A systematic review of animal personality in conservation science

Although animal personality research may have applied uses, this suggestion has yet to be evaluated by assessing empirical studies examining animal personality and conservation. To address this knowledge gap, we performed a systematic review of the peer-reviewed literature relating to conservation science and animal personality. Criteria for inclusion in our review included access to full text, primary research articles, and relevant animal conservation or personality focus (i.e., not human personality studies). Ninety-two articles met these criteria. We summarized the conservation contexts, testing procedures (including species and sample size), analytical approach, claimed personality traits (activity, aggression, boldness, exploration, and sociability), and each report's key findings and conservation-focused suggestions. Although providing evidence for repeatability in behavior is crucial for personality studies, repeatability quantification was implemented in only half of the reports. Nonetheless, each of the 5 personality traits were investigated to some extent in a range of conservations contexts. The most robust studies in the field showed variance in how personality relates to other ecologically important variables across species and contexts. Moreover, many studies were first attempts at using personality for conservation purposes in a given study system. Overall, it appears personality is not yet a fully realized tool for conservation. To apply personality research to conservation problems, we suggest researchers think about where individual differences in behavior may affect conservation outcomes in their system, assess where there are opportunities for repeated measures, and follow the most current methodological guides on quantifying personality.     

Animal agency in wildlife conservation and management

Wildlife conservation and management (WCM) practices have been historically drawn from a wide variety of academic fields, yet practitioners have been slow to engage with emerging conversations about animals as complex beings, whose individuality and sociality influence their relationships with humans. We propose an explicit acknowledgement of wild, nonhuman animals as active participants in WCM. We examined 190 studies of WCM interventions and outcomes to highlight 3 common assumptions that underpin many present approaches to WCM: animal behaviors are rigid and homogeneous; wildlife exhibit idealized wild behavior and prefer pristine habitats; and human–wildlife relationships are of marginal or secondary importance relative to nonhuman interactions. We found that these management interventions insufficiently considered animal learning, decision-making, individuality, sociality, and relationships with humans and led to unanticipated detrimental outcomes. To address these shortcomings, we synthesized theoretical advances in animal behavioral sciences, animal geographies, and animal legal theory that may help conservation professionals reconceptualize animals and their relationships with humans. Based on advances in these fields, we constructed the concept of animal agency, which we define as the ability of animals to actively influence conservation and management outcomes through their adaptive, context-specific, and complex behaviors that are predicated on their sentience, individuality, lived experiences, cognition, sociality, and cultures in ways that shape and reshape shared human–wildlife cultures, spaces, and histories. Conservation practices, such as compassionate conservation, convivial conservation, and ecological justice, incorporate facets of animal agency. Animal agency can be incorporated in conservation problem-solving by assessing the ways in which agency contributes to species’ survival and by encouraging more adaptive and collaborative decision-making among human and nonhuman stakeholders.     

Identification of Odor Causing Compounds in a Commercial Dairy Farm

The odorous air emissions from confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs), such as swine, poultry and dairy farms, are increasingly raising community complaints. Odorous emissions can result in health damages, psychological discomforts and adverse aesthetic effects in the community. However, these emissions are not well characterized up to now due to the lack of legislation, the limitations in sampling and instrumentation techniques, and the complexity of the emissions themselves. This study is aimed at the development of a high volume sampler and sorbent assembly to identify the odor causing compounds from a diary CAFO. The sorbent was custom designed to target the potential compounds that may exist in a dairy farm and was validated in laboratory with a synthetic odor from the swine manure. The actual samples at the diary farm were collected in spring and summer of 2005. The sorbents were solvent extracted and individual odor compounds were identified using GC–MS (gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy). The data obtained indicated that high volume sampling can shorten the sampling time from days to within 4 h. Both volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and volatile fatty acids (VFAs) have been identified from the dairy farm, such as phenol, methylphenol, 4-ethyl phenol, indole, methyl indole, benzyl alcohol, hexanoic acid, valeric acid and iso-valeric acid, together with some nitrogen containing compounds that have not been reported before.     

Waste management from the perspective of circularity of materials

The purpose of the study was to analyze the social phenomenon of collecting animal carcasses from rural properties using the perspective of the ecological modernization theory. The results show that the success of the Recolhe pilot project is associated with users’ engagement in environmental awareness, environmental regulations, sanitary and environmental risk management, minimization of labor in rural properties, and municipal legal pressures.     

松嫩平原部分县域重点工业企业发展与污染防治同步策略探讨

县域工业污染防治是工业化、城镇化进程中一个不可忽视的问题。应注重排放COD、烟尘等主要污染物浓度高且量较大的重点行业和企业,根据这些企业的运行规律和当地的气候特点,深入开展污染防治。以松嫩平原北部,有代表性的工业城市所辖县为重点,进行了探讨。     

国内流域生态系统土壤动物群落结构研究

土壤动物与其生存环境息息相关.土壤质地优良,食物种类丰富多样,则土壤动物个体数、类群数、多样性显著增多.目前,国内学者多侧重研究农田、森林、草原等生态系统土壤动物群落结构,而流域生态系统土壤动物研究较少涉及.对此,从土壤动物的水平分布、垂直分布和群落多样性三个方面来综述流域生态系统相关因素对土壤动物的影响具有代表性.在此基础上借鉴其他生态系统土壤动物相关研究并且结合流域生态系统自身特点拓展土壤动物研究方向,为研究区土地利用方向提供依据.研究流域中不同环境因素对土壤动物区系的影响,了解国内外土壤动物的研究和流域生态系统对土壤动物影响的进展.对于生态环境的恢复与重建具有重大意义.     

兰州市农牧业源氨排放清单及其时空分布特征

通过实地调研等方式获取农牧业源的活动水平,采用NARSES模型确定氮肥施用排放因子,其它排放因子通过文献调研确定,建立了2016年兰州市农牧业源氨排放清单,并进一步分析了农牧业源氨排放的时空分布特征. 2016年兰州市农牧业源大气氨排放量为9 356. 90 t;其中畜禽养殖源氨排放量7 584. 03 t,分担率81. 05%;永登县是氨排放量最大的区县,氨排放量为2 820. 59 t,分担率为30. 14%.在兰州市各区县氨排放量分担率中,畜牧业源氨排放的分担率在65. 83%～97. 38%之间;氮肥施用源的分担率在2. 27%～28. 66%之间.从空间分布来看,兰州市农牧业源氨排放主要集中在皋兰县西北部与中部、红古区东南部、七里河区东西两部与榆中县东部.从时间分布来看,畜牧业源氨排放主要集中在4～9月,氮肥施用源的氨排放主要集中在3～7月和9月,其它月份排放量相对较小.     

Levels and risk assessment of chemical contaminants in byproducts for animal feed in Denmark

With aim to provide information on chemical contaminants in byproducts in animal feed, the data from an official control by the Danish Plant Directorate during 1998–2009, were reviewed and several samples of citrus pulp and dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) were additionally collected for analysis and risk assessment. The levels of contaminants in the samples from the official control were below maximum limits from EU regulations with only a few exceptions in the following groups; dioxins and dioxin-like polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs) in fish-containing byproducts and dioxins in vegetable and animal fat, hydrogen cyanide in linseed, and cadmium in sunflowers. The levels of pesticides and mycotoxins in the additionally collected samples were below maximum limits. Enniatin B (ENN B) was present in all DDGS samples. The hypothetical cases of carry-over of contamination from these byproducts were designed assuming total absorption and accumulation of the ingested contaminant in meat and milk and high exposure (a byproduct formed 15–20% of the feed ration depending on the species). The risk assessment was refined based on literature data on metabolism in relevant animal species. Risk assessment of contaminants in byproducts is generally based on a worst-case approach, as data on carry-over of a contaminant are sparse. This may lead to erroneous estimation of health hazards. The presence of ENN B in all samples of DDGS indicates that potential impact of this emerging mycotoxin on feed and food safety deserves attention. A challenge for the future is to fill up gaps in toxicological databases and improve models for carry-over of contaminants.     

中国环境管理干部学院动物伦理教育概述

对中国环境管理干部学院的动物伦理教育进行了总结,提出动物伦理教育是大学生思想政治教育的一个重要方面的观点,指出动物伦理教育不仅事关动物,而且关系到大学生人格的培养。     

高效液相色谱法测定畜禽废物中磺胺类、喹诺酮类抗生素

建立了一种荧光和紫外检测器串联同时测定磺胺类（磺胺甲基嘧啶、磺胺二甲嘧啶、磺胺对甲氧嘧啶、磺胺甲嗯唑）和喹诺酮类（诺氟沙星、环丙沙星、恩诺沙星）抗生素的高效液相色谱法．4种磺胺类、3种喹诺酮类抗生素分别在0．50—10．0μg·mL一、0．01—0．50μg·mL。范围内线性良好,相关系数R^2〉0．99．确定了最佳提...