Damage index for stone monuments

Precise diagnosis is required for characterisation, interpretation, rating and prediction of the weathering damages at stone monuments and is vital for remedy of stone damages and sustainable monument preservation. Quantitative rating of damages represents an important scientific contribution to reliable damage diagnosis at stone monuments. Damage indices are introduced as new tool for scientific quantification and rating of stone damages. Application of damage indices improves stone damage diagnosis and is very suitable for evaluation and certification of preservation measures and for long-term survey and maintenance of stone monuments. Importance and use of damage indices are presented for monuments in Germany, Malta, Jordan, Egypt and Brazil.peer-reviewe

Measuring Global Trends in the Status of Biodiversity: Red List Indices for Birds

The rapid destruction of the planet's biodiversity has prompted the nations of the world to set a target of achieving a significant reduction in the rate of loss of biodiversity by 2010. However, we do not yet have an adequate way of monitoring progress towards achieving this target. Here we present a method for producing indices based on the IUCN Red List to chart the overall threat status (projected relative extinction risk) of all the world's bird species from 1988 to 2004. Red List Indices (RLIs) are based on the number of species in each Red List category, and on the number changing categories between assessments as a result of genuine improvement or deterioration in status. The RLI for all bird species shows that their overall threat status has continued to deteriorate since 1988. Disaggregated indices show that deteriorations have occurred worldwide and in all major ecosystems, but with particularly steep declines in the indices for Indo-Malayan birds (driven by intensifying deforestation of the Sundaic lowlands) and for albatrosses and petrels (driven by incidental mortality in commercial longline fisheries). RLIs complement indicators based on species population trends and habitat extent for quantifying global trends in the status of biodiversity. Their main weaknesses are that the resolution of status changes is fairly coarse and that delays may occur before some status changes are detected. Their greatest strength is that they are based on information from nearly all species in a taxonomic group worldwide, rather than a potentially biased subset. At present, suitable data are only available for birds, but indices for other taxonomic groups are in development, as is a sampled index based on a stratified sample from all major taxonomic groups

Meet our Trustees

We talked with IIC Secretaty-General Jane Henderson to glean her tips as an educator and to find out what brings her joy! (Hint: a lot more mud and grass that you might have guessed.

The dress and the power of redress

Yes, I was surprised by the decision to allow the Munroe “naked” dress to be worn to the Met Gala last month. Others have offered a more detailed critique of this situation, but what followed was a very public debate on historic costumes, conservation, museums and the power of artefacts to inspire. I was therefore sad to see the ICOM Costume Committee’s rather stark response to the situation that stated, “historic garments should not be worn by anybody”. A mature profession must be able to offer nuance, to hear, consider and integrate context into its practice. Ethical codes should offer us principles rather than rule books, and to have global application, they must be tested internationally. Although the ICOM Costume Committee offered this as a statement, it was set in the context of the ICOM code of ethics. There are questions to ask to unpack the statement. First a simple one: what is a historic garment? Many families carry clothing between generations, whether it is a christening gown, a piece of lace from one wedding dress to another or—in my family’s case—a child’s kilt passed between family members according to fit. Private people have the right to share, wear and adapt their things. Some things should be in a museum

Refining area of occupancy to address the modifiable areal unit problem in ecology and conservation

The ‘modifiable areal unit problem’ is prevalent across many aspects of spatial analysis within ecology and conservation. The problem is particularly manifest when calculating metrics for extinction risk estimation, for example, area of occupancy (AOO).Although embedded into the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List criteria, AOO is often not used or is poorly applied. Here we evaluate new and existing methods for calculating AOO from occurrence records and present a method for determining the minimum AOO using a uniform grid. We evaluate the grid cell shape, grid origin and grid rotation with both real-world and simulated data, reviewing the effects on AOO values, and possible impacts for species already assessed on the IUCN Red List. We show that AOO can vary by up to 80% and a ratio of cells to points of 1:1.21 gives the maximum variation in the number of occupied cells. These findings potentially impact 3% of existing species on the IUCN Red List, as well as species not yet assessed. We show that a new method that combines both grid rotation and moving grid origin gives fast, robust and reproducible results and, in the majority of cases, achieves the minimum AOO. As well as reporting minimum AOO, we outline a confidence interval which should be incorporated in to existing tools that support species risk assessment. We also make further recommendations for reporting AOO and other areal measurements within ecology, leading to more robust methods for future species risk assessment

TEOS based consolidants for Maltese Globigerina Limestone : effect of hydroxyl conversion treatment

Lime-based consolidants are widely used in Malta where the main building material is a sedimentary limestone. Over the past few years, commercial alkoxysilane consolidants have also infiltrated the local market, yet the effects of these materials on local Globigerina Limestone is still not well documented. Whereas it is well established that alkoxysilane consolidants form strong bridges between the deteriorating surface and healthy underlying stone in sandstones, the same is not necessarily true for porous limestone. A hydroxyl conversion treatment (HCT) has been proposed to improve bonding between silica-based consolidants and limestone (Wheeler 2005). In this work, Globigerina Limestone test samples were treated respectively with a laboratory-prepared consolidant based on tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS), and the same consolidant loaded with 35 nm silica particles. Another set of stone samples were first pre-treated with an ammonium tartrate solution known as HCT before application of TEOS and nanoparticle-loaded TEOS. The HCT converts the stone surface into calcium tartrate, offering a hydroxylated surface onto which the alkoxysilane can anchor. Ammonium tartrate was preferred to tartaric acid on grounds of conservation ethics. The effect of the surface conversion treatment was evaluated by an infra-red technique. Untreated limestone samples were employed for comparative purposes. Consolidant- stone interactions were observed at high magnification under the electron microscope. Alteration to stone colour was followed by a colorimetric technique. The physical properties of the consolidated stone were assessed by a hardness test, water absorption by capillarity and resistance to sodium sulphate crystallisation. Results showed that HCT improved the consolidation properties of the TEOS and possibly those of the alkoxysilane containing nanoparticles. The ammonium tartrate (AMT) pre-treatment was successful even though chemical formation of calcium tartrate was not favourable according to solubility equilibria. The tartrate treatment however led to some discolouration, probably resulting from mobilisation of intrinsic iron in the limestone.peer-reviewe

Explanatory guide to the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture

The entry into force of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture marks the commitment of the world community to a freestanding convention directed at addressing both global needs for food security and internationally agreed objectives regarding the concepts of ‘access and benefit-sharing’ found in the Convention on Biological Diversity. The sixth in a series of Guides to the implementation of particular international instruments and concepts, it seeks to promote greater understanding of the Treaty’s text, including some of the scientific, technical and legal issues upon which it is founded, and possible implications

Ghost crab burrow density at Watamu Marine National Park: an indicator of the impact of urbanisation and associated disturbance?

Ghost crab (Ocypode species) burrow densities have previously been used as an indicator of anthropogenic impact. This study aimed to assess the burrow density of Ocypode species (O. ryderi and O. cordimanus) at four sites across Watamu Marine National Park, Kenya. Two sites were in front of hotel complexes (denoting a high degree of urbanisation), and two were in front of residential housing among coastal scrub (denoting a low degree of urbanisation). The findings reveal significantly higher burrow densities at sites in front of residential housing, which was the less developed area. This provides further evidence that Ocypode burrow densities can be used, where other methods would be impractical, to estimate the impact of some human activities along beach fronts, such as at Watamu Marine National Park

Stakeholder involvement in marine spatial planning

The importance of stakeholder involvement in marine spatial planning was assessed in a Maltese Marine Protected Area (MPA) through a questionnaire survey of six main stakeholder groups, namely governmental authorities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), bus and boat trip operators, dive centres and small business owners. The questionnaires revealed the different views of the stakeholder groups based on their interest in the Dwejra MPA, conflicts among users, environmental concerns, and also helped identification of potential management measures. Interests differed among stakeholders, but response rates were highest for questions related to economic and environmental concerns. Two additional existing data sets, one on marine habitat distribution and one on fishing activities in the MPA were included in a spatial analysis of conflicts identified through the questionnaire. A major conflict exists between stakeholders engaged in fishing and diving activities, due to overlap of activity ranges in the relatively small MPA. The number of ongoing activities was highest during the months April to October, which results from the high influx of tourists during the summer months, favourable weather conditions, and the fact that fishers are more active during this period. Environmental NGOs considered the number of tourists visiting the MPA to be too high, and a similar perception was expressed by most stakeholders with regards to the number of divers. Fifteen management measures which may be used to improve regulation of human activities in the area were identified, including the introduction of a visitor fee. This suggestion was favoured by NGOs, government authorities, and most dive centres interviewed, but opposed by bus and boat trip operators, as well as by small business owners. A zonation plan was considered beneficial by most interviewees, with the results of the statistical analyses indicating no significant difference among the responses given by the different stakeholder groups. A comparison between a zonation scheme developed by the Maltese national government, the San Lawrence local council, and the NGO Nature Trust in 2005, and a second draft scheme prepared by the Professional Diving Schools Association, which was presented during the stakeholder interviews carried out as part of the present study in 2014, showed partial overlap of conservation measures. However, the 2005 zonation plan is more comprehensive since it takes into account available data on benthic habitats and includes measures to protect sensitive habitats and species.peer-reviewe