Measuring the impact of the pet trade on Indonesian birds

The trade in wild animals involves one‐third of the world's bird species and thousands of other vertebrate species. Although a few species are imperiled as a result of the wildlife trade, the lack of field studies makes it difficult to gauge how serious a threat it is to biodiversity. We used data on changes in bird abundances across space and time and information from trapper interviews to evaluate the effects of trapping wild birds for the pet trade in Sumatra, Indonesia. To analyze changes in bird abundance over time, we used data gathered over 14 years of repeated bird surveys in a 900‐ha forest in southern Sumatra. In northern Sumatra, we surveyed birds along a gradient of trapping accessibility, from the edge of roads to 5 km into the forest interior. We interviewed 49 bird trappers in northern Sumatra to learn which species they targeted and how far they went into the forest to trap. We used prices from Sumatran bird markets as a proxy for demand and, therefore, trapping pressure. Market price was a significant predictor of species declines over time in southern Sumatra (e.g., given a market price increase of approximately $50, the log change in abundance per year decreased by 0.06 on average). This result indicates a link between the market‐based pet trade and community‐wide species declines. In northern Sumatra, price and change in abundance were not related to remoteness (distance from the nearest road). However, based on our field surveys, high‐value species were rare or absent across this region. The median maximum distance trappers went into the forest each day was 5.0 km. This suggests that trapping has depleted bird populations across our remoteness gradient. We found that less than half of Sumatra's remaining forests are >5 km from a major road. Our results suggest that trapping for the pet trade threatens birds in Sumatra. Given the popularity of pet birds across Southeast Asia, additional studies are urgently needed to determine the extent and magnitude of the threat posed by the pet trade.     

Contamination of Clams with Human Norovirus and a Novel Hepatitis A Virus in Cameroon

Food and Environmental Virology - Shellfish constitute an important protein source but may be contaminated by viruses from various origins. A study performed on clams collected in Cameroon showed a...     

Combining theory and wisdom in pragmatic,scenario-based decision support for sustainable development

Researchers have increasingly acknowledged the relative strength of ‘hybrid’ approaches to scenario analysis for exploring the futures of coupled human-nature systems. In this paper, we explain, demonstrate, and provisionally evaluate the usefulness of a simple analytical framework, based on five categories of capital assets, as part of a protocol for overcoming the conversion problem in hybrid scenario analysis. Based on a preliminary application of the framework to a case study in South Africa, we suggest that the five capitals framework has the potential to improve expedience and counter the bias against ‘soft’ drivers in hybrid approaches to scenario analysis. However, in light of the methodological trade-off between rigour and expedience, we suggest that future research needs to compare the available protocols for hybrid scenario analysis by weighing up the relative gain in scenario quality versus the relative cost of scenario construction.     

Sediment Availability and Erosion Rates on Off‐Highway Vehicle Trails in the Ouachita Mountains,USA

Factors influencing sediment availability are assessed and erosion rates are quantified for an off‐highway vehicle (OHV) trail system in the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas. As of May 2012, the Wolf Pen Gap trail system included 77.0 km of "trails" which consist of county roads; open and closed Forest Service roads; and open and closed OHV trails. For a given trail length, the sediment volume available to be eroded is determined by bare trail width and sediment depth. Four condition types are defined that group trail sections based on statistically different trail widths or depths. Trail construction method appears to influence sediment availability differences more than erosion potential (as indexed by trail slope gradient and length). The range for annual trail erosion rates is estimated as 75 and 210 tonne/ha/yr. The high and low rates are obtained using two independent methods. The 210 tonne/ha/yr rate is computed from mean sediment capture at 30 sediment traps installed for 0.5–1.0 year. The 75 tonne/ha/yr rate is computed assuming all available trail sediment measured in a one‐time sampling is eroded over the next year. We argue in support of this assumption and suggest both rate values may be conservative. Trail erosion rates and sediment trap observations indicate frequent trap cleanout will be needed to continue sediment capture from All Terrain Vehicle trails.     

The erect ‘penis’ is a flag of submission in a female-dominated society: greetings in Serengeti spotted hyenas

In East Africa, spotted hyenas live in large clans in a highly structured society dominated by females. A clan is a fission-fusion society where members are often solitary or in small groups. Spotted hyenas have a ritualized greeting during which two individuals stand parallel and face in opposite directions. Both individuals usually lift their hind leg and sniff or lick the anogenital region of the other. The unique aspect of greetings between individuals is the prominent role of the erect penis in animals of both sex. Female spotted hyenas have fused outer labiae and a pseudo-penis formed by the clitoris which closely resembles the male penis and can be erected. During greetings subordinates signalled submission with gestures which were not necessarily reciprocated by the dominant participant. Asymmetries were most pronounced in greetings between adult females where the probability of asymmetries increased with the divergence in rank between partners. Greetings between adult females and males were uncommon and restricted to males above median rank, principally the alpha male. Models of primate affiliative behavior assume that benefits derived from social relationships with different individuals are not equal and that individuals are selected to maximize the benefits they receive from social relationships with others. The observed distribution of greetings between partners of different rank matched the predictions of these models. An examination of non-adaptive hypotheses on the evolution of the pseudo-penis demonstrated that the conventional scenario linking (initial) virilization of female genitalia with selection for female dominance does not explain either the initial virilization, nor the evolution of the pseudo-penis to its current form and use. We sketch a new scenario that links (1) initial virilization to the occurrence of neonatal siblicide amongst members of a twin litter, and (2) costs of maintenance, pseudo-penile control over copulation and male submission. Our analysis confirms previous adaptive hypotheses on the function of the pseudo-penis in greetings and suggests new hypotheses to account for hitherto unexplained features. Correspondence to: M.L. East     

A phycocyanin probe as a tool for monitoring cyanobacteria in freshwater bodies

In many countries, the presence of cyanobacteria in freshwater bodies used for both drinking water and recreational purposes is under increasing public health attention. Water managers are considering how to implement monitoring that leads to a minimization of the risks incurred by the users of potentially contaminated sites. To address this question, this study involved assessing the performance of a submersible probe for measuring phycocyanin-specific fluorescence as a function of cyanobacterial biomass, with the aim of applying it as a tool for surveillance management. Its advantages and limits compared to more traditional analyses are discussed. The monitoring of cyanobacteria in the water bodies of western France was carried out using a minifluorimeter specific to the fluorescence of phycocyanin, a pigment specific to cyanobacteria. The results are compared with the analyses recommended by the World Health Organisation (chlorophyll a and cell counting). This study based on nearly 800 samples shows a significant correlation between the phycocyanin content and the cyanobacterial biomass, expressed as the number of cells per mL (R2 = 0.73). This submersible probe is simple and rapid to use, making it possible to take into account horizontal and vertical heterogeneities in the proliferation growth. In this way, we are able to detect at an early stage the conditions that could potentially lead to a risk, in order to start sampling. Due to its sensitivity, this tool proves suitable for monitoring aimed at reducing the risks incurred by the users of contaminated sites and launching preventative actions. The use of the phycocyanin probe provides an effective tool to complement traditional analyses of cyanobacterial presence. It is suggested that a surveillance protocol based on phycocyanin concentration can significantly improved the accuracy of the extent of cyanobacterial bloom development in the light of spatial and temporal variabilities associated with these occurrences.     

Sequential supercritical fluid extraction (SSFE) for estimating the availability of high molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in historically polluted soils

Sequential supercritical fluid (CO2) extraction (SSFE) was applied to eight historically contaminated soils from diverse sources with the aim to elucidate the sorption-desorption behavior of high molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The method involved five extraction phases applying successively harsher conditions by increasing fluid temperature and density mobilizing target compounds from different soil particle sites. Two groups of soils were identified based on readily desorbing (available) PAH fractions obtained under mildest extraction conditions (e.g., readily desorbing fractions of fluoranthene and pyrene significantly varied between the soils ranging from <10 to >90%). Moreover, extraction behavior strongly correlated with molecular weight revealing decreasing available PAH fractions with increasing weight. Physicochemical soil parameters such as particle size distribution and organic dry mass were found to have no distinct effect on the sorption-desorption behavior of PAHs in the different soils. However, PAH profiles significantly correlated with readily available pollutant fractions; soils with relatively less mobile PAHs had higher proportions of five- and six-ring PAHs and vice versa. Eventually, biodegradability corresponded well with PAH recoveries under the two mildest extraction phases. However, a quantitative relationship was only established for soils with biodegradable PAHs. Out of eight soils, five showed no biodegradation including the four soils with the lowest fraction of readily desorbing PAHs. Only one soil (which was found to be highly toxic to Vibrio fischeri) did not match the overall pattern showing no PAH biodegradability but large fractions of highly mobile PAHs, concluding that mass transfer limitations may only be one of many factors governing biodegradability of PAHs.     

The Wild Kangaroo Industry: Developing the Potential for Sustainability

Wildlife resources the world over have long been subject to harvest and management. As wildlife uses have grown, so too have the need and desire to ensure their sustainability. This new context of sustainability presents opportunities to merge ecological, economic and social elements to foster development. This paper presents the management and harvesting of wild kangaroos as an example of the potentially sustainable use of a natural resource. Some comparisons are drawn between the use of other wild living resources, deer in Europe and crayfish in Western Australia. However, sustainability of kangaroo species and the industry is not just a matter of market economics and ecology, it must also be socially sustainable. The public policy instrument of a statutory advisory board with a marketing function is proposed in order to integrate the cultural and social aspects of kangaroo management with the economic and ecological aspects. Through such integration, full sustainability of a wild resource then might be achieved.