Degradation of extracellular genomic,plasmid DNA and specific antibiotic resistance genes by chlorination

Extracellular DNA structure damaged by chlorination was characterized. Integrity of extracellular ARG genetic information after chlorination was determined. Typical chlorine doses will likely effectively diminish extracellular DNA and ARGs. Plasmid DNA/ARGs were less readily broken down than genomic DNA. The Bioanalyzer methodology effectively documented damage incurred to DNA. There is a need to improve understanding of the effect of chlorine disinfection on antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in order to advance relevant drinking water, wastewater, and reuse treatments. However, few studies have explicitly assessed the physical effects on the DNA. Here we examined the effects of free chlorine (1–20 mg Cl₂/L) on extracellular genomic, plasmid DNA and select ARGs. Chlorination was found to decrease the fluorometric signal of extracellular genomic and plasmid DNA (ranging from 0.005 to 0.05 mg/mL) by 70%, relative to a no-chlorine control. Resulting DNA was further subject to a fragment analysis using a Bioanalyzer, indicating that chlorination resulted in fragmentation. Moreover, chlorine also effectively deactivated both chromosomal- and plasmid-borne ARGs, mecA and tetA, respectively. For concentrations >2 mg Cl₂//L × 30 min, chlorine efficiently reduced the qPCR signal when the initial concentration of ARGs was 10⁵ copies/mL or less. Notably, genomic DNA and mecA gene signals were more readily reduced by chlorine than the plasmid-borne tetA gene (by ~2 fold). Based on the results of qPCR with short (~200 bps) and long amplicons (~1200 bps), chlorination could destroy the integrity of ARGs, which likely reduces the possibility of natural transformation. Overall, our findings strongly illustrate that chlorination could be an effective method for inactivating extracellular chromosomal- and plasmid-borne DNA and ARGs.     

Minimizing opportunity costs to aquatic connectivity restoration while controlling an invasive species

Controlling invasive species is critical for conservation but can have unintended consequences for native species and divert resources away from other efforts. This dilemma occurs on a grand scale in the North American Great Lakes, where dams and culverts block tributary access to habitat of desirable fish species and are a lynchpin of long‐standing efforts to limit ecological damage inflicted by the invasive, parasitic sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus). Habitat restoration and sea‐lamprey control create conflicting goals for managing aging infrastructure. We used optimization to minimize opportunity costs of habitat gains for 37 desirable migratory fishes that arose from restricting sea lamprey access (0–25% increase) when selecting barriers for removal under a limited budget (US$1–105 million). Imposing limits on sea lamprey habitat reduced gains in tributary access for desirable species by 15–50% relative to an unconstrained scenario. Additional investment to offset the effect of limiting sea‐lamprey access resulted in high opportunity costs for 30 of 37 species (e.g., an additional US$20–80 million for lake sturgeon [Acipenser fulvescens]) and often required ≥5% increase in sea‐lamprey access to identify barrier‐removal solutions adhering to the budget and limiting access. Narrowly distributed species exhibited the highest opportunity costs but benefited more at less cost when small increases in sea‐lamprey access were allowed. Our results illustrate the value of optimization in limiting opportunity costs when balancing invasion control against restoration benefits for diverse desirable species. Such trade‐off analyses are essential to the restoration of connectivity within fragmented rivers without unleashing invaders.     

Identification of policies for a sustainable legal trade in rhinoceros horn based on population projection and socioeconomic models

Between 1990 and 2007, 15 southern white (Ceratotherium simum simum) and black (Diceros bicornis) rhinoceroses on average were killed illegally every year in South Africa. Since 2007 illegal killing of southern white rhinoceros for their horn has escalated to >950 individuals/year in 2013. We conducted an ecological–economic analysis to determine whether a legal trade in southern white rhinoceros horn could facilitate rhinoceros protection. Generalized linear models were used to examine the socioeconomic drivers of poaching, based on data collected from 1990 to 2013, and to project the total number of rhinoceroses likely to be illegally killed from 2014 to 2023. Rhinoceros population dynamics were then modeled under 8 different policy scenarios that could be implemented to control poaching. We also estimated the economic costs and benefits of each scenario under enhanced enforcement only and a legal trade in rhinoceros horn and used a decision support framework to rank the scenarios with the objective of maintaining the rhinoceros population above its current size while generating profit for local stakeholders. The southern white rhinoceros population was predicted to go extinct in the wild <20 years under present management. The optimal scenario to maintain the rhinoceros population above its current size was to provide a medium increase in antipoaching effort and to increase the monetary fine on conviction. Without legalizing the trade, implementing such a scenario would require covering costs equal to approximately $147,000,000/year. With a legal trade in rhinoceros horn, the conservation enterprise could potentially make a profit of $717,000,000/year. We believe the 35‐year‐old ban on rhinoceros horn products should not be lifted unless the money generated from trade is reinvested in improved protection of the rhinoceros population. Because current protection efforts seem to be failing, it is time to evaluate, discuss, and test alternatives to the present policy.     

Variability in climate change simulations affects needed long-term riverine nutrient reductions for the Baltic Sea

Changes to runoff due to climate change may influence management of nutrient loading to the sea. Assuming unchanged river nutrient concentrations, we evaluate the effects of changing runoff on commitments to nutrient reductions under the Baltic Sea Action Plan. For several countries, climate projections point to large variability in load changes in relation to reduction targets. These changes either increase loads, making the target more difficult to reach, or decrease them, leading instead to a full achievement of the target. The impact of variability in climate projections varies with the size of the reduction target and is larger for countries with more limited commitments. In the end, a number of focused actions are needed to manage the effects of climate change on nutrient loads: reducing uncertainty in climate projections, deciding on frameworks to identify best performing models with respect to land surface hydrology, and increasing efforts at sustained monitoring of water flow changes.     

Conservation mycology in Australia and the potential role of citizen science

Fungi are undoubtedly important for ecosystem functioning; however, they have been omitted or given scant attention in most biodiversity policy documents, management plans, and formal conservation schedules throughout the world. This oversight may be due to a general lack of awareness in the scientific community and compounded by a scarcity of mycology‐associated curricula at the tertiary level and a lack of mycologists in research institutions. Although molecular techniques advance the systematic cataloging of fungi and facilitate insights into fungal communities, the scarcity of professional mycologists in the environmental sciences hampers conservation efforts. Conversely, citizen science initiatives are making significant contributions to the mycology discipline by increasing awareness and extending the scope of fungal surveys. Future research by professional and amateur mycologists into the distribution of fungi and their function in ecosystems will help identify wider and more effective conservation goals.     

Biological invasions: recommendations for U.S. policy and management.

The Ecological Society of America has evaluated current U.S. national policies and practices on biological invasions in light of current scientific knowledge. Invasions by harmful nonnative species are increasing in number and area affected; the damages to ecosystems, economic activity, and human welfare are accumulating. Without improved strategies based on recent scientific advances and increased investments to counter invasions, harm from invasive species is likely to accelerate. Federal leadership, with the cooperation of state and local governments, is required to increase the effectiveness of prevention of invasions, detect and respond quickly to new potentially harmful invasions, control and slow the spread of existing invasions, and provide a national center to ensure that these efforts are coordinated and cost effective. Specifically, the Ecological Society of America recommends that the federal government take the following six actions: (1) Use new information and practices to better manage commercial and other pathways to reduce the transport and release of potentially harmful species; (2) Adopt more quantitative procedures for risk analysis and apply them to every species proposed for importation into the country; (3) Use new cost-effective diagnostic technologies to increase active surveillance and sharing of information about invasive species so that responses to new invasions can be more rapid and effective; (4) Create new legal authority and provide emergency funding to support rapid responses to emerging invasions; (5) Provide funding and incentives for cost-effective programs to slow the spread of existing invasive species in order to protect still uninvaded ecosystems, social and industrial infrastructure, and human welfare; and (6) Establish a National Center for Invasive Species Management (under the existing National Invasive Species Council) to coordinate and lead improvements in federal, state, and international policies on invasive species. Recent scientific and technical advances provide a sound basis for more cost-effective national responses to invasive species. Greater investments in improved technology and management practices would be more than repaid by reduced damages from current and future invasive species. The Ecological Society of America is committed to assist all levels of government and provide scientific advice to improve all aspects of invasive-species management.     

Teil 1: PCDD/F in Böden,Vegetation und Kuhmilch

Soil samples were taken from residential gardens, grasslands and forests at 22 locations in Marsberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, and analyzed for PCDD/F. Sampling was concentrated on the vicinity of a former copper smelter where copper waste material (calledKieselrot) was deposited and emissions from former stacks contaminated a large land area. Maximum PCDD/F-concentrations were 407 ng TE GBA/kg dm in garden soil (0–30 cm depth), 98 ng TE BGA/kg dm in agricultural grassland (0–10 cm depth), 227 ng TE BGA/kg dm in wasteland, and up to 8073 ng TE BGA/kg dm in forest soils. PCDD/F-levels in soil decreased with increasing distance from the former sources providing a large historic emission problem, apart from the still existing kieselrot waste site. Ash residues from former flue gas duct showed up to 2,4 mg TE BGA/kg dm. PCDD/F-concentrations in vegetable samples from highly contaminated garden soils and grass from agricultural grassland were found to be relatively low in relation to soil values. PCDD/F-levels in salad showed a mean of 2,2 ng TE BGA/kg dm while grass concentrations were <6 ng TE BGA/kg dm. Thus, no correlation was found between soil and vegetation values with the exception for carrot roots where obviously a small transfer of PCDD/F between the two media took place. PCDD/F-content in grass taken over the vegetation period showed a tendency to increase toward the end of the growing season, which is probably related to changes in the dry matter yield over the season. No correlation was found in general between soil, grass and milk PCDD/F contents when all samples were taken from the same grassland. PCDD/F-concentrations in milk ranged between 0,6 and 1,1 pg TE BGA/g milkfat and were thus in the same range as consumer milk in the Federal Republic of Germany. PCDD/F in needles from conifers showed a clear relationship with respect to distance from the former waste site. The relatively high levels in conifer needles [36 ng TE BGA/kg dm] were obviously due to sporting activities (i.e. motocross racing where contaminated material was resuspended and deposited on surrounding trees).     

Der Einsatz von Pflanzentests bei der Sedimentbewertung

Up to now, sediment studies have mainly used standardized aquatic bioassays with organisms of the three trophic levels. Among these, algae are the only representatives of the entire plant kingdom. Bioassays with higher plants have hardly been used for the assessment of sediments. The aim of the present study is to demonstrate that the use of higher plants in biotests for analyses of anthropogenically contaminated sediments yields valuable results, which may be included in a concept for the integrated assessment of waters. The contamination by environmental chemicals was determined in the River Elbe by means of samples taken at the Fahlberg-List industrial site at Magdeburg in combination with studies in a reference area on the Müritz-Elde Waterway (Eldenburger Kanal). Sediment extracts and pore waters were tested with the aquatic lemna test. For comparison, first sediment contact tests withLemna minor were tried out. The whole extract of the sediment from Fahlberg-List Magdeburg and one fraction F5 caused distinct damages of the plants. Obviously, the phytotoxic substances of the whole extract are preferentially concentrated in the highly polar fraction F5. A comparison with chemical analytical data proved that the whole fraction F0 and the fraction F5 were heavily contaminated with chemicals. Assays with pore water from this sediment and with the whole sediment also caused a strong inhibition of growth. These results confirm the high contamination of the sediment from Magdeburg. The tests with the reference sediment suggested only a moderate toxic contamination. The results of this study prove that the selected aquatic plant,Lemna minor, is basically able to indicate contamination. In the aquatic test of the sediment extracts, it showed weak, but very selective, responses to certain classes of contaminants. Fractionating of the sample and subsequent chemical analysis combined with toxicity tests allow to narrow down the groups of substances causing toxic effects. This toxicity was confirmed by analyses of the pore waters and whole sediment samples. Together with other toxicity tests (e.g. standardized bioassays) and combined with biological benthos examinations, an overall judgment can be given for the integrated assessment of waters.     

International Environmental Agreements:Politics, Law and Economics (INEA)

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International Environmental Agreements:Politics, Law and Economics (INEA)