Measuring and Incorporating Vulnerability into Conservation Planning

Conservation planning is the process of locating and designing conservation areas to promote the persistence of biodiversity in situ. To do this, conservation areas must be able to mitigate at least some of the proximate threats to biodiversity. Information on threatening processes and the relative vulnerability of areas and natural features to these processes is therefore crucial for effective conservation planning. However, measuring and incorporating vulnerability into conservation planning have been problematic. We develop a conceptual framework of the role of vulnerability assessments in conservation planning and propose a definition of vulnerability that incorporates three dimensions: exposure, intensity, and impact. We review and categorize methods for assessing the vulnerability of areas and the features they contain and identify the relative strengths and weaknesses of each broad approach. Our review highlights the need for further development and evaluation of approaches to assess vulnerability and for comparisons of their relative effectiveness.     

Species, functional groups, and thresholds in ecological resilience

The cross-scale resilience model states that ecological resilience is generated in part from the distribution of functions within and across scales in a system. Resilience is a measure of a system's ability to remain organized around a particular set of mutually reinforcing processes and structures, known as a regime. We define scale as the geographic extent over which a process operates and the frequency with which a process occurs. Species can be categorized into functional groups that are a link between ecosystem processes and structures and ecological resilience. We applied the cross-scale resilience model to avian species in a grassland ecosystem. A species' morphology is shaped in part by its interaction with ecological structure and pattern, so animal body mass reflects the spatial and temporal distribution of resources. We used the log-transformed rank-ordered body masses of breeding birds associated with grasslands to identify aggregations and discontinuities in the distribution of those body masses. We assessed cross-scale resilience on the basis of 3 metrics: overall number of functional groups, number of functional groups within an aggregation, and the redundancy of functional groups across aggregations. We assessed how the loss of threatened species would affect cross-scale resilience by removing threatened species from the data set and recalculating values of the 3 metrics. We also determined whether more function was retained than expected after the loss of threatened species by comparing observed loss with simulated random loss in a Monte Carlo process. The observed distribution of function compared with the random simulated loss of function indicated that more functionality in the observed data set was retained than expected. On the basis of our results, we believe an ecosystem with a full complement of species can sustain considerable species losses without affecting the distribution of functions within and across aggregations, although ecological resilience is reduced. We propose that the mechanisms responsible for shaping discontinuous distributions of body mass and the nonrandom distribution of functions may also shape species losses such that local extinctions will be nonrandom with respect to the retention and distribution of functions and that the distribution of function within and across aggregations will be conserved despite extinctions.     

Flexible foraging strategies in a diving seabird with high flight cost

How central-place foragers change search strategy in response to environmental conditions is poorly known. Foragers may vary the total distance travelled and how far they range from the central place in response to variation in the distribution of their prey. One potential reason as to why they would extend the length of their foraging trip and its distance from the colony would be to increase prey quality or quantity, despite incurring higher transit costs. To test this trade-off hypothesis in a species with high flight costs, we recorded the foraging behaviour of razorbills (Alca torca) using state-of-the-art techniques that log both individual horizontal (flight activity) and vertical (dive activity) movements. We show that the distance that razorbills travelled to foraging locations increased with sea-surface temperature, which may relate to higher prey quality or quantity. This relation is supported by an indirect index of patch quality, based on dive profiles, which also increased with travel distance from the colony. Furthermore, we show that this index was highest during the daily peak in diving activity, around midday. Taken together, these results suggest that razorbills are capable of adjusting their search strategies sensitively in response to proximate environmental cues.     

The development of industry-specific odor impact criteria for feedlots using models

Emissions from feedlot operations are known to vary by environmental conditions and few if any techniques or models exist to predict the variability of odor emission rates from feedlots. The purpose of this paper is to outline and summarize unpublished reports that are the result of a collective effort to develop industry-specific odor impact criteria for Australian feedlots. This effort used over 250 olfactometry samples collected with a wind tunnel and past research to develop emission models for pads, sediment basins, holding ponds, and manure storage areas over a range of environmental conditions and tested using dynamic olfactometry. A process was developed to integrate these emission models into odor dispersion modeling for the development of impact criteria. The approach used a feedlot hydrology model to derive daily feedlot pad moisture, temperature, and thickness. A submodel converted these daily data to hourly data. A feedlot pad emissions model was developed that predicts feedlot pad emissions as a function of temperature, moisture content, and pad depth. Emissions from sediment basins and holding ponds were predicted using a basin emissions model as a function of days since rain, inflow volume, inflow ratio (pond volume), and temperature. This is the first attempt to model all odor source emissions from a feedlot as variable hourly emissions on the basis of climate, management, and site-specific conditions. Results from the holding pond, sediment basin, and manure storage emission models performed well, but additional work on the pad emissions model may be warranted. This methodology mimics the variable odor emissions and odor impact expected from feedlots due to climate and management effects. The main outcome of the work is the recognition that an industry-specific odor impact criterion must be expressed in terms of all of the components of the assessment methodology.     

“Waste”-ing away:Presence of Cu ions influences microbial degradation kinetics and metabolite formation of the prevalent brominated flame retardant BDE-47

<正>Have you ever wondered what happened to that old cell phone you threw out last month? How about the 150 million other cell phones that were also disposed of in the past year?Although the world population has doubled in the past 50years,global consumption of electronic devices has increased     

Impact of climatic and soil conditions on environmental fate of atrazine used under plantation forestry in Australia

We studied the leaching and dissipation of atrazine (2-chloro-4-ethylamino-6-isopropylamino-1, 3, 5-s-triazine) and its two principal metabolites (desethylatrazine and desisopropylatrazine) for more than two years through soil profiles at five forestry sites across Australia (representing subtropical, temperate and Mediterranean climatic conditions with rainfall ranging from 780 to 1536 mm yr^?1). Following atrazine applications at local label rates, soil cores were collected at regular intervals (up to depths of 90–150 cm), and the residues of the three compounds in soil were analysed in composite samples using liquid chromatography. Bromide was applied simultaneously with atrazine to follow the movement of the soil water. While bromide ion rapidly leached through the entire profile, in most cases the bulk of atrazine, desethylatrazine and desisopropylatrazine remained in the top 45 cm of the soil profile. However, a small fraction of residue moved deeper into the soil profile and at a subtropical site (Toolara) trace levels (ng L^?1) of atrazine and one of its metabolites (DEA) were detected in perched groundwater located at a depth of 1.8 m. Data on the total residues of atrazine in soil profiles from all sites except the Tasmanian site fitted a first-order decay model. The half-life of atrazine in surface soils at the subtropical sites (Toolara and Imbil) ranged from 11 to 21 days. Four separate applications of atrazine at Toolara resulted in a narrow range of half-lives (16 ± 3.6 days), confirming relatively rapid dissipation of atrazine under subtropical conditions (Queensland). In contrast, a prominent biphasic pattern of initial rapid loss followed by very slow phase of degradation of atrazine was observed under the colder temperate climate of Highclere (Tasmania). The data showed that while its 50% (DT₅₀) loss occurred relatively rapidly (36 days), more than 10% of herbicide residue was still detectable in the profile even a year after application (DT₉₀ = 375 days). The rate of dissipation of atrazine at warm subtropical Queensland sites (Imbil and Toolara) was 2–3 times faster than sites located in colder climate of Tasmania. The marked contrast in DT₅₀ values between subtropical and temperate sites suggest that climatic conditions (soil temperature) is one of the key factors affecting atrazine dissipation. At the Tasmanian site, the combination of leaching of the herbicide in subsoil and slower microbial activity at cooler temperatures would have caused a longer persistence of atrazine.     

Correlates of Population Recovery Goals in Endangered Birds

Abstract: Endangered species recovery plans commonly set goals for population size that are used to define the success of recovery efforts. We examined variation in these population recovery goals for bird species listed under the U. S. Endangered Species Act to determine whether there were simple predictors of recovery population size. The median population sizes that must be met for a species to be removed from the list or downlisted to the threatened category are 4000 and 1500 respectively, but the thresholds varied considerably. Most variation in population recovery goals ( ≥75%) was explained by the population size when the recovery plan was written. Species listed when their population's size was relatively large have higher population recovery goals, whereas those listed when populations were small have lower population goals. Population sizes set for recovery also increased over time and were higher for species listed throughout the United States rather than for part of the country. In combination, these three variables explained 86% of the variance in population goals for delisting and 94% of the variance in goals for downlisting. Body mass, annual fecundity, maximum lifespan, whether the population was listed as threatened or endangered, and whether a formal population viability analysis was conducted were variables not significantly associated with population recovery goals. Thus, we found that variables relating to the circumstances under which the populations were listed could explain almost all of the variance in recovery population goals, and that biological traits of the endangered birds explained little of the variance.     

Minimum viable metapopulation size, extinction debt, and the conservation of a declining species.

A key question facing conservation biologists is whether declines in species' distributions are keeping pace with landscape change, or whether current distributions overestimate probabilities of future persistence. We use metapopulations of the marsh fritillary butterfly Euphydryas aurinia in the United Kingdom as a model system to test for extinction debt in a declining species. We derive parameters for a metapopulation model (incidence function model, IFM) using information from a 625-km2 landscape where habitat patch occupancy, colonization, and extinction rates for E. aurinia depend on patch connectivity, area, and quality. We then show that habitat networks in six extant metapopulations in 16-km2 squares were larger, had longer modeled persistence times (using IFM), and higher metapopulation capacity (lambdaM) than six extinct metapopulations. However, there was a > 99% chance that one or more of the six extant metapopulations would go extinct in 100 years in the absence of further habitat loss. For 11 out of 12 networks, minimum areas of habitat needed for 95% persistence of metapopulation simulations after 100 years ranged from 80 to 142 ha (approximately 5-9% of land area), depending on the spatial location of habitat. The area of habitat exceeded the estimated minimum viable metapopulation size (MVM) in only two of the six extant metapopulations, and even then by only 20%. The remaining four extant networks were expected to suffer extinction in 15-126 years. MVM was consistently estimated as approximately 5% of land area based on a sensitivity analysis of IFM parameters and was reduced only marginally (to approximately 4%) by modeling the potential impact of long-distance colonization over wider landscapes. The results suggest a widespread extinction debt among extant metapopulations of a declining species, necessitating conservation management or reserve designation even in apparent strongholds. For threatened species, metapopulation modeling is a potential means to identify landscapes near to extinction thresholds, to which conservation measures can be targeted for the best chance of success.     

Recognizing reflexivity among conservation practitioners

When deciding how to conserve biodiversity, practitioners navigate diverse missions, sometimes conflicting approaches, and uncertain trade-offs. These choices are based not only on evidence, funders’ priorities, stakeholders’ interests, and policies, but also on practitioners’ personal experiences, backgrounds, and values. Calls for greater reflexivity—an individual or group's ability to examine themselves in relation to their actions and interactions with others—have appeared in the conservation science literature. But what role does reflexivity play in conservation practice? We explored how self-reflection can shape how individuals and groups conserve nature. To provide examples of reflexivity in conservation practice, we conducted a year-long series of workshop discussions and online exchanges. During these, we examined cases from the peer-reviewed and gray literature, our own experiences, and conversations with 10 experts. Reflexivity among practitioners spanned individual and collective levels and informal and formal settings. Reflexivity also encompassed diverse themes, including practitioners’ values, emotional struggles, social identities, training, cultural backgrounds, and experiences of success and failure. Reflexive processes also have limitations, dangers, and costs. Informal and institutionalized reflexivity requires allocation of limited time and resources, can be hard to put into practice, and alone cannot solve conservation challenges. Yet, when intentionally undertaken, reflexive processes might be integrated into adaptive management cycles at multiple points, helping conservation practitioners better reach their goals. Reflexivity could also play a more transformative role in conservation by motivating practitioners to reevaluate their goals and methods entirely. Reflexivity might help the conservation movement imagine and thus work toward a better world for wildlife, people, and the conservation sector itself.     

Prairie strips reduce fecal indicator bacteria concentrations in simulated runoff

Vegetative filter strips (VFS) have shown promising results in reducing the downstream transport of many agroecosystem contaminants. A recently developed type of VFS, prairie strips, has been shown to significantly reduce the impact of corn and soybean production systems on water quality in terms of sediment, nitrogen, and phosphorus losses. This study assessed potential additional benefits of prairie strips to include the reduction of pathogens. To assess the impact of prairie strips on manure-laden agricultural runoff, we utilized a physical model of prairie strips in a laboratory flume to conduct highly controlled overland flow experiments. Escherichia coli and Enterococcus concentration reductions of up to 45% and 65% were observed for runoff and infiltration flows, respectively, while mass load reductions of up to 65% were observed for surficial runoff flows. The degree of concentration or mass load reductions was dependent on the residence time of the flow within the strip and the partitioning of overland flow running onto the strip to infiltration and runoff flows. Based on our results and a review of the literature, we developed a design method to provide guidance on the width of prairie strip buffer needed to achieve a user-defined reduction of fecal bacteria concentration.