An agenda for assessing and improving conservation impacts of sustainability standards in tropical agriculture

Sustainability standards and certification serve to differentiate and provide market recognition to goods produced in accordance with social and environmental good practices, typically including practices to protect biodiversity. Such standards have seen rapid growth, including in tropical agricultural commodities such as cocoa, coffee, palm oil, soybeans, and tea. Given the role of sustainability standards in influencing land use in hotspots of biodiversity, deforestation, and agricultural intensification, much could be gained from efforts to evaluate and increase the conservation payoff of these schemes. To this end, we devised a systematic approach for monitoring and evaluating the conservation impacts of agricultural sustainability standards and for using the resulting evidence to improve the effectiveness of such standards over time. The approach is oriented around a set of hypotheses and corresponding research questions about how sustainability standards are predicted to deliver conservation benefits. These questions are addressed through data from multiple sources, including basic common information from certification audits; field monitoring of environmental outcomes at a sample of certified sites; and rigorous impact assessment research based on experimental or quasi‐experimental methods. Integration of these sources can generate time‐series data that are comparable across sites and regions and provide detailed portraits of the effects of sustainability standards. To implement this approach, we propose new collaborations between the conservation research community and the sustainability standards community to develop common indicators and monitoring protocols, foster data sharing and synthesis, and link research and practice more effectively. As the role of sustainability standards in tropical land‐use governance continues to evolve, robust evidence on the factors contributing to effectiveness can help to ensure that such standards are designed and implemented to maximize benefits for biodiversity conservation.     

MONTHLY RUNOFF DISTRIBUTION RELATED TO BASIN GEOGRAPHY1

ABSTRACT: Mean monthly runoff from ungaged drainage basins that have significant snowpacks each year can be estimated quite well by assuming that the time duration between snowfall and snowmelt is the predominant factor in temporal runoff distribution. That time span is related to basin temperatures which are, in turn, functions of basin elevation and latitude. Regional hydrologic analyses of gaged basin data create regression equations for estimating runoff distribution by month. These equations then can be applied to ungaged basins. Basin latitude and mean elevation are two independent variables that can be used in estimating monthly runoff distributions.     

Reactions of cloned poplars to air pollution

Ozone-induced changes in ethylene production, ACC oxidase activity and the contents of ACC, MACC and free PAs were studied inPopulus nigra L. cv. Loenen with high ozone sensitivity as judged by the degree of chlorophyll degradation and premature leaf abscission. Ethylene production, ACC oxidase activity, ACC content and MACC levels were induced by the one-, two-, and three-week ozone exposure (36±9 ppb O₃ for 11 hours a day). In addition, increases in PA levels, especially in spermidine, were measured in ozone treated plants. The role of free PAs and MACC synthesis as possible antisenescence reactions is discussed.     

高校校园绿化环境评价指标体系构建

从景观生态学的角度，借助有关景观指数构建高校校园绿化环境评价指标体系，从绿化面积、空间格局、结构特征以及性能评价等4个层面着手，建立与其相对应的评价指标分体系；并设立相应的压力指标、状态指标、改进指标；最终为评价高校校园绿化环境提供新的思路，也为高校校园绿化环境建设提供一定的参考依据。     

Elemental composition of otolith growth marks in three geographically separated populations of European hake (Merluccius merluccius)

The composition of the opaque and translucent bands in the otoliths of European hake (Merluccius merluccius) from three different populations (Celtic Sea, Galicia shelf and Cretan Sea) was analysed with wavelength dispersive spectrometry (WDS) and differences in Ca, Sr and Na were compared. The translucent bands (annual marks and checks altogether) were significantly richer in Sr and Ca and significantly poorer in Na than opaque bands. Results support the idea of a more compact arrangement of crystals in translucent bands compared to opaque. Analyses did not help to discriminate between putative annual marks and checks. Clear differences in the range of Sr/Ca variation across the otolith as well as in the composition of the otolith core were observed among the three populations. As a result it was possible to discriminate the natal origin of each fish using the composition of the otolith core in Ca, Sr and Na. Nevertheless, the overall pattern across the otolith was similar among the three populations suggesting the existence of ontogenetic trends. Variation of Na/Ca ratios was largely uninformative. Based on these results, a conceptual model for hake is proposed which integrates the different sources of otolith Sr/Ca variation: ambient Sr/Ca, endogenous cues (ontogeny) and exogenous cues (environment).     

Estimation of dioxin emission from fires in chemicals

The formation of the 17 toxic 2,3,7,8-substituted PCDDs and PCDFs during combustion of selected chemicals were measured by high-resolution GC/MS. The 16 chemicals studied were commonly used chlorinated pesticides, industrial chemicals, and PVC. In a series of experiments carried out in a DIN 53,436 furnace, 2.5 g of these compounds were burned at 500 degrees C and 900 degrees C, respectively. The resultant yields ranged from 740 ng ITEQ/g for pentachlorophenol, to below 0.01 ng ITEQ/g for PVC and dichlobenil. The results show that some chemicals generate PCDD/F in very high--possibly dangerous--amounts during burning, whereas others generate insignificant amounts. The influence of scale were studied for chlorobenzene and 4-chloro-3-nitro-benzoic acid in additional experiments, carried out in a cone calorimeter burning 20 g substance, and in ISO 9705 room test burning about 50 kg. A good agreement between the results for large and small scale indicated that formation of PCCD/F during a fire may be estimated from laboratory experiments. This suggest laboratory test may be used to screen for chemicals posing a hazard for release of PCDD/F during fires.     

The Danish incinerator dioxin study. Part 1

During the last two years an extensive series of dioxin measurements has been conducted on Danish municipal and hospital solid waste incinerators. The study was directed toward finding the total annual dioxin emissions from MSWI in Denmark, now estimated to be 3 kg. of dioxines and furanes. This sum is equivalent to 50 g. of 2,3,7,8-TCDD according to the Nordic Equivalents. Measurements were carried out according to a statistical design following a plan of pre-randomized sampling. This procedure allowed causal interpretation of the correlations found between the dioxin emissions and certain operating parameters. The statistical model obtained describes the emissions by variations between incinerators, by variation in time, and by changes in the load, the excess air and the HCl concentration in the flue gas.     

Acquisition of breeding coloration depends on badge size in male house sparrows Passer domesticus

Summary The black throat badge of the male house sparrow Passer domesticus, which functions as a status signal of dominance rank, changes in size during late winter because light feather tips gradually wear off. Males change the size of their visible badge earlier if their final badge size is large. The differential timing of the change from winter to breeding coloration in relation to badge size is partially controlled by the behaviour of the individual male. Feather abrasion of the badge is mainly due to preening and dust bathing. During late winter, male house sparrows preen the badge area more than females preen the homologous area, and males with large badges preen more than males with small badges. The seasonal change in size of the visible badge of male house sparrows may reflect the balance of different selection pressures. A large badge size signals dominance status in autumn and winter while predation by visually searching avian predators may constitute the main opposing selection pressure. Sexual selection causes a stronger selection pressure for a large badge in spring and summer. Correspondence to: A.P. Moller