Monitoring and adaptive management: resolving social and organisational issues to improve information sharing in natural resource management

Adaptive, or 'learning by doing', approaches are often advocated as a means of providing increased understanding within natural resource management. However, a number of organisational and social issues need to be resolved if these approaches are to be used successfully. A case study in the South Island high country of New Zealand is used to review what is needed to support an ongoing community-based monitoring and adaptive management programme. First, the case study is described, paying attention to the social context of the resource management problem. The results of a workshop that explored this problem are then outlined, along with a proposed information flow suggested by participants. Requirements for future steps to resolve these problems (such as information protocols and a multi-stakeholder information system) are discussed. Finally, some broad lessons are drawn from this exercise that could help others developing similar approaches.     

Odour transfer in stingless bee marmelada (Frieseomelitta varia) demonstrates that entrance guards use an “undesirable–absent” recognition system

In group-level recognition, discriminators use sensory information to distinguish group members and non-members. For example, entrance guards in eusocial insect colonies discriminate nestmates from intruders by comparing their odour with a template of the colony odour. Despite being a species-rich group of eusocial bees closely related to the honey bees, stingless bee nestmate recognition is a relatively little-studied area. We studied Frieseomelitta varia, a common Brazilian species of stingless bee known as marmelada. By measuring the rejection rates of nestmate and non-nestmate worker bees by guards, we were able to show that guards became significantly less accepting (from 91 to 46%) of nestmates that had acquired odour cues from non-nestmate workers; however, guards did not become significantly more accepting (from 31 to 42%) of non-nestmates that had acquired equivalent amounts of odour cues from the guard’s nestmates. These data strongly suggest that guards use an “undesirable–absent” system in recognition, whereby incoming conspecific workers are only accepted if undesirable cues are absent, despite the presence of desirable cues. We suggest that an undesirable–absent system is adaptive because robbing by conspecifics may be an important selective factor in F. varia, which would lead to selection for a non-permissive acceptance strategy by guards.     

Justice constructs,negative affectivity,and employee deviance: a proposed model and empirical test

This study tests a model that uses organizational justice variables and the personality trait of negative affectivity to explain two forms of deviant employee behavior. Prior research suggests that deviance can be directed interpersonally or against organizations. We propose a model that links unfavorable perceptions of distributive, procedural, and interactional justice, as well as the dispositional trait of negative affectivity, to both types of deviant acts. To test the model, a survey was distributed to employees from a government agency and an international manufacturer of paper products. Responses to the survey were analysed using structural equation modeling to evaluate the fit of the theoretical model to the data. Results showed that the model fits the data well and that nearly all of the hypothesized relations among constructs were supported. Implications of the results for the prediction and control of deviant behavior are discussed and future research directions are offered. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Influence of Indigenous Knowledge and Scientific Climate Forecasts on Arable Farmers’ Climate Adaptation Methods in the Rwenzori region,Western Uganda

Environmental Management - This paper investigates the influence of using indigenous forecasts (IF) and scientific forecasts (SF) on arable farmers’ adaptation methods in the Rwenzori region,...     

Prenatal diagnosis and management of anterior abdominal wall defects in the West of Scotland

An attempt was made to identify all the cases of abdominal wall defects occurring in the West of Scotland over a 7-year period to determine the current incidence, prenatal diagnosis, management, and prognosis for fetuses and neonates with abdominal wall defects. Cases were identified because they presented either for prenatal diagnosis, or to the Department of Pathology following termination or spontaneous pregnancy loss, or as neonates to the Neonatal Surgical Department. The incidence of abdominal wall defects was found to be 1 in 2500 births. Exomphalos was diagnosed before birth in 66 per cent of cases, and in 30 per cent of cases it was associated with another major abnormality. There was a 20 per cent intact survival in the cases diagnosed prenatally who had no fetal anomaly and who opted to continue with the pregnancy. Gastroschisis was diagnosed before delivery in 70 per cent of cases, and in the group who continued with the pregnancy there was an intact survival of 77 per cent. Body stalk anomalies were all diagnosed prenatally and terminated. Maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein was elevated in 89 per cent of the cases with exomphalos and in 100 per cent of the cases with gastroschisis and body stalk anomalies in which it was tested.     

An aggregation pheromone of Sitona lineatus

The Science of Nature -     

Familial congenital diaphragmatic hernia: Prenatal diagnosis,management, and outcome

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a developmental defect of as yet unknown aetiology which accounts for 8 per cent of all major congenital anomalies and is associated with up to 80 per cent mortality despite optimal postnatal treatment. The risk of recurrence of CDH for future sibs after one affected infant is about 2 per cent. A multifactorial/threshold inheritance pattern with an observed high male:female sex ratio is currently favoured for the rare occurrence of familial CDH, although other modes of inheritance have also been described. We report three cases of familial CDH, two of whom were brother and sister sibs and the third was a first cousin, born within 18 months of each other. The diagnosis was by ultrasound and there were several factors predicting a poor outcome. The mortality in this group was 100 per cent. The prenatal diagnosis, treatment options, the unusual genetic aspects, outcome, and the pathology involved are discussed.     

Metamorphosis and developmental evolution in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ophionereis</Emphasis> (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea)

The brittle star Ophionereis schayeri has abbreviated non-feeding development through a reduced ophiopluteus and a vitellaria larva. The metamorphic changes involved with development from a bilateral larva to a radial juvenile were examined in detail. The reduced ophiopluteus has a continuous ciliated band that breaks up into discontinuous ciliary ridges at the vitellaria stage. As the vitellaria develops, the juvenile rudiment forms in the mid-ventral region. The rudiment then undergoes a morphogenetic movement to the left of the larval anterior/posterior axis. This results in a dramatic transformation from bilateral to radial symmetry and is accompanied by development of juvenile structures and settlement, 6–7 days after fertilisation. Ophiuroid development through one larval stage, the ophiopluteus, is termed Type I; whereas development through two larval stages, the ophiopluteus and vitellaria, is termed Type II. We examined the evolutionary changes in the expression of Type II development in Ophionereis by comparing the ontogeny of six species with a range of larval forms. O. fasciata has the ancestral-like planktotrophic ophiopluteus. Vestigial pluteal structures in the larvae of O. schayeri, provide a link between ophiopluteal and vitellarial forms during evolution of non-feeding development. The diversity of larval forms in Ophionereis indicates that evolution of non-feeding development through a vitellaria (Type II) may have involved an increase in egg size, reduction of pluteal structures and shortening of the time to metamorphosis. Assessment of the phylogenetic significance of Types I and II development awaits additional comparative data on the metamorphic stages of other ophiuroid genera.Communicated by G.F. Humphrey, Sydney     

Reproduction of sympatric populations of Patiriella gunnii,P. calcar and P. exigua in New South Wales,asterinid seastars with direct development

Three asterinid seastars, Patiriella gunnii (Gray), P. calcar (Lamarck) and P. exigua (Lamarck) are sympatric in southeast Australia and form part of a series of Patiriella species endemic to Australian shores. Reproduction of co-occurring populations of P. gunnii, P. calcar and P. exigua was investigated in New South Wales from December 1988 to February 1991. Their reproductive cycles were documented by the gonad index (GI) method and by histological examination of the gonads. The annual cycle of the pyloric caecae was also documented and the relationship between the two indices was examined. Oogenesis and spermatogenesis are described in histological detail. The three species produce large yolky eggs and have direct development. Vitellogenesis and weight-gain by the ovaries results from accumulation of periodic acid Schiff (PAS +) material by the oocytes. P. gunnii and P. calcar are gonochoric and have well-defined reproductive cycles, spawning in spring and summer. There was a sharp decline in the GI of P. gunnii in December due to potentially synchronous spawning. Histological examination revealed that initiation of gamete release occurred in August. Gamete release by P. calcar also started in August, with episodic spawning through December. P. gunnii and P. calcar have coincident 3 to 4 mo breeding seasons. In general, P. exigua is protandrous with a broad size range over which sex change occurs. Some P. exigua, however are simultaneous hermaphrodites at the outset of gonad formation and become increasingly female with growth. This species has continuous gametogenesis and oviposits its eggs on the undersides of intertidal boulders, with enhanced oviposition during winter and spring. Newly metamorphosed P. exigua occupy intertidal microhabitats and were located in the field from August to October. It is suggested that increasing sea temperature during spring may serve to cue gamete release by P. gunnii and P. calcar and that enhanced oviposition of P. exigua in winter may be in response to conditions optimal for development of the egg masses at this time. The GI of male and female P. gunnii and P. calcar did not differ, while male P. exigua had a significantly lower GI than the females. Small males are characteristic of this latter species, and it is suggested that the decreased male investment in P. exigua is associated with its non-planktonic development. The gonad and pyloric caeca (PCI) indices of P. gunnii exhibited a reciprocal relationship, indicating that the transfer of nutrients from the caeca to the gonads supports gametogenesis. These indices were partly reciprocal in P. calcar. It is suggested that gonadal growth in P. calcar may be less dependent on caecal reserves than that in P. gunnii. The PCI of P. exigua maintained a similar level throughout the year and was higher than the GI. Although the Patiriella species have coincident breeding periods, temporal differences in the intensity of spawning appears to reproductively isolate them in the field.     

Introduction of the northern Pacific asteroid Asterias amurensis to Tasmania: reproduction and current distribution

The northern Pacific asteroid Asterias amurensis (Lütken) has been recently introduced to Tasmania and is now well-established in east and southeast Tasmania. This sea star is conspicuous throughout the Derwent River estuary and is particularly abundant in the Hobart port area. Reproduction of two populations of A. amurensis at Sullivans Cove and at Sandy Bay was investigated from August 1993 to October 1994 by gonadal histology and measurement of the gonad index (GI). An intense period of vitellogenic and spermatogenic growth started in April, with the breeding condition reached by June. In 1994, peak GI was recorded at Sullivans Cove in July and at Sandy Bay in August. Although these data indicated that the Sullivans Cove population spawned before the Sandy Bay population, histological examination revealed that major spawning activity occurred in both populations from July onwards. In the early part of the breeding season, gametogenesis proceeded in parallel with spawning, with released gametes being replaced by continual gametogenesis. Maintenance of a higher GI during the early part of the breeding season at Sandy Bay was due to prolonged gametogenic replacement at this site. Spawning continued to October 1994, resulting in a sharp decline in the GI. The cyclic expansion and regression of the genital haemal sinus coincident with germinal proliferation and growth, respectively, support the contention that haemal fluid provides nutrients for gametogenesis. In Tasmania, A. amurensis experiences temperature and photoperiod regimes similar to those experienced by endemic populations of this species in the north Pacific. Comparison of reproduction of A. amurensis in Japan and Tasmania at similar latitudes shows that gametogenesis of the northern and southern populations is 6 mo out of phase. This phase shift provides evidence for photoperiodic regulation of gametogenesis in A. amurensis. The similar trend in sea-temperature regimes associated with the stages of gametogenesis in northern and southern populations suggests that temperature also plays a modulatory role. Based on the periodicity of reproduction and the ontogeny of A. amurensis, the planktotrophic larvae of this species would be expected to be in the plankton for several months from the end of winter through summer. Considering the highly fecund, dispersive life-history of A. amurensis, the southeast Tasmanian populations have considerable potential to serve as a seed source for establishment of new populations of this asteroid elsewhere in Tasmania and in mainland Australia. Received: 18 October 1996 / Accepted: 22 October 1996