Towards a long-term monitoring of Central European water mite faunas (Acari: Hydrachnidia and Halacaridae) – considerations on the background of data from 1900 to 2000

The state of knowledge of the Central European water mite fauna and the research history are briefly surveyed. Several areas for which we are provided with rich data sets are of high value for the monitoring of faunistic trends on the background of local and global environmental change. The need for a database combining historical and actual faunistic information is stressed. It should facilitate the access to all data from former times, give a survey on actual activities by regular updates, and help for a better organization of future research activities. On the base of an update of the Limnofauna Europaea (K.O. Viets 1978, Gerecke in www.watermite.org) a first attempt is made to (1) recognize changes in the Central European fauna during the past 100 years; (2) emphasize species which may be endangered or have disappeared during the past 100 years. At the present state of knowledge, the degree of threat to water mite species in this area is best calculated from their preference for particular habitat types which are rare and in danger to disappear in cultivated landscapes. Our knowledge concerning neozoic water mites in the study area is discussed.     

黄河三角洲温地鸟类名录

1996－1998年对黄河三角洲湿地鸟类连续进行了3年观察和调查，共观察到和鉴定出湿地鸟类199种，隶属于16目38科。     

青草沙水库工程的风险识别

青草沙水库工程属大型水利工程。工程在施工阶段和运行期间,均存在不确定性因素多、风险因素和风险事件发生概率大的特点。本文利用风险识别方法,对青草沙水库工程不同阶段的风险进行了识别。     

建立海岛保护名录制度的必要性研究

《中华人民共和国海岛保护法》明确了我国海岛保护的主要内容。从海岛保护规制视角,我国已建立规划、调查评估、生态系统保护和海岛分类保护等制度。在我国大力推进海洋生态文明建设的背景下,文章提出包括海岛生态保护在内的海岛保护管理工作存在诸多方面的挑战,无法有效与我国生态文明相关制度相衔接。我国海岛数量众多、情况各异,有必要实施海岛名录化管理,建立海岛保护名录制度,通过分析其在推动海洋生态文明制度建设等方面的重要意义,主张其为完善我国海岛保护制度的重要可行路径。     

Think globally,act locally: On the status of the threatened fauna in the Central Himalaya of Nepal

The World Conservation Union (IUCN) publishes the Red List of Threatened Species, the most authoritative information available globally on the conservation status of species. However, the status of globally threatened species remains controversial at local levels because many of them are not protected as part of national statutory law. Such anomalies are examples of controversies in implementing the much-hyped environmental slogan “think globally, act locally”. Here we provide a comparative review between globally threatened species as listed by the IUCN Red List found in Nepal and those of nationally protected species under Nepalese law. We discovered a significantly higher diversity of globally threatened mammals and birds in Nepal than would be expected relative to their global ratios. We established remarkable disparities in species conservation in Nepal: (1) a large number (an average of 85% of species of five taxonomic groups: mammals, birds, amphibians, fishes and reptiles) of IUCN-listed globally threatened species found in Nepal are not protected by national law; (2) most protected species listed are mammals (70%), but more than half of globally-threatened mammals found in Nepal are not protected; and (3) amphibians and fish are not protected, although they represent 12% of the total number of globally-threatened species found in the country. Such large gaps in Nepalese conservation law are an indication of unresponsive and inefficient conservation planning. The Government of Nepal and international conservation partners should: (1) emphasize knowledge-based conservation strategies for all taxonomic groups; and (2) prioritize updating the lists of protected species.     

Marine aquarium trade in India: Challenges and opportunities for conservation and policy

The collection of marine taxa for the aquarium trade continues to demand live animals be extracted from reefs, but in doing so, offers economic benefits for local communities. To improve our understanding of the status of marine aquariumtrade in India, information on harvested species and their volume was gathered at the major collection hubs (Tuticorin, Kilakarai and Mandapam) in the Gulf of Mannar region, and compared to the export data. During one year, 87 species of fish (51% belonging to the family Pomacentridae) and 21 species of invertebrates were harvested for the trade. The conservation status of exploited species revealed that nearly 50% (n=43) have not been assessed for their extinction risk by the IUCN, while of the 44 species assessed, 41 were Least Concern (LC), and one each was in the Data Deficient (DD), Near Threatened (NT) and Endangered (EN) categories. While many fish were collected, only a few were exported from India. The sea anemones were the major export as they were of a higher value in the international markets, largely attributed to their color patterns. Price discrepancies within the trade value of marine fishes and invertebrates used for the aquarium trade indicated that price increased approximately 200% at each transition in the value chain (collectors to wholesalers, wholesalers to retailers). Management strategies and conservation plans for India's marine ornamental taxa subjected to exploitation are provided so as to ensure long-term sustainability of the coral reef ecosystems, as well as the livelihood that are dependent on them.     

The Triassic of Monte San Giorgio in the World Heritage List of UNESCO: An opportunity for science, the local people and tourism

No abstract.  .     

A letter of clarification from the authors of “trophy fishing for species threatened with extinction”

A rejoinder to our recent paper suggests that there has been confusion over our central point. The 85 IUCN Red List Threatened species that the International Game Fish Association issues world records became threatened due to commercial overfishing, not recreational. However, given that they are threatened now, we have concerns about trophy fishing for them, at least in the current form that precludes catch and release. Additionally, while the IGFA claims that an insignificantly low number of record applications for these species have been submitted, many more anglers attempt to catch a large fish than end up submitting record applications. We are grateful for the opportunity to discuss this important issue.