Unsustainable fishing simplifies food chains and, as with aquaculture, can result in reliance on a few economically valuable species. This lack of diversity may increase risks of ecological and ...economic disruptions. Centuries of intense fishing have extirpated most apex predators in the Gulf of Maine (United States and Canada), effectively creating an American lobster (Homarus americanusj monoculture. Over the past 20 years, the economic diversity of marine resources harvested in Maine has declined by almost 70%. Today, over 80% of the value of Maine's fish and seafood landings is from highly abundant lobsters. Inflationcorrected income from lobsters in Maine has steadily increased by nearly 400% since 1985. Fisheries managers, policy makers, and fishers view this as a success. However, such lucrative monocultures increase the social and ecological consequences of future declines in lobsters. In southern New England, disease and stresses related to increases in ocean temperature resulted in more than a 70% decline in lobster abundance, prompting managers to propose closing that fishery. A similar collapse in Maine could fundamentally disrupt the social and economic foundation of its coast. We suggest the current success of Maine's lobster fishery is a gilded trap. Gilded traps are a type of social trap in which collective actions resulting from economically attractive opportunities outweigh concerns over associated social and ecological risks or consequences. Large financial gain creates a strong reinforcing feedback that deepens the trap. Avoiding or escaping gilded traps requires managing for increased biological and economic diversity. This is difficult to do prior to a crisis while financial incentives for maintaining the status quo are large. The long-term challenge is to shift fisheries management away from single species toward integrated social-ecological approaches that diversify local ecosystems, societies, and economies. La pesca no sustentable simplifica las cadenas alimenticias y, como la acuicultura, puede resultar en una dependencia en unas cuantas especies valiosas económicamente. Esta falta de biodiversidad puede incrementar los riesgos de disrupciones ecológicas y económicas. Siglos de pesca intensiva ban extirpado a la mayoría de los depredadores superiores en el Golfo de Maine (E.U.A. y Canadá), creando efectivamente un monocultivo de langosta americana Homarus americanus). Durante los últimos 20 años, la diversidad económica de los recursos marinos cosechados en Maine ha declinado en casi 70%. Ahora, más de 80% del valor de las capturas de peces y mariscos consiste en langostas que son muy abundantes. El ingreso, corregido para la inflación, por langostas ha incrementado consistentemente en casi 400% desde 1985. Manejadores de pesquerías, políticos y Pescadores ven esto como un éxito. Sin embargo, tales monocultivos lucrativos incrementan las consecuencias sociales y ecológicas de declinaciones de langostas en el futuro. En el sur de Nueva Inglaterra, las enfermedades y los estreses relacionados con incrementos en la temperatura del océano resultaron en una declinación de mas de 70% en la abundancia de langostas, lo que obligó a la propuesta del cierre de esa pesquería. Un colapso similar en Maine podría desestabilizar la base social y económica de su costa. Sugerimos que el éxito actual de la pesquería de langosta en Maine es una trampa dorada. Las trampas doradas son un tipo de trampa social en el que las acciones colectivas derivadas de oportunidades atractivas económicamente sobrepasan a las preocupaciones por los riesgos o consecuencias ecológicas y sociales asociadas. El gran ingreso financiero crea una fuerte retroalimentación reforzante que profundiza la trampa. Escapar de o evitar las trampas doradas requiere de manejo para el incremento de la diversidad biológica y ecológica. Esto es difícil de hacer antes de una crisis mientras los incentivos financieros para mantener el status quo son grandes. El reto a largo plazo es cambiar el manejo de pesquerías de una sola especie hacia enfoques sociales-ecológicos integrados que diversifiquen los ecosistemas, las sociedades y las economías locales.
Biodiversity loss is a critical sustainability issue, and companies are beginning to seek ways to assess their biodiversity performance. Initiatives to date have developed biodiversity indicators for ...specific business contexts (e.g., spatial scales—from site, to product, to regional, or corporate scales); however, many are not widely translatable across different contexts making it challenging for businesses seeking indicators to manage their biodiversity performance. By synthesising the steps of common conservation and business decision‐making systems, we propose a framework to support more comprehensive development of quantitative biodiversity indicators, for a range of business contexts. The framework integrates experience from existing tried‐and‐tested conservation frameworks. We illustrate how our framework offers a pathway for businesses to assess their biodiversity performance and demonstrate responsible management by mitigating and reversing their biodiversity impacts and sustaining their dependencies, enabling them to demonstrate their contribution to emerging global biodiversity targets (e.g., Convention on Biological Diversity post‐2020 targets).
Global environmental change is identified as a driver of physical transformation of coral reef islands over the past half-century, and next 100 years, posing major adaptation challenges to island ...nations. Here we resolve whether these recent documented changes in islands are unprecedented compared with the pre-industrial era. We utilise radiometric dating, geological, and remote sensing techniques to document the dynamics of a Maldivian reef island at millennial to decadal timescales. Results show the magnitude of island change over the past half-century (±40 m movement) is not unprecedented compared with paleo-dynamic evidence that reveals large-scale changes in island dimension, shape, beach levels, as well as positional changes of ±200 m since island formation ~1,500 years ago. Results highlight the value of a multi-temporal methodological approach to gain a deeper understanding of the dynamic trajectories of reef islands, to support development of adaptation strategies at timeframes relevant to human security.
Stopping declines in biodiversity is critically important, but it is only a first step toward achieving more ambitious conservation goals. The absence of an objective and practical definition of ...species recovery that is applicable across taxonomic groups leads to inconsistent targets in recovery plans and frustrates reporting and maximization of conservation impact. We devised a framework for comprehensively assessing species recovery and conservation success. We propose a definition of a fully recovered species that emphasizes viability, ecological functionality, and representation; and use counterfactual approaches to quantify degree of recovery. This allowed us to calculate a set of 4 conservation metrics that demonstrate impacts of conservation efforts to date (conservation legacy); identify dependence of a species on conservation actions (conservation dependence); quantify expected gains resulting from conservation action in the medium term (conservation gain); and specify requirements to achieve maximum plausible recovery over the long term (recovery potential). These metrics can incentivize the establishment and achievement of ambitious conservation targets. We illustrate their use by applying the framework to a vertebrate, an invertebrate, and a woody and an herbaceous plant. Our approach is a preliminary framework for an International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Green List of Species, which was mandated by a resolution of IUCN members in 2012. Although there are several challenges in applying our proposed framework to a wide range of species, we believe its further development, implementation, and integration with the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species will help catalyze a positive and ambitious vision for conservation that will drive sustained conservation action. Detener la disminución de la biodiversidad es fundamental, pero es tan solo un primer paso para alcanzar metas de conservación más ambiciosas. La falta de un objetivo y una definición práctica de recuperación de las especies que sea aplicable en grupos taxonómicos causa que los objetivos de los planes de recuperación sean inconsistentes y frustra la posibilidad de informar y maximizar su impacto en la conservación. Hemos ideado un marco para evaluar exhaustivamente la recuperación de las especies y el éxito de conservación. Proponemos una definición de especies completamente recuperadas, el cual enfatiza la viabilidad, la funcionalidad ecológica y la representación y utiliza enfoques contrafactuales para calcular el grado de recuperación. Esto nos permite calcular un conjunto de 4 medidas de conservación que demuestran los impactos de los esfuerzos de conservad ón hasta la fecha (legado de conservación); identifica la dependencia de una especie a las acciones de conservación (dependencia de conservación); calcula las ganancias esperadas a mediano plazo de una acción de conservación (ganancia de conservación) y los requisitos específicos para alcanzar la máxima recuperación posible a largo plazo (potencial de recuperación). Estas medidas pueden incentivar el establecimiento y logro de objetivos ambiciosos de conservación. Ilustramos el uso del marco aplicándolo en un vertebrado, un invertebrado, una planta leñosa y una planta herbácea. Nuestro enfoque representa un marco preliminar para la creación de una Lista Verde Especies de la Unión Internacional para la Conservación de la Naturaleza (UICN), la cual fue ordenada por una resolución de los miembros de la mencionada institución en el 2012. A pesar de que existen varias dificultades para aplicar el marco propuesto en un grupo amplio de especies, creemos que continuar su desarrollo, implementación e integración con la Lista Roja de Especies Amenazadas de la UICN contribuirá a catalizar una visión positiva y ambiciosa de conservación que conducirá a una acción de conservación sostenida. 阻止生物多祥性的減少十分重要，但这仅仅是实现更远大保护目标的第一歩。由于对“物种恢复”的概念 缺少ー个客观实际、适用于各种类群生物的定义，致使恢复计划目标不一致，并且也阻碍了对保护影响力的报告 和最大化。因此，我们设计了一个综合评估物种恢复和保护成功的框架。我们提出了“完全恢复” 物种的定义， 这个定义强调物种的生存能力、生态功能和代表性，我们还运用反事实分析法来量化物种恢复的程度。我们可 以计算这样四个保护指标，包括分析至今为止保护行动的影响カ(保护遗产) 、确定物种对保护行动的依赖性 (保护依赖1É )、量化保护行动在中期的预期目标(保护成效) ，以及指明远期要实现最大可能恢复所需条件(恢 复潜力) 。这些指标可以刺激宏远保护目标的建立和实现。我们将此框架分別用于ー种脊椎动物、无脊椎动 物、木本植物和草本植物, 以说明这些指标的用法。我们提出的方法是〈く世界自然保护联盟物种绿色名录》的 ー个初步框架，这是由IUCN成员在2012年的ー项决议授权下进行的。虽然这个框架在不同物种中大范围的 应用还面临ー些挑战，但我们相信它在未来的发展、实施并与《IUCN受威胁物种红色名录》的整合，可以帮助 催生出ー个积极远大的保护蓝图，以驱动持续的保护行动。
'Cataclysmic variables' are binary star systems in which one star of the pair is a white dwarf, and which often generate bright and energetic stellar outbursts. Classical novae are one type of ...outburst: when the white dwarf accretes enough matter from its companion, the resulting hydrogen-rich atmospheric envelope can host a runaway thermonuclear reaction that generates a rapid brightening. Achieving peak luminosities of up to one million times that of the Sun, all classical novae are recurrent, on timescales of months to millennia. During the century before and after an eruption, the 'novalike' binary systems that give rise to classical novae exhibit high rates of mass transfer to their white dwarfs. Another type of outburst is the dwarf nova: these occur in binaries that have stellar masses and periods indistinguishable from those of novalikes but much lower mass-transfer rates, when accretion-disk instabilities drop matter onto the white dwarfs. The co-existence at the same orbital period of novalike binaries and dwarf novae-which are identical but for their widely varying accretion rates-has been a longstanding puzzle. Here we report the recovery of the binary star underlying the classical nova eruption of 11 March AD 1437 (refs 12, 13), and independently confirm its age by proper-motion dating. We show that, almost 500 years after a classical-nova event, the system exhibited dwarf-nova eruptions. The three other oldest recovered classical novae display nova shells, but lack firm post-eruption ages, and are also dwarf novae at present. We conclude that many old novae become dwarf novae for part of the millennia between successive nova eruptions.
Species interactions matter to conservation. Setting an ambitious recovery target for a species requires considering the size, density, and demographic structure of its populations such that they ...fulfill the interactions, roles, and functions of the species in the ecosystems in which they are embedded. A recently proposed framework for an International Union for Conservation of Nature Green List of Species formalizes this requirement by defining a fully recovered species in terms of representation, viability, and functionality. Defining and quantifying ecological function from the viewpoint of species recovery is challenging in concept and application, but also an opportunity to insert ecological theory into conservation practice. We propose 2 complementary approaches to assessing a species’ ecological functions: confirmation (listing interactions of the species, identifying ecological processes and other species involved in these interactions, and quantifying the extent to which the species contributes to the identified ecological process) and elimination (inferring functionality by ruling out symptoms of reduced functionality, analogous to the red‐list approach that focuses on symptoms of reduced viability). Despite the challenges, incorporation of functionality into species recovery planning is possible in most cases and it is essential to a conservation vision that goes beyond preventing extinctions and aims to restore a species to levels beyond what is required for its viability. This vision focuses on conservation and recovery at the species level and sees species as embedded in ecosystems, influencing and being influenced by the processes in those ecosystems. Thus, it connects and integrates conservation at the species and ecosystem levels.
Evaluación de la Función Ecológica en el Contexto de Recuperación de Especies
Resumen
Las interacciones entre especies son de importancia para la conservación. La definición de una meta ambiciosa de recuperación para una especie requiere considerar el tamaño, la densidad y la estructura demográfica de sus poblaciones de tal manera que lleven a cabo las interacciones, papeles y funciones de las especies en los ecosistemas donde viven. Un marco de referencia propuesto recientemente para una Lista Verde de Especies de la Unión Internacional para la Conservación de la Naturaleza (UICN)formaliza este requerimiento mediante la definición de una especie completamente recuperada en términos de su representación, viabilidad y funcionalidad. La definición y cuantificación de la función ecológica desde la perspectiva de la recuperación de especies es un reto conceptual y de aplicación, pero también es un oportunidad para insertar la teoría ecológica en la práctica de la conservación. Proponemos 2 métodos complementarios para evaluar las funciones ecológicas de una especie: confirmación (listado de interacciones de la especie, identificación de procesos ecológicos y otras especies involucradas en estas interacciones) y eliminación (inferencia de la funcionalidad descartando los síntomas de reducción en la funcionalidad, análogo al método de la lista roja que enfoca los síntomas de reducción en la viabilidad). A pesar de los retos, la incorporación de la funcionalidad en la planificación de la recuperación de especies es posible en la mayoría de los casos y es esencial para una visión de la conservación que vaya más allá de la prevención de extinciones y que tenga como objetivo restaurar a una especie a niveles más allá de lo que se requiere para su viabilidad. Su visión se centra en la conservación y recuperación a nivel de especies y ve a las especies como componentes de los ecosistemas, influyendo y siendo influenciadas por los procesos en esos ecosistemas. Así, conecta e integra la conservación a nivel de especies y ecosistemas.
摘要
物种间的相互作用对保护至关重要。设定远大的物种恢复目标需要考虑其种群大小、密度和种群统计结构, 以确保物种能在其所处的生态系统中实现种间互作和物种自身的作用与功能。最近提出的《国际自然保护联盟 (IUCN) 绿色物种名录》框架正式纳入了这项需求, 提出从代表性、生存力和功能性三个方面来定义完全恢复的物种。从物种恢复的角度来定义和量化其生态功能, 在概念和应用上都具有挑战性, 但这也是在保护实践中引入生态学理论的重要机遇。我们提出了两种互补的方法来评估物种的生态功能: 一是直接确认, 即列出物种的互作、确定互作中涉及的生态学过程和其它物种, 并量化物种对该生态过程的贡献;二是消除法, 即通过排除功能性受损后的症状来推断功能, 这与红色名录中关注生存力降低后的症状的方法类似。虽然还存在上述挑战, 但在大多数情况下将功能性纳入物种恢复计划是可行的, 而且这对于不仅旨在防止灭绝、更要将物种恢复到生存所需水平的保护愿景来说至关重要。这一愿景强调物种水平的保护和恢复, 将物种视为生态系统的一部分, 影响着生态系统过程的同时也受其影响。因此, 它也连接和整合了物种及生态系统水平的保护。【翻译: 胡怡思; 审校: 聂永刚】
Article impact statement: The ecological functionality concept is applicable to species conservation and supports an ambitious definition of species recovery.
We report the first result for the electron-antineutrino angular correlation (a coefficient) in free neutron β decay from the aCORN experiment. aCORN uses a novel method in which the a coefficient is ...proportional to an asymmetry in proton time of flight for events where the β electron and recoil proton are detected in delayed coincidence. Data are presented from a 15 month run at the NIST Center for Neutron Research. We obtained a=-0.1090±0.0030(stat)±0.0028(sys), the most precise measurement of the neutron a coefficient reported to date.
A new highly sensitive method of looking for electric dipole moments of charged particles in storage rings is described. The major systematic errors inherent in the method are addressed and ways to ...minimize them are suggested. It seems possible to measure the muon EDM to levels that test speculative theories beyond the standard model.
Background
Developing a shared agenda is an important step in ensuring future research has the necessary relevance.
Objective
To characterise research priority setting partnerships (PSPs) relevant to ...women’s health.
Search strategy
Included studies were identified by searching MEDLINE and the James Lind Alliance (JLA) database.
Selection criteria
Priority setting partnerships using formal consensus methods.
Data collection and analysis
Descriptive narrative to describe the study characteristics, methods, and results.
Main results
Ten national and two international PSPs were identified. All PSPs used the JLA method to identify research priorities. Nine PSPs had published a protocol. Potential research uncertainties were gathered from guidelines (two studies), Cochrane reviews (five studies), and surveys (12 studies). The number of healthcare professionals (31–287), patients (44–932), and others (33–139) who responded to the survey, and the number of uncertainties submitted (52–4767) varied. All PSPs entered confirmed research uncertainties (39–104) into interim priority setting surveys and healthcare professionals (31–287), patients (44–932), and others (33–139) responded. All PSPs entered a short list of research uncertainties into a consensus development meeting, which enabled healthcare professionals (six to 21), patients (eight to 14), and others (two to 13) to identify research priorities (ten to 15). Four PSPs have published their results.
Conclusion
Future research priority setting studies should publish a protocol, use formal consensus development methods, and ensure their methods and results are comprehensively reported.
Tweetable
Research published in @BJOGtweets highlights future research priorities across women’s health, including @FertilityTop10, @jamesmnduffy.
Tweetable
Research published in @BJOGtweets highlights future research priorities across women’s health, including @FertilityTop10, @jamesmnduffy.
This paper includes Author Insights, a video available at https://vimeo.com/rcog/authorinsights16150
Transmission of Equine Influenza Virus to Dogs Crawford, P. C.; Dubovi, Edward J.; Castleman, William L. ...
Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science),
10/2005, Letnik:
310, Številka:
5747
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Molecular and antigenic analyses of three influenza viruses isolated from outbreaks of severe respiratory disease in racing greyhounds revealed that they are closely related to H3N8 equine influenza ...virus. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the canine influenza virus genomes form a monophyletic group, consistent with a single interspecies virus transfer. Molecular changes in the hemagglutinin suggested adaptive evolution in the new host. The etiologic role of this virus in respiratory disease was supported by the temporal association of rising antibody titers with disease and by experimental inoculation studies. The geographic expansion of the infection and its persistence for several years indicate efficient transmission of canine influenza virus among greyhounds. Evidence of infection in pet dogs suggests that this infection may also become enzootic in this population.
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