Effect of an intensive mechanical removal effort on a population of non‐native rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss in a South African headwater stream

1. Invasions by non‐native species can compromise the conservation value of otherwise pristine headwater streams. While both developed and developing countries recognize this threat, few of the latter have suitable budgets to implement control programmes.
2. This study assessed the effectiveness of a mechanical project to remove non‐native rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss from a 6 km section of the upper Krom River, a small headwater stream in the Cederberg Mountains in South Africa's Cape Floristic Region (CFR).
3. From October 2013 to February 2014, 354 O. mykiss were removed by angling (58%), fyke netting (28%) and gill netting (14%). This resulted in a marked reduction, but not eradication, of the O. mykiss population (fish relative abundance decreased from 0.53 ± 0.09 fish per net per night in October 2013 to 0.21 ± 0.09 fish per net per night in February 2014). Following the cessation of manual removals, the relative abundance of O. mykiss had increased to 0.56 ± 0.18 fish per net per night by March 2016, suggesting that without sustained removal effort, the population will rapidly return to its pre‐removal abundance level.
4. Further work is needed to refine the methodology and test the effectiveness of mechanical removal of non‐native freshwater fish in a variety of ecological settings in the CFR. This approach holds potential for meeting the dual goals of reducing the ecological impacts of non‐native fishes and generating employment opportunities in line with the policy objectives of developing nations.

     

Seasonal movements of immature Kemp's ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii) in the northern gulf of Mexico

1. Seasonal movements and core habitat areas of immature Kemp's ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii) in the northern Gulf of Mexico were tracked via satellite telemetry. Tagged turtles were incidentally captured by recreational fishermen and rehabilitated at the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies in Gulfport, Mississippi.
2. The average size of the core habitat areas (50% KDE (kernel density estimation)) was 1660.2 km² ± 3438.2 SD. Turtles displayed strong intra‐ and inter‐annual site fidelity to the Mississippi Sound during the spring, summer, and autumn months. During the winter months, most turtles, probably influenced by water temperatures, migrated to nearshore waters of Louisiana on either side of the Mississippi River Delta. However, other migration strategies were also observed.
3. Overall, these data indicate that the Mississippi Sound is an important developmental habitat for this critically endangered species. In addition, their wintering grounds in Louisiana are utilized by adult Kemp's ridleys and other sea turtle species as foraging grounds and migratory corridors. The high use of these areas by sea turtle populations increases the potential for negative impacts from anthropogenic disturbances (e.g. shrimp trawling, oil production, hypoxia) that occur there.

Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evaluating the effect of 3D urban form on neighborhood land surface temperature using Google Street View and geographically weighted regression

Landscape Ecology - Land surface temperature (LST) directly responds to incoming solar radiation and is strongly influenced by vertical urban structures, such as trees and buildings that provide...     

Challenges of thermal nociceptive threshold testing in the donkey

ObjectiveTo evaluate a thermal nociceptive threshold (TNT) testing device in the donkey, and the influence of potential confounding factors on TNTs.AnimalsTwo groups (Group 1 and Group 2) of eight castrated male donkeys aged 4–9 years, weighing 105–170 kg.MethodsTNTs were measured by heating a thermal probe on skin until an end-point behaviour (threshold temperature) or a cut-out temperature (51 °C) was reached. The withers and the dorsal aspect of the distal limb were used as sites for TNT testing. The effects on TNT of different confounding factors: the limb tested; rate of heating; and ambient temperature were evaluated. Data were analyzed using general linear models, and Mann-Whitney tests, p < 0.05 was considered significant.ResultsEnd-point behaviours (skin twitch or donkey looking at test device) when the thermal probe heated the withers were observed in approximately half of tests. TNT was (mean ± SD) 46.8 ± 2.85 °C. Subsequently the limb was evaluated as the test site in Group 1 followed by Group 2 donkeys; end-point behaviour being a foot-lift. In Group 1, 72% of tests ended in an end-point behaviour but the response rate was lower in Group 2 (20%), although TNTs were similar [(47.6 ± 3.3) and (47.3 ± 3.0) °C respectively] for responding animals. Rate of heating, ambient temperature and laterality (right or left) did not affect thresholds, but mean TNT was significantly higher in the forelimb (48.5 ± 2.8 °C) than the hind limb (47.4 ± 2.8 °C) (p = 0.012).ConclusionsWhen a thermal probe cut-out temperature of 51 °C was used in TNT testing in the donkey a high proportion of tests did not produce an identifiable end point behaviour. Higher cut-out temperatures damaged the skin. Under these conditions, thermal nociceptive threshold testing appears not be an appropriate analgesiometry technique in the donkey.Clinical relevanceTNT testing under these conditions is not suitable form of analgesiometry for donkeys.     

Recent pine woodland dynamics in east Glen Affric, northern Scotland, from highly resolved palaeoecological analyses

Glen Affric, a National Nature Reserve of international conservationimportance for plant and animal communities associated withScots pine (Pinus sylvestris) woodland is managed for natureconservation and woodland restoration at a landscape scale.Management plans have drawn on information on current standstructure and variation but have not used in any detailed waythe analyses of past tree population changes from sources, suchas pollen analyses. This paper reports the results of pollenanalyses from three small peat hollows at the head of Loch Beinna' Mheadhoin. The analyses demonstrate, first, that woods inthe east of the reserve several centuries ago were differentin species composition and were more varied than they are todayand, second, that the currently patchy Pinus wood in the westof the reserve, at the head of Loch Beinn a' Mheadhoin, is theresult of recent spread westward onto former heathland. Thistemporal and spatial variability in the recent past has implicationsfor the future management of the woods because future woodsmay not develop with the characteristics of the current stands,and may not be stable over time.     

Nutrients, moisture and productivity of established forests

The response of a forest to nutrient and moisture stresses is reflected in nutritional, physiological, and structural changes that include efficiency of nutrient use, translocation and cycling of nutrients, transpiration, retention of foliage, below-ground and above-ground allocation of carbon, as well as the structural development of the forest stand and its growth characteristics. This article reviews the relationship of forest ecosystems to nutrient and moisture stresses and addresses the means by which productivity can be enhanced by altering nutrient and moisture regimes.

Considerable research has focused on optimizing productivity by minimizing nutrient and moisture stresses. Research involved in nutrient additions has led to the use of commercial fertilizers to improve forest productivity. The results suggest that many forests are deficient in N and P and, to a lesser extent, S, K, Mg and trace elements. The duration of response for most nutrient additions is, however, relatively brief and the efficiency of the tree in using fertilizer is relatively poor. Long-term correction of nutrient deficiencies is seldom achieved with chemical fertilizers. However, N added through symbiotic fixation or, on a more limited scale, through addition of municipal and industrial waste by-products, can provide an excellent long-term growth response.

It is seldom feasible to change the moisture regime of a forest ecosystem through irrigation. However, field trials involving irrigation have demonstrated that moisture stress can limit productivity. There are various ways of minimizing moisture stress without irrigation, including mulching, removing ground-cover vegetation, and changing the spatial characteristics of the forest cover.

Research trials show that forest ecosystems will respond to moisture and nutrient additions; however, these responses and interactions between nutrients and moisture are typically poorly understood, and many questions remain unanswered: Does fertilization increase moisture-use efficiency of a forest or simply improve the nutrition of the site? Does improving the moisture regime of a site improve productivity primarily by decreasing moisture stress or by increasing nutrient availability and the rate of nutrient uptake? Is there a synergism in growth response with the addition of both nutrients and moisture? The linkages between nutrients and moisture appear inseparable and confound experimentation in this field. Answers to these questions and issues need to be found for the future development of plantation forestry.