scholarly journals Risks and opportunities of assisted colonization: the perspectives of experts

2021 ◽  
Vol 45 ◽  
pp. 63-84
Author(s):  
Irma Kracke ◽  
Franz Essl ◽  
Klaus Peter Zulka ◽  
Stefan Schindler
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Geographic Origin ◽  
Target Area ◽  
Scientific Publications ◽  
Management Plans ◽  
Global Extinction ◽  
Viable Population ◽  
Assisted Colonization

Owing to climate change and other anthropogenic environmental changes, the suitability of locations is changing for many biota that consequently have to adapt in situ or to move to other areas. To mitigate the effects of such pressures, assisted colonization is a conservation tool developed to reduce extinction risks by intentionally moving and releasing an organism outside its native range, and thus, to facilitate tracking changing environmental conditions. This conservation tool has been proposed for threatened animals or plants that presumably cannot adapt in situ or follow environmental changes by dispersal or migration. However, there have been contentious debates about the shortcomings and risks of implementing assisted colonization. For this reason, we evaluated the specific opinions of global experts for assisted colonization on potential risks and opportunities that this approach offers. For this purpose, we used an online survey targeted at authors of scientific publications on assisted colonization. The majority (82%) of the 48 respondents were in favor of applying assisted colonization for species that are at risk of global extinction due to anthropogenic environmental change. Most respondents agreed that assisted colonization should be considered only when other conservation tools are not available and that certain preconditions must be met. Some of these were already highlighted in the IUCN guidelines for assisted colonization and include a completed risk assessment, clearly defined management plans and secured political as well as financial support. The advocacy of assisted colonization in response to anthropogenic global environmental changes was only weakly dependent on the geographic origin of the experts and their working background. Regarding possible risks, most of the respondents were concerned about consequences like failure of the long-term establishment of the translocated species and the transmission of diseases and invasiveness potentially endangering native biota. To keep these risks as low as possible most of the experts agreed that a target area must have a reasonable carrying capacity to sustain a minimum viable population and that adaptive management should be implemented. Careful evaluation of assisted colonization projects is required to generate further evidence that needs to be considered for further developing conservation tools for the Anthropocene.

scholarly journals Best Practices and Innovative Solutions to Overcome Barriers to Delivering Policy, Systems and Environmental Changes in Rural Communities

Nutrients ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsey Haynes-Maslow ◽  
Isabel Osborne ◽  
Stephanie Jilcott Pitts
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Technical Assistance ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Implementation Barriers ◽  
Assistance Program ◽  
Innovative Solutions ◽  
Nutrition Assistance ◽  
Policy Systems

To better understand the barriers to implementing policy; systems; and environmental (PSE) change initiatives within Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) programming in U.S. rural communities; as well as strategies to overcome these barriers, this study identifies: (1) the types of nutrition-related PSE SNAP-Ed programming currently being implemented in rural communities; (2) barriers to implementing PSE in rural communities; and (3) common best practices and innovative solutions to overcoming SNAP-Ed PSE implementation barriers. This mixed-methods study included online surveys and interviews across fifteen states. Participants were eligible if they: (1) were SNAP-Ed staff that were intimately aware of facilitators and barriers to implementing programs, (2) implemented at least 50% of their programming in rural communities, and (3) worked in their role for at least 12 months. Sixty-five staff completed the online survey and 27 participated in interviews. Barriers to PSE included obtaining community buy-in, the need for relationship building, and PSE education. Facilitators included finding community champions; identifying early “wins” so that community members could easily see PSE benefits. Partnerships between SNAP-Ed programs and non-SNAP-Ed organizations are essential to implementing PSE. SNAP-Ed staff should get buy-in from local leaders before implementing PSE. Technical assistance for rural SNAP-Ed programs would be helpful in promoting PSE.

scholarly journals Acid–base physiology over tidal periods in the mussel Mytilus edulis : size and temperature are more influential than seawater pH

2019 ◽  
Vol 286 (1897) ◽  
pp. 20182863 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Mangan ◽  
Rod W. Wilson ◽  
Helen S. Findlay ◽  
Ceri Lewis
Keyword(s):  
Mytilus Edulis ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Interactive Effect ◽  
Marine Biota ◽  
Acid Base ◽  
Tidal Cycles ◽  
Seawater Ph ◽  
Seawater Carbonate Chemistry ◽  
Two Populations

Ocean acidification (OA) studies to date have typically used stable open-ocean pH and CO 2 values to predict the physiological responses of intertidal species to future climate scenarios, with few studies accounting for natural fluctuations of abiotic conditions or the alternating periods of emersion and immersion routinely experienced during tidal cycles. Here, we determine seawater carbonate chemistry and the corresponding in situ haemolymph acid–base responses over real time for two populations of mussel ( Mytilus edulis ) during tidal cycles, demonstrating that intertidal mussels experience daily acidosis during emersion. Using these field data to parameterize experimental work we demonstrate that air temperature and mussel size strongly influence this acidosis, with larger mussels at higher temperatures experiencing greater acidosis. There was a small interactive effect of prior immersion in OA conditions (pH NBS 7.7/pCO 2 930 µatm) such that the haemolymph pH measured at the start of emersion was lower in large mussels exposed to OA. Critically, the acidosis induced in mussels during emersion in situ was greater (ΔpH approximately 0.8 units) than that induced by experimental OA (ΔpH approximately 0.1 units). Understanding how environmental fluctuations influence physiology under current scenarios is critical to our ability to predict the responses of key marine biota to future environmental changes.

scholarly journals Farmers’ Perspective on Agriculture and Environmental Change in the Circumpolar North of Europe and America

Land ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Poeplau ◽  
Julia Schroeder ◽  
Ed Gregorich ◽  
Irina Kurganova
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Environmental Change ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Biogeochemical Cycles ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Local Market ◽  
Food Transport ◽  
Circumpolar North ◽  
Global Biogeochemical Cycles

Climate change may increase the importance of agriculture in the global Circumpolar North with potentially critical implications for pristine northern ecosystems and global biogeochemical cycles. With this in mind, a global online survey was conducted to understand northern agriculture and farmers’ perspective on environmental change north of 60° N. In the obtained dataset with 67 valid answers, Alaska and the Canadian territories were dominated by small-scale vegetable, herbs, hay, and flower farms; the Atlantic Islands were dominated by sheep farms; and Fennoscandia was dominated by cereal farming. In Alaska and Canada, farmers had mostly immigrated with hardly any background in farming, while farmers in Fennoscandia and on the Atlantic Islands mostly continued family traditions. Accordingly, the average time since conversion from native land was 28 ± 28 and 25 ± 12 years in Alaska and Canada, respectively, but 301 ± 291 and 255 ± 155 years on the Atlantic Islands and in Fennoscandia, respectively, revealing that American northern agriculture is expanding. Climate change was observed by 84% of all farmers, of which 67% have already started adapting their farming practices, by introducing new varieties or altering timings. Fourteen farmers reported permafrost on their land, with 50% observing more shallow permafrost on uncultivated land than on cultivated land. Cultivation might thus accelerate permafrost thawing, potentially with associated consequences for biogeochemical cycles and greenhouse gas emissions. About 87% of the surveyed farmers produced for the local market, reducing emissions of food transport. The dynamics of northern land-use change and agriculture with associated environmental changes should be closely monitored. The dataset is available for further investigations.

scholarly journals Kalman filter physical retrieval of surface emissivity and temperature from geostationary infrared radiances

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (12) ◽  
pp. 3613-3634 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Masiello ◽  
C. Serio ◽  
I. De Feis ◽  
M. Amoroso ◽  
S. Venafra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Kalman Filter ◽  
High Temporal Resolution ◽  
Target Area ◽  
Surface Emissivity ◽  
In Situ Data ◽  
Infrared Imager ◽  
Filter Approach ◽  
Infrared Radiances

Abstract. The high temporal resolution of data acquisition by geostationary satellites and their capability to resolve the diurnal cycle allows for the retrieval of a valuable source of information about geophysical parameters. In this paper, we implement a Kalman filter approach to apply temporal constraints on the retrieval of surface emissivity and temperature from radiance measurements made from geostationary platforms. Although we consider a case study in which we apply a strictly temporal constraint alone, the methodology will be presented in its general four-dimensional, i.e., space-time, setting. The case study we consider is the retrieval of emissivity and surface temperature from SEVIRI (Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager) observations over a target area encompassing the Iberian Peninsula and northwestern Africa. The retrievals are then compared with in situ data and other similar satellite products. Our findings show that the Kalman filter strategy can simultaneously retrieve surface emissivity and temperature with an accuracy of ± 0.005 and ± 0.2 K, respectively.

scholarly journals A Cost-Effective In Situ Zooplankton Monitoring System Based on Novel Illumination Optimization

Sensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (12) ◽  
pp. 3471
Author(s):  
Zhiqiang Du ◽  
Chunlei Xia ◽  
Longwen Fu ◽  
Nan Zhang ◽  
Bowei Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Imaging System ◽  
Physiological State ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
In Situ Monitoring ◽  
Measuring System ◽  
Target Area ◽  
Image Processing Algorithm ◽  
Led Array

A cost-effective and low-power-consumption underwater microscopic imaging system was developed to capture high-resolution zooplankton images in real-time. In this work, dark-field imaging was adopted to reduce backscattering and background noise. To produce an accurate illumination, a novel illumination optimization scheme for the light-emitting diode (LED) array was proposed and applied to design a lighting system for the underwater optical imaging of zooplankton. A multiple objective genetic algorithm was utilized to find the best location of the LED array, which resulted in the specific illumination level and most homogeneous irradiance in the target area. The zooplankton imaging system developed with the optimal configuration of LEDs was tested with Daphnia magna under laboratory conditions. The maximal field of view was 16 mm × 13 mm and the optical resolution was 15 μm. The experimental results showed that the imaging system developed could capture high-resolution and high-definition images of Daphnia. Subsequently, Daphnia individuals were accurately segmented and their geometrical characters were measured by using a classical image processing algorithm. This work provides a cost-effective zooplankton measuring system based on an optimization illumination configuration of an LED array, which has a great potential for minimizing the investment and operating costs associated with long-term in situ monitoring of the physiological state and population conditions of zooplankton.

scholarly journals The other ocean acidification problem: CO 2 as a resource among competitors for ecosystem dominance

2013 ◽  
Vol 368 (1627) ◽  
pp. 20120442 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean D. Connell ◽  
Kristy J. Kroeker ◽  
Katharina E. Fabricius ◽  
David I. Kline ◽  
Bayden D. Russell
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Ocean Acidification ◽  
Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Kelp Forests ◽  
Direct Effects ◽  
Species Dominance ◽  
Tropical Conditions ◽  
Near Future

Predictions concerning the consequences of the oceanic uptake of increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) have been primarily occupied with the effects of ocean acidification on calcifying organisms, particularly those critical to the formation of habitats (e.g. coral reefs) or their maintenance (e.g. grazing echinoderms). This focus overlooks direct and indirect effects of CO 2 on non-calcareous taxa that play critical roles in ecosystem shifts (e.g. competitors). We present the model that future atmospheric [CO 2 ] may act as a resource for mat-forming algae, a diverse and widespread group known to reduce the resilience of kelp forests and coral reefs. We test this hypothesis by combining laboratory and field CO 2 experiments and data from ‘natural’ volcanic CO 2 vents. We show that mats have enhanced productivity in experiments and more expansive covers in situ under projected near-future CO 2 conditions both in temperate and tropical conditions. The benefits of CO 2 are likely to vary among species of producers, potentially leading to shifts in species dominance in a high CO 2 world. We explore how ocean acidification combines with other environmental changes across a number of scales, and raise awareness of CO 2 as a resource whose change in availability could have wide-ranging community consequences beyond its direct effects.

Salinity changes in the Bay of Puck due to brine discharge based on in-situ measurements

2014 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Małgorzata Robakiewicz
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Changes ◽  
In Situ Measurements ◽  
Estimation Methods ◽  
Local Wind ◽  
Salinity Changes ◽  
Surrounding Environment ◽  
Salt Deposits ◽  
Natural Component ◽  
Puck Bay

AbstractBrine, a by-product in the process of constructing gas storage caverns in salt deposits, has been discharged into Puck Bay by a system of diffusers since autumn 2010. In-situ measurements taken in the period of October 2010–December 2012 were used to assess salinity changes in the vicinity of the discharge installation. The measured salinity values included two components: the natural, representing salinity in the absence of discharge, and salinity excess due to brine discharge. Owing to the limited number of locations in the Gulf of Gdańsk where the national program of monitoring environmental changes is carried out, it was impossible to determine exactly the natural component. As a consequence, four estimation methods were proposed. A detailed analysis was carried out for the second half of 2012, when parameters of brine were close to the maximum permissible values. It was found that the average salinity excess in the vicinity of the installation rarely reached 0.5 PSU, and the maximum values at individual sites occasionally reached 0.6 PSU. It was shown that the local wind plays an important role in brine mixing with the surrounding environment, however, it is not sufficient to explain the observed salinity patterns.

scholarly journals In situ growth and bioerosion rates of Lophelia pertusa in a Norwegian fjord and open shelf cold-water coral habitat

PeerJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. e7586 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janina V. Büscher ◽  
Max Wisshak ◽  
Armin U. Form ◽  
Jürgen Titschack ◽  
Kerstin Nachtigall ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reef ◽  
Growth Rates ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Cold Water ◽  
Lophelia Pertusa ◽  
Reef Growth ◽  
Dead Coral ◽  
Open Shelf ◽  
Water Coral

Coral reef resilience depends on the balance between carbonate precipitation, leading to reef growth, and carbonate degradation, for example, through bioerosion. Changes in environmental conditions are likely to affect the two processes differently, thereby shifting the balance between reef growth and degradation. In cold-water corals estimates of accretion-erosion processes in their natural habitat are scarce and solely live coral growth rates were studied with regard to future environmental changes in the laboratory so far, limiting our ability to assess the potential of cold-water coral reef ecosystems to cope with environmental changes. In the present study, growth rates of the two predominant colour morphotypes of live Lophelia pertusa as well as bioerosion rates of dead coral framework were assessed in different environmental settings in Norwegian cold-water coral reefs in a 1-year in situ experiment. Net growth (in weight gain and linear extension) of live L. pertusa was in the lower range of previous estimates and did not significantly differ between inshore (fjord) and offshore (open shelf) habitats. However, slightly higher net growth rates were obtained inshore. Bioerosion rates were significantly higher on-reef in the fjord compared to off-reef deployments in- and offshore. Besides, on-reef coral fragments yielded a broader range of individual growth and bioerosion rates, indicating higher turnover in live reef structures than off-reef with regard to accretion–bioerosion processes. Moreover, if the higher variation in growth rates represents a greater variance in (genetic) adaptations to natural environmental variability in the fjord, inshore reefs could possibly benefit under future ocean change compared to offshore reefs. Although not significantly different due to high variances between replicates, growth rates of orange branches were consistently higher at all sites, while mortality was statistically significantly lower, potentially indicating higher stress-resistance than the less pigmented white phenotype. Comparing the here measured rates of net accretion of live corals (regardless of colour morphotype) with net erosion of dead coral framework gives a first estimate of the dimensions of both processes in natural cold-water coral habitats, indicating that calcium carbonate loss through bioerosion amounts to one fifth to one sixth of the production rates by coral calcification (disregarding accretion processes of other organisms and proportion of live and dead coral framework in a reef). With regard to likely accelerating bioerosion and diminishing growth rates of corals under ocean acidification, the balance of reef accretion and degradation may be shifted towards higher biogenic dissolution in the future.

scholarly journals BUILDING RESEARCH COMPETENCE OF PHD STUDENTS: AN ANALYSIS OF EXPERIENCE OF A PHD SCHOOL

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (10) ◽  
pp. 9-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. А. Strokova
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Group Analysis ◽  
Postgraduate Education ◽  
Practical Significance ◽  
Education Department ◽  
Research Activity ◽  
Scientific Publications ◽  
Scientific Texts ◽  
Research Competence ◽  
Research Activities

Introduction.Postgraduate education of the Russian higher school is traditionally considered as a strategic reserve, which provides the continuity of academic and teaching personnel and the efficiency of education of future experts. However, the total number of this key resource of the higher education system, which guarantees its stable functioning and further forward development, has been reduced in recent years. Postgraduate admission has decreased, in particular, pedagogical training programmes. What is most important, the PhD student quality has substantially dropped.Theaimof the present publication was to identify the level of research skills of PhD students of pedagogical specialisation and present the most productive ways for the formation of skills to carry out research activities.Methodology and research methods.The study was based on the ideas of systemic-activity approach, competency-based approach and major provisions of the theory of action. Scientific publications on research projects of PhD students and the concept of “new” post graduate school in the Russian education were analysed. Online survey and questionnaire survey of PhD students, their supervisors and members of dissertation boards were conducted. The assessment of results of research conducted by PhD students, synthesis and description of productive teaching practices and positive pedagogical experience gained at Tyumen State University (TSU) were applied.Results and scientific novelty.Based on the classical interpretation of nature and contents of human activity, a definition of research activity is formulated. It constitutes as the grounds for development of the contents and procedure for the list of research tasks for PhD students to master in order to successfully complete their PhD studies (as yet, the similar register has been compiled and scientifically based only for a bachelor degree). Insufficient competence of many PhD students to organise and conduct an independent scientific and pedagogical search is proved. Unstable components of their research competence are revealed: inability to use the most important elements of the methodology corpus and problems in writing scientific texts. Practically verified methods and means to develop the research competence of PhD students, doctoral candidates, applicants on academic degrees and their research supervisors are described: methodological seminars of the education department, a group analysis of scientific texts for publication, group visits and discussion of open lectures and seminars for teachers of the education department and PhD students, role mini-plays, public preliminary dissertation defense, participation in the events held by the department, etc.Practical significance.Knowledge of the gaps in research competence of PhD students will allow their supervisors to selectively improve the students’ skills, which are necessary for writing and defending the dissertation. Creative application and systematically scientific-pedagogical work will help achieve a significant improvement in building PhD student competence for scientific and teaching activities.

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