Communities and Sustainability

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Understanding the relationships among different peoples and the natural world and ensuring that they are maintained in a good way — a philosophy embodied in the Cree/Saulteaux concept of wahkohtowin — is crucial to overcoming urgent environmental, social, and political hurdles.

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An often-overestimated ecological risk of copper in Chinese surface water: bioavailable fraction determined by multiple linear regression of water quality parameters
(SpringerOpen, 2023-10-13) Liao, Wei; Zheng, Yutao; feng, chenglian; Zhong, Wenjun; Zhu, Ziwei; Xie, Huiyu; Li, Wenpan; Jin, Xiaowei; Giesy, John
Background Risks of adverse ecological effects of copper (Cu) consider of water quality parameters were not fully understood in China. Here, a national-scale exposure of Cu in Chinese surface water was investigated, and the first report using multiple linear regression approach to predict and correct toxicity data based on water chemistries in China. Risk of Cu was overestimated without considering water quality parameters in the previous studies. Results Under prevalent water quality conditions of hardness = 150.0 mg/L, pH = 7.8, and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) = 3.0 mg/L, across China, the predicted no effect concentration for total, dissolved Cu was 9.71 μg/L. Based on results of the preliminary risk quotients method, 1.19% (a total of 43 in 3610 sites) were classified as “high risk”, only one sixth of the percentage of sites with “high risk” than the proportion predicted when not considering water quality parameters, which was 7.51%. Similar results were obtained by application of both the margin of safety method (0.71% compared to 2.81%) and joint probability curve method (3.34% compared to 16.29%), both of which overestimated risks posed by Cu to aquatic organisms in China. Conclusion After correcting for bioavailability based on water quality parameters, consider both concentrations and frequencies during ecological risk assessment, regions of China at greatest risk from adverse effects of Cu were the Hai River (Haihe), Huai Rivers (Huaihe) and Chao Lake. These findings provide a comprehensive method for a more accurate assessment of risks of adverse effects of Cu to aquatic life in surface waters.
A preliminary investigation of microbial communities on the Athabasca Glacier within deposited organic matter
(Royal Society of Chemistry, 2024-01-24) Esser, Milena; Ankley, Phillip; Aubry-Wake, Caroline; Xie, Yuwei; Baulch, Helen; Hoggarth, Cameron; Hecker, Markus; Hollert, Henner; Giesy, John; Pomeroy, John W.; Brinkmann, Markus
Glacier ecosystems are shrinking at an accelerating rate due to changes in climate and also increased darkening from allochthonous and autochthonous carbon leading to subsequent changes in the absorption of light, associated heat, and microbial communities. In this study, in combination with measurement of nutrients and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), compositions of microbial communities on surfaces of the Athabasca Glacier (Canadian Rockies, Alberta, Canada) were measured and characterized by use of metabarcoding and scanning electron microscopy. Three matrices, glacier ice, cryoconite hole, and supraglacial surface sediment, were analyzed to gain a first insight into microbial communities on the Athabasca Glacier. Both, eukaryotic and prokaryotic microbial biodiversity was positively correlated with PAH concentrations of Benzo[a]pyrene, Indeno[123-cd]pyrene, Chrysene, Benzo[ghi]perylene, and Dibenz[ah]anthracene. Furthermore, the combustion of petroleum was identified as a major source of PAHs found on the Athabasca Glacier. The high levels of deposition and nutrients observed in this study may lead to an increase in microbial activity and growth that could accelerate glacier melting by further reducing surface albedo. More research is needed to understand the impacts of microbial activity and biodiversity on surface albedo and its effects on glacier meltwater, in the context of global climate change.
Stabilization of Oil-in-Water Pickering Emulsions by Surface-Functionalized Cellulose Hydrogel
(MDPI, 2024-10-24) Udoetok, Inimfon A.; Mohamed, Mohamed H.; Wilson, Lee D.
An amphiphilic cellulose (CLH) hydrogel was synthesized via grafting of quaternary ammonium groups onto cellulose. The structural properties of CLH were characterized via Fourier transform infrared (FTIR)/13C solid-state NMR spectroscopy, elemental (CHN) analysis, particle size distribution (PSD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and wettability was assessed through contact angle measurements. Pickering emulsions of apolar oils in water were prepared using variable weights of the CLH hydrogel as the stabilizing agent, along with different methods of agitation (mechanical shaking and sonication). The characterization results for CLH provide support for the successful grafting of quaternary ammonium groups onto cellulose to produce hydrogels. Different methods of agitation of an oil/water mixture revealed the formation of an oil-in-water (O/W) Pickering emulsion that was stable to coalescence for over 14 days. The resulting emulsions showed variable droplet sizes and stability according to the dosage of CLH in the emulsion and the agitation method, where the emulsion droplet size is related to the particle size of CLH. The addition of methyl orange (MO), a probe to evaluate the phase partitioning of the dye, had minor effects on the emulsion droplet size, and the emulsion prepared with 0.8 wt.% of CLH and agitated via sonication exhibited the smallest droplet size and greatest stability. This study is anticipated to catalyze further research and the development of low-cost and sustainable biopolymer hydrogels as stabilizers for tunable Pickering emulsion. Grafted cellulose materials of this type represent versatile stabilizing agents for foods, agrochemicals, and pharmaceutical products and technologies.
Trace fossils from the Meishucun section of South China: revisiting ichnotaxonomy, behavioural diversification and ecosystem engineering from a key Ediacaran–Cambrian succession
(Wiley, 2025-03-25) Zhang, Li-Jun; Buatois,Luis; Mángano, Gabriela; Yang, Qiqi; Zhang, Shishan; Wei, Fan; Fan, Ruo-Ying; Zhao, Ziwei; Wang, Zhen; Ma, Xiao-Ya; Tang, Feng
The Ediacaran–Cambrian transition was a time of profound geobiological revolution and sedimentary change in Earth's history, including arguably the most dramatic evolutionary radiation and a remarkable biotic replacement. The complex feedback between diversification of metazoans and their ecological interactions, especially after the extinction of the latest Ediacaran biota, is still debated. Here, we systematically studied the trace fossil content of the Ediacaran–Cambrian succession from the Meishucun section of South China. A total of 20 ichnogenera comprising 31 ichnospecies have been identified in the succession. The occurrence of Treptichnus pedum in the Lower Phosphate of the Zhongyicun Member reinforces the importance of this ichnotaxon as an indicator of the Ediacaran–Cambrian boundary. Our critical review of the trace fossil record of this key succession shows that increases in ichnodiversity, ichnodisparity, degree of bioturbation, and bioturbation depth were accompanied by increases in modes of life and ecosystem engineering throughout the early Cambrian. The dramatic and stepped increased in ichnodiversity and ichnodisparity in the Ediacaran–Cambrian transition, from simple trace fossil morphologies in the Ediacaran to complex branching in the Fortunian, and finally horizontal looping trails and suspension feeding burrows in Cambrian Stage 2, paralleled the shift from the Cambrian information revolution to the agronomic revolution. The dramatic hike in bioturbation intensity and depth that occurred during Cambrian Stage 2 may have resulted in an increase in bioirrigation levels and was conducive to a further deepening of the redox discontinuity surface.
Engineering, Entrepreneurship, and Library Support in University Campus Startup Competitions
(Taylor & Francis, 2025-05-19) Wheatley, Amanda; Power, Helen
Startup competitions are the first opportunity that undergraduate students have to launch their innovative ideas. However, market-research skills are not consistently covered in engineering programs. This study looked at the top engineering programs in Canada and the US and examined the member composition of their winning startups for engineers and compared this to their library resources. Of the 22 universities included, IBISWorld (20), Statista (16), and Mergent (16) were the most popular databases. Ten had an entrepreneurship librarian and 16 had an entrepreneurship library guide. There was no correlation between available resources and number of engineering-related winning startup teams.
Production of activated carbon from date palm stones by hydrothermal carbonization and microwave assisted KOH/NaOH mixture activation for dye adsorption
(Nature, 2023-11-03) aloud, saud; Alharbi, Hattan; Hameed, Bassim H. ; Giesy, John; Almady, Saad; Alotaibi, Khaled D.
Date palm stones are regarded as possible alternatives to activated carbon (AC) precursors with high potential for various environmental applications. In this research study, date palm stones derived activated carbon (DPSAC) was used as adsorbent for removing toxic remazol brilliant blue R (RBBR). The synthesis of DPSAC involved a chemical treatment using KOH and NaOH (1:1). Characterization of DPSAC revealed that it exhibited a BET surface area of 715.30 m2/g, Langmuir surface area of 1061.93 m2/g, total pore volume of 0.39 cm3/g, and average pore diameter of 2.15 nm. Adsorption uptake of RBBR increased (from 24.54 to 248.54 mg/g), whereas the removal percentage decreased (from 98.16 to 82.85%) when the initial RBBR concentration increased (from 25 to 300 mg/L). The adsorption process performed best under acidic conditions (pH 3), with an RBBR uptake of 98.33 mg/g. Because of the high R2 values (0.9906 and 0.9779) and low average errors (6.24 and 13.95%), this adsorption process followed the Freundlich isotherm and pseudo-first-order (PFO) models, respectively. The Langmuir adsorption capacity (Qm) was 319.63 mg/g. Thermodynamic parameters were − 11.34 kJ/mol for ∆H° (exothermic in nature), 0.05 kJ/mol K for ∆S° (increasing randomness level at solid–liquid interface), − 27.37 kJ/mol for ∆G° (spontaneous), and 6.84 kJ/mol for Ea (controlled by physisorption).
Multiplex analysis platform for evaluation of endocrine disruption of emerging contaminants against human steroid hormone receptors using autobioluminescent yeast bioassay: Application to bisphenols
(Elsevier, 2024-04-26) Huang, Yuan; Zhang, Wei; Wang, Ruiguo; Xiao, Zhiming; Giesy, John; Wu, Liming; Su, Xiaoou
Emerging synthetic or derivative chemicals have drawn global concern due to their potential endocrine-disrupting effects, either as agonists or antagonists or through indirect effects on enzymes of signal transduction pathways. Currently, in vitro screening models are limited to poor tolerance, robustness, high cost and need for sphisticated equipment or complex procedures that require high levels of expertise. Herein, a multiplex analysis platform based on autobioluminescent yeast strains, including BLYhERαS, BLYhERβS, BLYhPRS, BLYhARS, BLYhMRS, and BLYhGRS, was developed for use in easy, rapid, robust, and sensitive screening for potential modulation of endocrine systems. Methods were applied to assess endocrine-disrupting effects of Bisphenol A (BPA) and its alternatives. Disrupting activities of bisphenols (BPs) varied greatly, and some BPA substitutes exerted more potent activities than those of BPA. Most BPs were primarily agonists of ERα and ERβ, while others were antagonists to AR, PR, GR, and MR. BPP and BPM exhibited non-monotonic dose-response relationships toward ERα and ERβ, and BHPF and BPG displayed converse disrupting activities to ERα and ERβ. Overall, the bioassay system provides an efficient tool for comprehensive evaluation of endocrine-disrupting activities of emerging contaminants.
Mixtures of legacy and replacement perfluorosulphonic acids (PFSAs) demonstrate ratio-, concentration- and endpoint-dependent synergistic interactions in vitro
(Elsevier, 2024-05-25) Mahoney, Hannah; da Silva, Francisco; Brinkmann, Markus; Giesy, John
The extensive use of poly- and per-fluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) has les to their widespread presence in the environment, raising concerns about potential toxicity. While certain PFASs of concern have been phased-out or banned, new PFASs continue to be produced. Two such substances are perfluoroethylcyclohexane sulphonate (PFECHS) and perfluorobutane sulphamide (FBSA), replacements of perfluoroctanesulphonic acid (PFOS) that have recently been detected in multiple environmental media around the globe. Despite PFASs generally occurring in the environment as mixtures, few data are available outlining the effects of PFAS mixtures. Therefore, this research investigated the interaction potential of binary and ternary mixtures of emerging and legacy PFASs. The immortalized rainbow trout gill cell line (RTgill-W1) was chosen as the experimental model to investigate two apical endpoints: cytotoxicity and phospholipidosis. RTgill-W1 cells were exposed for 24 h to each compound to obtain endpoint-specific effect concentrations (LCx; ECx). These values were then applied to formulate mixture predictions following the Loewes Additivity and Steel and Peckham methods. Based on cytotoxicity, relative potencies of individual compounds were: PFOS > PFECHS > FSBA. PFOS and PFECHS had nearly identical effects on phospholipidosis, while FSBA did not have any effects. Most mixtures had a synergistic effect on cytotoxicity, but the effect was both dose- and ratio-dependent. PFOS and PFECHS were additive at lower concentrations (LC10) and synergistic at higher concentrations (LC50; 3:1, 1:1, and 1:3). PFECHS and FSBA mixtures were synergistic at all doses and ratios (3:1, 1:1, 1:3), while FBSA and PFOS were mainly synergistic at higher concentrations and at ratios favouring PFOS (1:1, 1:3). Tertiary combinations were mainly synergistic. For phospholipidosis, mixtures were strictly additive. These results are strongly suggestive of synergism between emerging PFAS replacements and highlight that independent apical mechanisms of different PFASs could combine to induce unexpected toxicity. Considering that emerging replacements are continuing to increase in concentration in the environment, such mixture scenarios are also likely to continue to increase in probability.
A comparison of seasonal flexibility in pectoralis muscle fiber type and enzyme activity in migratory and resident sparrow species
(The Company of Biologists, 2025-02) Lewicki, Louisa M.; Zhang, Marina; Staples, James F.; Guglielmo, Christopher G.; Ivy, Catherine
The pectoralis muscle in birds is important for flight and thermogenesis. In migratory songbirds this muscle exhibits seasonal flexibility in size, but whether this flexibility reflects changes in muscle fiber type has not been well documented. We investigated how seasonal changes in photoperiod affected pectoralis muscle fiber type and metabolic enzymes, comparing among three closely related sparrow species: two seasonal migrants and one year-round, temperate climate resident. We quantified fast oxidative glycolytic (FOG) and fast glycolytic (FG) fibers histologically, and measured activities of citrate synthase (CS) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in the pectoralis muscle of the three species that were acclimated to long or short periods of daylight. In all species, FOG was the predominant fiber type, but song sparrows had FG fibers regardless of daylight conditions. By contrast, Lincoln's sparrows incorporated FG fibers only under short-daylight conditions, and house sparrows did not significantly express FG fibers, regardless of daylight length. Both migratory species increased LDH activity in short-daylight conditions but did not alter CS activity. In contrast, resident house sparrows did not alter CS or LDH activity with changes in daylight length. Our findings suggest that the presence of FG fibers is important for seasonal flexibility in LDH activity. Additionally, migratory species exhibited seasonal flexibility in muscle fiber type and enzyme activity, presumably to support migratory flight, while the resident species did not exhibit such seasonal flexibility, suggesting that this consistent phenotype is important year-round, despite changing thermogenic requirements.
Fenton-Based Treatment of Flax Biomass for Modification of Its Fiber Structure and Physicochemical Properties
(MDPI, 2024-07-15) Aliasgharlou, Nasrin; Cree, Duncan E.; Wilson, Lee
The availability of a sustainable technique for degumming lignocellulose fibers is a challenge for the fiber processing industry. Removal of non-cellulosic content from lignocellulose fibers is essential for improving their mechanical and chemical properties, which makes the fibers more suitable for various applications. Herein, a catalytic Fenton-based oxidation process was employed to isolate microcellulose fibers from raw flax fibers. Various complementary methods such as FT-IR/NMR spectroscopy and TGA were used to obtain insight into the thermal behavior of the treated fibers. The morphology of the fibers was studied using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), whereas the surface chemical properties of the fibers was evaluated by a dye-based adsorption method, along with a potentiometric point-of-zero-charge method. To obtain fibers with suitable properties, such as uniform fiber diameter, several Fenton reaction parameters were optimized: pH (7), reaction time (15 h), iron sulfate (2 wt.%), and hydrogen peroxide (10 wt.%). The results indicate that, under the specified conditions, the average diameter of the raw fibers (12.3 ± 0.5 µm) was reduced by 58%, resulting in an average diameter of 5.2 ± 0.3 µm for the treated fibers. We demonstrate that the treated fibers had a lower dye adsorption capacity for methylene blue, consistent with the smoother surface features of the treated fibers over the raw flax fibers. Overall, this study contributes to utilization of the Fenton reaction an efficient oxidation technique for the production of lignocellulose fibers with improved physicochemical properties, such as reduced fiber diameter distribution, in contrast with traditional alkali-based chemical treatment.
Librarian Sabbatical/Leave Preparation Advice
(2025-04-08) Power, Helen; McLean, Jaclyn
This document includes advice in the form of planning prompts and checklists to help academic librarians prepare for sabbatical leave or long-term leave. This is all shared with the intent to be supportive and helpful. Please note that not everything included here will apply to everyone. The document includes references to the University of Saskatchewan's internal guidelines for sabbaticals, which can be removed by external librarians. We encourage you to pick the planning prompts that fit for you. Feel free to download, remove and/or add items, and adjust for your institution.
Health and equity considerations in policy and practice related to sustainable transportation interventions in four Canadian cities
(Elsevier, 2025-03) Verity, Wendy; Stephens, Zoe Poirier; Lin, Helena; Ottoni, Callista A.; Bourgeois, Eve; Kestens, Yan; Fuller, Daniel; Manaugh, Kevin; Winters, Meghan
Cities around the world are making major investments in sustainable transportation infrastructure in response to diverse societal challenges. These projects have the potential to advance healthy cities, but it is unknown to what extent municipalities incorporate health and equity goals into sustainable transportation policy and practice. We provide an empirical analysis of how health and equity were understood, operationalized, and measured in the planning, design, and implementation of four sustainable transportation projects in four Canadian cities, Victoria, Vancouver, Saskatoon, and Montreal, as part of the INTerventions, Equity, Research, and Action in Cities Team (INTERACT) project. We reviewed nine policy documents that guided the sustainable transportation interventions and conducted content analysis to understand how health and equity were referred to within public-facing policy documents. We also interviewed 23 city staff, councillors, or members of advocacy groups who were involved in the planning, design, and implementation of these interventions and conducted framework analysis on the transcripts. We developed themes from integrated findings of our policy scan and interviews with practitioners. We found that health was broadly used in the policy framing, and that safety and modal shift towards active modes were key health outcomes in both policy and practice. Other health outcomes were described as co-benefits but were minimally operationalized and had limited influence on the prioritization of municipal investments. Equity priorities in policies and practice centered on design and implementation features geared towards equity-deserving groups and accessibility for all ages and abilities. Participants emphasized the importance of policy and political will for advancing equity goals and navigating trade-offs between prioritizing high-use or equity-focused routes. Participants also described challenges with measuring health (due to institutional mandates) and equity (due to lack of disaggregated data). These findings highlight the opportunities for clearer direction in policy and practice in relation to health and equity goals in sustainable transportation interventions.
Morphologically complex plant macrofossils from the Late Silurian of Arctic Canada
(Botanical Society of America, 2002-06) Kotyk, Michele E.; Basinger, James F.; Gensel, Patricia G.; de Freitas, Tim A.
In addition to vegetative remains, fertile remains from ten plants, representing seven distinct taxa whose size and complexity are much greater than most contemporaneous fossils, are reported from late Ludlow (Ludfordian) sediments of Bathurst Island in Nunavut, Canada. Evidence for the age of these beds is gathered from stratigraphic relationships and index fossils including conodonts, graptolites, and brachiopods. Zosterophylls dominate the collection, some of which constitute the earliest record of fertile structures arranged in dense clusters and longitudinal rows along axes. Representatives include a plant that resembles Bathurstia, one species of Zosterophyllum, and two specimens that bear affinity to this genus. Distichophytum is also represented, as is a new zosterophyll named Macivera gracilis. The prevalence of sporangial clustering and reduced sporangial stalks in this flora leads to a discussion of the origins and significance of these morphological features. Following a review of some of the other Silurian floras, particularly the Baragwanathia-bearing Lower Plant Assemblage of Victoria, Australia, which also shows morphological advancement over the rhyniophytoid-dominated floras common to Laurussia, it is concluded that the Bathurst Island flora presents the best evidence to date of substantial morphological diversity, complexity, and stature of vascular land plants in this period.
Endorhizal Fungi in Ranunculus from Western and Arctic Canada: Predominance of Fine Endophytes at High Latitudes
(Bentham Open Archives, 2010-01) Walker, X. J.; Basinger, J. F.; Kaminskyj, S. J. W.
Ranunculus roots were sampled across a latitudinal transect encompassing 52 °N and 82 °N, for years spanning 1963-2007. Samples from 2004 and later were preserved in formalin; earlier samples were taken from herbarium accessions. Roots were examined for colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizae, fine endophyte, and septate endophyte fungi using lactofuchsin-stained material imaged with epifluorescence microscopy. Endorhizal quantitation was assessed for each endorhizal morphotype. Roots from High Arctic (79 °N-82 °N) and mid-latitude (52 °N-54 °N) sites both contained all three endorhizal morphotypes; however, overall fungal colonization was almost three-fold higher in midlatitude samples. Most Ranunculus root colonization (29 % of the root length) in High Arctic samples was from fine endophyte fungi, whereas fine endophyte colonization was ∼ 20 % of root length in mid-latitude roots. In contrast, arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization was 2 % of root length in High Arctic samples and 57 % in mid-latitude samples. Septate endophyte colonization was 11 % and 36 % of root length for High Arctic and mid-latitude samples, respectively. These values are consistent with our previous results for other taxa, and suggest that fine endophytes are important contributors to soil microbial diversity as related to plant survival and competitiveness in the high latitudes.
Latisemenia longshania, gen. et sp. nov., a new Late Devonian seed plant from China
(The Royal Society Publishing, 2015-10) Wang, De-Ming; Basinger, James F.; Huang, Pu; Liu, Le; Xue, Jin-Zhuang; Meng, Mei-Cen; Zhang, Ying-Ying; Deng, Zhen-Zhen
The earliest known ovules in the Late Devonian (Famennian) are borne terminally on fertile branches and are typically enclosed in a cupule. Among these ovules are some that have terete integumentary lobes with little or no fusion. Here, we report a new taxon, Latisemenia longshania, from the Famennian of South China, which bears cupulate ovules that are terminal as well as opposite on the fertile axis. Each ovule has four broad integumentary lobes, which are extensively fused to each other and also to the nucellus. The cupule is uniovulate, and the five flattened cupule segments of each terminal ovule are elongate cuneate and shorter than the ovule. Associated but not attached pinnules are laminate and Sphenopteris-like, with an entire or lobate margin. Latisemenia is the earliest known plant with ovules borne on the side of the fertile axis and may foreshadow the diverse ovule arrangements found among younger seed plant lineages that emerge in the Carboniferous. Following the telome theory, Latisemenia demonstrates derived features in both ovules and cupules, and the shape and fusion of integumentary lobes suggest effective pollination and protection to the nucellus. Along with other recent discoveries from China, Latisemenia extends the palaeogeographic range of the earliest seed plants.
A review of paleobotanical studies of the Early Eocene Okanagan (Okanogan) Highlands floras of British Columbia, Canada, and Washington, USA
(Canadian Science Publishing, 2016-02) Greenwood, David R.; Pigg, Kathleen B.; Basinger, James F.; DeVore, Melanie L.
The history of plant fossil collecting in the Okanagan (Okanogan) Highlands of British Columbia and northeastern Washington is closely intertwined with the history of geological surveys and mining activities from the 1870s onward. The first descriptions of fossil plants from British Columbia were published in 1870–1920 by J.W. Dawson, G.M. Dawson, and D.P. Penhallow. In the United States, fossil leaves and fish were first recognized at Republic, Washington, by miners in the early 1900s. Many early workers considered these floras to be of Oligocene or Miocene age. C.A. Arnold described Canadian occurrences of conifers and Azolla in the 1950s. Palynological studies in the 1960s by L.V. Hills, G.E. Rouse, and others and those of fossil fish by M.V.H. Wilson in the 1970–1980s provided the framework for paleobotanical research at several key localities. Permineralized plants were first described from the Princeton chert in the 1970s by C.N. Miller, J.F. Basinger, and others, followed by R.A. Stockey and her students. W.C. Wehr and K.R. Johnson revitalized the study of fossils at Republic with the discovery of a diverse assemblage in 1977. In 1987, J.A. Wolfe and Wehr produced a United States Geological Survey monograph on Republic, and Wehr cofounded the Stonerose Interpretive Center as a venue for public collecting. Systematic studies of the Okanagan Highlands plants, as well as paleoecological and paleoclimate reconstructions from palynomorphs and leaf floras, continue to expand our understanding of this important Early Eocene assemblage.
The relationship between climate conditions and consumption of bottled water: A potential link between climate change and plastic pollution
(Elsevier, 2021) Zapata, Oscar
The solution to the challenges that society currently faces, for example climate change and global pollution, requires the understanding of the linkages between these problems. One of these linkages relates changes in climate conditions to consumption of bottled water, which constitutes a source of plastic pollution worldwide. Using information from the labour and households' environmental behaviour surveys and climate records of Ecuador, a geographically fragmented country, we determine how climate conditions affect the decision to consume bottled water and the volume consumed. We methodologically address the problem of selection when households make decisions about this type of consumption, and find that climate variables are important to explain whether and how much bottled water households consume. The temperature-elasticity of the demand for bottled water ranges from inelastic to elastic depending on the model specification. An increase of 1 °C in average temperature is associated, on average, with an increase of almost one-fifth of a water bottle. Temperature increases the consumption of bottled water even more in rural areas and among occupations exposed to climate conditions.
The Miocene Red Lake macroflora of the Deadman River Formation (Chilcotin Group), Interior Plateau, British Columbia, Canada
(W. Szafer Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences, 2020) Greenwood, David; West, Christopher K.; Basinger, James F.
Despite early interest in Neogene floras, primarily Miocene sites associated with Mio–Pliocene volcanic deposits of the Interior Plateau of British Columbia, few systematic accounts of the Miocene macrofloras of British Columbia – or elsewhere in non-Arctic Canada – have been published since the pioneering studies of J.W. Dawson and his contemporaries in the late 19th century. In this report, the Red Lake macroflora from sediments of the middle Miocene Deadman River Formation exposed in the Red Lake diatomite mine north of Kamloops, British Columbia, is illustrated, and a preliminary assessment presented, along with a brief review of Miocene floras from British Columbia and the U.S. Pacific Northwest. The Red Lake macroflora contains rare Ginkgo leaves, shoots of Cupressaceae (Cupressinocladus, Metasequoia, Taxodium) and shoots and seeds of Pinaceae (Pseudotsuga, Tsuga), maple (Acer) seeds and leaves, Liquidambar (fruit), Trochodendraceae (Zizyphoides auriculata leaves, Nordenskioeldia interglacialis fruits), leaves of 4 species of red and white oaks (Quercus columbiana, Q. prelobata, Q. pseudolyrata, Quercus sp.), leaves of an alder (Alnus harneyana) and birch (Betula thor), chestnut (Castanea spokanensis), beech (Fagus pacifica), sycamore (Platanus dissecta), elm (Ulmus speciosa), leaves of unidentified taxa, fruits of Tilia pedunculata (Malvaceae) and fruits and inflorescences of other unidentified taxa, and leaves of a reed or rush (indet. monocot). The Red Lake middle Miocene climate reconstructed from leaf physiognomy was temperate and mesic, with mean annual temperature ~11–13°C, mild winters (coldest month mean temperature ~3°C), mean annual precipitation 170 −51/+73 cm/yr, and growing season precipitation ~92 cm, with moderate seasonality of precipitation (three wettest months ~51 cm vs. three driest months ~25 cm). The Red Lake flora shows similarities to middle to late Miocene floras from the U.S. Pacific Northwest (i.e., richness in oaks) but is of much lower diversity and lacks key elements common to many of the contemporaneous U.S. Miocene floras (e.g., foliage of Pinaceae esp. Pinus), and is missing taxa detected in the microflora, a pattern likely due to sampling effectiveness at the Red Lake Mine and sampling of different lithofacies for macro- and microfloras.
Dietary palaeoecology of an Early Cretaceous armoured dinosaur (Ornithischia; Nodosauridae) based on floral analysis of stomach contents
(The Royal Society Publishing, 2020-06) Brown, Caleb M.; Greenwood, David; Kalyniuk, Jessica E.; Braman, Dennis R.; Henderson, Donald M.; Greenwood, Cathy L.; Basinger, James F.
The exceptionally well-preserved holotype of the armoured dinosaur Borealopelta markmitchelli (Ornithischia; Nodosauridae) from the Early Cretaceous (Clearwater Formation) of northern Alberta preserves a distinct mass within the abdominal cavity. Fourteen independent criteria (including: co-allochthony, anatomical position, gastroliths) support the interpretation of this mass as ingested stomach contents—a cololite. Palynomorphs in the cololite are a subset of the more diverse external sample. Analysis of the cololite documents well-preserved plant material dominated by leaf tissue (88%), including intact sporangia, leaf cross-sections and cuticle, but also including stems, wood and charcoal. The leaf fraction is dominated (85%) by leptosporangiate ferns (subclass Polypodiidae), with low cycad–cycadophyte (3%) and trace conifer foliage. These data represent the most well-supported and detailed direct evidence of diet in an herbivorous dinosaur. Details of the dietary palaeoecology of this nodosaur are revealed, including: selective feeding on ferns; preferential ingestion of leptosporangiate ferns to the exclusion of Osmundaceae and eusporangiate ferns such as Marattiaceae; and incidental consumption of cycad–cycadophyte and conifer leaves. The presence of significant (6%) charcoal may represent the dietary use of recently burned conifer forest undergoing fern succession, early evidence of a fire succession ecology, as is associated with many modern large herbivores.
TRANSECTS - Principles of Transdisciplinarity
(2022-04-11) Cockburn, Jessica; Rosenberg, Eureta

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