Informing Community Engagement in Sea Turtle Conservation by Examining Non-Conservation-Related Participation in Northeast Brazil

Participation in conservation programs is often viewed as a necessity, but understanding of this participation is limited. This research takes a different approach by also examining participation in non-conservation-related activities. Questionnaires (N = 339) were administered in four Brazilian coastal communities where the national sea turtle conservation project conducts monitoring and outreach. Employing social capital as a conceptual framework, measurements included participation in civic, community, and social activities along with group participation and collective action. Confirmatory factor analysis was used for validating measures of social capital and conservation perceptions. Structural equation modeling indicated that social capital has a positive relationship with participation in sea turtle conservation, suggesting that general levels of participation and community norms of participation could be just as influential as conservation perceptions to engage communities in conservation. Information gained by deconstructing participation may be used to design and target conservation programs, improving overall participation.     

Prevalence of antibodies against Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale in broilers and breeders in Southern Brazil

In this investigation, we determined the prevalence of the Ornithobacerium rhinotracheale (ORT) infection in broilers and broiler breeders in southern Brazil. We also correlated the presence of antibodies in broilers with performance. Sera from 1550 broilers from 50 flocks were collected during the slaughter time in nine companies with federal veterinary inspection of the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Sera from 480 meat-type breeders of 40 flocks from 14 companies in southern Brazil were also analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the prevalence of antibodies was determined. The prevalence of ORT antibodies in broiler flocks was 63.83%, but in each individual flock only 6.52% of the birds were positive. The prevalence in broiler breeder flocks was 100.00%, and in each individual flock 94.62% of the birds were positive. There was a positive correlation between the presence of antibodies to ORT and decreased body weight in broilers. There was no significant correlation between presence of antibodies to ORT and age, lineage, efficiency index, feed conversion, and mortality. There was a positive correlation between the presence of respiratory signs and antibodies to ORT, although the reverse correlation was not significant. These results confirm that ORT is present and widespread in broilers and broiler breeders in southern Brazil.     

Integrating in situ quantitative geographic information tools and size‐specific,laboratory‐based growth zones in a dynamic river‐mouth estuary

• 1. The ultimate determination of coastal habitat suitability requires the integration of both dynamic (i.e. water mass characteristics) and stationary (structural) habitats. An approach using real‐time streamed data collection, remote sensing, and GIS modelling to compare and contrast seasonal and spatial patterns in these habitat components of the eastern and western distributaries of the lower Pascagoula River estuary is described.
• 2. Structural and dynamic habitat characteristics are described using GIS and integrated with published growth data on juvenile mullet (Mugil spp.) and spot (Leiostomus xanthurus) to reveal zones of accelerated growth. Both mullet and spot had their greatest growth when water temperature and salinity (dynamic habitat) were physiologically optimal. The lack of spatial difference in the dynamic habitat between distributaries resulted in no growth zone differences for both species.
• 3. The integration of the growth zones with the structural habitat component showed that the west distributary, with its greater availability and reduced fragmentation of main channel marsh edge, should provide a greater area of essential fish habitat than the east distributary for juvenile spot, a marsh‐edge associate. Because juvenile mullet are less associated with structural wetland habitat, growth zones and the stationary (structural) habitat were not integrated.
• 4. The approach of integrating real‐time geo‐referenced water quality data with regional fish growth‐rate data is an important step towards a quantitative understanding of the hierarchical nature and inherent variability of dynamic coastal environments. The use of this holistic approach should lead to more effective management of estuarine systems, especially in regard to potential impacts within the estuary's watershed and to its coupling with offshore environments.

Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Promoting connectivity between priority freshwater sites for conservation in intermittent hydrological systems

1. Systematic conservation planning in freshwater ecosystems faces multiple challenges because of the dynamic nature of rivers and their multiple dimensions of connectivity. In intermittent hydrological systems connectivity is functional when water is available, allowing the exchange of aquatic individuals between isolated freshwater ecosystems. Integrating these isolated systems in their hydrological context is essential when identifying priority areas for conservation, in order to try to minimize the propagation of threats into target water bodies (management units) from the surrounding landscape.
2. Here, the use of a systematic planning approach is demonstrated to identify a set of priority management units to preserve freshwater biodiversity in an arid system of fragmented water bodies immersed in a landscape subject to a range of impacts.
3. Twenty-six water-dependent taxa from 59 mountain rock pools (gueltas) of three southern Mauritanian mountains were used as a case study. A conservation planning tool (marxan ) was used to find priority conservation areas to integrate intermittent hydrological systems in their hydrological context, promote connectivity, and minimize the downstream propagation of threats. Three types of connectivity were analysed: (i) no connectivity, (ii) connectivity between gueltas, and (iii) connectivity between gueltas and sub-catchments.
4. Considering different types of longitudinal connectivity affects the number and spatial allocation of the priority gueltas selected, and the conservation status of the gueltas and their upstream areas. Incorporating connections between gueltas and upstream locations in the modelling resulted in the selection of gueltas in areas with a low human footprint and in the increased connectivity of the solutions.
5. The results obtained revealed important locations for local biodiversity conservation, and the method presented can be used when assessing the propagation of potential waterborne threats into isolated management units. The framework developed allows connectivity to be addressed in conservation planning. It can be replicated in regions with similar isolated habitats that connect through intermittent hydrological systems and can also be applied to lateral and vertical hydrological connectivity.

     

Estimating Amenity Benefits of Coastal Farmland

This paper investigates differences in non‐market farmland amenity values estimated using distinct methodologies, with a focus on the potential causes and policy implications. The paper compares farmland amenity values generated by a hedonic property value model and a contingent choice model, both estimated from data collected in the Peconic Estuary System of Suffolk County, NY. The analysis demonstrates that a combination of non‐market valuation methodologies can provide policy insights not otherwise available to those relying on any single approach, and illustrates types of information that may be obscured by methodologies used in isolation.     

Short-term changes in nitrogen availability, gas fluxes (CO2, NO, N2O) and microbial biomass after tillage during pasture re-establishment in Rondônia, Brazil

Anthropogenic conversion of primary forest to pasture for cattle production is still frequent in the Amazon Basin. Practices adopted by ranchers to restore productivity to degraded pasture have the potential to alter soil N availability and N gas losses from soils. We examined short-term (35 days) effects of tillage prior to pasture re-establishment on soil N availability, CO₂, NO and N₂O fluxes and microbial biomass C and N under degraded pasture at Nova Vida ranch, Rondônia, Brazilian Amazon. We collected soil samples and measured gas fluxes in tilled and control (non tilled pasture) 12 times at equally spaced intervals during October 2001 to quantify the effect of tillage. Maximum soil NH₄⁺ and NO₃⁻ pools were 13.2 and 6.3 kg N ha⁻¹ respectively after tillage compared to 0.24 and 6.3 kg N ha⁻¹ in the control. Carbon dioxide flux ranged from 118 to 181 mg C–CO₂ m² h⁻¹ in the control (non-tilled) and from 110 to 235 mg C–CO₂ m² h⁻¹ when tilled. Microbial biomass C varied from 365 to 461 μg g⁻¹ in the control and from 248 to 535 μg g⁻¹ when tilled. The values for N₂O fluxes ranged from 1.22 to 96.9 μg N m⁻² h⁻¹ in the tilled plots with a maximum 3 days after the second tilling. Variability in NO flux in the control and when tilled was consistent with previous measures of NO emissions from pasture at Nova Vida. When tilled, the NO/N₂O ratio remained <1 after the first tilling suggesting that denitrification dominated N cycling. The effects of tilling on microbial parameters were less clear, except for a decrease in qCO₂ and an increase in microbial biomass C/N immediately after tilling. Our results suggest that restoration of degraded pastures with tillage will lead to less C matter, at least initially. Further long-term research is needed.     

Transgenic RNAi reveals essential function for CTCF in H19 gene imprinting

The imprinted regulation of H19 and Insulin-like growth factor 2 expression involves binding of the vertebrate insulator protein, CCCTC binding factor (CTCF), to the maternally hypomethylated differentially methylated domain (DMD). How this hypomethylated state is maintained during oogenesis and the role of CTCF, if any, in this process are not understood. With the use of a transgenic RNA interference (RNAi)-based approach to generate oocytes with reduced amounts of CTCF protein, we found increased methylation of the H19 DMD and decreased developmental competence of CTCF-deficient oocytes. Our results suggest that CTCF protects the H19 DMD from de novo methylation during oocyte growth and is required for normal preimplantation development.     

Diversity of rhizobia isolated from an agricultural soil in Argentina based on carbon utilization and effects of herbicides on growth

Seventy-six rhizobial isolates belonging to four different genera were obtained from the root nodules of several legumes (Vicia sativa, Vicia faba, Medicago sativa, Melilotus sp., Glycine max and Lotus corniculatus). The action of five commonly used herbicides [2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), glyphosate (GF), dicamba, atrazine and metsulfuron-methyl] on the growth of rhizobial strains was assessed. Subsequently, GF and 2,4-D were tested in a minimum broth as C and energy sources for 20 tolerant strains. The ability of these strains to metabolize different carbon sources was studied in order to detect further differences among them. Tolerance of the bacteria to agrochemicals varied; 2,4-D and GF in solid medium inhibited and diminished growth, respectively, in slow-growing rhizobial strains. Among slow-growing strains we detected Bradyrhizobium sp. SJ140 that grew well in broth + GF as the sole C and energy source. No strain was found which could use 2,4-D as sole C source. The 20 strains studied exhibited different patterns of C sources utilization. Cluster analysis revealed three groups, corresponding to four genera of rhizobia: Rhizobium (group I), Sinorhizobium (group II) and Mesorhizobium–Bradyrhizobium (group III). On the basis of the results obtained on responses to herbicides and C sources utilization by the isolates investigated, it was possible to differentiate them at the level of strains. These results evidenced a considerable diversity in rhizobial populations that had not been previously described for Argentinean soils, and suggested a physiological potential to use natural and xenobiotic C sources.     

Multielement composition of wines and their precursors including provenance soil and their potentialities as fingerprints of wine origin

The influence of the provenance soil and vinification process on the wine multielemental composition was investigated. For this purpose, two different vineyards from the Douro wine district, Portugal, were selected. Monovarietal grapes from a 10 year old vineyard were used to produce a red table wine, in a very modern winery. Polyvarietal grapes from a 60-70 year old vineyard were used to produce a red fortified wine, similar to Port, through a traditional vinification process. The multielement compositions (Al, As, B, Ba, Be, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, Ga, Hf, Li, Mn, Mo, Nb, Ni, Pb, Rb, Sb, Sc, Sr, Ti, Th, Tl, U, V, W, Y, Zn, Zr, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, and Lu) of soil, grape juices (prepared in the laboratory), and samples collected in the different steps of each winemaking process were measured. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was used, after suitable pretreatment of the samples (by UV irradiation for liquid samples and high-pressure microwave digestion for soil). Both vinification processes influenced the multielement composition of the wines. Most of the elements presented similar or even lower concentrations in the wine as compared to that observed in the respective grape juice, probably as a result of precipitation or coprecipitation with suspended particles during fermentation and/or wine aging. Evidence of effective contamination during grape pressing, fermentation, and/or fining of wines (depending on the element) was observed for Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn in the fortified wine and Al, Cr, Fe, Ni, Pb, and V in the table wine. Nevertheless, significant correlations were obtained between the multielement composition of the wine and the respective grape juice (R = 0.997 and 0.979 for the fortified and table wines, respectively, n = 31, P < 0.01), as well as between that in the wine (median of the two studied wines) and the provenance soil (R = 0.994, n = 19, P < 0.01), for the set of elements determined in common in the different types of samples. These results are promising concerning the usefulness of the elemental patterns of both soil and wine as fingerprints of the origin of the studied wines. Nevertheless, more wines from the same and other wine districts must be studied in order to consolidate this conclusion. The multielement compositions of the studied wines were compared with those of wines of different characteristics and origins, as well as with the respective legal threshold limit values, when available. Relatively low metal levels, below their threshold limit values, were found in all cases.