scholarly journals 101 lakes - lentic fish community monitoring using eDNA metabarcoding

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernd Hänfling ◽  
Nigel Willby ◽  
Lori Lawson-Handley ◽  
Graham Sellers
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
High Throughput Sequencing ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Sampling Effort ◽  
Ecological Quality ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Current Form ◽  
Community Monitoring ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Lake Fish

We have recently developed and deployed methods for environmental DNA (eDNA) based monitoring of lake fish communities in the UK. This approach combines eDNA with modern High-Throughput-Sequencing technology, so-called eDNA metabarcoding. This non-invasive method has proven to be more effective at detecting elusive species than established invasive surveying techniques such as electro fishing or fyke netting and can provide meaningful semi-quantitative abundance estimates. The UK Environment Agencies have funded the collection of an eDNA meta-barcoding data set of vertebrates from 101 UK lakes covering a broad spectrum of environmental conditions Fig. 1. This dataset is based on analysing 20 water samples per lake and has successfully been used to develop a WFD compatible water quality assessment tool. In its current form this tool is suitable for reporting the status of fish in water bodies where eutrophication is the dominant pressure. DNA is not homogeneously distributed in lentic environments and hence the detection of species relies on the collection of an adequate number of samples from a water body to capture the eDNA signal. Previous analyses on a subset of lakes have indicated that the number of samples used for the 101 lake fish data set is more than sufficient to reliably estimate species richness of lakes, but it is unclear how exactly reduced sampling effort affects other biodiversity estimates and inferences made about water quality. As the number of samples determines the cost of monitoring programmes it is essential that the sampling effort is optimised for a specific monitoring objective. The objective of this study was to explore the effect a reduced sampling effort would have on various biological inferences using algorithmic and statistical resampling techniques. with a much lower number of samples. For example, almost 90% of lakes achieved a sample coverage of 95% with only 10 samples. However, rare species are more often missed with fewer samples, with implications for monitoring programs of invasive or endangered species. Estimates of community composition and the ecological quality ratio (EQR) responded slowly to decreasing sampling effort. For example, subsets of 10 samples were in most cases much more closely related to each other than to sample sets from other lakes and showed very similar Ecological Quality Ratios. These results are able to inform the design of eDNA sampling strategies, so that these can be optimised to achieve specific monitoring goals.

Childhood Intelligence Predicts Adult Trait Openness

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 105-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrian Furnham ◽  
Helen Cheng
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation Modeling ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Social Background ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Direct Effects ◽  
Data Set ◽  
National Child Development Study ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
The Uk

Abstract. This study used a longitudinal data set of 5,672 adults followed for 50 years to determine the factors that influence adult trait Openness-to-Experience. In a large, nationally representative sample in the UK (the National Child Development Study), data were collected at birth, in childhood (age 11), adolescence (age 16), and adulthood (ages 33, 42, and 50) to examine the effects of family social background, childhood intelligence, school motivation during adolescence, education, and occupation on the personality trait Openness assessed at age 50 years. Structural equation modeling showed that parental social status, childhood intelligence, school motivation, education, and occupation all had modest, but direct, effects on trait Openness, among which childhood intelligence was the strongest predictor. Gender was not significantly associated with trait Openness. Limitations and implications of the study are discussed.

Applying the Soil Water Assessment Tool to 5th Canadian Division Support Base Gagetown

2014 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 372-385
Author(s):  
Shawn Burdett ◽  
Michael Hulley ◽  
Andy Smith
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Land Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Quality Model ◽  
Sediment Yields ◽  
Soil Water Assessment Tool ◽  
Water Assessment

A hydrologic and water quality model is sought to establish an approach to land management decisions for a Canadian Army training base. Training areas are subjected to high levels of persistent activity creating unique land cover and land-use disturbances. Deforestation, complex road networks, off-road manoeuvres, and vehicle stream crossings are among major anthropogenic activities observed to affect these landscapes. Expanding, preserving and improving the quality of these areas to host training activities for future generations is critical to maintain operational effectiveness. Inclusive to this objective is minimizing resultant environmental degradation, principally in the form of hydrologic fluctuations, excess erosion, and sedimentation of aquatic environments. Application of the Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was assessed for its ability to simulate hydrologic and water quality conditions observed in military landscapes at 5th Canadian Division Support Base (5 CDSB) Gagetown, New Brunswick. Despite some limitations, this model adequately simulated three partial years of daily watershed outflow (NSE = 0.47–0.79, R2 = 0.50–0.88) and adequately predicted suspended sediment yields during the observation periods (%d = 6–47%) for one highly disturbed sub-watershed in Gagetown. Further development of this model may help guide decisions to develop or decommission training areas, guide land management practices and prioritize select landscape mitigation efforts.

The Covid-19 lockdown in the United Kingdom and subjective well-being: Have the self-employed suffered more due to hours and income reductions?

2021 ◽  
pp. 026624262098676 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Yue ◽  
Marc Cowling
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Rare Events ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Self ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Data Set ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Hours Of Work ◽  
Period Data ◽  
The Uk

It is well documented that the self-employed experience higher levels of happiness than waged employees even when their incomes are lower. Given the UK government’s asymmetric treatment of waged workers and the self-employed, we use a unique Covid-19 period data set which covers the months leading up to the March lockdown and the months just after to assess three aspects of the Covid-19 crisis on the self-employed: hours of work reductions, the associated income reductions and the effects of both on subjective well-being. Our findings show the large and disproportionate reductions in hours and income for the self-employed directly contributed to a deterioration in their levels of subjective well-being compared to waged workers. It appears that their resilience was broken when faced with the reality of dealing with rare events, particularly when the UK welfare support response was asymmetric and favouring waged employees.

Modeling Miscanthus in the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to Simulate Its Water Quality Effects As a Bioenergy Crop

2010 ◽  
Vol 44 (18) ◽  
pp. 7138-7144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tze Ling Ng ◽  
J. Wayland Eheart ◽  
Ximing Cai ◽  
Fernando Miguez
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Bioenergy Crop ◽  
Water Assessment ◽  
Soil And Water

Lone Mothers, Ethnicity and Welfare Dynamics

2009 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
CHRISTINA MOKHTAR ◽  
LUCINDA PLATT
Keyword(s):  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Welfare Dependency ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Administrative Records ◽  
Lone Parents ◽  
Lone Mothers ◽  
Minority Ethnic Groups ◽  
Policy Concern ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Minority Ethnic

AbstractThis article investigates the ethnic patterning of exit from means-tested benefits in a UK town. Lone parents in the UK face high risks of poverty and high rates of receipt of means-tested, out-of-work benefits. There has been extensive policy concern with lone parents' poverty and with potential ‘welfare dependency’. Investigation of welfare dynamics has unpacked the notion of welfare dependency, and has stimulated policy to better understand the factors associated with longer rather than shorter durations. However, within this analysis, there has been little attention paid to ethnicity. This is despite the fact that the extensive literature on the UK's minority ethnic groups has emphasised diversity in both rates of lone parenthood and risks of poverty. To date we have little understanding of ethnic variation in lone parents' welfare dynamics. Using a data set drawn from administrative records, this article analyses the chances of leaving means-tested benefit for a set of lone mothers in a single town, exploring whether there is variation by ethnic group. We find that, controlling for basic demographic characteristics, there is little evidence to suggest that ethnicity affects the chances of benefit exit, even between groups where rates of lone parenthood are very different.

The Hidden Half: Linking microbial communities to habitat condition and vegetation management in UK blanket bogs

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Burn ◽  
Andreas Heinemeyer ◽  
Thorunn Helgason ◽  
David Glaves ◽  
Michael Morecroft
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Microbial Communities ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Vegetation Management ◽  
Equation Model ◽  
Habitat Condition ◽  
Blanket Bog ◽  
The Uk

<p>Peatlands are globally valued for the ecosystem services they deliver, including water quality regulation and carbon sequestration. In the UK, blanket bogs are the main peatland habitat and previous work has linked blanket bog management, especially rotational burning of heather vegetation on grousemoors, to impacts on these ecosystem services. However, we still lack a mechanistic, process-level understanding of how peatland management and habitat status is linked to ecosystem service provision, which is mostly driven by soil microbial processes.</p><p>Here we examine bacterial and fungal communities across a spectrum of “intact” to degraded UK blanket bogs and under different vegetation management strategies. Sites included grousemoors under burnt and alternative mown or uncut management along with further locations including 'near intact', degraded and restored sites across a UK climatic gradient ranging from Exmoor (South UK), the Peak District (Mid) to the Flow Country (North). Moreover, an experiment was setup at the University of York with peat mesocosms taken from all sites and management/habitat conditions to allow a comparison between field and controlled conditions and assessing root-mediated processes. Using a structural equation model, we linked grousemoor management to specific fungal/bacterial functional groups, and have started to relate this to changes in water quality provision and carbon cycle aspects. This represents a significant step in the effort to use microbial communities as indicators of peatland habitat condition in UK upland blanket bogs. </p><p> </p>

Reducing Nutrient Loads in Northern Irish Catchments: A Modelling Approach Based on Load Apportionment and Flow Pathway Identification

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Russell Adams ◽  
Donnacha Doody
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Point Sources ◽  
Load Reduction ◽  
Nutrient Loads ◽  
Flow Pathways ◽  
Flow Pathway

<p>Northern Ireland has been somewhat overlooked in terms of water quality modelling in the past. Many of its catchments have consistently failed to meet Water Framework Directive targets especially due to high levels of dissolved nutrients and poor ecological status. A catchment based modelling study to address this issue has not been undertaken here previously and the approach described here uses two water quality models to achieve this aim. The objectives of the modelling were firstly to identify the total load reductions (in terms of Phosphorus (P)) required to reduce in-stream loadings sufficiently for concentrations of soluble reactive P (SRP) to be reduced to achieve the WFD “Good” status levels, and secondly to split these loadings into diffuse and point components. The third objective was to identify the most likely flow pathways for the transport of the diffuse component of P to the watercourses particularly for the agricultural (mostly intensive grassland farming) land use which dominates in almost all NI catchments.</p><p>The first model applied is the Source Load Apportionment Model (SLAM) developed by the Irish EPA. This model provides a large-scale assessment of the point and diffuse load components across catchments where multiple pressures are occurring. The second model us the Catchment Runoff Flux Assessment Tool (CRAFT) which is able to back-calculate nutrient loads associated with three major flow pathways. SLAM is a static model which uses averaged loadings from diffuse agriculture and non-agricultural land uses, and point sources (where information can be obtained from various sources) to calculate N and P exports. For P, the agricultural diffuse load component uses an enhanced version of the export coefficient approach based on combining the sources of P from applied nutrients (slurry and fertiliser) and soil P. A modelling tool allows the user to evaluate load reduction scenarios where one or several components of P (both point and diffuse) are adjusted downwards to achieve the catchment’s required load reduction. The CRAFT model works on a dynamic (daily) modelling scale and has simulated sub-catchments where the SLAM model has identified the need for significant load reductions. It identifies the different reductions (P export) that are required for each flow pathway, which will then inform on the type of additional measures (e.g. sediment traps, riparian buffer strips and wetlands) that may also be required.</p><p>The initial aim of this study is to complete a pilot application to the trans-border (UK and ROI) Blackwater catchment (1360 km<sup>2</sup>). Through a review of alternative modelling options for the whole area of NI, an assessment of whether this approach is suitable for application to the entire territory can be made.</p>

Competition and Contestability in the UK Package Tour Industry: Some Econometric Observations

1998 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 241-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Davies ◽  
Paul Downward
Keyword(s):  
Panel Data ◽  
Market Power ◽  
Power Efficiency ◽  
Econometric Analysis ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Needs ◽  
Data Set ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Efficiency Hypothesis

This paper explores competition and contestability in the UK package tour industry. Using econometric analysis of a panel-data set evidence is presented that rules out the market power/efficiency hypothesis. In keeping with Evans and Stabler (1995), there is evidence that the industry is segmented according to the size of the firms. In contrast with Gratton and Richards (1997), the results suggest that it is difficult to support the contestability hypothesis in the industry overall. Future research needs to offer less generalized conclusions in characterizing the industry.

scholarly journals Unpacking the foundational dimensions of work integration social enterprise

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosemary Lysaght ◽  
Michael J. Roy ◽  
Jack S. Rendall ◽  
Terry Krupa ◽  
Liam Ball ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Development ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
Field Tests ◽  
Social Enterprises ◽  
Response Scale ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work Integration ◽  
The Uk

Purpose The aim of this exploratory, mixed methods study was to develop and test a tool that identifies foundational dimensions of work integration social enterprises (WISEs) for use in empirical studies and enterprise self-assessment. Construction of the initial prototype was based upon a review of the literature and prior qualitative research by the authors. Design/methodology/approach A 20-item question pool with a four-point response scale was constructed to explore WISE business and employment practices and strategies for worker growth and development. Three sequential field tests were conducted with the prototype – the first with 5 Canadian WISEs, the second with 14 WISEs in the UK and the third with 6 Canadian WISEs involved in an outcome study in the mental health sector. Each field test included completion of the questionnaire by persons with managerial responsibility within the WISE and evaluative feedback captured through questions on the applicability and interpretability of the items. Findings Testing of the prototype instrument revealed the inherent diversity in the field and the difficulty in creating questions that both embrace that diversity and produce unidimensional variables definable along a spectrum. A number of challenges with question structure were identified and have been modified throughout the iterative testing process. Research limitations/implications This study identified central domains for inclusion in a multi-dimensional WISE assessment tool. Further testing will help further refine scaling and establish psychometric properties. Originality/value This measure will provide a descriptive profile of WISEs across sectors and identify WISE core dimensions for research and organizational development.

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