| 1. |
- Downey, Harriet, et al.
(författare)
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Training future generations to deliver evidence-based conservation and ecosystem management
- 2021
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Ingår i: Ecological Solutions and Evidence. - : Wiley. - 2688-8319. ; 2:1
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- 1. To be effective, the next generation of conservation practitioners and managers need to be critical thinkers with a deep understanding of how to make evidence-based decisions and of the value of evidence synthesis.2. If, as educators, we do not make these priorities a core part of what we teach, we are failing to prepare our students to make an effective contribution to conservation practice.3. To help overcome this problem we have created open access online teaching materials in multiple languages that are stored in Applied Ecology Resources. So far, 117 educators from 23 countries have acknowledged the importance of this and are already teaching or about to teach skills in appraising or using evidence in conservation decision-making. This includes 145 undergraduate, postgraduate or professional development courses.4. We call for wider teaching of the tools and skills that facilitate evidence-based conservation and also suggest that providing online teaching materials in multiple languages could be beneficial for improving global understanding of other subject areas.
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| 2. |
- Palmer, Nicholette D, et al.
(författare)
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A genome-wide association search for type 2 diabetes genes in African Americans.
- 2012
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Ingår i: PloS one. - San Francisco : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 7:1, s. e29202-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- African Americans are disproportionately affected by type 2 diabetes (T2DM) yet few studies have examined T2DM using genome-wide association approaches in this ethnicity. The aim of this study was to identify genes associated with T2DM in the African American population. We performed a Genome Wide Association Study (GWAS) using the Affymetrix 6.0 array in 965 African-American cases with T2DM and end-stage renal disease (T2DM-ESRD) and 1029 population-based controls. The most significant SNPs (n = 550 independent loci) were genotyped in a replication cohort and 122 SNPs (n = 98 independent loci) were further tested through genotyping three additional validation cohorts followed by meta-analysis in all five cohorts totaling 3,132 cases and 3,317 controls. Twelve SNPs had evidence of association in the GWAS (P<0.0071), were directionally consistent in the Replication cohort and were associated with T2DM in subjects without nephropathy (P<0.05). Meta-analysis in all cases and controls revealed a single SNP reaching genome-wide significance (P<2.5×10(-8)). SNP rs7560163 (P = 7.0×10(-9), OR (95% CI) = 0.75 (0.67-0.84)) is located intergenically between RND3 and RBM43. Four additional loci (rs7542900, rs4659485, rs2722769 and rs7107217) were associated with T2DM (P<0.05) and reached more nominal levels of significance (P<2.5×10(-5)) in the overall analysis and may represent novel loci that contribute to T2DM. We have identified novel T2DM-susceptibility variants in the African-American population. Notably, T2DM risk was associated with the major allele and implies an interesting genetic architecture in this population. These results suggest that multiple loci underlie T2DM susceptibility in the African-American population and that these loci are distinct from those identified in other ethnic populations.
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| 3. |
- Hilt, Sabine, et al.
(författare)
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Response of submerged macrophyte communities to external and internal restoration measures in north temperate shallow lakes
- 2018
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Plant Science. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 1664-462X. ; 9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Submerged macrophytes play a key role in north temperate shallow lakes by stabilizing clear-water conditions. Eutrophication has resulted in macrophyte loss and shifts to turbid conditions in many lakes. Considerable efforts have been devoted to shallow lake restoration in many countries, but long-term success depends on a stable recovery of submerged macrophytes. However, recovery patterns vary widely and remain to be fully understood. We hypothesize that reduced external nutrient loading leads to an intermediate recovery state with clear spring and turbid summer conditions similar to the pattern described for eutrophication. In contrast, lake internal restoration measures can result in transient clear-water conditions both in spring and summer and reversals to turbid conditions. Furthermore, we hypothesize that these contrasting restoration measures result in different macrophyte species composition, with added implications for seasonal dynamics due to differences in plant traits. To test these hypotheses, we analyzed data on water quality and submerged macrophytes from 49 north temperate shallow lakes that were in a turbid state and subjected to restoration measures. To study the dynamics of macrophytes during nutrient load reduction, we adapted the ecosystem model PCLake. Our survey and model simulations revealed the existence of an intermediate recovery state upon reduced external nutrient loading, characterized by spring clear-water phases and turbid summers, whereas internal lake restoration measures often resulted in clear-water conditions in spring and summer with returns to turbid conditions after some years. External and internal lake restoration measures resulted in different macrophyte communities. The intermediate recovery state following reduced nutrient loading is characterized by a few macrophyte species (mainly pondweeds) that can resist wave action allowing survival in shallowareas, germinate early in spring, have energy-rich vegetative propagules facilitating rapid initial growth and that can complete their life cycle by early summer. Later in the growing season these plants are, according to our simulations, outcompeted by periphyton, leading to late-summer phytoplankton blooms. Internal lake restoration measures often coincide with a rapid but transient colonization by hornworts, waterweeds or charophytes. Stable clear-water conditions and a diverse macrophyte flora only occurred decades after external nutrient load reduction or when measures were combined.
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| 4. |
- Jeffries, Daniel L, et al.
(författare)
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Comparing RADseq and microsatellites to infer complex phylogeographic patterns, an empirical perspective in the Crucian carp, Carassius carassius, L
- 2016
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Ingår i: Molecular Ecology. - : Wiley. - 0962-1083 .- 1365-294X. ; 25:13, s. 2997-3018
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The conservation of threatened species must be underpinned by phylogeographic knowledge. This need is epitomised by the freshwater fish Carassius carassius, which is in decline across much of its European range. Restriction site associated DNA sequencing (RADseq) is increasingly used for such applications, however RADseq is expensive, and limitations on sample number must be weighed against the benefit of large numbers of markers. This trade-off has previously been examined using simulation studies, however, empirical comparisons between these markers, especially in a phylogeographic context, are lacking. Here, we compare the results from microsatellites and RADseq for the phylogeography of C. carassius to test whether it is more advantageous to genotype fewer markers (microsatellites) in many samples, or many markers (SNPs) in fewer samples. These datasets, along with data from the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene, agree on broad phylogeographic patterns; showing the existence of two previously unidentified C. carassius lineages in Europe; one found throughout northern and central-eastern European drainages, and a second almost exclusively confined to the Danubian catchment. These lineages have been isolated for approximately 2.15 M years, and should be considered separate conservation units. RADseq recovered finer population structure and stronger patterns of IBD than microsatellites, despite including only 17.6% of samples (38% of populations and 52% of samples per population). RADseq was also used along with Approximate Bayesian Computation to show that the postglacial colonisation routes of C. carassius differ from the general patterns of freshwater fish in Europe, likely as a result of their distinctive ecology.
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| 5. |
- Sayer, Carl D., et al.
(författare)
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The application of palaeolimnology to evidence-based lake management and conservation: examples from UK lakes
- 2012
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Ingår i: Aquatic conservation. - : John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. - 1052-7613 .- 1099-0755. ; 22:2, s. 165-180
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- * To help meet the requirements of water legislation, palaeolimnology has been widely used to establish ‘reference conditions’ and restoration targets for lakes. However, its potential for assessing the necessity and appropriateness of different lake management activities has been less publicized. * With reference to selected case studies covering consultancy projects commissioned by UK conservation agencies, this study highlights the important applied role of palaeolimnology. Using varying combinations of diatom, plant macrofossil and cladoceran analysis, the degree, timing and in many cases the likely drivers of ecological change were inferred for several lake sites. * From this basis advice was given on a range of lake management issues, including the need for sediment removal to combat eutrophication and/or the necessity of other nutrient reduction measures (Case study 1), the depth of sediment to be removed to maximize restoration potential through exposure of dormant banks of characean oospores (Case study 2), the requirement for fish management (Case study 3), and advice regarding fish farm expansion and licensing (Case study 4). Where possible management responses to the recommendations are outlined including any major outcomes. * All case studies illustrate the advantages, for lake management and conservation decision-making, of placing current lake ecological conditions in the context of long-term change. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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