Preventing Ultimate Harm as the Justification for Biomoral Modification

Most advocates of biogenetic modification hope to amplify existing human traits in humans in order to increase the value of such traits as intelligence and resistance to disease. These advocates defend such enhancements as beneficial for the affected parties. By contrast, some commentators recommend certain biogenetic modifications to serve social goals. As Ingmar Persson and Julian Savulescu see things, human moral psychology is deficient relative to the most important risks facing humanity as a whole, including the prospect of Ultimate Harm, the point at which worthwhile life is forever impossible on the planet. These risks can be mitigated, they say, by enhancing moral psychology in novel ways. Persson and Savulescu argue that some parents should modify the underlying biogenetics of their children's moral psychology, if such measures were safe and effective, but they admit these interventions may not decouple humanity from Ultimate Harm. Neither are these modifications the only options, they concede, for addressing risks to humanity. Even with these concessions, saving humanity from itself is a fairly poor reason to modify the moral psychology of children. In most ways, adults would be better candidates, morally speaking, for modifications of psychology. Even then, there is no direct link between morally enhanced human beings and the hoped‐for effect of better protection from Ultimate Harm. Asserting a general duty of all to contribute to the avoidance of Ultimate Harm is a better moral strategy than intervening in the moral psychology of some, even though meeting that duty may involve substantial interference with the free exercise of one's interests.     

Wetland drying indirectly influences plant community and seed bank diversity through soil pH

High altitude wetlands on the Tibetan Plateau have been shrinking due to anthropogenic disturbances and global climate change. However, the few studies that have been conducted on wetlands are inconclusive about the effect of soil moisture on seed banks and potential of seed banks in wetlands with different levels of soil moisture for regeneration of dried wetlands. We investigated seed banks and plant communities along a soil moisture gradient. A structural equation model was used to analyze the direct and indirect effects of soil moisture on seed banks, as well as the relationship between plant communities and seed banks. Although soil moisture had no direct effects on seed bank richness and density and indirect effects on seed banks through plant community, it had indirect effects on the seed bank through soil pH. Soil moisture also did not have direct effects on plant community richness, but it had indirect effects through soil pH. Plant community composition changed with soil moisture, but aboveground plant abundance and seed banks composition did not change. Low similarity exists between plant community and seed banks for all wetlands, and similarity decreased along the moisture gradient. The key factor determining plant community diversity was soil pH, while seed bank diversity was mainly affected by soil pH and plant community diversity with wetland drying. Although potential for regenerating the plant community from the seed bank decreased with an increase in soil moisture, drained wetlands still have enough residual seeds for successful restoration of species-rich alpine meadows.     

Classification and ordination of plant communities along an altitudinal gradient on the Presidential Range,New Hampshire,USA

An analysis of vegetation along an altitudinal gradient on the Presidential Range, New Hampshire, USA, using the Braun–Blanquet approach followed by multivariate data analysis is presented. Twelve main plant communities have been distinguished. Floristic information is presented in twelve tables and one appendix. The relationships of the communities to complex environmental gradients are analyzed using Correspondence Analysis. Floristic composition and community structure are controlled primarily by the altitudinal gradient (temperature, precipitation), and by mesotopographic conditions (snow accumulation, exposure and cryoturbation, slope position, and soil moisture).     

Early life environment determines the development of adult phobic‐like fear responses in BALB/cAnN mice

Environmental factors may unleash genetically determined susceptibility to psychopathology. Great effort has been spent in identifying both the genetic basis and environmental sources of exaggerated fear in animal models of anxiety disorders. Here, we show that the origin of inbred mice, probably via subtle differences in breeding and rearing conditions, may have large consequences specifically on acquisition and retention of fear memories, while leaving anxiety‐related behaviours unaffected. These effects could be seen in BALB/cAnN (BALB), but not in C57BL/6N (C57BL/6) mice, thus suggesting their dependency on the genetic background. Increased susceptibility for developing exaggerated fear responses was accompanied by decreased long‐term depression and increased surface trafficking of the AMPA receptor GluR1 subunit at the level of the basolateral amygdala complex. Together, these data raise a novel caveat in the debate about the origins of variation in behavioural studies with experimental animals. Considering that there are currently no animal models which explicitly consider conceptual analogy to the specific gene–environment interactions observed in the aetiology of phobias, our study might suggest a novel approach and direction for further preclinical studies focusing on such aspects of phobic‐like fears.     

The influence of environmental factors on the spatial distribution of saxicolous lichens in a Norwegian coastal community

Abstract. The effects of vegetation cover, radiation, micro‐habitat variables and maritime influence on the floristic composition of a saxicolous community in Vingen, western Norway were studied. Particular emphasis is put on the local distribution of Fuscidea cyathoides, Ochrolechia tartarea, Ophioparma ventosa and Pertusaria corallina. Very little of the variation in the lichen community composition is directly related to measured micro‐environmental variables but variance partitioning shows that vegetation cover explains more of the floristic variation than radiation, maritime influence and microhabitat variables. Logistic regression analyses nevertheless indicate that the micro‐environment influences the spatial distribution of the four species. The high fraction of unexplained floristic variation, 91%, is suggested to result from (1) lack of fit of data to the response model; (2) some influential environmental variables that have not been recorded; (3) local historical factors that affect present day distribution and/or (4) apparent randomness in colonization. The results also agree with the view that the four lichen species in this study are able to co‐exist in the long‐term because of different spatial distributions resulting from different strategies with respect to ecology, dispersion and interaction.     

Escaping the Crisis. Friulan Mountains 18th–19th Century

As for most of the mountainous areas even the Friulan Mountains between the 18th and the 19th century proved to be extremely deficient of consumer goods produce. To provide for the subsistence of the population it was therefore necessary to import great amounts of alimentary goods, cereals in particular. This paper will show how the agricultural prices influenced the mountainous areas; considerations will be made on the behaviour adopted by the populations of the valleys to counteract the negative impact brought about by the prices increases. A final look will outline the consequences of such behaviours at a demographic level. To this aim, after drawing a general picture of the mountain economy, an attempt will be made at quantifying the demand of the consumer goods. The system for cereals provision will be retraced and the relations between cereal prices and demongraphic variables will be evaluated.