Tissue metal levels in Muskrat (Ondatra zibethica) collected near the Sudbury (Ontario) ore-smelters; prospects for biomonitoring marsh pollution

An examination of tissue metal levels in Sudbury-area muskrat (Ondatra zibethica) revealed that animals collected in the vicinity of the local ore-smelters contained elevated burdens of Cd and Ni in their liver and kidneys. Respective tissue concentrations averaged 2-fold and 3- to 6-fold higher than background values and are believed to reflect accumulations resulting from food chain contamination in regional marshes, including that reportedly characterizing Typha latifolia stands-their primary food source-and adherent sediments which may be consumed inadvertently while feeding. No evidence of site-influence or enhanced tissue metal levels was seen for Cu, Pb or Zn. While Cd : Ni accumulations were positively correlated in both the liver (r=0.78) and the kidneys (r=0.65), between-tissue comparisons indicated that hepatic : renal burdens were significantly correlated (r=0.75) only in the case of Ni. With the exception of 30-35% lower hepatic Zn levels in females relative to males within the Sudbury population, tissue metal levels did not vary according to sex or age class at either site. Our findings substantiate the potential of muskrat to serve as useful bioindicators/monitors of metal pollution in semi-aquatic environments.     

Reproductive biology of the antipatharian black coral Antipathes fiordensis in Doubtful Sound, Fiordland, New Zealand

The reproductive biology of Antipathes fiordensis Grange, a species endemic to south-western New Zealand, was followed from April 1994 to May 1995. Ten colonies were individually tagged in Doubtful Sound and sampled on a monthly basis in order to determine their reproductive activity. The fecundity of each of the five tagged female colonies was determined by estimating the total number of polyps per colony from photographs of each colony and by planimetry, the proportion of gravid polyps per colony, and the mean number of oocytes per gravid polyp. In addition, 56 colonies were sampled in March 1995 to estimate the sex ratio, height at sexual maturity, and mean sizes of females and males. A. fiordensis was found to be a dioecious species which, in the absence of gonads in the polyps, has no obvious external morphological differences between the sexes. Broadcast spawning of gametes is the likely mode of reproduction. Gametogenesis began in November 1994 and was highly synchronous within and between colonies, with spawning occurring in March 1995. The sex ratio in adults was 1:1. Colonies reached sexual maturity between the heights of 70 and 105 cm which, based on existing estimates of growth rate, corresponds to a minimum age for sexual maturity of about 31 yr. The largest oocytes measured ranged from 100 to 140 μm in size. Female colonies produced between 1.3 and 16.9 million oocytes, with the larger colonies dominating the reproductive output of the population. Received: 23 June 1997 / Accepted: 1 August 1997     

Dominant male red junglefowl (Gallus gallus) test the dominance status of other males

In sexual selection, honest signals are maintained by a variety of mechanisms. In red junglefowl (Gallus gallus), health, condition and social status affect comb size, a well-documented predictor of female choice. The comb size of subordinate male junglefowl appears to be suppressed when in the company of other males. One hypothesis for how social status could affect ornament expression in this way involves punishment of cheaters. Under this scenario, dominant males periodically challenge similar males signalling putative high status. For subordinate males, the risk of fighting a high-ranked male could make it prohibitively costly to develop ornamentation signalling dominance. We asked if dominance signals influenced the direction of aggression by dominant males. To address this issue, we conducted experiments in which 19 dominant-acting, large-combed male junglefowl were allowed to choose to fight one of two opponents. The two potential fight opponents differed in comb size, dominance behaviour, or in both traits. In 15 of 19 trials, dominant-acting males chose to fight large-combed, dominant-acting opponents rather than small-combed, subordinate-acting opponents. This is the first demonstration that aggression of dominant male birds is directed at other males based on the display of an ornament known to be attractive to females. However, males did not discriminate between fight opponents when potential opponents differed in only one of the two status indicators (large-combed males chosen in 11 of 19 trials, dominant-acting males chosen in 10 of 19 trials).     

Inbreeding and competitive ability in the common shrew (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Sorex araneus</Emphasis>)

Common shrews (Sorex araneus) maintain a foraging territory for most of their immature life. Possessing a high-quality territory is vital for overwinter survival in the harsh boreal climate, and hence, competitive ability in territorial disputes is expected to be an important component of individual fitness. To test possible association between individual inbreeding and fitness, we used neutral arena trials to assess the competitive performance of young common shrews. The experiment involved pairs of individuals originating from small island populations, where breeding must often occur between related individuals, and from large outbred mainland populations. The percentage of neutral arena tests that an individual won was highly significantly explained by internal relatedness, a surrogate measure of individual inbreeding, measured using ten microsatellite markers. Body size, sex, learning, and population type (mainland vs island) made no significant contributions. Even a low level of individual inbreeding may lead to significant adverse consequences in multiple territorial contests, which may represent a significant cause of inbreeding depression in many wild vertebrate populations.     

Exploring the Relationship Between Hydrologic Parameters and Nutrient Loads Using Digital Elevation Model and GIS – A Case Study from Sugarcreek Headwaters, Ohio, U.S.A.

Ohio is typical among the Midwestern and Eastern United States with high levels of water pollutants, the main sources being from agriculture. In this study, we used a digital elevation model in conjunction with hydrological indices to determine the role of landscape complexity affecting the spatial and temporal variation in pollutant levels, in one of the most impaired headwater streams in Ohio. More than eighty five percent of the study area is dominated by agriculture. Spatial distribution of slope (S), altitude and wetness index along with other watershed parameters such as flow direction, flow accumulation, stream networks, flow stream orders and erosion index were used within a Geographic Information Systems framework to quantify variation in nitrate and phosphate loads to headwater streams. Stream monitoring data for nutrient loads were used to correlate the observed spatial and temporal patterns with hydrological parameters using multiple linear regressions. Results from the wetness index calculated from a digital elevation model suggested a range of 0.10–16.39, with more than 35% having values less than 4.0. A Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) predicted soil loss in the range of 0.01–4.0 t/ha/yr. Nitrate nitrogen levels in the study area paralleled precipitation patterns over time, with higher nitrate levels corresponding to high precipitation. Atmospheric deposition through precipitation could explain approximately 35% of total nitrate levels observed in streams. Among the different topographic variables and hydrological indices, results from the step-wise multiple regression suggested the following best predictors, (1) elevation range and upstream flow length for nitrate, (2) flow direction and upstream flow length for ammonia-nitrogen and slope, and (3) elevation range for phosphate levels. Differences in the landscape models observed for nitrate, phosphate and ammonia-nitrogen in the surface waters were attributed partly to differences in the chemical activity and source strengths of the different forms of these nutrients through agricultural management practices. The results identify geomorphologic and landscape characteristics that influence pollutant levels in the study area.     

Evaluation of acoustical particle counter for the sizing of fog droplets

An acoustical particle counter (or acoustical particle sizing device) was evaluated for counting and sizing of fog droplets. Fog droplets were generated under controlled conditions in the laboratory. Fog droplet sizes were measured by an optical and an electron microscope and compared to results from the acoustical particle counter. Most of the droplets were found to be in the size range of 5–30 µm. The mean diameters estimated from the acoustical particle counter were in agreement with the microscope values of mean droplet diameter. A Rich 100 condensation nuclei monitor was also operated simultaneously during the fog droplet counting to monitor the condensation nuclei counts in the laboratory. The results indicate that condensation nuclei count is inversely correlated with the fog droplet threshold diameter. Aerosols of uniform size (35 µm) were generated by the vibrating orifice monodisperse aerosol generator and counted at three different flow rates by the acoustical particle counter. The counts/liter/minute were similar, indicating the reliability of the acoustical particle counter.     

Improving communication resilience for effective disaster relief operations

The objective of this paper is to identify strategies to improve the resilience of interagency communication between relief organizations and the community when dealing with an emergency. This research draws from frameworks including information theory, organization design, and how the private sector has learned and evolved from the challenges of information flow to provide guidance to disaster relief agencies. During times of emergency, private organizations as well as public authorities must coordinate in real time to create an effective response. When coordination is absent, failure results, as was seen after Hurricane Katrina and the Haiti Earthquake. Using data that the authors collected immediately after these disasters, two case studies of systemic failure are presented to extract lessons that might be used to improve communication resilience through coordination between parties in humanitarian relief operations. Recent emergency response trends are identified, and the paper argues that the persistence of response failures is not surprising, in part because response organizations normally operate independently, and their operations evolve at different rates. As a result, the organizational interfaces that enable rapid integration during a disaster naturally degrade and may be weak or absent. Integrating the literature on information processing theory and organization design with the data from the two case studies, the paper proposes that increasing the resilience of disaster response systems can be achieved by (1) improving the interoperability and information flow across organizational boundaries; (2) increasing the synergies between organizations on adapting new technology such as social media for the coordination of structured and unstructured data for use in decision-making, and (3) increasing the flexibility of relief organizations to use external resources from areas not affected by disasters on an opportunistic basis. The paper concludes by discussing resilience enhancing solutions including boundary spanning investments and argues that effective emergency response does not result from sporadic or intermittent efforts but rather requires sustained investment, continuous monitoring, and data collection.     

Smoldering Combustion (STAR) for the Treatment of Contaminated Soils: Examining Limitations and Defining Success

Smoldering combustion, commercially available as the Self‐sustaining Treatment for Active Remediation (STAR) technology, is an innovative technique that has shown promise for the remediation of contaminant source zones. Smoldering combustion is an exothermic reaction (net energy producing) converting carbon compounds and an oxidant (e.g., oxygen in air) to carbon dioxide, water, and energy. Thus, following ignition, the smoldering combustion reaction can continue in a self‐sustaining manner (i.e., no external energy or added fuel input following ignition) as the heat generated by the reacting contaminants is used to preheat and initiate combustion of contaminants in adjacent areas, propagating a combustion front through the contaminated zone provided a sufficient flux of air is supplied. The STAR technology has applicability across a wide‐range of hydrocarbons in a variety of hydrogeologic settings; however, there are limitations to its use. Impacted soils must be permeable enough to allow a sufficient flux of air to the combustion front and there exists a minimum required concentration of contaminants such that the soils contain sufficient fuel for the reaction to proceed in a self‐sustaining manner. Further limitations, as well as lessons learned and methods to mitigate these limitations, are presented through a series of case studies. In summary, the successful implementation of STAR will result in >99 percent reduction in contaminant concentrations in treated areas, limited residual contaminant mass, reduced groundwater contaminant mass flux which can be addressed through monitored natural attenuation; and an enhanced site exit strategy, reduced lifecycle costs, and reduced risk. ©2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Habitat fragmentation lowers survival of a tropical forest bird.

Population ecology research has long been focused on linking environmental features with the viability of populations. The majority of this work has largely been carried out in temperate systems and, until recently, has examined the effects of habitat fragmentation on survival. In contrast, we looked at the effect of forest fragmentation on apparent survival of individuals of the White-ruffed Manakin (Corapipo altera) in southern Costa Rica. Survival and recapture rates were estimated using mark-recapture analyses, based on capture histories from 1993 to 2006. We sampled four forest patches ranging in size from 0.9 to 25 ha, and four sites in the larger 227-ha Las Cruces Biological Station Forest Reserve (LCBSFR). We found a significant difference in annual adult apparent survival rates for individuals marked and recaptured in forest fragments vs. individuals marked and recaptured in the larger LCBSFR. Contrary to our expectation, survival and recapture probabilities did not differ between male and female manakins. Also, there was no support for the existence of annual variation in survival within each study site. Our results suggest that forest fragmentation is likely having an effect on population dynamics for the White-ruffed Manakin in this landscape. Therefore, populations that appear to be persisting in fragmented landscapes might still be at risk of local extinction, and conservation action for tropical birds should be aimed at identifying and reducing sources of adult mortality. Future studies in fragmentation effects on reproductive success and survival, across broad geographical scales, will be needed before it is possible to achieve a clear understanding of the effects of habitat fragmentation on populations for both tropical and temperate regions.     

Developing indicators to measure post‐disaster community recovery in the United States

Disaster recovery is a key capability of federal, state, and local government. To support this capability effectively practitioners need useful and validated metrics to document how well a community is recovering from a particular disaster. This study developed and categorised recovery indicators according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)'s Recovery Support Functions and Recovery Mission Area Core Capabilities through a literature review, an evaluation of the pre‐disaster recovery plans for 87 coastal jurisdictions, and a case study of two communities (New Hanover County, North Carolina, and the City of Hoboken, New Jersey). Metrics identified in the literature were validated through the recovery plan review and the case study. The research team also identified sources for both baseline and current status data. Based on these findings, a user‐friendly checklist for practitioners was established, which will be piloted with practice partners during a future disaster recovery initiative.