Chapter Unraveling Stakeholders’ Discourses Regarding Sustainable Development and Biodiversity Conservation in Greece

Pharmacolog

Investigating the barriers to adopting a 'human-in-nature' view in Greek biodiversity conservation

n/

Female–female aggression : structure of interaction and outcome in loggerhead sea turtles

Aggressive behaviour between females of the same species is not widely documented, particularly in marine vertebrates. During a 3 yr in-water survey at the temperate loggerhead sea turtle Caretta caretta breeding area of Zakynthos, Greece, female–female interactions comprised 4% of all female loggerhead sighting events (n = 60 out of 1449 events). Male–female interactions comprised an additional 4% of sighting events, while 92% were of solitary females. The structure of interactions was analysed for 58 of these sighting events, each lasting an average of 3.4 min (SD ± 1) and comprising a total of 3.1 h observation time. We found that interactions involved ritualized escalation in behaviour from passive threat displays (e.g. head–tail circling) to aggressive combat (e.g. sparring). We suggest that circling individuals evaluate opponent size, sparring individuals test opponent strength, and that the positioning of the prehensile tail signals motivational intent to either escalate or abort. The presence of intruder females triggered a passive response in 100% of events involving basking and swimming turtles (n = 19); although residents resting on the seabed only responded on 69% of occasions (n = 27), their response was almost 4 times more likely to escalate to one of aggression. Our results suggest that certain sites may be preferentially sought after and defended by sea turtles

Developing an approach to assessing the political feasibility of global collective action and an international agreement on antimicrobial resistance

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global issue. International trade, travel, agricultural practices, and environmental contamination all make it possible for resistant microbes to cross national borders. Global collective action is needed in the form of an international agreement or other mechanism that brings states together at the negotiation table and commits them to adopt or implement policies to limit the spread of resistant microorganisms. This article describes an approach to assessing whether political and stakeholder interests can align to commit to tackling AMR. Methods: Two dimensions affecting political feasibility were selected and compared across 82 countries: 1) states’ global influence and 2) self-interest in addressing AMR. World Bank GDP ranking was used as a proxy for global influence, while human antibiotic consumption (10-year percent change) was used as a proxy for self-interest in addressing AMR. We used these data to outline a typology of four country archetypes, and discuss how these archetypes can be used to understand whether a proposed agreement may have sufficient support to be politically feasible. Results: Four types of countries exist within our proposed typology: 1) wealthy countries who have the expertise and financial resources to push for global collective action on AMR, 2) wealthy countries who need to act on AMR, 3) countries who require external assistance to act on AMR, and 4) neutral countries who may support action where applicable. Any international agreement will require substantial support from countries of the first type to lead global action, and from countries of the second type who have large increasing antimicrobial consumption levels. A large number of barriers exist that could derail efforts towards global collective action on AMR; issues of capacity, infrastructure, regulation, and stakeholder interests will need to be addressed in coordination with other actors to achieve an agreement on AMR. Conclusions: Achieving a global agreement on access, conservation, and innovation – the three pillars of AMR – will not be easy. However, smaller core groups of interested Initiator and Pivotal Countries could develop policy and resolve many issues. If highly influential countries take the lead, agreements could then be scaled up to achieve global action. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s41256-016-0020-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Conservation hotspots : implications of intense spatial area use by breeding male and female loggerheads at the Mediterranean’s largest rookery

The implementation of appropriate protection measures for endangered species in protected areas requires knowledge of their fine-scale habitat use. In May and June of 2006 and 2007, we used GPS loggers (some linked to the Argos system) and a conventional Argos transmitter to track male and female loggerhead turtles Caretta caretta in the vicinity of the breeding area of Laganas Bay within the National Marine Park of Zakynthos, Greece. We obtained (1) 9681 useable locations (mean: 1383 locations ind.–1; range: 519 to 2198 locations) from Tracktag GPS loggers attached to 7 females for a mean duration of 34 d (range: 17 to 52 d); (2) 1245 useable locations (mean: 311 locations ind.–1; range: 38 to 1110 locations) from 4 males fitted with Fastloc Argos tags for a mean duration of 29 d (range: 3 to 51 d) and (3) 100 locations from 1 male fitted with a conventional Argos satellite tag tracked for 128 d. GPS data indicated that before the onset of nesting, both males and females primarily used an area within 500 m of the shore along a core 9 km stretch of coastline, where existing protective legislation requires strengthening. Our observations suggest that a 76.7% female-biased operational sex ratio, measured previously from in-water surveys, may represent a realistic sex ratio estimate in the period before nesting starts. In the first month following the onset of nesting, female spatial distribution remained similar, whereas most males departed for distant areas presumably to forage. Our study provides quantitative evidence of the need to improve the management planning and conservation measures to protect sea turtles in a coastal breeding area, and new insights on male turtle migration

What can we learn from neutrinoless double beta decay experiments?

We assess how well next generation neutrinoless double beta decay and normal neutrino beta decay experiments can answer four fundamental questions. 1) If neutrinoless double beta decay searches do not detect a signal, and if the spectrum is known to be inverted hierarchy, can we conclude that neutrinos are Dirac particles? 2) If neutrinoless double beta decay searches are negative and a next generation ordinary beta decay experiment detects the neutrino mass scale, can we conclude that neutrinos are Dirac particles? 3) If neutrinoless double beta decay is observed with a large neutrino mass element, what is the total mass in neutrinos? 4) If neutrinoless double beta decay is observed but next generation beta decay searches for a neutrino mass only set a mass upper limit, can we establish whether the mass hierarchy is normal or inverted? We base our answers on the expected performance of next generation neutrinoless double beta decay experiments and on simulations of the accuracy of calculations of nuclear matrix elements.Comment: Added reference

STRUCTURE, DYNAMICS AND MANAGEMENT OF ASPHODEL DESERTS IN THESSALY

THE AIM OF THIS DISSERTATION IS THE STUDY OF THE STRUCTURE AND DYNAMICS OF ASPHODEL DESERTS IN THESSALY AS WELL AS THE CONSIDERATION OF POSSIBLE SCENARIA OF DEGRADATION PROCESSES, BASED ON THE VARIOUS MANAGEMENTAL PRACTICES, LOWLAND PASTURES OF THESSALY. THEREFORE: THE FLORISTIC COMPOSITION OF ASPHODEL DESERTS IN THESSALY WAS RECORDED AS WELL AS ITS SEASONAL FLUCTUATIONS AND THE MEAN DENSITY (8 IND/M2) AND THE DISTRIBUTION PATTERN OF A.MICROCARPUS WERE DETERMINED. THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD OF A YEAR, THE PHENOLOGICAL CYCLE OF ASPHODELS PRESENT FOUR DISTINCT PHASES: THE MORPHOLOGICAL AND FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OF EACH ONE WERE FURTHER STUDIED. THE TOPICS DEALT WITH ARE: PLANT GROWTH ANALYSIS, DETERMIANTION OF NUTRIENTS CONCENTRATIONS, DETERMINATION OF CALORIC AND ASH CONTENT IN EACH PARTOF THE ASPHODEL AND OF THE STORAGE VOLUME OF THE TUBERS. THE EFFICIENCY OF ASPHODEL BOTH OF THE WHOLE PLANT AND OF ITS VARIOUS PARTS, TO EXPLOIT THE INCIDENTSOLAR ENERGY IN THE STUDY AREA WAS DETERMINED. THE PROCESS AND RATE OF CELLULOSE DECOMPOSITION WAS STUDIED AS WELL AS THAT OF THE ABOVE GROUND ASPHODEL PARTS. THE SOIL ANIMAL COMPOSITION WAS STUDIED AND WAS FOUND THAT THE MESOPHILIC GROUP OF THE SOIL ANIMALS PLAYS A PARTICALAR ROLE IN THE FUNCTION OF THIS ECOSYSTEM. THE SEASONAL FLUCTUATIONS OF SOIL LOSS WERE RECORDED DURING A PERIOD OF ONE YEAR. FINALLY COMPARING THE DEGREE OF SIMILARITY OF THE FIVE PLANT FORMATIONS OF THE WIDER STUDY AREA WE HAVE RESULTED IN THE POSTULATION OF THREE DIFFERENT SCENARIA CONCERNING THE DEGRADATION PROCESS OF THE LOWLAND PASTURES OF THESSALY.ΣΚΟΠΟΣ ΤΗΣ ΕΡΓΑΣΙΑΣ ΑΥΤΗΣ ΕΙΝΑΙ Η ΜΕΛΕΤΗ ΤΗΣ ΔΟΜΗΣ ΚΑΙ ΔΥΝΑΜΙΚΗΣ ΤΩΝ ΕΡΗΜΩΝ ΑΣΦΟΔΕΛΩΝ ΤΗΣ ΘΕΣΣΑΛΙΑΣ ΚΑΘΩΣ ΕΠΙΣΗΣ ΚΑΙ Η ΔΙΑΤΥΠΩΣΗ ΥΠΟΘΕΣΕΩΝ ΠΟΥ ΑΦΟΡΟΥΝ ΤΙΣ ΔΙΑΔΙΚΑΣΙΕΣ ΥΠΟΒΑΘΜΙΣΗΣ, ΜΕ ΒΑΣΗ ΤΙΣ ΔΙΑΧΕΙΡΙΣΤΙΚΕΣ ΠΡΑΚΤΙΚΕΣ ΠΟΥ ΕΦΑΡΜΟΖΟΝΤΑΙ ΣΤΟΥΣ ΠΕΔΙΝΟΥΣ ΒΟΣΚΟΤΟΠΟΥΣ ΤΗΣ ΘΕΣΣΑΛΙΑΣ. ΠΡΟΣ ΤΟΥΤΟ: ΚΑΤΑΓΡΑΦΗΚΕ Η ΧΛΩΡΙΔΙΚΗ ΣΥΝΘΕΣΗ ΤΩΝ ΕΡΗΜΩΝ ΑΣΦΟΔΕΛΩΝ ΤΗΣ ΘΕΣΣΑΛΙΑΣ ΚΑΘΩΣ ΚΑΙ ΟΙ ΕΠΟΧΙΑΚΕΣ ΔΙΑΚΥΜΑΝΣΕΙΣ ΤΗΣ ΚΑΙ ΠΡΟΣΔΙΟΡΙΣΤΗΚΕ Η ΜΕΣΗ ΠΥΚΝΟΤΗΤΑ (8 ΦΥΤΑ/Μ2 ΚΑΙ ΤΟ ΣΧΕΔΙΟ ΧΩΡΟΔΙΑΤΑΞΗΣ ΤΟΥ Α.MICROCARPUS. ΚΑΘ'ΟΛΗ ΤΗ ΔΙΑΡΚΕΙΑ ΤΟΥ ΕΤΟΥΣ Ο ΦΑΙΝΟΛΟΓΙΚΟΣ ΚΥΚΛΟΣ ΤΩΝ ΑΣΦΟΔΕΛΩΝΠΑΡΟΥΣΙΑΖΕΙ ΤΕΣΣΕΡΙΣ ΔΙΑΚΡΙΤΕΣ ΦΑΣΕΙΣ. ΜΕΛΕΤΗΘΗΚΑΝ ΤΑ ΛΕΙΤΟΥΡΓΙΚΑ ΚΑΙ ΜΟΡΦΟΛΟΓΙΚΑ ΧΑΡΑΚΤΗΡΙΣΤΙΚΑ ΚΑΘΕ ΜΙΑΣ ΦΑΣΗΣ. ΤΑ ΘΕΜΑΤΑ ΠΟΥ ΕΞΕΤΑΣΘΗΚΑΝ ΗΤΑΝ Η ΑΝΑΛΥΣΗ ΑΥΞΗΣΗΣ ΤΟΥ ΑΣΦΟΔΕΛΟΥ, Ο ΠΡΟΣΔΙΟΡΙΣΜΟΣ ΤΩΝ ΣΥΓΚΕΝΤΡΩΣΕΩΝ ΤΩΝ ΑΝΟΡΓΑΝΩΝ ΣΤΟΙΧΕΙΩΝ,Ο ΠΡΟΣΔΙΟΡΙΣΜΟΣ ΤΟΥ ΘΕΡΜΙΔΙΚΟΥ ΠΕΡΙΕΧΟΜΕΝΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΤΟΥ ΠΕΡΙΕΧΟΜΕΝΟΥ ΤΕΦΡΑΣ ΚΑΘΕ ΤΜΗΜΑΤΟΣ ΤΟΥ ΑΣΦΟΔΕΛΟΥ ΚΑΙ Ο ΠΡΟΣΔΙΟΡΙΣΜΟΣ ΤΟΥ ΑΠΟΤΑΜΙΕΥΤΙΚΟΥ ΟΓΚΟΥ ΤΩΝ ΚΟΝΔΥΛΩΝ. ΠΡΟΣΔΙΟΡΙΣΘΗΚΕ Η ΑΠΟΤΕΛΕΣΜΑΤΙΚΟΤΗΤΑ ΤΟΥ ΑΣΦΟΔΕΛΟΥ, ΤΟΣΟ ΟΛΟΚΛΗΡΟΥ ΤΟΥ ΦΥΤΟΥ, ΟΣΟ ΚΑΙ ΤΩΝ ΕΠΙΜΕΡΟΥΣ ΤΜΗΜΑΤΩΝ ΤΟΥ ΣΕ ΣΧΕΣΗ ΜΕ ΤΗΝ ΠΡΟΣΠΙΠΤΟΥΣΑ ΗΛΙΑΚΗ ΕΝΕΡΓΕΙΑΣΤΗΝ ΠΕΡΙΟΧΗ ΕΡΕΥΝΑΣ. ΜΕΛΕΤΗΘΗΚΑΝ Η ΔΙΑΔΙΚΑΣΙΑ ΚΑΙ Ο ΡΥΘΜΟΣ ΑΠΟΙΚΟΔΟΜΗΣΗΣ ΤΗΣ ΚΥΤΤΑΡΙΝΗΣ ΚΑΙ ΤΩΝ ΥΠΕΡΓΕΙΩΝ ΤΜΗΜΑΤΩΝ ΤΟΥ ΑΣΦΟΔΕΛΟΥ. ΜΕΛΕΤΗΘΗΚΕ Η ΣΥΝΘΕΣΗ ΤΗΣ ΕΔΑΦΙΚΗΣ ΠΑΝΙΔΑΣ ΚΑΙ ΒΡΕΘΗΚΕ ΟΤΙ Η ΜΕΣΟΦΙΓΗ ΟΜΑΔΑ ΕΔΑΦΙΚΩΝ ΖΩΩΝ ΠΑΙΖΕΙ ΕΙΔΙΚΟ ΡΟΛΟ ΣΤΗΝ ΛΕΙΤΟΥΡΓΙΑ ΑΥΤΟΥ ΤΟΥ ΟΙΚΟΣΥΣΤΗΜΑΤΟΣ. ΚΑΤΑΓΡΑΦΗΚΑΝ ΟΙ ΕΠΟΧΙΑΚΕΣ ΔΙΑΚΥΜΑΝΣΕΙΣ ΤΗΣ ΑΠΩΛΕΙΑΣ ΕΔΑΦΟΥΣ ΚΑΤΑ ΤΗΝ ΔΙΑΡΚΕΙΑ ΤΟΥ ΕΤΟΥΣ. ΤΕΛΟΣ ΣΥΓΚΡΙΝΟΝΤΑΣ ΤΟ ΒΑΘΜΟ ΟΜΟΙΟΤΗΤΑΣ ΤΩΝ ΠΕΝΤΕ ΦΥΣΙΚΩΝ ΔΙΑΠΛΑΣΕΩΝ ΤΗΣ ΕΥΡΥΤΕΡΗΣ ΕΡΕΥΝΗΤΙΚΗΣ ΠΕΡΙΟΧΗΣ ΕΙΧΑΜΕ ΣΑΝ ΑΠΟΤΕΛΕΣΜΑ ΤΗΝ ΔΙΑΤΥΠΩΣΗ ΤΡΙΩΝ ΔΙΑΦΟΡΕΤΙΚΩΝ ΥΠΟΘΕΤΙΚΩΝ ΠΟΡΕΙΩΝ ΤΗΣ ΔΙΑΔΙΚΑΣΙΑΣ ΥΠΟΒΑΘΜΙΣΗΣ ΤΩΝ ΠΕΔΙΝΩΝ ΒΟΣΚΟΤΟΠΩΝ ΤΗΣ ΘΕΣΣΑΛΙΑΣ, ΣΥΜΦΩΝΑ ΜΕ ΤΙΣ ΕΦΑΡΜΟΖΟΜΕΝΕΣ ΔΙΑΧΕΙΡΙΣΤΙΚΕΣ ΠΡΑΚΤΙΚΕΣ

Development plans versus conservation: explanation of emergent conflicts and state political handling

The growing establishment of protected areas incorporating profitable economic activity and conservation initiatives has been characterized by the exacerbation of existent conflicts and the emergence of new ones around them. Over the last two decades the participation of ‘civil society’ in protected areas governance under the mutual goal of sustainable development has become increasingly key to resolving natural resource conflicts. Schinias Greek Natura site, simultaneously national park and Olympic canoeing centre, provides a case study to investigate the roots and outcomes of natural resource conflicts within the context of the coexistence of development and conservation agendas and collaborative governance. Following a grounded-theory approach and drawing on insights from political ecology and environmental governance literature we have been able to reveal the political, socioeconomic, and conservation conflicts arising during implementation of state development and conservation policies. It appears that governmental political handling exacerbated these conflicts, leading to political manipulation to justify policy failure and promote nature privatization. We conclude that conflict resolution compatible with nature protection and social justice cannot occur in isolation from resolving crucial socioeconomic problems, strengthening transparency, and an accurate scientific analysis of the particularities of local communities to guide the formation and implementation of state policies.