Settlement decisions in blue tits: difference in the use of social information according to age and individual success

Dispersers are expected to assess breeding habitat quality before settlement. Although cues reflecting habitat quality are well studied, social cues have not been as well evaluated. In this paper, we studied breeding habitat selection during 3 years in a natural population of blue tits, Cyanistes caeruleus, breeding in nest-boxes. Our aim was to investigate if this species used conspecific density and/or reproductive success of con- and heterospecifics (i.e., social cues) in settlement decisions. The patterns observed were consistent with the idea that juveniles, when dispersing from their natal patches, did not react to any of the cues that we tested. In contrast, breeders that dispersed seemed to respond to both conspecific mean patch reproductive success (PRS) and breeding density of the settlement patch in the year of dispersal, their response differing according to their own reproductive success. Indeed, failed breeders moved to areas with high PRS and low density relative to source patches, while successful breeders behaved the opposite. The comparison between juveniles and adults might be modulated by the limited time available to juveniles to gather information on PRS and density at the end of the dispersing year. Adults lacking these time constraints, however, seemed to rely on these conspecific cues although limited by their own quality. Additionally, breeders were more likely to be immigrants in patches with relatively low breeding success and density the previous year, suggesting that settlement is influenced by multiple cues, which may reveal information on different aspects of habitat and be available at different moments. Collectively, our results support the importance of social cues for blue tits’ settlement.     

The role of coalitions in disaster policymaking

Disasters have the potential to act as focusing events, which can increase the amount of attention on disaster‐related problems and encourage policy action. Understanding of the political characteristics of disaster policymaking is underdeveloped, yet it is known that these features may be dissimilar to those of non‐disaster policy areas, especially concerning the coalitions of policy actors engaged in the disaster policy process. Coalitions in the realm of disaster policy processes may be less likely to form, may look very different, and may have different goals than those in non‐disaster domains. Knowledge of the emergence, composition, and purpose of coalitions in disaster policy is lacking. This paper draws on prior theory and case observations to define and describe the characteristics of a disaster policy subsystem and to build a typology of coalitions that may appear within such a subsystem, providing a foundation upon which scholars can work to study coalition dynamics in disaster policy subsystems.     

Predicting Radon Testing Among University Employees

Abstract

To determine covariates of radon testing behavior, we surveyed by mail a random sample of all Boston University employees (N = 915) six to nine months after they had been informed of the availability of radon testing services through the University's medical center. The response rate was 58%. Analysis suggests blue collar workers were underrepresented within the response rate. Slightly more than half of the respondents (51%) were men. The majority (69%) were under the age of 45. Twenty-seven percent of the respondents (N = 143) had tested their homes for radon. Bivariate analysis revealed important differences between radon testers and nontesters. Testers were 12 times more likely to be home owners than renters (p = 0.00), and were more knowledgeable about radon's characteristics and testing procedures (p = 0.00). Testers were more likely to view radon as a serious problem (p = 0.00), to consider radon testing efficacious (p = 0.00), and to consider themselves susceptible to exposure (p = 0.00). Testers were also less likely to perceive barriers to radon testing. We used logistic regression to compare the usefulness of the Health Belief Model and the Diffusion of Innovations Model in predicting radon testing. We concluded that the knowledge deficits and barriers to radon testing identified in this study should be targeted in radon educational interventions.     

The impact of enhanced ammonium sulphate inputs exceeding critical load on calluna vulgaris /peat soil microcosms

Ammonium sulphate at six concentrations in simulated precipitation has been applied weekly over two years to Calluna vulgaris growing in peat soil. The nitrogen deposition treatments were chosen to embrace and exceed critical load. The growth and composition of the Calluna and the changes over time in the chemistry of the peat soil and its soil solution were monitored. In spite of significant increases in foliar nitrogen concentration in new shoots, especially in the first year, growth did not increase significantly in response to nitrogen treatment. Several factors could be contributing to the lack of significant growth response. (1) Increasing ammonium input significantly acidified the soil solution, which could adversely effect growth directly. (2) Foliar calcium concentration was reduced significantly in both years by the ammonium sulphate treatments, and more calcium was undoubtedly lost from the rooting zone at higher nitrogen inputs. (3) Foliar phosphate declined significantly between the first and second year, so lack of growth response might also reflect a phosphorus limitation. There was a distinctly visible darkening of the leaves in response to increasing ammonium applications, especially for the first year's growth, and the chlorophyll a and b concentrations in leaves from new growth at the three highest nitrogen treatments were significantly (at P <0.05) higher than those for the control. The pigment concentrations fell markedly by the end of the second season, and treatment effects were much less consistent. It is suggested that pigment analysis therefore probably has little diagnostic value for assessing damage from pollutant nitrogen effects.     

Social Planning for Mall Redevelopment: an Australian case-study

This paper provides a case study of recent work undertaken in Melbourne relating to a mall re-development project. It begins by discussing the nature of shopping centres as sites of consumption and non-commercial social activities. It then describes planning and development strategies that provide innovative and socially progressive interventions in regard to the social, physical and regulatory environments of public malls. The importance of seeing such sites as 'community spaces', of promoting activities on the basis of social inclusion, of creating a safe, convivial atmosphere, and of establishing low-key friendly sorts of mall management, are highlighted.     

Developments to a landfill processes model following its application to two landfill modelling challenges

The landfill model LDAT simulates the transport and bio-chemical behaviour of the solid, liquid and gas phases of waste contained in a landfill. LDAT was applied to the LMC1 and LMC2 landfill modelling challenges held in 2009 and 2011. These were blind modelling challenges with the model acting in a predictive mode based on limited early time sections of full datasets. The LMC1 challenge dataset was from a 0.34 m deep 0.48 m diameter laboratory test cell, and the LMC2 dataset was from a 55 m × 80 m 8 m deep landfill test cell which formed part of the Dutch sustainable landfill research programme at Landgraaf in the Netherlands. The paper describes developments in LDAT arising directly from the experience of responding to the two challenges, and discusses the model input and output data obtained from a calibration using the full datasets.The developments include the modularisation of the model into a set of linked sub-models, the strategy for converting conventional waste characteristics into model input parameters, the identification of flexible degradation pathways to control the CO₂:CH₄ ratio, and the application of a chemical equilibrium model that includes a stage in which the solid waste components dissolve into the leachate.     

Brassica napus hairy roots and rhizobacteria for phenolic compounds removal

Phenolic compounds are contaminants frequently found in water and soils. In the last years, some technologies such as phytoremediation have emerged to remediate contaminated sites. Plants alone are unable to completely degrade some pollutants; therefore, their association with rhizospheric bacteria has been proposed to increase phytoremediation potential, an approach called rhizoremediation. In this work, the ability of two rhizobacteria, Burkholderia kururiensis KP 23 and Agrobacterium rhizogenes LBA 9402, to tolerate and degrade phenolic compounds was evaluated. Both microorganisms were capable of tolerating high concentrations of phenol, 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP), guaiacol, or pentachlorophenol (PCP), and degrading different concentrations of phenol and 2,4-DCP. Association of these bacterial strains with B. napus hairy roots, as model plant system, showed that the presence of both rhizospheric microorganisms, along with B. napus hairy roots, enhanced phenol degradation compared to B. napus hairy roots alone. These findings are interesting for future applications of these strains in phenol rhizoremediation processes, with whole plants, providing an efficient, economic, and sustainable remediation technology.     

Modeling the impacts of calcite precipitation on the epilimnion of an ultraoligotrophic, hard-water lake

A mass-balance model of calcite precipitation was developed to investigate the interactions of the varied processes governing the generation and fate of calcite in lakes. The model was used in conjunction with data to assess the evolution and impact of calcite precipitation for calcareous, ultraoligotrophic Torch Lake, Michigan (USA). This lake is an ideal setting for implementation of a baseline modeling study of calcite precipitation where the physical drivers could be evaluated without being dominated, as in many systems, by biological processes. The model provides a representation of calcite precipitation with particulate surface area changing over time, and demonstrates that it is possible for the change in water clarity to be explained by calcite precipitation employing standard optical models. Using the mass balance model to quantify the roles of the various chemical, biological and physical processes interacting in the lake's epilimnion, it was shown that the seasonal temperature rise and air-water CO₂ exchange drive calcite precipitation much more than primary production for this ultraoligotrophic system.     

Book reviews

Costs and Benefits of Rent Control in Kumasi, Ghana

by S. Malpezzi, A. G. Tipple and K. G. Willis 1990 The World Bank. 129 pages. £9.95

Radical Planning Initiatives: New Directions for Urban Planning in the 1990s

J. Montgmery and A. Thornley (Eds.) Gower, 1990, pp.325, £32.50 (hardback).

Privatism and Urban Policy in Britain and the United States

Barnekov, T., Boyle, R. and Rich, D. (1989). Oxford: Oxford University Press. £12.95 (paperback).

The Scottish New Towns: The Way Ahead.

Industry Department for Scotland. Cm 711 Her Majesty's Stationery Office, Edinburgh. Price £5.00. 21 pages.

The State in Action

Simmie J. and King R. (eds). Pinter Publishing, 1990, 212 pages, £30.00.

Current Issues in Planning

eds. Sylvia Trench and Taner Oc. Gower 1990. £29.00. 236 pages.

Opencast — Casting a Shadow

Pratt A. and Pattison K. (1989). 96 pages. £4.00. M. F. Downing, Reader Landscape Design

Evaluation Methods for Urban and Regional Plans: Essays in Memory of Morris (Moshe) Hill

D. Shefer and H. Voogd (Eds.). Pion Ltd., London, 1990. 190 pages. £20.00

Environmental Assessment: a practical guide.

C. A. Fortlage (1990). Gower, Aldershot. 168 pages. Price £25.00.     

Compensation for risks: host community benefits in siting locally unwanted facilities

This article analyzes the recent negotiations connected with siting 24 solid-waste landfills in Wisconsin. We examine the association between the type and amount of compensation paid to host communities by facility developers and the size of facilities, certain facility characteristics, the timing of negotiated agreements, the size of the host community, and the socioeconomic status of the host area. Our findings suggest that the level of compensation after adjusting for landfill capacity is positively associated with the percentage of total facility capacity dedicated to host community use, positively associated with the percentage of people of the host area who are in poverty, and larger for public facilities that accept municipal wastes. Other explanatory variables we examined, whose association with levels of compensation proved statistically insignificant, were facility size, facility status (new vs expansion), facility use (countyonly vs multicounty), timing of negotiation, host community size, and the host area education level, population density, and per capita income. We discuss the policy implications of our principal findings and future research questions in light of the persistent opposition surrounding the siting of solid-waste and other waste-management facilities.