New Technological Interventions in Conservation Conflicts : Countering Emotions and Contested Knowledge

RCUK Digital Economy programme Grant number EP/G066051/1 Open access via Springer Compact AgreementPeer reviewedPublisher PD

Influence of nitrogen deposition on carbon dynamics in peatlands

The impact of high levels of nitrogen deposition from the atmosphere (primarily from the combustion of fossil fuels and transportation) on soil carbon fluxes and carbon sequestration pathways in peatlands are uncertain and limit our understanding of its consequence on peatlands’ role as global carbon sinks. An alteration in peatlands’ natural carbon accumulation process could result in the increased release of CO2 into the atmosphere, potentially increasing the greenhouse effect and contributing to climate change. Recent studies in forest soils have shown that high concentrations of inorganic nitrogen accelerate the activity of key soil enzymes involved in the degradation of easily decomposable litter (low lignin content) but slow down the decomposition of lignin abundant litter. Peatland soils are adapted to slow rates of nitrogen mineralization; therefore increasing the nitrogen supply in these environments may have an even deeper impact on litter quality, potential litter decomposability, and overall carbon storage capacity. The aim of this study is to use plant wax biomarkers as proxies of vegetational change in litter profiles. An alkane and alcohol profile database of peatland vegetation is currently being characterized for comparison with samples taken from the Whim Moss experimental site (Edinburgh) where different levels of nitrogen has been added to peatland soil since 2002. A temporal study combining the MicroResp technique (community level physiological profiles) and enzyme activity assays is considered to look at the effect of litter compositional changes on soil microbial diversity and biological activity. To better understand how nitrogen deposition in peatland soil affects the mechanisms controlling carbon storage, the incorporation of stable isotope labelling (13C) would allow direct determination of the fate of carbon into the different carbon pools and better pin-point the changes in litter composition

The dynamics of volunteer motivations for engaging in the management of invasive plants : Insights from a mixed-methods study on Scottish seabird islands

Acknowledgments The authors thank the SOS Puffin volunteers and the Craigleith Management Group for their support in this research project. We also thank John Hunt (SOS Puffin), Anja Byg and Kerry Waylen (The James Hutton Institute), Norman Dandy (Plunkett Foundation), Michelle Pinard (University of Aberdeen), and four anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments on earlier versions of this paper. We acknowledge funding by the Natural Environment Research Council and the Rivers and Fisheries Trusts of Scotland. (NERC).Peer reviewedPostprin

Digital Innovation Through Partnership Between Nature Conservation Organisations and Academia : A Qualitative Impact Assessment

We would like to thank all interviewees for sharing their experiences of working with academics, and the guest editor and three anonymous reviewers for valuable comments on earlier versions of the work. The research in this paper is supported by the RCUK dot.rural Digital economy Research Hub, University of Aberdeen (Grant reference: EP/G066051/1).Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Blogging birds : Generating narratives about reintroduced species to promote public engagement

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Retrospective growth analysis of the dwarf shrub Cassiope tetragona allows local estimation of vascular plant productivity in high arctic Svalbard

The work was supported financially by Research Council of Norway (POLARPROG grant 216051, “Reinclim”). AS was supported by the Norwegian Institute of Nature research.Peer reviewedPostprin

Where to settle in a rapidly expanding bird colony : A case study on colony expansion in High Arctic breeding geese

Acknowledgments Juliet Blum, Malcolm Parsons and Troels Hastrup are thanked for their contributions to data collection in the field. We are indebted to Christiaane Hübner for her considerable help before, during and after fieldwork. The Norwegian Polar Institute supplied the vital logistic support and the Governor of Svalbard allowed access to Sassendalen.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

High-Arctic nesting geese occupying less favourable nest sites are more vulnerable to predation

We thank Norwegian Polar Institute for logistical sup-port and the Governor of Svalbard for allowing access to Sassendalen. The authors thank the Climate-ecological Observatory for Arctic Tundra programme for assistance with this study. Comments and suggestions from review-ers greatly improved the manuscript, and we thank them for their time and recommendations.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Experimental icing affects growth, mortality, and flowering in a high Arctic dwarf shrub

Acknowledgments This study was funded by the Research Council of Norway (POLARPROG grant 216051; SFF-III grant 223257/F50) and Svalbard Environmental Protection Fund (SMF grant 13/74). We thank Mathilde Le Moullec for helping with the fieldwork and the Norwegian Meteorological Institute for access to weather data.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Root traits predict decomposition across a landscape-scale grazing experiment

Acknowledgements We are grateful to the Woodland Trust for maintenance of and access to the Glen Finglas experiment. We thank Debbie Fielding, William Smith, Sarah McCormack, Allan Sim, Marcel Junker and Elaine Runge for help in the field and the laboratory. This research was part of the Glen Finglas project (formerly Grazing and Upland Birds (GRUB)) funded by the Scottish Government (RERAS). S.W.S. was funded by a BBSRC studentship.Peer reviewedPublisher PD