Conserving connectivity: Human influence on subsidy transfer and relevant restoration efforts

Conservation efforts tend to focus on the direct impacts humans have on their surrounding environment; however there are also many ways in which people indirectly affect ecosystems. Recent research on ecological subsidies—the transfer of energy and nutrients from one ecosystem to another—has highlighted the importance of nutrient exchange for maintaining productivity and diversity at a landscape scale, while also pointing toward the fragility of ecotones and vulnerability of subsidies to human activities. We review the recent literature on landscape connectivity and ecosystem subsidies from aquatic systems to terrestrial systems. Based on this review, we propose a conceptual model of how human activities may alter or eliminate the flow of energy and nutrients between ecosystems by influencing the delivery of subsidies along the pathway of transfer. To demonstrate the utility of this conceptual model, we discuss it in the context of case studies of subsidies derived from salmon, marine mammals, sea turtles, sea birds, and shoreline debris. Subsidy restoration may require a different set of actions from simply reversing the pathway of degradation. We suggest that effective restoration and conservation efforts will require a multifaceted approach, targeting many steps along the subsidy transfer pathway, to address these issues.     

Energy efficiency and conservation for individual Americans

Americans make up only 4% of the world population, yet currently consume 25% of the world’s fossil fuels. The U.S. imports 63% of its oil and it is predicted that by 2020 the U.S. will be importing 95% of its oil resources. Over the past century, ample and affordable supplies of fossil fuels have powered the growth and prosperity of the economies of the US and other countries. Within this century, world oil supplies will decline while demand is projected to continue to increase, suggesting that we will have to transition to different fuels or become much more energy efficient or both. Looking ahead to the near decades, estimates are that consumers will have to reduce their energy use by at least 50%. This reduction will be necessary in large part due the decline in the availability of conventional oil and gas, but also because the U.S. population will continue to grow in number. Although government action is important, individuals too often discount their ability to make significant contributions to solving such major problems. This investigation identifies how informed and concerned individuals can collectively conserve fossil energy. Readers should send their comments on this paper to: BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue. An erratum to this article can be found at     

The effects of benomyl and its breakdown products carbendazim and butyl isocyanate on the structure and function of tracheal ciliated cells

Abstract

The effects of the fungicide benomyl and its breakdown products, carbendazim and butyl isocyanate, were examined on canine tracheal epithelial tissue in primary culture. Changes in ciliary frequencies were monitored with an optical spectrum analysis system. Serial dilutions of the test compounds were prepared in 100% corn oil and applied to the cell cultures for intervals up to 6 hours and frequencies measured at intervals of 15 minutes to 1 hour. Benomyl and butyl isocyanate caused concentration‐dependent decreases in ciliary beat frequency. Benomyl at 300 μg/ml (3 mM) caused ciliostasis within 75 minutes of exposure. Butyl isocyanate at a molar concentration three times lower than benomyl (1 mM) caused a similar response, although within 30 minutes. The IBC₅₀ for benomyl was 0.75 mM, while for butyl isocyanate it was 0.52 mM. Carbendazim caused a moderate decrease in frequency over a 6 hour exposure period. Benomyl caused moderate to severe swelling of the mitochondria of ciliated epithelial cells with other cell organelles appearing normal. Butyl isocyanate did not cause any noticeable effect on cell ultrastructure and the apparently low rate of penetration of carbendazim into cells made it impossible to obtain an effect which justified ultrastructural analysis. It appears, at least for benomyl and butyl isocyanate, that while the physiological effect of these two compounds (inhibition of ciliary beat) is the same, the sites of action in the cell may be different.     

Prenatal genetic counselling for psychiatric disorders

Psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, and obsessive–compulsive disorder are common disorders with complex aetiology. They can exact a heavy toll on the individual with the condition and can have significant impact on family members too. Accordingly, psychiatric disorders can arise as a concern in the prenatal context – couples may be interested in learning about the chance for their child to develop the illness that manifests in the family and may be interested in discussing options for prenatal testing. However, the complex nature of these conditions can present challenges for clinicians who seek to help families with these issues. We established the world's first specialist genetic counselling service of its kind in Vancouver, Canada, in 2012, and to date, have provided counselling for ~500 families and have demonstrated increases in patients' empowerment and self efficacy after genetic counselling. We draw on our accumulated clinical experience to outline the process by which we approach prenatal genetic counselling for psychiatric disorders to assist other clinicians in providing thoughtful, comprehensive support to couples seeking out this service. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Occurrence and potential toxicity of pyrethroids and other insecticides in bed sediments of urban streams in central Texas

Despite heavy insecticide usage in urban areas, only a few studies have investigated the impact of current-use insecticides on benthic invertebrates in urban streams. The objective of this study was to measure the presence and concentration of current-use pesticides in sediments of residential streams in central Texas. Additionally, toxicity of these sediments to Hyalella azteca was evaluated. Sediment samples were collected from several sites in urban streams over the course of a year, of which, 66% had greater than one toxic unit (TU) of insecticide. Bifenthrin was the greatest contributor accounting for 65% of the TUs, and sediment toxicity to H. azteca correlated with the magnitude of total insecticides and bifenthrin TUs. The results of this study further raise concerns over the environmental consequences posed by many current-use insecticides, especially pyrethroids, in urban settings.     

Using decision science to evaluate global biodiversity indices

Global biodiversity indices are used to measure environmental change and progress toward conservation goals, yet few indices have been evaluated comprehensively for their capacity to detect trends of interest, such as declines in threatened species or ecosystem function. Using a structured approach based on decision science, we qualitatively evaluated 9 indices commonly used to track biodiversity at global and regional scales against 5 criteria relating to objectives, design, behavior, incorporation of uncertainty, and constraints (e.g., costs and data availability). Evaluation was based on reference literature for indices available at the time of assessment. We identified 4 key gaps in indices assessed: pathways to achieving goals (means objectives) were not always clear or relevant to desired outcomes (fundamental objectives); index testing and understanding of expected behavior was often lacking; uncertainty was seldom acknowledged or accounted for; and costs of implementation were seldom considered. These gaps may render indices inadequate in certain decision-making contexts and are problematic for indices linked with biodiversity targets and sustainability goals. Ensuring that index objectives are clear and their design is underpinned by a model of relevant processes are crucial in addressing the gaps identified by our assessment. Uptake and productive use of indices will be improved if index performance is tested rigorously and assumptions and uncertainties are clearly communicated to end users. This will increase index accuracy and value in tracking biodiversity change and supporting national and global policy decisions, such as the post-2020 global biodiversity framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity.     

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances thermal desorption evaluation

Per‐ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are highly resistant to biotic and abiotic degradation and can withstand very high temperatures before breaking down. The storage of PFAS‐impacted water and sediments in a holding pond or stockpiled investigation or remedial action‐derived waste is occurring on an increasing number of sites. The most common PFAS water treatment options include granular‐activated carbon and resins and the most common soil treatment options have been primarily limited to excavation, offsite incineration, and, in some cases, soil stabilization. An increasing number of states across the United States are establishing part per trillion PFAS guidance levels for drinking water. Removing PFAS from soils removes PFAS source impacts to groundwater. In this study, volatilization of PFAS from soil treated using in situ thermal heating is evaluated as a treatment method to achieve a high degree of PFAS removal from soils. The evaluation of temperatures needed to achieve removal is described. To minimize vapor treatment required for PFAS thermal remediation, a scrubber was incorporated into the treatment train to transfer PFAS to the liquid phase in a concentrated, low‐volume solution. Vapor‐liquid equilibrium behavior and the extent of PFAS volatilization from impacted soil over a range of temperatures were evaluated. Results showed that heating soil to 350°C and 400°C reduces PFAS soil concentrations by 99.91% and 99.998%, respectively. It was also confirmed that sulfonate‐based PFAS generally required higher temperatures for volatilization to occur than carboxylate‐based PFAS.     

The scent of sun worship: basking experience alters scent mark composition in male lizards

Signals used in female choice should honestly advertise the benefits that males can provide, with direct benefits often argued as being more important than indirect benefits. However, the nature of direct benefits in species without paternal care or nuptial gifts is poorly understood. Previous studies on lizards suggest that females decide where to settle and assumedly who to mate with based on information contained in scent marks from territorial males. Access to high-quality thermal resources is crucial for female reproductive success. Females may therefore be able to detect and exploit thermal-induced variation in the chemical composition of male scent marks when assessing the quality of his territory. We show that the amount of time male wall lizards (Podarcis muralis) are allowed to bask significantly alters the chemical composition of their femoral secretions used in scent marking. The direction of the change is consistent with adaptive plasticity to maintain signalling efficacy under warm conditions that increase evaporation of femoral secretions. The compounds affected by basking experience included those previously associated with male quality or shown to mediate male–male competition in lizards. However, whilst female lizards could discriminate between scent marks of males that had experienced different basking conditions, they did not preferentially associate with the scent from males from high-quality thermal conditions. These results highlight the potential importance of a previously neglected environmental effect on chemical signalling. We suggest thermal effects may have significant consequences for scent-mark composition in variable environments, with potential repercussions on olfactory communication in lizards.     

Practical actions for applied systematic conservation planning

Systematic conservation planning is intended to inform spatially explicit decision making. Doing so requires that it be integrated into complex regulatory and governance processes, and there are limited instances where this has been achieved effectively. South Africa is a global leader in the application of conservation plans, the outputs of which are widely used for spatial planning and decision making in many spheres of government. We aimed to determine how conservation planning in the country progressed from theory to implementation, and to identify practical actions that enabled this transition, by assessing temporal trends in the characteristics of conservation plans (1990–2017, n = 94). Since 2010 conservation planning has entered an operational period characterized by government leadership of plans, administrative rather than ecological planning domains, decreasing size of planning units, increasing emphasis on end-user products, and scheduled revision of plans. Key actions that enabled this progression include transitioning leadership of plans from scientists to practitioners, building capacity within implementing agencies, creating opportunities to integrate plans in legislative processes, establishing a strong community of practice, adopting implementation-focused methods, and balancing standardization with innovation. Learning from this model will allow other countries, particularly those with a similar megadiverse, developing context, to operationalize conservation planning into spatial planning and decision making.     

Age-specific responses to elevated salinity in the coastal marsh plant black needlerush (Juncus roemerianus Scheele) as determined through polyphasic chlorophyll a fluorescence transients (OJIP)

This study employed polyphasic chlorophyll a fluorescence transients (OJIP), a non-invasive marker of environmental stress in plants, to evaluate salt tolerance in three different Juncus roemerianus age classifications (6-, 24-, and 60-months). Following exposure to elevated salts (30 psu), the younger plants sustained growth, which was comparable to freshwater controls. While older (60-month) plants receiving only freshwater also grew over the 8-week study, the older salt-treated plants did not increase in size. Similarly, there were significant declines in variable chlorophyll a fluorescence parameters (F _v/F _m and F _v/F _o), electron transport flux per reaction center (ET_o/RC), and photosystem II performance index (PI_ABS) for 60-month J. roemerianus following salt treatment. These responses were not evident in the two younger salt-treated age classifications. Our results suggest that older J. roemerianus are less tolerant to rapid and sudden increases in salinity relative to younger plants and that this age-specific response may help explain observed discrepancies in salt tolerance in J. roemerianus.