Benefits of integrating complementarity into priority threat management

Conservation decision tools based on cost‐effectiveness analysis are used to assess threat management strategies for improving species persistence. These approaches rank alternative strategies by their benefit to cost ratio but may fail to identify the optimal sets of strategies to implement under limited budgets because they do not account for redundancies. We devised a multiobjective optimization approach in which the complementarity principle is applied to identify the sets of threat management strategies that protect the most species for any budget. We used our approach to prioritize threat management strategies for 53 species of conservation concern in the Pilbara, Australia. We followed a structured elicitation approach to collect information on the benefits and costs of implementing 17 different conservation strategies during a 3‐day workshop with 49 stakeholders and experts in the biodiversity, conservation, and management of the Pilbara. We compared the performance of our complementarity priority threat management approach with a current cost‐effectiveness ranking approach. A complementary set of 3 strategies: domestic herbivore management, fire management and research, and sanctuaries provided all species with >50% chance of persistence for $4.7 million/year over 20 years. Achieving the same result cost almost twice as much ($9.71 million/year) when strategies were selected by their cost‐effectiveness ranks alone. Our results show that complementarity of management benefits has the potential to double the impact of priority threat management approaches.     

The role of agri‐environment schemes in conservation and environmental management

Over half of the European landscape is under agricultural management and has been for millennia. Many species and ecosystems of conservation concern in Europe depend on agricultural management and are showing ongoing declines. Agri‐environment schemes (AES) are designed partly to address this. They are a major source of nature conservation funding within the European Union (EU) and the highest conservation expenditure in Europe. We reviewed the structure of current AES across Europe. Since a 2003 review questioned the overall effectiveness of AES for biodiversity, there has been a plethora of case studies and meta‐analyses examining their effectiveness. Most syntheses demonstrate general increases in farmland biodiversity in response to AES, with the size of the effect depending on the structure and management of the surrounding landscape. This is important in the light of successive EU enlargement and ongoing reforms of AES. We examined the change in effect size over time by merging the data sets of 3 recent meta‐analyses and found that schemes implemented after revision of the EU's agri‐environmental programs in 2007 were not more effective than schemes implemented before revision. Furthermore, schemes aimed at areas out of production (such as field margins and hedgerows) are more effective at enhancing species richness than those aimed at productive areas (such as arable crops or grasslands). Outstanding research questions include whether AES enhance ecosystem services, whether they are more effective in agriculturally marginal areas than in intensively farmed areas, whether they are more or less cost‐effective for farmland biodiversity than protected areas, and how much their effectiveness is influenced by farmer training and advice? The general lesson from the European experience is that AES can be effective for conserving wildlife on farmland, but they are expensive and need to be carefully designed and targeted.     

Ontogenetic diel vertical migration of the planktonic copepod Calanus sinicus in the Inland Sea of Japan

The ontogenetic diel vertical migration of the planktonic copepod Calanus sinicus was investigated in the Inland Sea of Japan in November 1988 and March 1989, when the water temperature was weakly stratified in a reversed manner. In both investigations a pronounced ontogenetic difference in vertical distribution was found. Spawning always occurred during nighttime, being confined to the upper 40 m water column in November but to the layer below 35 m in March. The distribution of pre-feeding nauplius stages, NI and NII, was more or less similar to that of the eggs. The first-feeding NIII performed a marked upward migration, and late nauplius stages (NIV to NVI) and early copepodite stages (CI and CII) continuously aggregated in the upper water column where phytoplankton was abundant. CIII to CVI (adult female and male) tended to disperse in the whole water column. In November, however, they avoided the upper 10 m strate during daytime and some individuals migrated upward to the surface during nighttime. In March, CV and CVI aggregated in the layer between 5 and 15 m deep in the daytime and migrated both upward and downward at dusk, resulting in homogeneous distributions during the nighttime.     

Solitary nesting as an alternative breeding tactic in colonial nesting bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus)

Colonial breeding can evolve in response to benefits afforded by clumped individuals, such as reduced predation and increased ease of assessing potential mates. However, colonial breeding can also impose costs such as increased disease transmission or increased cuckoldry. Here, we investigate solitary nesting as a potential alternative breeding tactic in colonial breeding bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus). Most male bluegill, termed parentals, compete for nesting sites in colonies and then court and spawn with females and provide sole care of the eggs. Although nesting in a colony results in reduced predation and fungal infection of broods, it comes at a cost of increased parasitism by specialized cuckolder males that do not nest. We found that 4.5% of parentals forgo spawning in a colony and instead construct nests solitarily. Solitary males were of similar size and age to colonial males, but were in significantly better condition. Solitary males obtained as many eggs as males nesting in the center of colonies, and significantly more than males nesting on the periphery of colonies. Thus, females do not appear to discriminate against solitary males. Solitary males had smaller ear tabs, a presumed sexually selected character used by parental males in intrasexual competition, than colonial males. Tracking data revealed consistency in nesting tactic (but not nest position within the colony) between spawning attempts. We suggest that solitary nesting represents either a facultative decision made by parental males in top condition at the onset of breeding, or a life history decision to forgo spawning in colonies.Communicated by K. Lindström     

Ultrastructural,biochemical, and immunological characterization of two populations of the mytilid mussel <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bathymodiolus</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">azoricus</Emphasis> from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge: evidence for a dual symbiosis

A recently described species of mytilid mussel, Bathymodiolus azoricus Von Cosel et al., 1999, was observed to be the dominant organism at the hydrothermal vents off the Azores, at both the Lucky Strike and Menez Gwen sites. Evidence suggests this species of Bathymodiolus represents yet another example of the intriguing dual symbiosis known in three other species of deep-sea mytilid mussels. Transmission electron micrographs (TEM) show the majority of gill bacteriocytes in mussels sampled from both populations to contain two distinct symbiont morphotypes. One morphotype is characterized by large size (mean diameter, 1.25 µm), coccoid shape, and stacked intracytoplasmic membranes that are consistent with the morphology of type I methanotrophs. The second morphotype is smaller (mean diameter, 0.35 µm) and was observed in coccoid or rod shapes. Immunoblots revealed the presence of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RubisCO) and methanol dehydrogenase (MeDH) in both populations of mussels. Activities of these enzymes, as well as sulfate adenylyl transferase (ATP sulfurylase) and adenylyl sulfate reductase (APS reductase), were detected in gill extracts. The activities measured for the two populations were highly variable, though the population sampled from Lucky Strike showed higher RubisCO activity. Stable carbon isotope values (Lucky Strike, '¹³C=-32.6ǂ.3‰; Menez Gwen, '¹³C=-22.8ǂ.4‰) are in the range of previously reported stable carbon isotope measurements for mytilid mussels hosting a dual symbiosis. Collectively, these results provide evidence for the activity of both sulfur-oxidizing and methane-oxidizing metabolic pathways in B. azoricus. Furthermore, evidence for a greater dependence on methanotrophy in the Menez Gwen mussel population is offered by analysis of cell counts from TEMs. Higher methanotroph numbers, and putatively activity, in this population of mussels are further supported by published geochemical data indicating higher methane concentrations in the vent fluids at Menez Gwen. This finding suggests that environmental conditions may regulate a balance between the physiological activities of different symbiont populations associated with these mussels. The existence of a dual symbiosis could thus confer greater environmental tolerance and increased niche space to the mytilid host in the stochastic hydrothermal vent habitat.     

Calanoid copepod eggs in sea-bottom muds. IV. Effects of some environmental factors on the hatching of resting eggs

During cadmium uptake by the shore crab Carcinus maenas (L.), cadmium appears in both haemolymph and urine within 1 h, and comes into equilibrium with the haemolymp after some 60 h. The equilibrium concentration for haemolymph cadmium is always considerably less than that of the external medium, whether the latter is close to background level or at the artificially high concentration of 2.2 mg l^-1. Despite earlier evidence that cadmium entering the haemolymph is mainly bound to protein, current results show most of this to be freely labile and quickly displaced by cadmium taken up subsequently. There is some evidence to suggest that cadmium is passed on from the haemolymph to the hepatopancreas. A large proportion of whole-body cadmium is adsorbed onto the exoskeleton and gills. The comparatively rapid efflux of ¹⁰⁹Cd from loaded crabs over a period of 1 week is mainly due to desorption of this cadmium from the outer body surface.     

Carbon-dioxide production and metabolic parameters in the ophiurid Ophiothrix fragilis

As part of the evaluation of fluxes between the water column and a rich benthic community of the Dover Strait (Eastern English Channel), laboratory measurements of oxygen consumption were carried out on a common ophiurid, Ophiothrix fragilis (Abildgaard), from February 1993 to February 1995. The mean O₂-consumption rate was evaluated at 0.31 mg O₂ g⁻¹ h⁻¹ (ash-free dry weight). Simultaneous measurements of O₂ consumption and CO₂ production using the pH-alkalinity method revealed an average respiratory quotient of 0.69 proved suitable for converting oxygen demand to carbon flux. A seasonal trend in respiration data was demonstrated by sinusoidal curves fitted to O₂-uptake and CO₂-release data as a function of time. The influence on respiration rate of two seasonal parameters (temperature and food availability) is discussed; linear regression indicated a highly significant relationship between O₂ consumption (or CO₂ production) and temperature; both O₂-consumption and CO₂-production rates decreased with starvation. The average O:N ratio was estimated at 8.46, close to the theoretical value when proteins constitute the catabolic substrate. The annual carbon respired by the O. fragilis community examined and the estimated annual primary production by phytoplankton indicate that the respiration of the O. fragilis community could supply 35% of phytoplankton carbon requirements. Received: 1 August 1996 / Accepted: 4 September 1996     

Artificial neural network modeling of caste odor discrimination based on cuticular hydrocarbons in termites

Summary. Individuals in an insect colony need to identify one another according to caste. Nothing is known about the sensory process allowing nestmates to discriminate minute variations in the cuticular hydrocarbon mixture. The purpose of this study was to attempt to model caste odors discrimination in four species of Reticulitermes termites for the first time by a non-linear mathematical approach using an "artificial neural network" (ANN). Several rounds of testing were carried out using 1 – the whole hydrocarbon mixtures 2 – mixtures containing the hydrocarbons selected by principal component analysis (PCA) as the most implicated in caste discrimination. Discrimination between worker and soldier castes was tested in all four species. For two species we tested discrimination of four castes (workers, soldiers, nymphs, neotenics). To test cuticular pattern similarity in two sibling species (R. santonensis and R. flavipes), we performed two experiments using one species for training and the other for query. Using whole hydrocarbons mixtures, worker/soldier discrimination was always successful in all species. Network performance decreased with the number of hydrocarbons used as inputs. Four-caste discrimination was less successful. In the experiment with the sibling species, the ANN was able to distinguish soldiers but not workers. The results of this study suggest that non-linear mathematical analysis is a good tool for classification of castes based on cuticular hydrocarbon mixture. In addition this study confirms that hydrocarbon mixtures observed are real chemical entities and constitute a true chemical signature or odor. Whole mixtures are not always necessary for discrimination. Received 23 July 1998; accepted 9 October 1998.     

Reproductive isolation with little genetic divergence between Urticina (=Tealia) felina and U. eques (Anthozoa: Actiniaria)

There has long been doubt as to whether there are one or two British species of the sea anemone genus Urticina. In the present study, populations of both putative species, which occur sympatrically in the Isle of Man, have been compared by electrophoresis of isozymes and nematocyst analysis. The analysis of fourteen isozyme loci exhibited a high genetic identity between the two taxa (I=0.907), but four loci showed significant differences in gene frequencies; thus indicating reproductive isolation. The populations displayed highly significant differences in the sizes of the various nematocyst types. The individual analysis of data for each type of nematocyst revealed that the basitrics from the actinopharynx and from the tentacles contribute most to the observed difference. Consequently, U. felina (L.) and U. eques (Gosse) are assumed to be valid species, as suggested by Manuel (1981). The mean heterozygosities for each species (0.410 and 0.436, respectively) are the highest reported for cnidarians.     

The eye and some effects of light on locomotor activity in Nephrops norvegicus

The compound eye of Nephrops norvegicus (L.) is of the superposition type, well-adapted to the low levels of light prevailing at the sea bed during the activity periods of the species. Only the proximal retinal shielding pigment responds to light, the distal retinal shielding pigment being in the dark-adapted position at all times. The response of the proximal pigment appears to vary seasonally. Field observations compared light intensity at the sea bed with the numbers of N. norvegicus caught by trawl at various times of day in the Irish Sea in summer and winter. Laboratory experiments were combined with these field data to indicate that light is an important modulator of locomotor activity in this species.