#Centre for Ecology and Hydrology

[indizombie]

A report by 86 biodiversity experts reviewed thousands of studies looking at the ecological and economic damage caused. Co-author of the report, Prof Helen Roy of the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, said climate change will make the situation even worse. "The future threat from invasive alien species is a major concern. 37% of the 37,000 alien species known today have been reported since 1970 - largely caused by rising levels of global trade and human travel."

Helen Briggs, ‘UK bees in danger as Asian hornet sightings rise’, BBC

[mariacallous]

Urban ducks and crows might offer us a connection to nature, but scientists have found wild birds that live near humans are more likely to harbor bacteria resistant to important antibiotics.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is largely caused by the overuse of drugs such as antibiotics among humans and livestock.

The issue is of serious concern: According to data for 2019, about 4.95 million deaths globally were associated with bacterial AMR, including 1.27 million directly caused by such resistance.

Researchers say species of wild birds that tend to turn up in urban settings are reservoirs for bacteria with the hallmarks of resistance to a host of drugs.

“Basically what we’re seeing are genes that confer resistance to antimicrobials that would be used to treat human infections,” said Samuel Sheppard, coauthor of the research from the Ineos Oxford Institute for Antimicrobial Research.

The team say their findings are important as wild birds have the capacity to travel over considerable distances. Sheppard said a key concern was that these birds could pass antimicrobial-resistant bacteria to captive birds destined to be eaten by humans—such as those kept in poultry farms.

Writing in the journal Current Biology, Sheppard and colleagues report how they analyzed the genomes of bacteria found in 700 samples of bird poo from 30 wild bird species in Canada, Finland, Italy, Lithuania, Japan, Sweden, the UK, and the US.

The team looked specifically at the presence of different strains of Campylobacter jejuni—a type of bacteria that are ubiquitous in birds as a natural part of their gut microbiome. Such bacteria are a leading cause of human gastroenteritis, although antibiotics are generally only used in severe cases.

Sheppard added that, in general, each wild bird would be expected to harbor a single strain of C. jejuni, specific to that species.

However, the team found wild birds that turn up in urban settings contain many more strains of C. jejuni than those that live away from humans.

What’s more, the strains found in urban-dwelling species contained about three times as many genes known to result in antimicrobial resistance, with these genes also associated with resistance to a broader range of antimicrobials.

The authors suggest that wild birds may pick up antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in a number of ways: Gulls and crows, for example, are known to lurk at landfill sites, while ducks and geese may pick them up in rivers and lakes that are contaminated with human wastewater.

Thomas Van Boeckel, an expert in antimicrobial resistance at ETH Zurich who was not involved in the work, said the research was unusual as it focused on the impact of antimicrobial use by humans on animals.

“What are the consequences of that for the birds? We don’t really know but it seems like we humans are responsible for this change,” he said.

Danna Gifford from the University of Manchester added the findings could have implications for human health.

“While alarming, the risk of direct transmission of resistance from urban birds to humans is unclear. Poultry-to-human transmission, however, is well documented,” she said. “With urban development encroaching on agricultural land, increasing contact between urban birds and poultry raises significant concerns about indirect transmission through the food chain.”

Andrew Singer, of the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, said more samples were needed to ensure the results stood up, but that precautions could be taken.

“The most obvious place to start is to ensure birds do not congregate in our landfills, wastewater treatment plants, and animal muck piles, where both pathogens and AMR are abundant,” he said. “Moreover, we must also eliminate the discharge of untreated sewage into our rivers, which exposes all river-using wildlife—and humans—to human-associated pathogens and AMR.”

[rjzimmerman]

Yesterday, I posted a summary of the study and report described in this Grist article. We get more details (if we're interested) here. Additionally, to me, the recommendations to proceed more holistically with the numerous global issues dealing with biodiversity and the climate are critically important. I've been repeating this mantra for several years, and will continue to do so. Deal with the environment = solve the climate crisis.

Excerpt from this story from Grist:

As global temperatures rise from the burning of fossil fuels, researchers and policymakers have proposed solutions like installing renewable energy, replacing gasoline-powered cars with electric ones, and developing technology to suck carbon out of the air. But these policies often address climate change in isolation — without regard for other pressing issues like a decline in biodiversity, the contamination of freshwater sources, and the pollution of agricultural soils. 

A new report released Tuesday by the United Nations’ expert panel on biodiversity makes the case for a different approach based on addressing the “nexus” between two or more out of five essential issue areas: climate change, biodiversity, food, human health, and water. Such an approach is not only more likely to help the world meet various U.N. targets on biodiversity, sustainable development, and climate mitigation; it’s also more cost-effective.

“We have to move decisions and actions beyond single-issue silos,” said Paula Harrison, a professor of land and water modeling at the U.K. Centre for Ecology and Hydrology and a co-chair of the report, in a statement. Other scientific reports have studied the interlinkages between two or three of these issues, but she told reporters on Tuesday that this latest report is the “most ambitious” to date.

The new report was the result of three years of work of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, or IPBES, an expert body that’s analogous to the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which periodically assesses the state of the science on global warming.

The report centers on biodiversity — that’s the IPBES’s remit, after all — describing how the variety of life on Earth is “essential to our very existence.” But it goes out of its way to show how rapidly accelerating biodiversity loss is both contributing to and being exacerbated by other crises. Climate change, for instance, is making some habitats inhospitable to their erstwhile animal populations, while the loss of those populations can have impacts on freshwater availability and carbon storage. The five interlinking issues were selected by representatives of the 147 IPBES’s member countries.

Meanwhile, solutions that focus on just one issue may have detrimental effects on other elements. Pete Smith, a professor of soils and global change at the University of Aberdeen in the United Kingdom, gave the example of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, or BECCS, a climate solution in which crops are grown to draw CO2 out of the air and then burned to generate energy. The resulting greenhouse gas emissions are captured and stored in rock formations, with the aim of removing them from the carbon cycle permanently.

The problem, Smith said, is that to implement this process on a large scale would require vast tracts of land that might otherwise have been used to grow food crops — so BECCS can unintentionally harm food security. Devoting land to single-variety crops can also use up lots of water and jeopardize biodiversity.

[jessica-marie-baumgartner]

YOU are the carbon they want to reduce

If you're worried, just plant more trees!

[scientificinquirer-blog]

Invertebrate biodiversity is improving in England’s rivers, long-term trends show.

Rivers across England have seen a significant improvement in river invertebrate biodiversity since 1989, shows a study led by UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) researchers. The study, which involved one of the largest and most wide-ranging analyses of long-term monitoring data in the world – spanning over 30 years, found improvements in invertebrate biodiversity across all regions and…

[evoldir]

Fwd: Postdoc: UAberdeen.EvolutionaryEcol

Begin forwarded message: > From: evoldir@evol.biology.mcmaster.ca > Subject: Postdoc: UAberdeen.EvolutionaryEcol > Date: 26 June 2024 at 05:11:47 BST > To: rdmpage@gmail.com > > > > Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Evolutionary Ecology > > School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, UK > > Fully funded for 3.5 years, closing date for applications July 15th 2024 > > The primary project objectives are to quantify selection and genetic > variation underlying expression of diverse forms of seasonal migration > versus residence, and to predict the implications for eco-evolutionary > dynamics in seasonally mobile systems. This will be achieved using > advanced statistical analyses of multi-year field data from a system of > partially migratory birds in Scotland. > > The successful applicant will lead the development and application of > statistical models to quantify spatio-temporal variation in selection > acting on non-breeding season location, and hence on the form of seasonal > migration versus residence.  The post will suit an applicant with wide > interests in utilising field data to address conceptual questions in > ecology and/or evolutionary biology. > > The ideal candidate will have demonstrated interests in understanding > population, behavioural and/or evolutionary ecology in wild populations, > and in working at the interface between statistical and empirical > advances. They will have strong quantitative skills, including advanced > statistical analyses (which could include generalized linear mixed models, > capture-mark-recapture analyses and/or Bayesian analyses, although further > training will be provided). They will ideally have some experience of > working on relevant topics, for example involving demography, evolutionary > ecology, seasonal migration or other forms of movement or life-history > variation in wild populations. They will have demonstrated abilities to > work effectively as part of a collaborative research team, including > excellent written and verbal communication skills. They will also be > self-motivated and able to work independently on a day-to-day basis. > > The post is part of a UK NERC Pushing the Frontiers research project, > aiming to understand eco-evolutionary dynamics involving partial seasonal > migration. It provides an exciting opportunity for a postdoctoral > researcher to contribute to major new attempts to predict such > eco-evolutionary dynamics in nature. > > The researcher will be based primarily in the School of Biological > Sciences, University of Aberdeen, UK. There will be close working > collaborations with researchers at Norwegian University of Science > and Technology (NTNU, Norway) and UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology > (Edinburgh, UK, Professor Francis Daunt), with opportunities for extended > visits to these groups. > > Apply at www.abdn.ac.uk/jobs > > Enquiries to Professor Jane Reid (jane.reid@abdn.ac.uk) are welcome. > > The University of Aberdeen is a charity registered in Scotland, No SC013683. > Tha Oilthigh Obar Dheathain na charthannas cl�raichte ann an Alba, �ir. SC013683. > > "Reid, Dr Jane M."

[crristinaa-level6]

MJ: research lakes

Plastic pollution is higher in some lakes than in oceans

Water samples were collected from 38 lakes and reservoirs in 23 countries spanning six continents, representing diverse environmental conditions.

The samples were analyzed at the University of Milan-Bicocca for the presence of plastic particles larger than 0.25mm.

The study engaged 79 researchers from the Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network (GLEON), marking the first instance where plastic concentrations in freshwater environments surpassed those in oceanic 'garbage patches'.

Lakes with the highest plastic contamination included vital sources of drinking water for communities and played significant roles in local economies, such as Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland, Lake Maggiore in Italy, Lugano on the Switzerland/Italy border, and Lake Tahoe in the USA.

Samples collected from Windermere by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) exhibited minimal plastic concentrations in surface water.

UKCEH freshwater ecologist Heidrun Feuchtmayr, a co-author of the study, highlighted the significance of this standardized global survey, underscoring the extent of freshwater plastic pollution worldwide.

Lead author Veronica Nava from the University of Milan-Bicocca noted that plastic accumulation on aquatic surfaces could contribute to the release of methane and other greenhouse gases.

Concerns persist regarding the impact of plastic debris on aquatic species and ecosystem functioning, necessitating further data to assess its effects on environmental organisms.

Scientists involved in the study aspire for their findings to guide reviews of pollution reduction strategies and waste management practices.

[vegansforfuture]

Ein neuer UN-Bericht beschäftigt sich mit der Stickstoffbelastung (Überdüngung) von Böden, Luft und Gewässern und kommt zu dem Ergebnis, dass 80% des ausgebrachten Stickstoffs in die Umwelt entweicht und wir unseren Tierproduktekonsum dringend drastisch reduzieren müssen! 👍😎🌱

Vegconomist dazu: "Die UNO hat sich zum Ziel gesetzt, die Stickstoffabfälle bis 2030 um 50 % zu reduzieren und eine Gruppe von Forschern ist der Ansicht, dass dies am besten erreicht werden kann, wenn alle Gruppen gemeinsam maßvolle Maßnahmen ergreifen (...).

Eine Reduzierung des Fleisch- und Milchkonsums auf etwa 500 Gramm Fleisch pro Woche oder eine Änderung der landwirtschaftlichen Praktiken und der Einsatz neuer Technologien, die alle von der Regierung unterstützt werden, sind nach Ansicht der Forscher der beste Weg, um die Verschmutzung der Flüsse und der Luft zu bremsen.

Zu den weiteren Maßnahmen zählen auch der effizientere Einsatz von Düngemitteln und die effizientere Lagerung von Dung durch die Landwirte, die Verringerung der Lebensmittelverschwendung durch Einzelhändler und Verbraucher, die Rückgewinnung von Stickstoff in Kläranlagen durch die Wasserwirtschaft und die Schaffung von Anreizen für eine nachhaltigere Lebensmittelauswahl durch die Regierungen.

Professor Mark Sutton, Mitherausgeber des Berichts und Umweltphysiker am UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), erklärt: „Seien wir ehrlich, das Ziel für 2030 ist extrem ehrgeizig. Wenn wir es erreichen wollen, welche Möglichkeiten gibt es dann? Es sind nicht nur technische Maßnahmen – wir alle müssen über unsere Ernährungsgewohnheiten nachdenken. Unsere Ernährungsgewohnheiten haben Einfluss auf die Wasserverschmutzung und den Klimawandel. Wir müssen also alle einen Beitrag leisten.“" 👍😊🌱

Quellen: ➡ LINK 1 ➡ LINK 2 ➡ LINK 3

CHANGE IS COMING! 😊💚

[orville-j-clutchpopper]

I'm telling you-- STOP this ride! I want off!

[indianflash123]

Humans, Most Deadliest predators In Earth

Humans have emerged as the planet’s most extraordinary predator, doing things that other predators do not, killing or capturing for reasons other than feeding themselves, according to study by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) and the University of Victoria in Canada. The research indicates that over one third of all vertebrate species on Earth are utilized by humans, leading to…

[indianflashnews]

Humans, Most Deadliest predators In Earth

Humans have emerged as the planet’s most extraordinary predator, doing things that other predators do not, killing or capturing for reasons other than feeding themselves, according to study by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) and the University of Victoria in Canada. The research indicates that over one third of all vertebrate species on Earth are utilized by humans, leading to…

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from Nation of Change:

Canada’s record-shattering 2023 wildfires produced nearly as much greenhouse gas emissions in a single season as would typically be expected over an entire decade of wildfires. As the climate crisis continues to intensify, these unprecedented fires are a stark warning of the environmental and health impacts that lie ahead if global emissions are not dramatically reduced.

The 2023 fire season in Canada was unlike any other in recorded history. The area burned was six times greater than the average year, with nearly 12 million hectares—an area roughly the size of Nicaragua—devastated by flames. These fires released approximately 2 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere, accounting for about a quarter of the total global emissions from wildfires that year. To put this in perspective, the emissions from Canada’s wildfires alone were nearly half of the United States’ total annual emissions from all sources, which stood at 4.8 billion tonnes.

The sheer scale of these emissions underscores the growing threat posed by wildfires as the planet warms. According to a study co-led by the University of East Anglia (UEA), the United Kingdom’s Met Office, the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), and the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH), the extreme wildfires in Canada and parts of the Amazon were made at least three times more likely by human-driven climate change. The report’s findings are part of the State of Wildfires 2023-2024, which draws on global satellite observations, computer models, and research from regional experts.

“Last year, we saw wildfires killing people, destroying properties and infrastructure, causing mass evacuations, threatening livelihoods, and damaging vital ecosystems,” said Dr. Matthew Jones, a research fellow with UEA’s Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research and lead author of the report. “Wildfires are becoming more frequent and intense as the climate warms, and both society and the environment are suffering from the consequences.”

Wildfires are a natural occurrence in many of the world’s hot regions, but the climate crisis is making them more frequent and severe. The report highlights how changing weather patterns, driven by rising global temperatures, have shifted fire regimes away from their natural state. In Canada, for example, the fires of 2023 were fueled by an unprecedented combination of hot, dry conditions and abundant dry vegetation, creating the perfect conditions for the fires to spread rapidly and burn with intensity.

[atlanticcanada]

Humans as predators impacting thousands of species: Global study co-authored by N.S. researcher

With more than eight-billion humans on the planet, a team of international researchers have now quantified the population’s significant impact on other species.

The study, published in in the journal Communications Biology, examines the effects of humans as global predators, rather than just inhabitants, on other living things.

“We're just so out there in terms of our use of wildlife,” says Boris Worm, Dalhousie University marine ecologist and one of the co-authors of the study.

After crunching the numbers, the team found humans use far more species for their own purposes than any other animal on earth.

“Assessed over equivalent ranges,” the study says, “humans exploit up to 300 times more species than comparable non-human predators.”

“About one in three species, 15,000 vertebrates (species with a backbone) are affected by human use,” says Worm. “And in 40 per cent of those, that human use is considered a threat.”

Humans, he explains, are unique in their development of culture and trade, which results in the use of animals for everything from pharmaceuticals to fashion.

“We have culture, we have very elaborate social behavior,” he says, “(and) we have trade, we have commercial goods, and (that) drives the exploitation of a lot of species.”

While most of nature’s predators hunt primarily for sustenance, the study found humans do not.

“About 74 per cent of species, almost three in four, that are used by people on land, are used also or exclusively for non-food uses,” Worm explains.

From pangolins driven towards extinction for their scales to exotic birds hunted down for their feathers, Worm says predation for personal pleasure is also singular to humans.

The study also found the capture of wildlife as pets is surprisingly significant.

“On land, there was twice as many species were used for pets, compared to (those) used for food,” says Rob Cooke, study co-author and ecological modeler at the U.K. Centre for Ecology and Hydrology.

“There's the caged bird industry, fish in aquariums, and reptiles and amphibians, there's huge demand,” he explains.

Cooke says there have been cases in which people have recognized the negative effects of overconsumption on a species, developing regulations in response.

“Often with fishing you have quotas,” he says. “And (when) you fish below the quota, the population can continue reproducing and keep sustaining itself.”

Cooke says using community-based, sustainable methods, in a “decentralization of our interaction with nature”, makes a difference.

“We need to think more about the longevity of these industries, if we're going to have sustainable use of animals, and maybe there's species of animals where we don't need to use them,” he says.

“Our interest in a species can actually wipe them out from the face of the earth for no good reason,” says Worm. “And I think we are smarter than that.”

Worm says when a species becomes extinct, it has a proven ripple effect on entire ecosystems. He and the other authors consider their work both a warning and a call to action, to take a hard look at how humans use animals, to prevent “profound consequences.” 

from CTV News - Atlantic https://ift.tt/qAv1kRr

[myfeeds]

How tidal range electricity generation could meet future demand and storage problems

Research by Lancaster University’s School of Engineering and the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology combined a tidal range power generation model with its cost model to demonstrate the viability of tidal power. Professor George Aggidis, Head of Energy Engineering at Lancaster University, said: “The obvious question for the UK, with one of the best tidal resources globally, is why haven’t we already got a tidal barrage scheme?” The research published in Energy demonstrates the benefits of tidal energy, which does not suffer from unpredictable intermittency as power is generated both day and night. The creation of a tidal barrage could operate for 120 years or more to meet future demand and storage problems. Professor Aggidis said: “There is an urgent need to kick-start the selection and development of schemes around Britain. Tidal range generation is predictable renewable energy driven by the gravitational pull of the moon and sun. The environmental and economic benefits are huge as barrages can protect coastal areas from flooding and sea level rise. With two-way generation and pumping, the full range of existing tides can be maintained within impoundments to protect and support low-lying intertidal areas such as saltmarshes and mudflats. Our studies show that with modern technology and operating procedures, estuarine barrages are the only practical way to protect these vital habitats. Coastal lagoons have also been proposed for several locations around Britain’s coast. Schemes will provide jobs in construction and manufacturing for generations to come as well as opportunities for transport, communication, conservation, and recreation. In the long-term they will provide reliable power with reduced costs.” The UK has the second highest tidal range in the world and offers the UK a level of independence from global prices and in the long-term cheap clean power. Currently the Tidal Range projects under commercial consideration offer an achievable 10 GW installed capacity, delivering over 20TWh/y, about 5% of UK energy use. Based on the UK relevant resource availability there is the potential to further increase this installed capacity over 4 to 5 times with other tidal range project sites around the UK. Such developments are essential to assist the UK to reduce its carbon emissions by replacing fossil fuel power stations. The current UK total generating capacity is around 42.8 GW that includes fossil fuels (19.2GW 44.9%), renewables (16.5GW, 38.5%), and low carbon (7.1GW — 16.6%). The La Rance Tidal Range plant in France today generates the cheapest electricity in the EDF fleet — cheaper than nuclear.

[pontiobangor]

AT EICH COED / TREE SENSE comes to Pontio, Bangor’s public spaces this Spring

We’re proud to announce a multi-disciplinary exhibition AT EICH COED / TREE SENSE that explores multiple perspectives on trees and inter-relationships with people, wildlife and the wider environment in Pontio’s public spaces. AT EICH COED / TREE SENSE is curated by Pontio with Bangor University and the UK Centre of Ecology and Hydrology and will be open from March until May.

AT EICH COED / TREE SENSE brings Pontio and staff and departments of Bangor University together, drawing on Bangor University’s position as the UK’s leading centre for research and education on trees, their conservation and management. Resident artists and art commissions are a key element of the project, that combines art and science to explore many perceptions of trees through a series of creative installations, discussions, workshops and performances.

The exhibition will encourage visitors to take a different view of trees, including their form and diversity, the health benefits of trees, their contribution to a sense of place, how trees can mitigate climate change, the effects of climate change on trees, and how humans have used trees throughout our history.

Manon Awst, Pontio Public Spaces Creative Co-ordinator said,

“It’s been a privilege to work with all the artists and different departments within the University on this project. The variation of art forms and content of this project is sure to appeal to a wide audience, and I’m looking forward to seeing the finished products.”

John Healy, Professor of Forest Sciences at Bangor University and member of the steering group said,

“In the exhibition, we are celebrating the role of trees in our lives from every perspective, from the science of forestry and conservation, through health and wellbeing, to history and the arts. Trees form the structure of forest habitats that have the highest biodiversity on earth, have been the stage for the evolutionary history of primates, and have played a key role throughout the development of human civilization. They provide us with the most renewable material for our shelter, locking up carbon in the wooden structure and furnishing of our homes. Bangor University is the UK's leading centre for research and education on trees, their conservation and management.”

Following an open call for commissions and resident artists, the following artists work will be on display in Pontio’s public spaces over the coming months. Anthony ynohtnA’s scultpture ‘Euler’ will be hung in Pontio’s main atrium, made of wooden posts which form a helix, the form reminds us of the presence and influence of humans in every aspect of our environment. Utopias Bach, a creative collective,invites you to explore personal and communal relationships to the human and more-than-human world during their residency. Joe Roberts is an artist, metalworker, and environment sector strategist, and presents ‘Everywhere at once and nowhere in particular’ centred on the last remaining Yew tree at the site of Eglwys Llanfair Garth Branan, the medieval church that sat in the grounds of Bangor University. During Molly Macleod’s residency, she will explore the rare Menai Whitebeam, a critically endangered species of tree which is only found in a small area by the shore of the Menai Strait, in the Nant Porth Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSI).

Contributors from Bangor University include, Amy Gresham and Heli Gittins (+ Coed Lleol) from the School of Natural Sciences, Anna Monnereau and Lucy Finchett-Maddock from the School of History, Law and Social Sciences, Kathryn Davies from the School of Ocean Sciences / Treborth Botanic Gardens, Catherine Walker and Kate Randall from the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Caleb Nichols + Briony Collins, Lina Davitt, Judith Samuel, Sarah Pogoda and Zoë Skoulding from the School of Arts, Culture and Language.

A special display ‘For Dom, Bruno & the Amazon’ will also be presented, in memory of the journalist Dom Phillips and indigenous expert Bruno Pereira who were murdered last year while researching the Amazon.

The exhibition will open on Friday 3 March, 5.30pm with live performances as well as artwork and research. A programme of events will be held over the coming months, with children’s workshops, poetry performances and Art Kiosk Night. More information on all the events can be seen here: https://www.pontio.co.uk/online/article/AtEichCoed