Mobile Animals as a Potential Dispersal Mechanism in Zostera marina (Eelgrass)

Virginia Institute of Marine ScienceMaster of Science (M.Sc.

Assessing the role of large herbivores in the structuring and functioning of freshwater and marine angiosperm ecosystems

2 figuras, 3 tablasWhile large herbivores can have strong impacts on terrestrial ecosystems, much less is known of their role in aquatic systems. We reviewed the literature to determine: (1) which large herbivores (>10 kg) have a (semi-)aquatic lifestyle and are important consumers of submerged vascular plants, (2) their impact on submerged plant abundance and species composition and (3) their ecosystem functions. We grouped herbivores according to diet, habitat selection and movement ecology: (1) Fully aquatic species, either resident or migratory (manatees, dugongs, turtles), (2) Semi-aquatic species that live both in water and on land, either resident or migratory (swans), (3) Resident semi-aquatic species that live in water and forage mainly on land (hippopotamuses, beavers, capybara), (4) Resident terrestrial species with relatively large home ranges that frequent aquatic habitats (cervids, water buffalo, lowland tapir). Fully aquatic species and swans have the strongest impact on submerged plant abundance and species composition. They may maintain grazing lawns. Because they sometimes target belowground parts, their activity can result in local collapse of plant beds. Semi-aquatic species and turtles serve as important aquatic-terrestrial linkages, by transporting nutrients across ecosystem boundaries. Hippopotamuses and beavers are important geomorphological engineers, capable of altering the land and hydrology at landscape scales. Migratory species and terrestrial species with large home ranges are potentially important dispersal vectors of plant propagules and nutrients. Clearly, large aquatic herbivores have strong impacts on associated species and can be critical ecosystem engineers of aquatic systems, with the ability to modify direct and indirect functional pathways in ecosystems. While global populations of large aquatic herbivores are declining, some show remarkable local recoveries with dramatic consequences for the systems they inhabit. A better understanding of these functional roles will help set priorities for the effective management of large aquatic herbivores along with the plant habitats they rely on.This research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (CTM2013-48027-C3-3-R), an Intramural Project from the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC, 201330E062) and the Pew Marine Fellowship.Peer reviewe

Raising the Bar in Child Welfare Law

This article explores the unique opportunities arising from child welfare law practice in clinical legal education. While training law students for lawyering in all practice areas, the clinic can also inspire experienced child welfare practitioners to raise the level of their practice. The article provides an overview of the child welfare practice in Texas, the various roles of lawyers in the system, the special training required for these lawyers, and how the lawyers are employed and paid. The article proposes that the clear impact of child welfare legal practice on clients, combined with its interdisciplinary complexity, creates an ideal combination for motivating law students to zealous representation while teaching them how to apply real facts to a wide variety of law and policy in a culturally competent framework. Because SMU’s clinic students are eager learners experiencing lawyering firsthand, without bearing the burden of the “billable hour,” they can explore issues and model best practices in the Dallas community. The Child Advocacy Clinic’s work representing children and former foster youth stands as a proving ground for current issues and best practices. In turn, SMU Dedman Law can turn the lessons learned in the robust clinic practice to provide essential training to the child welfare community at large. The article also relies on, and was greatly inspired by, clinic students’ words in describing the lawyering experiences they gained through the clinic