Chemosensory discrimination of familiar and unfamiliar conspecifics by lizards: implications of field spatial relationships between males

The ability of territorial lizards to discriminate between scents of neighbors and non-neighbors might contribute to decreasing the costs of aggressive interactions. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a field study to analyze the spatial relationships between male Iberian rock-lizards, Lacerta monticola. We then used the same individuals in a laboratory experiment to test whether male lizards can use chemical cues to discriminate between familiar conspecific males (those whose home ranges overlapped) and unfamiliar conspecific males (those whose home ranges did not overlap, and whose home range centers were at least 50 m apart). Differences in tongue-flick rates in the presence of chemical cues suggested that male L. monticola discriminated between odors of familiar and unfamiliar males. The behavioral responses were also dependent on relative differences in body size between the responding male and the unfamiliar male that donated the scent: There was a significant negative correlation between tongue-flick rates emitted in cages of unfamiliar males and the body size differences between males. In contrast, when the donor of the scent was a familiar male, the tongue-flick rate was not dependent on body size differences. These results are compatible with individual discrimination through chemical cues in male L. monticola.     

Photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide over Cu/TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> photocatalysts

The photocatalytic reduction of CO₂ with H₂O was investigated using Cu/TiO₂ photocatalysts in aqueous solution. For this purpose, Cu/TiO₂ photocatalysts (with 0.2, 0.9, 2, 4, and 6 wt.% of Cu) have been synthesized via sol-gel method. The photocatalysts were extensively characterized by means of inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), N₂ physisorption (BET), XRD, UV-vis DRS, FT-IR, Raman spectroscopy, TEM-EDX, and photoelectrochemical measurements. The as-prepared photocatalysts contain anatase as a major crystalline phase with a crystallite size around 13 nm. By increasing the amount of Cu, specific surface area and band gap energy decreased in addition to the formation of large agglomeration of CuO. Results revealed that the photocatalytic reduction of CO₂ decreased in the presence of Cu/TiO₂ in comparison to pure TiO₂, which might be associated to the formation of CuO phase acting as a recombination center of generated electron-hole pair. Decreasing of photoactivity can also be connected with a very low position of conduction band of photocatalysts with high Cu content, which makes H₂ production necessary for CO₂ reduction more difficult.     

Bird on the wire: Landscape planning considering costs and benefits for bird populations coexisting with power lines

Power-line grids are increasingly expanding worldwide, as well as their negative impacts on avifauna, namely the direct mortality through collision and electrocution, the reduction of breeding performance, and the barrier effect. On the other hand, some bird species can apparently benefit from the presence of power lines, for example perching for hunting purposes or nesting on electricity towers. In this perspective essay, we reviewed the scientific literature on both costs and benefits for avifauna coexisting with power lines. Overall, we detected a generalized lack of studies focusing on these costs or benefits at a population level. We suggest that a switch in research approach to a larger spatio-temporal scale would greatly improve our knowledge about the actual effects of power lines on bird populations. This research approach would facilitate suitable landscape planning encompassing both mitigation of costs and promotion of benefits for bird populations coexisting with power lines. For example, the strategic route planning of electricity infrastructures would limit collision risk or barrier effects for threatened bird populations. Concurrently, this strategic route planning would promote the range expansion of threatened populations of other bird species, by providing nesting structures in treeless but potentially suitable landscapes. We suggest establishing a collaborative dialogue among the scientific community, governments, and electricity companies, with the aim to produce a win–win scenario in which both biodiversity conservation and infrastructure development are integrated in a common strategy.     

Goose management schemes to resolve conflicts with agriculture: Theory,practice and effects

In 2012, the four countries hosting the Svalbard population of pink-footed goose Anser brachyrhynchus along its flyway launched an International Species Management Plan for the population. One of the aims was to reduce conflicts between geese and agriculture to an acceptable level. Since 2006, Norway has offered subsidies to farmers that provide refuge areas for geese on their land. We evaluate the mid-Norwegian goose management subsidy scheme, with a view to its adjustment to prevailing ecological and socio-economic parameters. The analysis indicates that the legitimacy of the scheme is highly dependent on transparency of knowledge management and accountability of management scheme to the farming community. Among farmers, as well as front-line officials, outcomes of prioritisation processes within the scheme are judged unfair when there is an evident mismatch between payments and genuine damage. We suggest how the scheme can be made more fair and responsive to ecological changes, within a framework of adaptive management.     

Biosurfactants during in situ bioremediation: factors that influence the production and challenges in evalution

Research on the influence of biosurfactants on the efficiency of in situ bioremediation of contaminated soil is continuously growing. Despite the constant progress in understanding the mechanisms involved in the effects of biosurfactants, there are still many factors that are not sufficiently elucidated. There is a lack of research on autochthonous or exogenous microbial metabolism when biostimulation or bioaugmentation is carried out to produce biosurfactants at contaminated sites. In addition, studies on the application of techniques that measure the biosurfactants produced in situ are needed. This is important because, although the positive influence of biosurfactants is often reported, there are also studies where no effect or negative effects have been observed. This review aimed to examine some studies on factors that can improve the production of biosurfactants in soils during in situ bioremediation. Moreover, this work reviews the methodologies that can be used for measuring the production of these biocomposts. We reviewed studies on the potential of biosurfactants to improve the bioremediation of hydrocarbons, as well as the limitations of methods for the production of these biomolecules by microorganisms in soil.     

Elemental and isotopic determination of lead (Pb) in particulate matter in the Brazilian city of Goiânia (GO) using ICP-MS technique

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The toxic metal lead (Pb) can be harmful to human health in various manners, but is also considered as a distinguished tracer of environmental...     

Effect of ferrate on green algae removal

Green algae Cladophora aegagropila, present in cooling water of thermal power plants, causes many problems and complications, especially during summer. However, algae and its metabolites are rarely eliminated by common removal methods. In this work, the elimination efficiency of electrochemically prepared potassium ferrate(VI) on algae from cooling water was investigated. The influence of experimental parameters, such as Fe(VI) dosage, application time, pH of the system, temperature and hydrodynamics of the solution on removal efficiency, was optimized. This study demonstrates that algae C. aegagropila can be effectively removed from cooling water by ferrate. Application of ferrate(VI) at the optimized dosage and under the suitable conditions (temperature, pH) leads to 100% removal of green algae Cladophora from the system. Environmentally friendly reduction products (Fe(III)) and coagulation properties favour the application of ferrate for the treatment of water contaminated with studied microorganisms compared to other methods such as chlorination and use of permanganate, where harmful products are produced.

     

Plant species richness of riverbed elevations—the Pripyat river valley case study

Flora of the still unchanged or slightly modified floodplains is particularly valuable. Such are the natural, periodically flooded riparian ecosystems within the Mid-Pripyat river valley in Belarus. Distinctive elements of that area are ‘periodic islands’, which arise from the most elevated parts of the riverbed during flooding and have a specific microtopography. The aim of the research was to recognize floristic composition and ecological conditions of the ‘islands.’ Noted plants were mainly photophilous, by clearly varied in soil moisture, acidity and fertility requirements.     

Composition and quantification of the anthropogenic and natural fractions of wastes collected from the stormwater drainage system for discussions about the waste management and people behavior

A study was made of the composition of wastes collected from the pipes of the stormwater drainage system of Sorocaba, SP, Brazil (600 thousand inhabitants). A total of 10 samples weighing at least 100 kg each were sorted into 19 items to determine the fraction that can be considered natural (earth/sand, stones, organic matter, and water, the latter determined after oven-drying the samples) and the anthropogenic fraction (the remaining 15 items, especially construction and demolition wastes and packaging). Soil/sand was found to be the main item collected (52.5 % dry weight), followed by the water soaked into the waste (24.3 %), which meant that all the other wastes were saturated in mud, whose contents varied from 6.4 % (glass) to 87.2 % (metalized plastics packaging). In general, 83 % of the collected wastes can be classified as “natural,” but the remaining 17 % represent 2,000 kg of the most varied types of wastes discarded improperly every day on the streets of the city. This is an alarming amount of wastes that may clog parts of the drainage systems, causing troubles for all the population (like flooding) and must be strongly considered in municipal solid wastes management and in environmental education programs.     

Seasonal ecophysiology of an endangered coastal species,the yellow-horned poppy (Glaucium flavum Crantz)

Glaucium flavum Crantz. is a short-lived perennial herb distributed in coastal zones from the Black Sea to southern, western and north-western Europe. Despite its diminishing area of distribution and potential pharmacological value, little is known about the ecophysiological features of this coastal species. We investigated the photosynthetic performance of G. flavum by measuring gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, photosynthetic pigment concentration and leaf water content over the space of a year in a coastal habitat of SW Spain. We also measured the variation in total concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus, sulphur, potassium, calcium and magnesium, in the leaves and soil, throughout the study period. G. flavum showed a high resistance to summer drought conditions which appeared to be due to the high degree of stomatal control. The potential photochemical efficiency of photosystem II showed minimum values during the winter, indicating that low temperatures can produce negative effects within the photosynthetic apparatus. However, the marked decline in net photosynthesis during the winter seems to be mainly related to a loss of metabolic activity. Although leaf nutrient concentrations were, in general, within the normal ranges, phosphorus availability seems to be limited by the high calcium concentrations detected in the soil of the study site. Our study points out the efficiency of the different physiological adaptations of this rare and endangered coastal species in coping with the strong seasonal variability of the Mediterranean climate.