复合光催化剂(TiO2/多壁碳纳米管)制备工艺条件对甲基橙光催化降解动力学的影响

采用溶胶-凝胶法在不同条件下制备了多壁碳纳米管(MwCNTs)负载纳米TiO2的复合光催化剂(TiO2/MWCNTs).以偶氮类染料甲基橙为模拟污染物,研究不同制备工艺参数的复合光催化剂对甲基橙的光催化降解动力学的影响.对TiO2/MWCNTs的表征结果表明,纳米TiO2较好地分散在多壁碳纳米管表面;随着温度的升高,复...     

沉积贵金属Pt的Pt/TiO2膜利用可见光催化降解苯酚

采用溶胶-凝胶法制备锐钛矿纳米TiO2光催化材料,并用化学还原法还原氯铂酸溶液(H2PtCl6·4H2O)制备Pt胶体,然后滴涂在制备好的锐钛矿纳米TiO2基片上即对其进行贵金属修饰,从而得到纳米光催化材料Pt/TiO2膜.采用XRD、XPS、UV-Vis和SEM等手段对其表面理化特性进行了表征.以苯酚溶液为光催化降解...     

Ce掺杂TiO2固相光催化降解塑料薄膜

采用溶胶凝胶法合成了纯TiO2和掺杂Ce原子比例(Ce/Ti)为1.2%的TiO2粉末(Ce1.2%-TiO2)光催化剂,分别制备了纯聚乙烯薄膜、添加纯TiO2和Ce1.2%-TiO2粉末的复合聚乙烯薄膜,并于紫外、可见光照下进行了薄膜光催化降解实验;采用X射线衍射、紫外-可见漫反射分析表征了光催化剂的晶体结构及紫外可见光吸收性能;通过激光扫描共焦显微镜和傅立叶红外光谱对薄膜光催化降解过程进行测试.实验结果表明,添加光催化剂可有效降解聚乙烯薄膜,其中Ce掺杂TiO2的活性明显优于纯TiO2;在紫外光照下的降解效果优于在可见光照下的降解效果,且随着光催化剂投加量的增大,光催化效果越来越好,当添加量为5.0 %(质量分数)的Ce1.2%-TiO2时复合薄膜经紫外光照300 h后,光催化降解失重率达到33%(质量分数).     

低温种子聚合法制备磁载纳米TiO2光催化剂及其对苯酚的光催化降解

通过种子聚合法,以聚乙烯亚胺(PEI)处理过的纳米Fe2O4为磁核,在低温(95℃)、中性(pH=7左右)条件下,制备了一种磁载TiO2光催化剂.利用Zeta电位仪、透射电子显微镜(TEM)、X射线衍射仪(XRD)、傅里叶红外分光光度计(FT-IR)、振动样品磁强计(VSM)测试方法对磁核的表面电位、催化剂的形貌、物相...     

铂掺杂二氧化钛的制备及光催化乳酸制氢的研究

采用溶胶-凝胶法和甲醛还原法制备了Pt/TiO2光催化剂,并采用XRD对其结构进行了表征.当焙烧温度为500℃时,制备的纳米二氧化钛为纯锐钛矿相;在二氧化钛表面沉积少量的铂对二氧化钛的晶相和粒径几乎没有影响,但可以使二氧化钛光催化的产氢性能提高近10倍.以乳酸为电子供体,对影响其光催化产氢的因素进行了详细地考察.研究结果表明,光催化分解乳酸产氢的最佳条件为焙烧温度500℃、焙烧时间2 h、载铂量0.8%、催化剂用量0.14 g·L-1和pH 1-2.     

磁载光催化剂TiO2/Al2O3/γ-Fe2O3的制备与降解染料的优化模型

采用共沉淀结合固体粒子混合法,在TiO2中引入三氧化二铝包膜磁性核,通过对催化剂的XRD,TEM和红外光谱分析,发现磁性核具有γ-Fe2O3的晶相,且被三氧化二铝及二氧化钛包裹,形成复合型磁载光催化剂.同时对影响磁载光催化剂氧化直接耐酸大红4BS染料废水的因素:初始pH值(5.3-5.7)、光强(12.35-18.455μW·cm-2)和TiO2浓度(0.45-1.45mg·l-1)进行研究,通过建立响应曲面模型可得到最佳的初始pH值、光强和磁载光催化剂浓度分别为5.45,19.49×102μW·cm-2和0.86mg·l-1,脱色率达到92.4%.     

掺铁TiO2对庚烷气相光催化活性的研究

以乙酰丙酮铁和钛酸四丁酯为前驱体,制备掺铁TiO2复合光催化剂,以光催化降解正庚烷为反应模型,测定掺铁对TiO2光催化剂的结构、光吸收和光催化活性的影响．XRD的表征结果显示,焙烧温度升高,锐钛矿型TiO2转化成金红石型,且在700℃下有铁板钛矿生成;UV-Vis的结果表明,TiO2掺铁后增强了在可见光区的吸收,并且随着含铁量的增大,红移增大,提高了对可见光的利用率．相同掺铁量(Fe／Ti=0．07)下,500℃焙烧的光催化剂对庚烷的光催化降解活性最高,300℃次之,700℃最差．相同焙烧温度下,掺铁量在0．007-0．07范围内,光催化活性随掺杂量的增大而下降．     

TiO2固定薄膜光催化剂的制备与表征

以钛板为基材,制备TiO2固定薄膜光催化剂.X射线衍射法表征结果表明,TiO2半导体光催化剂主要呈锐钛矿晶型,平均晶粒尺度为35.7nm.电子扫描显微镜法表征结果显示,光催化剂表面形态均匀、致密,TiO2与Ti板结合紧密、牢固.电化学法表征结果显示,光催化剂为n型半导体,外加电场将极大地促进光生电子和空穴的分离,有利于光催化氧化技术效率的提高.苯甲酰胺降解试验表明,外加电场对光催化氧化技术具有较强的辅助作用,电助光催化氧化技术的处理效率远远高于光催化氧化技术,当施加的电极电位为-0.05V(SCE)时,苯甲酰胺在120min时的去除率可达95%.     

TiO2/Li4Ti5O12/Na2Ti6O13复合催化剂的制备、表征及其光催化活性

采用反相微乳法,制备了TiO2/Li4Ti5O12/Na2Ti6O13复合催化剂,运用TG-DSC、XRD、SEM等分析方法对催化剂进行表征.在紫外光(λ=365 nm)照射下,以2,4-二氯苯酚(2,4-DCP)作为目标污染物,用P-25型TiO2作对照,研究了TiO2/Li4Ti5O12/Na2Ti6O13复合催化剂光催化降解2,4-DCP的特性.结果表明,制备的TiO2/Li4Ti5O12/Na2Ti6O13复合催化剂成带状纳米结构,其长度大于5μm,宽度约60 nm,厚度小于30 nm,结晶良好,分散性高,在紫外光照射下,50 min内对20 mg·L-1的2,4-DCP降解率达到了99.8%,表现出了比P-25型TiO2更高的光催化活性.     

油酸铵改性的高活性TiO2/V-TiO2复合光催化剂的制备及光催化降解甲基橙的研究

采用溶胶-凝胶法,将经过油酸铵改性的掺钒二氧化钛粉末投入到纯TiO2溶胶中,烘干、煅烧,制得带有n-n异质结半导体结构的复合型高活性掺钒二氧化钛光催化剂,并通过XRD、TEM、XPS等技术对样品进行了表征。通过对甲基橙溶液的光催化降解实验来考察TiO2/V-TiO2催化剂的光催化活性。结果表明：TiO2/V-TiO2复合催化剂拥有比纯TiO2更高的光催化活性。其中,V的掺杂摩尔分数为0.5%、TiO2：V-TiO2的质量比为10∶1的最佳复合催化剂,其光催化活性是纯TiO2的5.1倍。     

Achieving Open Access to Conservation Science

Conservation science is a crisis discipline in which the results of scientific enquiry must be made available quickly to those implementing management. We assessed the extent to which scientific research published since the year 2000 in 20 conservation science journals is publicly available. Of the 19,207 papers published, 1,667 (8.68%) are freely downloadable from an official repository. Moreover, only 938 papers (4.88%) meet the standard definition of open access in which material can be freely reused providing attribution to the authors is given. This compares poorly with a comparable set of 20 evolutionary biology journals, where 31.93% of papers are freely downloadable and 7.49% are open access. Seventeen of the 20 conservation journals offer an open access option, but fewer than 5% of the papers are available through open access. The cost of accessing the full body of conservation science runs into tens of thousands of dollars per year for institutional subscribers, and many conservation practitioners cannot access pay‐per‐view science through their workplace. However, important initiatives such as Research4Life are making science available to organizations in developing countries. We urge authors of conservation science to pay for open access on a per‐article basis or to choose publication in open access journals, taking care to ensure the license allows reuse for any purpose providing attribution is given. Currently, it would cost $51 million to make all conservation science published since 2000 freely available by paying the open access fees currently levied to authors. Publishers of conservation journals might consider more cost effective models for open access and conservation‐oriented organizations running journals could consider a broader range of options for open access to nonmembers such as sponsorship of open access via membership fees. Obtención de Acceso Abierto a la Ciencia de la Conservación     

Rapid,recurring, structured survey versus bioblitz for generating biodiversity data and analysis with a multispecies abundance model

A bioblitz inexpensively and quickly generates biodiversity data, but bioblitzes are often conducted with haphazard, unreplicated sampling. Results tend to be taxonomically, geographically, or temporally biased, lack metadata, and consist of lists of observed taxa that do not enable further analyses or correction for imperfect detection. A rapid, recurring, structured survey (RRSS) uses a structured sampling design and temporal and spatial replication to survey randomly selected sites on a conservation property. We participated in a loosely structured bioblitz and a subsequent RRSS at Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve in Springville (St. Clair County), Alabama (USA) to compare observed richness derived from the 2 survey approaches. The RRSS data structure enabled us to fit models that accounted for imperfect detection to estimate abundances, occupancy probabilities, and habitat associations. The loosely structured bioblitz data could not be used in such models. We present a new integrated multispecies abundance model that we applied to avian RRSS data. Our model extension enables estimation for the community, employs data augmentation to estimate the number of undetected species, and incorporates covariates. The RRSS generated a more comprehensive and less biased list of observed taxonomic richness than the loosely structured bioblitz (e.g., 73 vs. 45 bird species and 104 vs. 63 insect families from the RRSS vs. loosely structured bioblitz, respectively). Models fit to the RRSS data identified seasonal patterns in avian community composition and allowed for estimation of habitat–occupancy relationships for insect taxa. The RRSS protocol has potential for broad transferability as a standardized, quick, and inexpensive way to inventory biodiversity and estimate ecological parameters while providing an outreach opportunity.     

Compliance with and ecosystem function of biodiversity offsets in North American and European freshwaters

Land-use change via human development is a major driver of biodiversity loss. To reduce these impacts, billions of dollars are spent on biodiversity offsets. However, studies evaluating offset project effectiveness that examine components such as the overall compliance and function of projects remain rare. We reviewed 577 offsetting projects in freshwater ecosystems that included the metrics project size, type of aquatic system (e.g., wetland and creek), offsetting measure (e.g., enhancement, restoration, and creation), and an assessment of the projects’ compliance and functional success. Project information was obtained from scientific and government databases and gray literature. Despite considerable investment in offsetting projects, crucial problems persisted. Although compliance and function were related to each other, a high level of compliance did not guarantee a high degree of function. However, large projects relative to area had better function than small projects. Function improved when projects targeted productivity or specific ecosystem features and when multiple complementary management targets were in place. Restorative measures were more likely to achieve targets than creating entirely new ecosystems. Altogether the relationships we found highlight specific ecological processes that may help improve offsetting outcomes.     

Some polyphagous Homoptera gain protection from their natural enemies by feeding on the toxic plantsSpartium junceum andErythrina corallodendrum (Leguminosae)

Summary Interactions were studied among alkaloid-containing legumes (Erythrina corallodendrum andSpartium junceum) and non-toxic plants (Citrus sinensis, Cucurbita moschata andEuphorbia tirucalli), several polyphagous homopterans,Aphis craccivora (Aphididae),Icerya purchasi, I. aegyptiaca (Margarodidae),Lepidosaphes ulmi (Diaspididae) andPlanococcus citri (Pseudococcidae), and some major natural enemies of these homopterans. Significant reductions in survival due to negative effects of alkaloid containing as compared with non-alkaloidal plants were recorded for the predatorsRodolia cardinalis andChilocorus bipustulatus, but not forCryptolaemus montrouzieri (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae),Chrysoperla carnea (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) andSympherobius sanctus (Neuroptera: Sympherobiidae). The development time of the larvae or pupae ofR. cardinalis, C. carnea andS. sanctus was longer on the toxic plants than on the non-toxic ones. The percentage of parasitism ofA. craccivora collected from the non-alkaloidal plantsVicia palaestina andMelilotus albus was much higher than that onS. junceum. The parasitoid complexes ofA. craccivora differed between both plant groups. The nutritive value of honeydew ofI. purchasi andA. craccivora, as expressed by the life span ofEncyrtus infelix (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) adults, was also investigated. Life spans were significantly longer when the wasps fed on honeydew produced on non-alkaloidal plants (C. sinensis andPittosporum tobira) than on alkaloid containing plants whenI. purchasi — but notA. craccivora — was the producer. It is suggested that the chemical defense ofE. corallodendrum andS. junceum is exploited by polyphagous phytophages to reduce predation. In nature, population growth and density of four of the investigated homopterans are conspicuously high when they developed on the alkaloid containing plant species, and very low on non-alkaloid plants. The efficiency of their natural enemies may be reduced by sequestration of alkaloids (or other toxic plant compounds) or their transfer into excreted honeydew. Therefore it is assumed that a generalist phytophagous homopteran may be protected from its natural enemies, although at different rates of efficiency, if it can safely sequester the host allelochemical when it develops on toxic species within its host range.     

A palaeo-hydrogeological model for arsenic contamination in southern and south-east Asia

An argument is presented in which areas of natural arsenic contamination of modern groundwaters throughout Asia have a common origin. Arsenic originally accumulated in oceanic ferro-manganoan sediments of the eastern Palaeo-Tethys. This was further concentrated through oceanic crustal extinction in what later became the south-east Chinese accreted mineralised terrain. Proto-Himalayan uplift of this area created the palaeo-drainage systems of the Ganges – Brahmaputra, Irrawaddy, Mekong, and Red Rivers, with consequent headwater erosion of arsenic-rich sediments. Their downstream deposition as immature and easily redistributed Neogene sandstones, silts, and iron-rich clays has created secondary and tertiary reservoirs of adsorbed and authigenic arsenic, from which the current arsenic-rich groundwaters have evolved. Considering river basins within the above palaeo-hydrogeological framework provides a basis for assessing the risk of arsenic in groundwater basins of south and south-eastern Asia.     

Sequestration of cucurbitacin analogs by New and Old World chrysomelid leaf beetles in the tribe Luperini

Summary Two South American polyphagous leaf beetles,Diabrotica speciosa andCerotoma arcuata, selectively accumulated the bitter tasting compound 23,24-dihydrocucurbitacin D in their body after ingesting root tissues of cucurbit plants. Similarly, three Asian Cucurbitaceae-feeding specialists in the genusAulacophora were found to sequester the same compound. Cucurbitacin analogs were shown to deter feeding by a bird predator, indicating an allomonal role for these compounds in cucurbitacin-associated chrysomelid leaf beetles both of New and Old Worlds. The strong affinity to cucurbitacins, selective sequestration of the analogs and consequent protection from predators suggested an ecological adaptation mechanism developed in common among these two geographically isolated subtribes in the Luperini.     

Effects of Controlled Fire and Livestock Grazing on Bird Communities in East African Savannas

Abstract: In East Africa fire and grazing by wild and domestic ungulates maintain savannas, and pastoralists historically set fires and herded livestock through the use of temporary corrals called bomas. In recent decades traditional pastoral practices have declined, and this may be affecting biodiversity. We investigated the effects of prescribed fires and bomas on savanna bird communities in East Africa during the first and second dry seasons of the year (respectively before and after the rains that mark the onset of breeding for most birds). We compared abundance, richness, and community composition on 9‐ha burned plots, recently abandoned bomas, and control plots in the undisturbed matrix habitat over a 3‐year period. Generally, recently burned areas and abandoned bomas attracted greater densities of birds and had different community assemblages than the surrounding matrix. The effects of disturbances were influenced by interactions between primary productivity, represented by the normalized difference vegetation index, and time. Bird densities were highest and a greater proportion of species was observed on burned plots in the months following the fires. Drought conditions equalized bird densities across treatments within 1 year, and individuals from a greater proportion of species were more commonly observed on abandoned bomas. Yearly fluctuations in abundance were less pronounced on bomas than on burns, which indicate that although fire may benefit birds in the short term, bomas may have a more‐lasting positive effect and provide resources during droughts. Several Palearctic migrants were attracted to burned plots regardless of rainfall, which indicates continued fire suppression may threaten their already‐declining populations. Most notably, the paucity of birds observed on the controls suggests that the current structure of the matrix developed as a result of fire suppression. Traditional pastoralism appears critical to the maintenance of avian diversity in these savannas.     

Cost‐effective conservation of an endangered frog under uncertainty

How should managers choose among conservation options when resources are scarce and there is uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of actions? Well‐developed tools exist for prioritizing areas for one‐time and binary actions (e.g., protect vs. not protect), but methods for prioritizing incremental or ongoing actions (such as habitat creation and maintenance) remain uncommon. We devised an approach that combines metapopulation viability and cost‐effectiveness analyses to select among alternative conservation actions while accounting for uncertainty. In our study, cost‐effectiveness is the ratio between the benefit of an action and its economic cost, where benefit is the change in metapopulation viability. We applied the approach to the case of the endangered growling grass frog (Litoria raniformis), which is threatened by urban development. We extended a Bayesian model to predict metapopulation viability under 9 urbanization and management scenarios and incorporated the full probability distribution of possible outcomes for each scenario into the cost‐effectiveness analysis. This allowed us to discern between cost‐effective alternatives that were robust to uncertainty and those with a relatively high risk of failure. We found a relatively high risk of extinction following urbanization if the only action was reservation of core habitat; habitat creation actions performed better than enhancement actions; and cost‐effectiveness ranking changed depending on the consideration of uncertainty. Our results suggest that creation and maintenance of wetlands dedicated to L. raniformis is the only cost‐effective action likely to result in a sufficiently low risk of extinction. To our knowledge we are the first study to use Bayesian metapopulation viability analysis to explicitly incorporate parametric and demographic uncertainty into a cost‐effective evaluation of conservation actions. The approach offers guidance to decision makers aiming to achieve cost‐effective conservation under uncertainty.     

Parasitic wasps orient to green leaf volatiles

Summary Undamaged plants emit low levels of green leaf volatiles (GLVs), while caterpillar-damaged and artificially damaged plants emit relatively higher levels of certain GLVs. Female braconid parasitoids,Microplitis croceipes, oriented to both damaged plants and to individual GLVs in no-choice tests in a wind tunnel, but seldom oriented to undamaged plants. Female ichneumonid parasitoids,Netelia heroica, also oriented to individual GLVs in a wind tunnel. Males of both wasp species failed to orient to the GLVs. These data show that leaf-feeding caterpillars can cause the release of GLVs, and that parasitic wasps can respond to these odors by flying upwind (chemoanemotactic response), which brings the wasps to their caterpillar hosts. This supports the hypothesis that plants communicate with members of the third trophic level,i.e., plants under herbivore attack emit chemical signals that guide natural enemies of herbivores to sites of plant damage. In this interaction, the GLVs serve as tritrophic plant-to-parasitoid synomones. That parasitoids from two different wasp families oriented to GLVs suggests that the response may be widespread among the Hymenoptera.Mention of a commercial or proprietary product does not constitute an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture     

What Every Conservation Biologist Should Know about Economic Theory

Abstract: The last century has seen the ascendance of a core economic model, which we will refer to as Walrasian economics. This model is driven by the psychological assumptions that humans act only in a self‐referential and narrowly rational way and that production can be described as a self‐contained circular flow between firms and households. These assumptions have critical implications for the way economics is used to inform conservation biology. Yet the Walrasian model is inconsistent with a large body of empirical evidence about actual human behavior, and it violates a number of basic physical laws. Research in behavioral science and neuroscience shows that humans are uniquely social animals and not self‐centered rational economic beings. Economic production is subject to physical laws including the laws of thermodynamics and mass balance. In addition, some contemporary economic theory, spurred by exciting new research in human behavior and a wealth of data about the negative global impact of the human economy on natural systems, is moving toward a world view that places consumption and production squarely in its behavioral and biophysical context. We argue that abandoning the straightjacket of the Walrasian core is essential to further progress in understanding the complex, coupled interactions between the human economy and the natural world. We call for a new framework for economic theory and policy that is consistent with observed human behavior, recognizes the complex and frequently irreversible interaction between human and natural systems, and directly confronts the cumulative negative effects of the human economy on the Earth's life support systems. Biophysical economics and ecological economics are two emerging economic frameworks in this movement.