太湖水土界面氮磷释放通量的流动培养研究

运用一种新的水土界面释放通量研究方法--流动培养法,对太湖不同湖区不同季节条件下水土界面氮磷释放通量进行研究.结果表明,太湖水体沉积物是其上覆水体氮磷的内源,不同湖区间铵态氮、磷酸盐交换速率差异显著,其中,受入湖河道污染输入影响较大的梅梁湾北部、竺山湾、西部沿岸带湖区铵态氮释放速率[(103.35±13.17)mg·m-2·d-1]显著高于太湖其他湖区[(11.87±12.03)mg·m-2·d-1].磷酸盐空间释放规律与铵态氮相似,但释放的高值还出现在西南沿岸带、贡湖湾和东太湖.与静态培养方式下获得的结果相同,流动培养方式下梅梁湾铵态氮和磷酸盐释放速率也表现出季节性和空间差异,即夏季水土界面氮磷释放速率高于春、秋季,且污染严重湖区的释放速率高于其他湖区.由于流动培养的气密性减少了上覆水铵态氮以NH3的形式挥发,使得铵态氮释放速率高于敞口的静态培养方式;而就非挥发性磷酸盐释放速率而言,2种培养方式下得到的结果基本一致.     

基于MODIS数据的渤海净初级生产力时空变化

渤海是中国最大的内海,四周几乎被陆地包围,陆源污染严重。自上世纪90年代中后期,渤海赤潮频发,水体富营养化程度严重。以渤海为研究区,采用Eppley-VGPM垂向归纳模型及一元线性回归分析法,对2003—2016年渤海NPP的时空分布进行研究。结果表明:14年来,渤海NPP年均值存在一定波动性变化且整体呈小幅度上升趋势。NPP月均值以8月最高,为5 265 mg·m~(-2)·d~(-1),1月最低,为677 mg·m~(-2)·d~(-1)。NPP季节性变化明显,表现为夏季秋季春季冬季,夏季NPP最高值出现在2010年,为5 027 mg·m~(-2)·d~(-1)。空间分布上,渤海存在四大NPP高值区,分别为辽东湾、渤海湾、莱州湾和秦皇岛邻近海域,其中莱州湾NPP数值最高。2003—2016年间NPP显著增加的海域面积占50.67%,分布在辽东湾、秦皇岛邻近海域及渤海中部海域;显著减少的海域面积占31.12%,分布在莱州湾及渤海湾;仅有0.28%的海域NPP出现极明显增加;17.93%的海域NPP并无明显变化。渤海NPP空间分布呈由近岸海域向远海岸海域逐步降低的趋势,最低值出现在渤海海峡。2003—2016年渤海海表温度无明显变化,相对稳定,海表温度年平均值为13.11℃。渤海NPP与海表温度以低度相关和负相关为主。研究结果可为渤海海域环境质量监测、渤海资源合理开发利用及环境治理提供依据。     

黄河上中游水体沉积物对磷酸盐的吸附/释放行为

研究了黄河上中游8个沉积物磷酸盐的吸附/释放动力学,比较了不同沉积物吸附磷的差别,分析了沉积物磷形态对磷吸附特征的影响.结果表明,沉积物对磷酸盐的吸附与释放均主要在前8 h内完成,在前0.5 h内对磷的吸附和释放速率均最快,在24 h内吸附基本达到平衡;沉积物对磷的等温吸附曲线既符合线性方程和Freundlich模型,同时也较好地符合Langmuir模型.据Langmuir模型计算得出沉积物对磷的最大吸附容量为0.095～0.272 mg·g-1,且最大吸附容量与沉积物总磷、可交换态磷和有机质含量呈显著正相关;沉积物在相应的上覆水中对磷酸盐的吸附过程存在一个吸附/解吸平衡点,对应的吸附/解吸平衡质量浓度为0.009～0.031 mg·L-1,均大于相应上覆水体中磷浓度,说明沉积物有向上覆水释磷的趋势.     

海洋沉积物-水界面营养盐交换过程的研究1

对胶州湾和渤海沉积物分别进行室内培养实验.结果表明,在沉积物中加入营养盐后,铵氮、硅酸盐由沉积物向水体的迁移增大,铵氮的迁移在总溶解态氮的交换中起主要作用,其交换量约占总溶解态氮扩散量的76%,硝酸盐及磷酸盐由水体向沉积物的迁移减弱.在上覆水中加入营养盐后,硝酸盐、磷酸盐由水体向沉积物的迁移增大,硝酸氮的迁移占总溶解态氮交换的主要部分,约为62%.铵由沉积物向水体的迁移减弱,硅酸盐变成由水体向沉积物迁移.沉积物对于上覆水中营养盐的浓度具有一定的调节作用.无论在充空气或充氮气条件下,磷及硅的交换速率变化不明显,铵氮的迁移占总溶解态氮扩散量的98%以上.充氧条件下硝酸盐由沉积物向上覆水的迁移通量较充氮气条件增加.比较两种不同的通量计算方法(积分和拟合),结果表明由两种计算方法计算的交换速率的变化趋势基本是一致的.     

疏浚对大连湾生物可利用磷的水体浓度和沉积物-水界面交换通量的影响

利用FeO/CAM复合膜对大连湾已疏浚区与疏浚影响区海水水体中生物可利用磷(Bio-available phosphorus,BAP)浓度和水质指标进行调查,并通过实验室培养法、间隙水浓度梯度估算法和薄膜扩散梯度技术(Diffusivegradients in thin films technique,DGT)法分别测定沉积物-水界面间BAP交换通量.结果表明,由于受到调查海区附近正在进行的疏浚工程的影响,疏浚影响区水体中浊度和悬浮物含量平均值高于已疏浚区,且疏浚影响区水体中BAP的平均浓度(22.2μg L-1)高于已疏浚水体(19.5μg L-1);而疏浚影响区叶绿素a和溶解氧的浓度明显低于已疏浚区.沉积物-水界面间BAP交换通量研究结果显示,BAP主要由沉积物向上覆水中扩散,沉积物是BAP交换的源;间隙水浓度梯度估算法和DGT法测定的BAP交换通量相似,但远低于实验室培养法测定值;BAP在已疏浚区沉积物-水界面间的交换通量小于疏浚影响区,说明在一定时间内疏浚可以减弱沉积物内源磷的释放.     

太湖梅梁湾磷化氢气体浓度和通量日变化

以太湖梅梁湾湖区为研究对象,考察水面上空磷化氢浓度和水-气界面磷化氢释放通量的习变化.结果表明,白天大气中磷化氢浓度(7.39±7.00)ng·m-3显著低于夜间(37.05±22.74)ng·m-3,光照是影响大气中磷化氢浓度的主要因素.磷化氢通量全天正负交替,白天平均通量(11.41±23.76)ng·m-2·h-1,水体为磷化氢的释放源;夜间平均通量为(-37.62±26.45)ng·m-2·h-1,水体表现为磷化氢的汇;一天内平均日变化为(-13.11±35.04)ng·m-2·h-1,磷化氢总体为从大气向水体迁移的过程.磷化氢通量与水温显著正相关,而与大气中磷化氢浓度显著负相关.相关性分析表明磷化氢与温室气体(甲烷、二氧化碳和氧化亚氮)均呈现负相关.     

夏、秋季长江口外海域沉积物-水界面溶解无机碳的交换通量

沉积物-海水界面是海洋中溶解无机碳(DIC)转移和储存的重要场所，长江口外海域拥有特定的沉积物-水界面交换的空间格局，研究其沉积物-水界面DIC的交换过程对于碳的循环和转化具有重要意义.本研究于2021年8月和2021年10月在长江口外海域采集沉积物样品及原位底层海水，通过实验室模拟培养法计算了该海域沉积物-水界面DIC的交换通量，并研究了沉积物间隙水-上覆水的DIC浓度差、温度、盐度和pH对DIC交换通量的影响.结果表明，夏季和秋季研究海域沉积物-水界面DIC交换通量平均值分别为(432.45±190.78)μmol·m^-2·h^-1和(223.05±110.39)μmol·m^-2·h^-1.夏季交换通量高于秋季，DIC扩散方向均由沉积物向上覆水释放，表明沉积物表现为DIC的“源”.此外，交换通量会随着DIC浓度差或温度升高而升高，随着盐度或pH升高而降低.     

莱州湾表层沉积物重金属分布特征及污染评价

莱州湾属半封闭海湾,水体交换能力较弱,受多条河流入海影响,污染日趋加重。根据区域特征,于2008年5月对莱州湾30个采样点表层沉积物中的Cu、Pb、Zn、Cd、Hg、As、粒度和总有机碳进行测定,探讨了重金属含量和污染特征与粒度、总有机碳间的相关关系,利用污染评价法和潜在生态风险评价法进行污染和风险分析。结果表明：重金属平均含量较低,大部分低于国家海洋沉积物一类标准。Cu、Pb、Zn、Cd和As在莱州湾中部区域出现高值区,同时Cd在小清河口、Hg在莱州湾东部出现高值区。Cu、Pb、Zn、Cd、As重金属之间（除了Cd和As之间）及与沉积物粘土、有机碳含量之间显著正相关。莱州湾表层沉积物重金属单因子污染程度总体较轻,属于低污染水平,污染程度排序为CdPbZnCuAsHg,约30%的站位重金属综合污染指数大于5,达到中等污染水平,主要分布于小清河口、莱州湾中部和东部区域。莱州湾表层沉积物重金属潜在生态风险总体处于较低水平,风险排序为HgCdAsPbCuZn,风险指数高值区出现在莱州湾东部区域,主要受Hg的高风险水平影响。     

物理扰动对锆改性沸石改良底泥磷吸附和移动的影响

本文研究了物理扰动对锆改性沸石改良底泥吸附水中磷酸盐的影响,并考察了其对锆改性沸石改良底泥中磷赋存形态和生物可利用性的影响.结果表明,与未改良底泥相比,锆改性沸石改良底泥对水中磷酸盐的吸附能力明显更强.但是,物理扰动却降低了锆改性沸石改良底泥对水中磷酸盐的吸附容量和吸附速率.在物理扰动状态下培养的锆改性沸石改良底泥的最大磷酸盐吸附容量(743 mg·kg~(-1)),比在静止状态下培养的锆改性沸石改良底泥的最大吸附容量(902 mg·kg~(-1))低18%左右.物理扰动对锆改性沸石改良底泥的磷形态和生物可利用性产生一定的影响.物理扰动略微降低了改良底泥中氧化还原敏感态磷(BD-P)和金属氧化物结合态磷(NaOH-rP)含量,但是却会略微增加改良底泥中残渣态磷(Res-P)含量.另外,物理扰动还会略微降低改良底泥中藻类可利用磷(AAP)和NaHCO_3可提取磷(Olsen-P)的生物可利用性磷含量.物理扰动虽然略微降低了改良底泥对水中磷酸盐的吸附能力,但是却略微促进了锆改性沸石对底泥中潜在可移动态磷和生物可利用性磷的钝化.     

莱州湾东部海域多溴联苯醚的污染特征及生态风险评价

于2015年4月和11月,在莱州湾东部海域设置6个采样站点,采集海水和表层沉积物样品,采用气相色谱-质谱联用联用测定海水溶解相、颗粒相和沉积物中14种多溴联苯醚(PBDEs)的含量,分析了PBDEs的组成特征,采用主成分分析了其来源,并对其生态风险进行了评价.结果表明,4月份溶解相、颗粒相和表层沉积物中14种PBDEs同系物总含量(∑14PBDEs)的范围分别为0. 29—0. 76 ng·L~(-1)、1.79—3.60 ng·L~(-1)和31.37—44. 39 ng·g-1,其中BDE209的含量范围分别为0. 21—0. 65 ng·L~(-1)、0.84—2.34 ng·L~(-1)和24. 27—36.79 ng·g-1.11月份海水溶解相和沉积相中∑14PBDEs与4月份无显著差异(P 0. 05),但颗粒相中的∑14PBDEs显著低于4月份(P0.05).4、11月颗粒相中∑14PBDEs占海水中总含量(溶解相+颗粒相)的平均比例分别为83.9%和71.2%,表明PBDEs主要分配在颗粒相上.沉积物PBDEs含量与总有机碳呈极显著正相关关系(r0.9,P0.01).14种PBDEs中,BDE209是最主要的同系物,其次是BDE47.主成分分析表明,莱州湾PBDEs主要来源于商业十溴联苯醚的地表径流输入.莱州湾东部海水中五溴联苯醚和八溴联苯醚存在低生态风险,沉积物中五溴联苯醚具有中等生态风险.     

Achieving Open Access to Conservation Science

Conservation science is a crisis discipline in which the results of scientific enquiry must be made available quickly to those implementing management. We assessed the extent to which scientific research published since the year 2000 in 20 conservation science journals is publicly available. Of the 19,207 papers published, 1,667 (8.68%) are freely downloadable from an official repository. Moreover, only 938 papers (4.88%) meet the standard definition of open access in which material can be freely reused providing attribution to the authors is given. This compares poorly with a comparable set of 20 evolutionary biology journals, where 31.93% of papers are freely downloadable and 7.49% are open access. Seventeen of the 20 conservation journals offer an open access option, but fewer than 5% of the papers are available through open access. The cost of accessing the full body of conservation science runs into tens of thousands of dollars per year for institutional subscribers, and many conservation practitioners cannot access pay‐per‐view science through their workplace. However, important initiatives such as Research4Life are making science available to organizations in developing countries. We urge authors of conservation science to pay for open access on a per‐article basis or to choose publication in open access journals, taking care to ensure the license allows reuse for any purpose providing attribution is given. Currently, it would cost $51 million to make all conservation science published since 2000 freely available by paying the open access fees currently levied to authors. Publishers of conservation journals might consider more cost effective models for open access and conservation‐oriented organizations running journals could consider a broader range of options for open access to nonmembers such as sponsorship of open access via membership fees. Obtención de Acceso Abierto a la Ciencia de la Conservación     

Some polyphagous Homoptera gain protection from their natural enemies by feeding on the toxic plantsSpartium junceum andErythrina corallodendrum (Leguminosae)

Summary Interactions were studied among alkaloid-containing legumes (Erythrina corallodendrum andSpartium junceum) and non-toxic plants (Citrus sinensis, Cucurbita moschata andEuphorbia tirucalli), several polyphagous homopterans,Aphis craccivora (Aphididae),Icerya purchasi, I. aegyptiaca (Margarodidae),Lepidosaphes ulmi (Diaspididae) andPlanococcus citri (Pseudococcidae), and some major natural enemies of these homopterans. Significant reductions in survival due to negative effects of alkaloid containing as compared with non-alkaloidal plants were recorded for the predatorsRodolia cardinalis andChilocorus bipustulatus, but not forCryptolaemus montrouzieri (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae),Chrysoperla carnea (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) andSympherobius sanctus (Neuroptera: Sympherobiidae). The development time of the larvae or pupae ofR. cardinalis, C. carnea andS. sanctus was longer on the toxic plants than on the non-toxic ones. The percentage of parasitism ofA. craccivora collected from the non-alkaloidal plantsVicia palaestina andMelilotus albus was much higher than that onS. junceum. The parasitoid complexes ofA. craccivora differed between both plant groups. The nutritive value of honeydew ofI. purchasi andA. craccivora, as expressed by the life span ofEncyrtus infelix (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) adults, was also investigated. Life spans were significantly longer when the wasps fed on honeydew produced on non-alkaloidal plants (C. sinensis andPittosporum tobira) than on alkaloid containing plants whenI. purchasi — but notA. craccivora — was the producer. It is suggested that the chemical defense ofE. corallodendrum andS. junceum is exploited by polyphagous phytophages to reduce predation. In nature, population growth and density of four of the investigated homopterans are conspicuously high when they developed on the alkaloid containing plant species, and very low on non-alkaloid plants. The efficiency of their natural enemies may be reduced by sequestration of alkaloids (or other toxic plant compounds) or their transfer into excreted honeydew. Therefore it is assumed that a generalist phytophagous homopteran may be protected from its natural enemies, although at different rates of efficiency, if it can safely sequester the host allelochemical when it develops on toxic species within its host range.     

Importance of greater interdisciplinarity and geographic scope when tackling the driving forces behind biological invasions

Invasive non-native species are important drivers of ecosystem change, yet the driving forces of biological invasions themselves are poorly understood. Such information is essential to ensure policies focus on the most relevant drivers, and that future scenarios capture the full range of potential outcomes for invasive non-native species. I carried out a bibliometric analysis of articles published from 2000 to 2020 that address either invasive non-native species or biodiversity and ecosystem services and that also mention 1 or more drivers of ecosystem change. I examined 5 indirect drivers (demographic, economic, governance, sociocultural, and technological) and 6 direct drivers (climate change, invasive non-native species, land-use or sea-use change, natural hazards, pollution, and resource extraction). Using the Web of Science core collection of citation indexes, I undertook searches of article titles and keywords and retrieved 27,462 articles addressing invasive non-native species and 110,087 articles dealing with biodiversity or ecosystem services. Most research to date on biological invasions as well as on biodiversity and ecosystem services has focused on anthropogenic direct drivers of ecosystem change rather than indirect drivers. Yet currently, less than 18% of articles addressing biological invasions examined drivers of ecosystem change, a similar level to that found over 20 years ago for biodiversity or ecosystem services. Knowledge of the drivers of biological invasions is limited, emphasizes tractable drivers over those that require an interdisciplinary approach, and is biased toward developed economies. Drivers generally deemed important for biological invasions, such as governance and resource extraction, accounted for less than 2% of research effort. The absence of a systematic understanding of the forces that drive invasive non-native species and how they interact means that attempts to mitigate or forecast biological invasions are likely to fail. To address biological invasions requires a much better orientation of national and international research on drivers in relation to both their actual importance as well as their policy relevance.     

Sequestration of cucurbitacin analogs by New and Old World chrysomelid leaf beetles in the tribe Luperini

Summary Two South American polyphagous leaf beetles,Diabrotica speciosa andCerotoma arcuata, selectively accumulated the bitter tasting compound 23,24-dihydrocucurbitacin D in their body after ingesting root tissues of cucurbit plants. Similarly, three Asian Cucurbitaceae-feeding specialists in the genusAulacophora were found to sequester the same compound. Cucurbitacin analogs were shown to deter feeding by a bird predator, indicating an allomonal role for these compounds in cucurbitacin-associated chrysomelid leaf beetles both of New and Old Worlds. The strong affinity to cucurbitacins, selective sequestration of the analogs and consequent protection from predators suggested an ecological adaptation mechanism developed in common among these two geographically isolated subtribes in the Luperini.     

Mitigating the effects of climate change on the nests of sea turtles with artificial irrigation

For sea turtles, like many oviparous species, increasing temperatures during development threaten to increase embryonic mortality, alter offspring quality, and potentially create suboptimal primary sex ratios. Various methods are being implemented to mitigate the effects of climate change on reproductive success, but these methods, such as breeding programs, translocations, and shading, are often invasive and expensive. Irrigation is an alternative strategy for cooling nests that, depending on location, can be implemented relatively quickly and cheaply. However, multiple factors, including ambient conditions, nest substrate, and species characteristics, can influence irrigation success. Additionally, irrigation can vary in duration, frequency, and the volume of water applied to nests, which influences the cooling achieved and embryonic survival. Thus, it is critical to understand how to maximize cooling and manage risks before implementing irrigation as a nest-cooling strategy. We reviewed the literature on nest irrigation to examine whether artificial irrigation is feasible as a population management tool. Key factors that affected cooling were the volume of water applied and the frequency of applications. Embryonic responses varied with species, ambient conditions, and the timing of irrigation during development. Nest inundation was the key risk to a successful irrigation regime. Future irrigation regimes must identify clear targets, either primary or adult sex ratios, that maximize population viability. Monitoring population responses and adjusting the irrigation regime in response to population characteristics will be critical. Most studies reported on the manipulation of only one or two variables, further research is required to understand how altering multiple factors in an irrigation regime influences the cooling achieved and embryonic responses.     

Effects of Controlled Fire and Livestock Grazing on Bird Communities in East African Savannas

Abstract: In East Africa fire and grazing by wild and domestic ungulates maintain savannas, and pastoralists historically set fires and herded livestock through the use of temporary corrals called bomas. In recent decades traditional pastoral practices have declined, and this may be affecting biodiversity. We investigated the effects of prescribed fires and bomas on savanna bird communities in East Africa during the first and second dry seasons of the year (respectively before and after the rains that mark the onset of breeding for most birds). We compared abundance, richness, and community composition on 9‐ha burned plots, recently abandoned bomas, and control plots in the undisturbed matrix habitat over a 3‐year period. Generally, recently burned areas and abandoned bomas attracted greater densities of birds and had different community assemblages than the surrounding matrix. The effects of disturbances were influenced by interactions between primary productivity, represented by the normalized difference vegetation index, and time. Bird densities were highest and a greater proportion of species was observed on burned plots in the months following the fires. Drought conditions equalized bird densities across treatments within 1 year, and individuals from a greater proportion of species were more commonly observed on abandoned bomas. Yearly fluctuations in abundance were less pronounced on bomas than on burns, which indicate that although fire may benefit birds in the short term, bomas may have a more‐lasting positive effect and provide resources during droughts. Several Palearctic migrants were attracted to burned plots regardless of rainfall, which indicates continued fire suppression may threaten their already‐declining populations. Most notably, the paucity of birds observed on the controls suggests that the current structure of the matrix developed as a result of fire suppression. Traditional pastoralism appears critical to the maintenance of avian diversity in these savannas.     

Positive and Negative Effects of a Threatened Parrotfish on Reef Ecosystems

Species that are strong interactors play disproportionately important roles in the dynamics of natural ecosystems. It has been proposed that their presence is necessary for positively shaping the structure and functioning of ecosystems. We evaluated this hypothesis using the case of the world's largest parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum), a globally imperiled species. We used direct observation, animal tracking, and computer simulations to examine the diverse routes through which B. muricatum affects the diversity, dispersal, relative abundance, and survival of the corals that comprise the foundation of reef ecosystems. Our results suggest that this species can influence reef building corals in both positive and negative ways. Field observation and simulation outputs indicated that B. muricatum reduced the abundance of macroalgae that can outcompete corals, but they also feed directly on corals, decreasing coral abundance, diversity, and colony size. B. muricatum appeared to facilitate coral advancement by mechanically dispersing coral fragments and opening up bare space for coral settlement, but they also damaged adult corals and remobilized a large volume of potentially stressful carbonate sediment. The impacts this species has on reefs appears to be regulated in part by its abundance—the effects of B. muricatum were more intense in simulation scenarios populated with high densities of these fish. Observations conducted in regions with high and low predator (e.g., sharks) abundance generated results that are consistent with the hypothesis that these predators of B. muricatum may play a role in governing their abundance; thus, predation may modulate the intensity of the effects they have on reef dynamics. Overall our results illustrate that functionally unique and threatened species may not have universally positive impacts on ecosystems and that it may be necessary for environmental managers to consider the diverse effects of such species and the forces that mediate the strength of their influence. Efectos Positivos y Negativos de un Pez Loro Amenazado Sobre Ecosistemas Arrecifales     

Form-specific fragances fromOphrys insectifera L. (Orchidaceae) attract species of different pollinator genera. Evidence of sympatric speciation?

Two closely related forms ofOphrys insectifera were observed in the field to attract different pollinator species selectively.O. i. ssp.insectifera attracted males of two species ofArgogorytes (Sphecidae, Hymenoptera Aculeata) andO. i. ssp.aymoninii attractedAndrena combinata males (Andrenidae, Apoidea, Hymenoptera Aculeata). A third form,O. aff.i. ssp.insectifera, attracted none of these three species. Volatile compounds from flowers and inflorescences of the three forms (originating from Öland, Sweden, and Aveyron, France) were collected, using entrainment, enfleurage, and solvent extraction techniques, and identified by gas chromatography — mass spectrometry. Scent differences between the three forms were confirmed in the amounts of aliphatic hydrocarbons (C₁₁–C₁₉), methyl esters (C₁₄–C₁₈), short chain aliphatic 1-alcohols (C₆–C₁₂), and monoterpene alcohols (C₁₀).     

Effects of Coffee Management on Deforestation Rates and Forest Integrity

Knowledge about how forest margins are utilized can be crucial for a general understanding of changes in forest cover, forest structure, and biodiversity across landscapes. We studied forest‐agriculture transitions in southwestern Ethiopia and hypothesized that the presence of coffee (Coffea arabica)decreases deforestation rates because of coffee's importance to local economies and its widespread occurrence in forests and forest margins. Using satellite images and elevation data, we compared changes in forest cover over 37 years (1973–2010) across elevations in 2 forest‐agriculture mosaic landscapes (1100 km² around Bonga and 3000 km² in Goma‐Gera). In the field in the Bonga area, we determined coffee cover and forest structure in 40 forest margins that differed in time since deforestation. Both the absolute and relative deforestation rates were lower at coffee‐growing elevations compared with at higher elevations (?10/20% vs. ?40/50% comparing relative rates at 1800 m asl and 2300–2500 m asl, respectively). Within the coffee‐growing elevation, the proportion of sites with high coffee cover (>20%) was significantly higher in stable margins (42% of sites that had been in the same location for the entire period) than in recently changed margins (0% of sites where expansion of annual crops had changed the margin). Disturbance level and forest structure did not differ between sites with 30% or 3% coffee. However, a growing body of literature on gradients of coffee management in Ethiopia reports coffee's negative effects on abundances of forest‐specialist species. Even if the presence of coffee slows down the conversion of forest to annual‐crop agriculture, there is a risk that an intensification of coffee management will still threaten forest biodiversity, including the genetic diversity of wild coffee. Conservation policy for Ethiopian forests thus needs to develop strategies that acknowledge that forests without coffee production may have higher deforestation risks than forests with coffee production and that forests with coffee production often have lower biodiversity value. Efectos de la Administración Cafetalera sobre las Tasas de Deforestación y la Integridad de los Bosques     

What Every Conservation Biologist Should Know about Economic Theory

Abstract: The last century has seen the ascendance of a core economic model, which we will refer to as Walrasian economics. This model is driven by the psychological assumptions that humans act only in a self‐referential and narrowly rational way and that production can be described as a self‐contained circular flow between firms and households. These assumptions have critical implications for the way economics is used to inform conservation biology. Yet the Walrasian model is inconsistent with a large body of empirical evidence about actual human behavior, and it violates a number of basic physical laws. Research in behavioral science and neuroscience shows that humans are uniquely social animals and not self‐centered rational economic beings. Economic production is subject to physical laws including the laws of thermodynamics and mass balance. In addition, some contemporary economic theory, spurred by exciting new research in human behavior and a wealth of data about the negative global impact of the human economy on natural systems, is moving toward a world view that places consumption and production squarely in its behavioral and biophysical context. We argue that abandoning the straightjacket of the Walrasian core is essential to further progress in understanding the complex, coupled interactions between the human economy and the natural world. We call for a new framework for economic theory and policy that is consistent with observed human behavior, recognizes the complex and frequently irreversible interaction between human and natural systems, and directly confronts the cumulative negative effects of the human economy on the Earth's life support systems. Biophysical economics and ecological economics are two emerging economic frameworks in this movement.