The importance of Indigenous Peoples’ lands for the conservation of terrestrial mammals

Indigenous Peoples’ lands cover over one-quarter of Earth's surface, a significant proportion of which is still free from industrial-level human impacts. As a result, Indigenous Peoples and their lands are crucial for the long-term persistence of Earth's biodiversity and ecosystem services. Yet, information on species composition on these lands globally remains largely unknown. We conducted the first comprehensive analysis of terrestrial mammal composition across mapped Indigenous lands based on data on area of habitat (AOH) for 4460 mammal species assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. We overlaid each species’ AOH on a current map of Indigenous lands and found that 2695 species (60% of assessed mammals) had ≥10% of their ranges on Indigenous Peoples’ lands and 1009 species (23%) had >50% of their ranges on these lands. For threatened species, 473 (47%) occurred on Indigenous lands with 26% having >50% of their habitat on these lands. We also found that 935 mammal species (131 categorized as threatened) had ≥ 10% of their range on Indigenous Peoples’ lands that had low human pressure. Our results show how important Indigenous Peoples’ lands are to the successful implementation of conservation and sustainable development agendas worldwide.     

Matches and mismatches between conservation investments and biodiversity values in the European Union

Recently, the European Commission adopted a new strategy to halt the loss of biodiversity. Member states are expected to favor a more effective collection and redistribution of European Union (EU) funds under the current Multiannual Financial Framework for 2014–2020. Because of the large spatial variation in the distribution of biodiversity and conservation needs at the continental scale, EU instruments should ensure that countries with higher biodiversity values get more funds and resources for the conservation than other countries. Using linear regressions, we assessed the association between conservation investments and biodiversity values across member states, accounting for a variety of conservation investment indicators, taxonomic groups (including groups of plants, vertebrates, and invertebrates), and indicators of biodiversity value. In general, we found clear overall associations between conservation investments and biodiversity variables. However, some countries received more or less investment than would be expected based on biodiversity values in those countries. We also found that the extensive use of birds as unique indicators of conservation effectiveness may lead to biased decisions. Our results can inform future decisions regarding funding allocation and thus improve distribution of EU conservation funds.     

Genetic profile of overweight and obese school-age children

Obesity is associated with overproduction of free radicals that promotes genotoxicity and could be measured as micronuclei (MN) and nuclear abnormalities (NA) in buccal mucosa cells. The frequency of MN and NA in buccal mucosa cells from overweight and obesity school-age children was determined. In a cross-sectional study, four anthropometric parameters were obtained from each child and one buccal mucosa sample was collected from each child. The slides were stained with orcein and fast green and microscopically analyzed for MN and NA. Twenty overweight and obesity school-age children (7–11 years old) from three schools located at the metropolitan area of Guadalajara were selected to form three groups with 20 children each, according to the weight features as follows: (1) normal weight; (2) overweight; and (3) obesity. No marked differences were found between groups for frequency of MN and NA. Genotoxicity, as indicated by increase in binucleated (BN) cells, was found in children within both overweight and obese groups exposed to passive tobacco smoke. There was no evidence of genetic instability in overweight and obese school-age children and no associations between body weight and genotoxicity markers found.     

Growth and production of new recruits and adult individuals of Ascophyllum nodosum in a non-harvested population at its southern limit (Galicia,NW Spain)

Populations near the geographic distribution limits of the species are considered to live under suboptimal conditions, and hence, slight environmental changes can be critical for their survival. The potential sensitivity to disturbances of the long-living macroalga Ascophyllum nodosum was analyzed by the determination of growth, recruitment, mortality, and production of biomass of a population near its southern distribution limit. Recruitment, survival and growth rates of <2 years old individuals were determined in a new population growing in experimentally denudated squares. Demographic data for >2 years old individuals were obtained from individuals in the original population after estimating their age from the number of gas bladders in the thallus. Growth and survival were described as continuous nonlinear functions of age applied to the population and were further used to make demography-based production estimates. Recruitment of A. nodosum in denudated substrates seemed to require a previous cover of other macroalgae (as Fucus vesiculosus) as the only cohort detected during the 26-month period of the study was observed after F. vesiculosus individuals started to increase. The low production estimates (2,033 g m^?2 for a 10 year period) and poor recruitment may indicate a slow recuperation of this population to denudation. However, the large variability observed in the estimated growth curves of different populations along this southern distribution area suggests a large influence of local conditions that may help to overcome environmental changes at regional scales.     

Arsenic partitioning among particle-size fractions of mine wastes and stream sediments from cinnabar mining districts

Tailings from abandoned mercury mines represent an important pollution source by metals and metalloids. Mercury mining in Asturias (north-western Spain) has been carried out since Roman times until the 1970s. Specific and non-specific arsenic minerals are present in the paragenesis of the Hg ore deposit. As a result of intensive mining operations, waste materials contain high concentrations of As, which can be geochemically dispersed throughout surrounding areas. Arsenic accumulation, mobility and availability in soils and sediments are strongly affected by the association of As with solid phases and granular size composition. The objective of this study was to examine phase associations of As in the fine grain size subsamples of mine wastes (La Soterraña mine site) and stream sediments heavily affected by acid mine drainage (Los Rueldos mine site). An arsenic-selective sequential procedure, which categorizes As content into seven phase associations, was applied. In spite of a higher As accumulation in the finest particle-size subsamples, As fractionation did not seem to depend on grain size since similar distribution profiles were obtained for the studied granulometric fractions. The presence of As was relatively low in the most mobile forms in both sites. As was predominantly linked to short-range ordered Fe oxyhydroxides, coprecipitated with Fe and partially with Al oxyhydroxides and associated with structural material in mine waste samples. As incorporated into short-range ordered Fe oxyhydroxides was the predominant fraction at sediment samples, representing more than 80 % of total As.     

Advances in surfactants for agrochemicals

Pesticide efficacy is improved by surfactants. Increase in the foliar uptake is particularly useful for herbicides, growth regulators and defoliants, because less active compounds are needed, thus decreasing cost and pollution. Therefore, the choice of the adjuvant in an agrochemical formulation is crucial. The surfactants commonly used as adjuvants include anionic, non-ionic, amphoteric and cationic surfactants. This review analyses the role and properties of the new adjuvants for agriculture and the improvement of the ecotoxicity profile of the pesticide formulations in glyphosate formulation.     

Co-digestion of cattle manure with food waste and sludge to increase biogas production

Anaerobic co-digestion strategies are needed to enhance biogas production, especially when treating certain residues such as cattle/pig manure. This paper presents a study of co-digestion of cattle manure with food waste and sewage sludge. With the aim of maximising biogas yields, a series of experiments were carried out under mesophilic and thermophilic conditions using continuously stirred-tank reactors, operating at different hydraulic residence times. Pretreatment with ultrasound was also applied to compare the results with those obtained with non-pretreated waste. Specific methane production decreases when increasing the OLR and decreasing HRT. The maximum value obtained was 603 LCH(4)/kg VS(feed) for the co-digestion of a mixture of 70% manure, 20% food waste and 10% sewage sludge (total solid concentration around 4%) at 36°C, for an OLR of 1.2g VS/Lday. Increasing the OLR to 1.5g VS/Lday led to a decrease of around 20-28% in SMP. Lower methane yields were obtained when operating at 55°C. The increase in methane production when applying ultrasound to the feed mixtures does not compensate for the energy spent in this pretreatment.     

Effects of dissolved organic carbon on sorption and mobility of imidacloprid in soil

To evaluate the effects of dissolved organic carbon on sorption and mobility of the insecticide imidacloprid [1-(6-chloro-3-pyridinyl) methyl-N-nitro-2-imidazolidinimine] in soils, adsorption and column experiments were performed by using a typical calcareous soil from southeastern Spain and two different types of dissolved organic carbon, that is, dissolved organic carbon extracts from a commercial peat (DOC-PE) and high-purity tannic acid (DOC-TA). The experiments were carried out from a 0.01 M CaCl2 aqueous medium at 25 degrees C. The results obtained from the sorption experiments show that the presence of both DOC-PE and DOC-TA, over a concentration range of 15 to 100 mg L(-1), produces in all cases a decreasing amount of imidacloprid adsorbed in the soil studied. From the column experiments the retardation coefficients (RC) were calculated for imidacloprid by using either 0.01 M CaCl2 aqueous solution (RC = 2.10), 0.01 M CaCl2 DOC-PE solution (RC = 1.65), or 0.01 M CaCl2 DOC-TA solution (RC = 1.87). The results indicate that mobility of imidacloprid is increased 21.4 and 11.0% in the presence of DOC-PE and DOC-TA solutions, respectively. Dissolved organic carbon reduces imidacloprid sorption by competing with the pesticide molecules for sorption sites on the soil surface, allowing enhanced leaching of imidacloprid and potentially increasing ground water contamination.     

Postfire regeneration in Pinus pinea L. and Pinus pinaster aiton in Andalucia (Spain)

The objective of this study was to examine postfire regeneration of tree, shrub, and dwarf shrub species, in relation to levels of damage in four planted pine forests (Pinus pinea, Pinus pinaster) in Andalusia. A prefire vegetation map was used for detailing species composition, vertical structure, and density and another for detailing the extent and intensity of fire damage. Between 3 and 7 years after the fires, an inventory was made of the vegetation in each area, using the step-point method. The information thus obtained was used to determine the amount of cover in the dwarf/shrub and tree layers, the frequency of species in each of the layers, floristic richness, and diversity (Shannon index). The botanical composition of the dwarf and shrub layer was analyzed using TWINSPAN. Variables were poorly correlated with level of fire damage, which suggests that the forests in this study followed the autosuccession model. Because of the artificial origin or seminatural condition, regeneration of the dominant tree species is poor, and it seems unlikely that forests will recover to their prefire state. Therefore action is recommended to restore these ecosystems.     

Natural gamma radiation map (MARNA) and indoor radon levels in Spain

During the last decade, the Department of Applied and Medical Physics has been involved in the development of a radiation protection programme. In the framework of this programme, measurements of indoor radon, principally, have been carried out nationwide. Geometric mean radon concentrations of 45 Bq m(-3) in the whole country and 130 Bq m(-3) in the high natural radiation area have been estimated. On the other hand, the so-called MARNA Project is developed into the framework of an agreement subscribed between the Spanish Nuclear Safety Council (CSN) and the National Uranium (ENUSA), the first phase of which has been the elaboration of the Natural Gamma Radiation Map of Spain on the scale of 1:1,000,000 using radiometric data generated in the 30 years of the lifetime of the ancient National Uranium Exploration and Investigation Plan mainly through airborne, carborne, and by foot surveys, within the MARNA Project itself. The lowest averaged dose rate from external gamma radiation (19.3 nGyh(-1)) was found in carbonate bedrock and the highest (87.7 nGyh(-1)) was found in granite and clay bedrock. This paper summarizes the main results obtained from the measurements performed in both projects, with special interest in those concerning the correlation between the data reported in order to conclude about the potential benefit of the MARNA maps in the definition of affected areas in the country.