Citizenship and sustainability in dependent island communities: the case of the Huon Valley region in southern Tasmania

In Western democracies, rising levels of political alienation have prompted concerned political authorities to improve the quality of citizenship by such means as civic education. As well, the several international conventions underpinning the sustainable development discourse mandate participation to empower people in their own development. Active citizenship and the participation fundamental to it can be problematic for island communities with a history of economic and political dependence, since there exist a number of structural and agentic barriers to its practice and to the exercise of ecological responsibility through participation. Both the barriers to and the prospects for ecological sustainability are elaborated in this study of aspects of community, participation, citizenship and ecological literacy among the communities of the Huon Valley region of southern Tasmania.     

Late season pharmaceutical fate in wetland mesocosms with and without phosphorous addition

The fate of six human-use drugs was assessed and predicted in mesocosms designed to mimic shallow constructed wetlands during the onset of fall and senescence. Mesocosms were monitored for 28 days after the addition of carbamazepine, clofibric acid, fluoxetine and naproxen (nominal initial concentrations of 5 μg/L each), sulfamethoxazole, and sulfapyridine (nominal initial concentrations of 150 μg/L each), with and without phosphorous (P) addition at 1.6 mg/L. We hypothesized that addition of P would stimulate primary productivity and enhance removal of pharmaceuticals from the water column. Carbamazepine, clofibric acid, fluoxetine, and naproxen had half-lives of 8.7, 11, 1.5, and 2.5, and 8.6, 11.0, 1.4, and 2.5 days in treatments with and without P amendment, respectively. Sulfamethoxazole and sulfapyridine had half-lives of 17 and 4.9 days in mesocosms with P amendment and 17 and 4.7 days without amendment. A concurrent pulse of P with pharmaceuticals did not significantly enhance the removal of these compounds. Predicted half-lives from modeling efforts were consistent with observed values, with photolysis the greatest contributor to chemical attenuation.

     

RECOTOX,a French initiative in ecotoxicology-toxicology to monitor,understand and mitigate the ecotoxicological impacts of pollutants in socioagroecosystems

RECOTOX is a cross-cutting initiative promoting an integrated research to respond to the challenges of monitoring, understanding, and mitigating environmental and health impacts of pesticides in agroecosystems. The added value of RECOTOX is to develop a common culture around spatial ecotoxicology including the whole chain of pressure-exposure-impact, while strengthening an integrated network of in natura specifically equipped sites. In particular, it promotes transversal approaches at relevant socioecological system scales, to capitalize knowledge, expertise, and ongoing research in ecotoxicology and, to a lesser extent, environmental toxicology. Thus, it will open existing research infrastructures in environmental sciences to research programs in ecotoxicology of pesticides.     

Bibliometric investigation of the integration of animal personality in conservation contexts

Consistent individual differences in behavior, commonly termed animal personality, are a widespread phenomenon across taxa that have important consequences for fitness, natural selection, and trophic interactions. Animal personality research may prove useful in several conservation contexts, but which contexts remains to be determined. We conducted a structured literature review of 654 studies identified by combining search terms for animal personality and various conservation subfields. We scored the relevance of personality and conservation issues for each study to identify which studies meaningfully integrated the 2 fields as opposed to surface-level connections or vague allusions. We found a taxonomic bias toward mammals (29% of all studies). Very few amphibian or reptile studies applied personality research to conservation issues (6% each). Climate change (21%), invasive species (15%), and captive breeding and reintroduction (13%) were the most abundant conservation subfields that occurred in our search, though a substantial proportion of these papers weakly integrated conservation and animal personality (climate change 54%, invasive species 51%, captive breeding and reintroduction 40%). Based on our results, we recommend that researchers strive for consistent and broadly applicable terminology when describing consistent behavioral differences to minimize confusion and improve the searchability of research. We identify several gaps in the literature that appear to be promising and fruitful avenues for future research, such as disease transmission as a function of sociability or exploration as a driver of space use in protected areas. Practitioners can begin informing future conservation efforts with knowledge gained from animal personality research.     

Grassland root communities: species distributions and how they are linked to aboveground abundance

There is little comprehensive information on the distribution of root systems among coexisting species, despite the expected importance of those distributions in determining the composition and diversity of plant communities. This gap in knowledge is particularly acute for grasslands, which possess large numbers of species with morphologically indistinguishable roots. In this study we adapted a molecular method, fluorescent fragment length polymorphism, to identify root fragments and determine species root distributions in two grasslands in Yellowstone National Park (YNP). Aboveground biomass was measured, and soil cores (2 cm in diameter) were collected to depths of 40 cm and 90 cm in an upland, dry grassland and a mesic, slope-bottom grassland, respectively, at peak foliar expansion. Cores were subdivided, and species that occurred in each 10-cm interval were identified. The results indicated that the average number of species in 10-cm intervals (31 cm3) throughout the sampled soil profile was 3.9 and 2.8 species at a dry grassland and a mesic grassland, respectively. By contrast, there was an average of 6.7 and 14.1 species per 0.5 m2, determined by the presence of shoot material, at dry and mesic sites, respectively. There was no relationship between soil depth and number of species per 10-cm interval in either grassland, despite the exponential decline of root biomass with soil depth at both sites. There also was no relationship between root frequency (i.e., the percentage of samples in which a species occurred) and soil depth for the vast majority of species at both sites. The preponderance of species were distributed throughout the soil profile at both sites. Assembly analyses indicated that species root occurrences were randomly assorted in all soil intervals at both sites, with the exception that Festuca idahoensis segregated from Artemisia tridentata and Pseudoroegnaria spicata in 10-20 cm soil at the dry grassland. Root frequency throughout the entire sampled soil profile was positively associated with shoot biomass among species. Together these results indicated the importance of large, well-proliferated root systems in establishing aboveground dominance. The findings suggest that spatial belowground segregation of species probably plays a minor role in fostering resource partitioning and species coexistence in these YNP grasslands.     

Presence of macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B and tetracycline antimicrobials in swine waste treatment processes and amended soil.

Little is known about the fate of antimicrobials during common agricultural waste handling procedures. To better define the potential scope of this problem, concentrations of antimicrobials throughout the waste treatment process were estimated based on known antimicrobial usage, and the resulting predictions of high antimicrobial concentrations indicated the need for further investigation. Samples from building pits, a solids settling basin, a holding pond, and soil amended with waste treatment byproducts were therefore analyzed for traditional chemical parameters and macrolide, lincosamide, and tetracycline antimicrobials. Substantial improvements in water quality were observed during the treatment process. While the macrolide tylosin was not detected, chlortetracycline, oxytetracycline, and lincomycin were found at high concentrations throughout the waste treatment process. Oxytetracycline and lincomycin were also detected in soil from a field amended with waste treatment byproducts.     

Effects of stage of colony cycle,context, and intercolony distance on conspecific tolerance by paper wasps (Polistes fuscatus)

Summary We observed in the field how resident females of the social wasp, Polistes fuscatus, treated female nestmates, non-nestmate first cousins, and unrelated non-nestmates. Behavioral observations were made 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 11 weeks after the emergence of a colony's first workers. Resident females were highly tolerant of female nestmates but highly intolerant of unrelated non-nestmates throughout the post-worker-emergence phase of the colony cycle. First cousins were treated either highly tolerantly or highly intolerantly, although most cousins ( 63%) were treated highly intolerantly. The treatment of cousins suggests that they are treated either tolerantly (like nestmates) or intolerantly (like unrelated non-nestmates) depending on whether they fall above or below an acceptance threshold, respectively. Resident females did not significantly change their tolerance nestmates, first cousins, and unrelated females between different observation periods. However, all conspecifics were generally treated the most intolerantly 11 weeks post-worker-emergence, a time in the colony cycle when combs no longer contain brood. This decreased tolerance and its associated variance patterns late in the colony cycle are consistent with a more restrictive acceptance threshold. The optimal level of the acceptance threshold appears to be a compromise between the fitness consequences of accepting unrelated non-nestmates and rejecting one's nestmates. In a laboratory study, resident females were equally tolerant of female nestmates on and off the comb but significantly less tolerant of unrelated females on the comb than off the comb. Thus, females can modify their tolerance rapidly in different recognition contexts. In a second laboratory study, resident females were equally intolerant of unrelated females, regardless of whether they were from colonies 50 m or 50 km distant.Offprint requests to: G.J. Gamboa     

LAND USE AND AQUATIC BIOINTEGRITY IN THE BLACKFOOT RWER WATERSHED,MONTANA1

ABSTRACT: Benthic macroinvertebrate samples representing 151 taxa were collected in August 1995 to examine the linkage between land use, water quality, and aquatic biointegrity in seven tributaries of the Blackfoot River watershed, Montana. The tributaries represent silvicultural (timber harvesting), agricultural (irrigated alfalfa and hay and livestock grazing), and wilderness land uses. A 2.4 km (1.5 mile) reach of a recently restored tributary also was sampled for comparison with the other six sites. A geographic information system (GIS) was used to characterize the seven subwatersheds and estimate soil erosion, using the Modified Universal Soil Loss Equation, and sediment delivery. The wilderness stream had the highest aquatic biointegrity. Two agricultural streams had the largest estimated soil erosion and sediment delivery rates, the greatest habitat impairment from nonpoint source pollution, and the most impoverished macroinvertebrate communities. The silvicultural subwatersheds had greater rates of estimated soil erosion and sediment delivery and lower aquatic biointegrity than the wilderness reference site but evinced better conditions than the agricultural sites. A multiple-use (forestry, grazing, and wildlife management) watershed and the restored site ranked between the silvicultural and agricultural sites. This spectrum of land use and aquatic biointegrity illustrates both the challenges and opportunities that define watershed management.     

Chromium in intertidal sediments of the Clyde,UK: potential for remobilisation and bioaccumulation

Detailed surveys of intertidal sediments have been performed along the north and south shores of the Inner Clyde estuary, UK. Surface sediment data reveal significant spatial variation in Cr content and an association with major sediment characteristics and location within the estuary. Depth variation for Cr and other heavy metals cannot be explained by variation in major geochemical controls such as grain size and organic matter and highlights the impact of historical contamination on sediment quality. These elevated levels at depth may still have environmental impact through redox-reactivity, in association with iron and manganese. Sequential extraction of sediments and pore water analysis of Cr(VI) and Cr(III) provide detailed information on release potential from the sediments. The implication of Cr mobility for biota in the estuary has been assessed by the analysis of a common marine bivalve, Mytilus edulis (Blue Mussel) and a burrowing polychaete, Nereis diversicolor (rag worm) from a number of survey sites. Bioconcentration factors for Mytilus indicate that the weakly held portion of sediment Cr is available for uptake and in the case of Nereis, bioaccumulation appears to be inhibited by sediment organic matter.