Bird‐community responses to habitat creation in a long‐term,large‐scale natural experiment

Ecosystem function and resilience are compromised when habitats become fragmented due to land‐use change. This has led to national and international conservation strategies aimed at restoring habitat extent and improving functional connectivity (i.e., maintaining dispersal processes). However, biodiversity responses to landscape‐scale habitat creation and the relative importance of spatial and temporal scales are poorly understood, and there is disagreement over which conservation strategies should be prioritized. We used 160 years of historic post‐agricultural woodland creation as a natural experiment to evaluate biodiversity responses to habitat creation in a landscape context. Birds were surveyed in 101 secondary, broadleaf woodlands aged 10–160 years with ≥80% canopy cover and in landscapes with 0‐17% broadleaf woodland cover within 3000 m. We used piecewise structural equation modeling to examine the direct and indirect relationships between bird abundance and diversity, ecological continuity, patch characteristics, and landscape structure and quantified the relative conservation value of local and landscape scales for bird communities. Ecological continuity indirectly affected overall bird abundance and species richness through its effects on stand structure, but had a weaker influence (effect size near 0) on the abundance and diversity of species most closely associated with woodland habitats. This was probably because woodlands were rapidly colonized by woodland generalists in ≤10 years (minimum patch age) but were on average too young (median 50 years) to be colonized by woodland specialists. Local patch characteristics were relatively more important than landscape characteristics for bird communities. Based on our results, biodiversity responses to habitat creation depended on local‐ and landscape‐scale factors that interacted across time and space. We suggest that there is a need for further studies that focus on habitat creation in a landscape context and that knowledge gained from studies of habitat fragmentation and loss should be used to inform habitat creation with caution because the outcomes are not necessarily reciprocal.     

Spatial distribution patterns of the soft corals Alcyonium acaule and Alcyonium palmatum in coastal bottoms (Cap de Creus, northwestern Mediterranean Sea)

Current knowledge on the abundance and distribution patterns of different soft coral species is relatively limited when compared to other benthic suspension feeders such as gorgonians and hard coral species. To overcome this scarcity of information, the distribution patterns of the soft corals Alcyonium acaule and Alcyonium palmatum were investigated in northwestern Mediterranean benthic communities over a wide geographical (60 km of coastline) and bathymetrical (0–70 m depth) extent using a remotely operated vehicle. A. acaule was the most abundant species in the study area with highest recorded density of 18 col m^?2 found at depths of 35–45 m in areas that are directly exposed to strong near-bottom currents. Conversely, A. palmatum was only found as scattered solitary colonies at greater depths in soft bottoms, with maximum density of 2.4 col m^?2. Medium and large colonies of A. acaule were preferentially found on sloping and vertical rocky bottoms where they form dense patches. High-density patches of A. acaule were preferentially found on vertical rocky bottom, while isolated colonies were preferentially observed on coralligenous substrata as well as on flat soft and maërl substrates. A. acaule biomass distribution showed highest values between 40 and 45 m depth, and between 60 and 65 m depth. This suggests that deeper populations are formed by colonies that are bigger than the equivalent shallower ones. Although both species are almost genetically identical, ecologically they are very different. For this reason, conservation plans should consider the differential ecological traits shown by these two soft coral species.     

The hyporheic zone: Linking groundwater and surface water—understanding the paradigm

The hyporheic zone, the transition region between groundwater and surface water, represents an important interface between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. When groundwater combines with surface water in this zone, the characteristics of each are blended and new gradients are established, especially for contaminants. Therefore, the hyporheic zone is important in considering the “big ecological picture” as the hydrologic continuum connecting groundwater and surface water. The importance is reflected by the current focus of this zone in ecological risk assessments conducted under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), and Clean Water Act (CWA) programs. A variety of tools can be used to measure, analyze, and predict the physical, chemical, and biological processes that occur within the hyporheic zone. Directly measuring the flux of water across the interface between groundwater and surface water determines whether surface water enters the streambed at downwelling zones or groundwater discharges from the streambed in upwelling zones. In addition to direct measurements of the flux of water, several states have developed models to characterize the interaction of groundwater and surface water. The variability in physical and chemical characteristics between upwelling and downwelling zones influences the local ecology within the zone. The study of the species within the hyporheic zone includes ecological surveys and ecotoxicological investigations. The evolving study of the hyporheic zone will necessitate an increase in basic research into hydraulic considerations, an identification of regional representative sites with contaminated hyporheic zones, and a better understanding of the ecology of the species within the zone. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Environmental degradation and economic growth: evidence for a developing country

This paper examines the relationship between economic growth and environmental degradation in Ecuador from 1971 to 2010. We estimate this relationship in a country with a heavy reliance on revenue from the exploitation of natural resources, the depletion of vegetation cover in recent decades and a low level of participation of industry in GDP. We show the existence of an inverse relationship between real GDP and vegetation cover, indicating that the output of this country is based on environmental degradation. Through Johansen co-integration tests, we check that there is a relationship of long-term equilibrium between the first differences of real GDP, vegetal cover and the urbanization rate. The ECM shows that there is a short-term relationship between vegetation cover, the GDP and the rate of urbanization. Finally, we did not found Granger causality between the variables. A policy implication based on our findings is that policies to protect the environment should not jeopardize economic growth and not limit the rapid urbanization in the country.     

The effect of oxytetracycline on physiological and enzymatic defense responses in aquatic plant species Egeria densa,Azolla caroliniana,and Taxiphyllum barbieri

Oxytetracycline is an antibiotic widely employed in aquaculture to control and treat bacterial diseases of fish. Due to ineffective wastewater treatment, antibiotic residues from fish ponds are directly released into surface and groundwater affecting the environment. The Green Liver System® is a sustainable and cost-effective water treatment based on the ability of aquatic plants to biotransformation xenobiotics. To expand the application range of this system, Egeria densa, Azolla caroliniana, and Taxiphyllum barbieri were tested in response to oxytetracycline exposure. The aquatic plants were exposed to 0.5, 2.0, 5.0, and 25 μg/L oxytetracycline (n = 4) for 24 h in order to analyze the physiological responses (photosynthetic pigment contents and hydrogen peroxide formation -- H₂O₂), the biotransformation process (activity of glutathione S-transferase), and the antioxidant defense (glutathione reductase; peroxidase; and catalase) responses. There were no statistical differences in the photosynthetic pigment contents and H₂O₂ level between the treatment and control groups in the three aquatic plant species. It can be concluded that oxytetracycline does not provoke physiological damage to the tested species within 24 h of exposure. Nevertheless, the antioxidant defense mechanism was activated. Peroxidase and catalase were the most prominent antioxidant enzymes in the three plant species, whereas glutathione S-transferase activity was significantly increased in A. caroliniana and T. barbieri.     

Project house water: a novel interdisciplinary framework to assess the environmental and socioeconomic consequences of flood-related impacts

Protecting our water resources in terms of quality and quantity is considered one of the big challenges of the twenty-first century, which requires global and multidisciplinary solutions. A specific threat to water resources, in particular, is the increased occurrence and frequency of flood events due to climate change which has significant environmental and socioeconomic impacts. In addition to climate change, flooding (or subsequent erosion and run-off) may be exacerbated by, or result from, land use activities, obstruction of waterways, or urbanization of floodplains, as well as mining and other anthropogenic activities that alter natural flow regimes. Climate change and other anthropogenic induced flood events threaten the quantity of water as well as the quality of ecosystems and associated aquatic life. The quality of water can be significantly reduced through the unintentional distribution of pollutants, damage of infrastructure, and distribution of sediments and suspended materials during flood events. To understand and predict how flood events and associated distribution of pollutants may impact ecosystem and human health, as well as infrastructure, large-scale interdisciplinary collaborative efforts are required, which involve ecotoxicologists, hydrologists, chemists, geoscientists, water engineers, and socioeconomists. The research network “project house water” consists of a number of experts from a wide range of disciplines and was established to improve our current understanding of flood events and associated societal and environmental impacts. The concept of project house and similar seed fund and boost fund projects was established by the RWTH Aachen University within the framework of the German excellence initiative with support of the German research foundation (DFG) to promote and fund interdisciplinary research projects and provide a platform for scientists to collaborate on innovative, challenging research. Project house water consists of six proof-of-concept studies in very diverse and interdisciplinary areas of research (ecotoxicology, water, and chemical process engineering, geography, sociology, economy). The goal is to promote and foster high-quality research in the areas of water research and flood-risk assessments that combine and build off-laboratory experiments with modeling, monitoring, and surveys, as well as the use of applied methods and techniques across a variety of disciplines.     

Foraging tactics of an ambush predator: the effects of substrate attributes on prey availability and predator feeding success

The foraging sites selected by an ambush forager can strongly affect its feeding opportunities. Foraging cane toads (Rhinella marina) typically select open areas, often under artificial lights that attract insects. We conducted experimental trials in the field, using rubber mats placed under lights, to explore the influence of substrate color and rugosity on prey availability (numbers, sizes, and types of insects) and toad foraging success. A mat's color (black vs. white) and rugosity (smooth vs. rough) did not influence the numbers, sizes, or kinds of insects that were attracted to it, but toads actively preferred to feed on rugose white mats (50% of prey-capture events, vs. a null of 25%). White backgrounds provided better visual contrast of the (mostly dark) insects, and manipulations of prey color in the laboratory showed that contrast was critical in toad foraging success. Insects landing on rugose backgrounds were slower to leave, again increasing capture opportunities for toads. Thus, cane toads actively select backgrounds that maximize prey-capture opportunities, a bias driven by the ways that substrate attributes influence ease of prey detection and capture rather than by absolute prey densities.     

Do speeding tickets reduce the likelihood of receiving subsequent speeding tickets? A longitudinal study of speeding violators in Maryland

OBJECTIVE: Speeding tickets are the most commonly used tool to deter speeders, yet little is known about how speeding citations affect individual drivers' behavior over time. This study examined the effects of being cited for speeding and types of legal consequences on drivers' subsequent speeding citations, which are an indicator of speeding behavior. METHODS: A cohort of 3,739,951 Maryland licensed drivers were identified and followed for one year. Drivers were categorized by whether or not they received a speeding citation in May 2002. Among those cited for speeding in May 2002, drivers were grouped by type of penalty (fines and points; probation before judgment [PBJ, which results in fines but no points]; or no legal consequences). The relative risks (RR) and 95 percent confidence intervals (CI) of receiving a speeding citation during follow-up were compared between drivers ticketed and not ticketed in May 2002, as well as among different penalty groups. Cox proportional hazards regression modeling was used to adjust for potential confounders, including age, gender, alcohol-impaired driving, and residence. Kaplan-Meier survival functions were used to examine timing of violations. RESULTS: Young drivers and male drivers were more likely to receive a speeding citation. Drivers who received a speeding citation in May 2002 had almost twice the risk of receiving a speeding citation during follow-up, compared with those not cited for speeding that month (RR 1.6, 95% CI 1.52-1.68). Overall legal consequences had no significant effect on the risk of receiving a repeat speeding citation relative to ticketed drivers who escaped those consequences (RR 0.98, 95% CI 0.84-1.15); however, stratified analyses showed a significant decrease in repeat citations among females (RR 0.75, 95% CI 0.63-0.90) and drivers who received PBJ (RR 0.81, 95% CI 0.67-0.96). Kaplan-Meier curves showed that the study group of speeders had a significantly shorter time between May 2002 until receipt of a speeding citation than controls. Among penalty groups, significantly shorter times until receipt of another citation were observed among drivers escaping consequences or receiving fines/points compared with drivers receiving fines/PBJ. CONCLUSIONS: Drivers who receive speeding citations are at increased risk of receiving subsequent speeding citations, suggesting that speeding citations have limited effects on deterrence in the context of the current traffic enforcement system. When comparing different penalties, PBJ is associated with a reduced rate of recidivism more than stronger penalties; however, it is unclear whether the reduction primarily is attributable to the penalty itself or to characteristics of drivers receiving PBJ. Increasing drivers' perceptions that they are at risk of being caught speeding may improve the effectiveness of speeding law enforcement.