Abstract: The preservation of key habitats is included in modern forest-management practices as one of the main means to preserve biodiversity in northern European production forests. I examined the distribution patterns and persistence of occurrence of rare epiphytic macrolichens in a predominantly unprotected forest landscape with an area of 278 km2 in southern Finland. Occurrence data of macrolichens in two key habitats, rock outcrops and mires, were compared with data from production forests. The density of populations of rare macrolichens was 50-fold higher on rock outcrops and 25-fold higher on mires than in production forests. Most rare species of epiphytic macrolichens were found only in key habitats. In modern, intensively managed forest landscapes, rock outcrops appeared to represent the main habitats for rare macrolichens as a result of the long-term continuity of old trees. Most macrolichen occurrences represented very small populations with a high extinction risk. Of the populations found in 1989–1995 in key habitats, 51% had disappeared, by 2000–2001, mainly as a result of forestry activities. The disappearance of populations significantly exceeded the rate of establishment of new populations. My results emphasize the importance of key habitats for declining forest species. There is also a need to improve and sharpen the guidelines for delimiting and managing key habitats in order to halt the continued decline of epiphytic macrolichens. 相似文献
Background: Road traffic injuries (RTIs) are a serious epidemic that claims more than a million lives across the globe each year. The burden of RTIs is particularly pronounced in Africa and other low- and middle-income countries. The unfavorable disparity of the burden of road trauma in the world is largely attributable to unsafe vehicles, lack of appropriate road infrastructure, and the predominance of vulnerable road users (VRUs) in developing countries. However, little research exists in northern Ghana to highlight the scale and risk of death among road users.
Objective: The objective of this research was to establish the relative risk of death among road users in northern Ghana.
Methods: Crash data from police reports between 2007 and 2011 were analyzed for the Upper Regions of Ghana. Conditional probabilities and multivariable logistic regression techniques were used to report proportions and adjusted odds ratios (AORs), respectively.
Results: Generally, crashes in northern Ghana were extremely severe; that is, 35% of all injury related collisions were fatal. The proportion of fatal casualties ranged between 21% among victims of sideswipe collisions and 41% among pedestrians and victims of rear-end collisions. Though males were 6 times more likely to die than females overall, females were more likely to die as pedestrians (90% of all female casualty deaths) and males were more likely to die as riders/drivers (78% of all male casualty deaths). Pedestrians were 3 times more likely to die (odds ratio [OR] = 3.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.4 to 4.1) compared with drivers/riders. Compared with drivers, the odds of death among cyclists was about 4 times higher (AOR = 3.6; 95% CI, 2.3 to 5.6) and about 2 times higher among motorcyclists (AOR = 1.6; 95% CI, 1.2 to 2.2). Compared with casualties aged between 30 and 59 years, children under 10 years and those aged 60 years and above were independently 2 times more likely to die in traffic collisions.
Conclusion: Provision of requisite road infrastructure is vital for the safety of VRUs in northern Ghana. Cycle paths and lanes (for cyclists) as well as sidewalks (for pedestrians) in particular will separate VRUs from motorists and improve their safety. Enforcement of traffic laws particularly regarding helmet use, speeding, and alcohol use will be beneficial. Introduction of the demerit points system in the enforcement of traffic regulations may have significant deterrent effects on road users who have the penchant for violating traffic regulations. Road safety education is also required to create responsible road users. 相似文献
