Ethical considerations when conservation research involves people

Social science is becoming increasingly important in conservation, with more studies involving methodologies that collect data from and about people. Conservation science is a normative and applied discipline designed to support and inform management and practice. Poor research practice risks harming participants and, researchers, and can leave negative legacies. Often, those at the forefront of field-based research are early-career researchers, many of whom enter their first research experience ill-prepared for the ethical conundrums they may face. We draw on our own experiences as early-career researchers to illuminate how ethical challenges arise during conservation research that involves human participants. Specifically, we considered ethical review procedures, conflicts of values, and power relations, and devised broad recommendations on how to navigate ethical challenges when they arise during research. In particular, we recommend researchers apply reflexivity (i.e., thinking that allows researchers to recognize the effect researchers have on the research) to help navigate ethical challenges and encourage greater engagement with ethical review processes and the development of ethical guidelines for conservation research that involves human participants. Such guidelines must be accompanied by the integration of rigorous ethical training into conservation education. We believe our experiences are not uncommon and can be avoided and hope to spark discussion to contribute to a more socially just conservation.     

An evaluation of a shared experience group for women and their support persons following prenatal diagnosis and termination for a fetal abnormality

Objectives Support after fetal diagnosis of abnormality (SAFDA), is a facilitated shared experience group for women and their partners or support person, in Victoria, Australia, who have had a pregnancy termination for a fetal abnormality. The objective of this study was to evaluate the SAFDA-facilitated group. Methods A questionnaire-based study was undertaken between 2001 and 2005 to evaluate SAFDA. A deidentified self-completed questionnaire was given to participants at the end of each group and included questions relating to the referring professional, participants' prior expectations of the group, helpfulness of participation, preferred group format, length, and venue. In addition, there was also opportunity for participants to make general comments on their experiences of participating in SAFDA. Results A total of 85 participants (100% response) completed the questionnaire. Seventy-one participants (84%) considered it ‘very helpful’ to participate in the group. Seventy-eight participants (92%) considered that a shared-experience group was the most beneficial format. Comments written by participants affirmed that the present format of SAFDA was a highly valued opportunity to listen to and share experiences in a confidential small group. Conclusion SAFDA is a beneficial forum for women and their partners or support person to share their experiences after having had a pregnancy termination for a fetal abnormality. Further, SAFDA provides information and insights for health professionals who are considering how best to support women. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Building an integrated environmental,health, and safety management system

This article discusses an integrated management system that aligns and integrates the various environmental, health, and safety functions and disciplines. This model is easily adopted to provide performance measures required to satisfy Responsible Care®, ISO 14001, and the European Union EMAS requirements.     

Sex ratios and intrasexual competition for mates in a sex-role reversed shorebird,Wilson's phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor)

Summary Operational sex ratio (OSR) was proposed by Emlen and Oring (1977) as an empirical measure of the intensity of sexual selection. Few studies, however, have examined the link between OSR and levels of intrasexual competition, which may influence selection. We studied the seasonal relationship between OSR and female-female competition for mates in Wilson's phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor), a sex-role reversed, non-territorial shorebird. Positive correlations between four measures of OSR (Scan Ratio, Day Ratio, Focal Ratio, and Chase Ratio) indicated seasonal changes in the availability of mates for females. Changes in mate availability resulted from the interaction between paternal care and female emancipation, asynchronous spring arrival schedules of the sexes (Reynolds et al. 1986), and the effect of clutch failure on renesting opportunities. Measures of intrasexual competition (courtship chases, percent males defended, rate and intensity of mate defense, and female-male proximity) varied significantly within and among years. Univariate and multivariate correlations indicated general agreement between measures of OSR and estimates of intrasexual competition. Our results suggest that OSR may provide a useful estimate of the opportunity for sexual selection, especially in species with matedefense mating systems.     

Uncertainties in Predictions of Surface Water Acidity using the MAGIC Model

In this study, we have used the MAGIC model together with data from the Birkenes catchment in Norway, at which 27 years of data (1974–2000) are available. We calibrated the MAGIC model to the five year observed average chemistry around 1990, and then used the data from the five year period around 1980 to refine the calibration. From 1990, forecasts were run for the different sets of inputs and parameters, and the sets of inputs and parameters were further refined using observations for the period 1996–2000. Through an automatic calibration routine, the model was calibrated a large number of times with different sets of input data to account for the uncertainties in the observed data using a Monte Carlo set-up. The results show that the uncertainty in the model predictions decreases as more observed data from different points in time are used in the model calibration. The results also show that when usingthe time series data in calibration, the distribution of the forecastchanged. The distribution of the predicted Acid Neutralisation Capacity (ANC) in the future is lower for the more refined model calibration. The 10 and 90 percentiles of predicted ANC in 2010 are –3 to 21 μeq L^-1 when only a five-year average is used for calibration, but are –7 to 9 μeq L^-1 when data from the three different time periods are used.     

Drinking to cope and self-medication: Characteristics of jobs in relation to workers' drinking behavior

This research extends recent studies of the relationship between characteristics of jobs and patterns of workers' alcohol consumption. Working within a ‘generalization perspective ’whereby job conditions are seen as having important effects on the mental health and behaviors of workers in non-work settings, the current research derives and tests a model of four job-related factors as they influence three aspects of alcohol use; the simple frequency—quantity of drinking, escapist-oriented reasons for drinking, and a combination of heavier drinking with escapist-oriented definitions which is labeled ‘self-medication’. Analyses of data drawn from the 1973 Quality of Employment Survey (QES) indicate that the relationship between jobs and drinking behavior is more complex than previously conceptualized. Specifically, we find evidence that for working men characteristics of jobs affect levels of alcohol consumption and the incidence of self-medicating drinking. These findings support and refine job-based explanations of drinking behavior. The implications of these findings for subsequent research and model-specification are discussed.     

Immobilizing a light,nonaqueous phase liquid

A new technique has been developed to immobilize organic chemicals at a Superfund site. In the course of predesign studies in preparing the Remedial Design for the Pioneer Sand Superfund site in Pensacola, Florida, a light, nonaqueous phase liquid (LNAPL) was discovered floating on the groundwater within the on-site landfill. The liquid, with a viscosity similar to SAE 20 motor oil, was made up of heavy organic chemicals and volatile organic chemicals (VOCs), but no pesticides or polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The volatiles present included toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes. Regulatory agencies expressed concern over the possibility of LNAPL migration and asked that a method of LNAPL immobilization be devised.     

Arthropod populations,yield and damage in monocultures and polycultures of corn,beans and tomatoes

This study involved an examination of a polyculture system (corn-bean-tomato) for specific interactions that may be useful in the development of agronomic systems that are less susceptible to pest attack. The data show that the arthropods generally prefer (are found in) one cultivar more than the others, even in polycultural situations. For example Trichogramma sp. are much more active on tomatoes than on corn, while Coccinellidae are much more common on corn than on tomatoes. The data do not, for the most part, demonstrate any significant differences in insect populations, yield or damage that resulted from interplanting the various cultivars. The role of diversity in agricultural systems is also discussed.