Conservation Management Decisions Research Articles

Critical review of leaflets about conservative management used in uk renal services.

Written information supplements nurse-led education about treatment options. It is unclear if this information enhances patients' reasoning about conservative management (CM) and renal replacement therapy decisions. This study describes a critical review of resources U.K. renal staff use when providing CM options to people with Established Kidney Disease (EKD) during usual pre-dialysis education. A survey using mixed methods identified and critically analysed leaflets about CM. All 72 renal units in the United Kingdom received an 11-item questionnaire to elicit how CM education is delivered, satisfaction and/or needs with patient resources and staff training. Copies of leaflets were requested. A coding frame was utilised to produce a quality score for each leaflet. Fifty-four (75%) units participated. Patients discuss CM with a nephrologist (98%) or nurse (100%). Eighteen leaflets were reviewed, mean scores were 8.44 out of 12 (range 5-12, SD = 2.49) for information presentation; 3.50 out of 6 (range 0-6, SD = 1.58) for inclusion of information known to support shared decision-making and 2.28 out of 6 (range 1-4, SD = 0.96) for presenting non-biased information. Nurses preferred communicating via face-to-face contact with patients and/or families because of the emotional consequences and complexity of planning treatment for the next stage of a person's worsening kidney disease. Conversations were supplemented with written information; 66% of which were produced locally.Staff perceived a need for using leaflets, and spend time and resources developing them to support their services. However, no leaflets included the components needed to help people reason about conservative care and renal replacement therapy options during EKD education consultations.

Decision‐making for the efficient life cycle management of structures

AbstractStructures made of structural concrete are designed to withstand different time‐dependent or time‐independent influences during their expected service lifetime. Most of these influences can be considered in a sufficient manner by mathematical and statistical approaches, while some do appear combined with certain structural, environmental, and material boundary conditions. These can, in most cases, not be foreseen, verified or they change during the lifecycle of a concrete structure. It is therefore obligatory to rely on an efficient conservation strategy for each structure to ensure its safety and overall economic efficiency. For this purpose, the fib Model Code for Concrete Structures 2010 already suggests a general workflow to follow a predefined or provisional conservation strategy and condition control procedure. These existing proposals are yet of very general nature and disclaim practical decision‐making rules to survey and assess existing structures as part of a condition‐based conservation strategy. In this contribution, the main decision‐making options at an early stage of a construction's life cycle management are pointed out, considering their importance for a structure's time‐dependent performance and their relation to continuative decisions for conservation management. Proposals for the implementation of practical advice for condition‐based conservation strategies in international guidelines are made.

Shorebird predation on benthic invertebrates after shrimp-pond harvesting: Implications for semi-intensive aquaculture management

How to improve habitat quality for wildlife is of particular importance in areas dedicated to food production, due to increasing pressures of global demands associated to human population growth. Semi-intensive aquaculture ponds can provide a potentially important foraging habitat for migratory shorebirds throughout the non-breeding season. Therefore, understanding the availability of benthic invertebrates in aquaculture ponds will help to identify proper management decisions for shorebird conservation. We used an exclosure experiment during the first three days after shrimp harvesting at semi-intensive aquaculture ponds in north-west Mexico to assess shorebird predation on benthic invertebrates. We found that shorebird predation did not deplete total benthic invertebrate density (particularly polychaete worms), but significantly affected the prey size distributions and biomass in the ponds during a short-time window of just three days. Shorebirds removed 0.6 g ash-free dry weight m−2, equivalent to 43% of the initial biomass and showed high selectivity for polychaetes larger than >40 mm as prey, potentially explaining the absence of large polychaetes at the end of the experiment. This depletion was the likely cause of the daily decrease observed in overall density of foraging shorebirds at recently harvested ponds. These results can serve to identify management actions that allow an extended use of semi-intensive aquaculture ponds as foraging sites for migratory shorebirds during the non-breeding season, with potential applications to develop standards for a friendlier aquaculture management.

P766 Elegibility for CLOSE and REDUCE trials of real world patients with Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) or Acute Ischemic Stroke (AIS) and Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO)

Abstract Introduction In the last decade there has been an intense discussion in which therapeutic option is most suitable for patients with TIA or cryptogenic AIS and a PFO. Recently two randomised studies (CLOSE and REDUCE) have been published tackling this question. Both have showed preference in lower recurrence rates in the group assigned for PFO closure. The eligibility criteria of these types of studies frequently are very restricted, becoming difficult to ascertain the best therapeutic option for a large number of patients. Goal Analyse a real world cohort of patients with TIA or cryptogenic AIS with PFO and identify the eligibility of these patients for the inclusion in the CLOSE and REDUCE trials. Methods We made a retrospective observational analysis of a cohort of patients discussed in a multidisciplinary meeting (Cardiology and Neurology departments) of our Hospital in which is made the decision of PFO closure vs conservative management between November 2017 and November 2018. We included all the patients with probable TIA or AIS and PFO. Demographic, clinical, image and therapeutic data was registered. The inclusion and exclusion criteria used in CLOSE and REDUCE trial were applied. Results 25 patients were analysed, 56.0% (n = 14) were male. Median age of 47 years. Median RoPE score 7. The commonest cardiovascular risk factors were hypertension (36.0%, n = 9) and smoking (28.0%, n = 7). Eight patients met criteria for cortical cryptogenic AIS, three had lacunar strokes, two had TIA with findings in cerebral imaging and twelve presented with TIA without findings in cerebral imaging. Transesophagic echocardiography was performed in 92.0% (n = 23) of patients, transthoracic echocardiography with bubble study was performed in two cases. At the time of data collection, six patients were waiting completion of the workup. PFO closure was performed in three cases. Closure was proposed in other two. When applying the eligibility criteria of CLOSE and REDUCE the main reasons for exclusion in the REDUCE trial were TIA without cerebral imaging (48.0%, n = 12), incomplete antiphospholipid antibody syndrome screening (36.0%, n = 9) and age greater than 59 years (28.0%, n = 7). The main reasons for exclusion in the CLOSE trial were TIA without cerebral imaging (48.0%, n = 12), age greater than 60 years (28%, n = 7) and failing to meet the designated echocardiography criteria (20.0%, n = 5). Conclusion 2 real world patients met eligibility criteria for the REDUCE trial and 3 for CLOSE. The main reason for exclusion in both REDUCE and CLOSE was TIA without cerebral imaging (48.0% n = 12). Older patients, and patients with a prothrombotic condition were also excluded. Multidisciplinary meetings are essential to ascertain the most beneficial therapeutic option for these patients. It is our believe that the management of risk factors should be similar in a TIA and a AIS and also that the presence of a prothrombotic condition should favor the closure of PFO.

Conservation tillage effects in the Atlantic Coastal Plain: An APEX examination

The Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) was established to develop a scientific understanding and methodology for estimating environmental benefits and effects of conservation practices on agricultural landscapes at watershed, regional, and national scales. CEAP9s goal is to improve the effectiveness of conservation practices and programs by quantifying conservation effects and providing the science and education needed to enrich conservation planning, implementation, management decisions, and policy. Field observations and computer-based simulation of the effects of agricultural conservation are important components of CEAP. This research supports the CEAP effort by utilizing well-documented field data in conjunction with the Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX) model to quantify long-term conservation effects. In this study, field data collected at a research site located near Tifton, Georgia, were used to evaluate APEX and to quantify long-term benefits of implementing conservation tillage in the Atlantic Coastal Plain region of the United States. The objectives of this research were to (1) quantify differences in crop yield, hydrology, and sediment transport for conventional and conservation tillage systems in the Atlantic Coastal Plain; (2) develop a calibrated APEX simulation for these tillage systems; and (3) quantify the performance of the APEX model with respect to crop yields, hydrology, and sediment yield. Fourteen years of crop yield, surface runoff, subsurface flow, and sediment transport data were quantified comparing conventional tillage (CT) to strip tillage (ST). No treatment differences were found for either cotton (<i>Gossypium hirsutum</i> L.) or peanut (<i>Arachis hypogea</i> L.) yields. Surface runoff from the CT was found to be 1.7 times that of the ST, while subsurface flow from the ST was found to be 1.7 times that of CT. Total water loss (surface and subsurface) was nearly equivalent for the two systems: 30% of annual rainfall. Satisfactory model performance was found for APEX surface runoff simulations. Mixed results were found for model performance of crop yield while model simulations of subsurface flow and sediment yield were less than satisfactory. The APEX modeling framework provides a useful tool for assessing crop yield and hydrologic differences between tillage management systems in the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Additional refinement of modeling approaches may be necessary to adequately represent subsurface flow and sediment transport in these same systems.

Different drivers, common mechanism; the distribution of a reef fish is restricted by local-scale oxygen and temperature constraints on aerobic metabolism.

The distributions of ectothermic marine organisms are limited to temperature ranges and oxygen conditions that support aerobic respiration, quantified within the metabolic index (ϕ) as the ratio of oxygen supply to metabolic oxygen demand. However, the utility of ϕ at local scales and across heterogenous environments is unknown; yet, these scales are often where actionable management decisions are made. Here, we test if ϕ can delimit the entire distribution of marine organisms when calibrated across an appropriate temperature range and at local scales (~10km) using the endemic reef fish, Chrysoblephus laticeps, which is found in the highly heterogenous temperature and oxygen environment along the South African coastal zone, as a model species. In laboratory experiments, we find a bidirectional (at 12°C) hypoxia tolerance response across the temperature range tested (8 to 24°C), permitting a piecewise calibration of ϕ. We then project this calibrated ϕ model through temperature and oxygen data from a high spatial resolution (11 to 13km) ocean model for the periods 2005 to 2009 and 2095 to 2099 to quantify various magnitudes of ϕ across space and time paired with complementary C. laticeps occurrence points. Using random forest species distribution models, we quantify a critical ϕ value of 2.78 below which C. laticeps cannot persist and predict current and future distributions of C. laticeps in line with already observed distribution shifts of other South African marine species. Overall, we find that C. laticeps' distribution is limited by increasing temperatures towards its warm edge but by low oxygen availability towards its cool edge, which is captured within ϕ at fine scales and across heterogenous oxygen and temperature combinations. Our results support the application of ϕ for generating local- and regional-scale predictions of climate change effects on organisms that can inform local conservation management decisions.

Who, Where, What, Wren? Using Ancient DNA to Examine the Veracity of Museum Specimen Data: A Case Study of the New Zealand Rock Wren (Xenicus gilviventris)

Museum specimens provide a record of past species distribution and are an increasingly important resource for conservation genetic research. The scientific value of these specimens depends upon the veracity of their associated data and can be compromised by inaccurate details; including taxonomic identity, collection locality, and collector. New Zealand contains many endemic species that have been driven to extinction or reduced to relict distributions following the arrival of humans and mammalian predators, including the Acanthisittid wrens (of which only two of the eight species presently persist). One of these is the New Zealand rock wren (Xenicus gilviventris), currently classified as an endangered species and experiencing ongoing population declines. Here we analyse ancient DNA retrieved from New Zealand rock wren museum skins to establish the veracity of their recorded collection localities – New Zealand rock wrens exhibit strong north-south genetic structuring along the Southern Alps of New Zealand’s South Island. We include the only specimen reportedly collected from New Zealand’s North Island, outside the known range of New Zealand rock wrens, specimens collected by Henry Hamersley Travers, a collector known for poor record keeping and potentially fraudulent specimen data, and type specimens of proposed Xenicus taxa. Multiple instances of inaccurate collection locality were detected, including that of the New Zealand rock wren reportedly collected from the North Island, which matches individuals from the southern South Island. Syntypes of X. haasti, and a syntype of X. gilviventris clustered with individuals belonging to the northern New Zealand rock wren lineage. Our results suggest that New Zealand rock wrens have not been historically extirpated from New Zealand’s North Island, and that caution must be taken when utilising museum specimens to inform conservation management decisions. Additionally, we describe the type locality of both X. gilviventris and X. haasti, with genetic and historical evidence suggesting that the specimens used to describe these taxa were collected from the headwaters of the Rakaia River. This study demonstrates that ancient DNA analysis can add value to museum specimens by revealing incorrect specimen data and inform the conservation management and taxonomy of endangered species.

Identifying and applying an optimum set of environmental variables in species distribution models

ABSTRACTPredictive models such as species distribution models (SDMs) are increasingly applied to inform conservation efforts and management decisions. A thoughtful predictor choice, and hence the variable selection process, is a challenge when modeling large communities. Often, variable choice is made for an entire community and not for specific species, resulting in less appropriate predictors for at least some species and affecting model performance and predicted distributions. Using 2 German river catchments as a model system, we investigated (1) application of boosted regression trees (BRTs) as a variable selection procedure to choose the optimal set of environmental predictors and (2) whether model performance is increased by applying custom-made predictor sets to individual species. From a community of 67 benthic macroinvertebrate species, 10 increased in accuracy with the customized predictor set and 10 species decreased in accuracy. Notably, current preference, stream notation, and functional group differed between these species’ groups, which correspond to varied environmental conditions in their known occurrence sites. The species that increased in accuracy showed a preference toward lowland conditions and were far less widespread than the species that decreased in accuracy. We conclude that BRTs are a useful tool for selecting variables for SDMs on large communities. Also, for specialist, rare, or invasive species, determining a species-specific custom-made predictor set may be preferable because species’ preferences may not be representative of the entire study area. Our study describes a structured variable selection approach that can be readily implemented to predict species distributions informative for river management decisions.

Various measures of potential evapotranspiration have species-specific impact on species distribution models

The growth and distribution of plant species in water limited environments is often limited by the atmospheric evaporative demands which is measured in terms of potential evapotranspiration (PET). While PET estimated by different methods have been widely used to assess vegetation response to climate change, species distribution models offer unique opportunity to compare their efficiency in predicting habitat suitability of plant species. In this study, we perform the first multi-species comparison of two widely used metrics of PET i.e., Penman-Monteith and Thornthwaite, and show how they result in similar or different on projected distribution of water limited species and potential consequences on their conservation strategies across North Central U.S. To build species distribution models of eight species, we used two sets of environmental predictors which were identical except for the metric of PET (Penman-Monteith vs Thornthwaite) and projected habitat suitability for historical (2005) and future (2099) periods. We found an excellent model performance with no difference under two sets of predictors (AUC = ∼0.93). The relative influence of Thornthwaite PET on habitat prediction was higher than Penman PET for most of the species. We observed that the area of the projected suitable habitat was always higher under Thornthwaite set of predictors than Penman set of predictors (ranges from 25 % to 941 %), with the exception of Pinus contorta for which the reverse was true. In most cases, these differences were non-trivial, indicating that the choice of the PET metric, although both of them are commonly used, can have dramatic consequences on the conservation management decisions. Therefore, the conservation management decisions can be markedly different depending on the choice of the PET metric used for species distribution modeling of water limited species.

A typology of barriers and enablers of scientific evidence use in conservation practice

Over the last decade, there has been an increased focus (and pressure) in conservation practice globally towards evidence-based or evidence-informed decision making. Despite calls for increased use of scientific evidence, it often remains aspirational for many conservation organizations. Contributing to this is the lack of guidance on how to identify and classify the array of complex reasons limiting research use. In this study, we collated a comprehensive inventory of 230 factors that facilitate or limit the use of scientific evidence in conservation management decisions, through interviews with conservation practitioners in South Africa and UK and a review of the healthcare literature. We used the inventory, combined with concepts from knowledge exchange and research use theories, to construct a taxonomy that categorizes the barriers and enablers. We compared the similarities and differences between the taxonomies from the conservation and the healthcare fields, and highlighted the common barriers and enablers found within conservation organizations in the United Kingdom and South Africa. The most commonly mentioned barriers limiting the use of scientific evidence in our case studies were associated with the day-to-day decision-making processes of practitioners, and the organizational structures, management processes and resource constraints of conservation organizations. The key characteristics that facilitated the use of science in conservation decisions were associated with an organization's structure, decision-making processes and culture, along with practitioners' attitudes and the relationships between scientists and practitioners. This taxonomy and inventory of barriers and enablers can help researchers, practitioners and other conservation actors to identify aspects within their organizations and cross-institutional networks that limit research use – acting as a guide on how to strengthen the science-practice interface.

Population structure and survival of the critically endangered cycad Encephalartos latifrons in South Africa

This study investigates the population structure and life history traits of the Critically Endangered cycad, Encephalartos latifrons. Populations of E. latifrons have been considered functionally extinct because no natural recruitment has been observed in the wild for almost 30 years. The discovery of a previously undocumented population of E. latifrons has made it possible to build on previous research into the life history and regeneration capabilities of the species. This new population was censused annually over 5 years; between 2013 and 2017. Population characteristics of this ‘new’ population were compared to earlier studies in 2010 of a well-known and intensively managed population. Results of the censuses show that the newly discovered population of E. latifrons appears to be increasing under current environmental conditions through natural recruitment. The discovery of a ‘new’ E. latifrons population has uncovered many more questions and further research is needed. Information on the life history of E. latifrons, particularly its response to fire, should be used to inform conservation management decisions at a time where the impact of climate change is predicted to have a major influence in the Fynbos Biome.

Environmental niche modeling for some species of the genus Anthrax Scopoli (Diptera: Bombyliidae) in Egypt, with special notes on St. Catherine protected area as a suitable habitat

The genus Anthrax Scopoli is a well-known genus of bee flies, with 16 species recorded from Egypt, out of about 250 species known worldwide. Six of these species seem to be endangered or threatened (at least in a part of their distribution range) as they disappeared from most of their Egyptian localities which faced severe changes in the floral and faunal composition during the last 50 years. These changes may be attributed to urbanization or modern agricultural activities that caused severe degradation of natural habitats of these species. Maximum entropy (Maxent) modeling was used to predict the potential climatic niches of these six Anthrax species, namely: Anthrax aethiops, Anthrax chionanthrax, Anthrax dentate, Anthrax melanista, Anthrax lucidus, and Anthrax trifasciatus. The Maxent model performed better than random for the six species, with an average test AUC value of 0.95 for A. aethiops bezzii, 0.83 for A. chionanthrax, and 0.98 for A. dentate, 0.86 for A. melanista, 0.96 for A. lucidus and 0.99 for A. trifasciatus. A set of four variables were selected for each species from 19 bioclimatic and 3 topographic variables, based on correlation analyses. The study showed that the current distributions of A. dentata, A. lucidus and A. trifasciatus were largely explained by the altitude, but A. chionanthrax and A. melanista were so far dominated by temperature, whereas on A. aethiops bezzii was strongly related to precipitation variables. St. Catherine protected area showed high habitat suitability for all species except A. lucidus. The suitable habitat for A. trifasciatus was restricted to this protected area, however, future scenarios of climatic changes through the area predict a great degradation in habitat suitability for this species. These results can be used for making powerful conservation management decisions in St. Catherine Protectorate to incorporate these Anthrax spp. in any present or future conservation programs.

New species of black corals (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Antipatharia) from the New Zealand region, part 2

ABSTRACT One new genus and ten new species of antipatharian corals are described from the New Zealand region. Differential diagnoses are given and comparisons are made to related nominal species. Described as new is the genus Acanthosaropathes and the following species: Antipathes coronata, A. dicrocrada, A. polyhedra, Acanthosaropathes uniseriata, Phanopathes ctenocrada, Cupressopathes simplex, Stylopathes stenotes, Stauropathes stellata, Telopathes tasmaniensis, and Heteropathes intricata. This research highlights the diversity of deepsea corals for the region, improves knowledge of the distributional limits of species, which in turn can inform assessments of species prevalence for conservation initiatives and management decisions.

Impact of reduced-representation sequencing protocols on detecting population structure in a threatened marsupial.

Reduced-representation sequencing methods have wide utility in conservation genetics of non-model species. Several methods are now available that reduce genome complexity to examine a wide range of markers in a large number of individuals. We produced two datasets collected using different laboratory techniques, comprising a common set of samples from the greater bilby (Macrotis lagotis). We examined the impact of differing data filtering thresholds on downstream population inferences. We found that choice of restriction enzyme and data filtering thresholds, especially the rate of allowable missing data, impacted our ability to detect population structure. Estimates of FST were robust to alterations in laboratory and bioinformatic protocols while principal coordinates and STRUCTURE analyses showed variation according to the number of loci and percent missing data. We advise researchers using reduced-representation sequencing in conservation projects to examine a range of data thresholds, and follow these through to downstream population inferences. Multiple measures of population differentiation should be used in order to fully understand how data filtering thresholds influence the final dataset, paying particular attention to the impact of allowable missing data. Our results indicate that failure to follow these checks could impact conclusions drawn, and conservation management decisions made.

Improving risk assessments in conservation ecology

Conservation efforts and management decisions on the living environment of our planet often rely on the results from statistical models. Yet, these models are imperfect and quantification of risk associated with the estimate of management-relevant quantities becomes crucial in providing robust advice. Here we demonstrate that estimates of risk themselves could be substantially biased but by combining data fitting with an extensive simulation–estimation procedure, one can back-calculate the correct values. We apply the method to 627 time series of population abundance across four taxa using the Gompertz state-space model as an example. We find that the risk of large bias in population status estimate increases with the species’ growth rate, population variability, weaker density dependence, and shorter time series, across taxa. We urge scientists dealing with conservation and management to adopt a similar approach to ensure a more accurate estimate of risk measures and contribute towards a precautionary approach to management.

Exploring Local Perceptions of and Attitudes toward Endangered François’ Langurs (Trachypithecus francoisi) in a Human-Modified Habitat

Understanding local community attitudes toward wildlife is critical for making context-sensitive conservation planning and management decisions that may facilitate better human–wildlife coexistence. We conducted questionnaire-based interviews with local households in Qinglong Village of Mayanghe National Nature Reserve (MNNR) in China from March to August 2015. We used a mixed analysis technique based on a theoretical framework of categorical variables to explain attitudes to investigate the key factors that influenced local attitudes toward Endangered Francois’ langurs (Trachypithecus francoisi). We found that 53% (40, N = 75) of interviewees liked Francois’ langurs presence around the village, 27% did not, and 20% were neutral. Respondents with favorable attitudes to langurs associated them mainly with tangible benefits from local tourism and their positive aesthetic and emotional values. Respondents with negative attitudes to langurs associated them with tangible costs such as crop feeding and the destruction of their houses. Over half (N = 9) of respondents with neutral attitudes associated langurs with various cost and benefit trade-offs. Overall, local people tended to have slightly negative perceptions of the langurs’ impacts at the household level, while they had very positive perceptions of their impacts at the community level. Ordinal logistic regression models revealed that age, gender, and impact perceptions were significantly associated with local residents’ attitudes toward the langurs at the household and community levels. We suggest that such socioeconomic monitoring efforts should be periodically conducted in protected areas such as MNNR, especially in the context of rapid economic and infrastructure development.

Using molecular diet analysis to inform invasive species management: A case study of introduced rats consuming endemic New Zealand frogs.

The decline of amphibians has been of international concern for more than two decades, and the global spread of introduced fauna is a major factor in this decline. Conservation management decisions to implement control of introduced fauna are often based on diet studies. One of the most common metrics to report in diet studies is Frequency of Occurrence (FO), but this can be difficult to interpret, as it does not include a temporal perspective. Here, we examine the potential for FO data derived from molecular diet analysis to inform invasive species management, using invasive ship rats (Rattus rattus) and endemic frogs (Leiopelma spp.) in New Zealand as a case study. Only two endemic frog species persist on the mainland. One of these, Leiopelma archeyi, is Critically Endangered (IUCN 2017) and ranked as the world's most evolutionarily distinct and globally endangered amphibian (EDGE, 2018). Ship rat stomach contents were collected by kill‐trapping and subjected to three methods of diet analysis (one morphological and two DNA‐based). A new primer pair was developed targeting all anuran species that exhibits good coverage, high taxonomic resolution, and reasonable specificity. Incorporating a temporal parameter allowed us to calculate the minimum number of ingestion events per rat per night, providing a more intuitive metric than the more commonly reported FO. We are not aware of other DNA‐based diet studies that have incorporated a temporal parameter into FO data. The usefulness of such a metric will depend on the study system, in particular the feeding ecology of the predator. Ship rats are consuming both species of native frogs present on mainland New Zealand, and this study provides the first detections of remains of these species in mammalian stomach contents.

Plastron‐mounted loggers predict terrestrial turtle body temperature better than carapace‐mounted loggers

ABSTRACTStudies of thermal ecology are imperative for understanding habitat use and selection by animals and can inform management decisions for conservation of species and habitat. Chelonian thermal ecology studies have used carapace measurements as proxies for body temperatures despite recorded differences exceeding 5° C. Although implanting temperature loggers is the optimal method for measuring body temperature, performing implantation surgery is not always a feasible option. Additionally, differences in thermal properties of a carapace‐mounted temperature logger and turtle shell may alter how we interpret these data. We sought to validate a less invasive approach to measure body temperature in terrestrial chelonians using eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina; captured in southwestern Ohio, USA, during 2014 and 2015) to assess the accuracy and precision of external placements. Our goal was to determine the optimal external temperature logger placement for predicting body temperature and compare specific heat capacity of loggers and turtle shell to assess their use as proxies for body and microhabitat temperature. We found that placing the temperature logger on the plastron of the turtle was a better predictor of body temperature than using a carapace logger, and the combination of both loggers had the best predictive value. We argue that for thermal ecology studies informing management and conservation decisions in terrestrial chelonians, the carapace temperature logger is a better indicator of ambient temperature and the plastron temperature logger is a more appropriate proxy for body temperature. © 2019 The Wildlife Society.

Updated climate database and impacts on WEPP model predictions

CLImate GENerator (CLIGEN) (v5.3), a stochastic weather generator, is widely used in conjunction with the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) model for runoff and soil loss predictions. CLIGEN generates daily estimates of weather based on long-term observed weather station data statistics. For the United States, the original CLIGEN database released with WEPP in 1995 was derived using inconsistent periods of climate records through 1992 that could lead to significant variations in runoff and soil loss predictions on spatial and temporal scales. To achieve more reliable estimates of runoff and soil loss, an updated climate database was derived from a consistent 40 years of recent climate records of 1974 to 2013 in the United States. The objectives of this study were to (1) examine the spatial patterns in trends of differences in precipitation and maximum and minimum temperatures between the two databases, and (2) evaluate the impacts on WEPP-predicted mean annual runoff and soil loss, from the original to the updated databases. For runoff and soil loss estimates, WEPP simulations were conducted under a tilled fallow condition for 1,600 CLIGEN locations in the contiguous United States for a slope profile of 22.1 m length, 9% slope gradient, and silt loam soil. Comparison of precipitation and maximum and minimum temperatures between the original and updated databases showed variations in spatial patterns both annually and seasonally. Annual precipitation and minimum temperature generally increased across most of the country while maximum temperature increased in the western half of the United States and parts of the Northeast. Seasonally, increases in precipitation are evident in the Midwest in spring, fall, and winter, the Northwest in spring, and the Southeast in fall. Maximum daily temperature has increased in the western half of United States and parts of the Northeast in the winter, fall, and spring, whereas minimum daily temperature has increased in all seasons across the United States. Changes in WEPP-simulated mean annual runoff and soil loss from the use of the original to the updated CLIGEN database showed increases in runoff and soil loss in most of the United States. However, some stations showed either increases or decreases in runoff and/or soil loss with the updated database primarily because of differences in monthly precipitation and intensity values in the two databases. Understanding the impacts of the use of the updated database on runoff and soil loss from this study will help in making informed decisions for conservation planning and management when utilizing the WEPP erosion model.

At what spatial scale should risk screenings of translocated freshwater fishes be undertaken - River basin district or climo-geographic designation?

To inform aquatic conservation policy and management decisions, translocated freshwater fish species, i.e. those native to part but not all of Great Britain (GB), were assessed with the Aquatic Species Invasiveness Screening Kit (AS-ISK) at two spatial levels (River Basin District [RBD] and GB overall), the outcome scores calibrated and analysed to determine the relevance of geographical scale (GB, RBD and freshwater ecoregion) on AS-ISK outcome score rankings. The 16 species assessed received scores that showed limited among-RBD variation, with all but only one species (silver bream Blicca bjoerkna) receiving the same risk ranking across all RBDs for which they were assessed. A trend of increasing AS-ISK score with decreasing RBD latitudinal location was observed, with two species (bleak Alburnus alburnus and tench Tinca tinca) found to have significantly higher AS-ISK scores in west-coast RBDs than in RBDs to the north and east, and one species (bleak Alburnus alburnus) to have significantly higher AS-ISK scores in southern RBDs than in northern RBDs. The Water Framework Directive classification of Scotland was found to be inconsistent with the latitudinal gradients in that country's environmental conditions, which are better reflected in the distinction of northern and southern freshwater ecoregions. The ramifications of these legislative classifications for aquatic conservation are discussed.