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Understanding the distribution and structure of biotopes is essential for marine conservation according to international legislation, such as the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). The biotope 'Sea Pen and Burrowing Megafuna Communities' is included in the OSPAR list of threatened and/or declining habitats. Accordingly, the MSFD prescribes a monitoring of this biotope by the member states of the EU. In the German North Sea, however, the distribution and spatial extent of this biotope as well as the structuring of its benthic species inventory is unknown. We used an extensive geo-referenced dataset on occurrence, abundance and biomass of the benthic infauna of the south-eastern North Sea to estimate the distribution of the biotope and to characterize the associated infauna assemblages. Sediment preferences of the burrowing megafauna, comprising decapod crustaceans and echiurids, were identified and the core distribution areas of the burrowing megafauna were modelled using Random Forests. Clusters of benthic infauna inside the core distribution areas were identified by fuzzy clustering. The burrowing megafauna occurred on a wide range of sediments with varying mud contents. The core distribution area of the burrowing megafauna was characterized by elevated mud content and a water depth of 25-55 m. The analysis of the benthic communities and their relation to sedimentological conditions identified four infauna clusters of slightly varying species composition. The biotope type 'Sea Pen and Burrowing Megafuna Communities' is primarily located inside the paleo valley of the river Elbe and covers an area of 4980 km2. Dedicated monitoring will have to take into account the spatial extent and the structural variability of the biotope. Our results can provide a baseline for the evaluation of the future development of the environmental status of the biotope. The maps generated herein will facilitate the communication of information relevant for environmental management to authorities and policy makers.
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Ecosistema , Monitoreo del Ambiente , Biomasa , Mar del Norte , RíosRESUMEN
This study investigated whether statistical correlation of modeled atmospheric heavy metal deposition and respective accumulation in moss and natural surface soil varies across natural landscapes in Norway. Target metals were cadmium, lead, and mercury, and analyses were run between 1990 and 2010 on a 5-year interval. The landscape information was derived from the Ecological Land Classification of Europe. Correlations between concentration and respective deposition data were computed for each land class. The strongest correlations between heavy metal concentrations in atmospheric deposition and corresponding levels in moss and natural surface soil were observed for lead. Correlations for mercury were weaker compared to those calculated for cadmium and lead, indicating that atmospheric transport of mercury occurs at a larger spatial scale, while accumulation additionally seems to be influenced by factors operating on smaller scales. The correlation between concentrations in atmospheric deposition and moss is landscape-specific and metal-specific. The same holds true for the relations between heavy metal concentration in modeled atmospheric deposition and natural surface soil. The results of this investigation are in line with similar calculations from across Europe. They further confirm previous studies indicating that for Norway atmospheric transport is a main source of lead and cadmium accumulation in moss as well as in natural surface soil.
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Contaminantes Atmosféricos/análisis , Atmósfera/química , Briófitas/química , Monitoreo del Ambiente/estadística & datos numéricos , Metales Pesados/análisis , Modelos Químicos , Contaminantes del Suelo/análisis , Cadmio/análisis , Monitoreo del Ambiente/métodos , Geografía , Plomo/análisis , Espectrometría de Masas , Mercurio/análisis , Noruega , Espectrometría de Fluorescencia , Estadísticas no ParamétricasRESUMEN
To compare three biomonitoring techniques for assessing nitrogen (N) pollution in Germany, 326 lichen, 153 moss and 187 bark samples were collected from 16 sites of the national N deposition monitoring network. The analysed ranges of N content of all investigated biomonitors (0.32%-4.69%) and the detected δ(15)N values (-15.2-1.5), made it possible to reveal species specific spatial patterns of N concentrations in biota to indicate atmospheric N deposition in Germany. The comparison with measured and modelled N deposition data shows that particularly lichens are able to reflect the local N deposition originating from agriculture.
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Contaminantes Atmosféricos/análisis , Briófitas/química , Monitoreo del Ambiente/métodos , Líquenes/química , Nitrógeno/análisis , Corteza de la Planta/química , Agricultura , AlemaniaRESUMEN
Concerning increased degradation of marine ecosystems, there is a great political and institutional demand for an array of different tools to restore a good environmental status. Thereby, eutrophication is acknowledged as one of the major human induced stressors which has to be monitored and reduced. The present study concentrates on an assessment of the eutrophication status of the Baltic Sea Protected Areas by use of available data and GIS technologies. Two geodata layers were used for analysis: (1) a map on the eutrophication status of the Baltic Sea generated by the Helsinki Commission applying the HELCOM Eutrophication Assessment Tool (HEAT), and (2) modelled data on atmospheric nitrogen deposition made available by the European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP). The results yielded comprehensive and conclusive data indicating that most of the BSPAs may be classified as being 'affected by eutrophication' and underlining the need to decrease the overall emissions of nutrients.
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Monitoreo del Ambiente/métodos , Eutrofización , Sistemas de Información Geográfica , Contaminación del Agua/análisis , Atmósfera/química , Conservación de los Recursos Naturales , Monitoreo del Ambiente/instrumentación , Nitrógeno/análisis , Océanos y Mares , Contaminantes Químicos del Agua/análisis , Contaminación del Agua/estadística & datos numéricosRESUMEN
This study aimed at statistically investigating the association between the internal exposure of children and young adults to uranium (U) and epidemiologically relevant external determinants of exposure. The investigation was performed with data from two studies within the framework of the German health-related environmental monitoring program: The German Environmental Survey for Children (GerES IV) conducted by the Federal Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt) with data on 1,780 children 3-14 years of age and their home environment and the German Environmental Specimen Bank (ESB, section: human specimens) with data on 2,253 students 20-29 years of age. Both studies provided data on the U levels in human urine for all probands. GerES IV furthermore provided an extensive environmental and demographic database on, e.g., U levels in drinking water. The data from GerES IV and ESB were linked by GIS to spatially relevant exposure information, including background values of U in stream sediments and in upper and lower soils, U levels in mosses and particulate matter in the lower atmosphere, precipitation and elevation as well as forest density. Bivariate correlation analysis and two decision tree models showed moderate but significant associations between U in human urine and U levels in drinking water, stream sediments and upper and lower soils. Future investigations considering additional epidemiologically relevant data sets may differentiate the results. Furthermore, the sample design of future environmental epidemiology studies should take the spatial evaluation of the data into greater account.
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Monitoreo del Ambiente/métodos , Contaminantes Ambientales/análisis , Sistemas de Información Geográfica , Uranio/análisis , Adolescente , Adulto , Niño , Preescolar , Contaminantes Ambientales/metabolismo , Contaminantes Ambientales/orina , Estudios Epidemiológicos , Monitoreo Epidemiológico , Femenino , Sedimentos Geológicos/análisis , Sedimentos Geológicos/química , Alemania/epidemiología , Humanos , Masculino , Ríos/química , Suelo/análisis , Suelo/química , Uranio/metabolismo , Uranio/orina , Abastecimiento de Agua/análisisRESUMEN
BACKGROUND, AIM AND SCOPE: The European Heavy Metals in Mosses Surveys (UNECE-ICP Vegetation) is a programme performed every 5 years since 1990 in at least 21 European countries. The moss surveys aim at uncovering the spatiotemporal patterns of metal and nitrogen bioaccumulation in mosses. In France, the moss survey was conducted for the third time in 2006. Five hundred thirty-six monitoring sites were sampled across the whole French territory. The aim of the presented study is to give an integrative picture of the metal bioaccumulation for the entire French territory without geographical gaps. Furthermore, confounding factors of the metal bioaccumulation in mosses should be investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Element loads of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), mercury (Hg), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), antimony (Sb), vanadium (V) and zinc (Zn) measured in the French campaign 2006 were aggregated to a multi-metal index (MMI). This index was first introduced in the German moss surveys and represents the mean rank of each monitoring site or estimated raster cell regarding all elements referred to. Hence, the spatial variability of the metal bioaccumulation in France could be assessed as a whole. A comparison of the MMI map with the spatial patterns of the Cu loads in mosses was then drawn, as Cu originates to a large extent from urban sources. Applying CHAID, the MMI and the Cu loads in the mosses were further investigated with regard to confounding factors. The said results were discussed on the basis of recent scientific publications. RESULTS: The MMI surface map shows high values in strongly industrialized and urbanized regions as well as at sites of high altitude, lying, for example in the Massif Central and the French Alps. Accordingly, the CHAID decision tree consequently shows the altitude to be the statistically most significant influencing factor of the MMI followed by the sampled moss species. As for the MMI map, the surface map for Cu mirrors urban agglomerations, as high values can be found in the areas of Greater Paris, Lyon and Marseille. The CHAID tree for Cu revealed the sampled moss species and the ratio of urban land uses within 5 km of the sampling sites to be the main influencing factors. DISCUSSION: The aggregation of metal bioaccumulation data was adopted for the French monitoring campaign. The influence of altitude, moss species-specific accumulation rates and urban emissions on the bioaccumulation is confirmed by international scientific publications. Nevertheless, the confounding factors in France differ from those derived from the German data, where the MMI was mainly associated to canopy drip effects and the growth patterns of the sampled mosses. CONCLUSIONS: The Cu and the MMI maps give a comprehensive overview of the metal bioaccumulation in France without geographical gaps. Hence, this approach allows summarising the spatial patterns of eleven element loads in mosses by use of geostatistics and percentile statistics. RECOMMENDATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES: The presented metal integrating approach should be applied on data from past French moss surveys and on those to come. Additionally, the decision tree analyses should be carried out to examine possibly changing boundary conditions of the metal accumulation in mosses over time.
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Briófitas/química , Briófitas/metabolismo , Monitoreo del Ambiente/métodos , Metales Pesados/química , Metales Pesados/metabolismo , Ecosistema , Contaminantes Ambientales/química , Contaminantes Ambientales/metabolismo , FranciaRESUMEN
In order to assess whether nitrogen (N) loads in mosses reflect different land uses, 143 sites in North Rhine-Westphalia, the Weser-Ems Region and the Euro Region Nissa were sampled between 2000 and 2005. The data were analysed statistically with available surface information on land use and forest conditions. N bioaccumulation in mosses in the Weser-Ems Region with high densities of agricultural land use and livestock exceeded the concentrations in the more industrialised Euro Region Nissa. In all three study areas agricultural and livestock spatial densities were found to be positively correlated with N bioaccumulation in mosses. In North Rhine-Westphalia, the N concentrations in mosses was also moderately correlated with N concentrations in leaves and needles of forest trees. The moss method proved useful to assess the spatial patterns of N bioaccumulation due to land use.
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Contaminantes Atmosféricos/análisis , Briófitas/química , Monitoreo del Ambiente/métodos , Nitrógeno/análisis , Árboles , Agricultura , República Checa , Ecosistema , Alemania , Metales Pesados/análisis , PoloniaRESUMEN
This study aimed at cross-border mapping metal loads in mosses in eight European countries in 1990, 1995, and 2000 and at investigating confounding factors. Geostatistics was used for mapping, indicating high local variances but clear spatial autocorrelations. Inference statistics identified differences of metal concentrations in mosses on both sides of the national borders. However, geostatistical analyses did not ascertain discontinuities of metal concentrations in mosses at national borders due to sample analysis in different laboratories applying a range of analytical techniques. Applying Classification and Regression Trees (CART) to the German moss data as an example, the local variation in metal concentrations in mosses were proved to depend mostly on different moss species, potential local emission sources, canopy drip and precipitation.
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Briófitas/metabolismo , Contaminantes Ambientales/metabolismo , Metales/metabolismo , Altitud , Briófitas/química , Factores de Confusión Epidemiológicos , Monitoreo del Ambiente/métodos , Contaminantes Ambientales/análisis , Europa (Continente) , Sistemas de Información Geográfica , Laboratorios , Metales/análisis , Modelos Estadísticos , Océanos y Mares , Lluvia , Especificidad de la EspecieRESUMEN
In this article a concept is described in order to predict and map the occurrence of benthic communities within and near the German Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the North Sea. The approach consists of two work steps: (1) geostatistical analysis of abiotic measurement data and (2) calculation of benthic provinces by means of Classification and Regression Trees (CART) and GIS-techniques. From bottom water measurements on salinity, temperature, silicate and nutrients as well as from punctual data on grain size ranges (0-20, 20-63, 63-2,000 mu) raster maps were calculated by use of geostatistical methods. At first the autocorrelation structure was examined and modelled with help of variogram analysis. The resulting variogram models were then used to calculate raster maps by applying ordinary kriging procedures. After intersecting these raster maps with punctual data on eight benthic communities a decision tree was derived to predict the occurrence of these communities within the study area. Since such a CART tree corresponds to a hierarchically ordered set of decision rules it was applied to the geostatistically estimated raster data to predict benthic habitats within and near the EEZ.
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Árboles de Decisión , Ecosistema , Sedimentos Geológicos , Biología Marina , Agua de Mar , Animales , Sistemas de Información Geográfica , Alemania , Mar del Norte , Estaciones del AñoRESUMEN
The study was conducted to test the hypothesis that the regional variability of nitrogen (N) and metal accumulations in terrestrial ecosystems are due to historical and recent ways of landuse. To this end, two regions of Central Europe were selected for investigation: the Weser-Ems Region (WER) and the Euro Region Nissa (ERN). They were assumed to have land use-specific accumulation profiles. Thus, the metal and N accumulations in both regions were examined by means of geostatistically based comparative moss analysis. The sampling and chemical analysis of mosses were conducted in accordance with the convenient guidelines and methods, respectively. The spatial representativity of the sampling sites was computed by means of a land classification which was calculated for Europe by means of classification trees and GIS-techniques. The differences of deposition loads were tested for statistical significance with regard to time and space. The measurement values corroborated the decline of metal accumulation observed since the beginning of the European Metals in Mosses Surveys in 1990. The metal loads of the mosses in the ERN exceeded those in the WER significantly. The opposite holds true for the N concentrations: those in the WER were significantly higher than those in the ERN. The reduction of emissions from power plants, factories and houses was strongly correlated with the decline of deposition and bioaccumulation of metals. As proved by the European Metals in Mosses Surveys, this tendency is due to successful environmental policies. But no such success could be verified by monitoring the accumulation of N in mosses.
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Briófitas/metabolismo , Metales/metabolismo , Nitrógeno/metabolismo , Europa (Continente) , Sistemas de Información GeográficaRESUMEN
The area under investigation, Lower Saxony (Northwest Germany), is a former malaria region with highest incidences along the coastal zones. Malaria had finally become extinct in the early 1950s. Subsequently, further scientific investigations in that field declined. Nevertheless, the vector in shape of Anopheles mosquitoes has still been present in Lower Saxony. Thus, the question arises, whether a new autochthon transmission could take place if the pathogen is introduced again and could develop in Anopheles mosquitoes. Answering this question was the first aim of the investigation at hand. The second one was to examine the spatial and temporal structure of potential transmissions in respect to the predicted increase of air temperatures according to the IPCC scenarios. To answer these questions, current information about Anophelinae and their distribution and habitat preferences within Germany were collected by literature research as well as temperature measurements and Anopheles findings were compiled from the German Weather Survey and the Niedersächsisches Landesamt für Okologie (NLO), respectively. The results reveal a climate warming between the 30-years period from 1961 to 1990 and the years between 1985 and 2004. Induced by higher monthly mean temperatures, the risk of a malaria tertiana transmission is consequently increasing for Lower Saxony as temperature is the determining variable of the mathematical model. The study could demonstrate that most parts of the country are located within a 2 months lasting transmission zone. Although Germany is not an endemic malaria zone, the pathogen can enter the country most likely by infected people or imported mosquitoes that transport it in their guts.
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Clima , Brotes de Enfermedades , Sistemas de Información Geográfica , Malaria/epidemiología , Modelos Teóricos , Alemania/epidemiología , Humanos , Proyectos PilotoRESUMEN
The regional assessment of global change effects on plant phenology usually relies on local observations that need to be up-scaled. Therefore, methodological difficulties mostly related to data spatial resolution and congruency arise while performing broader-scale evaluations. Geostatiscs could be a useful tool to solve this type of problem, provided that a database with adequate spatial and temporal resolution is available. An assessment of variations in air temperature and plant phenology was carried out at the country level by using two German datasets regarding spring phenological phases of 15 plant species and air temperature. The data were collected from 1961-2002 at 1,279 and 675 sites, respectively. The annual mean air temperature in Germany was found to rise from 8.3 degrees C in the 1961-1990 period to 9.1 degrees C in the 1991-2002 term. The overall 15-species mean for the start of spring was found to be 6 days earlier in the latter period. The geostatistical analysis of the data revealed the suitability of Syringa vulgaris to be used as an indicator species to detect phenological changes in German forests. Moreover, their spatial patterns were found to be related to altitude and latitude. Therefore, geostatistics proved to be a useful tool to overcome some of the methodological problems related to the regional assessments of global change impacts on terrestrial ecosystems.
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Efecto Invernadero , Árboles , Aire , Altitud , Bases de Datos Factuales , Monitoreo del Ambiente , Flores/crecimiento & desarrollo , Geografía , Alemania , Estaciones del Año , Syringa/crecimiento & desarrollo , TemperaturaRESUMEN
At present, there is still little information on nitrogen (N) accumulation in forests contrasting with the crucial importance of N in forest ecosystems. This work analyzes the N bioaccumulation in mosses from forested areas from Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia (two of 16 federal states of Germany), the Weser Ems Region (part of Lower Saxony), and the Euro Region Nissa (covering the Czech Republic, Germany, Poland). The studies involved samples collected from 190 sites between 1998 and 2005. Different spatial scales and regional differences in land use were chosen to assess the factors affecting N bioaccumulation in forested areas. A continuous reduction of N bioaccumulation was found from Lower Saxony (a region where agriculture is most predominant) to North Rhine-Westphalia (mostly urban). The Weser Ems Region (an agricultural region) showed a higher N concentration in mosses than the Euroregion Nissa (a former industrial region). Statistical analyses performed at the different spatial scales revealed that the areas showing greater agricultural and livestock spatial densities favor N bioaccumulation in mosses. N concentration in mosses was moderately correlated with the N concentration in the leaves and needles of the surrounding trees. No significant relationships were found regarding the crown density of forest trees or N deposition estimations from a combination of atmospheric models and deposition measurements.
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Briófitas/química , Nitrógeno/análisis , Árboles/química , Monitoreo del Ambiente , Europa (Continente) , Hojas de la Planta/químicaRESUMEN
The European Heavy Metals in Mosses Surveys measure and map environmental concentrations of metals at more than 7000 sites in Europe. In Germany, moss samples were taken at 592 sites in 1990, at 1026 sites in 1995, and at 1028 sites in 2000, where up to 40 metals were measured each time. This article is about how to calculate multi-metal indices from the site- and metal-specific monitoring data and how to link them with the natural regions (ecoregions) of Germany. The ecoregions were calculated with surface data on natural vegetation, elevation, soil texture and climate by means of Classification and Regression Trees (CART). The ecoregions were mapped by GIS and superimposed on a map of multi-metal bioaccumulation indices calculated by means of geostatistics and percentile statistics from the monitoring data. These indices integrate the concentrations of 8 metals measured in 1990, 1995, and 2000 or 12 metals from the 1995 and 2000 surveys, respectively, and the ecoregionalisation enables their geostatistical estimates to be grouped into 21 ecological land categories. This two-step aggregation revealed that, from 1990 to 2000, the multi-metal metal accumulation declined up to 80%, varying with the ecoregions. Based on the multi-metal accumulation index hot spots, the metal accumulation was mapped, ecoregionalised, and suggested for further ecotoxicological assessment. Thus, the approach helps to assess the metal bioaccumulation within ecoregions in a comprehensive and holistic manner over time, space, and metals. This data aggregation is of importance for the environmental reporting in Germany and within the framework of the international environmental information systems. Furthermore, ecoregions may help to plan and optimize monitoring networks. Because monitoring should measure and estimate not only the environmental concentrations of substances but also their impacts on ecoregions, the number of monitoring sites should be proportional to the areas covered by the ecoregions and located according to their spatial variation.
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Briófitas/metabolismo , Monitoreo del Ambiente/métodos , Contaminantes Ambientales/metabolismo , Metales Pesados/metabolismo , Ecosistema , Contaminantes Ambientales/historia , Sistemas de Información Geográfica , Alemania , Historia del Siglo XX , Historia del Siglo XXI , Metales Pesados/historiaRESUMEN
In Germany, environmental monitoring is intended to provide a holistic view of the environmental condition. To this end the monitoring operated by the federal states must use harmonized, resp., standardized methods. In addition, the monitoring sites should cover the ecoregions without any geographical gaps, the monitoring design should have no gaps in terms of ecologically relevant measurement parameters, and the sample data should be spatially without any gaps. This article outlines the extent to which the Rhoen Biosphere Reserve, occupying a part of the German federal states of Bavaria, Hesse and Thuringia, fulfills the listed requirements. The investigation considered collection, data banking and analysis of monitoring data and metadata, ecological regionalization and geostatistics. Metadata on the monitoring networks were collected by questionnaires and provided a complete inventory and description of the monitoring activities in the reserve and its surroundings. The analysis of these metadata reveals that most of the monitoring methods are harmonized across the boundaries of the three federal states the Rhoen is part of. The monitoring networks that measure precipitation, surface water levels, and groundwater quality are particularly overrepresented in the central ecoregions of the biosphere reserve. Soil monitoring sites are more equally distributed within the ecoregions of the Rhoen. The number of sites for the monitoring of air pollutants is not sufficient to draw spatially valid conclusions. To fill these spatial gaps, additional data on the annual average values of the concentrations of air pollutants from monitoring sites outside of the biosphere reserve had therefore been subject to geostatistical analysis and estimation. This yields valid information on the spatial patterns and temporal trends of air quality. The approach illustrated is applicable to similar cases, as, for example, the harmonization of international monitoring networks.
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Ecología , Ecosistema , Monitoreo del Ambiente , Contaminantes Ambientales/análisis , Geografía , Ecología/estadística & datos numéricos , Monitoreo del Ambiente/métodos , Monitoreo del Ambiente/normas , Monitoreo del Ambiente/estadística & datos numéricos , Geografía/estadística & datos numéricos , Alemania , Naciones UnidasRESUMEN
GOAL, SCOPE AND BACKGROUND: The UNECE Heavy Metals in Mosses Surveys provide exposure data (Predicted Environmental Concentrations--PEC) for ecotoxicological risk assessments by measuring the accumulation of several metals in naturally growing mosses throughout Europe. Germany took part in the monitoring campaigns 1990, 1995 and 2000. The article deals with the description and application of the extensive methodical design developed to investigate the following three hypotheses: 1. The metal accumulation in mosses measured at up to 1000 sites may be geostatistically extrapolated from the sampling sites to ecoregions in order to transform the site-specific PEC values to surface PEC values. 2. The metal specific measurement values may be aggregated to metals integrating accumulation indices. 3. The ecoregional situation as well as sampling site-specific topographical features such as altitude, slope gradient or direction influence the accumulation of metals in mosses. METHODS: The methodical design integrates several data sources as well as statistical analysis and GIS techniques: The site-specific data on metal accumulation are geostatistically transformed to valid surface data on metal accumulation. The sampling site-specific measurement data and the estimated surface data on the accumulation of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Ni, Pb, Sb, Ti, V and Zn are aggregated to integrative metal accumulation indices by means of percentile statistics. The metal-specific estimated data and the metals integrating accumulation indices are correlated with site-specific data on altitude, slope gradient and direction as well as with the ecoregional conditions derived from a multivariate ecoregionalisation. The mean multi-metal accumulation index for the whole of Germany over the ten year period from 1990 to 2000 was related to the accumulation indices within each of the ecoregions and each of the monitoring campaigns 1990, 1995 and 2000. In addition to this ecoregionalisation of the temporal trends of metal accumulation, the hot spots of accumulation are mapped. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The Heavy Metals in Mosses Survey 2000 reveals low metal concentrations in most European countries. In Germany, all metals decreased about 22% (Cu) to 64% (Pb) from 1990 to 2000. Mapping concentrations as dot maps deliver the most unbiased and detailed picture of the spatial structure of the metal accumulation in mosses. This information, detailed with respect to metal species and sampling site, is spatially generalized by means of geostatistical estimation. According to the cross-validation, the precision of the geostatistical estimation is quite good so that the extrapolation does not bias the spatial structure, but helps to clarify it. By percentile statistics, an ordinally scaled multi-metal accumulation index is calculated and spatially differentiated over time in terms of ecoregions which were calculated by means of Classification and Regression Trees (CART). The integrative statistical analysis reveals declinations of up to 80% of the multi-metal accumulation in some of Germany's ecoregions from 1990 to 2000. CONCLUSION: The monitoring of heavy metal bioaccumulation by means of mosses is an effective and cheap method for the analysis of the environmental concentrations of metals accumulated in terrestrial ecosystems. Geostatistics, percentile statistics, cross-tabulations and ecoregionalisation serve well to clarify the spatial and temporal trends in the large data sets coming out of the UNECE Heavy Metals in Mosses Surveys: By combining these statistical methods and integrating them into a geographical information system (GIS), they allow to detect and map the spatial-temporal trends of metal accumulation, to calculate metal-integrating accumulation indices, to describe temporal trends of metal accumulation within ecoregions, and to detect and map hot spots. RECOMMENDATION AND PERSPECTIVE: The spatial and temporal trends of metal accumulation in mosses should be linked with deposition data and data on the vitality of forest ecosystems, as well as with data on human health. Statistical valid interspecies calibration is needed. The integrated methodology of data evaluation presented in the article at hand should be implemented in the future UNECE Heavy Metals in Mosses Surveys. The hot spot areas should be investigated with special care in the 2005 survey to prove if the PEC values of the metals exceed the Predicted no Effect Concentrations (PNEC values). In addition to the metals, the 2005 survey should monitor the nitrogen accumulation in mosses.
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Briófitas/química , Contaminantes Ambientales/análisis , Sistemas de Información Geográfica , Metales Pesados/análisis , Briófitas/crecimiento & desarrollo , Alemania , Metales Pesados/farmacocinética , Medición de RiesgoRESUMEN
Mosses are used as passive accumulation monitors for metal accumulation in terrestrial ecosystems. Under leadership of the Federal Agency for Environmental Protection Germany took part in the previous European-wide moss monitoring campaigns 1990, 1995 and 2000. The investigations accomplished thereby cannot be presented completely in this article. The remarks rather concentrate on methodical aspects of the statistical data analysis. In Chapter 2 the design of data collection is summarized. Chapter 3 treats the geostatistical analysis and transformation of point data to areal information. Chapter 4 describes the aggregation of the element-specific metal concentrations in mosses to a spatially and temporally differentiated indicator of metal accumulation by means of descriptive and multivariate statistics. The work presented is only a small part of geostatistics and multivariate statistics which fit for analysis of moss monitoring data. Taking the results presented here as a basis, the following steps would further be of great importance: cluster-analytic evaluation of the results of the Moss Monitoring 1990 and 1995, detailing the cluster results using additional empirical and location describing information (e.g. moss species, ecoregions, site and species specific variability of metal accumulation) as well as optimizing the indicator buildung by testing of multivariate statistical regression models (e.g. Classification and Regression Trees).