Atmospheric fall-out of metals around the Murano glass-making district (Venice,Italy)

Background, aim and scope  

Murano’s glass-makers have held a monopoly on quality glass-making for centuries known all over the world. Artistic glass manufacture entails exposure to complex mixtures of pollutants, including metals. A few studies have reported high levels of trace elements in marine waters, sediments and mussels around Murano and shown that emissions from Murano glass-making workshops significantly influence air quality in the Venice area. Nevertheless, to date, there is very little information on atmospheric concentrations and virtually none on atmospheric deposition fluxes of trace elements around the island. This study presents data on the distribution of trace elements in the air and atmospheric depositions around Murano, based on a 2-year sampling period.     

Farmers' Motivations for Adopting Conservation Practices along Riparian Zones in a Mid-western Agricultural Watershed

In the agricultural Mid-west, riparian corridors are vital for protecting biodiversity and water quality. The cumulative management decisions of hundreds of private landowners have a tremendous impact on this riparian zone. This study of 268 farmers in a typical Mid-western watershed in Michigan looked at farmer's motivations for adopting conservation practices, their current management practices along their rivers and drains as well as their future management plans. The results of the study showed that farmers are intrinsically motivated to practise conservation by such factors as their attachment to their land, rather than by motivations such as receiving economic compensation. Farmers are also likely to engage in conservation practices that make their farm appear well-managed. Furthermore, those farmers with strong intrinsic motivations were likely to adopt conservation practices that protect streams, such as maintaining a woody vegetative buffer or practicing no-till farming. This study shows that protecting riparian resources in agricultural watersheds requires strategies for conservation that respect farmers' attachment to their land and their desire to practise good stewardship.     

Improving Access to Water Resources through Rainwater Harvesting as A Mitigation Measure: The Case of the Brazilian Semi-Arid Region

This paper focuses on the importance of rainwater harvesting to mitigate the scarcity of water in the semi-arid region of Brazil. It is a case study about the Million Cisterns Project, an initiative developed by NGOs with the support of Brazilian Federal Government Institutions and international funding organizations. The project is innovative in a series of ways when compared to mitigation measures previously implemented by the government. Instead of focussing on short-term, top-down, palliative measures based on the construction of dams and wells, it focuses on low cost, bottom-up, long-term measures and, most importantly, it involves an educational component. Thus, the provision of water is closely related to the empowerment of the most destitute population and this leads to the sustainability of the actions. The case study serves to illustrate the relevance of the partnership between grassroots organizations and governmental institutions in the context of mitigation.     

Evaluating Completeness of Species Lists for Conservation and Macroecology: a Case Study of Mexican Land Birds

Abstract: Studies of species diversity, macroecology, and conservation are usually based on lists of species, but lists found in the scientific literature vary in completeness. The use of such data sets can produce misleading results, making it necessary to test species lists for completeness before undertaking an analysis. Species-richness estimators are useful for judging the completeness of species lists but have limitations. To add rigor to studies based on species lists, we propose that species lists should test for " omnipresent" taxa—species, genera, and families that occur throughout the region concerned—and for a minimum number of species and families. As a case study, we compared species assemblages in diverse habitats in Mexico and found that seven families and two genera of land birds are omnipresent in mainland Mexico (excluding treeless areas) and that the most depauperate assemblage known contains 35 species from 21 families. We concluded that a list of land birds from Mexico that lacks any of these omnipresent taxa or that contains fewer than 35 species or 21 families is incomplete. Similar analyses can be done for other taxa and other parts of the world. Tests for omnipresent taxa and for a minimum number of species and families can be used in combination with other existing criteria, such as species-richness functions, to better evaluate the completeness of species lists. Realistic results may be produced in macroecological and conservation studies only if they are based on reasonably complete species lists.