Article
Environmental Sciences
Tae-Jin Park, Moon-Kyung Kim, Seung-Hyun Lee, Mun-Ju Kim, Young-Sun Lee, Bo-Mi Lee, Ki-Seon Seong, Ji-Hyoung Park, Kyung-Duk Zoh
Summary: This study investigated the distribution of microplastics (MPs) in riverine sediment in South Korea, finding a higher abundance of MPs after the mosoon season. The most common polymer types were polyethylene and polypropylene. The concentrations of organic carbon, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus in the sediment were positively correlated with MP abundance. This study provides valuable findings for managing MP pollution.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Silvia Fornasaro, Guia Morelli, Pilario Costagliola, Valentina Rimondi, Pierfranco Lattanzi, Cesare Fagotti
Summary: The Paglia-Tiber River system is a long-lasting intermittent source of mercury pollution, with up to 40 kg of mercury draining into the Mediterranean Sea annually.
Article
Biology
Daniela Silvia Pace, Chiara Di Marco, Giancarlo Giacomini, Sara Ferri, Margherita Silvestri, Elena Papale, Edoardo Casoli, Daniele Ventura, Marco Mingione, Pierfrancesco Alaimo Di Loro, Giovanna Jona Lasinio, Giandomenico Ardizzone
Summary: Photo-identification is a non-invasive method used to identify individual animals based on natural markings, with the dorsal fin of dolphins being the most distinctive feature. By applying this method to bottlenose dolphins in the Tiber estuary, a total of 347 unique individuals were identified, with distinct residency patterns. The estimated population size was 529 individuals, indicating the importance of developing conservation plans for this vulnerable top-predator species on a broader scale of area.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Daniela Silvia Pace, Sara Ferri, Giancarlo Giacomini, Chiara Di Marco, Elena Papale, Margherita Silvestri, Giulia Pedrazzi, Daniele Ventura, Edoardo Casoli, Giandomenico Ardizzone
Summary: Social factors and ecological drivers play a crucial role in shaping individual association patterns and influencing animals' responses to anthropogenic pressures. In common bottlenose dolphins in the central Mediterranean Sea, females exhibit stronger associations with other individuals, potentially due to their success in rearing young. Interactions with bottom trawl fishery result in weaker and short-term associations. The results suggest that dolphins in this region maintain a complex but resilient social structure that adapts to local biological requirements and anthropogenic pressures.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
C. Begorre, A. Dabrin, M. Masson, B. Mourier, F. Eyrolle, H. Lepage, A. Morereau, M. Coquery
Summary: Total metal concentrations can have uncertainties when used as geochemical tracers for identifying sources of suspended particulate matter and sediment deposits. Using tracers in the non-reactive fraction is a more reliable method for estimating historical SPM contributions of the main tributaries of the Rhone River.
Article
Geography, Physical
Franziska Kobe, Christian Leipe, Alexander A. Shchetnikov, Philipp Hoelzmann, Jana Gliwa, Pascal Olschewski, Tomasz Goslar, Mayke Wagner, Elena V. Bezrukova, Pavel E. Tarasov
Summary: The sedimentary record from Lake Ochaul in Eastern Siberia, dated using AMS, provides new insights into the vegetation pattern during the Last Glacial Maximum. The presence of boreal trees and shrubs in Eastern Siberia throughout the LGM is supported by the data, with the Upper Lena identified as a region of refuge for arboreal taxa. Long-distance pollen transport is ruled out as the source of the detected arboreal pollen.
JOURNAL OF QUATERNARY SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Ecology
Joshua Chenoweth, Patrick B. Shafroth, Rebecca L. Brown, James M. Helfield, Jenise M. Bauman, Sara Cendejas-Zarelli, Chhaya M. Werner, Jarrett L. Schuster, Olivia A. Morgan
Summary: Large dam removals have impacts on natural and managed revegetation of reservoir landscapes. This study on the removal of two large dams on the Elwha River found that sediment texture and landform affect vegetation cover, species richness, and composition. Planting trees and shrubs increased species richness, while seeding reduced non-native vegetation. Planting during drawdown resulted in higher survival rates, and successful planting of Lupinus rivularis on coarse sediments increased foliar nitrogen in conifers.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Joaquim Farguell, Xavier Ubeda, Edinson Pacheco
Summary: The removal of shrubs in the Gavarres massif in NE Spain has caused significant changes in runoff and sediment transport rates, leading to increased runoff and sediment yield. This impact is mainly due to the exposure of soil caused by the removal of the shrub layer.
Article
Water Resources
Mario Bentivenga, Joris de Vente, Salvatore Ivo Giano, Giacomo Prosser, Marco Piccarreta
Summary: This paper investigates the impact of hydrological drought on suspended sediment yield (SSY) in the Ofanto River basin and its sub-basins in southern Italy from 1951 to 1989. The study utilizes the Standardized Precipitation Evaporation Index (SPEI12) to assess hydrological drought and analyzes the correlations between dry/wet cycles, streamflow, and SSY using various factors such as Qmean, Qmax, rainfall erosivity, and rainfall intensity. The results show a significant correlation between Qmean, Qmax, and SSY, while SPEI12 and rainfall intensity do not have a strong correlation with SSY. Additionally, the analysis indicates higher SSY estimations during wet periods following a drought or during drought periods.
HYDROLOGICAL SCIENCES JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Assunta Florenzano, Andrea Zerboni, Joseph C. Carter, Eleonora Clo, Guido S. Mariani, Anna Maria Mercuri
Summary: This study presents the results of palynological and geoarchaeological investigation on the Greek-Roman site of Pantanello, providing insights into the natural and human-controlled sedimentary processes and the impact of human activities on land use in this area over the past two millennia.
QUATERNARY INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Hugo Lepage, Alexandra Gruat, Fabien Thollet, Jerome Le Coz, Marina Coquery, Matthieu Masson, Aymeric Dabrin, Olivier Radakovitch, Jerome Labille, Jean-Paul Ambrosi, Doriane Delanghe, Patrick Raimbault
Summary: The Rhone River, one of the main rivers in western Europe, is characterized by distinct hydrological regimes and is facing an increase in extreme events due to the current climate crisis. To study the concentrations and fluxes of suspended particulate matter (SPM) and associated contaminants, a monitoring network called the Rhone Sediment Observatory (OSR) has been established. The main purpose of the OSR is to assess the long-term trend of contaminant concentrations and fluxes and understand their behavior during extreme events.
EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE DATA
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Jean-Philippe Degeai, Philippe Blanchemanche, Iea Tavenne, Margaux Tillier, Herve Bohbot, Benoit Devillers, Laurent Dezileau
Summary: River flooding in southeastern France has been reconstructed over a 2000-year period using magnetic susceptibility data and documentary databases. The study reveals that flooding was most severe during the warm climatic conditions of the Medieval Climate Anomaly and has also occurred in several periods throughout history. Increased flooding was found to be correlated with higher air and sea temperatures in the region. The analysis of atmospheric conditions showed a connection between autumn flood events and the East Atlantic pattern. Forest decline and human activities may have also contributed to increased flooding.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Mingwei Wang, Ziyin Wu, Kai Zhang, Dineng Zhao, Jieqiong Zhou, Xiaowen Luo, Jihong Shang, Yang Liu, Kai Sun
Summary: This study introduces an advanced deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) classification model based on transfer learning-selective kernel hybrid dilated ResNet-50 (SKHD-ResNet-50) for sediment classification in the coastal area of the firth of forth, Scotland, U.K. The model overcomes the low accuracy and efficiency issues of sediment classification with small samples, and achieves better results compared to state-of-art methods.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON GEOSCIENCE AND REMOTE SENSING
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Emmanuel Eseroghene Adiotomre, Omabehere Innocent Ejeh, Israel Aruoriwo Abiodun Etobro
Summary: Field studies and grain size analyses of River Ero sediments reveal transportation, depositional processes, and environment. The sediments in the river channel are sandy, while riverbank deposits include sandstones and mudrocks. The characteristics of grain size suggest tractive mode transportation and deposition under fluvial conditions.
IRANIAN JOURNAL OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSACTION A-SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Martha Patricia Ayala-Perez, John S. Armstrong-Altrin, Maria Luisa Machain-Castillo
Summary: This study analyzed sediment samples from the nearshore region at the Grijalva River mouth in the southern Gulf of Mexico, focusing on textural characteristics, carbonate, organic carbon, and chemical composition. The study aimed to assess heavy metal contamination and provenance variations in sediments between the dry and rainy seasons. The results indicated differences in sediment composition and origin between seasons.
JOURNAL OF EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Archaeology
Claudia Moricca, Lorenzo Nigro, Federica Spagnoli, Sharon Sabatini, Laura Sadori
Summary: The archaeobotanical remains from the Phoenician-Punic site of Motya in Sicily provide valuable insights into religious rituals and sacrifices, including the use of toxic plants to stun animals, as well as the offering of fruits, flowers, and ornamental plants.
ENVIRONMENTAL ARCHAEOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Cristiano Vignola, Jacopo Bonetto, Guido Furlan, Michele Mazza, Cristiano Nicosia, Elda Russo Ermolli, Laura Sadori
Summary: This study reconstructs the environmental evolution and plant landscape of the Sarno floodplain surrounding the ancient city of Pompeii from 900 to 750 cal bc and ad 79, revealing a thin forest cover and a mosaic of vegetation types. Human activities, such as pasturelands, cultivated fields, and the introduction of cabbage cultivation, have been present since pre-Roman times. The study also shows the influence of Mediterranean coastal shrubland, hygrophilous riverine forest, and mesophilous plain forest on the local environment until the catastrophic eruption in ad 79.
VEGETATION HISTORY AND ARCHAEOBOTANY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Elda Russo Ermolli, Alessia Masi, Cristiano Vignola, Halinka Di Lorenzo, Lucrezia Masci, Fabio Bona, Luca Forti, Giuseppe Lembo, Ilaria Mazzini, Beniamino Mecozzi, Brunella Muttillo, Pierluigi Pieruccini, Raffaele Sardella, Laura Sadori
Summary: Pollen analyses of Grotta Romanelli in Italy provide insights into the paleoenvironmental setting and chronological attribution of deposits, with Terre rosse attributed to the Last Interglacial and Terre brune reflecting Late Pleistocene climatic conditions. Fossil grains tentatively identified as medicinal plants suggest intentional introduction and possible use by Neanderthals and modern humans over time.
REVIEW OF PALAEOBOTANY AND PALYNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Anthropology
Beniamino Mecozzi, Costantino Buzi, Alessio Iannucci, Ileana Micarelli, Fabio Bona, Luca Forti, Giuseppe Lembo, Giorgio Manzi, Ilaria Mazzini, Brunella Muttillo, Pierluigi Pieruccini, Filomena Ranaldo, Dario Sigari, Raffaele Sardella
Summary: Grotta Romanelli is one of the most interesting sites for the late Upper Palaeolithic in the Mediterranean area, providing a rich record of artifacts and human fossils. The resumption of investigations in 2015 yielded important results, including the discovery of a new human fossil which provides a clear stratigraphic and chronological reference. The use of 3D Micro-CT scans for analysis opens up new avenues of research for Grotta Romanelli.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
Zanchetta Giovanni, Baneschi Ilaria, Magny Michel, Sadori Laura, Termine Rosa, Bini Monica, Vannier Boris, Desmet Marc, Natali Stefano, Luppichini Marco, Pasquetti Francesca
Summary: The Sicily region is facing a high risk of drying and desertification due to current warming and land management. A study examined a sediment core from Lake Pergusa to understand the past climatic changes and variability. The findings suggest that the area has experienced wetter and drier periods throughout the Holocene, but the trend of the last 3000 years indicates unprecedented drying, which will be exacerbated by human impact.
JOURNAL OF QUATERNARY SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
Luca Forti, Licia Romano, Alessandra Celant, Franco D'Agostino, Federico Di Rita, Jaafar Jotheri, Donatella Magri, Ilaria Mazzini, Daniel Tentori, Salvatore Milli
Summary: This paper describes the environmental context and exploitation of an abandoned river channel at the archaeological site of Abu Tbeirah. The research reveals the floodplain and marshy environment where the site developed, and provides evidence of the changing channel and its utilization by residents.
QUATERNARY RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Biology
Giampaolo Rossetti, Fabio Stoch, Ilaria Mazzini
Summary: Groundwater ecosystems have a diverse and unique biodiversity, but much of it remains unexplored. This study focuses on a genus of ostracod crustaceans called Pseudolimnocythere, which has both subterranean and marine representatives. By reviewing literature and describing two new living species, the researchers compare the valve morphology of living and fossil species, and discuss the colonization of inland waters. They find that Pseudolimnocythere species have had a consistent valve morphology over geological times, and their distribution supports multiple colonization events linked to sea level variations. The most common colonization routes are through karst formations along ancient coastlines, although minor migration through streams is also possible. The dispersal ability of Pseudolimnocythere species in continental waters seems to be limited.
SUBTERRANEAN BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Paleontology
Ilaria Mazzini, Giuseppe Aiello, Peter Frenzel, Anna Pint
Summary: Ostracoda, with their calcitic shells, are versatile proxies in geoarchaeological contexts. They can provide detailed information about palaeoenvironments and anthropogenic impacts, as well as provenance analyses and stratigraphical investigations. In addition, they are ideal for studying sediment cores and smaller samples due to their small size and high abundance. Fossil ostracods can also provide valuable information about climate, sea level, and water constructions in archaeological contexts.
MARINE MICROPALEONTOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Pierluigi Pieruccini, Luca Forti, Beniamino Mecozzi, Alessio Iannucci, Tsai-Luen Yu, Chuan-Chou Shen, Fabio Bona, Giuseppe Lembo, Brunella Muttillo, Raffaele Sardella, Ilaria Mazzini
Summary: Grotta Romanelli in Southern Italy has been an important site for studying the Late Pleistocene stratigraphy in Europe. New research suggest that the oldest human occupation in the cave occurred between Glacial cycles 9 and 7, predating the Last Interglacial period, and persisted beyond the Pleistocene-Holocene boundary.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
Davide Susini, Cristiano Vignola, Roberto Goffredo, Darian Marie Totten, Alessia Masi, Alessandra Smedile, Paolo Marco De Martini, Francesca Romana Cinti, Laura Sadori, Luca Forti, Girolamo Fiorentino, Andrea Sposato, Ilaria Mazzini
Summary: This study aims to understand the relationship between the palaeoenvironmental evolution of the southern margin of the Salpi lagoon in Italy and the development of settlements on its shores during the last part of the Holocene. Through various analyses, it was found that the lagoon was partially connected to the sea at certain points in time and later transformed into marshes and swamps. The continuous freshwater influx from rivers resulted in the closure of the lagoon and the formation of coastal lakes. The development of the settlements was influenced by the surrounding marshes' conditions.
QUATERNARY INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Letter
Ecology
A. Izdebski, M. Bauch, P. Guzowski, S. Mensing, A. M. Mercuri, T. Newfield, G. Piovesan, L. Sadori, C. Vignola, A. Masi
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Erin M. Dillon, Jaleigh Q. Pier, Jansen A. Smith, Nussaibah B. Raja, Danijela Dimitrijevic, Elizabeth L. Austin, Jonathan D. Cybulski, Julia De Entrambasaguas, Stephen R. Durham, Carolin M. Grether, Himadri Sekhar Haldar, Kristina Kocakova, Chien-Hsiang Lin, Ilaria Mazzini, Alexis M. Mychajliw, Amy L. Ollendorf, Catalina Pimiento, Omar Regalado R. Fernandez, Isaiah E. Smith, Gregory P. Dietl
Summary: Conservation paleobiology is a field that applies geohistorical records to inform the conservation, management, and restoration of biodiversity and ecosystem services. However, it is still developing its identity separate from its academic roots, and lacks a consensus on its applied nature.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
Ilaria Mazzini, Thomas M. Cronin, Robert L. Gawthorpe, Richard E. Ll Collier, Gino de Gelder, Anna Rose Golub, Michael R. Toomey, Robert K. Poirier, Huai-Hsuan May Huang, Marcie Purkey Phillips, Lisa C. McNeill, Donna J. Shillington
Summary: This study examines the relative sea-level rise during Termination 1 in the eastern Corinth basin of the Mediterranean Sea based on ostracode paleoecology. The results show transitions from lacustrine to marine environments during the glacial and early deglacial intervals, confirming the connection between the Mediterranean and Corinth-Alkyonides system. The findings also provide details of global climate changes during Termination 1.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Marco Cherin, Giorgio Basilici, Mathieu Duval, Qingfeng Shao, Mark J. Sier, Josep M. Pares, Elsa Gliozzi, Ilaria Mazzini, Donatella Magri, Federico Di Rita, Dawid A. Iurino, Beatrice Azzara, Giulia Margaritelli, Fausto Pazzaglia
Summary: Biochronology is the most widely used method for organizing and correlating continental vertebrate faunas in geological time, but it is challenging to precisely define the temporal boundaries between biochronological units due to the fragmentary nature of the fossil record and diachronicity of vertebrate taxa occurrences. Therefore, it is crucial to calibrate biochronological data with other independent proxies. In this study, an interdisciplinary approach combining various disciplines was used to provide a chronological framework and paleoenvironmental reconstruction of the Pantalla paleontological site in Central Italy.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Geology
Mubarak Abdulkarim, Stoil Chapkanski, Damien Ertlen, Haider Mahmood, Edward Obioha, Frank Preusser, Claire Rambeau, Ferreol Salomon, Marco Schiemann, Laurent Schmitt
Summary: This study presents a detailed mapping and characterization of paleochannels in the French Upper Rhine alluvial plain, identifying five distinct paleochannel groups. The development of these paleochannels is attributed to changes in hydro-geomorphodynamic processes, specifically lateral migrations of the Rhine and Ill rivers. These findings have significant implications for understanding the long-term evolution of the Upper Rhine fluvial hydrosystem.
E&G QUATERNARY SCIENCE JOURNAL
(2022)