The Conservation and Biogeography of Amphibians in the Caribbean

An expansive and detailed review of the biology of Caribbean amphibians, considering their threats, conservation and outlook in a changing world. Amphibians are the group of vertebrates undergoing the fastest rate of extinction; it is urgent that we understand the causes of this and find means of protecting them. This landmark illustrated volume brings together the leading experts in the field. As well as offering an overview of the region as a whole, individual chapters are devoted to each island or island-group and the measures used to protect their amphibians through legislation or nature reserves. The biological background of insular biogeography, including its methods, analysis and results, is reviewed and applied specifically to the problems of Caribbean amphibians – this includes a re-examination of patterns and general ideas about the status of amphibians in the Anthropocene. The Conservation and Biogeography of Amphibians in the Caribbean offers an important baseline against which future amphibian conservation can be measured in the face of climate change, rising sea level and a burgeoning human population.

Paradiplomation of The Island Cluster as an Effort to Increase Exports of Maluku Nutmeg

Nutmeg is a spice plant native of the Maluku islands that have been traded and cultivated for generations in the form of smallholder plantations in most of the Maluku islands. However, currently, Maluku's nutmeg exports have decreased. Therefore, the Maluku government must be perspicaciously smart to read every opportunity so that the potential of natural resources can be utilized optimally for the welfare of the region. This research is normative juridical research, with the type of library research. Maluku Province is a province characterized by islands. This phenomenon is the background for the birth of the concept of island cluster development. Through the concept of island cluster development, the Maluku provincial government hopes that each island group realizes the potential of their respective regions and strives to develop this potential for the independence of each island group, especially in increasing Maluku nutmeg exports.

Digging Deeper: Understanding the Illegal Trade and Local Use of Pangolins in Palawan Province, Philippines

The illegal wildlife trade represents an urgent conservation challenge, but measuring, understanding, and designing interventions to address it is a complex task. As some of the world's most illegally trafficked wild mammals, pangolins are regularly observed in the illegal wildlife trade, but little is known of the intricacies of the trade at local levels, particularly for lesser-known species such as the Philippine pangolin (Manis culionensis). This research represents the first range-wide study to concurrently document local use and trade of the Philippine pangolin across Palawan Province, Philippines, and provides new information on trade actors, dynamics, and the conditions that help to facilitate this industry. The study was carried out across 18 Palawan municipalities, covering all mainland municipalities, Araceli Island, and the Calamianes Island group. A mixed methods approach was used, combining 1,277 bean count surveys to investigate consumption and hunting levels, alongside 59 in-depth key informant interviews to better understand trade logistics and dynamics. Our results suggest that local use of the species is geographically widespread, but trade hubs were most frequently reported from northern municipalities. Several enabling conditions help facilitate trade across the province, and our data suggest the species may be contributing to the international pangolin trade at levels considerably higher than seizure records indicate.

Comparison of Outcome of Total Arch Replacement for Type A Aortic Dissection using Trifurcated Branch Graft vs Island Technique- A Single Centre Experience

Objective: To compare the outcome between trifurcated graft vs island technique for the treatment of type A aortic dissection in a single centre.Method: From september 2017 to september 2020, we studied 87 patients retrospectively, who underwent total arch replacement for type A aortic dissection. Out of which 51 patients, age(47.45 ± 10.47) years, 39(76.47%) males and 12(23.52%) females were surgically corrected by trifurcated branch graft technique and 36 patients age(52.75 ± 10.32) years, 27(75%) males and 9(25%) females with island technique. In both the groups, peri- operative outcomes were compared. Patients were followed up for 3 months and 6 months in both the groups.Result: Elective Surgery was done in 16(31.37%) and 6(16.66%) in trifurcated branch graft and island group respectively. Selective antegrade cerebral perfusion (SACP) was given by the Axillary artery in {48(94.11%) in trifurcated group and 3(8.33%) in island group, p=<.00001}.SACP was given by Innominate artery {5(9.83%) in trifurcated group and 33(91.66%) in island group, p=<.00001}. Trifurcated branch group and Island group had Cardiopulmonary Bypass time, cross clamp time, total circulatory arrest time of (245 ± 33.30),(117.62 ± 29.38),(54.33 ± 13.19) min and (195.88 ± 32.83),(70.11 ± 20.62),(33.52 ± 8.683)(p=<.00001); respectively. 30 day mortality was 5(9.83%) in trifurcated group and 3(8.33%) in island group (p=0.815).Conclusion: Trifurcated branched graft and island technique, have comparable results, only prerequisite being surgeons comfortability and experience. Trifurcated branch graft being associated with longer CPB, cross clamp and circulatory arrest time, but with no difference in overall adverse outcomes or mortality.

Providencia Island: A Miocene Stratovolcano on the Lower Nicaraguan Rise, Western Caribbean—A Geological Enigma Resolved

ABSTRACT The Providencia island group comprises an extinct Miocene stratovolcano located on a shallow submarine bank astride the Lower Nicaraguan Rise in the western Caribbean. We report here on the geology, geochemistry, petrology, and isotopic ages of the rocks within the Providencia island group, using newly collected as well as previously published results to unravel the complex history of Providencia. The volcano is made up of eight stratigraphic units, including three major units: (1) the Mafic unit, (2) the Breccia unit, (3) the Felsic unit, and five minor units: (4) the Trachyandesite unit, (5) the Conglomerate unit, (6) the Pumice unit, (7) the Intrusive unit, and (8) the Limestone unit. The Mafic unit is the oldest and forms the foundation of the island, consisting of both subaerial and subaqueous lava flows and pyroclastic deposits of alkali basalt and trachybasalt. Overlying the Mafic unit, there is a thin, minor unit of trachyandesite lava flows (Trachyandesite unit). The Breccia unit unconformably overlies the older rocks and consists of crudely stratified breccias block flows/block-and-ash flows) of vitrophyric dacite, which represent subaerial near-vent facies formed by gravitational and/or explosive dome collapse. The breccias commonly contain clasts of alkali basalt, indicating the nature of the underlying substrate. The Felsic unit comprises the central part of the island, composed of rhyolite lava flows and domes, separated from the rocks of the Breccia unit by a flat-lying unconformity. Following a quiescent period, limited felsic pyroclastic activity produced minor valley-fill ignimbrites (Pumice unit). The rocks of Providencia can be geochemically and stratigraphically subdivided into an older alkaline suite of alkali basalts, trachybasalts, and trachyandesites, and a younger subalkaline suite composed dominantly of dacites and rhyolites. Isotopically, the alkali basalts together with the proposed tholeiitic parent magmas for the dacites and rhyolites indicate an origin by varying degrees of partial melting of a metasomatized ocean-island basalt–type mantle that had been modified by interaction with the Galapagos plume. The dacites are the only phenocryst-rich rocks on the island and have a very small compositional range. We infer that they formed by the mixing of basalt and rhyolite magmas in a lower oceanic crustal “hot zone.” The rhyolites of the Felsic unit, as well as the rhyolitic magmas contributing to dacite formation, are interpreted as being the products of partial melting of the thickened lower oceanic crust beneath Providencia. U-Pb dating of zircons in the Providencia volcanic rocks has yielded Oligocene and Miocene ages, corresponding to the ages of the volcanism. In addition, some zircon crystals in the same rocks have yielded both Proterozoic and Paleozoic ages ranging between 1661 and 454 Ma. The lack of any evidence of continental crust beneath Providencia suggests that these old zircons are xenocrysts from the upper mantle beneath the Lower Nicaraguan Rise. A comparison of the volcanic rocks from Providencia with similar rocks that comprise the Western Caribbean alkaline province indicates that while the Providencia alkaline suite is similar to other alkaline suites previously defined within this province, the Providencia subalkaline suite is unique, having no equivalent rocks within the Western Caribbean alkaline province.

Scottish Islands Interconnections: Modelling the Impacts on the UK Electricity Network of Geographically Diverse Wind and Marine Energy

To meet climate change goals, the decarbonisation of the UK electricity supply is crucial. Increased geographic diversity and resource use could help provide grid and market stability and reduce CO2 intensive balancing actions. The main purpose of this research is to investigate the impact of geographic diversity and Scottish island renewable energy on the UK network. This has been done by using the energy market modelling software PLEXOS with results validated using data for 2017/18. The model considers spatial diversification and forecasting errors by modelling day-ahead and intra-day markets with nodes for each distribution network operator region and island group. It was concluded that Scottish island renewable capacity could have a stabilising effect on the variability of renewables in terms of electricity generated, prices and forecasting errors, from the timescale of the entire year down to hours. The ability of geographically diverse generators to receive a higher price for electricity generated was shown to decrease with increased island capacity. Instances of negative prices were reduced with supply diversity (wind and marine) but not geographic diversity. Day ahead errors showed most clearly the impact of diversity of supply, particularly given the predictability of tidal stream generation.

The Lonchaeidae of Vanuatu (Diptera: Schizophora)

Seven new species of Lonchaeidae in three genera are described from the Pacific island group of Vanuatu namely, Lamprolonchaea vila MacGowan sp. nov., Lonchaea efate MacGowan sp. nov., Lonchaea malekula MacGowan sp. nov., Lonchaea pentecosti MacGowan sp. nov., Lonchaea tanna MacGowan sp. nov., Silba erromango MacGowan sp. nov. and Silba hebridensis MacGowan sp. nov. The lonchaeid fauna of Vanuatu now totals 13 species in three genera. A key to species with illustrations of the male genitalia is provided.

The land snails of Lichadonisia islets (Greece)

The Lichadonisia island group is located between Maliakos and the North Evian Gulf, in central Greece. Lichadonisia is one of the few volcanic island groups of Greece, consisting mainly of lava flows. Today the islands are uninhabited with high numbers of visitors, but permanent population existed for many decades in the past. Herein, we present for the first time the land snail fauna of the islets and we compare their species richness with islands of similar size across the Aegean Sea. This group of small islands, provides a typical example on how human activities in the current geological era, i.e., the Anthropocene, alter the natural communities and differentiate biogeographical patterns.