Disconnect within Agriculture and Ecosystem Climate Effects, Adaptations and Policy

Frequently, agriculture and ecosystems (AE) are seen as separate entities, causing entity specific solutions in response to threats. Anthropogenic climate change simultaneously stresses both agriculture and ecosystems along with their interactions. Induced increasing surface temperatures [1], altered precipitation [2], drought intensification [3], altered ground and surface water quantity/quality [4,5], and diminished soil moisture [6] force adaptations for AE, but these adaptations fail to be efficient when interdependencies are not considered. Additional adaptations will be necessary, as future projections anticipate even greater climate change [1]

Mamiferos da Fazenda Nhumirim, sub-região de Nhecolándia, Pantanal do Mato Grosso do Sul : I - levantamento preliminar de espécies

Trabalho conduzido na Fazenda Nhumirim, Centro de Pesquisa Agropecuária do Pantanal, EMBRAPA, com auxílio da OEA - Organização dos Estados Americanos, através do CNPq, fornecido ao Dr. Cleber J.R. Alho (Conta nº 03-85-528-517-BR-1)The pantanal is one of the world's richest freshwater wetlands. The pantanal is located in the flood plain of the headwaters of the Paraguai river, covering 140,000km2. The habitats of the Pantanal are present in a complex mosaic. The major habitat types are: pockets of forests, called capão or cordilheira, seasonally flooded grasslands or campos, and permanent or temporary lagoons, called baías. The Pantanal harbors both rich and abundant mammal fauna. A survey was conducted at Fazenda Nhumirim, a research station run by the Centro de Pesquisa Agropecuária do Pantanal (CPAP) in Corumbá, a research branch of EMBRAPA. The Fazenda covers an area of 4,310 ha in the sub-region of Nhecolândia, appoximately 150km east of Corumbá, Mato Grosso do Sul. The area receives an average annual rainfall of 1,022mm, and has a mean monthly temperature that varies between 29.1ºC (January) and 22.0ºC (June). Four routes were followed between two times during ten days of each month. The survey routes were covered on horseback by between two and four observers. Each route was followed and equal number of times in the morning and in the afternoon, to eliminate bias related to the activity patterns of mammals. In order to evaluate relative abundance of nocturnal species, we also conducted a number of nocturnal censuses. These censuses were done by car; a high intensity searchlight was used to spot the animals. We also conducted a trap-mark-recapture survey of the small mammals at Fazenda Nhumirim. After the census period, we continued to collect observations on the occurrence of mammals at the Fazenda, noting wherever possible the kind of habitat in which the animals were observed. The survey identified a diversity of mammals at Fazenda Nhumirim: six orders, 14 families, 19 genera, and 20 species. Nasua nasua was the most frequently observed species during the diurnal census, accounting for 61.5 percent of all observations. Dusicyon (formely Cerdocyon) thous was the most frequently observed species on the nocturnal census (39.13%). The small mammal community of Fazenda Nhumirim is composed of seven species: one marsupial, four cricetine rodents and two echimyid rodents

Partners in biodiversity science and policy

The development of standards, data sharing, and initiatives like the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and others have advanced research in many fields, including in conservation of biodiversity. Global assessments of extinction risk to species have been completed by IUCN for multiple taxa. The IUCN global assessments have had a major impact on conservation science and practice as well as biodiversity funding mechanisms though the Global Environment Facility, the World Bank, and the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF). A signature of the assessments is a process of sustained interaction between conservation organizations and the research and academic community, effectively integrating science and policy on global scale. The model relies on several critical components: openness of the conservation community to scientific input and debate, engagement of the scientific community, conservation organization mediated data collation, and data sharing with ease of access. This model can be applied to other challenges to conserve biodiversity and assess how biodiversity loss affects the well-being of societies across the world. The recognition of the importance of biodiversity in meeting the Millennium Development Goals and the recognition of the failure to meet the 2010 Biodiversity Target illustrate the gap between what needs to be achieved and our current trajectory

Integrating Agriculture and Ecosystems to Find Suitable Adaptations to Climate Change

Climate change is altering agricultural production and ecosystems around the world. Future projections indicate that additional change is expected in the coming decades, forcing individuals and communities to respond and adapt. Current research efforts typically examine climate change effects and possible adaptations but fail to integrate agriculture and ecosystems. This failure to jointly consider these systems and associated externalities may underestimate climate change impacts or cause adaptation implementation surprises, such as causing adaptation status of some groups or ecosystems to be worsened. This work describes and motivates reasons why ecosystems and agriculture adaptation require an integrated analytical approach. Synthesis of current literature and examples from Texas are used to explain concepts and current challenges. Texas is chosen because of its high agricultural output that is produced in close interrelationship with the surrounding semi-arid ecosystem. We conclude that future effect and adaptation analyses would be wise to jointly consider ecosystems and agriculture. Existing paradigms and useful methodology can be transplanted from the sustainable agriculture and ecosystem service literature to explore alternatives for climate adaptation and incentivization of private agriculturalists and consumers. Researchers are encouraged to adopt integrated modeling as a means to avoid implementation challenges and surprises when formulating and implementing adaptation

What factors influence the rediscovery of lost tetrapod species?

We created a database of lost and rediscovered tetrapod species, identified patterns in their distribution and factors influencing rediscovery. Tetrapod species are being lost at a faster rate than they are being rediscovered, due to slowing rates of rediscovery for amphibians, birds and mammals, and rapid rates of loss for reptiles. Finding lost species and preventing future losses should therefore be a conservation priority. By comparing the taxonomic and spatial distribution of lost and rediscovered tetrapod species, we have identified regions and taxa with many lost species in comparison to those that have been rediscovered—our results may help to prioritise search effort to find them. By identifying factors that influence rediscovery, we have improved our ability to broadly distinguish the types of species that are likely to be found from those that are not (because they are likely to be extinct). Some lost species, particularly those that are small and perceived to be uncharismatic, may have been neglected in terms of conservation effort, and other lost species may be hard to find due to their intrinsic characteristics and the characteristics of the environments they occupy (e.g. nocturnal species, fossorial species and species occupying habitats that are more difficult to survey such as wetlands). These lost species may genuinely await rediscovery. However, other lost species that possess characteristics associated with rediscovery (e.g. large species) and that are also associated with factors that negatively influence rediscovery (e.g. those occupying small islands) are more likely to be extinct. Our results may foster pragmatic search protocols that prioritise lost species likely to still exist.Israel Science Foundation http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100003977Leibniz‐Institut für Gewässerökologie und BinnenfischereiAlexander von Humboldt‐StiftungPontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100011749Peer Reviewe

Copy number variations in 375 patients with oesophageal atresia and/or tracheoesophageal fistula

Oesophageal atresia (OA) with or without tracheoesophageal fistula (TOF) are rare anatomical congenital malformations whose cause is unknown in over 90% of patients. A genetic background is suggested, and among the reported genetic defects are copy number variations (CNVs). We hypothesized that CNVs contribute to OA/TOF development. Quantifying their prevalence could aid in genetic diagnosis and clinical care strategies. Therefore, we profiled 375 patients in a combined Dutch, American and German cohort via genomic microarray and compared the CNV profiles with their unaffected parents and published control cohorts. We identified 167 rare CNVs containing genes (frequency<0.0005 in our in-house cohort). Eight rare CNVs - in six patients - were de novo, including one CNV previously associated with oesophageal disease. (hg19 chr7:g.(143820444-143839360)-(159119486-159138663)del) 1.55% of isolated OA/TOF patients and 1.62% of patients with additional congenital anomalies had de novo CNVs. Furthermore, three (15q13.3, 16p13.3 and 22q11.2) susceptibility loci were identified based on their overlap with known OA/TOF-associated CNV syndromes and overlap with loci in published CNV association case-control studies in developmental delay. Our study suggests that CNVs contribute to OA/TOF development. In addition to the identified likely deleterious de novo CNVs, we detected 167 rare CNVs. Although not directly disease-causing, these CNVs might be of interest, as they can act as a modifier in a multiple hit model, or as the second hit in a recessive condition

Ecological, Economic and Policy Alternatives for Texas Rice Agriculture

An interdisciplinary research team, working in collaboration with and under the auspices of the Institute for Science, Technology and Public Policy in the George Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University, conducted a two-year research project entitled Ecological, Economic, and Policy Alternatives for Texas Rice Agriculture. This project was sponsored by the Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI). Principal investigators were Dr. Letitia T. Alston, Dr. Thomas E. Lacher, Dr. R. Douglas Slack, Dr. Arnold Vedlitz, and Dr. Richard T. Woodward. They were assisted by Dr. James C. Franklin, post-doctoral research associate, and the following research assistants: Nicole Canzoneri, April Ann Torres Conkey, Deborah F. Cowman, Jeanine Harris, April Henry, Elizabeth Iennedy, Michelle Irohn, Ielly Mizell, Jill Nicholson, Kelly Tierce, and Yong-Suhk Wui. The objectives of this research were: (1) to develop a reliable first estimate of the environmental consequences of reduction in rice acreage; (2) to analyze economic consequences of changes in rice acreage that may occur due to the changes in the system of price supports; and (3) to critically review existing policy and explore the kinds of institutional arrangements that might be developed to encourage the preservation of the environmental amenities provided by rice farming