Properties and suggested management strategies for some well drained maize producing soils of north-western Nigeria

Author(s):  
T Kparmwang
2017 ◽  
Vol 68 (5) ◽  
pp. 831 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Valladares ◽  
D. X. Soto ◽  
M. Planas

The lack of integrated measures for assessing the feeding ecology of seahorses may restrict the effectiveness of conservation actions on wild populations of worldwide threatened seahorse species. Identifying dietary sources will allow researchers to determine their degree of vulnerability to environmental changes, redefine their conservation status and apply appropriate management strategies. The resource use of the seahorse Hippocampus guttulatus inhabiting coastal waters of Galicia (north-western Iberian Peninsula) was assessed for three populations and 2 years using stable isotope mixing models. The Bayesian mixing model (MixSIAR) estimated the relative contributions of the dietary sources to the seahorse diet and revealed that Caprellidea were the primary source, followed by Gammaridea and Caridea. Mysidae and Annelida represented the less dominant prey. This prey preference can be explained by the foraging behaviour of seahorses. Different contributions of Gammaridea and Caridea to the diet were found among sites, indicating different habitat characteristics and hence different habitat use by seahorses within each site. In addition, differences were encountered among sexes. Caprellidea was the dominant prey for females, whereas Gammaridea was the dominant prey for males. The findings of the present study will contribute to the knowledge of feeding patterns of H. guttulatus, providing relevant data for conservation of this endangered species.


2005 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 281 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurie E. Twigg ◽  
Tim Lowe ◽  
Gary Martin ◽  
Michael Everett

Bait consumption, and the efficacy of 1080-treated grain, were determined for feral pigs (Sus scrofa) during the dry season in the Fitzroy River region of north-western Australia. There were an estimated 250 pigs on the study site (15 000-ha paddock with beef cattle) before poison-baiting, and group size and the basic biology of these pigs were similar to that found elsewhere in Australia. All animals at the study site were naive to the test baits. Fermented wheat with added blood and bone was an attractant for feral pigs but added fish oil was not. Wheat and malted barley were the ‘preferred’ baits. Lupins and pig pellets were consumed in lesser amounts, suggesting that they are less/not acceptable to some feral pigs. Consequently, the efficacy of 1080-treated wheat and malted barley was determined (n = 3 sites per treatment). Three independent measures of pig activity/abundance were used. The daily sighting index before and after poison-baiting suggested that pig numbers were decreased by at least 81–100% (mean 89%) regardless of which bait was used. The take of both 1080-bait and non-toxic fermented wheat added to each station generally ceased within 1–3 days, and little take occurred during the post-poisoning follow-up. Pig tracks decreased to zero within 1–3 days of poisoning on the two sites where track plots were established. However, due to the arrival of ‘immigrant’ pigs ~6 days after poisoning on two sites, and the need to close down a third site before poison-baiting could be completed, we believe the absolute efficacy was greater than the 89% overall reduction. Even though they had access to bait, there was no bait-take by non-target species, either native (toxic and non-toxic bait) or domestic (non-toxic bait). The 61 pig carcases found after poisoning were within 20–610 m of active bait stations (mean 232 m), and most were found in clustered groups. These findings are discussed with respect to the development of management strategies for reducing the impacts of feral pigs, and in terms of their potential implications for developing wildlife disease (exotic and endemic) contingency plans.


2020 ◽  
Vol 71 (7) ◽  
pp. 782
Author(s):  
Oliver Berry ◽  
Zoe Richards ◽  
Glenn Moore ◽  
Udhi Hernawan ◽  
Mike Travers ◽  
...  

Marine macroinvertebrates support important fisheries throughout the Indo-Pacific, but stocks of species such as trochus (Rochia nilotica) are easily overharvested. In north-western Australia, trochus are taken from inshore reefs by Indigenous Australians and oceanic reefs by artisanal Indonesian fishers. The management of these environmentally distinct regions relies on understanding their spatial interdependencies, yet connectivity between them has not been evaluated empirically. Here, we used genotype-by-sequencing analysis of 514 trochus samples collected from 17 locations (15 in the inshore Kimberley, 2 offshore oceanic sites). Analysis of 5428 polymorphic single nucleotide polymorphism loci revealed significant genetic subdivision between the oceanic and coastal sites, and a subset of loci exhibited significantly higher subdivision, suggesting they are subject to directional selection. Population differentiation was also evident between the two oceanic sites, but not between coastal sites. Trochus populations from the coastal Kimberley and oceanic reefs represent two genetically and demographically independent units, with preliminary evidence for local adaptation to these distinctive environments. Management strategies for R. nilotica reflect these divisions, but the limited connectivity among oceanic populations indicates that they are vulnerable to overexploitation. Furthermore, their potential adaptive distinctiveness indicates that coastal stocks may be unsuitable for replenishing oceanic stocks.


2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (04) ◽  
pp. 1550036 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Elisa Domenica Castagna ◽  
Domenico Antonio De Luca ◽  
Manuela Lasagna

Quarry lakes resulting from alluvium extraction have excavation depths that can reach the shallow aquifer and extend beyond the piezometric surface. Similar to natural lakes, pit lakes are subject to eutrophication process, both during and after quarrying activity; during mining activity, the eutrophic level is strongly controlled by the excavation method. The present study describes the trophic status of several quarry lakes in the Piedmont plain (north-western Italy) that were evaluated by applying classifications from scientific literature. Most of the studied quarry lakes were mesotrophic or eutrophic, and a slight worsening of water quality was observed over time. In addition, the paper focuses on the pit lake water quality and pit dimension; it was shown that lakes with a larger depth and volume generally had a lower tendency towards eutrophication. At last some management strategies were suggested to achieve environmental sustainability.


2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. e03S ◽  
Author(s):  
José V. Roces-Diaz ◽  
Emilio R. Díaz-Varela ◽  
Marcos Barrio-Anta ◽  
Pedro Álvarez-Álvarez

Aim of study: Agroforestry systems of Castanea sativa have specific forest structures, which are different from other ecosystems of sweet chestnut. They have provided several ecosystems services (ES) to local inhabitants for centuries including relevant pastoral use. However on present times, have isolated distribution ranges and declining trends. The chestnut trees are their main components but occur at low densities. They are cultivated by using different treatments to improve specific features and maximize different types of production.Area of study: North-western of Iberian Peninsula.Material and methods: We used a large database (>750 field plots) to classify C. sativa dominated-stands into different ecosystems typology (including traditional agroforestry systems), and to assess their most relevant ES. We used field data to define their spatial distribution and discriminant analysis to determine the classification accuracy. Finally we also defined a set of qualitative and quantitative ES indicators for different groups to compare different trends.Main results: We successfully classified these ecosystems and found that the traditional agroforestry systems are of major importance in providing ES, as food provision or cultural services, but showed isolated distribution patterns. Moreover, other types of chestnut-dominated ecosystems, supply important ES such as biomass provision and climate regulation.Research highlights: The relevance of the C. sativa agroforestry systems from ES point of view was pointed out in this work, but also their declining dynamic. Further analysis, based on temporal trends, could help to a better understanding of their status and to define conservation and management strategies.


Hearts ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-73
Author(s):  
Giulia Mingrone ◽  
Elena Coletti Moia ◽  
Erica Delsignore ◽  
Gloria Demicheli ◽  
Paola Destefanis ◽  
...  

Cancer patients receiving a potentially cardiotoxic oncologic therapy have an increased risk of cardiovascular adverse events (CVAEs), especially in presence of concomitant arterial hypertension (AH). Therefore, cancer patients should be evaluated before, during and after cardiotoxic treatments, to early identify new-onset or worsening AH or CVAEs. An expert panel of oncology networks from Piedmont and Aosta Valley (North-Western Italy) aimed to provide recommendations to support health professionals in selecting the best management strategies for patients, considering the impact on outcome and the risk–benefit ratio of diagnostic/therapeutic tools. We proposed an useful document for evaluating and managing AH related to cancer treatments. Patients should be divided into 4 cardiovascular (CV) risk groups before starting potentially cardiotoxic therapies: patients with low/moderate risk who should be entirely evaluated by oncologists and patients with high/very high risk who should be referred to a cardiologist or arterial hypertension specialist. According to the CV risk class, every patient should be followed up during cancer treatment to monitor any possible CV complications. Adequate control of AH related to antineoplastic treatments is crucial to prevent severe CVAEs. In the presence of high-profile risk or lack of response to anti-hypertensive therapy, the patients should be managed with a cardiovascular-oncology expert center.


2009 ◽  
Vol 40 ◽  
pp. 9-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Vetter ◽  
Anna-Katharina Rieger ◽  
Alexander Nicolay

AbstractIn arid and semi-arid regions runoff-fed agriculture has been common for millennia. Recent geographical and archaeological investigations in the north-eastern part of ancient Marmarica (north-western Egypt) revealed a dense network of water harvesting systems associated with settlements and production sites dating back to Ptolemaic times. The environmental conditions and the ancient water management strategies are characterised by minimal intervention but maximised effect and optimised utilisation of the scarce water (100–150 mm seasonal discharge) and soil resources of the region.


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