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Elephant low-frequency calls and atmospheric conditions that influence the transmission and detection of these calls were recorded at a fixed location over a period of about 3 weeks at the end of the dry season in the Etosha National Park, Namibia. A bimodal distribution in elephant call detections is observed, with the primary maximum (42% of all calls) occurring in a 3-h period following sunset and a secondary maximum (29% of all calls) in a 2-h period following sunrise.This distribution in calls detected is shown to depend upon marked and regular changes over 24 h in near-surface atmospheric stability and velocity, which determine propagation ranges. The observed bimodal distribution of calls detected depends upon these changes in atmospheric conditions as well as the location of the caller and the rate of calling. The findings are supported by results from an atmospheric acoustic model but are at variance with observations of the number of calls made from collared elephants in markedly different habitat.Detection of calls heard at a location remote from the caller represents a valuable and noninvasive research and applied tool that, however, must take note of atmospheric conditions that govern the propagation and reception of such signals.

We present 5 years of NOy and O3 eddy flux and concentration measurements and NOx concentration measurements at Harvard Forest (1990–1994), a mixed deciduous forest in central Massachusetts, and 2 months of data for a spruce woodland near Schefferville, Quebec, during the NASA ABLE3B/Northern Wetlands Study (1990). Mean midday values of net dry NOy flux from atmosphere to canopy were 3.4 and 3.2 μmole m−2 hr−1 at Harvard Forest in summer and winter, respectively, and 0.5 μmole m−2hr−1 at Schefferville during summer. Nighttime values were 1.3, 2.0, and 0.15 μmole m−2 hr−1, respectively. For 1990–1994, the net annual dry deposition of nitrogen oxides was 17.9 mmole m−2 yr−1 (2.49 kgN ha−1 y−1). Oxidized species such as HNO3 dominated N deposition, with minor contributions from direct deposition of NO2. Emissions of NO from the forest soil were negligible compared to deposition. Comparison of NOy deposition at Harvard Forest and Schefferville and analysis of the dependence on meteorological parameters show that anthropogenic sources dominate the nitrogen oxide inputs over much of North America. Heterogeneous reactions account for >90% of the conversion of NO2 to HNO3 in winter, leading to rates for dry deposition of NOy similar to fluxes in summer despite 10-fold decrease in OH concentrations. In summer, formation of HNO3 by heterogeneous reactions (mainly at night) could provide 25–45% of the NO2 oxidation.

The structure and growth of the atmospheric mixed layer over the Amazonian rain forest were examined using measurements obtained during the NASA Amazon Boundary Layer Experiment. Measurements of temperature, moisture, and horizontal wind were carried out in and above the mixed layer by means of a tethered balloon, rawinsonde, and aircraft; fluxes of sensible and latent heat were measured at the top of the canopy. It was found that the mixing layer grows rapidly, at 5-8 cm/sec, soon after sunrise to a mean maximum height of 1200 m by 1300 LT; during undisturbed conditions, mixed layer heights of 1000 are common between 1000 and 1600 LT. No horizontal inhomogeneities in the mixed layer structure or depth were found over large distances. A simple mixed layer model was applied to show how fluxes of species might be estimated using only quantities measured at the surface and prescribing an initial condition and boundary condition for the mixed layer.

Observations of turbulent heat, moisture, and momentum transport made at two levels, approximately 5 and 10 m above the Amazon rain forest canopy, are presented. Data acquired at 10 Hz included variances and some mixed third moments of vertical velocity, temperature, and humidity. Two features of the data appear to question the displacement height hypothesis: (1) the characteristic dissipation length scale in the near-canopy layer varied between 20 m in stable conditions to approximately 150 m during afternoon convective conditions, generally larger scales than would be expected, and (2) no appreciable differences in dissipation scales was seen at two observed levels. Heat budgets on selected days show that frequent periods with negative heat flux concurrent with continuing positive moisture flux occur in early afternoon, and this is believed to indicate the patchy nature of canopy-atmosphere coupling. Vertical velocity skewness was observed to be negative on three successive days and exhibited a sharp positive gradient. Time series of some of the terms in the turbulence budgets of vertical velocity variance and kinematic heat flux are presented.

Large-scale agriculture is increasing in anthropogenically modified areas in the Amazon Basin. Crops such as soybean, maize, oil palm, and others are being introduced to supply the world demand for food and energy. However, the current challenge is to enhance the sustainability of these areas by increasing efficiency of production chains and to improve environmental services. The Amazon Basin has experienced a paradigm shift away from the traditional slash-and-burn agricultural practices, which offers decision makers the opportunity to make innovative interventions to enhance the productivity in previously degraded areas by using trees to ecological advantage. This study describes a successful experiment integrating the production of soybean and paricá (Glycine max L. and Schizolobium amazonicum) based on previous research that indicated potential topoclimatic zones for planting paricá in the Brazilian state of Pará. This paper shows that a no-tillage system reduces the effects of drought compared to conventional tillage still used by many farmers in the region. The integrated system was implemented during the 2014/2015 season in 234.6 ha in the high-potential zone in the municipality of Ulianópolis, Pará. Both soybean and paricá were planted simultaneously. Paricá was planted in 5 m x 2 m inter-tree spacing totaling 228x103 trees per hectare and soybean, in 4 m x 100 m spacing, distributed in nine rows with a 0.45 m inter-row distance, occupying 80% of the area. The harvested soybean production was 3.4 t ha-1, higher than other soybean monocultures in eastern Pará. Paricá benefited from soybean fertilization in the first year: It exhibited rapid development in height (3.26 m) and average diameter (3.85 cm). Trees and crop rotation over the following years is six years for forest species and one year for each crop. Our results confirm there are alternatives to the current production systems able to diminish negative impacts resulting from monoculture. In addition, the system provided environmental services such as reduced soil erosion and increased carbon stock by soil cover with no-tillage soybean cultivation. The soybean cover contributes to increased paricá thermal regulation and lower forestry costs. We concluded that innovative interventions are important to show local farmers that it is possible to adapt an agroforest system to large-scale production, thus changing the Amazon.