What will happen to ecosystems if species continue to go extinct at the high rates seen today? Although ecosystems are often threatened by a myriad of physical or chemical stressors, recent evidence has suggested that the loss of species may have impacts on the functions and services of ecosystems that equal or exceed other major environmental disturbances. The underlying causes that link species diversity to ecosystem functioning include species niche complementarity, facilitative interactions, or selection effects, which cause process rates to be enhanced in more diverse communities. Interference competition, antagonistic interactions, or negative selection effects may otherwise reduce the efficiency or resource processing in diverse communities. While several of these mechanisms have been investigated in controlled experiments, there is an urgent need to understand how species diversity affects ecosystem functioning in nature, where variability of both biotic and abiotic factors is usually high. Species functional traits provide an important conceptual link between the effects of disturbances on community composition and diversity, and their ultimate outcomes for ecosystem functioning. Within this framework, I investigated relationships between the decomposition of leaf litter, a fundamental ecosystem process in stream ecosystems, and the composition and diversity of functional traits within the detritivore feeding guild. These include traits related to species habitat and resource preferences, phenology, and size. I focused on disentangling the biotic and abiotic drivers, including functional diversity, regulating ecosystem functioning in streams in a series of field experiments that captured real-world environmental gradients. Leaf decomposition rates were assessed using litter-bags of 0.5 and 10 mm opening size which allow the quantification of microbial and invertebrate + microbial contributions, respectively, to litter decomposition. I also used PVC chambers where leaf litter and a fixed number of invertebrate detritivores were enclosed in the field for a set time-period. The chemical characterisation of stream detritivores and leaf litter, by means of their nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon concentration, was used to investigate how stoichiometric imbalance between detritivores and leaf litter may affect consumer growth and resource consumption. I found that the diversity and composition of functional traits within the stream detritivore feeding guild sometimes had effects on ecosystem functioning as strong as those of other major biotic factors (e.g. detritivore density and biomass), and abiotic factors (e.g. habitat complexity and agricultural stressors). However, the occurrence of diversity-functioning relationships was patchy in space and time, highlighting ongoing challenges in predicting the role of diversity a priori. The stoichiometric imbalance between consumers and resource was also identified as an important driver of functioning, affecting consumer growth rates, but not leaf decomposition rates. Overall, these results shed light on the understanding of species functional diversity effect on ecosystems, and indicate that the shifts in the functional diversity and composition of consumer guilds can have important outcomes for the functioning of stream ecosystems.

The problems of rape seed methyl ester (RME) production process by-products utilization were analyzed, statistical data for the capacities of biodiesel production and by-products generation were presented, the prospects of biodiesel production expansion, properties and environmental impact, main production technologies, Lithuanian and foreign countries experience were described, the main aims and tasks of work were defined. The investigation of glycerol – major by-product of RME production process – utilization was accomplished. One of the new possible utilization methods was researched, when combusting glycerol with highly sulphurous (~ 2.0 %) heavy fuel oil to reduce SO2 emissions, which limit value in the flue gas can not exceed 1700 mg/Nm3 (according to EU Directive 1999/32EC and LAND 43-2001 „Norms for the exhaust of pollutants from large fuel burning equipment“). The heavy fuel oil – glycerol emulsion was prepared in the pilot plant operating in the laboratory conditions, the most optimal ratio (1:1) for heavy fuel oil emulsification was estimated, the dispersivity investigation of heavy fuel oil - glycerol emulsion samples was performed. The experimental heavy fuel oil and obtained emulsion combustion investigations were carried out in VGTU Institute of Thermal Insulation pilot plant and in the thermal oxidation boiler „UMISA-CR/11,9 (13)“ at JCS „Rietavo veterinarinė sanitarija“. The CO, NOx, SO2 and particulate matter concentration values for heavy fuel oil and... [to full text] / Baigiamajame darbe išnagrinėtos rapso aliejaus metilo esterio (RME) gamybos proceso šalutinių produktų utilizacijos problemos, pateikti statistiniai duomenys apie biodyzelino gamybos bei susidarančių šalutinių produktų apimtis, aprašytos biodyzelino gamybos plėtros perspektyvos, savybės bei poveikis aplinkai, pagrindinės gamybos technologijos, Lietuvos bei užsienio šalių patirtis šioje srityje, apibrėžti pagrindiniai darbo tikslai ir uždaviniai. Atliktas RME gamybos proceso pagrindinio šalutinio produkto – glicerolio – utilizacijos tyrimas. Išanalizuotas vienas iš naujų galimų utilizavimo būdų - deginti glicerolį kartu su sieringu (~ 2,0 %) mazutu, siekiant sumažinti SO2 emisijas, kurių nustatyta ribinė vertė dūmuose negali būti didesnė kaip 1700 mg/Nm3 (pagal ES Direktyvą 1999/32EC ir LAND 43-2001 „Išmetamų teršalų ir didelių kurą deginančių įrenginių normos“). Laboratorinėmis sąlygomis stendiniame įrenginyje paruošta mazuto-glicerolio emulsija, nustatytas optimaliausias mazuto emulgavimo gliceroliu santykis (1:1), atlikti mazuto emulsijos bandinių homogeniškumo tyrimai. Eksperimentiniai mazuto bei gautų emulsijų deginimo bandymai buvo atlikti VGTU Termoizoliacijos instituto eksperimentiniame stende bei UAB „Rietavo veterinarinė sanitarija“ termooksidaciniame katile „UMISA-CR/11,9 (13)“. Išmatuotos mazuto ir mazuto-glicerolio emulsijos CO, NOx, SO2 ir kietųjų dalelių emisijos bei palygintos su jų didžiausiomis leistinoms vertėmis. Remiantis gautais rezultatais pateiktos... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]

A primary focus of wildlife research is to understand how habitat conditions and human activities impact the health of wild animals. External factors, both natural and anthropogenic that impact the ability of an animal to acquire food and build energy reserves have important implications for reproductive success, avoidance of predators, and the ability to withstand disease, and periods of food scarcity. In the analyses presented here, I quantify the impacts of habitat quality and anthropogenic disturbance on indicators of health for individuals in a threatened grizzly bear population in Alberta, Canada. The first analysis relates spatial patterns of hair cortisol concentrations, a promising indicator of long-term stress in mammals, measured from 304 grizzly bears to a variety of continuous environmental variables representative of habitat quality (e.g., crown closure, landcover, and vegetation productivity), topographic conditions (e.g., elevation and terrain ruggedness), and anthropogenic disturbances (e.g., roads, forest harvest blocks, and oil and gas well-sites). Hair cortisol concentration point data were integrated with continuous variables by creating a stress surface for male and female bears using kernel density estimation validated through bootstrapping. The relationships between hair cortisol concentrations for males and females and environmental variables were quantified using random forests, and landscape scale stress levels for both genders was predicted based on observed relationships. Low female stress levels were found to correspond with regions with high levels of anthropogenic disturbance and activity. High female stress levels were associated primarily with high-elevation parks and protected areas. Conversely, low male stress levels were found to correspond with parks and protected areas and spatially limited moderate to high stress levels were found in regions with greater anthropogenic disturbance. Of particular concern for conservation is the observed relationship between low female stress and sink habitats which have high mortality rates and high energetic costs. Extending the first analysis, the second portion of this research examined the impacts of scale-specific habitat selection and relationships between biology, habitat quality, and anthropogenic disturbance on body condition in 85 grizzly bears represented using a body condition index. Habitat quality and anthropogenic variables were represented at multiple scales using isopleths of a utilization distribution calculated using kernel density estimation for each bear. Several hypotheses regarding the influence of biology, habitat quality, and anthropogenic disturbance on body condition quantified using linear mixed-effects models were evaluated at each habitat selection scale using the small sample Aikake Information Criterion. Biological factors were influential at all scales as males had higher body condition than females, and body condition increased with age for both genders. At the scale of most concentrated habitat selection, the biology and habitat quality hypothesis had the greatest support and had a positive effect on body condition. A component of biology, the influence of long-term stress, which had a negative impact on body condition, was most pronounced within the biology and habitat quality hypothesis at this scale. As the scale of habitat selection was represented more broadly, support for the biology and anthropogenic disturbance hypothesis increased. Anthropogenic variables of particular importance were distance decay to roads, density of secondary linear features, and density of forest harvest areas which had a negative relationship with body condition. Management efforts aimed to promote landscape conditions beneficial to grizzly bear health should focus on promoting habitat quality in core habitat and limiting anthropogenic disturbance within larger grizzly bear home ranges. / Graduate / 0768 / 0463 / 0478 / mathieub@uvic.ca

This thesis sets out to identify physical and physiological differences between lambs of different birth ranks at birth, and to use this information to identify practical on-farm management strategies which could improve triplet-born lamb survival. Triplet-born lambs, especially the lightest-triplet-born lambs, not only had a greater capacity to lose heat but also had a reduced capacity to produce heat when compared to twin-born lambs. Due to their lighter birth weights, triplet-born lambs had lower plasma thyroxine (T4) concentrations within the first 24 hours of life than twin-born lambs, and within twin- and triplet-born litters, the lightest- and medium-triplet-born lambs had greater plasma lactate concentrations than all twin-born lambs and the heaviest-triplet-born lambs. Independent of lamb birth weight, triplet-born lambs had lower plasma tri-iodothyronine (T3) concentrations within five minutes of birth, and within twin- and triplet-born litters, the lightest- and medium-triplet-born lambs had lower plasma T4 and T3 concentrations within five minutes of birth than all twin-born lambs and the heaviest-triplet-born lambs. It was hypothesised that because triplet-born lambs had a lighter birth weight and lower plasma thyroid hormone concentrations, they would have inadequate thermoregulatory capabilities when compared to twin-born lambs. The lower rectal temperatures of triplet-born lambs within the first hour of life and the lower heat production on a per lamb basis at 24 to 36 hours of age, and the lack of difference in maximum heat production on a per kg of birth weight basis at 24 to 36 hours of age support this hypothesis. Two practical on-farm management strategies trialled in this thesis to improve triplet-born lamb thermoregulation were offering concentrate supplement during late pregnancy to improve lamb birth weights, and maternal iodine supplementation to improve lamb plasma thyroid hormone concentrations. While offering concentrate showed positive effects such as increasing lamb birth weights, colostrum uptake and triplet-born lamb heat production on a per kg of birth weight basis, the results were either inconsistent across experiments or between birth ranks suggesting additional work is required to determine the repeatability and cost effectiveness of these findings. Maternal iodine supplementation offered no iv | P a g e benefits in terms of lamb birth weights, plasma thyroid hormone concentrations or lamb heat production. Further investigations identified that lamb birth weights, thyroid hormone concentrations, glucose and NEFA concentrations are positively associated with maximum heat production at 24 to 36 hours of age. Practical on-farm management strategies which could target these physical and physiological factors may improve triplet-born lamb heat production, and therefore the survival rates of triplet-born lambs.

Viticultural practices such as trunk girdling and shoot topping along with defoliation, shading and node number per vine treatments were used to alter the carbohydrate physiology of mature Chardonnay grapevines growing in the cool climate of Canterbury, New Zealand. The timing of vine defoliation in the season previous to fruiting decreased concentrations of over-wintering carbohydrate reserves (mostly starch) in both the trunks and roots of grapevines. Roots were particularly sensitive, with defoliation as early as 4 weeks after bloom in the previous season reducing starch concentrations to 1.5%Dwt at bud burst compared with 17%Dwt in non-defoliated vines. In contrast, partial vine defoliation as early as bloom in the previous season reduced root starch concentrations to 4-7%Dwt at bud burst compared with 15%Dwt in non-defoliated vines. Vine shading and trunk girdling treatments at bloom in the previous season, resulted in small reductions in root starch concentrations (16%Dwt) compared with non-shaded and non-girdled vines (19%Dwt), but shoot topping did not. Study across three growing seasons established that higher concentrations of over-wintering trunk and root carbohydrate reserves were associated with warmer and sunnier weather in the previous growing season. Individual shoot leaf removal at either the beginning or towards the end of the inflorescence initiation period, reduced shoot starch concentrations to 3-6%Dwt compared with 11 %Dwt for no leaf removal, such reductions persisted through to the following season. Shoot topping at the start of the initiation period had no effect on shoot carbohydrate accumulation, but trunk girdling temporarily increased shoot starch concentrations during the first 31 days after treatment. Reductions in over-wintering trunk and root carbohydrate reserves were associated with a reduction in inflorescences per shoot and flowers per inflorescence in the following season, the reduction as much as 50% compared with non carbohydrate stressed vines. While there were strong linear or curvilinear relationships between the concentration of starch in trunks and roots at bud burst and inflorescences per shoot and flowers per inflorescence, in case the of inflorescences per shoot, there was not an immediate cause and effect because inflorescences were initiated in the previous season. Individual shoot leaf removal during the inflorescence initiation period illustrated that leaf removal directly inhibited the initiation of inflorescences in latent buds. Shoot carbohydrate measurements showed a strong curvilinear relationship to the number of inflorescences per shoot, with a threshold starch concentration of 10-12%Dwt during the inflorescence initiation period required for a maximum number of inflorescences per shoot. Furthermore, examination of individual node positions emphasised the importance of the subtending leaf on the initiation of inflorescences within the latent bud. The number of inflorescences per shoot post bud burst was reduced on vines that were both carbohydrate reserve stressed (by previous season's defoliation) and had a high node (108) number retained per vine after winter pruning compared with little or no reduction in inflorescences per shoot on carbohydrate reserve stressed vines that had a low (20) node number per vine. The reduction in inflorescences per shoot on high node vines was associated with reduced carbohydrate reserves and reduced shoot vigour (thinner and lighter shoots). Flowers per inflorescence were reduced by as much 50% in response to lower overwintering carbohydrate reserves. Fewer flowers per inflorescence were attributed to a reduction in primary branching of the inflorescence and also a reduction in flowers per branch. Strong linear relationships between the concentrations of starch in trunks and roots and flowers per inflorescence indicate that the determination of flowers per inflorescence, unlike inflorescences per shoot, may be dependent on the level of overwintering carbohydrate reserves. This is most likely due to changes in branching of the inflorescence and individual flower formation occurring during the bud burst period. Per cent fruitset was not affected by reductions in carbohydrate reserves, so fewer inflorescences per shoot and flowers per inflorescence resulted in reduced vine yield. The findings of this thesis indicate that changes in the level of carbohydrate production and partitioning in response to a range of viticultural management practices and seasonal weather contribute to seasonal variation in grapevine flowering and yields in New Zealand's cool climate environment. The relationships between carbohydrate reserves and flowering illustrate the potential to use this information to predict grapevine flowering and forecast yields. The practical implications of this research illustrate that the viticulturist must manage grapevines not only for the current crop, but also for subsequent crops by maintaining sufficient carbohydrate reserves for balanced growth flowering and fruiting from season to season.

Ce travail de thèse avait un double objectif: préciser les relations entre les organismes marins paléozoïques et les changements paléoenvironnementaux et si possible établir un modèle applicable dans différents domaines paléogéographiques et à différentes époques du Paléozoïque. Dans ce but, des analyses sédimentologiques, paléoécologiques et taphonomiques ont été réalisées afin de déterminer la réponse de la faune benthique aux variations du niveau marin, dans un contexte environnemental de plate-forme, à 2 époques différentes, l'Ordovicien supérieur et le Dévonien inférieur. Une coupe du Caradoc-Ashgill de Sardaigne, cinq coupes de l'Emsien inférieur du Massif armoricain et une coupe de l'Emsien inférieur d'Espagne (León) ont été choisies. La démarche de l'étude consiste en une analyse séquentielle à haute résolution et en un échantillonnage détaillé, destiné à l'étude paléontologique (taphonomie, définition d'associations d'organismes récurrents, systématique). Dans ce travail, seuls les brachiopodes ont été étudiés du point de vue systématique. Les brachiopodes décrits et figurés comportent 20 espèces pour l'Ordovicien supérieur sarde et 33 espèces pour le Dévonien inférieur Ibéro-armoricain. L'étude stratonomique a permis de reconnaître plusieurs types de faciès sédimentaires et les conditions de dépôt, en relation avec la distance à la ligne de rivage. L'empilement des faciès sédimentaires s'organise en séquences génétiques engendrées par les fluctuations du niveau relatif de la mer. Le signal de variation du niveau marin est cyclique et semble lié aux changements des paramètres orbitaux de Milankovitch. Des associations d'organismes, définies à l'aide d'analyses multivariées (analyses en composantes principales, classification hiérarchique), se répartissent de façon récurrente et en accord avec les faciès sédimentaires, caractérisant ainsi des milieux de dépôt différents. 16 associations sont ainsi définies: l'association à 'Longvillia', 'Nicolella', 'Paucicrura' et 'Ibéromena' de l'Ordovicien supérieur de Sardaigne; l'association à 'Adolfia', 'Stenorhynchia', 'Chonétides', 'Crinoïdes-Brachiopodes', 'Crinoïdes-Ostracodes', 'Ostracodes', 'Ostracodes-Tentaculitides', 'Bryozoaires' et 'Dacryoconarides' du Dévonien inférieur du Massif armoricain; l'association à 'Rhynchonellides', 'Spiriférides' et 'Tétracoralliaires-Crinoïdes-Dacryoconarides' du Dévonien inférieur ibérique. Une grande partie des archives paléontologiques est conservée au sein de concentrations coquillières d'épaisseur variable. L'étude des concentrations coquillières, en considérant les différents critères taphonomiques et leur répartition au sein des séquences génétiques, a permis la distinction de 2 types de concentration et l'élaboration d'un modèle expliquant leur mise en place. La formation des concentrations coquillières est liée à la dynamique des tempêtes (facteurs autocycliques) et aux variations du niveau marin (facteurs allocycliques). Les concentrations fines de tempêtes (type A) se forment préférentiellement lors des phases de chute du niveau marin à très haute fréquence, tandis que les concentrations composites de tempêtes (type B) s'individualisent lors des périodes d'élévation du niveau de la mer à très haute fréquence. Ces périodes se caractérisent par des apports sédimentaires faibles: il s'agit d'intervalles de stabilité à l'interface eau-sédiment, favorisant la rétroaction taphonomique ou encore l'activité des organismes perforants (bioérosion). Les accumulations coquillières qui en résultent sont des niveaux condensés, caractérisées par l'amalgame de nombreuses générations d'organismes. La complémentarité des approches séquentielles et paléontologiques se révèle fructueuse dans la compréhension de la dynamique des associations: le résultat des analyses multivariées des niveaux à partir de leur contenu faunique est en accord avec les regroupements établis par la stratigraphie séquentielle. Les associations reflètent clairement les fluctuations du niveau marin. Lors des variations progressives et modérées du niveau marin, les remplacements d'associations se caractérisent par une réorganisation de la composition taxonomique, de la diversité et des réseaux trophiques (remplacements d'associations par réorganisation). Lors de variations rapides et importantes du niveau marin, les remplacements d'association se définissent par des renouvellements dans la structure écologique (remplacements d'associations par renouvellement). Des changements paléoécologiques sont ainsi définis en relation avec les variations eustatiques.

The use of botanical extracts has been reported as an alternative to control insect pests in agricultural crops, but the harmful effects of these natural products on the beneficial insect fauna of agricultural ecosystems have to be assessed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of seed extracts of sugar apple (Annona squamosa L.) and soursop (Annona muricata L.) on Aphis gossypii (Glover, 1887) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and its natural enemy, the ladybug Eriopis connexa (Germar, 1824) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). Therefore, bioassays were performed with hexane and ethanol extracts at concentrations of 0.125; 0.25; 0.3; 0.4; 0.5; 1.0; 1.5 and 2.0%, to estimate by Probit analysis their lethal concentrations. For the ladybird, it was tested the action by contact, residual effect and ingestion to evaluate survival, oviposition and viability of the eggs. The CL50 and CL99 estimated for A. gossypii were, respectively, 0.39 and 5.47% for the ethanolic extract of sugar apple (EEP); 0.23 and 1.19% for the ethanolic extract of soursop (EEG); 0.47 and 4.39% for the hexanic extract of sugar apple (EHP); 0.42 and 6.38% for the hexanic extract of soursop (EHG). Considering the action of the extracts by contact, the EEG (0.23%) was considered innocuous, on the other hand, the EHG (0.42%) promoted mortality of 30% of insects and is classified as slightly harmful for 1st instar larvae; for adults, only EEP (5.47%) was classified as slightly harmful and the other treatments were classified as harmless, including for the residual effect. Regarding the selectivity of the extracts, the LC50 of EEG and EHG did not affect the survival rate of the ladybirds. By contrast, the EEP in both tested concentrations (0.39 and 5.47%) reduced the rate of survival to zero in less than 7 days, resembling the chemical treatment with Decis®. All treatments reduced the consumption of Anagasta kuehniella eggs, alternative prey, treated with the extracts, reducing the predation and causing as a consequence, oviposition to a decrease in lower concentrations and no egg laid for higher concentrations, affecting fertility and predator the viability of the eggs. The EEG in the concentration of 0.23% was effective in controlling A. gossypii, and its selective natural enemy E. connexa, not interfering with the survival rate of these. / Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Alagoas / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / O uso de extratos botânicos é uma alternativa de controle de insetos-praga em cultivos agrícolas, mas os efeitos desses produtos naturais sobre a entomofauna benéfica dos agroecossistemas são necessários. Com isso, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a eficiência dos extratos de sementes de pinha Annona squamosa L. e graviola Annona muricata L. sobre o pulgão Aphis gossypii (Glover, 1887) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) e seu inimigo natural, a joaninha Eriopis connexa (Germar, 1824) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). Para isso, foram realizados bioensaios com os extratos hexânico e etanólico nas concentrações: 0,125; 0,25; 0,3; 0,4; 0,5; 1,0; 1,5 e 2,0%, visando estimar por análise de Probit as concentrações letais. Para a joaninha, foi testada a ação por contato, efeito residual e ingestão para avaliação da sobrevivência, oviposição e viabilidade dos ovos. As CL50 e CL99 estimadas para A. gossypii foram respectivamente, 0,39 e 5,47% para extrato etanólico de pinha (EEP); 0,23 e 1,19% para extrato etanólico de graviola (EEG); 0,47 e 4,39% para extrato hexânico de pinha (EHP); 0,42 e 6,38% para extrato hexânico de graviola (EHG). Na ação dos extratos por contato, o EEG a 0,23% foi considerado inócuo, por outro lado, o EHG a 0,42% promoveu mortalidade de 30% dos insetos, sendo classificado como levemente nocivo para larvas de 1o instar; para adultos apenas o EEP (5,47%), foi classificado como levemente nocivo e os demais tratamentos foram classificados como inócuos, inclusive para o efeito residual. Quanto à seletividade dos extratos às joaninhas por ingestão, as CL50 do EEG e EHG não interferiram na taxa de sobrevivência dos predadores, por outro lado, o EEP nas duas concentrações testadas (0,39 e 5,47%) reduziram a zero a taxa de sobrevivência dos insetos em menos de 7 dias, se assemelhando ao tratamento químico Decis®. Todos os tratamentos reduziram o consumo de ovos de Anagasta kuehniella, presa alternativa, tratados com os extratos, diminuindo a capacidade predatória e, causando como consequência, a diminuição na oviposição para as concentrações menores e nenhum ovo posto para as maiores concentrações, afetando a fecundidade do predador e a viabilidade dos ovos. O EEG na concentração de 0,23% foi eficiente no controle de A. gossypii, e seletivo ao inimigo natural E. connexa, não interferindo na taxa de sobrevivência destes.

L'uranium est un radioélément naturel, généralement retrouvé à l'état de traces, mais dont la concentration peut être significativement augmentée à proximité de certaines installations du cycle du combustible nucléaire ou de zones d'agriculture intensive. En raison de son association dans les minerais avec différents éléments traces métalliques tels que le cadmium, l'U est la plupart du temps présent en mélange avec d'autres contaminants dans l'environnement. L'étude de leurs effets combinés est indispensable afin de mieux appréhender le risque engendré par les contaminations métalliques multiples pour les écosystèmes. L'évaluation de la toxicité des mélanges et l'identification des interactions synergiques ou antagonistes sont généralement réalisées sur la base de modèles d'additivité de référence intégrés à des approches descriptives, purement statistiques et sans réelles considérations biologiques. Plus récemment, des modèles mécanistes ont été proposés en alternative afin de mieux rendre compte de la dynamique des processus biologiques et des mécanismes de toxicité des contaminants. Ceux-ci n'ont cependant été mis en pratique que dans un nombre limité de cas d'étude de la toxicité des mélanges. L'objectif de ce projet de thèse a été d'étudier les effets combinés chroniques de l'U et du Cd sur les traits de vie du nématode Caenorhabditis elegans, en utilisant en parallèle une approche descriptive (MixTox) et une approche mécaniste (DEBtox). Pour cela, une exposition des nématodes à différentes concentrations d'U et de Cd, seuls ou en mélange, a été réalisée durant onze jours. Une interaction antagoniste importante entre l'U et le Cd a été identifiée pour les critères d'effet de croissance et de reproduction, à partir des deux approches. L'étude du transfert de l'U et du Cd du milieu vers la nourriture ainsi que de leur bioaccumulation par C. elegans nous a permis de montrer que la coprésence d'U diminuait la fraction de Cd disponible pour l'exposition des nématodes. Afin de déceler la présence d'une éventuelle interaction au niveau des organismes, durant les phases toxicocinétique ou toxicodynamique, les données d'effet ont été réanalysées à partir des concentrations d'U et de Cd dans la nourriture, supposées plus proches des concentrations disponibles pour C. elegans. Des effets combinés globalement additifs, sans interaction notable, ont été mis en évidence pour l'U et le Cd même si des conclusions légèrement contrastées ont été obtenues à partir des approches descriptives et mécanistes. La présente étude permet d'illustrer la complexité de l'étude des effets des mélanges et de l'identification des interactions entre les substances. Malgré quelques difficultés d'application, l'approche mécaniste DEBtox semble particulièrement prometteuse pour décrire la toxicité de mélanges au cours du temps et tester d'éventuels mécanismes d'interaction. À terme, le perfectionnement des outils d'analyse des effets combinés des contaminants devrait permettre une meilleure prise en compte de la problématique des mélanges dans les démarches d'évaluation des risques. / Uranium is a natural radioactive trace element for which elevated concentrations can be found in the vicinity of some nuclear fuel cycle facilities or of intensive farming areas. Due its co-occurrence with different trace metals, such as cadmium, in geological ores, U is generally found associated with other contaminants in the environment. The study of their combined effects on ecosystems is of interest to better characterize such multi-metallic polluted sites. The mixture toxicity assessment and the identification of synergistic or antagonistic interaction are generally performed on the basis of additive reference models integrated to descriptive and purely statistical approaches with no real biological basis. Recently, mechanistic models were proposed to better account for the dynamics of biological and toxicological processes. However, such models have only been put into practice in a few number of mixture toxicity case studies. The aim of this PhD project was to assess the chronic U/Cd combined toxicity on the life history traits of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans using both a descriptive (MixTox) and a mechanistic (DEBtox) approach. To do so, nematodes were exposed during eleven days to different U and Cd concentrations, alone or in mixture. A strong antagonistic interaction between U and Cd was identified for length increase and brood size endpoints on the basis of both approaches. From the study of the U and Cd media-to-food transfer and of the U and Cd bioaccumulation by C. elegans, we showed that the co-presence of U reduced the available Cd fraction for nematodes. To identify a possible interaction at organism level, occurring during the toxicokinetic or toxicodynamic steps, data were re-analyzed on the basis of U/Cd concentrations in food, assumed to be more closely related to available concentrations for C. elegans. Overall additive effects, without interaction, were identified between U and Cd, even if slightly contrasted conclusions were obtained on the basis of the descriptive and mechanistic approaches. The present study underlines the complexity of studying mixture toxicity and identifying chemical interactions. Despite some application problems, the mechanistic approach DEBtox is particularly promising to describe the toxicity of chemical mixtures over time and to test hypothetical interaction mechanisms. In the future, the improvement of tools to analyze the combined toxicity of contaminants would allow to better address the issue of mixtures in ecotoxicological risk assessment processes.

The present work shows a discussion about the problematic related to the anomalies of fluoride concentrations in groundwaters intended for human provisioning and also about the public health issues and financial waste generated by them. As a contribution, a map was elaborated containing the spacing of the occurrences of anomalous fluoride in the states of Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina. Taking in to account the importance of understanding a little more about the behavior of the waters which suffer this anomaly of fluoride concentration, we have carried out a detailed description of the compositions and of the polytypes of water, verifying what tendencies they present. For that, the area of study has been split in three zones composing the Gurany Aquiferous System: Zones of Blooming, Confinement and Strong Confinement, with a greater emphasis to the Blooming Zone, once that the later presents the greatest amount of wells with excessive fluoride concentrations in the same area, which coincides with the Central Depression of Rio Grande do Sul. After evaluating the typologies of the analyzed waters it was possible to verify the occurrence of a higher tendency in the three zones for the polytype of the sodic Bicarbonate waters. On the basis of the verifications of previous studies attesting the existence of flotations of chemical parameters in underground areas this study has evaluated and identified its percentage of variation in 17 physical-chemical parameters. For that, multivariate data analyses were accomplished for 13 water samples of a deep tubular well (276m), monitored during a six months period, reaching variations of 1,5 200%. The most variable pattern was color. In it was possible to verify that during the pumping period of 15 minutes there has been a coloring variation of water of six different colors attesting how important it is to consider same water taking in order to monitor deep tubular wells because it can receive several water contributions with differentiated characteristics among each other. The pH has shown the smallest percentage of variation, always remaining with the characteristics of neutral pH. / Este trabalho apresenta uma discussão sobre as problemáticas relacionadas às anomalias de concentração do fluoreto em águas subterrâneas destinadas ao abastecimento humano e os problemas de saúde pública e desperdício de finanças que podem proporcionar. Como contribuição, elaborou-se um mapa com a espacialização das ocorrências anômala de fluoreto nos Estados do Rio Grande do Sul e Santa Catarina. Considerando a importância de entender um pouco mais sobre o comportamento das águas que sofrem essa anomalia de concentração de fluoreto, efetuou-se um detalhamento das composições e dos polítipos das águas verificando-se quais as tendências que elas apresentam. Para isso a área de estudo, foi dividida em três zonas que compõem o Sistema Aquífero Guarani: Zonas de Afloramento, Confinamento e Forte Confinamento, tomando uma ênfase maior para Zona de Afloramento, devido a esta apresentar a maior quantidade de poços com concentrações excessivas de fluoreto em uma mesma região, que coincide com a Depressão Central do Rio Grande do Sul. Após avaliar quais as tipologias das águas analisadas foi possível constatar que houve uma maior tendência nas três zonas, para o polítipo de águas bicarbonatadas sódicas. Com base nas verificações de estudos anteriores que atestam a existência de flutuações de parâmetros químicos em águas subterrâneas, o estudo avaliou e identificou qual o seu percentual de variação em 17 parâmetros físico-químicos. Para isto foram realizadas análises multivariadas de dados, para 13 amostras de água de um poço tubular profundo (276 m), monitorado por uma período de 6 meses, chegando-se a variações na ordem de 1,5 a 200%. O parâmetro que mais apresentou variação foi a cor, nela pode-se verificar que no período de 15 min de bombeamento do poço houve uma variação de coloração da água em cinco cores distintas, podendo atentar-se o quanto é importante considerar-se uma mesma tomada de água para monitorar poços tubulares profundos, pois ele pode receber diversas contribuições de água com características diferenciadas entre si. O pH foi o que apresentou a menor (percentual) variação, permanecendo sempre com as características de pH neutro.

This thesis presents the development of a novel numerical model capable of evaluating suspended sediment dynamics under breaking waves, and is based in the open source Computational Fluid Dynamics software, OpenFOAM®. The hydrodynamics were determined by solving the incompressible, Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes equations for a two-phase fluid using the Finite Volume method, along with a Volume of Fluid scheme that modelled the interface between the air and water phases. A new library of five turbulence models was developed to include weakly compressible effects through the introduction of density variations in the conservation equations. This library was thoroughly evaluated against existing physical data for surf zone dynamics. A skill score was applied, based on the MSE, to rank the models, with the nonlinear k−ε performing best overall, and the k−ω predicting turbulent kinetic energy most accurately. Furthermore, the numerical model was shown to predict the near-bed hydrodynamics well, through comparison with new in-house physical data obtained in the COAST laboratory. Suspended sediment concentrations were determined using an advection-diffusion methodology, with near-bed processes modelled using a flux based approach that balances entrainment and deposition. The model was validated against existing experimental data for steady state flow conditions, as well as for regular and breaking waves. The agreement was generally good, with the results indicating that the model is capable of capturing complicated processes such as sediment plumes under plunging breakers. The validated model was applied to investigate the properties of the sediment diffusivity, which is a vital parameter in suspended sediment dynamics. In physical experiments, sediment diffusivity is commonly estimated implicitly, based on the vertical concentration profile. In this work, this approach was applied to the numerical concentration predictions, and compared with the value directly determined within the model. The estimated value was generally acceptable providing that large horizontal concentration gradients were not present, and diffusion dominated flow advection. However, near the breaking point of waves, large errors were observed at mid-depth of the water column, which strongly correlates with a region of large flow advection relative to diffusion. Therefore, when using this estimation, caution is recommended since this approach can potentially lead to substantial discrepancies.