硝基苯对3种中国土著水生生物的毒性

以中国林蛙(Rana chensinensis)蝌蚪、中华圆田螺(Cipangopaludina cahayensis)和日本沼虾(Macrobrachiumnipponense)3种我国代表性土著生物为对象,通过半静态试验研究了硝基苯暴露对这3种生物的急性毒性.采用美国环境保护局(USEPA)的Trimmed Spearman-Karver(TSK)法得到硝基苯的急性毒性p(96 h,LC50分别为:林蛙蝌蚪,117.04 mg·L-1;中华圆田螺,104.23 mg·L-1;日本沼虾,0.033 7 mg·L-1.基于p(96 h,LC50)值,取0.01为安全系数,安全浓度ps,分别为:林蛙蝌蚪,1.17 mg·L-1;中华圆田螺,1.04 mg·L-1;日本沼虾,0.34 μg·L-1.3种受试生物对硝基苯毒性反应的敏感性大小依次为:日本沼虾＞中华圆田螺＞林蛙蝌蚪.对照鱼类急性毒性实验的毒性分级标准,硝基苯对日本沼虾属于剧毒物质,而对林蛙蝌蚪和中华圆田螺则属于中等毒性物质.     

溴氯海因在水环境中的降解及其对4种水生生物的急性毒性

研究了新型消毒剂溴氯海因(BCDMH)在水环境中的降解规律及其影响因素以及BCDMH对4种不同生态位水生生物(发光菌、小球藻、大型溞和斑马鱼)的急性毒性.结果表明:1)BCDMH的正辛醇/水分配系数(Kow)为3.74(25℃),在水环境中的降解符合一级动力学方程C=C0×e-k·t,其一级反应速率常数k随温度升高而增大,25℃时k值为0.3577,半衰期为1.72d.2)pH6～9时,pH值越低BCDMH降解越快,碱性条件对其降解有显著抑制;自然光照和曝气有利于BCDMH的降解.3)BCDMH对斑马鱼的96hLC50=3.68mg·L-1,属高毒;对大型溞的24hLC50=1.44mg·L-1,属高毒;对小球藻的96hEC50=4.15mg·L-1,属高毒;对发光菌的1hEC50=0.62mg·L-1,属极高毒.     

Cu2+和Cd2+对日本青鳉（Oryzias latipes）早期发育阶段的急性毒性效应研究

为探究并比较淡水鱼种日本青鳉早期发育阶段对Cu2和Cd2等重金属胁迫的响应,在实验室通过半静态方式,对日本青鳉受精卵和仔稚鱼分别进行了48 h和96 h急性毒性实验.结果表明:Cu2对日本青鳉胚胎24、48 h-LC50分别为8.164 mg·L-1和6.965 mg·L-1;Cd2+对日本青鳝胚胎24、48 h-LC50分别为63.084 mg· L-1和53.093 mg ·L-1;较低浓度组Cu2+(≤1.97 mg ·L-1)时日本青鳉胚胎的发育速率快于对照组,而较高浓度组(≥3.87 mg·L-1)胚胎的发育速率则慢于对照组;与Cu2略有不同,无论浓度高低Cd2对胚胎的孵化速率均产生抑制作用;Cu2+和Cd2质量浓度分别高于1.97 mg·Lq和19.68 mg· L-1时,两种重金属离子均显著降低胚胎的孵化率(P＜0.05).Cu2对日本青鳉初孵仔鱼24、48、72和96 h-LC50分别为5361 mg·L-1、2.844 mg·L-1、2.020 mg·L-1和1352 mg·L-1;Cd2+对日本青鳉初孵仔鱼24、48、72和96 h-LC50分别为15.907 mg·L-1、10550 mg·L-1、7.986 mg· L-1和6346 mg·L-1;Cu2+对日本青鳉稚鱼24、48、72和96 h-LC50分别为5.732 mg·L-1、4.037 mg· L-1、2A98 mg·L-1和1.955 mg·L-1;Cd2+对日本青鳉稚鱼的24、48、72和96 h-LC50分别为16A19 mg·L、11.745 mg· L-1、8516 mg·L-1和6.776 mg· L-1.与其它淡水水生生物相比,日本青鳉仔稚鱼对铜和镉离子较为敏感.     

4种甲氧基丙烯酸酯类杀菌剂不同剂型对斑马鱼急性毒性效应

采用半静态法测定了4种甲氧基丙烯酸酯类杀菌剂原药及制剂对斑马鱼(Brachydonio rerio)急性毒性。结果表明,以实测浓度计,250 g·L~(-1)嘧菌酯悬浮剂对斑马鱼的96 h半数致死浓度(LC50)值为0.539 mg·L~(-1),急性毒性为高毒,95%嘧菌酯原药和50%嘧菌酯水分散粒剂对斑马鱼的LC50(96 h)值分别为1.09和1.21 mg·L~(-1),急性毒性均为中毒;98%啶氧菌酯原药和22.5%的啶氧菌酯悬浮剂对斑马鱼的LC50(96 h)值分别为0.0974和0.0972 mg·L~(-1),急性毒性均为剧毒;95%吡唑醚菌酯原药、15%吡唑醚菌酯悬浮剂和250 g·L~(-1)吡唑醚菌酯乳油对斑马鱼的LC50(96 h)值为0.0613、0.0549和0.0487 mg·L~(-1),急性毒性均为剧毒;95%醚菌酯原药和50%醚菌酯水分散粒剂对斑马鱼的LC50(96 h)值分别为0.468和0.702 mg·L~(-1),急性毒性均为高毒。这4种甲氧基丙烯酸酯类杀菌剂对斑马鱼均有较高风险,会对其他水生生物也存在潜在的风险。     

茚虫威对斑马鱼的急性毒性及遗传毒性

茚虫威属噁二嗪类新型广谱高效杀虫剂,在农业生产中有着重要作用,近年来随着用量的增加,由此产生的对水生生物的影响越来越受到重视。使用斑马鱼进行茚虫威的急性毒性作用实验,并采用微核试验、彗星试验、Annexin V-FITC/PI双染色检测观察染毒后的斑马鱼是否被诱导产生遗传毒性。结果表明:在24 h、48 h、72 h、96 h,茚虫威LC50值分别为2.263mg·L-1、2.184 mg·L-1、2.184 mg·L-1、2.133 mg·L-1。茚虫威对斑马鱼急性毒性属中等毒性。96 h茚虫威浓度为1.98 mg·L-1和2.16 mg·L-1时,斑马鱼的微核率与对照组相比达差异极显著水平(P0.01)。采用彗星试验检测斑马鱼肝脏DNA损伤,结果显示斑马鱼暴露于高浓度1.98 mg·L-1和2.16 mg·L-1茚虫威后,与对照组相比,斑马鱼的DNA损伤均表现为极显著差异(P0.01)。采用Annexin V-FITC/PI双染色流式细胞仪法检测,结果表明染毒后24 h斑马鱼肝细胞出现细胞凋亡现象。实验结果进一步表明,茚虫威对斑马鱼短期染毒后诱导细胞凋亡,表现出遗传毒性。     

双酚A与其替代品对黑斑蛙急性毒性的比较

双酚F(BPF)和双酚S(BPS)作为双酚A(BPA)替代品广泛使用,然而有关BPF和BPS的毒性数据非常有限。采用系列浓度的BPA、BPF、BPS溶液,暴露黑斑蛙胚胎和蝌蚪96 h,通过半致死浓度(LC50)、最小生长抑制浓度(MCIG)和致畸率等指标比较3种化合物的急性毒性。结果显示:100 mg·L-1BPS未导致黑斑蛙胚胎及蝌蚪畸形和死亡。BPA和BPF对黑斑蛙胚胎的96h-LC50分别为7.68 mg·L-1和7.99 mg·L-1,MCIG分别为4.47 mg·L-1和4.77 mg·L-1,最大致畸率为33.33%;对蝌蚪的96 h-LC50分别为9.00 mg·L-1和9.52 mg·L-1。依据《化学农药环境安全评价准则》的毒性分级标准,判定BPA和BPF的毒性等级为中毒,BPS的毒性等级为低毒。表明BPF急性毒性与BPA相当,BPS急性毒性低于BPA。本研究数据可为BPF、BPS作为BPA替代品的生产和使用以及相应的环境管理提供毒理学参考。     

6种硝基苯化合物对海洋生物的急性毒性研究（Study on the Acute Toxicity of Six Nitrobenzenes to Marine Organisms）

为研究硝基苯化合物对海洋生物的毒性,选择了6种代表性硝基苯化合物对小球藻(Chlorella vulgaris)、黑鲷(Sparus macrocep)幼鱼和螠蛏(Siliqua minima)幼体进行了急性毒性实验,获得了这些化合物对这些生物体的急性毒性数据及环境安全浓度.实验结果表明:2,4-二硝基甲苯、2,4-二硝基氯苯、2,4-二氯硝基苯和邻二硝基苯对小球藻48h半数抑制浓度(EC50)分别为0.50、0.21、2.44和0.10mg·L-1,毒性顺序为邻二硝基苯(剧毒)>2,4-二硝基氯苯(剧毒)>2,4-二硝基甲苯(剧毒)>2,4-二氯硝基苯(高毒).2,4-二硝基氯苯、邻二硝基苯、2,4-二硝基甲苯、2,4-二氯硝基苯、对硝基苯胺和硝基苯对黑鲷幼鱼的96h半数致死浓度(LC50)分别为0.14、0.15、4.45、1.37、11.52和5.71mg·L-1,其安全浓度分别为:0.001、0.002、0.04、0.01、0.12、0.06mg·L-1,毒性顺序为2,4-二硝基氯苯(剧毒)>邻二硝基苯(剧毒)>2,4-二氯硝基苯(高毒)>2,4-二硝基甲苯(高毒)>硝基苯(高毒)>对硝基苯胺(中毒).2,4-二硝基氯苯、2,4-二硝基甲苯、2,4-二氯硝基苯、邻二硝基苯、硝基苯和对硝基苯胺对幼蛏的96h LC50分别为0.39、13.20、3.45、15.56、86.90和148.87mg·L-1,安全浓度分别为:0.004、0.13、0.03、0.16、0.87、1.49mg·L-1,毒性顺序为2,4-二硝基氯苯(剧毒)>2,4-二氯硝基苯(高毒)>2,4-二硝基甲苯(中毒)>邻二硝基苯(中毒)>硝基苯(中毒)>对硝基苯胺(低毒).     

安乃近代谢产物4-乙酰氨基安替比林的水生急性毒性研究

在地表水中检出高浓度的安乃近代谢产物4-乙酰氨基安替比林(4-AAA),但目前缺乏对4-AAA的生态毒性研究,故无法评价其生态风险。采用经济合作与发展组织(OECD)标准测试方法,研究4-AAA对藻、大型溞和鱼的急性毒性效应。结果表明,在1 500 mg·L-1(配制浓度) 4-AAA的暴露条件下,近头状伪蹄形藻(Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata)的生长并没有受到明显抑制效应;稀有鮈鲫(Gobiocypris rarus)没有发现死亡现象。这表明,藻类生长量和生长率的72 h无可观察效应浓度(NOEC)均≥1 502 mg·L-1(实测浓度),96 h鱼类急性毒性的半致死浓度(LC50)≥1 532 mg·L-1(实测浓度)。当大型溞(Daphnia magna)暴露于一系列不同浓度4-AAA(188、375、750、1 500和3 000 mg·L-1),24 h后发现750 mg·L-1的暴露组开始出现运动抑制现象;最高浓度组中,80%大型溞的运动能力明显受到抑制。48 h后抑制效应增加,750 mg·L-1暴露组中,40%的大型溞活动能力受到抑制;最高浓度组仅20%大型溞活动能力保持正常。这表明,高浓度4-AAA对大型溞的活动能力具有一定的抑制作用。统计分析结果表明,24 h和48 h大型溞活动能力的抑制效应达一半的浓度(EC50)分别为1 538 mg·L-1(1217～2 017 mg·L-1)和1 041 mg·L-1(834～1 304 mg·L-1)。根据全球化学品统一分类和标签制度(GHS)分类,4-AAA的水生急性毒性不归类。尽管地表水中检出高浓度(3 675 ng·L-1)的4-AAA,但最高风险商值仅为3.53×10-3,风险较低。     

甲基异噻唑啉酮对斑马鱼胚胎的急性毒性和机制研究

甲基异噻唑啉酮(methylisothiazolinone,MIT)作为防腐剂,广泛用于个人护理品、日用品和涂料中。MIT随着污水进入地表水循环,普遍存在于水体中,但目前关于MIT对水生生物毒性的研究还比较少。本文以模式生物斑马鱼的胚胎作为受试对象,评价MIT对斑马鱼胚胎的毒性。将受精后3 h的健康斑马鱼胚胎暴露于梯度浓度的MIT下,观察其对胚胎生长发育的影响,用吖啶橙(AO)染色检测细胞凋亡情况。结果发现,48 h暴露浓度大于1.0 mg·L-1的胚胎孵化被显著抑制,72 h浓度大于1.52 mg·L-1的幼鱼心率显著降低,统计96 h幼鱼死亡和畸形数,并重复验证和计算得到96 h半致死浓度(96 h 50%lethal concentration,96 h-LC50)为6.15 mg·L-1,96 h半致畸浓度(96 h 50%teratogenesis concentration,96 h-TC50)为3.89 mg·L-1,测量96 h胚胎体长,分析最小生长抑制浓度(minimum concentration to inhibit growth,MCIG)为2.31 mg·L-1,AO染色显示72 h胚胎的凋亡细胞主要集中在脑部和尾部。不同时期下镜检观察到,胚胎出现的畸形主要包括尾部发育不良,脊柱弯曲,卵黄囊水肿和心包水肿。此外,高浓度处理组24 h胚胎自主抽动次数增加,72 h和96 h活动能力减弱,触碰反应迟钝。因此,推断MIT对斑马鱼胚胎的发育有较大影响,同时有一定的神经毒性。根据《危险化学品鱼类急性毒性分级试验方法》,判定MIT对斑马鱼胚胎为高毒,该毒性实验结果可为MIT在工业生产和环境中的风险管理提供依据。     

硫氰酸钠对斑马鱼毒性的评价

为了研究植物性饲料代谢产生的中间产物硫氰酸钠(NaSCN)对水生生物的毒性效应,首先将斑马鱼(Brachy danio rerio)暴露于NaSCN的8个浓度组中进行96 h-LC50急性毒性试验,测得其半致死浓度(96 h-LC50)为403 mg·L-1.再以安全浓度(1/10LC50.)为基准,等对数设置3个质量...     

Achieving Open Access to Conservation Science

Conservation science is a crisis discipline in which the results of scientific enquiry must be made available quickly to those implementing management. We assessed the extent to which scientific research published since the year 2000 in 20 conservation science journals is publicly available. Of the 19,207 papers published, 1,667 (8.68%) are freely downloadable from an official repository. Moreover, only 938 papers (4.88%) meet the standard definition of open access in which material can be freely reused providing attribution to the authors is given. This compares poorly with a comparable set of 20 evolutionary biology journals, where 31.93% of papers are freely downloadable and 7.49% are open access. Seventeen of the 20 conservation journals offer an open access option, but fewer than 5% of the papers are available through open access. The cost of accessing the full body of conservation science runs into tens of thousands of dollars per year for institutional subscribers, and many conservation practitioners cannot access pay‐per‐view science through their workplace. However, important initiatives such as Research4Life are making science available to organizations in developing countries. We urge authors of conservation science to pay for open access on a per‐article basis or to choose publication in open access journals, taking care to ensure the license allows reuse for any purpose providing attribution is given. Currently, it would cost $51 million to make all conservation science published since 2000 freely available by paying the open access fees currently levied to authors. Publishers of conservation journals might consider more cost effective models for open access and conservation‐oriented organizations running journals could consider a broader range of options for open access to nonmembers such as sponsorship of open access via membership fees. Obtención de Acceso Abierto a la Ciencia de la Conservación     

Representation of the world's biophysical conditions by the global protected area network

Protected areas (PAs) are often implemented without consideration of already existing PAs, which is likely to cause an overrepresentation of certain biophysical conditions. We assessed the representativeness of the current PA network with regard to the world's biophysical conditions to highlight which conditions are underprotected and where these conditions are located. We overlaid terrestrial and marine PAs with information on biophysical conditions (e.g., temperature, precipitation, and elevation) and then quantified the percentage of area covered by the PA network. For 1 variable at a time in the terrestrial realm, high temperature, low precipitation, and medium and very high elevation were underrepresented. For the marine realm, low and medium sea surface temperature (SST), medium and high sea surface salinity (SSS), and the deep sea were underrepresented. Overall, protection was evenly distributed for elevation across the terrestrial realm and SST across the marine realm. For 2 variables at a time, cold and very dry terrestrial environments had mostly low protection, which was also the case for low SST and low and medium SSS across most depths for marine environments. Low protection occurred mostly in the Sahara and the Arabian Peninsula for the terrestrial realm and along the Tropic of Capricorn and toward the poles for the marine realm. Although biodiversity measures are of prime importance for the design of PA networks, highlighting biophysical gaps in current PAs adds a frequently overlooked perspective. These gaps may weaken the potential of PAs to conserve biodiversity. Thus, our results may provide useful insights for researchers, practitioners, and policy makers to establish a more comprehensive global PA network.     

Quantitative composition of the defensive secretion ofBledius species (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Oxytelinae) is adapted to naturally occurring predators

Summary The adaptation of defensive secretions to their target organisms was examined for the abdominal gland secretions ofBledius furcatus, B. spectabilis andB. arenarius. Therefore the target organisms of the secretion of theseBledius species (i.e. their predators) had to be identified. At the collection sites examined these were the earwigLabidura riparia, the antCataglyphis bicolor, the flyLispe candicans, different carabids of the generaPogonus, Dichirotrichus, Dyschirius, Bembidion andCalathus and the wading birdsHaematopus ostralegus andCalidris alba. The secretion of the abdominal glands contains the toxin ptoluquinone dissolved in either-dodecalactone and 1-undecene (B. furcatus andB. spectabilis) or in octanoic acid and octyloctanoate (B. arenarius). The ratio of these solvents is species-specific. Application experiments using some of the natural insect predators (L. riparia, C. bicolor, Pogonus, Di. gustavii, Dyschirius) revealed that these solvent ratios provided a more effective deterrent than other possible ratios. Thus by combining the solvents in certain ratios, the capability of cuticular penetration and therefore the effectiveness of the defensive secretions are adapted to their natural targets.     

Democracy versus development: New urban debates

The politics of development includes subtexts of choice, as underpinned by community consensus (or lack of it), against the larger backdrop of a liberal democracy, with its intricate power structures that influence the choice of concepts and often lead to complicity rather than consent. A dilemma exists between the understanding of field-level practitioners and that of academics, whose understandings of progress differ. Progress can (and often does) imply long-term change across generations whereas development is often more a matter of crisis management and delivering tangible results to end-users. This makes it a bone of contention across political systems, irrespective of local or global dynamics. Development can emerge as a tool to be wielded for power and further political mileage at the expense of progress. Progress cannot be studied as a counterpoint to development as the sense of history is often missing in development interventions. Development tends to be piecemeal as its very logic often stems from the rationale of power. This is not to suggest, however, that development is only about politics; it is definitely more than the politics of everyday life and involves all of civil society that requires its critical and immediate attention. In this sense, it has become a priority for politicians with an underlying agenda designed to out-manouevre dissent and all statements of protest.     

A framework to measure the wildness of managed large vertebrate populations

As landscapes continue to fall under human influence through habitat loss and fragmentation, fencing is increasingly being used to mitigate anthropogenic threats and enhance the commercial value of wildlife. Subsequent intensification of management potentially erodes wildness by disembodying populations from landscape-level processes, thereby disconnecting species from natural selection. Tools are needed to measure the degree to which populations of large vertebrate species in formally protected and privately owned wildlife areas are self-sustaining and free to adapt. We devised a framework to measure such wildness based on 6 attributes relating to the evolutionary and ecological dynamics of vertebrates (space, disease and parasite resistance, exposure to predation, exposure to limitations and fluctuations of food and water supply, and reproduction). For each attribute, we set empirical, species-specific thresholds between 5 wildness states based on quantifiable management interventions. We analysed data from 205 private wildlife properties with management objectives spanning ecotourism to consumptive utilization to test the framework on 6 herbivore species representing a range of conservation statuses and commercial values. Wildness scores among species differed significantly, and the proportion of populations identified as wild ranged from 12% to 84%, which indicates the tool detected site-scale differences both among populations of different species and populations of the same species under different management regimes. By quantifying wildness, this framework provides practitioners with standardized measurement units that link biodiversity with the sustainable use of wildlife. Applications include informing species management plans at local scales; standardizing the inclusion of managed populations in red-list assessments; and providing a platform for certification and regulation of wildlife-based economies. Applying this framework may help embed wildness as a normative value in policy and mitigate the shifting baseline of what it means to truly conserve a species.     

Sexual Predators,Energy Development,and Conservation in Greater Yellowstone

Abstract: In the United States, as elsewhere, a growing debate pits national energy policy and homeland security against biological conservation. In rural communities the extraction of fossil fuels is often encouraged because of the employment opportunities it offers, although the concomitant itinerant workforce is often associated with increased wildlife poaching. We explored possible positive and negative factors associated with energy extraction in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), an area known for its national parks, intact biological diversity, and some of the New World's longest terrestrial migrations. Specifically, we asked whether counties with different economies—recreation (ski), agrarian (ranching or farming), and energy extractive (petroleum)—differed in healthcare (gauged by the abundance of hospital beds) and in the frequency of sexual predators. The absolute and relative frequency of registered sex offenders grew approximately two to three times faster in areas reliant on energy extraction. Healthcare among counties did not differ. The strong conflation of community dishevel, as reflected by in‐migrant sexual predators, and ecological decay in Greater Yellowstone is consistent with patterns seen in similar systems from Ecuador to northern Canada, where social and environmental disarray exist around energy boomtowns. In our case, that groups (albeit with different aims) mobilized campaigns to help maintain the quality of rural livelihoods by protecting open space is a positive sign that conservation can matter, especially in the face of rampant and poorly executed energy extraction projects. Our findings further suggest that the public and industry need stronger regulatory action to instill greater vigilance when and where social factors and land conversion impact biological systems.     

Some polyphagous Homoptera gain protection from their natural enemies by feeding on the toxic plantsSpartium junceum andErythrina corallodendrum (Leguminosae)

Summary Interactions were studied among alkaloid-containing legumes (Erythrina corallodendrum andSpartium junceum) and non-toxic plants (Citrus sinensis, Cucurbita moschata andEuphorbia tirucalli), several polyphagous homopterans,Aphis craccivora (Aphididae),Icerya purchasi, I. aegyptiaca (Margarodidae),Lepidosaphes ulmi (Diaspididae) andPlanococcus citri (Pseudococcidae), and some major natural enemies of these homopterans. Significant reductions in survival due to negative effects of alkaloid containing as compared with non-alkaloidal plants were recorded for the predatorsRodolia cardinalis andChilocorus bipustulatus, but not forCryptolaemus montrouzieri (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae),Chrysoperla carnea (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) andSympherobius sanctus (Neuroptera: Sympherobiidae). The development time of the larvae or pupae ofR. cardinalis, C. carnea andS. sanctus was longer on the toxic plants than on the non-toxic ones. The percentage of parasitism ofA. craccivora collected from the non-alkaloidal plantsVicia palaestina andMelilotus albus was much higher than that onS. junceum. The parasitoid complexes ofA. craccivora differed between both plant groups. The nutritive value of honeydew ofI. purchasi andA. craccivora, as expressed by the life span ofEncyrtus infelix (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) adults, was also investigated. Life spans were significantly longer when the wasps fed on honeydew produced on non-alkaloidal plants (C. sinensis andPittosporum tobira) than on alkaloid containing plants whenI. purchasi — but notA. craccivora — was the producer. It is suggested that the chemical defense ofE. corallodendrum andS. junceum is exploited by polyphagous phytophages to reduce predation. In nature, population growth and density of four of the investigated homopterans are conspicuously high when they developed on the alkaloid containing plant species, and very low on non-alkaloid plants. The efficiency of their natural enemies may be reduced by sequestration of alkaloids (or other toxic plant compounds) or their transfer into excreted honeydew. Therefore it is assumed that a generalist phytophagous homopteran may be protected from its natural enemies, although at different rates of efficiency, if it can safely sequester the host allelochemical when it develops on toxic species within its host range.     

Comparison of the insecticidal effects of water extracted and intact aromatic plants onAcanthoscelides obtectus,a bruchid beetle pest of kidney beans

Summary Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say) is one of the most damaging pests of kidney beans,Phaseolus vulgaris L. worldwide. However, aromatic plants from the families Lamiaceae, Lauraceae, Myrtaceae and Poaceae can protect kidney beans by direct or delayed insecticidal effect, through increased adult mortality and inhibition of beetle reproduction (both oviposition and adult emergence). The efficiency of hydrodistillated and intact plants fromThymus vulgaris andT. serpyllum, Mentha piperata, Rosmarinus officinalis, Satureia hortensis, Eucalyptus globulus, Laurus nobilis, Origanum vulgare, andCymbopogon nardus was compared. For both extracts,Origanum vulgare had the best effect. The insecticidal effect was induced by more than the essential oils because no significant difference was noticed between distilled and intact plants extract. Inhibition of reproduction was particularly important. These results suggest that lipidic as well as non lipidic, allelochemicals, such as phenolics, or non-protein amino-acids, or flavonoids may be involved in the toxicity of aromatic plants to this beetle.     

Rapid,recurring, structured survey versus bioblitz for generating biodiversity data and analysis with a multispecies abundance model

A bioblitz inexpensively and quickly generates biodiversity data, but bioblitzes are often conducted with haphazard, unreplicated sampling. Results tend to be taxonomically, geographically, or temporally biased, lack metadata, and consist of lists of observed taxa that do not enable further analyses or correction for imperfect detection. A rapid, recurring, structured survey (RRSS) uses a structured sampling design and temporal and spatial replication to survey randomly selected sites on a conservation property. We participated in a loosely structured bioblitz and a subsequent RRSS at Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve in Springville (St. Clair County), Alabama (USA) to compare observed richness derived from the 2 survey approaches. The RRSS data structure enabled us to fit models that accounted for imperfect detection to estimate abundances, occupancy probabilities, and habitat associations. The loosely structured bioblitz data could not be used in such models. We present a new integrated multispecies abundance model that we applied to avian RRSS data. Our model extension enables estimation for the community, employs data augmentation to estimate the number of undetected species, and incorporates covariates. The RRSS generated a more comprehensive and less biased list of observed taxonomic richness than the loosely structured bioblitz (e.g., 73 vs. 45 bird species and 104 vs. 63 insect families from the RRSS vs. loosely structured bioblitz, respectively). Models fit to the RRSS data identified seasonal patterns in avian community composition and allowed for estimation of habitat–occupancy relationships for insect taxa. The RRSS protocol has potential for broad transferability as a standardized, quick, and inexpensive way to inventory biodiversity and estimate ecological parameters while providing an outreach opportunity.     

Compliance with and ecosystem function of biodiversity offsets in North American and European freshwaters

Land-use change via human development is a major driver of biodiversity loss. To reduce these impacts, billions of dollars are spent on biodiversity offsets. However, studies evaluating offset project effectiveness that examine components such as the overall compliance and function of projects remain rare. We reviewed 577 offsetting projects in freshwater ecosystems that included the metrics project size, type of aquatic system (e.g., wetland and creek), offsetting measure (e.g., enhancement, restoration, and creation), and an assessment of the projects’ compliance and functional success. Project information was obtained from scientific and government databases and gray literature. Despite considerable investment in offsetting projects, crucial problems persisted. Although compliance and function were related to each other, a high level of compliance did not guarantee a high degree of function. However, large projects relative to area had better function than small projects. Function improved when projects targeted productivity or specific ecosystem features and when multiple complementary management targets were in place. Restorative measures were more likely to achieve targets than creating entirely new ecosystems. Altogether the relationships we found highlight specific ecological processes that may help improve offsetting outcomes.