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While Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) of the northernmost American populations is alimentary, economically, and culturally important for Ungava Inuit communities (Nunavik, Canada) and might play a key role in the persistence of the species in a global warming context, many mysteries remain about those remote and atypical populations. Thus, our first aim was to document the genomic structure of the Nunavik populations. The second objective was to determine whether salmon only migrating to the estuary without reaching the sea, apparently unique to those populations, represent distinct populations from the typical anadromous salmons and subsequently explore the genetic basis of migratory life‐history tactics in the species. Finally, the third goal was to quantify the contribution of each genetically distinct population and life‐history tactic in the mixed‐stock subsistence fishery of the Koksoak R. estuary. We used Genotyping‐by‐Sequencing to genotype 14,061 single nucleotide polymorphisms in the genome of 248 individuals from 8 source populations and 280 individuals from the Koksoak estuary mixed‐stock fishery. Life‐history tactics were identified by a visual assessment of scales. Results show a hierarchical structure mainly influenced by isolation‐by‐distance with 7 populations out of the 8 studied rivers. While no obvious structure was detected between marine and estuarine salmon within the population, we have identified genomic regions putatively associated with those migration tactics. Finally, all salmon captured in the Koksoak estuary originated from the Koksoak drainage and mostly from 2 tributaries, but no inter‐annual variation in the contribution of these tributaries was found. Our results indicate, however, that both marine and estuarine salmon contribute substantially to estuarine fisheries and that there is inter‐annual variation in this contribution. These findings provide crucial information for the conservation of salmon populations in a rapidly changing ecosystem, as well as for fishery management to improve the food security of Inuit communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract While Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) of the northernmost American populations is alimentary, economically, and culturally important for Ungava Inuit communities (Nunavik, Canada) and might play a key role in the persistence of the species in a global warming context, many mysteries remain about those remote and atypical populations. Thus, our first aim was to document the genomic structure of the Nunavik populations. The second objective was to determine whether salmon only migrating to the estuary without reaching the sea, apparently unique to those populations, represent distinct populations from the typical anadromous salmons and subsequently explore the genetic basis of migratory life‐history tactics in the species. Finally, the third goal was to quantify the contribution of each genetically distinct population and life‐history tactic in the mixed‐stock subsistence fishery of the Koksoak R. estuary. We used Genotyping‐by‐Sequencing to genotype 14,061 single nucleotide polymorphisms in the genome of 248 individuals from 8 source populations and 280 individuals from the Koksoak estuary mixed‐stock fishery. Life‐history tactics were identified by a visual assessment of scales. Results show a hierarchical structure mainly influenced by isolation‐by‐distance with 7 populations out of the 8 studied rivers. While no obvious structure was detected between marine and estuarine salmon within the population, we have identified genomic regions putatively associated with those migration tactics. Finally, all salmon captured in the Koksoak estuary originated from the Koksoak drainage and mostly from 2 tributaries, but no inter‐annual variation in the contribution of these tributaries was found. Our results indicate, however, that both marine and estuarine salmon contribute substantially to estuarine fisheries and that there is inter‐annual variation in this contribution. These findings provide crucial information for the conservation of salmon populations in a rapidly changing ecosystem, as well as for fishery management to improve the food security of Inuit communities.

Marine reserves are commonly used to conserve living resources, but their effectiveness where policing is difficult is unclear. We compared monthly population density and size structure data collected over 20 months for two rarely and two commonly exploited intertidal limpets inside and outside reserves in South Africa. Densities were greater inside reserves, but significantly so in very few months. Unexpectedly, no significant reserve effect was detected for the territorialScutellastra longicosta, shown by surveys to be favoured by harvesters. Reserve effects for the rarely exploitedS. granularisprobably result from indirect effects of higher barnacle cover in reserves where trampling is reduced, while interviews indicated thatCellana capensisis not targeted but large individuals are sometimes misidentified and hence are harvested outside the reserve. There were few reserve effects on mean or mean maximum size. The results indicate a gradient of exploitation among species and sites. One non-reserve site was more heavily exploited than the other, while one reserve experienced more poaching than the other. The effectiveness of marine reserves thus differed between reserves and among species. Exploited limpets were generally larger and at higher densities in reserves, but these effects were rarely statistically significant, indicating that reserve effects are weak compared to natural variability, probably reflecting ineffective policing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Understorey gaps are common in subtropical forests where pole-size trees are harvested for building materials. The creation of artificial understorey gaps has the potential to affect tree regeneration and the maintenance of forest tree diversity by locally increasing resource availability (light, nutrients, moisture). Understorey tree gaps had significantly lower foliage density in the 3–10-m stratum and higher soil moisture. However, fine root biomass and nutrient availability (N, P, K, Corg) were not different to controls in the intact understorey. Light intensity at the forest floor was a function of the age of the understorey gap, being greater in recent gaps but was not different between older gaps and the controls in intact understorey. The early regeneration community in gaps was different in composition from under intact understorey. Understorey gaps appeared to promote the regeneration of understorey species (density and species richness) by increasing community-wide seedling establishment of understorey species. However, understorey gaps had no effect on the early regeneration of canopy species. We argue that under low harvesting intensity (11.6% of the available pole-size stems), understorey gaps have a neutral role in the long-term maintenance of understorey species diversity and no apparent role in the long-term maintenance of canopy tree species diversity. These results suggest that low levels of subsistence harvesting of understorey species will not detrimentally affect the overall species composition of scarp forest. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We investigate the effect of subsistence harvesting on the ecological status of the pole-size tree component of the understorey at the Ongoye Forest Reserve (OFR; 2611ha), KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa. Using generalised linear modelling (GLM) we examine the ecological and social correlates of species preference and harvest intensity. Data were collected from 22 strip transects (5m×300m; 0.15ha). Only 11.6% of the available pole-size trees (2cm<DBH<15cm) were harvested, mostly for building materials. No instance of canopy tree logging was recorded. Sixty-eight species were identified; however, only seven species (82% of harvested stems) were preferred: Englerophytum natalense (33%), Garcinia gerrardii (19%), Drypetes gerrardii (9%), Tabernaemontana ventricosa (9%), Rinorea angustifolia (4%), Oxyanthus speciosus (4%), and Chrysophyllum viridifolium (4%). Size-class distributions for these seven species were inverse J-shaped, typical of fine-grained species that regenerate over small spatial scales, suggesting that current harvesting intensities may be sustainable. Pole-size stem density was significantly similar among residual stands in harvested areas (2014±31stemsha−1) suggestive of a stem-density harvest threshold below which further effort was unprofitable. The number of harvested stems increased with increasing stem availability across species and stem size-classes. Small size-classes (2–5cm DBH) were harvested most intensely, followed by the intermediate (5–10cm) and the large (10–15cm) size-classes, for all species except C. viridifolium. For the latter, the harvesting intensity was greatest for the 10–15cm size-class. Lastly, harvest intensity was greatest in those areas closest to households near the reserve boundary but was not affected by household density. Although subsistence harvesting at the OFR appears to be sustainable at current levels, we note that similar harvest intensities of pole-sized stems in studies from smaller forests (<60ha) led to local extinction of tree species. In addition, because the dominant understorey species at OFR are almost exclusively harvested, the mid- to long-term effects of this harvesting preference on forest dynamics must be assessed to develop sound ecological forest management policies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

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Populations of a protandric limpet, Cymbula oculus, were compared between two South African Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), Dwesa and Tsitsikamma, and four exploited sites, and between sites exposed to or sheltered from strong wave action. Harvesting is decimating populations of this limpet. Compared with harvested sites, limpets in MPAs were 30–50% larger, adult densities 75% greater and biomass 30–90% greater. The female:male ratio was 0.58:1 inside the MPAs, but 0.11:1 at harvested sites. Growth rate and age-at-maturity were unaffected by harvesting, but survivorship was 10-fold higher inside MPAs, and reproductive output a staggering 80-fold higher. Conversely, recruitment was three times higher in harvested than protected areas, and inversely correlated with adult density. Wave action had negative effects of similar magnitude to harvesting. Limpets at sheltered sites were 65% larger, biomass 80% greater, female proportions 40% higher, survivorship 25% greater and growth 33% greater. Recruitment was, however, 45% greater at wave-exposed sites. All these effects were detected only inside the MPAs, being masked by harvesting elsewhere. The impacts of harvesting and wave action could never have been detected without the existence of MPAs, emphasizing their importance for base-line studies as well as protection. Dwesa MPA is under threat from poaching and demands for access to resources, but a strong case exists for retaining at least a core fully protected area. Our results clearly illustrate the need for MPAs among the tools used for coastal management. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]