Multinomial regression for analyzing macroinvertebrate assemblage composition data

2012 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 681-694 ◽  
Author(s):  
Song S Qian ◽  
Thomas F Cuffney ◽  
Gerald McMahon
2006 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher J. Walsh

Biological indicators are increasingly being used as integrative measures of ecosystem health in streams, particularly indicators using macroinvertebrate assemblage composition. Several indicators of this type have been advocated, including biotic indices based on taxa sensitivities, richness indices and ratios of observed to expected taxa from models predicting assemblage composition in streams with little human impact (O/E scores). The present study aimed to compare the sensitivity of indicators of each of these types (all used for legislated objectives for stream protection in Victoria, Australia) to a gradient of urban disturbance in 16 streams in a small area in eastern Melbourne. The biotic index SIGNAL and number of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera or Trichoptera families were the most sensitive indicators, whereas total number of families and O/E scores from Australian river assessment system (AUSRIVAS) models were least sensitive. Differences in sensitivity were not the result of sampling or taxonomic inadequacies. AUSRIVAS and similar models might be improved by using only predictor variables that are not affected by human impacts and by sounder approaches to model selection. Insensitivities of indicators and misclassification of sites by the Victorian objectives show that assessment of indicators against disturbance gradients is critical for setting management objectives based on biological indicators.


2004 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 317 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher J. Walsh

Urbanisation is a looming global threat to in-stream biodiversity, but the best approaches to mitigation are unclear. This paper asks if the protection of in-stream biota, in particular macroinvertebrate assemblages, is dependent on the sequestration of catchments from urbanisation, or if protection in urbanised catchments can be achieved through better drainage design. In-stream macroinvertebrate assemblage composition was assessed for 16 catchments spanning a rural–urban gradient. Catchment imperviousness and drainage connection (the proportion of impervious area directly connected to streams by stormwater pipes), together with other possible driving factors, were assessed as explanatory variables of macroinvertebrate assemblage composition. The proportion of variance explained independently and jointly by each variable was assessed by hierarchical partitioning. Assemblage composition was strongly explained by the gradient of urban density (i.e. a large proportion of variance was jointly explained by variables correlated with the urban gradient; imperviousness, connection, longitude and elevation). However, drainage connection was the strongest independent correlate. Most sensitive taxa were absent from sites with >20% connection. Thus the connection of impervious surfaces to streams by pipes is a more likely determinant of taxa loss than the impervious areas themselves. Low-impact urban design approaches that reduce drainage connection are postulated as the most effective management solution to the protection of stream biota in urban catchments.


2012 ◽  
Vol 82 (3) ◽  
pp. 209-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone Bell ◽  
Heikki Pakkala ◽  
Michael P. Finglas

Food composition data (FCD) comprises the description and identification of foods, as well as their nutrient content, other constituents, and food properties. FCD are required for a range of purposes including food labeling, supporting health claims, nutritional and clinical management, consumer information, and research. There have been differences within and beyond Europe in the way FCD are expressed with respect to food description, definition of nutrients and other food properties, and the methods used to generate data. One of the major goals of the EuroFIR NoE project (2005 - 10) was to provide tools to overcome existing differences among member states and parties with respect to documentation and interchange of FCD. The establishment of the CEN’s (European Committee for Standardisation) TC 387 project committee on Food Composition Data, led by the Swedish Standards Institute, and the preparation of the draft Food Data Standard, has addressed these deficiencies by enabling unambiguous identification and description of FCD and their quality, for dissemination and data interchange. Another major achievement of the EuroFIR NoE project was the development and dissemination of a single, authoritative source of FCD in Europe enabling the interchange and update of data between countries, and also giving access to users of FCD.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moritz Herle ◽  
Andrea Smith ◽  
Feifei Bu ◽  
Andrew Steptoe ◽  
Daisy Fancourt

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the implementation of stay-at-home and lockdown measures. It is currently unknown if the experience of lockdown leads to long term changes in individual’s eating behaviors.Objective: The objectives of this study were: i) to derive longitudinal trajectories of change in eating during UK lockdown, and ii) to identify risk factors associated with eating behavior trajectories. Design: Data from 22,374 UK adults from the UCL COVID-19 Social study (a panel study collecting weekly data during the pandemic) were analyzed from 28th March to 29th May 2020. Latent Class Growth Analysis was used to derive trajectories of change in eating. These were then associated with prior socio-economic, heath-related and psychological factors using multinomial regression models. Results: Analyses suggested five trajectories, with the majority (64%) showing no change in eating. In contrast, one trajectory was marked by persistently eating more, whereas another by persistently eating less. Overall, participants with greater depressive symptoms were more likely to report any change in eating. Loneliness was linked to persistently eating more (OR= 1.07), whereas being single or divorced, as well as stressful life events, were associated with consistently eating less (OR= 1.69). Overall, higher education status was linked to lower odds of changing eating behavior (OR= 0.54-0.77). Secondary exploratory analyses suggest that participants self-reported to have overweight were most common amongst the consistently overeaters, whereas underweight participants persistently ate less. Conclusion: In this study, we found that one third of the sample report changes in quantities eaten throughout the first UK lockdown period. Findings highlight the importance of adjusting public health programs to support eating behaviors in future lockdowns both in this and potential future pandemics. This is particularly important as part of on-going preventive efforts to prevent nutrition-related chronic diseases.


1995 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennis E. Delorey ◽  
Paul N. Pruneau ◽  
John R. Palys

2021 ◽  
Vol 127 ◽  
pp. 107773
Author(s):  
Renato T. Martins ◽  
Janaina Brito ◽  
Karina Dias-Silva ◽  
Cecília G. Leal ◽  
Rafael P. Leitão ◽  
...  

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 25
Author(s):  
László Somay ◽  
Viktor Szigeti ◽  
Gergely Boros ◽  
Réka Ádám ◽  
András Báldi

Wood pastures are home to a variety of species, including the dung beetle. Dung beetles are an important functional group in decomposition. Specifically, in terms of livestock manure, they not only contribute to nutrient cycling but are key players in supporting human and animal health. Dung beetles, however, are declining in population, and urgent recommendations are needed to reverse this trend. Recommendations need to be based on solid evidence and specific habitats. Herein, we aimed to investigate the role of an intermediate habitat type between forests and pastures. Wood pastures are key areas for dung beetle conservation. For this reason, we compared dung beetle assemblages among forests, wood pastures, and grasslands. We complemented this with studies on the effects of dung type and season at three Hungarian locations. Pitfall traps baited with cattle, sheep, or horse dung were used in forests, wood pastures, and pasture habitats in spring, summer, and autumn. Dung beetle assemblages of wood pastures showed transient characteristics between forests and pastures regarding their abundance, species richness, Shannon diversity, assemblage composition, and indicator species. We identified a strong effect of season and a weak of dung type. Assemblage composition proved to be the most sensitive measure of differences among habitats. The conservation of dung beetles, and the decomposition services they provide, need continuous livestock grazing to provide fresh dung, as well as the maintenance of wood pastures where dung beetle assemblages typical of forests and pastures can both survive.


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