Marine turtle threats in Uruguayan waters: insights from 12 years of stranding data

We present the first study conducted in a wide spatio-temporal scale on marine turtles strandings (N = 1,107) over a 12-year period (1999–2010) in Uruguay. Five species were recorded Chelonia mydas (N = 643; 58.1 %), Caretta caretta (N = 329; 29.7 %), Dermochelys coriacea (N = 131; 11.8 %), Eretmochelys imbricata (N = 3; 0.3 %), and Lepidochelys olivacea (N = 1; 0.1 %). The first three species stranded throughout the Uruguayan coast, but differences in distribution patterns were detected among species. Although occurring year round, stranding records show a clear seasonal pattern with variation in monthly distribution among species, but with a peak of records in austral summer. Strandings provide indirect evidence of threats to marine turtles in Uruguayan and surrounding waters, particularly fisheries and marine debris. Our results demonstrate that Uruguayan coastal waters likely serve as a foraging or development area for at least three endangered marine turtle species in temperate waters.     

Wave mixing rise inferred from Lyapunov exponents

We study the horizontal surface mixing and the transport induced by waves in a coastal environment. A comparative study is addressed by computing the Lagrangian coherent structures, via Finite Size Lyapunov Exponents, that arise in two different numerical settings: with and without wave coupled to currents. In general, we observe that mixing is increased in the area due to waves. Besides, the methodology presented here is tested by deploying a set of eight Lagrangian drifters at different locations. This dynamical approach is shown as a valuable tool to extract information about transport, mixing and residence embedded in the Eulerian time dependent velocity fields obtained from numerical models.     

Utilization of a new host in the screaming cowbird <Emphasis Type="Italic">Molothrus rufoaxillaris</Emphasis>, a host specialist brood parasite: host switch or host acquisition?

The screaming cowbird Molothrus rufoaxillaris has been long known as a host specialist brood parasite. However, in the past years, the utilization of two new hosts has been documented. We examined the variation in mitochondrial control region sequences from screaming cowbird chicks found in the nests of two hosts, the bay-winged cowbird (Agelaioides badius), which is its regular host, and the chopi blackbird (Gnorimopsar chopi), which is a new host, in Formosa Province, Argentina. If a group of females switched to this new host, we expected to find an association between host use and haplotype frequency distribution, indicating the presence of host-specific female lineages, whereas we expected no such association if the cowbird population incorporated this new host and females use both hosts simultaneously. Haplotype frequency distributions differed between cowbird chicks from the nests of both hosts. This indicates that nest choice by females of this brood parasite is not random and that they preferentially parasitize the nests of the same host species.     

Greening the structural change process: ranking sustainability of countries in climate change

This paper proposes an analytical toolkit to measure the sustainability of industrialization across countries. Drawing from a methodology developed to analyze economic development as a process of modernization, it ranks countries on the basis of the emissions they produce and their stage of development. The proposed index penalizes environmental pressures taking into account the modernization level of a country. The paper also proposes an assessment of the environmental performance of countries at the same level of modernization. It introduces the notion of policy space as the difference between the best and worst environmental performer at a given level of modernization. An important finding of the paper is that the magnitude of the policy space is not homogenous across different levels of income and environmental targets.     

Assessing the effectiveness of marine reserves on unsustainably harvested long-lived sessile invertebrates

Although the rapid recovery of fishes after establishment of a marine reserve is well known, much less is known about the response of long-lived, sessile, benthic organisms to establishment of such reserves. Since antiquity, Mediterranean red coral (Corallium rubrum) has been harvested intensively for use in jewelry, and its distribution is currently smaller than its historical size throughout the Mediterranean Sea. To assess whether establishment of marine reserves is associated with a change in the size and number of red coral colonies that historically were not harvested sustainably, we analyzed temporal changes in mean colony diameter and density from 1992 to 2005 within red coral populations at different study sites in the Medes Islands Marine Reserve (established in 1992) and in adjacent unprotected areas. Moreover, we compared colony size in the Medes Islands Marine Reserve, where recreational diving is allowed and poaching has been observed after reserve establishment, with colony size in three other marine protected areas (Banyuls, Carry-le-Rouet, and Scandola) with the enforced prohibition of fishing and diving. At the end of the study, the size of red coral colonies at all sampling sites in the Medes Islands was significantly smaller than predicted by growth models and smaller than those in marine protected areas without fishing and diving. The annual number of recreational dives and the percent change in the basal diameter of red coral colonies were negatively correlated, which suggests that abrasion by divers may increase the mortality rates of the largest red coral colonies within this reserve . Our study is the first quantitative assessment of a poaching event, which was detected during our monitoring in 2002, inside the marine reserve. Poaching was associated with a loss of approximately 60% of the biomass of red coral colonies.     

FROM FLOW TO FISH TO DOLLARS: AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO WATER ALLOCATION1

This paper details a case study of economic and natural system responses to alternative water management policies in the Cache La Poudre River basin, Colorado, 1980–1994. The case study is presented to highlight the value and application of a conceptual integration of economic, salmonid population, physical habitat, and water allocation models. Five alternative regimes, all intended to increase low winter flows, were investigated. Habitat enhancements created by alternative regimes were translated to population responses and economic benefits. Analysis concluded that instream flows cannot compete on the northern Colorado water rental market; cooperative agreements offer an economically feasible way to enhance instream flows; and establishing an instream flow program on the Cache La Poudre River mainstem is a potentially profitable opportunity. The alliance of models is a dynamic multidisciplinary tool for use in professional settings and offers valuable insight for decision-making processes involved in water management.     

Technical and economic evaluation of biogas capture and treatment for the Piedras Blancas landfill in Córdoba,Argentina

Landfill gas (LFG) management is one of the most important tasks for landfill operation and closure because of its impact in potential global warming. The aim of this work is to present a case history evaluating an LFG capture and treatment system for the present landfill facility in Córdoba, Argentina. The results may be relevant for many developing countries around the world where landfill gas is not being properly managed. The LFG generation is evaluated by modeling gas production applying the zero-order model, Landfill Gas Emissions Model (LandGEM; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [EPA]), Scholl Canyon model, and triangular model. Variability in waste properties, weather, and landfill management conditions are analyzed in order to evaluate the feasibility of implementing different treatment systems. The results show the advantages of capturing and treating LFG in order to reduce the emissions of gases responsible for global warming and to determine the revenue rate needed for the project’s financial requirements. This particular project reduces by half the emission of equivalent tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂) compared with the situation where there is no gas treatment. In addition, the study highlights the need for a change in the electricity prices if it is to be economically feasible to implement the project in the current Argentinean electrical market.

Implications: Methane has 21 times more greenhouse gas potential than carbon dioxide. Because of that, it is of great importance to adequately manage biogas emissions from landfills. In addition, it is environmentally convenient to use this product as an alternative energy source, since it prevents methane emissions while preventing fossil fuel consumption, minimizing carbon dioxide emissions. Performed analysis indicated that biogas capturing and energy generation implies 3 times less equivalent carbon dioxide emissions; however, a change in the Argentinean electrical market fees are required to guarantee the financial feasibility of the project.     

Long-term effects of lead poisoning on bone mineralization in vultures exposed to ammunition sources

Long-lived species are particularly susceptible to bioaccumulation of lead in bone tissues. In this paper we gain insights into the sublethal effects of lead contamination on Egyptian vultures (Neophron percnopterus). Our approach was done on the comparison of two populations (Canary Islands and Iberian Peninsula) differing in exposures to the ingestion of lead ammunition. Blood lead levels were higher in the island population (Canary Islands range: 5.10-1780 μg L⁻¹n = 137; Iberian Peninsula range: 5.60-217.30 μg L⁻¹n = 32) showing clear seasonal trends, peaking during the hunting season. Moreover, males were more susceptible to lead accumulation than females. Bone lead concentration increased with age, reflecting a bioaccumulation effect. The bone composition was significatively altered by this contaminant: the mineralization degree decreased as lead concentration levels increased. These results demonstrate the existence of long-term effects of lead poisoning, which may be of importance in the declines of threatened populations of long-lived species exposed to this contaminant.     

The role of FIDEICOMISO of non-metallic minerals

FIDEICOMISO of non-metallic minerals is a trust development fund aimed at providing credit and technical assistance for the exploitation, beneficiation and downstream processing of non-metallics. FIDEICOMISO'S funding comes from, in order of importance, the World Bank, operational revenues and federal funds. It is a second tier financial institution operating through the commercial banking system, the latter providing the retail role. In 1987 and 1988 the FIDEICOMISO approved credits for $23 million and $46 million respectively.