AbstractIn order to assess the response of cocoa trees to drought, changes in water status, gas exchange, leaf carbon isotopic ratio (δ13C), photochemical activity, and leaf N and chlorophyll content during the rainy and dry season were measured in 31 Venezuelan cocoa clones (17 Trinitarios, 6 Criollos, and 8 Modern Criollos) grown in a common garden. Drought caused a 40% decrease in water potential (ψ) in all but the Modern Criollos, and a reduction in net photosynthetic rate (A) and stomatal conductance (gs) without an increase in instantaneous water use efficiency (WUE) in 93% of clones, and an increase inδ13C (long-term WUE) in 74% of clones; these responses suggest differences in tolerance to drought among clones. A positive correlation betweenAand bothgsand leaf N content was found for all genotypes. Leaf N content, chlorophyll content, and photochemical activity were reduced during drought, suggesting that metabolism was also inhibited. The best performance during drought was shown by Modern Criollos with the highest WUE, while five Trinitario clones seemed to be less sensitive to drought, since neither chlorophyll, N, total soluble protein concentration, norgschanged with drought, indicating that those Trinitario clones, with lowerA, have a conservative water use. Modern Criollos showed no reductions in eitherψorgs;Aremained unchanged, as did WUE, which was the highest, suggesting that these clones would be more successful in environments with low water availability. Our results indicate large variation in physiological response to drought over a range of parameters, suggesting possible differences in tolerance among clones.

Noise is arguably the most widespread and least controlled environmental pollutant. Noise has been recognized since the time of the Romans as unwanted and intrusive. It was the Industrial Revolution and the rise of cities that greatly accelerated noise pollution to current levels, which continue to increase. The main sources that underlie noise continue to be population growth and urbanization; technology has added to the din. Among its many adverse effects, noise damages hearing, disturbs communication, disrupts sleep, impairs cardiovascular function, interferes with teaching and learning, reduces productivity, harms relationships, provokes unwanted behaviors, and increases accidents. It is a significant source of recurring and often unrecognized stress, which, itself, degrades both health and the quality of life.

To provide quantitative evidence of the impact on people of a neighboring metropolitan airport, La Guardia Airport (LGA) in New York City, (1) airborne particulate matter (PM) was measured to determine whether concentration differences could be detected between homes that are upwind and downwind of the airport; (2) 24-hr noise measurements were made in 12 homes near the airport; and (3) the impact of noise was assessed by a Community Wellness and Health Promotion Survey. Particulate matter concentrations were higher during active airport operating hours than during nonoperating hours, and the percent increase varied inversely with distance from the airport. Hourly differences between paired upwind and downwind sites were not remarkable. Residents living near the airport were exposed to noise levels as much as four times greater than those experienced by residents in a quiet, comparison home. Impulse noise events were detected from both aircraft and vehicular traffic. More than 55% of the people living within the flight path were bothered by aircraft noise, and 63% by highway noise; these were significantly higher percentages than for residents in the nonflight area. The change in PM concentrations with distance during operating compared with nonoperating hours; traffic-related impulse noise events; and the elevated annoyance with highway noise, as well as aircraft noise among residents in the flight path area, show airport-related motor vehicle traffic to be a major contributor to the negative impact of airports on people in the surrounding communities.

In a study of the conservation behavior of 103 grocery shoppers in Chelsea, Michigan, an information and prompting strategy was used to test various rationales for adopting source reduction behavior. The experimental intervention consisted of mailing an educational pamphlet to participants. The experimental design included four treatment groups: a control and three others. These three other treatment groups each received a pamphlet giving environmental, economic, or a combination of environmental and economic rationales to reduce waste at the source. From data collected in pre-and postintervention survey instruments, it was shown that both environmental and economic rationales for practicing source reduction led to significant increases in reported source reduction behavior. Additionally, the type of conservation behavior promoted (e.g., toxics use reduction) and the location in which it is practiced (i.e., at home, at a store) were found to have an impact on the success of the interventions. Participants were more likely to adopt home-based source reduction of nontoxics over either store-based activities or activities involving toxics use reduction.