A gap analysis of terrestrial protected areas in England and its implications for conservation policy

Many protected area (PA) systems have developed in response to socio-economic and aesthetic criteria and need to be modified to increase their conservation value. National gap analyses are an important step in describing and addressing this problem, so we sought to determine the representativeness of English PAs devoted to biodiversity conservation by using Natural Areas (NAs), elevation and PA boundary data. We found that National Nature Reserves (NNRs) and Sites of Special Scientific Interests (SSSIs) cover only 6.3% of England and are generally small, with respective median areas of 1.1 and 0.2 km². The English PA system under-represents lowland areas and provides a median level of 2.5% protection for the NA types, with seventy nine per cent of NA types having less than 10% protection. Therefore, we suggest that England's PA system needs to be expanded, although this would probably entail modification of existing legislation to increase involvement by landowners. We also compare our results with previous appraisals that used species distribution record data and suggest that landscape-level analyses may give a more accurate and less positive assessment.     

The illusion of control: industrialized agriculture,nature, and food safety

I explore the role of nature in the agrifood system and how attempts to fit food production into a large-scale manufacturing model has lead to widespread outbreaks of food borne illness. I illustrate how industrial processing of leafy greens is related to the outbreak of E. coli 0157:H7 associated with spinach in the fall of 2006. I also use this example to show how industry attempts to create the illusion of control while failing to address weaknesses in current processing systems. The leafy greens industry has focused efforts on sterilizing the growing environment and adopting new technologies, while neglecting to change the concentrated structure of processing systems. Repeated breakdowns in these systems illustrate a widening fault line between attempted and failed control of nature in industrial food production.

Alarm, defense, and construction behavior relationships in termites (Isoptera)

Evidence indicates that building behavior in termites is a direct consequence of low-level alarm stimuli and that its immediate function is defense. As in other forms of termite defense behavior, recruitment of nymphs and workers is accomplished by trail laying in conjuction with transmission of the alarm. The number recruited is related to the intensity of the input stimulus. Primary construction ceases when the original causal stimulus is eliminated by the effects of the actual building.     

Pine needle abortion in cattle: a review and report of 1973-1984 research

Research has verified field observations that cows grazing ponderosa pine needles may abort. The incidence and nature of the abortions produced experimentally simulate very closely those reported by livestock producers and veterinarians. The incidence of experimentally-produced abortions varied markedly from year to year even though the needles were collected in the same general area each year. This suggests that the abortifacient compound(s) in the needles vary from year to year, probably due to environmental and site conditions. The impact of stress (cold and nutrition) as a factor in the abortions was examined. It was concluded that the only effects would be on the willingness of cows to eat the needles. The pine needle abortion problem, what is known of the etiology, and mechanisms of the abortion are reviewed. The usefulness of bioassay systems to study pine needle abortions is discussed.     

Strain-softening instability model for the san fernando earthquake

Changes in the ground elevation observed before and immediately after the 1971 San Fernando, California, earthquake are consistent with a theoretical model in which fault zone rocks are strain-softening after peak stress. The model implies that the slip rate of the fault increased to aboul 0.1 meter per year near the focus before the earthquake.     

Comparison between empirical protein force fields for the simulation of the adsorption behavior of structured LK peptides on functionalized surfaces

All-atom empirical molecular mechanics protein force fields, which have been developed to represent the energetics of peptide folding behavior in aqueous solution, have not been parameterized for protein interactions with solid material surfaces. As a result, their applicability for representing the adsorption behavior of proteins with functionalized material surfaces should not be assumed. To address this issue, we conducted replica-exchange molecular dynamics simulations of the adsorption behavior of structured peptides to functionalized surfaces using three protein force fields that are widely used for the simulation of peptide adsorption behavior: CHARMM22, AMBER94, and OPLS-AA. Simulation results for peptide structure both in solution and when adsorbed to the surfaces were compared to experimental results for similar peptide-surface systems to provide a means of evaluating and comparing the performance of these three force fields for this type of application. Substantial differences in both solution and adsorbed peptide conformations were found amongst these three force fields, with the CHARMM22 force field found to most closely match experimental results.     

Selective control of mite and collembolan pests of pastures and grain crops in Australia

Control of invertebrate pests in broad-acre agriculture largely relies on the application of broad-spectrum pesticides, however resistance problems and environmental concerns are driving a search for alternatives including more selective products. Here we explore the feasibility of using novel chemical groupings in the control of problematic pests that attack germinating pastures and grain crops in Australia. A modified laboratory bioassay is described for testing the response of several invertebrate pests to pesticides that have contact and systemic/translaminar properties. Two contact pesticides (fenitrothion and gamma-cyhalothrin) and three pesticides with strong systemic/translaminar properties (lambda-cyhalothrin, abamectin and diafenthiuron) showed promise for control of the collembolan Sminthurus viridis and four mite pests (Halotydeus destructor, Balaustium medicagoense, Penthaleus falcatus and Bryobia sp.). No single pesticide emerged as the most efficacious against all these pests, highlighting the need for correct pest identification before making control recommendations. Incorporating these new chemical options into pest control programs may help to control emerging pests and counter pesticide resistance issues. Selective pesticides in particular are likely to be compatible with integrated control programs that promote the establishment and maintenance of beneficial natural enemies.