A comparison of constructed and natural habitat for frog conservation in an Australian agricultural landscape

Constructed ponds are an important consideration in the conservation of wetland biota in agricultural landscapes. Twenty-two natural ponds and 22 adjacent constructed ponds (farm dams) were surveyed on the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales to compare patterns of use by frogs and develop frog conservation recommendations. Farm dams supported similar numbers of frog species to natural ponds, although differences in frog assemblage were observed between the pond types. Limnodynastes tasmaniensis and Uperolia laevigata were significantly more likely to occur at farm dams while L. peronii was more likely to occur at natural ponds. Results suggest waterbodies with high levels of emergent vegetation cover that lack fish are likely to support a high number of frog species, regardless of origin (i.e. natural or constructed). However, it is important for landholders to conserve natural waterbodies as these environments appear likely to support frog species that do not use farm dams.     

Effect of nutrient compositions in peat hydrolysate on protein and biomass yields of Candida tropicalis

Summary Research was conducted to study the effect of nutrient compositions, at different levels, added in peat hydrolysates on biomass yields and protein of Candida tropicalis. Samples of Minnesota sphagnum peat were hydrolyzed by boiling at 100°C with 1-1 H₂SO₄ solutions to produce peat hydrolysates which can support the growth of yeast. Peat hydrolysates were adjusted to pH 5.5 and mixed with mineral nutrients (NH₄NO₃, NaH₂PO₄ + Na₂HPO₄, KCl, and MgSO₄) and glucose. Among the single nutrients tested, glucose produced the most significant enhancement of biomass yields, followed by NH₄NO₃, NaH₂PO₄ + Na₂HPO₄, KCl, and MgSO₄. NH₄NO₃ was found to be the most important single nutrient affecting protein accumulation in yeast cells, followed by glucose > NaH₂PO₄ + Na₂HPO₄ > KCl > MgSO₄. However, protein and biomass production was significantly (P 0.05) greater for combined nutrients than for any single-nutrient enrichment. The level of residual reducing sugars in peat hydrolysate was inversely proportional to cell counts and optical densities. Addition of high concentrations of nutrients delayed the time of reaching to stationary phase in optical density, cell counts, and pH of yeast cultures. In general, as nutrients were increased, significant (P 0.05) increases in productivity and cell density were observed. However, specific growth rate decreased with increasing nutrient concentrations. It was concluded that nutrient amendments containing supplementary sources of C/N/P/K/S = 400:36:3.3:3.8:1 are most suitable for biomass production and the biosynthesis of protein by C. tropicalis.     

Multi-scale effect of landscape processes and habitat quality on newt abundance: Implications for conservation

Recent studies in population dynamics suggest that landscape processes and habitat quality act at different scales on population abundances, but very few have modelled their simultaneous effects. However, at a time of large declines in natural populations, it is essential to understand such multivariate components. We tested the hypothesis that natural populations of palmate newts (Triturus helveticus) are affected on three scales: breeding patch (pond), habitat complementation (terrestrial cover), and metapopulation structure (density of ponds, surrounding populations). We conducted our survey in 130 ponds from southern France (Larzac) and analysed data with generalized additive models (GAM). Two main novel results emerge from these models: (1) the three landscape scales have significant effects on newt abundance, with more newts in deep, vegetated ponds, devoid of fish and surrounded by wooded areas and inhabited ponds; (2) the quality of the surrounding breeding patches is of primary importance in determining the abundance at core sites in a complex way: high abundances are associated positively with high densities of inhabited ponds, but negatively with the number of surrounding ponds. Deforestation, invasive species and abandonment of ponds all have negative impacts on the persistence of palmate newt populations. Future studies should encompass landscapes at different scales and incorporate the habitat quality in surrounding sites to better understand population dynamics and provide adequate conservation measures.     

尿素包接法预浓缩鱼油生理活性组分的研究

为了提高鱼油中生理活性组分ＥＰＡ和ＤＨＡ的含量，以鱼油乙酯为原料，将其与饱和的尿素－乙醇溶液进行包合作用，而使鱼油中的饱和脂肪酸成结晶析出，以达到预浓缩的目的。随着尿素与鱼油乙酯摩尔比的增加，或结晶温度的降低，容易获得ＥＰＡ和ＤＨＡ含量在７０％以上的制品。     

蚯蚓蛋白酶解工艺及其产物分析

采用Asl.398枯草蛋白酶制备蚯蚓肽,通过单因素与正交试验设计(L9(34)),以氨基氮数,多肽浓度为衡量指标,对最佳酶条件进行筛选研究,并分析了酶解液氨基酸含量和相对分子量的分布。结果表明:最佳酶解条件为pH 6.5、酶浓度为1%、温度50℃反应、时间8 h,在此条件下,酶解蚯蚓蛋白的水解液氨基氮数可以达到16.55 mmol/100 mL,水解液多肽浓度达9.22 mg/mL,酶解液分子量大部分是在5 000以下的多肽、小肽及氨基酸的混合物,其中分子量在220以下的占了72.09%,氨基酸组成平衡,含量丰富,可用来制取新型氨基酸微量元素及小肽添加剂。     

Bans,tests, and alchemy: Food safety regulation and the Uganda fish export industry

Contemporary regulation of food safety incorporates principles of quality management and systemic performance objectives that used to characterize private standards. Conversely, private standards are covering ground that used to be the realm of regulation. The nature of the two is becoming increasingly indistinguishable. The case study of the Ugandan fish export industry highlights how management methods borrowed from private standards can be applied to public regulation to achieve seemingly conflicting objectives. In the late 1990s, the EU imposed repeated bans on fish imported from Uganda on the basis of food safety concerns. However, the EU did not provide scientific proof that the fish were actually “unsafe.” Rather, the poor performance of Uganda’s regulatory and monitoring system was used as justification. Only by fixing “the system” (of regulations and inspections) and performing the ritual of laboratory testing for all consignments for export to the EU did the Ugandan industry regain its status as a “safe” source of fish. Yet, gaps and inconsistencies abound in the current Ugandan fish safety management system. Some operations are by necessity carried out as “rituals of verification.” Given the importance of microbiological tests and laboratories in the compliance system, “alchemic rituals” provide an appropriate metaphor. These rituals are part and parcel of a model that reassures the EU fish-eating public that all is under control in Uganda from boat to point of export. As a consequence, actual non-compliance from boat to landing site allows the fishery to survive as an artisanal operation. Stefano Ponte is Senior Researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies, Copenhagen. His research focuses on the role of standards, regulation and quality conventions in the governance of agro-food value chains, with particular focus on Africa. He is co-author of Trading Down: Africa, Value Chains and the Global Economy and The Coffee Paradox: Global Markets, Commodity Trade and the Elusive Promise of Development.     

丝胶蛋白及其木瓜蛋白酶酶解产物的保湿性与抗氧化活性

以全天然丝胶茧为原料提取丝胶蛋白,经木瓜蛋白酶酶解,考察丝胶蛋白及其酶解产物的保湿性,并从清除DPPH自由基能力、总抗氧化能力、抑制烃基自由基能力和抗超氧阴离子自由基能力等方面分析抗氧化活性,为开发利用优质的丝胶蛋白资源的更广泛应用提供理论依据。结果表明,丝胶蛋白经木瓜蛋白酶酶解后获得5~12 kDa的酶解产物,其优良的保湿性能优于丙二醇;丝胶蛋白及其酶解产物均具有较好的抗氧化活性,其中以酶解产物的抗氧化活性更强。抗氧化能力与浓度呈明显的正相关性。     

女山湖渔业资源及鱼类增养殖措施的研究

根据女山湖天然饵料资源及鱼类组成结构状况,通过人工放流、自然增殖补充鱼类,移殖水生经济动物,逐渐调整鱼类结构组成,使湖内天然饵料资源得以合理充分利用,辅以围拦网人工养殖,水产品产量由1994年的456 kg/hm2提高到1999年的534 kg/hm2,经济效益较为显著.     

蚯蚓蛋白酶解工艺及其产物分析

采用Asl.398枯草蛋白酶制备蚯蚓肽,通过单因素与正交试验设计(L9(34)),以氨基氮数,多肽浓度为衡量指标,对最佳酶条件进行筛选研究,并分析了酶解液氨基酸含量和相对分子量的分布。结果表明:最佳酶解条件为pH 6.5、酶浓度为1%、温度50℃反应、时间8 h,在此条件下,酶解蚯蚓蛋白的水解液氨基氮数可以达到16.55 mmol/100 mL,水解液多肽浓度达9.22 mg/mL,酶解液分子量大部分是在5 000以下的多肽、小肽及氨基酸的混合物,其中分子量在220以下的占了72.09%,氨基酸组成平衡,含量丰富,可用来制取新型氨基酸微量元素及小肽添加剂。     

Community-based conservation results in the recovery of reef fish spawning aggregations in the Coral Triangle

In the Coral Triangle community-based marine protected areas (MPAs) are being established at a prolific rate. Their establishment can benefit both fisheries and biodiversity, and they provide both a socially and economically acceptable means of managing coral reefs in developing nations. However, because such MPAs are typically small (usually <0.5 km²), they will rarely provide protection to large mobile fishes. An exception to this limitation may exist when community-based MPAs are established to protect small sites where vital processes occur, such as fish spawning aggregations (FSAs). To test the effectiveness of small (0.1–0.2 km²) MPAs for protecting FSAs, we monitored three FSA sites where brown-marbled grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus), camouflage grouper (Epinephelus polyphekadion) and squaretail coralgrouper (Plectropomus areolatus) aggregate to spawn. Sites were monitored during peak reproductive periods (several days prior to each new moon) between January 2005 and November 2009. All three sites are located in New Ireland Province, Papua New Guinea, and had been exploited for decades, but in 2004 two sites were protected by the establishment of community-based MPAs. The third site continued to be exploited. Over the monitoring period densities of E. fuscoguttatus and E. polyphekadion increased at both MPAs, but not at the site that remained open to fishing. At one MPA the densities of E. polyphekadion increased tenfold. Our findings demonstrate that community-based MPAs that are appropriately designed and adequately enforced can lead to the recovery of populations of vulnerable species that aggregate to spawn.