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- ItemBiochars in soils: towards the required level of scientific understanding(Vilnius : VGTU Press, 2016) Tammeorg, Priit; Bastos, Ana Catarina; Jeffery, Simon; Rees, Frédéric; Kern, Jürgen; Graber, Ellen R.; Ventura, Maurizio; Kibblewhite, Mark; Amaro, António; Budai, Alice; Cordovil, Cláudia M.d.S.; Domene, Xavier; Gardi, Ciro; Gascó, Gabriel; Horák, Ján; Kammann, Claudia; Kondrlova, Elena; Laird, David; Loureiro, Susana; Martins, Martinho A.S.; Panzacchi, Pietro; Prasad, Munoo; Prodana, Marija; Puga, Aline Peregrina; Ruysschaert, Greet; Sas-Paszt, Lidia; Silva, Flávio C.; Teixeira, Wenceslau Geraldes; Tonon, Giustino; Delle Vedove, Gemini; Zavalloni, Costanza; Glaser, Bruno; Verheijen, Frank G.A.Key priorities in biochar research for future guidance of sustainable policy development have been identified by expert assessment within the COST Action TD1107. The current level of scientific understanding (LOSU) regarding the consequences of biochar application to soil were explored. Five broad thematic areas of biochar research were addressed: soil biodiversity and ecotoxicology, soil organic matter and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, soil physical properties, nutrient cycles and crop production, and soil remediation. The highest future research priorities regarding biochar’s effects in soils were: functional redundancy within soil microbial communities, bioavailability of biochar’s contaminants to soil biota, soil organic matter stability, GHG emissions, soil formation, soil hydrology, nutrient cycling due to microbial priming as well as altered rhizosphere ecology, and soil pH buffering capacity. Methodological and other constraints to achieve the required LOSU are discussed and options for efficient progress of biochar research and sustainable application to soil are presented.
- ItemSocial media reveals consistently disproportionate tourism pressure on a threatened marine vertebrate(Oxford [u.a.] : Wiley-Blackwell, 2020) Papafitsoros, K.; Panagopoulou, A.; Schofield, G.Establishing how wildlife viewing pressure is distributed across individual animals within a population can inform the management of this activity, and ensure targeted individuals or groups are sufficiently protected. Here, we used social media data to quantify whether tourism pressure varies in a loggerhead sea turtle Caretta caretta population and elucidate the potential implications. Laganas Bay (Zakynthos, Greece) supports both breeding (migratory, and hence transient) and foraging (resident) turtles, with turtle viewing representing a major component of the tourism industry. Social media entries spanning two seasons (April to November, 2018 and 2019) were evaluated, and turtles were identified via photo-identification. For the 2 years, 1684 and 2105 entries of 139 and 122 unique turtles were obtained from viewings, respectively (boats and underwater combined). However, while residents represented less than one-third of uniquely identified turtles, they represented 81.9 and 87.9% of all entries. Even when the seasonal breeding population was present (May to July), residents represented more than 60% of entries. Notably, the same small number of residents (<10), mostly males, were consistently viewed in both years; however, different individuals were targeted by boats versus underwater. Thus, turtles appear to remain in the area despite high viewing intensity, possibly indicating low disturbance. However, photo-identification records revealed a high risk of propeller and boat strike to residents (30%) leading to trauma and mortality. To reduce this threat, we recommend the compulsory use of propeller guards for all boats, compliance with speed regulations and the creation of temporary ‘refuge’ zones for resident animals at viewing hotspots, with these suggestions likely being relevant for other wildlife with similar population dynamics. In conclusion, social media represents a useful tool for monitoring individuals at a population scale, evaluating the pressure under which they are placed, and providing sufficient data to refine wildlife viewing guidelines and/or zoning. © 2020 The Authors. Animal Conservation published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Zoological Society of London