Life Stages Of Species Research Articles

Topography and life stage regulate species aboveground biomass distribution in combination in a tropical montane rainforest.

Understanding the correlation between topography, species biomass and species life stage would allow forest managers to better foster carbon storage in forests. Using census data from a 60-ha plot in south China, we first quantified aboveground biomass (AGB) and how much it varied among different topographies. Next, the specific contribution of 42 dominant species to total aboveground biomass was analyzed for each of the different topographies. We also explored whether these species-topography associations changed, in terms of species' AGB distribution, during each of the three life stages (sapling, juvenile, adult) for these 42 species. Our results showed that the average AGB was 368.79 Mg ha-1 and that it varied noticeably among the four topographies (Low valley, Slope, High valley and Ridge, which were classified by using fuzzy C-mean clustering based on elevation, convexity, and slope). AGB was significantly lower in the two valleys than in the two other topographies. Of the 42 species, 88.1% showed topographic preferences, and 78.6% appeared to exhibit topographic preferences that changed with life stage. Our work highlights the importance of topography and life stage in species biomass distribution and suggests that different combinations of species and life stages, based on species topographic preferences across life stages, may be better suited in different tropical rainforest topographies to maximize carbon storage overall.

Ecological network analysis reveals complex responses of tree species life stage interactions to stand variables

Ecological network analysis reveals complex responses of tree species life stage interactions to stand variables

From the modeling of diadromous species’ marine distributions to the characterization of their current and future marine habitats

IntroductionMany diadromous fish species are currently facing the threat of generalized population extirpations across their range, and conservation efforts implemented primarily within the continental domain may not be sufficient to ensure their viability. In consequence, better understanding the use of the marine environment by these species turned out to be critical.Material and methodWe developed marine species distribution models for two species, Allis shad (Alosa alosa) and the European flounder (Platichthys flesus), and proposed a way to interpret the habitat suitability from a more functional perspective. Our approach defined marine habitats as highly suitable environments that remained with a high potential through the species life stage duration at sea. First, a species-specific probabilistic threshold was applied to select for highly suitable environments each year of the simulations. Then, annual maps of high suitability were combined into recurrence maps showing areas were the environmental conditions remained the most suitable across the life at sea of the given species, these areas being called ‘marine habitats’. We applied this approach to study the current and future marine habitats of Allis shad and European flounder under climate change scenarios.ResultsThe main current marine habitats of these species were coastal, primarily in the Bay of Biscay for Allis shad and in the English Channel-North Sea for European flounder. These habitats are expected to experience minimal changes by mid-century, and the species may even benefit from new habitats at higher latitudes. However, the European flounder is likely to face greater challenges in the central part of its range by the end of the century, as potential spawning grounds may be threatened.DiscussionThis study provided a way to rethink ‘traditional’ suitability maps by integrating basic knowledge on the diadromous species life at sea. Our findings were part of a larger effort to link continental and marine habitats in improving management of diadromous species.

The ontogeny-specific thermal sensitivity of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica

IntroductionThe rapid increase in sea-water temperatures and frequency of extreme thermal events have amplified the risk of functional extinction of Mediterranean species such as the endemic long-lived seagrass Posidonia oceanica. Because of the valuable ecological functions and ecosystem services the species provides, understanding the life-stage specific thermal vulnerability is crucial to accurately predict the consequences of current and future global climate change and to protect and conserve existing meadows.MethodsTo this end, here we report a study on the ontogeny-specific thermal sensitivity of important physiological functions (i.e. respiration and net production) of three different early life history stages of P. oceanica, namely seed, seedling (4-month-old individuals) and 16-month-old plantlet by measuring thermal performance curves (eleven temperatures treatments between 15-36°C with n=8).ResultsAll three stages examined showed photosynthetic activity during light exposure with similar optimal temperatures for both net and gross production. Gross photosynthesis increased with rising temperature up to 28-30°C, subsequently declining at higher temperatures until complete inhibition at 36°C. The metabolic response of seeds was found to be temperature-dependent up to 26°C, while respiration of seedlings and plantlets was almost stable up to 28-30°C, but increased markedly at higher temperatures, resulting in a negative whole-plant C balance at temperatures above 32°C. Overall, our results show that seedlings and plantlets tolerate a wider temperature range (15 - 32°C) than seeds, which experience metabolic and physiological dysfunction from 26-28°C onwards.DiscussionThese findings suggest that the impact of warming on recruitment in P. oceanica meadows may vary depending on the timing of marine heatwaves (i.e. mid-spring to mid-autumn) and provide useful knowledge to inform restoration programs using early life stages of the species. In conclusion, the study of physiological responses during the early life stages of species is key to identify life history stages that are particularly vulnerable to climate change, which is vital knowledge for ecosystem management and conservation.

Effects of Menadione Sodium Bisulphite (Vitamin K3) Supplementation of the Diets Based on Plant Feed Ingredients on Growth and Bone Health of Gilthead Seabream (Sparus aurata) Fingerlings

The nutritional profile of aquaculture feeds can be altered with substitution of fish-based ingredients, including the vitamin contents, ultimately affecting the vitamin supply to fish. Requirements for several vitamins have been described for early life stages of species including some as salmonids and carps, but optimum levels for gilthead seabream fingerlings have not been described for most vitamins. In order to evaluate the essentiality of vitamin K in gilthead seabream fingerlings, a basal diet with low levels of marine ingredients (FM 10% and FO 6%) designed to contain five supplementation levels of vitamin K3 (0.1, 2.8, 6.3, 12.0, and 23.0 mg kg-1) was tested for 70 days. Growth and productive parameters were monitored along the trial and samples for X-ray analyses, and bone and liver molecular markers, histology, and proximal composition were taken. At the end of the experiment, growth, grp expression, and the reduced prevalence of skeletal disorders suggested that dietary vitamin K3 levels for gilthead seabream fingerlings should be above 12 mg kg-1 in diets containing a larger proportion of plant protein and vegetable oils.

Persistent yet vulnerable: resurvey of an Abies ecotone reveals few differences but vulnerability to climate change.

Climate change is shifting forest tree species distributions across elevational and latitudinal gradients, and these changes are often pronounced at ecotones where species meet their climatic bounds and are replaced by other species. Using an extensive ecotone composed of lower-montane white fir (Abies concolor var. lowiana) and upper-montane red fir (Abies magnifica var. magnifica) in the central Sierra Nevada range of California, USA, we (1) examined how the demographics of the ecotone have responded to recent climate using a field observational study and a historical dataset, (2) quantified climate drivers across species life stages using contemporary demographic data, and (3) tested the potential impacts of future climate on species-specific seedling survival and growth in a fully factorial growth chamber experiment that varied temperature, growing season length, and water availability. A re-examination of the ecotone midpoint after 35 yr suggested a reduction in A. concolor sapling and tree densities and a rise in A. magnifica proportional dominance between surveys. Seedling abundances across the ecotone indicated that A. magnifica tends to dominate the regeneration layer and currently forms an important component of the seedling community at elevations below those where A. magnifica saplings or trees begin to co-dominate stands. Observational and experimental assessments suggest that temperature and precipitation serve as important drivers, differentiating A. concolor vs. A. magnifica distributions, and are primary stressors at the seedling stage. Seedlings of both species were adversely affected by experimental climate treatments, although A. concolor exhibited greater survival and a more conservative growth strategy under extreme climatic stress than A. magnifica. Projections indicate that historical climate conditions will rise by an amount greater than the ecotone's current elevational extent by the end of the 21st century. Differential drivers of species abundances suggest that the projected climate will expand conditions that promote A. concolor abundance and impede A. magnifica abundance across the ecotone; however, disturbance activity and microclimatic conditions will also influence regeneration and overstory tree dynamics. Our study demonstrates the importance of quantifying species-specific responses to climate and indicates that widespread regeneration failure may be one possible consequence in which species exhibit strong sensitivity to projected climate conditions.

Editorial: Green or red: Challenges for fish and freshwater biodiversity conservation related to hydropower

Editorial: Green or red: Challenges for fish and freshwater biodiversity conservation related to hydropower

Environmental Risk of Pesticides for Fish in Small- and Medium-Sized Streams of Switzerland.

This study assessed the acute and chronic risk of pesticides, singly and as mixtures, for fish using comprehensive chemical data of four monitoring studies conducted in small- and medium-sized streams of Switzerland between 2012 and 2018. Pesticides were ranked based on single substance risk quotients and relative contribution to mixture risk. Concentrations of the pyrethroid insecticides, λ-cyhalothrin, cypermethrin and deltamethrin, and the fungicides, carbendazim and fenpropimorph, posed acute or chronic single substance risks. Risk quotients of eighteen additional pesticides were equal or greater than 0.1, and thirteen of those contributed ≥30% to mixture risk. Relatively few substances dominated the mixture risk in most water samples, with chronic and acute maximum cumulative ratios never exceeding 5 and 7, respectively. A literature review of toxicity data showed that concentrations of several pesticides detected in Swiss streams were sufficient to cause direct sublethal effects on fish in laboratory studies. Based on the results of our study, we conclude that pesticides detected in Swiss streams, especially pyrethroid insecticides, fungicides and pesticide mixtures, pose a risk to fish health and can cause direct sublethal effects at environmental concentrations. Sensitive life stages of species with highly specialized life history traits may be particularly vulnerable; however, the lack of toxicity data for non-model species currently prevents a conclusive assessment across species.

Habitat Suitability Modeling and Mapping to Assess the Influence of Freshwater Withdrawals on Spatial Distributions and Population Numbers of Estuarine Species in the Lower Peace River and Charlotte Harbor, Florida

AbstractThe effects of potential reductions of freshwater inflow were evaluated for the lower Peace River and its largest tributary, lower Shell Creek, which flow into the Charlotte Harbor estuary in southwest Florida. Habitat suitability modeling (HSM) and mapping of fish and invertebrate species life stages were used to seasonally predict changes in spatial distributions and population numbers associated with simulated freshwater withdrawals. Seasonal salinity grids and temperature grids derived from values predicted by hydrodynamic modeling (2007–2014) were similar between baseline (i.e., flows not affected by water withdrawals) and minimum flows (flows associated with water withdrawals). Depth grids, bottom type grids, and seasonal dissolved oxygen grids were held constant between the two scenarios. Seasonal habitat suitability models were applied to 28 fish and invertebrate species life stages with affinities for low or moderate salinity. Salinity was the most significant factor in seasonal models for species life stages. The seasonal HSM maps produced showed that spatial distributions were similar between baseline and minimum flows for each species life stage. Most seasonal estimates of population numbers under minimum flows were less than the estimates for the baseline condition, indicating some effect on population numbers associated with flow reductions. Reductions in population numbers under minimum flows ranged from 0.3% to 21.0%, with 3 out of 28 seasonal comparisons indicating losses >15% and 12 comparisons indicating losses between 5% and 15%. Although other factors related to freshwater inflow can also influence species abundance and distribution, these results demonstrate how output from hydrodynamic modeling can be applied to HSM analyses and mapping to estimate spatial changes in habitat areas and population numbers for the life stages of selected fish and invertebrate species in relation to changes in salinity distributions, which can be used to identify areas of an estuary that are particularly susceptible to the effects of inflow reductions.

A biological characteristic extrapolation of compound toxicity for different developmental stage species with toxicokinetic-toxicodynamic model

Intraspecific difference in toxicity brings uncertainty to ecological risk assessment (ERA) and water quality criteria (WQC) of chemicals. Here, we compared intraspecies sensitivity to toxicants for Mesocyclops leuckarti of which toxicity data was obtained from published literatures, and zebrafish Danio rerio of which toxicity data was done in this study). Due to the internal concentration of chemicals not measured, simplified toxicokinetic-toxicodynamic (TK-TD) models were used, and we investigated whether TK-TD parameters estimated by Bayesian method might represent the differences in sensitivity between life-stages of 2 species. The results demonstrated that the difference in TK-TD parameters (background mortality m0, no effect concentration NEC, the killing rate ks, and the dominant rate kd) could represent the toxicity difference between life-stages of individual species. The TK-TD model could predict toxicity in individual species (Cyprinus carpio L., Enchytraeus crypticus, Folsomia candida, Hyalella Azteca) exposed to different chemical concentrations and successfully extrapolate toxicity between different life stages of Mesocyclops leuckarti and Danio rerio by scaling several TK-TD parameters. The modified TK-TD model on the extrapolation toxicity of chemicals between life stages for species could be useful for the ERA and for deriving and revising WQC for chemicals.

Modeling and Mapping to Assess Spatial Distributions and Population Numbers of Fish and Invertebrate Species in the Lower Peace River and Charlotte Harbor, Florida

AbstractCatch per unit effort (CPUE) was computed from fisheries‐independent monitoring data collected from 1996 through 2013 in the lower Peace River and Charlotte Harbor, Florida. Seasonal habitat suitability modeling (HSM) based on delta‐gamma generalized additive models was prepared for eight fish and invertebrate species life stages with affinities for either low or moderate salinities. Using a geographic information system, habitat maps were created from monitoring data for temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, depth, and bottom type in the study area. Gear‐corrected CPUEs derived from HSM were applied to corresponding habitat grid cells. Seasonal HSM maps were then created, depicting the spatial distribution and relative abundance for early juvenile, juvenile, and adult life stages. By overlaying Optimum abundance zones from each HSM map onto corresponding salinity grids, the preferred ranges of salinity were found to be similar between seasons for each of six estuarine‐resident species life stages. This implies that each resident species occupies a unique salinity range in the river and estuary, which varies little between seasons. During the summer wet season, the geographic ranges occupied by each resident species life stage expanded in response to increased inflow, while the preferred salinity ranges occupied were similar between seasons. However, this was not the case for the two estuarine‐transient species (Red Drum Sciaenops ocellatus and Spot Leiostomus xanthurus), which tended to utilize different salinity ranges between seasons. Habitat‐based population estimates were prepared for each species life stage by using the predicted CPUE grids used to create the HSM maps. The demonstrated methods support ecosystem‐based fishery management and management of freshwater inflow to tidal rivers.

Identification of salmon population bottlenecks from low flows in a hydro-regulated river

Flow regime alterations from hydropower regulation may impact fish populations. Impacts can be characterized using methods for mapping bottlenecks for different species life stages. Improving the understanding of such bottlenecks could provide a basis for mitigation measures. An integrated modelling approach coupling a salmon population model (IB-salmon), a hydraulic 1D model (HEC-RAS) and a temperature model (Air2Stream) was used to identify the bottlenecks constraining the salmon population in a hydro-regulated river (Ljungan River, Sweden). This integrated approach evaluated changes in the salmon population under different low flow scenarios, involving potential dewatering of spawning sites, and the effect of restored spawning sites. Model results demonstrated that low discharges in winter and summer were potential hydrological bottlenecks for the salmon population, particularly in winter due to potential dewatering of spawning sites. Restoration of spawning sites increased salmon production under all scenarios, posing a potential counter measure against low flows.

Distribuição de larvas de Brycon amazonicus (PISCES: BRYCONIDAE) no entorno da Reserva de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Mamirauá: base ecológica para manejo

A conservação dos recursos pesqueiros no médio Amazonas está relacionada ao conhecimento acerca dos seus estoques pesqueiros mais importantes, incluindo também o conhecimento sobre os padrões de recrutamento e desenvolvimento dos primeiros estágios de vida das espécies de maior importância econômica para a região. O presente trabalho amplia o conhecimento ecológico sobre a distribuição das larvas de Brycon amazonicus (matrinxã) a fim de verificar a importância dos ambientes fluviais para o recrutamento biológico dessa espécie, auxiliando no manejo sustentável e na conservação desse recurso pesqueiro da Amazônia Central. Este trabalho foi realizado no entorno da Reserva de Desenvolvimento Sustentável do Mamirauá (RDSM), e os dados obtidos foram provenientes de coletas diurnas e noturnas realizadas durante o período de enchente de 2011, no trecho médio do Rio Solimões e Baixo Rio Japurá, por meio de arrastos horizontais na superfície e em profundidade (8m), utilizando rede de plâncton 300µm em 16 estações de amostragem. Foram capturadas 310 larvas de matrinxã, sendo 148 indivíduos coletados no Rio Solimões e 162 no Rio Japurá. Observou-se que não houve um padrão claro de distribuição entre os habitats amostrados; entretanto, foi constatado variação da abundância larval indicando distribuição espacial (estratos da coluna d’água) e temporal (ciclo diário), com as maiores abundâncias registradas na subsuperfície da água durante o período noturno. Larvas registradas em estágios mais avançados de desenvolvimento refletem a importância da área de estudo para o recrutamento biológico, servindo como área de criação e alimentação para as larvas de matrinxã, sendo consideradas Habitats Essenciais para Peixes (EFHs) fundamentais para o manejo sustentável e conservação desse recurso pesqueiro da Amazônia Central.

Legacy effects of developmental stages determine the functional role of predators.

Predators are instrumental in structuring natural communities and ecosystem processes. The strong effects of predators are often attributed to their high trophic position in the food web. However, most predators have to grow and move up the food chain before reaching their final trophic position, and during this developmental process their traits, interactions and abundances change. Here, we show that this process of 'moving up' the food chain during development strongly determines the ecological role of a predator. By experimentally manipulating the succession of developmental stages of a predatory salamander in a seasonal aquatic ecosystem, we found that the effects of this apex predator on the ecosystem typically declined with age and size. Furthermore, younger, smaller predator stages had long-lasting effects on community structure and ecosystem function that determined the effects of subsequent older, larger stages. Consequently, the legacy effects of early stages largely shaped the impact of the predator on the ecosystem, which could not simply be inferred from its final trophic position. Our results highlight that accounting for all life stages when managing natural populations is crucial to preserve the functioning of natural ecosystems, especially given that early life stages of species are often particularly vulnerable to natural and anthropogenic disturbances.

Biochemical alterations in native and exotic oyster species in Brazil in response to increasing temperature

The increase of temperature in marine coastal ecosystems due to atmospheric greenhouse gas emissions is becoming an increasing threat for biodiversity worldwide, and may affect organisms' biochemical performance, often resulting in biogeographical shifts of species distribution. At the same time, the introduction of non-native species into aquatic systems also threatens biodiversity and ecosystem functions. Oysters are among the most valuable socio economic group of bivalve species in global fishery landings, and also provide numerous ecosystem services. However, the introduction of non-native oyster species, namely Crassostrea gigas for aquaculture purposes may threaten native oyster species, mainly by out competing their native congeners. It is therefore of upmost importance to understand physiological and biochemical responses of native and introduced oyster species in a scenario of global temperature rise, in order to provide knowledge that may allow for better species management. Hence, we compared biochemical alterations of the introduced C. gigas and the native Crassostrea brasiliana, the most important oyster species in Brazil, in response to different thermal regimes for 28days (24, 28 and 32°C). For this, metabolism (ETS), energy content (GLY), antioxidant system (SOD, CAT and GSH/GSSG) and cellular damage (LPO) were assessed in adult and juvenile specimens of both species. Juvenile C. gigas were the most affected by increased temperatures, presenting higher mortality, more pronounced antioxidant response (SOD), whereas adults were more tolerant than juveniles, showing no mortality, no significant changes in antioxidant enzymes activity neither energy expenditure. Native C. brasiliana juveniles presented lower mortality and less pronounced biochemical alterations were noted at higher temperature comparing to non-native C. gigas juveniles. Adult C. brasiliana were the least responsive to tested temperatures. Results obtained in this study bring interesting new insights on different oyster species life stages' physiological and biochemical tolerance towards thermal stress. The native species C. brasiliana showed ability to maintain biochemical performance at higher temperatures, with less pronounced biochemical changes than the non-native species. The introduced (C. gigas) showed to be more sensitive, presenting biochemical alterations to cope with the increase of temperature. Despite the lower observed fitness of the introduced species to temperatures closer to those naturally experienced by the native species, the ability of C. gigas to cope with higher temperatures should still raise concerns towards the native species C. brasiliana management and protection.

Drifting in the oceans: Isarachnanthus nocturnus (Cnidaria, Ceriantharia, Arachnactidae), an anthozoan with an extended planktonic stage

The life cycles of many marine taxa are still unknown, especially those species with indirect development and long-lived larval stages. Life cycles of cnidarians are relatively well known for most groups except Ceriantharia. This taxon presents taxonomic problems stemming from the lack of association between planktonic larval forms, often described as distinct species, with the corresponding adult benthic stages. Our study focused on the development of larvae with peculiar external morphology that could be linked to a described species established from adult specimens. Through cultivation of these larvae to juveniles with adult-like morphology and also with the use of DNA barcoding, it was possible to link the stages observed to a known species, Isarachnanthus nocturnus. Based on life span of the larva in the plankton (63–118 days), the larvae could potentially drift for about 2000–4000 km along the coast. Because rearing larvae in the laboratory may be complex and time-consuming and also because morphological data may have limited distinguishing power for specific identification of larvae collected in the field, we suggest and discuss the use of DNA barcoding as a tool to connect life stages of species of cerianthids and invertebrates in general.

Deriving Optimal Daily Reservoir Operation Scheme with Consideration of Downstream Ecological Hydrograph Through A Time-Nested Approach

The ecological flow requirement (EFR) during special life stages of species, for instance the fish spawning period, concerns not only the flow rate, but also daily changes in the flow rate. Therefore, it is more appropriate to optimize ecologically-friendly reservoir operation on a daily base. Directly formulating and solving a daily-based optimization model would involve a large number of decision variables as well as constraints, which may lead to unfavourable time consumption and unreliable solutions. This study proposes a time-nested approach to derive an optimal daily reservoir operation scheme with consideration of the downstream ecological hydrograph. It scales down the decision variables from monthly-base to 10-day base and finally to daily-base. The proposed method was applied to two cascaded reservoirs in the Yalong River in southwest China, where a daily ecological flow is required to conserve the habitats of an indigenous fish Schizothorax chongi (S. chongi). The results showed that the developed method could efficiently derive a daily optimal operational scheme with the consideration of downstream EFR for fish habitat conservation. In addition, the method greatly improves global searching ability in dealing with complex optimization problems.

Mitochondrial DNA allows the association of life stages to facilitate species recognition and delimitation in Australian stoneflies (Plecoptera : Gripopterygidae : Newmanoperla)

The larvae of stoneflies (Plecoptera) are important indicators for monitoring aquatic ecosystems, but the immature stages of some relevant species have not been described. Here, mitochondrial gene sequences are used to associate the adult and larval life stages for species of Newmanoperla McLellan. This study finds molecular and morphological support for five species, which include the four previously described species (N. exigua, N. hackeri, N. prona and N. thoreyi) and a newly recognised species, N. theischingeri, sp. nov., which is described herein. Molecular divergences between species for the COI fragment had minimum values of 15–18% while the maximum intraspecific divergence was 6–9%, and there was no overlap between species. Morphological characters for distinguishing the larvae of the five species were observed on the femora and included variations in the type of setation present and the area of occurrence. The combination of molecular and morphological methods enabled the larval morphology to be reassessed and has led to the following outcomes: the first formal generic larval description, a newly recognised species, updated descriptions for larvae of all species of Newmanoperla and a dichotomous key to larvae.

Phylogenetic-based nomenclatural proposals for Ophiocordycipitaceae (Hypocreales) with new combinations in Tolypocladium.

Ophiocordycipitaceae is a diverse family comprising ecologically, economically, medicinally, and culturally important fungi. The family was recognized due to the polyphyly of the genus Cordyceps and the broad diversity of the mostly arthropod-pathogenic lineages of Hypocreales. The other two cordyceps-like families, Cordycipitaceae and Clavicipitaceae, will be revised taxonomically elsewhere. Historically, many species were placed in Cordyceps, but other genera have been described in this family as well, including several based on anamorphic features. Currently there are 24 generic names in use across both asexual and sexual life stages for species of Ophiocordycipitaceae. To reflect changes in Art. 59 in the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN), we propose to protect and to suppress names within Ophiocordycipitaceae, and to present taxonomic revisions in the genus Tolypocladium, based on rigorous and extensively sampled molecular phylogenetic analyses. When approaching this task, we considered the principles of priority, monophyly, minimizing taxonomic revisions, and the practical utility of these fungi within the wider biological research community.

Transfer parameters for ICRP reference animals and plants collected from a forest ecosystem

The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) have suggested the identification of a series of terrestrial, marine and freshwater sites from which samples of each Reference animal and plant (RAP) could be systematically collected and analysed. We describe the first such study in which six of the eight terrestrial RAPs, and associated soil samples, were collected from a site located in a managed coniferous forestry plantation in north-west England. Adult life stages of species representing six of the terrestrial RAPs (Wild grass, Pine tree, Deer, Rat, Earthworm and Bee) were sampled and analysed to determine concentrations of 60 elements and gamma-emitting radionuclides. The resultant data have been used to derive concentration ratios (CR(wo-soil)) relating element/radionuclide concentrations in the RAPs to those in soil. This paper presents the first-reported transfer parameters for a number of the RAP-element combinations. Where possible, the derived CR(wo-soil) values are compared with the ICRPs-recommended values and any appreciable differences discussed.