Long-term fire resilience of the Ericaceous Belt, Bale Mountains, Ethiopia

Fire is the most frequent disturbance in the Ericaceous Belt (ca 3000- 4300 m.a.s.l.), one of the most important plant communities of tropical African mountains. Through resprouting after fire, Erica establishes a positive fire feedback under certain burning regimes. However, present-day human activity in the Bale Mountains of Ethiopia includes fire and grazing systems that may have a negative impact on the resilience of the ericaceous ecosystem. Current knowledge of Erica-fire relationships is based on studies of modern vegetation, lacking a longer time perspective that can shed light on baseline conditions for the fire feedback. We hypothesize that fire has influenced Erica communities in the Bale Mountains at millennial timescales. To test this, we (1) identify the fire history of the Bale Mountains through a pollen and charcoal record from Garba Guracha, a lake at 3950 m.a.s.l., and (2) describe the long-term bidirectional feedback between wildfire and Erica, which may control the ecosystem's resilience. Our results support fire occurrence in the area since ca 14 000 years ago, with particularly intense burning during the early Holocene, 10.8-6.0 cal ka BP. We show that a positive feedback between Erica abundance and fire occurrence was in operation throughout the Lateglacial and Holocene, and interpret the Ericaceous Belt of the Ethiopian mountains as a long-term fire resilient ecosystem. We propose that controlled burning should be an integral part of landscape management in the Bale Mountains National Park

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Egg length, width and shape dynamics in three populations of free-range hens

The shape of the eggs laid by three genotypes of hens suitable for semi-intensive systems: Campero Casilda, Negra INTA and Rhode Island Red was evaluated with the aim of studying, with a dynamic criterion, its modification throughout the cycle given its relationship with the resistance to breakage and its aptitude as incubating eggs. Random samples of 50 eggs from each group were collected monthly from 25 to 69 weeks of age. Egg length and width were measured and the shape index (IF= (width / length) x 100) was calculated. Eggs were classified as elongated IF 76. Egg length-age and width-age data were fitted with the Brody function. Shape index-age data were fitted by linear regression. The positive association between shape index and shell strength and the negative association with hatchability determines that rounded eggs have higher strength but less aptitude as hatching eggs and vice versa. As a comparative advantage, Campero Casilda eggs present during a greater proportion of the production cycle a rounded shape associated with a better behavior against breakage, but with the disadvantage of being less suitable for incubation purposes.Fil: Romera, B.M. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Cátedra de Genética. Santa Fé, ArgentinaFil: Advínculo, S.A. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Cátedra de Genética. Santa Fé, ArgentinaFil: Canet, Z.E. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Cátedra de Genética. Santa Fé, ArgentinaFil: Canet, Z.E. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria "Ing. Agr. Walter Kugler" (EEA) Pergamino. Buenos Aires, ArgentinaFil: Dottavio, A.M. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Cátedra de Genética. Santa Fé, ArgentinaFil: Di Masso, R.J. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Cátedra de Genética. Santa Fé, ArgentinaSe evaluó la forma de los huevos puestos por tres genotipos de gallinas destinadas a sistemas semiintensivos: Campero Casilda, Negra INTA y Rhode Island Red, con el objetivo de estudiar, con un criteriodinámico, su modificación a lo largo del ciclo de postura dada su relación con la resistencia a la rotura y su aptitud para la incubación. Entre las 25 y 69 semanas de edad se recolectaron mensualmente muestras aleatorias de 50 huevos de cada grupo, se midió su longitud y ancho, se calculó el índice de forma (IF= (ancho / largo) x 100) y se los clasificó en alargados IF 76. Los datos longitud y ancho del huevo se ajustaron en función de la edad con el modelo de Brody y los del índice de forma por regresión lineal. La asociación positiva entre el índice de forma y la resistencia de la cáscara y negativa con la incubabilidad determina que los huevos redondeados presenten mayor resistencia pero menor aptitud como huevos incubables y viceversa. Los huevos Campero Casilda presentan como ventaja comparativa durante una mayor proporción del ciclo una forma redondeada asociada a un mejor comportamiento frente a las roturas y como desventaja su menor adecuación como huevos incubables.\

A multi-dating approach to age-modelling long continental records: The 135 ka El Cañizar de Villarquemado sequence (NE Spain)

We present a multidisciplinary dating approach - including radiocarbon, Uranium/Thorium series (U/Th), paleomagnetism, single-grain optically stimulated luminescence (OSL), polymineral fine-grain infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) and tephrochronology - used for the development of an age model for the Cañizar de Villarquemado sequence (VIL) for the last ca. 135 ka. We describe the protocols used for each technique and discuss the positive and negative results, as well as their implications for interpreting the VIL sequence and for dating similar terrestrial records. In spite of the negative results of some techniques, particularly due to the absence of adequate sample material or insufficient analytical precision, the multi-technique strategy employed here is essential to maximize the chances of obtaining robust age models in terrestrial sequences. The final Bayesian age model for VIL sequence includes 16 AMS 14C ages, 9 single-grain quartz OSL ages and 5 previously published polymineral fine-grain IRSL ages, and the accuracy and resolution of the model are improved by incorporating information related to changes in accumulation rate, as revealed by detailed sedimentological analyses. The main paleohydrological and vegetation changes in the sequence are coherent with global Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 6 to 1 transitions since the penultimate Termination, although some regional idiosyncrasies are evident, such as higher moisture variability than expected, an abrupt inception of the last glacial cycle and a resilient response of vegetation in Mediterranean continental Iberia in both Terminations. © 2019Funding for El Cañizar de Villarquemado sequence research was provided by DINAMO ( CGL-BOS 2009–07992 ), DINAMO2 ( CGL-BOS 2012–33063 ), DINAMO 3 ( ) IBERIANPALEOFLORA ( CGL-BOS 2012–31717) and GRACCIE-CONSOLIDER ( CSD2007-00067 ) projects, provided by the Spanish Inter-Ministry Commission of Science and Technology (CICYT ) and by the Aragon Government ( DGA project, 2005–2006 ). Tephrochronology research was supported by the UK Natural Environment Research Council consortium RESET (NE/E015670/1 ). The single-grain OSL dating research was supported by Australian Research Council ( ARC ) Future Fellowship project FT130100195 and Discovery Early Career Researcher Award DE160100743 . The work of BMB was supported by the IGNEX project ( 249894 ), funded by the FRIMEDBIO program of The Research Council of Norway. Graciela Gil-Romera is funded by the DFG project FOR 2358 “ Mountain Exile Hypothesis ”. We are grateful to two anonymous reviewers whose comments and suggestions improved the manuscript.Peer Reviewe