Conserving Biodiversity in Farm Animals: Do Farmer and Public Biodiversity Knowledge and Awareness Matter?

Increases in biodiversity losses are a growing concern globally. In farm animals, related concerns about losses in genetic diversity have potentially increased with the emergence of breeding technologies that allow for faster genetic change in herds. Farmer and public acceptance of specific breeding practices can be influenced by a number of factors, including concerns about biodiversity and knowledge of biodiversity. The link between these factors and acceptance of new genetic technologies, if it exists, may help explain concerns about genetic technologies. This article examines the effect of attitudes and knowledge about biodiversity on the acceptance of genomic selection in livestock production using farmer and public survey data from Canada. Our results suggest that the link between biodiversity concerns and the acceptance of genomic selection is more robust for the public than for farmers. We also find that biodiversity knowledge and attitudes have opposite effects on acceptance of genomic selection.     

柴达木盆地西部第四纪气候变化和流域风化

长期以来关于构造隆升、气候变化和大陆化学风化的相互关系存在诸多争议。在气候和构造相互作用典型区域建立高精度大陆化学风化序列是解决上述科学问题的有效途径之一。位于青藏高原东北缘长期封闭的柴达木盆地,其独特的位置和连续的沉积使其成为研究构造隆升、气候变化和大陆化学风化的理想场所。本文以柴达木盆地西部千米深钻SG-1钻孔高质量的连续细粒湖相岩芯为研究对象,使用盐类矿物的硫酸根和钾离子含量、碳酸盐锰含量和硅酸盐化学蚀变指数（CIA）和Nd同位素分析,重建该区第四纪以来湖泊流域气候变化过程和硅酸盐化学风化及可能的物源变化。结果表明柴达木盆地西部第四纪以来流域物源相对稳定,流域整体呈现出气候干旱化、流域硅酸盐风化强度减弱、湖水盐度增加和湖面降低的长期一致性演化过程;上述演化进程在2.2 Ma到2.0 Ma期间短暂加强,在约1.2 Ma和约0.6~0.5 Ma出现逐步加强趋势。过去60万年,柴达木盆地西部在冰期存在的相对高湖面时期与黄土高原粒度指标反映的冬季风减弱阶段可以很好对比。北大西洋海表温度反映的高纬过程是长时间尺度（>105年）驱动柴达木盆地西部气候变化和流域硅酸盐风化强度变化的主要因素;西伯利亚高压系统和西风系统的"跷跷板关系"可能是冰期-间冰期或者更短尺度影响柴达木盆地西部气候变化的主要因素。     

Orbital Elements of 2004 Perseid Meteoroids Perturbed by Jupiter

Jupiter and Saturn produce important gravitational impulses on meteoroids released by comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. The meteoroids from this comet once released follow retrograde orbits that during their periodic approaches to these planets (within 1.6 and 0.9 A.U., respectively) are impulsed gaining orbital energy. This perturbation effect is translated into a net inward shift in the node of the perturbed meteoroids. Such geometry with Jupiter occurred in 2004 over a meteoroid trail ejected by this comet during the 1862 A.D. return of the comet to perihelion. In order to study the predicted outburst produced by one-revolution meteoroids, the Spanish Photographic Meteor Network (SPMN) performed an extensive campaign. As a part of this observational effort here are presented 10 accurate meteoroid orbits. We discuss their origin by comparing them with the theoretical orbital elements of the dust trails intercepting the Earth during the 2004 Perseid return.     

Water quality monitoring: a combined approach to investigate gradients of change in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia

For the managers of a region as large as the Great Barrier Reef, it is a challenge to develop a cost effective monitoring program, with appropriate temporal and spatial resolution to detect changes in water quality. The current study compares water quality data (phytoplankton abundance and water clarity) from remote sensing with field sampling (continuous underway profiles of water quality and fixed site sampling) at different spatial scales in the Great Barrier Reef north of Mackay (20 degrees S). Five transects (20-30 km long) were conducted from clean oceanic water to the turbid waters adjacent to the mainland. The different data sources demonstrated high correlations when compared on a similar spatial scale (18 fixed sites). However, each data source also contributed unique information that could not be obtained by the other techniques. A combination of remote sensing, underway sampling and fixed stations will deliver the best spatial and temporal monitoring of water quality in the Great Barrier Reef.     

Interpreting the Ca isotope record of marine biogenic carbonates

An 18 million year record of the Ca isotopic composition (δ^44/42Ca) of planktonic foraminiferans from ODP site 925, in the Atlantic, on the Ceara Rise, provides the opportunity for critical analysis of Ca isotope-based reconstructions of the Ca cycle. δ^44/42Ca in this record averages +0.37 ± 0.05 (1σ SD) and ranges from +0.21‰ to +0.52‰. The record is a good match to previously published Neogene Ca isotope records based on foraminiferans, but is not similar to the record based on bulk carbonates, which has values that are as much as 0.25‰ lower. Bulk carbonate and planktonic foraminiferans from core tops differ slightly in their δ^44/42Ca (i.e., by 0.06 ± 0.06‰ (n = 5)), while the difference between bulk carbonate and foraminiferan values further back in time is markedly larger, leaving open the question of the cause of the difference. Modeling the global Ca cycle from downcore variations in δ^44/42Ca by assuming fixed values for the isotopic composition of weathering inputs (δ^44/42Ca_w) and for isotope fractionation associated with the production of carbonate sediments (Δ_sed) results in unrealistically large variations in the total mass of Ca²⁺ in the oceans over the Neogene. Alternatively, variations of ±0.05‰ in the Ca isotope composition of weathering inputs or in the extent of fractionation of Ca isotopes during calcareous sediment formation could entirely account for variations in the Ca isotopic composition of marine carbonates. Ca isotope fractionation during continental weathering, such as has been recently observed, could easily result in variations in δ^44/42Ca_w of a few tenths of permil. Likewise a difference in the fractionation factors associated with aragonite versus calcite formation could drive shifts in Δ_sed of tenths of permil with shifts in the relative output of calcite and aragonite from the ocean. Until better constraints on variations in δ^44/42Ca_w and Δ_sed have been established, modeling the Ca²⁺ content of seawater from Ca isotope curves should be approached cautiously.     

Bounce Rock—A shergottite‐like basalt encountered at Meridiani Planum,Mars

Abstract– The Opportunity rover of the Mars Exploration Rover mission encountered an isolated rock fragment with textural, mineralogical, and chemical properties similar to basaltic shergottites. This finding was confirmed by all rover instruments, and a comprehensive study of these results is reported here. Spectra from the miniature thermal emission spectrometer and the Panoramic Camera reveal a pyroxene‐rich mineralogy, which is also evident in Mössbauer spectra and in normative mineralogy derived from bulk chemistry measured by the alpha particle X‐ray spectrometer. The correspondence of Bounce Rock’s chemical composition with the composition of certain basaltic shergottites, especially Elephant Moraine (EET) 79001 lithology B and Queen Alexandra Range (QUE) 94201, is very close, with only Cl, Fe, and Ti exhibiting deviations. Chemical analyses further demonstrate characteristics typical of Mars such as the Fe/Mn ratio and P concentrations. Possible shock features support the idea that Bounce Rock was ejected from an impact crater, most likely in the Meridiani Planum region. Bopolu crater, 19.3 km in diameter, located 75 km to the southwest could be the source crater. To date, no other rocks of this composition have been encountered by any of the rovers on Mars. The finding of Bounce Rock by the Opportunity rover provides further direct evidence for an origin of basaltic shergottite meteorites from Mars.