Occupancy Patterns of Regionally Declining Grassland Sparrow Populations in a Forested Pennsylvania Landscape

Organisms can be affected by processes in the surrounding landscape outside the boundary of habitat areas and by local vegetation characteristics. There is substantial interest in understanding how these processes affect populations of grassland birds, which have experienced substantial population declines. Much of our knowledge regarding patterns of occupancy and density stem from prairie systems, whereas relatively little is known regarding how occurrence and abundance of grassland birds vary in reclaimed surface mine grasslands. Using distance sampling and single‐season occupancy models, we investigated how the occupancy probability of Grasshopper (Ammodramus savannarum) and Henslow's Sparrows (A. henslowii) on 61 surface mine grasslands (1591 ha) in Pennsylvania changed from 2002 through 2011 in response to landscape, grassland, and local vegetation characteristics . A subset (n = 23; 784 ha) of those grasslands were surveyed in 2002, and we estimated changes in sparrow density and vegetation across 10 years. Grasshopper and Henslow's Sparrow populations declined 72% and 49%, respectively from 2002 to 2011, whereas overall woody vegetation density increased 2.6 fold. Henslow's Sparrows avoided grasslands with perimeter–area ratios ≥0.141 km/ha and woody shrub densities ≥0.04 shrubs/m². Both species occupied grasslands ≤13 ha, but occupancy probability declined with increasing grassland perimeter–area ratio and woody shrub density. Grassland size, proximity to nearest neighboring grassland ( = 0.2 km), and surrounding landscape composition at 0.5, 1.5, and 3.0 km were not parsimonious predictors of occupancy probability for either species. Our results suggest that reclaimed surface mine grasslands, without management intervention, are ephemeral habitats for Grasshopper and Henslow's Sparrows. Given the forecasted decline in surface coal production for Pennsylvania, it is likely that both species will continue to decline in our study region for the foreseeable future. Patrones de Ocupación de Poblaciones Regionalmente Declinantes de Gorriones de Pastizales en un Paisaje Boscoso de Pennsylvania     

亚热带土壤氮素反硝化气态产物研究

亚热带可变电荷土壤化学性质与温带地区恒电荷土壤有诸多不同特点,使得反硝化具有一些与温带土壤不同的特性,进一步深入研究亚热带土壤反硝化气体产物的组成比例、主要影响因素和机理,将有助于加深对亚热带环境条件下土壤N循环的理解和认识,以及为正确评价亚热带土壤反硝化环境效应提高科学依据。因此,就亚热带土壤厌氧培养条件下反硝化的气态产物问题进行了探讨。土样采自江西典型亚热带红壤地区,在加入K15NO3（10 atom%15N,加入N量为200 mg·kg-1）条件下进行了7 d 30℃、密闭、淹水、充N2的严格厌氧培养试验。试验结果表明：随培养时间推移,15N回收率逐渐下降,土壤总残留的15NO3-质量分数和回收率之间存在显著正相关关系（p〈0.001）,表明反硝化作用越弱的土样回收率越高。总气态氮损失率的估计值和实测值都随培养时间延长呈上升趋势,两者之间存在显著正相关性（p〈0.001）。根据稳定性同位素15N示踪试验结果初步估计,厌氧培养7 d内反硝化作用产生的气态产物中N2O占总气态氮损失的17.1%,N2占8.7%,估计NO可能是主要的反硝化产物之一。以未能回收的氮计算,NO约占总气态氮损失的67.5%~78.6%,平均为74.1%。反硝化气态产物中NO和N2O总量占总气态氮损失的91.3%。NO、N2O和N2分别占总施入氮量的18.6%、4.4%、2.0%。因此,亚热带土壤氮素反硝化过程中主要气态产物可能为NO和N2O,而非对环境无害的N2。     

How emergency managers (mis?)interpret forecasts

Emergency managers who work on floods and other weather‐related hazards constitute critical frontline responders to disasters. Yet, while these professionals operate in a realm rife with uncertainty related to forecasts and other unknowns, the influence of uncertainty on their decision‐making is poorly understood. Consequently, a national‐level survey of county emergency managers in the United States was administered to examine how they interpret forecast information, using hypothetical climate, flood, and weather scenarios to simulate their responses to uncertain information. The study revealed that even emergency managers with substantial experience take decision shortcuts and make biased choices, just as do members of the general population. Their choices vary depending on such features as the format in which probabilistic forecasts are presented and whether outcomes are represented as gains or losses. In sum, forecast producers who consider these decision processes when developing and communicating forecasts could help to improve flood preparation and potentially reduce disaster losses.     

Estimating the mitigation effect of Tokai earthquake measures on housing damage: a counterfactual approach

This paper evaluates the mitigation effect of Tokai earthquake measures on housing damage using a counterfactual approach. It focuses on those measures that stimulate ex‐ante investment in disaster prevention in the supposedly affected area, including earthquake‐proof retrofitting and improved housing construction; the effect of the measures on housing losses is estimated monetarily. The study compares factual disaster damage computed using a real distribution of houses with counterfactual damage to a hypothetical housing distribution that would occur if the measures were not implemented. The key findings are: (i) the disaster mitigation effects of Tokai earthquake measures on housing amount to approximately JPY 18 billion (USD 0.18 billion) for Yamanashi Prefecture and JPY 0.26 trillion (USD 2.6 billion) for Shizuoka Prefecture, which would be at the centre of the event; (ii) a before–after comparison biases estimates of the mitigation effect; and (iii) statistically, the measures do not mitigate the housing damage predicted for an earthquake in Tokai.     

Between international donors and local faith communities: Intermediaries in humanitarian assistance to Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon

This paper explores the crucial part that faith‐based organisations (FBOs) play in acting as intermediaries between international donors and local faith communities (LFCs) implementing humanitarian relief projects for Syrian refugees. Humanitarian responses to the mounting Syrian refugee crisis have coincided with greater collaboration between international donors and LFCs. This cooperation often is facilitated by a complex web of non‐state intermediaries at the international, national, and local level. This study probes the breadth of roles of these intermediaries, drawing on primary data from case studies of two Christian intermediaries supporting Christian LFCs as they deliver aid primarily to Muslim Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon. The results of the study are connected to the wider literature on LFCs in humanitarian response, revealing how intermediaries address issues of accountability, capacity‐building, impartiality, neutrality, and professionalism. The paper concludes by offering suggestions for further research on intermediaries as key actors in the localisation of humanitarian assistance.     

Challenges to mobilising resources for disaster recovery and reconstruction: perspectives of the Haitian diaspora

Diasporas and diaspora non‐governmental organisations (NGOs) are increasingly important as resource lifelines to their home countries, yet the resources that they mobilise, the types of challenges that they face, and their coping mechanisms are not well explored or understood in the context of disaster recovery. To fill this knowledge gap, this study employed an inductive qualitative methodological approach, using interviews to comprehend the role played by Haitian diaspora NGOs after the catastrophic earthquake in 2010. It found that resources take four common forms: event fundraisers; financial and material donations from supporters; remittances; and volunteer labour. Challenges include an overreliance on diaspora donors, competition among NGOs, and what is perceived as inequitable funding practices towards diaspora NGOs. The findings provide insights centred on better coordination among diaspora NGOs, as well as between diaspora NGOs and other local and international NGOs and local governments and international institutions, to ensure more efficient delivery of services to survivors.     

Looking forward: Disasters at 40

This paper reflects on contemporary studies of and responses to disasters, highlighting the importance of historical, spatial, and intersectional modes of analysis, and draws on the author's ongoing research on Southern‐led and local community responses to displacement in the Middle East. Acknowledging the plurality of ‘international communities of response’, it begins by critiquing the depiction of selected responses to disasters as ‘positive’ ‘paradigm shifts’, including in reference to the ‘localisation of aid, and the United Nations’ Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan for Syria. Next it turns to three key themes that are central to disasters studies: migration; forced displacement; and Southern‐led responses to disasters. Among other things, the paper argues that exploring the principles and modalities of South–South cooperation, rather than promoting the incorporation of Southern actors into the ‘international humanitarian system’ via the localisation agenda, presents a critical opportunity for studies of and responses to disasters.     

Characterization of CANON reactor performance and microbial community shifts with elevated COD/N ratios under a continuous aeration mode

COD/N at low ratios (0–0.82) improved N removals of CANON. CANON performance decreased after COD/N up to 0.82. The relative abundance of AOB decreased continuously with increasing COD/N. AOB outcompeted at a high COD load led to CANON failure. The relative abundance of AnAOB decreased and increased with increasing COD/N. The effects of increasing COD/N on nitrogen removal performance and microbial structure were investigated in a SBR adopting a completely autotrophic nitrogen removal over nitrite process with a continuous aeration mode (DO at approximately 0.15–0.2 mg/L). As the COD/N increased from 0.1 to≤0.59, the nitrogen removal efficiency (NRE) increased from 88.7% to 95.5%; while at COD/N ratios of 0.59–0.82, the NRE remained at 90.7%–95.5%. As the COD/N increased from 0.82 to 1.07, the NRE decreased continuously until reaching 60.1%. Nitrosomonas sp. (AOB) and Candidatus Jettenia (anammox bacteria) were the main functional genera in the SBR. As the COD/N increased from 0.10 to 1.07, the relative abundance of Nitrosomonas decreased from 13.4% to 2.0%, while that of Candidatus Jettenia decreased from 35% to 9.9% with COD/N<0.82 then increased to 45.4% at a COD/N of 1.07. Aerobic heterotrophic bacteria outcompeted AOB at high COD loadings (650 mg/L) because of oxygen competition, which ultimately led to deteriorated nitrogen removal performance.     

Toxic effect of sodium perfluorononyloxy-benzenesulfonate on Pseudomonas stutzeri in aerobic denitrification,cell structure and gene expression

• OBS inhibited the growth of P. stutzeri and destroyed its structure. • OBS was toxic to the aerobic denitrification process of P. stutzeri. • OBS induced the production of ROS in P. stutzeri. • OBS affected the expression of key genes involved in denitrification and SOD. The toxicities of sodium perfluorononyloxy-benzenesulfonate (OBS) to animals and plants are similar to those of perfluorooctane sulfonate. However, the mechanism of its toxicity to aerobic denitrifying bacteria is still unclear. In the present study, the ecotoxicity of OBS on an aerobic denitrifying strain, Pseudomonas stutzeri, was evaluated. The results showed that a dosage of OBS clearly affected the growth and aerobic denitrification of P. stutzeri. When compared with an unamended control, the degradation efficiency of the total nitrogen decreased by 30.13% during exposure to 200 mg/L of OBS, and the complete degradation time of nitrate-nitrogen was delayed by 4 h. The lactate dehydrogenase and superoxide dismutase produced by the bacteria increased with the concentration of OBS, and reactive oxygen species were also detected by confocal laser scanning microscope imaging. Transmission electron microscope imaging revealed chromosome deformation of the cells and damage to cell content; moreover, outer membrane vesicles were secreted from the bacteria, which was the important detoxification mechanism of P. stutzeri to OBS. Expression of the genes involved in aerobic nitrification and oxidative stress were also changed under OBS stress, which further confirmed the toxicity of OBS to P. stutzeri. This study reveals the environmental exposure risk of OBS from the perspective of microorganisms.     

Work‐related stress in a humanitarian context: a qualitative investigation

There is a paucity of research on the subjective stress‐related experiences of humanitarian aid workers. Most evaluations of stress among these individuals focus on trauma and related conditions or adopt a quantitative approach. This interview‐based study explored how 58 humanitarian aid workers employed by a United Nations‐aligned organisation perceived the transactional stress process. The thematic analysis revealed eight main topics of interest: an emergency culture was found where most employees felt compelled to offer an immediate response to humanitarian needs; employees identified strongly with humanitarian goals and reported a high level of engagement; the rewards of humanitarian work were perceived as motivating and meaningful; constant change and urgent demands resulted in work overload; and managing work–life boundaries and receiving positive support from colleagues and managers helped to buffer perceived stress, work overload, and negative health outcomes. The practical implications of the results are discussed and suggestions made in the light of current research and stress theory.