Practice of conserving plant diversity through traditional beliefs: a case study in Xishuangbanna, southwest China

Developing various strategies for the global biodiversity conservation is important for today's critically degraded environment, and there is a growing recognition that the effective conservation of biodiversity will depend on the long-term participation and understanding of local communities. In order to establish the connection between traditional beliefs and the conservation of biodiversity, a case study was undertaken in Xishuangbanna, one of the richest areas in biodiversity in China. The Dai nationality, a dominant ethnic group in Xishuangbanna, has both Polytheistic and Buddhist beliefs, which have close relationships with plant diversity. This paper recommends the following approaches to conserve plant diversity by the application of traditional beliefs: (1) depending on the religious belief system, establishing an Association of Religious Plant Conservation to organize local people to participate in the conservation by means of religious activities, to document the indigenous botanical knowledge and to train local people; (2) training local people to different levels to improve their capacity in conservation of plant diversity with science and religion working together; (3) demonstrating the conservation of plant diversity through the recovering of holy hill forests and plants in temple gardens.     

Area Networks for Conserving Iberian Insects: A Case Study of Dung Beetles (col., Scarabaeoidea)

Possibilities to create an efficient network of areas for the conservation of Iberian dung-beetle biodiversity were investigated. Data were taken from BANDASCA, a 15,740 record dung-beetle database with information for 101,996 specimens. The greatest species richness and phylogenetic diversity are found in the Iberian Central System cordilleras, while those of range-size rarity are in the southernmost corner of the Iberian Peninsula and in the coastal plains of the Guadalquivir basin. Additionally, broad regional score trends of these variables reach a maximum in a smaller northeastern, and a larger southeastern region (Baetic and sub-Baetic mountains). Major Central and Southern Spain dung-beetle hotspots contain many of the UTM grid cells which delimit the near-minimum-set of areas hosting maximum dung-beetle biodiversity scores. They are viewed as the nucleus of a potential network of reserves. A UTM grid cell (30TXK1) where Onthophagus albarracinus, an endemic and demographically rare species inhabits the Sierra of Albarracín and Montes Universales, was detected as an irreplaceable area. Because of recent land use changes and rapid human-induced habitat transformation threatening dung-beetle fauna, caution should be taken not to recommend an in memoriam network of areas no longer hosting a fauna extinct today. The abandoning of traditional herding management in Europe threatens the preservation of grasslands where dung-feeding beetles play a major ecological role in maintaining pasture quality and livestock health. A return to more traditional herding methods would require stable dung-beetle populations. Any insect conservation planning in Spain would benefit from more biogeographical information for other insect groups.     

Effect of Gamma Irradiation on Embryogenic Avocado Cultures and Somatic Embryo Development

Embryogenic avocado cultures were exposed to ionizing irradiation in order to determine its effect on proliferation and subsequent somatic embryo development. The approximate PD₅₀ as determined by linear regression is 35 Gy 2 weeks after irradiation for Fuerte 2.11.1 and 4 weeks after irradiation for T362 2.11.1. Irradiation of embryogenic cultures did not significantly affect the number of early stage Fuerte 2.11.1 somatic embryos that developed directly from irradiated cultures; however, 10–50 Gy inhibited somatic embryo development. Irradiation of T362 2.11.1 embryogenic cultures at 25–50 Gy inhibited the number of intermediate and mature stages of somatic embryos that developed directly from irradiated cultures, and 50 Gy inhibited somatic embryo maturation. Inhibition of somatic embryo development could be partially offset by proliferation of irradiated embryogenic cultures as suspensions. Irradiation up to 10 Gy significantly increased the number of mature Fuerte 2.11.1 somatic embryos that developed from suspension cultures. Irradiation with doses up to 25 Gy stimulated development of heart stage T362 2.11.1 somatic embryos; however, mature somatic embryo development was suppressed at dosages of 10 Gy and greater.     

Biodiversity and biodiversity conservation in Yunnan, China

Yunnan, an inland province at a low latitude and high elevation, lying between 21°09–29°15 N and 97°32–106°12 E in southwestern China, has a vast territory with diversified and unique nature resources. There are more than 18000 high plant species (51.6% of China's total) and 1836 vertebrate species (54.8% of China's total) living in Yunnan on a land area of 39.4 × 10⁴km², i.e., only 4.1% of China's total. Among 15000 seed plants found in Yunnan there are 151 rare and endangered plant species (42.6% of China's protected plants). Out of 335 China priority protected wild animals, Yunnan has 243 species, accounting for 72.5% of China's total, 15% of which are species endemic to Yunnan. However, Yunnan's biodiversity is faced with the menace of excessive exploitation of resources and changes in environmental conditions caused by the activities of an expanding human population. This paper discusses the background, the composition, and the structure of Yunnan's biodiversity. Its biodiversity fragility and the threatened situation are also discussed. Suggestions and recommendations on the strategy and actions of Yunnan biodiversity conservation and sustainable development are proposed.     

Fisheries management in the twenty-first century: will new paradigms apply?

The last decade has seen growing concern at the uncertain effectiveness of most fisheries assessment and management approaches as reflected by trends in global landing statistics published by FAO. These imply full exploitation of the majority of fishery resources and a serious overcapitalization of fleets at the global level. Projected increases in demand, future prices for fisheries products, and impacts of growing world populations on the ecosystem all require an urgent search for improved management frameworks.Improved management of fisheries requires, first, an understanding of the axioms and working assumptions underlying the current approaches and how these evolved in response to regional or local conditions and target species. This should promote integration of methodologies which better reflect local situations and can be expressed in the form of one or more working paradigms. These paradigms should incorporate ecosystem considerations, including environmental fluctuations and socio-economic factors. They should not assume that current production levels are independent of natural fluctuations and human impacts and should recognize the dangers of maintaining open access to marine resources throughout their seasonal cycle, life history and distribution range.Wide-use management paradigms incorporating explicit user rights, participatory management and inputs from a variety of disciplines and stakeholders are becoming popular, but must operate within a hierarchy of pre-negotiated responses to pre-specified limit reference points so that social and economic options are not lost because conservation issues have not been given precedence.Academic and research institutions could aid the management process by more participation, by promoting interdisciplinary teamwork with stakeholders and by breaking down excessive specialization and regionalization within fisheries studies. On the management side, the key elements for improving the situation seem to be consultative management frameworks that explicitly incorporate watchdog functions and implement precautionary approaches to management. Risk-averse strategies are appropriate but, given the high level of uncertainty that managers face with natural systems, fail-safe management with redundancy, both in the data sources they rely on for fishery performance and in the management measures applied, seem appropriate.For near-shore resources, governments could consider partly devolving management responsibility to appropriate levels in society, involving coastal communities, individual use rights and other vehicles for allocating access. Changing emphasis of modern technology from fisheries exploitation to improved management will be one aspect of successful future management systems, perhaps incorporating geotemporally defined access rights to near-shore and shelf resources.Recent international agreements, including the formal ratification of the Law of the Sea, show that governments are prepared for more ecologically appropriate approaches. The key stake of the fisheries industry in sustainable fisheries development needs supporting, particularly for developing countries, now the major source of aquatic marine products. High priorities for management of marine resources are rebuilding depleted resources and restoring habitats, with concern for maintaining genetic and ecological diversity. There will be a need to consider impacts of global trade on conservation of resources for future generations, if proper management is to be maintained in the face of growing demand.International agreements of relevance to future management paradigms which are compatible with the Law of the Sea Convention (and each other), include Agenda 21 of UNCED, the Biodiversity Convention, the UN Agreement on Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks, the Compliance Agreement and the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. Such agreements, ratified or now open for signature, provide a comprehensive basis for future customary law that can assist authorities in constructing appropriate management frameworks. Current concern remains with application of these agreements in international waters, where limited access as required for proper management still has not been established.     

The nature of hunting around the Western Corridor of Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

In many parts of Africa, illegal hunting is considered the most pressing issue in protected areas. Poaching has remained a persistent problem through the 50 year long history of Serengeti National Park. Around 2 million people live along the borders of the park. Poverty is widespread, and the population is increasing rapidly. In this paper we examine the local perceptions of importance and reasons for hunting, gender differences and opinions about mitigating measures among villagers around Serengetis Western Corridor. The data were collected through interviewing 590 persons in eight villages close to the borders of the park. Hunting is driven by the need to not only increase food supply and cash income, but also fulfil cultural and social needs. We also identified a proactive attitude in the rural communities towards reducing illegal hunting and more constructive relationships with the management authorities of the national park. The role of hunting in community life extends beyond the immediate poverty issue, and should be seen as an element in the larger development agenda of rural Tanzania and the quest for models for sustainable wildlife management.     

Contact Matters: Local People’s Perceptions of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Hapalemur alaotrensis</Emphasis> and Implications for Conservation

Understanding factors that influence local community support for conservation projects is critical to their success. Perceptions of wildlife are particularly important in countries where people rely heavily on natural resources for their survival, as is the case in Madagascar. Renowned as one of the “hottest” regions for global biodiversity, Madagascar hosts an exceptional assemblage of lemurs. Yet little is known concerning the knowledge and perceptions of local people toward lemurs. The Lake Alaotra gentle lemur (Hapalemur alaotrensis) is classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List and restricted to marsh habitat in the Lake Alaotra New Protected Area. Habitat destruction and hunting have brought the lemur to the brink of extinction. In this study we characterize local people’s knowledge, awareness, and perceptions of Hapalemur alaotrensis. We conducted an initial survey with 180 participants in 6 villages with varying distance to Park Bandro, a high-priority conservation zone. During a second survey, we interviewed 50 people in the village adjacent to the park. Our findings demonstrate that fishers are the most knowledgeable local resource users despite having the lowest education levels, and they also are the most concerned with the endemic lemur’s decline. There is a link between environmental awareness and distance in both a literal and figurative sense; the more often people encounter Hapalemur alaotrensis, the more they know about it, and the more likely they are to be concerned about its future. Our study further shows that despite this concern, subsistence is prioritized over conservation in the Alaotra region. Ecological knowledge in the fishers’ communities is a valuable resource that can benefit the conservation of Hapalemur alaotrensis and its marshland habitat if conservation planning and management can align the resource users’ concerns and livelihood needs with biodiversity values.     

Specific Status of Propithecus spp.

Controversial taxonomic relationships within Propithecus have consistently made conservation and management decisions difficult. We present a multidisciplinary phylogenetic analysis of Propithecus supporting the elevation of 4 subspecies to specific status: P. diadema perrieri P. perrieri, P. diadema candidus P. candidus, P. diadema edwardsi P. edwardsi, and P. verreauxi coquereliP. coquereli; leaving P. diadema diadema as P. diadema and P. verreauxi verreauxi as P. verreauxi.     

Genetics of α-amylases from rye endosperm

Summary Fifteen inbred lines of rye, F₁ and F₂ progenies from crosses between lines were studied using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Conventional genetic analysis of -amylase zymograms showed that the 19 bands detected in the endosperm of germinating caryopses were controlled by three linked structural loci and one independent modifying locus, which influenced the electrophoretic mobility of isozymes. Two codominant alleles were found at the -Amy1, -Amy2 structural loci and the M--Amy modifying locus while the -Amy3 locus had three alleles. Double-banded expression of the -amylase alleles was probably due to the simultaneous presence of modified and unmodified forms of isozymes on the zymogram.This work was supported by Polish Academy of Sciences under project MR-II/7 and was also a part of the author's PhD Thesis     

Freshwater protozoa: biodiversity and ecological function

The purpose of this article is to pull together various elements from current knowledge regarding the natural history of free-living protozoa in fresh waters. We define their functional role, set the likely limits of biodiversity, and explore how the two may be related. Protozoa are unicellular, phagotrophic organisms, and 16 phyla of protists contain free-living freshwater protozoan species. They are the most important grazers of microbes in aquatic environments and the only grazers of any importance in anoxic habitats. In sediments, ciliates are usually the dominant protozoans. Benthic ciliate biomass accounts for slightly less than 10% of total benthic invertebrate biomass, but ciliate production may equal or even exceed invertebrate production. Freshwater protozoan species are probably ubiquitous, although many may persist locally for long periods in a cryptic state – as potential rather than active biodiversity. As protozoa are among the largest and most complex of micro-organisms, it follows that bacteria and all other smaller, more numerous microbes are also ubiquitous. The number of protozoan species recorded in local surveys (232) is about 10% of the estimated global species richness (2390). The 'seedbank of protozoan (and microbial) species ensures that local microbial diversity is never so impoverished that it cannot play its full part in ecosystem functions such as carbon fixation and nutrient cycling.     

Structures of asparagine linked oligosaccharides of immunoglobulins (IgY) isolated from egg-yolk of Japanese quail

Structures of the Asn linked oligosaccharides of quail egg-yolk immunoglobulin (IgY) were determined in this study. Asn linked oligosaccharides were cleaved from IgY by hydrazinolysis and labelled withp-aminobenzoic acid ethyl ester (ABEE) afterN-acetylation. The ABEE labelled oligosaccharides were then fractionated by a combination of Concanavalin A-agarose column chromatography and anion exchange, normal phase and reversed phase HPLC before their structures were determined by sequential exoglycosidase digestion, methylation analysis, HPLC, and 500 MHz¹H-NMR spectroscopy. Quail IgY contained only neutral oligosaccharides of the following categories: the glucosylated oligomannose type (0.6%, Glc1-3Glc1-3Man₉GlcNAc₂; 35.6%, Glc1-3Man_7–9GlcNAc₂). oligomannose type (15.0%, with the structure Man_5–9GlcNAc₂) and biantennary complex type with core structures of-Man1-3(-Man1-6)Man1-4GlcNAc1-4GlcNAc (9.9%),-Man1-3(GlcNAc1-4)(-Man1-6)Man1-4GlcNAc1-4GlcNAc (25.1%) and-Man1-3(GlcNAc1-4)(-Man1-6)Man1-4GlcNAc1-4(Fuc1-6)GlcNAc (11.4%). Although never found in mammalian proteins, glucosylated oligosaccharides (Glc₁Man_7–9GlcNAc₂) have been located previously in hen IgY.Abbreviations IgG, IgM, IgA, IgY immunoglobulin G, M, A and Y, respectively - ABEE p-aminobenzoic acid ethyl ester     

The role of knowledge and spatial contexts in biodiversity policies: a sociological perspective

In policy processes, biodiversity has been broadened into a holistic notion uniting a variety of cultural, social and economic issues with the biological conservation issue. Therefore, the formation of biodiversity conservation into concrete policy goals appears rather difficult. In this paper, we aim to explore the political implications and consequences of the strong dependency on science of the biodiversity issue. Concentrating especially on environmental policy options, we also examine the globalization and localization processes in the case of biodiversity. In spite of several controversial features and of an evident lack of knowledge on biological diversity, the issue undoubtedly has significant political strengths. However, from the viewpoint of research on environmental policies, the role of scientific knowledge in decision making should be recognized as an open empirical question depending on the concrete contexts of the decision-making process. Further, it is concluded that the concepts relating to global environment are objects of a continuous localization. Thus, any moral-technocratic solutions emphasizing simply universal interests as the basis for global biodiversity management must be met with caution. In future research there is a need for concrete case studies in order to clarify the local conditions and opportunities of biodiversity policies.     

Who does all the research in conservation biology?

Much of the worlds biodiversity is located within countries with developing economies. We therefore examine how well developing nations and their scientists are represented in three international conservation biology journals (Conservation Biology, Biological Conservation, Biodiversity and Conservation). We found: (1) that 28% of studies were from lower income countries and only 15% of all papers had primary authors from these nations. Of papers from lower income countries, although 80% had at least one local author, only 47% had primary authors from the country where the study was conducted. (2) Lower income countries had more research with a strong applied focus compared to research from high-income countries. (3) In lower income countries research was often funded by international sources but the primary authors of these studies were from affluent nations. (4) The three journals differed in how well they represented lower income nations and their scientists, reflecting their editorial policies for including research from lower income nations. The main reason for the large discrepancy in a countrys output of conservation research is due to the difference in a nations ability to invest in science. However, a brief survey of authors suggests that there is a large amount of information available in lower income and non-English speaking countries that is not easily accessible to the international conservation community. Journals may therefore need to consider altering their policies if we are to improve the representation of research by scientists in lower income nations.     

Socio-economic and ecological prospects for multiple use of protected areas in Africa

Largely triggered by the Bali debate, conservation literature over the last decade has seen increasing realization of man's responsibility in ensuring survival of the world's protected areas. In African terms, there has been an overwhelming number of pilot projects which have the people label. Whereas this trend has been ecouraging, the overall conservation picture has not been very bright as the wildlife resources have continued to dwindle under surmounting human pressure. The problem does not seem to be awareness of the necessity for protected areas any more but rather whether it is feasible under the present prevailing circumstances.     

Comparing survey methods to assess the conservation value of a community‐managed protected area in western Tanzania

The ability of low‐status protected areas under community management to achieve a conservation objective is frequently questioned, particularly in developing countries. The lack of sound, scientific‐based biodiversity monitoring frequently undermines attempts to evaluate the extent to which these areas are contributing to biodiversity conservation. Based on data collected between 2008 and 2010 in a Forest Reserve under community management in western Tanzania, our study tested fives methods: camera trapping, walking line transects, vehicle transects, opportunistic encounters and indirect signs, to find the most appropriate for future monitoring. Method comparisons confirmed a higher performance of camera trapping compared to other methods for the ability to detect species. However, our results identified the need of a better survey design to ensure a sound monitoring in the future. Besides method comparisons, our study provides the first fine‐scale data on mammal communities in such a low‐status protected area. Combined methods allow the identification of 49 species of medium and large mammals, a surprisingly high diversity for such area. These findings outline the potential conservation value of this type of protected area and call for better biodiversity monitoring throughout complexes of protected areas of different statuses and management regimes.     

Should conservation of biodiversity involve private land? A Q methodological study in Poland to assess stakeholders’ attitude

Biodiversity conservation is gradually shifting its dependency on public protected areas to take a more holistic ecosystem and landscape approach that includes private lands in addition to public lands. However, effective practice of biodiversity conservation on private land also depends on landowners’ attitude and their willingness to participate and cooperate. This study focuses on Poland where conservation on private land is a relatively new concept but it is slowly gaining recognition, especially after its accession into the European Union. It investigates and classifies the diverse attitudes among stakeholder groups in Poland toward biodiversity conservation on private land that are part of protected areas. Four primary stakeholder groups were considered: conservation and park authorities, local administrative officials, local conservation based NGOs and private landowners. The study was conducted across three sites that represented three different forms of protected areas in Poland: a national park, a landscape park and a Natura 2000 site. Q methodology, a research method from psychology and other social sciences, was used to classify human subjectivity in stakeholders’ attitude in a more systematic manner. The analysis yielded three predominant factors which highlighted the diversity in attitudes among the stakeholder groups based on their knowledge, concerns and experience in the subject. Additionally, it underlined the common recognition among all stakeholder groups for better policy support, stronger collaboration among stakeholder and more financial or compensatory support for landowners to make private land conservation more feasible. Understanding the differences in attitudes will help bridge the gap between conservation priority and conservation opportunity—a current challenge in the field of biodiversity conservation.     

A novel PH-CT-COSY methodology for measuring JPH coupling constants in unlabeled nucleic acids. Application to HIV-2 TAR RNA

A quantitative analysis of J_PH scalar couplings in nucleic acids is difficult due to small couplings to phosphorus, the extreme overlap of the sugar protons and the fast relaxation of the spins involved in the magnetization transfer. Here we present a new methodology that relies on heteronuclear Constant Time Correlation Spectroscopy (CT-COSY). The three vicinal ³J_PH3, ³J_PH5 and ³J_PH5 scalar couplings can be obtained by monitoring the intensity decay of the P_i-H3_{i – 1} peak as a function of the constant time T in a 2D correlation map. The advantage of the new method resides in the possibility of measuring the two ³J_PH5 and ³J_PH5 scalar couplings even in the presence of overlapped H5/H5 resonances, since the quantitative information is extracted from the intensity decay of the P-H3 peak. Moreover, the relaxation of the H3 proton is considerably slower than that of the H5/H5 geminal protons and the commonly populated conformations of the phosphate backbone are associated with large ³J_PH3 couplings and relatively small ³J_{PH5 / H5}. These two facts lead to optimal signal-to-noise ratio for the P-H3 correlation compared to the P-H5/H5 correlation.The heteronuclear CT-COSY experiment is suitable for oligonucleotides in the 10–15 kDa molecular mass range and has been applied to the 30mer HIV-2 TAR RNA. The methodology presented here can be used to measure P-H dipolar couplings (D_PH) as well. We will present qualitative results for the measurement of P-H_base and P-H2 dipolar couplings in the HIV-2 TAR RNA and will discuss the reasons that so far precluded the quantification of the D_PHs for the 30mer RNA.     

Local diversity and ecological distribution of arboreal Psocoptera (Insecta) in Sumatra, Indonesia, and implications for conservation

Collections of arboreal Psocoptera from the four major national parks of Sumatra and from a range of habitats outside the parks (including many of the predominant perennial crops) are appraised for diversity and species overlap between habitats. The most speciose family (Psocidae, 72 morphospecies) is investigated to determine possible surrogacy values in relation to the more taxonomically intractable Other Psocoptera (17 families, 190 morphospecies), in its incidence in 16 different habitats and four main altitudinal zones. Considerable psocid richness persists in disturbed areas, and the values of protected areas and kebun gardening systems in their conservation are noted.     

Autoradiographische Untersuchungen zum Eiweiss- und Melanin-Stoffwechsel der verschiedenen Zellarten des Melanoms der Maus (Typ Harding-Passey)

Zusammenfassung Mäusen mit einem transplantierbarem Melanom, Typ Harding-Passey, wurde H-3-markiertes Dl-DOPA-, -T₂, Dl-DOPA-2,5,6-T₃, Dl-Prolin-2-T und L-Ty-rosin-3-T' injiziert und die H-3-Inkorporation in verschiedenen Zellarten des Melanom autoradiographisch zu verschiedenen Zeiten untersucht.H-3-DOPA wird selektiv in Melanin eingebaut. Dieses H-3-Melanin findet sich 1,5–24 Std nach Gabe des H-3-DOPA in Bindung an feine Melaningranula im Cytoplasma melaninarmer Melanocyten. Macrophagen dagegen enthalten zu dieser Zeit kaum H-3-Melanin. Nach 5 Tagen aber ist das H-3-Melanin fast ausschließlich in den Macrophagen nachzuweisen. Die Menge des synthetisierten H-3-Melanin war unabhängig davon, ob DOPA-, -T₂ oder DOPA-2,5,6-T₃ als H-3-Melaninvorstufe diente.Der Eiweißstoffwechsel wurde mit H-3-Prolin und H-3-Tyrosin untersucht. Die Eiweißneubildung in Melanoblasten und jugendlichen Melanocyten lag in der gleichen Größenordnung wie die der Leberparenchymzellen, während sie in Melaninspeicherzellen etwa zehnmal geringer war. Wurden die Versuchstiere erst 7 Tage nach Injektion der H-3-Aminosäure getötet, so war das H-3-Eiweiß aller Zellen zu 70–90% bereits wieder abgebaut, nur bei den Macrophagen stieg der Gehalt an H-3-Eiweiß auf das Doppelte an. Dies wird durch Phagocytose H-3-markierter Eiweiß-Melanin-Granula erklärt.Die H-3-Markierung des Tyrosin-3-T wurde nur zu einem autoradiographisch im Vergleich zur H-3-Markierung des Eiweißes nicht mehr faßbaren Bruchteil in Melanin eingebaut.Die Arbeit wurde durch Mittel der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft und des Bundesministeriums für Atomkernenergie unterstützt.