A social-ecological approach to land-use conflict to inform regional and conservation planning and management

Context

Conflict over land use is endemic to natural resource management given the limited availability of resources and multiple stakeholders’ interests, but there has been limited research to examine conflict from an integrative social-ecological perspective.

Objectives

We sought to determine how the potential for land use conflict—a social construct—was related (or not) to ecological systems of landscapes.

Methods

Using participatory mapping data from a regional case study in Australia, we identified the potential for land use conflict using a model that combines spatially-explicit place values with preferences for specific land uses related to development and conservation. Multiple proxies of biodiversity were used to evaluate the landscape’s ecological systems at ecosystems and species levels. Range maps were used to identify areas of high species diversity value using the conservation planning software Zonation.

Results

We spatially intersected conflict areas with landscape attributes and found the potential for conflict over conservation to be higher in coastal areas than inland areas, more likely to be located in areas with moderate vegetation cover, more concentrated in ecosystems classified as ‘No Concern’ with moderate to high native vegetation. Potential conflict over conservation was disproportionately higher in areas with higher species diversity derived from conservation modelling.

Conclusions

The social-ecological associations in conflict analysis can inform impact assessment of land use plans on biodiversity, assist development of effective approaches to reconcile conservation and other land uses, support conservation planning by identifying priorities for conflict negotiation and understanding underlying factors for conflict.

     

Development of Rose Bengal test against mallein test for rapid diagnosis of equine glanders

Tropical Animal Health and Production - Burkholderia mallei, the etiologic agent of the disease known as glanders. Clinical and bacteriological diagnosis of glanders is difficult in the early...     

Effect of extracted galactoglucomannan oligosaccharides from pine wood (Pinus brutia) on Salmonella typhimurium colonisation,growth performance and intestinal morphology in broiler chicks

1. An in vitro and in vivo study was conducted to evaluate the fermentability of isolated galactoglucomannan oligosaccharides (GGMs) and the influence of their feeding on shedding and colonisation of Salmonella typhimurium, growth performance and intestinal morphology in broiler chicks.

2. The in vitro data demonstrated that three probiotic lactic acid bacteria namely Lactobacillus casei, L. plantarum and Enterococcus faecium were able to ferment the extracted oligosaccharides and other tested sugars on a basal de Man Rogosa Sharpe media free from carbohydrate.

3. For the in vivo experiment, 144 one-d-old male Ross 308 broiler chicks were divided into 6 experimental treatments (with 4 replicates) including two positive and negative controls which received a basal maize-soybean diet without any additives, supplementation of three levels of isolated GGMs (0.1%, 0.2% and 0.3%) and a commercial mannanoligosaccharide (MOS) at 0.2% to the basal diet. All birds except those in the negative control group were challenged orally with 1 × 10⁸ cfu of S. typhimurium at 3-d post-hatch.

4. The results revealed that challenge with S. typhimurium resulted in a significant reduction in body weight gain, feed intake, villus height, villus height to crypt depth ratio and villus surface area in all of infected chicks. Birds that were given GGMs or MOS showed better growth performance, increased villus height and villus surface area and decreased S. typhimurium colonisation than the positive control birds. GGM at 0.2% level was more effective than the other treatments in improving growth rate as well as gut health of broiler chicks.

     

Combined effects of guanidinoacetic acid,coenzyme Q10 and taurine on growth performance,gene expression and ascites mortality in broiler chickens

High levels of guanidinoacetate acid (GAA) deteriorate growth response in broiler chickens. We propose using coenzyme Q₁₀, an antioxidant, and taurine (TAU), a methyl donor, to cope with the situation when high level of GAA included in diet. GAA was supplemented at 0 (control), 0.75, 1.5 and 2.25 g/kg in isoenergetic and isonitrogenous diets and fed to broilers (Cobb 500) from 1 to 40 days post‐hatch. Three additional diets were prepared by adding CoQ₁₀ (40 mg/kg), TAU (40 mg/kg) or their combination (both CoQ₁₀ and TAU at 40 mg/kg) to the 2.25 g/kg GAA group. The experimental design used was a completely randomized design. While weight gain (p = 0.038) and feed conversion ratio (p = 0.024) improved when GAA added at 1.5 g/kg, higher supplementation (2.25 g/kg) deteriorated these responses. These responses, however, were significantly restored by using CoQ₁₀, TAU or their combination. Abdominal fat deposition was significantly decreased when TAU added to broiler diets by virtue of upregulating peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor alpha. Supplementing broiler diets with CoQ₁₀ and TAU or their combination significantly decrease ascites mortality. In conclusion, CoQ₁₀ and TAU have shown beneficial effects when high level of GAA included in broiler diets.     

Probiotics intake from proximal or distal gastrointestinal tract: The investigation on intestinal morphology and performance of Japanese quail

The aim of the present study was to investigate the efficacy of early single‐dose probiotics administered from proximal or distal gastrointestinal tract on quails’ performance and small intestinal morphology. A total of 120 Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) 1‐d‐old chicks were divided into the following experimental groups before being transferred to the raising room: (i) control (no probiotic administered); (ii) oral group (received probiotics via oesophageal gavage); and (iii) vent lip group (received probiotics directly into vent). Four replicates of 10 chicks per cage were considered for each treatment and birds were raised up to 35 days in the same conditions with ad libitum access to feed and water. A commercial probiotics (Protexin, Somerset, UK) used in this study contained 2 × 10⁹ cfu/g of nine different micro‐organisms. On day 35, all birds were weighed and then three birds in every pen were killed via cervical dislocation. Two cm of mid‐point of duodenum and ileum were cut for histomorphology assays. Both probiotics‐treated groups had higher body weight and body weight gain than control (p < .01). Ileum was longer in probiotics‐treated groups than in the control (p < .01). Orally treated birds had the highest duodenum villus height and crypt depth (p < .01). In the cloacally treated quails, ileum villus length was higher than the both other groups, and crypts’ depth was deeper than the control (p < .01). The numbers of both types of goblet cells (acidic mucin producer and neutral mucin producer) were higher in the birds receiving probiotics than control birds (p < .01). Although there were no statistical differences in performance values between the different ways of probiotics entrance into gut, some intestinal histomorphometric parameters were improved in ileum of the birds receiving probiotics through distal gut that is cloaca (p < .01).     

Effect of Silver Particle size on color and Antibacterial properties of silk and cotton Fabrics

In this study silver nanoparticles with different particle sizes and hence colors were synthesized on silk and cotton fabrics through reduction of silver nitrate. Particle sizes of the silver colloids were measured by dynamic light scattering (DLS). The structure and properties of the treated fabrics were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and UV-Vis reflectance spectroscopy. Various characteristics of the treated fabrics including antibacterial activities against a Gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and a Gram negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria, color effect, wash and light fastness, water absorption, fabric rigidity, and UV blocking properties were also assessed. The results indicated that the treated fabrics displayed different colors in the presence of silver nanoparticles with different particle sizes and exhibited good and durable fastness properties. Also, the size of the silver particles had a tangible effect on antibacterial activity of treated fabrics and its antibacterial performance was improved by decreasing the size of particles. Moreover, this process imparted significantly UV blocking activity to fabric samples.     

Monitoring pyrethroid insecticide resistance in major malaria vector Anopheles culicifacies: comparison of molecular tools and conventional susceptibility test

BACKGROUND: Anopheles culicifacies is a main malaria vector in southeastern part of Iran, bordring Afghanistan and Pakistan. So far, resistance to DDT, dieldrin, malathion and partial tolerance to pyrethroids has been reported in An. stephensi, but nothing confirmed on resistance status of An. culicifacies in Iran. METHODS: In current study, along with WHO routine susceptibility test with DDT (4%), dieldrin (0.4%), malathion (5%), permethrin (0.25%), lambadacyhalothrin (0.1%), and deltamethrin 0.025, we cloned and sequenced segment VI of domain II (SII6) in voltage-gated sodium channel (vgsc) gene of An. culicifacies specimens collected in Sistan and Baluchistan province (Iran). RESULTS: A 221-bp amplified fragment showed 91% and 93% similarity with exon I and exon II of An. gambiae. The size of intron II in An. culicifacies is 62 bp, while in An. gambiae is 57 bp. The major difference within An. culicifacies specimens and also with An. gambiae is in position 29 of exon I, which led to substitution of Leu to His amino acid. CONCLUSION: This data will act as first report on partial sequence of vgsc gene and its polymorphism in An. culicifacies. A Leu to His amino acid substitution detected upstream the formerly known knockdown resistance (kdr) mutation site could be an indication for other possible mutations related to insecticide resistance. However, the result of WHO susceptibility test carried out in Baluchistan of Iran revealed a level of tolerance to DDT and dieldrin, but almost complete susceptibility to pyrethroids in An. culicifacies. We postulate that the molecular diagnostic tool developed for detection and identification of kdr-related mutations in An. culicifacies, could be useful in monitoring insecticide resistance in Iran and neighbouring countries such as Pakistan and Afghanistan. A phylogenetic tree also constructed based on the sequence of exon I and II, which readily separated An. culicifacies populations from An. stephensi, An. fluviatilis and An. gambiae.     

Electrospinning of cellulose nanofibers mat for laminated epoxy composite production

In this study, a new approach consisting of chemical treatment steps followed by electrospinning process was applied to produce cellulose nanofibers from wheat straws. Wheat straws were initially pretreated by NaOH solution to open the complex structure of raw materials and remove non-cellulosic materials. Then, acid and alkali hydrolysis was separately performed to eliminate hemicellulose and soluble lignin. Also, bleaching processes were implemented to remove the insoluble lignin. Cellulose nanofibers were produced by electrospinning of various concentrations of cellulose in different solvents including sodium hydroxide/urea/thiourea, pure trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), and TFA/methylene chloride. Images obtained by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) showed long and uniform nanofibers produced from electrospinning of cellulose/TFA/methylene chloride solution. An epoxy based laminated composite was prepared by a lamina of cellulose microfiber and electrospun nanofiber mat using hand lay-up composite manufacturing method. The fracture surface of the epoxy nanocomposite was analyzed by SEM images. In addition, the mechanical properties of laminated epoxy composites were compared with pure epoxy by conducting tensile and impact tests. Tensile test results showed that the ultimate tensile strength, elongation, and modulus of laminated epoxy nanocomposites were significantly increased. Moreover, it was found that by adding a nanofiber lamina in the epoxy composite, the impact resistance was significantly improved as a result of crack growth prevention.     

Evidence for the impression of phase behavior of nonsolvent/solvent/polymer ternary system on morphology of polyethersulfone electrospun nanofibers

Polyethersulfone (PES) nanofibers are produced by electrospinning solutions of PES/dimethylforamide (DMF), PES/N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) and PES/(NMP:DMF) (of different NMP:DMF ratios) at temperature of 40 °C and various levels of relative humidity (RH). The influence of environmental conditions on bead formation as well as surface and interior morphologies of electrospun fibers is discussed through the phase diagram of H₂O/DMF/PES and H₂O/NMP/PES systems. The former case has small miscibility area while the latter one has large of which. The results demonstrate the contribution of RH of operating environment to morphology evolution of nanofibers. If the size of miscibility area increases e.g. H₂O/NMP/PES system, a higher values of RH is needed to stabilize the formation of fibers. For this system, low level of humidity leads to develop beads as well as bead-on-string morphology. Adding the second solvent i.e. DMF into the PES/NMP solution shifts the binodal boundary toward the polymer-solvent side meaning a smaller miscibility area. In consequence, formation of fiber can be stabilized under broad range of humidity levels i.e. from low to high level of humidity. Implications regarding formation of surface pores by manipulating phase behavior of ternary system as well as RH of ambient conditions are discussed related to physico-chemical nature of solvent.     

EFFECT OF ARSENIC ON GERMINATION,PHOTOSYNTHESIS AND GROWTH PARAMETERS OF TWO WINTER WHEAT VARIETIES IN IRAN

□ Effects of different arsenic (As) concentration (0–30 mg L^?1) on seed germination, root tolerance index, relative shoot height, root and shoot biomass, photosynthetic pigments and arsenic accumulation in two wheat varieties were investigated. Low concentrations of arsenic (0–2.5 mg L^?1) stimulated germination percentage, shoot and root elongation, plant biomass as well as chlorophyll content as compared with control, however, these factors all decreased gradually at high concentrations of arsenic (5–30 mg L^?1). ‘Zarin’ variety had a significantly higher tolerance to arsenic than ‘Sardari.’ Arsenic accumulation by plants root and shoot increased with the increasing arsenic concentrations in medium, which ‘Zarin’ had a higher ability to absorb and translocate arsenic to the shoots. Root accumulated more arsenic than shoot. The similar trend of chlorophyll content and wheat growth under different arsenic concentration suggesting that arsenic toxicity affects the photosynthesis which ultimately results in the reduction of wheat growth and yield.