An Evaluation of Restoration Efforts in Fishless Lakes Stocked with Exotic Trout

Abstract: Detrimental effects of introduced fishes on native amphibian populations have prompted removal of introduced cutthroat ( Oncorhynchus clarki ), rainbow ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ), and brook trout (  Salvelinus fontinalis ) from naturally fishless lakes at Mt. Rainier National Park, Washington ( U.S.A.). Using paleolimnological indicators (diatoms, invertebrates, and sediment characteristics) in eight 480-year-old sediment cores from eight lakes, we (1) derived estimates of baseline environmental conditions and natural variation, (2) assessed the effects of stocking naturally fishless lakes, and (3) determined whether lakes returned to predisturbance conditions after fish removal (restoration). Diatom floras were relatively stable between 315 and 90 years before present in all lakes; we used this time period to define lake-specific "baseline" conditions. Dissimilarity analyses of diatoms revealed sustained, dramatic changes in diatom floras that occurred approximately 80 years ago (when fish were introduced) in four of five stocked lakes, whereas the diatom floras in two unstocked lakes had not changed significantly in the last 315 years. Diatoms were not preserved in an eighth lake. State changes also occurred in two lakes over 200 years before European settlement of the Pacific Northwest. Preserved invertebrate densities fluctuated dramatically over time in all cores, providing a poor reference for assessing the effects of fishes. Nevertheless, fish-invertebrate interactions have been demonstrated in other paleolimnological studies and may be useful for lower-elevation or more productive lakes. Because diatom communities have not returned to predisturbance assemblages in restored lakes, even 20–30 years after fish removal, we conclude that Mt. Rainier lakes were not successfully restored by the removal of fishes.     

Bushmeat Markets on Bioko Island as a Measure of Hunting Pressure

Abstract: Counts of the number of animal carcasses arriving at Malabo market, Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea, were made during two, 8-month study periods in 1991 and 1996. Comparisons of the availability and abundance of individual species between years showed that more species and more carcasses appeared in 1996 than in 1991. In biomass terms, the increase was significantly less, only 12.5%, when compared with almost 60% more carcasses entering the market in 1996. A larger number of carcasses of the smaller-bodied species (i.e., rodents and the blue duiker [ Cephalophus monticola ] ) were recorded in 1996 than in 1991. Although an additional four species of birds and one squirrel were recorded in 1996, these were less important in terms of their contribution to biomass or carcass numbers. Concurrently, there was a dramatic reduction in the larger-bodied species, Ogilby's duiker ( C. ogilbyi ) and seven diurnal primates. We examined these changes, especially the drop in the number of larger animals. We considered the possible following explanations: (1) the number of hunters dropped either because of enforced legislation or scarcity of larger prey; (2) a shift in the use of hunting techniques occurred (   from shotguns to snares); or (3) consumer demand for primate and duiker meat dropped, which increased demand for smaller game. Our results suggest that the situation in Bioko may be alarmingly close to a catastrophe in which primate populations of international conservation significance are being hunted to dangerously low numbers. Although there is still a need for surveys of actual densities of prey populations throughout the island, working with the human population on Bioko to find alternatives to bushmeat is an urgent priority.     

Will Observation Error and Biases Ruin the Use of Simple Extinction Models?

Abstract: Estimating the risk of extinction for populations of endangered species is an important component of conservation biology. These estimates must be made from data that contain both environmental noise in the year-to-year transitions in population size (so-called "process error"), random errors in sampling, and possible biases in sampling ( both forms of observation errors). To determine how much faith to place in estimated extinction rates, it is important to know how sensitive they are to observation error. We used three simple, commonly employed models of population dynamics to generate simulated population time series. We then combined random observation error or systematic biases with those data, fit models to the time series data, and observed how close the extinction dynamics of the fitted models compared with the dynamics of the underlying models. We found that systematic biases in sampling rarely affected estimates of extinction risk. We also found that even moderate levels of random observation error do not significantly affect extinction estimates except over a small range of process errors, corresponding to the region where extinction risk is most uncertain. With more substantial sampling error, estimates of extinction risk degraded rapidly. Field census techniques for a variety of taxa often involve observation errors within ±32% of actual population sizes. For typical time series used in conservation, therefore, we often may not need to be overly concerned about observation errors as an extra source of imperfection in our estimated extinction rates.     

Demographic Forecasting in Koala Conservation

Abstract: The koala currently needs conservation intervention. There is clear evidence of decline in many populations, but the existence of other stable or expanding populations offers the possibility of a variety of creative solutions to their conservation problems. The 1998 National Koala Conservation Strategy emphasizes the need to obtain demographic information and to use this information to assess management options for koalas. We need accurate diagnoses of the status of koala populations and forecasts of their demographic future with and without particular management actions. In a qualitative fashion, this process has been undertaken many times on a local and national scale. Quantitative demographic forecasting tools are increasingly available, and koala management could benefit from their application both at the scale of individual populations and more broadly. There is already a considerable body of suitable data on the dispersal, effects of normal and catastrophic environmental variation on reproduction and survival, and on the effects of habitat change. Demographic forecasting, however, is hampered because the full suite of information is rarely available from a single population. In two Queensland populations, retrospective population viability analyses provided forecasts that were in agreement with observed population trends. Work is needed to determine whether data from one population can be applied to other populations. Models can then be developed to make projections at a multipopulation level on the basis of local population dynamics and dispersal. Certain koala populations, because of their long history of study, offer the opportunity to test demographic models retrospectively. These tests will not only aid in fine-tuning the models for koala biology and data but will also assist with the more general process of validating the models.     

Poisoned plusiines: toxicity of milkweed latex and cardenolides to some generalist caterpillars

Summary. Larvae of Trichoplusia ni Hübner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) that ingested latex from Asclepias curassavica L. (Asclepiadaceae) often regurgitated and convulsed with spasms before becoming immobile and unresponsive. Some larvae required over a day to recover sufficiently to feed. Latices from four other plant species in three families were all deterrent, but none caused detectable poisoning. The toxicity of A. curassavica latex was evidently due to cardenolides because pure cardenolides had similar effects when ingested by T. ni. Other species of noctuid caterpillars (Rachiplusia ou Guenée, Anagrapha falcifera Kirby, and Autographa precationis Guenée) sometimes also suffered spasms and temporary immobility when fed A. curassavica latex. A more distantly related noctuid, Spodoptera ornithogalli, was deterred by the latex, but showed no overt physiological responses at the dosage tested. T. ni larvae failed to develop on intact leaves of A. curassavica, on leaves with latex canals deactivated by midrib severance, and on excised leaves. Similarly, larvae reared on excised A. syriaca L. leaves to the final instar died when transferred to A. curassavica leaves with either intact or severed midribs. The final instar larvae sometimes suffered from spasms and immobility even when confined on leaves with depressurized canal systems. Evidently, cardenolides stored outside the latex system suffice to poison larvae. We conclude that cardenolides in A. curassavica have potent physiological effects on some generalist caterpillars and that the presence of these compounds both inside and outside laticifers effectively protects the plant. Received 30 June 1999; accepted 18 October 1999     

Biofilm structure and its influence on clogging in drip irrigation emitters distributing reclaimed wastewater

Using reclaimed wastewater for crop irrigation is a practical alternative to discharge wastewater treatment plant effluents into surface waters.However,biofouling has been identified as a major contributor to emitter clogging in drip irrigation systems distributing reclaimed wastewater.Little is known about the biofilm structure and its influence on clogging in the drip emitter flow path.This study was first to investigate the microbial characteristics of mature biofilms present in the emitters and the effect of flow path structures on the biofilm microbial communities.The analysis of biofilm matrix structure using a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that particles in the matrix of the biofilm coupled extracellular polysaccharides (EPS) and formed sediment in the emitter flow path.Analysis of biofilm mass including protein,polysaccharide and phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) showed that emitter flow path style influenced biofilm community structure and diversity.The correlations of biofilm biomass and discharge reduction after 360 h irrigation were computed and suggest that PFLAs provide the best correlation coefficient.Comparatively,the emitter with the unsymmetrical dentate structure and shorter flow path (Emitter C) had the best anti-clogging capability.By optimizing the dentate structure,the internal flow pattern within the flow path could be enhanced as an important method to control the biofilm within emitter flow path.This study established electron microscope techniques and biochemical microbial analysis methods that may provide a framework for future emitter biofilm studies.     

水淬渣人工湿地强化除磷作用研究

研究了水淬渣的磷吸附-解吸效果,构建了以水淬渣为主要基质的模拟垂直流人工湿地系统,分析了水力停留时间(HRT)和污染负荷变化对污水中磷去除的影响,探讨了湿地上行、下行流单元各层基质的除磷贡献.结果表明,水淬渣基质的磷饱和吸附量为3 333 mg.kg-1,其水溶性钙含量为0.084%,pH值为7.54,适合作为湿地除磷基质.HRT与磷除去率呈正相关,当HRT从1 d缩短为0.5 d时,TP去除率降低5.9%~4.7%,当HRT从2 d缩短为1 d时,TP去除率降低2.4%~4.7%,HRT为1 d条件下,水淬渣湿地的磷去除率>85%,说明无限延长HRT无益于强化除磷,适宜的HRT为1 d.在进水浓度稳定的条件下,进水污染负荷与磷去除率呈负相关,当污染负荷范围在12.2~36.8 g.(m2.d)-1时,水淬渣湿地的磷除去率可维持在85%,当污染负荷达到48.9 g.(m2.d)-1后,水淬渣湿地的磷除去率下降至65%,当污染负荷<36.8 g.(m2.d)-1时,水淬渣湿地的磷去除率>82%,说明高污染负荷可抑制基质表面及孔隙中Ca、Al等吸附磷的活跃位点,适宜的进水污染负荷为24.5~36.8g.(m2.d...     

鸡粪腐解过程中不同溶性腐殖质结合铜的变化

以鸡粪为材料,添加不同比例的铜锌进行腐解试验,研究了腐解过程中不同溶性腐殖质结合态铜(水溶性、氢氧化钠溶性、氢氧化钠-焦磷酸钠混合液溶性)浓度的动态变化、受锌含量的影响及其与有效铜的关系.结果表明,粪肥原样H2O-Cu(水溶性腐殖质结合态铜)占其全铜量的10.97%,在腐解过程中先上升后下降;随着粪肥中添加铜量的增加(1:1、2:1、3:1处理),H2O-Cu占其全铜的比例相应减少了(平均分别占其全铜的比例的7.10%、5.18%和3.74%);H2O-Cu随着腐解时间延长呈增加趋势;在腐解的后期(45、60d),粪肥中锌含量的增加会降低H2O-Cu含量.腐解初期粪肥原样NaOH浸提腐殖质-铜(NaOH-Cu)占其全铜量的70.87%,随腐解进行其比例大幅度下降;NaOH-Cu占其全铜的比例随着加入铜的增大而有所下降,分别为55.59%、46.04%和38.08%,且随着腐解时间延长呈下降趋势;粪肥中锌含量的增加对NaOH-Cu含量变化影响较小.粪肥原样中NaOH-Na4P2O7提取腐殖质结合态铜(NaOH-Na4P2O7-Cu)占其全铜量的24.29%,随腐解过程呈增加趋势,NaOH-Na4P2O7-Cu量随着加入铜量的增加而增加,占其全铜比例的15%～25%;粪肥中锌含量增加对NaOH-Na4P2O7-Cu有促进作用.粪肥添加铜锌后,3种浸提剂提取的可溶性腐殖质结合态铜有55%～80%分配在NaOH的溶液中,10%～30%分配在NaOH-Na4P2O7碱性混合液中,0～10%在水溶液中;随加入铜含量和锌含量的增加,NaOH-Na4P2O7-Cu平均分配比(占3种町浸提性腐殖质-Cu的比例)增加,NaOH-Cu和H2O-Cu的分配比减少.相关性分析结果表明:H2O-Cu、NaOH-Cu和NaOH-Na4P2O7-Cu之间显著正相关,它们与有效铜之间呈显著正相关关系(p<0.01).