The Mekong at climatic crossroads: Lessons from the geological past

The wetlands of the lower Mekong River Basin are ecologically and socioeconomically significant, but they are threatened by predicted climatic change. The likely response of wetland ecosystems to altered flooding regimes and surface-water chemistry is unknown in detail and difficult to model. One way of exploring the impact of climate change on wetland ecosystems is to utilize proxy environmental data that reveal patterns of change over geological time. In recent years, the coverage and resolution of proxy climatic data have improved markedly in the region. Recent evidence of the South China Sea transgression into southern and central Cambodia and paleobotanical evidence from the Tonle Sap ("Great Lake") and elsewhere allow us to explore how periods of higher-than-present sea level and increased monsoon rainfall in the past have impacted the wetland ecology of the lower Mekong River Basin.     

Effects of risks of sperm competition on the numbers of eupyrene and apyrene sperm ejaculated by the moth Plodia interpunctella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

This study examines the effects of different risks of sperm competition upon ejaculate characteristics in the moth Plodia interpunctella. In this short-lived species, females will remate and thus generate sperm competition, while males have a limited sperm supply. We therefore predict males to have evolved prudence in ejaculate allocation and investigate the effects of (1) rival male presence, (2) female mating history and (3) female age, upon the ejaculation of eupyrene (fertilizing) and apyrene (non-fertile) sperm numbers. We found no effect of the presence of rival males upon ejaculate characteristics, and conclude, due to the mating system of P. interpunctella, that rival males do not represent a proximate risk of sperm competition. We controlled female mating history by allowing females to receive different and predictable numbers of sperm which they then store for at least 7 days. In subsequent matings (7 days later) we found that new males ejaculated significantly more eupyrene sperm to females that had previously received larger numbers of sperm. We conclude that males increase numbers of eupyrene sperm to maintain success in sperm competition with rival sperm already in storage in the female. We found no effect of female mating history upon the ejaculation of apyrene sperm. Female age, however, had a significant negative effect upon both sperm types. We discuss these results in relation to sperm competition theory and apyrene sperm function.     

Uncertainty communication in environmental assessments: views from the Dutch science-policy interface

Scientific assessments of environmental problems, and policy responses to those problems, involve uncertainties of many sorts. Meanwhile, potential impacts of wrong decisions can be far-reaching. This article explores views on uncertainty and uncertainty communication in the Dutch science-policy interface and studies several issues concerning presentation of uncertainty information. Respondents considered uncertainty communication to be important, but it should be concise and policy relevant. Several factors influence policy relevance, including the place of an issue in the policy cycle, and its novelty, topicality and controversiality. Respondents held particular interest in explicit communication on the implications of uncertainty. Related to this, they appreciated information on different sources and types of uncertainty and qualitative aspects of uncertainty (e.g. pedigree charts). The article also studies probability terms, particularly for IPCC's 33–66% probability interval (‘about as likely as not’). Several terms worked reasonably well, with a median interpretation of 40–60%. Finally, as various target groups have different information needs and different amounts of attention for various parts of a report or communication process, it is important to progressively disclose uncertainty information throughout the communication. Improved communication of uncertainty information leads to a deeper understanding and increased awareness of the phenomenon of uncertainty and its policy implications.     

Female-biased sex allocation in peregrine falcons and other raptors

Summary The sex ratios of nestling Falconiformes in which males are smaller than females are often female biased, despite the apparent costs involved in producing very large female offspring. In Australian peregrine falcons, Falco peregrinus, this bias is most pronounced in broods produced early in the season, and the first eggs to be laid are most likely to produce females. Females that lay early are most likely to be successful breeders. Very large chicks tend to occur in female-biased broods. Collectively, these data suggest that females likely to produce large offspring produce daughters. A modified version of the Trivers/Willard hypothesis is suggested to account for this pattern.Offprint requests to: P.D. Olsen at the second address     

Quantifying the relative irreplaceability of important bird and biodiversity areas

World governments have committed to increase the global protected areas coverage by 2020, but the effectiveness of this commitment for protecting biodiversity depends on where new protected areas are located. Threshold‐ and complementarity‐based approaches have been independently used to identify important sites for biodiversity. We brought together these approaches by performing a complementarity‐based analysis of irreplaceability in important bird and biodiversity areas (IBAs), which are sites identified using a threshold‐based approach. We determined whether irreplaceability values are higher inside than outside IBAs and whether any observed difference depends on known characteristics of the IBAs. We focused on 3 regions with comprehensive IBA inventories and bird distribution atlases: Australia, southern Africa, and Europe. Irreplaceability values were significantly higher inside than outside IBAs, although differences were much smaller in Europe than elsewhere. Higher irreplaceability values in IBAs were associated with the presence and number of restricted‐range species; number of criteria under which the site was identified; and mean geographic range size of the species for which the site was identified (trigger species). In addition, IBAs were characterized by higher irreplaceability values when using proportional species representation targets, rather than fixed targets. There were broadly comparable results when measuring irreplaceability for trigger species and when considering all bird species, which indicates a good surrogacy effect of the former. Recently, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has convened a consultation to consolidate global standards for the identification of key biodiversity areas (KBAs), building from existing approaches such as IBAs. Our results informed this consultation, and in particular a proposed irreplaceability criterion that will allow the new KBA standard to draw on the strengths of both threshold‐ and complementarity‐based approaches.     

Sustainable Water Purification and Energy Generation Over Crystalline Chitosan Grafted Polyaniline Composite

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - The present research demonstrates the design and development of a dual-compartment water purification proto-plant for microbial degradation of organic...     

The role of negative affectivity in the stress process: Tests of alternative models

The prominence of the personality trait of Negative Affectivity (NA) in the stress literature has increased over the last decade. Negative affectivity has been widely reported both to have direct effects on measures of strain, and to act as a potential confounding variable of stressor–strain relations in self-report research (Watson and Clark, 1984). However, more recent work has demonstrated that NA can also moderate environment–outcome relationships, acting as a vulnerability factor in the stress model, or alternatively that its influence may be mediated through perceptions of the work environment. In the present study, these four possible pathways through which NA may be implicated in job satisfaction and symptom report were examined. In terms of symptom report, NA was found to have direct effects, to act as a partial confound, and to play a significant moderating (vulnerability) role. In contrast, for the prediction of job satisfaction, the influence of NA was found to be mediated through perceptions of the work environment. It is concluded that all these potential roles of NA should be more thoroughly considered in future stress research.