Diet Features of the Crested Newt Triturus cristatus (Laurenti, 1768) at the Eastern Border of Its Range

Russian Journal of Ecology - Dietary spectra of the crested newt (Triturus cristatus (Laureti, 1768)) from two habitats at the eastern border of its distribution range have been estimated using a...     

Population structure and dynamics of Monotarsobius curtipes (Myriapoda, Chilopoda) at the northern periphery of the species range

Studies on the population structure and dynamics of the stone centipede Monotarsobius curtipes C. Koch in soils of the northern Kola Peninsula have shown that, with respect to abundance and biomass, this species is a dominant of the soil macrofauna and, in particular, of the trophic group of zoophages. Life in high northern latitudes does not disturb the sex and age structure of populations but limits the reproductive activity of these centipedes. Specific biological features of M. curtipes at the northern periphery of its range include the absence of repeated breeding, completion of several developmental (age) stages within a short growing season, and long ontogeny involving several winterings.     

Effect of temperature on blood parameters of the salamander <Emphasis Type="Italic">Batrachupems tibetanus</Emphasis> (Schmidt, 1925) (Amphibia: Hynobiidae)

To better understand how Batrachupems tibetanus responds to different temperature regimes in the blood parameters and to estimate the change in plasma cortisol level in this species exposed to different temperatures, the animals were stochastically divided into three groups and exposed respectively to 4.6°C, 14.6°C and 19.6°C for 12 days. The concentrations of glucose, total protein, albumin, triacylglycerol, Ca²⁺, K⁺, Na⁺, Cl⁻, and plasma cortisol level were measured respectively. There was no significant difference between the plasma cortisol level of the control group and the experiment groups. Glucose level at 4.6°C and 19.6°C was significantly lower than glucose level at 14.6°C. The plasma triacylglycerol level was significantly influenced by acclimation temperature. The concentration of total protein, albumin, globulin and the ratio between albumin and globulin were not significantly influenced by temperature when compared with control group. There was no significant change in concentration of Ca²⁺ at different temperatures. The concentration of K⁺ was significantly influenced by temperature. Plasma K⁺ level significantly increased at 19.6°C. The plasma Na⁺ level and Cl⁻ were significantly influenced by temperature. Na⁺: Cl⁻ ratio was significantly influenced by temperature. Therefore, glucose, triacylglycerol, Na⁺ and Cl⁻ levels could be considered as indicators of thermal stress in B. tibetanus; plasma cortisol, albumin, globulin levels, and albumin/globulin ratio are not influenced by temperature.     

Common Shrew (Sorex araneus,Eulipotyphla) Population and the Food Supply of Its Habitats in Ecologically Contrasting Environments

Russian Journal of Ecology - Studies in the fir?spruce forests of the Middle Urals, in habitats with varying degrees of transformation by natural disasters (windfalls and fires), have shown...     

Integrated hydro-economic assessment of restoration of the Alexander-Zeimar River (Israel-Palestinian Authority)

This paper examines hydro-economic aspects of the Alexander-Zeimar basin. The Alexander-Zeimar River is a transboundary river originating in the Palestinian Authority and flowing through Israel to the Mediterranean Sea. Since the 1950s, the river has been used as a sewage outlet. The major purpose of this study is to estimate the costs and benefits derived from a restoration plan, which has been in place in the river since the mid-1990s. A hydrological model combined with market and non-market valuation (travel cost method) techniques was used to estimate the condition of the situation before and after the restoration project was implemented. The total restoration plan was compared to alternative partial plans. Interestingly, a cost–benefit analysis on the different restoration options revealed that only a complete cleanup of the river results in a positive net benefit ($0.49–3.23 million annually).     

Changes in the Population Phenetic Structure of the Lacebug Dictyla humuli (Fabr.) (Heteroptera,Tingidae) in the Usman' Forest (Voronezh Oblast) in 1999–2001

Russian Journal of Ecology -     

Role of Population Structuring in the Formation of Karyotypic Diversity of the Common Shrew Sorex araneus (Lipotyphla,Mammalia)

Russian Journal of Ecology - In this review, we describe karyotypic, morphological, and genetic structuring of population in the common shrew Sorex araneus (Lipotyphla, Mammalia), and try to...     

Estimating the Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI) for the State of Rio de Janeiro,Brazil, from 2002 to 2016, as a tool for public policy decision making

Environment, Development and Sustainability - This paper estimates the genuine progress indicator (GPI) for the state of Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Brazil, from 2002 to 2016 as an alternative indicator...     

Population Biology of Cichorium intybus L. (Asteraceae) of the Middle Don River Basin

The stages of ontogeny and morphogenesis of the common chicory were characterized on the basis of long-term observations. A comparative analysis of seed productivity was performed, and the pool of viable seeds in the soil was determined. The ecological–cenotic relationships and the types of population strategy of the species were estimated.     

Ecological footprints and shadows in an urban estuary, Narragansett Bay, RI (USA)

Because the rise of cities in North America was much later than in many other parts of the world, their connections to the hinterland were influenced early in their development by railroads and steam-powered water transport. These fossil fuel-based links made it possible to widely separate the ??upstream?? autotrophic supporting systems from the heterotrophic cities. Here, we take a different look at the connection between a city (Providence, RI, USA) and its supporting natural systems by focusing on the export of industrial and metabolic wastes from the city to the ??downstream?? coastal ecosystem in Narragansett Bay. In this way, we can track the history of a city by examining the concentrations of nutrients, metals, and hydrocarbons in the water and sediments of the estuary. In the greater Providence metropolitan area at the head of Narragansett Bay, there was rapid population and industrial expansion during the 1800s without the proper infrastructure to deal with water supply for public safety and health. On the other hand, the absence of a public water supply kept industrial and metabolic wastes largely on land. However, from the fall of 1871, on with the construction of a public water supply and sewer system, human wastes began flowing into the estuary. By reconstructing the historical record of metals and other pollutants, we illustrate clear temporal and spatial gradients of urban impact on the bay. Unfortunately, while numerous studies during the 1970s and 1980s focused on documenting metal and hydrocarbon pollution in the bay, there has been little effort to quantify the impact of mitigation efforts that have greatly reduced the input of metals and hydrocarbons to the system. Nutrient reductions are more recent and ongoing.     

A sustainability assessment framework for regional-scale Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) incorporating Inclusive Wealth,Satoumi, and ecosystem services science

Sustainability has become an increasingly important concept in the last few decades; however, its operational usefulness has not always been clear. In other words, some sustainability assessments may not provide decision makers with the practical information necessary to perform the assessment. This study proposes a novel operational sustainable assessment framework for Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) on a regional-scale based on a feasibility study in the Seto Inland Sea in Japan. The framework draws upon three separately developed concepts: Inclusive Wealth as the technical framework for the sustainability indicators; Satoumi (a traditional Japanese multifaceted coastal zone concept); and ecosystem services science. These three concepts complement each other when seeking to corroborate an assessment framework. Indicators based on the framework and relevant to the case study site were identified. Although Satoumi is a traditional Japanese knowledge, it is believed that its application may be instructive for other areas, as similar concepts can be found and utilized for the conduct of ICZM sustainability assessments.     

Seasonal ecophysiology of an endangered coastal species,the yellow-horned poppy (Glaucium flavum Crantz)

Glaucium flavum Crantz. is a short-lived perennial herb distributed in coastal zones from the Black Sea to southern, western and north-western Europe. Despite its diminishing area of distribution and potential pharmacological value, little is known about the ecophysiological features of this coastal species. We investigated the photosynthetic performance of G. flavum by measuring gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, photosynthetic pigment concentration and leaf water content over the space of a year in a coastal habitat of SW Spain. We also measured the variation in total concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus, sulphur, potassium, calcium and magnesium, in the leaves and soil, throughout the study period. G. flavum showed a high resistance to summer drought conditions which appeared to be due to the high degree of stomatal control. The potential photochemical efficiency of photosystem II showed minimum values during the winter, indicating that low temperatures can produce negative effects within the photosynthetic apparatus. However, the marked decline in net photosynthesis during the winter seems to be mainly related to a loss of metabolic activity. Although leaf nutrient concentrations were, in general, within the normal ranges, phosphorus availability seems to be limited by the high calcium concentrations detected in the soil of the study site. Our study points out the efficiency of the different physiological adaptations of this rare and endangered coastal species in coping with the strong seasonal variability of the Mediterranean climate.     

A Method for Forecasting the Dates of Mass Calving and Some Characteristics of the Rut and Calving in the Kalmyk Population of Saiga (Saiga tatarica L.)

A method for forecasting the dates of calving in the saiga population on the basis of average fetal body weight is proposed. The method is based on the relationship between the number of days before calving and the average weight of fetuses, which obviates the necessity of determining fetal age and exact gestation period in this species. The average length of gestation, the dates of the rut in the years studied, and the age of females that have mated immediately upon the onset of the rut and before its cessation have been determined. It is shown that the duration of mass calving depends on the proportion of mature males in the population.     

Comparative analysis of (239)Pu, (137)Cs, (210)Pb and (40)K spatial distributions in the top soil layer at the Baltic coast

This paper presents the results of an investigation into the spatial distribution of radionuclides of artificial ((239,240)Pu, (137)Cs) and natural ((210)Pb, (40)K) origins in the upper (0-5 cm) soil layers on the Baltic coastline of Lithuania ( approximately 5 km(2) area). The samples were analysed by gamma ray spectrometry and combined radiochemical procedures. The highest (210)Pb, (239,240)Pu and (137)Cs activity concentrations were determined in the forest samples, whereas (40)K activity was rather homogeneous across the study area. Relatively high (239,240)Pu and (40)K activity concentrations were determined along the surf zone. The (210)Pb and (137)Cs activity concentrations showed a gradual increase from the surf zone to the forest. The average activity concentrations of (239,240)Pu, (137)Cs, (210)Pb and (40)K in the beach and forest samples, respectively, were as follows: 0.32+/-0.08 and 0.74+/-0.14; 50+/-4 and 1190+/-50; 4.7+/-2.0 and 48+/-6; 186+/-15 and 216+/-17 Bq/kg.     

Developing, designing, and testing artificial set of lithologies for soil-aquifer treatment (SAT) systems without soil, using geosynthetic materials

Conventional soil-aquifer treatment (SAT) systems comprise of natural lithological sections up to the depth of zone of saturation or dried aquifers, which through geopurification process recharge the aquifers using domestic or industrial wastewaters. Such SAT systems have low infiltration capacity and frequently face the clogging problems, which causes environment hazards in the local areas. Under this study, three artificial set of lithologies (Lithology I, Lithology II, and Lithology III) were generated without using soil. Each one meter set of lithology was generated within a transparent cylindrical pipe of diameter 15 cm. Each lithology was equipped with nonwoven geotextile and geogrid material at different levels and comprises of coarse aggregate, fine aggregate, coarse sand, medium sand, and fine sand. Use of geotextile material within the artificial lithology shows approximately 8–10 times enhancement in the filtration capacity of the tested lithologies. Municipal wastewater (after primary treatment) was used to test the Lithologies I, II, and III. Between 100–200 l of wastewater was passed through each set of lithology everyday for seven days. Different water quality parameters such as pH, turbidity, electrical conductivity, fluoride, total suspended solids, biological oxygen demand, dissolve oxygen and carbon oxygen demand, chloride, and manganese were analyzed before and after passing through the lithologies everyday. One meter set of artificial lithologies have successfully reduced the concentration of measured water quality parameters between 60 and 93 %, without clogging. Lithology III equipped with superficial fine sand layer and two set of nonwoven geotextile has successfully removed 70–93 % concentration of wastewater. This study aims to demonstrate that a SAT system equipped with geotextile and without soil is more effective then the prevailing SAT systems. Study also proposed designs of SAT systems, which can be formed at unfavorable sites using abundant dry wells in which artificial set of lithologies can be used.     

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.     

Comparative advantages and limitations of the fallout radionuclides (137)Cs, (210)Pb(ex) and (7)Be for assessing soil erosion and sedimentation

The fallout radionuclides (FRNs) (137)Cs, (210)Pb(ex) and (7)Be are increasingly being used as a means of obtaining quantitative information on soil erosion and sediment redistribution rates within agricultural landscapes, over a range of different timescales, and they are frequently seen to represent a valuable complement to conventional measurement techniques. The recent development of the (7)Be method has greatly extended the timescale over which FRNs can be used, by permitting assessment of short-term soil erosion linked to individual events and changing soil management practices. This paper aims to review the advantages and limitations of each of the three FRNs and to identify key knowledge gaps linked to their use. In addition, guidelines for selecting the most appropriate FRN and associated approach, in order to deal with a range of spatial and temporal scales and to investigate specific sets of agro-environmental problems, are provided. Key requirements for future work, related to the application of FRNs in soil erosion investigations, are also identified. These include the upscaling of the approach to the catchment scale and a shift from use of the approach as a research tool to a decision support tool.     

Determination of relative assay response factors for toxic chlorinated and brominated dioxins/furans using an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and a chemically-activated luciferase gene expression cell bioassay (CALUX)

Determination of toxic activity requires knowledge of both the concentration and toxicity to evaluate the risk for adverse human health and environmental effects. A chemically-activated luciferase gene expression cell bioassay system (CALUX) and an antibody-based method enzyme immunoassay (EIA) were used to detect the dioxin-like response of several polybrominated, polychlorinated, and polybrominated/chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/furans (PBDDs/Fs, PCDDs/Fs, and PBCDDs/Fs, respectively). It has been suggested that the biological activity of the brominated and mixed bromo/chloro compounds is similar to their chlorinated analogues (measured by binding to the Ah receptor). PBDD/F, PCDD/F, and PBCDD/F laboratory standards exhibited biological activity ranging over three orders of magnitude. The highest relative potency (REP) values from CALUX analysis, when compared to 2,3,7,8-TCDD, were 2,3,7,8-TBDD at 0.99 (± 0.07), 1,2,3,7,8-PeCDD at 0.69, and 2-Br-3,7,8-TriCDD at 0.72 (± 0.02). Cross-reactivities were calculated using EIA for several PBDDs/Fs and PBCDDs. The highest percent cross-reactivity was found for 2,3,7,8-TBDD at 138 (± 34%), and 2,3,7-TriBDD at 84 (± 36%).     

Sediment toxicity assessment in the Lagoon of Venice (Italy) using Paracentrotus lividus (Echinodermata: Echinoidea) fertilization and embryo bioassays

The capacity of two toxicity bioassays (fertilization and embryo toxicity tests) to discriminate sediment toxicity using the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus was tested in five stations with different levels of pollution in the Lagoon of Venice. Two stations were located in estuarine sites, two in the industrial zone, and one in a site at the top of our quality gradient (reference). Elutriate was chosen as sediment matrix to assess the potential effects of bioavailable pollutants in the water column as a consequence of sediment resuspension (dredging and dumping, fishing gear, etc.). An experimental design based on Quality Assurance/Quality Control procedures (QA/QC) was adopted in order to set the methodological basis for an effective use of these bioassays in monitoring programs. Results revealed both higher embriotoxicity than spermiotoxicity in all stations and the efficacy of combined use of both toxicity bioassays in discriminating differing pollution/bioavailability between stations and periods. The good representativeness of the integrated sampling scheme and the standardization of all experimental phases yielded high precision of results. Clear Toxicity Fingerprints were evidenced for the investigated sites through the combined use of both bioassays. A good fit between ecotoxicological data and chemical contamination levels was found, except for unnatural sediment texture.