Pelagic larval development in the brooding Antarctic brachiopod Liothyrella uva

Larvae of the Antarctic brachiopod Liothyrella uva (Broderip, 1833) were released by brooding females between 10 and 15 January 1992. They were collected and cultured for the ensuing 45 d. At release they were at the gastrula stage, and were recognisable as the usual brachiopod three-lobed larva from around 18 d after release. At 22 d post-release, larvae began to congregate under shell fragments placed in culture vessels as potential settlement substrata. However, the larvae showed no signs of settlement which, combined with the absence of many of the attributes of mature larvae seen in previous studies, was taken as evidence that these larvae had not reached fully competent stages. Previous work had shown that L. uva spawns in October, indicating that the developmental period lasts for a minimum of between 115 and 160 d. The release and subsequent development of larvae also shows that what was previously thought to be a brooding species combines a long brooding period with a free-swimming phase. If this is true of other brachiopod species, then there may need to be a recategorization of some species from brooding to combined brooding and free-swimming developmental types. Even though the development period in L. uva was likely to have been underestimated because a fully competent stage was not reached, a comparison with development rates for temperate species indicated a slowing of between 8 and 70 times. This dramatic slowing of development rate in brachiopods now joins similar data previously reported for echinoderms and nemerteans, suggesting that this is a very widespred, perhaps universal, attribute of Antarctic marine invertebrates.     

The influence of building renovation and rental housing on urban trees

Urban forest ecosystems are complex and vulnerable social–ecological systems. The relationship between urban forests and housing is particularly variable and uncertain. We examine the influence of building renovation and rental housing on public trees at the parcel and street-section scale in a residential neighbourhood in Toronto, Canada. We use empirical data describing multiple tree inventories and government open data describing building permit applications to test for effects on urban forest structure, tree mortality, and tree planting. We found that the presence and number of building permits significantly predicted mortality at both scales, while planting was positively correlated with building permits at the street-section scale only. Multi-unit parcels had significantly lower rates of planting than single-unit parcels and multi-unit housing was positively correlated with mortality at the street-section scale. These findings suggest that where concentrated changes in housing stock are occurring, substantial losses of trees and associated ecosystem services are possible.     

Building a better baseline to estimate 160 years of avian population change and create historically informed conservation targets

Globally, anthropogenic land-cover change has been dramatic over the last few centuries and is frequently invoked as a major cause of wildlife population declines. Baseline data currently used to assess population trends, however, began well after major changes to the landscape. In the United States and Canada, breeding bird population trends are assessed by the North American Breeding Bird Survey, which began in the 1960s. Estimates of distribution and abundance prior to major habitat alteration would add historical perspective to contemporary trends and allow for historically based conservation targets. We used a hindcasting framework to estimate change in distribution and abundance of 7 bird species in the Willamette Valley, Oregon (United States). After reconciling classification schemes of current and 1850s reconstructed land cover, we used multiscale species distribution models and hierarchical distance sampling models to predict spatially explicit densities in the modern and historical landscapes. We estimated that since the 1850s, White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) and Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) populations, 2 species sensitive to fragmentation of oak woodlands and grasslands, declined by 93% and 97%, respectively. Five other species we estimated nearly stable or increasing populations, despite steep regional declines since the 1960s. Based on these estimates, we developed historically based conservation targets for amount of habitat, population, and density for each species. Hindcasted reconstructions provide historical perspective for assessing contemporary trends and allow for historically based conservation targets that can inform current management.     

The role of automated feedback in training and retaining biological recorders for citizen science

The rapid rise of citizen science, with lay people forming often extensive biodiversity sensor networks, is seen as a solution to the mismatch between data demand and supply while simultaneously engaging citizens with environmental topics. However, citizen science recording schemes require careful consideration of how to motivate, train, and retain volunteers. We evaluated a novel computing science framework that allowed for the automated generation of feedback to citizen scientists using natural language generation (NLG) technology. We worked with a photo‐based citizen science program in which users also volunteer species identification aided by an online key. Feedback is provided after photo (and identification) submission and is aimed to improve volunteer species identification skills and to enhance volunteer experience and retention. To assess the utility of NLG feedback, we conducted two experiments with novices to assess short‐term (single session) and longer‐term (5 sessions in 2 months) learning, respectively. Participants identified a specimen in a series of photos. One group received only the correct answer after each identification, and the other group received the correct answer and NLG feedback explaining reasons for misidentification and highlighting key features that facilitate correct identification. We then developed an identification training tool with NLG feedback as part of the citizen science program BeeWatch and analyzed learning by users. Finally, we implemented NLG feedback in the live program and evaluated this by randomly allocating all BeeWatch users to treatment groups that received different types of feedback upon identification submission. After 6 months separate surveys were sent out to assess whether views on the citizen science program and its feedback differed among the groups. Identification accuracy and retention of novices were higher for those who received automated feedback than for those who received only confirmation of the correct identification without explanation. The value of NLG feedback in the live program, captured through questionnaires and evaluation of the online photo‐based training tool, likewise showed that the automated generation of informative feedback fostered learning and volunteer engagement and thus paves the way for productive and long‐lived citizen science projects.     

Modelling carbon storage in highly fragmented and human-dominated landscapes: Linking land-cover patterns and ecosystem models

To extend coupled human–environment systems research and include the ecological effects of land-use and land-cover change and policy scenarios, we present an analysis of the effects of forest patch size and shape and landscape pattern on carbon storage estimated by BIOME-BGC. We evaluate the effects of including within-patch and landscape-scale heterogeneity in air temperature on carbon estimates using two modelling experiments. In the first, we combine fieldwork, spatial analysis, and BIOME-BGC at a 15-m resolution to estimate carbon storage in the highly fragmented and human-dominated landscape of Southeastern Michigan, USA. In the second, we perform the same analysis on 12 hypothetical landscapes that differ only in their degree of fragmentation. For each experiment we conduct four air-temperature treatments, three guided by field-based data and one empirically informed by local National Weather Service station data. The three field data sets were measured (1) exterior to a forest patch, (2) from the patch edge inward to 60 m on east-, south-, and west-facing aspects, separately, and (3) interior to that forest patch. Our field-data analysis revealed a decrease in maximum air temperature from the forest patch edge to a depth of 80 m. Within-patch air-temperature values were significantly different (α = 0.01) among transects (c.v. = 13.28) and for all measurement locations (c.v. = 30.58). Results from the first experiment showed that the interior treatment underestimated carbon storage by ～8000 Mg C and the exterior treatment overestimated carbon storage by 30,000 Mg C within Dundee Township, Southeastern Michigan, when compared to a treatment that included within-patch heterogeneity. In the second experiment we found a logarithmic increase in carbon storage with increasing fragmentation (r² = 0.91). While a number of other processes (e.g. altered disturbance frequency or severity) remain to be included in future experiments, this combined field and modelling study clearly demonstrated that the inclusion of within-patch and landscape heterogeneity, and landscape fragmentation, each have a strong effect on forest carbon cycling and storage as simulated by a widely used ecosystem process model.     

Root responses to soil Ni heterogeneity in a hyperaccumulator and a non-accumulator species

We compared root responses of the Ni-hyperaccumulator plant Berkheya coddii Rossler with the non-accumulator plant Cicer arietinum L. to Ni heterogeneity in soil. We grew plants in growth containers filled with control soil, homogeneously spiked, and heterogeneously spiked soil with Ni concentrations of 62 and 125 mg kg^?1. Neutron radiography (NR) was used to observe the root distribution and the obtained images were analysed to reveal the root volumes in the spiked and unspiked segments of the growth container. There was no significant difference in root distribution pattern of B. coddii among different concentrations of Ni. Unlike B. coddii, the roots of C. arietinum initially grew into the spiked segments. However, the later developing roots did not penetrate the spiked segment suggesting an avoidance strategy. Our results indicate that, B. coddii does not forage towards the Ni-rich patches, although presence of Ni in soil changes its root morphology.     

Experimental floods cause ecosystem regime shift in a regulated river.

Reservoirs have altered the flow regime of most rivers on the globe. To simulate the natural flow regime, experimental floods are being implemented on regulated rivers throughout the world to improve their ecological integrity. As a large-scale disturbance, the long-term sequential use of floods provides an excellent empirical approach to examine ecosystem regime shifts in rivers. This study evaluated the long-term effects of floods (15 floods over eight years) on a regulated river. We hypothesized that sequential floods over time would cause a regime shift in the ecosystem. The floods resulted in little change in the physicochemistry of the river, although particulate organic carbon and particulate phosphorus were lower after the floods. The floods eliminated moss cover on bed sediments within the first year of flooding and maintained low periphyton biomass and benthic organic matter after the third year of flooding. Organic matter in transport was reduced after the third year of flooding, although peaks were still observed during rain events due to tributary inputs and side slopes. The floods reduced macroinvertebrate richness and biomass after the first year of floods, but density was not reduced until the third year. The individual mass of invertebrates decreased by about one-half after the floods. Specific taxa displayed either a loss in abundance, or an increase in abundance, or an increase followed by a loss after the third year. The first three flood years were periods of nonequilibrium with coefficients of variation in all measured parameters increasing two to five times from those before the floods. Coefficients of variation decreased after the third year, although they were still higher than before the floods. Analysis of concordance using Kendall's W confirmed the temporal changes observed in macroinvertebrate assemblage structure. An assessment of individual flood effects showed that later floods had approximately 30% less effect on macroinvertebrates than early floods of similar magnitude, suggesting that the new assemblage structure is more resilient to flood disturbance. We conclude that the floods caused an ecosystem regime shift that took three years to unfold. Additional long-term changes or shifts are expected as new taxa colonize the river from other sources.     

Clogging of landfill tyre and aggregate drainage layers by methanogenic leachate and implications for practice

This paper reports the results of pilot scale tests carried out to investigate the clogging of shredded and baled tyres in comparison with aggregates when percolated by leachates representative of those generated by methanogenic stage landfills. Realistic lifetime loading rates of methanogenic leachate were applied, and clogging was not generally apparent in any of the drainage media studied. This is in apparent contrast to many other studies that have demonstrated the susceptibility of all forms of drainage media to biological and chemical clogging when percolated with high strength organic and calcium rich leachates. The reasons for this difference are identified, the implications for landfill drainage system design are discussed and some suggestions for operational practice are presented for discussion.     

Effect of day time climatic conditions associated with different 2,4-D formulations on spray deposition and weed control

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of time of the day and their associated climatic conditions on spray deposition of two 2,4-D formulations, as well as the influence on weed control. The experiment was installed in the field in complete randomized design. Treatments were arranged in factorial design 8?×?2, with 20 repetitions. First factor corresponded to different application time (1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 10:00, 13:00, 16:00, 19:00, and 22:00) with their respective climatic conditions. The second factor consisted of two formulations of 2,4-D applied at 776?g a.e. ha^?1 (2,4-D amine and 2,4-D choline salt with Colex-D? Technology) + glyphosate (816?g a.e. ha^?1). There was more spray deposition when 2,4-D choline formulation was used, and such differences were more evident for applications performed under adverse climatic conditions. More spray deposition was found in applications performed at times of day with more favorable temperature and humidity of the air conditions. Only the initial control of the evaluated species was affected by the time of application.