Loss of Large Predatory Sharks from the Mediterranean Sea

Abstract:  Evidence for severe declines in large predatory fishes is increasing around the world. Because of its long history of intense fishing, the Mediterranean Sea offers a unique perspective on fish population declines over historical timescales. We used a diverse set of records dating back to the early 19th and mid 20th century to reconstruct long-term population trends of large predatory sharks in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea. We compiled 9 time series of abundance indices from commercial and recreational fishery landings, scientific surveys, and sighting records. Generalized linear models were used to extract instantaneous rates of change from each data set, and a meta-analysis was conducted to compare population trends. Only 5 of the 20 species we considered had sufficient records for analysis. Hammerhead ( Sphyrna spp.), blue ( Prionace glauca ), mackerel ( Isurus oxyrinchus and Lamna nasus ), and thresher sharks ( Alopias vulpinus ) declined between 96 and 99.99% relative to their former abundance. According to World Conservation Union (IUCN) criteria, these species would be considered critically endangered. So far, the lack of quantitative population assessments has impeded shark conservation in the Mediterranean Sea. Our study fills this critical information gap, suggesting that current levels of exploitation put large sharks at risk of extinction in the Mediterranean Sea. Possible ecosystem effects of these losses involve a disruption of top-down control and a release of midlevel consumers.     

Assessing the strength of climate and land-use influences on montane epiphyte communities

Epiphytes, air plants that are structurally dependent on trees, are a keystone group in tropical forests; they support the food and habitat needs of animals and influence water and nutrient cycles. They reach peak diversity in humid montane forests. Climate predictions for Central American mountains include increased temperatures, altered precipitation seasonality, and increased cloud base heights, all of which may challenge epiphytes. Although remaining montane forests are highly fragmented, many tropical agricultural systems include trees that host epiphytes, allowing epiphyte communities to persist even in landscapes with lower forest connectivity. I used structural equations models to test the relative effects of climate, land use, tree characteristics, and biotic interactions on vascular epiphyte diversity with data from 31 shade coffee farms and 2 protected forests in northern Nicaragua. I also tested substrate preferences of common species with randomization tests. Tree size, tree diversity, and climate all affected epiphyte richness, but the effect of climate was almost entirely mediated by bryophyte cover. Bryophytes showed strong sensitivity to mean annual temperature and insolation. Many ferns and some orchids were positively associated with bryophyte mats, whereas bromeliads tended to establish among lichen or on bare bark. The tight relationships between bryophytes and climate and between bryophytes and vascular epiphytes indicated that relatively small climate changes could result in rapid, cascading losses of montane epiphyte communities. Currently, shade coffee farms can support high bryophyte cover and diverse vascular epiphyte assemblages when larger, older trees are present. Agroforests serve as valuable reservoirs for epiphyte biodiversity and may be important early-warning systems as the climate changes.     

ESTIMATION OF LONG-TERM DISCHARGE STATISTICS BY REGIONAL ADJUSTMENT1

ABSTRACT: A regional adjustment relationship was developed to estimate long-term (30-year) monthly median discharges from short term (three-year) records. This method differs from traditional approaches in that it is based on site-specific discharge data but does not require correlation of these data with discharges from a single hydrologically similar long-term gage. The method is shown to be statistically robust, and applicable to statistics other than the median.     

Validation of the UK Met. Office’s name model against the ETEX dataset

The ETEX 1 data set has been used to assess the performance of the UK Met Office’s long-range dispersion model NAME. In terms of emergency response modelling the model performed well, successfully predicting the overall spread and timing of the plume across Europe. However, in common with most other models, NAME overpredicted the observed concentrations. This is in contrast with other NAME validation studies which indicate either no significant bias or a tendency to underpredict concentrations. This suggests the reasons for overpredicting are specific to the ETEX situation. Explanations include inadequate vertical diffusion or transport, possible venting by convective activity, and experimental errors. An assessment of a range of advection schemes of varying complexity indicated no clear advantage, at present, in using more sophisticated random walk techniques at long range, a simple diffusion coefficient based scheme providing some of the best results. A brief look is also taken at a simulation of the more problematical ETEX 2 release.     

A metapopulation approach of the dynamics of arthropods from Mediterranean-type ecosystems

In this paper we developed a general stage-structured, Leslie-type model, suitable to simulate dynamics of soil arthropods under typical Mediterranean conditions. In order to explore arthropods’ life-history strategies in relation to enhanced spatial heterogeneity of the Mediterranean ecosystems, metapopulation characteristics were considered and different habitat quality regimes, in terms of dominant microclimatic conditions, were taken into account. Environmental stochasticity in temperature and humidity was incorporated into the model, and an elasticity analysis was conducted to quantify contribution of different life-history traits to metapopulation growth rate. The application of the model revealed well-known life-cycle characteristics of Mediterranean arthropods, such as seasonally fluctuating population sizes and skewing phenologies, a fact that confirms models’ reliability. Furthermore, the model seems able to elucidate controversial points of the animals’ life-cycle development, such as the long-term maintenance of populations in the field and the underlying mechanisms related to the adjustment to the specific features of the Mediterranean ecosystem. Subpopulations inhabiting various microsites display different dynamics and the interaction between these subpopulations, via dispersion, seems to be able to ensure stochastic equilibrium for the system. Dispersal appears to play a decisive role, allowing arthropods to conform to spatial severities and habitats fragmentation, rescuing individuals and recolonizing previously extinct habitats.     

A simple spatially explicit ideal-free distribution: a model and an experiment

This investigation presents a simple spatially explicit analysis of the ideal-free distribution. The traditional ideal-free distribution assumes discrete sites with definite boundaries, and predicts how many individuals should occupy each site. In contrast, the present analysis assumes that a forager’s gains gradually decline with distance from a site, and asks where in space individuals ought to be. Although many interesting situations may arise, the analysis asks how individuals should position themselves as the distance between two identical sources increases. Nash equilibrium positions should follow a pitchfork pattern as the distance between sites is increased; that is, an individual should maintain a position between two sources when they are close together but should move nearer one of the sources when they are far apart. In addition, the text describes an experimental study that parallels the theoretical analysis. The experiment supports the predicted pitchfork pattern, and provides somewhat weaker support for the predicted differences in ”individual” and ”paired” pitchforks. Received: 14 June 2000 / Revised: 20 September 2000 / Accepted: 7 October 2000     

Disentangling technological innovations: a micro-econometric analysis of their determinants

On the basis of a unique firm-level dataset from the German manufacturing sector, this paper empirically examines the determinants of environmental and non-environmental product and process innovations. The micro-econometric analysis with multivariate probit models points to an extremely high relevance of R&D activities for all technological innovation types, as well as to the relevance of a few market pull factors. The estimation results additionally reveal the importance of organisational measures for environmental product and process innovations. In this regard, not only certified environmental management systems, but also specific process- and product-related environmental organisational measures and even general organisational measures, such as the certification of a quality management system according to ISO 9001, play a crucial role. The estimation results therefore suggest the encouragement of firm-internal R&D activities and organisational measures by (environmental) policy in order to stimulate environmental technological innovations, which are able to both limit the environmental burden and contribute to the technological modernisation of the economy.     

Impact of pregnancy and other factors including smoking on the urinary levels of triclosan

Data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used to evaluate the impact of pregnancy on the levels of triclosan (TCS) in urine. Regression models were fitted to evaluate this association with adjustment for other factors that may affect the levels of TCS. Pregnant females had higher levels of TCS than non-pregnant females but the differences were not statistically significant. Levels of TCS were statistically significantly lower during the second trimester than during the third trimester. Smoking was associated with statistically significantly lower levels of TCS. The reasons for the association between smoking and the levels of TCS are not known. Further research is needed in this area.     

苯酚、2,4-二氯酚与苯胺类化合物联合毒性效益

采用藻类生长抑制实验测定了苯酚、2,4-二氯酚与6种苯胺衍生物对斜生栅列藻的单一毒性和二元混合物的联合毒性,得到化合物单独存在时的半抑制浓度EC50和共存时的半抑制浓度EC50mix。采用毒性单位法、相加指数法、混合毒性指数法和相似性参数法进行联合毒性评价,结果表明：苯酚＋2,4-二氯胺、苯酚＋二苯胺及苯酚＋苯胺等毒性混合时主要表现为协同作用;而其它二元混合物采用不同方法评价联合毒性结果有差异。当苯酚与苯胺按照不同毒性配比混合时（1︰4,4︰1,1︰1,2︰1）,表现为协同作用。以辛醇/水分配系数法为结构描述符,分别建立了单一毒性和联合毒性的定量构效关系（QSAR）模型。结果表明,苯酚、2,4-二氯酚与苯胺类化合物对斜生栅列藻的毒性主要与化合物在生物体内的分配作用有关。     

火灾中人员的行为及其模拟计算方法的研究

在综合分析国内外人员疏散模型和模拟软件发展现状的基础上,研究人员在火灾中的行为理论、计算机模型、模拟原理等,并介绍了目前国际上研究人员行为方面综合功能较强的Building EXODUS软件的原理和特点,最后以具体实例说明了Building EXODUS软件在人群疏散模拟分析中的具体应用.研究表明,1)在不考虑其他因素的影响下,疏散总时间与人数成正比;2)在火灾等紧急情况下,当某个出口不能通行时,可能会使大量人员在另一个出口处造成"瓶颈"现象,因此,增加备用安全出口很重要;3)疏散时间实际上是一随机变量,会因各种情况的变化而不同,如在很大程度上受人员特性(如年龄等因素)的影响,传统计算方法一般会低估疏散时间而不能作为建筑疏散设计的依据;4)利用计算机模拟软件可以对火灾中各种可能发生的情况进行评价,评价结果比传统方法更科学、可信.火灾中人员行为的研究需要从心理学和社会学角度建立人群中个人行为与社会行为的理论框架,而疏散模拟是一个由多个因素组成的复杂系统,大量人群环境的模拟需要涉及人与人、人与环境间的相互作用.