The Natural History of Slapton Ley Nature Reserve XVIII: nitrogen and phosphorus losses from the catchment - an export coefficient modelling approach

Nitrogen and phosphorus losses from the catchment of Slapton Ley, a small coastal lake in SW England, were calculated using an adaptation of a model developed by Jorgensen (1980). A detailed survey of the catchment revealed that its land use is dominated by both permanent and temporary grassland (respectively 38 and 32% of its total area), and that the remainder is made up of the cultivation of cereals and field vegetables, and market gardening. Livestock numbers in the catchment constitute ca. 6600 head of cattle, 10,000 sheep, 590 pigs, 1700 poultry and 58 horses. The permanent human population of the area is ca. 2000, served by two small gravity-fed sewage treatment works (STWs). Inputs to, and losses from, farmland in the catchment were computed using Jorgensen’s model, and coefficients derived from the data of Cooke (1976), Gostick (1982), Rast and Lee (1983) and Vollenweider (1968). Allowing for outputs from STWs, the total annual external load of N and P upon Slapton Ley is 160 t (35 kg ha-1) a-1 N, and 4.8 t (1.05 kg ha-1) a-1 P. Accordingly to Vollenweider (1968, 1975), such loadings exceed OECD permissible level by a factor of ca. 50 in the case of N, and ca. 5 in that of P. In order to reduce nutrient loads, attention would need to be paid to both STW and agricultural sources.

Establishment of a reedbed within a created surface water fed wetland nature reserve

In the early 1990's, outline designs for two wetland nature reserves were being prepared: the Teeside International Nature Reserve (TINR) and the Cardiff Bay Barrage Environmental Compensation Measures at Redwick, Gwent. The initial design for both proposals identified reedbed as a desirable habitat for establishment. The initial design works identified the importance of reedbed evapotranspiration [ET(Reed)] within the water budget, however, literature searches identified a paucity of information on this parameter. Field experiments for the measurement of ET(Reed) from Phragmites australis are described for three sites distributed across England and Wales. Reference Crop Evapotranspiration (ETo) was calculated using techniques recommended by the Food and Agriculture Organisation. A technique for the calculation of a reedbed crop coefficient [Kc(Reed)[, from ET(Reed) and ETo data is discussed. Kc(Reed) values produced in the project were found to be similar to those developed previously in continental Europe. Mean monthly and crop development stage Kc(Reed) values are presented which are applicable in the UK and possibly worldwide. A conceptual hydrological model of surface water fed reedbed systems is developed, and used to calculate the hydrological sustainability of reedbed creation areas in the UK. Finally, the water budget model is verified using data from a small clay catchment located on the TINR. In addition, a methodology is developed for the hydrological design of surface water fed reedbed systems, and recommendations required for the feasibility, design and establishment stage of reedbed creation sites. Further research needs are also identified.

Valuing ecological functions of biodiversity in changbaishan mountain biosphere reserve in northeast china

Conservation of biodiversity can generate considerable indirect economic value and this is being increasingly recognized in China. For a forest ecosystem type of a nature reserve, the most important of its values are its ecological functions which provide human beings and other living things with beneficial environmental services. These services include water conservancy, soil protection, CO2 fixation and O-2 release, nutrient cycling, pollutant decomposition, and disease and pest control. Based on a case study in Changbaishan Mountain Biosphere Reserve in Northeast China, this paper provides a monetary valuation of these services by using opportunity cost and alternative cost methods. Using such an approach, this reserve is valued at 510.11 million yuan (USD 61.68 mill.) per year, 10 times higher than the opportunity cost (51.78 mill. yuan/ha.a) for regular timber production. While China has heeded United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP)'s call for economic evaluation of ecological functions, the assessment techniques used need to be improved in China and in the West for reasons mentioned.

Ants obtained from trees of a "Jacareuba" (Calophyllum brasiliense) forest plantation in Central Amazonia by canopy fogging: first results

Canopies of the locally occurring Amazonian tree species Calophyllum brasiliense. Camb. (Guttiferae, height 10 m) were fogged after dawn on the same day at five adjacent localities in a 20-year-old plantation at the Adolpho Ducke Forest Reserve near Manaus/Brazil, using natural pyrethrum (0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%), Baythroid (0.3%) and diesel oil, respectively. The 1152 ants collected represented 52 species, 17 genera and five subfamilies. The highest number of ant species was obtained with the synthetic pyrethrum Baythroid 0.3% and with natural pyrethrum 1.5%. About 46% of the total ant species were only collected in the first hour after fogging, and 17% only during the second hour, after trees had been heavily shaken. About 73% of the total ant specimens dropped in the first hour. Data on alpha-diversity, eveness and frequency of ants indicated a rapidly decreasing knock-down effect of both the synthetic and natural pyrethrum after application. The ant fauna in the canopy of C. brasiliense is somewhat distinct compared with that of Goupia glabra Aubl. (Celastraceae, height 45 m) from the primary forest of the reserve.

Climbers' perceptions toward sustainable bouldering at the Niagara Glen Nature Reserve

Currently, there are a variety of concerns about the future of bouldering, a form of rock climbing, a t the Niagara Glen Nature Reserve near Niagara Falls, Ontario due to environmental impacts at the site. The purpose of this study was to describe the perceptions ofbouldering participants toward sustainable bouldering practices at the Niagara Glen. The methodological framework for this study was based on action research, which attempts to solve specific problems through having people in a community study, discuss, and act on those problems. Five separate focus group interviews elicited data from nineteen men and seven women, while there were twenty one men and ten women observed through participant observations at the Niagara Glen. Analysis was conducted through coding processes where data were compared repeatedly and then organized into themes. From the open coding process, two main themes were identified and interpreted as 1) Barriers to Sustainable Bouldering at the Niagara Glen Nature Reserve, and 2) Environmental and Social Role and Responsibility ofBoulde r ing Participants at the Niagara Glen. The implications of the findings include a variety of recommendations for the bouldering community and the Niagara Parks Commission to consider for future collaborative planning. Some of these recommendations include more open communication between all stakeholders at the Glen, additional leadership from local climbing access coalitions and the Niagara Parks Commission, and greater implementation of minimum impact practices from the bouldering community. Additionally, these implications are discussed through a three-part framework based on a conceptual intersection of sense of place, community empowerment, and sustainable recreational use as a way to potentially unify the bouldering community's voice and vision toward sustainable practice.

Low genetic diversity in a marine nature reserve: re-evaluating diversity criteria in reserve design

Little consideration has been given to the genetic composition of populations associated with marine reserves, as reserve designation is generally to protect specific species, communities or habitats. Nevertheless, it is important to conserve genetic diversity since it provides the raw material for the maintenance of species diversity over longer, evolutionary time-scales and may also confer the basis for adaptation to environmental change. Many current marine reserves are small in size and isolated to some degree (e.g. sea loughs and offshore islands). While such features enable easier management, they may have important implications for the genetic structure of protected populations, the ability of populations to recover from local catastrophes and the potential for marine reserves to act as sources of propagules for surrounding areas. Here, we present a case study demonstrating genetic differentiation, isolation, inbreeding and reduced genetic diversity in populations of the dogwhelk Nucella lapillus in Lough Hyne Marine Nature Reserve (an isolated sea lough in southern Ireland), compared with populations on the local adjacent open coast and populations in England, Wales and France. Our study demonstrates that this sea lough is isolated from open coast populations, and highlights that there may be long-term genetic consequences of selecting reserves on the basis of isolation and ease of protection.

Effects of past climate variability on fire and vegetation in the cerrãdo savanna of the Huanchaca Mesetta, NE Bolivia

Cerrãdo savannas have the greatest fire activity of all major global land-cover types and play a significant role in the global carbon cycle. During the 21st century, temperatures are projected to increase by ∼ 3 ◦C coupled with a precipitation decrease of ∼ 20 %. Although these conditions could potentially intensify drought stress, it is unknown how that might alter vegetation composition and fire regimes. To assess how Neotropical savannas responded to past climate changes, a 14 500-year, high-resolution, sedimentary record from Huanchaca Mesetta, a palm swamp located in the cerrãdo savanna in northeastern Bolivia, was analyzed with phytoliths, stable isotopes, and charcoal. A nonanalogue, cold-adapted vegetation community dominated the Lateglacial–early Holocene period (14 500–9000 cal yr BP, which included trees and C3 Pooideae and C4 Panicoideae grasses. The Lateglacial vegetation was fire-sensitive and fire activity during this period was low, likely responding to fuel availability and limitation. Although similar vegetation characterized the early Holocene, the warming conditions associated with the onset of the Holocene led to an initial increase in fire activity. Huanchaca Mesetta became increasingly firedependent during the middle Holocene with the expansion of C4 fire-adapted grasses. However, as warm, dry conditions, characterized by increased length and severity of the dry season, continued, fuel availability decreased. The establishment of the modern palm swamp vegetation occurred at 5000 cal yr BP. Edaphic factors are the first-order control on vegetation on the rocky quartzite mesetta. Where soils are sufficiently thick, climate is the second-order control of vegetation on the mesetta. The presence of the modern palm swamp is attributed to two factors: (1) increased precipitation that increased water table levels and (2) decreased frequency and duration of surazos (cold wind incursions from Patagonia) leading to increased temperature minima. Natural (soil, climate, fire) drivers rather than anthropogenic drivers control the vegetation and fire activity at Huanchaca Mesetta. Thus the cerrãdo savanna ecosystem of the Huanchaca Plateau has exhibited ecosystem resilience to major climatic changes in both temperature and precipitation since the Lateglacial period.

Perceptions of climate change, environmental variability and the role of agricultural adaptation strategies by small-scale farmers in Africa: the case of Mwanga district in Northern Tanzania

Abstract The potential impacts of climate change and environmental variability are already evident in most parts of the world, which is witnessing increasing temperature rates and prolonged flood or drought conditions that affect agriculture activities and nature-dependent livelihoods. This study was conducted in Mwanga District in the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania to assess the nature and impacts of climate change and environmental variability on agriculture-dependent livelihoods and the adaptation strategies adopted by small-scale rural farmers. To attain its objective, the study employed a mixed methods approach in which both qualitative and quantitative techniques were used. The study shows that farmers are highly aware of their local environment and are conscious of the ways environmental changes affect their livelihoods. Farmers perceived that changes in climatic variables such as rainfall and temperature had occurred in their area over the period of three decades, and associated these changes with climate change and environmental variability. Farmers’ perceptions were confirmed by the evidence from rainfall and temperature data obtained from local and national weather stations, which showed that temperature and rainfall in the study area had become more variable over the past three decades. Farmers’ knowledge and perceptions of climate change vary depending on the location, age and gender of the respondents. The findings show that the farmers have limited understanding of the causes of climatic conditions and environmental variability, as some respondents associated climate change and environmental variability with social, cultural and religious factors. This study suggests that, despite the changing climatic conditions and environmental variability, farmers have developed and implemented a number of agriculture adaptation strategies that enable them to reduce their vulnerability to the changing conditions. The findings show that agriculture adaptation strategies employ both planned and autonomous adaptation strategies. However, the study shows that increasing drought conditions, rainfall variability, declining soil fertility and use of cheap farming technology are among the challenges that limit effective implementation of agriculture adaptation strategies. This study recommends further research on the varieties of drought-resilient crops, the development of small-scale irrigation schemes to reduce dependence on rain-fed agriculture, and the improvement of crop production in a given plot of land. In respect of the development of adaptation strategies, the study recommends the involvement of the local farmers and consideration of their knowledge and experience in the farming activities as well as the conditions of their local environment. Thus, the findings of this study may be helpful at various levels of decision making with regard to the development of climate change and environmental variability policies and strategies towards reducing farmers’ vulnerability to current and expected future changes.

The Lobel-Komlos-Sos conjecture for trees of diameter 5 and for certain caterpillars

Loebl, Komlos, and Sos conjectured that if at least half the vertices of a graph G have degree at least some k is an element of N, then every tree with at most k edges is a subgraph of G. We prove the conjecture for all trees of diameter at most 5 and for a class of caterpillars. Our result implies a bound on the Ramsey number r( T, T') of trees T, T' from the above classes.

Treatment of industrial effluents of recalcitrant nature using ozone, hydrogen peroxide and ultraviolet radiation

Currently diverse industries have high pollution potential because their productive processes generate great volumes of refractory effluents. These effluents are problematic, mainly due to the presence of recalcitrant compounds that are detrimental in wastewater treatment plants using biological systems in their processes. In general, biological treatments do not remove refractory elements. Also, in most cases these compounds can inhibit the yield or are toxic for biota responsible to remove the polluting agents. The Advanced Oxidative Processes (AOPs) represent a technological alternative with a great potential for treatment of no biodegradable effluents. In this paper a review of the use of advanced oxidatives processes: Ozone (O(3)), peroxide of hydrogen (H(2)O(2)) and ultraviolet radiation (UV) is presented applied to the treatment of recalcitrant effluents.

Association between decay fungi and subterranean termites in the wood biodeterioration process of Tipuana tipu (Benth.) O. Kuntze trees of Sao Paulo city, SP

In the present paper the process of wood biodeterioration of tipuana trees planted in 7 regions of the city of Sao Paulo, SP was evaluated. On the sidewalks, 1109 trees were analyzed taking into consideration the occurrence and association of the xylophagous organisms (decay fungi and subterranean termites), the wood deterioration and the BHD (breast height diameter). The percentage of wood internal deterioration (%) was obtained by non destructive analysis, using a penetrometer. The results had shown that 75% of the tipuana trees presented BHD superior to 50 cm, characterizing them as adult. Decay fungi in the roots and/or trunk had been observed in 338 trees (30.5%). Subterranean termites of Heterotermes sp. and Coptotermes gestroi species had occurred in 307 trees (27.7%), the latter in high infestation level. The association between the fungi and termites was observed, as well as its relation with the BHD, where a greater value of BHD meant higher wood biodeterioration intensity. For tipuana trees, the BHD was considered an indicative attribute of the internal deterioration intensity, caused by these xylophagous organisms.

Bioinsecticidal activity of Talisia esculenta reserve protein on growth and serine digestive enzymes during larval development of Anticarsia gemmatalis

Plants synthesize a variety of molecules to defend themselves against an attack by insects. Talisin is a reserve protein from Talisia esculenta seeds, the first to be characterized from the family Sapindaceae. In this study, the insecticidal activity of Talisin was tested by incorporating the reserve protein into an artificial diet fed to the velvetbean caterpillar Anticarsia gemmatalis, the major pest of soybean crops in Brazil. At 1.5% (w/w) of the dietary protein, Talisin affected larval growth, pupal weight, development and mortality, adult fertility and longevity, and produced malformations in pupae and adult insects. Talisin inhibited the trypsin-like activity of larval midgut homogenates. The trypsin activity in Talisin-fed larvae was sensitive to Talisin, indicating that no novel protease-resistant to Talisin was induced in Talisin-fed larvae. Affinity chromatography showed that Talisin bound to midgut proteinases of the insect A. gemmatalis, but was resistant to enzymatic digestion by these larval proteinases. The transformation of genes coding for this reserve protein could be useful for developing insect resistant crops. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.