Compliance with and ecosystem function of biodiversity offsets in North American and European freshwaters

Land-use change via human development is a major driver of biodiversity loss. To reduce these impacts, billions of dollars are spent on biodiversity offsets. However, studies evaluating offset project effectiveness that examine components such as the overall compliance and function of projects remain rare. We reviewed 577 offsetting projects in freshwater ecosystems that included the metrics project size, type of aquatic system (e.g., wetland and creek), offsetting measure (e.g., enhancement, restoration, and creation), and an assessment of the projects’ compliance and functional success. Project information was obtained from scientific and government databases and gray literature. Despite considerable investment in offsetting projects, crucial problems persisted. Although compliance and function were related to each other, a high level of compliance did not guarantee a high degree of function. However, large projects relative to area had better function than small projects. Function improved when projects targeted productivity or specific ecosystem features and when multiple complementary management targets were in place. Restorative measures were more likely to achieve targets than creating entirely new ecosystems. Altogether the relationships we found highlight specific ecological processes that may help improve offsetting outcomes.     

Non-random perch selection by cryptic lizards,Amphibolurus muricatus

Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology - Animals are often confronted with more sensory stimuli than they can attend to, and so should pay attention to stimuli that are relevant to them and habituate...     

Indicators as a tool for the evaluation of effective national implementation of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS)

This paper briefly outlines the United Nations Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) and what is meant by GHS implementation in terms of policy-related information for decision-makers plus a framework of actions to enable such policies to be effectively undertaken. The paper discusses the need for simple indicators to measure progress with GHS implementation. Two groups of indicators have been described that comprehensively reflect basic components of GHS implementation. The first group was presented as aggregated indicators or indices, for national capability evaluation. Indicators to evaluate management performance linked to stated objectives were presented as the second group. Information from an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published questionnaire on GHS implementation and a questionnaire by the Intergovernmental Forum on Chemical Safety (IFCS) on chemical safety that included GHS have provided the basic information for applying the management capability indicators approach. Through the use of information in these two questionnaires, country-relevant and regional progress with GHS implementation was illustrated. Despite the GHS implementation target of 2008 set by the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, very few countries have reported they have achieved this target. The simple management indicators proposed in this paper are based on adoption of a questionnaire and a numerical scoring system that could be used to chart progress towards GHS implementation. It was concluded, therefore, that the use of indicators as described in this paper does provide a quick survey of the overall situation in a country and facilitates comparison between countries across regions in terms of GHS implementation. Furthermore such results may indicate which countries require additional assistance with GHS implementation thus strengthening policies and actions across all sectors and involving governments, business, trade, and civil society.     

Conceptual Frameworks and Methods for Advancing Invasion Ecology

Invasion ecology has much advanced since its early beginnings. Nevertheless, explanation, prediction, and management of biological invasions remain difficult. We argue that progress in invasion research can be accelerated by, first, pointing out difficulties this field is currently facing and, second, looking for measures to overcome them. We see basic and applied research in invasion ecology confronted with difficulties arising from (A) societal issues, e.g., disparate perceptions of invasive species; (B) the peculiarity of the invasion process, e.g., its complexity and context dependency; and (C) the scientific methodology, e.g., imprecise hypotheses. To overcome these difficulties, we propose three key measures: (1) a checklist for definitions to encourage explicit definitions; (2) implementation of a hierarchy of hypotheses (HoH), where general hypotheses branch into specific and precisely testable hypotheses; and (3) platforms for improved communication. These measures may significantly increase conceptual clarity and enhance communication, thus advancing invasion ecology.     

Impact of anthropogenic heat emissions on meteorological parameters and air quality in Beijing using a high-resolution model simulation

• The Large scale Urban Consumption of energY model was updated and coupled with WRF. • Anthropogenic heat emissions altered the precipitation and its spatial distribution. • A reasonable AHE scheme could improve the performance of simulated PM_2.5. • AHE aggravated the O₃ pollution in urban areas. Anthropogenic heat emissions (AHE) play an important role in modulating the atmospheric thermodynamic and kinetic properties within the urban planetary boundary layer, particularly in densely populated megacities like Beijing. In this study, we estimate the AHE by using a Large-scale Urban Consumption of energY (LUCY) model and further couple LUCY with a high-resolution regional chemical transport model to evaluate the impact of AHE on atmospheric environment in Beijing. In areas with high AHE, the 2-m temperature (T₂) increased to varying degrees and showed distinct diurnal and seasonal variations with maxima in night and winter. The increase in 10-m wind speed (WS₁₀) and planetary boundary layer height (PBLH) exhibited slight diurnal variations but showed significant seasonal variations. Further, the systematic continuous precipitation increased by 2.1 mm due to the increase in PBLH and water vapor in upper air. In contrast, the precipitation in local thermal convective showers increased little because of the limited water vapor. Meanwhile, the PM_2.5 reduced in areas with high AHE because of the increase in WS₁₀ and PBLH and continued to reduce as the pollution levels increased. In contrast, in areas where prevailing wind direction was opposite to that of thermal circulation caused by AHE, the WS₁₀ reduced, leading to increased PM_2.5. The changes of PM_2.5 illustrated that a reasonable AHE scheme might be an effective means to improve the performance of PM_2.5 simulation. Besides, high AHE aggravated the O₃ pollution in urban areas due to the reduction in NO_x.     

Inferring pollution records in sediment cores from transitional environments of Marquelia coast,Guerrero, Mexico

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The vertical distribution pattern and concentrations of elements (Fe, Al, Ca, Mg, Mn, Cr, Cu, Ni, Co, Pb, Zn, and As) in the estuarine and lagoon...     

Asian gliriform origin for arctostylopid mammals

Arctostylopids are common in Late Palaeocene and Early Eocene mammal faunas of Asia, but they are rare in North America. From the time of their first discovery, arctostylopids were grouped with the strictly endemic South American Notoungulata based on their strikingly similar dental morphology. This relationship was challenged based on dental morphology of more recently discovered arctostylopids and on supposed tarsal morphology (based on unassociated material) of the Asian arctostylopid Palaeostylops. Therefore, Arctostylopidae were placed in a separate order, Arctostylopida, of enigmatic affinities. Many authors, however, continue to unite Arctostylopidae and Notoungulata based on dental similarities. In the Late Palaeocene Subeng site in Inner Mongolia, we identified the Palaeostylops tarsals based on their size and abundance. This identification is supported by comparison to unpublished Arctostylops tarsals from the North American Clarkforkian, derived from a semi-articulated skeleton also including dental material. Tarsal morphology shows moderate similarity to the gliriform Pseudictops, and strong resemblance to the tarsally conservative gliroid Rhombomylus. Hence, Arctostylopidae may best be grouped with Asian non-gliroid Gliriformes, which we interpret as having dispersed into North America in the Late Palaeocene.Pieter Missiaen is an aspirant of the Research Foundation-Flanders (RF-Flanders)     

Push-pull tests evaluating in situ aerobic cometabolism of ethylene, propylene, and cis-1,2-dichloroethylene

In situ aerobic cometabolic transformations of ethylene, propylene, and cis-1,2-dichloroethylene (c-DCE), by microorganisms stimulated on propane, were examined in groundwater contaminated with c-DCE and trichloroethylene (TCE). In situ measurements were performed by conducting field push-pull tests, which consisted of injecting site groundwater amended with a bromide tracer and combinations of propane, dissolved oxygen (DO), nitrate, ethylene, propylene, c-DCE, and TCE into existing monitoring wells and sampling the same wells over time. Mass balance and transformation rate calculations were performed after adjusting for dilution losses using measured tracer concentrations. Initial rates of propane utilization were very low; rates increased substantially following sequential additions of propane and DO. Evidence that propane and DO additions had stimulated organisms expressing a propane monoxygenase enzyme system and that had the capability to transform chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons (CAHs) included: (1) the transformation of injected ethylene and propylene to the cometabolic byproducts ethylene oxide and propylene oxide, (2) the transformation of c-DCE, and (3) the inhibition of these transformations in the presence of coinjected acetylene, a known monoxygenase mechanism-based inactivator. These results suggest that a series of push-pull tests performed with nontoxic chemical probes can be useful for detecting and monitoring in situ aerobic cometabolism of CAHs.     

Interaction of chemical cues from fish tissues and organophosphorous pesticides on Ceriodaphnia dubia survival

Cladocera are frequently used as test organisms for assessing chemical and effluent toxicity and have been shown to respond to stimuli and cues from potential predators. In this study, the interactive effects of visual and chemical cues of fish and two organophosphorous pesticides on survival of Ceriodaphnia dubia were examined. A significant chemical cue (homogenized Pimephales promelas) and malathion interaction was observed on C. dubia survival (P = 0.006). Chemical cue and 2.82 microg/L malathion resulted in a 76.0% reduction in survival compared to malathion alone (P < 0.01). Furthermore, potentiation of malathion toxicity varied based on the source of chemical cues (i.e., epithelial or whole body). It is unclear in this study whether these chemical cues elicited a predation-related stress in C. dubia. Future research should examine the mechanism of this interaction and determine what role, if any, stress responses by C. dubia might play in the interaction.