Nature conservation efforts set for specially protected areas of Turkey

Environmental pollution and degradation of ecosystems considerably affect the natural resources. The Turkish Government is aware of the importance of the preservation of natural ecology and thereby the environmental conservation of many species in their natural habitat. This paper provides critical assessments of the problems and possible solutions in the identification, implementation and management of the Specially Protected Areas (SPAs) system by giving basic information about stakeholders and their responsibilities that currently offer nature conservation in Turkey. The goals of the article are to analyze how the SPAs interface with the local people, especially the villagers who have dwelt there before SPA designation and how people-SPA conflicts resolved; to show how effective the SPA conservation objectives have been; to outline the significance of informing and empowering people in nature conservation for the protected area management and to show the importance of planning at all levels during protection of the natural, archeological and cultural values of the SPAs.     

Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy history,state of the art and future

Magnetic and electromagnetic fields are now recognized by the 21st century medicine as real physical entities that promise the healing of various health problems, even when conventional medicine has failed. Today magnetotherapy provides a non-invasive, safe, and easy method to directly treat the site of injury, the source of pain and inflammation, and other types of diseases and pathologies. Millions of people worldwide have received help in treatment of musculoskeletal system, as well as pain relief. Pulsed electromagnetic fields are one important modality in magnetotherapy and recent technological innovations, such as Curatron pulsed electromagnetic field devices, offer excellent, state of the art computer controlled therapy system. In this article the development, state of the art and future of pulsed electromagnetic field therapy are discussed.     

Pluralism,The Ethical Matrix,and Coming to Conclusions

The ethical matrix approach was developed by Prof Ben Mepham and his colleagues at the University of Nottingham in the early 1990s. Since then the approach has received increasing attention and has been used by several researchers in different projects related to assessing ethical impacts of different food production technologies and other policy options of societal concern. The ethical matrix is sometimes understood simply as a checklist of ethical concerns, but might also be seen as a guide to coming to conclusions on moral questions. The problem I discuss in this paper relates to how using the ethical matrix method as a decision guide can be combined with respecting pluralism. The aim of the paper is to suggest a framework making it possible to – at the same time – enhance public justification of judgments and respect pluralism. I argue that pluralism is fundamental to the ethical matrix approach; I distinguish between intuitionist principled pluralism and societal value pluralism; and I show how both kinds of pluralism imply restrictions on how conclusions can be made. No substantive moral decision principles can be allowed. Still, I argue, decision principles of a more epistemological or procedural character can be acceptable even within pluralism. The pragmatist principle of inquiry is defended as an account of moral problem solving compatible with both principled pluralism and value pluralism. When an ethical matrix is used within such a participatory inquiry process substantive conclusions can be drawn.     

The life cycles of two coexisting copepods, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Calanus chilensis</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Centropages brachiatu</Emphasis>s,in the upwelling zone off northern Chile (23°S)

A time series study of the copepods Calanus chilensis and Centropages brachiatus was carried out at the coastal upwelling zone of Mejillones (23°S, northern Chile), to analyze their annual life cycles in association with upwelling variation. These species co-exist in the upwelling zone. Weekly sampling of zooplankton and oceanographic variables including Chlorophyll-a and phytoplankton composition were obtained during January–December 2002 at a fixed station (ca. 90 m depth). Stages of abundances, their proportions, changes in body length of adult females, sex ratio and egg production rate (EPR), were used as proxies to examine copepods’ demography. Upwelling, assessed by weekly Ekman transport and oceanographic conditions, was intermittent throughout the year with lack of periodicity components. Populations of both copepod species did not correlate with these non-predictable upwelling events. C. chilensis reproduced year-round and the population showed ca. 15 peaks of adults with an average time interval between peaks of 20 days. C. brachiatus showed a similar life cycle, also having 15 peaks of adults at about 22 days of time intervals. Cross-correlation functions and spectral analysis showed that both populations correlated positively through time, but not in phase, evidencing a time lag for their reproductive cycles. The lag was also evident in their population abundances. Both species differ in their development rates and this may result in non-in phase life cycles. Our findings suggest that species-dependent attributes, such as development rates, modulated by adaptations to temperature, might impose constraints in the species life cycles determining the population cycles. Such attributes must be considered when modeling and understanding population dynamics and secondary production of copepods.     

Migration of aluminum from food contact materials to food—a health risk for consumers? Part III of III: migration of aluminum to food from camping dishes and utensils made of aluminum

Background

When cooking on a barbecue grill, consumers often use aluminum grill pans. For one, the pan catches the fats and oils that would drip into the embers causing the formation of potentially noxious smoke, and the pan also protects the food from being burned by direct heat from the coals. In addition, new aluminum products for use in ovens and grills are becoming increasingly popular. Due to their light weight and excellent heat transfer camping, utensils made of aluminum are, for example, often used by fishermen and mountain climbers. Preparing food in aluminum utensils can, however, result in migration of the aluminum to the foodstuffs.

Results/Conclusions

In this study presented here, it was found that the transfer limit of 5.00 mg/L for aluminum is not exceeded using simulants for oil or for tap water; however, with an aqueous solution of 0.5% citric acid, the limit is clearly exceeded at 638 mg/L. This means that the Tolerable Weekly Intake (TWI) is exceeded by 298% for a child weighing 15 kg and for an adult weighing 70 kg it is equivalent to 63.8% of the TWI, assuming a daily uptake of 10 mL marinade containing lemon juice over a period of 1 week. Preparation of a fish dish with a marinade containing lemon juice in camping dishes would result in the TWI being exceeded by 871% for a child weighing 15 kg and by 187% for an adult weighing 70 kg assuming a daily uptake of 250 g over a period of 1 week.

     

A combined coastal protection,realignment and wetland restoration scheme in the southern Baltic: planning process,public information and participation

Markgrafenheide-Hütelmoor covers a total area of 1000 ha (about 490 ha are coastal moor) and a coastline of about 6 km. This touristy area belongs to the city of Rostock in Germany. As response to sea level rise and heavy coastal erosion, the small seaside resort Markgrafenheide received a comprehensive storm surge protection until 2006. Subsequently, the adjacent Hütelmoor was flooded with the aim to restore it as a brackish coastal moor. Coastal protection measures at the Baltic Sea coastline were abandoned to enable natural dynamics, a coastal realignment and salt water intrusions. The entire process until full implementation took 14 years and was associated with very problematic public participation and a strong local polarization. Based on a literature and media review, two surveys, and expert interviews we retrospectively document and analyse the planning process with focus on public information, perception and participation. The local population and holidaymakers did not perceive coastal changes and if, did not associate them with climate change. Interviewees remembered single storm surges, but felt save from it and sea level rise was not perceived as a threat. 89% said that they feel insufficiently informed about the combined coastal protection wetland restoration measure, but did not use the offered information possibilities. 81% had their information from newspapers and freely distributed advertisers. It seems that insufficient information was the major reason for the problems with local acceptance and public participation. The media played a dominating role. The decline of traditional newspapers and the growths of free advertisers seemed to have a negative impact on quality of information and favoured a polarization. Additionally, we discuss local specifics like the cultural background (GDR history), traditions, frustration and the relatively old population and their role in public participation. We strongly promote a pro-active and long-term information and public relation strategy.     

The morphogenesis of ephyra in Coronatae (Cnidaria,Scyphozoa)

The morphogenesis of ephyrae of Atorella vanhoeffeni Bigelow, 1909 (Werner, 1967) and of Nausithoe maculata Jarms, 1990 during strobilation is described. We found differences in the developmental pattern of marginal structures and structural changes of longitudinal muscle tubes in particular. During strobilation the polyp’s tetraradiate symmetry is passed to the ephyra of both taxa as a tetraradiate central symmetry that we consider a major plesiomorphic character. The present results also indicate divergent patterns of ephyra development during strobilation that lead to variable marginal symmetries of ephyrae and thus of medusae. Therefore, the marginal symmetry of medusae of N. maculata is octoradiate and of A. vanhoeffeni is hexaradiate. We conclude the latter is stated as derived pattern. These results lead us to maintain both families Nausithoidae and Atorellidae.     

Ecosystem services and hydroelectricity in Central America: modelling service flows with fuzzy logic and expert knowledge

Because ecosystem services are generally not produced and used in the same place, their assessment should consider the flows of services from ecosystems to users. These flows depend on the characteristics and spatial distribution of ecosystems and users, the spatial relationships between them, and the presence of filters or barriers between ecosystems and users. The objective of this paper is to map the ecosystem services provided to the Costa Rican and Nicaraguan hydroelectric sectors, which are crucial sectors for national sustainable development and depend directly on hydrological ecosystem services. The paper presents an approach for modelling the flows of multiple services from diverse ecosystems to diverse users through different kinds of filters in a landscape. The approach uses expert knowledge and fuzzy numbers to handle uncertainties. The analyses for Costa Rica and Nicaragua show how the approach helps identify priority areas for the conservation and restoration of forests for the services they provide to the hydroelectric sector. As such, it is a useful tool for defining spatially targeted policies for the conservation of ecosystem services and for involving the users of ecosystem services in ecosystem management.