The Late Intermediate Period in northern Chile has been strongly influenced by the mobility models of vertical archipelago and the gyratory mobility. The vertical archipelago model proposes altiplano colonies would have lived in the lowlands controlling trade and distributing economic resources. The gyratory mobility suggests trade was rather controlled by pastoralist groups from the highlands, travelling across the Andes using llama caravans. Following new studies on stable isotope analysis for the LIP in the Atacama Desert, there is little evidence to support the colonies hypothesis. For this reason, the aim of this thesis is to evaluate the presence of colonies and specialised highland pastoralist groups in the lowlands of northern Chile through the use of d13C, d15N, d18O and 87Sr/86Sr as well as radiocarbon dating. Human remains were analysed for tooth enamel, bone collagen, bone apatite, and hair-keratin. A second aim of the thesis was to provide new analysis of archaeological plants and animals of the area. Plants results present incredibly high d15N values for the crops, suggesting use of fertilisers on them, probably seabird guano from the coast. This is also supported by the absence of a marine reservoir effect on the radiocarbon dates, reflected in the lack of offset between paired dates of bone collagen and textiles in individuals enriched in 15N. The results obtained for the human remains suggest there is no evidence to support neither the 'colony' hypothesis nor the gyratory mobility model. However, a small number of outlier individuals for d13C, d15N, d18O and 87Sr/86Sr suggest a non-local origin. Mobility patterns were diverse and flexible including female and male individuals that moved at different moments of their life (infancy and adulthood). This study shows that dietary patterns in the Atacama Desert during the LIP were associated with strong local traditions.

The arctic is expected to be one of the regions most affected by ongoing climate change, with relative changes in air temperatures significantly higher than the global mean. Lakes are recognized for their potential role in the global climate system and as ecosystems of importance for local societies. As such, there is a scientific interest regarding how arctic lakes and their geochemistry will respond to climatic changes. Lakes around Kangerlussuaq (66.99 N, 51.07 W), south-west Greenland, are known for their unique geochemical composition, including oligosaline lakes, of which some are enriched in colourless dissolved organic carbon (DOC). The origin of this DOC and the importance of local catchment properties for the general water chemistry is currently being debated. This thesis aimed at: i) exploring the extent and effect of catchment morphology on lake-water chemistry in the Kangerlussuaq area; ii) determine the predominant origin of DOC, aquatic or terrestrial. I used a remote-sensing approach based on satellite imagery and digital elevation model (DEM) in deciding landscape influence on water chemistry (pH, alkalinity, conductivity, base cations, sulphate, nitrogen and absorbance). To trace the origin of the organic sources behind DOC lake water and sediments, I used a hydrogen isotope tracing method. The remote sensing approach revealed that morphological characteristics serving as proxies for lake water residence time and hydrologic connectivity (e.g. lake altitude difference and absence of outlets) explained up to 77% of the variations in lake water chemistry. The hydrogen isotopic signature of the DOC indicated a predominantly autochthonous origin, i.e. 59 to 78% was estimated to originate from algae. I conclude that lake water chemistry of the lakes in the study area is primarily controlled by the precipitation : evaporation balance, enhanced by static catchment characteristics regulating water age. Thus, the examined lake water chemical properties are likely to remain across future climatic scenarios, providing the current precipitation : evaporation balance prevails.

Os albatrozes e petréis (Procellariiformes) são aves oceânicas e migratórias de grande interesse conservacionista. Neste trabalho foram estudadas duas classes de poluentes bastante conhecidos por afetarem negativamente as aves marinhas: os poluentes orgânicos persistentes e os plásticos. Bifenilos policlorados (PCBs) e pesticidas organoclorados foram detectados no tecido adiposo, fígado e músculo de oito espécies de Procellariiformes. Apesar da grande variabilidade intraespecífica nas concentrações, os perfis de PCBs e pesticidas organoclorados foram semelhantes entre os indíviduos, com predôminância de PCBs penta, hexa e heptaclorados e do p´p-DDE. A condição corporal se mostrou um fator importante na variação e redistribuição dos organoclorados nos tecidos das aves. As análises de isótopos estáveis de carbono e nitrogênio no fígado e músculo das aves mostraram que a dieta não foi suficiente para explicar as concentrações de organoclorados nas espécies estudadas e reforçaram a influência de fatores como idade, distribuição e especifidade da dieta na contaminação por estes compostos em aves marinhas. PCBs e pesticidas organoclorados foram detectados em pellets e fragmentos plásticos encontrados no trato digestório das aves estudadas, com perfis semelhantes aos encontrados nos tecidos dos Procellariiformes. A ocorrência de poluentes orgânicos em plásticos evidencia a capacidade destes de adsorver e transportar estes compostos e reforça o potencial dos plásticos como uma fonte adicional de contaminação para os animais que os ingerem, como as aves marinhas. / Albatrosses and petrels (Procellariiformes) are migratory oceanic birds of considerable conservational interest. The aim of the present study was to evaluate two classes of pollutants that negatively affect seabirds: persistent organic pollutants and plastics. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) were detected in the adipose tissue, liver and muscle of eight species of Procellariiformes. Although organochlorine concentrations exhibited a high degree of intra-species variability, the profiles of PCBs and OCPs were similar among the individuals, with predominance of penta, hexa and heptachlorobiphenyls and p´p-DDE. Body condition was an important factor in the variation and redistribution of organochlorine compounds in the tissues of the birds. Stable isotope analysis of carbon and nitrogen in the liver and muscle revealed that diet alone was insufficient to explain the organochlorine concentrations in the species studied, suggesting the influence of factors such as age, distribution and diet specificity regarding organochlorine contamination in seabirds. PCBs and OCPs were detected in plastic fragments and pellets found in the digestive tract of Procellariiformes, with profiles very similar to those found in the tissues of the birds. The occurrence of organic pollutants in plastics demonstrates their ability to adsorb and transport these compounds and underscores the potential of plastics as an additional source of contamination in organisms that ingest these products, such as seabirds.

A deficiência de boro (B) é comum nos pomares citrícolas paulistas. A maioria das pesquisas sobre mobilidade (transporte e redistribuição) de micronutrientes têm sido realizadas com o auxílio de isótopos radioativos, entretanto, para o B não existe um isótopo radioativo com meia vida suficientemente longa para tais estudos. Os isótopos estáveis de B (10B e 11B) foram pouco utilizados como traçador em estudos com vegetais, devido à dificuldade de detecção, entretanto, com o advento do ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry – espectrômetro de massas acoplado a uma fonte de plasma),tornou-se possível quantificar os átomos de 10B e 11B. Desta forma, utilizando-se de compostos enriquecidos em 10B, tornaram-se viáveis os estudos de absorção, transporte e redistribuição do B nas plantas. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi estudar, com o auxilio da técnica isotópica, a absorção de B pelas raízes e folhas da laranjeira, verificar a mobilidade do elemento na planta e quantificar a contribuição da adubação com B para os frutos da laranjeira. No estudo foram realizados 4 experimentos, sendo 3 experimentos realizados em casa de vegetação e 1 experimento realizado em pomar de laranjeira em produção. Dos experimentos realizados em casa de vegetação, O primeiro estudou a absorção de B pelas raízes de laranjeiras em sistema hidropônico e a mobilidade do nutriente na planta. Laranjeiras de copa ‘Valencia’ em dois porta-enxertos (limoeiro ‘Cravo’ e citrumelo ‘Swingle’) foram conduzidas em soluções nutritivas com concentrações de B adequadas ou deficientes, e o início dos tratamentos com 10B ocorreram em épocas distintas, com plantas em diferentes condições nutricionais de B. O segundo experimento estudou a eficiência da absorção foliar de B pelas laranjeiras ao longo do tempo e a mobilidade do nutriente na planta. O terceiro experimento comparou a mobilidade do B, absorvido pelas raízes e pelas folhas, para os novos fluxos de crescimento. O quarto experimento, realizado no campo, comparou as adubações com B no solo, via fertirrigação, e nas folhas das laranjeiras. Avaliou a contribuição destas adubações para os frutos das laranjeiras e verificou o efeito residual da adubação realizada no ano anterior na nutrição da planta no ano seguinte. Pelos resultados obtidos nos experimentos foi possível verificar que cerca de 20% a 40% do B presente nas partes novas da laranjeira foi proveniente de reservas das laranjeiras, ou seja, foi redistribuído na planta, e o menor valor foi obtido quando as laranjeiras estavam deficientes em B. A absorção de B pelas folhas da laranjeira foi inferior a 9% total de B depositado nas folhas, e o nutriente permaneceu principalmente nos órgãos onde foi aplicado (97%). A adubação com B no solo foi, cerca de 3 a 4 vezes, mais eficiente em fornecer o nutriente para a laranjeira, do que a aplicação do nutriente na folha. / Boron deficiency is widespread in São Paulo citrus orchards. Most of researches on micronutrients mobility (transport and redistribution) have been carried out using radioactive isotopes, however, for the B there is not any radioactive isotope with half-life enough for such studies. The B stable isotopes (10B and 11B) had little been used as tracer in plant studies due to the difficult detection, but with the development of the ICP-MS inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry), it is possible to quantify the atoms of 10B and 11B. This way, using enriched compound with 10B, the absorption, transport and redistribution studies have become possible.The present work aimed to study, with aid of isotopic methodology, the B absorption through the roots and leaf of orange plant, to verify the B mobility in the plant and to quantify the B fertilization contribution to the fruit. In the study 4 experiments were carried out, 3 experiments in greenhouse and 1 experiment in a productive orange orchard. From the experiment carried out in greenhouse, in the first one the B absorption through the roots in nutrient solution system and the nutrient mobility in the plant were studied. ‘Valencia’ sweet orange trees budded on Rangpur lime or Swingle citrumelo were grown in nutrient solution with suitable or deficient B supply, and the treatments with 10B were initiated in different periods with plants in different nutritional condition of B. The second experiment studied the efficiency of B uptake by the orange leaves, which were harvested in different periods after 10B spraying, and the nutrient mobility in the plant. The third experiment compared the B mobility absorbed through roots and leaves, and driven to the new shoots. The fourth experiment, performed in orange orchard, compared the B applied in the soil by fertigation and in the leaves. The contribution of B from fertilizer to the fruits was evaluated and verified the residual effect of fertilizer applied in the year before on the plant nourishing in the next year. By the results from the experiments it was possible to verify that approximately 20% to 40% of B contained in the new parts of orange plant was derivated from old parts, in other words, the B was redistributed in the plant, and the lower value was obtained when the plants grew in nutrient solution with deficient B supply. The B absorption by the leaves was less than 9% of total B deposited on the foliar lamina, and remained mainly in the sites where it was applied (97%). The B fertilization in the soil was, approximately 3 to 4 times more efficient in providing B to the orange plant than the B sprayed on the leaves.

Spatial heterogeneity impacts population and community-level dynamics including species-level dispersal patterns, the use and availability of refugia, predator/prey dynamics, and reproductive fitness. Understanding how wild animal populations respond to environmental heterogeneity is essential for their proper management and conservation. In this study, I examine the responses of Willow Flycatchers to spatial heterogeneity in the distribution of their food and habitat resources. Over the course of three breeding seasons, I radio- tracked Willow Flycatchers at Fish Creek in Manti-La Sal National Forest in Utah, recorded detailed behavior data at each radio location, and collected fecal, feather and insect samples. I formulated individual and population-level Bayesian spatial resource selection functions to model Willow Flycatcher foraging and vocalization behavior on multiple scales. These models indicate that vocalization and foraging behavior are spatially segregated within the home ranges of Willow Flycatchers. Further, Willow Flycatchers were found to use mature riparian habitat for vocalizing while they used a variety of habitat types for foraging. The insect samples were used to identify distinct carbon and nitrogen stable isotope signatures for the aquatic and terrestrial insect communities at Fish Creek. In conjunction with the fecal samples, I used the stable isotope signatures to determine the contribution of aquatic versus terrestrial insects to the Willow Flycatcher diet. Aquatic insects comprised a larger proportion of the diet of adult than nestling Willow Flycatchers. This suggests that adult flycatchers consume a diet that is distinct from the one they feed to their nestlings. Finally, I compared space use characteristics in two populations of Willow Flycatchers: a population of the endangered Southwestern Willow Flycatcher at Roosevelt Lake, Arizona and another belonging to a non-endangered subspecies of Willow Flycatcher at Fish Creek, Utah. Differences in space use were found largely among breeding flycatchers while space use characteristics in non-breeding Willow Flycatchers did not differ across populations. This suggests that space use patterns in non-breeding Southwestern Willow Flycatchers may be generalizable to non-breeding flycatchers from non-endangered populations. This study expands our understanding of how Willow Flycatchers respond to spatial heterogeneity while its key findings have management and conservation implications for the species.

The focus of this work was on the use of otolith microchemistry and fish eye lens chemical profiles to measure fish movement and provided indirect support for the use of otolith microchemistry to examine exposure to crude oil. Chapter 1 provides an introduction to the applications of otolith microchemistry and eye lens isotopic profiles. In the second chapter, which examined associations between metal exposure and lesion formation in fishes collected after the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill, I did not observe any change in oil-associated metal concentrations in otoliths coinciding with the timing of the DWH oil spill. This suggests that either the technique used is not sensitive enough to detect any transient changes that may have occurred because of exposure to the oil spill or that the fish examined were not exposed to the oil spill. However, I did find that lesioned fish may have been exposed to a persistent source of trace-metals in the GoM prior to, during, and after the oil spill, and metal-induced immunomodulation may have occurred in these fish. These interactions between the physiological and environmental modulation of otolith element incorporation were explored further in Chapter 3 in which multiple tests demonstrated that physiology explained more of the variation in otolith chemical tags than ambient water chemistry. These findings suggest that the use of otolith microchemistry alone to track fish movement and potential exposure to harmful metals may be complicated by physiological control of otolith microchemistry. Thus, in Chapter 4, I pursued a novel method to evaluate the movement of fish across isoscapes of varying δ15N. I validated the use of fish eye lenses as potential lifetime recorders of isotopic histories and in Chapter 5 compared the use of fish eye lens δ15N profiles to otolith microchemistry profiles to examine fish movement. Both techniques suggested similar patterns of movement in Red Snapper from the northern GoM to the West Florida Shelf. This is the first study to use these complimentary techniques to track fish movement.

Water security requires that sufficient quantities of water be available at critical times. This is particularly challenging for high-intensity urban and agricultural settings. In underdeveloped nations, streamflow is commonly the preferred water source, as it is readily available and delivered cost-free to users. Yet, the sources of these critical streamflows are often unknown. This issue is salient in the Northern Andes, where basic knowledge of controlling factors for the quantity, quality, and timing of runoff is lacking. High-elevation headwaters are the primary catchment areas in the Northern Andes, but the extent of water providing to municipalities in the Northern Andes is unknown. In this study, the contribution of water derived from the upper watershed to the streamflow in the Tulúa River which supplies water to 200,000 people in the city of Tulúa was quantified. The river runs 72 km through urban, agricultural, and industrial land use in the Central Cordillera of the Colombian Andes. We collected 32 and 34 water samples in August and November, respectively. The water samples were representative of high-elevation headwaters runoff, shallow groundwater discharge, and streamflow throughout the watershed. Samples were analyzed for dissolved constituents and stable isotopes. The dissolved constituents were used in mass-balance mixing models to identify the source of streamflow in the lower watershed of the Tulúa River, where it the river supports a large municipality. Results indicate that approximately 50% surface runoff largely originates as high-elevation headwater runoff, including high-elevation settings where páramos dominate the land cover. These findings underscore the need for source-water protection efforts in the upper watershed, including the páramos. This project serves as a model for other páramo derived watersheds, where source-water protection is a critical challenge.

The Avar were nomadic people from Central Asia who migrated into the Carpathian Basin in Central-Eastern Europe during the mid to late Migration Period (AD 568 - 895). Archaeological evaluation of grave goods and documentation of mortuary practices have been the primary means of understanding the Avar. However, this approach has largely neglected skeletal and biochemical analysis, in particular as these approaches relate to the biological variation, ancestry, and dietary patterns of the Avar. There remains debate as to whether disparities existed among the socially stratified Avar population of ancient Hungary. It is argued by some that these disparities existed and were the result of differential access to nutritional resources. This hypothesis was tested using the unique properties of isotopes and their chemical signatures. In so doing, the qualitative work on the grave goods was augmented by an additional, quantifiable line of evidence. To investigate social stratification among the Avar population, the techniques of chemical multi-isotope and osteological analysis were employed. Multi-isotopic analyses can be done on stable isotopes (carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen) and on the heavy isotopes (strontium and lead). The particular stable isotopes examined were carbon (δ13C), nitrogen (δ15 N), and oxygen (δ18O). The heavy isotopes analyzed were strontium (87Sr/86Sr) and lead (206Pb/204Pb). Stable isotope analysis as well as ratio analysis of the heavy isotopes strontium (87Sr/86Sr) and lead (206Pb/204Pb) are well-established analytical chemistry methods for examining diverse aspects of diet and mobility through specific geographic regions. The analysis was performed on samples derived from well-preserved tooth enamel and bones. Reconstructing migration and dietary patterns at the Sajópetri cemetery site has helped estimate variability among social groups and between sexes in this population at the time of the Migration Period. Results of the heavy isotope analysis revealed that the Avar population were non-locals to the region, and the stable isotope analysis demonstrated that there was little variation between social groups with slightly higher variation between sexes. This research provides an empirical and analytical framework for further research into migration patterns and social class dynamics of late prehistoric Hungry. This study also adds existing research possibilities to the on-going biogeochemical studies conducted throughout Europe.

Orientador: Didier Gastmans / Resumo: A necessidade do estudo os diferentes processos do ciclo hidrológico de forma integrada tem se tornado cada vez mais urgente, uma vez que o uso do termo “crise hídrica” se torna cada vez mais frequente. Nesse sentido, a determinação de taxas de recarga e quantificação dos fluxos subterrâneos, aliados ao uso de isótopos estáveis (2H e 18O), que são excelentes traçadores da movimentação da água no ciclo hidrológico, impulsionaram esse estudo, buscando gerar informações científicas fundamentais para uma melhor gestão dos recursos hídricos. Situada numa porção de afloramento do Sistema Aquífero Guarani (SAG), a área de estudo está inserida em uma pequena bacia hidrográfica na porção oeste do estado de São Paulo, onde as águas subterrâneas e superficiais são responsáveis pelo abastecimento de inúmeras cidades da região. O estudo teve como principal objetivo compreender a dinâmica entre os diversos compartimentos do ciclo hidrológico, buscando mudanças nos padrões de precipitação e de recarga subterrânea, por métodos de fácil aplicação, como balanço hídrico e flutuações dos níveis d’água (WTF), bem como a aplicação de traçadores isotópicos (δ2H e δ18O) em diferentes sazonalidades. Ao considerar a sazonalidade dos dados isotópicos na chuva, águas superficiais e subterrâneas, pode-se observar que os valores de δ18O são mais empobrecidos durante a estação chuvosa e mais enriquecidos durante a estação seca. A diferença entre os sinais isotópicos permitiu compreender a movimentação da á... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The need to study the different processes of the hydrological cycle in an integrated way has become increasingly urgent since the use of the term "water crisis" becomes more and more frequent. In this sense, the determination of rates of recharge and quantification of the underground flows, together with the use of stable isotopes (2H and 18O), which are excellent tracers of water movement in the hydrological cycle, stimulated this study, seeking to generate scientific information fundamental to better management of water resources. Located in a portion of the outcrop of the Guarani Aquifer System (SAG), the study area is in a small hydrographic basin in the western portion of the state of São Paulo, where groundwater and surface waters are responsible for the supply of numerous cities located there. The main objective of this study is to understand the dynamics between the various compartments of the hydrological cycle, searching for changes in precipitation and underground recharge patterns, using easy-to-apply methods such as water balance and water level fluctuations (WTF), as well as the application of isotopic tracers (δ2H and δ18O) in different seasonal conditions. When considering the seasonality of the isotopic data in rainfall, surface water, and groundwater, it can be observed that δ18O values are more depleted during the rainy season and more enriched during the dry season. The difference between the isotopic signals allowed to understand the movement of the water... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor

This thesis investigates the prehistoric diet of humans and two of their key commensals on Aitutaki using stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes. This technique gives us new insight into the diet of these three groups and results are considered in the context of the development of agricultural systems on Aitutaki, as well as in light of the wider context of cultural developments and environmental change in the Cook Islands and Polynesia as a whole. Ultimately, it allows us to more fully understand the complex interactions between humans and the two largest commensals in order to evaluate the utility of these animals as proxies for humans in dietary analyses. The results indicate that the prehistoric human diet on Aitutaki can be characterised as mixed, dominated by terrestrial plants and marine protein with lesser amounts of terrestrial protein. While the amount of protein eaten by the individuals was very similar, they varied in how much marine or terrestrial protein they ate. The pigs had a slightly more terrestrial diet, with a greater emphasis on plant foods. Their protein intake was more variable and terrestrial in nature than the humans’. Dogs had a higher trophic level, more marine-oriented, diet than either humans or pigs. Like the humans, their diet contained more variation in the source of their protein. Overall, however, the diets of all three groups were very similar. While the overall nature of the human, pig and dog diets, and their relationships to one another, remained relatively constant over time, beginning in the 14th century they show a decline in the amount of fish consumed and had a more terrestrial diet overall. This confirms trends seen in the archaeofaunal assemblages, and throws light on the relationship between environmental change and human subsistence practices in East Polynesia. The similarity of the pig and dog diets to human diet, and the fact that the relationship remained constant over time, demonstrates the usefulness of the Aitutaki commensal animals as proxies for humans in stable isotope analysis. However, the specifics of that relationship vary by species and by place. While the individual dietary variability provides us with new ways of looking at dietary change within populations, it also demonstrates the importance of obtaining as large an assemblage for analysis as possible in order to ensure that samples are representative of the population as a whole.