this call raises many epistemological and methodological challenges and open questions about how hazard scientists will translate these novel requirements into their daily research practice. This thesis presents a practice-led enquiry dedicated to exploring the potential of audiovisual …

Using Realist Approaches In Nutrition And Dietetics Research, Gemma Jenkins, Isabella Maugeri, Claire Palermo, Rebecca Hardwick

Peninsula Medical School

No abstract provided.

Sediment Source Apportionment Following Wildfire In An Upland Commercial Forest Catchment, Enrique Muñoz-Arcos, Alejandra Castillo, Alicia Cuevas-Aedo, Luis Ovando-Fuentealba, Alex Taylor, Ramón Bustamante-Ortega, William H. Blake, Claudio Bravo-Linares

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Purpose Wildfires can have major impacts on water scarcity and water quality linked to off-site transfer of polluting ash and nutrients. Understanding sediment sources in burnt landscapes can help to develop mitigation strategies, especially in catchments planted with introduced species that are prone to fire. We investigated sediment sources activated by post-fire rainfall in a small-forested catchment that was impacted by a severe wildfire. The aim was to use environmental radionuclides and elemental geochemistry as tracers to apportion sediment sources within burnt plantation systems. Methods Surficial (0–2 cm) topsoil (n = 9), sub-surficial (2–4 cm) topsoil (i.e. below the burnt …

Marine Temperatures Underestimated For Past Greenhouse Climate, Madeleine L. Vickers, Stefano M. Bernasconi, Clemens V. Ullmann, Stefanie Lode, Nathan Looser, Luiz Grafulha Morales, Gregory D. Price, Philip R. Wilby, Iben Winther Hougård, Stephen P. Hesselbo, Christoph Korte

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

AbstractUnderstanding the Earth’s climate system during past periods of high atmospheric CO2 is crucial for forecasting climate change under anthropogenically-elevated CO2. The Mesozoic Era is believed to have coincided with a long-term Greenhouse climate, and many of our temperature reconstructions come from stable isotopes of marine biotic calcite, in particular from belemnites, an extinct group of molluscs with carbonate hard-parts. Yet, temperatures reconstructed from the oxygen isotope composition of belemnites are consistently colder than those derived from other temperature proxies, leading to large uncertainties around Mesozoic sea temperatures. Here we apply clumped isotope palaeothermometry to two distinct carbonate phases from …

Novel Nuclear Materials Characterization Workflows Enabled By Fs-Laser Milling, S Kelly, R White, T Volkenandt, W Harris, B Tordoff, G Laudone, K Jones, B Veater

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.

Antimony Release From Polyester Textiles By Artificial Sweat Solutions: A Call For A Standardized Procedure, Marc Biver, Andrew Turner, Montserrat Filella

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.

The Challenges Of Engaging Island Communities: Lessons On Renewable Energy From A Review Of 17 Case Studies, Gina Kallis, Phedeas Stephanides, Etienne Bailey, Patrick Devine-Wright, Konstantinos Chalvatis, Ian Bailey

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Islands have attracted growing attention as sites of renewable energy generation, both for generating commercial low-carbon energy and to improve local energy conditions. However, significant challenges exist in achieving fair distribution in the benefits and costs of developments located on or around islands and in engaging local communities on proposals for installations. A broad literature exists on the merits of different community engagement techniques but important gaps remain in understandings of the particular challenges of engaging with island communities on energy issues. Based on a thematic literature review, this article examines general principles and considerations for community engagement on energy …

Marine Fungi And The Biological Carbon Pump - A Quest For Novel Biomarkers For Key Players In The Carbon Cycle, E Cooper, S Thomas, S Ussher, D Rush, M Cunliffe, S Lengger

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The biological carbon pump (BCP) has a major role in the ability of the oceans to control the global climate and carbon cycle. Inorganic carbon is assimilated by phytoplankton in the surface ocean and converted into organic matter. The organic matter is transported to the deeper ocean interior by the BCP and degraded by microbes en route or sequestered to the deep ocean [1]. Marine fungi are understudied compared to other marine microbes, yet can account for as much biomass as prokaryotes on sinking organic matter in the BCP [2]. Fungi, both unicellular and filamentous, are active in carbon degradation …

Channel Erosion Dominates Sediment Sources In An Agricultural Catchment In The Upper Yangtze Basin Of China: Evidence From Geochemical Fingerprints, Zhonglin Shi, William H. Blake, Anbang Wen, Jiacun Chen, Dongchun Yan, Yi Long

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.

Constraining 20th‐Century Sea‐Level Rise In The South Atlantic Ocean, Thomas Frederikse, Surendra Adhikari, Tim J. Daley, Sönke Dangendorf, Roland Gehrels, Felix Landerer, Marta Marcos, Thomas L. Newton, Graham Rush, Aimée B.A. Slangen, Guy Wöppelmann

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.

Petrological Insights On The Last 1000 Years Of Explosive Activity At La Soufrière Volcano, St. Vincent (Lesser Antilles), Lorenzo Fedele, Paul D. Cole, Claudio Scarpati, Richard E.A. Robertson

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.

Intraspecific Variation In Leaf Traits Facilitates The Occurrence Of Trees At The Amazonia–Cerrado Transition, Igor Araújo, Beatriz S. Marimon, Marina C. Scalon, Wesley J.A. Cruz, Sophie Fauset, Tiffani C.S. Vieira, David R. Galbraith, Manuel U. Gloor

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The ability of plant species to adjust key functional traits through intraspecific variation may determine their success in persisting on our planet in the future, especially in unstable habitats, such as the Amazonia–Cerrado transition zone. We assessed intraspecific variation in 12 leaf morphological and anatomical traits for four tree species along a savanna–forest gradient, including rocky cerrado, typical cerrado and woodland savanna. Generally, all evaluated species showed great intraspecific variation. Our findings demonstrate that trees occurring in the woodland savanna are potentially more vulnerable to climate change, while in the cerrado the individuals presented higher tolerance to water deficit and …