Avian and Mammalian Translocations: Update and Reanalysis of 1987 Survey Data

In 1993 we conducted a follow-up study of the 1987 survey by Griffith et al. (1989) of 421 avian and mammalian translocation programs in North America, Australia, and New Zealand to reassess the programs' status and the biological and methodological factors associated with success. Our survey response rate was 81%. Approximately 38% of usable programs in 1993 reported a change in outcome from 1987 (e.g., a translocated population was "declining" but now is "self-sustaining"), but the difference between the overall success rates was not statistically significant (66% in 1987 and 67% in 1993). Since 1987, an increase was observed in the median number of animals translocated per program (31.5 to 50.5), median duration of releases (2 to 3 years), and proportion of programs releasing more than 30 animals (46% to 68%). Multiple logistic regression analyses indicated that release into the core of the historical range, good-to-excellent habitat quality, native game species, greater numbers of released animals, and an omnivorous diet were positively associated with translocation success. Moreover, our results indicate that translocated birds were less successful at establishing self-sustaining populations than translocated mammals. Our findings, using comparable logistic analyses, generally corroborate the results of Grifftth et al. (1989). Variables not found to be significantly correlated with translocation success include species' reproductive potential (number of offspring and first age of reproduction), number and duration of the releases, and source of the translocated animals (wild-caught versus captive-reared).     

The ecological and economic potential of carbon sequestration in forests: examples from South America

Costs of reforestation projects determine their competitiveness with alternative measures to mitigate rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations. We quantify carbon sequestration in above-ground biomass and soils of plantation forests and secondary forests in two countries in South America-Ecuador and Argentina-and calculate costs of temporary carbon sequestration. Costs per temporary certified emission reduction unit vary between 0.1 and 2.7 USD Mg(-1) CO2 and mainly depend on opportunity costs, site suitability, discount rates, and certification costs. In Ecuador, secondary forests are a feasible and cost-efficient alternative, whereas in Argentina reforestation on highly suitable land is relatively cheap. Our results can be used to design cost-effective sink projects and to negotiate fair carbon prices for landowners.     

Degradation of chlorobenzenes by a strain of Acidovorax avenae isolated from a polluted aquifer

A subsurface microbial community was isolated from a polluted site of Suquía River (Córdoba-Argentina), acclimated during 15 days in aerobic conditions using 1,2-dichlorobenzene (1,2-DCB) as the sole carbon source. From this acclimated community, we isolated and identified by 16S rDNA analysis a strain of Acidovorax avenae, which was able to perform the complete biodegradation of 1,2-DCB in two days affording stoichiometric amounts of chloride. This pure strain was also tested for biodegradation of chlorobenzene (CB); 1,3-DCB and 1,4-DCB, giving similar results to the experiments using 1,2-DCB. The aromatic-ring-hydroxylating dioxygenase (ARHDO) alpha-subunit gene core, encoding the catalytic site of the large subunit of chlorobenzene dioxygenase, was detected by PCR amplification and confirmed by DNA sequencing. These results suggest that the isolated strain of A. avenae could use a catabolic pathway, via ARHDO system, leading to the formation of chlorocatecols during the first steps of biodegradation, with further chloride release and subsequent paths that showed complete substrate consumption.     

Impact assessment of climate policy on Poland's power sector

This article addresses the impact of the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) on Poland’s conventional energy sector in 2008–2020 and further till 2050. Poland is a country with over 80% dependence on coal in the power sector being under political pressure of the European Union’s (EU) ambitious climate policy. The impact of the increase of the European Emission Allowance (EUA) price on fossil fuel power sector has been modelled for different scenarios. The innovation of this article consists in proposing a methodology of estimation actual costs and benefits of power stations in a country with a heavily coal-dependent power sector in the process of transition to a low-carbon economy. Strong political and economic interdependence of coal and power sector has been demonstrated as well as the impact caused by the EU ETS participation in different technology groups of power plants. It has been shown that gas-fuelled combined heat and power units are less vulnerable to the EU ETS-related costs, whereas the hard coal-fired plants may lose their profitability soon after 2020. Lignite power plants, despite their high emissivity, may longer remain in operation owing to low operational costs. Additionally, the results of long-term, up to 2050, modelling of Poland’s energy sector supported an unavoidable need of deep decarbonisation of the power sector to meet the post-Paris climate objectives. It has been concluded that investing in coal-based power capacity may lead to a carbon lock-in of the power sector. Finally, the overall costs of such a transformation have been discussed and confronted with the financial support offered by the EU. The whole consideration has been made in a wide context of changes ongoing globally in energy markets and compared with some other countries seeking transformation paths from coal. Poland’s case can serve as a lesson for all countries trying to reduce coal dependence in power generation. Reforms in the energy sector shall from the very beginning be an essential part of a sustainable transition of the whole nation’s economy. They must scale the power capacity to the future demand avoiding stranded costs. The reforms must be wide-ranging, based on a wide political consensus and not biased against the coal sector. Future energy mix and corresponding technologies shall be carefully designed, matched and should remain stable in the long-term perspective. Coal-based power capacity being near the end of its lifetime provides an economically viable option to commence a fuel switch and the following technology replacement. Real benefits and costs of the energy transition shall be fairly allocated to all stakeholders and communicated to the society. The social costs and implications in coal-dependent regions may be high, especially in the short-term perspective, but then the transformation will bring profits to the whole society.     

Future ocean acidification will be amplified by hypoxia in coastal habitats

Ocean acidification is elicited by anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions and resulting oceanic uptake of excess CO₂ and might constitute an abiotic stressor powerful enough to alter marine ecosystem structures. For surface waters in gas-exchange equilibrium with the atmosphere, models suggest increases in CO₂ partial pressure (pCO₂) from current values of ca. 390 μatm to ca. 700–1,000 μatm by the end of the century. However, in typically unequilibrated coastal hypoxic regions, much higher pCO₂ values can be expected, as heterotrophic degradation of organic material is necessarily related to the production of CO₂ (i.e., dissolved inorganic carbon). Here, we provide data and estimates that, even under current conditions, maximum pCO₂ values of 1,700–3,200 μatm can easily be reached when all oxygen is consumed at salinities between 35 and 20, respectively. Due to the nonlinear nature of the carbonate system, the approximate doubling of seawater pCO₂ in surface waters due to ocean acidification will most strongly affect coastal hypoxic zones as pCO₂ during hypoxia will increase proportionally: we calculate maximum pCO₂ values of ca. 4,500 μatm at a salinity of 20 (T = 10 °C) and ca. 3,400 μatm at a salinity of 35 (T = 10 °C) when all oxygen is consumed. Upwelling processes can bring these CO₂-enriched waters in contact with shallow water ecosystems and may then affect species performance there as well. We conclude that (1) combined stressor experiments (pCO₂ and pO₂) are largely missing at the moment and that (2) coastal ocean acidification experimental designs need to be closely adjusted to carbonate system variability within the specific habitat. In general, the worldwide spread of coastal hypoxic zones also simultaneously is a spread of CO₂-enriched zones. The magnitude of expected changes in pCO₂ in these regions indicates that coastal systems may be more endangered by future global climate change than previously thought.     

Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Biocomposites Based on Polyethylene from Renewable Resources Modified with Ionic Liquids

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - Biocomposites based on polyethylene from renewable resources derived from sugar cane as raw material were modified with phosphonium ionic liquids....     

Future climate and adverse health effects caused by fine particulate matter air pollution: case study for Poland

Ground level air pollution, especially fine particulate matter (PM_2.5), has been associated with a number of adverse health effects. The dispersion of PM_2.5 through the atmosphere depends on several mutually connected anthropogenic, geophysical and meteorological parameters, all of which are affected by climate change. This study examines how projected climate change would affect population exposure to PM_2.5 air pollution in Poland. Population exposure to PM_2.5 in Poland was estimated for three decades: the 1990s, 2040s and 2090s. Future climate conditions were projected by Regional Climate Model RegCM (Beta), forced by the general atmospheric circulation model ECHAM5. The dispersion of PM_2.5 was simulated with chemical transport model CAMx version 4.40. Population exposure estimates of PM_2.5 were 18.3, 17.2 and 17.1 μg/m³ for the 1990s, 2040s and 2090s, respectively. PM_2.5 air pollution was estimated to cause approximately 39,800 premature deaths in the population of Poland in the year 2000. Our results indicate that in Poland, climate change may reduce the levels of exposure to anthropogenic particulate air pollution in future decades and that this reduction will reduce adverse health effects caused by the air pollution.     

The possibility of the use of nitrogenous wastewaters as a medium for Stichococcus bacillaris

The possibility of the use of nitrogenous wastewaters as a medium for $\text{Stichococcus bacillaris}$ was investigated. The strain grew equally well in nitrogenous wastewaters as in synthetic medium and its productivity was affected mainly by concentration of ammonium nitrogen. The obtained results suggest that nitrogenous wastewaters could be used for large-scale cultures of $\text{S. bacillaris}$.