An essential foundation of any science is a standard lexicon. Any given conservation project can be described in terms of the biodiversity targets, direct threats, contributing factors at the project ...site, and the conservation actions that the project team is employing to change the situation. These common elements can be linked in a causal chain, which represents a theory of change about how the conservation actions are intended to bring about desired project outcomes. If project teams want to describe and share their work and learn from one another, they need a standard and precise lexicon to specifically describe each node along this chain. To date, there have been several independent efforts to develop standard classifications for the direct threats that affect biodiversity and the conservation actions required to counteract these threats. Recognizing that it is far more effective to have only one accepted global scheme, we merged these separate efforts into unified classifications of threats and actions, which we present here. Each classification is a hierarchical listing of terms and associated definitions. The classifications are comprehensive and exclusive at the upper levels of the hierarchy, expandable at the lower levels, and simple, consistent, and scalable at all levels. We tested these classifications by applying them post hoc to 1191 threatened bird species and 737 conservation projects. Almost all threats and actions could be assigned to the new classification systems, save for some cases lacking detailed information. Furthermore, the new classification systems provided an improved way of analyzing and comparing information across projects when compared with earlier systems. We believe that widespread adoption of these classifications will help practitioners more systematically identify threats and appropriate actions, managers to more efficiently set priorities and allocate resources, and most important, facilitate cross-project learning and the development of a systematic science of conservation.
There is growing interest in evidence‐based conservation, yet there are no widely accepted standard definitions of evidence, let alone guidance on how to use it in the context of conservation and ...natural resource management practice. In this paper, we first draw on insights of evidence‐based practice from different disciplines to define evidence as being the “relevant information used to assess one or more hypotheses related to a question of interest.” We then construct a typology of different kinds of information, hypotheses, and evidence and show how these different types can be used in different steps of conservation practice. In particular, we distinguish between specific evidence used to assess project hypotheses and generic evidence used to assess generic hypotheses. We next build on this typology to develop a decision tree to support practitioners in how to appropriately use available specific and generic evidence in a given conservation situation. Finally, we conclude with a discussion of how to better promote and enable evidence‐based conservation in both projects and across the discipline of conservation. Our hope is that by understanding and using evidence better, conservation can both become more effective and attract increased support from society.
Fixed-width belt transects employed in surveys of irregular shaped regions will differ in length and, therefore, in area. When estimating density from such a sample, the unequal transect areas must ...be taken into account.A density estimator dividing the mean number of objects (e.g., plants or animals) per transect by the mean transect area is recommended. An alternative estimator, the mean density per transect, is applicable for equal-area transects but often has undesirable properties for unequal-area transects. The recommended density estimator is identified as a ratio estimator, and its standard error is derived from ratio estimation theory.
Millions of dollars are spent annually on biodiversity conservation projects at natural areas around the world. Managers of natural areas must achieve a balance between taking conservation action, ...evaluating the effectiveness of actions taken, and monitoring the general status of biodiversity conservation targets and the threats they face. Conservation practitioners often struggle with decisions regarding the allocation of limited resources among these competing needs. Many conservation projects have only a limited monitoring component while other projects have an inexplicably high investment in a single type of monitoring. We offer a conceptual framework to help guide conservation practitioners towards a logical allocation of resources between taking action and different types of monitoring depending on the situation that they are facing. The framework consists of a decision tree that includes an explicit evaluation of three questions: (1) Are there substantial threats facing the conservation entities?; (2) Are there clear and feasible actions known to be effective at abating identified threats?; and (3) Does the project team have high confidence in their understanding of the overall conservation situation? Based on this tree, we present five scenarios that illustrate a range of logical allocations of resources between taking action and different categories of monitoring.
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The Pacsin proteins (Pacsin 1, 2 and 3) play an important role in intracellular trafficking and thereby signal transduction in many cells types. This study was designed to examine the ...role of Pacsin 2 in cardiac development and function. We investigated the development and electrophysiological properties of Pacsin 2 knockout (P2KO) hearts and single cardiomyocytes isolated from 11.5 and 15.5days old fetal mice. Immunofluorescence experiments confirmed the lack of Pacsin 2 protein expression in P2KO cardiac myocytes in comparison to wildtype (WT). Western blotting demonstrates low expression levels of connexin 43 and T-box 3 proteins in P2KO compared to wildtype (WT). Electrophysiology measurements including online Multi-Electrode Array (MEA) based field potential (FP) recordings on isolated whole heart of P2KO mice showed a prolonged AV-conduction time. Patch clamp measurements of P2KO cardiomyocytes revealed differences in action potential (AP) parameters and decreased pacemaker funny channel (If), as well as L-type Ca2+ channel (ICaL), and sodium channel (INa). These findings demonstrate that Pacsin 2 is necessary for cardiac development and function in mouse embryos, which will enhance our knowledge to better understand the genesis of cardiovascular diseases.
During the year 1980, an experiment was performed to analyse propagation effects on L-band satellite communications in the antarctic regions. A receiving station was installed at the Argentinian ...Antarctic Station Belgrano II, with the support of the Argentinian Space Agency (CNIE) and the Argentinian Antarctic Directorate (DNA). The equipment consisted of special receivers and antennas for receiving the Atlantic Marisat satellite. The measurements cover 10 months of continuous operation with simultaneous recording of the magnetic field variations and logging of atmospheric data. The elevation angle of the satellite is approximately 30. The results of the measurements presented in this paper show the influence of propagation effects on the unmodulated signal and their changes as a function of the time of the year. Large attenuation fluctuations (20 dB) were observed daily, with a very interesting time cycle from day to day.
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