Conservation evaluation and the choice of faunal taxa to sample

Since the coining of the term, biodiversity has come to be understood as being more than a synonym for species richness. It also embraces a diversity of lifestyles, so that of two samples with the same number of species one that solely comprises a diversity of herbivores is considered to be less biodiverse than one that includes detritivores, predators, parasitoids, parasites, etc. as well. It seems that Phoridae could be a prime candidate for use in conservation evaluation exercises because the larvae of this family exhibit a greater range of habits than any other family of animals on the planet.     

Interim Responses of Floodplain Wetland Vegetation to Phase I of the Kissimmee River Restoration Project: Comparisons of Vegetation Maps from Five Periods in the River's History

Phase I of the Kissimmee River Restoration Project (KRRP) reestablished intermittent inundation of the river's floodplain by backfilling 12 km of the C‐38 flood control canal in 2001. We compared floodplain vegetation maps based on 2003 and 2008 aerial imagery (2 and 7 years following completion of Phase I, respectively) to vegetation maps from 1954 (pre‐channelization), 1974 (3 years after channelization), and 1996 (25 years after channelization) to evaluate broad‐scale vegetation responses to Phase I restoration. Results indicate that the extent of wetland plant communities expanded rapidly, more than doubling in area within 2 years after completion of Phase I, and that by 2008 wetlands had nearly recovered to pre‐channelization levels. However, full reestablishment of the pre‐channelization wetland mosaic has not yet occurred. Prior to channelization, much of the floodplain was dominated by a broadleaf marsh (BLM) community associated with extended, deep annual flooding, while shorter‐hydroperiod communities dominated the floodplain in 2003 and 2008. Prior to restoration construction, the reestablishment of BLM was predicted to be slow because suitable hydrology is dependent on project components that will not be in place until all restoration components are completed (projected for 2019). Hydrologic data indicate that the duration and variability of floodplain inundation have not yet achieved restoration targets over the entire Phase I study area. Other factors affecting vegetation responses are likely involved, including the age and viability of soil seed banks, the rarity of relict propagule sources following the channelized period, and competition from an invasive wetland shrub species.     

Ralstonia eutropha H16 in progress: Applications beside PHAs and establishment as production platform by advanced genetic tools

Ralstonia eutropha strain H16 is a Gram-negative non-pathogenic betaproteobacterium ubiquitously found in soils and has been the subject of intensive research for more than 50 years. Due to its remarkable metabolically versatility, it utilizes a broad range of renewable heterotrophic resources. The substrate utilization range can be further extended by metabolic engineering as genetic tools are available. It has become the best studied “Knallgas” bacterium capable of chemolithoautotrophic growth with hydrogen as the electron donor and carbon dioxide as the carbon source. It also serves as a model organism to study the metabolism of poly(β-hydroxybutyrate), a polyester which is accumulated within the cells for storage of both carbon and energy. Thermoplastic and biodegradable properties of this polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) have attracted much biotechnical interest as a replacement for fossil resource-based plastics. The first applications of R. eutropha aimed at chemolithoautotrophic production of single cell protein (SCP) for food and feed and the synthesis of various PHAs. The complete annotated genome is available allowing systematic biology approaches together with data provided by available omics studies. Besides PHAs, novel biopolymers of 2-hydroxyalkanoates and polythioesters or cyanophycin as well as chemicals such as alcohols, alkanes, alkenes, and further interesting value added chemicals significantly recently extended the range of products synthesized by R. eutropha. High cell density cultivations can be performed without too much effort and the available repertoire of genetic tools is rapidly growing. Altogether, this qualifies R. eutropha strain H16 to become a production platform strain for a large spectrum of products.     

The “capacity to reason” in conservation biology and policy: the southern elephant seal branding controversy

Modern environmental research is typically governed by a number of protocols designed to embrace the epistemological and ethical values of society. These protocols evolve in response to changing values, and few disciplines in environmental science have received as much attention as biological conservation. This paper describes the events leading to a controversy regarding a particular research technique used to investigate the cause of a long-term population decline of southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) at Macquarie Island, south of Australia – hot-iron branding of individuals. We discuss procedures and protocols that were in place at the time the controversy erupted, the subsequent reflection of the researchers and authorities involved, and the steps taken to avoid future occurrences. Our treatment of the issue is framed within a discussion of modern ethical philosophy, and our aim is to identify the true source of the controversy. We offer several suggestions as to how such events can be avoided in the future, and provide a model framework for incorporating changing ethical values into important biological conservation objectives.     

Evaluating asymbiotic seed culture methods and establishing Disa (Orchidaceae) germinability in vitro: relationships, requirements and first-time reports

Many Disa species (80%) have not been germinated in vitro, fuelling conservation fears. Winter-rainfall species are typically germinable, whilst summer-rainfall species are exclusively intractable in vitro. We aimed to establish the in vitro germination requirements for previously ungerminated Disa species. Conventional asymbiotic seed culture protocols were reviewed and their efficacy in summer-rainfall Disa established. Mature seed was subjected to manipulations of media composition and viscosity, incubation temperature and illumination. Immature cultures were also established across four seed maturity classes. Four first-time germinations (D. cooperi, D. nervosa, D. pulchra and D. woodii) resulted from media with increased water availability. Germination rate (>12 weeks), percentage (<30%) and synchrony were not in accordance with values reported for winter-rainfall species (>80% germination in 8 weeks). Germination of immature seed under control conditions was similar to mature seed germination under modified conditions, but neither percentage approached the calculated germination potential (∼viability). Germination control in Disa is proposed as a trade-off between water availability and the presence of phyto-inhibitors in the environment of the embryo—two features typical of seeds exhibiting water-impermeable dormancy.     

1995-2015年缅甸土地利用/覆被变化对生态系统服务价值的影响

缅甸土地利用变化对其生态系统服务的影响与中缅绿色"一带一路"、中缅经济走廊建设等重大战略的长期合作息息相关。利用缅甸1995年和2015年的土地利用数据，结合Costanza生态系统服务价值系数表，分析缅甸土地利用变化对生态系统服务价值的影响。结果表明：（1）1995-2015年，缅甸土地利用类型以林地（71%）和耕地（26%）为主，林地和草地面积减少，而其他地类增加；林地和耕地之间的转化显著。（2）缅甸生态系统服务价值约4600-4700亿美元，林地贡献最大；调节（48%）和支持（29%）服务价值比重较大；（3）生态系统服务总价值增加了66.26亿美元，调节、供给和支持服务价值增加，而文化服务价值减少；生态系统服务二级类型中：废物处理、食物供给、生境/避难所等增加，气候调节、遗传资源、水土保持功能等减少；（4）缅甸土地利用变化对生态系统服务总价值和生态系统服务一级类型总价值影响较小，但生态系统服务二级类型价值的"此消彼长"会影响缅甸生态安全和生物多样性，在未来中缅"一带一路"建设中需要重点关注。     

Economic growth and environmental impacts: An analysis based on a composite index of environmental damage

The conflict between economic growth and the environment is complex and sharper today than ever before. Indeed, the relationship between economic growth and the sustainability of ecosystems has been extensively discussed in the literature, but the results remain controversial.This paper reviews the use of single and composite indicators of environmental damage and questions whether the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis sufficiently mirrors the relationship between economic growth and ecological damage. Ecological Indicators are relevant when they potentially inform society about ecological developments in a reliable way. We use the modified composite index of environmental performance (mCIEP) to measure environmental damage, and GDP per capita to represent economic growth. The econometric model is developed using panel data composed of 152 countries and a period of 6 years. The model is estimated for the full sample, for three different sets of countries, by level of development, and a decomposition analysis is carried out, which corresponds to the study of the CIEP individual dimensions.Our results reveal that, at present, the EKC hypothesis is not proved. We conclude that it is critical to be clear that economic growth alone is not enough to improve environmental quality. Therefore, creating a consistent, coherent and effective environmental policy framework is essential in order to improve environmental quality that supports wellbeing and enables long-term economic development.     

Random dispersion in excitatory synapse response

The excitatory synaptic function is subject to a huge amount of researches and fairly all the structural elements of the synapse are investigated to determine their specific contribution to the response. A model of an excitatory (hippocampal) synapse, based on time discretized Langevin equations (time-step = 40 fs), was introduced to describe the Brownian motion of Glutamate molecules (GLUTs) within the synaptic cleft and their binding to postsynaptic receptors. The binding has been computed by the introduction of a binding probability related to the hits of GLUTs on receptor binding sites. This model has been utilized in computer simulations aimed to describe the random dispersion of the synaptic response, evaluated from the dispersion of the peak amplitude of the excitatory post-synaptic current. The results of the simulation, presented here, have been used to find a reliable numerical quantity for the unknown value of the binding probability. Moreover, the same results have shown that the coefficient of variation decreases when the number of postsynaptic receptors increases, all the other parameters of the process being unchanged. Due to its possible relationships with the learning and memory, this last finding seems to furnish an important clue for understanding the basic mechanisms of the brain activity.