A qualitative field method for monitoring pesticides in the edge-of-field runoff

A field method is described, which allows the qualitative estimation of pesticide contamination in the edgeof-field runoff. The method employs cheap and easy-to-use runoff sampling bottles, which were installed in an agricultural stream catchment over a period of three growing seasons. During this time 18 runoff events were detected, in nine of which insecticide contamination was measured (maximum concentrations: lindane 0.7 μg l⁻¹ and 12.7 μg kg⁻¹, parathion 20 μg l⁻¹ and 728 μg kg⁻, fenvalerate 18.4 μg 1-1 and 924 μg kg⁻¹). These insecticides were detected mainly as particle-bound chemicals. On about 80 % of the occasions the presence or absence of runoff measured in the field was in agreement with a simulation of runoff presence or absence using the runoff model KINEROS.     

Chemical composition of Eurasian lynx urine conveys information on reproductive state,individual identity,and urine age

In mammals, the chemical profiles of individuals are complex and variable mixtures, and animals perceive information based on variation in the overall quality of these mixtures. A variety of compounds potentially involved in chemical communication have been characterized in the urine of different felid species, but little is known about the information content of felid scent marks. In this study, we investigated whether chemical composition of Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx urine was related to sex, reproductive state, and individual identity. We further analysed if elemental sulphur in lynx urine could serve as a dietary cue or as an indicator for the freshness of a scent mark. We collected urine from captive and wild Eurasian lynx, and analysed volatile constituents of urine by means of solid phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Our results show that lynx scent profiles contain sex-specific information on reproductive state, as well as individual identity cues. Urine marks are, therefore, well-suited to fulfil a role in reproductive behaviour and social organisation of wild lynx populations. Relative sulphur content was unrelated to time since last feeding, but decreased with age of the urine sample. The influence of diet and body condition on scent profiles should be further investigated by means of experimental studies, and may shed more light on the messages encoded in carnivore scent-marks.     

Within- and transgenerational effects of ocean acidification on life history of marine three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus)

Some studies have demonstrated that elevated CO₂ concentrations in ocean waters negatively impact metabolism and development of marine fish. Particularly, early developmental stages are probably more susceptible to ocean acidification due to insufficient regulations of their acid-base balance. Transgenerational acclimation can be an important mechanism to mediate impacts of increased CO₂ on marine species, yet very little is known about the potential of parental effects in teleosts. Therefore, transgenerational effects were investigated on life history in juvenile three-spined sticklebacks Gasterosteus aculeatus by acclimating parents (collected in April 2012, 55°03′N, 8°44′E) and offspring to ambient (~400 µatm) and elevated (~1,000 µatm) CO₂ levels and measured parental fecundity as well as offspring survival, growth and otolith characteristics. Exposure to elevated CO₂ concentrations led to an increase in clutch size in adults as well as increased juvenile survival and growth rates between 60 and 90 days post-hatch and enlarged otolith areas compared with fish from ambient CO₂ concentrations. Moreover, transgenerational effects were observed in reduced survival and body size 30 days post-hatch as well as in enlarged otoliths at the end of the experiment, when fathers or both parents were acclimated to the high-CO₂ environment. These results may suggest that elevated CO₂ concentrations had rather positive effects on life-history traits of three-spined sticklebacks, but that parental acclimation can modify these effects without improving offspring fitness. Although the mechanistic basis of such transgenerational acclimation remains unclear, selective gradients within generations seem to determine the direction of transgenerational effects.     

Bacillus thuringiensis pesticide exposures reported to Texas poison centers

One of the most common types of microbial pesticides used is Bacillus thuringiensis. Although generally considered safe, exposures to B. thuringiensis pesticide do occur where management by healthcare providers is sought. The objective of this investigation was to describe B. thuringiensis pesticide exposures reported to Texas poison centers. Cases were all B. thuringiensis pesticide exposures reported to Texas poison centers during 2000–2010. The distribution of cases was determined for various demographic and clinical factors. Of 115 total cases, 64% occurred during May–July. The rate per 1,000,000 population was 14.3 in central Texas and 4.4 in the rest of the state. Of the patients, 56% were of an age 20 years or older and 55% were male. The exposure routes were 57% by ingestion, 30% by dermal contact, and 11% by inhalation. The patient was managed on site in 93% of the exposures and only one exposure was judged to be potentially serious. B. thuringiensis pesticide exposures reported to Texas poison centers were more frequently reported from the central region of the state. The majority of exposures occurred during April–July, involved adults and males, occurred by ingestion or dermal route, were managed on site and did not result in serious outcomes.     

Evolving Expectations of Dam Removal Outcomes: Downstream Geomorphic Effects Following Removal of a Small,Gravel‐Filled Dam1

Kibler, Kelly, Desiree Tullos, and Mathias Kondolf, 2011. Evolving Expectations of Dam Removal Outcomes: Downstream Geomorphic Effects Following Removal of a Small, Gravel‐Filled Dam. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 1‐16. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752‐1688.2011.00523.x Abstract: Dam removal is a promising river restoration technique, particularly for the vast number of rivers impounded by small dams that no longer fulfill their intended function. As the decommissioning of small dams becomes increasingly commonplace in the future, it is essential that decisions regarding how and when to remove these structures are informed by appropriate conceptual ideas outlining potential outcomes. To refine predictions, it is necessary to utilize information from ongoing dam removal monitoring to evolve predictive tools, including conceptual models. Following removal of the Brownsville Dam from the Calapooia River, Oregon, aquatic habitats directly below the dam became more heterogeneous over the short term, whereas changes further downstream were virtually undetectable. One year after dam removal, substrates of bars and riffles within 400 m downstream of the dam coarsened and a dominance of gravel and cobble sediments replaced previously hardpan substrate. New bars formed and existing bars grew such that bar area and volume increased substantially, and a pool‐riffle structure formed where plane‐bed glide formations had previously dominated. As the Brownsville Dam stored coarse rather than fine sediments, outcomes following removal differ from results of many prior dam removal studies. Therefore, we propose a refined conceptual model describing downstream geomorphic processes following small dam removal when upstream fill is dominated by coarse sediments.     

Projecting Cumulative Benefits of Multiple River Restoration Projects: An Example from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River System in California

Despite increasingly large investments, the potential ecological effects of river restoration programs are still small compared to the degree of human alterations to physical and ecological function. Thus, it is rarely possible to “restore” pre-disturbance conditions; rather restoration programs (even large, well-funded ones) will nearly always involve multiple small projects, each of which can make some modest change to selected ecosystem processes and habitats. At present, such projects are typically selected based on their attributes as individual projects (e.g., consistency with programmatic goals of the funders, scientific soundness, and acceptance by local communities), and ease of implementation. Projects are rarely prioritized (at least explicitly) based on how they will cumulatively affect ecosystem function over coming decades. Such projections require an understanding of the form of the restoration response curve, or at least that we assume some plausible relations and estimate cumulative effects based thereon. Drawing on our experience with the CALFED Bay-Delta Ecosystem Restoration Program in California, we consider potential cumulative system-wide benefits of a restoration activity extensively implemented in the region: isolating/filling abandoned floodplain gravel pits captured by rivers to reduce predation of outmigrating juvenile salmon by exotic warmwater species inhabiting the pits. We present a simple spreadsheet model to show how different assumptions about gravel pit bathymetry and predator behavior would affect the cumulative benefits of multiple pit-filling and isolation projects, and how these insights could help managers prioritize which pits to fill.     

The influence of EDDS and EDTA on the uptake of heavy metals of Cd and Cu from soil with tobacco Nicotiana tabacum

Phytoextraction, the use of plants to extract contaminants from soils and groundwater, is a promising approach for cleaning up soils contaminated with heavy metals. In order to enhance phytoextraction the use of chelating agents has been proposed. This study aims to assess whether ethylene diamine disuccinate (EDDS), a biodegradable chelator, can be used for enhanced phytoextraction purposed, as an alternative to ethylene diamine tetraacetate (EDTA). EDDS revealed a higher toxicity to tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) in comparison to EDTA, but no toxicity to microorganisms. The uptake of Cu was increased by the addition of EDTA and EDDS, while no increase was observed in the uptake of Cd. Both chelating agents showed a very low root to shoot translocation capability and the translocation factor was lower than the one of the control. Heavy metals where significantly more phytoavailable than in the control, even after harvesting, resulting in a high heavy metal leaching possibility, probably owing to a low biodegradation rate of EDDS. New seedlings which were transplanted into the EDDS treated pots 7d after the phytoextraction experiment, showed signs of necrosis and chlorosis, which resulted in a significantly lower biomass in comparison to the control. The seedlings on the EDTA treated pots showed no toxicity signs. Contrary to previous opinions the results of this study revealed the chelating agents EDTA and EDDS as unsuitable for enhanced phytoextraction using tobacco.     

Hepatitis E Seroprevalence and Genotyping in a Cohort of Wild Boars in Southern Germany and Eastern Alsace

In the last few years it has been realized that the hepatitis E virus (HEV) is endemic in most industrialized countries and that it is a zoonotic disease. Potential reservoirs for HEV have been identified to be wild boars and deers, but HEV has also been found in domestic pigs and other animals. Due to the probable spread of the virus via contaminated food or contact to infected animals, HEV antibodies are present in more than 16% of the German adult population and rates are increasing with age. We collected blood from 104 wild boars in southern Germany and the border region of Alsace. We found an anti-HEV seroprevalence of 11.5% in our cohort, using ELISA. Furthermore, we observed active infection in 3.85% of the animals by positive HEV PCR in the sera of the boars. In our cohort, no regional differences of seroprevalence or active infection were seen. Sequencing revealed rather close homology of some detected HEV sequences to genotypes isolated from patients in Germany. Hence wild boars are a potential source of HEV infection in Middle Europe and the rate of infectious animals is quite high.