Catchment influences on mercury methylation in a peatland chronosequence
Since the beginning of industrialization, emissions of mercury (Hg) from human activities in excess of natural levels have increased depo-sition rates to ecosystems, storage in soils and loading to aquatic envi-ronments. Toxicity to animals, subject to this accumulation, as well as to humans consumi...
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| Formato: | H2 |
| Lenguaje: | Inglés |
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SLU/Dept. of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment
2017
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| Materias: |
| _version_ | 1855572232523218944 |
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| author | Hagblom, Robin |
| author_browse | Hagblom, Robin |
| author_facet | Hagblom, Robin |
| author_sort | Hagblom, Robin |
| collection | Epsilon Archive for Student Projects |
| description | Since the beginning of industrialization, emissions of mercury (Hg) from human activities in excess of natural levels have increased depo-sition rates to ecosystems, storage in soils and loading to aquatic envi-ronments. Toxicity to animals, subject to this accumulation, as well as to humans consuming them, are the major concerns driving research on this subject. Peatlands play a key role in Hg cycling as hotspots for Hg methylation, methyl mercury (MeHg) being a particularly mobile, bioavailable form of Hg that is prone to bioaccumulation. Underlying geography is fundamental in shaping the hydrology of a given area and, therefore, the locations of points of accumulation and methylation of Hg.
In this study, potential relationships between geographic parame-ters, elucidated via GIS analysis were investigated with the aim of iden-tifying which parameters were relevant as explanatory variables in the prediction of Hg concentrations in the study area. Elevation was ex-pected to strongly predict MeHg concentrations due to the presence of a local chronosequence, created by land rise. The land’s age since emergence from the sea ranges from years to thousands of years within a span of 10 km, enabled this investigation in an environment in which climate is controlled for.
With 13 of the 15 watershed areas less than 1 ha and 9 less than 500m2, little of meaning could be concluded from statistical analysis with certainty. Linear regression and PLS pointed to Elevation’s rela-tionship with THg, PLS implicated Watershed Area as being associated with MeHg, and PCA hinted at the relevance of Area as well as a clus-ter of Slope, Downslope Index, Curvature, and % Forest for sample sites with extreme values of Hg and other metals. Our results indicate that elevation alone is not a strong predictor of MeHg concentration along this peatland chronosequence. |
| format | H2 |
| id | RepoSLU13369 |
| institution | Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2017 |
| publishDateSort | 2017 |
| publisher | SLU/Dept. of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment |
| publisherStr | SLU/Dept. of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment |
| record_format | eprints |
| spelling | RepoSLU133692018-06-29T10:35:42Z Catchment influences on mercury methylation in a peatland chronosequence Hagblom, Robin methyl mercury GIS northern peatland mire watershed elevation Since the beginning of industrialization, emissions of mercury (Hg) from human activities in excess of natural levels have increased depo-sition rates to ecosystems, storage in soils and loading to aquatic envi-ronments. Toxicity to animals, subject to this accumulation, as well as to humans consuming them, are the major concerns driving research on this subject. Peatlands play a key role in Hg cycling as hotspots for Hg methylation, methyl mercury (MeHg) being a particularly mobile, bioavailable form of Hg that is prone to bioaccumulation. Underlying geography is fundamental in shaping the hydrology of a given area and, therefore, the locations of points of accumulation and methylation of Hg. In this study, potential relationships between geographic parame-ters, elucidated via GIS analysis were investigated with the aim of iden-tifying which parameters were relevant as explanatory variables in the prediction of Hg concentrations in the study area. Elevation was ex-pected to strongly predict MeHg concentrations due to the presence of a local chronosequence, created by land rise. The land’s age since emergence from the sea ranges from years to thousands of years within a span of 10 km, enabled this investigation in an environment in which climate is controlled for. With 13 of the 15 watershed areas less than 1 ha and 9 less than 500m2, little of meaning could be concluded from statistical analysis with certainty. Linear regression and PLS pointed to Elevation’s rela-tionship with THg, PLS implicated Watershed Area as being associated with MeHg, and PCA hinted at the relevance of Area as well as a clus-ter of Slope, Downslope Index, Curvature, and % Forest for sample sites with extreme values of Hg and other metals. Our results indicate that elevation alone is not a strong predictor of MeHg concentration along this peatland chronosequence. SLU/Dept. of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment 2017 H2 eng https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/13369/ |
| spellingShingle | methyl mercury GIS northern peatland mire watershed elevation Hagblom, Robin Catchment influences on mercury methylation in a peatland chronosequence |
| title | Catchment influences on mercury methylation in a peatland chronosequence |
| title_full | Catchment influences on mercury methylation in a peatland chronosequence |
| title_fullStr | Catchment influences on mercury methylation in a peatland chronosequence |
| title_full_unstemmed | Catchment influences on mercury methylation in a peatland chronosequence |
| title_short | Catchment influences on mercury methylation in a peatland chronosequence |
| title_sort | catchment influences on mercury methylation in a peatland chronosequence |
| topic | methyl mercury GIS northern peatland mire watershed elevation |