bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Progressive damage analyses of angle‐ply laminates exhibiting free edge effects using continuum damage mechanics with layer‐wise finite element method
Authors: MOHAMMADI B. , HOSSEINI‐TOUDESHKY H. , SADR‐LAHIDJANI M. H.
Published: October 2008

Capability of continuum damage mechanics (CDM) to predict the damage mechanism evolution of composite laminates has rarely been carried out, and most of the previous CDM works mainly focused on the overall response of the laminates. In this paper, progressive damage and overall response of the composite laminates under quasi‐static, monotonic increasing loading are investigated using three‐dimensional (3D) CDM implementation in a finite element method that is based on the layer‐wise laminate plate theory. In the damage formulation, each composite ply is treated as a homogeneous orthotropic material exhibiting orthotropic damage in the form of distributed microscopic cracks that are normal to the three principal material directions. The progressive damage of different angle‐ply composite laminates under quasi‐static loading that exhibit free edge effects is investigated. It is shown that using CDM global behaviour and various damage mechanisms affected by the complex nature of free edges can be qualitatively well predicted.
Evaluation of the T‐stress and stress intensity factor for a cracked plate in general case using eigenfunction expansion variational method
Authors: CHEN Y. Z. , LIN X. Y. , WANG Z. X.
Published: October 2008

This paper investigates the T‐stress and stress intensity factor for a cracked plate in general case. In the general case, the shape of boundary and the applied loading are arbitrary. The eigenfunction expansion variational method (EEVM) is developed to evaluate the T‐stress and stress intensity factor. For the traction boundary value problem, the EEVM is equivalent to the theorem of least potential energy in elasticity. Therefore, the EEVM possesses a clear physical meaning and it does not depend on any boundary collocation scheme. Several numerical examples are presented, which include: (1) a line crack in circular plate and (2) a line crack in rectangular plate. Numerical examination for convergence in an example is carried out.
Residual stress effects on fatigue crack growth in a Ti‐6Al‐4V friction stir weld
Authors: PASTA S. , REYNOLDS A. P.
Published: October 2008

Recent studies have illustrated a predominant role of the residual stress on the fatigue crack growth in friction stir welded joints. In this study, the role of the residual stress on the propagation of fatigue cracks orthogonal to the weld direction in a friction stir welded Ti‐6Al‐4V joint was investigated. A numerical prediction of the fatigue crack growth rate in the presence of the residual stresses was carried out using AFGROW software; reasonable correspondence between the predictions and the experimental results were observed when the effects of residual stress were included in the simulation.
Comparative analysis of three thermal fatigue experiments
Authors: ANCELET O. , CHAPULIOT S. , HENAFF G.
Published: October 2008

This paper presents an analysis of the ability of different criteria to predict fatigue crack initiation under thermal loading. More precisely the predictions of the number of cycles to crack initiation are compared with experimental results obtained using five different fatigue criteria in three types of thermal fatigue tests (namely the FAT3D, JRC and SPLASH test campaigns).

This analysis has revealed that:

The conventional criteria based on equivalent strain variation substantially overestimate the lifespan of a structure subjected to thermal loading.

A criterion making account for loading multiaxiality is required to estimate thermal fatigue life.

Three of the criteria studied give satisfactory results: the Zamrik criterion, the Park and Nelson criterion and a criterion taking hydrostatic pressure into consideration proposed by Amiable et al. The latter should be preferred for the accuracy of its results and the Zamrik criterion for its simplicity.
The Colonial Table: Food, Culture and Dutch Identity in Colonial Indonesia
Authors: Protschky Susie
Published: October 2008

This article examines some of the ways in which colonial identities were constructed and maintained with reference to food and eating in the Netherlands Indies (colonial Indonesia) during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It argues that food was an important focus for the cultural performance of Europeanness among colonists with aspirations to European status. Specific notions of class and race informed these social performances, and degrees of competence distinguished between eaters. To eat ‘European’ often meant publicly avoiding Indonesian dishes, even if they were enjoyed privately, and learning to appreciate foods from ‘home’. Class and cultural identity intersected with race at the colonial table.
Imperialism from Below: Informal Empire and the Private Sector in Nineteenth‐Century Germany
Authors: Fitzpatrick Matt
Published: October 2008

Far from being the product of atavistic feudal remnants within German society, nineteenth‐century German imperialism stemmed from precisely the liberal milieu that had come to prominence during 1848‐49. Through an analysis of imperialist texts dealing with Central and South America, and the social logic of these imperialist works, an understanding of the nature of private sector and civil society imperialistic projects emerges that sees liberal imperialists seeking out alternatives to statist solutions in the light of political blockages to their efforts.
Histories of Madness: the Abject Perspective of Italian Women in Australia
Authors: Ricatti Francesco
Published: October 2008

In this article it is my intention to present some of the findings of my PhD research,1 in which I have considered Italian migrants’ material and discursive practices about the body, through the analysis of a corpus of more than 1,000 original letters written by Italian migrants to Lena Gustin, the editor of two columns in the Italian Australian‐language newspaper La Fiamma. The specific focus of this article is on letters written by Italian migrant women in which a psychological discomfort or a psychiatric disorder was expressed. Many of these women wrote more than one letter over a span of two or more years. Despite important events in their lives, such as pregnancy and divorce, or admission to or release from a psychiatric hospital, they essentially continued to repeat the same discourse in every letter, as if they were trapped in a situation from which it was impossible to escape — as if nobody was actually listening to what they were trying to say. This paper is an attempt to give back a voice to some of these women through my own personal and theoretical approach to their histories of madness and abjection.
The Missing Fifth Dimension: The Writing of Australian History in Germany*
Authors: Holleuffer Henriette v.
Published: October 2008

German historical writing about Australia can be traced back to the early periods of European exploration of Terra incognita. A corpus of German‐Australian literature exists in the historical notes that were part of early travel books, geographic sketches and emigrant guides. Historical fiction provides another element. However an empirical historiography which elevated Australian history from footnotes and established it as the focus of a professional discipline did not develop until later. Australia was too often wrongly viewed as a space without history. This article examines the professional treatment of Australian history in Germany and the difficult path which faced those who sought to establish the history of Australia as an independent research field. It focuses upon three aspects: (a) the historical background of German Overseas Studies; (b) Australian history as topic in Germany's historiography; and (c) the post‐war situation of Australian historical studies in Germany.
Decolonising Europe? The Colonial Boomerang
Authors: Milfull John
Published: October 2008

The hidden secret at the core of Michael Haneke's remarkable film of that name is Georges Laurent's denunciation of a young Algerian boy who found refuge on his relatives’ farm after his own parents had perished in the infamous 1961 Paris massacre. In a bizarre return of the repressed, the memory of this betrayal invades and destroys his affluent bourgeois existence forty years later. In this article, I attempt to link this return to the “colonial boomerang” of the suburban revolts of 2005 (and 2007) and the “official” occlusion of past crimes against humanity most clearly shown in the case of Maurice Papon, in which the betrayal of France's Jews and the massacre of Algerian demonstrators merge on the grounds of the Veld'Hiv.
“Absolutely Irresponsible Amateurs”: The Temporary Mixed Commission on Armaments, 1921–1924
Authors: Webster Andrew
Published: October 2008

Created in early 1921, the Temporary Mixed Commission on Armaments was a committee of eminent figures formed by the League of Nations to consider the problem of international disarmament in its widest aspects and to suggest potential initiatives, plans and solutions. What made it unique was that its members were specifically appointed as private individuals, unrestrained by formal instructions from governments. They were intended to be free to put forward ideas and opinions that seemed most likely to produce real progress but which might have created political turmoil if they had come from official representatives. To some contemporary observers this extraordinary degree of independence was tremendously appealing; to others, the lack of accountability on an issue of supreme importance to the national security of member states was desperately objectionable. In practice, much of the commission's work resolved into a battle between interventionist British members and resistant French members, led respectively by Lord Robert Cecil and Colonel Edouard Réquin, with its most prominent outcome being the failed 1923 draft Treaty of Mutual Assistance. A fascinating experiment in the possibilities of transnationalism within an international organization, the Temporary Mixed Commission on Armaments both exemplified the fluidity of the League of Nations in its early years and showed the limited results a transnational approach could achieve on as contentious an issue as disarmament.
Forgetting the Founders
Authors: Runciman W.G.
Published: October 2008

The inability, or unwillingness, of 20th-century sociologists to move beyond the agenda bequeathed by Marx, Weber, and Durkheim is remarkable in view not only of the now outdated presuppositions shared by all three but of the increasing likelihood that the more important influence on the human behavioural sciences in the 21st century will turn out to be Darwin's. Not only has the coming together of evolutionary theory, population genetics, and molecular biology shown that significantly more of human behaviour can be explained by the theory of natural selection than was previously recognized, but non-reductionist explanations of cultural and social evolution from within a neo-Darwinian paradigm can be framed in terms no longer vulnerable to the criticisms previously levelled against the application to sociology of Darwin's original insight about ‘descent with modification’.
Branding Consultants as Cultural Intermediaries
Authors: Moor Liz
Published: October 2008

Advertising agencies are frequently the focus of sociological studies investigating the ways in which commodities are imbued with meanings, and the impacts of these efforts on consumer activity. However, advertising agencies face increasing competition from other symbolic intermediaries, of which branding consultancies are some of the most successful. This paper explores the nature and significance of branding by focusing upon three key themes: first, its history and relationship to the design industry; secondly, its everyday practice and efforts to translate brand values into material, as well as visual, form; and thirdly, the forms of knowledge drawn upon in its decision-making processes, and their relationship to its broader power and influence. These themes are addressed through a combination of historical analysis and empirical material drawn from interviews with branding professionals, and are framed with reference to the literature on cultural intermediaries
Biomedicine, holism and general medical practice: responses to the 2004 General Practitioner contract
Authors: Checkland Kath , Harrison Stephen , McDonald Ruth , Grant Suzanne , Campbell Stephen , Guthrie Bruce
Published: October 2008

In 2004 a new contract was introduced for General Practitioners in the UK, which introduced a significant element of ‘pay‐for‐performance’, including both clinical and organisational targets. The introduction of this contract has caused interest across the world, particularly amongst those responsible for commissioning primary care services. It can be argued that the clinical targets in the contract (known as the Quality and Outcomes Framework, QOF) represent a move towards a more biomedical model of health and illness, which is contrary to the ideal of providing holistic (or biopsychosocial) care that has been traditionally espoused by GPs. This paper reports results from two linked studies (in England and Scotland) investigating the early stages of the new contract. We describe the way in which four practices with different organisational approaches and espoused identities have all changed their practice structures, consultations and clinical care in response to QOF in ways which will result in patients receiving a more biomedical type of care. In spite of these observed changes, respondents continued to maintain discursive claims to holism. We discuss how this disconnection between rhetoric and reality can be maintained, and consider its implications for the future development of GPs’ claims to a professional identity.
Waking up to sleepiness: Modafinil, the media and the pharmaceuticalisation of everyday/night life
Authors: Williams Simon J. , Seale Clive , Boden Sharon , Lowe Pam , Steinberg Deborah Lynn
Published: October 2008

This paper examines the social construction of the new wakefulness‐promoting drug Modafinil (brand name Provigil) in the British press. Key themes in this newspaper coverage include the potential ‘uses’ and ‘abuses’ of this drug in relation to: (i) medical conditions; (ii) lifestyle choices; (iii) military operations; and (iv) sporting competition. The British press, we show, play a dual role in reporting on these trends and developments: on the one hand constructing this as something of a ‘wonder drug’ in relation to the treatment of a number of medical complaints or conditions, on the other hand articulating and amplifying a range of cultural concerns and anxieties about the non‐medical ‘uses’ and ‘abuses’ of this drug, both now and in the future. These issues, it is argued, are best interpreted in terms of media concerns over the pharmaceuticalisation rather than the medicalisation of everyday/night life. The paper concludes with some further thoughts and reflections on these issues, including the potential reworking of notions of ‘pharmaceutical Calvinism’ and the ‘elective affinity’ between this ‘smart’ new drug and the spirit of (bio)capitalism.
Becoming a ‘real’ smoker: cultural capital in young women's accounts of smoking and other substance use
Authors: Haines Rebecca J. , Poland Blake D. , Johnson Joy L.
Published: October 2008

This paper draws from a qualitative study of tobacco use by young women in Toronto, Canada. Narrative interviews were used to understand the multiple roles and functions of smoking within the everyday lives of female adolescents. Guided by a Bourdieusian theoretical framework this study employed the core construct of cultural capital in order to position tobacco and other substance use as field‐specific capital that young women accumulate while navigating the social worlds of adolescence. Departing from the psychosocial or peer‐influence models that inform the majority of tobacco research with young people, this analysis provides a nuanced understanding of how smoking, drinking, using drugs are much more than simple forms of teenage experimentation or rebellion, but can also serve as key resources for defining the self, acquiring status and making social distinctions within adolescent social worlds. In this context it is also argued that initiation into substance use practices is a way that young women demonstrate and develop social and cultural competencies.
Are Exports of China, Japan and Korea Diverted in the Major Regional Trading Blocs?
Authors: Lee Hyun‐Hoon , Koo Chung Mo , Park Euijeong
Published: October 2008

In recent years China, Japan and Korea, the three major economies in East Asia, have been gearing up their efforts to sign free trade agreements with many different regions and countries. One of the main reasons for this is that they fear that with a regionalism movement rising in every corner of the world, their exports are discriminated against and diverted in the trading blocs of other nations. The main purpose of this paper is to investigate whether this is a real fear. We utilise the gravity equation augmented with dummy variables for regional trading blocs in three different specifications. One is the static, standard gravity model to examine the effect of regional blocs on the ‘level’ of exports from these three countries in 2003; the second is the fixed effects and random effects panel models for the period 1993–2003; and the third is the dynamic, partial‐adjustment model to examine the effect of blocs on the ‘changes’ in exports between 1993 and 2003. The results show that trade diversion is observed only for China's exports in EU, EFTA and EAEC, but no diversion effect is observed for Japan's and Korea's exports in any of the major trading blocs. On the other hand, trade creation is observed for exports from China in ASEAN, for exports from Japan in ASEAN, CACM, CARICOM, EAEC, EU and NAFTA, and for exports from Korea in ASEAN, CACM, EAEC and MERCOSUR. Thus, Japan's and Korea's fear of discrimination and trade diversion is ungrounded, while China's fear is grounded only to a limited extent.
Developing Countries in the WTO System: Applying Robert Hudec's Analysis to the Doha Round
Authors: Finger J. Michael
Published: October 2008

In his 1987 Developing Countries in the GATT System, Robert Hudec concluded that the identity of developing countries in the GATT system was primarily a matter of their demanding non‐reciprocal and preferential treatment, developed countries responding grudgingly to those demands and that this situation had been unfruitful either to support developing country reforms or to discipline developed country restrictions aimed at developing countries. Hudec was pessimistic about the relationship becoming more productive, but his expression of despair offered a glimmer of hope: ‘There are those who believe that the GATT has become so committed to the current policy that the only way to change it would be to start a new organization’. A new organisation was started, the World Trade Organization, but has the WTO achieved what Hudec hoped a new organisation might? At the 1987–95 Uruguay Round, developing country leaders acted as Hudec had hoped. They used international rules and bindings as leverage to support their own internally‐driven reforms; to overcome generations of accumulated protection, to lock in reforms against the backsliding that had undone previous reforms. Dealing with the Uruguay Round's ‘unbalanced outcome’ and the overlapping ‘implementation problem’ have shaped the Doha Round, but the negotiations have misconceived and mismanaged both issues. Rather than seeking to identify their real economics, the negotiations have gone back to the traditional idea of special and differential treatment. Perhaps the largest cost of this mismanagement is that in many developing countries the unilateral momentum for liberalisation has waned. To the extent that the Doha negotiations have drawn attention away from the domestic issues that were the basis of developing country liberalisation – and enhanced the status of negotiators relative to the leaders who fought at home for reform – they have contributed to that waning.
The Welfare Analysis of a Free Trade Zone: Intermediate Goods and the Asian Tigers
Authors: Feltenstein Andrew , Plassmann Florenz
Published: October 2008

We analyse trade reform among the ASEAN countries, which recently began removing all mutual trade barriers. The standard method to avoid complete specialisation in traded goods is to distinguish goods both by physical type and place of origin (the so‐called Armington assumption). This methodology is not suitable for the sort of intermediate goods produced by the ASEAN countries. We develop a computational approach in the context of a non‐Armington dynamic general equilibrium model. Analysing the results of a calibrated version of the model, we find that trade liberalisation is generally welfare improving for the ASEAN countries.
Political and Institutional Factors in Regime Changes in the ERM: An Application of Duration Analysis
Authors: Sosvilla‐Rivero Simón , Pérez‐Bermejo Francisco
Published: October 2008

This paper analyses the functioning of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM). To that end, we apply duration models to estimate an augmented target‐zone model, explicitly incorporating political and institutional factors into the explanation of European exchange rate policies. The estimations are based on quarterly data of eight currencies participating in the ERM, covering the complete history of the European Monetary System. Our results suggest that both economic and political factors are important determinants of ERM currency policies. Concerning economic factors, the money supply, the real exchange rate, the interest rate in Germany and the central parity deviation would have negatively affected the duration of a given central parity, while credibility and the price level in Germany would have positively influenced such duration. Regarding political variables, elections, central bank independence and left‐wing administrations would have increased the probability of maintaining the current regime, while unstable governments would have been associated with more frequent regime changes. Moreover, we show how the political augmented model outperforms the model which just incorporates pure economic determinants, both in terms of explanatory power and goodness of fit.
Regional Trade Agreements versus Global Trade Liberalisation: Implications for a Small Island Developing State
Authors: Asafu‐Adjaye John , Mahadevan Renuka
Published: October 2008

This study undertakes an empirical investigation of the macroeconomic and sectoral impacts of two forms of regional trade agreements vis‐à‐vis global trade liberalisation on a small island country, using Fiji as a case study. In order to capture the feedback effects of such a complex set of policies, we employ a dynamic computable general equilibrium model of the Fijian economy to investigate (i) the impact of the Pacific Island Countries Trade Agreement (PICTA), (ii) the impact of PICTA, the Pacific Agreement for Closer Economic Relations (PACER), and the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs), (iii) the impact of full tariff liberalisation (i.e. tariff removal only), and (iv) the impact of full trade liberalisation, with removal of both tariff and non‐tariff barriers. While PICTA consistently provides the least benefits across a range of macroeconomic indicators including real output, welfare, trade volumes and employment, full trade liberalisation involving the removal of tariff and non‐tariff barriers provides the greatest benefits compared to the other scenarios in terms of real output. However, the latter scenario is outperformed by PICTA, PACER, the EPAs and full tariff liberalisation in terms of welfare effects, trade volumes and employment. The policy implications hold important lessons for developing countries considering trade liberalisation.
Small Hubs, Large Spokes and Overlapping Free Trade Agreements
Authors: Chong Soo Yuen , Hur Jung
Published: October 2008

The proliferation of overlapping free trade agreements (FTA) in recent years has led to pair‐wise hub‐and‐spokes (HAS) throughout the world. Being avid subscribers to FTAs, many countries in the Asia‐Pacific region, including the United States, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Australia, have become trade hubs to their partners who are in turn relegated to spoke status. In this paper, we question whether being a hub is welfare optimal for a small and open economy such as Singapore compared to membership in a single bilateral FTA or a multi‐member free trade zone. Within this context, we use a computable general equilibrium model to examine the welfare implications of the triangular trade relationship of the United States, Singapore and Japan. This is facilitated by the Japan–Singapore Economic Partnership Agreement, the USA–Singapore Free Trade Agreement, and a hypothetical USA–Japan Economic Partnership Agreement. The analysis is extended to incorporate ‘super‐hub’ effects, that is, the spoke countries could be trade hubs in other HAS systems. Our experiment reveals that hub status generates positive welfare gain and is the highest Singapore can get from the trade configurations considered. Meanwhile, Japan loses more than the USA when both are relegated to spoke status. These findings prove to be robust under different market structures and production technologies, deeper economic integration, ‘super‐hub’ effects, as well as uncertainty in the key model parameters and the extent of trade liberalisation shocks.
UNCERTAINTY, LEARNING AND GROWTH
Authors: GALINDEV RAGCHAASUREN
Published: October 2008

The paper extends Blackburn and Galindev's (Economics Letters, Vol. 79 (2003), pp. 417–421) stochastic growth model in which productivity growth entails both external and internal learning behaviour with a constant relative risk aversion utility function and productivity shocks. Consequently, the relationship between long‐term growth and short‐term volatility depends not only on the relative importance of each learning mechanism but also on a parameter measuring individuals' attitude towards risk.
PRODUCTIVITY SHOCKS AND OPTIMAL MONETARY POLICY IN A UNIONIZED LABOR MARKET ECONOMY
Authors: MATTESINI FABRIZIO , ROSSI LORENZA
Published: October 2008

A New Keynesian model characterized by labor indivisibilities, unemployment and a unionized labor market is presented. The bargaining process between unions and firms introduces real wage rigidity and creates an endogenous trade‐off between inflation and output stabilization. Under an optimal discretionary monetary policy a negative productivity shock requires an increase in the nominal interest rate. An operational instrument rule will satisfy the Taylor principle, but will also require that the nominal interest rate does not necessarily respond one to one to an increase in the efficient rate of interest.
Prospective cohort study investigating the reliability of the AmnioSense™ method for detection of spontaneous rupture of membranes
Authors: Mulhair L , Carter J , Poston L , Seed P , Briley A
Published: October 2008

Objective  This study investigated the reliability, sensitivity and specificity of a commercially available absorbent pad, AmnioSense™, compared with speculum examination for detection of spontaneous ruptured membranes (SRM).

Design  Prospective cohort study.

Setting  Antenatal Day Unit (ADU) of a UK inner‐city teaching hospital.

Population  Women attending the ADU with a history of suspected ruptured membranes between 18 and 42 weeks of gestation.

Methods  Eligible women were asked to use the absorbent pad in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. A midwife recorded the result. A second midwife performed a speculum examination according to unit protocol. Results were entered onto a password‐protected study‐specific database. Both midwives were blind to the other test result.

Main outcome measures  Comparability between the index test (AmnioSense™) and reference standard (speculum).

Results  A total of 157 women were recruited and results were analysed in 139 cases. Median gestational age at recruitment was 37+2 weeks. The prevalence of SRM was 42% (59/139) with AmnioSense™ giving a sensitivity of 98% (58/59) and specificity of 65% (52/80).

Conclusions  Thirty‐eight percent (53/139 women) with SRM would have been correctly identified as having intact membranes without the need for a speculum examination. Twenty‐five percent of AmnioSense™ false‐positive results were associated with positive high vaginal swab results (7/28). These data suggest that a negative AmnioSense™ result can provide reassurance of intact membranes. Use of the AmnioSense™ test before considering speculum examination could reduce the number of speculum examinations undertaken, with benefit to women and concomitant health resource savings.
Climate anomalies provide opportunities for large‐scale mapping of non‐native plant abundance in desert grasslands
Authors: Huang Cho‐ying , Geiger Erika L.
Published: October 2008

Aim  Native plant communities are susceptible to climate anomalies, which would favour the invasion of non‐native species. However, climate anomalies may also provide opportunities for detecting non‐native plants at a regional scale using remote sensing. Based on this mechanism, we propose a direct and effective remote sensing approach to map the abundance of South African Eragrostis lehmanniana Nees (Lehmann lovegrass), a highly invasive, non‐native plant in the desert grasslands of southwestern North America.

Location  The desert grassland of Fort Huachuca Military Reservation (31°34′N, 110°26′W) in southern Arizona, USA.

Methods  Simple linear regression models were used to examine the relationships between additional (comparing to the normal level) remotely sensed greenness (delta Enhanced Vegetation Index (ΔEVI) derived from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)), and field actual (g m−2) and percentage (%) biomass of E. lehmanniana in an abnormal wet, cool period in October 2000.

Results  There was a strong and positive agreement (P < 0.005) between ΔEVI and field observations (R2 = 0.72 and 0.64 for actual and percentage biomass of E. lehmanniana, respectively). These relationships allowed us to estimate the abundance of E. lehmanniana in the desert grassland.

Main conclusions  Phenology of native grass communities is quite similar to systems dominated by E. lehmanniana but responses differ when there are substantial amounts of precipitation in cool seasons. Eragrostis lehmanniana can produce significant amount of new tissues and seeds with sufficient cool season moisture, while native grasses are still in senescence or dormancy. Therefore, amplitude of ΔEVI during wet, cool seasons would indicate the abundance of E. lehmanniana. Long‐term climate records denote an amplification of cool season precipitation in the southwestern USA. This regional climatic trend should allow us to monitor E. lehmanniana and possibly other non‐native species frequently in this vast arid region.
Widespread resistance of Mediterranean island ecosystems to the establishment of three alien species
Authors: Vilà Montserrat , Siamantziouras Akis‐Stavros D. , Brundu Giuseppe , Camarda Ignazio , Lambdon Philip , Médail Frédéric , Moragues Eva , Suehs Carey M. , Traveset Anna , Troumbis Andreas Y. , Hulme Philip E.
Published: October 2008

Although some invasive plants are cosmopolitan, not all ecosystems are invaded to the same degree. Yet there is little experimental work on how ecosystem resistance to invasion at the establishment phase differs among ecosystems. We conducted two field sowing experiments in two consecutive years to examine establishment of the deciduous tree Ailanthus altissima, the succulent subshrub Carpobrotus spp. and the annual geophyte Oxalis pes‐caprae in coastal dunes, shrublands and oldfields in more than 200 sites across six Mediterranean Basin islands differing in climatic conditions and local species richness.

Establishment success (i.e. percentage of plots with at least one seedling) and rates (i.e. seedling to sown seed ratio) were low, especially for Ailanthus even when accounting for differences in seed viability. Oxalis was capable of producing a new cohort of seedlings the year following planting. By contrast, all Ailanthus seedlings and half the Carpobrotus seedlings died following the first summer. Differences in establishment success and rates among ecosystems were species‐, island‐ and year‐dependent.

Differences in precipitation and mean temperature were associated with differences in establishment rates across sites. Establishment rates tended to be positively correlated with cumulative precipitation and negatively with mean Ta. Unexpectedly, native species richness was not a good predictor of seedling establishment, except for higher Oxalis establishment success in species rich habitats.

By conducting field sowing tests at multiple sites across a region we found that except for Oxalis, Mediterranean island ecosystems are quite resistant to invader establishment. These results suggest that differences in the degree of invasion between ecosystems and islands might be more dependent upon the influence of invasion event factors (e.g. propagule pressure) or factors acting at a later life‐history stages rather than differences in the resistance imposed by ecosystems to invader recruitment. Moreover, our results support the notion that in Mediterranean ecosystems invasions are highly idiosyncratic events and strongly dependent on water availability conditions.
Additive partitioning of butterfly diversity in a fragmented landscape: importance of scale and implications for conservation
Authors: Ribeiro Danilo Bandini , Prado Paulo I. , Brown Jr Keith S. , Freitas André V. L.
Published: October 2008

Aim  Most of the Atlantic Forest in Brazil occurs in fragments of various sizes. Previous studies indicate that forest fragmentation affects fruit‐feeding butterflies. Conservation strategies that seek to preserve organisms that are distributed in high‐fragmented biomes need to understand the spatial distribution of these organisms across the landscape. In view of the importance of understanding the fauna of these forest remnants, the objective of the present work is to investigate the extent to which the diversity of this group varies across spatial scales ranging from within‐forest patches to between landscapes.

Location  South America, south‐eastern Brazil, São Paulo State.

Methods  We used bait traps to sample fruit feeding butterflies at 50 points in 10 fragments in two different landscapes during a period of 12 months. Total species richness and Shannon index were partitioned additively in diversity at trap level, and beta diversity was calculated among traps, among forest patches, and between landscapes. We used permutation tests to compare these values to the expected ones under the null hypothesis that beta diversity is only a random sampling effect.

Results  There was significant beta diversity at the smallest scale examined; however, the significance at higher scales depends on the diversity measurement used. Beta diversity with Shannon index was smaller than expected by chance among fragments, whereas species richness was not. Among landscapes, only beta diversity in richness was higher than expected by chance.

Main conclusions  The results observed occur because there is great variability in species composition among forest patches in the same landscape, changing this diversity even though the communities are formed from the same pool of species. At the largest scale evaluated (between landscapes), these pattern changes and differences in beta diversity in richness were detectable. This difference is probably caused by the presence of rare species. Thus, a conservation strategy that seeks to preserve as many species as possible per unit of area in high‐fragmented biomes should give priority to protecting fragments in different landscapes, rather than more fragments in the same landscape.
History meets ecology: a geographical analysis of ecological restriction in the Neotropical humid montane forests avifaunas
Authors: Sánchez‐González Luis Antonio , Navarro‐Sigüenza Adolfo G.
Published: October 2008

Aim  To analyse the ecological patterns of distribution of the avifaunas of the Neotropical humid montane forests, by assessing the degree of habitat restriction among species through the calculation of a numerical index, analysing their relationships with adjacent habitat, and exploring the relative contribution of both higher and lower habitats in shaping the avian assemblages.

Location  The Neotropical humid montane forests, from Mexico to north‐western Argentina.

Methods  The degree of species’ restriction to the habitat was calculated through a restriction index based on published endemicity indexes. The index scores range from 0 to 1: a score of 1 indicates a totally endemic species (i.e. fully restricted to the habitat); values tending to 0 indicate a widespread species.

Results  In Mesoamerica, completely restricted species represent a lower proportion of the total avifauna than in South American humid montane forests; whereas species shared to other habitats showed a higher proportion of the avifauna with affinities to higher altitude forests (e.g. pine and pine‐oak forests). South America, on the other hand, holds assemblages with a high proportion of completely restricted species; species shared to other habitats showed a high proportion of taxa with affinities to lowland forests.

Main conclusions  The ecological distribution of the HMF's avifauna could be partitioned in three main components: the ecologically restricted avifauna, the high altitude species and, the lower altitude species, which are tightly associated to the floristic composition along the gradient. The history of formation of the HMF flora and the ecological distribution of different avian taxa suggest a common history. Finally, the restriction index allowed a detailed evaluation of the composition of avian assemblages, their degree of restriction to the habitat and of the affinities regarding adjacent habitats, as well as an accurate distinction between species richness and restricted species richness, which should be a fundamental step towards the establishment of conservation priorities.
Indicator taxa revisited: useful for conservation planning?
Authors: Larsen Frank Wugt , Bladt Jesper , Rahbek Carsten
Published: October 2008

Aim  Indicators for biodiversity are needed to facilitate the identification of complementary reserve networks for biodiversity conservation. One widely adopted approach is to use indicator taxa, i.e. a single taxon such as birds or butterflies, despite the ongoing debate regarding their usefulness as indicators of broader biodiversity. Here we assess several aspects, such as influence of species number, of indicator taxa for three extensive data sets to improve our insight into the effectiveness of indicator taxa.

Location  Denmark, sub‐Saharan Africa and Uganda.

Methods  First, we investigate to what extent variation in species number between indicator taxa (e.g. 488 mammal spp. vs. 210 snake spp.) is causing the differences in effectiveness between indicator taxa. Second, we investigate whether indicator taxa are capable of outperforming indicator groups composed of random sets of species chosen among all taxa. Finally, we assess the correlation of specific properties such as mean range size of the indicator taxa to their effectiveness. We investigate these aspects of the effectiveness of indicator taxa through the separate analysis of three distinct distributional species data sets: sub‐Saharan Africa (4,039 spp.), Denmark (847 spp.) and Uganda (2,822 spp.).

Results  We overall found that indicator taxa comprising a greater number of species tend to perform better than indicator taxa with fewer species (e.g. 488 mammal spp. outperform 210 snake spp.), although there are some exceptions. Second, we found most indicator taxa to perform worse than indicator groups consisting of a comparable number of species selected among all taxa. Finally, the effectiveness of indicator taxa was seen to correlate poorly with selected distributional properties such as mean range size of the indicator taxa, suggesting that it is difficult to predict which taxa are efficient biodiversity indicators.

Main conclusions  Overall, these findings might suggest that focus should simply be on increasing the number of species among all taxa as basis for priority setting, rather than striving to obtain the ‘perfect’ indicator taxa.
Conservation of Neotropical carnivores under different prioritization scenarios: mapping species traits to minimize conservation conflicts
Authors: Loyola Rafael D. , De Oliveira Guilherme , Diniz‐Filho José Alexandre Felizola , Lewinsohn Thomas M.
Published: October 2008

Aim To define priority sets of ecoregions that should be sufficiently covered in a reserve system to represent all Neotropical carnivores (Mammalia: Carnivora) under three distinct conservation scenarios.

Location The Neotropical region.

Methods We used broad‐scale biogeographical data of species distribution to define priority sets of ecoregions for conservation of carnivores and mapped four species traits (phylogenetic diversity, body size, rarity and extinction risk), which were used as constraints in prioritization analyses, based on the complementarity concept. We proposed three scenarios: a very vulnerable one, one of species persistence and another of lower human impact. We used the simulated annealing algorithm to generate ecoregion‐irreplaceability pattern and to find the combinations of ecoregions in each conservation scenario.

Results We found that only 8% of Neotropical ecoregions are needed to represent all 64 carnivore species at least once. Rain forest ecoregions harbour a greater amount of carnivore phylogenetic diversity, whereas the tropical Andes hold large‐bodied carnivores. Western and southern Neotropical ecoregions have more rare species as well as higher threat levels. In the lower human‐impact set, 12 ecoregions were needed to represent all species. These coincide only partially with those attained by other prioritization scenarios. In the very vulnerable and in the species persistence scenario, 14 and 12 ecoregions were represented, respectively, and the congruence between either one and the lower human‐impact set was fairly low. Shared ecoregions are located in Mexico, Costa Rica, northern Amazon and western Chile.

Main conclusions Our results highlight areas of particular interest for the conservation of Neotropical carnivores. The inclusion of evolutionary and ecological traits in conservation assessments and planning helps to improve reserve networks and therefore to increase the effectiveness of proposed priority sets. We suggest that conservation action in the highlighted areas is likely to yield the best return of investments at the ecoregion scale.
Gap analysis: a tool for complementary genetic conservation assessment
Authors: Maxted Nigel , Dulloo Ehsan , V Ford‐Lloyd Brian , Iriondo Jose M. , Jarvis Andy
Published: October 2008

Aim  Gap analysis is a well‐established conservation technique that identifies areas in which selected elements of biodiversity are represented and through comparison with existing in situ protected area networks identifies habitats or ecosystems that need additional protection. We aim to demonstrate that gap analysis may be extended to encompass both in situ and ex situ genetic diversity conservation strategies.

Location  Global, with exemplar case study from sub‐Saharan Africa.

Methods  An extended methodology of gap analysis is proposed that involves the following steps: (1) circumscription of target taxon and target area; (2) assessment of natural diversity through a review of intrinsic taxonomic, genetic and ecogeographical diversity combined with threat assessment; (3) assessment of current complementary in situ and ex situ conservation strategies; and (4) reformulation of the conservation strategy through analysis of the differences between the pattern of natural, intrinsic diversity and the elements of that diversity already effectively represented by existing in situ and ex situ conservation actions.

Results  To illustrate the gap analysis approach proposed, the methodology was applied to the conservation of African Vigna species (cowpea Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. and its wild relatives) and indicated: (1) genetic reserves should be established at the southern tip of Lake Tanganyika, the coastal area of Sierra Leone and between Lake Victoria and the other Great Lakes, and (2) 14 taxa and several countries should be targeted for further seed collection.

Main conclusions  The robust nature of the extended methodology for gap analysis has been demonstrated and indicates that its scope as an effective conservation tool may be expanded to fully address the need for a more comprehensive and complementary conservation strategy that encompasses both in situ and ex situ applications. However, it should be stressed that the methodology is applicable for any form of biodiversity (wild or cultivated), where the conservation of genetic diversity is the prime goal.
Smaller and more numerous harvesting gaps emulate natural forest disturbances: a biodiversity test case using rove beetles (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae)
Authors: Klimaszewski Jan , Langor David W. , Work Timothy T. , Hammond James H.E. , Savard Karine
Published: October 2008

Aim  To evaluate changes in the abundance, species richness and community composition of rove beetles (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) in response to three configurations of experimental gap cuts and to the effects of ground scarification in early succession yellow birch‐dominated boreal forest. In each experimental treatment, total forest removed was held constant (35% removal by partial cutting with a concomitant decrease in gap size) but the total number of gaps was increased (two, four and eight gaps, respectively), resulting in an experimental increase in the total amount of ‘edge’ within each stand.

Location  Early succession yellow birch‐dominated forests, Quebec, Canada.

Methods  Pitfall traps, ANOVA, MIXED procedure in sas®, post hoc Tukey's adjustment, rarefaction estimates, sum‐of‐squares and distance‐based multivariate regression trees (ssMRT, dbMRT).

Results  Estimates of species richness using rarefaction were highest in clearcut and two‐gap treatments, decreased in smaller and more numerous gaps and were significantly higher in scarified areas than in unscarified areas. ANOVA indicated a significant impact of harvesting on the overall standardized catch. Post hoc Tukey's tests indicated that the total catch of all rove beetles was significantly higher in uncut forests than in the treated areas. Both sum‐of‐squares and distance‐based multivariate regression trees indicated that community structure of rove beetles differed among treatments. Assemblages were grouped into (a) control plots, (b) four‐ and eight‐gap treatments and (c) two‐gap and clearcut treatments.

Main conclusions  Rove beetle composition responded significantly to increasing gap size. Composition among intermediate and small‐sized gap treatments (four‐ and eight‐gap treatments) was more similar to uncut control forests than were larger gap treatments (two‐gap) and clearcuts. Effects of scarification were nested within the harvested treatments. When the total area of forest removed is held constant, smaller, more numerous gaps are more similar to uncut control stands than to larger gaps and falls more closely within the natural forest heterogeneity.