Conserving pool-breeding amphibians in human-dominated landscapes through local implementation of Best Development Practices

Seasonal forest pools in the northeastern USA are unique ecosystems whose functions are intimately associated with adjacent upland habitats. This connection, coupled with their small size and ephemeral surface water, has made conservation of pool resources challenging. Seasonal pools provide optimal breeding habitat for animals adapted to temporary waters including ambystomatid salamanders (Ambystoma spp.), wood frogs (Rana sylvatica LeConte), and some invertebrates and plants. To date, wetland conservation efforts have been primarily limited to 2 pathways: land use regulation and preservation. Although both of these pathways have the potential to conserve some pool resources, they are often insufficient to maintain an array of pools in the landscape that support local population dynamics of amphibians. We propose a third pathway – local land-use planning – that can complement regulatory and preservation efforts. This suite of strategies, embodied in our Best Development Practices (BDPs), recognizes that not all pools will be conserved; local governances will need to develop priorities for conservation. The BDPs encourage local governances to (1) proactively identify their pool resources, (2) rank those pools according to their relative ecological value, and (3) establish management procedures and apply recommended guidelines in accordance with the relative rankings. We recommend that pools be ranked using biological criteria (e.g., presence of listed species, presence of breeding species, and egg mass abundance) and on the availability and quality of adjacent terrestrial habitat. We recommend 3 management zones: the pool depression, the pool envelope (i.e., land within 30 m of the pool), and the critical terrestrial habitat (i.e., 30–230 m from the pool). Residential, industrial, and commercial development, which may compromise pool habitat (e.g., through building and road construction, site clearing, stormwater management, and lighting), should follow the recommended guidelines presented in Appendix 1 of this paper. Planning at the watershed level, using such tools as overlay zones, wetland ordinances, and easements, should lead to more effective, long-term management of, at a minimum, the most ecologically important seasonal forest pool resources and will provide developers with clear development guidelines. This process is already being successfully implemented in a number of New England towns.     

Applications of biotope mapping for spatial environmental planning and policy: case studies in urban ecosystems in Korea

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the current status and method of biotope mapping for practical use for landscape planning and environmental policy in urban ecosystem in Korea. We examine current ecological mapping of Seoul, Seongnam, Daegu, and Yongin. Ecological mapping is examined closely in terms of investigation methodology, investigation subject, classification of urban landscape, and the present condition of application. Biotope mapping in Seoul and Seongnam were carried out by the city governments concerned with the pre-set budgets earmarked for mapping. In order to promote the utilization of biotope maps for city planning in Korea, the following actions should be considered. First, the survey method should be standardized by introducing a uniform standard with respect to the scope of survey, the quality of primary data used, the survey method, and the level of the survey. Second, it is necessary to identify a basic category of biotope for each area by consolidating the outcome of the previous surveys. Third, it is highly desirable to minimize the differences between the evaluation criteria and the assessment factors. Fourth, it is ideal to apply the results of the biotope evaluation to city planning in an indirect manner through reflecting the results first in the landscape plans. In order to facilitate this alternative utilization, it is necessary to strengthen the control provisions contained in the ordinances of the city concerned or to enact a set of new provisions in the ordinances so that biotope mapping could be used more widely as a criterion for the spatial environmental impact assessment.     

Landscape ecology planning principles in Korean Feng-Shui, Bi-bo woodlands and ponds

The purpose of this study is to suggest practical planning principles, which are absent in landscape ecology planning, according to which the spatial completeness of the watershed is derived from native Korean Feng-Shui (). Landscape ecology planning principles are used widely in contemporary planning projects in terms of patch, corridor, matrix and network of landscape pattern. However, landscape indices for planning principles are complicated and constrained, and so are limited to applications for site and eco-village plannings. Native Korean Feng-Shui is different from Chinese Feng-Shui in that it is aimed at theoretical completeness in terms of aspect and topographical shape, based on the concept of ideal Myung-dang () to complete the space, according to local conditions in the physiognomy of the watershed. The complementary method is called Bi-bo () in native Korean Feng-Shui. These principles have been applied in traditional Korean villages, leading to consistent location choices and fractal patterns in land use. Furthermore, Bi-bo woodlands and ponds have been introduced to achieve spatial completeness in the landscape structure of the village.     

Multi-centre testing and validation of current protocols for the identification of Gyrodactylus salaris (Monogenea)

Despite routine screening requirements for the notifiable fish pathogen Gyrodactylus salaris, no standard operating procedure exists for its rapid identification and discrimination from other species of Gyrodactylus. This study assessed screening and identification efficiencies under real-world conditions for the most commonly employed identification methodologies: visual, morphometric and molecular analyses. Obtained data were used to design a best-practice processing and decision-making protocol allowing rapid specimen throughput and maximal classification accuracy. True specimen identities were established using a consensus from all three identification methods, coupled with the use of host and location information. The most experienced salmonid gyrodactylid expert correctly identified 95.1% of G. salaris specimens. Statistical methods of classification identified 66.7% of the G. salaris, demonstrating the need for much wider training. Molecular techniques (internal transcribed spacer region-restriction fragment length polymorphism (ITS-RFLP)/cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) sequencing) conducted in the diagnostic laboratory most experienced in the analysis of gyrodactylid material, identified 100% of the true G. salaris specimens. Taking into account causes of potential specimen loss, the probabilities of a specimen being accurately identified were 95%, 87% and 92% for visual, morphometric and molecular techniques, respectively, and the probabilities of correctly identifying a specimen of G. salaris by each method were 81%, 58% and 92%. Inter-analyst agreement for 189 gyrodactylids assessed by all three methods using Fleiss’ Kappa suggested substantial agreement in identification between the methods. During routine surveillance periods when low numbers of specimens are analysed, we recommend that specimens be analysed using the ITS-RFLP approach followed by sequencing of specimens with a “G. salaris-like” (i.e. G. salaris, Gyrodactylus thymalli) banding pattern. During periods of suspected outbreaks, where a high volume of specimens is expected, we recommended that specimens be identified using visual identification, as the fastest processing method, to select “G. salaris-like” specimens, which are subsequently identified by molecular-based techniques.     

Designing a conservation plan for protecting the habitat for giant pandas in the Qionglai mountain range, China

Population viability of the giant panda ( Ailuropoda melanoleuca ) is threatened by small population sizes in scattered isolated habitat areas. Designing a conservation plan for protecting and connecting the fragmented habitat will improve the chances for survival of this endangered species. For such a plan, this study assessed the overall habitat suitability for the species in the Qionglai mountain range (Sichuan, China) using Landsat TM imagery acquired in 2001, geographical data, field surveys, and information acquired in previous researches. Results show that the habitat is separated by roads and rivers, as well as by human settlements and cropland areas, into four main habitat blocks. Overlapping these four habitat blocks with the current nature reserve network reveals that only 36% of the total habitat is protected within nature reserves. Thus, the current nature reserve network is failing to preserve essential habitat for dispersal and genetic exchange. In this study, five key areas and four linkage areas were identified and suggested as nature reserves and/or corridors. These areas, together with the six currently established nature reserves in the mountain range, will form a conservation unit for facilitating the exchange of giant panda individuals among previously isolated habitat blocks. Policies recently implemented by the Chinese government, including the Natural Forest Conservation Program (NFCP) and the Grain-to-Green Program (GTGP), could aid in the formation of such a conservation unit.     

The planning and control of reaching movements

The notion of internal models has become central to the study of visually guided reaching. Armed with this theoretical framework, researchers are gleaning insights into long-standing problems in the field, such as the ability to respond rapidly to changes in the location of a reach target and the fine control of the multi-joint dynamics of the arm. A key factor in these advances is our increased understanding of how the brain integrates feedforward control signals, sensory feedback, and predictions based on internal models of the arm.     

Enhancing students’ experimental planning competences by introducing and evaluating the IS4O teaching approach

ABSTRACT

We herein report the introduction of the IS⁴O (Improving Students’ Scientific Skills by Using Scaffolding Outlines) teaching approach and its implementation to successfully empower students with initial minor planning competences in mastering complex scientific challenges in the course of Germany’s most-renowned scientific competitions. The IS⁴O teaching approach itself comprises the unique combination of the differentiating teaching methods Backward Planning and Project Mapping as core teaching elements. The beneficial effect of the IS⁴O teaching approach on the enhancement of the students planning competences is also discussed. Based on the given results, this teaching approach is mandatory to empower students with initial minor competences in completing a scientific competition successfully with very high assignment of tasks.     

Refugee species: which historic baseline should inform conservation planning?

Understanding species' historical ranges can provide important information for conservation planning in the face of environmental change. Cromsigt et al. (this issue) comment on our recent European bison (Bison bonasus) range reconstruction, suggesting that bison were already 8000 years ago a refugee species (i.e. restricted to marginal habitat due to past human pressure) and that species distribution models (SDM) are generally of limited use for refugee species conservation. While we welcome this discussion, we find no evidence for the claim that human pressure prior to 8000 BP determined where bison occurred. More importantly, as human pressure is generally high and increasing, attempts to restore species across their former range may fail where the factors that relegated species into refugee status are still at play or where their optimal habitat has vanished. Identifying areas where human pressure is low and where refugee species have persisted over the last millennia is crucial, and SDM based on historical data are important for doing so. Refugee species suffer from the shifting baseline syndrome, but careful reality checks are needed and all available data should be considered before determining the baseline that should inform conservation planning.     

Identifying priority areas for reducing species vulnerability to climate change

Aim The dimensions of species vulnerability to climate change are complex, and this impedes efforts to provide clear advice for conservation planning. In this study, we used a formal framework to assess species vulnerability to climate change quantifying exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity and then used this information to target areas for reducing vulnerability at a regional scale. Location The 6500‐km² Mount Lofty Ranges region in South Australia. Methods We quantified the vulnerability of 171 plant species in a fragmented yet biologically important agro‐ecological landscape, typical of many temperate zones globally. We specified exposure, using three climate change scenarios; sensitivity, as the adverse impact of climate change on species’ spatial distribution; and adaptive capacity, as the ability of species to migrate calculated using dispersal kernels. Priority areas for reducing vulnerability were then identified by incorporating these various components into a single priority index. Results Climate change had a variable impact on species distributions. Those species whose range decreased or shifted geographically were attributed higher sensitivity than those species that increased geographic range or remained unchanged. The ability to adapt to range changes in response to shifting climates varies both spatially and between species. Areas of highest priority for reducing vulnerability were found at higher altitudes and lower latitudes with increasing severity of climate change. Main conclusions Our study demonstrates the use of a single spatially explicit index that identifies areas in the landscape for targeting specific conservation and restoration actions to reduce species vulnerability to climate change. Our index can be transferred to other regions around the world in which climate change poses an increasing threat to native species.     

Fast Carbon Footprinting for Large Product Portfolios

Publicly Available Specification 2050‐2011 (PAS 2050), the Green House Gas Product Protocol (GHGPP) standard and forthcoming guideline 14067 from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) have helped to propel carbon footprinting from a subdiscipline of life cycle assessment (LCA) to the mainstream. However, application of carbon footprinting to large portfolios of many distinct products and services is immensely resource intensive. Even if achieved, it often fails to inform company‐wide carbon reduction strategies because footprint data are disjointed or don't cover the whole portfolio. We introduce a novel approach to generate standard‐compliant product carbon footprints (CFs) for companies with large portfolios at a fraction of previously required time and expertise. The approach was developed and validated on an LCA dataset covering 1,137 individual products from a global packaged consumer goods company. Three novel techniques work in concert in a single approach that enables practitioners to calculate thousands of footprints virtually simultaneously: (i) a uniform data structure enables footprinting all products and services by looping the same algorithm; (ii) concurrent uncertainty analysis guides practitioners to gradually improve the accuracy of only those data that materially impact the results; and (iii) a predictive model generates estimated emission factors (EFs) for materials, thereby eliminating the manual mapping of a product or service's inventory to EF databases. These autogenerated EFs enable non‐LCA experts to calculate approximate CFs and alleviate resource constraints for companies embarking on large‐scale product carbon footprinting. We discuss implementation roadmaps for companies, including further road‐testing required to evaluate the effectiveness of the approach for other product portfolios, limitations, and future improvements of the fast footprinting methodology.