Search results for "natural resource"
showing 10 items of 482 documents
Nest Site Selection by Kentish Plover Suggests a Trade-Off between Nest-Crypsis and Predator Detection Strategies
2014
Predation is one of the main causes of adult mortality and breeding failure for ground-nesting birds. Micro-habitat structure around nests plays a critical role in minimizing predation risk. Plovers nest in sites with little vegetation cover to maximize the incubating adult visibility, but many studies suggest a trade-off between nest-crypsis and predator detection strategies. However, this trade-off has not been explored in detail because methods used so far do not allow estimating the visibility with regards to critical factors such as slope or plant permeability to vision. Here, we tested the hypothesis that Kentish plovers select exposed sites according to a predator detection strategy,…
Solving Man-Induced Large-Scale Conservation Problems: The Spanish Imperial Eagle and Power Lines
2011
[Background] Man-induced mortality of birds caused by electrocution with poorly-designed pylons and power lines has been reported to be an important mortality factor that could become a major cause of population decline of one of the world rarest raptors, the Spanish imperial eagle (Aquila adalberti). Consequently it has resulted in an increasing awareness of this problem amongst land managers and the public at large, as well as increased research into the distribution of electrocution events and likely mitigation measures.
Simulated poaching affects global connectivity and efficiency in social networks of African savanna elephants-An exemplar of how human disturbance im…
2022
Selective harvest, such as poaching, impacts group-living animals directly through mortality of individuals with desirable traits, and indirectly by altering the structure of their social networks. Understanding the relationship between disturbance-induced, structural network changes and group performance in wild animals remains an outstanding problem. To address this problem, we evaluated the immediate effect of disturbance on group sociality in African savanna elephants—an example, group-living species threatened by poaching. Drawing on static association data from ten free-ranging groups, we constructed one empirically based, population-wide network and 100 virtual networks; performed a …
Contextualising the Last Survivors: Population Structure of Marine Turtles in the Dominican Republic.
2013
Nesting by three species of marine turtles persists in the Dominican Republic, despite historic threats and long-term population decline. We conducted a genetic survey of marine turtles in the Dominican Republic in order to link them with other rookeries around the Caribbean. We sequenced a 740bp fragment of the control region of the mitochondrial DNA of 92 samples from three marine turtle species [hawksbill (n = 48), green (n = 2) and leatherback (n = 42)], and incorporated published data from other nesting populations and foraging grounds. The leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) in the Dominican Republic appeared to be isolated from Awala-Yalimapo, Cayenne, Trinidad and St. Croix bu…
Ontogenetic trophic segregation between two threatened smooth-hound sharks in the Central Mediterranean Sea
2020
AbstractElasmobranchs are among the species most threatened by overfishing and a large body of evidence reports their decline around the world. As they are large predators occupying the highest levels of marine food webs, their removal can alter the trophic web dynamic through predatory release effects and trophic cascade. Suitable management of threatened shark species requires a good understanding of their behaviour and feeding ecology. In this study we provide one of the first assessments of the trophic ecology of the “vulnerable” smooth-hounds Mustelus mustelus and M. punctulatus in the Central Mediterranean Sea, based on stomach contents and stable isotope analyses. Ontogenetic diet ch…
Assessing the marginal cost of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the English and Welsh water and sewerage industry: A parametric approach
2021
Abstract Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions involves effort from different sectors of the economy, including the water and sewerage industry. This study estimates the marginal cost of curtailing GHG emissions in the water and sewerage industry using stochastic frontier analysis techniques for a sample of ten English and Welsh water and sewerage companies over the 2010–2019 period. Results illustrated that the average marginal cost of reducing GHG emissions was 0.181 £/Kg CO2 equivalent. The marginal cost estimated notably differs across companies and over time. Findings further illustrate the impact of water companies' operating characteristics on the marginal cost of reducing carbon e…
A False Sense of Protection: Recreational Uses and Illegal Behavior in a Mediterranean Marine Protected Area and Implications for Management.
2019
Over the last 35 years, at both the European and the Italian level, great efforts have been made to increase the number of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs): they are considered an effective tool for protecting oceans and biodiversity. In recent years, MPAs have become more than simply tools to improve marine conservation. In fact, their management agencies are actively involved in the sustainable development of nearby communities through the promotion of recreational activities (boating, snorkeling, diving). Even if the recreational uses of the marine environment are generally considered benign, they can potentially be highly detrimental for species and their habitats. As a result, these activ…
Conservation, Spillover and Gene Flow within a Network of Northern European Marine Protected Areas
2013
Published version of an article in the journal: PLoS ONE. Also available from the publisher at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0073388 Open access To ensure that marine protected areas (MPAs) benefit conservation and fisheries, the effectiveness of MPA designs has to be evaluated in field studies. Using an interdisciplinary approach, we empirically assessed the design of a network of northern MPAs where fishing for European lobster (Homarus gammarus) is prohibited. First, we demonstrate a high level of residency and survival (50%) for almost a year (363 days) within MPAs, despite small MPA sizes (0.5-1 km2). Second, we demonstrate limited export (4.7%) of lobsters tagged within MPAs…
The Market Reorientation of Farms: The Case of Olive Growing in the Nebrodi Area
2014
In addition to safeguarding the landscape, olive growing makes a unique contribution to protecting the environment and the agricultural ecosystem. Olive growing in mountainous and hilly areas is severely constrained by structural limitations. Rural tourism can be a potential strategy to increase the competitiveness of olive-growing activities. After an initial analysis of the relationship between landscape, tourism, and olive growing, this study focused on olive growing in the Nebrodi area. In particular, we examined two case studies of olive farms to analyze the related production costs and market positioning strategies.
NUEVAS FORMAS DE REPORTING CORPORATIVO: INFORMACIÓN SOBRE LA HUELLA DE CARBONO EN ESPAÑA
2018
RESUMEN A raíz del Protocolo de Kioto, España crea el Registro Nacional de Huella de Carbono, Compensación y Proyectos de Absorción de Dióxido de Carbono mediante el Real Decreto 163/2014. Ello se constituye en una iniciativa pionera para potenciar que las empresas españolas den visibilidad a su compromiso en la reducción de sus emisiones de Gases de Efecto Invernadero (GEI). Bajo este contexto, la presente investigación explora los determinantes de la adhesión al Registro Nacional de Huella de Carbono español. Se realiza un estudio exploratorio de las características de las primeras empresas españolas que decidieron inscribir su huella de carbono, a través de un modelo de regresión logísti…