Assessment of Population Dynamics of Specific Strains in Groundwater Bioaugmentation Experiments by Two Different Molecular Techniques

A set of microcosm experiments was performed to understand the behaviour of special degraders in bioaugmentation experiments. In the experiments the following chlorobenzene degraders were used: the genetically modified Pseudomonas putida F1CC, and the two wild-type strains Pseudomonas putida GJ31 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa RHO1. These strains were used at an initial cell density of 10⁵ cells mL^–1 groundwater which had been spiked with 1,2-dichlorobenzene (1,2-DCB), 1,4-dichlorobenzene (1,4-DCB) and, as main contaminant, chlorobenzene (CB). The population dynamics and behaviour of the three special degraders within the groundwater microcosms were studied by single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis of 16S rDNA fragments amplified from directly extracted community DNA and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) with species-specific probes. RHO1 disappeared after 4 days as detected by FISH in contrast to SSCP-detection where RHO1 could be found during the whole incubation time. Whereas GEM F1CC and wild-type strain GJ31 survived the whole incubation for 20 days. With both methods we were able to detect all strains with high specificity among the indigenous microbial community. The data sets obtained from SSCP analysis and FISH were highly correlated. Specific band intensity within the SSCPfingerprints and the cell counts determined by FISH gave a quantitative overview about the introduced strains.     

Evaluation of 20 years of environmental monitoring data around Swedish nuclear installations

Twenty years of environmental monitoring data around the Swedish nuclear power plants and the Studsvik research facilities have been evaluated. In the marine environment, Fucus vesiculosus generally has high activity concentrations and the presence of a large variety of radionuclides in comparison with other bioindicators. However, for single nuclides the detection frequency was higher for 110mAg in Littorina spp and for 152Eu in Macoma baltica in comparison with other bioindicators. Close to the discharge point the activity concentration of 60Co in F. vesiculosus and in the discharge water were correlated. In the terrestrial environment, few radionuclides were detected and the activity concentrations were generally low. Of the terrestrial indicators, mosses had the highest activity concentrations and also comprised the largest variety of radionuclides. The radiation doses to humans based on measurements of released activity were small. Based on the results from the evaluation, alternative sampling strategies for the monitoring program are discussed.     

The Potentials and Limitations of Self-reliance and Self-sufficiency at the Local Level: views from southern Sweden

This paper describes a theoretical framework for thinking about self-reliance and self-sufficiency at the local level as one strategy for sustainable local development. Localisation can be regarded as a reaction to the process of globalisation, and can be interpreted in terms of governance and resource use. Self-reliance is related to control over decision making, whereas self-sufficiency refers to fulfilling an individual's or group's physical needs, and thus is linked to resource use. Territoriality can also be interpreted in terms of decision making and resource use. The findings of an interview study concerning self-reliance and self-sufficiency at the local level are presented and discussed in relation to the framework. The strengths of self-reliance and self-sufficiency as strategies for sustainable local development are that these provide opportunities for human-scale, territorial development processes, which through their local scale generate the possibilities of taking into account feedback from the natural environment, and building redundancy into the global system.     

Grundwasserbelastung durch Rüstungsaltlast-Emissionen

Groundwater analyses in the area of the former munitions depository (World War II) ?Dethlinger Teich“ near Munster/Niedersachsen were evaluated. Results from 50 different chemical substances showed that arsenic compounds are the main contaminating chemicals. A new method has been developed to distinguish between morganically- and organically bound compounds. This differentiation is required for risk assessment and evaluation. Also, the relationship of chemical structure and physiological effects in organo arsenic compounds is described.     

支持西印度洋地区海洋和海岸带资源可持续管理的海洋研究

西印度洋(WIO)地区以其迷人的海岸带、丰富的海洋生物多样性以及富饶的海洋和海岸带资源而著称.但是地处WIO地区的许多国家像肯尼亚、莫桑比克、索马里、南非、坦桑尼亚、科摩罗、马达加斯加、毛里求斯、留尼旺、塞舌尔等却极度贫困,特别是近二三十年以来,该地区的环境退化现象以及自然资源和生物多样性的下降越来越明显.     

Beauty ranking of mammalian species kept in the Prague Zoo: does beauty of animals increase the respondents’ willingness to protect them?

Aesthetic preferences for animals correspond with the species’ presence in the worldwide zoos and influence the conservation priorities. Here, we investigated the relationship between the willingness of respondents to protect mammals and some attributed characteristics such as their aesthetic beauty. Further, several methodological aspects of measuring mammalian beauty were assessed. Animal beauty was associated not only with the respondents’ willingness to protect the species but also with its attributed dangerousness and usefulness. We found that the most preferred animals were carnivores and ungulates, whilst smaller species of rodents and afrosoricids were unpopular. The main characteristics determining that an animal will be ranked as beautiful were complex fur pattern and body shape. We demonstrated that the position of mammalian species along the ‘beauty’ axis is surprisingly stable, no matter the form (illustrations vs photographs), context of stimulus presentation (several number of stimuli per family vs one randomly selected species per family), or the method of beauty evaluation (relative order vs Likert’s scale).     

Verteilungskoeffizienten chlorierter Kohlenwasserstoffe zwischen Muskulatur und Leber bei Fischen

Measured partition coefficients (KL_M/L) related to lipid-concentrations between the muscle (C_ML) and liver (C_LL) tissue of two fish species (Abramis brama, Zoarces viviparus) exhibit nominal values of unity according the relationship KL_M/L=C_ML/C_LL=1 for persistent compounds such as highly chlorinated PCB and values above one for degradable compounds for example chlorinated cyclohexanes or DDT. The corresponding theory is presented. The relationship holds for samples for single fish as well as for pooled samples.     

Public information revealed by pellets in nest sites is more important than ecto-parasite avoidance in the settlement decisions of Eurasian kestrels

Animals constantly need to acquire information about the environment for settlement decisions, either by using a trial-and-error strategy or by using public information by monitoring conspecifics. We studied a nest box population of Eurasian kestrels Falco tinnunculus in western Finland to test if pellets and other prey remains accumulated on the bottom of nest boxes are used as public information during settlement. During 2002–2013, nest boxes were randomly cleaned (treatment) or left un-cleaned (control) in each season. It is possible that kestrels reuse nest boxes which include information of successful nesting (i.e. have not been cleaned) because they indicate previous breeding attempt at the site. At the same time, this decision may entail costs because of blood-sucking ecto-parasites like Carnus hemapterus overwintering in the layer of pellets. First, we found that egg-laying date was significantly earlier in un-cleaned control boxes than in cleaned treatment boxes, indicating the use of public information revealed by pellets in the settlement decision. Second, the ecto-parasite burden of young nestlings (age 6–15 days) was significantly higher in un-cleaned control nest boxes. We found higher ecto-parasite infestation in early and lower infestation in late nests, a seasonal trend that is in disagreement with the ecto-parasite avoidance hypothesis. Contrary, in overall lower-infected cleaned boxes, ecto-parasite prevalence remained equal throughout the season. However, the ecto-parasite burden had no obvious effect on breeding success. We conclude that the use of pellets revealing successful breeding attempt of the previous year as public information appeared to be important in the settlement decision of kestrels.