| 1. |
- Thompson, B.A., et al.
(author)
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Application of a 5-tiered scheme for standardized classification of 2,360 unique mismatch repair gene variants in the InSiGHT locus-specific database
- 2014
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In: Nature Genetics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1061-4036 .- 1546-1718. ; 46:2, s. 107-115
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The clinical classification of hereditary sequence variants identified in disease-related genes directly affects clinical management of patients and their relatives. The International Society for Gastrointestinal Hereditary Tumours (InSiGHT) undertook a collaborative effort to develop, test and apply a standardized classification scheme to constitutional variants in the Lynch syndrome-associated genes MLH1, MSH2, MSH6 and PMS2. Unpublished data submission was encouraged to assist in variant classification and was recognized through microattribution. The scheme was refined by multidisciplinary expert committee review of the clinical and functional data available for variants, applied to 2,360 sequence alterations, and disseminated online. Assessment using validated criteria altered classifications for 66% of 12,006 database entries. Clinical recommendations based on transparent evaluation are now possible for 1,370 variants that were not obviously protein truncating from nomenclature. This large-scale endeavor will facilitate the consistent management of families suspected to have Lynch syndrome and demonstrates the value of multidisciplinary collaboration in the curation and classification of variants in public locus-specific databases. © 2014 Nature America, Inc.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Dahl-Jensen, D., et al.
(author)
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Eemian interglacial reconstructed from a Greenland folded ice core
- 2013
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In: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 493:7433, s. 489-494
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Efforts to extract a Greenland ice core with a complete record of the Eemian interglacial (130,000 to 115,000 years ago) have until now been unsuccessful. The response of the Greenland ice sheet to the warmer-than-present climate of the Eemian has thus remained unclear. Here we present the new North Greenland Eemian Ice Drilling ('NEEM') ice core and show only a modest ice-sheet response to the strong warming in the early Eemian. We reconstructed the Eemian record from folded ice using globally homogeneous parameters known from dated Greenland and Antarctic ice-core records. On the basis of water stable isotopes, NEEM surface temperatures after the onset of the Eemian (126,000 years ago) peaked at 8 +/- 4 degrees Celsius above the mean of the past millennium, followed by a gradual cooling that was probably driven by the decreasing summer insolation. Between 128,000 and 122,000 years ago, the thickness of the northwest Greenland ice sheet decreased by 400 +/- 250 metres, reaching surface elevations 122,000 years ago of 130 +/- 300 metres lower than the present. Extensive surface melt occurred at the NEEM site during the Eemian, a phenomenon witnessed when melt layers formed again at NEEM during the exceptional heat of July 2012. With additional warming, surface melt might become more common in the future.
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| 5. |
- Kattge, Jens, et al.
(author)
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TRY plant trait database - enhanced coverage and open access
- 2020
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In: Global Change Biology. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 1354-1013 .- 1365-2486. ; 26:1, s. 119-188
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Plant traits-the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants-determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait-based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits-almost complete coverage for 'plant growth form'. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait-environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives.
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| 6. |
- Östling, Jörgen, et al.
(author)
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IL-17-high asthma with features of a psoriasis immunophenotype
- 2019
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In: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. - : Elsevier. - 0091-6749 .- 1097-6825. ; 144:5, s. 1198-1213
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: The role of IL-17 immunity is well established in patients with inflammatory diseases, such as psoriasis and inflammatory bowel disease, but not in asthmatic patients, in whom further study is required.Objective: We sought to undertake a deep phenotyping study of asthmatic patients with upregulated IL-17 immunity.Methods: Whole-genome transcriptomic analysis was performed by using epithelial brushings, bronchial biopsy specimens (91 asthmatic patients and 46 healthy control subjects), and whole blood samples (n = 498) from the Unbiased Biomarkers for the Prediction of Respiratory Disease Outcomes (U-BIOPRED) cohort. Gene signatures induced in vitro by IL-17 and IL-13 in bronchial epithelial cells were used to identify patients with IL-17–high and IL-13–high asthma phenotypes.Results: Twenty-two of 91 patients were identified with IL-17, and 9 patients were identified with IL-13 gene signatures. The patients with IL-17–high asthma were characterized by risk of frequent exacerbations, airway (sputum and mucosal) neutrophilia, decreased lung microbiota diversity, and urinary biomarker evidence of activation of the thromboxane B2 pathway. In pathway analysis the differentially expressed genes in patients with IL-17-high asthma were shared with those reported as altered in psoriasis lesions and included genes regulating epithelial barrier function and defense mechanisms, such as IL1B, IL6, IL8, and β-defensin.Conclusion: The IL-17–high asthma phenotype, characterized by bronchial epithelial dysfunction and upregulated antimicrobial and inflammatory response, resembles the immunophenotype of psoriasis, including activation of the thromboxane B2 pathway, which should be considered a biomarker for this phenotype in further studies, including clinical trials targeting IL-17.
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| 7. |
- Schüpbach, S., et al.
(author)
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Greenland records of aerosol source and atmospheric lifetime changes from the Eemian to the Holocene
- 2018
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In: Nature Communications. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2041-1723. ; 9:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Northern Hemisphere experienced dramatic changes during the last glacial, featuring vast ice sheets and abrupt climate events, while high northern latitudes during the last interglacial (Eemian) were warmer than today. Here we use high-resolution aerosol records from the Greenland NEEM ice core to reconstruct the environmental alterations in aerosol source regions accompanying these changes. Separating source and transport effects, we find strongly reduced terrestrial biogenic emissions during glacial times reflecting net loss of vegetated area in North America. Rapid climate changes during the glacial have little effect on terrestrial biogenic aerosol emissions. A strong increase in terrestrial dust emissions during the coldest intervals indicates higher aridity and dust storm activity in East Asian deserts. Glacial sea salt aerosol emissions in the North Atlantic region increase only moderately (50%), likely due to sea ice expansion. Lower aerosol concentrations in Eemian ice compared to the Holocene are mainly due to shortened atmospheric residence time, while emissions changed little.
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Wolff, E. W., et al.
(author)
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Changes in environment over the last 800,000 years from chemical analysis of the EPICA Dome C ice core
- 2010
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In: Quaternary Science Reviews. - : Elsevier BV. - 0277-3791 .- 1873-457X. ; 29:1-2, s. 285-295
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The EPICA ice core from Dome C extends 3259 m in depth, and encompasses 800 ka of datable and sequential ice. Numerous chemical species have been measured along the length of the cores. Here we concentrate on interpreting the main low-resolution patterns of major ions. We extend the published record for non-sea-salt calcium, sea-salt sodium and non-sea-salt sulfate flux to 800 ka. The non-sea-salt calcium record confirms that terrestrial dust originating from South America closely mirrored Antarctic climate, both at orbital and millennial timescales. A major cause of the main trends is most likely climate in southern South America, which could be sensitive to subtle changes in atmospheric circulation. Sea-salt sodium also follows temperature, but With a threshold at low temperature. We re-examine the use of sodium as a sea ice proxy, concluding that it is probably reflecting extent, with high salt concentrations reflecting larger ice extents. With this interpretation, the sodium flux record indicates low ice extent operating as an amplifier in warm interglacials. Non-sea-salt sulfate flux is almost constant along the core, confirming the lack of change in marine productivity (for sulfur-producing organisms) in the areas of the Southern Ocean contributing to the flux at Dome C. For the first time we also present long records of reversible species such as nitrate and chloride, and show that the pattern of post-depositional losses described for shallower ice is maintained in older ice. It appears possible to use these concentrations to constrain snow accumulation rates in interglacial ice at this site, and the results suggest a possible correction to accumulation rates in one early interglacial. Taken together the chemistry records offer a number of constraints on the way the Earth system combined to give the major climate fluctuations of the late Quaternary period.
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| 10. |
- Röthlisberger, R., et al.
(author)
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The Southern Hemisphere at glacial terminations: insights from the Dome C ice core
- 2009
-
In: CLIMATE OF THE PAST. - 1814-9324. ; 4:4, s. 345-356
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The many different proxy records from the European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica (EPICA) Dome C ice core allow for the first time a comparison of nine glacial terminations in great detail. Despite the fact that all terminations cover the transition from a glacial maximum into an interglacial, there are large differences between single terminations. For some terminations, Antarctic temperature increased only moderately, while for others, the amplitude of change at the termination was much larger. For the different terminations, the rate of change in temperature is more similar than the magnitude or duration of change. These temperature changes were accompanied by vast changes in dust and sea salt deposition all over Antarctica. Here we investigate the phasing between a South American dust proxy (non-sea-salt calcium flux, nssCa(2+)), a sea ice proxy (sea salt sodium flux, ssNa(+)) and a proxy for Antarctic temperature (deuterium, delta D). In particular, we look into whether a similar sequence of events applies to all terminations, despite their different characteristics. All proxies are derived from the EPICA Dome C ice core, resulting in a relative dating uncertainty between the proxies of less than 20 years. At the start of the terminations, the temperature (delta D) increase and dust (nssCa(2+) flux) decrease start synchronously. The sea ice proxy (ssNa(+) flux), however, only changes once the temperature has reached a particular threshold, approximately 5 degrees C below present day temperatures (corresponding to a delta D value of -420 parts per thousand). This reflects to a large extent the limited sensitivity of the sea ice proxy during very cold periods with large sea ice extent. At terminations where this threshold is not reached (TVI, TVIII), ssNa(+) flux shows no changes. Above this threshold, the sea ice proxy is closely coupled to the Antarctic temperature, and interglacial levels are reached at the same time for both ssNa(+) and delta D. On the other hand, once another threshold at approximately 2 degrees C below present day temperature is passed (corresponding to a delta D value of -402 parts per thousand), nssCa(2+) flux has reached interglacial levels and does not change any more, despite further warming. This threshold behaviour most likely results from a combination of changes to the threshold friction velocity for dust entrainment and to the distribution of surface wind speeds in the dust source region.
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| 11. |
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| 12. |
- Davies, Siwan M., et al.
(author)
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Tracing volcanic events in the NGRIP ice-core and synchronising North Atlantic marine records during the last glacial period
- 2010
-
In: Earth and Planetary Science Letters. - : Elsevier BV. - 0012-821X .- 1385-013X. ; 294, s. 69-79
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Abstract Five basaltic tephra horizons have been identified in the NGRIP ice-core during the last glacial period. Geochemical analyses indicate that these tephras are of Icelandic origin with one horizon identified as the Faroe Marine Ash Zone III (FMAZ III) — an important marker horizon in several marine records within the Faroe Islands margin. The FMAZ III is a few millimetres thick and is constrained to 38,122 ± 723 yr b2k (before year AD 2000) according to the Greenland Ice Core Chronology (GICC05). This event falls directly at the thermal peak of Greenland Interstadial 8 (GI-8) and a marine-ice correlation, based on the position of this tephra, suggests a close coupling of the marine and atmospheric systems at this time. The remaining tephras originate from the Eastern Volcanic Zone with the Katla volcanic system pinpointed as the dominant source. These are thought to represent previously unknown volcanic events which add considerably to our knowledge of Icelandic volcanism during this period. Independent ages are assigned to these events and together with major element characterisation, form the backbone of the tephrochronology framework presented here. Despite the identification of these tephras, this study also demonstrates that the sulphate record may not always act as a suitable proxy for the identification of tephra horizons in ice-core records.
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| 13. |
- Roethlisberger, R., et al.
(author)
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The Southern Hemisphere at glacial terminations : insights from the Dome C ice core
- 2008
-
In: Climate of the past. - : Copernicus GmbH. - 1814-9324 .- 1814-9332. ; 4:4, s. 345-356
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The many different proxy records from the European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica (EPICA) Dome C ice core allow for the first time a comparison of nine glacial terminations in great detail. Despite the fact that all terminations cover the transition from a glacial maximum into an interglacial, there are large differences between single terminations. For some terminations, Antarctic temperature increased only moderately, while for others, the amplitude of change at the termination was much larger. For the different terminations, the rate of change in temperature is more similar than the magnitude or duration of change. These temperature changes were accompanied by vast changes in dust and sea salt deposition all over Antarctica. Here we investigate the phasing between a South American dust proxy (non-sea-salt calcium flux, nssCa(2+)), a sea ice proxy (sea salt sodium flux, ssNa(+)) and a proxy for Antarctic temperature (deuterium, delta D). In particular, we look into whether a similar sequence of events applies to all terminations, despite their different characteristics. All proxies are derived from the EPICA Dome C ice core, resulting in a relative dating uncertainty between the proxies of less than 20 years. At the start of the terminations, the temperature (delta D) increase and dust (nssCa(2+) flux) decrease start synchronously. The sea ice proxy (ssNa(+) flux), however, only changes once the temperature has reached a particular threshold, approximately 5 degrees C below present day temperatures (corresponding to a delta D value of -420 parts per thousand). This reflects to a large extent the limited sensitivity of the sea ice proxy during very cold periods with large sea ice extent. At terminations where this threshold is not reached (TVI, TVIII), ssNa(+) flux shows no changes. Above this threshold, the sea ice proxy is closely coupled to the Antarctic temperature, and interglacial levels are reached at the same time for both ssNa(+) and delta D. On the other hand, once another threshold at approximately 2 degrees C below present day temperature is passed (corresponding to a delta D value of -402 parts per thousand), nssCa(2+) flux has reached interglacial levels and does not change any more, despite further warming. This threshold behaviour most likely results from a combination of changes to the threshold friction velocity for dust entrainment and to the distribution of surface wind speeds in the dust source region.
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| 14. |
- Svensson, A., et al.
(author)
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A 60 000 year Greenland stratigraphic ice core chronology
- 2008
-
In: Climate of the Past. - : Copernicus GmbH. - 1814-9332. ; 4:1, s. 47-57
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Greenland Ice Core Chronology 2005 (GICC05) is a time scale based on annual layer counting of high-resolution records from Greenland ice cores. Whereas the Holocene part of the time scale is based on various records from the DYE-3, the GRIP, and the NorthGRIP ice cores, the glacial part is solely based on NorthGRIP records. Here we present an 18 ka extension of the time scale such that GICC05 continuously covers the past 60 ka. The new section of the time scale places the onset of Greenland Interstadial 12 (GI-12) at 46.9 +/- 1.0 ka b2k (before year AD 2000), the North Atlantic Ash Zone II layer in GI-15 at 55.4 +/- 1.2 ka b2k, and the onset of GI-17 at 59.4 +/- 1.3 ka b2k. The error estimates are derived from the accumulated number of uncertain annual layers. In the 40-60 ka interval, the new time scale has a discrepancy with the Meese-Sowers GISP2 time scale of up to 2.4 ka. Assuming that the Greenland climatic events are synchronous with those seen in the Chinese Hulu Cave speleothem record, GICC05 compares well to the time scale of that record with absolute age differences of less than 800 years throughout the 60 ka period. The new time scale is generally in close agreement with other independently dated records and reference horizons, such as the Laschamp geomagnetic excursion, the French Villars Cave and the Austrian Kleegruben Cave speleothem records, suggesting high accuracy of both event durations and absolute age estimates.
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| 15. |
- Tison, J.-L., et al.
(author)
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Retrieving the paleoclimatic signal from the deeper part of the EPICA Dome C ice core
- 2015
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In: The Cryosphere. - : Copernicus GmbH. - 1994-0416 .- 1994-0424. ; 9:4, s. 1633-1648
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- An important share of paleoclimatic information is buried within the lowermost layers of deep ice cores. Because improving our records further back in time is one of the main challenges in the near future, it is essential to judge how deep these records remain unaltered, since the proximity of the bedrock is likely to interfere both with the recorded temporal sequence and the ice properties. In this paper, we present a multiparametric study (delta D-delta O-18(ice), delta O-18(atm), total air content, CO2, CH4, N2O, dust, high-resolution chemistry, ice texture) of the bottom 60 m of the EPICA (European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica) Dome C ice core from central Antarctica. These bottom layers were subdivided into two distinct facies: the lower 12 m showing visible solid inclusions (basal dispersed ice facies) and the upper 48 m, which we will refer to as the basal clean ice facies. Some of the data are consistent with a pristine paleoclimatic signal, others show clear anomalies It is demonstrated that neither large-scale bottom refreezing of subglacial water, nor mixing (be it internal or with a local basal end term from a previous/initial ice sheet configuration) can explain the observed bottom-ice properties. We focus on the high-resolution chemical profiles and on the available remote sensing data on the subglacial topography of the site to propose a mechanism by which relative stretching of the bottom-ice sheet layers is made possible, due to the progressively confining effect of subglacial valley sides. This stress field change, combined with bottom-ice temperature close to the pressure melting point, induces accelerated migration recrystallization, which results in spatial chemical sorting of the impurities, depending on their state (dissolved vs. solid) and if they are involved or not in salt formation. This chemical sorting effect is responsible for the progressive build-up of the visible solid aggregates that therefore mainly originate from within, and not from incorporation processes of debris from the ice sheet's substrate. We further discuss how the proposed mechanism is compatible with the other ice properties described. We conclude that the paleoclimatic signal is only marginally affected in terms of global ice properties at the bottom of EPICA Dome C, but that the timescale was considerably distorted by mechanical stretching of MIS20 due to the increasing influence of the subglacial topography, a process that might have started well above the bottom ice. A clear paleoclimatic signal can therefore not be inferred from the deeper part of the EPICA Dome C ice core. Our work suggests that the existence of a flat monotonic ice bedrock interface, extending for several times the ice thickness, would be a crucial factor in choosing a future oldest ice drilling location in Antarctica.
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| 16. |
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| 17. |
- Abbott, Peter M., et al.
(author)
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A detailed framework of Marine Isotope Stages 4 and 5 volcanic events recorded in two Greenland ice-cores
- 2012
-
In: Quaternary Science Reviews. - : Elsevier BV. - 0277-3791 .- 1873-457X. ; 36, s. 59-77
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Sulphate records from Greenland ice-cores indicate that Marine Isotope Stages 4 and 5 were charactensed by a higher incidence of large volcanic eruptions than other periods during the last glacial period, however, few investigations have focused on tephra deposits associated with these volcanic eruptions and the nature and origin of the events. Here we present a detailed tephrochronological framework of the products of 15 volcanic events spanning this interval: the majority of which have been preserved as cryptotephra horizons within the Greenland records. The major element compositions of individual glass shards within these horizons indicate that 13 of the eruptions originated from Iceland and 6 of these events can be correlated to the specific volcanic systems of Katla, Grimsvotn, Grimsvotn-Kverkfjoll and either Reykjanes or Veidivotn-Bardarbunga. For the remaining Icelandic horizons a source from either the rift zone or a flank zone can be suggested based on rock suite affinities. Two horizons have been correlated to a source from the Jan Mayen volcanic system which represents the first discovery of material from this system within any Greenland ice-cores. The robust geochemical characterisations, independent ages for these horizons (derived from the GICCO5 ice-core chronology) and stratigraphic positions relative to the Dansgaard-Oeschger climate events recorded in the Greenland ice-cores represent a critical framework that provides new information on the frequency and nature of volcanic events occurring in the North Atlantic region during MIS 4 and 5. This framework can now be utilised in the assessment of the differential timing and rate of response to the millennial-scale climatic events that characterised this period, through the use of the tephra horizons as time-synchronous tie-lines to other palaeoclimatic sequences.
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| 18. |
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| 19. |
- Lidman, Johan, et al.
(author)
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Effect of past century mining activities on sediment properties and toxicity to freshwater organisms in northern Sweden
- 2023
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In: Science of the Total Environment. - : Elsevier. - 0048-9697 .- 1879-1026. ; 872
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The release of toxic metals from local mining activities often represents a severe environmental hazard for nearby lake ecosystems. Previous studies on the impact of mining have primarily focused on single lakes, with less emphasis on spatial and temporal recovery patterns of multiple lakes within the same catchment, but with different hydrological connection and distance to the pollutant source. This knowledge gap prevents us from assessing the real environmental risk of abandoned mines and understanding ecosystem recovery. This study explores the intensity and spatial patterns of sediment contamination and the potential for ecosystem recovery in three lakes in close vicinity of a lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) mine in Sweden that has been inoperative for >20 years. Dated (210Pb and 137Cs) sediment cores from each lake were used to reconstruct temporal patterns in trace element deposition and relate those with past mining activities. Results show that all lakes were affected by mining, indicated by increasing Pb and Zn concentrations and decreasing organic matter content, at the onset of mining. However, the extent and timing of mining impact differed between lakes, which was partly ascribed to differences in the historical use of tailings and settling ponds. Assessment of toxicity levels in sediments, based on normalized Probable Effect Concentration Quotient (PEC-Q) to organic matter content, provided more consistent results with the historical mining than conventional methods, showing a decreasing impact in lakes once the operations ceased. Still, sediment Pb concentrations were > 10 times higher than pre-mining values, evidencing the urgent need for remediation actions in the study lakes. This study highlights the importance of considering spatial heterogeneity in metal deposition, sediment organic matter content, and hydrological connectivity with tailings when risk assessments are performed in mining-impacted lakes. The use of normalized PEC-Q in toxic assessments is also recommended.
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| 20. |
- Lidman, Johan, et al.
(author)
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Effect of recent mining activities on sediment properties and toxicity to freshwater organisms
-
Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The release of toxic metals from local mining activities often represents a serious environmental hazard, impacting nearby lake ecosystems and resulting in contamination that vary in both space and time. Here, we present dated (210Pb and 137Cs) sediment core results to reconstruct spatial and temporal patterns in trace element deposition in lakes (two clearing ponds and one lake) located in the vicinity of a closed lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) mine in northern Sweden. All lakes displayed increased Pb and Zn concentrations after the mining operation started (1943), whereas the organic matter content declined. Lakes used as clearing ponds received higher inputs of Pb, with a sharp increase in Pb concentration occurring when tailing ponds were constructed (1952, 1965 and 1978, respectively) and a decline after the ceasing of the activities (2001). Zn concentrations increased gradually from the mining operation started to present time. The probable effect concentration quotient (PEC-Q) predicted severe toxic effects throughout the mining and post-mining period, but with spatial and temporal differences. Although PEC-Q decreased during post-mining conditions due to reduced Pb concentrations and increased organic matter inflow to the lakes, sediment Pb concentrations were still >10 times higher than during pre-mining conditions. Our results indicate a lake-specific recovery, with slower recovery in lakes used as clearing-ponds. This study highlights the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of local impact from mining activities, both in metal load and sediment properties, leading to lake-specific ecosystem responses and recovery to metal contamination.
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| 21. |
- Lidman, Johan, 1988-
(author)
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Metals take flight : Transport and effects across ecosystems
- 2021
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Metal contamination can have severe toxic effects in the ecosystems, resulting in loss of biodiversity, reduced abundance of organisms, and loss of ecosystem services. Traditionally, aquatic ecosystems have been regarded as a sink of metal contamination. However, lakes could also act as a source, as metals can be transported by emerging aquatic insects from the aquatic to the terrestrial ecosystem. The consequence of this transport for terrestrial organisms has previously gained little focus. In this thesis, I study metal contamination transport and toxic effects on metal exposed aquatic invertebrates and the terrestrial insectivorous bird, pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca), in aquatic and terrestrial environments contaminated by metals from a closed lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) mine. Studied lakes adjacent to the mine all displayed elevated metal concentrations from the start of the mining operation, but with different temporal and spatial patterns with lakes used as part of the mining activity even more affected. Factors affecting metal toxicity, such as organic matter concentration in lakes, varied during the mining and post-mining period, indicating fluctuating toxicity despite similar metal concentrations. The contamination level and toxicity risk are still high 15 years after closure of the mine, but ecosystems are starting to recover. Despite high metal concentrations in lake water and sediment, no effect on invertebrate abundance or composition of aquatic invertebrates was observed. However, when focusing on metamorphosis, proportionally fewer insects emerged from more contaminated lakes. In contrast, in lab mesocosm was no effect on metamorphosis observed of non-biting midges (Chironomus riparus), although larval survival decreased, and emergence was delayed at higher metal concentrations in sediments. Emerging adult insects transported a significant amount of metals to terrestrial ecosystems, observed both in the lab and in the field. Emerging aquatic insect and ants were major dietary metal exposure routes for pied flycatcher’s nestlings. Thus, aquatic-derived metals can influence terrestrial consumers, especially in riparian zones of contaminated lakes where availability of aquatic insects is high. Increasing accumulation of Pb has been observed to reduce hemoglobin (Hb) levels in birds. Despite elevated Pb concentrations in nestling blood in contaminated environments, nestling Hb levels, used also as indicator of nestling health, was more affected by availability of different prey than Pb levels in the blood, where availability of aquatic insects and aerial terrestrial insect had positive impact on nestling health. Overall, this thesis show that metal contamination of aquatic ecosystems also influences terrestrial organisms by decreasing their food availability and increasing metal exposure via diets. Thus, potential effects on terrestrial systems should to larger extent be included when studying aquatic contaminants. Further, indirect effects and metal bioavailability could alter the toxic effects on metal-exposed organism and should be included to accurately estimate direct toxic effects.
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| 22. |
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| 23. |
- Bigler, Christian, et al.
(author)
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Quantifying human-induced eutrophication in Swiss mountain lakes since AD 1800 using diatoms
- 2007
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In: The Holocene. - : SAGE Publications. - 0959-6836 .- 1477-0911. ; 17:8, s. 1141-1154
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Sedimentary diatom assemblages from three lakes in the southeastern Swiss Alps were analysed at high temporal resolution since AD 1800. Altered land-use patterns, increasing population and exploitation through tourism are clearly reflected in annually laminated sediments of Lej da San Murezzan (Lake St Moritz) and Lej da Silvaplauna (Lake Silvaplana). Diatom assemblages originally dominated by Cyclotella taxa are replaced by taxa indicating higher total phosphorus (TP) concentrations, such as Asterionella formosa, Fragilaria crotonensis and Stephanodiscus parvus. In Lej da la Tscheppa, located well above the treeline in a catchment that was hardly exposed to human impact, Cyclotella comensis prevails throughout the entire sediment sequence. Quantitative estimates of past TP concentrations were inferred using a newly developed regional diatom-TP inference model based on 119 modern samples. In Lej da la Tscheppa diatoms imply stable, low TP concentrations (~10 µg/l), which can be considered as natural background concentration. Elevated TP levels are inferred for Lej da San Murezzan (max. 60 µg/l) since AD 1910 and for Lej da Silvaplauna (max. 40 µg/l) since AD 1950, corroborated by changes in sedimentary biogenic silica concentration and organic carbon content. Since ~AD 1970 improved waste water management led to a considerable reduction in TP loading in Lej da Silvaplauna and Lej da San Murezzan.
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| 24. |
- Bigler, Christian, et al.
(author)
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Quantitative multiproxy assessment of long-term patterns of Holocene environmental change from a small lake near Abisko, northern Sweden
- 2002
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In: The Holocene. - : SAGE Publications. - 0959-6836 .- 1477-0911. ; 12:4, s. 481-496
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Quantitative reconstructions are made of Holocene changes in climatic and environmental conditions from analyses of pollen, chironomids and diatoms in identical stratigraphic levels of a sediment core from Vuoskku-javri (68degrees20'43 N, 19degrees06'00 E, 348 m a.s.l.) near Abisko in northern Sweden (Lapland). Transfer functions, based on regional calibration sets, are applied to reconstruct Holocene patterns in mean July air temperature (using all three indicators). mean January air temperature (pollen), annual precipitation (pollen) and lakewater pH (diatoms). During periods with 'good' fit to the modern calibration sets all mean July air-temperature inferences based on the three proxy indicators reveal a general trend of decreasing temperature: pollen-inferred mean July air temperature shows a decrease of c, 1.1degreesC since 7500 cal. yrs BP; the chironomids show a decrease of c. 1.2degreesC since the early Holocene whereas the diatoms show a decrease of c. 1.5degreesC since 6000 cal. yrs BP. Pollen-inferred mean January air temperature indicates that winters may have been warmer by c. 3.0degreesC during the early Holocene, followed by a gradual cooling until 8500 cal. yrs BP (c. 1.0degreesC warmer than today) and a subsequent warming until 7000 cal. yrs BP (c. 2.0degreesC warmer than today). Since 7000 cal, yrs BP, a gradual cooling towards the present-day values is inferred. According to the pollen, annual precipitation may have been considerably higher during the early Holocene than today (c. +150 mm) and increased until 7000 cal. yrs BP (c. +320 mm). Since 7000 cal. yrs BP, annual precipitation decreased continuously towards present-day values. Diatom-inferred pH trends show that natural acidification of c. 0.5 pH units followed deglaciation; present-day values were reached c. 5000 cal. yrs BP. The early Holocene is identified as a problematic time period for the application of modern calibration sets. as diatoms show 'poor' fit to the calibration set from 10 600 to 6000 cal. yrs BP. pollen from 10 600 to 7500 cal. yrs BP, and chironomids from 10 250 to 10 000 cal. yrs BP. Compared with estimates from the COHMAP GCM model, mean July air-temperature inferences based on biological proxies at Vuoskkujavri suggest a more moderate decrease in temperature over the past 9000 years.
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| 25. |
- Jonsson, C. E., et al.
(author)
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High-resolution diatom d18O records from two sub-Arctic high-altitude lakes in the Swedish Scandes
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In: Journal of Quaternary Science. - 0267-8179 .- 1099-1417.
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Waters from high altitude alpine lakes are mainly recharged by meteoric water. Because of seasonal variations in precipitation and temperature, and relatively short hydraulic residence times, most high altitude lakes have lake water isotopic compositions (δ18Olake) that fluctuate due to seasonality in water balance processes. Input from snowmelt, in particular, has a significant role in determining lake water d18O. Here we compare two high resolution δ18Odiatom records from lake sediments in the Swedish Scandes with instrumental data from the last century obtained from nearby meteorological stations. The time period AD 1900 to AD 1990 is characterized by an increase in winter precipitation and high winter/summer precipitation ratios and this is recorded in δ18Odiatom as decreasing trends. Lowest δ18Odiatom values and highest amount of winter precipitation are found around AD 1990 when the winter North Atlantic Oscillation index was above +2. We conclude that for the last 150 years the main factor affecting the δ18Odiatom signal in these sub-Arctic high altitude lakes with short residence times has been changes in amount of winter precipitation and that δ18Odiatom derived from high altitude lakes in the Swedish Scandes can be used as a winter precipitation proxy.
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| 26. |
- Larocque, I, et al.
(author)
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Comparison between chironomid-inferred July temperatures and meteorological data AD 1850-2001 from varved Lake Silvaplana, Switzerland
- 2009
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In: Journal of Paleolimnology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0921-2728 .- 1573-0417. ; 41:2, s. 329-342
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Inferred temperatures from chironomids preserved in the varved sediment of Lake Silvaplana in the Eastern Swiss Alps were compared with instrumental data obtained from a meteorological station in Sils-Maria, on the shore of Lake Silvaplana, for the time interval 1850-2001. At near-annual resolution, the general patterns of chironomid-inferred temperature changes followed the meteorological record over the last 150 years (r (Pearson) = 0.65, P = 0.01) and 87% of the inferences had deviations from the instrumental data below the root-mean-square error of prediction (RMSEP). When the inferences were compared with a 2-year running mean in the meteorological data, 94% of the inferences had differences with the instrumental data below the RMSEP, indicating that more than half of the inaccurate inferences may have been due to errors in varve counting. Larger deviations from the instrumental data were also obtained from samples with low percentages of fossil taxa represented in the training set used for temperature reconstruction and/or assemblages with poor fit to temperature. Changes in total phosphorus (TP, as inferred by diatoms) and/or greater precipitation were possible factors affecting the accuracy of the temperature reconstruction. Although these factors might affect the quantitative estimates, obtaining > 80% accurate temperature inferences suggests that chironomid analysis is a reliable tool for reconstructing mean July air temperature quantitatively over the last 150 years in Lake Silvaplana.
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| 27. |
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| 28. |
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| 29. |
- Svensson, Anders, et al.
(author)
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Bipolar volcanic synchronization of abrupt climate change in Greenland and Antarctic ice cores during the last glacial period
- 2020
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In: Climate of the Past. - : Copernicus GmbH. - 1814-9324 .- 1814-9332. ; 16:4, s. 1565-1580
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The last glacial period is characterized by a number of millennial climate events that have been identified in both Greenland and Antarctic ice cores and that are abrupt in Greenland climate records. The mechanisms governing this climate variability remain a puzzle that requires a precise synchronization of ice cores from the two hemispheres to be resolved. Previously, Greenland and Antarctic ice cores have been synchronized primarily via their common records of gas concentrations or isotopes from the trapped air and via cosmogenic isotopes measured on the ice. In this work, we apply ice core volcanic proxies and annual layer counting to identify large volcanic eruptions that have left a signature in both Greenland and Antarctica. Generally, no tephra is associated with those eruptions in the ice cores, so the source of the eruptions cannot be identified. Instead, we identify and match sequences of volcanic eruptions with bipolar distribution of sulfate, i.e. unique patterns of volcanic events separated by the same number of years at the two poles. Using this approach, we pinpoint 82 large bipolar volcanic eruptions throughout the second half of the last glacial period (12-60ka). This improved ice core synchronization is applied to determine the bipolar phasing of abrupt climate change events at decadal-scale precision. In response to Greenland abrupt climatic transitions, we find a response in the Antarctic water isotope signals (δ18O and deuterium excess) that is both more immediate and more abrupt than that found with previous gas-based interpolar synchronizations, providing additional support for our volcanic framework. On average, the Antarctic bipolar seesaw climate response lags the midpoint of Greenland abrupt δ18O transitions by 122±24 years. The time difference between Antarctic signals in deuterium excess and δ18O, which likewise informs the time needed to propagate the signal as described by the theory of the bipolar seesaw but is less sensitive to synchronization errors, suggests an Antarctic δ18O lag behind Greenland of 152±37 years. These estimates are shorter than the 200 years suggested by earlier gas-based synchronizations. As before, we find variations in the timing and duration between the response at different sites and for different events suggesting an interaction of oceanic and atmospheric teleconnection patterns as well as internal climate variability.
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| 30. |
- von Gunten, L., et al.
(author)
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Seasonal temperatures for the past ~400 years reconstructed from diatom and chironomid assemblages in a high-altitude lake (Lej da la Tscheppa, Switzerland)
- 2008
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In: Journal of Paleolimnology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0921-2728 .- 1573-0417. ; 39, s. 283–299-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We analysed a 42 cm long sediment record from Lej da la Tscheppa, a high-altitude lake (2,616 m a.s.l.) in the Upper Engadine valley (Switzerland) for subfossil diatoms, chironomids and pollen. The chronology of the top 21 cm of the record was established using 210Pb analysis using a constant-rate-of-supply model, and validated with 137Cs measurements and the content of spheroidal carbonaceous particles. A tentative chronology for the lower part of the core was obtained through extrapolation of the sedimentation rates in the uppermost part of the record. Pollen assemblages in the record reflect regional changes in forestation and land-use patterns in the Upper Engadine valley and show no evidenceof significant local human activity in the lake’s catchment. Diatom assemblages record a distinct increase in planktonic taxa since the early 19th century, suggesting a decrease in the duration of ice-cover. In contrast, chironomid assemblages remained stable during a large part of the record. We applied an established chironomid-based July air temperature transfer function and a newly developed diatom-based spring air temperature transfer function to reconstruct past seasonal air temperature changes at Lej da la Tscheppa. The reconstructions indicate a diatom-inferred warming trend in spring temperatures during the past ca. 400 years, whereas chironomid-inferred summer temperatures suggest a slight cooling trend.
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