Reducing numbers of one carnivore species indirectly leads to extinction of others

Feb. 28, 2013 ? Previous studies have shown that carnivores can have indirect positive effects on each other, which means that when one species is lost, others could soon follow. A team from the University of Exeter and the University of Bern has now found that reducing the numbers of one species of carnivore can lead to the extinction of others.

Published online February 28, 2013 in the journal Ecology Letters, the study shows that simply reducing the population size of one carnivore can indirectly cause another similar species to become extinct. The research shows that changes in population size, as well as extinction, can create ripple effects across sensitive food webs with far-reaching consequences for many other animals.

The research shows that species could suffer just as much from harm to another species as from being under direct threat themselves. This adds weight to growing evidence that a 'single species' approach to conservation, for example in fisheries management, is misguided. Instead the focus needs to be holistic, encompassing species across an entire ecosystem.

The researchers assembled experimental ecosystems with three species of parasitic wasps, along with the three types of aphids on which each wasp exclusively feeds. They set up four sets of tanks each containing the three aphid and three wasp species and allowed the populations to establish for eight weeks. Over the next 14 weeks (seven insect generations) the researchers removed a proportion of the wasps from three of the sets of tanks every day -- one species from each set. The fourth set had no wasps removed.

The team found that the partial removal of one wasp species led indirectly to the extinction of other wasp species. In the absence of one wasp species, the aphid it preyed upon grew in numbers. All three species of aphid feed on the same plant so increased competition for food led to changes in sizes of the aphid populations. However no aphid species went extinct and so the indirect extinctions of the wasps were not the result of extinction of their prey. Rather, it is likely that the wasps that went extinct had difficulty searching for suitable prey among large numbers of unsuitable ones.

Lead researcher Dr Frank van Veen of the University of Exeter's Centre for Ecology and Conservation said: "We have shown that the complex ripple effect of a change in population size across food webs is more sensitive than previously thought and that a reduction in the numbers of one carnivore can lead to the extinction of another carnivore species. We also found evidence that the initial indirect extinction can itself trigger further ones, potentially leading to a cascade of extinctions, like dominoes toppling over."

"The insect system is handy for experimentation but the same principles apply to any ecosystem, from mammals in the Serengeti to the fish in our seas. It clearly shows that we should have an ecosystem-based approach to conservation and to the management of fish stocks and other natural resources."

The research team has recently been awarded a ?470K grant by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) to extend this research at a larger scale.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Exeter, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Dirk Sanders, Louis Sutter and F. J. Frank van Veen. The loss of indirect interactions leads to cascading extinctions of carnivores. Ecology Letters, 28 FEB 2013 DOI: 10.1111/ele.12096

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/AkQXwA9-3CY/130228124144.htm

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Humane Lobby Day Kicks Off in Montpelier : The Humane Society of ...

February?28,?2013

Vermont animal advocates lobby lawmakers to protect animals

Vermonters converged on the State Capitol for Humane Lobby Day in Montpelier to lobby in support of several measures including bills to improve conditions for farm animals by banning the extreme confinement of breeding pigs in gestation crates, and to strengthen standards for commercial dog breeders. Other measures the advocates expressed support for would require that complex surgical procedures on animals be performed by veterinarians and expedite hearings on animal cruelty cases to allow for the adoption of animals into new homes more quickly.

Advocates met with Gov. Peter Shumlin and delivered more than 1,300 signatures gathered in an on-line petition supporting stronger anti-cruelty laws.

?We are thrilled to see so many Vermonters bring their voices to Montpelier and speak on behalf of animals,? said Joanne Bourbeau, The HSUS? Northeastern regional director. ?We urge state legislators to make animal welfare a high priority this legislative session.??

?The ASPCA is proud to co-sponsor Humane Lobby Day in Montpelier, as it offers citizen lobbyists the chance to meet with their representatives to advocate on behalf of animals, who cannot speak for themselves,? said Bill Ketzer, senior state legislative director of ASPCA Government Relations for the Northeast region. ?We look forward to working with legislators to pass these important bills into law to better protect the animals of Vermont.?

The HSUS presented State Sen. Jeanette White, D-Windham, with its 2012 Humane State Legislator of the Year Award for sponsoring and championing the Senate passage of S. 142, a bill to improve the state?s regulatory system for commercial dog breeders.

?I was proud to sponsor legislation to ensure that breeding dogs are protected from inhumane conditions. Vermonters care deeply about how animals are raised and cared for, and this common sense legislation is long overdue,? said Sen. White.

Vermont Public Safety Commissioner Keith Flynn, who supports improvements to Vermont?s civil forfeiture law, said: ?The abuse and neglect of animals is a Public Safety issue that in some instances transcends those acts or omissions. As a State we have an obligation to aggressively enforce abuse and neglect laws to assure that animals are treated humanely."

Humane Lobby Day organizers also presented the legislative pet photo contest award to Rep. Larry Cupoli, R-Rutland, and his Springer Spaniels Louie and Lilly.

Vermont ranks 12th in The Humane Society of the United States? 2012 ?Humane State Rankings? which grades each state and the District of Columbia based on a wide range of animal protection laws dealing with pets, animal cruelty and fighting, wildlife, animals in research, horses and farm animals. Vermont?s strong animal fighting law and ban on the private ownership of exotic animals helps the state lead the nation in animal protection laws.

The Humane Society of the United States, the ASPCA? (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals?) and the Vermont Humane Federation sponsored Humane Lobby Day 2013.

Media Contacts:

HSUS: Ra?l Arce-Contreras: 301-721-6440; rcontreras@humanesociety.org

ASPCA: Maureen Linehan: 646-706-4602; maureen.linehan@aspca.org

Source: http://www.humanesociety.org/news/press_releases/2013/02/vt-humane-lobby-day-2013-022813.html

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Juliette Binoche in Talks for Godzilla

Juliette Binoche is in talks for an unspecified role in Warner Bros' Godzilla, Variety reports (via Comingsoon).

If talks went well, she'll join Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, and Bryan Cranston. The latter three won't sign until the script is finalized, so, presumably, Binoche's contract will also have to wait for the finished script as well.

Speaking of the script, Frank Darabont is putting the finishing touches on a draft previously worked on my Iron Man 3's Drew Pearce.

To be directed by Gareth Edwards, Godzilla will reportedly center on a soldier (Taylor-Johnson) and his girlfriend (Olsen). Cranston will play Taylor-Johnson's grandfather.

Besides Godzilla, there may be two other monsters in the movie.

Godzilla is set for theaters on May 16, 2014. It remains to be seen whether or not the pending lawsuit brought on by producers Dan Lin, Roy Lee, and Doug Davidson against Legendary Pictures will affect the release date.

Legendary is eyeing a March start date.

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1926925/news/1926925/

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Segs4Vets to Award Segways to Wounded Warriors on Deck of USS Midway

On March 6, 2013 severely wounded Vets will receive Segway personal transporters to improve their mobility and independence at a ceremony on the forward deck of the historic USS Midway.

San Diego, Calif. (PRWEB) February 27, 2013

Although U.S. troops are withdrawing from Afghanistan, the war never ends for severely injured military service members. On March 6, 2013 more than two dozen wounded warriors will receive Segway personal transporters from Segs4Vets to improve their mobility and independence at a ceremony on the forward deck of the historic USS Midway.

Segs4Vets, ranked as one of America?s best charities and recipient of the prestigious Spirit of Hope Award from the Office of the Secretary of Defense, will award the Segways at an outdoor ceremony on the deck of the USS Midway on Wednesday, March 6, at 10:45 a.m. The ceremony is open to the public. General Hal Hornburg, USAF (Ret) and Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient Col. H.C. "Barney" Barnum USMC (Ret), Segs4Vets board members, will participate in the presentation.

Segs4Vets is a project of Disability Rights Advocates for Technology (DRAFT). The program is dedicated to restoring independence and productivity to severely injured service members. Segs4Vets has awarded more than 1,000 Segways since 2005 and plans to award 2,000 more in the next five years.

Last year the number of Americans wounded in combat in Iraq or Afghanistan passed the 50,000 mark. The Pentagon classified more than 16,000 of the wounded as so "severely injured" that most would have died on a battlefield just a generation ago. Improvements in protective gear and battlefield medicine and evacuation save the lives of 90 percent of the injured. However, the survivors are living with more debilitating injuries. More than 1,653 service members have lost a limb to amputation since hostilities began in 2001.

"The fact that this war is finally ending means little to the severely injured who face a lifetime of disability and challenge because of their injuries," said Jerry Kerr, the President and co-founder of Segs4Vets. "We have seen no let up in demand for Segways and we do not expect any change in the immediate future. The country is war weary but we must remember our brave soldiers, sailors and Marines and make certain they get the best possible tools so they can reclaim lives of independence and dignity."

"Our focus is not so much on what has happened to these American heroes but what lies ahead for them and their families. They must rise again and continue to be productive participants both in their families and in our overall society. The Segway helps them do that," said Kerr. "While amputees face special challenges, many of the other injured service members suffer just as much with a range of severe injuries which leave them living with pain and limited mobility."

The Segway, a battery powered two wheel mobility device, has found an avid following among the disabled because its universal design allows almost anyone to use it without drawing attention to the disability. Recipients use their Segways to attend college, remain on active duty, work in private sector jobs, and engage in recreational activities and everyday tasks like shopping with their families. Recipients say the device makes it easier for them to stand longer and travel farther without fatigue and the need of extra pain killers. It has been so life changing for many recipients that their families credit the device with improving family relationships.

For more information, visit http://www.segs4vets.org.

About Segs4Vets

Segs4Vets was started in late 2005 by Disability Rights Advocates for Technology, a 501c3 created to represent people with disabilities who refuse to be defined by their disability and whose passionate enthusiasm for participation in life activities is supported by Universal Design and new and emerging technologies. The organization is a member of Military Veterans & Patriotic Service Organizations of America and has been certified as one of the best charities in America by the Independent Charities Seal of Excellence, an honor accorded fewer than 2,000 of the more than one million public charities in the United States. DRAFT launched Segs4Vets as a way to thank disabled American veterans of all wars for their sacrifice and for changing the face of disability in the United States. For more information, visit http://www.segs4vets.org.

Christine Black Office
For Segs4Vets
(202) 333-3853
Email Information

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/segs4vets-award-segways-wounded-warriors-deck-uss-midway-080430171.html

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Video: IBM Meets With Analysts

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Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/50993354/

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T-Mobile USA Reports First Customer Growth Since 2009 But ?Challenges Persist Unchanged? As It Waits For Apple Deal To Kick In

Deutsche Telekom, owner of T-Mobile USA, today reported its Q4 and full-year results, and it looks like it is starting to arrest some of the declines in its North American operations: overall subscribers at T-Mobile USA now stand at 33.4 million -- a rise of 0.6% compared to a year ago, and the first time since 2009 that the number has not declined. The company, however, also noted that "challenges persisted unchanged" in the region as revenues declined by 1.4% to to ?3.8 billion ($5 billion) and service revenues specifically were down by nearly 10% to $4.1 billion, as the carrier sits tight and waits for a marketing deal with Apple to kick in this year.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/Dk-CHN7FiOE/

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Drop in Taliban attacks incorrect

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The U.S.-led military coalition in Afghanistan incorrectly reported a decline in Taliban attacks last year, and officials said Tuesday that there was actually no change in the number of attacks on international troops from 2011 to 2012.

The corrected numbers ? from the original reports of a 7 percent decline to one of no change ? could undercut the narrative promoted by the international coalition and the Obama administration of an insurgency in steep decline.

A coalition spokesman, Jamie Graybeal, attributed the miscounting to clerical errors and said the problem does not change officials' basic assessment of the war.

The 7 percent figure had been included in a report posted on the coalition's website in late January as part of its monthly update on trends in security and violence. It was removed from the website recently without explanation. After The Associated Press asked last week about the missing report, coalition officials said they were correcting the data and would re-publish the report in coming days.

U.S. and allied officials have often cited declining violence as a sign that the Taliban has been degraded and that Afghan forces are in position to take the lead security role when the last U.S. combat troops leave Dec. 31, 2014.

In mid-December, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said "violence is down," in 2012, and that Afghan forces "have gotten much better at providing security" in areas where they have taken the lead role. He said the Taliban can be expected to continue to attack, "but overall they are losing."

On Tuesday, Pentagon spokesman George Little said Panetta was "concerned to learn of the errors" and was only very recently briefed on the matter.

"This particular set of metrics doesn't tell the full story of progress against the Taliban, of course, but it's unhelpful to have inaccurate information in our systems," Little said.

The Taliban have lost a good deal of territory since a 2010 surge of U.S. forces in the southern provinces of Helmand and Kandahar, and they failed to recover it during the last two fighting seasons. Even so, they are resilient, and they are expected to severely test Afghan forces as the U.S. and its coalition partners step further into the background this year and complete their combat mission next year.

Graybeal did not fully explain ISAF's erroneous reporting of 2012 Taliban attacks. It was not clear, for example, at what point the data errors began or who discovered them.

"During a quality control check, ISAF recently became aware that some data was incorrectly entered into the database that is used for tracking security-related incidents across Afghanistan," Graybeal said from Kabul, speaking for the International Security Assistance Force, or ISAF.

Graybeal said an audit determined that portions of the data from unilateral Afghan military operations were "not properly reflected" in the trends ISAF had reported in its monthly updates.

"After including this unilateral ANSF (Afghan National Security Force) data into our database, we have determined that there was no change in the total number of EIAs (enemy initiated attacks) from 2011 to 2012," Graybeal said.

"This was a record-keeping error that we recognized and have now corrected," he added.

The coalition defines enemy initiated attacks as attacks by small arms, mortars, rockets and improvised explosive devices, or IEDs. But it does not include IEDs that are found and cleared before they explode.

Trends in Taliban attacks are one yardstick used by ISAF to measure war progress. Others include the state of security in populated areas, the number of coalition and Afghan casualties, the degree to which civilians can move about freely, and the performance of Afghan security forces.

Graybeal said even though the number of 2012 Taliban attacks was unchanged from 2011, "our assessment of the fundamentals of campaign progress has not changed. The enemy is increasingly separated from the population and the ANSF are currently in the lead for the vast majority of partnered operations."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ap-newsbreak-drop-taliban-attacks-incorrect-121946153--politics.html

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