The ITE Land classification: Providing an environmental stratification of Great Britain

The surface of Great Britain (GB) varies continuously in land cover from one area to another. The objective of any environmentally based land classification is to produce classes that match the patterns that are present by helping to define clear boundaries. The more appropriate the analysis and data used, the better the classes will fit the natural patterns. The observation of inter-correlations between ecological factors is the basis for interpreting ecological patterns in the field, and the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology (ITE) Land Classification formalises such subjective ideas. The data inevitably comprise a large number of factors in order to describe the environment adequately. Single factors, such as altitude, would only be useful on a national basis if they were the only dominant causative agent of ecological variation.The ITE Land Classification has defined 32 environmental categories called land classes, initially based on a sample of 1-km squares in Great Britain but subsequently extended to all 240 000 1-km squares. The original classification was produced using multivariate analysis of 75 environmental variables. The extension to all squares in GB was performed using a combination of logistic discrimination and discriminant functions. The classes have provided a stratification for successive ecological surveys, the results of which have characterised the classes in terms of botanical, zoological and landscape features.The classification has also been applied to integrate diverse datasets including satellite imagery, soils and socio-economic information. A variety of models have used the structure of the classification, for example to show potential land use change under different economic conditions. The principal data sets relevant for planning purposes have been incorporated into a user-friendly computer package, called the Countryside Information System.     

Field boundaries in Great Britain: stock and change between 1984, 1990 and 1998

Field boundaries are man-made features found worldwide and their multiple functions in agricultural landscapes are now widely recognised. These landscape features have declined drastically in many developed countries as a result of agricultural intensification. In Great Britain, field boundaries are regarded as elements of particular significance in the countryside, both in term of extent and value, whether ecological, cultural, or aesthetic. The Countryside Surveys of Great Britain, a national ecological, surveillance programme initiated in the late 1970s, provides information about the change in extent and ecological condition of field boundaries. In this paper, we present the main results on field boundaries derived from the latest survey, Countryside Survey 2000. These include stock and change of boundaries for the 1990-1998 period as well as an update of the previously published 1984-1990 data. Special attention is given to the evolution of the length of hedges. Applicability of the Countryside Survey methodology to other monitoring programmes and further use of the data is discussed together with the potential ecological consequences of the changes described in the paper.     

Non-native vascular flora of the Arctic: Taxonomic richness,distribution and pathways

We present a comprehensive list of non-native vascular plants known from the Arctic, explore their geographic distribution, analyze the extent of naturalization and invasion among 23 subregions of the Arctic, and examine pathways of introductions. The presence of 341 non-native taxa in the Arctic was confirmed, of which 188 are naturalized in at least one of the 23 regions. A small number of taxa (11) are considered invasive; these plants are known from just three regions. In several Arctic regions there are no naturalized non-native taxa recorded and the majority of Arctic regions have a low number of naturalized taxa. Analyses of the non-native vascular plant flora identified two main biogeographic clusters within the Arctic: American and Asiatic. Among all pathways, seed contamination and transport by vehicles have contributed the most to non-native plant introduction in the Arctic.     

Characteristic Properties of Novel Organosolv Lignin/Polylactide/Delta-Valerolactone Terpolymers

Compostable terpolymers of l-lactide (LLA), delta-valerolactone (DVL), and switchgrass organosolv lignin (OSL) were synthesized via ring-opening polymerization to improve on polylactide homopolymer properties for commercial applications. OSL has properties that improve some of the deficiencies of polylactide, including polylactide’s limitations for use in food, beverage and medical applications due to its high water permeability and low ultraviolet light (UV) blocking capabilities. DVL was incorporated into these polymers to add flexibility. The addition of DVL to the polymer had a positive effect on the tensile strain properties of the resultant terpolymer, resulting in a more flexible polymer with a reduced Young’s modulus. Water vapor transmission rate calculations confirmed that water vapor was transported more slowly through terpolymer films than through the PLLA homopolymer under varying hygrostatic conditions. While the addition of DVL increased UV permeability, the addition of even a small amount of lignin can effectively counteract this effect.     

Arctic terrestrial biodiversity status and trends: A synopsis of science supporting the CBMP State of Arctic Terrestrial Biodiversity Report

Ambio - This review provides a synopsis of the main findings of individual papers in the special issue Terrestrial Biodiversity in a Rapidly Changing Arctic. The special issue was developed to...     

Which comes first,organizational culture or performance? A longitudinal study of causal priority with automobile dealerships

Prior research supports a link between organizational culture and performance but generally falls short of establishing causality or determining the direction of a culture–performance (C‐P) relationship. Using data collected from 95 franchise automobile dealerships over 6 years, we studied longitudinal culture–performance relationships to determine whether culture or performance has causal priority, or alternatively, whether a reciprocal relationship exists. Results from cross‐lagged panel analyses indicate that culture “comes first,” consistently predicting subsequent ratings of customer satisfaction and vehicle sales. Furthermore, the positive effect of culture on vehicle sales is fully mediated by customer satisfaction ratings. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Determinants of group size in the red colobus monkey (Procolobus badius): an evaluation of the generality of the ecological-constraints model

The ecological-constraints model proposes that increased group size increases within-group feeding competition, necessitating increased travel and, consequently, constraining group size. Previous studies have supported the model for frugivores, but its applicability to folivores remains untested. This study evaluated the generality of the model by re-examining the relationship between day range and group size for a folivorous species for which published accounts have not found a relationship between these factors. This study differs from earlier studies by accounting for variation in food availability, which may drive changes in day range. We quantified the relationships among food availability, day range, and group size for two red colobus groups at Kibale National Park, Uganda. Mean day range and home range were significantly greater for the group of 48 individuals compared to the group of 24 individuals. The large group traveled more and rested less than the small group. The large group also traveled more rapidly than the small group. Food availability significantly predicted mean day range for the large group, but not for the small group. Analyses of covariance demonstrated that the large and small group responded differently to changes in food availability. These observations suggest that the large red colobus group experiences greater levels of within-group feeding competition than the small group. This study provides added support for the generality of the ecological-constraints model and contributes toward an understanding of the mechanisms controlling feeding competition and social organization in primates.