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Visitation
Kinds of Visitation Terms modified by Visitation Selected AbstractsVISITATION AND CHILD SUPPORT GUIDELINESFAMILY COURT REVIEW, Issue 2 2004A Comment on Fabricius, Braver Fabricius and Braver argue that nonresident fathers incur appreciable visitation expenses and that their child support obligations should be reduced accordingly. To assess whether fathers incur "appreciable" expenses requires data from mothers and fathers on expenditures in dollar terms rather than data from college students on items kept in the nonresident father's house. The Fabricius and Braver data also overstate the degree to which all divorced fathers do anything for their children. Representative data indicate that father visitation declines substantially over time. Father's postdivorce, post,child support standard of living remains twice that of mothers and children. The cliff model,making adjustments for visitation only in the rare cases of very high shared physical custody,is sensible policy. [source] THE DEBATE CONTINUES,OVERNIGHT VISITATION FOR INFANTS:Editor's NoteFAMILY COURT REVIEW, Issue 4 2001Article first published online: 15 MAR 200 No abstract is available for this article. [source] The impact of an alien plant on a native plant,pollinator network: an experimental approachECOLOGY LETTERS, Issue 7 2007Martha E. Lopezaraiza, Mikel Abstract Studies of pairwise interactions have shown that an alien plant can affect the pollination of a native plant, this effect being mediated by shared pollinators. Here we use a manipulative field experiment, to investigate the impact of the alien plant Impatiens glandulifera on an entire community of coflowering native plants. Visitation and pollen transport networks were constructed to compare replicated I. glandulifera invaded and I. glandulifera removal plots. Invaded plots had significantly higher visitor species richness, visitor abundance and flower visitation. However, the pollen transport networks were dominated by alien pollen grains in the invaded plots and consequently higher visitation may not translate in facilitation for pollination. The more generalized insects were more likely to visit the alien plant, and Hymenoptera and Hemiptera were more likely to visit the alien than Coleoptera. Our data indicate that generalized native pollinators can provide a pathway of integration for alien plants into native visitation systems. [source] Skiing Less Often in a Warmer World: Attitudes of Tourists to Climate Change in an Australian Ski ResortGEOGRAPHICAL RESEARCH, Issue 2 2010CATHERINE MARINA PICKERING Abstract Climate change will affect tourism destinations that are dependent on natural resources, such as snow. Currently there is limited research into attitudes, intentions and actual visitation patterns of skiers in response to reduced snow cover. Therefore the awareness of, and attitudes towards, climate change of 351 ski tourists were assessed in the largest ski resort in Australia in 2007, repeating a survey conducted in 1996. Ninety percent of skiers in 2007 would ski less often in Australian resorts if the next five years had low natural snow, up from 75% of skiers surveyed in 1996: 69% would ski less often, 5% would give up and 16% would ski at the same levels but overseas. Nearly all skiers thought that climate change would affect the ski industry (87% compared with 78% in 1996), and that this would occur sooner than in the 1996 survey. Visitation in a poor snow year (2006, +0.85°C average annual temperature, 54% less natural snow) was ,13.6% of the long-term average, indicating poor natural snow resulted in decreased visitation, despite extensive use of snow making. The implications of changes in climate conditions and tourist attitudes for Australian ski resorts are assessed including for snow making and summer tourism. [source] Physiological and Behavioral Differences in Magellanic Penguin Chicks in Undisturbed and Tourist-Visited Locations of a ColonyCONSERVATION BIOLOGY, Issue 5 2005BRIAN G. WALKER corticoesterona; ecoturismo; perturbación humana; Spheniscus magellanicus Abstract:,Studies examining anthropogenic effects on wildlife typically focus on adults and on behavioral responses rather than the physiological consequences of human disturbances. Here we examined how Magellanic Penguin ( Spheniscus magellanicus) chicks living in either tourist-visited or undisturbed areas of a breeding colony were affected by human visitation by comparing the baseline and stress-induced levels of corticosterone during three periods of the breeding season. Newly hatched chicks in visited areas had higher corticosterone stress responses than newly hatched chicks in undisturbed areas (p =0.007), but baseline levels were similar (p =0.61). By 40,50 days of age and around fledging time, both visited and undisturbed chicks showed a robust corticosterone stress response to capture. Tourist-visited chicks did not flee when approached by humans, however, whereas undisturbed chicks fled significantly sooner (i.e., when approached no closer than 9 m; p < 0.0001). Although it is unknown whether Magellanic Penguin chicks raised in visited areas suffer negative consequences from the elevation of the corticosterone stress response at hatching, they do exhibit behavioral habituation to human contact by the time they are ready to fledge. Unlike adults living in tourist areas, however, fledging chicks in visited areas do not have a decreased stress response to capture and restraint. Our results show that the coupling of behavioral and physiological habituation in Magellanic Penguins is complex and life-history context may greatly affect the ability of wildlife to adapt to anthropogenic disturbances. Resumen:,Los estudios de los efectos antropogénicos sobre la vida silvestre se centran típicamente en adultos y en las respuestas conductuales en lugar de las consecuencias fisiológicas de las perturbaciones humanas. Aquí examinamos el efecto de la visita de humanos sobre pollos de pingüino (Spheniscus magellanicus) en áreas visitadas por turistas o no perturbadas mediante la comparación de los niveles, base e inducidos por estrés, de corticoesterona durante tres períodos de la temporada reproductiva. Los pollos recién eclosionados en áreas visitadas tuvieron mayor respuesta de la corticoesterona al estrés que los pollos recién eclosionados en áreas no perturbadas (p =0.007), pero los niveles básicos fueron similares (p =0.61). A los 40,50 días y en la etapa de volantón, los pollos visitados y no perturbados mostraron una marcada respuesta de la corticoesterona al estrés al ser capturados. Sin embargo, los pollos visitados por turistas no huyeron cuando se les acercaron humanos, mientras que los pollos no perturbados huyeron significativamente antes (i.e., acercamiento a más de 9 m; p < 0.0001). Aunque se desconoce si los pollos de pingüino criados en áreas visitadas sufren consecuencias negativas por la elevación de la corticosterona en respuesta al estrés al eclosionar, si presentan acostumbramiento conductual al contacto con humanos al momento que están listos para dejar el nido. Sin embargo, a diferencia de adultos que viven en áreas turísticas, los pollos volantones en las áreas visitadas no tienen una disminución en la respuesta al estrés cuando son capturados y sujetados. Nuestros resultados muestran la complejidad de la combinación del acostumbramiento conductual y fisiológico en Spheniscus magellanicus y que el contexto de la historia de vida puede afectar a la habilidad de la vida silvestre para adaptarse a las perturbaciones antropogénicas. [source] Influence of settlement time, human population, park shape and age, visitation and roads on the number of alien plant species in protected areas in the USADIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS, Issue 6 2002Michael L. McKinney Abstract. I examined a data set of 77 protected areas in the USA (including national and state parks) to determine which of the following variables most strongly influence alien plant species richness: park area, climate (temperature and precipitation), native species richness, visitation rate, local human population size, total road length, park shape and duration of European settlement. Many of these predictor variables are intercorrelated, so I used multiple regression to help separate their effects. In support of previous studies, native species richness was the best single predictor of alien species richness, probably because it was a good estimator of both park area and habitat diversity available for establishment of alien species. Other significant predictors of alien species richness were years of occupation of the area by European settlers and the human population size of adjacent counties. Climate, visitation rate, road length and park shape did not influence alien species richness. The proportion of alien species (alien richness/native richness) is inversely related to park area, in agreement with a previous study. By identifying which variables are most important in determining alien species richness, such findings suggest ways to reduce alien species establishment. [source] Flexibility in the composition and concentration of amino acids in honeydew of the drepanosiphid aphid Tuberculatus quercicolaECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 6 2002Izumi Yao Abstract 1. Mutualistic interactions between aphids and ants are mediated by honeydew that aphids produce. Previous work showed that when attended by the ant Formica yessensis Forel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), nymphs of the aphid Tuberculatus quercicola (Matsumura) (Homoptera: Aphididae) developed into significantly smaller adults with lower fecundity than did nymphs that were not ant attended. 2. This study tested the hypothesis that this cost of ant attendance arises through changes in the quality and quantity of honeydew. Ant-attended and ant-excluded aphid colonies were prepared in the field. The composition and concentration of amino acids were compared between the honeydew produced by ant-attended colonies and that produced by ant-excluded colonies. 3. The aphids excreted smaller droplets of honeydew, but also excreted them more frequently, in ant-attended colonies than in ant-excluded colonies. The honeydew of ant-attended aphids contained more types of amino acid, and a significantly higher total concentration of amino acids, than did the honeydew of ant-excluded aphids. 4. These results suggest that the increase in the concentration of amino acids in honeydew leads to a shortage of nitrogen available for aphid growth and reproduction, resulting in lower performance under ant attendance. 5. With the advance of seasons, a significant reduction was found in both the total free amino acid concentration in phloem sap and the frequency of honeydew excretion; however the total concentration of amino acids in the honeydew did not vary significantly during the seasons, suggesting that aphids keep the quality of honeydew constant in order to maintain ant visitation. [source] The impact of an alien plant on a native plant,pollinator network: an experimental approachECOLOGY LETTERS, Issue 7 2007Martha E. Lopezaraiza, Mikel Abstract Studies of pairwise interactions have shown that an alien plant can affect the pollination of a native plant, this effect being mediated by shared pollinators. Here we use a manipulative field experiment, to investigate the impact of the alien plant Impatiens glandulifera on an entire community of coflowering native plants. Visitation and pollen transport networks were constructed to compare replicated I. glandulifera invaded and I. glandulifera removal plots. Invaded plots had significantly higher visitor species richness, visitor abundance and flower visitation. However, the pollen transport networks were dominated by alien pollen grains in the invaded plots and consequently higher visitation may not translate in facilitation for pollination. The more generalized insects were more likely to visit the alien plant, and Hymenoptera and Hemiptera were more likely to visit the alien than Coleoptera. Our data indicate that generalized native pollinators can provide a pathway of integration for alien plants into native visitation systems. [source] Herbivore and pathogen damage on grassland and woodland plants: a test of the herbivore uncertainty principleECOLOGY LETTERS, Issue 4 2002Stefan A. Schnitzer Researchers can alter the behaviour and ecology of their study organisms by conducting such seemingly benign activities as non-destructive measurements and observations. In plant communities, researcher visitation and measurement of plants may increase herbivore damage in some plant species while decreasing it in others. Simply measuring plants could change their competitive ability by altering the amount of herbivore damage that they suffer. Currently, however, there is only limited empirical evidence to support this `herbivore uncertainty principle' (HUP). We tested the HUP by quantifying the amount of herbivore and pathogen damage in 13 plant species (> 1400 individuals) at four different visitation intensities at Cedar Creek Natural History Area, Minnesota, USA. Altogether, we found very little evidence to support the HUP at any intensity of visitation. Researcher visitation did not alter overall plant herbivore damage or survival and we did not detect a significant visitation effect in any of the 13 species. Pathogen damage also did not significantly vary among visitation treatments, although there was some evidence that high visitation caused slightly higher pathogen damage. Based on our results, we question whether this phenomenon should be considered a `principle' of plant ecology. [source] PEAK SHIFT DISCRIMINATION LEARNING AS A MECHANISM OF SIGNAL EVOLUTIONEVOLUTION, Issue 6 2005Spencer K. Lynn Abstract "Peak shift" is a behavioral response bias arising from discrimination learning in which animals display a directional, but limited, preference for or avoidance of unusual stimuli. Its hypothesized evolutionary relevance has been primarily in the realm of aposematic coloration and limited sexual dimorphism. Here, we develop a novel functional approach to peak shift, based on signal detection theory, which characterizes the response bias as arising from uncertainty about stimulus appearance, frequency, and quality. This approach allows the influence of peak shift to be generalized to the evolution of signals in a variety of domains and sensory modalities. The approach is illustrated with a bumblebee (Bombus impatiens) discrimination learning experiment. Bees exhibited peak shift while foraging in an artificial Batesian mimicry system. Changes in flower abundance, color distribution, and visitation reward induced bees to preferentially visit novel flower colors that reduced the risk of flower-type misidentification. Under conditions of signal uncertainty, peak shift results in visitation to rarer, but more easily distinguished, morphological variants of rewarding species in preference to their average morphology. Peak shift is a common and taxonomically widespread phenomenon. This example of the possible role of peak shift in signal evolution can be generalized to other systems in which a signal receiver learns to make choices in situations in which signal variation is linked to the sender's reproductive success. [source] VISITATION AND CHILD SUPPORT GUIDELINESFAMILY COURT REVIEW, Issue 2 2004A Comment on Fabricius, Braver Fabricius and Braver argue that nonresident fathers incur appreciable visitation expenses and that their child support obligations should be reduced accordingly. To assess whether fathers incur "appreciable" expenses requires data from mothers and fathers on expenditures in dollar terms rather than data from college students on items kept in the nonresident father's house. The Fabricius and Braver data also overstate the degree to which all divorced fathers do anything for their children. Representative data indicate that father visitation declines substantially over time. Father's postdivorce, post,child support standard of living remains twice that of mothers and children. The cliff model,making adjustments for visitation only in the rare cases of very high shared physical custody,is sensible policy. [source] EXPENDITURES ON CHILDREN AND VISITATION TIMEFAMILY COURT REVIEW, Issue 2 2004A Reply to Garfinkel, McLanahan, Wallerstein In their critique, Garfinkel, McLanahan, and Wallerstein raise concerns about the representativeness of the authors' sample, benchmark approach methodology, and historical review of guidelines, all of which lead them to discount the evidence presented opposing the cliff-model assumption of father expenditures on children, and to laud instead child support guidelines that give little monetary credit or adjustment for visitation. This article presents evidence that (a) this sample is at most little biased, and remains trustworthy for the main implications presented; (b) although only a beginning, the benchmark approach is highly useful and most of the concerns raised about it are ill founded or implausible; and (c) the historical review suggesting that current guidelines assume zero visitation expenses is indeed accurate for the vast majority of states, according to the foremost authority. Thus, notwithstanding the critique, these findings have merit and importance and should be considered by policy makers. The authors also comment on the additional arguments against continuous and generous adjustments for visitation, finding them based on a weak foundation of evidence and reasoning. [source] ANOTHER LOOK AT THE DEVELOPMENTAL RESEARCHFAMILY COURT REVIEW, Issue 4 2001Access Decisions for Young Children", Commentary on Kelly, Lamb's "Using Child Development Research to Make Appropriate Custody Kelly and Lamb (2000) recently provided a summary of the attachment literature and a set of guidelines for visitation and custody for young children in divorced and separated families. Here, Solomon and Biringen review the same literature with an eye to critically evaluating these guidelines, especially the suggestion that more, rather than fewer, transitions between parents are appropriate for very young children. Three types of empirical findings raise questions regarding the appropriateness of Kelly and Lamb's guidelines. These include differences in the development of infant-mother and infant-father attachments, young children's sensitivity to overnight separations from the primary caregiver, and the possibility of infant preferences for primary versus secondary caregivers in times of stress. The authors argue that considerably more rigorous research is required before submitting Kelly and Lamb's suggestion to social policy. [source] The evolution of floral scent: the influence of olfactory learning by insect pollinators on the honest signalling of floral rewardsFUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY, Issue 5 2009Geraldine A. Wright Summary 1.,The evolution of flowering plants has undoubtedly been influenced by a pollinator's ability to learn to associate floral signals with food. Here, we address the question of ,why' flowers produce scent by examining the ways in which olfactory learning by insect pollinators could influence how floral scent emission evolves in plant populations. 2.,Being provided with a floral scent signal allows pollinators to learn to be specific in their foraging habits, which could, in turn, produce a selective advantage for plants if sexual reproduction is limited by the income of compatible gametes. Learning studies with honeybees predict that pollinator-mediated selection for floral scent production should favour signals which are distinctive and exhibit low variation within species because these signals are learned faster. Social bees quickly learn to associate scent with the presence of nectar, and their ability to do this is generally faster and more reliable than their ability to learn visual cues. 3.,Pollinators rely on floral scent as a means of distinguishing honestly signalling flowers from deceptive ones. Furthermore, a pollinator's sensitivity to differences in nectar rewards can bias the way that it responds to floral scent. This mechanism may select for flowers that provide olfactory signals as an honest indicator of the presence of nectar or which select against the production of a detectable scent signal when no nectar is present. 4.,We expect that an important yet commonly overlooked function of floral scent is an improvement in short-term pollinator specificity which provides an advantage to both pollinator and plant over the use of a visual signal alone. This, in turn, impacts the evolution of plant mating systems via its influence on the species-specific patterns of floral visitation by pollinators. [source] Bumble bee preference for flowers arranged on a horizontal plane versus inclined planesFUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY, Issue 6 2008T. T. Makino Summary 1Determining factors affecting pollinator visitation is the key to understanding the reproductive success of animal-pollinated plants. The inclination of the ground where plants grow, which has been little studied, could be one such factor. There may be differences in foraging performance when visiting flowers on horizontal planes compared with flowers on inclines planes. And if this is the case, pollinators may have a preference for horizontal or inclined planes. To test these possibilities, a series of laboratory experiments with bumble bees and arrays of artificial flowers were conducted. 2In the first experiment, bees were presented with a pair of floral arrays, one on a horizontal plane and one sloping. The bees preferred visiting flowers on the horizontal array. 3In the second experiment, bees were allowed to forage on a flower array tilted at various angles ranging from 0° (horizontal) to 90° (vertical). It was found that their foraging performance decreased with increasing angles, showing a 9·1% reduction from 0° to 90° arrays. This reduction was caused by an increased travel time between flowers, when moving upslope or downslope. 4These results suggest that plants growing on steep slopes may be less preferred by pollinators. Future studies are needed to clarify how slopes affect pollinator behaviour in field conditions and the ecological influences on plant reproduction. [source] Dual ant attraction in the Neotropical shrub Urera baccifera (Urticaceae): the role of ant visitation to pearl bodies and fruits in herbivore deterrence and leaf longevityFUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY, Issue 2 2006H. P. DUTRA Summary 1This study investigated the protective role of ants against phytophagous insects on Urera baccifera (L.) Gaudich. Ants (22 species) visit shrubs of U. baccifera throughout the year and forage especially on leaves, where they harvest pearl bodies, and on fruiting branches, where they collect fleshy fruits. The main leaf herbivores are the butterflies Smyrna blomfildia (Fruhstorfer) and Urbanus esmeraldus (Butler), and the moth Pleuroptya silicalis (Guené). 2The proportion of vegetative (no flowers or fruits) individuals of U. baccifera occupied by ants greatly surpassed that of neighbouring plant species lacking food rewards, consistent with the hypothesis that pearl bodies act as ant attractants. Ant visitation to vegetative individuals of U. baccifera increased larval mortality of S. blomfildia, suggesting that ants attracted to pearl bodies reduce herbivore survival. Fruits were also demonstrated to play an important role in ant attraction by U. baccifera. Ant visitation to pearl body-producing shrubs of non-myrmecophytic Piper amalago L. with U. baccifera fruits attached was significantly higher than to P. amalago plants with an attached leaf of U. baccifera. 3Ant-exclusion experiments showed that ants effectively reduce the incidence of lepidopteran larvae on the plants. In both 2003 and 2004, herbivores were more abundant on ant-excluded than on ant-visited shrubs of U. baccifera. Additionally, in both years ant-excluded plants had significantly faster leaf abscission rates compared with ant-visited plants. 4So far, all ant,plant systems with dual food rewards involve extrafloral nectar as one of the attractants. This study with U. baccifera is the first to report food bodies and fruits as ant attractants in a non-symbiotic ant,plant interaction. This facultative system is also unique in that herbivore deterrence caused by pearl body- and fruit-harvesting ants can also add to leaf longevity. [source] Respiration and thermogenesis by cones of the Australian cycad Macrozamia machiniiFUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY, Issue 6 2004R. S. SEYMOUR Summary 1While cycads are often considered to be wind-pollinated, it is now clear that insects are pollen vectors in many species. This study addresses the role of thermogenesis in pollination biology of the dioecious cycad Macrozamia machinii P.I. Forster & D.L. Jones. 2The patterns of thermogenesis in intact male and female cones were assessed with thermometry and respirometry throughout the pollination period in the field. 3Thermogenic episodes in male cones occurred from about 17.00,00.00 h on successive evenings, in association with dehiscence of sporangia and presence of their pollinating weevils (Tranes sp.). 4Temperatures of the 167 g male cones rose ,6 °C above ambient, and mean rate of oxygen consumption peaked at 7·7 µmol s,1 (3·6 W). Regulation of male cone temperature was not evident, and thermogenesis of female cones was insignificant. 5Male cones probably heat to augment scent production and enhance weevil activity, including mating and egg-laying, but female cones may benefit from reduced visitation and freedom from damage by weevil larvae. Male cones may be sacrificial in providing the reward to the pollinators while the female cones are safeguarded. [source] Seasonal decline in male-phase duration in a protandrous plant: a response to increased mating opportunities?FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY, Issue 4 2000R. D. Sargent Abstract 1.,We examined the effects of pollinator visitation and time of season on male- and female-phase duration, using experimental manipulation and survey data from naturally occurring populations of Chamerion (= Epilobium) angustifolium (L.) J. Holub (Onagraceae). 2.,Based on the observation that male mating opportunity (numbers of female flowers/numbers of male flowers) increases seasonally, we predicted that individual flowers should spend more time in the male phase early in the season when mating opportunity is low. We predicted that if seasonal changes in mating opportunity select for phase duration, male-phase duration should decline when pollinator effects are experimentally controlled. 3.,A comparison of phase duration in naturally pollinated and pollinator-excluded plants supported this prediction: male-phase duration in the pollinator-exclusion treatment was longer and declined faster than in the naturally pollinated group. 4.,A population survey revealed that once the effects of temperature were controlled for, male-phase duration was negatively correlated with date, while female-phase duration was positively correlated with date. 5.,These findings suggest that seasonal variation in mating opportunity, and not just pollination rate or temperature, may play a significant role in phase duration in dichogamous plants. [source] Skiing Less Often in a Warmer World: Attitudes of Tourists to Climate Change in an Australian Ski ResortGEOGRAPHICAL RESEARCH, Issue 2 2010CATHERINE MARINA PICKERING Abstract Climate change will affect tourism destinations that are dependent on natural resources, such as snow. Currently there is limited research into attitudes, intentions and actual visitation patterns of skiers in response to reduced snow cover. Therefore the awareness of, and attitudes towards, climate change of 351 ski tourists were assessed in the largest ski resort in Australia in 2007, repeating a survey conducted in 1996. Ninety percent of skiers in 2007 would ski less often in Australian resorts if the next five years had low natural snow, up from 75% of skiers surveyed in 1996: 69% would ski less often, 5% would give up and 16% would ski at the same levels but overseas. Nearly all skiers thought that climate change would affect the ski industry (87% compared with 78% in 1996), and that this would occur sooner than in the 1996 survey. Visitation in a poor snow year (2006, +0.85°C average annual temperature, 54% less natural snow) was ,13.6% of the long-term average, indicating poor natural snow resulted in decreased visitation, despite extensive use of snow making. The implications of changes in climate conditions and tourist attitudes for Australian ski resorts are assessed including for snow making and summer tourism. [source] Managing Environmental Impacts of Recreation and Tourism in Rainforests of the Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage AreaGEOGRAPHICAL RESEARCH, Issue 2 2005Stephen M. Turton Abstract This paper describes environmental impacts of tourism and recreation activities in the world heritage listed rainforests of northeast Australia and presents management strategies for sustainable visitor use of the protected area. Tropical rainforests are characterised by their low resistance and moderate to high resilience to impacts associated with human visitation. Visitor use in the World Heritage Area is mostly associated with walking tracks, camping areas, day use areas and off-road vehicle use of old forestry roads and tracks. Adverse environmental impacts range from vegetation trampling, soil compaction, water contamination and soil erosion at the local scale through to spread of weeds, feral animals and soil pathogens along extensive networks of old forestry roads and tracks at the regional scale. Concentration of visitor use is the most desirable management strategy for controlling adverse impacts at most World Heritage Area visitor nodes and sites, and includes methods such as site hardening and shielding to contain impacts. For dispersed visitor activities, such as off-road vehicle driving and long-distance walking, application of best practice methods by the tourist industry and recreational users such as removal of mud and soils from vehicle tyres and hiking boots before entering pathogen-free catchments, together with seasonal closure of roads and tracks, are the preferred management strategies. Retention of canopy cover at camping areas and day use areas, as well as along walking tracks and forestry roads is a simple, yet effective, management strategy for reduction of a range of adverse impacts, including dispersal of weeds and feral animals, edge effects, soil erosion and nutrient loss, road kill and linear barrier effects on rainforest fauna. [source] A meta-analysis of home visiting programs: Moderators of improvements in maternal behavior,INFANT MENTAL HEALTH JOURNAL, Issue 5 2010M. Angela Nievar A meta-analysis of home visiting programs for at-risk families (K = 35, N = 6,453) examined differences in the effects of programs on maternal behavior. On average, programs with more frequent visitation had higher success rates. The frequency of home visits explained significant variance of effect sizes among studies in the United States, with two visits per month predicting a small, substantive effect. Intensive programs or programs with at least three visits per month were more than twice as effective as were less intensive programs. Home visiting programs using nurses or mental health professionals as providers were not significantly more effective than were programs using paraprofessionals. In general, programs showed a positive effect on maternal behavior, but programs with frequent home visits were more successful. Un meta-análisis de programas de visita a casa para familias bajo riesgo (K = 35, N = 6,453) examinó las diferencias en cuanto a los efectos de programas sobre la conducta maternal. En promedio, los programas con visitas más frecuentes tuvieron puntajes más altos en cuanto al éxito del programa. La frecuencia de las visitas a casa explicó la significativa variación del alcance de los efectos tal como se presenta en los estudios en los Estados Unidos, con el resultado de que dos visitas por mes predijeron un efecto pequeño y substancial. Los programas intensivos, o programas con tres visitas por mes por lo menos fueron más del doble efectivos que los programas menos intensivos. Los programas de visitas a casa en los que participan enfermeras o profesionales de la salud mental como proveedores del servicio no fueron significativamente más efectivos que los programas en los que participan ayudantes de profesionales. En general, los programas mostraron un efecto positivo en la conducta maternal, pero los programas con frecuentes visitas a casa fueron más exitosos. Une méta-analyse de programmes de visite à domicile pour des familles à risques (K = 35, N = 6,453) a examiné les différences dans les effets des programmes sur le comportement maternel. En moyenne, les programmes avec des visites plus fréquentes ont reçu de meilleurs taux de succès. La fréquence des visites à domicile a expliqué une variance importante de tailles d'effet au sein des études aux Etats-Unis, avec deux visites par mois prédisant un petit effet d'importance. Les programmes intensifs ou les programmes avec au moins trois visites par mois se sont avérés être deux fois plus efficaces que les programmes moins intensifs. Les programmes de visite à domicile utilisant des infirmières ou des professionnels de la santé mentale comme visiteurs ne se sont pas avérés être plus efficaces que les programmes utilisant des paraprofessionnels. En général, les programmes ont fait état d'un effet positif sur le comportement maternel, mais les programmes avec des visites à domicile fréquentes se sont avérés plus couronnés de succès. Eine Meta-Analyse von Unterstützungsprogrammen für gefährdete Familien (K = 35, N = 6453) die im häuslichen Umfeld stattfinden, untersuchte Unterschiede der Wirkung auf das Verhalten der Mütter. Im Durchschnitt zeigten Programme mit häufigeren Besuchen höhere Erfolgsraten. Die Häufigkeit der Hausbesuche zeigte einen signifikanten Effekt innerhalb der nordamerikanischen Studien. Zwei monatliche Besuche zeigten bereits einen kleinen aber stichhaltigen Effekt. Intensive Programme und solche mit mindestens drei monatlichen Besuchen waren bereits mehr als doppelt so wirksam wie die weniger intensive Programme. Die Programme mit Hausbesuchen, in denen Krankenschwestern oder Experten der seelischen Gesundheit eingesetzt wurden, waren nicht signifikant wirksamer als Programme, in denen ungeschulte Mitarbeiter einsetzt wurden. Generell zeigten die Programme eine positive Wirkung auf das mütterliche Verhalten, wobei die Programme mit häufigeren Hausbesuchen erfolgreicher waren. [source] Retaining the visitor, enhancing the experience: identifying attributes of choice in repeat museum visitationINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NONPROFIT & VOLUNTARY SECTOR MARKETING, Issue 1 2009Christine Burton How people make choices in relation to cultural and leisure consumption has been explored from the viewpoint of motivation, lifestyle segmentation, and lifecycle. Little is known about the specific characteristics associated with choices to visit, re-visit, or not to visit a museum. Understanding characteristics of choice, developing incentives, bundled packages, and levels of pricing is an essential element in marketing strategies for museums operating in a competitive leisure marketplace. However, determining what really matters to cultural consumers is complex and methodologies to assist in unraveling such complexities are not easily identified. This study aimed to address ways in which people respond to specific incentives as influences in choosing museum visitation. The study was conducted in two major museums in Australia to determine how useful choice modeling is in identifying features that matter to cultural consumers. The results suggest that choice modeling has much to offer in relation to understanding the benefits people are seeking from a museum experience as well as offering strategic insight into potential collaborative ventures and re-combinations of existing museum products and services. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Managing heritage attractions: marketing challenges at sensitive historical sitesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF TOURISM RESEARCH, Issue 6 2002Nathan K. Austin Abstract Historical sites now feature strongly as sites of visitation. However, such sites are often connected with historical events, which are sensitive to visitors and thus highly contentious when utilised in the development of tourism. The paper, from the perspective of the visitor, examines some of the critical issues that generally determine the nature of visitation at sensitive historical sites. The issues identified are the visitor's emotional state at the site, prior expectations of the site and what is to be learnt and perception of site presentation and interpretation. They also include the primary visitor objective to learn about the site, the ease with which access to the site can be obtained and the existence of social experiences between relevant visitor groups that may be extended to the site. The issues identified place significant challenges on how marketers communicate with potential visitors and other stakeholders of the site and require the marketing function to take cognisance of the different emotional states of visitors. Similarly, the nature of the packaging of the site, the channels of visitor access to be encouraged and how pricing is to be used as a marketing tool in a way that it is appropriate for the different groups of visitors to the site, all present unique marketing challenges. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Nursing Home Facility Risk Factors for Infection and Hospitalization: Importance of Registered Nurse Turnover, Administration, and Social FactorsJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 12 2002Sheryl Zimmerman PhD OBJECTIVES: Determine the relationship between a broad array of structure and process elements of nursing home care and (a) resident infection and (b) hospitalization for infection. DESIGN: Baseline data were collected from September 1992 through March 1995, and residents were followed for 2 years; facility data were collected at the midpoint of follow-up. SETTING: A stratified random sample of 59 nursing homes across Maryland. PARTICIPANTS: Two thousand fifteen new admissions aged 65 and older. MEASUREMENTS: Facility-level data were collected from interviews with facility administrators, directors of nursing, and activity directors; record abstraction; and direct observation. Main outcome measures included infection (written diagnosis, a course of antibiotic therapy, or radiographic confirmation of pneumonia) and hospitalization for infection (indicated on medical records). RESULTS: The 2-year rate of infection was 1.20 episodes per 100 resident days, and the hospitalization rate for infection was 0.17 admissions per 100 resident days. Except for registered nurse (RN) turnover, which related to both infection and hospitalization, different variables related to each outcome. High rates of incident infection were associated with more Medicare recipients, high levels of physical/occupational therapist staffing, high licensed practical nurse staffing, low nurses' aide staffing, high intensity of medical and therapeutic services, dementia training, staff privacy, and low levels of psychotropic medication use. High rates of hospitalization for infection were associated with for-profit ownership, chain affiliation, poor environmental quality, lack of resident privacy, lack of administrative emphasis on staff satisfaction, and low family/friend visitation rates. Adjustment for resident sex, age, race, education, marital status, number of morbid diagnoses, functional status, and Resource Utilization Group, Version III score did not alter the relationship between the structure and process of care and outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The association between RN turnover and both outcomes underscores the relationship between nursing leadership and quality of care in these settings. The relationship between hospitalization for infection and for-profit ownership and chain affiliation could reflect policies not to treat acute illnesses in house. The link between social factors of care (environmental quality, prioritizing staff satisfaction, resident privacy, and facility visitation) and hospitalization indicates that a nonmedical model of care may not jeopardize, and may in fact benefit, health-related outcomes. All of these facility characteristics may be modifiable, may affect healthcare costs, and may hold promise for other, less-medical, forms of residential long-term care. [source] Alternative pollinator taxa are equally efficient but not as effective as the honeybee in a mass flowering cropJOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY, Issue 5 2009Romina Rader Summary 1. ,The honeybee Apis mellifera is currently in decline worldwide because of the combined impacts of Colony Collapse Disorder and the Varroa destructor mite. In order to gain a balanced perspective of the importance of both wild and managed pollination services, it is essential to compare these services directly, a priori, within a cropping landscape. This process will determine the capacity of other flower visitors to act as honeybee replacements. 2. ,In a highly modified New Zealand agricultural landscape, we compared the pollination services provided by managed honeybees to unmanaged pollinator taxa (including flies) within a Brassica rapa var. chinensis mass flowering crop. 3. ,We evaluate overall pollinator effectiveness by separating the pollination service into two components: efficiency (i.e. per visit pollen deposition) and visit rate (i.e. pollinator abundance per available flower and the number of flower visits per minute). 4. ,We observed 31 species attending flowers of B. rapa. In addition to A. mellifera, seven insect species visited flowers frequently. These were three other bees (Lasioglossum sordidum, Bombus terrestris and Leioproctus sp.) and four flies (Dilophus nigrostigma, Melanostoma fasciatum, Melangyna novae-zelandiae and Eristalis tenax). 5. ,Two bee species, Bombus terrestris and Leioproctus sp. and one fly, Eristalis tenax were as efficient as the honeybee and as effective (in terms of rate of flower visitation). A higher honeybee abundance, however, resulted in it being the more effective pollinator overall. 6. ,Synthesis and applications. Alternative land management practices that increase the population sizes of unmanaged pollinator taxa to levels resulting in visitation frequencies as high as A. mellifera, have the potential to replace services provided by the honeybee. This will require a thorough investigation of each taxon's intrinsic biology and a change in land management practices to ensure year round refuge, feeding, nesting and other resource requirements of pollinator taxa are met. [source] Transgenic virus resistance in cultivated squash affects pollinator behaviourJOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY, Issue 5 2009Holly R. Prendeville Summary 1.,Two ecological risks associated with the use of transgenic crops are transgene movement into wild populations and effects on non-target organisms, such as pollinators. Despite the importance of pollinators, and their contribution to the global food supply, little is known about how they are affected by transgenic crops. Pollinator preferences affect plant mating patterns; thus understanding the effects of transgenic crops on pollinators will aid in understanding transgene movement. 2.,Honey bee and squash bee visit number and duration were recorded on conventional and transgenic virus-resistant squash Cucurbita pepo planted in a randomized block design. Floral characters were measured to explain differences in pollinator behaviour. The effect of Zucchini Yellow Mosaic Virus infection on pollinator behaviour was also examined. 3.,Honey bees visited female conventional flowers more than female transgenic flowers. Conventional flowers were generally larger with more nectar than transgenic flowers, although floral traits did not account for differences in pollinator visitation. 4.,Squash bees visited male transgenic flowers more than male conventional flowers; squash bees also spent more time in female transgenic flowers than in female conventional flowers. Transgenic flowers were significantly larger with greater amounts of sweeter nectar and they were present in greater number. Floral traits accounted for some of the variation in pollinator visitation. 5.,Squash bee visit number and duration did not differ between virus-infected and healthy plants, but this may be because pollinator behaviour was observed early in the virus infection. 6.,Synthesis and applications. Pollinator behaviour controls patterns of plant mating thus non-target effects of transgenic resistance, such as those observed here, may influence transgene movement into wild populations. These results suggest that transgenic crops should not be planted within the native range of wild relatives because pleiotropic effects may affect crop-wild hybridization and transgene introgression into wild populations. [source] The restoration of ecological interactions: plant,pollinator networks on ancient and restored heathlandsJOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY, Issue 3 2008Mikael Lytzau Forup Summary 1Attempts to restore damaged ecosystems usually emphasize structural aspects of biodiversity, such as species richness and abundance. An alternative is to emphasize functional aspects, such as patterns of interaction between species. Pollination is a ubiquitous interaction between plants and animals. Patterns in plant,pollinator interactions can be analysed with a food web or complex-systems approach and comparing pollination webs between restored and reference sites can be used to test whether ecological restoration has taken place. 2Using an ecological network approach, we compared plant,pollinator interactions on four pairs of restored and ancient heathlands 11 and 14 years following initiation of restoration management. We used the network data to test whether visitation by pollinators had been restored and we calculated pollinator importance indices for each insect species on the eight sites. Finally, we compared the robustness of the restored and ancient networks to species loss. 3Plant and pollinator communities were established successfully on the restored sites. There was little evidence of movement of pollinators from ancient sites onto adjacent restored sites, although paired sites correlated in pollinator species richness in both years. There was little insect species overlap within each heathland between 2001 and 2004. 4A few widespread insect species dominated the communities and were the main pollinators. The most important pollinators were typically honeybees (Apis mellifera), species of bumblebee (Bombus spp.) and one hoverfly species (Episyrphus balteatus). The interaction networks were significantly less complex on restored heathlands, in terms of connectance values, although in 2004 the low values might reflect the negative relationship between connectance and species richness. Finally, there was a trend of restored networks being more susceptible to perturbation than ancient networks, although this needs to be interpreted with caution. 5Synthesis and applications. Ecological networks provide a powerful tool for assessing the outcome of restoration programmes. Our results indicate that heathland restoration does not have to occur immediately adjacent to ancient heathland for functional pollinator communities to be established. Moreover, in terms of restoring pollinator interactions, heathland managers need only be concerned with the most common insect species. Our focus on pollination demonstrates how a key ecological service can serve as a yardstick for judging restoration success. [source] Rapid assessment of a helpdesk service supporting severe acute respiratory syndrome patients and their relativesJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 6 2004Joanne WY Chung PhD Background., To contain severe acute respiratory syndrome, the Hong Kong Hospital Authority set a policy that stipulated there should be no visitors to hospital wards. A helpdesk service was established with the goal of providing immediate emotional and communication support to relatives while severe acute respiratory syndrome patients were isolated during the acute phase of the illness. Aim., This study describes the results of a rapid assessment of the effectiveness of a helpdesk service designed to meet the immediate needs of relatives of severe acute respiratory syndrome patients in Hong Kong. Design., Survey. Method., Eighty-three respondents, representing about 46.3% of relatives (179), attending the helpdesk on the day of the study were recruited. Service evaluation data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire completed by respondents. Results., Nearly 100% of respondents who used the service found the delivery service with on-site counselling useful for alleviating their anxiety. However, about half of these relatives complained of insufficient information regarding the patient's condition and progress. The majority of respondents were satisfied with the service. In describing the most important traits of the service providers, caring and enthusiasm were mentioned most frequently by respondents who stated that they were very satisfied with the service. Conclusion., The results support the value of the service, and demonstrate that the service is effective in meeting relatives' immediate needs. These needs include information, aid in fulfilling their role as caretaker for the patient (delivering prepared soup) and psychological support. The results suggest that facilitation of visitation of patients by relatives via video conferencing and education of the public on the nature and course of severe acute respiratory syndrome to reduce the social stigma of having a potentially life-threatening disease should be introduced in Hong Kong. Relevance to clinical practice., The results highlight important attributes that helpers (nurses) should have in order to alleviate the suffering of severe acute respiratory syndrome patients and their relatives. [source] Beyond biomass: measuring the effects of community-level nitrogen enrichment on floral traits, pollinator visitation and plant reproductionJOURNAL OF ECOLOGY, Issue 3 2010Laura A. Burkle Summary 1.,Nitrogen (N) limits primary productivity in many systems and can have dramatic effects on plant,herbivore interactions, but its effects on mutualistic interactions at the community level are not well-understood. The reproduction of many plants depends on both soil N and pollination, and N may affect floral traits, such as flower number or size, which are important for pollinator attraction to plant individuals and communities. 2.,Thus, N may influence plant biomass and reproduction directly as well as indirectly via changes in pollination. The degree to which the effects of N enrichment scale from plant individuals to assemblages through emerging community-level changes in species interactions, like pollination, is relatively unknown. 3.,For 4 years, we tested how N addition to subalpine plant assemblages in Colorado, USA, affected primary productivity and species diversity, floral traits and plant,pollinator interactions, and components of female and male plant reproduction. 4.,At the community level, we found that high-N addition favoured the biomass and seed production of grasses, whereas low-N addition promoted forb growth, flower production and pollinator visitation. However, using a pollen supplementation experiment, we found no evidence that N addition altered patterns of pollen limitation of seed production. Pollinators distributed themselves evenly across floral resources such that per-flower visitation rate did not differ among N treatments. Thus, individual plants did not incur any extra benefit or cost from community-level changes in plant,pollinator interactions that resulted from N enrichment, and the effects of N on forb reproduction were direct. 5.,Synthesis. Understanding how mutualistic and antagonistic species interactions influence individual and community responses to abiotic resources may provide insight to the dominant forces structuring communities and is especially important in the context of predicting the effects of environmental change. In this case, the direct effects of N addition on plants were stronger than the indirect effects mediated through plant,pollinator interactions, thus supporting the concept of bottom-up resource limitation controlling plant response. [source] Effects of patch size and density on flower visitation and seed set of wild plants: a pan-European approachJOURNAL OF ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2010Jens Dauber Summary 1.,Habitat fragmentation can affect pollinator and plant population structure in terms of species composition, abundance, area covered and density of flowering plants. This, in turn, may affect pollinator visitation frequency, pollen deposition, seed set and plant fitness. 2.,A reduction in the quantity of flower visits can be coupled with a reduction in the quality of pollination service and hence the plants' overall reproductive success and long-term survival. Understanding the relationship between plant population size and/or isolation and pollination limitation is of fundamental importance for plant conservation. 3.,We examined flower visitation and seed set of 10 different plant species from five European countries to investigate the general effects of plant populations size and density, both within (patch level) and between populations (population level), on seed set and pollination limitation. 4.,We found evidence that the effects of area and density of flowering plant assemblages were generally more pronounced at the patch level than at the population level. We also found that patch and population level together influenced flower visitation and seed set, and the latter increased with increasing patch area and density, but this effect was only apparent in small populations. 5.,Synthesis. By using an extensive pan-European data set on flower visitation and seed set we have identified a general pattern in the interplay between the attractiveness of flowering plant patches for pollinators and density dependence of flower visitation, and also a strong plant species-specific response to habitat fragmentation effects. This can guide efforts to conserve plant,pollinator interactions, ecosystem functioning and plant fitness in fragmented habitats. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||