Factors determining presence of passerines breeding within White Stork <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ciconia ciconia</Emphasis> nests

Nests of White Stork Ciconia ciconia are commonly used by various passerines as nesting sites. In this study, we investigated factors determining presence and number of pairs of species breeding within White Stork nests in an extensive farmland in NE Poland. In 133 (57%) out of 233 White Stork nests, we found at least one breeding pair of passerine bird. These were from three species: House Sparrows Passer domesticus (68% of 133 nests with co-breeding), Tree Sparrows Passer montanus (65%), and Starlings Sturnus vulgaris (30%). The probability of breeding passerines within White Stork nests increased with increasing nest thickness, and was significantly higher in currently occupied nests. Sparrows were more likely to breed in White Stork nests located on electricity poles, situated closer to settlements and surrounded mainly by arable fields where meadows were not prevalent. In this paper, we show that White Stork nests are favorable nesting sites for passerines, as they are well insulated and provide an anti-predatory shield.     

Evaluating impaired drivers confidence and intention to "(Please) drink responsibly"

Introduction

Currently, alcohol industry-sponsored advertisements subsume traditional designated driver and don't drink and drive messages within responsible drinking campaigns. Yet, to date, there remains a dearth of literature specifically examining the attitudinal beliefs impaired drivers attach to the responsible drinking message.

Objective

This investigation sought to examine the responsible drinking attitudes and beliefs of impaired drivers, specifically examining their confidence and intention to drink responsibly the next time they consumed alcohol.

Methods

A random sample of 729 students attending a large, public Texas university completed a web-based administration of the Characteristic of Responsible Drinking Survey (CHORDS).

Results

Participants in this sample who had driven while impaired by alcohol exhibited significantly less confidence in refraining from drinking and driving and reported significantly lower intentions to designate a driver, take a taxi, or use a safe-ride program the next time they consumed alcohol. Additionally, they also reported less confidence, and lower intentions, to ensure their blood alcohol concentrations remained below the legal limit (0.08%) the next time they consumed alcohol.

Conclusions

Drivers who had driven while impaired significantly differed in their confidence and intention to drink responsibly the next time they consumed alcohol. Logistic regression results indicate that by increasing one's confidence in responsible drinking, and increasing their intention to drink responsibly, the likelihood of impaired driving can be decreased.

Impact on industry

Results from this investigation demonstrate one’s responsible drinking attitudinal beliefs accounts for a significant amount of the variance associated with one’s alcohol-related behaviors. Thus, further research should examine and establish how individuals conceptualize and practice responsible drinking.     

Soil and Water Characteristics in Restored Canebrake and Forest Riparian Zones1

Andrews, Danielle M., Christopher D. Barton, Randall K. Kolka, Charles C. Rhoades, and Adam J. Dattilo, 2011. Soil and Water Characteristics in Restored Canebrake and Forest Riparian Zones. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 47(4):772‐784. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752‐1688.2011.00555.x Abstract: The degradation of streams has been widespread in the United States. In Kentucky, for instance, almost all of its large streams have been impounded or channelized. A restoration project was initiated in a channelized section of Wilson Creek (Nelson Co., Kentucky) to return its predisturbance meandering configuration. A goal of the project was to restore the native riparian corridor with giant cane and bottomland forest species. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of giant cane in riparian restoration and to compare water quality and soil attributes between restored cane and forested communities. Comparison of data to replicated sites of similar size in undisturbed upstream areas (control) was also examined to evaluate restoration success. Vegetation establishment was initially hindered by frequent flooding in 2004, but mean survival was good after two growing seasons with rates of 80 and 61% for forest and cane plots, respectively. Results showed an improvement in stream water quality due to restoration activities. Significant differences between the cane and forested plots in shallow groundwater dissolved oxygen, NO₃^?‐N, NH₄⁺‐N, and Mn concentrations suggest that soil redox conditions were not similar between the two vegetation types. Retention and transformation of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) within the restored riparian system also differed by vegetation treatment; however, both communities appeared to be advancing toward conditions exhibited in the control section of Wilson Creek.     

The effect of maternal body size on embryo survivorship in the broods of pregnant male pipefish

The occurrence of male pregnancy in the family Syngnathidae (seahorses, pipefishes, and sea dragons) provides an exceptionally fertile system in which to investigate issues related to the evolution of parental care. Here, we take advantage of this unique reproductive system to study the influence of maternal body size on embryo survivorship in the brood pouches of pregnant males of the broad-nosed pipefish, Syngnathus typhle. Males were mated with either two large females, two small females, a large then a small female, or a small then a large female. Our results show that offspring survivorship depends on an interaction between female body size and the number of eggs transferred by the female. Eggs of larger females deposited in large numbers are more likely to result in viable offspring than eggs of smaller females laid in large numbers. However, when females deposited smaller numbers of eggs, the eggs from smaller females were more likely to produce viable offspring compared to those from larger females. We found no evidence that this result was based on mating order, the relative sizes of competing females, or egg characteristics such as dry weight of eggs. Additionally, male body size did not significantly influence the survivorship of offspring during brooding. Our results suggest that the factors underlying offspring survivorship in pipefish may be more complex than previously believed, with multiple factors interacting to determine the fitness of individual offspring within the broods of pregnant males.     

Environmental degradation,economic growth and tourism development in Chinese regions

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Tourism development is recognised as an essential tool in promoting economic growth; however, it may also contribute to environmental degradation....     

COD and TOC analysis of leachate from a solidified organic waste

Several combinations of binders and absorbent additives were utilized to solidify a typical organic waste, API Separator sludge. The effectiveness of the materials was based on the waste leachability from the solidified samples. COD and TOC analyses were used to determine the organic content of the leachate samples.The ability of the COD and TOC analyses to assess waste leachability was limited. The inability of the COD and TOC tests to differentiate between organic compounds made the results difficult to interpret. This was due to organic contaminants from the solidification materials contributing to the COD and TOC contents of the leachates. Also, the COD test may have be influenced by reduced inorganic compounds contained in the flyash binder and the sludge. Representative samples for the TOC analysis were difficult to obtain for the leachates containing oils or suspended particles. It is recommended that the COD and TOC tests only be used as a screening method for determining solidified organic waste leachability and other methods need to be employed to obtain more accurate results.     

Mercury in aquatic fauna contamination: A systematic review on its dynamics and potential health risks

Mercury is an important pollutant, released into aquatic ecosystems both naturally and by anthropogenic action. This element is transferred to aquatic organisms in different ways, causing potential health risks. In addition, mercury can be accumulated by humans, especially through the consumption of contaminated food. This systematic review aims to present mercury pathways, the major routes through which this element reaches the aquatic environment and its transformations until becoming available to living animals, leading to bioaccumulation and biomagnification phenomena. The key biotic and abiotic factors affecting such processes, the impact of mercury on animal and human health and the issue of seafood consumption as a source of chronic mercury contamination are also addressed. A total of 101 articles were retrieved from a standardized search on three databases (PubMed, Emabse, and Web of Science), in addition to 28 other studies not found on these databases but considered fundamental to this review (totaling 129 articles). Both biotic and abiotic factors display fundamental importance in mediating mercurial dynamics, i.e., muscle tropism, and salinity, respectively. Consequently, mercurial contamination in aquatic environments affects animal health, especially the risk of extinction species and also on human health, with methylmercury the main mercury species responsible for acute and chronic symptomatology.     

Water Quality Trading with Lumpy Investments,Credit Stacking,and Ancillary Benefits

This paper studies the economics of a water quality trading market in a predominantly agricultural watershed, and explores the effects of credit stacking in such a market when buyers and sellers of pollution credits can only reduce pollution with large, discrete investments that yield discontinuous supply and demand. The research simulates hypothetical water quality trading markets in the corn‐belt area of Illinois, where wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) can pay farmers to reduce nutrients by installing wetlands and farmers may or may not be allowed to earn payments for multiple services from one wetland. We find that wetlands are a more cost‐effective way to mitigate nitrogen pollution than abatement by WWTPs. Stacking credits may improve social welfare while providing more ecosystem services if there is enough demand for the primary credit in the market (nitrogen) to cover most of the cost of installing the wetland but the supply of nitrogen credits is not exhausted. However, in the presence of lumpy pollution reduction activities, the effects of allowing stacked credit sales are idiosyncratic and not necessarily positive; stacked payments may or may not satisfy additionality. The results imply that credit trading for nitrogen is likely to make society better off, but the effects of allowing farmers to receive multiple payments from a single wetland depend on details of the situation.