Citizen reporting of wildlife interactions can improve impact-reduction programs and support wildlife carers

2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (5) ◽  
pp. 415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grace Heathcote ◽  
Alistair J. Hobday ◽  
Monique Spaulding ◽  
Melissa Gard ◽  
Greg Irons
Keyword(s):  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Potential Response ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Response Options ◽  
Rescue Service ◽  
Impact Reduction ◽  
Species Vulnerability ◽  
Emerging Issues ◽  
Central Facility ◽  
Animal Attack

Context Wildlife can be injured or orphaned through a range of (often anthropogenic) activities, creating need for volunteer rescuers and wildlife carers, of which a substantial number is active in Australia. However, the causes and contributing factors for rescued wildlife are rarely reported, which limits development of response options to these wildlife issues. An understanding of the distribution and number of rescuers and carers in relation to injured and orphaned wildlife allows training and outreach to be targeted around specific seasonal peaks, species and causes of injury. Aims and methods We conducted an analysis of 22723 reports over 7 years to the Bonorong Wildlife Rescue Service in Tasmania, Australia, to determine the frequency of species and types of human–wildlife interaction, the report distances from the central facility, and the report distribution relative to the registered rescuer and carer networks. Key results Mammals accounted for over half of all reports, followed by birds, reptiles and invertebrates. Road trauma was the predominant cause for report, followed by orphans. Disease reports and animal attack were also common. Overall, reporting was highest in late spring and summer, but different seasonality in specific causes and species suggests that targeted response options are needed at different times of year. Areas with higher reporting relative to the number of registered rescuers and carers show where volunteer recruitment can be focussed. Conclusions We used a wildlife reporting dataset to illustrate trends (such as seasonality and species vulnerability) and causes of human–wildlife interaction to inform potential response options. Implications Continued citizen reporting can assist wildlife managers to allocate resources, plan training or recruit additional volunteers, track emerging issues, such as disease and climate-related stressors, and guide the planning of public education and mitigation initiatives, particularly for human-related wildlife issues.

Application of chemometric analysis for identifying pollution sources: a case study on the River Adyar, India

2009 ◽  
Vol 60 (12) ◽  
pp. 1254 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Venugopal ◽  
L. Giridharan ◽  
M. Jayaprakash
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
River Water ◽  
Saline Water ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Pollution Level ◽  
Seasonal Effect ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Sources Of Pollution ◽  
Three Samples ◽  
River Adyar

The various factors responsible for the chemical budget and pollution of river water have been evaluated and characterised using various statistical tools. The potential sources of pollution that alter the chemical composition of River Adyar water have been identified and quantified. Thirty-three samples were collected from the River Adyar and basic chemical parameters and heavy metals were interpreted by the systematic application of statistical techniques. The relationships among the various ions were examined and the sources of origin were evaluated using correlation studies. An R-mode factor analysis revealed that the chemistry of the river water largely depends on anthropogenic activities, rock–water interaction and saline water intrusion. A cluster analysis was applied and the major and minor clusters for pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons were classified. This classification was found to be in line with the results of the R-mode factor analysis. Seasonal variation in the chemistry and pollution level of the river water was clearly indicated by both cluster and factor analyses. Factor scores, which give vital information on the variation of the factors by station, were successfully applied. The contributing factors and any seasonal effect on the stations were evaluated and interpreted.

scholarly journals Recent responses of grassland net primary productivity to climatic and anthropogenic factors in Kyrgyzstan

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanwen Wang
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Primary Productivity ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Net Primary Productivity ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Dominant Factor ◽  
Anthropogenic Factors ◽  
Grassland Degradation ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Patterns

Net primary productivity (NPP) is an essential indicator of ecosystem function and sustainability and plays a vital role in the carbon cycle, especially in arid and semi-arid grassland ecosystems. Quantifying trends in NPP and identifying the contributing factors are important for understanding the relative impacts of climate change and human activities on grassland degradation. We quantified spatial and temporal patterns in potential NPP (NPPP) and actual NPP (NPPA) in Kyrgyzstan from 2000 to 2014 based on the Zhou Guangsheng model and MOD17A3 NPP data, respectively. By calculating the difference between NPPP and NPPA, we inferred human-induced NPP (NPPH) and thereby characterised changes in grassland NPP attributable to anthropogenic activities. We found that over the past two decades, both climatic variation and anthropogenic activities have significantly affected Kyrgyzstan’s grasslands. Grassland NPP decreased overall but patterns varied between provinces. Climate change, in particular changes in precipitation was the dominant factor driving grassland degradation in the north but human pressures also contributed. In the south however, human activities were associated with extensive areas of grassland recovery. The results provide important contextual understanding for supporting policy for grassland maintenance and restoration under climate change and intensifying human pressures.

Racial Disparities in the Juvenile Justice System

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henrika McCoy ◽  
Emalee Pearson
Keyword(s):  
Juvenile Justice ◽  
Racial Disparities ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Juvenile Justice System ◽  
Youth Of Color ◽  
Impact Reduction ◽  
Decision Points ◽  
Prevention Act ◽  
Emerging Issues ◽  
And Gender

Racial disparities in the juvenile justice system, more commonly known as disproportionate minority contact (DMC), are the overrepresentation, disparity, and disproportionate numbers of youth of color entering and moving deeper into the juvenile justice system. There has been some legislative attention to the issue since the implementation of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 (JJDPA) and most recently with attempts in 2017 to reauthorize the Act. Originally focused solely on confinement, it became clear by 1988 there was disproportionality at all decision points in the juvenile justice system, and the focus changed to contact. DMC most commonly is known to impact Black and Hispanic youth, but a closer look reveals how other youth of color are also impacted. Numerous factors have been previously identified that create DMC, but increasingly factors such as zero-tolerance in schools and proactive policing in communities are continuing to negatively impact reduction efforts. Emerging issues indicate the need to consider society’s demographic changes, the criminalization of spaces often occupied by youth of color, and gender differences when creating and implementing strategies to reduce DMC.

Anchors away? The impacts of anchor scour by ocean-going vessels and potential response options

Marine Policy ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 73 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew R. Davis ◽  
Allison Broad ◽  
Warwick Gullett ◽  
James Reveley ◽  
Chantel Steele ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Potential Response ◽  
Response Options

scholarly journals Health Benefit-risk Analysis of Locally Cultivated Mango Fruits and Branded Mango Beverages in Adamawa State, Nigeria

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
I. B. Bwatanglang ◽  
S. T. Magili ◽  
Y. Musa ◽  
S. P. Zira ◽  
P. Alexander ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin A ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Health Benefit ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Fruit Juices ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Mango Fruit ◽  
Mineral Contents ◽  
Potential Health ◽  
Pb Exposure

In this study, the vitamin, nutrient, antinutrient and heavy metal concentrations in Powdered mango fruit juices (sachet brands) (PMFJ), Liquid mango fruit juices (LMFJ), and Fresh or raw mango fruits juices (FMFJ) were assessed toward establishing a tradeoff between their health benefits and potential health risk on consumption. The analysis show the concentration of vitamin C constituting 50-70% and Vitamin A 30-40% by composition relative to other vitamins. The highest concentration of vitamin A and C were observed in the PMFJ, and the LMFJ samples. Relative to the bioavailability of vitamin E, K, B1, B2, B6 and B12, FMFJ contains the highest concentrations compared to PMFJ and LMFJ. The results further show the highest concentration of 0.79 mg/100 g and 6.85 mg/100 g of oxalate and phytate in the FMFJ. The analysis of the mineral contents show Ca accounting for over 50%, with FMFJ containing the highest concentration (57%). The concentration of Mg, Mn, Fe, and Zinc all falls within the acceptable range to constitute any potential risk on consumption. Based on the EDI values, the dietary exposure to lead (Pb) was observed to be above the oral reference dose (RfD) values set for Pb in edibles. Further appraisal for non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk from Pb exposure gives a THQ values of less than one (<1) and a CRI ≤10-4. Overall, the results show children to be more at risk for Pb exposure than the adults. From the results, it could suffice to say that unhealthy agricultural practices and possible anthropogenic activities could be the probable reasons for the low level of vitamin A and C in the FMFJ samples. Furthermore, could probably be the contributing factors leading to the increasing use of additives and fortified functional foods to meets population demands and nutritional requirements as observed in the PMFJ and LMFJ samples respectively.

scholarly journals Characterising the spatio-temporal threats, conservation hotspots, and conservation gaps for the most extinction-prone bird family (Aves: Rallidae)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucile Lévêque ◽  
Jessie C. Buettel ◽  
Scott Carver ◽  
Barry W. Brook
Keyword(s):  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Conservation Priorities ◽  
Geographic Scale ◽  
Commercial Development ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Island Endemic ◽  
Species Vulnerability ◽  
Evolutionary Features ◽  
Conservation Actions ◽  
Spatio Temporal

ABSTRACTWith thousands of vertebrate species now threatened with extinction, there is an urgent need to understand and mitigate the causes of wildlife collapse. As distinct evolutionary clades can follow different routes to endangerment, there is value in taxon-specific analyses when assessing species’ vulnerability to threats and identifying gaps in conservation actions. Rails (Aves: Rallidae), being the most extinction-prone bird Family globally, and with one third of extant rail species now threatened or near-threatened, are an emphatic case in point. Yet even for this well-studied group, there is uncertainty in our understanding of what factors might be causing this vulnerability, whether the current threats are consistent with those that led to recent extinctions, and ultimately, what conservation actions might be necessary to mitigate further losses. Here, we undertook a global synthesis of the temporal and spatial threat patterns for Rallidae and determined conservation priorities and gaps. We found two key pathways in the threat pattern for rails. One follows the same trajectory as extinct rails, where island endemic and flightless rails are most threatened, mainly due to invasive predators. The second, created by the recent diversification of anthropogenic activities, involves continental rails (generally in the Neotropics), threatened most commonly by agriculture, natural-system modifications and residential and commercial development. Conservation efforts around most-at-risk species should be adapted according to the most relevant geographic scale (bioregions or countries), and principal locality type of the population (continental or island endemic). Indonesia, the U.S.A., the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Cuba were the priority countries identified by our classification system incorporating species’ unique evolutionary features and level of endangerment, but also among the countries that lack conservation actions the most. Future efforts should predominantly target improvements in ecosystem protection and management, as well as ongoing research and monitoring. Forecasting the impacts of climate change on island endemic rails and disentangling the specific roles of extrinsic and intrinsic traits (like flightlessness), will be particularly valuable avenues of research for improving our forecasts of rail vulnerability.

scholarly journals It Pays to Prepare: Human Motor Preparation Depends on the Relative Value of Potential Response Options

Neuroscience ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 374 ◽  
pp. 223-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva-Maria Reuter ◽  
Welber Marinovic ◽  
Jesse Beikoff ◽  
Timothy J. Carroll
Keyword(s):  
Motor Preparation ◽  
Potential Response ◽  
Response Options ◽  
Relative Value ◽  
Human Motor

scholarly journals Securing the Limits of Large Ocean States in the Pacific: Defining Baselines Limits and Boundaries amidst Changing Coastlines and Sea Level Rise

Geosciences ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 394
Author(s):  
Leonardo Bernard ◽  
Michael Petterson ◽  
Clive Schofield ◽  
Stuart Kaye
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Small Island ◽  
Pacific Island ◽  
Potential Response ◽  
Response Options ◽  
Island States ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Pacific Island States ◽  
And Sea Level

The Pacific Island States and Territories are traditionally described as ‘small island’ nations. However, they are also ‘large ocean’ nations with jurisdiction over substantial maritime spaces stretching to at least 200 nautical miles. The article addresses issues related to baselines along the coast on which these broad maritime claims depend. The article then examines geodynamic considerations coupled with sea and land level projections in the Pacific leading to an assessment of the vulnerability or resilience of atolls in particular. The article then discusses potential implications for the coastlines and baselines of the Pacific Island States and Territories, the limits of their maritime entitlements and both delimited and undelimited maritime boundaries. Potential response options, prospects, and concluding thoughts are then offered.

scholarly journals Spatiotemporal variability in groundwater chemistry of a mountainous catchment with complex geologic and climate gradients in south west India

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
J A Gayathri ◽  
Vipin T Raj ◽  
K Sreel ◽  
K Maya ◽  
M Vandana ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Weathering ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Spatiotemporal Variability ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Peninsular India ◽  
Scaling Properties ◽  
Climate Gradients ◽  
Mineral Stability ◽  
Mountainous Catchments

Abstract Mountainous catchments are one of the world’s important water sources that sustains a major portion of global population and a rich biodiversity. The groundwater quantity and quality of mountainous watersheds are depended generally on the geologic characteristics and climate gradients. Although many groundwater studies have been carried out in the midlands and lowlands of many river basins, not enough focus has been paid to the mountainous catchments of tropics. Here we report a case study on groundwater quality and controlling factors of a mountainous catchments of the Western Ghats mountain ranges of peninsular India - the Bhavani river basin, which is identified as a testbed for long-term monitoring of the Critical Zone process. A total of 88 water samples were collected seasonally for assessing various physico-chemical parameters, solute contents and scaling properties. The results of the study revealed that the hydrochemistry of groundwater is influenced by both silicate and carbonate weathering. Mineral stability indices computed for the groundwater reveal that about 52 % of the samples are supersaturated with carbonate minerals and often exhibit scaling due to solute overloading. Among the contributing factors that determine water quality of groundwaters, chemical weathering and anthropogenic activities play a significant role.

The Influence of Language Context on Repetitive Speech Use in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 327-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison Gladfelter ◽  
Cassidy VanZuiden
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Receptive Vocabulary ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
Social Responsiveness ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Language Context

Purpose Although repetitive speech is a hallmark characteristic of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the contributing factors that influence repetitive speech use remain unknown. The purpose of this exploratory study was to determine if the language context impacts the amount and type of repetitive speech produced by children with ASD. Method As part of a broader word-learning study, 11 school-age children with ASD participated in two different language contexts: storytelling and play. Previously collected language samples were transcribed and coded for four types of repetitive speech: immediate echolalia, delayed echolalia, verbal stereotypy, and vocal stereotypy. The rates and proportions of repetitive speech were compared across the two language contexts using Wilcoxon signed-ranks tests. Individual characteristics were further explored using Spearman correlations. Results The children produced lower rates of repetitive speech during the storytelling context than the play-based context. Only immediate echolalia differed between the two contexts based on rate and approached significance based on proportion, with more immediate echolalia produced in the play-based context than in the storytelling context. There were no significant correlations between repetitive speech and measures of social responsiveness, expressive or receptive vocabulary, or nonverbal intelligence. Conclusions The children with ASD produced less immediate echolalia in the storytelling context than in the play-based context. Immediate echolalia use was not related to social skills, vocabulary, or nonverbal IQ scores. These findings offer valuable insights into better understanding repetitive speech use in children with ASD.

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