(Press-News.org) Converting Central American tropical forests into agricultural land is changing the colour and composition of natural material washing into nearby rivers, making it less likely to decompose before it reaches the ocean, a new Southampton-led study has shown.
The flow of dissolved organic material, such as soil, from land to the oceans plays an important role in the global carbon and nutrient cycles. Changing how land is used can alter the type and amount of material being transported, with widespread implications for ecosystems.
In this latest study, an international research team set out to learn more about the effects of deforestation on the coastal environment by studying material that flowed into rivers from various settings in a Central American rainforest, tracking its progress into the sea off the coast of Belize, home to the world's second largest barrier reef.
Stacey Felgate, a PhD Student at the University of Southampton and the National Oceanography Centre, led the study working with partners in Belize. Stacey said, "Like many countries in the region, Belize is experiencing a rapid rate of deforestation due to increasing need for agricultural and urban land, whilst the economy also relies on the fishing and tourism industries on the coastline. Despite this, there has been very little research into the impact that changing land-use at such a fast pace is having on the region's coastal ecosystems."
The findings of the research, published in the journal JGR Biogeosciences, showed that significantly more coloured material is entering the rivers from land used for farming, compared to naturally forested sites.
As the material continued its journey along the river, the team noticed that it accumulated, suggesting that it was not accessible to the micro-organisms who break down natural matter and convert it into carbon dioxide.
When the material reaches the coast, its coloured nature means that it absorbs light and can darken the sea, potentially affecting marine life such as seagrass and corals which need light to grow. The researchers have therefore identified further research into this possible impact as a vital next step in understand what steps are needed to protect coastal ecosystems from deforestation.
Stacey added, "The potential for human activities on land to negatively impact the coastal environment is not unique to Belize, and so our findings are relevant more broadly, particularly for coastal developing nations where deforestation is ongoing but there are no integrated conservation plans between what is happening on land and what is happening in the oceans."
This study is part of a wider project led by Dr Claire Evans of the National Oceanography Centre. The work was funded by the Commonwealth Marine Economies Programme, which aims to enable safe and sustainable marine economies across the Commonwealth Small Island Developing States.
Other partners in the study included University of Belize, the Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute (Belize), and the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology.
Stacey Felgate discusses the findings of her study and why protecting our oceans matters in the University of Southampton's film for World Oceans Day, 'Below the Surface'
INFORMATION:
applying a thin sheath around the defective vein eliminated the varicose vein problem in over 95 per cent of cases. The research team published their findings in the Journal of International Medical Research on 6 April 2021.
When the blood pools in the leg
Varicose veins are more than just a cosmetic problem: the unsightly bulges might result in serious health problems such as leg ulcers, thromboses or even pulmonary embolisms. The cause of varicose vein disease is usually a weakness in the connective tissue, which causes the vein wall to give way and thus the vein diameter to grow. This process is accelerated by pregnancy or frequent standing and sitting.
The increase in vein diameter impairs the function of the vein valves. The valve leaflets are pulled apart and a leak ...
Weakened electrical signals in the brain may be an early warning sign of age-related neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, suggests a study published today in eLife.
The findings hint at new ways to identify early on patients who may have an age-related brain disease. They also provide new insights on the changes that occur in the brain as these diseases develop.
"As tools for detecting Alzheimer's disease early are limited, there is a need to develop a reliable, non-invasive test that would enable early diagnosis," says first author Murty Dinavahi, who was a PhD Research Scholar at the Centre for Neuroscience, Indian ...
The Late Triassic Tianqiaoling flora is well-known in China, and its discovery has changed our understanding of Chinese Late Triassic phytogeographical divisions. More broadly, this flora has great significance for the study of phytogeography in East Asia during this time. However, the previous dating of this flora was only evidenced by plant fossils and stratigraphic correlation, and the accurate dating has still not been achieved. Recently, the team of Dr. Yuhui FENG of Shenyang Normal University collected isotope dating samples from the bottom of the Tianqiaoling Formation, which is conformally contacted the Tianqiaoling flora-bearing beds (Figure 1). The ...
Difficulty sleeping, sleep apnea and narcolepsy are among a range of sleep disorders that thousands of Danes suffer from. Furthermore, it is estimated that sleep apnea is undiagnosed in as many as 200,000 Danes.
In a new study, researchers from the University of Copenhagen's Department of Computer Science have collaborated with the Danish Center for Sleep Medicine at the danish hospital Rigshospitalet to develop an artificial intelligence algorithm that can improve diagnoses, treatments, and our overall understanding of sleep disorders.
"The algorithm is extraordinarily precise. We completed various tests in which its performance rivaled that of the best doctors ...
When sailing along on the seas and you suddenly spot a porpoise's fin in the distance, chances are that you have only encountered a single animal. Porpoises are most often seen alone, but new research now suggests that they also roam in groups - and even enter into a sophisticated collaboration when hunting.
The way they collaborate surprises us, because the common perception among biologists is that porpoises roam and hunt alone, says Associate Professor Magnus Wahlberg, who is an expert in marine mammals and heads the Marine Biological Research Centre at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU).
Drone footage has revealed group hunting among porpoises coming together to hunt schools of fish.
The research team has recorded almost 44 hours of drone footage from the waters around ...
Men who suffer sensory loss, particularly hearing loss, are more likely to be physically inactive and obese than women, according to a new study published in the European Journal of Public Health.
Researchers analysed data from more than 23,000 Spanish adults, and examined associations with physical inactivity and obesity in people with vision and hearing loss, and explored differences between men and women.
Results suggest inactive people with hearing loss were 1.78 times more likely to be obese compared to those who did not have any hearing loss. In people who had difficulty seeing, the odds ratio is slightly smaller, with a likelihood ...
Systematic literature review provides evidence base for new therapeutic avenues in vasculitis
Researchers have reviewed all clinical trials of targeted drugs used in the treatment of vasculitis. With this, they propose a completely mechanistic categorisation of these diseases, which may in time provide better treatment.
Diseases which cause inflammation of the blood vessels are presently categorised according to the size of the blood vessels involved. But it would make more sense - and ultimately end with better treatment - if the diseases were categorised based on the causes of the inflammation.
This is shown by a systematic literature review of clinical trials in vasculitis, which researchers from Aarhus ...
Astrophysicists from the University of Bath have developed a new method for pinpointing the whereabouts of extremely rare extragalactic objects. They hope their technique for finding 'changing-look quasars' will take scientists one step closer to unravelling one of greatest mysteries of the universe - how supermassive black holes grow. Quasars are believed to be responsible for regulating the growth of supermassive black holes and their host galaxies.
A quasar is a region of spectacular luminosity at the centre of a galaxy, powered by a supermassive black hole - the largest type of black hole, with a mass that exceeds that of our sun by millions or billions. There is a supermassive black hole ...
When it comes to climate change, policymakers may fail to see the trees for the forest. Turns out that the trees may be the answer after all, according to a study published by authors from more than seven countries on June 3rd in Nature Climate Change.
"Climate change and biodiversity loss are two major environmental challenges," said paper author Akira S. Mori, professor at Yokohama National University. "But the vast majority of attention has been paid to one unidirectional relationship -- climate change as a cause and biodiversity loss as a consequence."
Mori and his co-authors argue that climate change and species ...
Tuesday, 8 June 2021: A study by RCSI indicates that exercise is probably the most effective short-term treatment for depression in people with coronary heart disease, when compared to antidepressants and psychotherapy or more complex care.
The study, led by researchers at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, is published in the June edition of Psychosomatic Medicine.
This is the first systematic review to compare treatments for depression in those with coronary disease and the findings provides valuable clinical information to help doctors determine the best treatment plan for patients.
The researchers reviewed treatment trials which investigated antidepressants, psychotherapy, ...
