02609nas a2200181   4500008003900000022001300039245009100052210006900143260001200212300001400224490000700238520204900245100001702294700001602311700001602327700001302343856007102356       2014                          d  a1470160X00aPhysiological indices as indicators of ecosystem status in shellfish aquaculture sites0 aPhysiological indices as indicators of ecosystem status in shell  c04/2014  a134 - 1430 v393 aThe filtration activity of cultured mussels may exert a strong control on phytoplankton populations. Given that phytoplankton constitutes the base of marine food webs, carrying capacity in shellfish aquaculture sites has been commonly studied in terms of phytoplankton depletion. However, spatial and temporal variability of phytoplankton concentration in coastal areas present a methodological constraint for using phytoplankton depletion as an indicator in monitoring programs, and necessitates intensive field campaigns. The main goal of this study is to explore the potential of different bivalve performance indices for use as alternatives to phytoplankton depletion as cost-effective indicators of carrying capacity. For that, a fully spatial hydrodynamic–biogeochemical coupled model of Tracadie Bay, an intensive mussel culture embayment located in Prince of Edward Island (Canada), has been constructed and scenario building has been used to explore the relationship between phytoplankton depletion and bivalve performance. Our underlying premise is that overstocking of bivalves leads to increased competition for food resources, i.e. phytoplankton, which may ultimately have a significant effect on bivalve growth rate and performance. Following this working hypothesis, the relationships among bay-scale phytoplankton depletion and three bivalve physiological indices, one static, condition index, and two dynamic, tissue mass and shell length growth rates, have been simulated. These three metrics present methodological advantages compared to phytoplankton depletion for incorporation into monitoring programs. Although significant correlations among phytoplankton depletion and the three physiological indices have been observed, shell length growth rate is shown as the most sensitive indicator of carrying capacity, followed by tissue mass growth rate and then by condition index. These results demonstrate the potentiality of using bivalve physiological measurements in monitoring programs as indicators of ecosystem status.1 aFilgueira, R1 aGuyondet, T1 aComeau, L A1 aGrant, J  uhttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X1300496200507nas a2200145   4500008003900000245008700039210007100126300001000197490000600207100002200213700001500235700002000250700002000270856007100290       2012                          d00aA physical–biogeochemical coupling scheme for modeling marine coastal ecosystems0 aphysical–biogeochemical coupling scheme for modeling marine coas  a71-800 v71 aFilgueira, Ramón1 aGrant, Jon1 aBacher, Cédric1 aCarreau, Michel  uhttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S157495411100097502591nas a2200205   4500008003900000245013100039210006900170260002200239300001200261490000700273520181500280653002402095653002002119653001602139653002502155653002902180653002702209100002202236856012702258       2006                          d00aPersonal preferences and intensification of land use: their impact on southern Cameroonian slash-and-burn agroforestry systems0 aPersonal preferences and intensification of land use their impac  bSpringerc03/2006  a53–670 v683 a<p>Where long forest-fallows are no longer practiced, productivity declines in the absence of input substitution, as does the ability of subsistence farmers to earn an adequate livelihood from shifting cultivation. Land availability, population density and productivity-related factors such as soil fertility and labour requirements are not the only factors that affect fallow length and land use intensification in shifting cultivation agroforestry systems. Households surveyed indicated that various other decision criteria (e.g., proximity to other fields and the protection of land use rights) are important in land use decisions. Even though one quarter of households reported insufficient land resources to maintain soil fertility, few actually indicated that their choices were constrained by land availability. In fact, many cleared much younger fallows than strictly necessary based on the age of fallows available in their land holdings &ndash; even those with fallows of sufficient age to maintain long-term productivity. This paper outlines an approach to quantify information about the household preferences that influence land use decisions, discusses the implications of these decision criteria for land use intensification and uses them to model household decision-making in a way that effectively simulates the spatial and dynamic mosaic of land use characteristic of shifting cultivation. Not only are non-productivity related decision criteria important in land use decisions in general; they also have a significant impact on land use intensification. In fact, the research described here demonstrates that both household-specific preferences and household-specific initial conditions can lead to intensification of land use apart from that arising due to increasing population density.</p>10aHousehold modelling10aIntensification10aPreferences10aShifting cultivation10aSpatiotemporal modelling10aSustainable forest use1 aBrown, Douglas, R  u//www.simulistics.com/publications/personal-preferences-and-intensification-land-use-their-impact-southern-cameroonian-sla