Covering over the cracks in conservation assessments at EU interfaces: A cross-jurisdictional ecoregion scale approach using the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra)

Throughout the European Union, the EC Habitats Directive requires that member states undertake national surveillance of designated species. Despite biological connections between-populations across-borders, national assessments need not be co-ordinated in any way. We conducted a trans-boundary assessment of the status of Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra) aimed at providing consistency across a single biogeographical unit, i.e. the island of Ireland, comprising two states, i.e. the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom (Northern Ireland). Our aim was to ensure consistency with previous assessments conducted separately in each state, and permit each Government to fulfil their separate statutory reporting commitments. The species range increased by 23% from 1996–2006 and 2007–11. The population estimate of 9400 [95%CI 8700–12,200] breeding females during 2010/11 was not significantly different from 8300 [95%CI 7600–9800] breeding females established as a baseline during 1981–82. Modelling of species-habitat associations suggested that available habitat was not limiting and no putative pressures recorded at sites surveyed negatively affected species occurrence. Thus, under the statutory parameters for assessing a species’ conservation status, i.e. range, population, habitat and future prospects, the otter was judged to be in ‘Favourable’ status throughout Ireland and in both discrete political jurisdictions. Thus, we provide a trans-boundary test case for EU member states that share habitats and species across ecoregions, ensuring conservation assessment data are standardised, synchronised, spatially consistent and, therefore, biologically relevant without compromising legal and administrative autonomy within separate jurisdictions.

Controlled periodic illumination in semiconductor photocatalysis

Controlled periodic illumination is a hypothesis postulated in the early 1990s for enhancing the efficiency of semiconductor photocatalytic reactions. This technique has been proposed to improve photocatalytic efficiency by the nature of photon introduction alone. Before its application in semiconductor photocatalysis, controlled periodic illumination had been investigated in other fields including photosynthesis. This paper presents a detailed review of the state of the art research undertaken on the application of controlled periodic illumination in semiconductor photocatalysis. The review briefly introduces semiconductor photocatalysis, and then presents a detailed explanation of this technique, its importance to photocatalytic efficiency, an overview of previous results of its application in significant studies and present knowledge. Results from previous as well as some of the most recent studies indicate potential applications of controlled periodic illumination in areas other than just the improvement of the efficiency of the photocatalytic process.