Mapping ecosystem services' values: Current practice and future prospects

Mapping of ecosystem services' (ESS) values means valuing ESS in monetary terms across a relatively large geographical area and assessing how values vary across space. Thereby, mapping of ESS values reveals additional information as compared to traditional site-specific ESS valuation, which is beneficial for designing land use policies for maintaining ESS supply. Since the well-known article by Costanza et al. (1997), who mapped global ESS values, the number of publications mapping ESS values has grown exponentially, with almost 60% being published after 2007. Within this paper, we analyse and review articles that map ESS values. Our findings show that methodologies, in particular how spatial variations of ESS values are estimated, their spatial scope, rational and ESS focus differ widely. Still, most case studies rely on relatively simplistic approaches using land use/cover data as a proxy for ESS supply and its values. However, a tendency exists towards more sophisticated methodologies using the ESS models and value functions, which integrate a variety of spatial variables and which are validated against primary data. Based on our findings, we identify current practices and developments in the mapping of EES values and provide guidelines and recommendations for future applications and research

KINETIC ANALYSIS OF THE BLOCK START AND FIRST TWO CONTACTS IN SPRINTING

The purpose of this study was to examine the force production characteristics of the arms and each leg in the block start and in the first two contacts of the acceleration phase in sprinting. The set-up consisted of six force platforms embedded in an indoor running track. A total of 61 starts from 19 male international level athletes were collected during maximal effort starts and accelerations between 10m and 40m. The average time over 10m was 1.648 ±0.048 seconds, measured using a Laveg speed gun. Results indicated that the arms accounted for 13.9% of the vertical impulse and -2% to horizontal impulse, the front leg 69% and 60% and the rear leg 25 and 33% respectively. Peak vertical and horizontal forces (relative to BW) in the front leg and their associated RFD’s produced the strongest correlations with time over 10m (all p\u3c0.001)

Mapping the Recreational Value of Non-Urban Ecosystems across Europe: Combining Meta-Analysis and GIS

We map recreational visits and the economic value per visit spatially explicit across Europe’s non-urban ecosystems using GIS, meta-analysis and geostatistical modelling techniques. Therefore, we develop a meta-analytic visitor arrival function and a meta-analytic value transfer function by regression analysis. Primary data on the dependent variables are collected from visitor monitoring and valuation studies. We analyse more than 225 studies including visitor counts and value estimates to more than 550 separate case study areas. Focusing on continuous spatial biophysical and socio-economic predictor variables, we identify underlying spatial drivers of recreational ecosystem service values. By combining our models with spatial explanatory variable layers we predict annual recreational visits and the value per visit on a one km² resolution across Europe. The resulting maps illustrate spatial variations of recreational visitor numbers and the value per visit. In total we predict about 11 billion annual visits to Europe’s non-urban ecosystems amounting an economic value of € 57 billion. Comparing our estimates with mean/unit value transfers reveals that the spatial variations of visitor numbers are substantially more important for determining the recreational value per ha than variations in the value per visit

GIS-Based Mapping of Ecosystem Services: The Case of Coral Reefs

This chapter illustrates the process of mapping ecosystem service values with an application to coral reef recreational values in Southeast Asia. The case study provides an estimate of the value of reef-related recreation foregone, due to the decline in coral reef area in Southeast Asia, under a baseline scenario for the period 2000 – 2050. This value is estimated by combining a visitor model, meta-analytic value function and spatial data on individual coral reef ecosystems to produce site-specific values. Values are mapped in order to communicate the spatial variability in the value of coral reef degradation. Although the aggregated change in the value of reef-related recreation due to ecosystem degradation is not high, there is substantial spatial variation in welfare losses, which is potentially useful information for targeting conservation efforts

KINETIC COMPARISON OF THE SPRINT STARTS BETWEEN YOUTH AND SENIOR ELITE ATHLETES

The purpose of this study was to identify differences in force, impulse and power characteristics in block starts and first two contacts between youth academy (n=20) and elite senior male sprinters (n=17). Senior sprinters were significantly faster out of the blocks with a horizontal velocity of 3.35m/s ±0.15 compared to 3.14 ±0.16m/s, leading to 10m times of 1.64±0.045s and 1.706±0.06s respectively. Force application time of the arms, rear leg and front leg were significantly lower in the senior athletes (all

Monitoring recreation across European nature areas: A geo-database of visitor counts, a review of literature and a call for a visitor counting reporting standard

Nature recreation and tourism is a substantial ecosystem service of Europe’s countryside that has a substantial economic value and contributes considerably to income and employment of local communities. Highlighting the recreational value and economic contribution of nature areas can be used as a strong argument for the funding of protected and recreational areas. The total number of recreational visits of a nature area has been recognised as a major determinant of its economic recreational value and its contribution to local economies. This paper presents an international geodatabase on recreational visitor numbers to non-urban ecosystems, containing 1,267 observations at 518 separate case study areas throughout Europe. The monitored sites are described by their centroid coordinates and shape files displaying the exact extension of the sites. Therefore, the database illustrates the spatial distribution of visitor counting throughout Europe and can be used for secondary research, such as for validation of spatially explicit recreational ecosystem service models and for identifying relevant drivers of recreational ecosystem services. To develop the database, we review visitor monitoring literature throughout Europe and give an overview of such activities with special attention to visitor counting. We identify one major shortcoming in available literature, which relates to the presentation, study area definition and methodological reporting of conducted visitor counting studies. Insufficient reporting hampers the identification of the study area, the comparability of different studies and the evaluation of the studies’ quality. Based on our findings, we propose a standardised reporting template for visitor counting studies and advanced data sharing for recreational visitor data. Researchers and institutions are invited to report on their visitor counting studies via our web interface at rris.biopama.org/visitor-reporting to contribute to a global visitor database that will be shared via the ESP Visualisation tool (http://esp-mapping.net)

Towards environmental detection of Chagas disease vectors and pathogen

Chagas disease vector control relies on prompt, accurate identification of houses infested with triatomine bugs for targeted insecticide spraying. However, most current detection methods are laborious, lack standardization, have substantial operational costs and limited sensitivity, especially when triatomine bug densities are low or highly focal. We evaluated the use of FTA cards or cotton-tipped swabs to develop a low-technology, non-invasive method of detecting environmental DNA (eDNA) from both triatomine bugs and Trypanosoma cruzi for use in household surveillance in eastern Colombia, an endemic region for Chagas disease. Study findings demonstrated that Rhodnius prolixus eDNA, collected on FTA cards, can be detected at temperatures between 21 and 32 °C, when deposited by individual, recently blood-fed nymphs. Additionally, cotton-tipped swabs are a feasible tool for field sampling of both T. cruzi and R. prolixus eDNA in infested households and may be preferable due to their lower cost. eDNA detection should not yet replace current surveillance tools, but instead be evaluated in parallel as a more sensitive, higher-throughput, lower cost alternative. eDNA collection requires virtually no skills or resources in situ and therefore has the potential to be implemented in endemic communities as part of citizen science initiatives to control Chagas disease transmission

Prognostic value of test(s) for O6-methylguanine–DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter methylation for predicting overall survival in people with glioblastoma treated with temozolomide

BACKGROUND: Glioblastoma is an aggressive form of brain cancer. Approximately five in 100 people with glioblastoma survive for five years past diagnosis. Glioblastomas that have a particular modification to their DNA (called methylation) in a particular region (the O(6)‐methylguanine–DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter) respond better to treatment with chemotherapy using a drug called temozolomide. OBJECTIVES: To determine which method for assessing MGMT methylation status best predicts overall survival in people diagnosed with glioblastoma who are treated with temozolomide. SEARCH METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, Embase, BIOSIS, Web of Science Conference Proceedings Citation Index to December 2018, and examined reference lists. For economic evaluation studies, we additionally searched NHS Economic Evaluation Database (EED) up to December 2014. SELECTION CRITERIA: Eligible studies were longitudinal (cohort) studies of adults with diagnosed glioblastoma treated with temozolomide with/without radiotherapy/surgery. Studies had to have related MGMT status in tumour tissue (assessed by one or more method) with overall survival and presented results as hazard ratios or with sufficient information (e.g. Kaplan‐Meier curves) for us to estimate hazard ratios. We focused mainly on studies comparing two or more methods, and listed brief details of articles that examined a single method of measuring MGMT promoter methylation. We also sought economic evaluations conducted alongside trials, modelling studies and cost analysis. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors independently undertook all steps of the identification and data extraction process for multiple‐method studies. We assessed risk of bias and applicability using our own modified and extended version of the QUality In Prognosis Studies (QUIPS) tool. We compared different techniques, exact promoter regions (5'‐cytosine‐phosphate‐guanine‐3' (CpG) sites) and thresholds for interpretation within studies by examining hazard ratios. We performed meta‐analyses for comparisons of the three most commonly examined methods (immunohistochemistry (IHC), methylation‐specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP) and pyrosequencing (PSQ)), with ratios of hazard ratios (RHR), using an imputed value of the correlation between results based on the same individuals. MAIN RESULTS: We included 32 independent cohorts involving 3474 people that compared two or more methods. We found evidence that MSP (CpG sites 76 to 80 and 84 to 87) is more prognostic than IHC for MGMT protein at varying thresholds (RHR 1.31, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01 to 1.71). We also found evidence that PSQ is more prognostic than IHC for MGMT protein at various thresholds (RHR 1.36, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.84). The data suggest that PSQ (mainly at CpG sites 74 to 78, using various thresholds) is slightly more prognostic than MSP at sites 76 to 80 and 84 to 87 (RHR 1.14, 95% CI 0.87 to 1.48). Many variants of PSQ have been compared, although we did not see any strong and consistent messages from the results. Targeting multiple CpG sites is likely to be more prognostic than targeting just one. In addition, we identified and summarised 190 articles describing a single method for measuring MGMT promoter methylation status. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: PSQ and MSP appear more prognostic for overall survival than IHC. Strong evidence is not available to draw conclusions with confidence about the best CpG sites or thresholds for quantitative methods. MSP has been studied mainly for CpG sites 76 to 80 and 84 to 87 and PSQ at CpG sites ranging from 72 to 95. A threshold of 9% for CpG sites 74 to 78 performed better than higher thresholds of 28% or 29% in two of three good‐quality studies making such comparisons