Marine Protected Areas in Sri Lanka: A Review

Despite the popularity of marine protected areas (MPAs) as a management tool, increasing evidence shows that many fail to achieve conservation objectives. Although several MPAs exist in Sri Lanka, most are not managed, and resource extraction and habitat degradation continue unabated. At present, the declaration and management of MPAs is carried out without adequate consideration of the ecology, socioeconomic realities, or long-term management sustainability. Managers have focused more toward the creation of new legislation and protected areas rather than ensuring the implementation of existing regulations and management of existing protected areas. Poor coordination and a lack of serious political will have also hindered successful resource management. As in other developing countries, MPA managers have to contend with coastal communities that are directly dependant on marine resources for their subsistence. This often makes it unfeasible to exclude resource users, and MPAs have failed to attract necessary government support because many politicians are partial toward the immediate needs of local communities for both economic and political reasons. A more integrated approach, and decisions based on the analysis of all relevant criteria combined with a concerted and genuine effort toward implementing strategies and achieving predetermined targets, is needed for effective management of MPAs and the sustainable use of marine resources in Sri Lanka.     

Synthesis of ecosystem vulnerability to climate change in the Netherlands shows the need to consider environmental fluctuations in adaptation measures

Climate change impacts on individual species are various and range from shifts in phenology and functional properties to changes in productivity and dispersal. The combination of impacts determines future biodiversity and species composition, but is difficult to evaluate with a single method. Instead, a comparison of mutually independent approaches provides information and confidence in patterns observed beyond what may be achieved in individual approaches. Here, we carried out such comparison to assess which ecosystem types in the Netherlands appear most vulnerable to climate change impacts, as arising from changes in hydrology, nutrient conditions and dispersal limitations. We thus combined meta-analyses of species range shifts with species distribution modelling and ecohydrological modelling with expert knowledge in two respective impact studies. Both impact studies showed that nutrient-poor ecosystems and ecosystem types with fluctuating water tables—like hay meadows, moist heathlands and moorlands—seem to be most at risk upon climate change. A subsequent meta-analysis of species–environmental stress relations indicated that particularly endangered species are adversely affected by the combination of drought and oxygen stress, caused by fluctuating moisture conditions. This implies that adaptation measures should not only aim to optimise mean environmental conditions but should also buffer environmental extremes. Major uncertainties in the assessment included the quantitative impacts of vegetation-hydrology feedbacks, vegetation adaptation and interactions between dispersal capacity and traits linked to environmental selection. Once such quantifications become feasible, adaptation measures may be tailor-made and optimised to conserve vulnerable ecosystem types.     

Population dynamics of Great Bittern (Botaurus stellaris) in the Netherlands: interaction effects of winter weather and habitat fragmentation

The increased variability in weather as a manifestation of climate change is expected to have negative impacts on population survival in wildlife species, because it will likely lead to increased variation in vital demographic rates (mortality and reproduction) in these populations. For the effective protection of biodiversity, adaptation measures are needed to compensate for the expected increase in weather variability and the negative interaction with habitat fragmentation. As a case study, we studied the fluctuations in Great Bittern numbers (Botaurus stellaris) from 28 monitoring plots scattered over the Netherlands to explore the interaction between the effect of weather and possible remediating effects of the landscape structure. Great Bittern habitat surrounding these plots differs with respect to area, quality, and degree of isolation of this habitat. In western Europe, Great Bitterns are found to be susceptible to continuous loss of suitable habitat due to vegetation succession and fragmentation. Moreover, year-to-year fluctuations in local Great Bittern populations can be caused by severe winter weather or other weather extremes. Our results show that severe winter weather has indeed a significant negative impact on Great Bittern population growth rates. Furthermore, we found that an increased carrying capacity and spatial cohesion (i.e. inverse of habitat fragmentation) contribute to an increase in mean growth rates over the years. As growth rates are higher in large, well-connected habitats, we argue that recovery from negative effects of, e.g. severe winters on Great Bittern population numbers is enhanced in these less-fragmented habitats. We derived generic adaptation measures for enhancing the recovery rate of populations of species in general: one should invest in more large, well-connected nature areas, not only to diminish the negative effects of habitat fragmentation on wildlife populations, but additionally to reduce the impacts of climatic variability.     

Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography time of flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC-TOFMS) for environmental forensic investigations in developing countries

The disposal and dumping of toxic waste is a matter of growing concern in developing countries, including South Africa. Frequently these countries do not possess access to gas chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (GC-HRMS) for the determination of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). This publication describes an alternative approach to the investigation of toxic waste using comprehensive gas chromatography coupled to time of flight mass spectrometry (GC × GC-TOFMS). The technology permits both comprehensive screening of toxic samples for numerous classes of organic pollutants and also quantitative analysis for the individual compounds. This paper describes the use of this technique by analysing samples obtained from a hazardous waste treatment facility in South Africa. After sampling and extraction the samples were analysed for polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and four dioxin-like non-ortho substituted polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The quantitative values, as well as detection limits, obtained using the GC × GC-TOFMS methodology compares well with those obtained using GC-HRMS; the accepted benchmark technology for this analysis. Although GC × GC-TOFMS is not a target compound analytical technique (as is GC-HRMS), it is possible to obtain information on numerous other classes of organic pollutants present in the samples in one analytical run. This is not possible with GC-HRMS. Several different column combinations have been investigated for handling very complex waste samples and suggestions are presented for the most suitable combination.     

Phytotoxicity tests of solid wastes and contaminated soils in the Czech Republic

Background, aim, and scope  

The purpose of this study was to compare the suitability of different phytotoxicity testing procedures for the evaluation of toxicity associated with both soil contamination and solid wastes, both of which can be of environmental risk to plants. Ten different representative types of contaminated soils and solid waste samples were chosen from the Czech Republic.     

A whole-farm strategy to reduce environmental impacts of nitrogen

Dutch regulations for ammonia emission require farmers to inject slurry into the soil (shallow) or to apply it in narrow bands at the surface. For one commercial dairy farm in the Netherlands it was hypothesized that its alternative farming strategy, including low-protein feeding and surface spreading, could be an equally effective tool for ammonia emission abatement. The overall objective of the research was to investigate how management at this farm is related to nitrogen (N) losses to the environment, including groundwater and surface water. Gaseous emission of ammonia and greenhouse gasses from the naturally ventilated stables were 8.1 and 3.1 kg yr(-1) AU(-1) on average using the internal tracer (SF(6))-ratio method. Measurements on volatilization of ammonia from slurry application to the field using an integrated horizontal flux method and the micrometeorological mass balance method yielded relatively low values of ammonia emissions per ha (3.5-10.9 kg NH(3)-N ha(-1)). The mean nitrate concentration in the upper ground water was 6.7 mg L(-1) for 2004 and 3.0 mg L(-1) for 2005, and the half-year summer means of N in surface water were 2.3 mg N L(-1) and 3.4 mg N L(-1) for 2004 and 2005, respectively. Using a nutrient budget model for this farm, partly based on these findings, it was found that the calculated ammonia loss per ton milk (range 5.3-7.5 kg N Mg(-1)) is comparable with the estimated ammonia loss of a conventional farm that applies animal slurry using prescribed technologies.     

Accumulation of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in the food chain of the Western Scheldt estuary: Comparing field measurements with kinetic modeling

The environmentally persistent perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) is a perfluoroalkylated acid (PFA), which has been found to accumulate and biomagnify through food webs all over the world. In the present investigation, the accumulation kinetics of PFOS was explored using the bioaccumulation model OMEGA. As accumulation behavior of PFOS may show similarities to fatty acids as well as to neutral organic compounds, different modeling approaches were used. Accumulation kinetics of PFOS was modeled similar to (1) moderately and (2) highly hydrophobic compounds, (3) metals and (4) as a combination of hydrophobic compounds and metals. Modeled elimination and uptake rate constants were compared to empirical rate constants from literature. Subsequently, model predictions were compared to field-based biota-suspended solids accumulation ratios (BSAF) in the estuarine food chain of the Western Scheldt, The Netherlands. Results show that uptake of PFOS is comparable to moderately hydrophobic compounds and elimination is best described by elimination kinetics of metals. These observations indicate that the accumulation behavior of PFOS is comparable to that of short and medium chained fatty acids.     

Perinatal dioxin exposure, cytochrome P-450 activity, liver functions and thyroid hormones at follow-up after 7-12 years

OBJECTIVES: Prenatal and lactational exposure to Dutch "background" dioxin levels may cause health effects spanning many years. In addition, perinatal studies have shown a relationship between dioxin exposure and thyroid disturbance. To assess the later health effects of prenatal and lactational dioxin exposure on liver function we measured plasma ALAT and ASAT levels amongst our longitudinal cohort, as was done perinatally and at 2(1/2) years. The children underwent a caffeine loading test to determine CYP1A2 activity. To assess the later effects on thyroid function we measured plasma TSH and FT4. STUDY DESIGN: A longitudinal cohort of 37 healthy children (age 7-12, mean 8.2 years), with documented prenatal and lactational dioxin exposure, ingested 3mg caffeine/kg BW 6h prior to blood withdrawal. Paraxanthine/caffeine molar ratio, ALAT, ASAT, TSH and FT4 were determined in venous blood. RESULTS: Linear regression of ASAT and ALAT revealed no relation with prenatal and lactational dioxin exposure. No correlation was found between the paraxanthine/caffeine molar ratio and prenatal and lactational dioxin exposure. Linear regression of TSH and FT4 revealed no relation with prenatal and lactational dioxin exposure. CONCLUSION: This follow-up has shown a normalisation of previously abnormal ALAT and ASAT levels, indicating a transient effect. CYP1A2 activity, measured by means of a caffeine-loading test, revealed no correlation with the prenatal and lactational exposures. A normalisation of previously abnormal thyroid hormone homeostasis was seen, also possibly indicating a transient effect. This study provides new data on long-term follow-up after perinatal dioxin exposure to background levels of dioxins.