151 research outputs found

    Bottom-Up Control of Macrobenthic Communities in a Guanotrophic Coastal System

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    Soft bottom macrobenthic communities were studied seasonally in three coastal ponds (Marinello ponds, Italy) at increasing distances from a gull (Larus michahellis) colony to in- vestigate the effect of seabird-induced eutrophication (i.e. guanotrophication) on macro- benthic fauna.We hypothesized that enhanced nutrient concentration and organic load caused by guano input significantly alter the trophic and sedimentological condition of ponds, affecting benthic fauna through a bottom-up control. The influence of a set of envi- ronmental features on macrobenthic assemblages was also tested. Overall, the lowest macrobenthic abundances and functional group diversity were found in deeper sites, espe- cially in the pond characterised by severe guanotrophication, where the higher disturbance resulted in a decline in suspension feeders and carnivores in favour of deposit feeders. An increase in opportunistic/tolerant taxa (e.g. chironomid larvae and paraonids) and totally azoic sediments were also found as an effect of the harshest environmental conditions, re- sulting in a very poor ecological status. We conclude that macrobenthic assemblages of the Marinello coastal system display high spatial variability due to a synergistic effect of trophic status and the geomorphological features of the ponds. Themacrobenthic response to gua- notrophication, which was a clear decrease in abundance, diversity and trophic functional groups, was associated with the typical response to severe eutrophication, magnified by the geomorphological features

    A Story of Marguerite: A Tale about Panis, Case Comment, and Social History

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    Those interested in social history contend that social norms deserve attention due to how they impact and are affected by historical events. This subfield has contributed significantly to how larger historical mosaics are understood, and how themes specific to marginalized groups are appreciated today. By presenting the story of enslaved Indigenous woman in New France who was the first Indigenous civil litigant in Canadian history, and focusing on her representation in the colonial legal system, a number of themes emerge. Canada’s history of slavery becomes better understood, and in so doing, a challenge to social historians is presented. By examining the legal procedure applied to an Indigenous litigant’s circumstances, and then dissecting the events that followed, the strength of social norms during her time is appreciated more fully. Integrating an era’s legal doctrine into historical analysis augments the social historian’s search for society influence on the individual in history

    Review of \u3ci\u3eCanada\u27s Indigenous Constitution\u3c/i\u3e. By John Borrows.

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    This text\u27s major thesis, that Canada cannot presently, historically, legally, or morally claim to be built upon European-derived law alone, has been mentioned before. Yet in those earlier musings by Borrows and others, such a statement has never been documented so well as it is here. Borrows contemplates that others, besides those sympathetic with Indigenous perspectives, might just admit such a thesis is the case. Moreover, they might also support the creation of social and economic policies that demonstrate such a belief. But observing it in Canada\u27s current legal system-really? Keenly aware of skeptics, Borrows has thought as much about his method as his content. As a result, he trumps other authors by using the proverbial master\u27s tools to take down the master\u27s house, revealing to us that the Canadian legal system is, first and foremost, imbued with Indigenous law. The problem, he simultaneously details, is that too many people do not interpret it as such

    A Story of Marguerite: A Tale about Panis, Case Comment, and Social History

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    Those interested in social history contend that social norms deserve attention due to how they impact and are affected by historical events. This subfield has contributed significantly to how larger historical mosaics are understood, and how themes specific to marginalized groups are appreciated today. By presenting the story of enslaved Indigenous woman in New France who was the first Indigenous civil litigant in Canadian history, and focusing on her representation in the colonial legal system, a number of themes emerge. Canada’s history of slavery becomes better understood, and in so doing, a challenge to social historians is presented. By examining the legal procedure applied to an Indigenous litigant’s circumstances, and then dissecting the events that followed, the strength of social norms during her time is appreciated more fully. Integrating an era’s legal doctrine into historical analysis augments the social historian’s search for society influence on the individual in history

    A Story of Marguerite: A Tale about Panis, Case Comment, and Social History

    Get PDF
    Those interested in social history contend that social norms deserve attention due to how they impact and are affected by historical events. This subfield has contributed significantly to how larger historical mosaics are understood, and how themes specific to marginalized groups are appreciated today. By presenting the story of enslaved Indigenous woman in New France who was the first Indigenous civil litigant in Canadian history, and focusing on her representation in the colonial legal system, a number of themes emerge. Canada’s history of slavery becomes better understood, and in so doing, a challenge to social historians is presented. By examining the legal procedure applied to an Indigenous litigant’s circumstances, and then dissecting the events that followed, the strength of social norms during her time is appreciated more fully. Integrating an era’s legal doctrine into historical analysis augments the social historian’s search for society influence on the individual in history

    Indigenous Lawyers in Canada: Identity, Professionalization, Law

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    For Indigenous communities and individuals in Canada, Canadian law has been a mechanism of assimilation, colonial governance and dispossession, a basis for the assertion of rights, and a method of resistance. How do Indigenous lawyers in Canada make sense of these contradictory threads and their roles and responsibilities? This paper urges attention to the lives and experiences of Indigenous lawyers, noting that the number of self-identified Indigenous lawyers has been rapidly growing since the 1990s. At the same time, Indigenous scholars are focusing on the work of revitalizing Indigenous law and legal orders. Under these conditions, Indigenous lawyers occupy a complicated space. This article considers scholarship about other outsider groups in the profession, including women and African Americans, and the existing literature about Indigenous lawyers, developing three themes: community and belonging after professionalization; expectations and discrimination; and the difference that Indigenous lawyers may make. The article concludes by addressing ethical questions raised by the proposal for a qualitative, interview based approach to studying the experiences and ethics of Canada\u27s Indigenous lawyers

    Fish assemblages cope with ocean acidification in a shallow volcanic CO2 vent benefiting from an adjacent recovery area

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    Shallow CO2 vents are used to test ecological hypotheses about the effects of ocean acidification (OA). Here, we studied fish assemblages associated with Cymodocea nodosa meadows exposed to high pCO2/low pH conditions at a natural CO2 vent in the Mediterranean Sea. Using underwater visual census, we assessed fish community structure and biodiversity in a low pH site (close to the CO2 vent), a close control site and a far control site, hypothesising a decline in biodiversity and a homogenization of fish assemblages under OA conditions. Our findings revealed that fish diversity did not show a unique spatial pattern, or even significant relationships with pH, but correlated with seagrass leaf canopy. Among-site similarity was found in the abundance of juveniles, contrary to the expected impacts of OA on early life stages. However, pH seems an important driver in structuring fish assemblage in the low pH site, despite its high similarity with the close control site. This unexpected pattern may represent a combined response of fish mobility, enhanced food resources in the acidified site, and a ‘recovery area’ effect of the adjacent control site
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