bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The importance of ecological processes for terrestrial biodiversity conservation in Tasmania ? a review
Authors: B. McQuillan Peter , E.M. Watson James , B. Fitzgerald Nick , Leaman David , Obendorf David
Published: May 2016

The continental island of Tasmania supports an extraordinary biota featuring ancient communities, high levels of endemism and many species extinct on mainland Australia. However, more than 670 species are currently listed as threatened, mainly due to changes in their habitat since European settlement. Although Tasmania has a relatively high proportion of its land in reserves with some degree of representation for most vegetation types, habitat protection in some bioregions is very low. In this paper we approach biodiversity assessment in Tasmania by (i) addressing critical, natural ecological processes that underpin and sustain its biodiversity, (ii) assessing the current trends in, and threats to, these processes, and (iii) identifying gaps in knowledge that limit the effective management of these processes for conservation. It is hoped that this will contribute a sound basis for ongoing adaptive management for biodiversity conservation in Tasmania and assist in re-focusing the purpose of the reserve network from representation to persistence of the native biota.
Can lowland dry forests represent a refuge from avian malaria for native Hawaiian birds?
Authors: Tucker-Mohl Katherine , Hart Patrick , T. Atkinson Carter
Published: May 2016

Hawaii?s native birds have become increasingly threatened over the past century. Introduced mosquito borne diseases such as avian malaria may be responsible for the near absence of endemic Hawaiian forest birds in low-elevation habitats. The recent recognition that some native Hawaiian forest birds may be repopulating moist lowland habitats as a result of evolved resistance to this disease has increased the conservation value of these areas. Here, we investigate whether remnant low elevation dry forests on Hawaii Island provide natural ?refuges? from mosquito-transmitted malaria by nature of their low rainfall and absence of suitable natural sources of water for mosquito breeding. Unlike lowland wet forests where high rates of disease transmission may be selecting for disease resistance, lowland dry forests may provide some refuge for native forest birds without natural resistance to malaria. We mistnetted forest birds in two lowland dry forests and tested all native birds by microscopy and serology for avian malaria caused by the Plasmodium relictum parasite. We also conducted surveys for standing water and mosquito larvae. Overall prevalence of infections with Plasmodium relictum in the Hawaii Amakihi Hemignathus virens virens was 15%. Most infected birds had lowlevel parasitemias, suggesting chronic infections. Although avian malaria is present in these lowland dry forest Amakihi populations, infection rates are significantly lower than in wet forest populations at similar elevations. Sources of breeding mosquitoes in these forests appeared to be largely anthropogenic; thus, there is potential to manage dry forests as mosquito-free habitat for Hawaii Amakihi and other Hawaiian forest birds.
Australia?s Biodiversity and Climate Change
Authors: Goodall David
Published: May 2016

This volume is the result of an initiative by the Natural Resources Management Ministerial Council, to assess the vulnerability of Australia?s biodiversity to climate change. It may be said at once that this remit is interpreted, not as referring to changes in ?biodiversity? as usually understood ? the number of species present ? but rather as covering all responses of organisms and the ecosystems in which they participate to the climate changes now in progress and in prospect. This extension of ?biodiversity? is clarified by the statement that ?modern biodiversity conservation . . . should ensure . . . the maintenance of ecological processes and the delivery of ecosystem services?.
The effect of woody plant diversity and other stand and landscape factors on the diversity and abundance of birds using farm shelterbelts.
Authors: Bonifacio R S , Kinross C M , Gurr G M , Nicol H
Published: May 2016

Shelterbelts are common features of farm landscapes that provide shelter for livestock and crops and timber but
may also benefit wildlife. The importance of shelterbelt plant diversity for birds was investigated by a survey of 62
sites in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. An area search technique was used to assess bird
occurrence. An all subsets and exponential regression analysis approach explored the relationships between woody
plant diversity and avifauna diversity (using Hill’s diversity index), whilst seasonal variations were analysed using restricted
maximum likelihood. Sixty-six bird species, including many that are woodland-dependent, representing eight foraging
guilds, were observed in the shelterbelts. More species of birds occurred and at higher density in more floristically
diverse shelterbelts. Other factors found to influence avifaunal use of shelterbelts were woody plant density, shelterbelt
width, structural complexity, tree height, crown cover index and elevation. Seasonal analysis confirmed the importance
of these independent variables but also revealed the significance of shelterbelt’s proximity to water during summer for
birds using this habitat. This study shows that floristic diversity, amongst other factors, is a significant predictor of
avifauna diversity in shelterbelts and suggests that shelterbelts may be designed to optimize their wildlife habitat and
biodiversity conservation values.
Managing Climate Change.
Authors: Recher Harry F
Published: May 2016

THESE days debate over climate change (aka global
warming) pervades every facet of our lives from
politics to conservation, from small talk to international
conferences. Managing Climate Change
presents the papers from one of those conferences,
Greenhouse 2009. Remarkably, Greenhouse 2009 was
the fifth in the Greenhouse series, occupied four
days, was attended by more than 500 delegates, and
comprised more than 150 presentations and I had
never heard of it. Admittedly I’ve turned off a bit
on climate change viewing it all as “too little, too
late” and at my age no longer my problem. Still, given
my efforts in the 1980s to alert people to the
challenges of climate change2, I could not understand
how I missed all this so turned to the internet for details.
Rehabilitation as a conservation tool: a case studyusing the common wombat
Authors: Saran K A , Parker G , Parker R , Dickman C R
Published: May 2016

Wildlife rehabilitation seeks to return healthy animals back to their natural habitat with good survival prospects,and hence contribute to the persistence of their populations. However, the effectiveness of rehabilitation remains largelyundocumented, and its utility as a conservation tool is unclear. In this paper, we document the rehabilitation successof a large, herbivorous marsupial, the common wombat (Vombatus ursinus), and use the findings as a case study toevaluate the contribution that rehabilitation can make to wildlife conservation. Using a database of 54 orphaned wombatsmonitored for up to eight years, we found that 81.5% of young survived to release and, of those, 77.3% were alivein the wild by the end of the study. Survival during rehabilitation was greater for larger, older animals, but influencedalso by problems during care, reaction to human contact following weaning and, in particular, the responses ofindividuals to treatment. No factors associated with rescue condition, rehabilitation or release affected survival of animalsonce returned to the wild, suggesting that wombats were not disadvantaged by their progression through rehabilitation.We provide brief recommendations to improve rehabilitation success for wombats. We conclude that rehabilitation isan under-recognized but potentially valuable conservation tool, and suggest that it is timely to consider its contributionto wildlife management more generally.
Eucalypt flower production in the suburbs andbush: implications for the endangered SwiftParrot Lathamus discolor
Authors: Hingston Andrew B , Piech Marta
Published: May 2016

The endangered Swift Parrot Lathamus discolor breeds mostly in coastal south-eastern Tasmania, an area whereurban development is common and the city of Hobart is situated. Hobart’s suburbs are visited regularly by foragingSwift Parrots that nest in the surrounding forests. The reproductive success of Swift Parrots depends largely on theavailability of the birds’ major dietary items, the nectar and pollen of Eucalyptustrees. This study investigated therelative value of suburban trees and those in adjacent native forest in Hobart as food sources for Swift Parrots. Tothis end, we compared flower production between mature trees in suburban and bushland areas for the two specieson which Swift Parrots predominantly forage while breeding; Tasmanian Blue Gum Eucalyptus globulus and BlackGumE. ovata. For both species, flower production over the past few years was greater for individual trees in thesuburb than for those in the surrounding bushland. Hence, individual trees in the suburb probably provide more nectarand pollen than do those in the nearby bushland and are potentially important to the reproductive success of SwiftParrots. Our findings suggest that the relatively poor flowering in this peri-urban bushland may be the result of poorerhealth of trees in the bushland than in the suburb, particularly the greater fire damage and sparser canopies in thebushland trees. Further research is required to determine the frequency and intensity of fire in bushland that will promotethe greatest flower production in E. globulus andE. ovata.
Addressing the impact of land crabs on rodent
eradications on islands
Authors: Griffiths Richard , Miller Arden , Climo Gideon
Published: May 2016

Consumption of rodent bait by land crabs, leaving some rodents unexposed, has been described as one potential
reason why several rodent eradications undertaken on mesic-tropical islands have failed. Strategies to overcome the
issue have been proposed but all increase the risk, cost or logistics of running an eradication operation. To quantify
the impact of land crabs and assess the feasibility of achieving rodent eradication using a standard bait application
rate used in temperate climates, we measured crab density, rates of bait take and exposure of rats to bait on Vahanga
Atoll in French Polynesia. The two methods used to measure crab density were closely correlated and agreed with
anecdotal observations, suggesting they were a reliable index of crab numbers. Rates of bait take were closely
correlated with crab density providing a potential means of predicting bait take in a crab dominated ecosystem such
as Vahanga, an advantage when planning a rodent eradication attempt. At some sites on Vahanga, crabs were in
sufficient numbers (up to 5 900/ha) to rapidly reduce bait availability but even at these sites rats were able to access
bait. The result suggests that achieving rat eradication on some mesic-tropical islands may be possible using a typical
temperate climate bait application rate. However, our results should be applied with caution because we did not
determine the amount of bait consumed by rats.
Why transforming biodiversity conservation conflict is essential and how to begin.
Authors: Peterson M Nils , Peterson Markus J , Peterson Tarla Rai , Leong Kirsten
Published: May 2016

Conserving biodiversity requires productive management of conflict. Currently, wildlife are often portrayed as conscious human
antagonists, which must be fought. We suggest using the ‘comic corrective’ to experiment with ways to reframe human–human conflicts
over wildlife management and wildlife damage. This requires a deep commitment to change, often made more palatable through humour.
This effort to fight the use of the term human–wildlife conflict should not be interpreted as a call to reject human–human conflict as a
useful conservation tool. Conservationists, who value wildlife, often misleadingly suggest that conservation can sidestep irreducible
value differences and political processes that see proponents of different views as antagonists. Because democracies cannot function
without dissent, we suggest that conservation biologists should embrace stakeholder conflicts over wildlife conservation as a way to
improve decision making. In particular, we should challenge the view that wildlife are willfully antagonistic to people while recognizing
conflict among humans over how biodiversity conservation should occur.
The breeding biology of the Forest Red-tailed Black Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus banksii naso Gould in south-western Australia. I. Characteristics of nest trees and nest hollows.
Authors: Johnstone R E , Kirby T , Sarti K
Published: May 2016

The Forest Red-tailed Black Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus banksii naso (FRTBC) is a large, iconic forest cockatoo,
endemic to the south-west corner of Western Australia. It is currently listed as Vulnerable under the State Western
Australian Wildlife Conservation Act and under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation
Act. In this paper, we provide details of nest tree and nest hollow requirements based on details of hollows in 128
nest trees studied over 17 years.
FRTBC are monogamous and pairs nest in tree hollows from 6.5–33 m above ground. Most nests are in very
large and very old, mature Marri Corymbia calophylla, a long-lived endemic tree species, which is the most important
nesting tree throughout the FRTBC range. Nest trees of all species had a mean circumference at breast height of
2.79 m, a mean estimated age of 222 years and a mean overall height of 20.24 m. Marri nest trees had an mean
circumference at breast height of 2.76 m, a mean estimated age of 220 years (95% confidence limit 209–231 years)
and an average overall height of 20.04 m. The rate of fall or loss of nest trees was high, c. 16.6% per decade.
A wide range of hollow types, defined by position of the hollow in the tree, were found. Hollow aspects were also
diverse. The mean height to a hollow was 14.49 m. Mean hollow depth was 1.44 m, mean floor space (the longest
linear distance across the bottom of the hollow) was 33.2 cm and the mean hollow entrance area was 30 x 34 cm.
FRTBC nests are typically, but not always, clustered in the landscape and social interactions within the flock are
likely to play a part in the clustering of nests. Nest competitors, including feral European Honey Bee Apis mellifera,
Carnaby’s Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus latirostris, Baudin’s Cockatoo C. baudinii and the Regent Parrot Polytelis
anthopeplus were recorded using nest hollows once used by FRTBC.
In the past Marri was harvested commercially, especially the largest and oldest trees, for timber and woodchips.
In recent times the volume of Marri logs has been reduced due to a decline in markets e.g. between 2004 and 2010
a total of 95,436 m³ was harvested (K. Whitford, pers. comm.). Given the importance of large, old trees for FRTBC
breeding habitat, conservation of these trees
Are we underestimating the threat to Australia’s migratory land birds?
Authors: Ford Hugh A
Published: May 2016

Few migratory land birds in Australia are currently regarded as threatened or near threatened. In contrast, many of
Australia’s migratory seabirds and shorebirds are threatened or near threatened, with most of the latter being added
over the last two decades. Furthermore, many long-distance migratory land birds that breed in North America and Europe
have experienced major declines, probably due to threats in their breeding or wintering grounds or both. I suggest that
knowledge of our migratory land birds is limited, and almost non-existent outside their breeding areas. Some are already
declining and I predict that others will decline in the near future. The priority now is to increase our knowledge of the
locations of major wintering areas in northern Australia of land birds that breed in the south, and to study their ecology
and behaviour outside the breeding season. We also have limited knowledge of how migrants in Australia prepare
physiologically and behaviourally for migration. If they migrate in large hops, then we need to find and protect departure,
refuelling and arrival sites.
Isolated and vulnerable: the history and future of Pacific Island terrestrial biodiversity
Authors: Keppel Gunnar , Morrison Clare , Meyer Jean-Yves , Boehmer Hans Juergen
Published: May 2016

Islands in the tropical Pacific have a rich and unique biota produced by island biogeographic processes and modified
by recent anthropogenic influences. This biota has been shaped by four overlapping phases: natural colonization and
dynamics (phase 1), impacts of indigenous (phase 2) and non-indigenous (phase 3) settlers, and increasing environmental
awareness (phase 4). Island ecosystems are resilient to natural disturbance regimes but highly vulnerable to invasive
species and other human-related influences, due to comparatively low alpha diversity, isolated evolution and the absence
of certain functional groups. Habitat loss, overexploitation, invasive alien species and pollution continue to threaten
terrestrial biodiversity, compounded by limited environmental awareness, minimal conservation funding, project
mismanagement, limited local capacity and inadequate and/or unsuitable conservation policies. To achieve effective
conservation of terrestrial biodiversity in the region, biophysical threats need to be mitigated with improved scientific,
institutional and management capacity.
Impacts of aquatic invasive species and land use on stream food webs in Kaua’i, Hawai’i.
Authors: Layhee Megan , Marchetti Michael P. , Chandra Sudeep , Engstrom Tag , Pickard Daniel
Published: May 2016

Anthropogenic disturbance is restructuring ecosystems and changing interactions within ecological communities.
On the Hawaiʼian Islands, habitat degradation is linked to the establishment of invasive species; and together these
stressors may lead to declining native populations and changes in food webs. In this study we employed stable isotopes
to examine the structure of multiple Hawaiʼian stream food webs with varying levels of these stressors to illustrate
interactions between native and non-native organisms that may represent drivers of community change. Limahuli stream
contains all five species of native Hawaiʼian gobies, has a small number of introduced species, and minimal human
disturbance. ʻOpaekaʼa, Hul¯eʼia and Kapaʼa streams are more heavily invaded than Limahuli and have greater human
influence. We found increased species richness, increased trophic diversity, and increased total niche area in the more
heavily invaded stream food webs relative to Limahuli. We also found non-native predatory species inhabiting top trophic
positions in the three more heavily invaded streams and isotope mixing model estimates suggest that several species
of non-natives have overlapping prey sources with native gobies in these sites. Lastly, we found that native stream
organisms were nearly absent in ʻOpaekaʼa stream which also had the highest percent urban development of the streams
sampled. Our results suggest significant trophic changes have occurred as the result of introduced species and possibly
related to increased human disturbance.
Conservation of woodland birds in a fragmented rural landscape
Authors: W. Barrett G. , A. Ford H. , F. Recher H.
Published: May 2016

Increasingly, conservation efforts are being extended towards agricultural and pastoral areas outside large reserves. This indicates a change from the view of the landscape as islands of native habitat in a hostile matrix, to one in which the landscape is regarded as a patchwork of differing levels of disturbance. This latter view considers the whole of the landscape as the biological resource. These trends are discussed in relation to land bird species near Armidale on the New England Tablelands, north-east New South Wales, Australia. We assess the conservation status of 137 species of land birds. Of these, six species are locally extinct, 18 are thought to be declining and 35 are vulnerable due to their dependence on healthy woodland. Only 33 species are abundant and widely distributed on the Tablelands. The remaining 45 species tend to be habitat specialists that are marginal to the Armidale Plateau, and may never have been common in the study area. Most of the species that are dependent on large areas of continuous woodland (>400 ha) are in this last group, and it is demonstrated that an emphasis on these species may result in a conservation strategy that is inappropriate for most of the land birds in the region. Indeed, this could result in the extinction of species that at present are secure. An alternative strategy, specific to areas outside large reserves, is proposed that aims to maintain local species richness. In this management plan, priority is given to core species that are tolerant of intermediate levels of habitat fragmentation.
Management for sustainability
Authors: Moritz Craig
Published: May 2016

In this, the fourth issue, we have the usual mix of reviews, essays and original research papers. Several articles address the complex issue of management for sustainability; what does this mean and how, for example, can we make use of forests without adversely affecting their biological processes and diversity? Another thought-provoking review considers the potential impacts of climate change and implications for conservation policy and planning. The research papers include one on rainforest expansion and another on the use of rainforest fragments by fauna; each of these is relevant to the management of tropical rainforests in north Queensland.
The future of New Zealand conservation: Ethics and Politics
Authors: Morton John
Published: May 2016

The natural environment raises moral questions. Its evaluation calls for a concern with ethics, visible in our public decisions and having regard ultimately to some qualities intrinsic to the system itself. This need brings no irresolvable conflict with proper economic or cultural aspirations; but there is reason and necessity to look to ecology for the normative code by which environmental decisions are to be instructed and must ultimately abide. This article examines the sufficiency of the Resource Management Act as New Zealand's base-line code of practice, and the ways it is juridically evolving. It proceeds to discuss the need and scope of public intervention, with the question, how far should governments go? It advocates that environmental regulation at the commanding heights should ? like the safeguarding of the monetary economy ? be removed from the day-to-day intervention of executive government, into the hands of a properly chosen and resourced faculty of Guardians of the Environment; and considers what should be the character and status of such a new public estate.
Conservation values, research and New Zealand's responsibilities for the Southern Ocean Islands and Antarctica
Authors: C. Young Euan
Published: May 2016

New Zealand has direct responsibility for the conservation and protection of five subantarctic island groups (Snares, Bounty, Antipodes, Auckland and Campbell), all of which are protected within National reserves. New Zealand also claims the Ross Dependency in Antarctica sharing conservation responsibility with others within the Antarctic Treaty regime. The subantarctic islands' ecosystems are of interest for their range of species, for their dependence on marine nutrients, for their vulnerability to introduction by alien species, and for illustrating the outcomes of independent evolutionary experiments. Each is characterized by a unique assemblage of plant and animal species, of which the diversity of oceanic birds (especially their albatrosses, petrels and penguins) and of the changes with latitude of their vegetation cover is internationally regarded. They form an interesting contrast to the sparse biota of the Balleny Islands and continental Antarctica. The fauna and flora on these subantarctic islands are now substantially catalogued and the impact of alien species in part understood, but ecological studies have been hampered by isolation and difficult access. Ecological research is needed to ensure that management strategies for each island are well founded on an understanding of their individual ecosystems. By way of contrast, ecological research has flourished in Antarctica with many long-term programmes. This difference is attributed to the way research is promoted and supported in the two regions.
An ecological approach to identifying the endangered fauna of New South Wales
Authors: Lunney D. , Curtin A. , Ayers D. , G. Cogger H. , R. Dickman C.
Published: May 2016

This study used ecological criteria to evaluate systematically the conservation status of all mammals, birds, reptiles and frogs in New South Wales. The outcome was an official schedule of endangered fauna as defined under the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 as amended by the Endangered Fauna (Interim Protection) Act 1991. The work was modelled on the study by Millsap et al. (1990) which scored a range of biological variables and used expert opinion to determine priorities for conservation. The listing was undertaken by a statutory Scientific Committee and the results provided the first baseline status list for all species in New South Wales. Of the 883 faunal species (including 10 Lord Howe Island subspecies) identified in the state, 233 (26%) were recognized as endangered. Of these, 40 are considered to be extinct in New South Wales. Mammals constituted the worst affected group, with 77 (59%) of the 130 species recorded as endangered, of which 27 species are recorded as extinct in the state. The assessment of the New South Wales fauna also found that adequate ecological information exists for only 6% of the state's species. The outcome of this study not only provided the first official list of the endangered fauna of New South Wales and explained the methods and reasons for listing or excluding each species, but also furnished new material, ideas and directions for programmes to conserve the state's fauna.
Effects of undergrowth removal on the species diversity of insects in natural forests of Okinawa Hontô
Authors: Azuma Seiji , Sasaki Takeshi , Itô Yosiaki
Published: May 2016

Yanbaru, the northern montane part of Okinawa Hont� (the main Island of Okinawa), is an important area for nature conservation, with many endemic and endangered species, such as Pryer's Woodpecker Sapheophipo noguchii and Okinawa Rail Rallus okinawae. The climax community of Yanbaru is a subtropical, evergreen, broad-leaved forest dominated by oaks, with a dense undergrowth of broad-leaved small trees, herbs and ferns.
Conserving Biodiversity: Threats and Solutions
Authors: Reid Nick
Published: May 2016

This book records the proceedings of a similarly titled conference organized by the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service in June 1993. According to the editors, the book is a "systematic attempt . . . to cover the current and future threats to biodiversity" in New South Wales and Australia, and "highlights the range of solutions needed to conserve biodiversity". The book contains 35 chapters structured in seven sections (conserving biodiversity, habitat loss, degradation and pollution of water resources, weeds and feral animals, commercial use of native biota, changes to fire regimes, can governments solve the problems?), with two to eight chapters in each. The book is a scientific treatise, chapters being written with other researchers and scientifically trained government officials in mind.
Co-existence and cultural difference: postcolonial ecology in the contemporary Pacific
Authors: Weaver Sean
Published: May 2016

The causes, symptoms and remedies of environmental disharmony in the contemporary Pacific are modern phenomena and need to be understood in their cultural context. This context is problematic for the integrity of the indigenous cultures of the Pacific and the prospect of ecological sustainability as a condition of culture. Modern dualistic and individualistic rationalities underpin environmental research and practice, which contribute to neo-colonialism through the subversion of the world views of indigenous peoples as part of conservation management. Such neo-colonialism is extended to the rest of nature where ecological salvation is delivered only if these environments and local people comply with modern environmental goals. A transformation in environmental research and practice is advocated where ethnographic analyses of modern institutions are subject to critical scrutiny in a socially and culturally enriched praxis of cultural ecology.
Effectiveness of the detector dogs used for deterring the dispersal of Brown Tree Snakes
Authors: M. Engeman Richard , S. Vice Daniel , V. Rodriguez Danny , S. Gruver Kenneth , S. Santos William , E. Pitzler Mikel
Published: May 2016

The accidental introduction of the Brown Tree Snake Boiga irregularis to Guam has resulted in the extirpation of most of the island's native terrestrial vertebrates, has created a health hazard to infants and children, and has resulted in economic losses. Cargo inspections using teams of handlers and their detector dogs form a last line of defense for preventing Brown Tree Snake dispersal from Guam. To assess the efficacy of the teams of handlers and their dogs for locating stowed Brown Tree Snakes, we planted Brown Tree Snakes (in escape-proof containers) in cargo without the knowledge of the handlers inspecting the cargo. We found that when an observer attended the inspection to monitor procedures, 80% of the planted snakes were located. Without an attending observer present, 70% of the planted snakes were discovered, but only after such plantings had become a routine procedure. Prior to the routine planting of snakes, efficacy was nearly 50% less (38%). The reasons some planted snakes were missed by the dog teams were split between: an insufficient search pattern by the handler, or the dog giving no discernable indication that a snake was present.
The enigma of biodiversity
Authors: F. Recher Harry
Published: May 2016

The enigma of biodiversity is this: biodiversity is essential to planetary welfare and the ecologically sustainable management of resources, but we fail to protect it while pretending we are environmentally responsible.
The Essence of Science: The Social Responsibility of Communicating
Authors: Recher Harry , R. Ehrlich Paul
Published: May 2016

When we were students, we were taught that a piece of scientific research was not completed until it had been published. Research was not just a matter of personal discovery, it was a part of a larger scientific enterprise ? an effort to understand how the world worked. But since then, it has become clear that science must be viewed as part of a larger social picture. Especially in ecology and conservation biology, research cannot now be considered complete until its significance has been explained to the general public. Indeed, if a study has no significance to society as a whole then the research should not be supported by government funds. Better general understanding of how the world works is significant for everyone, although sadly much ecological research in both Australia and the United States involves more and more sophisticated studies of more and more trivial problems.
Editorial Policy on Referees
Authors: F. Recher Harry
Published: May 2016

There is more to being a scientist than completing a research project and communicating the results to one's peers and the general public. Scientists have a wide range of responsibilities both within the scientific community and within society as a whole. I have frequently urged my colleagues to participate in the political processes of environmental management and conservation. It is equally necessary for scientists to contribute to the mechanics of keeping the scientific community functional. Individuals need to take responsibility for organizing scientific meetings, administering scientific societies, reviewing grant applications, and publishing professional journals. Peer review of the work and research proposals of colleagues is a necessary contribution of time if the machinery of science is to function smoothly. As editor of this journal, I can assure you that not all scientists accept these responsibilities.
Preliminary investigation of roosting habitat preferences of the large forest bat Vespadelus darlingtoni (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae)
Authors: Herr A. , I. Klomp N.
Published: May 2016

This study reports the roosting habitat preferences of a large forest bat, Vespadelus darlingtoni, on the western slopes of the Australian Alps. V. darlingtoni selected older and larger trees for roosts and displayed a preference for older smooth-barked trees. The areas the bats covered for foraging and commuting between roost sites ranged from less than 10 ha to over 300 ha. These calculated home ranges were larger than previously recorded for the species, but probably smaller than the actual area used by the bats. The data reported in this study enable some of the roosting requirements of V. darlingtoni to be incorporated in the planning and establishment of forest reserve systems in southeastern Australia. For example, areas designated for logging should retain unlogged stands of older trees and refuges of at least 45 ha connected by corridors of native vegetation.
The influence of shrub species and fine-scale plant density on arthropods in a semiarid shrubland
Authors: Kwok Alan B. C. , Eldridge David J.
Published: May 2016

Plant-resident arthropods are closely tied to the distribution of their hosts across multiple spatial scales. Shrubs provide habitat for a range of arthropods, and variations within shrubland ecosystems may affect arthropod communities. We examined the role of shrub species and density in structuring arthropod communities in an encroached Australian woodland using two common and widespread shrub species, Turpentine (Eremophila sturtii) and Silver Cassia (Senna artemisioides subsp. filifolia). We found five times more arthropods (Psocoptera, Collembola and Hemiptera) on Eremophila compared with Senna. Furthermore, Psyllidae were found only on Eremophila. In total we recorded 39 Hemipteran species; 13 from Eremophila, 16 from Senna and 10 common to both shrub species. Each shrub species supported a unique arthropod assemblage, even though they grow in close proximity (<15 m). In contrast, we found limited effects of fine-scale plant density, with plants growing in low and high density supporting similar arthropod communities. Our study indicated that isolated shrubs in these woodlands support a variety of arthropods, and shrub species is a more important driver of arthropod community structure than fine-scale density.
Pseudo-developing maps for ideal triangulations II: Positively oriented ideal triangulations of cone-manifolds
Authors: Casella Alex , Luo Feng , Tillmann Stephan
Published: May 2016

We generalise work of Young-Eun Choi to the setting of ideal triangulations with vertex links of arbitrary genus, showing that the set of all (possibly incomplete) hyperbolic cone-manifold structures realised by positively oriented hyperbolic ideal tetrahedra on a given topological ideal triangulation and with prescribed cone angles at all edges is (if non-empty) a smooth complex manifold of dimension the sum of the genera of the vertex links. Moreover, we show that the complex lengths of a collection of peripheral elements give a local holomorphic parameterisation of this manifold.
On a gradient maximum principle for some quasilinear parabolic equations on convex domains
Authors: Kim Seonghak
Published: May 2016

We establish a spatial gradient maximum principle for classical solutions to the initial and Neumann boundary value problem of some quasilinear parabolic equations on smooth convex domains.
Cardinal coefficients related to surjectivity, Darboux, and Sierpiński-Zygmund maps
Authors: Ciesielski K. , Gámez-Merino J. , Mazza L. , Seoane-Sepúlveda J.
Published: May 2016

We investigate the additivity

A
A

and lineability

L

\mathcal {L}

cardinal coefficients for the following classes of functions:

ES
∖
SES

\operatorname {ES} \setminus \operatorname {SES}

of everywhere surjective functions that are not strongly everywhere surjective, Darboux-like, Sierpiński-Zygmund, surjective, and their corresponding intersections. The classes

SES
\operatorname {SES}

and

ES
\operatorname {ES}

have been shown to be

2

c

2^{\mathfrak {c}}

-lineable. In contrast, although we prove here that

ES
∖
SES

\operatorname {ES} \setminus \operatorname {SES}

is

c

+

{\mathfrak {c}}^+

-lineable, it is still unclear whether it can be proved in ZFC that

ES
∖
SES

\operatorname {ES} \setminus \operatorname {SES}

is

2

c

2^{\mathfrak {c}}

-lineable. Moreover, we prove that if

c

\mathfrak {c}

is a regular cardinal number, then

A
(
ES
∖
SES
)
≤

c

A(\operatorname {ES} \setminus \operatorname {SES})\leq \mathfrak {c}

. This shows that, for the class

ES
∖
SES

\operatorname {ES} \setminus \operatorname {SES}

, there is an unusually large gap between the numbers

A
A

and

L

\mathcal {L}

.
Responding to the Marketplace: Workforce Balance and Financial Risk at Academic Health Centers
Authors: Retchin Sheldon M.
Published: May 2016

Elsewhere in this issue, Welch and Bindman present research demonstrating that academic health centers (AHCs) continue to disproportionately comprise specialists and subspecialist faculty physicians compared with community-based physician groups. This workforce composition has served AHCs well through the years—specialists fuel the clinical engine of the major tertiary and quaternary missions of AHCs, and they also dominate much of the clinical and translational research enterprise. AHCs are not alone—less than one-third of U.S. physicians practice primary care. However, health reform has prompted many health systems to reconsider this configuration. Payers, employers, and policy makers are shifting away from fee-for-service toward value-based care. Large community-based physician groups and their parent health systems appear to be far ahead of AHCs with a more balanced physician workforce. Many are leveraging their emphasis on primary care to participate in population health initiatives, such as accountable care organizations, and some own their own health plans. These approaches largely assume some element of financial risk and require both a more balanced workforce and an infrastructure to accommodate the management of covered lives. It remains to be seen whether AHCs will reconsider their own physician specialty composition to emphasize primary care—and, if they do, whether the traditional academic model, or a more community-based approach, will prevail.
After the “Doc Fix”: Implications of Medicare Physician Payment Reform for Academic Medicine
Authors: Rich Eugene C. , Reschovsky James D.
Published: May 2016

The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) introduces incentives for clinicians serving Medicare patients to move away from traditional “fee-for-service” and into alternative payment models (APMs) such as accountable care organizations and bundled payment arrangements. Thus, MACRA creates strong reasons for various teaching clinical services to participate in APMs, not only for Medicare patients but for other public and private payers as well. Unfortunately, different APMs may be more or less applicable to the diverse teaching physician roles, academic clinical programs, and patient populations served by medical schools and teaching hospitals. Therefore, this time of transition will complicate the work of academic clinical program leaders endeavoring to sustain the tripartite mission of patient care, health professional education, and research. Nonetheless, payment reforms promoted by MACRA can reward efforts to reinvent medical education to better incorporate value into medical decision making, as well as to give clinical learners the tools and insights needed to recognize their personal financial (and other) conflicts and navigate these to meet their patients’ needs. This post-MACRA environment may intensify the need for researchers in academic medicine to stay independent of the short-term financial interests of affiliated clinical institutions. Health sciences scholars must be able to study effectively and speak forcefully regarding the actual benefits, risks, and costs of health care services so that educators and clinicians can identify high-value care and deliver it to their patients.
Inadvertent Reduction of Symphyseal Diastasis During Computed Tomography
Authors: Gibson Peter D. , Adams Mark R. , Koury Kenneth L. , Shaath M. K. , Sirkin Michael S. , Reilly Mark C.
Published: May 2016

Objective:

To determine the quantifiable difference in pubic symphysis diastasis when comparing computed tomography (CT) and pelvic radiographs in individuals with anterior pelvic ring injuries.

Design:

Retrospective chart and radiographic review.

Setting:

Level 1 trauma center.

Patients/Participants:

Between 2002 and 2013, all individuals requiring internal fixation of the anterior pelvic ring were reviewed. Of the 163 patients, 72 met the inclusion criteria. Patients with a symphysis dislocation were included if the pelvic radiograph and CT were performed without a pelvic binder, and imaging was adequate for required measurements.

Intervention:

Symphyseal diastasis was measured on the initial pelvic radiograph, the CT scout, and axial views.

Main Outcome Measurements:

Comparison of measured symphyseal diastasis on CT and pelvic radiographs.

Results:

Seventy-two patients met the inclusion criteria. Ninety-seven percent (70/72) had a reduction of their symphysis diastasis in the CT with an average reduction of 6.6 mm (Range, −2.6 to 35.5 mm). The average diastasis on radiograph was 26.3 mm compared with 19.7 mm on CT scout (P < 0.001). Fourteen patients (19.2%) had a reduction from greater than 25 mm to less than 25 mm—a traditional cutoff for operative intervention.

Conclusions:

The anteroposterior pelvis radiograph remains an important part of the workup for trauma patients. Reliance on CT alone may underestimate the true degree of pelvic displacement. Failure to obtain pelvic radiographs in the acute setting limits the information in which the medical team can base both immediate and definitive decisions about pelvic ring injuries.

Level of Evidence:

Diagnostic level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
BRAF inhibitor and stereotactic radiosurgery is associated with an increased risk of radiation necrosis
Authors: Patel Kirtesh R. , Chowdhary Mudit , Switchenko Jeffrey M. , Kudchadkar Ragini , Lawson David H. , Cassidy Richard J. , Prabhu Roshan S. , Khan Mohammad K.
Published: May 2016

We retrospectively compared the outcomes and toxicities of melanoma brain metastases (MBM) patients treated with BRAF inhibitors (BRAFi) and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) with SRS alone. We identified 87 patients with 157 MBM treated with SRS alone from 2005 to 2013. Of these, 15 (17.2%) patients with 32 MBM (21.4%) received BRAFi therapy: three (20.0%) before SRS, two (13.3%) concurrent, and 10 (66.7%) after SRS. Overall survival (OS) was compared between cohorts using the product limit method. Intracranial outcomes were compared using cumulative incidence with competing risk for death. Baseline patient characteristics were similar between groups, except for the SRS cohort, which had higher rates of chemotherapy and more recent year of diagnosis. Radiation characteristics, including dose per fraction, total dose, gross tumor volume size, and prescription isodose, were also similar between cohorts. One-year outcomes – OS (64.3 vs. 40.4%, P=0.205), local failure (3.3 vs. 9.6%, P=0.423), and distant intracranial failure (63.9 vs. 65.1%, P=0.450) were not statistically different between the SRS+BRAFi and SRS-alone groups, respectively. The SRS+BRAFi group showed higher rates of radiographic radiation necrosis (RN) (22.2 vs. 11.0% at 1 year, P<0.001) and symptomatic radiation necrosis (SRN) (28.2 vs. 11.1% at 1 year, P<0.001). Multivariable analysis showed that BRAFi predicted an increased risk of both radiographic and SRN. SRS and BRAFi predicted for an increased risk of radiographic and SRN compared with SRS alone. Approaches to mitigate RN for patients receiving SRS and BRAFi should be considered until the clinical trial (
http//:www.clinicaltrials.gov
: NCT01721603) evaluating this treatment regimen is completed.
Scleromatous Changes in an Abdominal Wall Graft: Graft-Versus-Graft Disease, or Chronic Graft Rejection?
Authors: Olson Nicholas J. , Wimmer Daniel B. , Croitoru Daniel P. , Barton Dorothea T. , Seidel Gregory D. , Shane Chapman M. , Linos Konstantinos
Published: May 2016

Abdominal wall transplants are relatively new procedures that are frequently performed in conjunction with multivisceral transplants. The skin of the abdominal wall transplant is often the first site for graft rejection to manifest itself. Prompt recognition can lead to appropriate treatment before the involvement of the underlying viscera. However, the signs of graft rejection are nonspecific and can overlap with other entities. We present a case of a patient who received a multivisceral and abdominal wall transplant from 2 different donors, who presented with acute and eventually chronic graft rejection of the abdominal wall graft. Serial biopsies performed during the course of her treatment demonstrated progressive sclerotic changes in the dermis. Because these changes were confined to the abdominal wall graft, they could represent either chronic graft rejection or graft-versus-graft disease. To date, graft-versus-graft disease has not been documented in these patients. This case illustrates the possibility that patients with multidonor transplants may be at an increased risk for graft failure secondary to multiple potential etiologies.
Vestibular Mast Cell Density in Vulvodynia: A Case-Controlled Study
Authors: Papoutsis Dimitrios , Haefner Hope K. , Crum Christopher P. , Opipari Anthony W. , Reed Barbara D.
Published: May 2016

Objectives

To identify whether mast cell densities in vulvar biopsies from the vestibule are associated with vulvodynia.

Methods

We enrolled 100 women aged 19 to 59 years with confirmed vulvodynia cases, 100 racially matched controls, and 100 black control women. All had vulvar biopsies performed at the 7 o'clock position of the vestibule, which were then immunostained to detect c-KIT protein. The numbers of c-KIT positive mast cells per ×400 magnification field were manually counted, and t tests and logistic regression were used to assess the association with case-control status.

Results

Of the biopsies, 235 were adequate samples for c-KIT testing for mast cells. The mast cell density was substantially lower in black control women (13.9 ± 10.9) in comparison to white control women (22.5 ± 13.2 p < 0.001): hence the analysis was confined to white cases and racially matched control women. Compared with racially matched controls, cases were younger, more likely to be married, and reported a higher household income. The average number of mast cells per ×400 magnification field overall was 19.1 ± 13.2 (range, 0–62). There was no difference in the mast cell count between racially matched cases (22.4 ± 13.9 per ×400 field) and controls (22.5 ± 13.2) in either the univariate or multivariable analyses. Within the group of cases, there was no difference in mast cell density based on the presence or absence of a variety of urogenital symptoms.

Conclusions

No difference in mast cell density in biopsies of the vestibule was found between white cases and racially matched controls. Black control women have a lower mast cell density compared with white control women.
Brucellosis in an HIV-positive patient: a case report
Authors: Mousavi Seyed A. , Jahanabadi Somayeh , Shahcheraghi Seyed H. , Zare Ahmad , Harirzadeh Saeed , Mirjalili Mahmood
Published: May 2016

Brucellosis is still one of the infectious diseases which are widespread in the Middle East. HIV infection, more than any other infectious disease, is a disease of coinfections. HIV permits the reactivation of dormant pathogens or increases the susceptibility to other pathogens, especially Brucella. This article presents an HIV-positive patient that was affected by brucellosis in Yazd, Iran.