The importance of traditional farmland areas for steppe birds: a case study of migrant female Great Bustards Otis tarda in Spain

A detailed knowledge of the habitat requirements of steppe birds living in farmland habitats is necessary to identify agricultural practices compatible with their conservation. The globally threatened Great Bustard Otis tarda is a partial migrant in central Iberia, but factors affecting its winter habitat use have not been identified. We assessed habitat differences between breeding and wintering areas and winter habitat selection of radiotagged migrant female Great Bustards in central Spain. Of 68 tagged females, 35% moved to wintering areas located 64.3 ± 24.0 km south of their breeding areas, and 80% wintered in a single area of c. 236 km². A census of the population in this area identified it as one of the most important wintering areas of this species in the world, holding c. 1500 individuals. There were significant differences between breeding and wintering habitats of individually marked migrant females. Compared with breeding areas, wintering areas of migrant females were located further from roads and urban nuclei, had lower human population densities and area of urban developments, and a higher diversity of land‐use types, with less cover of cereals and more vineyards and olive groves. Within this area, radiotracked migrant females preferred sites with more vineyards and a lower land‐use diversity. Our results highlight the importance of traditional Mediterranean dry farmland mosaics, and suggest that different conservation strategies are needed for migrant and resident populations in winter to secure the conservation of suitable wintering habitat for Great Bustards in the Iberian Peninsula.     

Quantification of P-flux through shallow, agricultural and natural waters as found in wetlands of the Camargue (S-France)

The flux of phosphate in the aquatic ecosystems of the Camargue was modelled. The model developed for the hydrological unit, the water basin of the Aube de Bouic, is based on the hydrology of the system, the reaction equations of the adsorption of phosphate onto Fe(OOH) and the solubility product of apatite. The water basin consists of an inlet canal, the Aube de Bouic, ricefields and natural marshes, plus a drainage canal through which the excess water is pumped into the Etang de Vaccarès. Phosphate is introduced into ricefields either with the irrigation water, taken from the Rhône, or as fertiliser. Most of the phosphate will be fixed on the ricefield soils either as iron-bound or as calcium-bound phosphate, depending on the pH. The o-phosphate concentration will slowly increase to an extent depending on the pH. From the ricefields water will flow towards the Etang de Vaccarès; the amount of phosphate reaching the Etang de Vaccarès depends on the pH of the system and the depth of the water outlet of the ricefields. In six different scenarios the amount of phosphate reaching the Etang de Vaccarès is calculated depending on the quantity of fertiliser, the depth of the water outlet and the pH. For the Etang de Vaccarès the model predicts the present concentration of o-P relatively well and shows that the loading is considerable. This should cause concern; the danger of serious eutrophication is real. Part of the irrigation water is used to refill or keep under water the natural marshes in this hydrological unit, which without irrigation would dry out during summer. Again high P-concentrations are found in the marshes, but mostly in the form of Fe(OOH)P or CaCO₃P, the ratio of which depends again on the pH of the sediments. The o-P concentration has remained low up to now.     

The influence of wetlands in regulating water quality in the Seronera River,Serengeti National Park,Tanzania

The distribution of temperature, salinity, visibility and dissolved oxygen was sampled from 1996 to 2002 at sites along the Seronera River. The minimum temperature decreased with distance upstream. The salinity increased up-river where occasionally hypersaline conditions prevailed. Dissolved oxygen was highly variable spatially and temporally, depending on both the level of eutrophication by animal dung and the presence of wetlands that help filter the excess nutrients. During the study period, fringing, freshwater wetlands have generally been degraded and in some cases destroyed, and this has been accompanied by significantly decreased oxygen levels, sometimes nearing anoxic conditions. Also during this period, saltwater wetlands have increased, and since wildlife impacted these wetlands little, dissolved oxygen levels remained high throughout. Visibility was highest in areas fringed by wetlands.This revised version wa published online in March 2005 with corrections to the issue cover date.     

鄱阳湖湿地优势植物枯落物的分解速率及碳、氮、磷释放动态特征

植物枯落物分解对生态系统碳通量和养分循环有至关重要的作用,这一过程主要由3个相互作用的因素决定,即化学(枯落物理化特性)、物理(气候和环境)以及生物(参与枯落物分解的微生物和无脊椎动物)因素。在气候和立地环境条件相同的情况下,枯落物质量是制约分解的内在因素。在鄱阳湖湿地开展了野外定位观测实验,采用分解袋技术研究了鄱阳湖湿地优势植物芦苇(Phragmite)、南荻(Triarrhena lutarioriparia)和薹草(Carex.cinerascens Kükenth)枯落物分解速率及碳(C)、氮(N)、磷(P)元素释放动态特的征差异性。结果表明,在0—150 d内三种植物枯落物的干物质分解速率和残留率以及碳相对归还指数(CRRI)、氮相对归还指数(NRRI)、磷相对归还指数(PRRI)差异性都极其显著。在0—150 d内分解速率都是芦苇的最大,薹草的次之,南荻最小。分解进行150 d后,芦苇、南荻和薹草枯落物干物质残留率依次约为56.57%、67.99%和60.88%,CRRI依次约为57.44%、34.58%和41.75%,NRRI依次约为50.71%、-22.66%、和23....     

CO2 Assimilation and Water Relations of Almond Tree (Prunus amygdalus Batsch) Cultivars Grown Under Field Conditions

Gas exchanges and leaf water potential (_w) of six-years-old trees of fourteen Prunus amygdalus cultivars, grafted on GF-677, were studied in May, when fruits were in active growing period, and in October, after harvesting. The trees were grown in the field under rain fed conditions. Predawn _w showed lower water availability in October compared with May. The lowest _w values at midday in May increased gradually afterwards, while in October they decreased progressively until night, suggesting a higher difficulty to compensate the water lost by transpiration. However, relative water content (RWC) measured in the morning was similar in both periods, most likely due to some rainfall that occurred in September and first days of October that could be enough to re-hydrate canopy without significantly increasing soil water availability. The highest net photosynthetic rate (P _N) was found in both periods early in the morning (08:00–11:00). Reductions in P _N from May to October occurred in most cultivars except in José Dias and Ferrastar. In all cultivars a decrease in stomatal conductance (g _s) was observed. Photosynthetic capacity (P _max) did not significantly change from spring to autumn in nine cultivars, revealing a high resistance of photosynthetic machinery of this species to environmental stresses, namely high temperature and drought. Osmotic adjustment was observed in some cultivars, which showed reductions of ca. 23 % (Duro d' Estrada, José Dias) and 15 % (Tuono) in leaf osmotic potential (). Such decreases were accompanied by soluble sugars accumulation. The Portuguese cultivar José Dias had a higher photosynthetic performance than the remaining genotypes.     

Floral morphology,micromorphology and palinology of selected Sedum s.l. species (Crassulaceae)

Sedum L. (Crassulaceae) is a large and taxonomically difficult genus whose delimitation and classification are under debate. Due to the controversial results of previous cytological, morphological, and molecular studies, further investigations are needed in order to gain a shared taxonomy of the current recognized species clades. In the present paper, morphological and micromorphological features of 23 selected Mediterranean species of Sedum s.l. – collected from exsiccata or fresh specimens throughout Italy – were investigated, in order to provide additional data toward their classification above species level. In particular, the study focused on flower structure and morphology, floral epidermal surfaces and pollen morphology. The distribution pattern of the examined microcharacters across the species revealed a wide range of variation and different combinations of the single characters. NMDS analysis allowed individuating discrete groups that showed a general consistency with the current systematic delimitation of species groups. Our study also evidenced for the first time the wide morphological variability of nectaries and of the glandular indumentum, not previously investigated in detail. In addition, we proposed the combined use of floral diagrams and floral formulae as valuable tools in studying the variability of flower structure at genus level.     

The interstitial ciliated protozoa of a Mediterranean microcommunity

The main features of an interstitial ciliate community, living in the coastal sand of the Mediterranean sea, were analyzed during a one-year survey, carried out on 113 samples. The community was composed of 56 species, 31 of which belong to 8 resident genera. Total density varied from 0 to 410 individuals cm^–3 and followed a Spring-Summer and an Autumn-Winter trend, not related to temperature or to any single abiotic variable (interstitial dissolved O₂, grain sand size, salinity), although the density of some taxa was related to one abiotic factor. During Spring, diversity increased by a synchronous bloom involving the whole community. Some taxa, such as the predator Lacrymaria and its prey Frontonia, were significantly associated. The finding of the simultaneous bloom of congeneric species, like that of the genus Remanella suggests that they respond to the same environmental factors, and avoid interspecific competition.     

Leptospirosis distribution related to freshwater habitats in the Vojvodina region (Republic of Serbia)

The retrospective study (2002—2007) for human leptospirosis in Vojvodina was undertaken in order to describe the distribution of the disease in relation with some environmental factors. Regarding the presented results, the major detected number of leptospirosis cases concurs with stagnant waters, wetlands, fish pond areas and protected regions, which comprised the basis for mapping of the region in three risk zones: very high risk (incidence rate higher than 5.0), high risk (2.5—5.0) and medium risk of leptospirosis infection (1.0—2.5). During the investigated period, 97 cases were registered with an average of 13.85 cases per year: 2002, 32 cases; 2003, 7; 2004, 22; 2005, 16; 2006, 4 and 2007, 16. Out of these 97 cases only 5 were women. Serovars from 11 presumptive serogroups caused infection, with a predominance of Icterohaemorrhagiae and Bratislava, accounting for 72.72% of cases together. Icterohaemorrhagiae was the commonest infecting serogroup mostly connected with fish ponds. Case fatality ratio was 9.4%.     

An indicator framework for assessing progress in land and marine planning in Colombia and Cuba

Achievement of environmental management goals and objectives in coastal areas, including how to measure success, remains a significant subject for discussion among scholars and practitioners, meanwhile four distinct management efforts potentially converge within the coastal zone: land-use planning (LUP), river basin management (RBM), marine spatial planning (MSP) and integrated coastal management (ICM). This paper examines the general lack of attention being paid to overlapping spatial boundaries within the landward and marine areas and proposes an indicator-based framework to measure the effectiveness of the individual planning instruments, as opposed to specific initiatives, in achieving management goals. The six indicators used in the framework (planning; participation; communication; integration; responsibility and balance) are based on a modified version of the Coastal Sustainability Standard methodology described by Gallagher (2010). The framework provides for four scenarios of progress in three geographical dimensions (river, municipality and marine area) to be assessed. For this study, the Caribbean coast of Colombia and Cuba were identified as the areas to test the feasibility and relevance of the indicator framework to monitor progress in the different management approaches established to achieve coastal sustainability. Several key observations and lessons from the indicator-based framework are discussed in order to analyze the overlapping of the four space-based instruments, identify areas for targeted intervention and improve their integration.