Avoiding deforestation in Panamanian protected areas: An analysis of protection effectiveness and implications for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) is likely to be central to a post-Kyoto climate change mitigation agreement. As such, identifying conditions and factors that will shape the success or failure of a reduced deforestation scheme will provide important insights for policy planning. Given that protected areas (PAs) are a cornerstone in forest conservation, we draw on interviews and secondary data to analyze the effects of available PA resources, governance ability, the level of community involvement, and provincial deforestation rates on land-cover change in nine PAs in Panama. Our results illustrate that coupling surveillance measures with greater funding and strong governance are paramount to reducing deforestation. Alone, however, these factors are insufficient for forest protection. We argue that conservation approaches that complement effective surveillance with community participation and equitable benefit sharing will address the wider issues of leakage and permanence.     

Skin toxins in coral‐associated Gobiodon species (Teleostei: Gobiidae) affect predator preference and prey survival

Predation risk is high for the many small coral reef fishes, requiring successful sheltering or other predator defence mechanisms. Coral‐dwelling gobies of the genus Gobiodon live in close association with scleractinian corals of the genus Acropora. Earlier studies indicated that the low movement frequency of adult fishes and the development of skin toxins (crinotoxicity) are predation avoidance mechanisms. Although past experiments showed that predators refuse food prepared with goby skin mucus, direct predator–prey interactions have not been studied. The present study compares the toxicity levels of two crinotoxic coral gobies – Gobiodon histrio, representative of a conspicuously coloured species, and Gobiodon sp.3 with cryptic coloration – using a standard bioassay method. The results show that toxin levels of both species differ significantly shortly after mucus release but become similar over time. Predator preferences were tested experimentally in an aquarium in which the two gobies and a juvenile damselfish Chromis viridis were exposed to the small grouper Epinephelus fasciatus. Video‐analysis revealed that although coral gobies are potential prey, E. fasciatus clearly preferred the non‐toxic control fish (C. viridis) over Gobiodon. When targeting a goby, the predator did not prefer one species over the other. Contrary to our expectations that toxic gobies are generally avoided, gobies were often captured, but they were expelled quickly, repeatedly and alive. This unusual post‐capture avoidance confirms that these gobies have a very good chance of surviving attacks in the field due to their skin toxins. Nonetheless, some gobies were consumed: the coral shelter may therefore also provide additional protection, with toxins protecting them mainly during movement between corals. In summary, chemical deterrence by crinotoxic fishes seems to be far more efficient in predation avoidance than in physical deterrence involving body squamation and/or strong fin spines.     

Eddy viscosity and turbulent Schmidt number by kink-type instabilities of toroidal magnetic fields

The potential of the non-axisymmetric magnetic instability to transport angular momentum and to mix chemicals is probed considering the stability of a nearly uniform toroidal field between conducting cylinders with different rotation rates. The fluid between the cylinders is assumed as incompressible and to be of uniform density. With a linear theory, the neutral-stability maps for   m = 1  are computed. Rigid rotation must be sub-Alfvénic to allow instability, while for differential rotation also an unstable domain with faster rotation exists [azimuthal magnetorotational instability (AMRI)]. The rotational quenching of the magnetic instability is strongest for magnetic Prandtl number of the order of unity.
The effective angular momentum transport by the instability is directed outwards for subrotation. The resulting magnetic-induced eddy viscosity exceeds the microscopic values by factors of 10–100. This is only true for AMRI; in the opposite case of Tayler instability, the viscosity results are very small.
The same instability also quenches concentration gradients of chemicals by dynamic fluctuations. The corresponding diffusion coefficient always remains smaller than the magnetic-generated eddy viscosity. A Schmidt number of the order of 30 is found as the ratio of the effective viscosity and the diffusion coefficient. For not too strong magnetic fields in the radiation zone of young solar-type stars, the magnetic instability transports much more angular momentum than that it mixes chemicals.     

Ice crystal shape effects on solar radiative properties of Arctic mixed-phase clouds—Dependence on microphysical properties

Based on 1-year cloud measurements with radar and microwave radiometer broadband solar radiative transfer simulations were performed to quantify the impact of different ice crystal shapes of Arctic mixed-phase clouds on their radiative properties (reflectance, transmittance and absorptance). The ice crystal shape effects were investigated as a function of microphysical cloud properties (ice volume fraction f_i, ice and liquid water content IWC and LWC, mean particle diameter D_m^I and D_m^W of ice/water particle number size distributions, NSDs).The required NSDs were statistically derived from radar data. The NSD was composed of a liquid and a solid mode defined by LWC, D_m^W (water mode) and IWC, D_m^I (ice mode). It was found that the ratio of D_m^I and D_m^W determines the magnitude of the shape effect. For mixed-phase clouds with D_m^I ≤ 27 μm a significant shape effect was obtained. The shape effect was almost insensitive with regard to the solar zenith angle, but highly sensitive to the ice volume fraction of the mixed-phase cloud. For mixed-phase clouds containing small ice crystals (D_m^I ≤ 27 μm) and high ice volume fractions (f_i > 0.5) crystal shape is crucial. The largest shape effects were observed assuming aggregates and columns. If the IWC was conserved the shape effect reaches values up to 0.23 in cloud reflectance and transmittance. If the ice mode NSD was kept constant only a small shape effect was quantified (≤ 0.04).     

Major and trace elements in German bottled water,their regional distribution,and accordance with national and international standards

The market for mineral water has been growing steadily over the last few years. Germany is the country with the highest number of bottled mineral water brands (908 bottled water samples from 502 wells/brands were analyzed). The per capita consumption of mineral water in Germany in 2003 was 129 L. A wide range of values of one to seven orders of magnitude was determined for 71 elements in the bottled water samples analyzed by ICP-QMS, ICP-AES, IC, titration, photometric, conductometric and potentiometric methods. A comparison of the element concentrations and the legal limits for both bottled and tap water (EU, Germany, US EPA, WHO) shows that only 70% of the 908 mineral water samples fulfill the German and EU drinking water (i.e., tap water) regulations for all parameters (not including pH) for which action levels are defined. Nearly 5% of the bottled water samples not fulfill the German and EU regulations for mineral and table water. Comparison of our results with the current German and European action levels for mineral and table water shows that only 42 of the bottled water samples exceed the limits for one or more of the following elements: arsenic, nitrate, nitrite, manganese, nickel and barium concentrations. Ten of the bottled water samples contain uranium concentrations above the 10 μg/L recommended limit.     

(Na,Ca)(Ti3+,Mg)Si2O6-clinopyroxenes at high pressure: influence of cation substitution on elastic behavior and phase transition

A compressional study of (Na,Ca)(Ti³⁺,Mg)Si₂O₆-clinopyroxenes was carried out at high pressures between 10⁻⁴ and 10.2 GPa using in situ single-crystal X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and optical absorption spectroscopy. Compressional discontinuities accompanied by structural changes, in particular, the appearance of two distinct Ti³⁺–Ti³⁺ distances within the octahedral chains at 4.37 GPa, provide evidence for the occurrence of a phase transition in NaTi³⁺Si₂O₆. Equation-of-state parameters are K ₀ = 115.9(7) GPa with K′ = −0.9(3) and K ₀ = 102.7(8) GPa with K′ = 4.08(5) for the low- and high-pressure range, respectively. The transition involves a C2/c–P [`1] \overline{1} symmetry change, which can be confirmed by the occurrence of new modes in Raman spectra. Since no significant discontinuity in the evolution of the unit-cell volume with pressure has been observed, the transition appears to be second-order in character. The influence of the coupled substitution Na⁺Ti³⁺↔Ca²⁺Mg²⁺ on the static compression behavior and the structural stability has been investigated using a sample of the intermediate composition (Na_0.54Ca_0.46)(Mg_0.46Ti_0.54)Si₂O₆. No evidence for a deviation from continuous compression behavior has been found, neither in lattice parameter nor in structural data and the fit of a third-order Birch–Murnaghan equation-of-state to the pressure–volume data yields a bulk modulus of K ₀ = 109.1(5) GPa and K′ = 5.02(13). Raman and polarized absorption spectra have been compared to NaTiSi₂O₆ and reveal major similarities. The main driving force for the phase transition in NaTi³⁺Si₂O₆ is the localization of the Ti³⁺ d-electron and the accompanying distortion, which is suppressed in the (Na,Ca)(Ti³⁺,Mg)Si₂O₆-clinopyroxene.     

Book reviews

Pure and Applied Geophysics -