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Resumen La aplicación de modelos de crecimiento para árboles individuales en bosques mezclados permite realizar estimaciones a nivel de la unidad de manejo. El objetivo del presente estudio fue evaluar los modelos de crecimiento en diámetro normal, área basal, altura total y volumen fustal de Chapman-Richards, Schumacher, Hossfeld I y Weibull para árboles individuales de Pinus pseudostrobus y Pinus oocarpa de Guerrero, México. Mediante muestreo selectivo se recolectaron 27 árboles dominantes y 28 codominantes para reconstruir los perfiles de árboles ordenados en grupos de diez años, por medio de la técnica de análisis troncales. La selección de los mejores modelos para cada variable se realizó con base en el coeficiente de determinación ajustado, la raíz del error medio cuadrático, las propiedades de los parámetros y las tendencias lógicas de crecimiento. Los resultados indican que el modelo de Schumacher fue el mejor para estimar el crecimiento en diámetro normal y la altura en ambas especies, así como el área basal de Pinus pseudostrobus y el volumen de Pinus oocarpa; mientras que, el modelo de Chapman-Richards fue el mejor para estimar el área basal de Pinus oocarpa y el volumen para Pinus pseudostrobus. Las edades estimadas del turno para volumen en Pinus oocarpa fueron de 62 años y para Pinus pseudostrobus de 82 años.

The fishery of inshore hagfish (Eptatretus burgeri) is particularly important from the perspective of the eel-skin leather industry in the northwest Pacific. In order to reveal the genetic diversity and population structure of E. burgeri in the northwest Pacific, we analyzed partial nucleotide sequences of three mitochondrial DNA regions (523 bp in COI, 712 bp in ND4 and 617 bp in Cytb) based on specimens collected from six locations in Korea and Japan. The genetic diversities of E. burgeri were higher in Korean locations compared to Japanese ones. AMOVA showed that E. burgeri was completely separated into two groups (group A: southern coast of Korea and western coast of Japan vs. group B: eastern coast of Japan). Furthermore, groups A and B were divided into each two lineages (lineage I: west southern coast of Korea, lineage II: east southern coast of Korea and western coast of Japan, lineage III and IV: eastern coast of Japan). Our molecular results suggest that these two groups and lineages of E. burgeri may be different evolutionary significant unit and management unit, respectively.

The volume of incidental wood products due to the catastrophic windfalls that occurred on the 17th of September 2017 was estimated, at national level at 460 thousand m3, of which over 200 thousand m3 were registered in the area administered by the Bihor County Forest Administration. The main objective of this paper is the study of the changes that appear in the micro-relief and of the influence of some environmental characteristics, in the beech stands (Fagus sylvatica L.) from the Forest District Sudrigiu, Management Unit U.P. VII Văratec, Bihor County Forest Administration, Romania, as an effect of windfalls. The field observations had the purpose of: determining the displaced volume (DV); breast height diameter (D1.3); height of tree (HT); average root diameter (ARD); age (A); depth of micro-depression (DM) and depth of rock / parent material (DRP). Bifactorial linear regression of the DV according to the two characteristics of the tree (D1.3) and the soil (DRP) allows an assessment of the volume of displaced soil with an accuracy of 95%. The volume of soil dislocated in the beech stands (Fagus sylvatica L.) from the Forest District Sudrigiu, Management Unit U.P. VII Văratec, Bihor County Forest Administration, Romania, evaluated with the help of the two-factor linear regression based on the basic diameter of tree D1.3 and the depth of the rock / parent material DRP and respectively the number of felled trees is between 2589.89 m3 for u.a. 100 A, partially affected and 13694.46 m3 for u.a. 104 A, affected by mass felling. To acknowledge the total volume of dislocated land and of the specific volume (m3/ ha), for the different compartments, is important for the analysis and differentiation of the variants of works necessary for the forest reconstruction of the lands affected by windfalls.

The ancient catfish family Diplomystidae, with seven species endemic to rivers of southern South America, represents one of the oldest branches of the diverse order Siluriformes. With most species endangered, new reports of these species become extremely valuable for conservation. Currently, it is assumed that Diplomystes species inhabit only Andean (large) basins, and that they are extinct from coastal (small) basins from which their presence have not been recorded since 1919. Here, we document new records of the family Diplomystidae in the Laraquete and Carampangue basins, two coastal basins from the Nahuelbuta Coast Range, Chile, with no previous reports. This finding represents the rediscovery of the genus in coastal basins in more than a Century. Based on analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequences, the collected specimens were found to be closely related to Diplomystes nahuelbutaensis from the Andean Biobío Basin, but sufficiently differentiated to suggest that coastal basin populations are a different management unit. These populations are important because, contrary to previous thoughts, they prove these catfish can survive in small river networks, providing unique opportunities for research and conservation. The conservation category of Critically Endangered (CE) is recommended for the populations from the Laraquete and Carampangue basins. RESUMEN La familia de bagres Diplomystidae, con siete especies endémicas de ríos del sur de Sudamérica, es uno de los linajes mas antiguos del diverso orden Siluriformes. Al estar la mayoría de las especies amenazadas, nuevos registros de éstas son extremadamente valiosos para su conservación. Actualmente, se ha asumido que los Diplomystidos se distribuyen solo en cuencas Andinas (más grandes), y que sus especies estarían extintas en cuencas de menor tamaño como las costeras, sin registros desde 1919. En este trabajo documentamos la familia Diplomistidae en las cuencas de Carampangue y Laraquete, dos cuencas costeras de la Cordillera de Nahuelbuta, Chile, lo que representa el primer registro de esta familia en estas cuencas costeras. Además, este hallazgo representa el re-descubrimiento de la familia en cuencas costeras después de un siglo. Sobre la base de análisis de ADN mitocondrial, los especímenes colectados se relacionaron más cercanamente con poblaciones de la especie Diplomystes nahuelbutaensis presente en la cuenca del Biobío. Sin embargo, existen diferencias genéticas suficientes entre las poblaciones costeras y las del Biobío para justificar su separación como unidad de manejo distinta. Estas poblaciones costeras son importantes porque demuestran que los Diplomístidos pueden sobrevivir en cuencas de pequeño tamaño, ofreciendo oportunidades únicas para su investigación y conservación. Se recomienda la categoría de conservación En Peligro Critico de Extinción (CR) para las poblaciones de las cuencas Laraquete y Carampangue.

Bacteria play important roles in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of dairy cattle as the communities are responsible for host health, growth and production performance. However, a systematic characterization and comparison of microbial communities in the GIT of cattle housed in different management units on a modern dairy are still lacking. In this study, we used 16S rRNA sequencing to evaluate the fecal bacterial communities of 90 dairy cattle raised and housed in 12 clearly defined management units on a modern dairy farm. We found that α-diversity differed between several pairs of management units, especially between the hutch calves (management unit 1) and the other units except post weaned heifers (management unit 2). Although β-diversity revealed that most of the samples did not cluster according to their management unit membership except management unit 1, in which the samples grouped and separated from others, we observed three major clusters. Besides the hutch calves (management unit 1), most samples from the other 11 units formed two distinct clusters and the relative abundance of Patescibacteria might be the reason for the separation. Moreover, we identified 212 amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) with relative abundances > 0.1% in more than 10% of the total samples that had significantly different abundances in these units. Furthermore, we found that, as the calves aged, 19 ASVs that were exclusively detected in unit 1, gradually degraded and never reoccurred in other management units. Lastly, we recognized 181 pairs of interactions between 61 ASVs with possibly strong synergistic or antagonistic relationships. These results suggest the enteric microbial communities of dairy cattle housed in different management units are quite dynamic.IMPORTANCEBacterial communities of GIT are crucial for ruminants, such as dairy cattle since they contribute to not only the cattle’s physiology and health but also milk production and food safety that are closely related to human health. Both scientifically and agriculturally, it is necessary to have deep insights into the composition and changes of the bacteria on modern dairy farms. In this study, we provided the profiles of fecal bacterial communities of dairy cattle in each management unit on a modern dairy and described how the enteric microbial communities changed across these management units. The findings have implications for improving animal health, dairy production, farm management, and food safety.

Made available in DSpace on 2019-10-04T12:30:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2018-10-01 Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) The New World screwworm fly Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel, 1858) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) is an important livestock pest endemic to the Americas that has been eradicated from North and continental Central America with a control program based on the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT). The establishment of target management units is a strategic step in the implementation of new control programs, which can be achieved using genetic studies of natural populations. Previous studies of New World screwworm fly populations were conducted on the continental scale and identified four main groups: two in South America and two in the Caribbean. However, studies within these groups are needed to determine which smaller geographic areas can be treated as management units. Here, we analyze the genetic variability distribution and the population demographic signals of the New World screwworm fly in a 6,000 km(2) area located along the border of Brazil and Uruguay.This area was the subject of the first control pilot program conducted in South America. We studied eight microsatellite loci and sequences from two mitochondrial DNA regions in individuals sampled at 20-25 livestock breeding farms. We observed no population structure and found high genetic variability on the geographical scale sampled for both molecular markers. Our microsatellite data suggest that these populations are not in equilibrium, and demographic analyses based on mitochondrial data indicate population expansion.These results suggest that this geographic scale is not adequate for future New World screwworm fly management in South America. Univ Estadual Campinas, UNICAMP, Inst Biol, Dept Genet Evolucao Microbiol & Imunol, BR-13083970 Campinas, SP, Brazil Univ Estadual Campinas, UNICAMP, Programa Posgrad Genet & Biol Mol, BR-13083970 Campinas, SP, Brazil Univ Estadual Campinas, UNICAMP, Ctr Biol Mol & Engn Genet, Av Candido Rondon 400, BR-13083875 Campinas, SP, Brazil Inst Pasteur Montevideo, Unidad Bioinformat, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay Univ Estadual Paulista, Inst Biociencias, Dept Zool, BR-13506900 Rio Claro, SP, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista, Inst Biociencias, Dept Zool, BR-13506900 Rio Claro, SP, Brazil CNPq: 578231/2008-5 MAPA CNPq: 141777/2014-1

Assessing a species’ threatened status and then developing specific conservation strategies accordingly rely heavily on knowing that species’ complete and accurate spatial distribution. In this study, we used the Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) in China to represent a large threatened species for which distribution information is limited and spatially biased. We grouped the two main sources of black bear occurrence data into two different resolutions: (1) coarse resolution data corresponding specific management units (e.g., nature reserves) that cover large areas, and (2) fine resolution data composed of longitude and latitude records that were bias in their geographic range. Our distribution mapping approach integrated those two data types to examine black bear spatial patterns across the country. We used both presence and absence data in the Random Forest algorithm to predict black bear distribution at coarse (30 km) and fine (3 km) resolutions, and then refined the coarse-scale prediction with the fine-scale prediction using a map fusion technique based on the Bayes theorem. We thus generated an integrated high-resolution range map that was both more accurate than the coarse-scale map and more representative of the black bear geographic range than was the fine-scale map. Our results showed that the total estimated range of Asiatic black bears in China was 462.3 × 103 km2, 77.50% less than the most recent IUCN range map and 70.90% less than the area of habitat (AOH) estimation. Using those results, we identified two island and six mainland management units in China and, based on the predicted habitat conditions, proposed specific conservation strategies for each unit. Our study results provide practical knowledge and pragmatic guidance for future conservation planning and action for this species, and our framework provides an example and template for range estimations of species with similar types of occurrence records.

The Morato's Digger Toad, Proceratophrys moratoi, is a critically endangered toad species with a marked population decline in southern Brazilian Cerrado. Despite this, new populations are being discovered, primarily in the northern part of the distribution range, which raises a number of questions with regard to the conservation status of the species. The present study analyzed the genetic diversity of the species based on microsatellite markers. Our findings permitted the identification of two distinct management units. We found profound genetic structuring between the southern populations, on the left margin of the Tietê River, and all other populations. A marked reduction was observed in the contemporary gene flow among the central populations that are most affected by anthropogenic impacts, such as extensive sugar cane plantations, which presumably decreases habitat connectivity. The results indicated reduced diversity in the southern populations which, combined with a smaller effective population size, may make these populations more susceptible to extinction. We recommend the reclassification of P. moratoi as vulnerable and the establishment of a special protection program for the southern populations. Our results provide important insights about the local extinction of southern populations of this toad.

The description of genetic population structure over a species' geographic range can provide insights into its evolutionary history and also support effective management efforts. Assessments for globally distributed species are rare, however, requiring significant international coordination and collaboration. The global distribution of demographically discrete populations for the humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae is not fully known, hampering the definition of appropriate management units. Here, we present the first circumglobal assessment of mitochondrial genetic population structure across the species' range in the Southern Hemisphere and Arabian Sea. We combine new and existing data from the mitochondrial (mt)DNA control region that resulted in a 311 bp consensus sequence of the mtDNA control region for 3009 individuals sampled across 14 breeding stocks and subpopulations currently recognized by the International Whaling Commission. We assess genetic diversity and test for genetic differentiation and also estimate the magnitude and directionality of historic matrilineal gene flow between putative populations. Our results indicate that maternally directed site fidelity drives significant genetic population structure between breeding stocks within ocean basins. However, patterns of connectivity differ across the circumpolar range, possibly as a result of differences in the extent of longitudinal movements on feeding areas. The number of population comparisons observed to be significantly differentiated were found to diminish at the subpopulation scale when nucleotide differences were examined, indicating that more complex processes underlie genetic structure at this scale. It is crucial that these complexities and uncertainties are afforded greater consideration in management and regulatory efforts.

This paper summarises the detailed information on catch, fork length, weight, sex and maturity of alfonsinos Beryx splendens and Beryx decadactylus collected from targeted surveys in Azores waters, complemented by fishery data, over the past c. 20 years. To date, it was not possible to define if the Azorean component of the population can be considered as a discrete local management unit. The reason for this is the lack of available information for these resources covering the entire spatial distribution of the species in the North Atlantic Ocean. Additionally, there are some conflicts between the different genetic results available, poor understanding about the species movements and data from the Azores show some discrepancies in aspects of reproduction. Consequently, there is no analytical assessment for this resource and the stock of Beryx spp. is currently managed based on the precautionary approach. Outputs of recent analyses are presented in this study and possible assumptions and strategies for the assessment are discussed.

The Level II Sample Plot where the research presented in the paper was conducted is located on Mt. Crni Vrh, in the Dubašnica management unit - compartment 11 - in the area managed by the Boljevac Forest Estate. Thirty marked beech trees (Fagus moesiaca (Domin, Mally) Czeczott.) had the defoliation assessed and the damage determined by class and agent in the growing period of a three-year-long research period. The investigations presented in this paper were performed following the catastrophic ice storm that devastated this area in the winter of 2014. The aim was to monitor the response of trees to a major natural disaster. The results showed that the investigated beech trees had been recovering relatively quickly although they had remained highly vulnerable to the attack of harmful pests and diseases, primarily to the extremely dangerous "beech bark disease", which occurred in the study stand two years after the damaging ice storm. Since beech is a very sensitive species, its condition after a major disaster needs to be monitored regularly at the affected localities in order to prepare and implement a program of adequate measures of protection and thus prevent the disease from growing to epiphytotic proportions or causing a chain of damaging events which could easily spread to the unaffected surrounding areas.

Onaga Etelis coruscans is an important component of the commercial deep-water handline fishery in Hawaii and is one of the more valuable species because of its local popularity. This species is part of a management unit called the Deep 7, a data-poor fishery comprising six snapper and one grouper species for which information about age, growth, longevity and maturity is incomplete. Although some life history information is available for onaga, prior estimates of maximum age (~10–20 years) likely suffered from underestimation of age, whereas two recent studies provided estimates that were similar to the work presented here—a refined age reading protocol revealed age estimates up to 55 years. This maximum age estimate and the age reading protocol used on onaga otoliths were validated using bomb radiocarbon dating. Using an otolith reference image age reading protocol that relied on the validated otolith sections, almost all onaga otoliths covering nearly the full body size range were used to generate valid growth parameters that may be sexually dimorphic. An empirical estimate of age at the length at which 50% of individuals reach maturity (L50) is 11 years, and fish near the minimum retention size in Hawaii (1 lb (~0.45kg) or ~30-cm fork length) may be just 2–3 years old.

Wildlife agencies liberalize hunting seasons and bag limits to reduce white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) density in peri-urban areas, often without knowing how hunters or private landowners will respond. To reduce deer density effectively, such programs must attract 1) hunters who are willing and able to harvest antlerless deer and 2) private landowners who are willing to permit needed hunter access. We assessed these conditions for a program in New York State, USA, that permitted participants to harvest 2 antlerless deer/day, over a 96-day period, within a 20,530-ha management unit. A mail survey (n = 683; 65% response) documented that participating hunters were interested in taking multiple antlerless deer, but few were able to do so. Moreover, the participant drop-out rate was high between program years 1 and 2, primarily because many hunters could not gain access to land and fulfill their expectations about seeing and harvesting deer. Telephone interviews with a random sample of 100 (from a population of 4 ha revealed that, despite their concerns about negative impacts of deer, few area landowners allowed additional hunters on their lands, often citing concerns about 1) interference with personal or family hunting activities or 2) the behavior of unknown hunters. We concluded that the program only minimally increased antlerless deer harvest, due in large part to limits on hunter access. Wildlife agencies need to understand hunters and landowners to create conditions necessary for local hunting programs to be effective tools to manage peri-urban deer populations. © 2016 The Wildlife Society.

The fluvial eight-barbel loach Lefua sp. 1 is an undescribed species distributed from the Kinki to Chugoku districts, Honshu, and also on Shikoku Island, Japan. Genetic relationships among local populations are unclear and management units remain undetermined. To aid conservation, we determined genetic population structures from microsatellite loci for 20 populations from three river systems on Honshu. The genetic diversity within populations is relatively low; the majority has experienced genetic bottlenecks. Statistical analysis revealed significant divergence among river systems suggesting that each should be recognized as a management unit. Any conservation program should consider the populations’ genetic uniqueness.

The Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens) inhabits Cuban coastal saline habitats, although the number of individuals and specific breeding and foraging locations are largely unknown. Unpublished fieldwork data, as well as data coming from scientific literature, zoological collections and eBird, were collated to assess the Reddish Egret breeding population and number of foraging individuals in Cuba. A total of 155 breeding pairs, which represent 3% of the estimated global population and 22% of the estimated regional population (i.e., Eastern Management Unit), were confirmed. Most of the breeding reports were distributed within the Sabana-Camaguey archipelago (54%, n = 13 breeding areas). Foraging Reddish Egrets were common throughout Cuba's coastal saline habitats and were documented in most of the localities referred to in published and unpublished sources (88%, n = 65 sites). These observations accounted for a maximum of 544 birds (n = 20 sites), which represent 7–10% of the global population estim...

Sea ice is declining over much of the Arctic. In Hudson Bay the ice melts completely each summer, and advances in break-up have resulted in longer ice-free seasons. Consequently, earlier break-up is implicated in declines in body condition, survival, and abundance of polar bears (Ursus maritimus Phipps, 1774) in the Western Hudson Bay (WH) subpopulation. We hypothesised that similar patterns would be evident in the neighbouring Southern Hudson Bay (SH) subpopulation. We examined trends 1980–2012 in break-up and freeze-up dates within the entire SH management unit and within smaller coastal break-up and freeze-up zones. We examined trends in body condition for 900 bears captured during 1984–1986, 2000–2005, and 2007–2009 and hypothesised that body condition would be correlated with duration of sea ice. The ice-free season in SH increased by about 30 days from 1980 to 2012. Body condition declined in all age and sex classes, but the decline was less for cubs than for other social classes. If trends towards a longer ice-free season continue in the future, further declines in body condition and survival rates are likely, and ultimately declines in abundance will occur in the SH subpopulation.

Background The scalloped spiny lobster (Panulirus homarus) is a popular seafood commodity worldwide and an important export item from Oman. Annual catches in commercial fisheries are in serious decline, which has resulted in calls for the development of an integrated stock management approach. In Oman, the scalloped spiny lobster is currently treated as a single management unit (MU) or stock and there is an absence of information on the genetic population structure of the species that can inform management decisions, particularly at a fine-scale level. This work is the first to identify genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for P. homarus using Diversity Arrays Technology sequencing (DArT-seq) and to elucidate any stock structure in the species. Results After stringent filtering, 7988 high utility SNPs were discovered and used to assess the genetic diversity, connectivity and structure of P. homarus populations from Al Ashkharah, Masirah Island, Duqm, Ras Madrakah, Haitam, Ashuwaymiyah, Mirbat and Dhalkut landing sites. Pairwise F ST estimates revealed low differentiation among populations (pairwise F ST range = − 0.0008 - 0.0021). Analysis of genetic variation using putatively directional F ST outliers (504 SNPs) revealed higher and significant pairwise differentiation (p

Syncope is a common symptom, experienced by 15% of persons less than 18 years old and up to 23% of elderly nursing home residents, so it is important to consider optimizing strategies for the management of these patients. The strategy selected will inevitably differ from place to place. However, an organized structure offers more cost-effective care. This article discusses possible health care delivery models for syncope management and reviews the current status of the organization of syncope care, to show the value of a multidisciplinary approach to the organized management of patients with syncope.

The data on forests shown in this paper which are general useful functions determine the main way of managing, because these forests are marked as water protective and especially significant for the water supply of the Vrnjacka Banja area from 1985. These are forests of beech and beech mixed with fir of the highest quality located in the river Zagrza basin on mountain Goc and they represent more than 85 % of the basin and provide the hydrological and water protective functions at the highest level. For that reason, they have a special protective status. In the river Zagrza basin, there is the management unit "Seliste" of particular importance and the accumulation Seliste was built there with about 380 000 m3 volume and its primary task is water supply of the Vrnjacka Banja area during critical months without water. The aim of this scientific paper is to emphasize the need of increasing and protecting the water potential using adequate ways of forest vegetation management, which means overall basin organization. The final result should be related to the optimal use of natural sources in that area.

Harvest reporting has been in place for High Arctic muskoxen in Nunavut, Canada, since 1990-91. The communities of Resolute, Grise Fiord, and Arctic Bay harvest muskoxen in the region. Overall, muskox harvest has declined in Resolute and Grise Fiord since the 1990s. The recovery of Peary caribou populations on the Bathurst Island Complex, which provides an alternate preferred source of country food, may be a factor behind Resolute’s decreased muskox harvest. The proportion of harvest for domestic use has also declined relative to sport hunts, which have remained relatively constant since the 1990s. We compared muskox harvest from tag records and reported harvest, i.e., the voluntary surveys to the Nunavut Wildlife Harvest Study for muskoxen. It is clear that voluntarily reported harvest underestimates actual harvest, but not consistently enough to predict the actual harvest. Muskox populations are at historic high levels on Bathurst Island, southern Ellesmere Island, and Devon Island and could support more harvest than is currently taken. Changes to Total Allowable Harvests and management unit boundaries in 2015, combined with a decline in the availability of Baffin Island caribou as country food, may result in increased harvest pressure on muskoxen in the High Arctic.

This study analyses the natal dispersal of red deer and wild boar in order to compare their dispersal capabilities in southern Belgium and to evaluate the relevance of management unit areas (MUA) designed for their monitoring. Dispersal was studied thanks to a mark-recovery method based on 111 red deer fawns and 1,613 piglets. The recovery rate of ear-tagged animals was 68 and 40 %, respectively. In both species, sub-adult males moved on longer distances ( $$ \mathop{x}\limits^{-} $$ red deer = 4.82+/−4.17 km and $$ \mathop{x}\limits^{-} $$ wild boar = 4.90+/−5.65 km) than females and juveniles $$ \mathop{x}\limits^{-} $$ (red deer = 1.84+/−1.46 km and $$ \mathop{x}\limits^{-} $$ wild boar = 2.49+/−3.74 km). Taking into account the age and sex categories, we found no difference between species in dispersal mean distance. But we observed higher maximal dispersal distances in wild boar compared to red deer. The natal home range mean sizes were 5.29 km2 (+/−4.87) for red deer and 6.23 km2 (+/−4.60) for wild boar. Red deer and wild boar showed similar dispersal rates according to age and sex category: 53 and 42 % in sub-adult males and 14 and 16 % in females and juveniles. Our results confirmed the higher proportion of philopatry in females and juveniles of both species compared to sub-adult males more likely to disperse. Wild boar of any sex or age seemed to be less sensitive than red deer to infrastructure (road, rail, river) network on which the management unit area limits are currently based.

The Sumatran rhinoceros Dicerorhinus sumatrensis is on the brink of extinction. Although habitat loss and poaching were the reasons of the decline, today's reproductive isolation is the main threat to the survival of the species. Genetic studies have played an important role in identifying conservation priorities, including for rhinoceroses. However, for a species such as the Sumatran rhinoceros, where time is of the essence in preventing extinction, to what extent should genetic and geographical distances be taken into account in deciding the most urgently needed conservation interventions? We propose that the populations of Sumatra and Borneo be considered as a single management unit.

Clinical decision making can be challenging regarding the emergency department (ED) management of patients with recent syncope. Several models of the syncope management unit are summarized in this article. Assessment of patients with recent syncope in a specialized evaluation unit, such as an emergency department-based syncope management unit, holds great promise in terms of reducing hospital admissions, reducing costs and improving outcomes for patients with syncope.

Syncope, a clinical syndrome, has many potential causes. The prognosis of a patient experiencing syncope varies from benign outcome to increased risk of mortality or sudden death, determined by the etiology of syncope and the presence of underlying disease. Because a definitive diagnosis often cannot be established immediately, hospital admission is frequently recommended as the "default" approach to ensure patient's safety and an expedited evaluation. Hospital care is costly while no studies have shown that clinical outcomes are improved by the in-patient practice approach. The syncope unit is an evolving practice model based on the hypothesis that a multidisciplinary team of physicians and allied staff with expertise in syncope management, working together and equipped with standard clinical tools could improve clinical outcomes. Preliminary data have demonstrated that a specialized syncope unit can improve diagnosis in a timely manner, reduce hospital admission and decrease the use of unnecessary diagnostic tests. In this review, models of syncope units in the emergency department, hospital and outpatient clinics from different practices in different countries are discussed. Similarities and differences of these syncope units are compared. Outcomes and endpoints from these studies are summarized. Developing a syncope unit with a standardized protocol applicable to most practice settings would be an ultimate goal for clinicians and investigators who have interest, expertise, and commitment to improve care for this large patient population.

Spawning and nursery grounds are poorly described for the West Nordic stock of Greenland halibut ( Reinhardtius hippoglossoides ) and the entire stock is assumed to originate from a common spawning ground southwest of Iceland. Greenland halibut with hydrated eggs in their ovary were caught during a gillnet survey in 1995 in Greenland waters. This suggests that the spawning areas for the West Nordic stock are not limited to the previously described area southwest of Iceland. Further this paper provides information on distribution of immature Greenland halibut in the fjords of East Greenland. The densities in Tasilaq area suggest that this area may be part of a nursery area in the West-Nordic management unit. However, the importance of this area to the stock is currently unknown. The results have potential implications for the management of the West Nordic Greenland halibut as the management seems to comprise of several stocks, or perhaps a meta-population.

Genetic population structure of geographically isolated endangered Black Sea harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena relicta) is little known in Turkish waters, especially in the Turkish Straits System (TSS- Marmara Sea, Bosphorus and Dardanelles), which connects the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea. Mitochondrial DNA sequences of 70 new individuals sampled in the Turkish Black Sea, TSS and Aegean Sea, revealed five new haplotypes from the Black Sea. The findings support the idea that harbor porpoises from the Black Sea dispersed into the Aegean through the TSS. Considering signatures of population expansion, all subpopulations showed a signature of population expansion. The network data and the Фst calculations indicated that the Marmara Sea subpopulation was significantly differentiated from all of the other subpopulations, and supports the notion of its isolated. The finding of a potential management unit (MU) within an already heavily impacted subpopulation as a whole suggests that the individuals of P. p. relicta inhabiting the Marmara Sea require a very rigorous conservation strategy to ensure the survival of this subpopulation, represented by its unique haplotype.

Identification and management of unique stocks of exploited fish species are high-priority management goals in the Laurentian Great Lakes. We analyzed whole-body morphometrics of 1430 yellow perch Perca flavescens captured during 2007–2009 from seven known spawning areas in Lake Erie to determine if morphometrics vary among sites and management units to assist in identification of spawning stocks of this heavily exploited species. Truss-based morphometrics (n = 21 measurements) were analyzed using principal component analysis followed by ANOVA of the first three principal components to determine whether yellow perch from the several sampling sites varied morphometrically. Duncan's multiple range test was used to determine which sites differed from one another to test whether morphometrics varied at scales finer than management unit. Morphometrics varied significantly among sites and annually, but differences among sites were much greater. Sites within the same management unit typically differed significantly from one another, indicating morphometric variation at a scale finer than management unit. These results are largely congruent with recently-published studies on genetic variation of yellow perch from many of the same sampling sites. Thus, our results provide additional evidence that there are discrete stocks of yellow perch in Lake Erie and that management units likely comprise multiple stocks.

Federal migratory bird bands have been inscribed with a postal address and toll-free telephone number (toll-free bands) since 1995 for their reporting, but in 2007 the postal mail address was replaced with an internet address (web-address bands). The reporting rate of web-address bands is unknown, and knowledge of band reporting probabilities is an integral part of bird band-recovery studies designed to obtain unbiased estimates of harvest rates and recovery rates if use of band types differs across space and time. We estimated web-address band reporting probabilities for mourning doves (Zenaida macroura) in the United States by comparing the relative recovery rate (ratio) of web-address to toll-free bands and applying this as an adjustment factor to the known reporting probabilities of toll-free bands. Cooperators banded 132,386 doves representing 57,982 (44%) web-address and 74,404 (56%) toll-free bands in July and August during 2008–2010 across 34 states, 12 regions, and 3 management units. Of the birds banded, 4,642 (3.5%) were direct recoveries, as a result of being shot, and all but 3 were reported via telephone or internet. Nationally, internet reporting accounted for 16.3% of toll-free bands and 42.9% of web-address bands recovered. Web-address bands had a greater recovery rate than toll-free bands (ratio = 1.081, SE = 0.027). We found some evidence of spatial variation in ratio estimates at management unit and regional scales, but the variation was primarily at the regional level where it was not great (range = 1.015–1.213) and statistical support for this variation was not particularly strong (SE = 0.129). Nationally, the web-address band reporting probability was 0.535 (SE = 0.021), an absolute increase of 0.040 compared to the reporting probability of toll-free bands. The additional reporting probability of web-address bands relative to toll-free bands must be accounted for in band-recovery studies used to obtain estimates of harvest rates and recovery rates if use of band types differs across space and time for mourning doves and possibly other species. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.

Patch burning is the deliberate application of fire to a management unit in a heterogeneous manner, resulting in the heterogeneous distribution of grazing animal impact. The application of patch burning typically has been discussed within a framework of imposing heterogeneity on a homogeneous landscape or management unit, yet most landscapes and management units are actually distinguished by an inherent level of heterogeneity. Within landscapes and management units, differing topography and soils interact to create patterns of contrasting patches, also known as topoedaphic sites. Thus, introduction of a heterogeneous disturbance such as patch burning on a landscape or management unit is more accurately described as the imposition of one layer of heterogeneity onto a pre-existing layer of heterogeneity. We examined effects of patch burning on vegetation structure and animal distribution across contrasting topographical sites in sand sagebrush (Artemisia filifolia Torr.) shrubland of the southern Great Plains in North America. Landscapes at our study site were characterized by an inherent amount of heterogeneity in vegetation structure due to variability in topoedaphic sites, and the patch burning treatment superimposed additional heterogeneity that was constrained by topoedaphic characteristics. Shrub-dominated sites were more dependent on patch burning for heterogeneity of vegetation structure than sites dominated by short grasses. Distribution patterns of cattle (Bos taurus) were not significantly different across treatments, though they followed patterns similar to previous studies. We demonstrated that heterogeneity was dependent on topoedaphic patterns and the application of patch burning management for heterogeneity was dependent on the inherent variability of a landscape.

Black grouse in Britain have faced contraction of their range and have declined in numbers during the recent decades. As such, the species is a conservation concern in the UK. In order to aid conservation decisions, the terms Evolutionary Significant Unit (ESU) and Management Unit (MU) have been proposed. An ESU is an independently evolving evolutionary lineage defined by being reciprocally monophyletic for mitochondrial alleles, and which is significantly different from other lineages with regard to nuclear alleles, whereas an MU is operationally defined by only the latter criterion. Using mitochondrial sequences and nuclear microsatellite loci, we failed to find evidence that British black grouse is an ESU. However, British black grouse are sufficiently different from continental black grouse both with respect to mitochondrial and nuclear data to regard them as a separate MU. Furthermore, we present genetic data which suggest that British black grouse presently occur in what are probably three demographically independent units (roughly corresponding to Wales, northern England/southern Scotland and northern Scotland), which are genetically differentiated. The two southern units (Wales and northern England/southern Scotland) have lower genetic diversity and show signs of having lost genetic variability.

Green turtle nesting has been recorded in North Carolina, since 1980, but how these nesting females fit into the broader regional context genetically has not been determined. Genetic tagging through microsatellite genotyping of clutches laid in northern South Carolina, North Carolina, and Delaware from 2010 through 2014 identified at least 52 individual nesting females. The mitochondrial control region haplotype frequencies of these individuals were significantly different from all northern Greater Caribbean subpopulations, including those in Florida, suggesting that these northern US females represent an incipient subpopulation that warrants distinct management unit status.

Indonesian Swampland Agricultural Research Institute is one of the UPT-Technical Implementation Unit conducting UPBS Management Unit of Extension Seed which provide swamp rice seed.The object of research was to study the preference of farmer on the characterization of 12 varieties in tidal swampland.The researchwas conducted on farmer’s fields at Bunga Karang village, Mandastana district, Barito Kuala regency,and the survey was at Samuda village, Belawang district, Barito Kuala regency in 2016. Thirty-three farmers were be taken randomly as respondent. Characteristics of farmers, plant morphology, yield and texture of rice were collected as primary data source by observation and interview. The data were analyzed descriptively.The preference of farmers to plant morphology such as plant type, plant height, tillers and panicle length of all varieties were preferred by both Javanese and Banjarese farmers, except Inpara 1 and Inpara 5. For plant age preference, except Inpara 4, all varieties were preferred by respondents. Meanwhile Inpara 5, Inpara 7, Mekongga, and Ciherang were not preferred varieties by all farmers according to resistence to pests (stem borer and Leptocorisa oratorius) and diseases (blast). All farmers preferredthe physical of grain, rice quality, color, and taste of rice.

The population status of the harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) in the Baltic area has been a continuous matter of debate. Here we present the by far most comprehensive genetic population structure assessment to date for this region, both with regard to geographic coverage and sample size: 497 porpoise samples from North Sea, Skagerrak, Kattegat, Belt Sea, and Inner Baltic Sea were sequenced at the mitochondrial Control Region and 305 of these specimens were typed at 15 polymorphic microsatellite loci. Samples were stratified according to sample type (stranding vs. by-caught), sex, and season (breeding vs. non-breeding season). Our data provide ample evidence for a population split between the Skagerrak and the Belt Sea, with a transition zone in the Kattegat area. Among other measures, this was particularly visible in significant frequency shifts of the most abundant mitochondrial haplotypes. A particular haplotype almost absent in the North Sea was the most abundant in Belt Sea and Inner Baltic Sea. Microsatellites yielded a similar pattern (i.e., turnover in occurrence of clusters identified by STRUCTURE). Moreover, a highly significant association between microsatellite assignment and unlinked mitochondrial haplotypes further indicates a split between North Sea and Baltic porpoises. For the Inner Baltic Sea, we consistently recovered a small, but significant separation from the Belt Sea population. Despite recent arguments that separation should exceed a predefined threshold before populations shall be managed separately, we argue in favour of precautionary acknowledging the Inner Baltic porpoises as a separate management unit, which should receive particular attention, as it is threatened by various factors, in particular local fishery measures.

Chronic wasting disease (CWD), a prion disease affecting North American cervids, has been discovered in at least 12 states and provinces throughout the continent. Since 2002, a number of states and provinces have initiated surveillance programs to detect CWD in native cervid populations. However, many questions remain about the appropriate methods, geographic scope, and number of samples required for an effective CWD surveillance program. We provide an improved statistical method to calculate the probability of detecting CWD in primary sample units (e.g., county or deer management unit) that also considers deer abundance and the nonrandom distribution of CWD and hunter harvests. We used this method to analyze data from a statewide CWD detection program conducted in Wisconsin during the autumns of 2002 and 2003 to determine the distribution of CWD in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Deer heads were collected at hunter registration stations, and brainstem (obex) and retropharyngeal lymph nodes were removed for disease testing. Our analysis includes samples from35,000 deer collected outside the known affected area. The probability of detecting chronic wasting disease at a prevalence of 1% varied from 0.89 toor =0.99 among the 56 primary sample units. Detection probabilities for 1% CWD prevalence were0.9 in 55 primary sample units, and0.99 in 10. Detection probabilities will be higher in areas where CWD prevalence exceeds 1%. CWD-positive deer were detected in eight primary sample units surrounding the known affected area during surveillance activities. Our approach provides a novel statistical technique to accommodate nonrandom sampling in wildlife disease surveillance programs.

Fishery catch per effort (CPE) is often used to assess relative fish abundance, and in many Great Lakes and other freshwater applications the CPE index is based on either an average or the ratio of summed aggregate catch to summed aggregate effort. In particular, assessments used to estimate the abundance of lake whitefish Coregonus clupeaformis and recommend harvest quotas in 1836 Treaty-ceded waters of Lakes Huron, Michigan, and Superior assume that commercial CPE from gill-net and trap-net fisheries is proportional to abundance; however, CPE may change due to factors other than abundance, leading to violations of this assumption. To account for sources of CPE variation that are not attributable to abundance, general linear mixed models (GLMMs) were developed for each management unit and least-squares means (LSMs) for each year were used as the index of abundance. The effect of using the GLMM method for standardization was evaluated by examining the temporal trends in the proportional differenc...

Purpose of review In the absence of an established critical pathway to evaluate patients with syncope presenting to the emergency department, this review is timely because of new clinical evidences supporting a specialized syncope management unit in the emergency department, and it is relevant because of the potential impact on a very large and heterogeneous population. Recent findings Three observational syncope studies from Italy showed a high degree of variability in practice patterns, diagnostic yields, and lengths of hospital stay. An appropriate and efficacious syncope management pathway in the emergency department remains far from established. In a randomized trial from a tertiary care hospital in the US, the SEEDS study demonstrated that a designated 'syncope unit' in the emergency department, with a multidisciplinary effort and appropriate resources, significantly improved diagnostic yield, reduced hospital admission and total length of hospital stay in intermediate-risk patients. Long-term follow-up showed that reduced hospital stay did not negatively affect survival and recurrent syncope. Summary Limited randomized trial data suggest a designated syncope unit in the emergency department holds promise to provide specialized and efficient care for patients with syncope. Additional data are needed to assess the general applicability of this critical pathway in community-based hospitals.

International audience; To refine our understanding of the spatial structure of the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) populations in the South West Indian Ocean (SWIO), we analysed patterns of mitochondrial DNA (396 base pairs control region fragment) variation among 171 samples collected at five distinct locations (Kenya, Northern Mozambique, and three locations in the Republic of Seychelles: the Granitic, Amirantes, and Farquhar groups) and compared them to genetic data (n = 288), previously collected from 10 southern locations in the SWIO. We also analysed postnesting satellite tracks (n = 4) from green turtles nesting in the Amirantes group. Pairwise comparisons of haplotype frequencies showed significant genetic differentiation amongst rookeries and suggest that the SWIO hosts two main genetic stocks of nesting green turtles that could themselves be divided in two sub-stocks that still need to be confirmed: A. the Southern Mozambique Channel, that could be composed of two sub-stocks (a1) Europa and (a2) Juan de Nova, and B. the Northern SWIO (N-SWIO) comprising two sub-stocks (b1) the Seychelles archipelago stock—SEY; and (b2) the remaining Northern SWIO rookeries. The newly revealed differentiation of the Seychelles population is supported by restricted migration of females tracked from the Amirantes group suggesting relatively limited links with other regional stocks. We hypothesize that this differentiation could be due to local and regional current patterns and to the role of the Indo-Pacific Barrier as a genetic break, enhanced during periods of sea level decrease associated with a rare but continuous flow of hatchlings and young juveniles from Western Australia.

El estudio comprende un análisis de la variación morfológica y genética del besugo Pagrus pagrus, comparando dos áreas principales de concentración, una Norte (35ºS - 38ºS) y otra Sur (39ºS - 41ºS) en la costa bonaerense del Mar Argentino. La caracterización de la forma del cuerpo mostró dos morfotipos diferenciados significativamente (Wilks´ Lambda= 0.224, P

Prescribed fire is used to reduce coverage of woody vegetation in early successional habitats, but burning may also result in direct and indirect mortality of reptiles inhabiting the burn site. Mowing prior to burning has been hypothesized to render grassland habitats unsuitable for the massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus), thereby reducing the number of individuals that may be affected in the management unit at the time of burning. I evaluated the impact of mowing prior to summer burning on massasaugas at Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge, in northwestern Missouri, during the summer of 2003 using radiomarked snakes. Pre-burn mowing resulted in the direct mortality of three (43%) of seven radiomarked massasaugas present in the treatment area. Prescribed fire resulted in a mortality of one of two remaining individuals. Pre-burn mowing did not reduce mortalities as hypothesized and likely added to the overall snake mortality rate. Management alternatives other than mowing and prescribed fire when snakes are active should be considered when managing massasauga habitat.

During the past 5–10 years, studies exploring small-scale structure of cod populations have provided accumulating evidence for the existence of local populations. In Iceland, all cod have been thought to belong to a single management unit. Recent studies on genetic and life history variation have, however, indicated the existence of local populations. The main objective of this study is to explore the potential existence of local populations by use of otolith shape to discriminate between spawning groups of Icelandic cod. Otoliths were sampled from mature and spawning cod at spawning locations around Iceland in 2002 and 2003, and otolith shape was described using variables correlated with size (otolith area, length, width, perimeter, and weight) as well as shape (rectangularity, circularity, and 10 Fourier coefficients). Only standardized otolith variables were used so as to remove the effect of otolith size on the shape variables. Cod were on average larger and older south of Iceland, where ambient temperature was higher than northwest, north, and east of Iceland. Otolith shape effectively discriminated between cod north and south of Iceland, and it was also possible to discriminate among cod spawning below and above 125 m at spawning locations south of Iceland. Recent genetic and tagging studies have indicated differences between cod at these two depths. Correct classification of groups of cod at the different spawning locations ranged between 0% and 44%. Incorrectly classified cod were in most cases classified to adjacent spawning locations, and a high percentage of cod south of Iceland was classified to other southern locations and cod north of Iceland to other northern locations. The temporal stability of otolith shape was studied at seven spawning locations in two consecutive years. Otolith shape differences were greater between locations than among years within a location. The spawning groups are therefore likely to have remained separate during much of their lifetime.

Use of reported harvests as an index to actual harvest assumes that the proportion of harvest reported is equal for all types of animals and hunters and does not vary spatially or temporally. We modeled reporting rates of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) harvest to determine whether they varied by year, deer management unit (DMU), type of deer (antlered or antlerless), or sex. During rifle seasons in Pennsylvania, USA, from 1990 to 2001, reporting rates varied by year, DMU, and type of deer (antlered or antlerless). Harvest estimates of antlered and antlerless deer were precise for both statewide (CV

Data on tag recoveries of 31 adult female and two juvenile loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) along the eastern Adriatic coast were analysed. All adult females originated from Mediterranean nesting areas: 29 from Greece, one from Cyprus and one from Turkey. This is the largest aggregation of long-distance tag recoveries in the Mediterranean for the loggerhead population nesting in Greece. The short period elapsed between the last observation of some turtles on the nesting beach and their recovery suggests the existence of a migratory pathway from the Ionian Sea into the Adriatic. Recoveries of some turtles within a period of a year indicate that loggerheads reside in the Adriatic for some time, suggesting that some individuals may demonstrate a level of site fidelity for these marine habitats. The high concentration of tag returns in the shallow northern Adriatic highlights this region as an important feeding habitat, for the population nesting in Greece in particular. The Ionian–Adriatic loggerheads form an important management sub-unit for this nesting population.

The basic mechanical properties of beech wood in coppice forest, locality Bor-Boljevac, Management unit "Crni Vrh-Kupinovo" were studied: Bending strength, modulus of elasticity in bending and shock resistance. Eight trees were taken from two series covered by the scientific-production experiment in this management unit. The statistically processed results were presented for each tree. There is a very strong correlation of the general linear form y=ax+b between the study properties, except between density and shock resistance. Static bending strength decreases mildly with tree height. The analysis shows that the average values of the study properties of beech wood at this locality are approximately the same as the values at other localities in the former SFRY. The only deviation is shock resistance.

Dystric brown soils were studied in the mountain forest of beech (Fagetum moesiacae montanum, Jov. 1976) in the area of the Management Unit "Cestobrodica". The soil study was carried out on three series of sample plots. The soils are formed on red sandstones, and the characteristics and the way of the substrate weathering has a decisive effect on the soil characteristics.

This study examined insect diversity in two native grassland ecosystems undergoing burning and grazing by bison and cattle, the Niobrara Valley Preserve (Nebraska) and the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve (Oklahoma). Sweep-sampling for insects was conducted during July 1994 and 1995 along transects in management units that were grazed by bison and partially burned, grazed by cattle and either burned (Tallgrass) or unburned (Niobrara), or ungrazed and unburned. At both sites, species richness (S) and diversity (log series α) were higher and similarity (Sorensen’s index) lower for bison than for cattle or ungrazed management units. High bison management unit diversity was associated with significantly higher S and α in burned (Tallgrass) and unburned (Niobrara) portions of bison units compared with their respective cattle units, suggesting that habitat heterogeneity in terms of plant productivity, composition, and structure were higher in bison versus cattle and ungrazed management units. Replicated fact...

Stock collapses have occurred worldwide. The most frequently cited cause is over-fishing, suggesting that fisheries management has been ineffective in controlling exploitation rates. The progression of a fishery from an over-exploited to a collapsed state involves impairment of the reproductive capacity of the target species, i.e. recruitment over-fishing. In many cases, this occurs by reduction of the spawning stock biomass (SSB) through the systematic elimination of spawning components within a stock complex. While operational definitions of minimum levels of SSB have been developed, they have seldom been applied and never adopted in a Canadian groundfish management context. The answer to the question of how much is enough to perpetuate a stock under exploitation has been illusive. Serebryakov [J. Cons. Int. Explor. Mer, 47 (1990) 267] has advocated definition of critical levels of SSB based on survival rates (R/SSB). We review his method and discuss the utility of the approach. An alternative approach to the problem of estimating minimum SSB is through a fundamental revision of the traditional stock and recruitment relationship. Explicit theoretical SSB thresholds below which reproduction/recruitment is severely impaired based upon density-dependent mating success (or Allee effects) is considered a superior approach to the question of how much is enough because of its ecological grounding. However, the successful application of this approach will require re-definition of the space/time scales of the management unit. Finally, support is growing for the establishment of closed areas or “no-take zones” as an alternative approach to managing the problems of fishing a stock complex by enabling sub-populations to escape fishing. While the expected benefits of areas protected from fishing are numerous, clear demonstrations of benefits of such areas in marine temperate ecosystems are lacking. In fact, unintended negative consequences may result from such actions.

11 pages, 9 figures, 5 tables., At present there is considered to be only one management unit of Sebastes mentella in the Northeast Arctic. A morphometric analysis was conducted to compare specimens from different locations and different times of the year. Residuals of the regression between each morphometric variable and standard length were used as input in a stepwise discriminant analysis, which revealed morphometric differences between three main regions: Svalbard, the Barents Sea and the Norwegian Sea, with the Lofoten area being an intermediate area where fish from the other three areas are present during some of the year. A previously described spawning migration pattern can also be derived from this analysis; the implications on survey design in this region are discussed., This study was supported by the European Union (ERBFMBICT 960772).