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In Germany, basic data on the biology, ecology and distribution of rare mosquito species are insufficiently recorded leading to knowledge gaps, for example regarding their vector potential. The introduction of new mosquito species and of the pathogens they transmit has increased the risk of diseases previously uncommon in Germany. These circumstances have led to increased efforts within the past 10 years to better understand the spatio-temporal occurrence and underlying habitat binding of mosquito species and to predict their future distribution, particularly with regard to the changing climatic conditions and changing landscape. A reliable morphological and genetic identification was lacking for several native mosquito species, which forms the basis for any robust monitoring within mosquito surveillance programs or insect conservation projects.
The aim of this thesis was to gain detailed knowledge on the current spatial and temporal occurrence, the habitat binding, and morphological and genetic features with regard to species identification for the non-native species Aedes albopictus (Skuse, 1895), the native species of the Aedes Annulipes Group, and the native and rare species Aedes refiki Medschid, 1928, Culex martinii Medschid, 1930 and Culiseta ochroptera (Peus, 1935).
The thesis compares the suitability of the local climate for the persistence of the species Aedes albopictus sporadically observed in Jena (Thuringia) from 2015 to 2018 with two populations in southern Germany. The focus was on the analysis of extreme winter temperatures and the duration below selected temperature thresholds. In addition to critical temperature conditions, aquatic habitat conditions were of importance. The results of this study suggest that the population could become established in the long term.
Through the monitoring conducted for this thesis, the very rare mosquito species Aedes refiki, Culex martinii in Thuringia and Culiseta ochroptera were rediscovered at several sites in northern and eastern Germany. It was possible to add new information on habitat binding, distribution and abundance for the considered mosquito species. The survival of these rare native mosquito species depends on the preservation of a few remaining habitats. In addition, it can be assumed that these species will become even rarer with future climate change in Germany and, therefore, should be considered endangered. In contrast, other mosquito species could benefit from an increase in average temperatures or precipitation in individual cases.
Due to the contribution to species identification, difficulties in the morphological and genetic identification of selected mosquito species native to Germany could be dispelled. Three forms each were assigned to the known morphological variants of Aedes refiki and Culiseta ochroptera and their peculiarities were described, as well as a new character for species identification was highlighted in the case of Culiseta ochroptera. Generated CO1 mtDNA sequences provide the first DNA-barcodes of Aedes refiki and Culex martinii for Germany.
In five native mosquito species of the Aedes Annulipes Group, twenty types of aberrant tarsal claws were illustrated and described in their morphology. Morphological peculiarities and an asymmetrical occurrence of the aberrant claw types were observed and possible causes for their development were discussed. Together with the development of a basic blueprint of mosquito tarsal claws, the results opened another field of research for the taxonomy, developmental biology and aquatic ecology of arthropods.
Background: Strategies to improve the life of patients suffering from recurrent major depression have a high relevance. This study examined the efficacy of 2 Internet-delivered augmentation strategies that aim to prolong symptom-free intervals. Methods: Efficacy was tested in a 3-arm, multicenter, open-label, evaluator-blind, randomized controlled trial. Upon discharge from inpatient mental health care, 232 adults with 3 or more major depressive episodes were randomized to 1 of 2 intervention groups (SUMMIT or SUMMIT-PERSON) or to treatment as usual (TAU) alone. Over 12 months, participants in both intervention arms received, in addition to TAU, intense monitoring via e-mail or a smartphone, including signaling of upcoming crises, assistance with personal crisis management, and facilitation of early intervention. SUMMIT-PERSON additionally offered regular expert chats. The primary outcome was ‘well weeks', i.e. weeks with at most mild symptoms assessed by the Longitudinal Interval Follow-Up Evaluation, during 24 months after the index treatment. Results: SUMMIT compared to TAU reduced the time with an unwell status (OR 0.48; 95% CI 0.23-0.98) through faster transitions from unwell to well (OR 1.44; 95% CI 0.83-2.50) and slower transitions from well to unwell (OR 0.69; 95% CI 0.44-1.09). Contrary to the hypothesis, SUMMIT-PERSON was not superior to either SUMMIT (OR 0.77; 95% CI 0.38-1.56) or TAU (OR 0.62; 95% CI 0.31-1.24). The efficacy of SUMMIT was strongest 8 months after the intervention. Conclusions: The fully automated Internet-delivered augmentation strategy SUMMIT has the potential to improve TAU by reducing the lifelong burden of patients with recurrent depression. The fact that the effects wear off suggests a time-unlimited extension.
All-embracing human activities have transformed one-third to one-half of the Earth’s land surface. There is a strong correlation of human well-being with ecosystem function, including poverty alleviation programs as well as enhancements of the health sector. To assess and evaluate the progress and outcome of initiatives stringent periodic observation is necessary. The presented approach combines the strengths of remote sensing and GIS analysis with social research applications. The Bach Ma National Park as an area under investigation was designated as protected area in 1991 and extended in 2008. The national park is uninhabited, but in the surrounding buffer zones approximately 62000 to 79000 people live in rural areas and in mostly impoverished conditions. The comprehensive nature conservation efforts of the Vietnamese Government during the last two decades has led to growing forest coverage of both plantation and natural forests. Nevertheless, the decreasing biodiversity and ongoing illegal logging and hunting activities in the national park are seen as major threats to conservation initiatives in the future. The remote sensing component consists of an analysis of a time series of Landsat images with seven steps ranging from 1973 to 2010. The resulting land cover analysis had 13 different classes. The accuracy assessment revealed an overall accuracy ranging from 84 to 90%. The basis for the second monitoring component was the Landsat images. A total of 25 different landscape metrics on the landscape, class, and patch level were calculated by FRAGSTATS. The third monitoring component is itself divided into two parts. This part consists of a qualitative social research study with 26 expert interviews. The second part consists of 61 standardized questionnaires and an evaluation by SPSS. The assessment reveals a more or less stable forest cover, but with a considerable degradation process during the last four decades. Urban areas outside of the national park have increased in size considerably. For dense and medium forest patches an increasing fragmentation and isolation of patches was observed. Patches of natural forests and habitats of thousands of species have declined dramatically, a trend that is related to a decreasing core area characterised by its undisturbed conditions. The Landsat images and landscape metrics reveal the major differences between the national park and surrounding areas. Despite extensive alterations near the border, remaining forest patches in the national park are still bigger and less fragmented. Nevertheless, the third monitoring component revealed undiscovered changes in the forest beyond the possibilities of used images and metrics. It includes illegal logging and hunting activities. Non-timber forest products are similar to faunistic species collected for both the subsistence of the local residents and associated markets as important sources of income. Based on this bisection, local residents as well as certain strangers are responsible for the activities in the forest. The plan of national park management is to intensify existing monitoring and patrolling in the forest to limit the exploitation and impact in relevant zones. Furthermore, the importance of a network of protected areas has attracted increasing attention. The assessment of the questionnaires reveals that deforestation and also reforestation were the key aspects of historical land cover change. Additionally, for the local residents the conversion of forests into arable land as income alternative is of major importance. Capacity development is not only one priority of the Bach Ma management but also of the international community for all of Vietnam. The tourism industry, one of the most promising opportunities of recent years, stands to support both national park management as well as the local residents. For local residents the extraction of non-timber forest products is an essential portion of the income. The current pilot policy 126/QD-TTg in the extension zone of the national park and research on an appropriate sharing mechanism is of the utmost importance. The established and presented monitoring components are cost-effective and can be used to regularly assess the land cover change of a protected area. They can be implemented together or individually into existing monitoring schemes. A smart combination of pre-existing datasets is necessary to overcome the inconsequential amount of money for monitoring procedures. Supplemented by socio-economic monitoring and the demands as well as impacts of human activity need to be integrated. These extensive requirements for prospective monitoring are only feasible with comprehensive and reliable collaborations.
Mind the gap: Information gaps and bridging options in assessing in-situ conservation achievements
(2008)
The biodiversity crisis has gained political attention on a global level. The “2010 Target” of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) aims to significantly reduce the loss of biodiversity by 2010. In order to achieve this, a network of representative and effectively managed protected areas is to be established. The effectiveness of protected areas thus represents one indicator for progress towards the CBD’s 2010 Target. However, indicators require information. The present study, in a first step, reviews the availability of open access long-term ecological data for assessing protected area effectiveness. This review shows two parallel – though contradictory – phenomena: data overkill and data scarcity. While the number of online databases providing open access data on biodiversity has grown tremendously, no long-term ecological data for a larger set of protected areas can be openly accessed. Reasons for this data scarcity are discussed. Based on this lack of information, in a second step, a method to bridge information gaps through social science research is aspired. An innovative Conservation Success Framework is developed, which defines and relates conservation needs, conservation capacity and conservation actions, its three main components. The basic assumption is that conservation can only be successful where the conservation capacity exists that is required to implement the conservation actions determined by the conservation needs. The framework was used to develop open and closed questionnaires for application in two Mexican biosphere reserves, the Sierra Gorda and the Sierra de Manantlán. As "conservation success" is often immeasurable in protected areas in practice due to unspecific conservation objectives the term is for the case studies substituted by “conservation achievements”, i.e. clearly noticeable effects from conservation actions. Overall, almost 60 interviews were conducted with different stakeholder groups. The gained information is validated through social science research techniques, such as triangulation of perspectives and active and passive observation. Based on this, conservation needs are identified and conservation capacities summarised and discussed for both case study sites. Implemented conservation actions addressing identified conservation needs and conservation capacity constraints are then analysed. In addition, noticeable effects from conservation actions on the state of biodiversity at case study sites, i.e. the conservation achievements, are described. Where locally available, non-open access data (as opposing open access data) are used to verify the findings from the social science research. Identified conservation achievements at both case study sites are evident both from quantitative information (for example forest cover increase according to non-open access data) and qualitative information (for example perceived change in the occurrence of illegal activities according to interviews). In addition, rather “intangible” indicators that can only be revealed through qualitative surveys are identified for both sites. This study thus highlights the crucial importance of integrating different types of data, ecological and socio-economic, as well as quantitative and qualitative ones. The present study concludes with a series of recommendations 1) to local practitioners at the two case study sites, and 2) to the international conservation community. Local practitioners may benefit from the present study because its results provide for each site a) an overview of existing conservation needs and implemented conservation actions; b) an easy way to identify action gaps; c) a baseline to identify progress indicators; and d) an overview of diverse perspectives on the current effectiveness of the biosphere reserves. These benefits are considered of particular importance as they can be influential in the revision of the site’s management plans, which both are now approximately ten years old and will soon be revised. The international conservation community will not be able to make a clear statement in the year 2010 about the effectiveness of protected areas on a global level due to a lack of information and transparency. However, the year 2010 should not be considered an end point for measuring progress in in-situ conservation; instead protected area quality standards must be created, effectiveness evaluations institutionalised and efforts to foster regular reporting must continue. Consequently, a scheme of consolidated actions from local to national and international level is proposed that could help to sustainably bridge existing information gaps and close them on the long run. In the end, progress reporting on the effectiveness of protected areas, and other indicators, can only improve if different governance levels “mind the information gaps” in cooperation, until continued information gathering and sharing hopefully closes these gaps one day.