bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Distribution, status and conservation of the black-and-white snub-nosed monkey Rhinopithecus bieti in Tibet
Authors: Xiang Zuo-Fu , Huo Sheng , Wang Lin , Cui Liang-Wei , Xiao Wen , Quan Rui-Chang , Tai Zhong 
Published: December 2007

AbstractThe black-and-white snub-nosed monkey Rhinopithecus bieti (Colobinae), categorized as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, is endemic to the Trans-Himalayas (the Hengduan Mountains) of north-west Yunnan and south-east Tibet. To evaluate the species’ current status in Tibet we surveyed six sites in Honglaxueshan National Nature Reserve, believed to be the area's only remaining location of R. bieti. Sites were identified from previous surveys and interviews with villagers and local officials. Three sub-populations, with a total of >300 individuals, were located in conifer and evergreen broad-leaf forests, which together comprise 971 km2. One of the sub-populations, in Zhina, is a new discovery, and is the northernmost known sub-population of R. bieti. Identified threats to the species include habitat destruction through wood extraction, uncontrolled grass fires, cutting of oak Quercus aquifolioides branches, inappropriate attitudes to R. bieti when people carry out economic activities in the forest, and hunting. Opportunities for conservation include the existence of sacred mountains, the limited possibilities for agriculture, and the economic dependency of villagers on the forest. We recommend the development of a sustainable ecosystem to reduce pressure on R. bieti and its forest habitat, including use of solar energy for heating and cheap electricity for cooking to minimize dependence on firewood, introduction of techniques for high crop yields to improve food supplies, and release of some farmland for planting grass, which can be used to raise livestock in enclosures and thus reduce the cutting of oak.
Conservation of turtles in Vietnam: a survey of Cat Tien National Park
Authors: Le Minh 
Published: December 2007

AbstractTurtles in South-east Asia, especially in Vietnam, have been overexploited for more than a decade, largely because of international trade with and demand from China. This study examined natural populations in Cat Tien National Park and the local trade in surrounding areas to find ways of protecting remaining turtle populations more effectively. The results show that although trade around this protected area remains high, viable turtle populations still exist. However, these populations need immediate measures to protect them. Increased protection measures in such areas should have priority over trade control, given the complexity of the trade network and the lack of government resources to control it. Nevertheless, for long-term conservation goals additional measures such as trade control, environmental education in buffer zones, and raising people's awareness in urban areas, where wildlife consumption has increased, are also required.
Great apes in the Lake Tumba landscape, Democratic Republic of Congo: newly described populations
Authors: Inogwabini Bila-Isia , Matungila Bewa , Mbende Longwango , Abokome Mbenzo , Tshimanga Tshimanga wa 
Published: December 2007

AbstractOver 8 months we surveyed the Lake Tumba landscape, Democratic Republic of Congo, walking 86 km of transects and 324 km of reconnaissance, to document the distribution and estimate the abundance of great apes. Five separate groups of bonobo Pan paniscus were located in the areas of Bolombo-Losombo, Mbala-Donkese, Ngombe-Botuali, Botuali-Ilombe, and Mompulenge–Mbanzi-Malebo–Nguomi, and one population of chimpanzees Pan troglodytes in the Bosobele-Lubengo area. Mean bonobo densities ranged from 0.27 individuals km-2 in the vicinity of Lake Tumba to 2.2 individuals km-2 in the Malebo-Nguomi area. In the latter they appear to be living at a higher density than reported for any other site. This may be due to the area's forest-savannah mosaic habitat, which may provide year-round fruit sources, with bonobos falling back on savannah fruits when forest resources are scarce. The bonobos of the Bolombo-Losombo area and the Bosobele-Lubengo chimpanzees have low relative abundances and live in marginal habitats of islands of terra firma within inundated forests.
Use of natural and anthropogenic resources by Olrog's Gull Larus atlanticus: implications for the conservation of the species in non-breeding habitats
Authors: Berón María Paula , Favero Marco , Laich Agustina Gómez 
Published: December 2007

AbstractWe studied the exploitation of crab-beds and fishing grounds by Olrog's Gulls Larus atlanticus in non-breeding areas along the coast of Buenos Aires province, Argentina. During 2004 and 2005, censuses were performed in different areas of Mar Chiquita coastal lagoon and Mar del Plata harbour. Additionally, from April to August 2005 the movements of five non-breeding individuals were studied by means of radio-telemetry. At both study sites the highest numbers of Olrog's Gulls were observed between June and August. A total of 278 radio-tracked locations (from 407 samples) were registered. All the tracked individuals showed strong site fidelity, with 96% of the radio signals registered in the vicinity of the lagoon's mouth, associated with both crab-beds and areas where sport-fishing activities took place. Conservation issues in non-breeding areas should be tackled in the near future, given the conservation status of this species (Vulnerable) and the fact that each year several Olrog's Gulls are being killed because of their interaction with sport-fishing activities.ResumoSe estudió la utilización de cangrejales y áreas de pesca por la Gaviota de Olrog durante el periodo no reproductivo. Durante los aãos 2004 y 2005 se realizaron censos en diferentes áreas de la Laguna Costera Mar Chiquita y el Puerto Mar del Plata, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina. En ambos sitios de estudio el mayor número de individuos se observó entre los meses de junio y agosto. Adicionalmente entre los meses de abril y agosto de 2005 se estudiaron los movimientos de cinco individuos no reproductores mediante el uso de radio-transmisores. De un total de 407 muestras se obtuvieron 278 localizaciones. Todos los individuos instrumentados mostraron una alta fidelidad al sitio. El 96% de las localizaciones se registraron en cercanías de la desembocadura de la laguna, asociadas a cangrejales y areas de pesca deportiva. Considerando el estatus de conservación de la Gaviota de Olrog (‘Vulnerable’) y los efectos negativos de su interacción con la pesca deportiva, programas de conservación en áreas no reproductivas deben ser implementados.
Spatio-temporal variation in mortality rates of White-chinned Petrels Procellaria aequinoctialis interacting with longliners in the south-west Atlantic
Authors: Laich Agustina Gómez , Favero Marco 
Published: December 2007

AbstractThe White-chinned Petrel Procellaria aequinoctialis is the second most commonly captured species by Argentinean longliners. The severe declines that this species has experienced in some of its populations (e.g. South Georgia Islands) have been principally attributed to incidental mortality associated with longliners. In this study we analyse the spatio-temporal variability in the mortality rates of White-chinned Petrels on the Patagonian Shelf and the effects that environmental and operational variability have on such mortality. The average capture rate (± 1 SD) for the period 1999–2003 was 0.014 ± 0.090 White-chinned Petrels for every 1,000 hooks deployed. Higher capture rates were observed when short longlines were deployed. Capture rates were not affected by the wind speed or by the time to the full moon. The distribution of the captures differed throughout the year. During autumn–winter most captures took place in the north of the Patagonian Shelf, whereas during spring–summer incidental captures occurred principally to the south between 45°S and 50°S.ResumoEl Petrel Barba Blanca Procellaria aequinoctialis constituye la segunda especie más frecuentemente capturada por la flota palangrera Argentina. Los importantes decrecimientos poblacionales observados en algunas poblaciones de esta especie (e.g. Islas Georgias del Sur) han sido principalmente atribuidos a la mortalidad incidental asociada a embarcaciones palangreras. En este trabajo se analizó la variación espacio- temporal en las tasas de captura incidental del Petrel Barba Blanca a lo largo de la Plataforma Continental Argentina y se estudió el efecto que diferentes variables ambientales y operacionales tienen sobre la mortalidad incidental de esta especie. La tasa de captura promedio (± d.s) durante el periodo 1999–2003 fue de 0.014 ± 0.090 Petreles Barba Blanca cada 1.000 anzuelos. Mayores tasas de captura fueron registradas al utilizar palangres cortos. No se observó un efecto de la intensidad del viento ni de la distancia a la luna llena sobre las tasas de captura. La distribución de las capturas difirió a lo largo del aão. Durante el otoão-invierno la mayoría de las capturas estuvieron localizadas al norte de la Plataforma Continental Argentina, mientras que durante los meses de primavera-verano las capturas estuvieron localizadas principalmente entre los 45°S y 50°S.
Specialization versus diversification: A trade‐off for young scientists?
Authors: Reyns Nathalie B. , Langenheder Silke , Lennon Jay T. 
Published: December 2007

Owing to the inherent links between the fields of study that make up the environmental sciences (e.g., terrestrial, aquatic, and atmospheric branches), and because of the growing need to better understand how human actions translate into global change, there is increasing demand for interdisciplinary research where Earth scientists with different academic training or backgrounds come together and approach projects in novel ways. In theory, interdisciplinar research teams are composed of researchers with complementary skills and are thus able to tackle larger research questions or problems. In this essay, we discuss the perceived trade‐offs that young scientists face when specializing or diversifying their research programs to best prepare for participation in such interdisciplinary research.An effective member of an interdisciplinary team should have expertise in at least one discipline. For a young scientist at the start of his or her career, a period of specialization is necessary in order to be perceived as an expert by potential collaborators. At the same time, the success of an interdisciplinary collaboration may be enhanced by an individual's ability to understand and communicate about subject matters outside of his or her immediate area of expertise. For a young scientist, this implies that one should also broaden the scope of one's field of expertise and diversify. Thus, young scientists may prepare themselves for participating in interdisciplinary research projects by either specializing or diversifying their research programs, although a potential trade‐off between both may exist.
Interdisciplinary intercomparison of black carbon analysis in soil and sediment
Authors: Schmidt Michael W. I. , Masiello Caroline A. 
Published: December 2007

Last April, a symposium was held to discuss new aspects of the rapidly growing field of research focusing on black carbon in soil, sediment, and the atmosphere. About 70 scientists attended the 2‐day session during the European Geosciences Union General Assembly, in Vienna. Part of this symposium included a workshop on chemical reference materials, where results of an interdisciplinary intercomparison of black carbon (BC) measurements in different environmental matrices were released.BC is the product of incomplete combustion of fossil fuels and biomass and is also called elemental carbon in the atmospheric sciences. BC moves between the atmosphere, oceans, and soils, in the process affecting human health, the Earth's radiative budget, ocean carbon cycling, and soil carbon storage. However, a lack of standards common to atmospheric scientists, oceanographers, soil scientists, and ecologists has made it challenging to assess the role of BC in the carbon cycle. In particular, quantification of BC in complex matrices has proven to be problematic, as was made clear in a recent intercomparative study of BC in soils, where BC concentrations measured by a range of techniques differed by 2 orders of magnitude. BC exists as a chemical continuum of combustion products, and some methods may be ideal for detecting only a fraction of the total BC pool (e.g., soot). Other methods may detect non‐BC materials in some types of samples, and some may fail to detect BC in other sample types.
Satellite study of natural gas flaring
Authors: Showstack Randy 
Published: December 2007

Global flaring of natural gas remained largely stable from 1995 through 2006, according to the first globally consistent survey of gas flaring, conducted using low‐light imaging data from the U.S. Air Force Defense Meteorological Satellite Program. Flaring is a widespread method of disposing of natural gas when oil production and processing occurs in remote areas or in areas that lack infrastructure to make use of the gas.The survey results, announced on 30 August, found the amount of annual flaring is in the range of 150 to 170 billion cubic meters (bcm). The survey, commissioned by the World Bank's Global Gas Flaring Reduction Partnership, noted that 170 bcm is equivalent to 5.5% of total annual global production of natural gas and emits 400 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
New La Ni˜a on its way
Authors: Showstack Randy 
Published: December 2007

A new La Niña is developing, according to scientists with the Climate Prediction Center of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). La Niña, which refers to a cooling of ocean surface temperatures in the central and east‐central equatorial Pacific that occurs every 3 to 5 years, is expected to bring wetter than normal conditions in the Pacific Northwest and drier than normal conditions in the southwestern U.S. this fall.“While we can't officially call it a La Niña yet, we expect that this pattern will continue to develop during the next 3 months,” Mike Halpert, acting deputy director of the Climate Prediction Center in Camp Springs, Md., indicated on 6 September. NOAA declares the onset of a La Niña when the 3‐month average sea surface temperature departure exceeds −0.5 degrees C in the east‐central equatorial Pacific. For more information, visit the Web site: http://www .cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/precip/ CWlink/MJO/enso.shtml.
African lightning: Indicator of Tropical Atlantic Cyclone formation
Authors: Chronis Themis , Williams Earle , Anagnostou Emmanouil , Petersen Walter 
Published: December 2007

Each year, devastating hurricanes originating from the tropical Atlantic Ocean cause severe loss of life and property damage. Efforts to predict and forecast the behavior of such phenomena range from satellite‐derived sea surface temperatures to coupled ocean‐atmosphere models. Nonetheless, predicting cyclone occurrence and behavior remains elusive.New research suggests that the presence of lightning activity in storms crossing the West African coast could be used as a precursor to cyclone formation. This article analyzes the lightning activity monitored during the 2004 hurricane season by the University of Connecticut's Zeus Long‐Range Lightning Monitoring Network (http://sifnos.engr.uconn.edu/realtime.htm). The Zeus system was used to follow the westward progression of African Easterly Waves (AEWs) and their embedded convective regimes, as these propagate over continental Africa and finally cross into the Atlantic Ocean. Those disturbances that exhibit sustained lightning in the Atlantic were shown to be far more likely to produce tropical cyclones (TCs) than those for which lightning ceases at the coast.
Digital library for Earth system education adds pedagogical links
Authors: Kastens Kim A. , Arko Robert , Holzman Neil , Ginger Kathryn 
Published: December 2007

Effectively teaching Earth science requires not only a broad understanding of geoscience topics but also strategies and tools to help students learn. For example, a teacher planning a lesson on the hydrologic cycle should know students' common misconceptions (e.g., groundwater flows as underground rivers), how studying the water cycle can contribute to students' understanding of systems and processes, how to leverage students' firsthand experiences with water fluxes and reservoirs to inform class discussion, and how to assess what students know and understand about the water cycle.Such knowledge of how to teach effectively within a discipline is called “pedagogical content knowledge,” or PCK. A new service within the Digital Library for Earth System Education (DLESE) seeks to help educators teach more effectively by providing them with access to relevant PCK as they prepare to teach a given topic, issue, lesson, or idea. DLESE (http://www.dlese.org) is a Web‐based portal providing access to curriculum materials and information resources for teaching and learning about the Earth and its environment.
Interpreting recent temperature trends in California
Authors: Duffy Philip B. , Bonfils Celine , Lobell David 
Published: December 2007

Regional‐scale climate change and associated societal impacts result from large‐scale “forcing” (perturbing) agents, such as well‐mixed greenhouse gases, and from land‐use changes and other, more local phenomena. In order to predict future climate and societal impacts, it is essential to understand these forcings and the climate responses to them.California serves as a good example of the complex effects of multiple climate forcings. The state's natural climate is diverse, highly variable, and strongly influenced by the El Nino‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon. Humans are perturbing this complex climate system through urbanization, irrigation, and the emission of multiple types of aerosols and greenhouse gases. Despite better‐than‐average observational coverage, scientists are only beginning to understand the manifestations of these forcings in California's temperature record.
Anticipating the next decade of Sun‐Earth system variations
Authors: Woods Thomas N. , Lean Judith 
Published: December 2007

Approximately every decade, the Sun enters a new phase when its magnetic activity increases from quiescent conditions to peak values about 3–5 years later. This intensified solar activity gradually reduces over the next 6–7 years, returning the system to “quiet” conditions. The near‐periodic 11‐year solar cycle is manifested by the regular presence of large sunspots during high solar activity (solar maximum) and few, if any, sunspots during quiet periods (solar minimum).This cycle, in turn, creates significant observable effects on Earth and its surrounding environment. During times of peak solar activity, Earth's atmosphere warms globally. In the past decade, the Sun's increased brightness at solar maximum warmed the Earth's atmosphere by about 0.1 degree Kelvin (0.1 K) in the 10 kilometers nearest to the surface (the troposphere), 1 K near 50 kilometers in altitude (at the top of the stratosphere), and 400 K at an altitude of 500 kilometers in the thermosphere. During this time, total ozone concentration increased by a few percent, offsetting for a while the overall decline associated with chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) pollution. Electron densities in the ionosphere and neutral densities in the thermosphere increased by 1–2 orders of magnitude, altering the propagation of radio waves that enable communication and increasing the drag on spacecraft in low‐Earth orbits.
Climate change and conservation: Nature Conservancy Climate Change Science Conference Portland, Oregon, 5–7 September 2007
Authors: Bachelet Dominique , DeBlieu Jeff , Baker Barry 
Published: December 2007

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) sponsored its first climate change science conference to bring together scientists and conservation practitioners from around the world to discuss new approaches to conservation. The conference focused on how climate change science can help TNC develop effective strategies to implement in the field.Included at the conference were panel discussions on sea level rise; climate change impacts on freshwater, marine, forest, and cold climate systems; human dimensions of climate change; extinctions, invasives, and migrants; fire in a warming world; how science can inform the climate policy debate; issues of scale and resolution in climate change projections; using information technology to communicate scientific information; and the importance of monitoring networks. Also included was a session on conservation planning and climate change, followed by a lively discussion of potential innovations TNC could engage in.
Reply to Comments on “A perspective on global warming, dimming, and brightening”
Authors: Stanhill Gerald 
Published: December 2007

The welcome comments by Liepert et al. [this issue] on my Forum article stress the importance of shortwave radiation forcing at the Earth's surface for understanding current climate change and the forcing's consequences for the life‐sustaining solar‐powered water and carbon cycles. I agree with their call for continued and expanded support for longterm programs to monitor and analyze these changes. Such programs are especially relevant in the Earth's polar regions and ocean surfaces where the solar radiation measurement network is smaller now than when it was established by the International Geophysical Year 50 years ago.Monitoring of the downwelling and upwelling longwave and shortwave components of the surface radiation balance in these regions can, and should, be supplemented with measurements of the latent and sensible heat fluxes to establish the consequences of global dimming and brightening. The need for such measurements to explain the rapid warming occurring on the coasts of Antarctica at twice the global rate was emphasized 10 years ago [Stanhill and Cohen, 1997].
Arc of responsibility: The strength of AGU's Council
Authors: Leifert Harvey 
Published: December 2007

When AGU members vote in the upcoming election for Union and section officers, they will determine the course of the Union over the next 2 years and beyond. AGU prides itself on holding contested elections, in which members are presented with a real choice, not a preapproved slate, take it or leave it.The statements of the slate of officers begin on page 499; biographies start on page 509. The nominees listed in this issue are volunteers who seek to serve AGU, and once elected, they will undertake a wide variety of duties for the organization. Their visions of AGU's future may vary however; by carefully considering the candidates' statements and casting votes for those whose vision is most compatible with their own, members can help achieve the goals they wish to see fulfilled.
World stress map published
Authors: Heidbach Oliver , Müller Birgit , Fuchs Karl , Wenzel Friedemann , Reinecker John , Tingay Mark , Sperner Blanka , Cadet Jean‐Paul , Rossi Philipp 
Published: December 2007

The World Stress Map (WSM), published in April 2007 by the Commission for the Geological Map of the World and the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, displays the tectonic regime and the orientation of the contemporary maximum horizontal compressional stress at more than 12,000 locations within the Earth's crust. The Mercator projection is a scale of 1:46,000,000.The WSM provides insight into large‐scale patterns of stress orientations (i.e., first‐order stress patterns due to plate boundary forces and second‐order stress patterns due to topography), large lateral density variations, and deglaciation effects. Furthermore, the WSM contains a number of regions with high data resolution that enable users to investigate variations in stress orientations on local scales and to discuss factors controlling third‐order stress patterns such as active faults, local inclusions, detachment horizons, and density contrasts. Forces resulting from these geological subsurface structures control the stress field orientations especially when magnitudes of the horizontal stresses are close to each other.