Bundling and stacking in bio-sequestration schemes: Opportunities and risks identified by Australian stakeholders

The stacking and bundling of ecosystem services credits has emerged as mechanisms to promote the conservation of biodiversity in carbon sequestration schemes. Globally, apart from a few certification standards in the voluntary market, little genuine action has eventuated, but actors in these markets are continuing to examine the idea of combining carbon and biodiversity credits. This paper provides the first empirical analysis of the opportunities and barriers of bundling and stacking carbon and biodiversity credits as articulated by policymakers and academics, in Australia. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) acts as a driving force for business interest in the co-benefits of carbon plantings; however, uncertainty in the market and policy settings act as barriers for both buyers and sellers. Interviewees highlighted substantial benefits of both bundling and stacking, including easing transaction costs for landholders, reduced monitoring costs for regulators. Nevertheless, there is a risk that stacking can affect the perceived additionality of carbon plantings, which has the potential to erode the integrity of carbon markets. Obstacles to the establishment of stacked/bundled markets include the lack of standards to show that co-benefits are real, dealing with the additionality rule, and designing scenarios to achieve genuine outcomes for both biodiversity conservation and carbon abatement

A spatially-organized multicellular innate immune response in lymph nodes limits systemic pathogen spread

The lymphatic network that transports interstitial fluid and antigens to lymph nodes constitutes a conduit system that can be hijacked by invading pathogens to achieve systemic spread unless dissemination is blocked in the lymph node itself. Here, we show that a network of diverse lymphoid cells (natural killer cells, γδ T cells, natural killer T cells, and innate-like CD8+ T cells) are spatially prepositioned close to lymphatic sinus-lining sentinel macrophages where they can rapidly and efficiently receive inflammasome-generated IL-18 and additional cytokine signals from the pathogen-sensing phagocytes. This leads to rapid IFNγ secretion by the strategically positioned innate lymphocytes, fostering antimicrobial resistance in the macrophage population. Interference with this innate immune response loop allows systemic spread of lymph-borne bacteria. These findings extend our understanding of the functional significance of cellular positioning and local intercellular communication within lymph nodes while emphasizing the role of these organs as highly active locations of innate host defense

Residues and dissipation kinetics of two imidacloprid nanoformulations on bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) under field conditions

The current study investigates the dissipation kinetics of two imidacloprid (IMI) nanoformulations (entitled: Nano-IMI and Nano-IMI/TiO2) on common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) seeds under field conditions and compares them with 35% Suspension Concentrate (SC) commercial formulation. To do so, it sprays P. vulgaris plants at 30 and 60 g/ha within green bean stage, sampling them during the 14-day period after the treatment. Following extraction and quantification of IMI residues, dissipation data have been fitted to simple-first order kinetic model (SFOK) and to first-order double-exponential decay (FODED) models, with 50% and 90% dissipation times (DT50 and DT90, respectively) assessed along the pre-harvest interval (PHI). With the exception of Nano-IMI at 60 g/ha, other decline curves are best fitted to the FODED model. In general, dissipation is faster for Nano-IMI (at 30 g/ha: DT50 = 1.09 days, DT90 = 4.30 days, PHI = 1.23 days; at 60 g/ha: DT50 = 1.29 days, DT90 = 4.29 days, PHI = 2.95 days) and Nano-IMI/TiO2 (at 30 g/ha: DT50 = 1.15 days, DT90 = 4.40 days, PHI = 1.08 days; at 60 g/ha: DT50 = 0.86 days, DT90 = 4.92 days, PHI = 3.02 days), compared to 35% SC (at 30 g/ha: DT50 = 1.58, DT90 = 6.45, PHI = 1.93; at 60 g/ha: DT50 = 1.58 days, DT90 = 14.50 days, PHI = 5.37 days). These results suggest the suitability of Nano-IMI and Nano-IMI/TiO2 application at both rates in terms of their residues on P. vulgaris seeds

The role of social networks and trusted peers in promoting biodiverse carbon plantings

Social capital has the potential to influence the success of biodiverse carbon plantings in the face of uncertainty amongst rural landholders about the need or efficacy of efforts to address climate change through tree planting. We conducted 17 face-to-face semi-structured interviews with landholders in Victoria, Australia who voluntarily participate in biodiverse carbon plantings on their land, focussing in particular on the role of social capital for understanding how 'early adopters' can advocate for programs locally. Interviews revealed the importance of social networks and the profound impact of trusted peers on the diffusion of carbon planting schemes. Social capital dimensions are especially important for shaping ongoing participation and the ways that participants become active agents in trusted relationships that influence participation of others. Our results suggest that positive impacts of social networks can counteract doubts about the validity of climate adaptation responses such as carbon planting, and enable landholders to connect the program with existing stewardship motivations. The ability for early adopters of the program to demonstrate the physical materialisation of their plantings to others was vital to this process. We propose that targeting champions and trusted peers in local communities could accelerate the proliferation of biodiverse carbon planting schemes

Effects of salinity on potassium absorption and expression of K+transporter genes at different concentrations of potassium in Grape (Vitis vinifera L.)

Grapevine is classified as a moderately sensitive plant to salinity. Hydroponically three grape genotypes (Vitis vinifera L.) were treated with different concentrations of KCl (0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 1, 5, 10 mM KCl) and NaCl (0, 25, 50,100 mM NaCl). Cl- and Na+ contents were significantly increased in different plant organs of all the genotypes under salinity. In this study, sensitive ('GhezelUzum'), tolerant ('Gharashani') and semi-resistant ('Chawga') grape genotypes were selected based on screening experiments under salinity. 'Gharashani' accumulated higher Na+ and Cl- in roots compared to the sensitive one. 'Chawga' accumulated high K+ similar to Na+ in root and shoot even at high salinity. Km calculation for K+ and Na+ uptake in root and shoot of 'Chawga' showed that K+ and Na+ compete to enter the plant through roots. Two KUP/KT/HAK-type potassium transporters are expressed highly in the grapevine during stress. VvK1.1 could play a major role in K+ loading into grape tissues. The expression of VvKUP1 and VvKUP2 transporters and VvK1.1 channel in roots of 'Chawga' genotype increased significantly (P < 0.05) at different KCl concentrations under salinity stress. Our results showed a significant difference between tolerant and sensitive genotypes and highlighted a strong relationship between the accumulation of specific transcripts and the degree of salinity tolerance

A Needs-Driven and Responsive Approach to Supporting the Research Endeavours of Academic Librarians

In this article, the authors describe a grassroots model for research support and explore the success and evolving directions of this model based on three iterative needs assessments administered by the Librarian and Archivist Research Support Network (LARSN) Steering Committee at The University of Western Ontario. Needs assessments were identified as a critical tool to ensure that LARSN programming is relevant to librarians’ and archivists’ changing research needs. In the first four years of LARSN, three needs assessments were administered: in fall 2007, fall 2009, and spring 2011. The iterative needs assessments aimed to capture how the environment and research needs were evolving over time and the ways in which LARSN might continue to support a healthy and productive research environment. LARSN is faced with challenges that include a diversity of needs within its community, inconsistent participation levels in LARSN initiatives, and the inability to be all things to all people at all times. Still, LARSN is well received overall and rated positively by its community members. This is, in large part, because it has stayed true to its original mission to be needs-driven and responsive

Locating financial incentives among diverse motivations for long-term private land conservation

A variety of policy instruments are used to promote the conservation of biodiversity on private land. These instruments are often employed in unison to encourage land stewardship beneficial for biodiversity across a broad range of program types, but questions remain about which instruments are the appropriate tools when seeking long-term change to land-management practice. Drawing on three case studies, two in Australia and one in South Africa, spanning various program types-a biodiverse carbon planting scheme, a covenanting program, and a voluntary stewardship program-we investigate the importance of financial incentives and other mechanisms from the landholder's perspective. From participant interviews we find that landholders have preconceived notions of stewardship ethics. Motivations to enroll into a private land conservation program are not necessarily what drives ongoing participation, and continued delivery of multiple mechanisms will likely ensure long-term landholder engagement. Financial incentives are beneficial in lowering uptake costs to landholders but building landholder capacity, management assistance, linking participants to a network of conservation landholders, and recognition of conservation efforts may be more successful in fostering long-term biodiversity stewardship. Furthermore, we argue that diverse, multiple instrument approaches are needed to provide the flexibility required for dynamic, adaptive policy responses. We raise a number of key considerations for conservation organizations regarding the appropriate mix of financial and nonfinancial components of their programs to address long-term conservation objectives