Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface sediments held in experimental mesocosms

Sediment was collected from three locations along a pollution gradient in Narragansett Bay and transplanted to controlled mesocosms. Total hydrocarbons and eleven individual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured in these sediments over a period of 394 days. Total hydrocarbon concentrations increased in the “relatively uncontaminated”; (Rhode Island Sound) sediment that was held in the mesocosms, but did not change in the two other sediments. The concentrations of four PAHs: naphthalene, 2‐methyl naphthalene, 1‐methyl naphthalene and biphenyl, decreased in the “contaminated”; (Providence River) sediment during the experiment and the calculated half‐lives for these compounds were 287, 353, 321 and 333 days, respectively.     

Lead uptake by Eichhornia Crassipes

Factors influencing uptake of lead(II) by the water hyacinth (Eichhornia Crassipes), were examined. Two phases of uptake were observed for the concentration range investigated (0.01–1000 ppm). The initial, rapid uptake phase of about 4 hours is followed by a slower, near linear phase extending past 24 hours. Stirring the solution enhanced uptake, suggesting that lead removal is in part diffusion limited. In the range of 4–8, pH has little effect on uptake where as outside this range, uptake is reduced. Increased solution volume or rootmass results in more metal being removed by the plant. The presence of strong complexers blocks the initial rapid uptake phase as does the presence of Zn(II), Cd(II), Hg(II), and Fe(III). Strong complexers can also strip a portion of any lead already removed from solution by the plant.     

Comparative Toxicities of Polar and Non-Polar Organic Fractions From Sediments Affected By the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill in Prince William Sound,Alaska

Abstract

Standardized tests were applied to aromatic and polar fractions of sediment extracts to determine whether polar constituents or oxidative degradation products contributed significantly to the toxicity of sediments oiled by the Exxon Valdez spill. Intertidal sediment and pore-water samples were collected in September 1990 from two heavily oiled sites and an unoiled site in Prince William Sound (PWS). Methylene chloride extracts from these samples were fractionated by liquid chromatography into aliphatic, aromatic and polar fractions, and the aromatic and polar fractions were tested for toxicity using the Microtox^R test, bivalve larval mortality and development (Mytilus); several measures of genotoxicity in Mytilus, including SOS Chromotest^R, anaphase aberrations and sister chromatid exchange; and survival, anaphase aberrations and teratogenicity in coho salmon (Onchorhynchus kisutch). Microtox^R and SOS Chromotest^R protocols were applied in a screening mode to all samples, whereas other tests were applied only to selected fractions from two sites. Samples from Bay of Isles (oiled) were consistently more toxic (usually only 2 to 5-fold) than the Mooselips Bay (unoiled) samples, which gave very low responses in all tests. for both sites, however, responses to polar and aromatic fractions were about the same in most tests, suggesting that while the overall toxicity of the oil was low in these samples, at least part of that toxicity was derived from polar constituents. Compared to the parent hydrocarbons, polar oxidation products partition preferentially into pore-water and are more rapidly diluted and dispersed in the water column. These results suggest that polar oxidation products of petroleum hydrocarbons pose little risk to marine organisms, except possibly for infauna continuously exposed to pore-water in heavily oiled sediments. Independent surveys showed that sediment toxicity in PWS declined during 1989–1991 to near background levels, in accord with previous understanding of oil weathering and toxicity.     

Comparative aspects of mountain land resources management and sustainability: Case studies from India and Canada

India and Canada share a common heritage in natural resources management. Both have a colonial background, settlers and indigenous peoples; there is a history of management agencies with utilitarian attitudes, and a history of treating public lands as commodities for commerce rather than as resources for local livelihoods. This historical context guided the overall goal of this study, which was policy development for the sustainable use of mountain environments. Interviews, workshops and seminars were held with local people and resource management professionals in a comparative case study in two regions; the Kullu area in Himachal Pradesh, India and the Arrow Lakes area in British Columbia, Canada. The paper is organized around two main objectives of the work relating to the successes and failures of mountain environment resource management policies and the development of criteria for assessing and monitoring sustainability in mountain environments, in particular, criteria for examining relevant crosscultural dimensions of sustainable development in these environments. By way of conclusion the paper considers further ways in which traditional resource policy development and implementation is being challenged by changing values and priorities; ecosystems management with people; and co-management and public participation.     

Changes in nutrient content and stable isotope ratios of C and N during decomposition of seagrasses and mangrove leaves along a nutrient availability gradient in Florida Bay,USA

The decomposition of the mangrove Rhizophora mangle and the seagrass Thalassia testudinum was examined using litterbags along a natural gradient in nutrient availability. Seagrass leaves had a higher fraction of their biomass in the labile pool (57%), compared to mangrove leaves (36%) and seagrass rhizomes (29%); the overall decomposition rates of the starting material reflected the fractionation into labile and refractory components. There was no relationship between the N or P content of the starting material and the decomposition rate.

Nutrient availability had no influence on decomposition rate, and mass was lost at the same rate from litterbags that were buried in the sediment and litterbags that were left on the sediment surface. The dynamics of N and P content during decomposition varied as a function of starting material and burial state. N content of decomposing mangrove leaves increased, but seagrass rhizomes decreased in N content during decomposition while there was no change in seagrass leaf N content. These same general patterns held for P content, but buried seagrass leaves increased in P content while surficial leaves decreased. δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N changed by as much as 2‰ during decomposition.     

A game theoretic approach to multimodal communication

Over the last few decades the animal communication community has become increasingly aware that much communication occurs using multiple signals in multiple modalities. The majority of this work has been empirical, with less theoretical work on the advantages conferred by such communication. In the present paper, we ask: Why should animals communicate with multiple signals in multiple modalities? To tackle this question we use game theoretic techniques, and highlight developments in the economic signaling literature that might offer insight into biological problems. We start by establishing a signaling game, and investigate signal honesty under two prevailing paradigms of honest communication – costly signaling and cheap talk. In both paradigms, without further constraint, it is simple to show that anything that can be achieved with multiple signals can be achieved with one. We go on to investigate different sets of possible constraints that may make multiple signals and multimodal signals in particular more likely to evolve. We suggest that constraints on cost functions and bandwidths, orthogonal noise across modalities, strategically distinct modes, multiple qualities, multiple signalers, and multiple audiences, all provide biologically plausible scenarios that theoretically favor multiple and multimodal signaling.     

Examining Trajectories of Change for Prosperous Forest Landscapes in Cambodia

Environmental Management - Tropical forest landscapes are undergoing rapid transition. Rural development aspirations are rising, and land use change is contributing to deforestation, degradation,...     

Factors influencing property selection for conservation revolving funds

Finding sustainable ways to increase the amount of private land protected for biodiversity is challenging for many conservation organizations. In some countries, organizations use revolving‐fund programs, whereby land is purchased and then sold to conservation‐minded owners under condition they enter into a conservation covenant or easement. The sale proceeds are used to purchase, protect, and sell additional properties, incrementally increasing the amount of protected private land. Because the effectiveness of this approach relies on selecting appropriate properties, we explored factors currently considered by practitioners and how these are integrated into decision making. We conducted exploratory, semistructured interviews with managers from each of the 5 major revolving funds in Australia. Responses indicated although conservation factors are important, financial and social factors are also highly influential. A major determinant was whether the property could be resold within a reasonable period at a price that replenishes the fund. To facilitate resale, often selected properties include the potential for the construction of a dwelling. Practitioners face with clear trade‐offs between conservation, financial, amenity, and other factors in selecting properties and 3 main challenges: recovering the costs of acquisition, protection, and resale; reselling the property; and meeting conservation goals. Our findings suggest the complexity of these decisions may constrain revolving‐fund effectiveness. Drawing from participant responses, we identified potential strategies to mitigate these risks, such as providing adequate recreational space without jeopardizing ecological assets. We suggest managers could benefit from a shared‐learning and adaptive approach to property selection given the commonalities between programs. Understanding how practitioners deal with complex decisions in the implementation of revolving funds helps identify future research to improve the performance of this conservation tool.