bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Voss Project: A Model for Cooperation Between a University and a Local Community in Norway
Authors: Jonsson Bror , Kvammen Per Ivar , Matzow Dag , Nilssen Jens Petter , Østli Tor , Sandlund Odd Terje 
Published: August 2009

A research project in freshwater ecology is described whose main intentions are: 1) to increase the contact between the University of Oslo and a local community; 2) to solve actual problems for the local community by prosecuting applied research without interfering with the researchers' demand for free choice of research items; and 3) to allow for a larger student population without increasing the supervisory staff (compatible with steadily falling grants).The Voss Project is a cooperative project between the Zoological Institute of the University of Oslo and the Voss District Council, western Norway. It was initiated to analyse the Voss River system, which is threatened by eutrophication and water-power development.The research is mainly carried out by Cand.Real. students, who live for 1–2 years in the local community. During the work, an intensive exchange of information about biological and social items, and about municipal politics, naturally takes place.
The Attempted Clearance of Sargassum muticum from Britain
Authors: Gray P. W. G. , Jones E. B. Gareth 
Published: August 2009

The Brown Alga Sargassum muticum, a native of Japan but also introduced into the Pacific waters of North America, was first found on the Isle of Wight off southern England in 1973, and has subsequently spread as far west as Plymouth. A large attached population is also present on the Channel coast of France. Marine biologists in England, fearful of its possible effect on indigenous marine organisms and recreational amenities, set up an eradication programme. This was largely unsuccessful, even though an estimated 450 tonnes of wet S. muticum were collected in one year (1976).Some of the possible vectors of dispersal of this Alga are discussed, especially in relation to movement of oysters and shipping. It is thought that the spread of S. muticum will continue along the coast and that it may well extend deeper into the sublittoral than appears to be the case at present.A research programme on the ecology and biology of S. muticum, as well as on possible means of control, is continuing.
Converting Industry to Environmental Impact Assessment
Authors: Elkington John B. 
Published: August 2009

Successive inquiries into the problems associated with population, growth, resources, and environment, have stressed the need for new environmental management policies and techniques. Environmental impact assessment, whose evolution is briefly described in this paper, will be a vital ingredient in any transition to an environmentally sustainable world order.There is a substantial and growing literature on the use of environmental impact assessment methods, although relatively little has been written on the increasing use of such methods by industry in some countries— often without any direct compulsion by Government. A range of examples of the industrial use of environmental impact assessment are reviewed, and the conclusion is drawn that properly designed methods can help industry to meet its own basic objectives of survival, profit, and growth.While there are considerable problems associated with the prediction of ecological and other environmental effects, particularly where the baseline data are inadequate or non-existent, the experience of a growing number of companies and other industrial organizations does suggest that environmental impact assessment is increasingly recognized as an indispensable management tool in those industries which are likely to meet environmental resistance in their development planning operations.
The Role of Aquatic Weeds in Changing the Pattern of Ecosystems in Kerala
Authors: Thomas K. J. 
Published: August 2009

A comparative study of the floristic composition of aquatic vegetation growing in certain ponds in parts of Kerala, and those recorded as growing in the same ponds more than 20 years ago, reveals changes that are often extreme. Thus many of the once-dominant species have either dwindled or disappeared. In some ponds, most of the components of the original flora of only a quarter-of-a-century ago have been completely replaced by thick mats of Salvinia over the past two decades. Salvinia multiplies vegetatively very rapidly (cf. Mitchell et al., 1980), forming mats on which secondary colonists grow. This commonly leads to a gradual filling of the pond. Besides, Salvinia infestations also cause considerable loss of water from water-bodies through increased evapotranspiration. If these ecological processes are allowed to continue, many of our water-bodies seem sure to dry up in due course.A well-planned and systematic method of control, involving physical removal—either through manual labour or specially-designed machines—to be followed by biological control (for example by grazing vertebrates or invertebrates), would keep the explosive spread of the weed under check. The huge mass of harvested weed could be utilized for production of organic manure, cooking gas, or hard-boards, or could be dried as packing material. There should also be vigilance by a surveillance squad of experts in the scientific disciplines concerned, which would be effective in preventing further spread of the weed—much as is already being practised with good results for the hydroelectric reservoirs of Kerala.
Stream Pollution in Hong Kong—An Appraisal
Authors: Hodgkiss I. John 
Published: August 2009

Many of the lowland streams of Hong Kong are grossly polluted, and most are polluted to some extent. This Situation has been allowed to develop, despite warnings to the Government as far back as 1968—mainly because, although legislation existed to control effluent discharges into streams, it was spread in at least fifteen different Ordinances and was seldom enforced. New legislation is now being enacted, but it is questionable whether or not this legislation will be any more effective than was the old.In the short term, stream pollution is destined to become even worse than it is at present, and there are conflicting views as to the long-term prospects for Hong Kong streams. The optimistic foresee gradual improvement after an initial five-years' period of legislative machinery and Government expenditure. The less-optimistic foresee little relief in terms of industrial effluent discharges unless Government policy towards existing dischargers is changed, little relief also in terms of agricultural discharges unless drastic steps are taken to curb them or effectively treat their effluents, and merely a shifting of the problems of sewage discharges from the streams to the sea via partial treatment facilities.
Drought-accelerated Parasitism of Conifers in the Mountain Ranges of Northern California
Authors: Page James M. 
Published: August 2009

Drought conditions in Northern California during 1975–77 caused widespread mortality in conifer forests mainly from attacks by disease organisms—including dwarf mistletoes and Fungi—and from epidemic outbreaks of various bark beetles. A federal survey has estimated the volume losses sustained through the affected four years (1975–79) as 9.6 thousand million board feet (45.3 million cubic metres) on 6.3 million acres (2.55 million ha) of national forest. As the dominant host species in afflicted forests is Pinus ponderosa, the most destructive agents have been the parasites of this species—primarily the Western Pine Beetle (Dendroctonus brevicomis) and the Western Dwarf Mistletoe (Arceuthobium campylopodum). However, interrelationships between many stress-inducing factors may be of more significance than the direct attack by any single parasitic species on a host.Three approaches to the reduction of conifer losses have been studied. The first involves the use of silvicultural practices based on the elimination of susceptible, or high-risk, trees. This is most applicable in countering bark beetles which have the mobility and selectivity to reach potential hosts over large areas.The second approach is direct control, or the physical removal or destruction of parasites. The steady spread of dwarf mistletoe, formerly contained by natural fire, can only be slowed through pruning, logging, or burning. Bark beetles can be directly controlled if the work is done before new broods hatch and mature. Toxic pesticides such as Lindane have proven ineffective—mainly for economic reasons, but also due to serious reservations among some foresters about detrimental effects on the forest ecosystem. Sex attractants have been used to draw bark beetles into trees of which the removal is planned.The third approach, applicable to bark beetles, is biological control, or reliance on organisms—such as lizards, woodpeckers, predaceous beetles and their larvae, parasitic hymenopterans, and various Fungi, which in some cases the forester has options to encourage or discourage. At the very least these controls suppress bark beetle populations when normal precipitation patterns return.Unfortunately, the ideal of a natural equilibrium being reached solely with the use of biological controls is unrealistic. The most fundamental stress on the commercial forests of California is human use, in spite of occasional drought-accelerated epidemic losses to parasites. Salvage must continue to be aggressively pushed upon a reluctant industry, but, above all, more flexible and immediate responses to the first signs of increasing bark-beetle activity, coupled with indirect, pre-epidemic silvicultural practices based on the broader lessons of forest parasitology, must be developed.
The Value of Natural Ecosystems: An Economic and Ecological Framework
Authors: Farnworth Edward G. , Tidrick Thomas H. , Jordan Carl F. , Smathers Webb M. 
Published: August 2009

Ecosystem values, and the functional roles of ecosystems in providing goods and services for Man, have been subjects of increasing discussion and controversy among ecologists and economists in recent years. Economists have developed economic theory based on a market model, and price or value has been set in the marketplace. However, the market system cannot account for all possible values, and fails to account for goods and services for which no market, or only imperfect markets, exist.These non-traded goods and services are termed nonmarket values, and are categorized in the scheme we have developed either as Value II (attributable or assignable values) or as Value III (intangible or non-assignable values). The true or total value of natural systems should include not only the market values (Value I) but also these two categories of non-market values whenever decisions are made about the alteration of natural systems. Usually, only market values are incorporated by decision-makers in the management strategies of natural systems, and as a result of their omission of non-market values, numerous natural systems are being degraded or destroyed through market-goods extraction.The examples of market and non-market values of tropical moist forests, demonstrate the range of nonmarket goods and services provided by natural ecosystems. Excessive alteration and destruction of tropical forests for extraction of market goods, damages the integrity of the forests and reduces or destroys the capacity of these ecosystems to provide valuable non-market goods and services. One can measure the value of these non-market goods and services by calculating the cost of providing them through technology. By not accounting for the public goods provided by forests, overall sustained-yield potential of the public and private goods produced by the system is reduced. These non-market values need to be incorporated in decisions about the fate of natural systems.An attempt has been made in this paper to establish a common understanding of value for both economists and ecologists. If the problems of value determination can be viewed with a joint understanding, the political process may be influenced to provide more efficient and wiser use of the products and services of natural systems.
Bukit Timah: the History and Significance of a Small Rain-forest Reserve
Authors: Corlett Richard T. 
Published: August 2009

The 71 hectares mainly of rain-forest on Bukit Timah Hill have been isolated for more than 130 years. During most of this period, the forest has received some form of protection: initially for climatic reasons, then as a forest reserve, and finally as a Nature reserve. It has also suffered a great deal of disturbance from illegal logging, firewood collection, hunting, wartime shelling, and recreational activity. Despite this, the Reserve still supports an immensely rich flora and fauna, although many bird and mammal species have been lost.The example of Bukit Timah suggests that, contrary to most predictions, small rain-forest reserves can play a significant role in biological conservation, as well as satisfying educational and recreational needs.
The Kirby Canyon Conservation Agreement: A Model for the Resolution of Land-use Conflicts Involving Threatened Invertebrates
Authors: Murphy Dennis D. 
Published: August 2009

The Kirby Canyon Conservation Agreement was designed to provide protection of the Bay Checkerspot Butterfly (Euphydryas editha bayensis) while allowing development of an extensive solid-waste landfill in the habitat of that threatened subspecies. Elements of the programme include 1) biological research; 2) habitat acquisition; 3) habitat management; 4) restoration and revegetation activities; and 5) off-site recovery, including reintroduc-tion of the Butterfly into an unoccupied suitable habitat.The high likelihood of success of this agreement reflects the availability of detailed life-history information, the known ecological characteristics of the Butterfly, and the geographic scale of the proposed development. This agreement should provide a useful model for the resolution of potential conflicts between endangered invertebrates and resource development in urban corridors elsewhere.
Vernadsky and Biospheral Ecology
Authors: Polunin Nicholas , Grinevald Jacques 
Published: August 2009

The concept of The Biosphere as the integrated living and life-supporting system comprising the peripheral envelope of planet Earth together with its surrounding atmosphere so far down, and up, as any form of life exists naturally, stems from the writings of V.I. Vernadsky in the 1920s but has only emerged and become widely accepted in the latest decades. Yet it is quite one of the largest and most important entities with which humans have to deal, being, moreover, the only natural habitat and life-support of Mankind and Nature and, as such, needful of safeguarding and healthful maintenance.No other meaning than the above should be attached to the term Biosphere, the importance of which concept and actuality being such that it should be far more widely known than is currently the case — to which end a small conference was held in 1987 and a larger one is contemplated in 1990 on the theme of Threats to The Biosphere and Imperative Countermeasures.Other activities on behalf of The Biosphere include the ‘Johnny Biosphere’ media campaign of Dr John R. Vallentyne, those of The World Campaign for The Biosphere and its sponsoring World Council For The Biosphere, and the newly-established [International] Vernadsky Foundation which it is hoped will have, as one of its main objectives, the fostering of due reverence for life in its full Biospheral context.
Legislative Confrontation of Groupthink in US Natural Resource Agencies
Authors: Kennedy James J. 
Published: August 2009

Within the apparent strength of proud, successful, cohesive agencies are often found characteristics that inhibit their ability to adapt successfully in an environment of change. Organizations can be so successful that they feel invulnerable to public petition. They can stereotype, and dismiss as uninformed ‘outsiders’ or biased trouble-makers, any others who criticize them. Janis (1967) has described such organizational tendencies asgroupthinkbehaviour—where proud and successful, professional organizations such as the USDA-Forest Service (USFS), consider themselves superior to the public, and where any external criticism is filtered, rationalized, and stereotyped to minimize the need for organizational introspection and change.This article looks at how groupthink tendencies were a normal, understandable part of USFS behaviour in the 1950–60s—and how these tendencies inhibited its adaptation to a post-industrial American society that was increasingly concerned with forest recreational and amenity values. The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA, 1970) was the first of several laws that directly confronted the utilitarian, developmental values and the groupthink tendencies in federal natural resource agencies. Responding to NEPA (1970) and other legislative and policy changes of that era, the USFS has latterly become a much more sexually and professionally diverse agency, that is more open to public input than formerly. Thisvolte-facehas reduced the probability of groupthink operating in the agency, and consequently improved the latter's prospects of a useful and equitable future.
The Invasion of Highlands in Galá'pagos by the Red Quinine-tree Cinchona succirubra
Authors: Macdonald Ian A.W. , Ortiz Luis , Lawesson Jonas E. , Nowak J. Bosco 
Published: August 2009

The alien tree species Cinchona succirubra, the Red Quinine-tree (Rubiaceae), was introduced to the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, in 1946, for purposes of cultivation, but causes much concern as, by 1987, it was found to cover about 4,000 hectares in the highlands of Santa Cruz Island, changing the original, largely endemic, vegetation. Some limited herbicide trials have been made by the Galápagos National Park Service, but a really successful method of controlling this pest still remains to be found.The removal of Cinchona plants from a 1000-ha Intensive Control Area (ICA) within the Galápagos National Park has been successful to date. However, large stands of the tree exist in the adjacent agricultural area of Santa Cruz Island, as well as elsewhere in the National Park. With the maturation of these stands, an increased input of Cinchona succirubra seeds to the ICA can be anticipated.Strengthened use of manual, chemical, and biological, control measures are therefore recommended on a shortterm basis, in order to conserve the unique highland vegetation of Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos.
A Computer-based Method of Wilderness Evaluation
Authors: Lesslie Robert G. , Mackey Brendan G. , Preece Kathryn M. 
Published: August 2009

With ever-increasing demands being made on remote and natural lands, planners and managers require more detailed information than hitherto to assist them in monitoring the status of this wilderness resource and developing appropriate and effective management prescriptions. These requirements are addressed by a computer-based wilderness evaluation procedure that has been developed for a national wilderness survey of Australia.The methodology, based on the wilderness continuum concept (Lesslie & Taylor, 1985), places emphasis on measuring variation in wilderness quality by using four indicators that represent the two essential attributes of remoteness and naturalness. This permits a precise assessment to be made of the wilderness resource, revealing those factors which contribute to or compromise wilderness quality. The computer-based storage and analysis of data enables surveys to be conducted over large, even continental, areas, yet at a relatively fine level of resolution that is appropriate to localized planning needs.Trial application to the State of Victoria, Australia, demonstrates that the survey procedure can be successfully adapted to a wide range of environments, use-patterns, data-base characteristics, and management objectives, which should be applicable and very widely useful elsewhere.
Roadside Birds in Punjab (India): Relation to Mortality from Vehicles
Authors: Dhindsa Manjit S. , Sandhu Jaswinder S. , Sandhu P.S. , Toor H.S. 
Published: August 2009

Roadside bird mortality is a new environmental dimension in developing countries. With the recent increase in the number of high-speed cars and the simultaneous improvement of roads in India, bird-car strikes and the resultant bird mortality are becoming important. To know how many species frequent roads in Punjab and thus may be prone to be killed by fast vehicles, we censused birds along 420 km of roads of different widths and traffic volumes from a vehicle moving at 50–60 km per hour. We also counted birds along transectsc.1 km away from roads, for comparison.In all, 35 species of birds were recorded on the road proper or within 3 m of either edge. Common Myna (Acridotheres trisitis) was the most abundant species (34.8% of all birds), followed by House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) (29.5%), Ring Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) (13.1%), and House Crow (Corvus splendens) (9.7%). These four species together accounted forc.87% of the total of all bird species. The off-road community consisted of 68 species. The species-richness of granivorous, insectivorous, omnivorous, and some other birds, was less on or near roads than in the off-road transects, but within each community, species having different feeding habits were in similar proportions. About 93% of the total birds on or near roads (as against 66% off-road) were either granivorous or omnivorous.Our results suggested that granivorous birds are attracted, but insectivorous and other birds are repelled, by roads. Omnivores were equally abundant on and off roads. Food (such as spilled grain) seemed to be the main factor attracting birds to roads. Species diversity and equitability of the bird community on roads (1.82 and 0.51, respectively) were less than those off-roads (3.11 and 0.74, respectively). Wider roads had lower species-diversity and equitability, probably because of the greater volume of traffic on them compared with narrower roads. Species richness and bird abundance seemed not to be affected by roadwidth. Bird mortality on roads is discussed, along with the possibility of roads acting as “ecological traps” for foraging birds.
Cattle Movement and Its Ecological Implications in the Middle Niger Valley Area of Nigeria
Authors: Okaeme Augustine N. , Ayeni Julius S.O. , Oyatogun Moses O. , Wari Musa , Haliru Mohammed M. , Okeyoyin Agboola O. 
Published: August 2009

Nomadic migration of cattle in the middle Niger valley is an age-old traditional method of raising cattle by pastoralism. However, this method of free-grazing of animals has been observed to affect some of the ecological balances of the savanna ecobiome. These ecological effects include denudation of the soil through excessive and repeated trampling by cattle on permanent routes, destruction of vegetational structure through uncontrolled burning and tree-lopping by pastorallists, dissemination of animal diseases due to long-distance trekking and unrestricted movement of cattle, and other social problems such as conflict with farmers when animals infiltrate into arable farmlands.With increasing use of the limited land-resources for other human activities, the need to create grazing reserves and provide infrastructures to reduce the widespread movement of cattle is recommended. This will improve the productivity of cattle and check any unfavourable ecological repercussions resulting from their unrestricted movement.