Bias in protected‐area location and its effects on long‐term aspirations of biodiversity conventions

To contribute to the aspirations of recent international biodiversity conventions, protected areas (PAs) must be strategically located and not simply established on economically marginal lands as they have in the past. With refined international commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity to target protected areas in places of “importance to biodiversity,” perhaps they may now be. We analyzed location biases in PAs globally over historic (pre‐2004) and recent periods. Specifically, we examined whether the location of protected areas are more closely associated with high concentrations of threatened vertebrate species or with areas of low agricultural opportunity costs. We found that both old and new protected areas did not target places with high concentrations of threatened vertebrate species. Instead, they appeared to be established in locations that minimize conflict with agriculturally suitable lands. This entrenchment of past trends has substantial implications for the contributions these protected areas are making to international commitments to conserve biodiversity. If protected‐area growth from 2004 to 2014 had strategically targeted unrepresented threatened vertebrates, >30 times more species (3086 or 2553 potential vs. 85 actual new species represented) would have been protected for the same area or the same cost as the actual expansion. With the land available for conservation declining, nations must urgently focus new protection on places that provide for the conservation outcomes outlined in international treaties.     

Biodesulfurization of dibenzothiophene by growing cells of Pseudomonas putida CECT 5279 in biphasic media

Several studies have proven that natural or genetically modified bacteria, such as Pseudomonas putida strain, degrade recalcitrant organic sulfur compounds. However, from a practical point of view, the biodesulfurization (BDS) process has to be performed with really high proportions of organic solvents. In this work, the dibenzothiophene (DBT) was selected as recalcitrant model compound, and hexadecane as model organic solvent. It has been observed that P. putida CECT 5279 was able to desulfurize DBT even in the presence of 50% (v/v) of hexadecane. A concentration of 400 ppm of DBT was converted at a specific rate of generation of desulfurized final product, 2-hydroxybiphenyl (HBP), of 2.3 and 1.5 mg HBP L-1 (g DC L-1 h)-1 for 27% and 50% (v/v) of hexadecane, respectively. Finally, the Haldane kinetic model was used to describe the process evolution. The study is relevant as it has been proven that the strain CECT 5279 is a potential biocatalyst for developing an efficient BDS process.     

Effects of matrix characteristics and interpatch distance on functional connectivity in fragmented temperate rainforests

The connectivity of remnant patches of habitat may affect the persistence of species in fragmented landscapes. We evaluated the effects of the structural connectivity of forest patches (i.e., distance between patches) and matrix class (land-cover type) on the functional connectivity of 3 bird species (the White-crested Elaenia [Elaenia albiceps], the Green-backed Firecrown Hummingbird [Sephanoides sephaniodes], and the Austral Thrush [Turdus falklandii]). We measured functional connectivity as the rate at which each species crossed from one patch to another. We also evaluated whether greater functional connectivity translated into greater ecological connectivity (dispersal of fruit and pollen) by comparing among forest patches fruit set of a plant pollinated by hummingbirds and abundance of seedlings and adults of 2 plants with bird- and wind-dispersed seeds. Interpatch distance was strongly associated with functional connectivity, but its effect was not independent of matrix class. For one of the bird-dispersed plants, greater functional connectivity for White-crested Elaenias and Austral Thrushes (both frugivores) was associated with higher densities of this plant. The lack of a similar association for the wind-dispersed species suggests this effect is linked to the dispersal vector. The abundance of the hummingbird-pollinated species was not related to the presence of hummingbirds. Interpatch distance and matrix class affect animal movement in fragmented landscapes and may have a cascading effect on the distribution of some animal-dispersed species. On the basis of our results, we believe effort should be invested in optimizing patch configuration and modifying the matrix so as to mitigate the effects of patch isolation in fragmented landscapes.     

Feeding patterns of Lampanyctus pusillus (Pisces: Myctophidae) throughout its ontogenetic development

The trophic ecology of the lanternfish Lampanyctus pusillus was investigated using individuals captured off the Balearic Islands (39°N, 2°E) (western Mediterranean) in December 2009. Based on gut content analyses, the trophic niche breadth, diet composition and selectivity were determined for the entire life cycle of L. pusillus. The larval stages fed actively near the surface during the day, with a feeding incidence (FI) of approximately 71 %. In contrast, the adults fed at night, both in near-surface depths and in the 400 m deep scattering layer, with a higher FI (83 %). Diet analysis revealed a shift in the prey choice throughout ontogenetic development, from preflexion individuals, which selected nauplii and small oncaeids, to postflexion larvae, which consumed a variety of calanoids, mainly Clausocalanus spp., to the adults, which preyed on large organisms, exhibiting positive selectivity for Pleuromamma spp. and euphausiids. These results show that the vertical distribution of larvae and adults is partly conditioned by their respective feeding habits, with larvae feeding on small zooplankton in the upper layer and adults preferring to consume larger taxa that perform nycthemeral migrations.     

Reliable analysis of chlorophenoxy herbicides in soil and water by magnetic solid phase extraction and liquid chromatography

Environmental Chemistry Letters - There is no previous work on the determination of chlorophenoxy acid herbicides in soils. Here we analysed six chlorophenoxy acid herbicides using magnetic solid...