Abundance patterns and foraging activity of ant communities in abandoned,organic and commercial apple orchards in Northern California

The abundance patterns of ant communities were monitored with pitfall traps during 14 weeks in four northern California, dry farmed, apple orchards: an abandoned orchard undisturbed for 25 years, two ‘organically’ managed orchards, one with a cover crop of bell beans (Vicia faba) and grasses and the other kept clean of cover by discing, and a ‘commercial’ clean cultivated orchard sprayed with organophosphate insecticides. Six species of ants coexisted in the abandoned orchard, whereas only two species were found in the managed orchards. In both the organic and sprayed, clean cultivated systems, ants were more abundant in the orchard edges than in the vegetation-free centers. This trend was not apparent in the abandoned or organic cover orchards, where plant diversity in the center was similar to that of the edges. Ant predation on potato tuberworm larvae, Phthorimaea operculella, artificially placed on the orchard floor, declined with the intensity of management and vegetational simplication. A higher incidence of larval removal occurred in the edges than in the centers of the clean cultivated orchards. No noticeable populations of ants were detected on the trees in any of the orchards. Increased vegetational diversity and lack of disturbance appeared to affect ant locomotory activity and foraging efficiency by creating preferred sheltering and feeding sites.     

Evaluation of the use of bioaccumulation and biological effects tools in caged mussels,within the European Water Framework Directive

Bioaccumulation and biological effects of pollution were assessed in mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) caged for one month at three sites in the Oiartzun estuary (south-eastern Bay of Biscay, Spain) with the aim of evaluating their usefulness within the investigative monitoring defined in the European Union Water Framework Directive (WFD). The highest concentrations of organic contaminants determined in mussels' tissue were detected towards the inner part of the estuary but no gradient pattern was found for metal bioaccumulation. Population fitness responses measured as condition index, stress on stress and gonad index were similar in all caged mussels and did not follow the organic pollution gradient. However, biomarkers determined at tissue, cell and protein level (histopathology, micronuclei frequency, malondialdehyde levels and vitellogenin-like protein levels) revealed a higher stress syndrome at the inner part of the estuary showing signs of genotoxicity, oxidative stress and endocrine disruption. Overall, the integrated chemical–biological approach in connection with mussel caging technique proved to be a useful tool to assess environmental pollution, allowing a better understanding of the cause–effect relationship within the investigative monitoring defined in the WFD.     

Two Hundred Years of Local Avian Extinctions in Eastern Amazonia

Local, regional, and global extinctions caused by habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation have been widely reported for the tropics. The patterns and drivers of this loss of species are now increasingly well known in Amazonia, but there remains a significant gap in understanding of long‐term trends in species persistence and extinction in anthropogenic landscapes. Such a historical perspective is critical for understanding the status and trends of extant biodiversity as well as for identifying priorities to halt further losses. Using extensive historical data sets of specimen records and results of contemporary surveys, we searched for evidence of local extinctions of a terra firma rainforest avifauna over 200 years in a 2500 km² eastern Amazonian region around the Brazilian city of Belém. This region has the longest history of ornithological fieldwork in the entire Amazon basin and lies in the highly threatened Belém Centre of Endemism. We also compared our historically inferred extinction events with extensive data on species occurrences in a sample of catchments in a nearby municipality (Paragominas) that encompass a gradient of past forest loss. We found evidence for the possible extinction of 47 species (14% of the regional species pool) that were unreported from 1980 to 2013 (80% last recorded between 1900 and 1980). Seventeen species appear on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, and many of these are large‐bodied. The species lost from the region immediately around Belém are similar to those which are currently restricted to well‐forested catchments in Paragominas. Although we anticipate the future rediscovery or recolonization of some species inferred to be extinct by our calculations, we also expect that there are likely to be additional local extinctions, not reported here, given the ongoing loss and degradation of remaining areas of native vegetation across eastern Amazonia. Doscientos Años de Extinciones Locales de Aves en la Amazonia Oriental     

Lessons from Integrating Fishers of Arapaima in Small-Scale Fisheries Management at the Mamirauá Reserve,Amazon

Fishers and small-scale fisheries worldwide have been marginalized historically. Now it is clear that integrating fishers in management processes is key to resource conservation, but it is less clear how to do it. Here, based on a literature review and new information, we present and analyze a case in which the participation of fishers in the management process was crucial in recovering an overexploited small-scale fishery for the pirarucu (Arapaima spp.) in the Amazon Basin, Brazil. In 8 years of experimental management, from 1999 to 2006, the population of pirarucu increased 9-fold (from about 2200 to 20,650 individuals), harvest quotas increased 10-fold (from 120 to 1249 individuals), and fishers’ participation in the management process increased and they benefited from increased monetary returns. Additionally, the number of communities conducting the management scheme increased from 4 in 1999 to 108 in 2006, following the demands of fishers and regional government agencies. Based on our analysis, we suggest that the participation of fishers in the management of other small-scale fisheries in the world can be improved by focusing on (1) applying the knowledge and skills of fishers in resource monitoring and management, (2) bridging knowledge systems among all involved stakeholders, (3) collaborating with fishers that are interested in, and capable of conducting, resource conservation schemes, and (4) conducting management under conditions of uncertainty.     

One laptop per child,local refurbishment or overseas donations? Sustainability assessment of computer supply scenarios for schools in Colombia

With the intention of bridging the ‘digital divide’ many programmes have been launched to provide computers for educational institutions, ranging from refurbishing second hand computers to delivering low cost new computers. The fast and economical provision of large quantities of equipment is one of the many challenges faced by such programmes. If an increase is to be achieved in the sustainability of computer supplies for schools, not only must equipment be provided, but also suitable training and maintenance delivered. Furthermore, appropriate recycling has to be ensured, so that end-of-life equipment can be dealt with properly. This study has evaluated the suitability of three computer supply scenarios to schools in Colombia: (i) ‘Colombian refurbishment’, -refurbishment of computers donated in Colombia, (ii) ‘Overseas refurbishment’, -import of computers which were donated and refurbished abroad, and (iii) ‘XO Laptop’, -purchase of low cost computers manufactured in Korea. The methods applied were: Material Flow Assessment, -to assess the quantities-, Life Cycle Assessment, -to assess the environmental impacts, and the application of the Multiple Attribute Utility Theory, -to analyse, evaluate and compare different scenarios. The most sustainable solution proved to be the local refurbishment of second hand computers of Colombian origin to an appropriate technical standard. The environmental impacts of such practices need to be evaluated carefully, as second hand appliances have to be maintained, require spare parts and sometimes use more energy than newer equipment. Providing schools with second hand computers from overseas and through programmes such as ‘One Laptop Per Child’ has the disadvantage that the potential for social improvements – such as creation of jobs and local industry involvement – is very low.     

Diel cycles of arsenic speciation due to photooxidation in acid mine drainage from the Iberian Pyrite Belt (Sw Spain)

Twenty four hours diel cycles of arsenic speciation in Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) due to photooxidation have been reported for the first time. AMD samples were taken during 48 h (31st March and 1st April, 2005) at 6 h intervals from the effluent of a massive abandoned polymetallic sulphide mine of the Iberian Pyrite Belt (Sw Spain). Samples were preserved in situ using cationic exchange prior to analysis by coupled high performance liquid chromatography, hydride generation and atomic fluorescence spectrometry (HPLC-HG-AFS) for arsenic speciation. The results indicated the presence of inorganic arsenic species with daily means of 262mugl(-1) for As(V) and 107 microg l(-1) for As(III). No marked diel trend was observed for As(V). However, a marked diel trend was observed for As(III) in the two studied days, with maximum concentrations during nighttime (141-143 microg l(-1)) and minimum concentrations at daytime (72-77 microg l(-1)). This difference in concentration during daytime and nighttime is ca. 100%. A similar diel cycle was observed for iron. An explanation for the arsenic diel cycles observed is the light induced photooxidation of As(III) and the elimination of As(V) due to its adsorption onto Fe precipitates during the daytime. Furthermore, the diel changes in arsenic speciation emphasize the importance of designing suitable sampling strategies in AMD systems.     

The Bias of Complementarity Hotspots toward Marginal Populations

Abstract: It has been suggested that using complementarity to identify networks of important areas for conserving biodiversity may preferentially select areas within the margins of species ranges. We tested this idea by examining the location of complementarity hotspots in relation to two measures of range core-periphery. The first measures patterns of aggregation among records within each species' range to identify areas within the core (i.e., areas with aggregated distributions) and periphery (i.e., areas with scattered distributions) of the range. The second measures spatial turnover among species to identify areas with a high density of range edges. For three selected groups of terrestrial vertebrates in Europe—mammals, birds, and herptiles—areas chosen based on complementarity were located within the margins of species' ranges more often than expected by chance. This pattern was consistent for the two measures of core-periphery we used. The bias of complementarity hotspots toward marginal populations is especially important for species with restricted range sizes. If extinctions are determined mainly by demographic factors, then selecting areas at the peripheries of species' ranges might be a poor option. But if extinctions are determined mainly by extrinsic factors, then peripheral populations might be important to ensure the long-term persistence of species.     

Estimation of sampling uncertainty for determination of pesticide residues in plant commodities

In order to provide residue data for refining the estimated sampling uncertainty, a coordinated research program was initiated for performing field studies on residues in individual items of leafy vegetables, small and large crops. The trials were carried out in 13 countries with 3 small fruits, 5 large crops, 2 medium/large crops and 3 leafy vegetables. The 25 pesticide active ingredients applied represented the dicarboximide (3), organophosphorus (8), synthetic pyrethroids (5), phthalimides (2), organochlorine (1) and other types of pesticides (6). In addition, 11 supervised field trials were performed in grapes and lettuce by the pesticide manufacturers, and their results were provided for evaluation. The studies represented actual agriculture practice around the world, and provide reliable data for estimation of sampling uncertainty. Based on the 12346 residue data, the best estimate for the relative sampling uncertainty for composite samples, assuming sample size of 10 for small crops and leafy vegetables and 5 for large crops, with 95% confidence limits in brackets are: small commodities: 0.25 (0.20–0.29); Brassica leafy vegetables: 0.20 (0.16–0.24); large commodities: 0.33 (0.29–0.38).     

Substituting missing data in compositional analysis

Multivariate analysis of environmental data sets requires the absence of missing values or their substitution by small values. However, if the data is transformed logarithmically prior to the analysis, this solution cannot be applied because the logarithm of a small value might become an outlier. Several methods for substituting the missing values can be found in the literature although none of them guarantees that no distortion of the structure of the data set is produced. We propose a method for the assessment of these distortions which can be used for deciding whether to retain or not the samples or variables containing missing values and for the investigation of the performance of different substitution techniques. The method analyzes the structure of the distances among samples using Mantel tests. We present an application of the method to PCDD/F data measured in samples of terrestrial moss as part of a biomonitoring study.     

Understanding conservation conflicts associated with rodent outbreaks in farmland areas

Rodent outbreaks affect many farmland areas worldwide and the negative environmental impacts of control campaigns cause intense social tensions. In such conservation conflicts, understanding stakeholders’ viewpoints is critical to promote ecologically sustainable management. We used Q-methodology, a framework standing between qualitative and quantitative social research, to investigate human subjectivity and understand conflicts caused by rodent outbreaks in Spain. We interviewed farmers, conservationists, hunters, and governmental agencies, and identified five main discourses about the origins and consequences of the conflictive situation. Finding sustainable management is impaired by opposing views about causes and consequences of vole outbreaks and their management, which are at the root of the conflict. Social tensions will likely remain until the underlying conflicts between people holding different views are also managed. Decision-making should therefore focus on mitigating underlying conflicts. Using trained independent mediators would help the effective resolution of conservation conflicts caused by rodent outbreaks and their management.