Avoiding over-implementation of agri-environmental schemes for steppe bird conservation: A species-focused proposal based on expert criteria

This study presents an assessment, resulting from consultation with experts in steppe-bird conservation (scientists, officers and conservationists) using the Delphi method, of a broad range of agri-environmental measures (AEMs) which have been applied in agricultural areas in Spain, with particular reference to four threatened steppe bird species. The measures which experts have valued most highly relate to the maintenance of fallow land, the prohibition of agrochemicals and the suspension of certain agricultural practices when the species are nesting. Other AEMs which have frequently been mentioned as beneficial for steppe birds, including the maintenance of straw-mulched fallows and the abandonment of farmland, were rejected by the experts. The assessment showed a high degree of consensus between experts, although differences between the four studied species were detected. Delphi assessment indicated that different birds need different AEMs. In addition, expert evaluation showed that different AEMs can cause the same effect on the target species, which could generate an over-implementation of measures. Finally, we evaluated the financial implementation of the AEMs selected by the Delphi using a Special Protection Area for birds (SPA) in the Madrid region as a case study. All the hypothetical scenarios used yielded assumable costs, oscillating between 1 and 2 times the current AEMs expenditure. In conclusion, in extensive agrarian systems with already high conservation merits, the implementation of AEMS could be improved using species-specific assessments, thus avoiding over-implementation and improving the fit between costs and benefits for conservation.     

A simplified matrix of environmental impacts to support an intervention program in a small-scale mining site

This paper describes a tool developed to evaluate environmental risks at a Brazilian artisanal small-scale gold mining site. The tool consists of a matrix used to determine the relevance of such risks through the classification of mining activities according to the likelihood that they may cause environmental impacts. The language and method are very simple, and thus appropriate for local stakeholders. It ensures their participation when developing a plan of action for intervention and training. When applied to a pilot site in the Brazilian Amazon, the matrix revealed the variables that pose higher environmental risks. These activities were subsequently addressed in a training program to promote better practices. As a result, the mining activities were improved by 28.8% when comparing compliance to environmental requisites before and after the training program. Specifically, the training program resulted in improved gold recovery, and reduced environmental and health impacts.     

Mill leaching: a viable substitute for mercury amalgamation in the artisanal gold mining sector?

Artisanal small-scale gold miners (ASM) occasionally employ whole ore amalgamation by adding mercury into ball mills to recover gold. In this process, 25–30% of the mercury added is lost to the environment. It is also inefficient less than 30% of gold is recovered. Amalgamation, followed by cyanidation, has been observed at many artisanal mining sites. This combination poses additional environmental and health consequences. Tests with ore samples from Talawaan, North Sulawesi, Indonesia indicate the possibility of replacing mercury by cyanidation in the ball mill, reaching gold extraction of 93% in 6 h of leaching. The gold in the Indonesian ore sample is fine and less than 8% of gold recovery was obtained with gravity concentration of the ore ground 80% below 0.25 mm, which is a reasonably fine grain size for artisanal gold operations. Replacing mercury addition with cyanidation in ball mills was implemented in one artisanal gold mining operation in Portovelo, Ecuador, achieving 95% of gold extraction in 8 h of mill leaching. This technique demonstrated a drastic improvement in gold recovery. It was found to be a simple, inexpensive technique well accepted by local miners. The results from laboratory and field tests are promising; however a thorough investigation into the socio-economic and environmental aspects of this presented alternative must be conducted prior to introduction.     

Do "White" and "Green" Look the Same to a Bee?

 The hexagon model of color vision predicts that white flowers which reflect ultraviolet light resemble green foliage to a bee's eye, whereas, according to other models of the bee color vision, UV-reflecting white is discriminable from foliage green. The hexagon model is widely used in ecologically and evolutionary oriented literature, and the predicted similarity between white and green has been recently presented as a well established fact (Waser and Chittka 1998). We show that bees detect UV-reflecting white objects presented on a green background, a finding that is in disagreement with the predictions of the hexagon model. Received: 22 March 1999 / Accepted in revised form: 2 July 1999     

Levels and source apportionment of volatile organic compounds in southwestern area of Mexico City

Thirteen volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were quantified at three sites in southwestern Mexico City from July 2000 to February 2001. High concentrations of different VOCs were found at a Gasoline refueling station (GS), a Condominium area (CA), and at the University Center for Atmospheric Sciences (CAS). The most abundant VOCs at CA and CAS were propane, n-butane, toluene, acetylene and pentane. In comparison, at GS the most abundant were toluene, pentane, propane, n-butane, and acetylene. Benzene, a known carcinogenic compound had average levels of 28, 35 and 250 ppbC at CAS, CA, and GS respectively. The main contributing sources of the measured VOCs at CA and CAS were the handling and management of LP (Liquid Propane) gas, vehicle exhaust, asphalt works, and use of solvents. At GS almost all of the VOCs came from vehicle exhaust and fuel evaporation, although components of LP gas were also present. Based on the overall results possible abatement strategies are discussed.     

Degradation of carbofuran and carbofuran-derivatives in presence of humic substances under basic conditions

The influence of humic aggregates in water solution upon the chemical stability of carbofuran (CF) and the carbofuran-derivatives, 3-hydroxy-carbofuran (HCF) and 3-keto-carbofuran (KCF), has been investigated in basic media. An inhibition upon the basic hydrolysis of 3-hydroxy-carbofuran and 3-keto-carbofuran (∼1.7 and ∼1.5-fold, respectively) was observed and it was rationalized in terms of the micellar pseudophase model. Nevertheless, non-significant effect upon the carbofuran stability was found in the presence of humic substances. These behaviors have been compared with the corresponding ones in other synthetic colloidal aggregates.     

The key role played by the Augusta basin (southern Italy) in the mercury contamination of the Mediterranean Sea

The Augusta basin, located in SE Sicily (southern Italy), is a semi-enclosed marine area, labelled as a highly contaminated site. The release of mercury into the harbour seawater and its dispersion to the blue water, make the Augusta basin a potential source of anthropogenic pollution for the Mediterranean Sea. A mass balance was implemented to calculate the HgT budget in the Augusta basin. Results suggest that an average of ～0.073 kmol of HgT is released, by diffusion, on a yearly basis, from sediments to the seawater, with a consequent output of 0.162 kmol y(-1) to coastal and offshore waters; this makes the Augusta area an important contributor of mercury to the Mediterranean Sea. Owing to the geographical location of the Augusta basin, its outflowing shelf-waters are immediately intercepted by the surface Atlantic Ionian Stream (AIS) and mixed with the main gyres of the eastern Mediterranean Sea, thus representing a risk for the large-scale marine system.     

Cyclooctane tropospheric degradation initiated by reaction with Cl atoms

Goal, Scope and Background Within the non-methane hydrocarbons, alkanes constitute the largest fraction of the anthropogenic emissions of volatile organic compounds. For the case of cyclic alkanes, tropospheric degradation is expected to be initiated mainly by OH reactions in the gas phase. Nevertheless, Cl atom reaction rate constants are generally one order of magnitude larger than those of OH. In the present work, the reaction of cyclooctane with Cl atoms has been studied within the temperature range of 279–333 K. Methods The kinetic study has been carried out using the fast flow tube technique coupled to mass spectrometry detection. The reaction has been studied under low pressure conditions, p=1 Torr, with helium as the carrier gas. Results The measured room temperature rate constant is very high, k=(2.63±0.54)×10⁻¹⁰ cm³molecule⁻¹s⁻¹, around 20 times larger than that for the corresponding OH reaction. We also report the results of the rate coefficients obtained at different temperatures: k = (3.5±1.2)×10⁻¹⁰ exp[(−79±110)/T] cm³ molecule⁻¹ s⁻¹ within the range of 279–333 K. This reaction shows an activation energy value close to zero. Discussion Quantitative formation of HCl has been observed, confirming the mechanism through H-atom abstraction. The reactivity of cyclic alkanes towards Cl atoms is clearly dependent on the number of CH₂ groups in the molecule, as is shown by the increase in the rate constant when the length of the organic chain increases. This increase is very high for the small cyclic alkanes and it seems that the reactions are approaching the collision-controlled limit for cyclohexane and cyclooctane. Conclusions These results show that gas-phase reaction with Cl in marine or coastal areas is an efficient sink (competing with the gas phase, OH initiated degradation) for the Earth’s emissions of cyclooctane, with a Cl-based lifetime ranging from 11 to 2000 hours, depending on the location and time of day. Recommendations and Perspectives Cl and OH fast reactions with cyclooctane are expected to define the lifetime of cyclooctane emissions to the atmosphere. The degradation of cyclooctane occurs in a short period of time and consequently (under conditions of low atmospheric mass transport), close to the emission sources enabling a significant contribution to local effects, like the formation of photochemical smog. ESS-Submission Editor: Prof. Dr. Gerhard Lammel (lammel@recetox.muni.cz)     

Indirect benefits of symbiotic coccoids for an ant-defended myrmecophytic tree

The net benefits of mutualism depend directly on the costs and effectiveness of mutualistic services and indirectly on the interactions that affect those services. We examined interactions among Cordia alliodora myrmecophytic trees, their symbiotic ants Azteca pittieri, coccoid hemipterans, and foliar herbivores in two Neotropical dry forests. The tree makes two investments in symbiotic ants: it supplies nesting space, as domatia, and it provides phloem to coccoids, which then produce honeydew that is consumed by ants. Although higher densities of coccoids should have higher direct costs for trees, we asked whether higher densities of coccoids can also have higher indirect benefits for trees by increasing the effectiveness of ant defense against foliar herbivores. We found that trees benefited from ant defense against herbivores. Ants defended trees effectively only when colonies reached high densities within trees, and ant and coccoid densities within trees were strongly positively correlated. The benefits of reduced foliar herbivory by larger ant colonies were therefore indirectly controlled by the number of coccoids. Coccoid honeydew supply also affected per capita ant aggression against tree herbivores. Ants experimentally fed a carbohydrate-rich diet, analogous to sugar obtained from coccoids, were more aggressive against caterpillars per capita than ants fed a carbohydrate-poor diet. Ant defense was more effective on more valuable and vulnerable young leaves than on older leaves. Young domatia, associated with young leaves, contained higher coccoid densities than older domatia, which suggests that coccoids may also drive spatially favorable ant defense of the tree. If higher investments by one mutualistic partner are tied to higher benefits received from the other, there may be positive feedback between partners that will stabilize the mutualism. These results suggest that higher investment by trees in coccoids leads to more effective defense by ants against the tree's foliar herbivores.     

Recent history of the European Nassarius nitidus (Gastropoda): phylogeographic evidence of glacial refugia and colonization pathways

Because marine species respond differentially to factors governing survival and gene flow, closely related taxa may display dissimilar phylogeographic histories. New data for the patchily distributed gastropod Nassarius nitidus throughout its Atlantic–Mediterranean range (collected during 2008 and 2009) were used to investigate its phylogeography and recent demography. Results based on mitochondrial COI sequences of 422?N. nitidus individuals from 15 localities revealed contrasting phylogeographic and demographic patterns among N. nitidus populations from each basin. Data suggest the existence of two glacial refugia, one in the Atlantic, around the Iberian Peninsula, and the other in the Paleo-Mediterranean Sea (Adriatic). Bayesian skyline reconstructions suggest that the Adriatic population of N. nitidus remained largely unaffected by the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), whereas the Iberian Atlantic region experienced dramatic exponential growth after its conclusion. Contemporary North Sea populations of N. nitidus are the endpoint of a leading-edge recolonization process from a southern position. Additionally, a reanalysis of pre-existing material for the continuously distributed close congener N. reticulatus was used to compare both species in the late histories. In contrast to N. nitidus, N. reticulatus prospered during the LGM and experienced an earlier Atlantic expansion during the previous interglacial period. Despite similar life history and dispersal potential, the results here presented suggest that subtle differences in microhabitat requirements between the two species have had important consequences for their particular distribution in response to glacial events.