Current state of heavy metal contents in Vienna soils

This study presents the current state of heavy metal contents in both urban and forest soils within the city area of Vienna, Austria. Based on a systematic survey of urban soils and on targeted sampling in forest areas, local and regional anomaly thresholds are derived using statistical methods and considering regional distribution patterns. For urban soils, local anomaly thresholds of elements Cu (60?mg/kg), Hg (0.5?mg/kg), Pb (100?mg/kg) and Zn (200?mg/kg) exceed national guideline values for uncontaminated urban soils and according to Austrian legislation fall into the category “anthropogenic contamination present but no damage to plants, animals or humans detectable”. In forest soils within the city, thresholds are very similar to reference values for similar geological settings outside the city, apart from higher concentrations of elements Cr and Ni (threshold values of 107 and 64?mg/kg, respectively). Grouping urban soils according to land use reveals that Cd contents are 25?% higher, Pb contents 36?% higher, in traffic and industrial areas than in parks and like Cu, Hg and Zn, these elements can be shown to be at least partly caused by anthropogenic contamination. A dependency between heavy metal concentrations in soils and underlying geological units is shown within the flysch zone at the western city margin where the contents of elements Co, Cr, Cu, Ni and V are controlled by geology and reveal distinct differences between geological units. In built-up areas, no clear dependency between heavy metal contents in soils and geology is evident as urban soils represent accumulations by anthropogenic activity rather than in situ weathering products of underlying sediments.     

Soft song is a reliable signal of aggressive intent in song sparrows

Animals frequently use signals to modulate aggressive interactions. Establishing that a signal is aggressive or threatening requires demonstrating that it is more commonly used in agonistic contexts, that it predicts subsequent aggressive behaviors by the sender, and that receivers respond differently to this signal. Like many birds, song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) produce a low-amplitude “soft song” vocalization that has been hypothesized to be an aggressive signal. Soft song meets the first two criteria, but previous research has failed to demonstrate that soft song provokes aggression or that receivers even perceive soft song differently from normal loud song. We used a playback experiment with taxidermic mount presentation to test whether territorial male song sparrows respond differently to loud and soft song playbacks. Subjects reacted more strongly to the soft song playback by approaching the mount more closely, increasing wing wave displays, and increasing the proportion of their own songs that were soft songs, with further trends toward increasing the number of flights and attacks. These results confirm that soft song is a conventional signal of aggression in song sparrows and that increased receiver retaliation maintains its reliability.     

Human perspectives and conservation of grizzly bears in Banff National Park, Canada

Some conservation initiatives provoke intense conflict among stakeholders. The need for action, the nature of the conservation measures, and the effects of these measures on human interests may be disputed. Tools are needed to depolarize such situations, foster understanding of the perspectives of people involved, and find common ground. We used Q methodology to explore stakeholders' perspectives on conservation and management of grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) in Banff National Park and the Bow River watershed of Alberta, Canada. Twenty-nine stakeholders participated in the study, including local residents, scientists, agency employees, and representatives of nongovernmental conservation organizations and other interest groups. Participants rank ordered a set of statements to express their opinions on the problems of grizzly bear management (I-IV) and a second set of statements on possible solutions to the problems (A-C). Factor analysis revealed that participants held 4 distinct views of the problems: individuals associated with factor I emphasized deficiencies in goals and plans; those associated with factor II believed that problems had been exaggerated; those associated with factor III blamed institutional flaws such as disjointed management and inadequate resources; and individuals associated with factor IV blamed politicized decision making. There were 3 distinct views about the best solutions to the problems: individuals associated with factor A called for increased conservation efforts; those associated with factor B wanted reforms in decision-making processes; and individuals associated with factor C supported active landscape management. We connected people's definitions of the problem with their preferred solutions to form 5 overall problem narratives espoused by groups in the study: the problem is deficient goals and plans, the solution is to prioritize conservation efforts (planning-oriented conservation advocates); the problem is flawed institutions, the solution is to prioritize conservation efforts (institutionally-oriented conservation advocates); the problems have been exaggerated, but there is a need to improve decision-making processes (optimistic decision-process reformers); the problems have been exaggerated, but managers should more actively manage the landscape (optimistic landscape managers); and the problem is politicized decision making, solutions vary (democratizers). Although these 5 groups differed on many issues, they agreed that the population of grizzly bears is vulnerable to extirpation, human use of the area should be designed around ecological constraints, and more inclusive decision-making processes are needed. We used our results to inform a series of workshops in which stakeholders developed and agreed on new management strategies that were implemented by Parks Canada. Our research demonstrates the usefulness of Q method to illuminate people's perspectives and identify common ground in settings where conservation is contested.     

On the shoals of giants: natural catastrophes and the overall destruction of the Caribbean’s archaeological record

In this paper I review a host of natural and cultural processes that have affected the preservation and integrity of archaeological sites on islands in the West Indies, many of which are located in low-lying coastal areas. Given the position of the Caribbean lithospheric plate—juxtaposed between four others—it is no surprise that by its very nature the region is volcanically active and frequently associated with earthquake and tsunami events. This makes coastal zones, and related archaeological sites in the region, highly susceptible to a wide range of destructive natural events. The high frequency of tropical systems (hurricanes and storms) in the Caribbean and rising sea level, coupled with human activities such as sand mining, development, and looting, makes the region’s archaeological record one of the most vulnerable and threatened in the world. Ongoing research is dedicated to understanding how past populations may have been affected by these events in the past.     

Seasonal patterns in fatty acids of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Calanus hyperboreus</Emphasis> (Copepoda,Calanoida) from Cumberland Sound,Baffin Island,Nunavut

The marine copepod Calanus hyperboreus accumulates large quantities of lipids and essential fatty acids during summer months in Northern oceans. However, few data exist regarding their winter fatty acid profiles, which could be informative regarding the use of lipids by C. hyperboreus to successfully survive and reproduce during times of ice-cover and limited food. The present study compared fatty acids of C. hyperboreus between summer (August 2007 and 2008) and winter (early April 2008 and 2009) in Cumberland Sound, Canada. Summer samples from both years had significantly higher ∑polyunsaturated fatty acids and unsaturation indices (based on μg fatty acid mg dry tissue⁻¹) than winter samples and separated on a principal component analysis due to higher 18:2n-6, 18:4n-3, and 20:5n-3, consistent with phytoplankton consumption. Winter C. hyperboreus had significantly higher ∑monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) versus summer samples and separated on the principal component analysis due to higher proportions of 16:1n-7, 20:1n-9, and 22:1n-9, suggesting they were not actively feeding. Based on the seasonal fatty acid comparison, C. hyperboreus was catabolizing specific fatty acids (e.g. 20:5n-3), conserving others (e.g. 22:6n-3), and maintaining or increasing biosynthesis of certain MUFA (e.g. 18:1n-9) during winter. These findings provide insight into the seasonal strategy of acquisition (summer) and utilization (winter) of specific fatty acids by a key Arctic organism and could become important for monitoring changes in fatty acids associated with decreased ice-cover duration due to climate warming.     

Seasonal distribution patterns of juvenile loggerhead sea turtles (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Caretta caretta</Emphasis>) following capture from a shipping channel in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean

Thirty-four juvenile loggerhead sea turtles captured by trawling from the Charleston, South Carolina (USA), shipping channel (32°42′N; −79°47′W) between May 2004 and August 2007 were tagged with satellite transmitters to assess the extent to which they remained near the capture location given their collection along a seasonal migratory corridor. Seventy-five percent of juveniles were classified as seasonal residents. Migrants predominantly swam north in the spring and nomads wandered south in the summer, but predictive indicators for non-resident status were not identified. All but one juvenile generally remained south of 34°N, within 40 km of shore, and in waters <30 m deep throughout the year. Nine of 14 loggerhead sea turtles monitored during the winter remained exclusively over the continental shelf, three briefly occurred in oceanic habitats, and two foraged extensively in oceanic habitats. Residents distributed >15 km from shore between spring and autumn were three times as likely to occur in oceanic habitats in winter. Modest seasonal movements contrasted with adults tagged at similar latitudes and with juveniles tagged further north and suggest distinct foraging groups within a regional foraging ground.     

Distributional patterns of adult male loggerhead sea turtles (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Caretta caretta</Emphasis>) in the vicinity of Cape Canaveral,Florida, USA during and after a major annual breeding aggregation

Satellite transmitters were attached to 25 reproductively active and four inactive adult male loggerhead sea turtles (86.6–107.0 cm SCLmin) captured from the Port Canaveral, FL, USA shipping channel to assess horizontal and vertical distributions. During the breeding period, male loggerheads aggregated (44% of 755 turtle days) in a 117.6 km² core area that encompassed the shipping channel. Median dive duration during the breeding period was 27 min (IQR = 15–42 min) and males spent 4% (IQR = 3–5%) of the time at the surface, with significantly shorter dives associated with reproductively active males. Migrant and resident males dispersed concurrently, with residents shifting > 30 km east across the continental shelf over a more protracted departure schedule than migrants. Dive duration and time spent at the surface increased through the fall. Cluster analysis revealed the strongest association for dive duration with sea state during and after the breeding period, with significantly longer dives during more turbulent conditions. In contrast, univariate associations with surface interval duration were not elucidated.     

Aesthetascs in Lysmata spp. shrimp: sexual dimorphism and relationship with social environments

Aesthetascs are the olfactory receptor organs responsible for mate recognition in many decapod crustacean species. The number of aesthetascs varies greatly among species in different environments, but the functional significance of this variation is poorly understood. This study examined the relationship between social environment and the number of aesthetascs in six species of caridean shrimp in the genus Lysmata. Generally, the number of aesthetascs was greater in group-living species (L. boggessi and L. wurdemanni) than in low-density (L. ankeri and L. pederseni) and pair-living species (L. amboinensis and L. debelius). Aesthetascs are innervated by olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs). The total number of ORNs is related to the sensitivity of olfactory odor detection, and it was higher in group-living species than in pair-living species. Sexual dimorphism in the number of aesthetascs was present in L. boggessi, L. wurdemanni, and L. ankeri but not in L. pederseni and L. amboinensis.     

The effect of pulsed versus gradual salinity reduction on the physiology and survival of Halophila johnsonii Eiseman

Plants of Halophila johnsonii Eiseman were exposed, in mesocosms, to either pulsed hyposalinity treatments of 30, 15, 10, and 8 or gradual salinity reductions of two every 2?days. When salinity was pulsed, survivorship (>80?%) and maximum quantum yields (>0.7) were high in the 30 and 15 salinity treatments, but both declined in the 10 and 8 salinity treatments. Leaf osmolality declined with respect to salinity treatment, but the difference between leaf and media osmolality remained relatively constant (675?±?177?mmol?kg^?1). In contrast, when salinity was gradually reduced, survivorship remained high from salinities of 30 to 4, and maximum quantum yields remained high from salinities of 30 to 6. Leaf osmolality declined linearly with respect to media osmolality and, similar to the pulsed treatments, the difference between leaf and media osmolality remained relatively constant from salinities of 30 to 2 (638?±?161?mmol?kg^?1). Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity declined over time in both pulsed and gradual salinity reduction. The results indicate that H. johnsonii is more tolerant of hyposalinity than has previously been reported and that gradually reducing salinity extended its low-salinity tolerance threshold by approximately a salinity of 10.