Environmental monitoring plays a central role in diagnosing climate and management impacts on natural and agricultural systems; enhancing the understanding of hydrological processes; optimizing the allocation and distribution of water resources; and assessing, forecasting, and even preventing natural disasters. Nowadays, most monitoring and data collection systems are based upon a combination of ground-based measurements, manned airborne sensors, and satellite observations. These data are utilized in describing both small-and large-scale processes, but have spatiotemporal constraints inherent to each respective collection system. Bridging the unique spatial and temporal divides that limit current monitoring platforms is key to improving our understanding of environmental systems. In this context, Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) have considerable potential to radically improve environmental monitoring. UAS-mounted sensors offer an extraordinary opportunity to bridge the existing gap between field observations and traditional air-and space-borne remote sensing, by providing high spatial detail over relatively large areas in a cost-effective way and an entirely new capacity for enhanced temporal retrieval. As well as showcasing recent advances in the field, there is also a need to identify and understand the potential limitations of UAS technology. For these platforms to reach their monitoring potential, a wide spectrum of unresolved issues and application-specific challenges require focused community attention. Indeed, to leverage the full potential of UAS-based approaches, sensing technologies, measurement protocols, postprocessing techniques, retrieval algorithms, and evaluation techniques need to be harmonized. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the existing research and applications of UAS in natural and agricultural ecosystem monitoring in order to identify future directions, applications, developments, and challenges.

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We evaluated the relative importance of current velocity and invertebrate activities in the breakdown rate of alder [Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertner] leaves. Decomposition experiments were carried out in artificial channels, where current velocity and shredder presence were manipulated, and in a 4 th order stream, in both summer and autumn, where litter bags were incubated in several reaches differing in both depth and current velocity. Alder leaves incubated in artificial channels decomposed significantly faster in the presence of shredders than in their absence (k = 0.0368/d vs. k = 0.0210/d in low current and k = 0.0472/d vs. k = 0.0219/d in high current). However, current (up to 2.35 m/s) had no significant effect on decomposition rates. In channels without invertebrates, no significant differences in k values were found between coarse and fine mesh bags in high (0.20 m/s) and low (0.05 m/s) current. Leaves incubated in the stream during summer, in reaches with current velocity ranging from 0.003 to 1.185 m/s, did not differ in their decomposition rates (k = 0.0489/d to k = 0.0645/d). In autumn, leaves exposed to high current (1.228 m/s) had faster decomposition rate (k = 0.0417/d vs. k = 0.0136/d), which may be related to sediment transport during this time of the year or to the tendency for higher number of shredders in high current-shallow reaches.

Antenatal stress is linked to fetal risks that increase the chances of neonatal complications and reduction of child cognitive ability. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate if maternal stress affects fetal, neonatal or child development. The following databases were searched: MEDLINE (1966 to May 2016), Embase (1980 to May 2016), LILACS (1982 to May 2016) and CENTRAL (1972 to May 2016). Observational studies published in English and Portuguese were included whether there was any relationship between fetal and neonatal outcome, such as birth weight, preterm labor, child development with pregnant women that were subjected to any stress type during at least one month of follow-up. Two independent reviewers screened eligible articles, extracted data and assessed the risk of bias. Thus, 8 cohort studies with about 8,271 pregnant women and 1,081,151 children proved eligible. Results suggested a significant association between antenatal stress exposure and increasing rates of low birth weight (Odds ratio (OR) 1.68 [95% Confidential Interval (CI) 1.19, 2.38]). However, there was no statistically significance difference between non-exposed and exposed groups related to preterm labor (OR 1.98 [95% CI 0.91 to 4.31]; I2 = 68%, p = 0.04). Although, results were inconsistent with primary analysis suggesting a significant association between antenatal stress exposure and the occurrence of higher rates of preterm birth (OR 1.42 [95% CI 1.05 to 1.91]; I2 = 68%, p = 0.04) in the sensitivity analysis. Furthermore, the current review has suggested that stress perceived during antenatal negatively influences fetal life and child development. Yet, further studies are necessary with adequate sample size and longer follow-up time to confirm our findings.

This study emphasizes the importance of spatial rainfall intensity patterns of moving rainstorms on overland flow. A simple numerical model, based on the non-linear kinematic wave, was used for comparing the results for hypothetical storms moving up and down an impervious plane surface. Simulations were undertaken by varying the storm pattern, length, speed and direction. No account was made for time varying losses, such as infiltration, evaporation, etc. The results indicate significant differences in peak discharges and hydrograph shapes for moving storms of various patterns. The sensitivity of runoff to storm patterns decreases as storm speed increases. : S 0 3 0 9 -1 7 0 8 ( 0 2 ) 0 0 0 6 7 -2

Abstract. The purpose of this work is to contribute to a better understanding of the variability of precipitation in the Madeira archipelago. This archipelago is located in the Atlantic subtropical belt under the direct influence of the Azores high pressure system. It is formed by Madeira Island (728 km 2 ) and Porto Santo Island (42 km 2 ) and by two other groups of very small inhabited islands. The complex topography of the islands in the Madeira archipelago and their small size play a crucial role in the local precipitation regime, which is marked by high spatial variability.This paper explores the invariance of properties manifested across scales and determines the fractal and multifractal behaviour observed in the temporal structure of precipitation using daily and 10-min time series from several locations scattered over the main islands. The period covered by the precipitation records is 34 years for the daily data and almost 4 months for the 10-min data. The results show that the temporal structure of precipitation in the Madeira Archipelago exhibits scale-invariant and multifractal properties. The empirical exponent functions describing the scaling statistical properties of the precipitation intensity were characterized using multifractal parameters; these parameters are increasing our awareness of the dynamics of this process in these islands.

A one-dimensional mathematical model, termed a transport rate-based model, is developed for solute transport over infiltrating soil slopes under constant rainfall and declining sources. The model is comprised of (1) the kinematic-wave equation for overland flow, (2) a transport rate-based advection equation for overland solute transport, (3) a moment-based method for estimation of the parameters involved in the flow and solute transport equations, and (4) a semi-Lagrangian algorithm for numerical solution of the solute transport equation. Data from a single soil flume experiment under constant rainfall established the proof-of-concept for this new model. Sodium chloride was applied to the soil surface to simulate the presence of a declining diffuse pollutant. The parameters involved in the flow equation were found to take on the values that correspond to turbulent flow. With these turbulent flow parameters the simulated hydrograph displayed an initial rising limb, followed by a constant flow discharge. The profile of solute concentration exhibits a steep receding limb transitioning into an elongated tail. The solute transport rate follows a non-Gaussian distribution that does not appear to have been derived before. These theoretical hydrographs and pollutographs are in good agreement with those measured in laboratory, demonstrating the laboratory proofof-concept for the transport rate-based model on soil and pavement blocks. q

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