Thirty years of change and the future of Alaskan fisheries: Shifts in fishing participation and diversification in response to environmental,regulatory and economic pressures

Heterogeneity in human responses and decision‐making can contribute to the resilience of social–ecological systems in the face of environmental, political and economic pressures. In fishery systems worldwide, the ability of harvesters to maintain a diverse portfolio of fishing strategies is important for building adaptive capacity. We used a case‐study approach to examine the complexity of factors that inhibit or promote diversification in fisheries of Alaska, one of the major fishing regions of the world. Through a combination of harvest records and literature review, we explored shifts in participation and portfolio diversity in Alaskan fisheries over three decades. The four case‐studies examined the responses of fishers, fleets and communities to multiple, intersecting pressures, including biological declines, market and price dynamics, fishery privatization and the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. These cases illustrate how stressors acting at multiple scales can encourage or constrain opportunities for diversification, and that these opportunities may be spread inequitably across participants. Overall, we found evidence for reduced participation and increasing specialization in Alaskan commercial fisheries. While numerous factors explain these trends, policies like individual quota systems and the increasing cost of entry into fisheries are forcing consolidation at local to regional scales. A portfolio approach to managing fisheries that reduces barriers to diversification and includes broad representation of resource users and communities in management may help to maintain opportunity and choice for fishers.     

Biological Degradation of Common Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products in Soils with High Water Content

Biological degradation rates of six pharmaceuticals and personal care products were examined in soil from a land application site and in adjacent soil with no prior history of effluent exposure. Microbial degradation rates were compared over 2 weeks under standing water or saturated conditions and draining conditions after having been saturated for 3 days. Biological degradation of 17??-estradiol exhibited rapid rates of biological degradation under both saturated and draining conditions. Half-lives for 17??-estradiol ranged from 1.5 to 4 days; 66?C97% was lost from the soils. Estriol showed a pattern of biological degradation in both saturated and draining conditions though the half-lives were longer (8.7?C25.9 days) than those observed for 17??-estradiol. Twenty-eight percent to 73% of estriol was lost over the 14 days treatment period. Estrone and 17??-ethinylestradiol exhibited slower rates of biological transformation under saturated and draining conditions. Half-lives for estrone ranged between 27.5 and 56.8 days with loss of at most 21%. 17??-ethinylestradiol exhibited half-lives of 22.6?C207 days. Half-life data for ibuprofen ranged from 30.4 to 1,706.4 days in this experiment. Losses of up to 17% were observed in draining soils. Triclosan loss was at most 10%, and half-lives were 70.9?C398.8 days. In all cases, soils that were draining from saturated conditions exhibited faster degradation rates than soils that remained saturated. Prior exposure of the soil to effluent did not always result in higher biological degradation rates.     

Carbon distribution and losses: erosion and deposition effects

Because of concerns about the eventual impact of atmospheric CO₂ accumulations, there is growing interest in reducing net CO₂ emissions from soil and increasing C storage in soil. This review presents a framework to assess soil erosion and deposition processes on the distribution and loss of C in soils. The physical processes of erosion and deposition affect soil C distribution in two main ways and should be considered when evaluating the impact of agriculture on C storage. First, these processes redistribute considerable amounts of soil C, within a toposequence or a field, or to a distant site. Accurate estimates of soil redistribution in the landscape or field are needed to quantify the relative magnitude of soil lost by erosion and accumulated by deposition. Secondly, erosion and deposition drastically alter the biological process of C mineralization in soil landscapes. Whereas erosion and deposition only redistribute soil and organic C, mineralization results in a net loss of C from the soil system to the atmosphere. Little is known about the magnitude of organic C losses by mineralization and those due to erosion, but the limited data available suggest that mineralization predominates in the first years after the initial cultivation of the soil, and that erosion becomes a major factor in later years. Soils in depositional sites usually contain a larger proportion of the total organic C in labile fractions of soil C because this material can be easily transported. If the accumulation of soil in depositional areas is extensive, the net result of the burial (and subsequent reduction in decomposition) of this active soil organic matter would be increased C storage. Soil erosion is the most widespread form of soil degradation. At regional or global levels its greatest impact on C storage may be in affecting soil productivity. Erosion usually results in decreased primary productivity, which in turn adversely affects C storage in soil because of the reduced quantity of organic C returned to the soil as plant residues. Thus the use of management practices that prevent or reduce soil erosion may be the best strategy to maintain, or possibly increase, the worlds soil C storage.     

Accelerating invasion rate in a highly invaded estuary

Biological invasions are a major global environmental and economic problem. Analysis of the San Francisco Bay and Delta ecosystem revealed a large number of exotic species that dominate many habitats in terms of number of species, number of individuals and biomass, and a high and accelerating rate of invasion. These factors suggest that this may be the most invaded estuary in the world. Possible causes include a large number and variety of transport vectors, a depauperate native biota, and extensive natural and anthropogenic disturbance.     

Jack beans and vetiver grass growth on iron ore tailing sediments from the Doce River dam disaster in Brazil: plant growth regulator effects under different edaphic conditions

Journal of Soils and Sediments - After the greatest environmental disaster in the history of Brazil and the deposition of the iron ore tailings in alluvial regions, the process of revegetation for...     

Dispersal and tributary immigration by juvenile coho salmon contribute to spatial expansion during colonisation

Anadromous fishes are frequently restricted by artificial barriers to movement such as dams and culverts, so measuring dispersal helps identify sites where improved connectivity could promote range expansion and population viability. We used a combination of DNA‐based parentage analysis and mark–recapture techniques to evaluate dispersal by juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) in a population in the initial stages of colonisation following installation of fish passage structures at a previously impassable dam on the Cedar River, WA, USA. The spatial distribution of individuals within maternal families revealed that dispersal was common. Among the offspring of radio‐tagged mothers, 28% were collected outside the spawning reach and dispersed up to 6.3 km (median = 1.5 km). Most juveniles captured in a tributary (Rock Creek, where few adults spawned) had immigrated from the Cedar River and represented many different families. Juvenile dispersal therefore provided a secondary phase of spatial expansion following initial colonisation by adults. Consistent with the condition‐dependent dispersal hypothesis, juveniles that dispersed farther upstream in the tributary were larger than fish collected near the tributary mouth. Overall, the results demonstrated widespread dispersal in a system with low coho salmon densities, and this might increase the rate of population growth if it reduces the effects of local density dependence. By implication, juveniles can take advantage of rearing habitats reconnected through barrier removal, even when such areas are located several kilometres from adult breeding grounds.     

Population studies of the citrus psylla,trioza erytreae: factors influencing dispersal

More adults of the citrus psylla,Trioza erytreae (Del Guercio) (Hemiptera: Triozidae), dispersed when the number of eggs, nymphs or adults on the citrus increased (positive correlations) and also when new leaves that were present decreased (negative correlation). More psylla were trapped close to high obstacles than in an open area, even though the obstacles were at a distance from the psylla-infested orchard.     

Relationship between terrain use and performance of beef cows grazing foothill rangeland

A study was conducted on foothills rangeland to determine whether grazing patterns differed among cow breeds and to determine whether there was a relationship between individual grazing patterns and performance of beef cows. Hereford (HH), Tarentaise (TT), 3/4 Hereford x 1/4 Tarentaise (3H1T), 1/2 Hereford x 1/2 Tarentaise (HT), and 1/4 Hereford x 3/4 Tarentaise (1H3T) cows were observed during the summers of 1997 (n = 183) and 1998 (n = 159). Locations of individual cows were recorded two to three times per week during 1.5- to 2.5-h periods in the morning by observers on horseback. Statistical models included cow breed, age, and nursing status. Data from each year were analyzed separately. During 1997 and 1998, nonlactating cows were located at greater (P < 0.05) vertical distances from water than lactating cows. In 1998, nonlactating cows used steeper (P < 0.05) slopes than lactating cows. However, nonlactating cows did not travel as far horizontally from water (P < 0.05) as lactating cows in 1997. Younger cows (3 yr) traveled further (P < 0.05) from water both vertically and horizontally than older cows (5+ yr) in 1997, but not during 1998. Tarentaise and 1H3T cows were observed at greater (P < 0.05) vertical distances from water than HH cows during both years of the study. During 1998, TT and 1H3T cows used steeper (P < 0.05) slopes than HH cows. Using residual correlations, there were no consistent relationships between topographic aspects of individual grazing locations and cow weight, height, and body condition score. In 1997, cows with earlier calving dates and correspondingly heavier calf weaning weights used areas that had greater vertical distances to water; however, in 1998 there were no relationships (P > 0.05) of calving date and weaning weight with cow location. During both years, pregnant and nonpregnant cows used terrain similarly (P > 0.05), which suggests that cow reproductive performance was not related to terrain use. Grazing patterns in foothills rangeland varied among cow breeds. Performance of cows that used more rugged topography was similar to cows using gentler terrain.     

Recent advances in external skeletal fixation

While the use of external skeletal fixation was once associated with substantial postoperative morbidity, clinical and experimental studies have led to technological advances and modifications in application techniques that have greatly improved the results obtained with this treatment modality. The past decade saw numerous advances in external skeletal fixator implants, components and instrumentation, including improvements in fixation pin design, and the development of new linear external skeletal fixation systems and economical circular external skeletal fixation systems specifically engineered for use in dogs and cats. In addition, a greater understanding of fixator biomechanics and the pathobiology of the bone-fixation pin interface have improved fixator application practices. This article reviews many of the more significant recent advances in external skeletal fixation.