Implementing wildlife-management strategies into road infrastructure in southern Ontario: a critical success factors approach

Wildlife-road conflict has profound negative impacts on both wildlife populations and society. Despite a long-held understanding of this problem, in most regions the wildlife-management strategies (WMS) available to mitigate this conflict are still relatively underutilized. This study examines the implementation of these strategies into road infrastructure, using Southern Ontario as a case study, in order to develop an understanding of what leads to successful WMS implementation. The project management concept of critical success factors was applied and interviews with project decision-makers and key stakeholders were conducted. Nine factors were identified and a comparison between a ‘smooth’ and ‘rough’ project is used to illustrate the cumulative effects that these factors, and their interrelationships, have on project implementation success. Practitioners can use these findings to evaluate WMS projects based on likelihood of success and allocate resources accordingly, ultimately leading to increased chances of implementation and overall benefit to conservation and society.     

Physiological responses of beet and cabbage plants exposed to copper and their potential insertion in human food chain

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Copper (Cu) can be toxic to vegetables when it is absorbed and accumulated at large concentrations, a fact that increases the risk of excessive...     

A new gas chromatographic determination of ethylenethiourea residues without derivatization

Abstract

A new gas chromatographic method reliable in the microgram range, was developed to measure ETU residues in various crops. Contrary to previously published procedures, this new method does not require prior derivatization of the ETU. The limit of sensitivity was shown to be 0.01 ppm using the flame photometric detector, FPD (sulfur mode, 394 nm).     

Organochlorines and heavy metals in the harbour seal Phoca vitulina from the German North Sea Coast

Samples of various tissues and organs from healthy, sick and dead harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) from the North German Waddensea collected during the years 1974–1976 were analysed for copper, zinc, total mercury, cadmium lead, and organochlorine pesticide residues (PCB, DDT, Lindane and Dieldrin). The investigations were carried out in order to increase our knowledge about the actual degree of heavy metal and organochlorine pesticide accumulation in these animals. The study was also directed towards a comparison of healthy and sick young seals and those found dead for a possible relation between the condition and concentration of polutants in the organs. There was great variation within all series of compounds investigated, but in general the analytical data obtained indicated that high amounts of heavy metals and organochlorine pesticides can be present even in young seals. An age-specific increase in the mercury and cadmium content in liver samples could be demonstrated. The results are compared with data published by British and Dutch authors for other North Sea regions, and with a few exceptions, no significant differences can be established: cadmium (kidney) and DDT (blubber) contents in areas off the British coast are usually higher than corresponding values for seals from the German coast. There was no clear evidence that the concentrations of any of the compounds investigated had negative effects on the health of the seals. However, possible combined effects cannot be excluded.     

Decentralised composting of urban waste--an overview of community and private initiatives in Indian cities

The national waste legislation, introduced in India in 2000, endorses the principle of "Recycle Before Disposal" and clearly stipulates composting as an option for organic waste treatment. It also recommends waste separation as prerequisite for treatment. Although various composting schemes of different scale, type and organisational structure currently exist in the country, a general overview is lacking and very little independent site-specific information is available. This paper presents the results of a study assessing 17 decentralised systems from the cities of Bangalore, Chennai, Pune, and Mumbai. The schemes were classified according to their organisational setup into: (1) citizens' and community initiatives; (2) business and institution initiatives operating on their premises; and (3) small and medium-size private sector initiatives. These categories also coincide with different operational scales. Community initiatives have developed from unreliable collection services, and composting emerged mainly as a spin-off activity from the collection system to reduce waste delivery to the communal containers emptied by the municipal services. The potential to launch and sustain decentralised composting schemes is dependent on the municipal provision of adequate space. This paper summarises further key issues pertaining to the assessed schemes and reveals overall deficiencies in the field of accounting and transparency, composting technique and marketing, as well as municipal authority involvement.     

Vigilance and aggregation in black howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra)

Animals are expected to reduce per capita vigilance with increasing group size. Widespread support for this expectation has been found in studies of birds and ungulates. Primate vigilance patterns appear to differ, but studies of primates may have sampled groups with too many members to detect intergroup differences in vigilance. We tested this idea by measuring individual vigilance rates in wild black howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra) living in stable groups of two to ten individuals. No group size effect on vigilance emerged. As in previous studies, inter-individual proximity explained variation in individual vigilance rates. Focal animals with associates within 2 m and with multiple associates in the same tree were less vigilant than isolated animals. Activity and class of focal animals as well as the presence of neonates influenced the average vigilance of adult and subadult black howler monkeys. We conclude that functional explanations must be considered for the general lack of a group size effect on primate vigilance.     

Methode zum nachweis von rückständen der insektizide acephat, dimethoat, methamidophos und omethoat in kleinen nektarmengen

A gas chromatographic method for the determination of the insecticides acephate, dimethoate, methamidophos and omethoate in small amounts of nectar has been developed. By the use of a miniaturized extraction technique and a nitrogenphosphorus selective detector (NPD) residues down to 0.005 – 0.01 ppm could be detected in a sample size of 1 g. Because of the low content of co-extractives in nectar and the use of a highly selective detector a clean-up of the extracts was not necessary.     

Comparing two sets of forest cover change knowledge used in forest landscape management planning

Forecasts of future resource states are central to resource management planning. Many simulation models and planning tools are used to produce such forecasts and apply knowledge of resource change dynamics as key input. Consistency among knowledge sources is therefore important to avoid knowledge ambiguity and uncertainty in resource forecasts and management plan outcomes. Using Ontario's boreal forest landscape as a case study, this paper examined two knowledge sources of forest resource change, practitioner expertise and research studies, commonly applied in plans and policies for large forest landscapes. The two knowledge sources were quantitatively compared by constructing networks of forest cover change for both sources and determining their agreement in structure and transition times. Some networks agreed well, indicating little knowledge ambiguity and comparatively low uncertainty if they were used to forecast forest landscapes. Other networks showed low agreement, thus indicating higher knowledge ambiguity and a dilemma of choice for forest landscape planners who may have to select from these knowledge sets. It is suggested that knowledge disagreements may be widespread in knowledge-driven management planning of many natural resource types and their causes similar. These disagreements signal areas of knowledge uncertainty, where resource planners must address resulting uncertainty of management outcomes and research should focus on improving resource change knowledge.