Indirect effects of an exploited predator on recruitment of coral-reef fishes

The more ecologists examine the role of trait-mediated indirect interactions (TMIIs), especially in regulating predator-prey interactions, the more we recognize their fundamental role in structuring food webs. However, most empirical evidence for TMIIs comes from studies that are either conducted in laboratory or mesocosm venues or are restricted to simple food webs involving lower trophic-level animals. Here, I quantified the direct and indirect effects of interactions between high-level vertebrate predators on their vertebrate prey using a field experiment. Specifically, I tested how varying densities of a large-bodied, top predator (Nassau grouper; Epinephelus striatus) affected persistence, growth, and behavior of two smaller-bodied, intermediate predators (coney and graysby groupers; Cephalopholis fulva and C. cruentata) on 20 isolated patch reefs in the Bahamas. Large-bodied groupers are capable of consuming their smaller-bodied counterparts, and previous observational studies have indicated that local abundances of these groupers are negatively correlated. I measured the effects of interactions among groupers on lower trophic-level prey by quantifying recruitment of coral-reef fishes to the reefs. The field experiment demonstrated a strong trophic cascade that was entirely mediated by modified behavior of the intermediate predators. These results indicate that indirect, nonlethal interactions in natural systems can have strong cascading effects even at high trophic levels and in high-diversity food webs. Incorporating the complexity of such indirect effects into fisheries management may improve the sustainability of fished populations and strengthen marine conservation efforts; however these results also indicate that the effects of fishing are complex and difficult to predict.     

Urban soil-lead (Pb) footprint: retrospective comparison of public and private properties in New Orleans

Lead (Pb) is a toxin that after childhood exposure poses a lifetime of health risks. One route of exposure is soil-Pb as a result of ∼12 million metric tons of Pb residue in paint and gasoline sold in the US during the 20th Century. Pb accumulated in soil of the community is a good predictor for blood Pb of children living there. This retrospective study compares the soil-Pb on Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO) properties with adjacent private residential (RES) properties within a 0.8 km (0.5 mile) radius. The sample subset (n = 951) is from two soil-Pb surveys (total n = 9,493) conducted between 1989 and 2000. The properties were in both the inner city (CORE) and outlying (OUTER) communities. The data were analyzed using multi-response permutation procedures (MRPP). The soil-Pb results differ significantly (P-value < 0.001) on same-aged HANO properties at different locations; thus, year of construction does not give adequate explanation for the soil-Pb differences. HANO and RES soils are significantly more Pb contaminated in the CORE than in OUTER communities (P-value < 0.001). The CORE has many more years of traffic congestion than OUTER communities; therefore, the lead additives to gasoline, and not lead-based paint, best elucidate the differences of the soil-Pb footprint at HANO and RES properties in the CORE and OUTER communites. Currently HANO properties are being redeveloped with cleaner soil, but soil on RES properties in the CORE of New Orleans remains a large source of Pb (median = 707 mg/kg in this study) for human exposure, especially children.     

No simple sum: seasonal variation in tannin phenotypes and leaf-miners in hybrid oaks

Parent-hybrid asymmetries in the biosynthesis of defense chemistry are believed to affect the distribution of herbivorous insects within plant hybrid zones. While tannins are often produced as complex, dynamic mixtures, the ecological effects of biological and ontogenetic variation in tannin metabolism within hybrid zones are poorly understood. Here, we examine correlations between the seasonal variation of absolute and relative concentrations of individual ellagitannins and total proanthocyanidins in the Quercus gambelii × Q. grisea hybrid complex and a community of leaf-mining Lepidoptera (Gracillariidae, Heliozelidae, Nepticulidae, Tischeriidae), and examine the interactive effects between tannins on leaf-miner abundance. We found strong seasonal variation in oak tannin phenotypes, but two general phenotypes are characteristic of oaks of the Q. gambelii × Q. grisea complex, based upon biosynthetic variation in high molecular weight ellagitannins. Leaf-miner community structure was significantly correlated with the dominant tannin phenotypes in the Q. gambelii × Q. grisea hybrid zone in mid-summer (July, August). Additionally, leaf-miner density was significantly negatively correlated with the ratio of vescalagin-derivatives and total proanthocyanidins in August and September. Overall, hybridization affects biological and ontogenetic variation in ellagitannin and proanthocyanidin biosynthesis within the Q. gambelii × Q. grisea hybrid complex and this variation correlates with herbivore distribution and abundance. Future studies of phenolic chemistry in plant-herbivore interactions in hybrid zones should include a more rigorous quantification of tannin phenotypes as complex, temporally dynamic mixtures.     

A METHOD FOR DETERMINING SALT SOURCES IN SURFACE WATERS'

ABSTRACT: This paper presents a method for determining the causes of salinization of surface waters, in this case the upper Colorado River and its tributaries in Texas. The analysis, which includes a combination of statistical analysis and graphical methods, indicates that among the sources of salt (e.g., saline ground water discharge into surface waters and storm runoff, both surface and shallow subsurface, and washing minerals into surface waters) the major contributor is saline ground water, which discharges into the river and streams. Data also points to salt plume intrusion into the river and streams from sources of salt in the aquifers.     

A Method for Measuring Degradation of Individual Components in Multicomponent Biodegradable Plastics by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry

A new chemometric method based on Beer's law was derived that uses peak ratios from Fourier transform infrared spectra of neat polymers and their composite plastics to quantify degradation of the individual polymers after biodegradation. The method affords direct measurement of polymer concentrations and weight losses without prior calibration against known composites. Unlike traditional chemometric methods, this method does not require sampling of as many or more different composites as the number of polymers in the composite being analyzed. When the neat polymer spectra are known, only two measurements, one before and one after biodegradation, are needed. A potentially major advance is that the method allows automation of analytical infrared wavelength selection by computer from all possible wavelength combinations. In this paper, the theoretical basis and derivation of the mathematical model for multicomponent systems is presented. The validity of the model was proved initially by applying the method to simulated two-polymer and three-polymer composites and finally by comparing test results with known samples of biodegradable composites prepared in the laboratory. Potential future development of the method for more challenging multicomponent plastics is discussed.     

Use patterns of natural resources supporting livelihoods of smallholder communities and implications for climate change adaptation in Zimbabwe

Declining crop and livestock production due to a degrading land resource base and changing climate among other biophysical and socio-economic constraints, is increasingly forcing rural households in Zimbabwe and other parts of Southern Africa to rely on common natural resource pools (CNRPs) to supplement their household food and income. Between 2011 and 2013, we combined farmer participatory research approaches, remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) to (1) understand the contribution of CNRPs to household food and income in Dendenyore and Ushe smallholder communities in Hwedza District, eastern Zimbabwe and (2) assess changes of the CNRPs in both space and time, and their implications on climate change adaptation. Across study sites, wetlands and woodlands were ranked as the most important CNRPs. Extraction and use patterns of products from the different pools differed among households of different resource endowment. Resource-constrained households (RG3) sold an average of 183 kg household^?1 year^?1 of wild loquats fruits (Uapaca kirkiana), realising about US$48, while resource-endowed farmers (RG1) had no need to sale any. The RG3 households also realised approximately US$70 household^?1 year^?1 from sale of crafts made from water reeds (Phragmites mauritianus). Empirical data closely supported communities’ perceptions that CNRPs had declined significantly in recent years compared with two to three decades ago. More than 60 % of the respondents perceived that the availability of natural resources drawn from wetlands and woodlands, often used for food, energy and crafts, has decreased markedly since the 1980s. Classification of land cover in a GIS environment indicated that CNRPs declined between 1972 and 2011, supporting farmers’ perceptions. Overall, woodlands declined by 37 % in both communities, while the total area under wetlands decreased by 29 % in Ushe, a drier area and 49 % in Dendenyore, a relatively humid area. The over-reliance in CNRPs by rural communities could be attributed to continued decline in crop yields linked to increased within-season rainfall variability, and the absence of alternative food and income sources. This suggests limited options for rural communities to adapt to the changing food production systems in the wake of climate change and variability and other challenges such as declining soil fertility. There is therefore a need to design adaptive farm management options that enhance both crop and livestock production in a changing climate as well as identifying other livelihood alternatives outside agriculture to reduce pressure on CNRPs. In addition, promotion of alternative sources of energy such as solar power and biogas among rural communities could reduce the cutting of trees for firewood from woodlands.     

More than money: how multiple factors influence householder participation in at-source stormwater management

Urban stormwater run-off is a threat to stream ecosystems. New approaches to stormwater management aim to protect urban streams from such impacts, by retaining, treating and using stormwater at its source. As up to ～50% of runoff from urban surfaces comes from private property, fostering stormwater retention requires effective householder engagement. We evaluated householder participation in the Little Stringybark Creek project, a stormwater retrofit programme aimed at waterway protection, using qualitative enquiry through formal and informal interviews to identify factors that influenced participation. Participation was governed by multiple factors, with financial incentives and personal co-benefits of tanks primary motivators, while process complexity and distrust were primary barriers. Results suggest an approach combining education to encourage review of subjective norms and attitudes, with incentives to mitigate behavioural controls can transform public behaviour towards sustainable stormwater management.     

Comparison of methods for quantitating Salmonella enterica Typhimurium and Heidelberg strain attachment to reusable plastic shipping container coupons and preliminary assessment of sanitizer efficacy

Salmonella serovars, one of the leading contributors to foodborne illness and are especially problematic for foods that are not cooked before consumption, such as fresh produce. The shipping containers that are used to transport and store fresh produce may play a role in cross contamination and subsequent illnesses. However, methods for quantitatively attached cells are somewhat variable. The overall goal of this study was to compare conventional plating with molecular methods for quantitating attached representative strains for Salmonella Typhimurium and Heidelberg on reusable plastic containers (RPC) coupons, respectively. We attached Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium ATCC 14028 and serovar Heidelberg SL486 (parent and an antibiotic resistant marker strain) to plastic coupons (2.54 cm²) derived from previously used shipping containers by growing for 72 h in tryptic soy broth. The impact of the concentration of sanitizer on log reductions between unsanitized and sanitized coupons was evaluated by exposing attached S. Typhimurium cells to 200 ppm and 200,000 ppm sodium hypochlorite (NaClO). Differences in sanitizer effectiveness between serovars were also evaluated with attached S. Typhimurium compared to attached S. Heidelberg populations after being exposed to 200 ppm peracetic acid (PAA). Treatment with NaClO caused an average of 2.73 ± 0.23 log CFU of S. Typhimurium per coupon removed with treatment at 200 ppm while 3.36 ± 0.54 log CFU were removed at 200,000 ppm. Treatment with PAA caused an average of 2.62 ± 0.15 log CFU removed for S. Typhimurium and 1.41 ± 0.17 log CFU for S. Heidelberg (parent) and 1.61 ± 0.08 log CFU (marker). Lastly, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to visualize cell attachment and coupon surface topography. SEM images showed that remaining attached cell populations were visible even after sanitizer application. Conventional plating and qPCR yielded similar levels of enumerated bacterial populations indicating a high concordance between the two methods. Therefore, qPCR could be used for the rapid quantification of Salmonella attached on RPC.     

Is pork trade good for China's greenhouse gas emissions?

China produces the largest amount of pork in the world, which emits the largest amount of greenhouse gases (GHGs). This paper calculates GHG emissions from China’s hog production at the provincial level using newly published emission factors. Empirical results show that GHG emissions from China’s hog production mainly respond to the scale intensity. Capital abundance and income contribute positively to GHG emissions from hog production. Pork trade increases GHG emissions from China’s hog production with a significantly direct effect, reduces GHG emissions through indirect technique effects.     

Improving Predictive Models of In‐Stream Phosphorus Concentration Based on Nationally‐Available Spatial Data Coverages

Spatial data are playing an increasingly important role in watershed science and management. Large investments have been made by government agencies to provide nationally‐available spatial databases; however, their relevance and suitability for local watershed applications is largely unscrutinized. We investigated how goodness of fit and predictive accuracy of total phosphorus (TP) concentration models developed from nationally‐available spatial data could be improved by including local watershed‐specific data in the East Fork of the Little Miami River, Ohio, a 1,290 km² watershed. We also determined whether a spatial stream network (SSN) modeling approach improved on multiple linear regression (nonspatial) models. Goodness of fit and predictive accuracy were highest for the SSN model that included local covariates, and lowest for the nonspatial model developed from national data. Septic systems and point source TP loads were significant covariates in the local models. These local data not only improved the models but enabled a more explicit interpretation of the processes affecting TP concentrations than more generic national covariates. The results suggest SSN modeling greatly improves prediction and should be applied when using national covariates. Including local covariates further increases the accuracy of TP predictions throughout the studied watershed; such variables should be included in future national databases, particularly the locations of septic systems.