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Copyright of Journal of Applied Ecology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract: Human activity and land‐use change are dramatically altering the sizes, geographical distributions and functioning of biological populations worldwide, with tremendous consequences for human well‐being. Yet our ability to measure, monitor and forecast biodiversity change – crucial to addressing it – remains limited. Biodiversity monitoring systems are being developed to improve this capacity by deriving metrics of change from an array of in situ data (e.g. field plots or species occurrence records) and Earth observations (EO; e.g. satellite or airborne imagery). However, there are few ecologically based frameworks for integrating these data into meaningful metrics of biodiversity change. Here, I describe how concepts of pattern and scale in ecology could be used to design such a framework. I review three core topics: the role of scale in measuring and modelling biodiversity patterns with EO, scale‐dependent challenges linking in situ and EO data and opportunities to apply concepts of pattern and scale to EO to improve biodiversity mapping. From this analysis emerges an actionable approach for measuring, monitoring and forecasting biodiversity change, highlighting key opportunities to establish EO as the backbone of global‐scale, science‐driven conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Average responses of forest foliar traits to elevation are well understood, but far less is known about trait distributional responses to elevation at multiple ecological scales. This limits our understanding of the ecological scales at which trait variation occurs in response to environmental drivers and change., We analyzed and compared multiple canopy foliar trait distributions using field sampling and airborne imaging spectroscopy along an Andes-to-Amazon elevation gradient. Field-estimated traits were generated from three community-weighting methods, and remotely sensed estimates of traits were made at three scales defined by sampling grain size and ecological extent., Field and remote sensing approaches revealed increases in average leaf mass per unit area ( LMA), water, nonstructural carbohydrates ( NSCs) and polyphenols with increasing elevation. Foliar nutrients and photosynthetic pigments displayed little to no elevation trend. Sample weighting approaches had little impact on field-estimated trait responses to elevation. Plot representativeness of trait distributions at landscape scales decreased with increasing elevation. Remote sensing indicated elevation-dependent increases in trait variance and distributional skew., Multiscale invariance of LMA, leaf water and NSC mark these traits as candidates for tracking forest responses to changing climate. Trait-based ecological studies can be greatly enhanced with multiscale studies made possible by imaging spectroscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We sought to determine if idiographic, or self-defined, measures added to our understanding of patients with bladder cancer's quality of life (QOL) prior to radical cystectomy (RC). We tested whether idiographic measures increased prediction of global QOL beyond standard (nomothetic) measures of QOL components.Methods: We administered the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaires (QLQ)-C30 and QLQ-BLM30, and our own idiographic Quality of Life Appraisal Profile prior to RC. Idiographic measures included number of goal statements, distance from goal attainment, and ability to complete goal attainment activities. Multivariate linear regression was used to predict measures of global QOL and related constructs of life satisfaction and mental health.Results: Two hundred fiftheen patients reported a median of 8 (interquartile range [IQR] 6, 11) goals and half had an average goal attainment rating above 6.9 out of 10 (IQR 5.5, 8.2). On multivariable analysis, QLQ-C30 role functioning and QLQ-BLM30 future perspective explained 15.7% of the variability in preoperative global QOL. Including goal attainment and activity difficulty explained an additional 12% of global QOL variance. Smaller gains were seen on measures of global health, life satisfaction, mental health, and activity, suggesting that idiographic measures capture aspects of QOL distinct from health and functional status defined by nomothetic scales.Conclusions: Idiographic assessment of QOL added to prediction of global QOL above and beyond health-related components measured using nomothetic instruments. This self-defined information may be valuable in communicating with cancer patients about their QOL. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invasive introduced mammals ( IIMs) have ecological and social dimensions that require holistic research to integrate academic disciplines with basic and applied sciences., We assessed current knowledge of IIMs to determine trends in their study and management in southern South America., A keyword search was used to select indexed papers in the Web of Science. These were reviewed to assess each study's objective, methodology, country, publication year, and taxa. Unpublished 'grey' literature was added to evaluate further each species' native range, year of introduction, the reason for its introduction, its distribution, dispersal pathways, impacts, and management., Most of the 190 peer-reviewed publications were focused on autecology and impacts of IIMs; less than 4% addressed management or social topics. Twenty-three IIMs have been documented in the study area. The southern Magellanic subpolar forest was the most invaded ecoregion (17 spp.), and the most studied orders, from 440 records in 190 papers, were Artiodactyla (35%) and Rodentia (28%). Together, livestock and commensals brought during early European colonisation constituted 44% of this assemblage, but hunting was the major reason behind the introduction of IIMs (30%)., To enhance policies and institutional frameworks pertaining to biological invasions, we highlight the importance of: 1) recognising the presence and spread of IIMs in 'pristine' or protected areas; 2) improving controls to prevent new introductions and escapes; 3) including social and cultural aspects of biological invasions in research and management plans; 4) reinforcing hunting regulations; 5) establishing long-term programmes to monitor distribution and dispersion; 6) creating mechanisms for scientists and managers to co-produce research and policy programmes oriented towards applied issues; 7) developing pilot management projects in critical areas; 8) achieving societal involvement in management programmes to ensure public acceptance; and 9) developing prioritisation tools, as resources needed to manage IIMs are often limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To evaluate whether the number of preoperative prostate biopsies affects functional outcomes after radical prostatectomy (RP). Methods We identified patients treated with RP at our institution between 2008 and 2011. At 6 and 12 months postoperatively, the patients completed questionnaires assessing erectile and urinary function. Patients with preoperative incontinence or erectile dysfunction or who did not complete the questionnaire were excluded. Primary outcomes were urinary and erectile function at 12 months postoperatively. We used logistic regression to estimate the impact of number of prostate biopsies on functional outcomes after adjusting for demographic and clinical factors. Results We identified 2 712 patients treated with RP between 2008 and 2011. Most of the patients (80%) had one preoperative prostate biopsy, 16% had two, and 4% had at least three. On adjusted analysis, erectile function at 12 months was not significantly different for patients with two (odds ratio [OR] 1.25; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.90, 1.75) or three or more (OR 1.52; 95% CI 0.84, 2.78) biopsies, compared with those with one biopsy. Similarly, urinary function at 12 months was not significantly different for patients with two (0.84, 95% CI 0.64, 1.10) or three or more (0.99, 95% CI 0.60, 1.61) biopsies compared with those with one. Conclusions We did not find evidence that a greater number of preoperative prostate biopsies adversely affected erectile or urinary function at 12 months after RP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An editorial is presented on the publishing of social science research in the journal "Conservation Biology." Topics discussed include changes brought by humans in ecology such as biodiversity loss; the role of human-nature relationship in sustainable development and globalization, that has enhanced human relationships with the natural environment; and the role played by social sciences in the conservation of nature.

Decision makers and researchers recognize the need to effectively confront the social dimensions and conflicts inherent to invasive species research and management. Yet, despite numerous contentious situations that have arisen, no systematic evaluation of the literature has examined the commonalities in the patterns and types of these emergent social issues. Using social and ecological keywords, we reviewed trends in the social dimensions of invasive species research and management and the sources and potential solutions to problems and conflicts that arise around invasive species. We integrated components of cognitive hierarchy theory and risk perceptions theory to provide a conceptual framework to identify, distinguish, and provide understanding of the driving factors underlying disputes associated with invasive species. In the ISI Web of Science database, we found 15,915 peer-reviewed publications on biological invasions, 124 of which included social dimensions of this phenomenon. Of these 124, 28 studies described specific contentious situations. Social approaches to biological invasions have emerged largely in the last decade and have focused on both environmental social sciences and resource management. Despite being distributed in a range of journals, these 124 articles were concentrated mostly in ecology and conservation-oriented outlets. We found that conflicts surrounding invasive species arose based largely on differences in value systems and to a lesser extent stakeholder and decision maker's risk perceptions. To confront or avoid such situations, we suggest integrating the plurality of environmental values into invasive species research and management via structured decision making techniques, which enhance effective risk communication that promotes trust and confidence between stakeholders and decision makers. Clarificar los Valores, Percepciones de Riesgo y Actitudes para Resolver o Evitar Conflictos Sociales en el Manejo de Especies Invasoras [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article talks about the need to structure science policies to achieve intellectual and social objectives in ecology. Topics discussed include the measurement of a publication's quality by inference from the Impact Factor of the journal where an article is published; the ecologists and conservationists from Latin America; and the publish or perish culture in academia.

Spectral properties of foliage express fundamental chemical interactions of canopies with solar radiation. However, the degree to which leaf spectra track chemical traits across environmental gradients in tropical forests is unknown., We analyzed leaf reflectance and transmittance spectra in 2567 tropical canopy trees comprising 1449 species in 17 forests along a 3400-m elevation and soil fertility gradient from the Amazonian lowlands to the Andean treeline. We developed quantitative links between 21 leaf traits and 400-2500-nm spectra, and developed classifications of tree taxa based on spectral traits., Our results reveal enormous inter-specific variation in spectral and chemical traits among canopy trees of the western Amazon. Chemical traits mediating primary production were tightly linked to elevational changes in foliar spectral signatures. By contrast, defense compounds and rock-derived nutrients tracked foliar spectral variation with changing soil fertility in the lowlands. Despite the effects of abiotic filtering on mean foliar spectral properties of tree communities, the spectra were dominated by phylogeny within any given community, and spectroscopy accurately classified 85-93% of Amazonian tree species., Our findings quantify how tropical tree canopies interact with sunlight, and indicate how to measure the functional and biological diversity of forests with spectroscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Differences in quality of care may contribute to racial variation in outcomes of bladder cancer (BCa). Quality indicators in patients undergoing surgery for BCa include the use of high-volume surgeons and high-volume hospitals, and, when clinically indicated, receipt of pelvic lymphadenectomy, receipt of continent urinary diversion, and undergoing radical cystectomy instead of partial cystectomy. The authors compared these quality indicators as well as adverse perioperative outcomes in black patients and white patients with BCa. METHODS The Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient Databases for New York, Florida, and Maryland (1996-2009) were used, because they consistently included race, surgeon, and hospital identifiers. Quality indicators were compared across racial groups using regression models adjusting for age, sex, Elixhauser comorbidity sum, insurance, state, and year of surgery, accounting for clustering within hospital. RESULTS Black patients were treated more often by lower volume surgeons and hospitals, they had significantly lower receipt of pelvic lymphadenectomy and continent diversion, and they experienced higher rates of adverse outcomes compared with white patients. These associations remained significant for black patients who received treatment from surgeons and at hospitals in the top volume decile. CONCLUSIONS Black patients with BCa had lower use of experienced providers and institutions for BCa surgery. In addition, the quality of care for black patients was lower than that for whites even if they received treatment in a high-volume setting. This gap in quality of care requires further investigation. Cancer 2014;120:1018-1025. © 2013 American Cancer Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Ecological theory predicts that invasive ecosystem engineers like the American beaver ( Castor canadensis) in Tierra del Fuego ( TDF) affect landscape-level biodiversity and ecosystem function ( BEF) when engineered habitats are novel or extensive. We tested these hypotheses on freshwater BEF, sampling benthic habitat and macroinvertebrates in natural lotic (forest and grassland streams) and natural lentic habitats (bogs, lakes) and beaver-modified lentic ecosystems (active and abandoned ponds). Location Tierra del Fuego Archipelago (Chile and Argentina). Methods To determine effects on patch-scale BEF, we assessed two drivers: substrate diversity (H′) and benthic organic matter standing crop ( BOM, g m−2). Extent of impact was estimated as relative stream length (%) for each patch type in four 1000 ha images. Results The freshwater landscape was 56% free-flowing streams (natural lotic), 13% bogs and lakes (natural lentic) and 31% active and abandoned beaver ponds (beaver lentic). While engineering significantly modified lotic habitats (converting them to ponds), the beaver ponds were largely similar to natural lentic systems, but engineered lentic patches retained more BOM. While benthic biodiversity in beaver ponds was less than streams, the assemblage contained no habitat-specific taxa and was a subset of the natural lentic community. Main conclusions Invasive beavers engineer habitats whose biodiversity is similar to the landscape's natural lentic habitats, but by increasing the surface area and unit area retention of BOM via its impoundments, this invasion augments carbon standing stock approximately 72% in watersheds. While this invasion is considered the largest alteration to TDF's forested biome in the Holocene, here we discover that its impact is to ecosystem function, rather than biodiversity in the aquatic landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 1980, more than 40 countries have implemented long-term ecological research (LTER) programs, which have shown their power to affect advances in basic science to understand the natural world at meaningful temporal and spatial scales and also help link research with socially relevant outcomes. Recently, a disciplinary paradigmatic shift has integrated the human dimensions of ecosystems, leading to a long-term socio-ecological research (LTSER) framework to address the world's current environmental challenges. A global gap in LTER/LTSER only exists in the latitudinal range of 40-60°S, corresponding to Argentina and Chile's temperate/sub-Antarctic biome. A team of Chilean, Argentine and US researchers has participated in an ongoing dialogue to define not only conceptual, but also practical barriers limiting LTER/LTSER in southern South America. We have found a number of existing long-term research sites and platforms throughout the region, but at the same time it has been concluded an agenda is needed to create and implement further training courses for students, postdoctoral fellows and young scientists, particularly in the areas of data and information management systems. Since LTER/LTSER efforts in Chile and Argentina are incipient, instituting such courses now will enhance human and technical capacity of the natural science and resource community to improve the collection, storage, analysis and dissemination of information in emerging LTER/LTSER platforms. In turn, having this capacity, as well as the ongoing formalization of LTER/LTSER programs at national levels, will allow the enhancement of crucial collaborations and comparisons between long-term research programs within the region and between hemispheres and continents. For Spanish version of the entire article, see Online Supporting Information (Appendix S1). Resumen Desde 1980, más de cuarenta países han implementado programas de Investigación Ecológica a Largo Plazo (LTER por sus siglas en inglés), los cuales han mostrado su capacidad para influir sobre los avances en las ciencias básicas que permiten entender el mundo natural en escalas temporales y espaciales significativas, y también ayudar a enfocar la investigación hacia estudios socialmente relevantes. Recientemente, gracias a un cambio de paradigma en la disciplina, se integró también la dimensión humana de los ecosistemas, llevándola a un marco conceptual de Investigación Socio-Ecológica a Largo Plazo (LTSER por sus siglas en inglés) para enfrentar los desafíos medio-ambientales del mundo actual. Existe un vacío global en LTER/LTSER en el rango latitudinal de 40-60°S, correspondiente a los biomas templados/subantárticos de Argentina y Chile. Un equipo de investigadores chilenos, argentinos y estadounidenses ha trabajado por varios años para definir cuáles son la barreras que actualmente limitan la creación de una Red de LTER/LTSER en el sur de Sudamérica, no solamente en términos conceptuales, sino también a nivel práctico. Existe un buen número de sitios de investigación a largo plazo en la región, pero también concluimos que es necesario crear e implementar más cursos de capacitación para estudiantes, investigadores post-doctorales y jóvenes científicos, particularmente en las áreas de sistemas de manejo de datos e información. Considerando que los esfuerzos LTER/LTSER en Chile y Argentina son incipientes, este tipo de cursos podría mejorar la capacidad humana y técnica en la comunidad de las ciencias y los recursos naturales, así como mejorar los procesos de recolección, almacenamiento, análisis y difusión de la información. A su vez, la formalización de cursos de programas LTER/LTSER a nivel nacional para adquirir dicha capacidad de manejo de la información, permitirá un fortalecimiento crucial de las colaboraciones y comparaciones entre programas de investigación a largo plazo dentro de la región, y entre hemisferios y continentes. La versión en castellano del artículo se encuentra disponible en forma digital como Online Supporting Information S1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invasive species threaten global biodiversity, but multiple invasions make predicting the impacts difficult because of potential synergistic effects. We examined the impact of introduced beaver , brook trout , and rainbow trout on native stream fishes in the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve, Chile. The combined effects of introduced species on the structure of the native freshwater fish community were quantified by electrofishing 28 stream reaches within four riparian habitat types (forest, grassland, shrubland, and beaver-affected habitat) in 23 watersheds and by measuring related habitat variables (water velocity, substrate type, depth, and the percentage of pools). Three native stream fish species (puye [also known as inanga], , and ) were found along with brook trout and rainbow trout, but puye was the only native species that was common and widespread. The reaches affected by beaver impoundments had significantly higher puye densities than all other reaches in this study. These results are comparable to those reported for other streams in southern Chile. The presence of trout reduced the abundance of puye, but only in beaver-affected areas; all three natural riparian habitat types had uniformly low puye abundance and were unaffected by the presence or absence of trout. The data suggest that one invasive species, the beaver, enhanced puye habitat and thereby increased the abundance of that species, which, in turn, helped moderate the negative impacts of invasive trout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. Twenty-five pairs of North American beavers Castor canadensis Kuhl were introduced to Tierra del Fuego Island in 1946. The population has expanded across the archipelago, arriving at the Chilean mainland by the mid-1990s. Densities range principally between 0.5–2.05 colonies/km. They have an impact on between 30–50% of stream length and occupy 2–15% of landscape area with impoundments and meadows. Beaver impacts constitute the largest landscape-level alteration in subantarctic forests since the last ice age. 2. The colonization pattern, colony densities and impacted area indicate that habitat in the austral archipelago is optimal for beaver invasion, due to low predator pressure and suitable food resources. Nothofagus pumilio forests are particularly appropriate habitat, but a more recent invasion is occurring in adjacent steppe ecosystems. Nonetheless, Nothofagus reproductive strategies are not well adapted to sustain high beaver population levels. 3. Our assessment shows that at the patch-scale in stream and riparian ecosystems, the direction and magnitude of exotic beaver impacts are predictable from expectations derived from North American studies, relating ecosystem engineering with underlying ecological mechanisms such as the relationships of habitat heterogeneity and productivity on species richness and ecosystem function. 4. Based on data from the species' native and exotic range, our ability to predict the effects of beavers is based on: (i) understanding the ecological relationships of its engineering effects on habitat, trophic dynamics and disturbance regimes, and (ii) having an adequate comprehension of the landscape context and natural history of the ecosystem being engineered. 5. We conclude that beaver eradication strategies and subsequent ecosystem restoration efforts, currently being considered in southern Chile and Argentina, should focus on the ecology of native ecosystems rather than the biology of this invasive species per se. Furthermore, given the nature of the subantarctic landscape, streams will probably respond to restoration efforts more quickly than riparian ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE To compare the outcomes of patients presenting with and without acute urinary retention (AUR) who were treated with 100-W holmium laser resection of the prostate (HoLRP), as laser therapies, including HoLRP, have been used for treating lower urinary tract symptoms secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), but the effectiveness of HoLRP for patients with AUR has not been fully elucidated. PATIENTS AND METHODS The medical records of 87 patients who had HoLRP were reviewed, and prospective questionnaires aimed at determining patients’ American Urologic Association Symptom Index (AUA-SI) and Quality-of-Life (QoL) scores and medication usage were also obtained. Statistical analyses were used to compare the clinical characteristics and outcomes between patients with and with no AUR for up to 2 years after HoLRP. RESULTS All patients had the catheter removed successfully by 1 month after surgery; those presenting with AUR tended to have a greater improvement in clinical outcomes than those with no AUR, including a mean AUA-SI score decrease by ≈13 and ≈8 points, and a QoL score decrease by ≈2 and ≈1.4 points, respectively. These decreases were maintained throughout the study period. Patients with AUR had significantly greater decreases in their postvoid residual urine volume than those with no AUR. Serum prostate-specific antigen levels also had a modest but sustained decrease (14%) in both groups. There were no significant decreases in the reported use of BPH-related medications after surgery in either group. CONCLUSIONS HoLRP (100 W) is a safe and effective surgical therapy for patients presenting with AUR. The present results suggest that the short- and long-term outcomes of these patients are similar between men presenting with and with no AUR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taxonomic groups and ecoregions shape the "lenses" through which biodiversity is assessed and conserved. A historical bias toward vertebrates and vascular plants in the northern hemisphere underpins how global patterns of biodiversity in terrestrial ecosystems are perceived. Here, we focus on the hitherto overlooked non-vascular flora (liverworts and mosses) in the remote sub-Antarctic Magellanic ecoregion of southwestern South America. We report that: (1) this ecoregion hosts outstanding non-vascular floristic richness, with > 5% of the world's bryophytes on < 0.01 % of the Earth's land surface; (2) species richness patterns for vascular and non-vascular plants are inverted across 25 degrees of latitude in Chile; and (3) while vascular plants are 20 times more abundant than non-vascular plants globally and in tropical South America, non-vascular plants are dominant in the sub-Antarctic Magellanic ecoregion and Antarctic Peninsula. These findings have been translated into policy and conservation decisions, including the creation of the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve in 2005 and the introduction there of "tourism with a hand lens" in the diverse "miniature forests" of bryophytes, lichens, and invertebrates. We argue for consideration of ecoregional- or biome-specific indicator groups, rather than a narrow set of global indicator groups, for designing effective conservation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors reflect on the delivery of high-quality care to survivors of prostate cancer in the U.S. They mention that men treated from the disease experience long-term challenges including erectile dysfunction, disease recurrence and urinary incontinence. An overview of the application of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in the treatment of prostatic adenocarcinoma is also presented.