Abundance of Jackfruit (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Artocarpus heterophyllus</Emphasis>) Affects Group Characteristics and Use of Space by Golden-Headed Lion Tamarins (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Leontopithecus chrysomelas</Emphasis>) in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cabruca</Emphasis> Agroforest

Cabruca is an agroforest of cacao trees shaded by native forest trees. It is the predominant vegetation type throughout eastern part of the range of the golden-headed lion tamarins, Leontopithecus chrysomelas, an endangered primate endemic to Atlantic Forest. Understanding how lion tamarins use this agroforest is a conservation priority. To address this question, we documented the diet, home range size, group sizes and composition, density, number of litters and body condition of lion tamarins living in cabruca, and other habitats. Jackfruit, Artocarpus heterophyllus, was the most used species used by lion tamarins in cabruca and was widely available and used throughout the year. In cabruca, home range size was the smallest (22–28 ha) and density of lion tamarins was the highest (1.7 ind/ha) reported for the species. Group size averaged 7.4 individuals and was not significantly different among the vegetation types. In cabruca, groups produced one or two litters a year, and all litters were twins. Adult males in cabruca were significantly heavier than males in primary forest. Our study is the first to demonstrate that breeding groups of golden-headed lion tamarins can survive and reproduce entirely within cabruca agroforest. Jackfruit proved to be a keystone resource for lion tamarins in cabruca, and bromeliads were important as an animal prey foraging microhabitat. In cases where cabruca contains concentrated resources, such as jackfruit and bromeliads, lion tamarins may not only survive and reproduce but may fare better than in other forest types, at least for body condition and reproduction.     

Ecotoxicological assessment and evaluation of a pine bark biosorbent treatment of five landfill leachates

When selecting a landfill leachate treatment method the contaminant composition of the leachate should be considered in order to obtain the most cost-effective treatment option. In this study the filter material pine bark was evaluated as a treatment for five landfill leachates originating from different cells of the same landfill in Sweden. The objective of the study was to determine the uptake, or release, of metals and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) during a leaching test using the pine bark filter material with the five different landfill leachates. Furthermore the change of toxicity after treatment was studied using a battery of aquatic bioassays assessing luminescent bacteria (Vibrio fischeri) acute toxicity (30-min Microtox®), immobility of the crustacean Daphnia magna, growth inhibition of the algae Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata and the aquatic plant Lemna minor; and genotoxicity with the bacterial Umu-C assay. The results from the toxicity tests and the chemical analysis were analyzed in a Principal Component Analysis and the toxicity of the samples before and after treatment was evaluated in a toxicity classification. The pine bark filter material reduced the concentrations of metal contaminants from the landfill leachates in the study, with some exceptions for Cu and Cd. The Zn uptake of the filter was high for heavily contaminated leachates (≥73%), although some desorption of zinc occurred in less contaminated waters. Some of the leachates may require further treatment due to discharge into a natural recipient in order to reduce the risk of possible biological effects. The difference in pH changes between the different leachates was probably due to variations in buffering capacity, affected by physicochemical properties of the leachate. The greatest desorption of phenol during filtration occurred in leachates with high conductivity or elevated levels of metals or salts. Generally, the toxicity classification of the leachates implies that although filter treatment with pine bark removes metal contaminants from the leachates effectively, it does not alter leachate toxicity noticeably. The leachates with the highest conductivity, pH and metal concentrations are most strongly correlated with an increased toxic response in the score plots of both untreated and treated leachates. This is in line with the toxicity classification of the leachate samples. The results from this study highlight the importance of evaluating treatment efficiency from the perspective of potential recipient effects, rather than in terms of residual concentrations of individual contaminants when treating waters with a complex contamination matrix, such as landfill leachates.     

Stormwater runoff and export changes with development in a traditional and low impact subdivision

Development continues at a rapid pace throughout the country. Runoff from the impervious surfaces in these watersheds continues to be a major cause of degradation to freshwater bodies and estuaries. Low impact development techniques have been recommended to reduce these impacts. In this study, stormwater runoff and pollutant concentrations were measured as development progressed in both a traditional development, and a development that used low impact development techniques. Increases in total impervious area in each watershed were also measured. Regression relationships were developed between total impervious area and stormwater runoff/pollutant export. Significant, logarithmic increases in stormwater runoff and nitrogen and phosphorus export were found as development occurred in the traditional subdivision. The increases in stormwater runoff and pollutant export were more than two orders of magnitude. TN and TP export after development was 10 and 1 kg ha(-1) yr(-1), respectively, which was consistent with export from other urban/developed areas. In contrast, stormwater runoff and pollutant export from the low impact subdivision remained unchanged from pre-development levels. TN and TP export from the low impact subdivision were consistent with export values from forested watersheds. The results of this study indicate that the use of low impact development techniques on a watershed scale can greatly reduce the impacts of development on local waterways.     

Tissue-specific congener composition of organohalogen and metabolite contaminants in East Greenland polar bears (Ursus maritimus)

Congener patterns of the major organohalogen contaminant classes of PCBs, PBDEs and their metabolites and/or by-products (OH-PCBs, MeSO2-PCBs, OH-PBDEs and MeO-PBDEs) were examined in adipose tissue, liver, brain and blood of East Greenland polar bears (Ursus maritimus). PCB, OH-PCB, MeSO2-PCB and PBDE congener patterns showed significant differences (p相似文献   

"21世纪的食物":寻找增进食物链可持续性的措施和工具的研究计划

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Training Conservation Biologists in Human Interaction Skills

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