Integrating Top-Down with Bottom-Up Conservation Policy in Africa

Abstract:  Developed nations intervened in conservation policy across Africa during the 20th century to address needs to protect species and biodiversity that were based on their own perceptions and priorities. In the 21st century, conservationists in Africa have revised these perceptions and begun the process of identifying conservation priorities from an African perspective and in consideration of Africans' priorities. Although foreign conservation interveners struggled to identify mechanisms to which local people would respond, African conservationists are now demonstrating how to integrate the continent's unique socioeconomic circumstances into efforts to protect biodiversity. In Africa effective conservation policy must include the generation of wealth, reduction of disease and hunger, and support of traditional land-use practices.     

Green renewal: incorporating environmental factors in equipment replacement decisions under technological change

Equipment replacement is a fact of life in every industrial setting, and this paper seeks to answer the question: How can firms and policy makers effectively balance environmental and economic concerns with respect to replacement decisions? A replacement model which includes both economic and environmental factors is presented. One must decide whether to keep the existing technology, upgrade to a newer technology which produces a smaller environmental burden, or wait for an even newer, cleaner technology which may be introduced soon. More than 25 000 test problems are solved, examining different objectives and covering a wide range of applications. Including environmental costs does not lead to a consistent increase in the adoption of cleaner technologies; however, including incentives to adopt newer technologies does. When one accounts for the environmental impact of producing new equipment and disposing of old equipment, earlier adoption of new technologies actually increases the total environmental burden in some cases.     

Genetic considerations in the prenatal diagnosis of overgrowth syndromes

Large (>90%) for gestational age (LGA) fetuses are usually identified incidentally. Detection of the LGA fetus should first prompt the provider to rule out incorrect dates and maternal diabetes. Once this is done, consideration should be given to certain overgrowth syndromes, especially if anomalies are present. The overgrowth syndromes have significant clinical and molecular overlap, and are associated with developmental delay, tumors, and other anomalies. Although genetic causes of overgrowth are considered postnatally, they are infrequently diagnosed prenatally. Here, we review prenatal sonographic findings in fetal overgrowth syndromes, including Pallister-Killian, Beckwith-Wiedemann, Sotos, Perlman, and Simpson-Golabi-Behmel. We also discuss prenatal diagnosis options and recurrence risks. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Habitat type-based bioaccumulation and risk assessment of metal and As contamination in earthworms, beetles and woodlice

The present study investigated the contribution of environmental factors to the accumulation of As, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn in earthworms, beetles and woodlice, and framed within an exposure assessment of the European hedgehog. Soil and invertebrate samples were collected in three distinct habitat types. Results showed habitat-specific differences in soil and invertebrate metal concentrations and bioaccumulation factors when normalized to soil metal concentration. Further multiple regression analysis showed residual variability (habitat differences) in bioaccumulation that could not be fully explained by differences in soil metal contamination, pH or organic carbon (OC). Therefore, the study demonstrated that in bioaccumulation studies involving terrestrial invertebrates or in risk assessment of metals, it is not sufficient to differentiate habitat types on general soil characteristics such as pH and/or OC alone. Furthermore, simple generic soil risk assessments for Cd and Cu showed that risk characterization was more accurate when performed in a habitat-specific way.     

Variations in some environmental characteristics including C and N stable isotopic composition of suspended organic matter in the Mandovi estuary

Chemical and isotopic (??¹³C and ??¹⁵N) investigation of the Mandovi estuary along the Indian west coast affected strongly by the seasonal monsoon cycle was carried out. The Mandovi estuary is a major waterway for Goa and extensively used for transportation of iron and manganese ore. In addition, with large population centers as well as agricultural fields located on its shores, the estuary is assumed to have been influenced by human activities. Measurements of chemical and isotopic parameters made in the lower part of the estuary during the southwest (SW) monsoon and post-monsoon seasons reveal distinct changes, and it is observed that despite considerable enrichment of macronutrients during the SW monsoon, productivity of the estuary (phytoplankton biomass), as inferred from the chlorophyll-a content, is not as high as expected. This is due to occurrences of high turbidity and cloud cover that limits photosynthetic productivity. The isotopic characterization (C and N isotopes) of suspended organic matter produced/transported during the monsoon and post-monsoon seasons of year 2007 provides a baseline dataset for future isotopic studies in such type of tropical estuaries.     

Effect of interior door position on room-to-room differences in residential pollutant concentrations after short-term releases

Residential interior door positions influence the pollutant concentrations that result from short-term indoor sources, such as cigarettes, candles, and incense. To elucidate this influence, we reviewed past studies and conducted new experiments in three residences: a single-story 714 m³ ranch-style house, a 510 m³ two-story split-level house, and a 200 m³ two-story house. During the experiments, we released sulfur hexafluoride or carbon monoxide tracer gas over short periods (≤30 min) and measured concentrations in the source room and at least one other (receptor) room for various interior door opening positions. We found that closing a door between rooms effectively prevented transport of air pollutants, reducing the average concentration in the receptor room relative to the source room by 57–100% over exposure periods of 1–8 h. When intervening doors were partially or fully open, the reduction in average concentrations ranged from 3% to 99%, varying as a function of door opening width and the distance between source and receptor rooms.     

Assessing ecological risk on a regional scale

Society needs a quantitative and systematic way to estimate and compare the impacts of environmental problems that affect large geographic areas. This paper presents an approach for regional risk assessment that combines regional assessment methods and landscape ecology theory with an existing framework for ecological risk assessment. Risk assessment evaluates the effects of an environmental change on a valued natural resource and interprets the significance of those effects in light of the uncertainties identified in each component of the assessment process. Unique and important issues for regional risk assessment are emphasized; these include the definition of the disturbance scenario, the assessment boundary definition, and the spatial heterogeneity of the landscape. Although the research described in this article has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through Interagency Agreement Number DW89932112-01-2 to the U.S. Department of Energy, it has not been subjected to EPA review and therefore does not necessarily reflect the views of EPA and no official endorsement should be inferred.