West Park Research Articles

The role of acoustic signals for species recognition in redfronted lemurs (Eulemur rufifrons).

BackgroundSignals are essential for communication and play a fundamental role in the evolution and diversification of species. Olfactory, visual and acoustic species-specific signals have been shown to function for species recognition in non-human primates, but the relative contributions of selection for species recognition driven by sexual selection, natural selection, or genetic drift for the diversification of these signals remain largely unexplored. This study investigates the importance of acoustic signals for species recognition in redfronted lemurs (Eulemur rufifrons). We conducted playback experiments in both major populations of this species separated by several hundred kilometers: Kirindy Forest in the west and Ranomafana National Park in the east of Madagascar. The playback stimuli were composed of species-specific loud calls of E. rufifrons, three closely related species (E. albifrons, E. fulvus and E. rufus) and one genetically more distant species (E. rubriventer) that occurs in sympatry with eastern redfronted lemurs. We tested the ability of redfronted lemurs to discriminate conspecific from heterospecific loud calls by measuring the time spent looking towards the speaker after presentation of each loud call. We also tested the difference between female and male responses because loud calls may play a role in mate choice and the avoidance of heterospecific mating.ResultsRedfronted lemurs in Kirindy Forest did not discriminate their own loud calls from those of E. albifrons, E. fulvus and E. rufus, but they discriminated loud calls of E. rubriventer from their own. The Ranomafana population was tested only with three playback stimuli (E. rufifrons, E. albifrons, E. rubriventer) and did not discriminate between their own loud calls and those of E. albifrons and E. rubriventer. The response of females and males to playbacks did not differ in both populations. However, subjects in Ranomafana National Park responded more strongly to playback stimuli from E. rubriventer than subjects in Kirindy Forest.ConclusionsWe conclude that in both populations individuals were not able to discriminate between loud calls of closely related species living in allopatry and that responses to more distantly related congeners are likely to be modulated by experience. Subjects in Ranomafana paid more attention to loud calls of syntopic E. rubriventer in comparison to the Kirindy subjects, suggesting that experience is important in facilitating discrimination. Because acoustic and genetic distances among eulemurs are correlated, diversification in their acoustic signals might be the result of genetic drift.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-016-0677-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

A method for testing the effect of management interventions on the satisfaction and loyalty of national park visitors

Providing visitors with satisfying experiences is integral to park management. Research has inferred the determinants of satisfaction and loyalty through theorizing, observational studies, and statistical correlations. This article advocates randomized experiments as a complementary method for testing the causal effect of selected management interventions that change service quality on satisfaction and loyalty. An experiment using ranger presence and enhanced toilets in a West Australian national park is used to illustrate the approach. The presence of rangers caused significantly improved satisfaction with rangers, related service quality attributes, and overall satisfaction, but not loyalty. Enhancing toilets had nonsignificant impacts. These results strongly suggest the need for further visitor-focused experimental research to complement the growing body of research in national parks investigating the complex relationship among service quality, satisfaction, and loyalty.

Response to “Thinking About Our Work: Freud, Newton, and Einstein—Strange Bedfellows Indeed”

Response to “Thinking About Our Work: Freud, Newton, and Einstein— Strange Bedfellows Indeed” Sherry D. Breslau1 issn 0362-4021 © 2016 Eastern Group Psychotherapy Society group, Vol. 40, No. 3, Fall 2016 255 1 Private practice, Manhattan; Faculty/Supervisor, Derner Institute for Advanced Psychological Studies; and Clinical Supervisor, City University of New York. Correspondence should be addressed to Sherry D. Breslau, PhD, CGP, 295 Central Park West, #6, New York, NY 10024. E-mail: docbreslau@aol.com. I enjoyed and appreciated reading Robert Pepper’s “Thinking About Our Work: Freud, Newton, and Einstein—Strange Bedfellows Indeed.” Though I don’t consider myself scientifically minded, I have long been fascinated by the parallels between modern physics and the ways many of us think about unconscious processes. Dr. Pepper clearly demonstrates how our thinking about the psyche, and group process in particular, runs parallel to such widely accepted theories as Newton’s laws of motion and Einstein’s theory of the conservation of energy. I tend to gravitate (metaphorically) toward quantum theories that allow for ambiguity and uncertainty, thus allowing for an endless stream of possibilities. This echoes the way I work with individuals and groups, allowing for free associations and an unfolding of process. In that context, I will review some basic phenomena of physics that I think run parallel to a psychoanalytic mind-set. The observer effect states that it is impossible to measure a subatomic particle without having a direct effect on it. Particles are not static; they behave like waves, and each wave has an unlimited number of potential “wave functions.” However, once you measure a particle, or “collapse” its wave function, you are unable to observe any of its other myriad possible functions. The resemblance to the psychoanalytic processes of free association, emotional exploration, and interventions is wonderfully striking. At each point in our analytic dialogue, we face an important choice. We may intervene, or we may remain silent and allow our patient’s process to keep unfolding. Whether our intervention is an interpretation, an observation, or a thoughtful reaction, at the moment that we choose 256 breslau to intervene, we are choosing a direction for this moment of our session, and all other possibilities are put on hold. One might argue that even silence is an intervention, and in some sense, of course, that is also true. If we are silent, we are choosing an encouragement of our patient’s associations, thus eliminating the possibility of overt interaction for the time being. In the language of quantum physics, we are perpetually making choices about the timing of collapsing our patient’s wave functions. Nowhere is this trade-off more apparent than in a nonstructured therapy group or process group. There are so many interactions going on, and the possibilities are endless. If we pursue an individual or a detail too quickly, we are likely to shut down an interpersonal process. If we wait too long, it may be difficult to get back to important emotional content. In his delightful (although arguably speculative) book The Self-Aware Universe, physicist Amit Goswami (1993) does an outstanding job describing his version of how the “personal unconscious” and neuroses develop: How does the personal unconscious arise according to the quantum theory? It arises as follows: The subject is conditioned to avoid certain mental states; consequently, the probability becomes overwhelming that these states are never collapsed from coherent superpositions (wave functions) that include them. Such coherent superpositions, however, may dynamically influence without apparent external cause the collapse of subsequent states. Not knowing the cause of behavior may lead to neurosis-generating anxiety. Eventually, the subject may imagine causes and proceed to eliminate them through such neurotic behavior as compulsive hand washing. (p. 566) An illustration of yet another phenomenon in physics that has always sounded very “Freudian” to me is the concept of black holes and event horizons. An event horizon is generally defined as a boundary in space-time beyond which events cannot affect an outside observer. Event horizons occur around black holes (created by the gravity of collapsed stars). It has long been thought that the gravitational pull of the collapsed star becomes so strong that nothing, not even light...

Oculogyric crises in infants

Oculogyric crises (OGC) are episodes of conjugate tonic eye deviation. They are rare in infants but are important to recognize, as they may be the key sign suggesting that the infant has an inborn error of dopamine deficiency. OGCs were first recognized during the pandemics of encephalitis lethargica (EL) that probably first began in 1916–17, continued until the late 1920s and then mysteriously disappeared. The large number of cases and the emphasis on careful description of that era has left us with detailed clinical accounts of these episodes. McCowan and Cook [1] described the typical features of 23 patients with OGC from a total number of 136 patients admitted to West Park Mental Hospital with EL. OGC appeared within months to as long as 8 years after the episode of encephalitis. They only occurred in patients who had developed Parkinsonism. The episodes most commonly consisted of upward or upward and to one side eye deviation but lateral and downward deviation and even convergence could occur. The eye position could change during a crisis or from one crisis to another. The duration of attacks varied from seconds to hours and the one patient could have attacks of variable duration. Mental distress almost invariably accompanied the attacks. With great mental effort, the patient might be able to temporarily reverse the eye deviation. A large proportion of the at

Mapping the location, design and decline of London's psychiatric asylums (1831–2012)

ABSTRACTThis research analyses the location of psychiatric hospitals, previously known as ‘mental asylums’ built in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century in London, UK. Twenty of the largest facilities are geo-referenced using a mixed-methods approach including the use of archival documents, historical Ordnance Survey mapping, and a variety of recent digital datasets. The hospital locations are plotted on Ordnance Survey© [2013. Retrieved July 26, 2013, from http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/opendata/viewer/] Meridian™2 vector data. Inset maps provide comparative mapping of historic and current hospital sites using historic Ordnance Survey©, and recent Google™ Satellite data. Two of the largest former asylums of the ‘Epsom Cluster’ are explored in detail, Long Grove Hospital and West Park Hospital. Architectural design details and on-site photographs from 2007 and 2011 are used to demonstrate changes to luxury housing and of hospital decay. Of the 20 hospital sites mapped, 14 were converted into luxury housing, while only 2 remain as mental health facilities.

More Than One Way, or One Thing, to Learn in Supervision—A Response to Walter Stone's “Thinking About Our Work: Supervision”

55 1 Faculty, EGPS Training Program. Correspondence should be addressed to Tzachi Slonim, PhD, 145 Central Park West, Suite 1A, New York, NY 10023. E-mail: Tzachi.Slonim@gmail.com. In the same way that therapists need a theory of development, pathology, and mechanisms of change to guide treatment, supervisors need a theory to guide their work. For that, I am grateful for Walter Stone and GROUP’s editor Lee Kassan’s invitation to think and write about this important topic. As Stone notes, a recent issue of Psychoanalytic Inquiry was devoted to supervision, and from this issue he chose to focus on the contribution of Moga and Cabaniss (2014). These authors highlight the fact that supervision is an educational endeavor and as such should have learning objectives. So far, so good. They also note that each institution should determine its own learning objectives, which also sounds pluralistic and reasonable. The next step in their argument, however, is more problematic. They advocate for measurable learning objectives that are conveyed to students and used to evaluate their progress. They go so far as to suggest that “without this, educational endeavors float in limbo, subject to the whims of individual educators and unable to evolve in response to learners’ needs” (p. 529). And although one can presume that the preceding statement is part of a response to an authoritarian (and perhaps arrogant) psychoanalytic culture, where some senior analysts did not need to explain what they did, Moga and Cabaniss unfortunately revert to an allor-nothing language that fails to take into account the impact of such an evaluative and paternalistic stance (i.e., “I know what you need to learn, when, and how”) on the student. It also wrongly assumes that all educational theorists share the same point of view. In this brief communication, I challenge this notion by introducing the educational frameworks of enlightenment philosopher Immanuel Kant, progressive

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis: Treatment and outcomes of 93 patients.

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a leading cause of death worldwide and the emergence of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR TB) poses a threat to its control. There is scanty evidence regarding optimal management of MDR TB. The majority of Canadian cases of MDR TB are diagnosed in Ontario; most are managed by the Tuberculosis Service at West Park Healthcare Centre in Toronto. The authors reviewed 93 cases of MDR TB admitted from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2011. Eighty-nine patients were foreign born. Fifty-six percent had a previous diagnosis of TB and most (70%) had only pulmonary involvement. Symptoms included productive cough, weight loss, fever and malaise. The average length of inpatient stay was 126 days. All patients had a peripherally inserted central catheter for the intensive treatment phase because medications were given intravenously. Treatment lasted for 24 months after bacteriologic conversion, and included a mean (± SD) of 5 ± 1 drugs. A successful outcome at the end of treatment was observed in 84% of patients. Bacteriological conversion was achieved in 98% of patients with initial positive sputum cultures; conversion occurred by four months in 91%. MDR TB can be controlled with the available anti-TB drugs.

Influence of Concrete Time-Dependent Effects on the Performance of Top-Down Construction

The influence of time-dependent concrete behavior on the performance of top-down excavations is evaluated in light of the observed responses during construction of One Museum Park West (OMPW), a 53-story reinforced concrete tower. Performance during construction was recorded at five instrumentation stations, which included strain gauges in the concrete floor slabs used as lateral bracing during the top-down excavation sequence and inclinometers adjacent to the walls. Top-down construction was simulated with a 3D numerical model of the basement system in which concrete material time-dependent effects were considered, but not the stress relief caused by excavation or other construction activities. Time-dependent concrete response in the floor slabs and the passive resistance developed by the soil as the wall deforms due to concrete time-dependent effects are included in the model. The concrete time-dependent properties related to shrinkage, creep, and aging of the material used in the basement floor slabs are determined by means of standard concrete practice methods. The development of concrete strength and stiffness with time is compared with compressive strength tests on concrete cylinders from construction concrete reports for the concrete used in the floor slabs. Computed lateral deflections of the perimeter pile walls and strains in the floor slabs arising only from concrete material time dependence are compared with the results of performance data collected from inclinometers and strain gauges installed at five instrumentation stations. In this way, the relative contribution of concrete time-dependent effects and excavation-induced movements to the observed lateral wall movements during the top-down stages are determined and conclusions are drawn concerning the design and performance of the top-down support system at OMPW.

Editorial Expression of Concern: “New Records of a Threatened Lion Population (Panthera leo) in a West African National Park”

African Zoology is publishing an Editorial Expression of Concern regarding the following article: New records of a threatened lion population (Panthera leo) in a West African national park by Francesco Maria Angelici, Massimiliano Di Vittorio and Fabio Petrozzi, which appeared in African Zoology 47(2): 353-357, October 2012.

Observed Performance of the One Museum Park West Excavation

AbstractGround movements observed during foundation installation and basement construction of a residential 53-story RC tower are presented. The One Museum Park West building is located in Chicago, Illinois, and was developed using a combination of bottom-up methods, used for the construction of a central concrete core of the building, and top-down methods to build five levels of basements. The excavation extended 13–15 m below grade and was made through soft to medium-stiff clays. The building was supported by drilled shafts and a perimeter wall formed by secant piles that transitioned to tangent piles below the bottom of the cut. The system was laterally braced with RC floor slabs structurally connected to the secant pile walls and the RC core. Field performance data were collected by means of settlement points and inclinometers located close to the walls on two sides of the excavation. The construction sequence and attendant ground movements during each main activity are summarized. As much as 160 mm o...

Online appendix 1:Tourists’ perceptions and willingness to pay for the control of Opuntia stricta invasion in protected areas: A case study from South Africa

Invasive alien plants have a long history of establishment in the national parks of South Africa.In particular, Opuntia stricta (sour prickly pear) has invaded several protected areas in thecountry, threatening the biodiversity conservation mandate of these conservation areas. Thisarticle focuses on the economic estimation of O. stricta’s negative impacts in protected areas byusing Contingent Valuation surveys conducted amongst a sample of tourists in the PilanesbergNational Park (North West Parks and Tourism Board, South Africa). Tourists’ familiarity andawareness of selected invasive alien plants and their willingness to pay for the implementationof a control programme for O. stricta were assessed. The results show that many tourists arefamiliar with invasive alien plants and their (positive and negative) impacts and, in particular,perceived the presence of O. stricta to be negative, due to the impacts on aesthetics and recreation.Socio-demographic characteristics, as well as individual attitudes and biocentric beliefs, have aninfluence on the willingness to contribute financially to a control programme for O. stricta. Theindividual willingness to pay assessment found that the majority of respondents (78%) werewilling to pay a higher entrance fee (an additional R57.30 or $7.00 per day) for a hypotheticalprogramme to control the invasion of O. stricta in the Pilanesberg National Park.Conservation implications: The willingness of tourists to pay for O. stricta managementprovides useful insights in the decision-making process of park management. The resultsare encouraging, since, in general, tourists are aware of the problem and are in support ofproviding additional economic input for preventing future alien plant invasions.

The birth of geriatrics in America.

Journal of the American Geriatrics SocietyVolume 62, Issue 7 p. 1369-1376 Perspectives of Geriatrics by Pioneers in Aging The Birth of Geriatrics in America Leslie S. Libow MD, Corresponding Author Leslie S. Libow MD Departments of Geriatrics and Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New YorkAddress correspondence to Leslie S. Libow, 239 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024. E-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this author Leslie S. Libow MD, Corresponding Author Leslie S. Libow MD Departments of Geriatrics and Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New YorkAddress correspondence to Leslie S. Libow, 239 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024. E-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this author First published: 24 June 2014 https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.12882Citations: 3Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Citing Literature Volume62, Issue7July 2014Pages 1369-1376 RelatedInformation

Dual phylogenetic origins of Nigerian lions (Panthera leo).

Lion fecal DNA extracts from four individuals each from Yankari Game Reserve and Kainji-Lake National Park (central northeast and west Nigeria, respectively) were Sanger-sequenced for the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. The sequences were aligned against 61 lion reference sequences from other parts of Africa and India. The sequence data were analyzed further for the construction of phylogenetic trees using the maximum-likelihood approach to depict phylogenetic patterns of distribution among sequences. Our results show that Nigerian lions grouped together with lions from West and Central Africa. At the smaller geographical scale, lions from Kainji-Lake National Park in western Nigeria grouped with lions from Benin (located west of Nigeria), whereas lions from Yankari Game Reserve in central northeastern Nigeria grouped with the lion populations in Cameroon (located east of Nigeria). The finding that the two remaining lion populations in Nigeria have different phylogenetic origins is an important aspect to consider in future decisions regarding management and conservation of rapidly shrinking lion populations in West Africa.

A survey for Echinococcus spp. of carnivores in six wildlife conservation areas in Kenya

To investigate the presence of Echinococcus spp. in wild mammals of Kenya, 832 faecal samples from wild carnivores (lions, leopards, spotted hyenas, wild dogs and silver-backed jackals) were collected in six different conservation areas of Kenya (Meru, Nairobi, Tsavo West and Tsavo East National Parks, Samburu and Maasai Mara National Reserves). Taeniid eggs were found in 120 samples (14.4%). In total, 1160 eggs were isolated and further analysed using RFLP-PCR of the nad1 gene and sequencing. 38 of these samples contained eggs of Echinococcus spp., which were identified as either Echinococcus felidis (n=27) or Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto (n=12); one sample contained eggs from both taxa. E. felidis was found in faeces from lions (n=20) and hyenas (n=5) while E. granulosus in faeces from lions (n=8), leopards (n=1) and hyenas (n=3). The host species for two samples containing E. felidis could not be identified with certainty. As the majority of isolated eggs could not be analysed with the methods used (no amplification), we do not attempt to give estimates of faecal prevalences. Both taxa of Echinococcus were found in all conservation areas except Meru (only E. felidis) and Tsavo West (only E. granulosus). Host species identification for environmental faecal samples, based on field signs, was found to be unreliable. All samples with taeniid eggs were subjected to a confirmatory host species RLFP-PCR of the cytochrome B gene. 60% had been correctly identified in the field. Frequently, hyena faeces were mistaken for lion and vice versa, and none of the samples from jackals and wild dogs could be confirmed in the tested sub-sample. This is the first molecular study on the distribution of Echinococcus spp. in Kenyan wildlife. The presence of E. felidis is confirmed for lions and newly reported for spotted hyenas. Lions and hyenas are newly recognized hosts for E. granulosus s.s., while the role of leopards remains uncertain. These data provide the basis for further studies on the lifecycles and the possible link between wild and domestic cycles of cystic echinococcosis in eastern Africa.

The Evidence of the Survival of the Lion in Mole National Park is Incontrovertible. Reply to:New Records of a Threatened Lion(Panthera Leo)Population in a West African National Park are Unconvincingby Luke T.B. Hunter, Philipp Henschel & Hans Bauer

Second letter: This Letter to the Editor, as well as the companion Letter to the Editor (African Zoology 49(1): 1–2, 2014) and Short communication (African Zoology 47(2): 353–357, October 2012) that it refers to, have been retracted by the Editors-in-Chief and neither the electronic nor the print version of the short communication or the letters should be cited.

New Records of a Threatened Lion (Panthera leo) Population in a West African National Park are Unconvincing

First letter: This Letter to the Editor, as well as the companion Letter to the Editor (African Zoology 49(1): 2–4, 2014) and Short communication (African Zoology 47(2): 353–357, October 2012) that it implicates/refers to, have been retracted by the Editors-in-Chief and neither the electronic nor the print version of the short communication or the letters should be cited.

Central Park Offers Multiple Diversions

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Annual Meeting NewsFull AccessCentral Park Offers Multiple DiversionsJoan Arehart-TreichelJoan Arehart-TreichelSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:31 Mar 2014https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2014.2b2AbstractHorses and carriages, a vintage carousel, snow-leopard cubs, and an enchanted forest are some of the treasures you can encounter while strolling through Central Park.Cathy BrownHow about taking a walk through New York City’s famed Central Park? It could give you a nice break during the APA annual meeting and also a splendid sense of the Manhattan of yesteryear.For example, a century or so ago, Central Park was bustling with horses pulling phaetons, runabouts, and tandems. Today you can still hear the clop-clop of hooves as horses pull carriages containing tourists around the park. The horses and carriages can be hired at the southern end of the park—that is, along 59th Street across from the Plaza Hotel.Walking just a few blocks farther into the park will bring you to a carousel emitting nostalgia-provoking calliope music and making the rounds with 57 magnificent steeds. The carousel has been enchanting children and adults in that location for more than half a century. The carousel was crafted back in 1908, but was later found abandoned in an old trolley terminal on Coney Island before being relocated to Central Park in 1951. It is one of the largest carousels in the United States and an outstanding example of American folk art.The park offers more recent additions too—such as a garden dedicated to Beatle John Lennon. It is located near 72nd Street and Central Park West—across the street from the Dakota Apartments where Lennon lived until he was murdered in front of the building in 1980. The garden is called Strawberry Fields, after one of the Beatles’ songs, and the focus of the garden is an Italian mosaic bearing the title of Lennon’s most famous solo song—“Imagine,” which evokes a world without strife or war. More than 120 countries have endorsed Strawberry Fields as a Garden of Peace.Register Now! May 3-7, New York CityInformation on APA’s annual meeting can be accessed at APA’s Web site here. Member Registration can be accessed here (click on “Member Registration.”). Nonmember Registration: Go to the above URL and click on “Nonmember Registration.”.Late advance registration rates are in effect until May 1.Central Park has something for animal fans as well—the Central Park Zoo. Its five-plus acres will take you through a variety of habitats, all carefully designed to recreate the natural environment of the animals they house. Two of the zoo’s most popular residents are snow-leopard cubs that are part of a breeding program designed to enhance the genetic diversity and demographic stability of the animals. Among the world’s most endangered big cats, their range is limited to remote mountains in Central Asia and parts of China, Mongolia, Russia, India, and Bhutan.The newest addition to the Central Park Zoo is the Tisch Children’s Zoo. Here, children can get close to goats, sheep, a cow, and a Vietnamese pot-bellied pig. Small bronze sculptures of the animals stand next to their pens. When a child touches a sculpture, it emits an appropriate noise. The Children’s Zoo also includes an Enchanted Forest and the Acorn Theatre, where actors perform daily shows.Finally, you might like to wander over to the Sheep Meadow, located in the southwestern area of the park from 66th to 69th streets. Until 1934, it was just what its name implies—a meadow for a flock of sheep. Today, it is a favorite spot for picnickers, kite flyers, sunbathers, families, and visitors who come to admire the dazzling New York City skyline encircling the park. ■More information about Central Park can be accessed here; information about the Central Park Zoo is located here. ISSUES NewArchived

Tourists’ perceptions and willingness to pay for the control of <i>Opuntia stricta</i> invasion in protected areas: A case study from South Africa

Invasive alien plants have a long history of establishment in the national parks of South Africa.In particular, Opuntia stricta (sour prickly pear) has invaded several protected areas in thecountry, threatening the biodiversity conservation mandate of these conservation areas. Thisarticle focuses on the economic estimation of O. stricta’s negative impacts in protected areas byusing Contingent Valuation surveys conducted amongst a sample of tourists in the PilanesbergNational Park (North West Parks and Tourism Board, South Africa). Tourists’ familiarity andawareness of selected invasive alien plants and their willingness to pay for the implementationof a control programme for O. stricta were assessed. The results show that many tourists arefamiliar with invasive alien plants and their (positive and negative) impacts and, in particular,perceived the presence of O. stricta to be negative, due to the impacts on aesthetics and recreation.Socio-demographic characteristics, as well as individual attitudes and biocentric beliefs, have aninfluence on the willingness to contribute financially to a control programme for O. stricta. Theindividual willingness to pay assessment found that the majority of respondents (78%) werewilling to pay a higher entrance fee (an additional R57.30 or $7.00 per day) for a hypotheticalprogramme to control the invasion of O. stricta in the Pilanesberg National Park.Conservation implications: The willingness of tourists to pay for O. stricta managementprovides useful insights in the decision-making process of park management. The resultsare encouraging, since, in general, tourists are aware of the problem and are in support ofproviding additional economic input for preventing future alien plant invasions.

Spend a Day or Night at the Museum

Spend a Day or Night at the Museum

Noble gas geochemistry investigation of high CO2 natural gas at the LaBarge Platform, Wyoming, USA

Abstract A regional sampling of gases from thermal springs near the LaBarge Field, Wyoming, USA to determine the extent of the total carbon dioxide system (TCDS) indicates that the system may extend up to 70 km to the northwest of the field. Geochemical evidence from noble gas isotopes, stable element isotopes, and gas composition provide the foundation for these conclusions. Samples from Soda Springs to the west and Grand Teton National Park to the north do not exhibit the potentially diagnostic LaBarge gas chemistry and represent an absolute maximum potential extent of the system. Additional sampling to the south and east as well as in-fill sampling in regions previously sampled are necessary to refine these preliminary TCDS boundaries.