Circumpolar terrestrial arthropod monitoring: A review of ongoing activities,opportunities and challenges,with a focus on spiders

The terrestrial chapter of the Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Programme (CBMP) has the potential to bring international multi-taxon, long-term monitoring together, but detailed fundamental species information for Arctic arthropods lags far behind that for vertebrates and plants. In this paper, we demonstrate this major challenge to the CBMP by focussing on spiders (Order: Araneae) as an example group. We collate available circumpolar data on the distribution of spiders and highlight the current monitoring opportunities and identify the key knowledge gaps to address before monitoring can become efficient. We found spider data to be more complete than data for other taxa, but still variable in quality and availability between Arctic regions, highlighting the need for greater international co-operation for baseline studies and data sharing. There is also a dearth of long-term datasets for spiders and other arthropod groups from which to assess status and trends of biodiversity. Therefore, baseline studies should be conducted at all monitoring stations and we make recommendations for the development of the CBMP in relation to terrestrial arthropods more generally.     

Modelling a recovery network for WEEE: a case study in Portugal

The European Union directive for electric and electronic waste, published in 2003, enforced all European countries to meet some targets concerning the recycling and recovery of these products. This directive was transposed to the Portuguese legislation in 2004. Following this, a group of EEE producers set up an organization (Amb3e) whose mission was to design and manage a nationwide recovery network for WEEE, which will be the subject matter of this work. A generic MILP model is proposed to represent this network, which is applied to its design and planning, where the best locations for collection and sorting centres are chosen simultaneously with the definition of a tactical network planning. Several analyses are performed to provide further insights regarding the selection of these alternative locations. The results gave support to the company strategic expansion plans for a high number of centres to be opened and to their location near the major WEEE sources.     

Influence of Glutaraldehyde Crosslinking and Alkaline Post-treatment on the Properties of Chitosan-Based Films

Depending on the modifications proposed, chitosan films present different characteristics, for instance correlated to hydrophilicity, chemical and mechanical properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of glutaraldehyde crosslinking and an alkaline post-treatment with NaOH on the characteristics of chitosan based films. Films were obtained by casting and characterized by thickness, swelling degree, mechanical and thermal properties and chemical structure. The water vapor permeability (WVP) was also evaluated for food packaging application. It was observed that crosslinking and NaOH post-treatment have great influence on the chitosan films characteristics. Crosslinking reduced the swelling degree of films and increased its fragility, whereas NaOH treatment also reduces the swelling degree and changes mechanical properties, acting in the same way as a crosslinker. The WVP analyses showed that the basic treatment could substitute the glutaraldehyde crosslinking for film water stability, without greatly compromising the barrier properties of chitosan based films.     

Inferring episodic atmospheric iron fluxes in the Western South Atlantic

Iron (Fe) and other trace elements such as Zn, Mn, Ni and Cu are known as key-factors in marine biogeochemical cycles. It is believed that ocean primary productivity blooms in iron deficient regions can be triggered by iron in aeolian dust. Up to now, scarce aerosol elemental composition, based on measurements over sea at the Western South Atlantic (WSA), exist. An association between the Patagonian semi-desert dust/Fe and chlorophyll-a variability at the Argentinean continental shelf is essentially inferred from models. We present here experimental data of Fe enriched aerosols over the WSA between latitudes 22°S–62°S, during 4 oceanographic campaigns between 2002 and 2005. These data allowed inferring the atmospheric Fe flux onto different latitudinal bands which varied from 30.4 to 1688 nmolFe m^?2 day^?1 (October 29th–November 15th, 2003); 5.83–1586 nmolFe m^?2 day^?1 (February 15th–March 6th, 2004) and 4.73–586 nmolFe m^?2 day^?1(October 21st–November 5th, 2005).     

Recognizing Indigenous peoples’ and local communities’ rights and agency in the post-2020 Biodiversity Agenda

The Convention on Biological Diversity is defining the goals that will frame future global biodiversity policy in a context of rapid biodiversity decline and under pressure to make transformative change. Drawing on the work of Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars, we argue that transformative change requires the foregrounding of Indigenous peoples’ and local communities’ rights and agency in biodiversity policy. We support this argument with four key points. First, Indigenous peoples and local communities hold knowledge essential for setting realistic and effective biodiversity targets that simultaneously improve local livelihoods. Second, Indigenous peoples’ conceptualizations of nature sustain and manifest CBD’s 2050 vision of “Living in harmony with nature.” Third, Indigenous peoples’ and local communities’ participation in biodiversity policy contributes to the recognition of human and Indigenous peoples’ rights. And fourth, engagement in biodiversity policy is essential for Indigenous peoples and local communities to be able to exercise their recognized rights to territories and resources.     

Biological activities of the essential oil from the leaves of Lantana montevidensis (Spreng) Briq. in mice

Environment, Development and Sustainability - This work aimed to analyze the chemical composition and evaluate the anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive properties of the essential oil obtained...     

Influence of support material on the immobilization of biomass for the degradation of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate in anaerobic reactors

Two horizontal-flow anaerobic immobilized biomass reactors (HAIB) were used to study the degradation of the LAS surfactant: one filled with charcoal (HAIB1) and the other with a mixed bed of expanded clay and polyurethane foam (HAIB2). The reactors were fed with synthetic substrate supplemented with 14 mg l(-1)of LAS, kept at 30+/-2 degrees C and operated with a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 12h. The surfactant was quantified by HPLC. Spatial variation analyses were done to quantify organic matter and LAS consumption along the reactor length. The presence of the surfactant in the load did not affect the removal of organic matter (COD), which was close to 90% in both reactors for an influent COD of 550 mg l(-1). The results of a mass balance indicated that 28% of all LAS added to HAIB1 was removed by degradation. HAIB2 presented 27% degradation. Molecular biology techniques revealed microorganisms belonging the uncultured Holophaga sp., uncultured delta Proteobacterium, uncultured Verrucomicrobium sp., Bacteroides sp. and uncultured gamma Proteobacterium sp. The reactor with biomass immobilized on charcoal presented lower adsorption and a higher kinetic degradation coefficient. So, it was the most suitable support for LAS anaerobic treatment.     

Bioreactor treatment of municipal solid waste landfill leachates: characterization of organic fractions

Quantitative and qualitative changes in organic matter were studied at different stages of treatment in a bioreactor designed to process leachates from a municipal solid waste landfill. The particulate matter (PM) and macromolecular fractions of the dissolved organic matter with solubility properties comparable to humic (acid-insoluble) and fulvic (acid-soluble) acid fractions (AI, AS, respectively) from the incoming black liquid, the bioreactor content, and the final processed effluent were isolated, quantified, and characterized by visible and infrared (IR) spectroscopies. The macromolecular signature either aliphatic (glycopeptides, carbohydrates) or aromatic (coinciding with infrared patterns of lignin, tannins etc.) enabled us to characterize the different organic fractions during the course of microbial transformation. The results reveal significant changes in the nitrogen speciation patterns within the different organic fractions isolated from the wastewater. The final increase in the relative proportions of nitrogen in the least aromatic AS fraction during microbial transformation could be related to protein formation inside the bioreactor. After biological treatment and ultrafiltration, the amount of organic matter was reduced by approximately 70%, whereas aromaticity increased in all fractions, indicating preferential elimination of aliphatic wastewater compounds. Most of the remaining fractions at the end of the process consisted of a yellow residue rich in low molecular weight AS fractions.     

Copper, zinc and lead speciation in salt marsh sediments colonised by Halimione portulacoides and Spartina maritima

Total concentrations and fractionation of Cu, Zn and Pb in seven operationally defined phases (exchangeable, carbonates, manganese oxides, organic complexes, amorphous iron oxides, crystalline iron oxides and residual) were determined in sediments colonised by the halophyte species Halimione portulacoides and Spartina maritima in a Tagus estuary salt marsh (Portugal). We aimed to determine whether the speciation of these metals was different in areas colonised by each halophyte. Higher concentrations of Cu, Zn and, in particular Pb, were found in the rhizosphere of S. maritima than in the root sediments of H. portulacoides. Geochemical fractionation of Cu, Zn and Pb in sediments of the salt marsh depended upon the metal, and for Zn and Pb clearly varied with depth and with the colonising species. The higher redox potential observed in sediments colonised by H. portulacoides may in part explain the observed differences in the speciation of Cu, Zn and Pb.     

Spatial relationships between nitrogen status and pitch canker disease in slash pine planted adjacent to a poultry operation

Pitch canker disease (Fusarium circinatum Nirenberg & O'Donnell) causes serious shoot dieback, reduced growth and mortality in pines found in the southern and western USA, and has been linked to nutrient imbalances. Poultry houses with forced-air ventilation systems produce nitrogen (N) emissions. This study analyzed spatial correlations between pitch canker disease and foliar, forest floor, soil, and throughfall N in a slash pine (Pinus elliottii var. elliottii Engelm.) plantation adjacent to a poultry operation in north Florida, USA. Tissue and throughfall N concentrations were highest near the poultry houses and remained elevated for 400 m. Disease incidence ranged from 57-71% near the poultry houses and was spatially correlated with N levels. Similarly, stem mortality ranged from 41-53% in the most heavily impacted area, and declined to 0-9% at distances greater than 400 m. These results suggest that nutritional processes exacerbate changes in disease susceptibility and expression in slash pine.