An anomalous reduction in forest growth indices and temperature sensitivity has been detected in tree-ring width and density records from many circumpolar northern latitude sites since around the middle 20th century. This phenomenon, also known as the “divergence problem”, is expressed as an offset between warmer instrumental temperatures and their underestimation in reconstruction models based on tree rings. The divergence problem has potentially significant implications for large-scale patterns of forest growth, the development of paleoclimatic reconstructions based on tree-ring records from northern forests, and the global carbon cycle. Herein we review the current literature published on the divergence problem to date, and assess its possible causes and implications. The causes, however, are not well understood and are difficult to test due to the existence of a number of covarying environmental factors that may potentially impact recent tree growth. These possible causes include temperature-induced drought stress, nonlinear thresholds or time-dependent responses to recent warming, delayed snowmelt and related changes in seasonality, and differential growth/climate relationships inferred for maximum, minimum and mean temperatures. Another possible cause of the divergence described briefly herein is ‘global dimming’, a phenomenon that has appeared, in recent decades, to decrease the amount of solar radiation available for photosynthesis and plant growth on a large scale. It is theorized that the dimming phenomenon should have a relatively greater impact on tree growth at higher northern latitudes, consistent with what has been observed from the tree-ring record. Additional potential causes include “end effects” and other methodological issues that can emerge in standardization and chronology development, and biases in instrumental target data and its modeling. Although limited evidence suggests that the divergence may be anthropogenic in nature and restricted to the recent decades of the 20th century, more research is needed to confirm these observations. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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On the 'Divergence Problem' in Northern Forests: A review of the tree-ring evidence and possible causes

In Brazil most of the urban sewage is dumped without treatment into rivers. Because of this, it is extremely important to evaluate the consequences of organic matter rich sewage on the structure and functioning of river ecosystems. In this study we investigated the effects of urban sewage on the dissolved oxygen (O2), dissolved inorganic (DIC) and organic carbon (DOC), and electrical conductivity (EC) in 10 small streams of the Piracicaba River basin, southeast region of Brazil. In the Piracicaba River basin, which is one of the most developed regions of the country, only 16% of the total sewage load generated is treated. These streams were classified into two groups, one with heavy influence of urban sewage and another with less influence. Both concentrations and seasonal variability were distinct between the two groups. The streams that received sewage effluent had a combination of low O2 with high DIC, DOC, and EC. In the polluted streams, concentrations of dissolved carbon forms and EC were higher and O2 concentration lower during the low water period. In the less polluted streams seasonal variations in concentrations were small. We also investigated the efficiency of a sewage treatment plant installed two years ago in the catchment of one of these streams. It was observed an increase in the O2 concentration after the beginning of the treatment, and a decrease of DIC and DOC concentrations especially during the low water period. However, no significant change was observed in the EC, suggesting that the concentrations of major ions is still unaltered, and that a secondary treatment is necessary in order to reduce ion load into the stream.

Effects of Urban Sewage on Dissolved Oxygen, Dissolved Inorganic and Organic Carbon, and Electrical Conductivity of Small Streams along a Gradient of Urbanization in the Piracicaba River Basin

The hunter-gatherer transhumance model presents foragers as specialised hunters of migratory ungulates, which moved seasonally between coastal lowlands and interior uplands. We studied six animal teeth of horse (Equus hydruntinus) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) from four different archaeological sites: the Grotta di Vado all'Arancio, Grotta di Settecannelle, Grotta Polesini and Grotta di Pozzo, in central Italy to test whether the migratory patterns and seasonal variations recorded in their teeth were consistent with expectations of the transhumance model for this region during the late Upper Palaeolithic. Sequential sub-samples of enamel were analysed from each tooth for oxygen, carbon and strontium isotope ratios to reconstruct mobility and yearly seasonal variations. The results show little evidence that these animals were moving over different geological terrains throughout the year, although small variations in Sr isotope ratios and concentrations were detected that corresponded to probable seasonal variations as shown by variability in oxygen isotope sequences. The results do, however, demonstrate that Cervus elaphus and Equus hydruntinus had different ranging behaviours, with the former moving over wider areas than the latter. This methodology produces results appropriate to assess animal migratory behaviour and, in turn, to test the consistency of proposed models of hunter-gatherer subsistence and mobility strategies.

Faunal migration in late-glacial central Italy: implications for human resource exploitation

Strontium isotope composition as a tracer of calcium sources in two forest ecosystems in Belgium

Seventy to eighty percent of the water flowing in rivers in the United States originates as precipitation in forests. This project developed a synoptic picture of the patterns in water chemistry for over 300 streams in small, forested watersheds across the United States. Nitrate (NO 3 - ) concentrations averaged 0.31 mg N/L, with some streams averaging ten times this level. Nitrate concentrations tended to be higher in the northeastern United States in watersheds dominated by hardwood forests (especially hardwoods other than oaks) and in recently harvested watersheds. Concentrations of dissolved organic N (mean 0.32 mg N/L) were similar to those of NO 3 - , whereas ammonium (NH 4 + ) concentrations were much lower (mean 0.05 mg N/L). Nitrate dominated the N loads of streams draining hardwood forests, whereas dissolved organic N dominated the streams in coniferous forests. Concentrations of inorganic phosphate were typically much lower (mean 12 mg P/L) than dissolved organic phosphate (mean 84 mg P/L). The frequencies of chemical concentrations in streams in small, forested watersheds showed more streams with higher NO 3 - concentrations than the streams used in national monitoring programs of larger, mostly forested watersheds. At a local scale, no trend in nitrate concentration with stream order or basin size was consistent across studies.

Nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in forest streams of the United States

Air and soil pollution

Fine structure of the atmospheric boundary layerin desert regions of Kalmykia and on dried bottom of theAral Sea and its relation to soil particle emission in theatmosphere are discussed. It was found that in a hot seasonin the absence of dust storms convective processes lift updust particles into the atmospheric boundary layer fromsandy landscapes of Kalmykia and Sub-Aral regions. Thisaerosol consists of aggregate particles and contains asignificant amount of long-living aerosol of size less than5 μm (including fine-dispersion 0.01–0.1 μmaerosol). The increasing of fine aerosol concentration wasfound at air temperature above 25 °C, surfacetemperature above 50 °C, and relative humidityless than 40–50%. Some mechanisms influencing the particle emission rates are briefly considered.

Investigation of Boundary Layer Fine Structure in Arid Regions: Injection of Fine Dust into the Atmosphere

Study of emissions and transport of dust aerosol in Kalmykia black lands

The influence on environmental quality of various pollutants discharged into the atmosphere, along with global climate change and changes in human health, sparked an increasing interest in the sources and transport of pollutants. Dust aerosols are one of the main pollutants of the atmosphere that influence the physical characteristics of the air and affect agriculture and human health. Today, there are regions in Russia with serious soil damage due to overgrazing (Kalmykia), and with drying up of wetlands (the Volga Basin, the southern Urals, etc.). A similar situation exists at Owens Lake, California, which is the largest source of airborne dust and salt in the US southwest. A similar situation exists in the Aral Sea region in the former Soviet Central Asia. These are regions with frequent dust storms and are major sources of atmospheric dust and salt. The dust storms further damage soils, vegetation and ecosystems. Similar processes are observed in many other parts of the world, especially in developing countries.

G. S. Golitsyn

Papers

Air and soil pollution

Investigation of Boundary Layer Fine Structure in Arid Regions: Injection of Fine Dust into the Atmosphere

Study of emissions and transport of dust aerosol in Kalmykia black lands

Studies of Aerosols from Kalmykia’S Black Lands and Their Influence on Environment