Integral Conservation Research Articles

Integrating In-Situ and Ex-Situ Data Management Processes for Biodiversity Conservation

There is an increasing need for a “one plan approach” for conservation strategies that integrate in-situ and ex-situ management processes. Zoological institutions contribute directly to threatened species conservation through paradigms such as reintroduction, head-starting, supplementation, or rescue/rehabilitation/release. This in-situ/ex-situ integration necessitates collaboration at all levels of conservation action including planning, implementation, monitoring and finally assessment to drive adaptive management processes. Each component is dependent on the availability and accuracy of data for evidence to facilitate evaluation and adaptive management processes. The Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS), managed by Species360, is a centralized web-based information system used in zoological institutions worldwide to pool life history, behavior and health data and facilitate animal husbandry, health, and breeding management processes. Currently used for few integrated conservation programs, ZIMS is an innovative tool that offers a new opportunity to link data management processes for animals that spend a part of their lives under human care and part in their natural environment and great potential for use for managed wild populations.

Bias and perspectives in insect conservation: A European scale analysis

Insects are among the most diverse and abundant organisms on Earth, and they play a major role in ecosystem functioning. To protect them from decline, some conservation measures have been put in place, based primarily on threatened species lists. This is the case in Europe, where 123 of the 105,000 known European insect species are currently protected. Yet how were these few species selected? Are those species representative of the European entomofauna? Is it possible for a conservation policy based on the protection of only 0.12% of described species to be effective?In this study, we aimed to measure bias in the selection of species for conservation by comparing protected and unprotected species in Europe. To this end, we considered 15 characteristics divided into five main categories: ‘Taxonomy’, ‘Morphology’, ‘Diet’, ‘Knowledge’ and ‘Distribution’. We investigated bias in species selection and found that protected species were significantly larger, better known, more widespread and more multicoloured than a randomly selected set of unprotected species. Moreover, butterflies, dragonflies and grasshoppers were overrepresented, as were nectarivorous and saproxylophagous species. In contrast, Hymenopterans and Dipterans, together representing >40% of European entomofauna, do not appear on the current list of protected species.To address this bias, we propose recommendations to improve the protection of insects at the European scale, including making lists more ‘dynamic’, introducing new criteria, and a paradigm shift towards conserving assemblages and ecological function. Existing technical and societal means could be used to achieve an integrative conservation approach for insects.

A conservation framework for the Critically Endangered endemic species of the Caribbean palmCoccothrinax

AbstractWith 30 threatened species (14 categorized as Critically Endangered and 16 as Endangered, sensu IUCN),Coccothrinax(c. 54 species) is the flagship palm genus for conservation in the Caribbean Island Biodiversity Hotspot.Coccothrinaxhas its centre of taxonomic diversity in these islands, with c. 51 endemic species. We present a conservation framework for the 14 Critically Endangered species, found in Cuba, Haiti or the Dominican Republic. Only two species (C. jimenezii,C. montana) occur in more than one country (Haiti and the Dominican Republic). Immediate threats include oil drilling and nickel mining, intrusion of saline water into soil, urban and agricultural development, low population recruitment, uncontrolled fires, interspecific hybridization, and unsustainable ethnobotanical practices.Coccothrinax bermudezii,C. borhidiana,C. crinitassp.crinita,C. leonisandC. spissaare not conserved in protected areas.Coccothrinax bermudezii,C. jimenezii,C. leonisandC. nipensisare not part of ex situ collections. Based on results from a conservation project targetingC. jimenezii, we recommend international cooperation between the three range states to implement integrative conservation management plans, plant exploration initiatives, taxonomic revisions, outreach, and fundraising. The ultimate aim of this review is to provide baseline information that will develop conservation synergy among relevant parties working onCoccothrinaxconservation in Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Such collaborations could also benefit through partnerships with botanists working in other countries.

Tourism, Wastewater, and Freshwater Conservation in Palenque National Park, Mexico

As human population densities grow around the boundaries of protected areas in lower-income economies, there are frequently concomitant increases in environmental degradation. The purpose of this study was to examine water chemistry and the isotopic signatures of primary consumers in streams in and around a national park in the tropics to document whether park watersheds were affected by untreated wastewater. Three of the six study sites had concentrations of soluble reactive phosphorus >39 μg/L. Additionally, there was a strong, positive correlation between δN15 values of grazing snails and phosphorus concentrations of the water, suggesting that sewage effluent is influencing trophic ecology in the protected aquatic habitats. The results from this study lend support to recent calls for management beyond riparian buffers for conservation of freshwater ecosystem integrity in protected areas.

An ecological landscape approach to REDD + in Madagascar: Promise and limitations?

This article explores diverse emerging conceptualisations of “landscape” approaches to ‘Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation’ and related activities (REDD+) that are discernible in a growing body of academic literature and policy practice. Landscape approaches to REDD+ are assumed to be better able to tackle direct and indirect drivers of deforestation, particularly those that lie outside the forest sector. In assessing this promise, our paper has a two-fold objective: first, to develop a typology of landscape approaches to REDD+ discernible in the literature; and second, to assess which approach might be ascendant in the particular context of Madagascar, and whether it has the potential to address direct and indirect drivers of deforestation and forest degradation here. Our analysis of the burgeoning REDD+ landscape literature yields a typology of landscape approaches, which we characterise here as economic, political and ecological. In assessing which of these approaches is discernible in Madagascar, we find that an ecological conceptualisation has emerged. While such an approach shows some promise in addressing drivers, in comparison to previous integrated conservation and development approaches (ICDP) that pre-date REDD+, it is nonetheless still limited in its ability to do so. Hurdles include lack of inter-sectoral coordination and national-level political support for combating deforestation, as well as lack of community engagement in multilevel political processes. We conclude by highlighting the promise and limitations of pursuing a landscape approach to REDD+ in Madagascar, and the relevance of our analysis for other REDD+ countries wherein an ecological landscape approach might be considered.

Asymptotic analysis of the attractors in two-dimensional Kolmogorov flow

The high Reynolds-number structure of the laminar, chaotic and turbulent attractors is investigated in a two-dimensional Kolmogorov flow. The laminar attractors include the families of multi-phased travelling waves and quasi-periodic standing waves both of which form the backbone of the transition to a turbulent flow. At leading order, each laminar attractor under study is obtained by solving the Euler equations on a manifold subject to the appropriate periodicity and symmetry conditions. The manifold is determined by a finite number of vorticity equations, these being required to suppress the secular terms at the next order. Our results show that, for the multi-phased travelling waves, the first phase velocity can be determined by an integral conservation law for kinetic energy and the subsequent phase velocities can be evaluated by a non-linear eigenvalue problem. The results also reveal that whereas viscosity determines the smallest scales and controls the amplitude of the flow, the inertial terms govern the shape and form of the flow. The comparison of our analytical predictions for evaluating the stable single-phased travelling wave with the direct numerical simulation of the Navier–Stokes equations has been undertaken, the agreement being excellent. For sufficiently high Reynolds number, after the bifurcation to chaotic flow, all of the multi-phased travelling waves and quasi-periodic standing waves become unstable non-wandering sets. Based on the above new findings for these unstable non-wandering sets and other travelling and standing waves of this kind in phase space, necessary conditions for the invariant manifolds of the chaotic and turbulent attractors are obtained, these necessary conditions being conjectured to be also sufficient.

Identifying core indicators of sustainable tourism: A path forward?

Progress towards a more sustainable tourism sector at an enterprise level has been slow, even though a number of studies have developed a variety of indicators. Indeed, so many indicators have been developed that industry seems to be overwhelmed by choice, leading to inaction, poor decision-making or adoption of the easiest option. Perhaps, simplicity is the way forward. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate a number of studies that have proposed a variety of indicator themes to identify commonalities among them that may serve as a starting point for enterprises to move towards a more sustainable path. Seven key indicator themes emerged, including job creation, business viability, quality of life, water quality, waste management, energy conservation and maintenance of community integrity. The term ‘indicator theme’ is used for it identifies what needs to be assessed to monitor progress towards sustainable tourism, while simultaneously recognizing that specific measurement metrics may vary depending as they are site, context and enterprise specific.

CONSERVATION OF BIODIVERSITY AND SOCIO-CULTURAL DIMENSIONS OF SACRED GROVES OF KANNUR DISTRICT, KERALA

Sacred groves are small patches of forests, protected by local communities on religious grounds, rituals and culture. It represent a tradition of nature worship by dedicating patches of forests to deities and providing protection to such forest patches. They have immense value from genetic and ecological point ofview. Results of studies conducted in eleven sacred groves in Kannur district of Kerala are compiled in this paper. Two hundred and three plant species including 10 true mangroves give an insight into the bioecological and socio cultural dimensions of sacred groves in helping and conserving the biological diversity.Kaliyattam a performing art with different forms of ‘theyyam’ is conducted every year offering to propitiate the deity by different communities in the villages. ‘Devakooth’ a theyyam performed by women in Thekkumpad kavu. is noteworthy among the performative rituals. These ritualistic practices centred aroundthe sacred groves substantially contribute to the conservation and day- to-day management of ecological balance by sacred groves. The different types of roles played by sacred groves in maintaining the ecosystem integrity and biodiversity conservation are also presented in this paper.

Success of a deadwood enrichment strategy in production forests depends on stand type and management intensity

The increasing demand for wood products increases the anthropogenic pressure on biodiversity in forests. Thereby integrative nature conservation strategies, allowing for both, wood production and biodiversity conservation, increase in importance. While many of such strategies are now implemented, the success is often unclear. We evaluated the success of a deadwood enrichment strategy in a large hardwood production forest shortly (four and nine years) after its implementation. We compared plot wise data of deadwood amounts in managed stands of an even aged high forest and forest nature reserves before and after the implementation of the strategy, and used generalized additive boosting models to identify major drivers of deadwood amounts and deadwood enrichment. Deadwood amounts before and after the implementation of the strategy were affected by stand age, natural tree mortality and tree species composition. The highest amounts of deadwood were found in stands around 100years old, with a high natural mortality and a high percentage of deciduous trees. Harvesting intensity was a strong driver of deadwood enrichment. Besides that we found smaller differences between managed and unmanaged forests after the implementation. We conclude that active deadwood enrichment can be a valuable tool to increase deadwood amounts in production forests.

Linguistic diversity of natural UNESCO world heritage sites: bridging the gap between nature and culture

UNESCO Natural World Heritage Sites (WHSs) are some of the most important biophysical and geological places on Earth, yet nearly half are endangered or face considerable risks from ever-expanding human impacts. Often sites have people living within or nearby who speak different languages, many of which are unique and similarly endangered. Here we examine the co-occurrence of Natural WHSs with languages, as a key index of cultural diversity, to identify locations for integrative conservation opportunities aimed at protecting human and non-human diversity. Our analysis reveals many WHSs with high linguistic diversity, as well as endangered sites with associated indigenous languages and endangered languages that intersect Natural WHSs. Results identify Australia as the continent which has the greatest number of Natural WHSs, many co-occurring with highly endangered languages. Engaging speakers of indigenous languages often can help maintain nature, while efforts to conserve Natural WHSs can help preserve settings that enabled indigenous languages and cultures to emerge and persist.

On the treatment of plane fusion front in lumped parameter thermal models with convection

Within the framework of lumped parameter models for integral codes, this paper focuses on the modeling of a two-phase Stefan fusion problem with natural convection in the liquid phase. In particular, this specific Stefan problem is of interest when studying corium pool behavior in the framework of light water reactor severe accident analysis. The objective of this research is to analyze the applicability of different approximations related to the modeling of the solid phase in terms of boundary heat flux closure relations. Three different approximations are considered: a quadratic profile based model, a model where a parameter controls the power partitioning at the interface and the steady state conduction assumption. These models are compared with an accurate front-tracking solution of this plane fusion front problem. This “reference” is obtained by combining the same integral conservation equations as the approximate models with a mesh-based solution of the 1D heat equation. Numerical results are discussed for a typical configuration of interest for corium pool analysis. Different fusion transients (constructed from nondimensionalization considerations in terms of Biot and Stefan numbers) are used in order to highlight the potential and limitations of the different approximations.

Time-delayed biodiversity feedbacks and the sustainability of social-ecological systems

The sustainability of coupled social-ecological systems (SESs) hinges on their long-term ecological dynamics. Land conversion generates extinction and functioning debts, i.e. a time-delayed loss of species and associated ecosystem services. Sustainability theory, however, has not so far considered the long-term consequences of these ecological debts on SESs. We investigate this question using a dynamical model that couples human demography, technological change and biodiversity. Human population growth drives land conversion, which in turn reduces biodiversity-dependent ecosystem services to agricultural production (ecological feedback). Technological change brings about a demographic transition leading to a population equilibrium. When the ecological feedback is delayed in time, some SESs experience population overshoots followed by large reductions in biodiversity, human population size and well-being, which we call environmental crises. Using a sustainability criterion that captures the vulnerability of an SES to such crises, we show that some of the characteristics common to modern SESs (e.g. high production efficiency and labor intensity, concave-down ecological relationships) are detrimental to their long-term sustainability. Maintaining sustainability thus requires strong counteracting forces, such as the demographic transition and land-use management. To this end, we provide integrative sustainability thresholds for land conversion, biodiversity loss and human population size - each threshold being related to the others through the economic, technological, demographic and ecological parameters of the SES. Numerical simulations show that remaining within these sustainable boundaries prevents environmental crises from occurring. By capturing the long-term ecological and socio-economic drivers of SESs, our theoretical approach proposes a new way to define integrative conservation objectives that ensure the long-term sustainability of our planet.

Simple, Expendable, 3D-Printed Microfluidic Systems for Sample Preparation of Petroleum.

In this study, we introduce a simple protocol to manufacture disposable, 3D-printed microfluidic systems for sample preparation of petroleum. This platform is produced with a consumer-grade 3D-printer, using fused deposition modeling. Successful incorporation of solid-phase extraction (SPE) to microchip was ensured by facile 3D element integration using proposed approach. This 3D-printed μSPE device was applied to challenging matrices in oil and gas industry, such as crude oil and oil-brine emulsions. Case studies investigated important limitations of nonsilicon and nonglass microchips, namely, resistance to nonpolar solvents and conservation of sample integrity. Microfluidic features remained fully functional even after prolonged exposure to nonpolar solvents (20 min). Also, 3D-printed μSPE devices enabled fast emulsion breaking and solvent deasphalting of petroleum, yielding high recovery values (98%) without compromising maltene integrity. Such finding was ascertained by high-resolution molecular analyses using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry by monitoring important biomarker classes, such as C10 demethylated terpanes, ααα-steranes, and monoaromatic steroids. 3D-Printed chips enabled faster and reliable preparation of maltenes by exhibiting a 10-fold reduction in sample processing time, compared to the reference method. Furthermore, polar (oxygen-, nitrogen-, and sulfur-containing) analytes found in low-concentrations were analyzed by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. Analysis results demonstrated that accurate characterization may be accomplished for most classes of polar compounds, except for asphaltenes, which exhibited lower recoveries (82%) due to irreversible adsorption to sorbent phase. Therefore, 3D-printing is a compelling alternative to existing microfabrication solutions, as robust devices were easy to prepare and operate.

Focusing on structure and process to integrate and mainstream the social sciences in conservation.

Bennett and colleagues (2016) discerningly point out calls to integrate the social and natural sciences in conservation are “now routine.” Yet, these calls have a limited effect as they continue to go unheeded, although “everyone working in conservation, it seems, recognizes that natural science alone cannot solve conservation problems”. Highlighting the need for more comprehensive integration, the authors present a “framework for a collaborative and integrated conservation science and practice”, which ostensibly contains a set of structures for interdisciplinary team science. However, there is a conspicuous lack of explanation of these structures and, perhaps more importantly, no mention of the corresponding processes that are necessary to facilitate integration. By not detailing these aspects of their framework the authors leave their intent implicit, and miss a valuable opportunity to explicate the important role both structures and processes perform in interdisciplinary research. As other fields adjacent to conservation have come to understand, the synergistic relationship between structures and processes in interdisciplinary team science creates the hospitable environment required for integration and dispels the ad hoc approach of including other domains of knowledge. Acknowledging the importance of structures, processes, and their interactions in interdisciplinary research is essential at this nascent and critical stage of emerging interdisciplinarity in conservation. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Featured Collection Introduction: North Carolina Ecological Flows

Featured Collection Introduction: North Carolina Ecological Flows

Implementing nature conservation through integrated forest management: A street-level bureaucracy perspective on the German public forest sector

Integrated forest management–pursuing multiple management objectives on the same area–is one important approach to reconciling conflicting demands towards forests. While a few studies have examined its implementation at a local level, the literature is thus far lacking detailed analyses of how forestry professionals perceive and implement the integration of multiple demands towards public forests, as well as what factors are influencing local level decision-making. This study attempts to fill this gap. Focusing on nature conservation aspects and their integration into public forest management, where a primary objective is timber production, we examine the implementation of integrated forest management in five German Länder (German federal states) as perceived by state forest enterprise rangers (Revierleiter). Our findings indicate a great willingness and commitment among forest rangers to implement integrative nature conservation approaches through integrated forest management. However, there are also a number of factors that hinder their implementation. In particular there is a mismatch between the demands placed on rangers and the support provided to them regarding time, more flexible timber targets, and financial as well as personnel resources. We argue that the practical implementation of integrative nature conservation requires more favorable conditions which can actually facilitate the balancing of multiple demands through integrated forest management.

Assessment of Environmental Attitude of Adolescent of Bikaner City

Environmental attitudes are important because they often, but not always, determine behavior that either increases or decreases environmental quality. Environmental education aims to improve environmental attitudes but has mixed results. Environmental attitudes might be better described as having preservation and utilization dimensions. The canvas of environmental education includes main integrated components awareness and conservation. Hence the present study was undertaken to assess the environmental attitude of adolescents studying in senior secondary schools of Bikaner city. The total sample for the present study was 120 randomly selected adolescents. Data was collected through the Standardized Environmental Attitude Scale developed. To assess the areas of environmental attitude of the selected respondents, frequency and percentage were computed. The major findings revealed that none of the boys and girls were found to have low level of attitude. It can be concluded that although the adolescents had awareness and favorable attitude about different areas of environmental attitude. It was not sufficient and there was a need for imparting quality knowledge to the adolescents through appropriate environmental education program.

Konstrukcija sistema sa plutajućim ostrvima za remedijaciju zagađenih voda

Water regulation, integral water management and water conservation are one of the main tasks, set by an ecologically conscious society. A series of complex treatments are set in order to achieve the main goal in wastewater treatment, i.e. eliminating or reducing pollutants to a level that will not cause adverse effects to humans and the environment. The paper presents the construction of an efficient, environmentally friendly and economically justified biological system for the treatment of polluted urban waters. Research has shown that the proposed system with floating islands and algae was effective in removing various categories of pollutants from polluted river (organic and inorganic matter, heavy metals and pathogenic microorganisms), which indicated that the selected type of construction was appropriate. It was concluded that minor modifications in terms of cell coverage by floating islands could provide even greater removal of certain pollutants such as nitrogen, phosphorus and heavy metals.

The Definition of Density in General Relativity

According to general relativity the geometry of space depends on the distribution of matter or energy fields. The relation between the local geometrical parameters and the volume enclosed in given limits varies with the distribution of matter. Thus properties like particle number, mass or energy density, defined in the Euclidean tangent space, cannot be integrated to give conserved integral data like total number, mass or energy. To obtain integral conservation, a correction term must be added to account for the curvature of space. For energy this correction term is the equivalent of potential energy in Newtonian gravitation. With this correction the formation of black holes in the sense of singularities by gravitational collapse does no longer occur and the so called dark energy finds its natural explanation as potential energy of matter itself.

A Geographical Analysis of Land Use/Land Cover Dynamics in Lolab Watershed of Kashmir Valley, Western Himalayas Using Remote Sensing and GIS

This study is an attempt to analyze and highlight the present state of land use/land cover in Lolab watershed of Kashmir valley in western Himalayan environment. Land use/land cover determines the structure, functions and dynamics of most landscapes. The rampant changes in land use/land cover at regional watershed scale have wider ramifications on the environment. The land use/land cover is under tremendous anthropogenic pressure. Rapid and extensive modifications of land use/land cover due to accelerated human activities especially in fragile mountainous ecosystems like Kashmir valley have wider environmental ramifications. Watershed is an ideal spatial management unit for analyzing land dynamics and for initiation of holistic integrated conservation strategies. The present study carries out the land use/land cover change detection studies were from the year 2002 to 2014. A total of seven categories were delineated and during the study period, the forests showed a decrease from 45.31 percent in 2002 to 44.61 in 2014 i.e., 0.7 percent decrease while as horticulture showed an increase from 8.05 percent in 2002 to 9.91 percent in 2014, thus registering an increase of 1.86 percent. Agriculture has decreased to 1.04 percent during the study period. The overall, scenario presented by the study reveals that the land use/land cover change is quite visible throughout the study area.