Living on the edge: utilising lidar data to assess the importance of vegetation structure for avian diversity in fragmented woodlands and their edges

Context: In agricultural landscapes, small woodland patches can be important wildlife refuges. Their value in maintaining biodiversity may, however, be compromised by isolation, and so knowledge about the role of habitat structure is vital to understand the drivers of diversity. This study examined how avian diversity and abundance were related to habitat structure in four small woods in an agricultural landscape in eastern England. Objectives: The aims were to examine the edge effect on bird diversity and abundance, and the contributory role of vegetation structure. Specifically: what is the role of vegetation structure on edge effects, and which edge structures support the greatest bird diversity? Methods: Annual breeding bird census data for 28 species were combined with airborne lidar data in linear mixed models fitted separately at (i) the whole wood level, and (ii) for the woodland edges only. Results: Despite relatively small woodland areas (4.9–9.4 ha), bird diversity increased significantly towards the edges, being driven in part by vegetation structure. At the whole woods level, diversity was positively associated with increased vegetation above 0.5 m and especially with increasing vegetation density in the understorey layer, which was more abundant at the woodland edges. Diversity along the edges was largely driven by the density of vegetation below 4 m. Conclusions: The results demonstrate that bird diversity was maximised by a diverse vegetation structure across the wood and especially a dense understorey along the edge. These findings can assist bird conservation by guiding habitat management of remaining woodland patches

Morphology and ecology of Thalassiosira Cleve (Bacillariophyta) species rarely recorded in Brazilian coastal waters

The detailed description of rarely recorded Thalassiosira species in Brazil is presented with light microscope (LM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) illustrations. A total of 78 phytoplankton net samples (20 µm) collected between the years 2000 and 2006 in coastal waters of southern Brazilian, Cassino Beach and the estuary of Lagoa dos Patos, were studied in cleaned material using the Axiovert Zeiss LM and Jeol 6060 SEM. Water temperature and salinity of samples and six species are presented: Thalassiosira endoseriata, T. hendeyi, T. lundiana, T. minuscula, T. oceanica and T. wongii. Two species, Thalassiosira hendeyi and T. endoseriata were the most common being observed in all seasons at Cassino Beach in a widen temperature range (10-26 ºC), while only sporadically in the estuary of Lagoa dos Patos. Thalassiosira endoseriata, T. lundiana, T. oceanica and T. wongii are for the first time reported in Brazilian coastal waters. The latter two species, rarely recorded in the world, are fully illustrated based on Brazilian material.A descrição detalhada de seis espécies de Thalassiosira raramente registradas no Brasil é apresentada com ilustrações em microscopia óptica (MO) e microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV). Foram estudadas 78 amostras de rede (malha de 20 µm) coletadas entre os anos de 2000 e 2006 em águas costeiras do sul do Brasil, na praia do Cassino e no estuário da Lagoa dos Patos. Dados relativos à temperatura da água e salinidade são apresentados. Thalassiosira endoseriata, T. hendeyi, T. lundiana, T. minuscula, T. oceanica e T. wongii foram estudadas em amostras oxidadas ao MO Axiovert Zeiss e MEV Jeol 6060. Thalassiosira hendeyi e T. endoseriata foram as espécies mais comumente observadas in todas as estações do ano na praia do Cassino em uma grande amplitude de temperatura (10-26 ºC), mas foram observadas esporadicamente no estuário da Lagoa dos Patos.Thalassiosira endoseriata, T. lundiana, T. oceanica e T. wongii são, pela primeira vez, registradas em águas costeiras brasileiras. As duas últimas espécies, raramente registradas em águas costeiras em geral, são ilustradas em detalhe com espécimens brasileiros

Interactions Between Pharmaceutical Representatives and Doctors in Training: A Thematic Review

OBJECTIVE: Medical school and residency are formative years in establishing patterns of prescribing. We aimed to review the literature regarding the extent of pharmaceutical industry contact with trainees, attitudes about these interactions, and effects on trainee prescribing behavior, with an emphasis on points of potential intervention and policy formation. DESIGN: We searched MEDLINE from 1966 until May 2004 for English language articles. All original articles were included if the abstract reported content relevant to medical training and the pharmaceutical industry. Editorials, guidelines, and policy recommendations were excluded. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Contact with pharmaceutical representatives was common among residents. The majority of trainees felt that the interactions were appropriate. A minority felt that their own prescribing could be influenced by contact or gifts, but were more likely to believe that others' prescribing could be influenced. Resident prescribing was associated with pharmaceutical representative visits and the availability of samples. A variety of policy and educational interventions appear to influence resident attitudes toward interactions with industry, although data on the long-term effects of these interventions are limited. Overall, residents reported insufficient training in this area. CONCLUSIONS: The pharmaceutical industry has a significant presence during residency training, has gained the overall acceptance of trainees, and appears to influence prescribing behavior. Training programs can benefit from policies and curricula that teach residents about industry influence and ways in which to critically evaluate information that they are given. Recommendations for local and national approaches are discussed