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Campbell JL, Driscoll CT, Jones JA, Boose ER, Dugan HA, Groffman PM, Jackson CR, Jones JB, Juday GP, Lottig NR, Penaluna BE, Ruess RW, Suding K, Thompson JR, Zimmerman JK. Forest and Freshwater Ecosystem Responses to Climate Change and Variability at US LTER Sites. Bioscience 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biab124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Forest and freshwater ecosystems are tightly linked and together provide important ecosystem services, but climate change is affecting their species composition, structure, and function. Research at nine US Long Term Ecological Research sites reveals complex interactions and cascading effects of climate change, some of which feed back into the climate system. Air temperature has increased at all sites, and those in the Northeast have become wetter, whereas sites in the Northwest and Alaska have become slightly drier. These changes have altered streamflow and affected ecosystem processes, including primary production, carbon storage, water and nutrient cycling, and community dynamics. At some sites, the direct effects of climate change are the dominant driver altering ecosystems, whereas at other sites indirect effects or disturbances and stressors unrelated to climate change are more important. Long-term studies are critical for understanding the impacts of climate change on forest and freshwater ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Julia A Jones
- Oregon State University , Corvallis, Oregon, United States
| | - Emery R Boose
- Harvard University , Petersham, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Hilary A Dugan
- University of Wisconsin , Madison, Wisconsin, United States
| | - Peter M Groffman
- City University of New York, and with the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies , Millbrook, New York, United States
| | | | - Jeremy B Jones
- University of Alaska Fairbanks , Fairbanks, Alaska, United States
| | - Glenn P Juday
- University of Alaska Fairbanks , Fairbanks, Alaska, United States
| | - Noah R Lottig
- University of Wisconsin's Trout Lake Station , Boulder Junction, Wisconsin, United States
| | | | - Roger W Ruess
- University of Alaska Fairbanks , Fairbanks, Alaska, United States
| | | | | | - Jess K Zimmerman
- University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras , San Juan, Puerto Rico, United States
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2
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Kapeller B, Plummer R, Baird J, Jollineau M. Assessing Factors of Environmental Stewardship Success: Organizational Perceptions from the Niagara Region of Ontario, Canada. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2022; 70:273-287. [PMID: 35650409 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-022-01669-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Environmental stewardship is increasingly important as human actions threaten the natural world. Now, more than ever, it is necessary to understand what makes stewardship initiatives successful. This study investigates stewardship success in the Niagara Region of Ontario, Canada. Specifically, the research seeks to determine what factors are associated with the success of environmental stewardship initiatives, differences between stewardship organizations (staff-based vs. volunteer-based), and reasons why those factors are important. Ten factors for successful stewardship initiatives were uncovered. Differences between volunteer and staff-based organizations were revealed, especially regarding factors of motivations and capacity. Qualitative analysis provided rich insights into why factors were important for success, with the physical ability to conduct the work and the importance of motivation being highlighted. The findings from the study provide a basis for future research which expands the empirical contexts for understanding stewardship success, broadens the variety of stewardship organizations considered, and incorporates additional measures of success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brooke Kapeller
- Brock University Environmental Sustainability Research Centre, St. Catharines, ON, L2S 3A1, Canada.
| | - Ryan Plummer
- Brock University Environmental Sustainability Research Centre, St. Catharines, ON, L2S 3A1, Canada
| | - Julia Baird
- Brock University Environmental Sustainability Research Centre and the Department of Geography and Tourism Studies, St. Catharines, ON, L2S 3A1, Canada
| | - Marilyne Jollineau
- Brock University Environmental Sustainability Research Centre, St. Catharines, ON, L2S 3A1, Canada
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Abstract
In this article marking the 40th anniversary of the US National Science Foundation's Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network, we describe how a long-term ecological research perspective facilitates insights into an ecosystem's response to climate change. At all 28 LTER sites, from the Arctic to Antarctica, air temperature and moisture variability have increased since 1930, with increased disturbance frequency and severity and unprecedented disturbance types. LTER research documents the responses to these changes, including altered primary production, enhanced cycling of organic and inorganic matter, and changes in populations and communities. Although some responses are shared among diverse ecosystems, most are unique, involving region-specific drivers of change, interactions among multiple climate change drivers, and interactions with other human activities. Ecosystem responses to climate change are just beginning to emerge, and as climate change accelerates, long-term ecological research is crucial to understand, mitigate, and adapt to ecosystem responses to climate change.
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Gaiser EE, Bell DM, Castorani MCN, Childers DL, Groffman PM, Jackson CR, Kominoski JS, Peters DPC, Pickett STA, Ripplinger J, Zinnert JC. Long-Term Ecological Research and Evolving Frameworks of Disturbance Ecology. Bioscience 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biz162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractDetecting and understanding disturbance is a challenge in ecology that has grown more critical with global environmental change and the emergence of research on social–ecological systems. We identify three areas of research need: developing a flexible framework that incorporates feedback loops between social and ecological systems, anticipating whether a disturbance will change vulnerability to other environmental drivers, and incorporating changes in system sensitivity to disturbance in the face of global changes in environmental drivers. In the present article, we review how discoveries from the US Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network have influenced theoretical paradigms in disturbance ecology, and we refine a framework for describing social–ecological disturbance that addresses these three challenges. By operationalizing this framework for seven LTER sites spanning distinct biomes, we show how disturbance can maintain or alter ecosystem state, drive spatial patterns at landscape scales, influence social–ecological interactions, and cause divergent outcomes depending on other environmental changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyn E Gaiser
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Miami, Florida
| | - David M Bell
- Pacific Northwest Research Station, under the US Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Corvallis, Oregon
| | - Max C N Castorani
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
| | | | - Peter M Groffman
- City University of New York's Advanced Science Research Center, Graduate Center, New York, New York, and with the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, New York
| | - C Rhett Jackson
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
| | - John S Kominoski
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Miami, Florida
| | - Debra P C Peters
- US Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service's Jornada Experimental Range and Jornada Basin LTER Program, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico
| | | | - Julie Ripplinger
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California—Riverside, Riverside, California
| | - Julie C Zinnert
- Department of Biology at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
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Bennett NJ, Whitty TS, Finkbeiner E, Pittman J, Bassett H, Gelcich S, Allison EH. Environmental Stewardship: A Conceptual Review and Analytical Framework. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2018; 61:597-614. [PMID: 29387947 PMCID: PMC5849669 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-017-0993-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2017] [Accepted: 12/29/2017] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
There has been increasing attention to and investment in local environmental stewardship in conservation and environmental management policies and programs globally. Yet environmental stewardship has not received adequate conceptual attention. Establishing a clear definition and comprehensive analytical framework could strengthen our ability to understand the factors that lead to the success or failure of environmental stewardship in different contexts and how to most effectively support and enable local efforts. Here we propose such a definition and framework. First, we define local environmental stewardship as the actions taken by individuals, groups or networks of actors, with various motivations and levels of capacity, to protect, care for or responsibly use the environment in pursuit of environmental and/or social outcomes in diverse social-ecological contexts. Next, drawing from a review of the environmental stewardship, management and governance literatures, we unpack the elements of this definition to develop an analytical framework that can facilitate research on local environmental stewardship. Finally, we discuss potential interventions and leverage points for promoting or supporting local stewardship and future applications of the framework to guide descriptive, evaluative, prescriptive or systematic analysis of environmental stewardship. Further application of this framework in diverse environmental and social contexts is recommended to refine the elements and develop insights that will guide and improve the outcomes of environmental stewardship initiatives and investments. Ultimately, our aim is to raise the profile of environmental stewardship as a valuable and holistic concept for guiding productive and sustained relationships with the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan J Bennett
- Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, University of British Columbia, Columbia, Canada.
- School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, University of Washington, Washington, USA.
- Center for Ocean Solutions, Stanford University, Stanford, USA.
| | - Tara S Whitty
- Center for Marine Biodiversity & Conservation, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, USA
| | - Elena Finkbeiner
- Center for Ocean Solutions, Stanford University, Stanford, USA
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Stanford, USA
| | - Jeremy Pittman
- School of Environment, Resource and Sustainability, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada
| | - Hannah Bassett
- School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, University of Washington, Washington, USA
| | - Stefan Gelcich
- Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Edward H Allison
- School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, University of Washington, Washington, USA
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Milford JB, Knight D. Increasing the Use of Earth Science Data and Models in Air Quality Management. JOURNAL OF THE AIR & WASTE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION (1995) 2017; 67:431-444. [PMID: 28282284 DOI: 10.1080/10962247.2016.1248303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2016] [Accepted: 10/10/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED In 2010, the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) initiated the Air Quality Applied Science Team (AQAST) as a 5-year, $17.5-million award with 19 principal investigators. AQAST aims to increase the use of Earth science products in air quality-related research and to help meet air quality managers' information needs. We conducted a Web-based survey and a limited number of follow-up interviews to investigate federal, state, tribal, and local air quality managers' perspectives on usefulness of Earth science data and models, and on the impact AQAST has had. The air quality managers we surveyed identified meeting the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ozone and particulate matter, emissions from mobile sources, and interstate air pollution transport as top challenges in need of improved information. Most survey respondents viewed inadequate coverage or frequency of satellite observations, data uncertainty, and lack of staff time or resources as barriers to increased use of satellite data by their organizations. Managers who have been involved with AQAST indicated that the program has helped build awareness of NASA Earth science products, and assisted their organizations with retrieval and interpretation of satellite data and with application of global chemistry and climate models. AQAST has also helped build a network between researchers and air quality managers with potential for further collaborations. IMPLICATIONS NASA's Air Quality Applied Science Team (AQAST) aims to increase the use of satellite data and global chemistry and climate models for air quality management purposes, by supporting research and tool development projects of interest to both groups. Our survey and interviews of air quality managers indicate they found value in many AQAST projects and particularly appreciated the connections to the research community that the program facilitated. Managers expressed interest in receiving continued support for their organizations' use of satellite data, including assistance in retrieving and interpreting data from future geostationary platforms meant to provide more frequent coverage for air quality and other applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana B Milford
- a Department of Mechanical Engineering , University of Colorado Boulder , Boulder , CO , USA
| | - Daniel Knight
- a Department of Mechanical Engineering , University of Colorado Boulder , Boulder , CO , USA
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7
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Swanson FJ. Confluence of arts, humanities, and science at sites of long-term ecological inquiry. Ecosphere 2015. [DOI: 10.1890/es15-00139.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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8
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Marty JT. Loss of biodiversity and hydrologic function in seasonal wetlands persists over 10 years of livestock grazing removal. Restor Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.12226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jaymee T. Marty
- The Nature Conservancy; Galt CA 95814 U.S.A
- Present address: Marty Ecological Consulting, Sacramento, CA 95826, U.S.A
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Shibata H, Branquinho C, McDowell WH, Mitchell MJ, Monteith DT, Tang J, Arvola L, Cruz C, Cusack DF, Halada L, Kopáček J, Máguas C, Sajidu S, Schubert H, Tokuchi N, Záhora J. Consequence of altered nitrogen cycles in the coupled human and ecological system under changing climate: The need for long-term and site-based research. AMBIO 2015; 44:178-93. [PMID: 25037589 PMCID: PMC4357624 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-014-0545-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2014] [Revised: 06/24/2014] [Accepted: 06/30/2014] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenically derived nitrogen (N) has a central role in global environmental changes, including climate change, biodiversity loss, air pollution, greenhouse gas emission, water pollution, as well as food production and human health. Current understanding of the biogeochemical processes that govern the N cycle in coupled human-ecological systems around the globe is drawn largely from the long-term ecological monitoring and experimental studies. Here, we review spatial and temporal patterns and trends in reactive N emissions, and the interactions between N and other important elements that dictate their delivery from terrestrial to aquatic ecosystems, and the impacts of N on biodiversity and human society. Integrated international and long-term collaborative studies covering research gaps will reduce uncertainties and promote further understanding of the nitrogen cycle in various ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hideaki Shibata
- />Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere, Hokkaido University, Kita-9, Nishi-9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0809 Japan
| | - Cristina Branquinho
- />Centro de Biologia Ambiental, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, Bloco C2, 5° Piso, sala 37, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - William H. McDowell
- />Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, 56 College Rd., Durham, NH 03824 USA
| | - Myron J. Mitchell
- />College of Environmental Science and Forestry, State University of New York, 1 Forestry Drive, Syracuse, NY 13210 USA
| | - Don T. Monteith
- />NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4AP UK
| | - Jianwu Tang
- />Ecosystems Center, Marine Biological Laboratory, 7 MBL St., Woods Hole, MA 02543 USA
| | - Lauri Arvola
- />Lammi Biological Station, University of Helsinki, Pääjärventie 320, 16900 Lammi, Finland
| | - Cristina Cruz
- />Centro de Biologia Ambiental, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, Bloco C2, 5° Piso, sala 37, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Daniela F. Cusack
- />Department of Geography, University of California - Los Angeles, 1255 Bunche Hall, Box 951524, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA
| | - Lubos Halada
- />Institute of Landscape Ecology SAS, Branch Nitra, Akademicka 2, POB 22, 949 10 Nitra, Slovakia
| | - Jiří Kopáček
- />Institute of Hydrobiology, Biology Centre ASCR, Na Sádkách 7, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Cristina Máguas
- />Center for Environmental Biology, SIIAF - Stable Isotopes and Instrumental Analysis Facility, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, Bloco C2, 5° Piso, sala 12, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Samson Sajidu
- />Chemistry Department, Chancellor College, University of Malawi, P.O Box 280, Zomba, Malawi
| | - Hendrik Schubert
- />Institut für Biowissenschaften, Lehrstuhl Ökologie, Universität Rostock, Albert-Einsteinstraße 3, 18051 Rostock, Germany
| | - Naoko Tokuchi
- />Field Science Education and Research Center, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwake-cho, Kyoto, 606-8502 Japan
| | - Jaroslav Záhora
- />Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1/1665, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic
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Chen X, Emery N, Garcia ES, Hanan EJ, Hodges HE, Martin T, Meyers MA, Peavey LE, Peng H, Santamaria JS, Uyeda KA, Anderson SE, Tague C. Perspectives on disconnects between scientific information and management decisions on post-fire recovery in Western US. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2013; 52:1415-1426. [PMID: 24065384 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-013-0165-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2012] [Accepted: 09/06/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Environmental regulations frequently mandate the use of "best available" science, but ensuring that it is used in decisions around the use and protection of natural resources is often challenging. In the Western US, this relationship between science and management is at the forefront of post-fire land management decisions. Recent fires, post-fire threats (e.g. flooding, erosion), and the role of fire in ecosystem health combine to make post-fire management highly visible and often controversial. This paper uses post-fire management to present a framework for understanding why disconnects between science and management decisions may occur. We argue that attributes of agencies, such as their political or financial incentives, can limit how effectively science is incorporated into decision-making. At the other end of the spectrum, the lack of synthesis or limited data in science can result in disconnects between science-based analysis of post-fire effects and agency policy and decisions. Disconnects also occur because of the interaction between the attributes of agencies and the attributes of science, such as their different spatial and temporal scales of interest. After offering examples of these disconnects in post-fire treatment, the paper concludes with recommendations to reduce disconnects by improving monitoring, increasing synthesis of scientific findings, and directing social-science research toward identifying and deepening understanding of these disconnects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoli Chen
- Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, University of California, 2400 Bren Hall, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA,
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12
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Coetzer KL, Witkowski ETF, Erasmus BFN. Reviewing Biosphere Reserves globally: effective conservation action or bureaucratic label? Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2013; 89:82-104. [PMID: 23701641 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2012] [Revised: 04/26/2013] [Accepted: 05/02/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The Biosphere Reserve (BR) model of UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme reflects a shift towards more accountable conservation. Biosphere Reserves attempt to reconcile environmental protection with sustainable development; they explicitly acknowledge humans, and human interests in the conservation landscape while still maintaining the ecological values of existing protected areas. Conceptually, this model is attractive, with 610 sites currently designated globally. Yet the practical reality of implementing dual 'conservation' and 'development' goals is challenging, with few examples successfully conforming to the model's full criteria. Here, we review the history of Biosphere Reserves from first inception in 1974 to the current status quo, and examine the suitability of the designation as an effective conservation model. We track the spatial expansion of Biosphere Reserves globally, assessing the influence of the Statutory Framework of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves and Seville strategy in 1995, when the BR concept refocused its core objectives on sustainable development. We use a comprehensive range of case studies to discuss conformity to the Programme, the social and ecological consequences associated with implementation of the designation, and challenges in aligning conservation and development. Given that the 'Biosphere Reserve' label is a relatively unknown designation in the public arena, this review also provides details on popularising the Biosphere Reserve brand, as well as prospects for further research, currently unexploited, but implicit in the designation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaera L Coetzer
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, WITS, Johannesburg, 2050, South Africa
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14
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Thompson JR, Wiek A, Swanson FJ, Carpenter SR, Fresco N, Hollingsworth T, Spies TA, Foster DR. Scenario Studies as a Synthetic and Integrative Research Activity for Long-Term Ecological Research. Bioscience 2012. [DOI: 10.1525/bio.2012.62.4.8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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