Environmental controls on carbon sequestration, sediment accretion, and elevation change in the Ebro River Delta: Implications for wetland restoration

Delta wetlands are increasingly recognized as important sinks for ‘blue carbon,’ although this and other ecosystem services that deltas provide are threatened by human activities. We investigated factors that affect sediment accretion using short term (3 years using marker horizons) and longer-term measures (∼50 year using 137Cs soil core distribution and ∼100 year using 210Pb distribution), the associated carbon accumulation rates, and resulting changes in surface elevation in the Ebro River Delta, Catalonia, Spain. Fifteen sites were selected, representing the geomorphological settings and range of salinities typical of the delta's wetlands. Sediment accretion rates as measured by 137Cs distribution in soil cores ranged from 0.13 to 0.93 cm yr−1. Surface elevations increased at all sites, from 0.10 to 2.13 cm yr−1 with the greatest increases in natural impoundments with little connection to other surface waters. Carbon accumulation rates were highly spatially variable, ranging from 32 to 435 g C m−1 yr−1 with significantly higher rates at bay sites (p = 0.02) where hydrologic connectivity is high and sediment resuspension more intense. Sites with high connectivity had significantly higher rates of carbon accumulation (averaging 376 ± 50 g C m−1 yr−1) compared to sites with moderate or low connectivity. We also found high rates of carbon accumulation in brackish sites where connectivity was low and biomass production was characteristically higher than in saline sites. A stepwise regression model explained 81% of variability in carbon accumulation rates across all sites. Our data indicate deltaic wetlands can be important sinks for blue carbon, contributing to climate change mitigation.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

From traits to typologies: Piloting new approaches to profiling trait preferences along the cassava value chain in Nigeria

Breeding programs are increasing efforts towards demand-led breeding approaches to ensure that cultivars released meet the needs of end users including processors, traders, and consumers, and that they are adopted by farmers. To effectively deploy these approaches, new tools are required to better understand and quantify the degree of preference differences among alternative trait changes competing for measurement and selection effort. The purpose of this study was to present a method of quantifying preferences and developing typologies according to breeding priorities by applying an online trait preference survey approach to cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz). This paper presents a conjoint analysis based on Potentially All Pairwise RanKings of all possible Alternatives (PAPRIKA) to help guide breeding programs in understanding trait preferences across value chain roles and social contexts and set breeding priorities that represent diverse interests. Trait preferences were assessed using a comprehensive survey and analysis package incorporating a core adaptive conjoint method (1000minds, 2020). Trait selection was based on a trade-off of 11 cassava traits carried out with 792 cassava value chain actors in four geopolitical regions in Nigeria. Principal component and cluster analyses revealed three clusters (typologies) of respondents according to their trait preferences. The results demonstrate the usefulness of this methodology that innovates on previous trait preference approaches to address the expanding needs of plant breeding programs within smallholder contexts. © 2021 The Authors. Crop Science © 2021 Crop Science Society of Americ

Sheep Updates 2006 -Part 1

This session covers seven papers from different authors: PLENARY 1. Making Dollars from Merinos, David Sackett, Holmes Sackett & Associates Pty Limited, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2. A new variety of sulla (Hedysarun coronarium)for forage production in southern Australia, Kevin Foster, Ron Yates, Phil Nichols, Department of Agriculture and Food, WA and Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture, UWA 3. Mating - Short and fast is better, Graeme Martin, John Milton, Faculty of Natural & Agricultural Sciences, The University of Western Australia 4. Breech strike protection in sheep post 2010, Scott Williams, Program Manager Animal Health and Welfare, Australian Wool Innovation Limited 5. How the West can win!, Garry McAlister, Meat & Livestock Australia Limited, New South Wales. 6. The Merino Company (TMC) - Active Marketing and supply chain management, Mark Suttie, General Manager Marketing – The Merino Company (TMC) 7. Driving on-farm productivity: the next 20 years, Peter Fennessy, Jack Cocks, AbacusBio Limited, Dunedin, New Zealan

Variability in MRI vs. ultrasound measures of prostate volume and its impact on treatment recommendations for favorable-risk prostate cancer patients: a case series

Background: Prostate volume can affect whether patients qualify for brachytherapy (desired size ≥20 mL and ≤60 mL) and/or active surveillance (desired PSA density ≤0.15 for very low risk disease). This study examines variability in prostate volume measurements depending on imaging modality used (ultrasound versus MRI) and volume calculation technique (contouring versus ellipsoid) and quantifies the impact of this variability on treatment recommendations for men with favorable-risk prostate cancer. Methods: We examined 70 patients who presented consecutively for consideration of brachytherapy for favorable-risk prostate cancer who had volume estimates by three methods: contoured axial ultrasound slices, ultrasound ellipsoid (height × width × length × 0.523) calculation, and endorectal coil MRI (erMRI) ellipsoid calculation. Results: Average gland size by the contoured ultrasound, ellipsoid ultrasound, and erMRI methods were 33.99, 37.16, and 39.62 mLs, respectively. All pairwise comparisons between methods were statistically significant (all p < 0.015). Of the 66 patients who volumetrically qualified for brachytherapy on ellipsoid ultrasound measures, 22 (33.33%) did not qualify on ellipsoid erMRI or contoured ultrasound measures. 38 patients (54.28%) had PSA density ≤0.15 ng/dl as calculated using ellipsoid ultrasound volumes, compared to 34 (48.57%) and 38 patients (54.28%) using contoured ultrasound and ellipsoid erMRI volumes, respectively. Conclusions: The ultrasound ellipsoid and erMRI ellipsoid methods appeared to overestimate ultrasound contoured volume by an average of 9.34% and 16.57% respectively. 33.33% of those who qualified for brachytherapy based on ellipsoid ultrasound volume would be disqualified based on ultrasound contoured and/or erMRI ellipsoid volume. As treatment recommendations increasingly rely on estimates of prostate size, clinicians must consider method of volume estimation

Evaluating expert-based habitat suitability information of terrestrial mammals with GPS-tracking data

Aim Macroecological studies that require habitat suitability data for many species often derive this information from expert opinion. However, expert-based information is inherently subjective and thus prone to errors. The increasing availability of GPS tracking data offers opportunities to evaluate and supplement expert-based information with detailed empirical evidence. Here, we compared expert-based habitat suitability information from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) with habitat suitability information derived from GPS-tracking data of 1,498 individuals from 49 mammal species. Location Worldwide. Time period 1998-2021. Major taxa studied Forty-nine terrestrial mammal species. Methods Using GPS data, we estimated two measures of habitat suitability for each individual animal: proportional habitat use (proportion of GPS locations within a habitat type), and selection ratio (habitat use relative to its availability). For each individual we then evaluated whether the GPS-based habitat suitability measures were in agreement with the IUCN data. To that end, we calculated the probability that the ranking of empirical habitat suitability measures was in agreement with IUCN's classification into suitable, marginal and unsuitable habitat types. Results IUCN habitat suitability data were in accordance with the GPS data (> 95% probability of agreement) for 33 out of 49 species based on proportional habitat use estimates and for 25 out of 49 species based on selection ratios. In addition, 37 and 34 species had a > 50% probability of agreement based on proportional habitat use and selection ratios, respectively. Main conclusions We show how GPS-tracking data can be used to evaluate IUCN habitat suitability data. Our findings indicate that for the majority of species included in this study, it is appropriate to use IUCN habitat suitability data in macroecological studies. Furthermore, we show that GPS-tracking data can be used to identify and prioritize species and habitat types for re-evaluation of IUCN habitat suitability data

Behavioral responses of terrestrial mammals to COVID-19 lockdowns

COVID-19 lockdowns in early 2020 reduced human mobility, providing an opportunity to disentangle its effects on animals from those of landscape modifications. Using GPS data, we compared movements and road avoidance of 2300 terrestrial mammals (43 species) during the lockdowns to the same period in 2019. Individual responses were variable with no change in average movements or road avoidance behavior, likely due to variable lockdown conditions. However, under strict lockdowns 10-day 95th percentile displacements increased by 73%, suggesting increased landscape permeability. Animals' 1-hour 95th percentile displacements declined by 12% and animals were 36% closer to roads in areas of high human footprint, indicating reduced avoidance during lockdowns. Overall, lockdowns rapidly altered some spatial behaviors, highlighting variable but substantial impacts of human mobility on wildlife worldwide.acceptedVersio

Moving in the anthropocene: global reductions in terrestrial mammalian movements

Animal movement is fundamental for ecosystem functioning and species survival, yet the effects of the anthropogenic footprint on animal movements have not been estimated across species. Using a unique GPS-tracking database of 803 individuals across 57 species, we found that movements of mammals in areas with a comparatively high human footprint were on average one-half to one-third the extent of their movements in areas with a low human footprint. We attribute this reduction to behavioral changes of individual animals and to the exclusion of species with long-range movements from areas with higher human impact. Global loss of vagility alters a key ecological trait of animals that affects not only population persistence but also ecosystem processes such as predator-prey interactions, nutrient cycling, and disease transmission

Phylogenetic ctDNA analysis depicts early-stage lung cancer evolution.

The early detection of relapse following primary surgery for non-small-cell lung cancer and the characterization of emerging subclones, which seed metastatic sites, might offer new therapeutic approaches for limiting tumour recurrence. The ability to track the evolutionary dynamics of early-stage lung cancer non-invasively in circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) has not yet been demonstrated. Here we use a tumour-specific phylogenetic approach to profile the ctDNA of the first 100 TRACERx (Tracking Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Evolution Through Therapy (Rx)) study participants, including one patient who was also recruited to the PEACE (Posthumous Evaluation of Advanced Cancer Environment) post-mortem study. We identify independent predictors of ctDNA release and analyse the tumour-volume detection limit. Through blinded profiling of postoperative plasma, we observe evidence of adjuvant chemotherapy resistance and identify patients who are very likely to experience recurrence of their lung cancer. Finally, we show that phylogenetic ctDNA profiling tracks the subclonal nature of lung cancer relapse and metastasis, providing a new approach for ctDNA-driven therapeutic studies