Retrospective assessment of dryland soil stability in relation to grazing and climate change

Accelerated soil erosion is an aspect of dryland degradation that is affected by repeated intense drought events and land management activities such as commercial livestock grazing. A soil stability index (SSI) that detects the erosion status and susceptibility of a landscape at the pixel level, i.e., stable, erosional, or depositional pixels, was derived from the spectral properties of an archived time series (from 1972 to 1997) of Landsat satellite data of a commercial ranch in northeastern Utah. The SSI was retrospectively validated with contemporary field measures of soil organic matter and erosion status that was surveyed by US federal land management agencies. Catastrophe theory provided the conceptual framework for retrospective assessment of the impact of commercial grazing and soil water availability on the SSI. The overall SSI trend was from an eroding landscape in the early drier 1970s towards stable conditions in the wetter mid-1980s and late 1990s. The landscape catastrophically shifted towards an extreme eroding state that was coincident with the “The Great North American Drought of 1988”. Periods of landscape stability and trajectories toward stability were coincident with extremely wet El Niño events. Commercial grazing had less correlation with soil stability than drought conditions. However, the landscape became more susceptible to erosion events under multiple droughts and grazing. Land managers now have nearly a year warning of El Niño and La Niña events and can adjust their management decisions according to predicted landscape erosion conditions.     

Tracking Fragmentation of Natural Communities and Changes in Land Cover: Applications of Landsat Data for Conservation in an Urban Landscape (Chicago Wilderness)

Abstract: Greater Chicago is home to a surprisingly high concentration of globally significant natural communities. Within the metropolis survive some of the world's best remaining examples of eastern tallgrass prairie, oak savanna, open oak woodland, and prairie wetland. Chicago Wilderness is more than 81,000 ha of protected areas in the urban and suburban matrix. It also is the name of the coalition of more than 110 organizations committed to the survival of these natural lands. The long-term health of these imperiled communities depends on proper management of the more extensive, restorable lands that surround and connect the patches of high-quality habitat. Information critical to the success of conservation efforts in the region includes (1) a current vegetation map of Chicago Wilderness in sufficient detail to allow quantitative goal setting for the region's biodiversity recovery plan; (2) quantified fragmentation status of the natural communities; and (3) patterns of land-cover change and their effects on the vitality of communities under threat. We used multispectral data from the Landsat thematic mapper (October 1997) and associated ground truthing to produce a current vegetation map. With multitemporal remote-sensing data (acquired in 1972, 1985, and 1997), we derived land-cover maps of the region at roughly equivalent intervals over the past 25 years. Analyses with geographic information system models reveal rapid acceleration of urban and suburban sprawl over the past 12 years. Satellite images provide striking visual comparisons of land use and health. They also provide banks of geographically referenced data that make quantitative tracking of trends possible. The data on habitat degradation and fragmentation are the biological foundation of quantitative goals for regional restoration.     

Positive vs. false detection: A comparison of analytical methods and performance for analysis of cyclic volatile methylsiloxanes (cVMS) in environmental samples from remote regions

Contamination and analytical variation can significantly hinder trace analysis of cyclic methyl volatile siloxanes (cVMS); potentially resulting in the report of false positives at concentrations approaching detection limits. To assess detection and variation associated with trace cVMS analysis in environmental matrices, a co-operative laboratory comparison for the analysis of octametylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4), decamethylcylcopentasiloxane (D5), and dodecametylcyclohexasiloxane (D6) in sediment and biota from the Svalbard Archipelago was conducted. Two definitions of detection limits were evaluated in this study; method detection limits (MDL, matrix defined) and limits of detection (LOD, solvent defined). D5 was the only cVMS detected above both LOD (0.08–0.81 ng g⁻¹ ww) and MDL (0.47–2.36 ng g⁻¹ ww) within sediment by all laboratories where concentrations ranged from 0.55 to 3.91 ng g⁻¹ ww. The percentage of positive detects for D5 decreased by 80% when MDL was defined as the detection limit. D5 was also detected at the highest frequency among all laboratories in fish liver with concentrations ranging from 0.72 to 345 ng g⁻¹ ww. Similar to sediment, percentage of positive detects for D5 decreased by 60% across all laboratories for fish livers when using MDL (0.68–3.49 ng g⁻¹ ww). Similar observations were seen with both D4 and D6, indicating that sample matrix significantly contributes to analytical response variation. Despite differences in analytical methods used between laboratories, good agreement was obtained when using MDL to define detection limits. This study shows the importance of incorporating variation introduced by sample matrices into detection limit calculations to insure data accuracy of cVMS at low concentrations.     

Hydrogen sulfide flux measurements from construction and demolition debris (C&D) landfills

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has been identified as a principal odorous component of gaseous emissions from construction and demolition debris (C&D) landfills. Although several studies have reported the ambient concentrations of H2S near C&D landfills, few studies have quantified emission rates of H2S. One of the most widely used techniques for measuring surface gas emission rates from landfills is the flux chamber method. Flux measurements using the flux chamber were performed at five different C&D landfills from April to August, 2003. The flux rates of H2S measured in this research were between 0.192 and 1.76 mg/(m2-d).     

Effectiveness and kinetics of ferrate as a disinfectant for ballast water

This study examined whether ferrate could meet the international standards for successful ballast water treatment, including final concentrations of less than 1 CFU/mL of Enterococci, less than 2.5 CFU/mL of Escherichia coli, and less than 1 CFU/100 mL of Vibrio cholerae. Pure cultures of E. coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and V. cholerae, and a mixed culture of Enterococcus faecium and E. faecilis were grown in saline solution to simulate ballast water and were treated with dosages of ferrate ranging from 0.25 to 5.0 mg/L. A ferrate dose of 5 mg/L resulted in complete disinfection of all organisms tested, and smaller dosages were also very effective. Tailing was consistently observed, and the Hom's model (1972) appeared to most accurately represent the action of ferrate on these organisms. Salinity and pH did not adversely affect results, and regrowth was not a problem. Ferrate shows good potential as an effective disinfectant in the treatment of ballast water.     

The interactive relationship of competitive climate and trait competitiveness with workplace attitudes,stress, and performance

There has been a considerable debate about the individual and organizational benefits of competition. Adopting a person–environment fit perspective, this research examined the influence of competition as an interaction between trait competitiveness and competitive climate. Using a sample of information technology workers, competitive climate was considered as both an individual level variable and a workgroup variable. Results show that the effect of competitive climate depended on trait competitiveness and the level at which climate was assessed for four of the outcomes assessed: job satisfaction, organizational commitment, job dedication, and supervisor‐rated task performance. In general, the effect of competitive climate was more negative for individuals lower in trait competitiveness. Competitive psychological climate was associated with greater stress regardless of the level of trait competitiveness but was not directly related to self‐rated task performance. Findings suggest that managers should be cautious in encouraging competitive climate. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Workplace offense and victims' reactions: the effects of victim‐offender (dis)similarity,offense‐type,and cultural differences

This study examined the effects of workplace offenders' characteristics and offense‐type on victims' reactions. Responses from 352 employed graduate students in the U.S. and South Korea to a hypothetical offense incident revealed that employees from the U.S. and Korea differ in their expressed desirability of avoiding, seeking revenge against, and reconciling with an offending coworker depending on the offenders' similarity/dissimilarity to the victim and on the type of offense. As expected, Koreans (but not U.S. Americans) were more likely to avoid and to seek revenge on a coworker whose offensive remark was group‐ rather than personally‐directed. In addition, Koreans were most motivated to reconcile when an offensive remark came from a similar rather than dissimilar coworker and when the offense targeted them personally (not their group). However, U.S. Americans were most motivated to reconcile when an offensive remark came from a similar rather than dissimilar other and when the offense targeted their group (not them personally). Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Species composition of the international shark fin trade assessed through a retail‐market survey in Hong Kong

The shark fin trade is a major driver of shark exploitation in fisheries all over the world, most of which are not managed on a species‐specific basis. Species‐specific trade information highlights taxa of particular concern and can be used to assess the efficacy of management measures and anticipate emerging threats. The species composition of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China, one of the world's largest fin trading hubs, was partially assessed in 1999–2001. We randomly selected and genetically identified fin trimmings (n = 4800), produced during fin processing, from the retail market of Hong Kong in 2014–2015 to assess contemporary species composition of the fin trade. We used nonparametric species estimators to determine that at least 76 species of sharks, batoids, and chimaeras supplied the fin trade and a Bayesian model to determine their relative proportion in the market. The diversity of traded species suggests species substitution could mask depletion of vulnerable species; one‐third of identified species are threatened with extinction. The Bayesian model suggested that 8 species each comprised >1% of the fin trimmings (34.1–64.2% for blue [Prionace glauca], 0.2–1.2% for bull [Carcharhinus leucas] and shortfin mako [Isurus oxyrinchus]); thus, trade was skewed to a few globally distributed species. Several other coastal sharks, batoids, and chimaeras are in the trade but poorly managed. Fewer than 10 of the species we modeled have sustainably managed fisheries anywhere in their range, and the most common species in trade, the blue shark, was not among them. Our study and approach serve as a baseline to track changes in composition of species in the fin trade over time to better understand patterns of exploitation and assess the effects of emerging management actions for these animals.     

A meta‐analytic evaluation of diversity training outcomes

The purpose of this meta‐analysis was to use theory and research on diversity, attitudes, and training to examine potential differential effects on affective‐based, cognitive‐based, and skill‐based outcomes, to examine potential moderators of those effects with a focus on affective‐based outcomes, and finally, to provide quantitative estimates of these posited relationships. Results from 65 studies (N = 8465) revealed sizable effects on affective‐based, cognitive‐based, and skill‐based outcomes as well as interesting boundary conditions for these effects on affective‐based outcomes. This study provides practical value to human resources managers and trainers wishing to implement diversity training within organizations as well as interesting theoretical advances for researchers. Practitioners have quantitative evidence that diversity training changes affective‐based, cognitive‐based, and skill‐based trainee outcomes. This study also supports and addresses future research needs. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A typology of time‐scale mismatches and behavioral interventions to diagnose and solve conservation problems

Ecological systems often operate on time scales significantly longer or shorter than the time scales typical of human decision making, which causes substantial difficulty for conservation and management in socioecological systems. For example, invasive species may move faster than humans can diagnose problems and initiate solutions, and climate systems may exhibit long‐term inertia and short‐term fluctuations that obscure learning about the efficacy of management efforts in many ecological systems. We adopted a management‐decision framework that distinguishes decision makers within public institutions from individual actors within the social system, calls attention to the ways socioecological systems respond to decision makers’ actions, and notes institutional learning that accrues from observing these responses. We used this framework, along with insights from bedeviling conservation problems, to create a typology that identifies problematic time‐scale mismatches occurring between individual decision makers in public institutions and between individual actors in the social or ecological system. We also considered solutions that involve modifying human perception and behavior at the individual level as a means of resolving these problematic mismatches. The potential solutions are derived from the behavioral economics and psychology literature on temporal challenges in decision making, such as the human tendency to discount future outcomes at irrationally high rates. These solutions range from framing environmental decisions to enhance the salience of long‐term consequences, to using structured decision processes that make time scales of actions and consequences more explicit, to structural solutions aimed at altering the consequences of short‐sighted behavior to make it less appealing. Additional application of these tools and long‐term evaluation measures that assess not just behavioral changes but also associated changes in ecological systems are needed.