Income and Price Elasticities of Bushmeat Demand in Lowland Amerindian Societies

Abstract: Consumption of bushmeat is an important component of household economies in most tropical forested regions of the world and is resulting in unsustainable levels of hunting, even in relatively isolated regions. We conducted standardized surveys of household consumption, income, wealth, and education level among Amerindian societies in Central and South America. Results suggest 1) demand for bushmeat may follow an inverted ∪ pattern with income, 2) consumers, particularly the most well-off, reduce their consumption of bushmeat as the price increases; and 3) a small decrease in the price of meat from domesticated animals is likely to lead to a large decrease in the consumption of fish but not of bushmeat. Policy makers may be able to reduce demand for bushmeat by raising the price of bushmeat, by increasing the direct and opportunity costs of hunting, and by raising household income.     

Ionic species associated with PM2.5 in the City of Guadalajara, México during 2007

Atmospheric aerosol particles were collected from January to December 2007 at two sites in the City of Guadalajara. The first site (Centro) is located in the downtown, which is characterized by high vehicular traffic, and the second site (Miravalle) is in the southern part of the city, characterized by emissions from high industrial and vehicular activity. Sulfates, nitrates, and ammonium were the most abundant ions at both sites. Similar concentrations of sulfates, nitrates, and ammonium were observed throughout the year at Centro while only sulfates and nitrates were similar at Miravalle. From the balance of anions and cations at the two sites, Centro was determined to have acidic particles, while at Miravalle, the particles were alkaline. Based on the analysis of the ammonium/sulfate molar ratios, it was determined that in Centro, there was not enough ammonium to neutralize the sulfate, while at Miravalle, ammonium practically neutralized all sulfate.     

Growth and Histopathological Effects of Chronic Exposition of Marine Pejerrey Odontesthes argentinensis Larvae to Petroleum Water-Soluble Fraction (WSF)

The water-soluble fraction (WSF) of petroleum contains a mixture of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, volatile hydrocarbons, phenols, and heterocyclic compounds, considered deleterious to aquatic biota. Marine “pejerrey” Odontesthes argentinensis (Teleostei: Atherinopsidae) has a great commercial importance in local fisheries and a high potential for aquaculture. The aim of this study was to evaluate the histopathological effects in “pejerrey” larvae exposed to different concentrations of petroleum WSF. The chronic toxicity test was conducted with newly hatched larvae exposed for 21 days to sublethal concentrations of WSF (2.5, 5, 10, and 20 % of WSF), plus one control. Survival and growth were significantly lower in the highest concentration. Several histopathological changes were found in the gills (e.g., hyperplasia, aneurisms, edema, and necrosis), kidney (e.g., nuclear alterations, decrease in the hematopoietic cells), and liver (e.g., hypertrophy, karyorrhexis, and karyopyknosis). An index of branchial lesion was proposed to standardize gill lesions to different pollutants.     

Persistence of airline accidents

This paper expands on air travel accident research by examining the relationship between air travel accidents and airline traffic or volume in the period from 1927–2006. The theoretical model is based on a representative airline company that aims to maximise its profits, and it utilises a fractional integration approach in order to determine whether there is a persistent pattern over time with respect to air accidents and air traffic. Furthermore, the paper analyses how airline accidents are related to traffic using a fractional cointegration approach. It finds that airline accidents are persistent and that a (non‐stationary) fractional cointegration relationship exists between total airline accidents and airline passengers, airline miles and airline revenues, with shocks that affect the long‐run equilibrium disappearing in the very long term. Moreover, this relation is negative, which might be due to the fact that air travel is becoming safer and there is greater competition in the airline industry. Policy implications are derived for countering accident events, based on competition and regulation.     

Investigating stock structure and trophic relationships among island-associated dolphins in the oceanic waters of the North Atlantic using fatty acid and stable isotope analyses

Short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) and Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) are the two most abundant cetacean species in the oceanic waters of Madeira and the Azores. They are of similar size, occur in similar habitats and are regularly observed in mixed-species groups to forage together. Genetic analyses suggested that, within each species, dolphins ranging around both archipelagos belong to the same panmictic population. We tested the hypotheses that (1) within each species, individuals from the two archipelagos belong to a single ecological stock; (2) between species, common and spotted dolphins have distinct trophic niches; using fatty acid (FA) and stable isotope (SI) analyses. Fatty acids and stable isotopes were analysed from 86 blubber and 150 skin samples of free-ranging dolphins, respectively. Sex-related differences were not significant, except for common dolphin FA profiles. In S. frontalis, FA and SI differences between archipelagos suggested that individuals belonged to different ecological stocks, despite the existence of gene flow between the two archipelagos. In D. delphis, differences were more pronounced, but it was not possible to distinguish between stock structure and a seasonal effect, due to differential sampling periods in the Azores and Madeira. Inter-specific comparisons were restricted to the Azores where all samples were collected during summer. Differences in FA proportions, noticeably for FA of dietary origin, as well as in nitrogen SI profiles, confirmed that both species feed on distinct resources. This study emphasizes the need for an integrated approach including both genetic and biochemical analyses for stock assessment, especially in wide-ranging marine top predators.     

巴西中小企业的清洁生产挑战

微型、小型和中型企业创造了巴西的主要财富.但是这些企业却难以遵守环境法律.在这种情况下,清洁生产意义重大;它使得应用简便、廉价、持续的解决方案帮助小企业减少其环境影响、降低雇员的健康和安全风险成为可能.清洁生产战略通过把中心放在减少浪费和损耗上而改善环境条件.在实施清洁生产措施的同时,对一些措施的环境效率和经济可行性进行评估.采用最多的是良好的内务管理等简便措施.良好的内务管理包括业务参数的最优化、程序的标准化、改进买卖系统以及维护、信息和培训程序的最优化.巴西良好的内务管理战略所占的优势表明了对低成本解决方案的优先选择.     

Historical biogeography and speciation in the Creole wrasses (Labridae, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Clepticus</Emphasis>)

We tested whether vicariance or dispersal was the likely source of speciation in the genus Clepticus by evaluating the evolutionary timing of the effect of the mid-Atlantic barrier, which separates C. brasiliensis and C. africanus, and the Amazon barrier, which separates C. parrae and C brasiliensis. Genetic data from three mitochondrial genes and one nuclear gene were used. Mitochondrial genes separated Clepticus into three well supported clades corresponding to the three recognized allopatric morpho-species. All analyses provided consistent support for an initial separation (~9.68 to 1.86 mya; 4.84% sequence divergence) of the Caribbean and South Atlantic lineages, followed by a much more recent divergence (~ 0.60 to 0.12 mya; 0.3% sequence divergence) of the Brazilian and African sister morpho-species. Both these phylogenetic events occurred well after the formation of the two barriers that currently separate those three allopatric populations. The planktonic larval duration of these species (35–49 days) and coastal pelagic habits may have facilitated dispersal by this genus across those dispersal barriers after they formed.     

Soils from abandoned shooting range facilities as contamination source of potentially toxic elements: distribution among soil geochemical fractions

Environmental Geochemistry and Health - Civilian and military shooting range facilities cause environmental issues in several countries due to the accumulation of Potentially Toxic Elements; as a...     

Elimination of pharmaceutical pollutants by solar photoelectro-Fenton process in a pilot plant

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In this study, the simultaneous degradation of antibiotics (ampicillin, sulfamethazine, and tetracycline; and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories...