Descriptions of Scottish Priority Marine Features (PMFs).

Background The seas around Scotland are rich and diverse – Scotland’s position at the edge of the continental shelf, the long coastline, large area of sea and the mixing of warm and coldwater currents combine to make its waters a special place for marine wildlife and habitats. Scotland has over 18,000 km of coastline and its inshore and offshore areas are among the largest of any EU country, representing 13% of all European seas. Scotland’s seas are of outstanding scenic, historical and cultural value and are part of the national identity at home and abroad. The Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 and the UK Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 include new powers and duties to ensure that our seas are managed sustainably for future generations, integrating the economic growth of marine industries with the need to protect these assets. Measures to conserve Scotland’s marine natural heritage are based on a three pillar approach, with action at the wider seas level (e.g. marine planning or sectoral controls); specific species conservation measures (e.g. improved protection for seals); and through site protection measures - the identification of new Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). To help target action under each of the three pillars, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) have generated a focused list of habitats and species of priority conservation importance - the Priority Marine Features (PMFs). The aim of the current study was to produce a descriptive catalogue of the Scottish PMFs (including component habitats and species where appropriate) to serve as a reference for future nature conservation action. Whilst derived from available existing accounts, the succinct 1-page descriptions are written from a Scottish perspective, refining, but clearly linking to more generic UK, EC or OSPAR (Oslo and Paris Commission) commentary. Available information on the geographic distribution of the features was collated as part of the project and a summary map is provided in each description. Main findings  This project has generated a descriptive catalogue of the 81 PMFs that have been identified in the seas around Scotland (out to the limit of the UK continental shelf). The list comprises 26 broad habitats (e.g. burrowed mud), seven low or limited mobility species (e.g. ocean quahog) and 48 mobile species, including fish (e.g. blue ling) and marine mammals (e.g. minke whale).  Information on the distribution of the PMFs was collated within a Geographic Information System (GIS). This is the first time that data about such a diverse range of Scottish marine nature conservation interests have been compiled within a single repository. These data have and will be used in conjunction with other contextual base-mapping to inform the development of nature conservation advice and commentary (e.g. in the production of the Scotland’s Marine Atlas - Baxter et al., 2011).  The feature distribution mapping used in the production of this report is being made available to view online via the National Marine Plan Interactive web portal (NMPi - http://www.gov.scot/Topics/marine/seamanagement/nmpihome). As new or refined data on Scottish PMFs become available, these will be fed into updates to the project geodatabase and NMPi.

Descriptions of Scottish Priority Marine Features (PMFs).

Background The seas around Scotland are rich and diverse – Scotland’s position at the edge of the continental shelf, the long coastline, large area of sea and the mixing of warm and coldwater currents combine to make its waters a special place for marine wildlife and habitats. Scotland has over 18,000 km of coastline and its inshore and offshore areas are among the largest of any EU country, representing 13% of all European seas. Scotland’s seas are of outstanding scenic, historical and cultural value and are part of the national identity at home and abroad. The Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 and the UK Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 include new powers and duties to ensure that our seas are managed sustainably for future generations, integrating the economic growth of marine industries with the need to protect these assets. Measures to conserve Scotland’s marine natural heritage are based on a three pillar approach, with action at the wider seas level (e.g. marine planning or sectoral controls); specific species conservation measures (e.g. improved protection for seals); and through site protection measures - the identification of new Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). To help target action under each of the three pillars, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) have generated a focused list of habitats and species of priority conservation importance - the Priority Marine Features (PMFs). The aim of the current study was to produce a descriptive catalogue of the Scottish PMFs (including component habitats and species where appropriate) to serve as a reference for future nature conservation action. Whilst derived from available existing accounts, the succinct 1-page descriptions are written from a Scottish perspective, refining, but clearly linking to more generic UK, EC or OSPAR (Oslo and Paris Commission) commentary. Available information on the geographic distribution of the features was collated as part of the project and a summary map is provided in each description. Main findings  This project has generated a descriptive catalogue of the 81 PMFs that have been identified in the seas around Scotland (out to the limit of the UK continental shelf). The list comprises 26 broad habitats (e.g. burrowed mud), seven low or limited mobility species (e.g. ocean quahog) and 48 mobile species, including fish (e.g. blue ling) and marine mammals (e.g. minke whale).  Information on the distribution of the PMFs was collated within a Geographic Information System (GIS). This is the first time that data about such a diverse range of Scottish marine nature conservation interests have been compiled within a single repository. These data have and will be used in conjunction with other contextual base-mapping to inform the development of nature conservation advice and commentary (e.g. in the production of the Scotland’s Marine Atlas - Baxter et al., 2011).  The feature distribution mapping used in the production of this report is being made available to view online via the National Marine Plan Interactive web portal (NMPi - http://www.gov.scot/Topics/marine/seamanagement/nmpihome). As new or refined data on Scottish PMFs become available, these will be fed into updates to the project geodatabase and NMPi.

Status, trends and drivers of kelp forests in Europe: an expert assessment

A comprehensive expert consultation was conducted in order to assess the status, trends and the most important drivers of change in the abundance and geographical distribution of kelp forests in European waters. This consultation included an on-line questionnaire, results from a workshop and data provided by a selected group of experts working on kelp forest mapping and eco-evolutionary research. Differences in status and trends according to geographical areas, species identity and small-scale variations within the same habitat where shown by assembling and mapping kelp distribution and trend data. Significant data gaps for some geographical regions, like the Mediterranean and the southern Iberian Peninsula, were also identified. The data used for this study confirmed a general trend with decreasing abundance of some native kelp species at their southern distributional range limits and increasing abundance in other parts of their distribution (Saccharina latissima and Saccorhiza polyschides). The expansion of the introduced species Undaria pinnatifida was also registered. Drivers of observed changes in kelp forests distribution and abundance were assessed using experts’ opinions. Multiple possible drivers were identified, including global warming, sea urchin grazing, harvesting, pollutionand fishing pressure, and their impact varied between geographical areas. Overall, the results highlight major threats for these ecosystems but also opportunities for conservation. Major requirements to ensure adequate protection of coastal kelp ecosystems along European coastlines are discussed, based on the local to regional gaps detected in the study.

Status, trends and drivers of kelp forests in Europe: an expert assessment

A comprehensive expert consultation was conducted in order to assess the status, trends and the most important drivers of change in the abundance and geographical distribution of kelp forests in European waters. This consultation included an on-line questionnaire, results from a workshop and data provided by a selected group of experts working on kelp forest mapping and eco-evolutionary research. Differences in status and trends according to geographical areas, species identity and small-scale variations within the same habitat where shown by assembling and mapping kelp distribution and trend data. Significant data gaps for some geographical regions, like the Mediterranean and the southern Iberian Peninsula, were also identified. The data used for this study confirmed a general trend with decreasing abundance of some native kelp species at their southern distributional range limits and increasing abundance in other parts of their distribution (Saccharina latissima and Saccorhiza polyschides). The expansion of the introduced species Undaria pinnatifida was also registered. Drivers of observed changes in kelp forests distribution and abundance were assessed using experts’ opinions. Multiple possible drivers were identified, including global warming, sea urchin grazing, harvesting, pollutionand fishing pressure, and their impact varied between geographical areas. Overall, the results highlight major threats for these ecosystems but also opportunities for conservation. Major requirements to ensure adequate protection of coastal kelp ecosystems along European coastlines are discussed, based on the local to regional gaps detected in the study.

Pileated Woodpecker Occupancy and the Occurrence and Recruitment of Key Habitat Attributes in a Managed Forest

Thesis (Master's)--University of Washington, 2016-08

Stakeholder-led science: engaging resource managers to identify science needs for long-term management of floodplain conservation lands

Floodplains pose challenges to managers of conservation lands because of constantly changing interactions with their rivers. Although scientific knowledge and understanding of the dynamics and drivers of river-floodplain systems can provide guidance to floodplain managers, the scientific process often occurs in isolation from management. Further, communication barriers between scientists and managers can be obstacles to appropriate application of scientific knowledge. With the coproduction of science in mind, our objectives were the following: (1) to document management priorities of floodplain conservation lands, and (2) identify science needs required to better manage the identified management priorities under nonstationary conditions, i.e., climate change, through stakeholder queries and interactions. We conducted an online survey with 80 resource managers of floodplain conservation lands along the Upper and Middle Mississippi River and Lower Missouri River, USA, to evaluate management priority, management intensity, and available scientific information for management objectives and conservation targets. Management objectives with the least information available relative to priority included controlling invasive species, maintaining respectful relationships with neighbors, and managing native, nongame species. Conservation targets with the least information available to manage relative to management priority included pollinators, marsh birds, reptiles, and shore birds. A follow-up workshop and survey focused on clarifying science needs to achieve management objectives under nonstationary conditions. Managers agreed that metrics of inundation, including depth and extent of inundation, and frequency, duration, and timing of inundation would be the most useful metrics for management of floodplain conservation lands with multiple objectives. This assessment provides guidance for developing relevant and accessible science products to inform management of highly dynamic floodplain environments. Although the problems facing managers of these lands are complex, products focused on a small suite of inundation metrics were determined to be the most useful to guide the decision making process.

Peat Bog Ecosystems: Peatland Restoration

Peatland restoration involves giving aid to a complex ecosystem which has been damaged in some way. A reasonable analogy is a patient brought to a hospital for urgent treatment. When arriving at Accident & Emergency , the first priority of the medical team is to stabilise the patient’s condition. Only after the patient’s condition has been assessed and then stabilised can the team begin to think about the longer - term process of healing and recovery. A similar logic is applied to peatland s . First , stabilisation is required to prevent further degradation, following which restoration can focus on the recovery of the ecosystem.

Projeto em Áreas Consolidadas de Patrimônio Cultural: Propostas para a Construção de uma Metodologia de Ensino

Le thème du patrimoine culturel architectural et urbain continue d avoir une place importante dans le milieu technique et scientifique. Le concept s est élargi et aujourd hui comprend différentes procédures de projets d intervention. L importance accordée au thème amène à l inclusion de la matière de techniques rétrospectives et aux contenus qui en sont liés: conservation, restauration, restructuration et reconstruction d édifices et ensembles urbains, dans les parcours des cours d architecture et d urbanisme au Brésil établies par le Ministère de l Education Nationale (MEC) dans les années quatre-vingt-dix, postérieurement incorporés dans les directrices disciplinaires nationales. Nous partons des discussions théoriques et conceptuelles du Domaine du Patrimoine Culturel, ainsi que des principales théories pédagogiques d enseignements et d apprentissage articulées au projet. Dans ce contexte les objectifs principaux de cette thèse consistent à systématiser et à analyser les principales procédures méthodologiques contribuant pour la construction de méthodes d enseignement tournée vers des activités pratiques dans ce domaine. Pour cela, la recherche a été systématisée dans une approche à deux niveaux. En ce qui concerne le premier, basé sur des données secondaires, neuf cours d architecture et urbanisme ont étés identifiés entre institutions publiques d enseignement supérieur dont huit brésiliennes et une française, considérées représentatives en ce qui concerne les pratiques d enseignement de projet et de patrimoine culturel. Trente disciplines dédiées à la matière ont été également reconnues initialement, et postérieurement, cinq disciplines qui possèdent un emploi du temps dédié à la pratique de projet ont aussi été reconnues. Dans le deuxième cas, basée sur des données primaires, ont étés analysées les méthodologies et les stratégies d enseignement de projet basées sur les définitions des matières et des autres éléments des plans de travail avec des observations, des entrevues et des questionnaires en trois ateliers. Par rapport aux résultats nous avons constaté que toutes les écoles possèdent les contenus de la matière, mais peu d entre elles privilégient la relation du projet appliqué au patrimoine culturel. Nous avons constaté que les questions des projets dans ce contexte, même s elles sont considérées complexes, ont privilégié le listage et l analyse du site. L atelier qui intègre les fondements des théories de préservation, l histoire de l architecture et urbanisme et techniques anciennes et actuelles, est mis en valeur comme un modèle cohérent avec les propositions d intégration des connaissances théoriques et pratiques du projet appliqué à la discipline. Basé sur ces constatations il est possible de démontrer quatre étapes du projet appliqué au patrimoine culturel: 1ª) les fondements généraux qui concernent les bases théoriques sur la préservation, histoire et technique rétrospective, par exemple, l appropriation de lois et normes et la sensibilisation de l élève sur les questions de patrimoine culturel; 2ª) le contacte avec la réalité qui inclut l appropriation du problème à partir de ces acteurs, de ces échelles, de cette lecture de site et l analyse de l objet d étude; 3ª) le développement de la proposition qui inclut programmes (fonctions existantes et propositions), définitions du partit (types d intervention), conception (hypothèse et discussion) et définition de proposition; 4ª) la finalisation du projet qui consiste à développer la proposition avec sa représentation graphique et sa présentation finale. Nous concluons que le projet en Domaine du Patrimoine Culturel demande une attention spéciale et doit être présent dans les cursus considérant les principes généraux nécessaires à la formation de l élève. Le binôme projet / patrimoine signifie avoir dans le cursus universitaire les contenus et questions nécessaires les connaissances, les variables et possibilités existantes dans le projet appliqué au patrimoine culturel de façon à ce que ces connaissances soient incorporées dans l exercice de projet et n apparaissent pas comme un simple contenu théorique sans articulation avec la pratique. Naturellement ces conclusions n épuisent pas la réflexion sur la question. Nous espérons que les analyses faites contribuent à définir des méthodologies d enseignements capables d êtres vérifiées et testées dans la pratique en salle de cours, et puisse collaborer avec les nouvelles recherches surtout celles qui ont pour but des nouvelles théories pédagogiques d enseignement apprentissage du projet en Domaine du Patrimoine Culturel

Status of the beach management units development in Uganda

Fisheries plays a significant and important part in the economy of the country contributing to foreign exchange, food security and employment creation. Lake Victoria contributes over 50% of the total annual fish catch. The purpose of fisheries management is to ensure conservation, protection, proper use, economic efficiency and equitable distribution of the fisheries resources both for the present and future generations through sustainable utilization. The earliest fisheries were mainly at the subsistence level. Fishing gear consisted of locally made basket traps, hooks and seine nets of papyrus. Fishing effort begun to increase with the introduction of more efficient flax gillnets in 1905. Fisheries management in Uganda started in 1914. Before then, the fishery was under some form of traditional management based on the do and don'ts. History shows that the Baganda had strong spiritual beliefs in respect of "god Mukasa" (god of the Lake) and these indirectly contributed to sustainable management of the lake. If a fisherman neglected to comply witt'l any of the ceremonies related to fishing he was expected to encounter a bad omen (Rev. Roscoe, 1965) However, with the introduction of the nylon gill nets, which could catch more fish, traditional management regime broke down. By 1955 the indigenous fish species like Oreochromis variabilis and Oreochromis esculentus had greatly declined in catches. Decline in catches led to introduction of poor fishing methods because of competition for fish. Government in an attempt to regulate the fishing irldustry enacted the first Fisheries Ordinance in 1951 and recruited Fisheries Officers to enforce them. The government put in place minimum net mesh-sizes and Fisheries Officers arrested fishermen without explaining the reason. This led to continued poor fishing practices. The development of government centred management systems led to increased alienation of resource users and to wilful disregard of specific regulations. The realisation of the problems faced by the central management system led to the recognition that user groups need to be actively involved in fisheries management if the systems are to be consistent with sustainable fisheries and be legitimate. Community participation in fisheries management under the Comanagement approach has been adopted in Lake Victoria including other water bodies.

Variation in composition of macro-benthic invertebrates as an indication of water quality status in three bays in Lake Victoria

Knowledge of how biota can be used to monitor ecosystem health and assess impacts by human alterations such as land use and management measures taken at different spatial scales is critical for improving the ecological quality of aquatic ecosystems. This knowledge in Uganda is very limited or unavailable yet it is needed to better understand the relationship between environmental factors at different spatial scales, assemblage structure and taxon richness of aquatic ecosystems. In this study, benthic invertebrate community patterns were sampled between June 2001 and April 2002 and analysed in relation to water quality and catchment land use patterns from three shallow near-shore bays characterized by three major land uses patterns: urban (Murchison Bay); semi-urban (Fielding Bay); rural (Hannington Bay). Variations in density and guild composition of benthic macro-invertebrates communities were evaluated using GIS techniques along an urban-rural gradient of land use and differences in community composition were related to dissolved oxygen and conductivity variation. Based on numerical abundance and tolerance values, Hilsenhoff's Biotic Index ofthe invertebrates was determined in order to evaluate the relative importance of water quality in the three bays. Murchison Bay supported a relatively taxa-poor invertebrate assemblage mainly comprising stenotopic and eurytopic populations of pollution-tolerant groups such as worms and Chironomus sp. with an overall depression in species diversity. On the contrary, the communities in Fielding and Hannington bays were quite similar and supported distinct and diverse assemblages including pollution-intolerant forms such as Ephemeroptera (mayflies), Odonata (dragonflies). The Hilsenhoff Biotic Index in Murchison Bay was 6.53. (indicating poor water quality) compared to 6.34 for Fielding Bay and 5.78 for Hannington Bay (both indicating fair water quality). The characterization of maximum taxa richness balanced among taxa groups with good representation of intolerant individuals in Hannington Bay relative to Fielding and Murchison bays concludes that the bay is the cleanest in terms of water quality. Contrary, the dominance of few taxa with many tolerant iqdividuals present in Murchison Bay indicates that the bay is degraded in terms of water quality. These result are ofimportance when planning conservation and management measures, implementing large-scale biomonitoring programs, and predicting how human alterations (e.g nutrient loading) affect water ecosystems. Therefore, analysis of water quality in relation to macro-invertebrate community composition patterns as bio-indicators can lead to further understanding of their responses to environmental manipulations and perturbations.

Estrutura e dinâmica de populações de Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris (Linnaeus, 1766) (Rodentia) em duas áreas urbanas no norte do Paraná, Brasil

This study aimed to evaluate the population ecology of Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris (Linnaeus, 1766) in two urban areas in the north of Paraná, an open and other protected by assessing the effects of these two different types of environments on the structure and dynamics of the population and its implications for conservation of the species. The monitoring of the populations were performed monthly between June 2014 and March 2015 in Jaboti Lake Park (Apucarana / PR) and Conservation Unit Parque Arthur Thomas (Londrina / PR). To conduct the survey population data was used the methodology of total census (direct counting of individuals).They were evaluated ecological parameters of the populations of capybaras, such as ecological density, abundance, age distribution and birth rate, as well as performed the analysis of the landscape. It was applied to analysis of variance (ANOVA) to test the differences between the averages of the abundance of each age group per year of observation, as well as the differences between the average ecological density over the years of observation. The standard relationship between the use of classes and land use in the landscape and the ecological parameters of the capybara populations was evaluated by Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The trend of variation of average abundance over time to Thomas Arthur Park revealed abrupt decrease of the population in a short period of time (2014 16 ± 9, 14 ± 1 and 2015 7±1) as well as ecological density in 2015 (0.05 ind./ha). On the other hand, the Jaboti Lake Park, showed an increase in absolute abundance, with marked recovery of the population in the same period (2014 38±8,30 and 2015 45±1,73) and coming up with an ecological density in 2015 (2 ind ./ha). The birth rate found Lake Park Jaboti was superior to Arthur Thomas Park, which had a negative rate between 2012 and 2015. The use and land cover analysis showed significant differences from the point of view of the relative contribution of landscape elements in the spatial heterogeneity. Arthur Thomas Park shows areas of dense vegetation and urban areas relatively higher than those observed in Jaboti Lake Park that revealed relatively higher proportions of the areas of agriculture / field and exposed soil. Thus, the present study revealed that the local population structure is directly related to the spatial characteristics of both studied landscapes, as can be seen by the greater abundance and density seen in Jaboti Lake Park compared to Arthur Thomas Park in recent years of study.

Multijurisdictional fisheries performance reporting: How Australia’s nationally standardised approach to assessing stock status compares

Australian marine wild-capture fisheries are managed by eight separate jurisdictions. Traditionally, fishery status reports have been produced separately by most of these jurisdictions, assessing the fish stocks they manage, and reporting on the effectiveness of their fisheries management. However, the format, the type of stock status assessments, the thresholds and terminology used to describe stock status and the classification frameworks have varied over time and among jurisdictions. These differences complicate efforts to understand stock status on a national scale. They also create potential misunderstanding among the wider community about how to interpret information on the status of fish stocks, and the fisheries management and science processes more generally. This is especially true when considering stocks that are shared across two or more jurisdictional boundaries. A standardised approach was developed in 2011 leading to production of the first national Status of key Australian fish stocks reports in 2012, followed by a second edition in 2014 (www.fish.gov.au). Production of these reports was the first step towards a broader national approach to reporting on the performance of Australian fisheries for target species and for wider ecosystem and socioeconomic consequences. This paper outlines the challenges associated with moving towards national performance reporting for target fish stocks and Australia’s successes so far. It also outlines the challenges ahead, in particular those relating to reporting more broadly on the status of entire fisheries. Comparisons are drawn between Australia and New Zealand and more broadly between Australia and other countries.

Lantana: current management status and future prospects.

Lantana camara L. is a significant weed of which there are some 650 varieties in over 60 countries or island groups. It has been the focus of biological control attempts for a century, yet still poses major problems in many regions. Lantana has a significant impact on economic and environmental areas and is difficult to control. The key to good management of lantana is constant vigilance. Repeated control of new regrowth is critical to success. Control of new infestations should be a priority because the species is able to expand its range during good seasons, but does not die out during poor conditions. This book is a resource for land managers and researchers on methods of lantana control, particularly biocontrol.

Status of important farmlands maps as of January 1, 1982 : Massachusetts /

Title in right upper margin: Important farmlands maps.

Status of river basin projects, Connecticut : October 1987 /

"March 1988."