Assessing the potential of environmental DNA metabarcoding for monitoring Neotropical mammals : a case study in the Amazon and Atlantic Forest, Brazil

The application of environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding as a biomonitoring tool has greatly increased in the last decade. However, most studies have focused on aquatic macro-organisms in temperate areas (e.g., fishes). We apply eDNA metabarcoding to detect the mammalian community in two high-biodiversity regions of Brazil, the Amazon and Atlantic Forest. We identified critically endangered and endangered mammalian species in the Atlantic Forest and Amazon respectively and found overlap with species identified via camera trapping in the Atlantic Forest. In light of our results, we highlight the potential and challenges of eDNA monitoring for mammals in these highly biodiverse regions

Seasonality of Overseas Tourism Demand in Scotland: A Regional Analysis

This paper examines patterns of seasonality in international tourism to the regions of Scotland. Quarterly numbers of overnight stays are disaggregated by trip purpose. Seasonality in vacation tourism to Scotland is shown to be defined by more than a simple rural–urban division. Overseas visiting friends and relatives (VFR) tourism is largely an urban phenomenon and is consequently less seasonal than vacation tourism. Lower seasonal concentration of VFR tourism is not uniform across the regions. Although levels of seasonal intensity of business tourism to the three principal cities of Scotland are approximately the same, there are noticeable variations over time

Who walks, where and why? Practitioners’ observations and perspectives on recreational walkers at UK tourist destinations

Walking is fundamental and prevalent in all tourist settings. As the most popular activity in natural spaces and managed outdoor recreation areas, it receives less attention in academic literature than it should. This paper conceptualizes recreational walking, using the findings of a UK-based exploratory study. Twenty-three in-depth interviews were undertaken with expert practitioners involved in managing the walking world. The discourse revealed insights into a diverse range of individuals. They demonstrate differing levels of commitment to walking, from short walks for sightseeing purposes to more challenging physical experiences on a more frequent and committed basis. Individual confidence is particularly important in determining how people undertake walks, their level of involvement in the activity, and how they navigate themselves. The findings suggest that walkers can be casual or serious in their interest in walking. These distinctions are useful in separating walking in terms of adventure tourism and other forms of tourism

Fungal microbiomes are determined by host phylogeny and exhibit widespread associations with the bacterial microbiome

Interactions between hosts and their resident microbial communities are a fundamental component of fitness for both agents. Though recent research has highlighted the importance of interactions between animals and their bacterial communities, comparative evidence for fungi is lacking, especially in natural populations. Using data from 49 species, we present novel evidence of strong covariation between fungal and bacterial communities across the host phylogeny, indicative of recruitment by hosts for specific suites of microbes. Using co-occurrence networks, we demonstrate that fungi form critical components of putative microbial interaction networks, where the strength and frequency of interactions varies with host taxonomy. Host phylogeny drives differences in overall richness of bacterial and fungal communities, but the effect of diet on richness was only evident in mammals and for the bacterial microbiome. Collectively these data indicate fungal microbiomes may play a key role in host fitness and suggest an urgent need to study multiple agents of the animal microbiome to accurately determine the strength and ecological significance of host-microbe interactions. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Microbes perform vital metabolic functions that shape the physiology of their hosts. However, almost all research to date in wild animals has focused exclusively on the bacterial microbiota, to the exclusion of other microbial groups. Although likely to be critical components of the host microbiome, we have limited knowledge of the drivers of fungal composition across host species. Here we show that fungal community composition is determined by host species identity and phylogeny, and that fungi form extensive interaction networks with bacteria in the microbiome of a diverse range of animal species. This highlights the importance of microbial interactions as mediators of microbiome-health relationships in the wild

Fungal microbiomes are determined by host phylogeny and exhibit widespread associations with the bacterial microbiome

Interactions between hosts and their resident microbial communities are a fundamental component of fitness for both agents. Though recent research has highlighted the importance of interactions between animals and their bacterial communities, comparative evidence for fungi is lacking, especially in natural populations. Using data from 49 species, we present novel evidence of strong covariation between fungal and bacterial communities across the host phylogeny, indicative of recruitment by hosts for specific suites of microbes. Using co-occurrence networks, we demonstrate marked variation across host taxonomy in patterns of covariation between bacterial and fungal abundances. Host phylogeny drives differences in the overall richness of bacterial and fungal communities, but the effect of diet on richness was only evident in the mammalian gut microbiome. Sample type, tissue storage and DNA extraction method also affected bacterial and fungal community composition, and future studies would benefit from standardized approaches to sample processing. Collectively these data indicate fungal microbiomes may play a key role in host fitness and suggest an urgent need to study multiple agents of the animal microbiome to accurately determine the strength and ecological significance of host-microbe interactions

Environmental baseline study of damaged ground at Cairngorm Estate

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:q94/09426 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Rural Scotland Price Survey 1984 report

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Lending Division - LD:8052.61(1984) / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

The economics of Gaelic language development

Research reportSIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:99/12709 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo