Securing tropical forest carbon: the contribution of protected areas to REDD

Forest loss and degradation in the tropics contribute 6-17% of all greenhouse gas emissions. Protected areas cover 217.2 million ha (19.6%) of the world's humid tropical forests and contain c. 70.3 petagrams of carbon (Pg C) in biomass and soil to 1 m depth. Between 2000 and 2005, we estimate that 1.75 million ha of forest were lost from protected areas in humid tropical forests, causing the emission of 0.25-0.33 Pg C. Protected areas lost about half as much carbon as the same area of unprotected forest. We estimate that the reduction of these carbon emissions from ongoing deforestation in protected sites in humid tropical forests could be valued at USD 6,200-7,400 million depending on the land use after clearance. This is >1.5 times the estimated spending on protected area management in these regions. Improving management of protected areas to retain forest cover better may be an important, although certainly not sufficient, component of an overall strategy for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD

Integrative Biomarker Indices in a Benthic Indicator Species Modiolus Modiolus (L.) Under a Simulated Oil Spill

The horse mussel Modiolus modiolus (L.) is a sentinel bivalve species used in monitoring programs to assess potential biological exposure to anthropogenic contaminants, including oil hydrocarbons, in benthic environments. In an aquariumbased experiment, these mussels were exposed to a simulated oil spill where crude oil at realistic concentrations (from low to high) interacted with an inert environment (seawater, gravel surface, etc.) and the biota. Using a combination of endpoints that included tissue contaminant load, protease activity, antioxidant enzyme activity, and low-molecular antioxidant profiles, we characterized M. modiolus responses to this simulated crude oil spill. Significant differences were observed in tissue protein reserves, protease activity, and oxidative stress markers including glutathione content and glutathione-S-transferase activity in the hepatopancreas and gill tissues of the bivalves treated with oil. Total concentrations of oil-derived polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in M. modiolus tissues were generally highest under the highest ambient oil concentration with much lower levels at the lowest. This general pattern does match the activity of protein quality control proteases but not the antioxidant enzyme activity profiles. Glutathione-S-transferase activity in bivalves showed decreased activity under the high compared to the lower oil load and oil-free animals, while glutathione content and calpain activity were positively correlated with oil uptake. The data suggest that these benthic organisms were exhibiting biological responses to the oil polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and support the bioindicator value of the species. Keywords: M. modiolus, oil spill, PAHs, integrative biomarker approach, protein quality control, GSH, GS

Socio-Cultural Mobility as a Condition for Professional Activation of Staff

We have identified the basic types of human mobility: social, professional, academic and some mixed types: socio-professional, professional-academic, socio-cultural, etc. Carryed out a comparative, comprehensive analysis, applying the method of sequential comparison of different interpretations of the concept of "socio-cultural mobility" with the use of systematic analysis, we substantiated the basic meaning of this concept: quality inherent in human (individual) which indicate a high level of social and cultural competence, social and general culture of the individual; the process of individual and group mobility of people in different socio-cultural environments (including professional environments in which a person operates), the process of realization of personal qualities, especially those that determine their ability to master social and cultural values and norms of a particular environment; achieved (or determined) result of activity, mobility in different socio-cultural environments (realized the potential of this type of human mobility for a certain period); criterion for evaluating activities in different socio-cultural environments, effectiveness, productivity, efficiency of the specified socio-cultural activities of man

Kurhany z epoki brązu nad górnym Dniestrem - polsko-ukraińskie projekty badawcze

This paper discuses the excavations in the cemetery of the Komarów culture of the Bronze Age in Bukivna upon the upper Dniester. They have been carried out by the Polish-Ukrainian archaeological expedition as a part of the project of the National Centre of Sciences, the aim of which has been to provide comprehensive bioarchaeological characteristic and socio-cultural interpretation of the cemetery. During the field walking over 50 barrows were documented, round or slightly oval in plan. They occurred in three main clusters, arranged in groups-lines, on the watershed between the Dniester and its little, nameless tributary. The article presents the results of the study of barrow 1, in which there were discovered six features and over 400 artefacts, including 38 vessels in several deposits, 262 flint implements, fragments of structural daub, and bronze items - a pin and pendant, as well as small, burned bones. Among the features two charred wooden structures seem special and one stone-and-wood (cenotaph). Bones were “scattered” mainly between wooden structures. A series of analyses and specialist expertises had been done: radiocarbon, paleopedological, geomorphological, paleobotanical, physico-chemical. The sum of probability distribution of calibrated radiocarbon dates suggests second quarter of the second millennium BC. These dates are consistent with the analysis of the stylistics of vessels and bronze artefacts, indicating the early and classic stages of development of the Komarów culture

Has land use pushed terrestrial biodiversity beyond the planetary boundary? A global assessment

Land use and related pressures have reduced local terrestrial biodiversity, but it is unclear how the magnitude of change relates to the recently proposed planetary boundary (“safe limit”). We estimate that land use and related pressures have already reduced local biodiversity intactness—the average proportion of natural biodiversity remaining in local ecosystems—beyond its recently proposed planetary boundary across 58.1% of the world’s land surface, where 71.4% of the human population live. Biodiversity intactness within most biomes (especially grassland biomes), most biodiversity hotspots, and even some wilderness areas is inferred to be beyond the boundary. Such widespread transgression of safe limits suggests that biodiversity loss, if unchecked, will undermine efforts toward long-term sustainable development

Approaches to the Assessment of Economic Security of Subjects Small and Medium Business in the Eurasian Economic Union

The article shows the place and role of small and medium farms in the business system of the EAEC, step by step description of the algorithm to assess their economic security. The main evaluation criteria and indicators of economic security of the business "second tier". The methodology for constructing the matrix damage small and medium businesses. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n4p50