April 2015, Vol.184:446–455, doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2015.02.015
Title
Scenarios of future land use change around United States’ protected areas
Author
Sebastián Martinuzzi a,,
Volker C. Radeloff a
Lucas N. Joppa b
Christopher M. Hamilton a
David P. Helmers a
Andrew J. Plantinga c
David J. Lewis d
aSILVIS Lab, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA
bMicrosoft Research, 21 Station Road, Cambridge CB1 2FB, UK
cBren School of Environmental Science & Management, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
dDepartment of Applied Economics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
Received 9 August 2014. Revised 7 February 2015. Accepted 12 February 2015. Available online 11 March 2015. Highlights
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We evaluated scenarios of future land use change around federal protected areas in the U.S.
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The most changes occurred around Wildlife Refuges, the least around Wilderness Areas.
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Land uses around Refuges and Forests were the most sensitive to changing scenarios.
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Urban expansion is likely to continue to threaten protected areas.
Abstract
Land use change around protected areas can diminish their conservation value, making it important to predict future land use changes nearby. Our goal was to evaluate future land use changes around protected areas of different types in the United States under different socioeconomic scenarios. We analyzed econometric-based projections of future land use change to capture changes around 1260 protected areas, including National Forests, Parks, Refuges, and Wilderness Areas, from 2001 to 2051, under different land use policies and crop prices. Our results showed that urban expansion around protected areas will continue to be a major threat, and expand by 67% under business-as-usual conditions. Concomitantly, a substantial number of protected areas will lose natural vegetation in their surroundings. National land-use policies or changes in crop prices are not likely to affect the overall pattern of land use, but can have effects in certain regions. Discouraging urbanization through zoning, for example, can reduce future urban pressures around National Forests and Refuges in the East, while the implementation of an afforestation policy can increase the amount of natural vegetation around some Refuges throughout the U.S. On the other hand, increases in crop prices can increase crop/pasture cover around some protected areas, and limit the potential recovery of natural vegetation. Overall, our results highlight that future land-use change around protected areas is likely to be substantial but variable among regions and protected area types. Safeguarding the conservation value of protected areas may require serious consideration of threats and opportunities arising from future land use.
Corresponding author at: SILVIS Lab, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA. Tel.: +1 608 890 3160; fax: +1 608 262 9922.
April 2015, Vol.184:335–345, doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2015.01.031
Title
Projected impact of climate change on the effectiveness of the existing protected area network for biodiversity conservation within Yunnan Province, China
Author
Robert J. Zomer a,b,,
Jianchu Xu a,b
Mingcheng Wang a
Antonio Trabucco c,d
Zhuoqing Li e
aKey Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia (KLPB), Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Science, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, China
bCentre for Mountain Ecosystem Studies, World Agroforestry Center (ICRAF), East and Central Asia Region, Kunming 650201, China
cEuro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change, IAFENT Division, Sassari, Italy
dDepartment of Science for Nature and Environmental Resources (DIPNET), University of Sassari, Via De Nicola 9, 07100 Sassari, Italy
eEcology Environmental Protection Research Center, Yunnan Institute of Environmental Science, 23 Wangjiaba, Kunming 650034, China
Received 3 October 2014. Revised 16 January 2015. Accepted 29 January 2015. Available online 27 February 2015. Highlights
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Yunnan is renowned for biodiversity, with 7.2% of total area within protected area network.
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Currently, 9 bioclimatic zones, composed of 33 strata, are found within Yunnan.
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By 2050, their mean elevation is projected to shift upwards by 269 m on average.
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Majority of protected area network will experience novel bioclimatic conditions.
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Major impact upon the conservation effectiveness of the protected area network by 2050.
Abstract
Climate change is projected to impact on biodiversity conservation and the effectiveness of the existing protected area network in biologically rich Yunnan Province of southwestern China. A statistically derived bioclimatic stratification is used to analyze projected bioclimatic conditions across Yunnan by the year 2050. The multi-model approach is based on an ensemble of CIMP5 Earth System Models, downscaled to a set of 1 km2 resolution climate projections (n = 63), covering four representative concentration pathways (RCP). Nine bioclimatic zones, composed of 33 strata, are currently found within Yunnan. By 2050, the mean elevation of these zones is projected to shift upwards by an average of 269 m, with large increases in area of the warmer zones, and decreases in the colder, higher elevation zones. Temperate and alpine areas of high biodiversity value are at risk. Displacement in the geographic distribution of bioclimatic conditions is likely to have substantial impact across all bioclimatic zones, vegetation types, and habitats currently found in Yunnan. On average, across all RCPs, 45% of the total combined area of the protected area network will shift to a completely different zone, with 83% shifting to a different strata. The great majority of protected area will experience substantially changed, spatially shifted, and novel bioclimatic conditions by 2050. The spatial displacement and upwards shifting of bioclimatic conditions indicates a prolonged period of significant ecological perturbation, which will have a major impact upon the conservation effectiveness of the established protected area network, and other conservation efforts across Yunnan.
Corresponding author at: Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia (KLPB), Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Science, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, China.
by MARIE MULROONEYThe rowing machine, or row ergometer, provides an excellent cardiovascular workout.Photo Credit Wavebreakmedia Ltd/Wavebreak Media/Getty Images
Rowing machines don't offer enough resistance for strength training; instead, they're an excellent tool for building cardiovascular fitness. If you're looking for a strength-training workout, aim for a row machine instead. The difference in terminology may be minute, but it makes all the difference in the world. A seated row machine -- as opposed to a rowing machine -- uses a weight stack or weight plates to work your back, shoulders and arms.
Meet the Row Ergometer
A rowing machine -- also known as a row ergometer -- works every major muscle group in your body rhythmically for an extended period of time. That's practically a textbook definition of the ideal cardiovascular workout. Better yet, a row ergometer is low-impact -- so you don't have to endure repeated pounding on your joints -- and the element of back flexion and extension in a proper rowing motion helps build core strength.
What About Weight Training?
As for the seated row machine, almost every gym has at least one variation on it. This basic strength-training machine features a padded seat, a chest pad you lean forward against and one or more handles you pull back on, "rowing" the weight toward you. Some gyms will also have a T-bar -- the free-weight equivalent of a seated row -- in the free-weight room. To use a T-bar you straddle the stem of the "T," bend forward from the hips, grasp the handles -- which form the crossbar of the "T" -- and pull the weight up toward your body.
by SARKA-JONAE MILLERA woman is using a rowing machine.Photo Credit Mike Watson Images/moodboard/Getty Images
Rowing on a DP BodyTone 300 rowing machine works your legs and core while giving you a cardiovascular workout. A rowing machine provides little impact on your joints so you don't have to sacrifice possible joint strain for an effective workout, according to Men's Total Fitness' “Rowing Machine Buyer's Guide.” Exercising on a rowing machine may burn approximately 413 calories per hour even at a light intensity for a 130-lb. person, whereas a 190-lb. person may burn more than 1,000 calories with very vigorous effort, according to the Department of Health and Family Services.
Using the DP BodyTone 300
Step 1
Sit on the DP BodyTone 300 and place your feet on the platforms. Reach forward and grab the bar, bending your knees but keeping your spine straight. Keep the arms straight too. This is called the catch.
Step 2
Press through your feet to nearly straighten your legs as you lean back, still with a straight back. Bend your elbows and pull the bar toward your sternum. Pushing with your legs will slide the seat of the rowing machine backwards. This is called the drive.
Step 3
Straighten your legs fully and pull your arms back so your elbows brush past your sides. Pull the bar to touch your stomach. This is the finish.
Step 4
Extend your arms straight in front of you again. Bring your torso forward slightly past perpendicular to the machine and slightly bend your knees. This is the recovery.
Step 5
Lean forward and bend your knees back to the starting position, or the catch. This completes one stroke. Continue rowing on the DP BodyTone 300 for as long as your workout goal. Work out as long as your cardiovascular sessions go. Workout time is unrelated to the particular machine you use.
Tabata Protocal on the DP BodyTone 300
Step 1
Use the rowing to do Tabata workouts for a greater cardio benefit. Sit on the rowing machine and grab the handles as described above. Place a clock with a second hand in front of you before you begin if there is not already one in sight. Row as quickly as you can for 20 seconds, but do not exceed your maximum heart rate. Your max heart rate is 220 beats per minute minus your age.
Step 2
Slow your rowing to a recovery speed for 10 seconds. Do not stop moving even if you are exhausted, but row at a slow tempo.
Step 3
Speed up again for 20 seconds. Go as fast as you can without going over your max heart rate. Use a heart monitor chest strap with watch display if you want to monitor your heart rate exactly. The DP BodyTone 300 does not have a heart rate feature on the machine.
Step 4
Decrease your speed for another 10 seconds to recover. Repeat the 20-10 cycle a total of eight times.
by DIANE MARKS Seasonal inhalant allergies and the common cold can cause similar symptoms.Photo Credit Voyagerix/iStock/Getty Images
Seasonal inhalant allergies can make you feel like you’re sick but will not cause sickness. It’s difficult to distinguish between allergy symptoms and the common cold because the two conditions cause similar reactions in the body. If you’re unsure if your symptoms are the result of the common cold or seasonal allergies, make an appointment with your doctor for a clinical diagnosis and treatment options.
Symptoms
Both seasonal inhalant allergies and the common cold can cause similar symptoms, such as a runny nose, nasal congestion, headaches, coughing, fatigue, itchy eyes, a sore throat and sneezing. Most of these symptoms are the result of inflammation in your upper respiratory system, which causes irritation and pain from pressure built up in your soft tissues. The main symptoms that can help you determine whether you’re sick or you have allergy symptoms is a fever and body aches or chills. A fever will never form as a result of an allergic reaction, but may if you’re sick. Body chills and aches almost always develop with a cold and never form with allergies, according to MayoClinic.com.
The Difference
The main difference between the two conditions is the cause of the symptoms. Seasonal inhalant allergies are the result of a malfunction of the immune system. When you breathe in an airborne substance, such as pollen or mold spores, the immune system mistakes the substance for an intruder and attacks it with various chemicals, such as antibodies and histamine, according to MedlinePlus. These chemicals are the main cause of hay fever symptoms. If you’re sick from the common cold, the symptoms are the result of a viral infection. The common cold is caused by more than 100 different viruses and has no cure aside from rest.
Treatment
If you feel sick from seasonal inhalant allergies, talk with your doctor about over-the-counter medications that may help prevent and treat your symptoms. A common medication used to treat allergy symptoms is an antihistamine. Antihistamines block your body’s ability to produce too much histamine, which will reduce swelling and stop irritation caused by an allergic reaction. Decongestants are commonly used to treat sinus congestion. These drugs work by restricting blood flow to the soft tissues in the sinuses, providing relief from sinus pressure, facial tenderness and the inability to breathe through your nose.
Consideration
In some cases your doctor may recommend allergy shots, also called immunotherapy. This long-term treatment may help permanently reduce the severity of your symptoms to seasonal inhalant allergies, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.
