Using spatially explicit,time-dependent analysis to understand how social factors influence conservation outcomes

Conservation across human-dominated landscapes requires an understanding of the social and ecological factors driving outcomes. Studies that link conservation outcomes to social and ecological factors have examined temporally static patterns. However, there may be different social and ecological processes driving increases and decreases in conservation outcomes that can only be revealed through temporal analyses. Through a case study of the invasion of Falcataria moluccana in Hawaii, we examined the association of social factors with increases and decreases in invader distributions over time and space. Over 7 years, rates of invader decrease varied substantially (66–100%) relative to social factors, such as building value, whether land was privately or publically owned, and primary residence by a homeowner, whereas rates of increase varied only slightly (<0.1–3.6%) relative to such factors. These findings suggest that links between social factors and invasion in the study system may be driven more by landowners controlling existing invasive species, rather than by landowners preventing the spread of invasive species. We suggest that spatially explicit, time-dependent analyses provide a more nuanced understanding of the way social factors influence conservation outcomes. Such an understanding can help managers develop outreach programs and policies targeted at different types of landowners in human-dominated landscapes.     

Unbalanced exchange flow and its implications for the night cooling of buildings by displacement ventilation

Environmental Fluid Mechanics - Passive ventilation of buildings at night forms an essential part of a low-energy cooling strategy, enabling excess heat that has accumulated during the day to...     

Hunting for common ground between wildlife governance and commons scholarship

Wildlife hunting is essential to livelihoods and food security in many parts of the world, yet present rates of extraction may threaten ecosystems and human communities. Thus, governing sustainable wildlife use is a major social dilemma and conservation challenge. Commons scholarship is well positioned to contribute theoretical insights and analytic tools to better understand the interface of social and ecological dimensions of wildlife governance, yet the intersection of wildlife studies and commons scholarship is not well studied. We reviewed existing wildlife-hunting scholarship, drawing on a database of 1,410 references, to examine the current overlap with commons scholarship through multiple methods, including social network analysis and deductive coding. We found that a very small proportion of wildlife scholarship incorporated commons theories and frameworks. The social network of wildlife scholarship was densely interconnected with several major publication clusters, whereas the wildlife commons scholarship was sparse and isolated. Despite the overarching gap between wildlife and commons scholarship, a few scholars are studying wildlife commons. The small body of scholarship that bridges these disconnected literatures provides valuable insights into the understudied relational dimensions of wildlife and other overlapping common-pool resources. We suggest increased engagement among wildlife and commons scholars and practitioners to improve the state of knowledge and practice of wildlife governance across regions, particularly for bushmeat hunting in the tropics, which is presently understudied through a common-pool resource lens. Our case study of the Republic of Congo showed how the historical context and interrelationships between hunting and forest rights are essential to understanding the current state of wildlife governance and potential for future interventions. A better understanding of the interconnections between wildlife and overlapping common-pool resource systems may be key to understanding present wildlife governance challenges and advancing the common-pool resource research agenda.     

Deficiency of essential elements in volcanic soils: potential harmful health effects on grazing cattle

Environmental Geochemistry and Health - Several essential nutrients such as Fe, Co, Cu, I, Se, and Zn are vital to grazing cattle as they play a significant role in intracellular enzyme systems,...     

Sequential determination and chemical speciation analysis of inorganic As and Sb in airborne particulate matter collected in outdoor and indoor environments using slurry sampling and detection by HG AAS

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In this work, fast sequential determination and chemical speciation analysis of inorganic arsenic and antimony in airborne particulate matter...     

Private sector participation in urban water and sanitation: Realising social and environmental objectives in developing countries

There has been a large increase in private sector participation (PSP) in the urban water supply and sanitation (WSS) sector in recent years. However, even with increased PSP, public authorities will still have to: ensure that the service providers do not use their market power to exploit customers; internalise public health and environmental externalities; provide mechanisms whereby water consumption is sustainable and allocated efficiently between alternative uses; and stand as a guarantor of a level of service provision that is consistent with a basic standard of living. While there is considerable literature addressing the first of these four issues, the latter three are rather less adequately addressed. Through a review of a number of case studies (Abidjan, Buenos Aires/Cordoba, Mexico City and Manila), this paper provides an overview of the issues involved and some of the mechanisms available to the authorities responsible for the regulation of the sector.     

The effects of parametric uncertainties in simulations of a reactive plume using a Lagrangian stochastic model

A combined Lagrangian stochastic model with micro-mixing and chemical sub-models is used to investigate a reactive plume of nitrogen oxides (NO_x) released into a turbulent grid flow doped with ozone (O₃). Sensitivities to the model input parameters are explored for different source NO_x scenarios. The wind tunnel experiments of Brown and Bilger (1996) provide the simulation conditions for the first case study where photolysis reactions are not included and the main uncertainties occur in parameters defining the turbulence scales, source size and reaction rate of NO with O₃. Using nominal values of the parameters from previous studies, the model gives a good representation of the radial profile of the conserved mean scalar ${\overline{\Gamma }}_{{\text{NO}}_{\text{x}}}$ although slightly over predicts peak mean NO₂ concentrations ${\overline{\Gamma }}_{{\text{NO}}_{\text{2}}}$ compared to the experiments. The high dimensional model representation (HDMR) method is used to investigate the effects of uncertainties in model inputs on the simulation of chemical species concentrations. For this scenario, the Lagrangian velocity structure function coefficient has the largest impact on simulated ${\overline{\Gamma }}_{{\text{NO}}_{\text{x}}}$ profiles. Photolysis reactions are then included in a chemical scheme consisting of eight reactions between species NO, O, O₃ and NO₂. Independent and interactive effects of 22 input parameters are studied for two source NO_x scenarios using HDMR, including turbulence parameters, temperature dependant rate parameters, photolysis rates, temperature, fraction of NO in total NO_x at the source and background ozone concentration [O₃]. For this reactive case, the variance in the predicted mean plume centre ${\overline{\Gamma }}_{{\text{O}}_{\text{3}}}$ is caused by parameters describing both physical (mixing time-scale coefficient) and chemical processes (activation energy for the reaction O₃+NO). The variance in predicted plume centre ${\overline{\Gamma }}_{{\text{NO}}_{\text{2}}}$ and root mean square NO₂ concentration ${\gamma }_{{\text{NO}}_{\text{2}}}^{\prime }$, is strongly influenced by the fraction of NO in the source NO_x, and to a lesser extent the mixing time-scale coefficient. Adjusting the latter gives improved agreement with the Brown and Bilger experiment. Some weak parameter interactions are observed.     

Modelling small groundwater systems: experiences from the Braunton Burrows and Ainsdale coastal dune systems,UK

Coastal dunes are delicate systems that are under threat from a variety of human and natural influences. Groundwater modelling can provide a better understanding of how these systems operate and can be a useful tool towards the effective management of a coastal dune system, e.g. by identifying strategically important locations for flora and fauna and guiding the planning of management operations through predicting impacts from climatic change, sea level rise and land use management. Most dune systems are small, typically of the size 10–100 km², compared with inland groundwater systems. Applying conventional groundwater modelling approaches to these small systems presents a number of challenges due to the local scale of the system and the fact that the system boundaries (sea, drains, ponds etc.) are close to the main body of the aquifer. In this paper, two case studies will be presented using different modelling approaches to understand the groundwater balance in two dune systems in the UK. The studies demonstrate that, although conventional hydraulic models can describe the general system behaviour, a fuller understanding of the recharge mechanisms and system boundaries is needed to represent adequately system dynamics of small groundwater systems.     

Oil spill response capabilities and technologies for ice-covered Arctic marine waters: A review of recent developments and established practices

Renewed political and commercial interest in the resources of the Arctic, the reduction in the extent and thickness of sea ice, and the recent failings that led to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, have prompted industry and its regulatory agencies, governments, local communities and NGOs to look at all aspects of Arctic oil spill countermeasures with fresh eyes. This paper provides an overview of present oil spill response capabilities and technologies for ice-covered waters, as well as under potential future conditions driven by a changing climate. Though not an exhaustive review, we provide the key research results for oil spill response from knowledge accumulated over many decades, including significant review papers that have been prepared as well as results from recent laboratory tests, field programmes and modelling work. The three main areas covered by the review are as follows: oil weathering and modelling; oil detection and monitoring; and oil spill response techniques.     

Relationship between antibiotic residues and occurrence of resistant bacteria in Nile tilapia (Oreochromisniloticus) cultured in cage-farm

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between antibiotic residues found in the muscle of cage-farm-raised Nile tilapia (Oreochromisniloticus), the occurrence of resistant bacteria, and the sanitary practices adopted by farmers in Ilha Solteira reservoir, Brazil. Nine fish (three small fish, 40–200 g; three medium-sized fish, 200–500 g; and three large fish, 500–800 g) were collected from four cage farms every three months from April 2013 to January 2014. Ten antibiotic residues were determined using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and bacteria were isolated and tested for antibiotic resistance to determine the multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index. Only three antibiotics (oxytetracycline, tetracycline, and florfenicol) were detected in the muscle of Nile tilapia, and their residues were the highest in small fish; however, the MAR index was higher in large fish. In addition, a direct positive relationship between the MAR index and the concentration of antibiotic residues in Nile tilapia was found. Overall, the adoption of prophylactic management practices improved the sanitary status of cage farms, reducing bacterial infections and hampering the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.