Biological invasions by nonnative species are a by‐product of economic activities, with the vast majority of nonnative species introduced by trade and transport of products and people. Although most introduced species are relatively innocuous, a few species ultimately cause irreversible economic and ecological impacts, such as the chestnut blight that functionally eradicated the American chestnut across eastern North America. Assessments of the economic costs and losses induced by nonnative forest pests are required for policy development and need to adequately account for all of the economic impacts induced by rare, highly damaging pests. To date, countrywide economic evaluations of forest‐invasive species have proceeded by multiplying a unit value (price) by a physical quantity (volume of forest products damaged) to arrive at aggregate estimates of economic impacts. This approach is inadequate for policy development because (1) it ignores the dynamic impacts of biological invasions on the evolution of prices, quantities, and market behavior, and (2) it fails to account for the loss in the economic value of nonmarket ecosystem services, such as landscape aesthetics, outdoor recreation, and the knowledge that healthy forest ecosystems exist. A review of the literature leads one to anticipate that the greatest economic impacts of invasive species in forests are due to the loss of nonmarket values. We proposed that new methods for evaluating aggregate economic damages from forest‐invasive species need to be developed that quantify market and nonmarket impacts at microscales that are then extended using spatially explicit models to provide aggregate estimates of impacts. Finally, policies that shift the burden of economic impacts from taxpayers and forest landowners onto parties responsible for introducing or spreading invasives, whether through the imposition of tariffs on products suspected of imposing unacceptable risks on native forest ecosystems or by requiring standards on the processing of trade products before they cross international boundaries, may be most effective at reducing their impacts.

/pdf/economic-impacts-of-invasive-species-in-forest-past-present-3291nde7jm.pdf

Economic impacts of invasive species in forest past, present, and future

This book is an excellent text for anyone working with elephants; indeed, it is a prerequisite! This is hardly surprising, since it has brought together 36 authors with a broad background of elephant experience, many of whom are well-known and well-respected within their particular disciplines. The 2 eminent editors, Drs. Fowler and Mikota, top this off perfectly. Dr. Fowler’s previous works are the backbone of any zoo veterinarian’s library and Dr. Mikota’s elephant-orientated Web site is a wealth of useful information that many a biologist or veterinarian, working with these wonderful creatures, will have explored. Consequently, although my aim was to “browse” this book prior to writing a review, I ended up reading it from cover to cover, thoroughly enjoying it, and learning more than I care to admit.

Biology, Medicine, and Surgery of Elephants is 565 pages long, comprising 36 chapters and 15 appendices. Although this is the 1st edition of this text, it is probably a natural extrapolation from the Medical Management of the Elephant, co-edited by Dr. Mikota in 1994, and the various elephant-orientated chapters found in Dr. Fowler’s Zoo and Wild Animal Medicine, Current Therapy, editions 1 to 5. The book’s chapters are well thought out; the first 2 provide an excellent introduction by presenting the evolution and taxonomy of elephants, and a history of elephants in captivity. Sadly, this gives a pessimistic, but probably realistic, view of the future for captive elephants. The next few chapters include behavior, husbandry and nutrition, and are more focussed upon the provision of a satisfactory captive environment. The book then leans towards a veterinary text, with chapters on the restraint and examination of elephants, diagnostic techniques, surgical and medical conditions, and therapeutics. The final chapters cover the different body systems of elephants, including their anatomy, physiology, examination, and diseases. The book concludes with some very useful appendices.

In general, the chapters are thorough, well-written and interesting, and the information is up-to-date. There are many tales of personal experiences, both good and bad, which certainly add to the usefulness of this book, presumably with the hope that such mistakes will not be repeated. The subject matter is broad and will interest a wide audience including veterinarians, biologists, and animal keepers or managers. A few chapters contain useful glossaries that will help anyone not familiar with a particular topic.

Within their introduction, the editors state that they hope this book will begin to fill a void due to the lack of a modern comprehensive text on elephant medicine and surgery. They must be congratulated on doing an excellent job, and at its current price, it is a positive bargain. My only worry is how to keep my copy clean in the elephant house!

Biology, Medicine, and Surgery of Elephants

Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L., Urticaceae) is commonly found in Asia, Africa, and Europe and has a long history of being used as food and traditional medicine. Recently, this plant is gaining attention as a highly nutritious food, where fresh leaves are dried and used as powder or in other forms. Leaves are rich in many bioactive compounds. This review aims to cover the traditional uses in food and medicine, as well as its nutritional composition, including its bioactive chemical constituents and reported food functional activities. Various bioactive chemical constituents have been isolated from stinging nettle to date, such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, amino acid, carotenoids, and fatty acids. Stinging nettle extracts and its compounds, such as rutin, kaempferol, and vitamin A, are also used for their nutritional properties and as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agents. Future studies should focus on the proper formulation and stability testing of the functional foods containing stinging nettle and their detailed activities in clinical studies.

/pdf/stinging-nettle-urtica-dioica-l-nutritional-composition-16snmfg8.pdf

Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica L.): Nutritional Composition, Bioactive Compounds, and Food Functional Properties

/pdf/dissecting-postharvest-chilling-injury-through-biotechnology-20twfixu.pdf

Dissecting postharvest chilling injury through biotechnology.

Navigating “Human Wildlife Conflict” situations from the individual's perspective

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e09717

Nutritional and pharmacological importance of stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L.): A review

Blue light, measuring from 400 to 500 nm, is generally assumed to increase the content of antioxidants in plants independent of the species. Blue light stimulates the biosynthesis of phenolic compounds such as flavonoids and their subclass anthocyanins from the phenylpropanoid pathway. Flavonoids, anthocyanins, and phenolic acids are strong reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavengers and may lessen the symptoms of abiotic stresses such as chilling. We tested the hypothesis that a high percentage of blue light induces the accumulation of antioxidants and that this effect depends on the photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD, 400–700 nm). The effect may be more pronounced at a lower PPFD. We investigated the changes in primary and secondary metabolites of basil in response to the percentage of blue light (9, 33, 65, and 100%) applied either as a 5-day End-Of-Production (EOP) treatment or continuous throughout the growth cycle in the green cv. Dolly. We also studied if the response to the percentage of blue light (9 or 90%) was dependent on the total PPFD (100 or 300 μmol m–2 s–1 PPFD) when applied as a 5-day EOP treatment in the green cv. Dolly and the purple cv. Rosie. For both green and purple basil, it was found that the percentage of blue light had little effect on the levels of antioxidants (rosmarinic acid, total ascorbic acid, total flavonoids, and total anthocyanins) at harvest and no interactive effect with PPFD was found. Antioxidants generally decreased during postharvest storage, wherein the decrease was more pronounced at 4 than at 12°C. Chilling injury, as judged from a decrease in Fv/Fm values and from the occurrence of black necrotic areas, was not affected by the percentage of blue light. Particularly, chilling tolerance in the purple cultivar was increased in plants grown under higher PPFD. This may be related to the increased levels of soluble sugar and starch in leaves from high PPFD treated plants.

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2022.852654/pdf

Lack of Blue Light Regulation of Antioxidants and Chilling Tolerance in Basil

Wild Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) are one of the most endangered wildlife species in Nepal. Currently, there are approximately 200 to 250 wild elephants counted in Nepal. Of  them, 15-20 are in Jhapa district, 17 are in KoshiTappu Wildlife Reserve, eight in Sindhuli, and 45-50 in Parsa National Park andChitwan National Park. More  than 100 elephants are in Bardiya National Parks and adjoining municipalities, and 25-30 are in Suklaphanta National Park and adjoining municipalities.Elephant conservation is challenged by habitat fragmentation, obstruction of migratory routes and human-elephant conflict. The governments of Nepal, law enforcement, NGOs, and local communities have made various initiatives to conserve elephants. In the paper, we have outlined the current status of the elephant population, and its conservative efforts. This study may be a useful tool for the scientific communities and ecologists to protect elephants from extinction.

/pdf/asian-elephants-and-their-status-in-nepal-a-review-2wcpjdahe8.pdf

Asian elephants and their status in Nepal: a review

Barking deer is found in dense tropical and subtropical forests of Asia. It is listed as “least concerned” by the International Union of Conservation of Nature and as “vulnerable” in Nepal, where it is also protected. Due to the habitat loss and fragmentation by human activities, barking deer abundance is decreasing, which may even ultimately lead to its extinction. This in turn might negatively affect local ecosystem such as the abundance of the endangered common leopard, for which barking deer is the main prey species in the mid-hills of Nepal. We therefore need to know factors affecting barking deer abundance and its habitat preferences. To determine these factors, we recorded barking deer either by direct sighting or by any evidence of its indirect presence observed through transect surveys in January and February, 2019. To analyze habitat preference, the presence of barking deer was set to 1 if the barking deer or any sign of its presence were observed “used plots,” or to 0 if the barking deer or any sign of its presence were not observed (“habitat availability plot”). We measured main four ecological drivers such as forest management regime, microclimate, disturbance and food resources, which include 11 habitat characteristics in spots where barking deer was present, and in randomly selected spots. We found that elevation, slope, distance from settlement, presence of tree species, depth of leaf litter and percentage cover of leaf litter were most significantly affecting its presence. These results can serve as guidelines for local authorities to prevent decline in abundance of barking deer.

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2022.894369/pdf

Ecological Factors Determining Barking Deer Distribution and Habitat Use in the Mid-Hills of Nepal

/pdf/assessment-of-human-wildlife-conflict-in-kailali-district-of-4i64hnvfqo.pdf

Assessment of human-wildlife conflict in Kailali district of Nepal

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