scholarly journals Plant Succession, Ecological Restoration and the Skinks of Stephens Island / Takapourewa

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Cielle Stephens

Ecological restoration often involves revegetation. I have investigated the impact of revegetation on the distribution, abundance and body condition of skinks on Stephens Island (Takapourewa). I tested the prediction that only one, Oligosoma infrapunctatum, of the four skink species (Oligosoma lineoocellatum, O. nigriplantare polychroma, O. infrapunctatum andO. zelandicum) will benefit in terms of abundance and distribution from revegetation. Stephens Island is a Wildlife Sanctuary in the north-western Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand. The island is known for its diverse and abundant reptile community. Prior to the mid 19th century Stephens Island was covered in forest. Nearly 80% of this forest was destroyed following the establishment of a lighthouse and farm on the island in 1894. In 1989, when the control of Stephens Island passed to the Department of Conservation, reforestation became a key conservation goal. Stephens Island is currently a mosaic of different habitat types from pasture to coastal forest. Pitfall traps caught skinks for a mark-recapture study in four replicated habitat types: forest, tussock, pasture and replanted.<br><br>Oligosoma lineoocellatum comprised 75% of all individuals caught. Densities of O. lineoocellatum were higher in replanted habitat (3020/ha in December and 3770/ha in March) than tussock (2690/ha in December and 2560/ha in March) and lowest in the pasture (1740/hain December and 1960/ha in March). Rates of captures were too low to perform density estimates for the other three species. Trap occupancy rates indicate O. nigriplantare polychroma is more common in the tussock habitat, and O. infrapunctatum is more common in the replanted habitat. Few O. zelandicum were found, primarily in the tussock habitat. Pasture areas replanted 13 years ago (now scrub habitat) support a higher diversity and abundance of skinks. Forest areas remain depauperate of skinks. Skink preference for replanted areas suggests that, for now, revegetation benefits their populations, possibly due to greater food sources, lower predation pressure and a wider thermal range.<br><br>Body condition (log weight/ log snout-vent length) and proportion of tail loss of skinks were similar in the different habitat types. However, both O. nigriplantare polychroma and O.lineoocellatum had higher body condition in the replanted than the tussock habitat. Juvenile skinks had significantly lower body condition and a lower proportion of tail loss. Skink body condition was not negatively affected by revegetation or by different habitats, despite the large differences between the habitats. Revegetation currently benefits skink populations. Maintaining a mosaic of habitat types is recommended, because, should revegetation create more forest habitat through plantations or plant succession, it is likely that the population of all four species of skink will decline.<br>

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Cielle Stephens

Ecological restoration often involves revegetation. I have investigated the impact of revegetation on the distribution, abundance and body condition of skinks on Stephens Island (Takapourewa). I tested the prediction that only one, Oligosoma infrapunctatum, of the four skink species (Oligosoma lineoocellatum, O. nigriplantare polychroma, O. infrapunctatum andO. zelandicum) will benefit in terms of abundance and distribution from revegetation. Stephens Island is a Wildlife Sanctuary in the north-western Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand. The island is known for its diverse and abundant reptile community. Prior to the mid 19th century Stephens Island was covered in forest. Nearly 80% of this forest was destroyed following the establishment of a lighthouse and farm on the island in 1894. In 1989, when the control of Stephens Island passed to the Department of Conservation, reforestation became a key conservation goal. Stephens Island is currently a mosaic of different habitat types from pasture to coastal forest. Pitfall traps caught skinks for a mark-recapture study in four replicated habitat types: forest, tussock, pasture and replanted.<br><br>Oligosoma lineoocellatum comprised 75% of all individuals caught. Densities of O. lineoocellatum were higher in replanted habitat (3020/ha in December and 3770/ha in March) than tussock (2690/ha in December and 2560/ha in March) and lowest in the pasture (1740/hain December and 1960/ha in March). Rates of captures were too low to perform density estimates for the other three species. Trap occupancy rates indicate O. nigriplantare polychroma is more common in the tussock habitat, and O. infrapunctatum is more common in the replanted habitat. Few O. zelandicum were found, primarily in the tussock habitat. Pasture areas replanted 13 years ago (now scrub habitat) support a higher diversity and abundance of skinks. Forest areas remain depauperate of skinks. Skink preference for replanted areas suggests that, for now, revegetation benefits their populations, possibly due to greater food sources, lower predation pressure and a wider thermal range.<br><br>Body condition (log weight/ log snout-vent length) and proportion of tail loss of skinks were similar in the different habitat types. However, both O. nigriplantare polychroma and O.lineoocellatum had higher body condition in the replanted than the tussock habitat. Juvenile skinks had significantly lower body condition and a lower proportion of tail loss. Skink body condition was not negatively affected by revegetation or by different habitats, despite the large differences between the habitats. Revegetation currently benefits skink populations. Maintaining a mosaic of habitat types is recommended, because, should revegetation create more forest habitat through plantations or plant succession, it is likely that the population of all four species of skink will decline.<br>


2001 ◽  
Vol 4 (5a) ◽  
pp. 1089-1097 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Kiely ◽  
A Flynn ◽  
KE Harrington ◽  
PJ Robson ◽  
N O'Connor ◽  
...  

AbstractObjectiveTo describe the current use of nutritional supplements and their contribution to micronutrient intakes in a representative sample of Irish adults, to evaluate the impact of supplement use on the adequacy of micronutrient intakes and to assess the risk to supplement users of exceeding tolerable upper intake levels (UL).Study design and subjectsFood intake data were collected in 1379 (662 male and 717 female) randomly selected Irish adults aged 18 to 64 years using a 7-day food diary. The current use of nutritional supplements was assessed using a selfadministered questionnaire and respondents entered each supplement as it was consumed into the food diary.ResultsTwenty-three per cent of respondents regularly used nutritional supplements. Twice as many women used supplements as men. The intakes of micronutrients were significantly higher (P < 0.001) in supplement users than in non-users. Micronutrient intakes from food sources were similar in male users and non-users of supplements, but were significantly higher (P < 0.01) in female users, by 3 to 13%, for Fe, Mg, Mn, vitamins C and E and niacin than in non-users. The percentage of female users between 18 and 50 years who had mean Fe intakes below the average requirement (AR) (10 mg) decreased from 50 to 25 when the contribution from supplements was included. The use of supplements reduced the percentage of men who had mean intakes below the AR for Zn from 19 to 13, for riboflavin from 14 to 6 and for vitamin A from 20 to 5, and reduced the percentage of women with intakes below the AR for Ca from 23 to 16 and for riboflavin from 23 to 14. Twenty-one women out of 80 aged between 18 and 50 years, who consumed supplemental folate, achieved the intake of 600 |xg recommended to prevent neural tube defects. Twenty-two per cent of the women who took iron and 15% of the women who took vitamin B$ in supplemental form had mean daily intakes that exceeded that UL for these nutrients. Supplement users did not exceed the UL for the other micronutrients.ConclusionsSupplementation appears to be beneficial in promoting adequate intakes of some micronutrients, particularly Fe and folate in women aged 18–50 years and vitamin A in men. There appears to be little risk to supplement users of experiencing adverse side effects due to excessive intakes of micronutrients.


2014 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 87-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vasileios J. Kontsiotis ◽  
Dimitrios E. Bakaloudis ◽  
Apostolos C. Tsiompanoudis ◽  
Panteleimon Xofis

2000 ◽  
Vol 151 (12) ◽  
pp. 502-507
Author(s):  
Christian Küchli

Are there any common patterns in the transition processes from traditional and more or less sustainable forest management to exploitative use, which can regularly be observed both in central Europe and in the countries of the South (e.g. India or Indonesia)? Attempts were made with a time-space-model to typify those force fields, in which traditional sustainable forest management is undermined and is then transformed into a modern type of sustainable forest management. Although it is unlikely that the history of the North will become the future of the South, the glimpse into the northern past offers a useful starting point for the understanding of the current situation in the South, which in turn could stimulate the debate on development. For instance, the patterns which stand behind the conflicts on forest use in the Himalayas are very similar to the conflicts in the Alps. In the same way, the impact of socio-economic changes on the environment – key word ‹globalisation› – is often much the same. To recognize comparable patterns can be very valuable because it can act as a stimulant for the search of political, legal and technical solutions adapted to a specific situation. For the global community the realization of the way political-economic alliances work at the head of the ‹globalisationwave›can only signify to carry on trying to find a common language and understanding at the negotiation tables. On the lee side of the destructive breaker it is necessary to conserve and care for what survived. As it was the case in Switzerland these forest islands could once become the germination points for the genesis of a cultural landscape, where close-to-nature managed forests will constitute an essential element.


2019 ◽  
pp. 3-20
Author(s):  
V.N. Leksin

The impact on healthcare organization on the territory of Russian Arctic of unique natural and climatic, demographic, ethnic, settlement and professional factors of influencing the health of population, constantly or temporarily living on this territory is studied. The necessity is substantiated of various forms and resource provision with healthcare services such real and potential patients of Arctic medical institutions, as representatives of indigenous small peoples of the North, workers of mining and metallurgical industry, military personnel, sailors and shift workers. In this connection a correction of a number of All-Russian normative acts is proposed.


2018 ◽  
Vol 68 (suppl 1) ◽  
pp. bjgp18X696929
Author(s):  
Jill Mitchell

BackgroundThere is an emerging debate that general practice in its current format is out-dated and there is a requirement to move to a federated model of provision where groups of Practices come together. The emergence of federations has developed over the past 5 years but the factors that influence how federations develop and the impact of this new model is an under researched area.AimThe study explored the rationale around why a group of independent GP practices opted to pursue an alternative business venture and the benefits that this strategy offered.MethodA single organisational case study of a federation in the North of England was conducted between 2011–2016. Mixed methods data collection included individual and group semi-structured interviews and quantitative surveys.ResultsFederations promote collaborative working, relying on strategic coherence of multiple individual GP practices through a shared vision and common purpose. Findings revealed many complexities in implementing a common strategy across multiple independent businesses. The ability of the federation to gain legitimacy was two dimensional – externally and internally. The venture had mixed successes, but their approach to quality improvement proved innovative and demonstrated outcomes on a population basis. The study identified significant pressures that practices were experiencing and the need to seek alternative ways of working but there was no shared vision or inclination to relinquish individual practice autonomy.ConclusionOrganisational development support is critical to reform General Practice. Whether central funding through the GP Five Year Forward View will achieve the scale of change required is yet to be evidenced.


2019 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-84
Author(s):  
Issam Touhami ◽  
Ali El khorchani ◽  
Zouheir Nasr ◽  
Mohamed tahar Elaieb ◽  
Touhami Rzigui ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
pp. 4-15
Author(s):  
I. A. Korgun ◽  
G. D. Toloraya

The presented study analyzes the opportunities for North Korea to capitalize on its competitive advantages in foreign trade in the context of sanctions.Aim. The study aims to identify mechanisms that allow North Korea to engage in foreign trade in circumvention of UN sanctions and to analyze their impact on the national economy.Tasks. The authors analyze the structure of North Korea’s national economy, its initial competitive advantage, identify the specific features of North Korea’s foreign trade in the context of sanctions, and determine the consequences of illicit trade in circumvention of sanctions for the national economy.Methods. This study uses an interdisciplinary approach that combines the classical theory of competitive advantage with the concept of rent seeking, with the concept of rent seeking and analysis of trade flows.Results. The study shows that, despite the restrictions imposed by sanctions, North Korea strives to make the most of its advantages, such as resource availability and cheap labor, in global trade. The country builds its own export-import chains in circumvention of sanctions. These chains are rather mobile, flexible, and controlled by the elite. As a result, benefits from trade that could be evenly distributed among the population are concentrated in the hands of a narrow segment of society. ‘Rent seeking’ makes it possible to formulate the negative consequences of these processes for the North Korean economy and the international community.Conclusions. Solving the North Korean issue requires an economic transformation in the country through the replacement of restrictive sanctions with more constructive ones. The exclusion of North Korea from open global trade leads to the country’s marginalization and impairs the transparency of international commodity flows.


1995 ◽  
Vol 31 (10) ◽  
pp. 61-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Enell

During the last 20 years there has been an interesting development of the Nordic fish farming, with regard to the feeding and farming technology and to the increase in production quantities. During the period 1974-1994 the production increased from 15,800 to about 250,000 tonnes/year. In 1974 the major part of the production was in Denmark, and in 1994 the major part was in Norway. The nutrient impact of fish farming on surrounding sea areas is mainly a function of the feed coefficient, the feed composition and metabolic processes in the fish. The comprehensive development of the feed composition and the feeding technology has resulted in reduced load of unmetabolized nutrients from fish farms, calculated per tonne fish produced. In 1974 the mean Nordic feed coefficient was 2.08 and in 1994 the coefficient was 1.25. Feed coefficients of 1.0-1.1 are now reported for Danish and Norwegian freshwater and marine fish farms. The nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) content of the feed has decreased, in addition the quality of the nutrient substances in the feed has changed, especially for N. The N content has decreased from 7.8 to 6.8% during the period 1974-1994 and the content of P has decreased from 1.7 to 0.7% during the same period. This development of the feed coefficient and the feed composition has resulted in a present load from a typical Nordic fish farm of 55 kg N and 4.8 kg P/t fish produced. The figures for 1974 were 132 kg N and 31 kg P/t fish produced. The Nordic fish farming production in 1994 resulted in a load of about 13,750 t N and about 1,200 t P on the actual recipients. The load from the Swedish, Finnish and Danish fish farming operations, with the Baltic Sea and the Skagerrak as the recipients, is negligible in comparison with other pollution sources. The quantities of N and P from the fish farming are equal to 0.5% of the atmospheric deposition on the sea surface and 3% of the atmospheric P load. Norwegian, Icelandic and the Faroe Islands fish farming operations are using the North Sea and the Norwegian Sea as the recipients. However, the nutrient load from single fish farms in certain coastal and inland water bodies can be significant and must be considered in the impact assessment together with other sources.


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