We report here the plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition and electrocatalytic characterization of pure NiO x and NiO x (OH) y . Whereas NiO x is deposited if oxygen is used as a reactive gas, the use of air as a reactive gas leads to the deposition of the NiO x (OH) y , which is electrochemically more active than the NiO x . By recording X-ray photoelectron spectra from the as-deposited catalysts and after their electrochemical investigations, we determined that the electrochemical activity correlates with the amount of hydroxide sites on the surface. Such a behavior was already observed for CoO x and CoO x (OH) y . As a consequence, CoNiO x (OH) y was deposited using air as a reactive gas to study the influence of nickel on the electronic structure of CoO x (OH) y and its effect on the electrochemical activity.

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We investigated the correlated response of several key traits of Lythrum salicaria L. to water availability gradients in introduced (Iowa, USA) and native (Switzerland, Europe) populations. This was done to investigate whether plants exhibit a shift in life-history strategy during expansion into more stressful habitats during the secondary phase of invasion, as has recently been hypothesized by Dietz and Edwards (Ecology 87(6): 1359, 2006). Plants in invaded habitats exhibited a correlated increase in longevity and decrease in overall size in the transition into more stressful mesic habitats. In contrast, plants in the native range only exhibited a decrease in height. Our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that secondary invasion is taking place in L. salicaria, allowing it to be more successful under the more stressful mesic conditions in the invaded range. If this trend continues, L. salicaria may become a more problematic species in the future.

Biosphere reserves and nature parks are protected areas that aim to combine nature conservation with human-development goals. These areas provide ideal environments for promoting and testing sustainable ways of living. The goal of this study was to determine how park management can best contribute to the quality of life of residents. The article presents the results of a survey in Switzerland of 2,409 residents of a biosphere reserve and two regional nature parks on the provision of quality of life. The results indicate that the quality of life in the parks is generally high. The identified dimensions that constitute this quality of life, their perceived importance, and the needs expressed by residents suggest that park management can help to increase and safeguard extant conditions by offering activities that improve health, social relations, and sustainable mobility. Awareness of how park management can contribute to the quality of life of park residents sustainably enables the setting of new priorities that have joint outputs that can be positive for both nature and people.