Conservation and development 2.0: Intensifications and disjunctures in the politics of online ‘do-good’ platforms

An increasing amount of interactive ‘2.0’ crowdsourcing platforms raise awareness and funds for conservation and development projects worldwide. By enabling two-way online collaboration and communication, these ‘conservation and development 2.0’ platforms hoped to provide new impetus and popular legitimacy for conservation and development initiatives in the face of budget cuts and general criticism of the ‘formal’ aid sector after the financial crisis. This paper presents the case of the flagship ‘elephant corridor’ project on the Dutch pifworld.com platform to investigate whether and how the ‘2.0’ element has changed conservation and development in line with these expectations. The paper describes and analyses online and offline dynamics of the project and shows that while online excitement about the project remained high, the concomitant conservation and development promises and imaginations ill related to offline local realities. This rather ‘traditional’ conservation and development disjuncture, however, needs to be understood against the system peculiarities of the politics of online ‘do-good’ 2.0 platforms. The paper concludes that as these peculiarities are significantly intensifying and changing conservation and development dynamics, they do not elude familiar (1.0) disjunctures and might even obscure these further from sight.     

A new extinct genus of Glandulariini with two species from Upper Cretaceous Burmese amber (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Scydmaeninae)

The Glandulariini (=Cyrtoscydmini) is today the largest, most species-rich and most diverse tribe of Scydmaeninae comprising over 70% of the extant species of this subfamily. Named genera and species of Glandulariini are known mostly from Miocene to Eocene ambers, with only one, recently described Mesozoic taxon. Here we report the second genus of Glandulariini from Upper Cretaceous Burmese amber, Cenomaniola Jałoszyński and Yamamoto, gen. nov., with two species, C. carinata Jałoszyński and Yamamoto, sp. nov. and C. macrophthalma Jałoszyński and Yamamoto, sp. nov. Cenomaniola shows the general body plan typical of the ‘Euconnus complex’ within Glandulariini, with thick bristles on the sides of head and pronotum, a character conserved for nearly a hundred million years. With the previous discovery of Scydmobisetia Jałoszyński and Yamamoto, two major body forms typical of the extant Glandulariini are already proved to have differentiated in or before the Late Cretaceous. This demonstrates early origins and a long conservation of ‘Euconnus-like’ and ‘Sciacharis/Horaeomorphus-like’ body plan in the currently largest group among Scydmaeninae.     

New Cretaceous carpet beetles (Coleoptera: Dermestidae) from Burmese amber

Three new species of Dermestidae are described and illustrated from the Upper Cretaceous Burmese amber: Attagenus secundus sp. nov. (Attageninae: Attagenini), Cretodermestes palpalis gen. et sp. nov. (Attageninae: Cretodermestini trib. nov.) and Megatoma atypica sp. nov. (Megatominae: Megatomini). Members of Dermestidae are relatively frequent in Burmese amber, representing at least three subfamilies: Attageninae, Dermestinae and Megatominae. Taxonomic and morphological diversity of Cretaceous Dermestidae suggests ancient origin of this group with some lineages showing remarkable evolutionary stasis for almost 100 million years.     

A regulation-based classification system for marine protected areas: A response to Dudley et al.

Dudley et al. [9] commented on our paper [11], arguing that the current IUCN objective-based categorization of protected areas, which is also used in marine protected areas (MPAs), should not be abandoned and replaced by the new regulation-based classification system [11]. Here we clarify that we do not advocate replacing the current IUCN categories, but highlight the benefits of using both the objective-based IUCN categories and the new regulation-based classification when applied to MPAs. With an increasing number of MPA types being implemented, most of them multiple-use areas zoned for various purposes, assessing ecological and socioeconomic benefits is key for advancing conservation targets and policy objectives. Although the IUCN categories can be used both in terrestrial and marine systems, they were not designed to follow a gradient of impacts and there is often a mismatch between stated objectives and implemented regulations. The new regulation-based classification system addresses these problems by linking impacts of activities in marine systems with MPA and zone classes in a simple and globally applicable way. Applying both the IUCN categories and the regulation-based classes will increase transparency when assessing marine conservation goals.     

A new procedure for ground response curve (GRC) in strain-softening surrounding rock

A new procedure for the ground response curve (GRC) is investigated in strain-softening surrounding rock for a circular opening. The procedure started each step with a radius increment and the analytical solutions of stress and strain in each annulus were presented. The plastic region is divided into a finite number of concentric annuli, whose thickness is uniformly determined by a small radius increment. Combining the equilibrium equation and failure criterion, stress for each annulus can be obtained analytically. The displacement for each step can be calculated analytically through solving the differential equation by invoking flow rule and Hooke’s law. The strains for each annulus can be obtained by the strain-displacement relationship. In the successive manner, the distributions of stress and displacement can be found. It should be noted that the finial stress and displacement at radial direction are the internal support pressure and deformation at the excavation surface, respectively. By assuming different plastic radii (using a plastic radius increment), GRC, the evolution curve of plastic radii and internal support pressure can be obtained analytically. Some numerical and engineering examples are performed to demonstrate the validity of the proposed procedure. It is shown that the results of the proposed procedure at the tunnel crown are basically consistent with field measuring data. The influence of the annulus number, plastic radius increment and dilation on the accuracy of the proposed approach is investigated. Results show that the solutions are more accurate and the calculation efficiency is higher.     

A new species of Chifengiinae (Orthoptera: Prophalangopsidae) from the Lower Cretaceous Zhonggou Formation of the Jiuquan Basin,Northwest China

A new orthopteran species, Ashanga jiuquanensis Wang and Zhang sp. nov., is assigned to the subfamily Chifengiinae of Prophalangopsidae (Insecta: Orthoptera) and is reported based on male and female forewings from the Lower Cretaceous Zhonggou Formation in the Jiuquan Basin, Gansu Province, Northwest China. The discovery of the new species extends not only the age range of the subfamily Chifengiinae, but also the geographical distribution of the genus Ashanga.     

天津滨海新区地热资源循环利用研究——馆陶组热储回灌技术研究与示范

可持续回灌是地热资源循环采用的基本。本文通过热储敏感性、堵塞原因、成井结构以及地面装置分析了回灌衰减的原因。认为物理堵塞是回灌堵塞的主要原因,成井结构是维持可持续回灌的关键,标准的地面设备可避免由于物理和化学原因引起的堵塞。本文采用成功的成井结构和标准的地面装置开展馆陶组热储回灌地热资源循环采用的示范工程建设,回灌率达到100~123 m3/h,实现了天津滨海新区馆陶组热储回灌突破,保证了滨海新区馆陶组地热资源循环利用。     

PCBs and organochlorine pesticides in Hector’s (Cephalorhynchus hectori hectori) and Maui’s (Cephalorhynchus hectori maui) dolphins

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine (OC) pesticide levels were determined in blubber samples collected from stranded and incidentally by-caught Hector’s (Cephalorhynchus hectori hectori) and Maui’s (Cephalorhynchus hectori maui) dolphins from New Zealand waters between 1997 and 2009. PCBs (45 congeners) and a range of OC pesticides including dieldrin, hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), along with its metabolites DDE and DDD were determined. OC pesticides dieldrin, p,p′-DDE, p,p′-DDD and p,p′-DDT were present at the highest concentrations. Sum DDT concentrations ranged from 93.7 to 8210 (Mean = 1358, S.D = 1974) and 252.4 to 57,390 (Mean = 12,389, S.D = 18,161) μg/kg wet weight in females and males, respectively. Similarly, Σ45CB concentrations ranged from 45.5 to 981.3 (Mean = 333.2, S.D = 265.8) and 60.5 to 5574 (Mean = 1833, S.D = 1659) μg/kg wet weight in females and males, respectively. The transfer of ΣDDTs and summed PCBs (both as ΣICES7CBs and Σ45CBs) between a pregnant female and her unborn fetus was calculated at 5.7% and 4.3%, respectively. As the fetus was close to term, this likely represents the degree of placental transfer. Concentrations of OC pesticides determined in the present study are higher than those previously reported for Hector’s dolphins. Sum DDT and DDE/ΣDDT levels calculated reveal New Zealand’s legacy of DDT usage, particularly off the east coast of the South Island.     

The geomorphology and evolution of a large barrier spit: Farewell Spit,New Zealand

Farewell Spit is a 25 km long barrier spit that marks the end of a littoral drift system, almost 1000 km in length that runs along South Island, New Zealand. The spit is composed of barchan dunes over 20 m high, sand sheets over 1 km wide and vegetated linear dunes. Analysis of aerial photography indicates a rapid colonization of the spit by vegetation which has expanded in area by 75% since 1950. Vegetation colonization preferentially occurs on the southern side of the spit, with its northern margin characterized by barchan dunes which migrate at rates of up to 64 m/yr. Sand sourced from longshore drift appears to be the primary source of beach sediment, which is then transported into the dune field by the persistent westerly winds of the Roaring 40s. While there has been significant dune roll‐over on the surface of the spit, its overall area has remained much the same for the past 54 years. Occasional cyclone events cause erosion, but this is balanced by aeolian sediment transport. It would appear that extension of the subaerial portion of the spit is related to the development of shells banks at its downdrift end which are periodically welded to the main spit by dune extension. Farewell Spit therefore provides an ideal example of a barrier environment where longshore sediment supply and aeolian transport dominates geomorphic evolution. This differentiates the study site from other barrier environments where overwash or tidal inlet development often characterizes recent landform evolution. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Predicting wetted width in any river at any discharge

Coefficients describing at‐a‐station power‐law relationships between discharge and width were calculated by applying multilevel models to field data collected during routine hydrological monitoring at 326 gauging stations across New Zealand. These hydraulic geometry coefficients were then estimated for each of these stations using standard stepwise multiple‐linear regression models. Analysis was carried out to quantify how the relationship between width and discharge changed in relation to several available explanatory variables. All coefficients describing the at‐a‐station hydraulic geometry were found to have statistically significant relationships with catchment area. Statistically significant relationships between each of the coefficients were also found with the addition of catchment climate as an explanatory variable. Further statistically significant relationships were found when station elevation and channel slope, as well as hydrological source of flow and landcover of the upstream catchment were added to the explanatory variables. The level of confidence that can be associated with estimates of width at ungauged sites, and sites with limited data availability, was then assessed by comparing model predictions with independent paired data on observed width and discharge from 197 sites. When compared against these independent data, model predictions of width were improved with the addition of predictor variables of the hydraulic geometry coefficients. The greatest improvements were made when climate was added to catchment area as predictor variables. Minor improvements were made when all available information was used to predict width at these independent sites. Although the analysis was purely empirical, results describing relationships between hydraulic geometry coefficients and catchment characteristics corresponded well with knowledge of the processes controlling at‐a‐station hydraulic geometry of river width. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.