Bio‐physical models of marine environments reveal biases in the representation of protected areas

1. The significant shortfall in global marine protection targets is likely to continue to drive rapid growth in marine protected areas (MPAs). Systematic conservation planning to fill gaps in marine protection requires sufficient knowledge of both the distribution of biodiversity and the threats to species and ecosystems. Yet such data are lacking for much of the marine environment, creating significant challenges for planning effective marine protection.
2. In the absence of habitat mapping data, critical environmental variables associated with species' distributions can be used to model the spatial distribution of different environments. Although this approach has been used in some jurisdictions to assist MPA planners, the increased availability and resolution of spatial data now provide an opportunity to improve assessments of MPA representation.
3. Capitalizing on advances in spatial data, this study uses a range of biological and physical environmental attributes to model the distribution of Australian marine environments. Given many Australian MPAs were implemented without knowledge of the distribution of species and benthic habitats, this Bio‐physical model is used to assess MPA coverage and equality of protection for Australian marine environments.
4. Results of the Bio‐physical model revealed that Australian MPAs overrepresent warm, offshore waters (such as the Coral Sea) and underrepresent temperate environments. Furthermore, the distribution of protection in Australian MPAs is heavily skewed, with no‐take protection disproportionately targeting tropical environments, leaving major gaps in the protection of both temperate and nearshore habitats.
5. Without comprehensive habitat mapping, the representativeness and adequacy of an MPA system cannot be accurately evaluated, nor can the required expansion of MPAs be planned effectively. In the interim, the biological and physical attributes chosen for this model provide useful proxies to assist in efforts to better target current and future protection based on the most up‐to‐date knowledge.

     

Distribution and habitat characteristics of three sympatric cetacean species in the coastal waters of Matang,Perak, Peninsular Malaysia

1. Coastal cetaceans in Southeast Asia are poorly studied and are particularly vulnerable to anthropogenic threats, especially in intensive fishing grounds.
2. To investigate the distribution and habitat characteristics of cetaceans in the productive coastal waters of Matang, Perak, Malaysia, boat‐based line transect surveys were conducted between 2013 and 2016.
3. The Irrawaddy dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris) was most frequently encountered at 3.87 sightings per 100 km, followed by the Indo‐Pacific finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides) at 1.72 sightings per 100 km, and the Indo‐Pacific humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis) at 0.66 sightings per 100 km.
4. The mean group size was largest for humpback dolphins (8.4 individuals), followed by Irrawaddy dolphins (6.4 individuals), and finless porpoises (2.8 individuals).
5. Humpback dolphins exhibited a clustered distribution concentrated mainly in shallow estuarine waters (<10 m deep and <5 km from river mouths), whereas Irrawaddy dolphins were more widely distributed in farther coastal waters (<15 m deep and <15 km from river mouths), and finless porpoises were mostly found farthest from the shore in coastal waters (10–25 m deep and >15 km from river mouths).
6. The spatial distribution of the three cetaceans overlapped minimally, and this is likely to reflect the distribution of preferred prey resources, species interactions, and their differential responses to anthropogenic activities and species dominance.
7. The results from our study serve as baseline information for future research, conservation, and habitat management of these vulnerable and endangered coastal cetaceans. Conservation actions are recommended for the Matang area.

     

Balancing resource protection and fishing activity: The case of the European hake in the northern Iberian Peninsula

One of the fundamental aims of the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management is to ensure the long‐term sustainability of the fishery by protecting key life‐cycle habitats, such as recruitment areas. In this study, we apply a hurdle Bayesian hierarchical spatio‐temporal model that describes the abundance of European hake (Merluccius merluccius) recruits in the northern continental shelf of the Iberian Peninsula. Our findings clearly show four persistent nurseries, the main one being located along the continental shelf of the Artabrian gulf (off La Coruña). The preferential habitats identified for the hake recruits are areas within a bathymetric range of 120–200 m, with 15–16°C of Sea Surface Temperature, a Chl‐a concentration of 0.8–1.2 mg/m³ and low values of seabed rugosity (unconsolidated substrates). Searching for a compromise with fisheries, we also assess the degree of overlap of the main nursery areas with two fisheries footprints, a local one using Vessel Monitoring System data of trawl fishery of Marín, and a global one using Automatic Identification System data of different type of trawlers (bottom otter, beam and midwater trawls). The two fisheries footprints present different degree of overlapping in distinct areas, highlight the need of specific fleet‐adapted management rules in order to protect juvenile stages. We discuss that understanding the distributional patterns associated with key life stages, such as recruitment, and their interaction with fishing activities, is essential for applying appropriate spatial management measures and improving fishery sustainability.     

Impact of Caligus treatments on unit costs of heterogeneous salmon farms in Chile

We measure the impact that sanitary treatments that control ectoparasite Caligus rogercresseyi abundance have on unit production costs of Salmo salar farms in Chile. We follow complete production cycles for a sample of farms between 2009 and 2015. We estimate a simultaneous salmon biomass growth and Caligus abundance model. The statistical analysis determines the effect of antiparasitic treatments, location of farms, environmental conditions and Caligus abundance on the salmon growth profile. Using outside cost information, we simulate how unit production costs vary by treatment and farm characteristics. Our results suggest that unit production costs increase on average by $1.4?US/kg with Caligus and treatments. Treatment costs are compensated by higher harvesting levels, and unit production costs are invariant to the situation without treatment. All estimated effects differ depending on farm’s environmental and spatial conditions, suggesting that the design of cost-effective intervention calls for discriminatory regulation under heterogeneous conditions.     

Spatial patterns of the Citrus leprosis virus and its associated mite vector in systems without intervention

Leprosis is caused by the Citrus leprosis virus cytoplasmic type and is vectored by the mite Brevipalpus yothersi. Miticide applications, which cost $54 million annually, are based on inspection for the presence of mites. The aim of the present study was to characterize the spatial patterns of B. yothersi-infested trees and trees with leprosis symptoms for further improvement in sampling and disease control. The presence of mites and the occurrence of leprosis were assessed over two years in 1160 Valencia trees and 720 Natal trees in a commercial sweet orange grove in Sao Paulo State, Brazil. To assess the natural growth and dispersal of mites and leprosis, mite populations were not controlled during the experimental period. Maps of mite-infested trees and trees with leprosis symptoms were analysed at three different levels of spatial hierarchy using complementary methods, i.e. among adjacent trees within and across rows, within quadrats, and the strength and orientation of aggregation among quadrats. The study showed that the spatial patterns of virus-infected and mite-infested trees were different, with a strong aggregation pattern of trees with leprosis symptoms that increased over time. Conversely, the spatial pattern of B. yothersi showed randomness or weak aggregation at all three spatial hierarchical levels. Disease incidence increased steadily in plots of both cultivars, unlike in mite-infested trees where incidence fluctuated over time. These results have important implications for the development of better management strategies for leprosis. Sampling methods and action thresholds for mite control should consider primary disease inoculum in addition to the incidence of mites.     

近55年来河西地区干旱时空演变特征及其与ENSO事件的关系

根据河西地区14个气象站点1961-2015年的逐月气象观测资料，基于SPEI指数采用Mann-Kendall趋势检验法、反距离加权插值(IDW)等方法分析了近55年来河西地区年代际、四季干旱及空间变化特征，并探讨了ENSO 事件与该区干旱的关系。结果表明：在年代际变化上，自20世纪90年代以来河西地区干旱次数增多、干旱程度加重。季节时间变化上，河西地区春、夏、秋季均呈干旱化趋势，春季干旱化趋势最为突出，夏季次之，冬季略呈变湿趋势。空间变化上，整个河西地区春季均呈干旱化趋势，而且大部分地区的春旱趋势极为显著，其中春旱趋势最显著的地方是金塔；冬季整个研究区趋于湿润化。各季节干旱高频区分别集中在：春季在金塔、民勤地区，夏季在河西西北部，秋季在河西中东部及西部的安西—玉门一线，冬季在101°E以西的河西地区。河西地区秋季SPEI与SSTA指数的相关性最为显著，春季次之，夏季最弱。ENSO事件发生强度与河西地区SPEI影响因子的多项式拟合关系表明，ENSO事件强度对温度的影响高于降水；其中在ENSO暖事件(厄尔尼诺事件)发生年份，气温有明显的上升趋势；在ENSO冷事件(拉尼娜事件)发生年份，少数年份降水有所增加，对气温的影响较弱。     

宝鸡峡灌区小麦水足迹时空变化特征与归因分析

基于水足迹理论,计算了实际耗水和施肥情况下宝鸡峡灌区小麦水足迹的各项指标,分析了小麦水足迹各指标的时空变化特征,利用对数平均迪氏指数分解法推导了总水足迹变化量分解公式,细致定量了气候变化和人类活动因子对总水足迹变化的贡献。结果表明:灌区小麦总水足迹1994—2010年均值为6.73亿m~3,Mann-Kendall检验呈显著下降趋势,年均变幅为-0.17亿m~3/a,水足迹结构由蓝水主导演变为灰水主导。单位产量的小麦生产水足迹、生产绿水、蓝水和灰水足迹多年平均值分别为1.04、0.36、0.32、0.37 m3/kg。生产水足迹、生产绿水和蓝水足迹在灌区内从西向东呈递增趋势,生产灰水足迹以兴平为中心向两侧递增。归因分析表明,影响灌区小麦总水足迹变化的主导因子为人类活动,其贡献率和为-113.57%,而气候变化因子的贡献率仅为13.57%。人类活动因子中,贡献率从大到小依次为灌溉定额(-56.58%)、总种植面积(-55.78%)、小麦种植比例(-43.76%)、单位面积施氮量(39.96%)、灌溉水有效利用系数(2.59%)。     

基于数据包络分析的灌区农业生产综合效率评价与分析

为评价中国灌区农业生产综合效率的空间差异性,采用数据包络分析(Data envelopment analysis,DEA)方法对全国440个灌区2010年的农业生产综合相对效率进行评估,并基于不同区域灌区农业生产投入及其冗余状况对生产效率提升途径进行探索。结果表明,8个灌区的相对效率为1.000,达到DEA有效;灌区间农业生产效率差异显著,绝大部分(327个)不足0.300,省区尺度生产效率无明显空间分布规律;各投入指标对应存在冗余灌区个数分别为319(有效灌溉面积)、369(绿水)、155(蓝水)、298(化肥)及207(农业机械);非DEA有效灌区5个投入指标的可减少量占所有评价单元投入总量的比例分别为23.8%、39.2%、18.1%、29.0%以及19.9%。综上可知,各非DEA有效灌区应根据自身投入指标冗余状况优化配置和管理资源以提高区域综合农业生产效率,其中绿水资源高效利用是全国范围内广泛面临的问题;东北和西北地区需注重水土资源配置效率提升,而南方粮食主产区应注重水肥高效利用机制的研究与实践。     

Assessment of diffusive phosphate supply in soils by microdialysis

Standard procedures to assess P availability in soils are based on batch experiments with various extractants. However, in most soils P nutrition is less limited by bulk stocks but by strong adsorption and transport limitation. The basic principle of root‐phosphate uptake is to strip phosphate locally from the solid phase by forming a radial depletion zone in the soil solution, optionally enhanced by release of mobilizing substances. Microdialysis (MD), a well‐established method in pharmacokinetics, is capable to mimic important characteristics of P root uptake. The sampling is by diffusional exchange through a semipermeable membrane covering the probes with their sub‐mm tubular structure. Additionally, the direct environment of the probe can be chemically modified by adding, e.g ., carboxylates to the perfusate. This study is the first approach to test the applicability of MD in assessing plant available phosphate in soils and to develop a framework for its appropriate use.We used MD in stirred solutions to quantify the effect of pumping rate, concomitant ions, and pH value on phosphate recovery. Furthermore, we measured phosphate yield of top‐soil material from a beech forest, a non‐fertilized grassland, and from a fertilized corn field. Three perfusates have been used based on a 1 mM KNO₃ solution: pure (1), with 0.1 mM citric acid (2), and with 1 mM citric acid (3). Additionally, a radial diffusion model has been parametrized for the stirred solutions and the beech forest soil.Results from the tests in stirred solutions were in good agreement with reported observations obtained for other ionic species. This shows the principal suitability of the experimental setup for phosphate tests. We observed a significant dependency of phosphate uptake into the MD probes on dialysate pumping rate and on ionic strength of the outside solution. In the soils, we observed uptake rates of the probes between 1.5 × 10⁻¹⁵ and 6.7 × 10⁻¹⁴ mol s⁻¹ cm⁻¹ in case of no citrate addition. Surprisingly, median uptake rates were mostly independent of the bulk soil stocks, but the P‐fertilized soil revealed a strong tailing towards higher values. This indicates the occurrence of hot P spots in soils. Citrate addition increased P yields only in the higher concentration but not in the forest soil. The order of magnitude of MD uptake rates from the soil samples matched root‐length related uptake rates from other studies. The micro‐radial citrate release in MD reflects the processes controlling phosphate mobilization in the rhizosphere better than measurements based on “flooding” of soil samples with citric acid in batch experiments. Important challenges in MD with phosphate are small volumes of dialysate with extremely low concentrations and a high variability of results due to soil heterogeneity and between‐probe variability. We conclude that MD is a promising tool to complement existing P‐analytical procedures, especially when spatial aspects or the release of mobilizing substances are in focus.