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The zooplankton community was analysed in two intermittent salt lakes in Serbia – Lake Velika and Lake Mala Rusanda. Samples were collected twice a month during the wet phase between March and May. A total of 15 zooplankton taxa were identified. Crustaceans were more diverse in Lake Mala Rusanda. The communities of both lakes were composed mainly of cosmopolitan, generalist, euryhaline species. Strictly haline species such as Brachionus asplanchnoidis and Arctodiaptomus spinosus were the dominant components of the zooplankton communities in both lakes. Arctodiaptomus spinosus was most abundant in March and April, accounting for up to 50% of all zooplankton specimens found in a sample. The proportion of juvenile stages of A. spinosus was highest in the March and early April samples. The ratio of males to females varied and was likely related to swarming behaviour as part of the species’ reproductive strategy.

A rare alkali metal, rubidium (Rb) has significant economic value and emerging industrial applications including biomedical research, solar cells, atomic clocks, and electronics. Primarily Rb is recovered as an intermediate product during cesium or lithium extraction from pollucite or lepidolite, respectively. The rarity of Rb and its specific industrial usage have necessitated the development of new processes and the identification of alternative sources of Rb. As a result, alternative sources of Rb are becoming more appealing, primarily in the form of seawater brine and salt lakes. Researchers have utilized solvent extraction, precipitation, adsorption, and hybrid membrane-sorption technologies to recover Rb. A more in-depth evaluation of different separation technologies is imperative for achieving selective Rb recovery from complex brines. Hence, this assiduous review focuses on various Rb recovery technologies from brine. A specific emphasis is placed on Rb recovery by ion exchange-adsorption process in view of its efficiency, selectivity, and cost-effectiveness. Efforts to enhance adsorption are also discussed, including metal-organic framework grafting and encapsulation. This review will provide in-depth strategies for developing efficient and sustainable pure Rb recovery technologies having maximum adsorption capacity with improved kinetics, re-usability, and easier re-generation of the spent adsorbent from alternative brine sources. © 2023 Elsevier B.V.

Automated classification of satellite images is a challenging task that enables the use of remote sensing data for environmental modeling of Earth’s landscapes. In this document, we implement a GRASS GIS-based framework for discriminating land cover types to identify changes in the endorheic basins of the ephemeral salt lakes Chott Melrhir and Chott Merouane, Algeria; we employ embedded algorithms for image processing. This study presents a dataset of the nine Landsat 8–9 OLI/TIRS satellite images obtained from the USGS for a 9-year period, from 2014 to 2022. The images were analyzed to detect changes in water levels in ephemeral lakes that experience temporal fluctuations; these lakes are dry most of the time and are fed with water during rainy periods. The unsupervised classification of images was performed using GRASS GIS algorithms through several modules: ‘i.cluster’ was used to generate image classes; ‘i.maxlik’ was used for classification using the maximal likelihood discriminant analysis, and auxiliary modules, such as ‘i.group’, ‘r.support’, ‘r.import’, etc. were used. This document includes technical descriptions of the scripts used for image processing with detailed comments on the functionalities of the GRASS GIS modules. The results include the identified variations in the ephemeral salt lakes within the Algerian part of the Sahara over a 9-year period (2014–2022), using a time series of Landsat OLI/TIRS multispectral images that were classified using GRASS GIS. The main strengths of the GRASS GIS framework are the high speed, accuracy, and effectiveness of the programming codes for image processing in environmental monitoring. The presented GitHub repository, which contains scripts used for the satellite image analysis, serves as a reference for the interpretation of remote sensing data for the environmental monitoring of arid and semi-arid areas of Africa., SCOPUS: ar.j, SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

The direct lithium extraction process, developed by Xi'an Lanshen New Material Technology, uses aluminium hydroxide as an adsorbent to separate lithium from other impurities. The test result proved to be a success with improvements in lithium recovery rate and processing costs compared to historical processing methods. An action plan for building a world-class salt lake industrial base was released to support the development of brine assets in China. China has abundant brine resources located in Qinghai province but the quality of resources with low lithium content, though high Li:Mg ratio, has impeded production. If direct lithium extraction technology can be successfully applied to Minmetals existing operation and other Salt Lake assets in China, lithium from brine would be expected to contribute a greater proportion of global supply., The direct lithium extraction process, developed by Xi'an Lanshen New Material Technology, uses aluminium hydroxide as an adsorbent to separate lithium from other impurities. The test result proved to be a success with improvements in lithium recovery rate and processing costs compared to historical processing methods. An action plan for building a world-class salt lake industrial base was released to support the development of brine assets in China. China has abundant brine resources located in Qinghai province but the quality of resources with low lithium content, though high Li:Mg ratio, has impeded production. If direct lithium extraction technology can be successfully applied to Minmetals existing operation and other Salt Lake assets in China, lithium from brine would be expected to contribute a greater proportion of global supply.

Na.tro.no.bi.for’ma. Gr. neut. n. natron arbitrarily derived from Arabic n. natrun or natron soda; L. adv. num. bis twice; L. fem. n. forma form, shape; N.L. fem. n. Natronobiforma the dimorphic natronoarchaeon. The genus Natronobiforma, classified within the family Natrialbaceae, order Natrialbales, in the class Halobacteria, currently consists of a single species, Natronobiforma cellulositropha. It is a moderately alkaliphilic, obligately aerobic, extreme halophile, forming pink colonies with large clearance zones on plates containing amorphous cellulose. The cells are pleomorphic flat motile rods or nonmotile coccoid cells. Multiple strains classified within this genus were isolated from alkaline hypersaline lakes in different locations. They grow optimally on insoluble native celluloses. Xylan, β-mannan, cellobiose, and maltose can also be used as carbon and energy sources. Other organic compounds used by most members of the Halobacteria do not support growth. DNA G+C content (mol%): 65.4–65.5 (genome sequences). Type species: Natronobiforma cellulositropha Sorokin et al. 2019, VL187., BT/Environmental Biotechnology

The application of tandem MALDI-TOF MS screening with 16S rRNA gene sequencing of selected isolates has been demonstrated to be an excellent approach for retrieving novelty from large-scale culturing. The application of such methodologies in different hypersaline samples allowed the isolation of the culture-recalcitrant Salinibacter ruber second phylotype (EHB-2) for the first time, as well as a new species recently isolated from the Argentinian Altiplano hypersaline lakes. In this study, the genome sequences of the different species of the phylum Rhodothermaeota were compared and the genetic repertoire along the evolutionary gradient was analyzed together with each intraspecific variability. Altogether, the results indicated an open pan-genome for the family Salinibacteraceae, as well as the codification of relevant traits such as diverse rhodopsin genes, CRISPR-Cas systems and spacers, and one T6SS secretion system that could give ecological advantages to an EHB-2 isolate. For the new Salinibacter species, we propose the name Salinibacter altiplanensis sp. nov. (the designated type strain is AN15T = CECT 9105T = IBRC-M 11031T).

The application of tandem MALDI-TOF MS screening with 16S rRNA gene sequencing of selected isolates has been demonstrated to be an excellent approach for retrieving novelty from large-scale culturing. The application of such methodologies in different hypersaline samples allowed the isolation of the culture-recalcitrant Salinibacter ruber second phylotype (EHB-2) for the first time, as well as a new species recently isolated from the Argentinian Altiplano hypersaline lakes. In this study, the genome sequences of the different species of the phylum Rhodothermaeota were compared and the genetic repertoire along the evolutionary gradient was analyzed together with each intraspecific variability. Altogether, the results indicated an open pan-genome for the family Salinibacteraceae, as well as the codification of relevant traits such as diverse rhodopsin genes, CRISPR-Cas systems and spacers, and one T6SS secretion system that could give ecological advantages to an EHB-2 isolate. For the new Salinibacter species, we propose the name Salinibacter altiplanensis sp. nov. (the designated type strain is AN15T = CECT 9105T = IBRC-M 11031T).

This article focuses on a former salt lake in the upper Vinalopó Valley in south-eastern Spain. The study spans the Late Pleistocene through to the Late Holocene, although with particular focus on the period between 11 ka cal BP and 3000 ka cal BP (which spans the Mesolithic and part of the Bronze Age). High resolution multi-proxy analysis (including pollen, non pollen palynomorphs, grain size, X-ray fluorescence and X-ray diffraction) was undertaken on the lake sediments. The results show strong sensitivity to both long term and small changes in the evaporation/precipitation ratio, affecting the surrounding vegetation composition, lake-biota and sediment geochemistry.To summarise the key findings the main general trends identified include: 1) Hyper-saline conditions and low lake levels at the end of the Late Glacial 2) Increasing wetness and temperatures which witnessed an expansion of mesophilic woodland taxa, lake infilling and the establishment of a more perennial lake system at the onset of the Holocene 3) An increase in solar insolation after 9 ka cal BP which saw the re-establishment of pine forests 4) A continued trend towards increasing dryness (climatic optimum) at 7 ka cal BP but with continued freshwater input 5) An increase in sclerophyllous open woody vegetation (anthropogenic?), and increasing wetness (climatic?) is represented in the lake record between 5.9 and 3 ka cal BP 6) The Holocene was also punctuated by several aridity pulses, the most prominent corresponding to the 8.2 ka cal BP event. These events, despite a paucity of well dated archaeological sites in the surrounding area, likely altered the carrying capacity of this area both regionally and locally, particularly during the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition, in terms of fresh water supply for human/animal consumption, wild plant food reserves and suitable land for crop growth. © 2018 Elsevier Ltd.

The aim of the following paper is to provide an approach and a better understanding of the Mormon culture that inhabit the state of Utah in the United States of America. In order to do this, the main figures of this religious branch, Joseph Smith and Brigham Young will be put into the context of their time to explore the difficulties they had to face, and if it is really true that they were the immaculate and virtous people that the Mormon Church claims they were. Finally, a series of few interviews with people of different Christian faiths will show if it is truly a good relation what the people of Utah have when it comes to religious coexistence by comparing and contrasting their answers to some questions to unveil why it was possible for Utah to flourish as a state with people coming from so different backgrounds., El objetivo del siguiente trabajo es otorgar al lector un mejor entendimiento de la cultura Mormona del estado de Utah en los Estados Unidos de América. Para ello, los dos principales pilares de esta rama religiosa, Joseph Smith y Brigham Young, serán puestos en el contexto de sus vidas, explorando las dificultades que tuvieron y si realmente fueron personas llenas de virtud y bondad como realmente la Iglesia Mormona cuenta. Finalmente, una serie de breves entrevistas a personas de distintas fes Cristianas mostrarán si realmente Utah tiene una buena relación entre sus gentes en lo que a convivencia religiosa se refiere, comparando y contrastando sus respuestas a una serie de preguntas para desvelar como Utah emergió como un estado floreciente pese al distinto fondo de sus habitantes., Departamento de Filología Inglesa, Grado en Estudios Ingleses

The aim of the following paper is to provide an approach and a better understanding of the Mormon culture that inhabit the state of Utah in the United States of America. In order to do this, the main figures of this religious branch, Joseph Smith and Brigham Young will be put into the context of their time to explore the difficulties they had to face, and if it is really true that they were the immaculate and virtous people that the Mormon Church claims they were. Finally, a series of few interviews with people of different Christian faiths will show if it is truly a good relation what the people of Utah have when it comes to religious coexistence by comparing and contrasting their answers to some questions to unveil why it was possible for Utah to flourish as a state with people coming from so different backgrounds., El objetivo del siguiente trabajo es otorgar al lector un mejor entendimiento de la cultura Mormona del estado de Utah en los Estados Unidos de América. Para ello, los dos principales pilares de esta rama religiosa, Joseph Smith y Brigham Young, serán puestos en el contexto de sus vidas, explorando las dificultades que tuvieron y si realmente fueron personas llenas de virtud y bondad como realmente la Iglesia Mormona cuenta. Finalmente, una serie de breves entrevistas a personas de distintas fes Cristianas mostrarán si realmente Utah tiene una buena relación entre sus gentes en lo que a convivencia religiosa se refiere, comparando y contrastando sus respuestas a una serie de preguntas para desvelar como Utah emergió como un estado floreciente pese al distinto fondo de sus habitantes., Departamento de Filología Inglesa, Grado en Estudios Ingleses

The aim of the following paper is to provide an approach and a better understanding of the Mormon culture that inhabit the state of Utah in the United States of America. In order to do this, the main figures of this religious branch, Joseph Smith and Brigham Young will be put into the context of their time to explore the difficulties they had to face, and if it is really true that they were the immaculate and virtous people that the Mormon Church claims they were. Finally, a series of few interviews with people of different Christian faiths will show if it is truly a good relation what the people of Utah have when it comes to religious coexistence by comparing and contrasting their answers to some questions to unveil why it was possible for Utah to flourish as a state with people coming from so different backgrounds., El objetivo del siguiente trabajo es otorgar al lector un mejor entendimiento de la cultura Mormona del estado de Utah en los Estados Unidos de América. Para ello, los dos principales pilares de esta rama religiosa, Joseph Smith y Brigham Young, serán puestos en el contexto de sus vidas, explorando las dificultades que tuvieron y si realmente fueron personas llenas de virtud y bondad como realmente la Iglesia Mormona cuenta. Finalmente, una serie de breves entrevistas a personas de distintas fes Cristianas mostrarán si realmente Utah tiene una buena relación entre sus gentes en lo que a convivencia religiosa se refiere, comparando y contrastando sus respuestas a una serie de preguntas para desvelar como Utah emergió como un estado floreciente pese al distinto fondo de sus habitantes., Departamento de Filología Inglesa, Grado en Estudios Ingleses

The aim of the following paper is to provide an approach and a better understanding of the Mormon culture that inhabit the state of Utah in the United States of America. In order to do this, the main figures of this religious branch, Joseph Smith and Brigham Young will be put into the context of their time to explore the difficulties they had to face, and if it is really true that they were the immaculate and virtous people that the Mormon Church claims they were. Finally, a series of few interviews with people of different Christian faiths will show if it is truly a good relation what the people of Utah have when it comes to religious coexistence by comparing and contrasting their answers to some questions to unveil why it was possible for Utah to flourish as a state with people coming from so different backgrounds., El objetivo del siguiente trabajo es otorgar al lector un mejor entendimiento de la cultura Mormona del estado de Utah en los Estados Unidos de América. Para ello, los dos principales pilares de esta rama religiosa, Joseph Smith y Brigham Young, serán puestos en el contexto de sus vidas, explorando las dificultades que tuvieron y si realmente fueron personas llenas de virtud y bondad como realmente la Iglesia Mormona cuenta. Finalmente, una serie de breves entrevistas a personas de distintas fes Cristianas mostrarán si realmente Utah tiene una buena relación entre sus gentes en lo que a convivencia religiosa se refiere, comparando y contrastando sus respuestas a una serie de preguntas para desvelar como Utah emergió como un estado floreciente pese al distinto fondo de sus habitantes., Departamento de Filología Inglesa, Grado en Estudios Ingleses

The factors that shape microbial community assembly in aquatic ecosystems have been widely studied; yet it is still unclear how distinct communities within a connected landscape influence one another. Coastal lakes are recipients of, and thus are connected to, both marine and terrestrial environments. Thus, they may host microbial assemblages that reflect the relative degree of influence by, and connectivity to, either system. In order to address this idea, we interrogated microbial community diversity at 49 sites in seven ponds in two seasons in the Lake MacLeod basin, a system fed by seawater flowing inland through underground karst. Environmental and spatial variation within ponds explain

Denitrifying and anammox bacteria are involved in the nitrogen cycling in marine sediments but the environmental factors that regulate the relative importance of these processes are not well constrained. Here, we evaluated the abundance, diversity, and potential activity of denitrifying, anammox, and sulfide-dependent denitrifying bacteria in the sediments of the seasonally hypoxic saline Lake Grevelingen, known to harbor an active microbial community involved in sulfur oxidation pathways. Depth distributions of 16S rRNA gene, nirS gene of denitrifying and anammox bacteria, aprA gene of sulfur-oxidizing and sulfate-reducing bacteria, and ladderane lipids of anammox bacteria were studied in sediments impacted by seasonally hypoxic bottom waters. Samples were collected down to 5 cm depth (1 cm resolution) at three different locations before (March) and during summer hypoxia (August). The abundance of denitrifying bacteria did not vary despite of differences in oxygen and sulfide availability in the sediments, whereas anammox bacteria were more abundant in the summer hypoxia but in those sediments with lower sulfide concentrations. The potential activity of denitrifying and anammox bacteria as well as of sulfur-oxidizing, including sulfide-dependent denitrifiers and sulfate-reducing bacteria, was potentially inhibited by the competition for nitrate and nitrite with cable and/or Beggiatoa-like bacteria in March and by the accumulation of sulfide in the summer hypoxia. The simultaneous presence and activity of organoheterotrophic denitrifying bacteria, sulfide-dependent denitrifiers, and anammox bacteria suggests a tight network of bacteria coupling carbon-, nitrogen-, and sulfur cycling in Lake Grevelingen sediments.

This biogeographical thesis tests for the presence of taxa-area and distance-decay relationships, which are common among macrobionts, in prokaryotic (bacterial) and micro-eukaryotic (ciliate) communities. Microbial biogeographical patterns may be distinct because of the high abundances, diversity and dispersal capabilities of microbes, in comparison to macrobionts. The Northern Ponds of Lake MacLeod, north-western Australia, provide an ideal location to address this topic, because the ponds are effectively hydrogeomorphologically identical, other than in surface area, and biotic histories can be assumed to differ only according to distance of separation. This means that hypotheses concerning species-sorting and neutral processes on microbial assemblages can be tested in a natural setting. Characteristics of the physical environment were determined using bathymetric and hydrodynamic surveys in eight ponds. For each pond, evaporative outflow was determined using pan evaporation rates, and the hydrodynamic characteristics of each pond were described by measuring water flowing out of the ponds. Four pond morphotypes were distinguished on the basis of physical characteristics (surface area, volume and mean depth) and hydrodynamic properties (water residence time and percentage of evaporative loss). For ionic and nutrient variation within and between the ponds, concentrations were expected to vary based on residence time of the brine within the ponds, evapoconcentration and subsequent precipitation of mineral phases. The water chemistry was found to be similar to seawater, with major ionic ratios remaining rather constant throughout each pond. Cygnet Pond differed from the other ponds in that it was enriched in Mg and Ca and depleted in K. Sediment characteristics were also investigated by microscopy. Six sediment types were described based on the particles found in each sample. There were no clear relationships between sedimentology types and water chemistry, and between

Rottnest Island (total area 2000 ha) is located 18 km off the coast of Western Australia and10% of its area is made up by salt lakes. The main freshwater supply at the island comes from two shallow unconfined aquifers. These aquifers may feed freshwater seepages along the lake edges which are important sources of freshwater for the fauna of the Island. Rottnest Island has experienced declining rainfall in recent decades, resulting in reduced recharge to shallow freshwater aquifers. Although desalination has replaced groundwater abstraction as the primary source of fresh water on the island, continued reductions in rainfall may have a devastating effect on island fauna. This paper investigates the impact rainfall has upon the salinity levels and discharge of a Rottnest Island aquifer, and was the first study to use variable density flow modeling to examine this relationship on Rottnest Island. This relationship was studied considering a critical cross section of the island which captured the largest cluster of freshwater seeps running along the northern salt lakes.The saline and freshwater interaction was modeled using the finite element model SUTRA. Simulations were performed for the next 20 years and the results support a direct association between reduced rainfall and a reduction in the thickness of the freshwater lens, reduced rates of discharge, and increased salinity levels in discharged water. The results revealed that the salinity level of water discharging near the surface after 20 years is predicted to vary between 0.24% and 1.18% at the extreme ends of the rainfall predictions of 900mm and 200mm respectively. The predicted increase of 1% to the salinity level will have a significant adverse effect based on the salt tolerance level of many species on the island. A reduction in rainfall is also predicted to reduce seepage water velocity at the aquifer discharge locations, with the model showing that a rainfall drop between 400-200mm over the next two decades

La presencia de seres vivos en los ambientes lacustres salinos se puede deducir por las estructuras de bioturbación que realizan en el sedimento. En las lagunas salinas manchegas de Lillo (Toledo) se ha distinguido un cortejo variado de dichas estructuras que se puede relacionar claramente con ambientes de sedimentación determinados. Entre las huellas de actividad de seres vivos observadas destacamos: las huellas de raíces de herbáceas, las huellas de raíces de arbustos, la bioturbación por larvas de dípteros (Ephydridae), las excavaciones y perforaciones por abejas y coleópteros y las huellas de vertebrados. La comparación de las estructuras de bioturbación actuales con las icnitas (trazas fósiles y rizolitos) que se encuentran en las facies evaporíticas continentales del Terciario peninsular permite precisar su caracterización y su interpretación dentro de los diferentes ambientes sedimentarios. De hecho, las interpretaciones de las icnitas que se habían realizado previamente a su comparación directa con las estructuras de bioturbación actuales coinciden en gran medida con las de las huellas de seres vivos recientes. Por tanto, se puede considerar a las lagunas salinas manchegas como un buen análogo de los lagos salinos terciarios de la Península Ibérica para análisis sedimentológicos de icnitas., The occurrence of living beings in saline lake environments can be deduced thanks to bioturbation structures present in sediment. A varied assemblage of bioturbation structures--which can be tied to specific sedimentary subenvironments--has been recognised in saline ponds of La Mancha (Lillo-Toledo). The main groups of traces of bioturbation include: traces of grass roots, traces of bush roots, burrows made by larvae of Diptera (Ephydridae), and burrows and borings made by bees and beetles, as well as traces of vertebrates. Comparing recent bioturbation structures with ancient ichnites (trace fossils and rhizoliths) found in evaporite facies of the Tertiary continental geological record of Spain allows refining of their characterization and interpretation within different sedimentary ubenvironments. In fact, interpretations of ichnites made prior to direct comparisons with recent bioturbation structures largely coincide with those of recent traces of living beings. Therefore, the salt ponds of La Mancha can be considered as a good analog for Tertiary saline lakes of the Iberian Peninsula and subsequently for sedimentological analysis of ichnites., CGL-2011-26781, Depto. de Mineralogía y Petrología, Fac. de Ciencias Geológicas, TRUE, pub

La presencia de seres vivos en los ambientes lacustres salinos se puede deducir por las estructuras de bioturbación que realizan en el sedimento. En las lagunas salinas manchegas de Lillo (Toledo) se ha distinguido un cortejo variado de dichas estructuras que se puede relacionar claramente con ambientes de sedimentación determinados. Entre las huellas de actividad de seres vivos observadas destacamos: las huellas de raíces de herbáceas, las huellas de raíces de arbustos, la bioturbación por larvas de dípteros (Ephydridae), las excavaciones y perforaciones por abejas y coleópteros y las huellas de vertebrados. La comparación de las estructuras de bioturbación actuales con las icnitas (trazas fósiles y rizolitos) que se encuentran en las facies evaporíticas continentales del Terciario peninsular permite precisar su caracterización y su interpretación dentro de los diferentes ambientes sedimentarios. De hecho, las interpretaciones de las icnitas que se habían realizado previamente a su comparación directa con las estructuras de bioturbación actuales coinciden en gran medida con las de las huellas de seres vivos recientes. Por tanto, se puede considerar a las lagunas salinas manchegas como un buen análogo de los lagos salinos terciarios de la Península Ibérica para análisis sedimentológicos de icnitas., The occurrence of living beings in saline lake environments can be deduced thanks to bioturbation structures present in sediment. A varied assemblage of bioturbation structures--which can be tied to specific sedimentary subenvironments--has been recognised in saline ponds of La Mancha (Lillo-Toledo). The main groups of traces of bioturbation include: traces of grass roots, traces of bush roots, burrows made by larvae of Diptera (Ephydridae), and burrows and borings made by bees and beetles, as well as traces of vertebrates. Comparing recent bioturbation structures with ancient ichnites (trace fossils and rhizoliths) found in evaporite facies of the Tertiary continental geological record of Spain allows refining of their characterization and interpretation within different sedimentary ubenvironments. In fact, interpretations of ichnites made prior to direct comparisons with recent bioturbation structures largely coincide with those of recent traces of living beings. Therefore, the salt ponds of La Mancha can be considered as a good analog for Tertiary saline lakes of the Iberian Peninsula and subsequently for sedimentological analysis of ichnites., CGL-2011-26781, Depto. de Mineralogía y Petrología, Fac. de Ciencias Geológicas, TRUE, pub

In eastern Uganda, volcanic activity in the past has formed a salt lake. Today, the lake is surrounded by a national park hosting elephants and other large animals. Close to the lake within the park is also a small town, Katwe. The human inhabitants live from salt extraction in the lake. The work is manual and bodies are exposed to salt water during daily work. Researchers’ and investors’ visions to develop the salt quality have created fear that while facilitating salt extraction, people’s access and control over the meager income from salt work will be eroded. What we find is a situation where discourses of development – including reducing health hazardous work conditions and increasing involvement in a larger economic system, bodies affected by salt and by hunger, and visions of future livelihoods in a natural reserve are melted together. Will a meltdown of Katwe town and its human inhabitants be the effect, or will their agency lead to new forms of local postdevelopment strategies? We aim to discuss the local situation in Katwe in relation to feminist materialist theory and postcolonial and postdevelopment thought., En saltsjö i Uganda används för saltutvinning av bybor i samhället Katwe. Saltarbetarna påverkas kraftigt av saltet, både som frätande och uttorkande lösning i vattnet, och som inkomstbringande resurs. Teknikutveckling och ekonomiska investeringar innebär möjligheter till mer industriell utvinning av saltet, vilket skulle öka intäkterna från sjön men troligtvis på bekostnad av lokalbefolkningen som saknar ekonomiska resurser och kunskap att driva en sådan verksamhet. Frågor om lokal och nationell utveckling aktualiseras med hjälp av feministisk materialism.

Natural free convection is a process of great importance in disciplines from hydrology to meteorology, oceanography, planetary sciences, and economic geology, and for applications in carbon sequestration and nuclear waste disposal. It has been studied for over a century - but almost exclusively in theoretical and laboratory settings, Despite its importance, conclusive primary evidence of free convection in porous media does not currently exist in a natural field setting. Here, we present recent electrical resistivity measurements from a sabkha aquifer near Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, where large density inversions exist. The geophysical images from this site provide, for the first time, compelling field evidence of fingering associated with natural free convection in groundwater.

Patterns and dynamics of the salt marsh vegetation that surrounds many of the salt lake systems of arid/semi-arid Australia are poorly known. Lake Austin is a very large salt lake with extensive areas of fringing salt marsh; it is located in the arid Yilgarn Region of Western Australia. In this study, the changes in this vegetation over a 4-year period (1998–2002), during which both a major flooding event and addition of hypersaline groundwater from a nearby mining operation occurred, are reported. The monitoring program, based on Before-After-Control-Impact (BACI) principles, was designed to detect impacts of discharging hypersaline water into the lake; however, the flooding event, the result of above average rainfall in early 2000, complicated the results. The rains of 2000 and subsequent inundation of the vegetation immediately fringing the lake bed and major inlet channels resulted in dramatic changes to the species composition of annual and short-lived species and growth of perennial species. Flooding resulted in substantial death and damage to perennial shrubs (particularly Halosarcia fimbriata) due most likely to a combination of several weeks/months of inundation and smothering by macroalgae and Ruppia, with smaller plants and those closer to the lake bed impacted upon to a greater degree. Seed germination and recruitment of new Halosarcia plants was substantial as floodwaters receded with the majority of these seedlings surviving some 2 years after flooding despite the severe drought that followed the flood. Growth rates of seedlings differed substantially and were linked to subtle differences in micro-topography. Recruitment following flooding was also demonstrated in in vitro experiments involving inundated soil cores, provided water was relatively non-saline (conductivity cm−1). A conceptual model is proposed to explain changes in fringing vegetation in response to frequency, depth, period and salinity of flooding in relation to micro-topography. Despite

Lake Tebenquiche is one of the largest saline water bodies in the Salar de Atacama at 2,500 m above sea level in northeastern Chile. Bacteria inhabiting there have to deal with extreme changes in salinity, temperature and UV dose (i.e., high environmental dissimilarity in the physical landscape). We analyzed the bacterioplankton structure of this lake by 16S rRNA gene analyses along a spatio–temporal survey. The bacterial assemblage within the lake was quite heterogeneous both in space and time. Salinity changed both in space and time ranging between 1 and 30% (w/v), and total abundances of planktonic prokaryotes in the different sampling points within the lake ranged between two and nine times 106 cells mL−1. Community composition changed accordingly to the particular salinity of each point as depicted by genetic fingerprinting analyses (denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis), showing a high level of variation in species composition from place to place (beta-diversity). Three selected sites were analyzed in more detail by clone libraries. We observed a predominance of Bacteroidetes (about one third of the clones) and Gammaproteobacteria (another third) with respect to all the other bacterial groups. The diversity of Bacteroidetes sequences was large and showed a remarkable degree of novelty. Bacteroidetes formed at least four clusters with no cultured relatives in databases and rather distantly related to any known 16S rRNA sequence. Within this phylum, a rich and diverse presence of Salinibacter relatives was found in the saltiest part of the lake. Lake Tebenquiche included several novel microorganisms of environmental importance and appeared as a large unexplored reservoir of unknown bacteria

Athalassohaline lakes are inland saline aquatic environments with ionic proportions quite different from the dissolved salts in seawater. Prokaryotes inhabiting athalassohaline environments are poorly known and very few of such places have been surveyed for microbial diversity studies around the world. We analyzed the planktonic bacterial and archaeal assemblages inhabiting several of these evaporitic basins in a remote and vast area in northern Chile by PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and sequencing of 16S rRNA gene fragments. Most systems were springs and athalassohaline ponds in different saltflats of the Atacama Desert region, including Salar de Llamará (in the Central Depression), Salar de Atacama (in the Pre-Andean Depression) and Salar de Ascotán (in the Altiplano). Overall, we analyzed more than 25 samples from 19 different environments with strong gradients of altitude, qualitative ionic compositions and UV influence. Between 4 and 25 well-defined DGGE bands were detected for Bacteria in each sample, whereas Archaea ranged between 1 and 5. Predominant DGGE bands (defined by intensity and frequency of appearance) were excised from the gel and sequenced. Bacterial assemblages were dominated by the Cytophaga-Flavobacterium- Bacteroides (CFB) phylum and a few Proteobacteria. There was a tendency for increasing contribution of CFB with higher salinities and altitude. Thus, CFB accounted for the major fraction of band intensity in the Ascotán samples and for lower percentages in Atacama and Llamará. When the distribution of particular CFB sequences was examined, there were several relatives of Psychroflexus torquis substituting each other as salinity changed in Ascotán. Another set of CFB sequences, very distantly related to Cytophaga marinovorus, was abundant in both Llamará and Atacama at salinities lower than 7%. Archaeal assemblages were dominated by uncultured haloarchaea distantly related to cultured strains mostly obtained from thalassoh

Photograph of Salt Lake City, Utah, in winter, 1908. Tall snow-covered trees in the park nearly obscure the Mormon Temple in the background. Only four tall spires are visible above the tree tops. A small stone building with a rounded roof connects to a wall topped with cast-iron spikes at center left.

The Nakuru environment is a hot spot both for human population and for biological conservation with a large number of species protected in the well visited Lake Nakuru National Park. Reoccurring mass die-off of the Lesser Flamingo in Lake Nakuru as well as cases of intoxication of humans within the water catchment area have gained attention and dedicated a significant amount of research over the recent decades. The toxicological histories of natural and anthropogenic activities are reflected by accumulated compounds in the water body sediments. In this study, a sediment core obtained from the central and deepest point of Lake Nakuru was sliced with 5 mm resolution and analyzed with the 210Pb dating method. The results show a linear accumulation rate of 1.3 mm y-1 and a mass accumulation rate of 0.027 g cm-2 y-1. Further analysis resulted in core profiles of organic material decay, phosphorus concentration gradient and total content of heavy metals in the lake water and in the sediment. In addition, analysis of 226Ra, 137Cs, 239+240Pu, 228Th/232Th was performed.

Проведен сбор, анализ, обобщение литературных, фондовых материалов и личных исследований антропогенных источников экологической опасности на территории северного приграничья Республики Крым. В качестве модельного рассматривается территориальный таксон водосборного бассейна группы Красноперекопскиз озер. Совмещение развития химической промышленности и орошения с 80 годов прошлого века сформировало в Северном Крыму регион с повышенной техногенной нагрузкой и детериорантным природопользованием и последующей резкой интенсивностью деградационных процессов озерных котловин и их водосборов. Показана роль значительных изменений приходной части водного баланса, резкого ухудшения гидромелиоративной обстановки, трансформации природных ландшафтов., Collection, analysis, generalization of literary, stock materials and personal researches of anthropogenic sources of ecological danger in the territory of the Northern border of the Republic of Crimea are carried out. As the model is considered territorial Tucson catchment group Krasnoperekopsky lakes. The combination of the development of chemical industry and irrigation since 80 years of the last century has formed the Northern Crimea region with increased anthropogenic load and determinant environmental managemen. The role of significant changes in the incoming part of the water balance, a sharp deterioration of the irrigation and drainage situation, the transformation of natural landscapes isshown.

Kavazos, C. R., Huggett, M. J., Mueller, U., & Horwitz, P. (2018). Bacterial and ciliate biofilm community structure at different spatial levels of a salt lake meta-community. FEMS microbiology ecology, 94(10), fiy148. Available here

Megan J. Huggett, Christopher R. J. Kavazos, Rachele Bernasconi, Robert Czarnik, Pierre Horwitz; Bacterioplankton assemblages in coastal ponds reflect the influence of hydrology and geomorphological setting, FEMS Microbiology Ecology, Volume 93, Issue 6, 1 June 2017, fix067, https://doi.org/10.1093/femsec/fix067. Available here

Photograph of Salt Lake City, Utah, in winter, ca.1905. A bird's eye view. Visible are: Temple, Tabernacle and Assembly Hall are behind tall wall. Brigham Young Monument in middle of intersection. Several horse-drawn vehicles are on the streets adjacent to the church. Trees and utility poles and lines march up the middle of intersecting streets. Walkways and trees can be seen inside the church perimeter. Many of the trees have lost their leaves.

Photograph of an exterior view of the Lyons and Beehive house, Salt Lake City, Utah, [s.d.]. Photograph taken from end of walk behind iron-spike fenced yard. Glass bowls for lights are visible at extreme right and left foreground. Looking across sidewalk and street at houses on other side. A horse and wagon is sitting in front of one. A five-story building is visible at right background. The trees have bare branches.

Photograph of a herd of buffalo grazing on the plains of Salt Lake, Utah, 1879. Mountains are visible in the background.

Photograph of about 30 swimmers floating in the Great Salt Lake in demonstration of the natural buoyancy of the water in front of the large old Saltair Pavilion, Utah, [s.d.]. Many of them hold their feet and hands above the surface of the water. The large Byzantine-style pavilion can be seen in the center. Several tall towers stick up from its perimeter, and covered balconies are visible on both of its stories. The pavilion is built on a long pier that stretches from right to left.

The Nakuru environment is a hot spot both for human population and for biological conservation with a large number of species protected in the well visited Lake Nakuru National Park. Reoccurring mass die-off of the Lesser Flamingo in Lake Nakuru as well as cases of intoxication of humans within the water catchment area have gained attention and dedicated a significant amount of research over the recent decades. The toxicological histories of natural and anthropogenic activities are reflected by accumulated compounds in the water body sediments. In this study, a sediment core obtained from the central and deepest point of Lake Nakuru was sliced with 5 mm resolution and analyzed with the 210Pb dating method. The results show a linear accumulation rate of 1.3 mm y-1 and a mass accumulation rate of 0.027 g cm-2 y-1. Further analysis resulted in core profiles of organic material decay, phosphorus concentration gradient and total content of heavy metals in the lake water and in the sediment. In addition, analysis of 226Ra, 137Cs, 239+240Pu, 228Th/232Th was performed.

The Nakuru environment is a hot spot both for human population and for biological conservation with a large number of species protected in the well visited Lake Nakuru National Park. Reoccurring mass die-off of the Lesser Flamingo in Lake Nakuru as well as cases of intoxication of humans within the water catchment area have gained attention and dedicated a significant amount of research over the recent decades. The toxicological histories of natural and anthropogenic activities are reflected by accumulated compounds in the water body sediments. In this study, a sediment core obtained from the central and deepest point of Lake Nakuru was sliced with 5 mm resolution and analyzed with the 210Pb dating method. The results show a linear accumulation rate of 1.3 mm y-1 and a mass accumulation rate of 0.027 g cm-2 y-1. Further analysis resulted in core profiles of organic material decay, phosphorus concentration gradient and total content of heavy metals in the lake water and in the sediment. In addition, analysis of 226Ra, 137Cs, 239+240Pu, 228Th/232Th was performed.

The Nakuru environment is a hot spot both for human population and for biological conservation with a large number of species protected in the well visited Lake Nakuru National Park. Reoccurring mass die-off of the Lesser Flamingo in Lake Nakuru as well as cases of intoxication of humans within the water catchment area have gained attention and dedicated a significant amount of research over the recent decades. The toxicological histories of natural and anthropogenic activities are reflected by accumulated compounds in the water body sediments. In this study, a sediment core obtained from the central and deepest point of Lake Nakuru was sliced with 5 mm resolution and analyzed with the 210Pb dating method. The results show a linear accumulation rate of 1.3 mm y-1 and a mass accumulation rate of 0.027 g cm-2 y-1. Further analysis resulted in core profiles of organic material decay, phosphorus concentration gradient and total content of heavy metals in the lake water and in the sediment. In addition, analysis of 226Ra, 137Cs, 239+240Pu, 228Th/232Th was performed.