The iridoid glycoside,catalpol, as a deterrent to the predatorCamponotus floridanus (Formicidae)

Summary We investigated the role of the iridoid glycoside, catalpol, as a deterrent to the predator,Camponotus floridanus. Four laboratory colonies of this ant were offered buckeye caterpillars (Junonia coenia: Nymphalidae) raised on diets with and without catalpol. The same colonies were offered sugar-water solutions containing varying concentrations of catalpol, in both no-choice and choice tests. Regardless of diet, buckeye caterpillars appeared to be morphologically protected from predation by the ants, possibly because of their large spines or tough cuticle. However, buckeyes raised on diets with catalpol had high concentrations of catalpol in their hemolymph; extracts of this high-catalpol hemolymph proved to be an effective deterrent to the ants. When starved ants were not given the choice of food items, they were more likely to consume sucrose solutions that contained 5 mg catalpol/ml or 10 mg catalpol/ml than they were to consume solutions with 20 mg catalpol/ml. When they were given a choice of sugar solution or a sugar solution containing catalpol, the ants avoided solutions with catalpol at any of these concentrations. Ant colony responses to catalpol in sucrose solutions varied considerably over time and among colonies.     

An integrated look at decision-making in bees as they abandon a depleted food source

While there has been considerable research on the behavioral processes that underlie animals’ ability respond to shifting rewards, it remains unclear how animals coordinate multiple processes over time. To investigate this, we compared the behavior of honeybees (Apis mellifera) and bumblebees (Bombus impatiens), in an open-ended search task. Bees were given brief access to a high-quality food source, which then became non-rewarding. Then, over an extended period, we examined (1) bees’ tendency to persist at the depleted site, (2) their tendency to return to a different low-quality food source where they had been foraging previously, (3) their tendency to return to the hive, and (4) how previous reward history influenced their tendency to shift among these options. Compared to bumblebees, honeybees were much slower to abandon the depleted site and were much more likely to make trips to the hive while bumblebees were much more likely to return to the familiar low-quality site. These observed species differences are interpreted in terms of evolved individual and social differences between these species. We show evidence of well-studied behavioral processes such as extinction, negative contrast effects, and reliance on a social group, and provide, for the first time, a picture of how these processes interact with one another as part of a common sequential decision-making process.     

The effect of resuspending sediment contaminated with antifouling paint particles containing Irgarol 1051 on the marine macrophyte Ulva intestinalis

The effect of resuspending sediment contaminated with Irgarol 1051 based antifouling paint particles on the green macroalga Ulva intestinalis was examined. U. intestinalis was also exposed to sediment spiked with Irgarol 1051. The macroalga were exposed over 21 days to the resuspension of sediments containing 61.2 mg kg(-1) of antifouling paint particles containing Irgarol 1051 that provided aqueous Irgarol 1051 concentrations of approximately 0.3 microg l(-1), Irgarol 1051 and appropriate controls. The growth response was compared with that for 'clean' sediment. Resuspension of sediment was associated with reduced growth when compared to seawater alone. Resuspension of sediment spiked with Irgarol 1051 was associated with a greater reduction in growth, with growth being significantly reduced when sediment containing antifouling paint particles was resuspended. The data suggest that the prolonged disturbance of sediments containing antifouling paint particles in marinas represents a potential and as yet unquantified hazard to photosynthetic organisms.     

Adaptations to climate change,drought and desertification: local insights to enhance policy in southern Africa

The impacts of climate change, drought and desertification are closely interlinked, and most acutely experienced by populations whose livelihoods depend principally on natural resources. Given the increases in extreme weather events projected to affect the Southern Africa region, it is essential to assess how household and community-level adaptations have been helped or hindered by institutional structures and national policy instruments. In particular, there is a need to reflect on efforts related to the United Nations’ environmental conventions to ensure that policies support the maintenance of local adaptations and help retain the resilience of socio-economic and environmental systems. This paper examines three interlinked drivers of adaptation: climate change, desertification and drought, assessing the extent to which international and national policy supports local adaptive strategies in three countries in southern Africa. We show that while common ground exists between desertification and climate change adaptations at the policy level, they are insufficiently mainstreamed within broader development approaches. Similarly, there are some overlaps between policy-driven and autonomous local adaptations, but the mutually supportive links between them are poorly developed. Further efforts to integrate local adaptation strategies within policy could increase local resilience to environmental change, while also contributing to wider development goals.     

Contribution of national bioassessment approaches for assessing ecological water security: an AUSRIVAS case study

River managers in Australia are managing in the face of extremes to provide security of water supply for people, production and the environment. Balancing the water requirements of people, environments and economies requires that water security is viewed holistically, not just in terms of the water available for human consumption. Common definitions of water security focus on the needs of both humans and ecosystems for purposes such as drinking, agriculture and industrial use, and to maintain ecological values. Information about achieving water security for the environment or ecological purposes can be a challenge to interpret because the watering requirements of key ecological processes or assets are not well understood, and the links between ecological and human values are often not obvious to water users. Yet the concepts surrounding river health are inherently linked to holistic concepts of water security. The measurement of aquatic biota provides a valuable tool for managers to understand progress toward achieving ecological water security objectives. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the reference condition approach to river health assessment, using the development of the Australian River Assessment System (AUSRIVAS) as a case study. We make the link between the biological assessment of river health and assessment of ecological water security, and suggest that such an approach provides a way of reporting that is relevant to the contribution made by ecosystems to water security. The reference condition approach, which is the condition representative of minimally disturbed sites organized by selected physical, chemical, and biological characteristics, is most important for assessing ecological water security objectives.     

THE EFFECTS OF MINE ACID ON THE POND RIVER WATERSHED IN WESTERN KENTUCKY1

ABSTRACT: H₂SO₄ (sulfuric acid) is formed by a chemical process that occurs in unreclaimed coal mines. The highly toxic acid then flows into the lower swamp areas where it causes considerable damage to the ecosystem. The major effect of the acid is the mass destruction of thousands of trees and various other phreatophytic plants. The contamination is so serious that most of the wildlife has migrated out of the affected area of the swamp in order to survive. Certain geological features such as coal bearing monadanocks make the area somewhat sensitive to mining activities and related geologic hazards. New methods of mine acid abatement make the concept of mass reclamation more realistic than at any time in the past. The constant annihilation of swamp life and processes emphasizes the urgent need for reclamation of the swamp.     

Advancing climate compatible development: lessons from southern Africa

Climate compatible development (CCD) has emerged as a new concept that bridges climate change adaptation, mitigation and community-based development. Progress towards CCD requires multi-stakeholder, multi-sector working and the development of partnerships between actors who may not otherwise have worked together. This creates challenges and opportunities that require careful examination at project and institutional levels and necessitates the sharing of experiences between different settings. In this paper, we draw on the outcomes from a multi-stakeholder workshop held in Mozambique in 2012, the final in a series of activities in a regional project assessing emerging CCD partnerships across southern Africa. The workshop involved policymakers, researchers and representatives from NGOs and the private sector. We employ a content analysis of workshop notes and presentations to identify the progress and challenges in moving four case study countries (the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe) towards CCD pathways, by exploring experiences from both project and policy levels. To advance institutional support for the development of successful CCD policies, practices and partnerships, we conclude that there is a need for: (a) institutional development at the national level to strengthen coordination and more clearly define roles and responsibilities across sectors, based on the identification of capacity and knowledge gaps; (b) partnership development, drawing on key strengths and competences of different stakeholders and emphasising the roles of the private sector and traditional authorities; (c) learning and knowledge-sharing through national and regional fora; and (d) development of mechanisms that permit more equitable and transparent distribution of costs and benefits. These factors can facilitate development of multi-stakeholder, multi-level partnerships that are grounded in community engagement from the outset, helping to translate CCD policy statements into on-the-ground action.     

Motivation and vector navigation in honey bees

Animals that forage from a central place can keep track of their displacement relative to home through a process called "path integration." During a study of the stability of homing information over time, we noticed that honey bees held at a feeding place for several hours sometimes headed not in the homeward compass direction on their release, but in the reverse compass direction. This behavior suggested that the path integration system had been reset to a state corresponding to an outward flight to the food. Most models of insect navigation assume that it is the experience of reaching home that resets the path integration system, enabling the activation of vectors appropriate for subsequent outbound foraging trips. Here we provide evidence that this resetting can be influenced by motivational cues associated with food deprivation. The effect of food deprivation is independent of any positional cues provided by familiar landmarks or by experience in traveling toward a goal.     

Biotic, temporal and spatial variability of tritium concentrations in transpirate samples collected in the vicinity of a near-surface low-level nuclear waste disposal site and nearby research reactor

The results of a 21 month sampling program measuring tritium in tree transpirate with respect to local sources are reported. The aim was to assess the potential of tree transpirate to indicate the presence of sub-surface seepage plumes.Transpirate gathered from trees near low-level nuclear waste disposal trenches contained activity concentrations of ³H that were significantly higher (up to ∼700 Bq L⁻¹) than local background levels (0-10 Bq L⁻¹). The effects of the waste source declined rapidly with distance to be at background levels within 10s of metres. A research reactor 1.6 km south of the site contributed significant (p < 0.01) local fallout ³H but its influence did not reach as far as the disposal trenches.The elevated ³H levels in transpirate were, however, substantially lower than groundwater concentrations measured across the site (ranging from 0 to 91% with a median of 2%). Temporal patterns of tree transpirate ³H, together with local meteorological observations, indicate that soil water within the active root zones comprised a mixture of seepage and rainfall infiltration. The degree of mixing was variable given that the soil water activity concentrations were heterogeneous at a scale equivalent to the effective rooting volume of the trees. In addition, water taken up by roots was not well mixed within the trees. Based on correlation modelling, net rainfall less evaporation (a surrogate for infiltration) over a period of from 2 to 3 weeks prior to sampling seems to be the optimum predictor of transpirate ³H variability for any sampled tree at this site.The results demonstrate successful use of ³H in transpirate from trees to indicate the presence and general extent of sub-surface contamination at a low-level nuclear waste site.     

Potential of largemouth bass as vectors of 137Cs dispersal

We conducted a radio telemetry study on the movements of potentially contaminated largemouth bass between Steel Creek, a restricted access (137)Cs contaminated stream on the Savannah River Site (located in South Carolina, USA), and the publicly accessible Savannah River. Largemouth bass were relatively mobile in lower Steel Creek and the portion of the Savannah River near Steel Creek, and there was considerable movement between these two habitats. Largemouth bass had home ranges of about 500 linear meters of shoreline in the Savannah River but sometimes moved long distances. Such movements occurred primarily during the spawning season, largely upstream, and increased when water levels were changing or elevated. However, approximately 90% of the largemouth bass observations were within 10 km of Steel Creek. The total quantity of (137)Cs transported into the Savannah River by largemouth bass was much less than transported by water and suspended sediments discharged from Steel Creek. We conclude that largemouth bass from the Savannah River Site are unlikely to be responsible for long distance dispersal of substantial radiological contamination in the Savannah River.