Spatial heterogeneity and temporal variations in Echinococcus multilocularis infections in wild hosts in a North American urban setting

Echinococcus multilocularis, the causative agent of human alveolar echinococcosis, has the potential to circulate in urban areas where wild host populations and humans coexist. The spatial and temporal distribution of infection in wild hosts locally affects the risk of transmission to humans. We investigated the spatial and temporal patterns of E. multilocularis infection in coyotes and rodent intermediate hosts within the city of Calgary, Canada, and the association between spatial variations in coyote infection and the relative composition of small mammal assemblages. Infection by E. multilocularis was examined in small mammals and coyote faeces collected monthly in five city parks from June 2012 to June 2013. Coyote faeces were analysed using a ZnCl₂ centrifugation and sedimentation protocol. Infection in intermediate hosts was assessed through lethal trapping and post-mortem analysis. Parasite eggs and metacestodes were morphologically identified and molecularly confirmed through species-specific PCR assays. Of 982 small mammals captured, infection was detected in 2/305 (0.66%) deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus), 2/267 (0.75%) meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus), and 1/71 (1.41%) southern red backed voles (Myodes gapperi). Overall faecal prevalence in coyotes was 21.42% (n = 385) and varied across sites, ranging from 5.34% to 61.48%. Differences in coyote faecal prevalence across sites were consistent with local variations in the relative abundance of intermediate hosts within the small mammal assemblages. Infections peaked in intermediate hosts during autumn (0.68%) and winter (3.33%), and in coyotes during spring (43.47%). Peaks of infections in coyote faeces up to 83.8% in autumn were detected in a hyper-endemic area. To the best of our knowledge, our findings represent the first evidence of a sylvatic life-cycle of E. multilocularis in a North American urban setting, and provide new insights into the complexity of the parasite transmission ecology.     

Sustainability indicator systems within urban governance: Usability analysis of sustainability indicator systems as boundary objects

While sustainability indicator systems (SIs) have proven to be valuable rational tools for improving the availability of information related to the relationship of cities and communities to natural limits, the indicators movement has achieved limited instrumental uptake in policy. This paper begins from a recognition that instrumental use of sustainability indicator systems is rare. Greater potential impact exists for SIs designed to be much more attentive to their conceptual and political values within their particular social and political context. In other words, greater attention to what has been called the governance of indicator systems, or the ways in which SIs fit as policy tools within a multilevel and multiactor governance context, is key to increasing their utility. This is particularly true given the need for decisive policy change, or even the introduction of a new development path, which is asserted within the sustainability agenda.Understanding the real and potential utility of indicator systems within multiactor governance processes, in which their roles are primarily rhetorical, conceptual and political, is facilitated by thinking about indicator systems as boundary objects, tools which open up dialogue, information sharing, learning and consensus-building across different policy boundaries: between experts and nonexperts, formal government and different nongovernment actors, higher-order governments and lower-order governments. This paper offers a comparative analysis of three sustainability indicator systems in the North American context – Vancouver's Vital Signs (Vancouver Foundation), Seattle's Happiness Initiative, and LEED-ND (US Green Building Council) – all of which have shown some success in operationalizing a new policy boundary as a means of making conceptual and political contributions to governance practices. The specific boundaries operationalized, the different approach taken by each project, and the usability demonstrated by each project at that boundary in terms of salience, legitimacy and credibility, are assessed comparatively. In general, the trajectory in design and use of ecological and sustainability indicators demonstrates an increase in appetite, aptitude and numbers of channels for use in processes of governance; however, these factors vary with the local social–political opportunity structure. This analysis presents the advances made as well as the tradeoffs evident in these cases across the gamut of different forms of usability of nongovernmental indicator systems designed for use as boundary objects, and suggests a path forward for indicator work which aims to change policy, from a governance perspective.     

Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) staying in urban environments have higher levels of microfungi biota diversity than do birds from non-urban areas

Migratory water birds, including the Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) – one of the most abundant waterfowl species – are involved in the dispersal of microfungi. This study was undertaken to collect data on the possible differences in fungal biota between mallards in urban and non-urban areas. In total, 53 species of microfungi were found in samples taken from the bill cavity and the cloaca. Among them, 19% are pathogens of humans, including the most common fungus, Candida albicans (18.0% of all isolates). Mallards living in proximity to humans were colonised with a higher number of fungal species than were birds living in non-urban areas. This might be the result of conditions that are favourable for microfungi in cities. The differences between the urban and non-urban environments are responsible for the higher levels of similarity in the species structure of the fungi found in the bill cavity and the cloaca within the same environment rather than in the same ontocenoses from different sites.     

Use of the BEAST model for biomonitoring water quality in a neotropical basin

The use of predictive models in Neotropical basins is relatively new, and applying these models in large basins is hindered by the lack of ecological, geographical, and social-environmental knowledge. Despite these difficulties, we used data from the das Velhas River basin to apply the BEAST (Benthic Assessment of SedimenT) methodology to evaluate and classify the level of environmental degradation. Our two main objectives were to modify and implement the BEAST methodology for use in biomonitoring programs of Brazilian basins, and to test the hypothesis that a gradient of environmental degradation determines a gradient in the structure and composition of benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages. We evaluated 37 sites: 8 in the main river, 15 in the main tributaries with different impact levels, and 14 in tributaries with minimally disturbed conditions (MDC). The BEAST model allowed us to classify 16 test sites: two as natural, four as altered, three as highly altered, and seven as degraded. Our results indicated degradation of the das Velhas River basin near its urban areas. The BEAST model indicated that the pollution gradient found among the sites generated a gradient of the macroinvertebrate assemblages, corroborating the hypothesis. Handling editor: S. M. Thomaz     

Statistical modelling and prediction of pollutants in the urban atmosphere of Salamanca, Spain

 The primary aim of the present work is to describe and analyze the temporal trends of concurrent hourly observations and its daily averaged series of the pollutants CO, NO₂, NO and SO₂ in the urban area of the City of Salamanca (environmental survey station SA001) for the period between 1 December 1993 and 30 November 1994. Using daily series corresponding to different meteorological variables recorded at the same site for the same period (wind direction, relative humidity, pressure, radiation, temperature and wind speed), linear regression techniques are used to study the relationships of these variables with each of the polluntants on both an individual and multivariate basis. The results obtained explain 40% of the variance of the series for NO₂ and 66% in the case of SO₂. Finally, in the modelling phase it was observed that the series of polluntants themselves have sufficient ’’information’’ to enable, by means of autoregressive and integrated moving average techniques (A.R.I.M.A.), the determination of future pollution. Once predicted, these were contrasted with the measured or observed values to check the goodness of the model. Received: 9 December 1996 / Accepted: 24 January 1997     

Using biological traits to assess how urbanization filters plant species of small woodlands

Question: Which biological traits (persistence, regeneration, dispersion traits and resource requirements) may explain the distribution of woodland flora along an urban–rural gradient? Location: The study was carried out in three medium‐sized conurbations of north‐western France: Angers, Nantes and Rennes. Methods: We sampled the vegetation of 36 small woodlands of about 1.5 ha composed of non‐planted vegetation along an urban–rural gradient. We characterized the position of woodlands along the urban–rural gradient by examining adjacent land cover. By using an ordination analysis (RLQ), we analysed which traits out of –23 tested were related to the contrasted distribution of species along the urban–rural gradient. Results: Species that are more likely to be found in urban woodlands than rural woodlands have different persistence traits (higher specific leaf area, more often rosette or semi‐rosette form, less underground vegetative multiplication), resource requirements (affinity for base‐rich and fertile soils) and regeneration traits (short life‐span). Dispersion traits were not related to the distribution of species along the urban–rural gradient. Conclusions: Our approach identifies traits that can help to determine the vulnerability of forest species as a result of the environmental changes that follow urbanization. Limiting the influence of the urban environment on habitat quality (particularly disturbance and soil enrichment) is likely to be of major importance in maintaining the plant biodiversity in woodlands.     

Systematic landscape restoration in the rural–urban fringe: meeting conservation planning and policy goals

Many landscapes that straddle the rural/urban divide suffer from low levels of species diversity following extensive clearing and fragmentation of native vegetation communities and conversion of land to agriculture. Further pressures are placed on remnant vegetation by encroaching urban expansion. These landscapes now exhibit a mosaic of small, patchy vegetation remnants that are under considerable pressure from housing and light-industrial development. Furthermore, agriculture in these landscapes tends to be of high economic value from uses such as intensive horticulture. Concerted and well-planned efforts are needed to balance the many conflicts of interest and competing demands for land with the need to restore landscapes for the protection of biodiversity. There has been a recent move in Australia toward regional biodiversity planning and goal setting, however specific detail on how to plan for achieving targets in complex landscapes is lacking. This paper applies a systematic landscape restoration model to a mixed-use, peri-urban landscape on the northern fringes of Adelaide, South Australia. The region contains fragments of remnant vegetation amongst a mosaic of high-value horticulture, light industry and urban development. Models produce maximally efficient solutions that meet comprehensive, adequate and representative conservation targets. Further constraints are added to the model to take into account the value of agricultural output, the biodiversity value of remnants, and property size and tenure. The effects on solution efficiencies as the number of constraints increase are investigated. This paper demonstrates the flexibility found in applying a systematic landscape restoration methodology. The process we present can be transferred to any rural–urban fringe region.     

Ant assemblages on littered food waste and food removal rates in urban–suburban parks of Tokyo

Ants are one of the major animals utilizing waste in urban areas, and presumably have an important role in nutrient redistribution and cycling. However, information on ant assemblages on artificial food and their food removal rates in different habitat types is lacking, and the relationship between ant assemblage and removal rate is poorly understood. We assessed assemblages of ants on experimentally placed foods (potato chips, cookies and ham) and their food removal rates on three land cover types (woodlands, lawns and pavements) at 90 sites in 10 urban and suburban parks of Tokyo. Then, we examined the relationship between ant assemblage and food removal rate. In total, 11 trophic generalist ants were associated with food removal. Species composition differed significantly between land cover types, and the mean number of species was higher in woodlands than on lawns and pavements, while not significantly different between urban and suburban parks. The ants removed, on average, 6.3 g of 18-g food in fresh weight (or 5.3 g of 13.9-g food in dry weight) per site in 24 h. There were both negative and positive associations between ant species presence and food removal rate, but no significant associations between species number and food removal rate. Food removal rate was highest on lawns, and that in woodlands was not significantly different from that on lawns and pavements. Therefore, our study suggests that ants on lawns and pavements, despite lower number of species and altered species composition, have a comparable or higher ability to redistribute nutrients from artificial foods as compared with woodland ants. This indicates that such highly artificial land cover types should also be included in studies on urban ecosystem services.     

Relationship of the urban fabric of Lawrence,Kansas with satellite-derived thermal infrared data

Many of the twelve land-use types and ten surface materials that comprise Lawrence, Kansas correlate significantly with afternoon and evening temperatures derived from thermal infrared data of the Heat Capacity Mapping Mission satellite. Three afternoon temperature patterns and six evening patterns were analyzed covering late spring through the middle of fall. Land uses account for a mean of 49% of the temperature variance in the daytime; the mean explained variance for the evening data is 37%. The temperature variation accounted for by surface materials is nearly the reverse of that of land use: the daytime and evening mean values are 32% and 49%, respectively. With the primary exception of trees, the correlations closely coincide with previously reported results relating the land uses and surface materials with temperatures for the city obtained from autotraverses.Abbreviations LST local standard time - CDT central daylight time