Is community-based ecotourism a good use of biodiversity conservation funds?

Community-based ecotourism (CBET) has become a popular tool for biodiversity conservation, based on the principle that biodiversity must pay for itself by generating economic benefits, particularly for local people. There are many examples of projects that produce revenues for local communities and improve local attitudes towards conservation, but the contribution of CBET to conservation and local economic development is limited by factors such as the small areas and few people involved, limited earnings, weak linkages between biodiversity gains and commercial success, and the competitive and specialized nature of the tourism industry. Many CBET projects cited as success stories actually involve little change in existing local land and resource-use practices, provide only a modest supplement to local livelihoods, and remain dependent on external support for long periods, if not indefinitely. Investment in CBET might be justified in cases where such small changes and benefits can yield significant conservation and social benefits, although it must still be recognized as requiring a long term funding commitment. Here, I aim to identify conditions under which CBET is, and is not, likely to be effective, efficient and sustainable compared with alternative approaches for conserving biodiversity. I also highlight the need for better data and more rigorous analysis of both conservation and economic impacts.     

The role of ecotourism in conservation: panacea or Pandora’s box?

Does ecotourism contribute towards conservation of threatened species and habitats or is it just a marketing ploy of the tourism industry? Using 251 case studies on ecotourism from the literature, I looked at the distribution of case studies over continents, habitats and flagship species types and what factors influenced whether an ecotourism regime was perceived as ecologically sustainable by authors. Over 50% of ecotourism case studies were reported from Africa and Central America. The overall distribution of ecotourism case studies did not reflect vertebrate endemism, nor overall tourism distribution in terms of tourist numbers and receipts. There were significant differences between continents and habitats with regard to the proportion of sustainable case studies: ecotourism is perceived to be less sustainable in South America and Asia, and in island and mountain habitats. The type of flagship species also influenced whether ecotourism was classified as sustainable or not: ecotourism with no flagship species was rarely classified as sustainable while charismatic bird and mammal species were associated with a higher probability of sustainability. In a multivariate analysis, flagship species type and local community involvement were important predictors of sustainability in ecotourism. Detailed a priori planning, local involvement and control measures were perceived by authors of case studies to increase the success of ecotourism in conservation. They also perceived that ecotourism can only be an effective conservation tool under certain conditions. If these are met, the evidence indicates that ecotourism can make a contribution to conservation.     

Variation in depth of whitetip reef sharks: does provisioning ecotourism change their behaviour?

In the dive tourism industry, shark provisioning has become increasingly popular in many places around the world. It is therefore important to determine the impacts that provisioning may have on shark behaviour. In this study, eight adult whitetip reef sharks Triaenodon obesus were tagged with time-depth recorders at Osprey Reef in the Coral Sea, Australia. Tags collected time and depth data every 30?s. The absolute change in depth over 5-min blocks was considered as a proxy for vertical activity level. Daily variations in vertical activity levels were analysed to determine the effects of time of day on whitetip reef shark behaviour. This was done for days when dive boats were absent from the area, and for days when dive boats were present, conducting shark provisioning. Vertical activity levels varied between day and night, and with the presence of boats. In natural conditions (no boats present), sharks remained at more constant depths during the day, while at night animals continuously moved up and down the water column, showing that whitetip reef sharks are nocturnally active. When boats were present, however, there were also long periods of vertical activity during the day. If resting periods during the day are important for energy budgets, then shark provisioning may affect their health. So, if this behaviour alteration occurs frequently, e.g., daily, this has the potential to have significant negative effects on the animals?? metabolic rates, net energy gain and overall health, reproduction and fitness.     

Autophagosomes,phagosomes, autolysosomes,phagolysosomes, autophagolysosomes… Wait,I’m confused

When an autophagosome or an amphisome fuse with a lysosome, the resulting compartment is referred to as an autolysosome. Some people writing papers on the topic of autophagy use the terms “autolysosome” and “autophagolysosome” interchangeably. We contend that these words should be used to denote 2 different compartments, and that it is worthwhile maintaining this distinction—the autophagolysosome has a particular origin in the process of xenophagy that makes it distinct from an autolysosome.     

Autophagosomes,phagosomes, autolysosomes,phagolysosomes, autophagolysosomes… Wait,I’m confused

When an autophagosome or an amphisome fuse with a lysosome, the resulting compartment is referred to as an autolysosome. Some people writing papers on the topic of autophagy use the terms “autolysosome” and “autophagolysosome” interchangeably. We contend that these words should be used to denote 2 different compartments, and that it is worthwhile maintaining this distinction—the autophagolysosome has a particular origin in the process of xenophagy that makes it distinct from an autolysosome.     

Der Mengen- und Spurenelementgehalt des Rinderhaares als Indikator der Calcium-, Magnesium-, Phosphor-, Kalium-, Natrium-, Eisen-, Zink-, Mangan-, Kupfer-, Molybdän- und Kobaltversorgung

Many health effects can be attributed to the Mediterranean herb oregano (Origanum vulgare L.) and several studies demonstrated the improving effect on performance, changes in blood count, antibacterial, antifungal and immunmodulating abilities. The majority of these investigations were carried out with processed essential oil, while whole plant material was only used in a few studies. Thus, the aim of the present experiment was to test the effect of increasing proportions of dried oregano in piglet feed on health and performance, with a special focus on immune modulation. A total of 80 male castrated weaned piglets (body weight [BW] 7.9 kg ±1.0 kg) were used in a feeding experiment lasting 5 weeks. They were assigned to 4 experimental groups: a control diet, and three diets with an oregano supplementation at 2 g, 4 g and 8 g per kg feed, respectively, corresponding to 23.5 mg, 46.9 mg and 93.9 mg carvacrol/kg DM. After 3 weeks, half of each group was challenged with 5 µg lipopolysaccharides (LPS) per kg BW. Blood samples were collected 2 h after LPS stimulation and analysed for T-cell phenotypes, granulocyte activity, clinical-chemistry as well as white and red blood count. The results indicate no effects of oregano on performance. In contrast, oregano altered the lymphocyte proportion and the ratio of CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T-cells as well as the triglyceride concentration in the serum of non-stimulated and in LPS-stimulated piglets. In conclusion, whole plant supplementation of oregano to piglet feed altered immune-related parameters, but did not modulate the acute inflammatory response induced by LPS stimulation.     

Der Einfluß endogener Faktoren auf den Asche-, Kalzium-, Magnesium-, Kalium-, Natrium-, Phosphor-, Zink-, Eisen-, Kupfer- und Mangangehalt der Schweineborste

The objective of the present study was to investigate physiological effects of a marginal copper and iron supply on pigs. Therefore an experiment was conducted with 4 × 12 growing pigs of the crossbreed Pietrain × Deutsche Landrasse. The animals were fed for a period of 119 days with a diet poor of copper (1.5 mg Cu/kg diet) and/or poor of iron (35 mg Fe/kg diet). Control animals were supplied adequately with copper (4.8 mg Cu/kg diet) and iron (85 mg Fe/kg diet). The diet was given according to weight. After reaching an average weight of 102.6 ± 3.5 kg the animals were slaughtered. Due to the activity of the coerulplasmin and katalase enzyme and the haematological parameters, the supply of copper and iron could be classified as marginal. There was no interaction between copper deficiency and iron metabolism. The protein metabolism was unchanged. Low copper intake reduced the copper concentrations in serum, liver, muscle and backfat, and low iron intake reduced the iron concentration in serum, liver and muscle. Marginal copper and iron supply had no relevant effect on either food intake and growth performance or carcass characteristics and meat quality.     

Der Mengen- und Spurenelementgehalt des Rinderhaares als Indikator der Calcium-, Magnesium-, Phosphor-, Kalium-, Natrium-, Eisen-, Zink-, Mangan-, Kupfer-, Molybdän- und Kobaltversorgung

Beyond the energy requirement of maintenance, the assimilated energy, occurring in bioproducts, is linearly proportional to the intake of metabolizable energy in non‐underfed conditions. In contrast, resting metabolic rate is differing between individuals within a population of an animal species. As adaptability to changed environmental conditions may play a role, young bulls were exposed to thermoneutral (18°C) and low (4°C) ambient temperatures and were fed at two feeding levels (1.0 and 1.6 times energy requirement in maintenance) to produce metabolic rate differences, using the same animals, metabolic rate was altered by reducing the sympathetic outflow in each case. Expression of sulfonylurea receptors in circulating mononuclear leukocytes and cells from skeletal muscle (m. semitendinosus) was studied by flow cytom‐etry. Changes of metabolic rate at rest corresponded to the portion of cells with sulfonylurea receptors expression. The data from reducing the sympathetic outflow and those from sulfonylurea receptors expression are useful to explain metabolic rate differences among individuals of an animal population.     

Barley—Botany,production, harvesting,processing, utilization and economics

Barley, probably the oldest cultivated cereal, is widely grown in cooler areas of the world. The annual world production of nearly two and a half billion bushels exceeds that of rye but is less than that of rice, wheat, corn and oats, respectively. Most of the annual 300 million dollar crop of the U.S. is fed to livestock, but about one- third is manufactured into malt.     

人口,食物,资源,环境与生物学

人口、食物、资源、环境与生物学钱燕文（中国科学院动物研究所北京１０００８０）人家都说下一个世纪是生物学的世纪,人口、食物、资源、环境也是近２０年来的热门话题,因为这四个方面关系到我们人类的未来。为什么下个世纪是生物学的世纪？也得从人口、食物、资源、环...     

胸怀祖国, 忘我工作, 为国争光

刘以训教授是我国著名的生物学家,中国科学院院士。他致力于生殖生物学研究,在排卵、黄体萎缩、精子发生和胚胎植入等系列研究上,成绩卓著,享有国际声誉。读罢此文,钦敬之情油然而生。     

The Seven Carbohydrate Bioengineering Meeting,Braunschweig, Germany,April, 22–25, 2007

Stereocontrol in bakers' yeast reduction can be achieved by introduction of a sulfur functional group into substrates. α-Methylthio-β-keto esters are reduced to give exclusively (3S)-3-hydroxy esters. α-Substituted β-keto thiol esters and dithioesters afford (2R,3S)-3-hydroxy esters with high diastereo-and enantioselectivity. Ketones possessing 1,3-dithiane, phenylsulfenyl, or phenylsulfonyl groups at the α-position are transformed also into the corresponding (S)-secondary alcohols. Optically pure (S)-(phenylsulfinyl)acetones can be obtained by kinetic resolution of racemic derivatives with the yeast. Diastereo- and enantioselective reduction of 1,2-diketones leading into (1S,2S)-1,2-diol derivatives can be also achieved by introduction of 1,3-dithiane, phenylsulfenyl or phenylsulfonyl groups into the α-position. Reductions of carbon-carbon double bond of sulfur-functionalized prenyl derivatives provide both chiral (R)- and (S)-C₅-building blocks for terpenoid synthesis. The utility of the reduction products as chiral building blocks is demonstrated in the synthesis of biologically active natural products such as pheromones, sugars, antibiotics etc. by functional group transformation and carbon-carbon bond formation reactions with the aid of sulfur functional groups.     

An investigation into the structural,electronic, and non-linear optical properties in CN (N = 20, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, and 38) fullerene cages

Journal of Molecular Modeling -     

相思子根化学成分研究——相思子醌A,B,D,E,F,G

从民间药用抗肝炎药相思子（ＡｂｒｕｓｐｒｅｃａｔｏｒｉｕｓＬ．）根中分得８个异黄烷醌类化合物,即相思子醌Ａ、Ｂ、Ｄ、Ｅ、Ｆ、Ｇ以及已知化合物３,７二羟基６甲氧基双氢黄酮和２,８二羟基３,４,９,１０四甲氧基紫檀素。用化学转化和光谱学方法包括１Ｈ１ＨＣＯＳＹ、１Ｈ１３ＣＣＯＳＹ、ＣＤ等方法鉴定它们的结构。     

Das Gynözeum der Bignoniaceen III. Crescentieae (Amphitecna,Colea, Rhodocolea,Ophiocolea, Phyllarthron,Phylloctenium, Parmentiera,Enallagma undCrescentia)

Zusammenfassung Die Nachprüfung des Fruchtknotenbaues der CrescentieengattungenAmphitecna, Colea, Rhodocolea, Ophiocolea, Phyllarthron, Phylloctenium, Parmentiera, Enallagma undCrescentia ergab, daß er, von gewissen Einzelheiten abgesehen, in der Literatur im allgemeinen richtig beschrieben wird. Wie sich nun ergibt, beruht seine Mannigfaltigkeit auf den variablen Höhen der beiden den Fruchtknoten aufbauenden Zonen. Normalerweise tritt die synascidiate Zone mit ihrer einheitlichen Scheidewand besonders hervor und baut gelegentlich den ganzen Fruchtknoten auf. Die Förderung der symplikaten Zone mit ihren meist nicht bis zur Fruchtknotenmitte vorstoßenden Halbsepten wird verschiedentlich angestrebt und erreicht beiCrescentia ihren Höhepunkt. Hier ist die sterile synascidiate Zone völlig rudimentär, so daß sie bisher übersehen wurde, und die symplikate Zone, die aber durch Unterdrückung ihrer Halbsepten einfächerig geworden ist, baut fast den ganzen Fruchtknoten auf.Crescentia besitzt demnach auch als einzige Bignoniaceengattung eine echt parietale Plazentation.