Marginal recycling: place and informal recycling in St. John's,Newfoundland

Informal recycling networks are systems through which impoverished populations earn money and residents recycle waste which might otherwise go into a landfill. These networks, in which people voluntarily self-organise to collect recyclables, occur throughout the world. This article discusses results of an exploratory, qualitative study of one such network in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador which identifies motivational characteristics of the network and their implications for public policy. Through close attention to particularities of place, the research identified community interaction and community inclusion as two of the most active motivating factors within the studied network. The findings suggest public recycling programmes can increase public participation through greater attention to place-based motivational factors. Such participation could contribute to increased sustainability and reach of recycling programmes.     

The use of environmental DNA in invasive species surveillance of the Great Lakes commercial bait trade

Over 180 non‐native species have been introduced in the Laurentian Great Lakes region, many posing threats to native species and ecosystem functioning. One potential pathway for introductions is the commercial bait trade; unknowing or unconcerned anglers commonly release unused bait into aquatic systems. Previous surveillance efforts of this pathway relied on visual inspection of bait stocks in retail shops, which can be time and cost prohibitive and requires a trained individual that can rapidly and accurately identify cryptic species. Environmental DNA (eDNA) surveillance, a molecular tool that has been used for surveillance in aquatic environments, can be used to efficiently detect species at low abundances. We collected and analyzed 576 eDNA samples from 525 retail bait shops throughout the Laurentian Great Lake states. We used eDNA techniques to screen samples for multiple aquatic invasive species (AIS) that could be transported in the bait trade, including bighead (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) and silver carp (H. molitrix), round goby (Neogobius melanostomus), tubenose goby (Proterorhinus marmoratus), Eurasian rudd (Scardinius erythrophthalmus), and goldfish (Carassius auratus). Twenty‐seven samples were positive for at least one target species (4.7% of samples), and all target species were found at least once, except bighead carp. Despite current regulations, the bait trade remains a potential pathway for invasive species introductions in the Great Lakes region. Alterations to existing management strategies regarding the collection, transportation, and use of live bait are warranted, including new and updated regulations, to prevent future introductions of invasive species in the Great Lakes via the bait trade. El Uso del ADN Ambiental en la Vigilancia de Especies Invasoras del Mercado de Carnada Comercial de los Grandes Lagos     

Governance Change and Institutional Adaptation: A Case Study from Harenna Forest, Ethiopia

Many common pool resources have traditionally been managed through intricate local governance arrangements. Over time, such arrangements are confronted with manifold political, social, economic and ecological changes. However, the ways in which local governance arrangements react to such changes are poorly understood. Using the theoretical concept of institutional adaptation, we analyse the history of Harenna forest, Ethiopia, to examine processes of institutional change over the last 150 years. We find that the traditional institutions that governed Harenna’s resources persisted, in essence, over time. However, these institutions were modified repeatedly to address changes caused by varying formal, supra-regional governance regimes, the development of markets for forest products, increasing population pressure and changes in formal property rights. A key mechanism for adaptation was combining elements from both informal and formal institutions, which allowed traditional rules to persist in the guise of more formal arrangements. Our findings also highlight several constraints of institutional adaptation. For example, by abolishing fora for collective decision-making, regime changes limited adaptive capacity. To conclude, we argue that such insights into traditional resource governance and its adaptability and dynamics over time are essential to develop sustainable approaches to participatory forest management for the future, both in Harenna and more generally.     

Herbicides: A new threat to the Great Barrier Reef

The runoff of pesticides (insecticides, herbicides and fungicides) from agricultural lands is a key concern for the health of the iconic Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Relatively low levels of herbicide residues can reduce the productivity of marine plants and corals. However, the risk of these residues to Great Barrier Reef ecosystems has been poorly quantified due to a lack of large-scale datasets. Here we present results of a study tracing pesticide residues from rivers and creeks in three catchment regions to the adjacent marine environment. Several pesticides (mainly herbicides) were detected in both freshwater and coastal marine waters and were attributed to specific land uses in the catchment. Elevated herbicide concentrations were particularly associated with sugar cane cultivation in the adjacent catchment. We demonstrate that herbicides reach the Great Barrier Reef lagoon and may disturb sensitive marine ecosystems already affected by other pressures such as climate change.     

Eurythoe complanata (Polychaeta: Amphinomidae), the ‘cosmopolitan’ fireworm, consists of at least three cryptic species

Eurythoe complanata (Pallas 1766) has been considered a cosmopolitan species with a great morphological similarity across its geographic range. To elucidate whether E. complanata is actually a single species, genetic (cytochrome oxidase subunit I and allozymes) and morphological differences were compared among specimens from the Pacific, Caribbean, and South Atlantic Oceans. Large levels of COI divergence (10–22%) and diagnostic allozyme loci identified three cryptic species: one in the eastern Pacific and two in the Atlantic, with one being morphologically differentiated and found only in islands. COI sequences between Pacific and Atlantic lineages were much more divergent than those of other transisthmian invertebrates, indicating their split before the Panama Isthmus closure or a faster evolutionary rate of COI for this species. The existence of two Atlantic species may be a consequence of parapatric speciation followed by a secondary invasion or even a sympatric speciation in the Atlantic oceanic islands.     

Triangulation in climate change vulnerability assessment: examples from Colorado,USA

Regional Environmental Change - Climate change vulnerability assessment is a key first step for land managers attempting to address the potential impacts of future climatic conditions on important...