What does IUCN species action planning contribute to the conservation process?

More than 60 Species Action Plans have been published by the Species Survival Commission (SSC) of IUCN—The World Conservation Union. They are designed to assess the status of threatened species and their habitats, and provide prioritised recommendations for action, but there is debate about the effectiveness of such plans in stimulating conservation action and research. We evaluated three Action Plans covering a group of large terrestrial birds, published in 1995. Of 54 projects suggested in these plans, 33 had been initiated in the 5 years since publication, and 35 specific conservation actions were undertaken. Forty-five peer-reviewed papers were published, and at least 88 other outputs in the form of symposium presentations, posters and popular articles were produced. Although it is impossible to demonstrate the effectiveness of species action planning through rigorous scientific assessment, these results indicate a substantial amount of conservation-relevant activity directly attributable to the process. They also highlight the need for a clear definition of the role of Action Plans. We suggest that many of the criticisms directed toward species action plans result from an over-optimistic view of their power to catalyse action, and conclude by presenting a new model describing their niche within the wider context of conservation biology and policy.     

Does biochar contribute to close nutrient cycles of tree plantations on degraded Ultisols in the Ecuadorian Amazonia?

The use of biochar is expected to improve soil fertility and close nutrient cycles in degraded strongly weathered tropical soils. We, therefore, hypothesized that biochar amendment to tree plantations (a) increases nutrient fluxes with litterfall alone and with mineral fertilizer plus lime and (b) reduces N losses reflected by lower δ¹⁵N values of litterfall and soils than in unamended controls. We grew the native leguminous Schizolobium parahyba var. amazonicum (Ducke) Barneby and the exotic Gmelina arborea Roxb at two sites. We used a replicated full factorial split–split plot design of amendment of mineral fertilizer plus lime, 3 and 6 t ha⁻¹ biochar, and a control. We collected litterfall biweekly (2012–2013) and topsoil samples (0–0.25 m) in 2009 before tree planting, in 2011 and 2013. Fertilizer plus lime increased the mean annual concentrations of P, Ca and Zn in litterfall but decreased that of Mn. At the same time, fertilizer plus lime increased the annual fluxes of nutrients, Na and Al with litterfall. During the dry season, biochar decreased the N concentration in litterfall and the K flux with litterfall. During the rainy season, biochar increased the concentrations of Ca and Zn in litterfall and their fluxes with litterfall. Biochar did not influence the δ¹⁵N values of soil and litterfall after 51 months of tree growth. Fertilizer plus lime decreased the δ¹⁵N values of soil, because of the lower δ¹⁵N value of the used urea (−0.30‰) than the soil (4.5‰–7.8‰). Moreover, fertilizer plus lime increased the δ¹⁵N values of litterfall, possibly because of enhanced ¹⁴N leaching from the N-rich canopies. The amendment of up to 6 t ha⁻¹ biochar did not contribute to close nutrient cycles.     

Is earthworms' dispersal facilitated by the ecosystem engineering activities of conspecifics?

In this work, we documented the influence of earthworm's galleries on their speed of movements during dispersal events in the soil. We quantified, by using X-rays, the dispersal behaviour of earthworms in the soil. The observations were conducted in mesocosms in controlled conditions for 12?h. Our experiments revealed that during a dispersal sequence of a batch of individuals of the species Aporrectodea terrestris (Savigny 1826): (a) individuals used preferentially existing conspecifics' galleries, (b) individual velocity increased after each dispersal event and (c) the lag time before each dispersal event did not seem to be influenced by previous dispersers. Therefore, dispersal seems to be facilitated by conspecifics' activity, which strongly supports the hypothesis of a feedback between ecosystem engineers' activity and their dispersal speed.     

Relative fitness of wild and captive-reared piping plovers: Does egg salvage contribute to recovery of the endangered Great Lakes population?

Since 1992, efforts to recover the US federally endangered Great Lakes piping plover (Charadrius melodus) have included population supplementation with captive-reared young raised from abandoned eggs. Using banding data collected 1993-2008 and Cormack-Jolly-Seber models in program MARK we estimated resighting rates (ρ) and apparent survival (Φ) of first-year (1) and after-first-year (2+) plovers. Reproductive success was measured by estimating mean number of eggs laid, chicks hatched and chicks fledged per wild-reared or captive-reared parent, and these values were compared with a permutation test. The best-supported mark-resighting model indicated wild-reared plovers had higher Φ₁ and Φ₂₊ than captive-reared plovers. Breeding propensity influenced detection of wild plovers, whereas unique band combinations facilitated detection of yearling captive-reared plovers. Captive-reared (n = 10) and wild-reared (n = 57) plovers laid similar numbers of eggs, but wild-reared plovers hatched 36% more chicks and fledged 56% more young. Reproductive values derived from matrix models suggest captive-reared piping plovers are less fit than similarly aged wild-reared birds upon release and demonstrate reduced fitness in subsequent years. The Great Lakes captive-rearing effort has successfully produced a minimum of 10 breeding adults from 192 eggs that otherwise would have had no reproductive value; these captive-reared individuals now constitute up to 3% of the total population. Small scale salvage and captive-rearing of abandoned eggs should be considered as a technique to supplement existing recovery efforts in highly imperiled populations.     

How much do soil and water contribute to the composition of meat? A case study: meat from three areas of Argentina

The main goal of this study was to propose a reliable method to verify the geographical origin of meat, establishing the influence of soil and water on its isotopic and elemental composition. Thus, beef meat, soil, and water samples were collected from three major cattle-producing regions of Argentina (Buenos Aires, Córdoba, and Entre Ríos). Multielemental composition was determined on these three matrices by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), δ(13)C and δ(15)N by isotope-ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS), and the (87)Sr/(86)Sr ratio by thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS). Soil and drinking water samples could be characterized and clearly differentiated by combining the isotopic ratios and elements, demonstrating differences in geology and climatic conditions of three regions. Similarly, meat originating at each sampling area was characterized and differentiated using only five key variables (Rb, Ca/Sr, δ(13)C, δ(15)N, and (87)Sr/(86)Sr). Generalized procrustes analysis (GPA), using the three studied matrices (soil, water, and meat) shows consensus between them and clear differences between studied areas. Furthermore, canonical correlation analysis (CCA) demonstrates significant correlation between the chemical-isotopic profile of meat with those corresponding to both soil and water (r(2) = 0.93, p < 0.001; and r(2) = 0.83, p < 0.001, respectively). So far, there are clear coincidences between the meat fingerprint and those from soil/water where cattle grew, presenting a good method to establish beef provenance. To the authors' knowledge this is the first report linking the influence of soil and water all together on the composition of beef, presenting the basis for the authentication of Argentinean beef, which could be extended to meat from different provenances.     

Total oxidant scavenging capacity of Euterpe oleracea Mart. (açaí) seeds and identification of their polyphenolic compounds

The antioxidant capacity of methanol and ethanol seed extracts from Euterpe oleracea Mart. (a?aí) against the reactive oxygen species (ROS) peroxyl radicals, peroxynitrite, and hydroxyl radicals was studied with the total oxidant scavenging capacity (TOSC) assay in a modified and automated version. Cold methanol digestion was the most efficient extraction method with respect to the antioxidant capacity. The extracts exhibit good antioxidant capacity against peroxyl radicals, similar to the capacity of the pulp. The antioxidant capacity against peroxynitrite and hydroxyl radicals is even higher. The main antioxidants identified by HPLC-MS and HPLC-CEAD are five different procyanidins (di- through pentamers); furthermore, protocatechuic acid and epicatechin were identified as minor compounds. Determination of TOSC values of HPLC seed extract fractions indicates that the procyanidins contribute substantially to the overall antioxidant capacity. In addition, however, other compounds that have not yet been identified are responsible for a large part of the observed antioxidant capacity.     

Do arsenate reductase activities and oxalate exudation contribute to variations of arsenic accumulation in populations of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pteris vittata</Emphasis>?

Purpose

Although arsenic (As) hyperaccumulation is a constitutive property for Pteris vittata, there is intraspecific variation in As accumulation among metallicolous (from As-contaminated soils) and nonmetallicolous populations (from uncontaminated soils) and the related mechanisms is still not clear.

Materials and methods

Pot trials, hydroponic culture, and manual simulation were conducted to investigate the roles of arsenate reductase and root exudates in accumulating As in P. vittata, which were collected from two uncontaminated sites including Sun Yat-sen University campus, Guangdong Province (ZD), and a botanical garden in Guangxi Academy of Forestry Sciences, Nanning City, Guangxi Province (NN), and two As and Pb/Zn mining and/or smelting sites located in Shaoguan of Guangdong Province (SG) and Guiyang of Hunan Province (GY).

Results and discussion

The nonmetallicolous populations (ZD and NN) possessed more efficient uptake of arsenate and arsenite than the metallicolous populations (SG and GY). There were significant (p?<?0.05) difference in arsenate reductase activities in roots among the four populations of P. vittata and that the higher arsenate reductase activities were recorded in the nonmetallicolous populations (110 nkat mg^?1 protein for ZD, 160 nkat mg^?1 protein for NN) compared with the metallicolous populations (62.9 nkat mg^?1 protein for SG, 78.1 nkat mg^?1 protein for GY). Root exudates from the nonmetallicolous population (NN) and the metallicolous population (GY) of P. vittata contained similar compositions of organic acids including oxalic, malic, and succinic acids, of which oxalate were dominant (>?67%). The NN population exuded 4.23 times more oxalate than the SG population. Root exudates from the NN population mobilized significantly (p?<?0.05) more As from As-contaminated soils than those from the SG population, of which oxalate had the most effective in As mobilization.

Conclusions

The present study suggests that higher arsenate reductase activities and oxalate exudation in the nonmetallicolous populations may play an important role in increasing their efficiency in phytoremediation of As-contaminated soils.

     

Which species? What kind of diversity? Which ecosystem function? Some problems in studies of relations between biodiversity and ecosystem function

I examine a number of problems that need to be identified and accounted for when examining the relationships between diversity and ecosystem function. Among these are measures of diversity and complexity in ecosystems: species richness, diversity indices, functional groups, keystone species, connectance, etc, all of which may be difficult to relate to ecosystem function. Several important distinctions, when testing diversity–function relationships empirically, are discussed: Diversity of functional groups, diversity within functional groups vs. total diversity; manipulating variables such as body-size distributions vs. manipulating diversity per se; effects of diversity vs. effects of biomass; and diversity–function relations under stable vs. changing conditions or perturbations. It is argued that for the management and development of sustainable ecosystems, it is probably more important to understand the linkages between key species or functional groups and ecosystem function, rather than focusing on species diversity. This is because there are possible mechanistic relations between what species do in ecosystems and ecosystem function. Diversity, being an abstract and aggregated property of the species in the context of communities and ecosystems, lacks such direct relations to ecosystem functions.     

Growth of apple seedlings on sludge‐amended soils in the greenhouse

Abstract

Open pollinated ‘York Imperial’ apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) seeds were germinated and grown for a period of 7 months in: (1) sand with complete nutrient solutions added; (2) limed and unlimed soil, (3) limed and unlimed soil amended with two different sewage sludges at rates of 25, 50 or 100 dry kg ha^‐1. A third composted, lime stabilized sludge was added either sieved or non‐sieved (to remove wood chips) at the same rates. The sludge materials used were: (1) a high metal, composted sludge from Baltimore, MD (BALT); (2) a high Cd sewage sludge (CITY) and (3) a low metal, composted sewage sludge from Washington, D.C. (DC).

Germination was unaffected by treatments. After 7 months, the best growth was obtained from the sand plus nutrient solution media. Two of the three sludge materials increased seedling growth over that of the soil, either limed or unlimed. The BALT compost treated soils produced the lowest growth, particularly when unlimed. Elevated tissue metal levels indicated that Mn, Zn, Cu and Ni were the probable causes of reduced growth noted from the BALT compost treatment. The use of soil with or without low metal sludges as media for early apple seedling growth when compared to standard sand culture is not recommended.     

Which uncertainty? Using expert elicitation and expected value of information to design an adaptive program

Natural resource management is plagued with uncertainty of many kinds, but not all uncertainties are equally important to resolve. The promise of adaptive management is that learning in the short-term will improve management in the long-term; that promise is best kept if the focus of learning is on those uncertainties that most impede achievement of management objectives. In this context, an existing tool of decision analysis, the expected value of perfect information (EVPI), is particularly valuable in identifying the most important uncertainties. Expert elicitation can be used to develop preliminary predictions of management response under a series of hypotheses, as well as prior weights for those hypotheses, and the EVPI can be used to determine how much management could improve if uncertainty was resolved. These methods were applied to management of whooping cranes (Grus americana), an endangered migratory bird that is being reintroduced in several places in North America. The Eastern Migratory Population of whooping cranes had exhibited almost no successful reproduction through 2009. Several dozen hypotheses can be advanced to explain this failure, and many of them lead to very different management responses. An expert panel articulated the hypotheses, provided prior weights for them, developed potential management strategies, and made predictions about the response of the population to each strategy under each hypothesis. Multi-criteria decision analysis identified a preferred strategy in the face of uncertainty, and analysis of the expected value of information identified how informative each strategy could be. These results provide the foundation for design of an adaptive management program.     

Pelagic seabird community structure in the southern Benguela region: Changes in response to man's activities?

The ecological structures of the pelagic avifauna of the southern Benguela region from 1950 and 1980 are compared. The growth of a stern-trawler fishery took place during this 30-year period. Changes in the occurrence and composition of mixed species seabird assemblages are described in terms of the associations at sea among four seabird diet classes. Increases in the relative abundance of Southern Ocean seabirds are assessed and estimates presented of increases in absolute abundance of seabirds in response to food made available by the new fishery.     

Does the source of nitrogen affect the response of subterranean clover to prolonged root hypoxia?

Nitrogen (N) is taken up by most plant species in the form of nitrate (NO ) or ammonium (NH ). The plant response to continuous ammonium nutrition is species‐dependent. In this study, the effects of the source of N nutrition (NO , NH , or the mixture of NO and NH ) on the response of clover (Trifolium subterraneum L. cv. 45C) plants to prolonged root hypoxia was studied. Under aerobic conditions, plant growth was strongly depressed by NH , compared to NO or mixed N nutrition, as indicated by the significant decrease in root and shoot‐dry‐matter production (DW), root and shoot water contents (WC), leaf chlorophyll concentration, and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters (F₀, F_v/F_m). However, the N source had no effect on chlorophyll a–to–chlorophyll b ratio. Under hypoxic conditions, the negative effects of root hypoxia on plant‐growth parameters (DW and WC), leaf chlorophyll concentration, and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters were alleviated by NH rather than NO supply. Concomitantly, shoot DW–to–root DW ratio, and root and leaf NH concentrations were significantly decreased, whereas root and leaf carbohydrate concentrations, glutamine synthetase activities, and protein concentrations were remarkably increased. The present data reveal that the N source (NO or NH ) is a major factor affecting clover responses to hypoxic stress, with plants being more tolerant when NH is the N form used. The different sensitivity is discussed in terms of a competition for energy between nitrogen assimilation and plant growth.     

Can apple antioxidants inhibit tumor cell proliferation? Generation of H(2)O(2) during interaction of phenolic compounds with cell culture media

It has recently been suggested that the ability of apple extracts to inhibit proliferation of tumor cells in vitro may be due to phenolic/flavonoid antioxidants. Our study demonstrates that this inhibition is caused indirectly by H(2)O(2) generated through interaction of the phenolics with the cell culture media. The results indicate that many previously reported effects of flavonoids and phenolic compounds on cultured cells may result from similar artifactual generation of oxidative stress. We suggest that in order to prevent such artifacts, the use of catalase and/or metmyoglobin in the presence of reducing agents should be considered as a method to decompose H(2)O(2) and prevent generation of other reactive oxygen species, which could affect cell proliferation. The use of tumor cells and "nontumor cells" in a bioassay to measure antioxidant activity, in this context, is potentially misleading and should be applied with caution.     

Characterization and antioxidant activity of the complex of tea polyphenols and oat β-glucan

Few data are available about the effects of complexation of polyphenols with polysaccharide on their bioavailability. The complex of tea polyphenols (TP) with oat β-glucan was characterized by ultraviolet-visible spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, differential scanning calorimetry, atomic force microscopy, and solid-state (13)C NMR spectroscopy. The results indicated that the bonds which governed the interaction between TP and oat β-glucan were strong hydrogen bonds. The in vitro antioxidant activity of TP, β-glucan, their complex, and physical mixture was assessed using four systems, namely, DPPH(?), OH(?), and O(2)(?-) scavenging activities and reducing power. The complexation and blending of TP and β-glucan exhibited different impacts on the index of in vitro and in vivo antioxidant capacities. In the concentration range of 0.5-2.5 mg mL(-1), the complex had highest O(2)(?-) scavenging activity, whereas the highest OH(?) scavenging activity was found with the physical mixture. For antioxidant testing in vivo, there was no significant difference between the complex and the physical mixture in terms of glutathione peroxidase activity and levels of malondialdehyde and total antioxidant capacity in serums. However, the complex exhibited much higher activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase in livers than the physical mixture. The present study provided a deeper understanding of the influence of molecular interaction between TP and oat β-glucan on their antioxidant activities.     

Iron–manganese concretions contribute to benthic release of phosphorus and arsenic in anoxic conditions in the Baltic Sea

Purpose

Deposits of iron–manganese (Fe, Mn) concretions forming a large storage of phosphorus (P) and arsenic (As) are frequently under pressure of oscillating oxygen conditions in the eutrophic Gulf of Finland, the Baltic Sea. Yet, there is a poor understanding how anaerobic microbial processes regulate the cycling of elements in the concretions. The objective of this study was to highlight how the microbial processes control the release of elements from the concretions to brackish water during anoxia.

Materials and methods

Spherical concretions were collected from the oxic bottoms of the Gulf of Finland in the summer. Concretions and autoclaved controls were incubated in anoxic artificial brackish seawater with and without labile carbon, plus supplied with ammonium at 5, 10, and 20 °C for 15 weeks. Concentrations of Fe, Mn, P, and As were measured from the intact concretions and the ambient solutions during the experiment. Also, the consumption of the added ammonium and organic carbon and the formation of dissolved inorganic carbon were measured.

Results and discussion

At near-bottom temperature 5 °C, the concretions released at highest 0.12, 0.42, 0.02, and 0.0002 μmol g^?1 day^?1 of Fe, Mn, P, and As, respectively. The rates were significant only in the microcosms with added labile carbon, and only minor proportions (0.1–0.4 %) of their total contents were released during the incubations. The concretions removed completely the supplied ammonium only without carbon addition. We find that concretion deposit may form a local hot spot for the microbial reduction of Fe and Mn and release significant amounts of P and As, and participate in N cycling besides the bottom sediments of the Gulf of Finland during prolonged anoxia. However, the concretions may maintain their binding capacity for P and As longer than the fine-grained organic-rich sediment during anoxia.

Conclusions

During anoxia concretion deposits may form a temporal source of bioavailable P having ecological significance in the Gulf of Finland when concretions have access to labile organic carbon. Concretions from the Baltic Sea, the oceans, lakes, and soils contain high concentrations of Mn and Fe, but their proportions vary considerably. Anaerobic microbial processes may thus affect the stability of concretions from the different environments, but the outcome may depend on the ambient geochemical conditions.

     

How do amorphous sesquioxides affect and contribute to butachlor retention in soils?

Purpose

Sorption and desorption of butachlor were simultaneously investigated on synthesized pure amorphous hydrated Fe oxides (AHOs Fe), and soils both with and without surface coating of AHOs Fe, with special interest towards how amorphous sesquioxides affect and contribute to butachlor retention in soils.

Materials and methods

The AHOs Fe was artificially synthesized pure materials. Two soils with contrasting physicochemical properties selected for study were black soil and latosol, belonging to permanent charged soil and variable charged soil, respectively. Both soils were further treated using AHOs Fe for detecting the differentiation from native soils regarding butachlor retention produced after the soils were surface-coated by AHOs Fe. A sorption experiment was conducted using a batch equilibrium technique, and desorption was carried out immediately following sorption by three sequential dilution. Hysteresis index (HI) values were calculated to investigate desorption hysteresis by developing desorption isotherms concentration dependent and time dependent, respectively.

Results and discussion

The sorption capacity for butachlor increased in the order of AHOs Fe, uncoated soils, and soils with surface coating of AHOs Fe. The sorption capacity of both soils significantly increased after surface coating by AHOs Fe (p?<?0.01), with a bigger increase achieved by black soil (52.0 %) as compared with that by latosol (45.3 %). Desorption of butachlor was coincidently hysteretic on AHOs Fe, and soils both uncoated and coated, whereas variation in desorption hysteresis was different between AHOs Fe and soils with increasing butachlor sorption loading, indicating different sorption mechanisms were operative for AHOs Fe and soils across the entire butachlor concentration range. Hysteresis of butachlor desorption was weakened after the soils were surface coated by AHOs Fe, as suggested by the changed HI values.

Conclusions

With high specific surface area and highly reactive surfaces, the “active” AHOs Fe originally has a relatively high sorption capacity and affinity for butachlor. While in natural soils, where the inevitable association derived from soil organic matter (SOM) would restrain AHOs Fe from sequestrating butachlor directly, AHOs Fe may likely contribute in a mediator way by coordinating active sites both on and within SOM. This may enhance the availability of sorption domains both on and within soils, thereby achieved an enhanced but more reversible retention for butachlor in soils after their surfaces were coated by AHOs Fe. This study has extended the observations of the role of noncrystalline sesquioxides in retention of pesticides such as butachlor from pure clay mineral systems to natural soils.     

Identification of the effects of long-term application of nitrogen fertilizer on the availability of 11 elements in soils and their supply to ‘Jonathan’ apple trees by using simultaneous multi-element analysis

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of long-term application of ammoniacal N fertilizer for 43?years on the availability of 10 essential elements (B, N, Mg, K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, and Zn) and Al in root-zone soils and their supply to ‘Jonathan’ apple trees. To achieve this objective, we used simultaneous multi-element analysis. To estimate the soil depth from which the apple trees took up these elements, we calculated the ratios of their concentrations in the N fertilized plot (N plot) to those in the no N plot (0?N plot) (N/0N ratio). Long-term N fertilization significantly increased the fruit and leaf N/0N ratios of N and Mn and significantly decreased that of K. These ratios in the fruits and leaves were similar to those in the 20–90?cm soil layer. This result suggests that N, K, and Mn in the fruits and leaves were supplied from the 20–90?cm soil layer. The N/0N ratios of all 11 elements in the fruits and leaves were significantly positively correlated with those in the 20–90?cm soil layer, but not in the 0–20?cm soil layer. Our findings indicate that long-term N fertilization altered the tree nutrition of not only N, but also K and Mn. These changes in the tree nutrition were ascribed to the fertilizer-induced changes in the availability of elements in the subsoils.     

Effects of polyphenolic compounds on tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)-induced changes of adipokines and oxidative stress in 3T3-L1 adipocytes

Over the last few decades, obesity has become a global epidemic in both developed and developing countries. Recent studies have indicated that obesity is closely associated with chronic inflammation characterized by abnormal levels of adipocytokines and inflammatory cytokines in adipocytes. The aim of this work was to study the effects of 21 polyphenolic compounds on tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)-induced changes of adipokines and oxidative stress in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The results showed that p-coumaric acid, quercetin, and resveratrol have greater inhibition (p < 0.05) of a TNF-α-induced increase in the production of interleukin-6 (IL-6) among 21 tested polyphenolic compounds. p-Coumaric acid, quercetin, and resveratrol demonstrated inhibitions of TNF-α-induced changes in levels of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Furthermore, p-coumaric acid, quercetin, and resveratrol increased levels (p < 0.05) of secreted adiponectin, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and glutathione S-transferase (GST) in TNF-α-treated 3T3-L1 adipocytes. These results indicate that the inhibition of TNF-α-induced changes of adipokines and oxidative stress by some polyphenolic compounds might have further implications in preventing obesity-related pathologies.