Value of Artificial Habitats for Amphibian Reproduction in Altered Landscapes

Abstract:  Installation and maintenance of stormwater ponds to detain and treat runoff from impervious surfaces is a common method of stormwater control in developed areas. That these ponds capture pollutants, however, is of concern for wildlife species that use the ponds, particularly pond-breeding amphibians. To assess the relative contribution of stormwater ponds to the persistence of amphibian populations in suburban landscapes, we compared amphibian use of stormwater ponds and other available wetlands in suburban and forested watersheds. We surveyed three suburban and three primarily forested first-order watersheds to identify all potential wetlands that might serve as breeding sites for pond-breeding amphibians. We performed call, egg-mass, and larval surveys to measure breeding effort at each wetland in spring and summer 2007 and 2008. In suburban watersheds most (89%) of the wetlands that had breeding activity were either stormwater ponds or otherwise artificial. This pattern was also evident in the forested watersheds, where amphibians were primarily found breeding in wetlands created by past human activity. Late-stage larvae were found only in anthropogenic wetlands in all study areas because the remaining natural wetlands did not hold water long enough for larvae to complete development. Our results suggest that in urban and suburban landscapes with naturally low densities of wetlands, wetlands created by current or historic land uses may be as important to amphibian conservation as natural wetlands or pools and that management strategies directed at urban and suburban landscapes should recognize and incorporate human-created wetlands.     

Factors affecting the distribution of microplastics in soils of China

● Microplastic (MP) abundance in soil of China was highly heterogeneous. ● MP abundance was higher near large rivers and central land affected by monsoons. ● MP abundance was correlated with longitude, mulching film, and average temperature. ● Factors suitable for predicting MP pollution using models were discussed. Microplastics (MPs) are found worldwide in high abundance, posing a potential threat to ecosystems. Despite the ubiquity of MPs in the environment, very little is known about the regional distribution of MPs and underlying factors affecting this distribution in the field, which likely include human activity, but also features of the environment itself. Here, out of a total of 1157 datapoints investigated in 53 Chinese studies, 9.68% datapoints were removed as outliers in the heterogeneity analysis. This review revealed that the abundance of MPs was highly heterogeneous. In addition, microplastic (MP) distribution maps based on China demonstrated that the highest abundance of MPs tended to occur near large rivers and central land affected by the intersection of two monsoons. The model-fitting and previous studies showed that MP abundance in China was correlated with longitude, agricultural mulching film usage per capita, temperature, and precipitation. However, due to the heterogeneity of MPs and the low matching degree between the current environmental data and the sampling points, this pattern was not as evident as reported in any single study. Factors affecting the distribution of MPs can not be captured by linear relationships alone, and systematic selection of suitable environmental factors and further model optimization are needed to explore the cause of MP pollution in soil. Overall, this review revealed an uneven distribution of MPs and serves as a reference for model prediction to assess and control plastic pollution in natural soil environments.     

中新生态城土壤质量现状及改良利用途径

对中新生态城区域内土壤的紧实度、有机质、碱解氮、土壤盐分、酸碱度、地表水、地下水进行了调查取样分析,结果表明该区土壤容重在1.3～1.7g/cm3,有机质含量大多为中等或低水平（5.5～19.1g/kg）,速效氮与土壤有机质含量相关性达显著水平（r=0.98）。盐分垂直分布上表现为果园、农田土壤盐分含量小于1.5g/kg,荒地和水库含量在5.0～6.4g/kg之间,垫土区、养殖池和盐场盐池土壤通体盐分含量高（大于10g/kg）,且存在表聚现象,超出了一般植物生长的极限。土壤酸碱度为7.81～9.05,水库、养殖池、盐场、荒地、沟塘水的矿化度均在10g/L以上,蓟运河水和农田沟渠为5000mg/L～8500mg/L,果园灌溉水的矿化度也在2000mg/L以上,地下水矿化度高,埋藏浅。并针对以上特点提出其土壤改良利用途径和绿化建设模式。     

Contamination and vertical distribution of As,Cd, Cr,Cu, Pb,Tl, and Zn in paddy soil irrigated with untreated leachate from tailings retention ponds

The contamination and vertical distribution of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Tl, and Zn in paddy soil irrigated with untreated leachate from the tailings retention pond were investigated. As, Cr, Cu, and Zn were slightly contaminated in the surface soil and hence their vertical distribution was not obvious. However, Cd and Pb were highly contaminated in the surface soil, while their concentrations decreased with depth, being negatively correlated with pH and positively with total organic matter. Tl was considerably contaminated in the surface soil and a V-shaped vertical distribution was observed where the concentration increased to a maximum at about 30 cm depth and decreased thereafter. The findings revealed that the regular irrigation with untreated leachate from the tailings retention ponds could cause considerable contamination of Cd, Pb, and Tl, and thus tailings should be stringently treated before disposal to minimize their potential environmental impacts on the surroundings.     

Assessing and simulating the major pathway and hydrogeochemical transport of arsenic in the Beitou–Guandu area,Taiwan

This study involved assessing and simulating the probable major pathways (surface and subsurface flow) and hydrogeochemical transport of arsenic (As) in the Beitou–Guandu area, Taiwan. A one-dimensional (1-D) generic, reactive, chemical transport model (PHREEQC) was adopted. The calibrated model showed that As transported to the downstream Guandu plain and Tan Shui river mouth accounted for 50.7 and approximately 100 % of the As in the subsurface flow pathway, respectively, suggesting that subsurface flow constituted a major As pathway. The highest As water concentration occurred near the Beitou geothermal valley because of the low pH and high redox potential in both the surface and subsurface pathways. However, As may be scavenged by aqueous Fe(II) in a reducing environment. The As concentrations in the downstream Guandu plain and Guandu wetland decreased as the simulated time increased, resulting in the adsorption of As on the surface of Fe oxydroxides and limiting the mobility of As in the surface flow pathway. The major retardation mechanism of As mobility in the subsurface flow pathway of the Guandu plain and Guandu wetland was governed by the adsorption reactions of iron-oxide and iron-sulfide minerals. The 1-D transport model was applied to predict the evolution of As in the subsurface flow pathway from 2013 to 2020. The results indicated that the As concentrations in all cells gradually increased. The geochemical redox reactions of As in the subsurface pathway subsequently led to the oxidization of As-bearing sulfides, causing As concentrations to rise substantially in the hillside area.

     

Mathematical modeling and computer simulation of radioactive and toxic chemical species dispersion in porous media in the vacinity of uranium recovery operations

The management of uranium recovery operations, such as mill production, tailings, heep leaching or solution mining (in-situ mining), has been one of the most challenging issues facing environmental engineers and scientists in the last decade. Almost any activity (mill production, evaporative and holding ponds, storage sites of chemicals, tailings ponds and transportation) results in radioactive and toxic chemicals contamination of surface and groundwaters. Current estimates based on observations of plant operations indicate that 70–80% of the water used in mill production is lost by seepage and 10–20% by evaporation. This large quantity of seepage raises serious questions as to the degree of migration of radioactive and potentially toxic chemical species from the tailings pond and their impact on the surrounding surface and subsurface environments.This paper discusses the major radioactive and toxic chemicals involved in the uranium recovery operations and presents computer simulation results of their hydrodynamic dispersion, migration and prediction of future material movements.     

2,4,6-三氯酚在模型水生生态系统中的归宿

测定了模型水生生态系统水、底泥中2.4,6-三氯酚(TCP)浓度随时间的变化值,以及TCP从水中挥发、光解、底泥吸附、解吸、微生物降解的速率常数.假设水中TCP的迁移和转化遵循—级速率过程,水中物质平衡能通过数学等式来描述,显示出室系统教学模型能粗略预测模型水生生态系统中TCP浓度随时间的变化.最后,应用该模型预测了排放到天津室外兼性塘中TCP的迁移、归宿,发现15d后出口水中TCP浓度已降低到入口水中浓度的10%     

Pollution distribution of heavy metals in surface soil at an informal electronic-waste recycling site

We studied distribution of heavy metals [lead (Pb), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn)] in surface soil at an electronic-waste (e-waste) recycling workshop near Metro Manila in the Philippines to evaluate the pollution size (spot size, small area or the entire workshop), as well as to assess heavy metal transport into the surrounding soil environment. On-site length-of-stride-scale (~70 cm) measurements were performed at each surface soil point using field-portable X-ray fluorescence (FP-XRF). The surface soil at the e-waste recycling workshop was polluted with Cu, Zn and Pb, which were distributed discretely in surface soil. The site was divided into five areas based on the distance from an entrance gate (y-axis) of the e-waste recycling workshop. The three heavy metals showed similar concentration gradients in the y-axis direction. Zn, Pb and Cu concentrations were estimated to decrease to half of their maximum concentrations at ~3, 7 and 7 m from the pollution spot, respectively, inside the informal e-waste recycling workshop. Distance from an entrance may play an important role in heavy metal transport at the soil surface. Using on-site FP-XRF, we evaluated the metal ratio to characterise pollution features of the solid surface. Variability analysis of heavy metals revealed vanishing surficial autocorrelation over metre ranges. Also, the possibility of concentration prediction at unmeasured points using geostatistical kriging was evaluated, and heavy metals had a relative “small” pollution scales and remained inside the original workshop compared with toxic organohalogen compounds. Thus, exposure to heavy metals may directly influence the health of e-waste workers at the original site rather than the surrounding habitat and environmental media.     

A heuristic approach to predicting water beetle diversity in temporary and fluctuating waters

An understanding of the causal mechanisms and processes that shape macroinvertebrate communities at a local scale has important implications for the management and conservation of freshwater biodiversity. Here we compare the performance of linear and non-linear statistics to explore diversity-environment relationships using data from 76 temporary and fluctuating ponds in two regions of southern England. We focus on aquatic beetle assemblages, which have been shown to be excellent surrogates of wider freshwater macroinvertebrate diversity. Ponds in the region contained a rich coleopteran fauna, totaling 68 species, which provided an excellent model system with which to compare the performance of two non-linear procedures (artificial neural networks—ANNs and generalised additive models—GAMs) and one more traditional linear approach (Multiple linear regression—MLR) to modelling diversity-environment relationships. Of all approaches employed, the best fit was obtained using an ANN model with only four input variables (conductivity, turbidity, magnesium concentration and depth). This model accounted for 82% of the observed variability in Shannon diversity index across ponds. In contrast, the best GAM and MLR models only explained 50% and 14% of this variation, respectively. Contribution profile analysis of conductivity, turbidity, magnesium concentration and depth, obtained from the best fit ANN through a hierarchical cluster analysis, allowed the identification of direct and proxy effects in relation to the environmental variables measured in this study. In each case, distinct clusters of ponds were identified in contribution profile analysis, suggesting that ponds across the two regions fall into a number of discrete groups, whose beetle faunas respond in subtly yet significantly different ways to key environmental variables. Aquatic coleopteran diversity in ponds in the two regions appears to be driven at a local scale by changes in relatively few physicochemical gradients, which are related to diversity in a clearly non-linear manner.     

Carbon dioxide and methane emission from subsurface peatlands and its controlling factors北大核心CSCD

Peatland is an efficient carbon dioxide (CO2) sink on the continent and plays an important role in global carbon cycle. Climate change and human activities, two of the notable global environmental issues, have accelerated the degradation of peatlands during recent years. Global warming will increase the rate of aerobic decomposition in the surface of peatlands. Carbon stored in the subsurface of peatlands will be metabolized if the climatic conditions become favorable for decomposition. This study reviewed the carbon circle of subsurface peatland in natural environment and in environments disturbed by human activity or climate change. Furthermore, the major factors (environmental and human factors) that affect the carbon cycle were also discussed. According to a previous study, subsurface peatland will rapidly participate in the carbon cycle when the peatland is degraded. Water level, vegetation, and temperature were the main natural factors affecting the carbon cycle, whereas drainage, farming, and grazing were the main anthropogenic factors. Further studies should focus on different soil layer carbon dynamics, inorganic carbon content, and conservation and restoration of peatlands. The study methods should be a combination of macro with micro scale and focus on developing deep peat research techniques. Most of the previous studies focused on greenhouse gas emission and their response factors in short-term experiments. Thus, the mechanism and process of subsurface carbon are not clear and needs further study. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

环境中短链和中链氯化石蜡的来源、污染特征及环境行为研究进展

短链氯化石蜡(SCCPs)是持久性有机污染物,已于2017年5月被正式列入《关于持久性有机污染物的斯德哥尔摩公约》附件A的受控名单.中链氯化石蜡(MCCPs)具有相似的性质.由于氯化石蜡(CPs)大量生产以及广泛应用,其在环境介质中的含量处于较高水平.本文综述了SCCPs和MCCPs的生产和排放,以及2016年以后文献报道的SCCPs和MCCPs在不同环境介质中的研究进展,包括在大气、水体、土壤和沉积物中的赋存、分布特征,探讨了SCCPs和MCCPs的环境行为,同时指出环境中CPs的溯源、界面过程及区域传输是未来的主要研究方向.     

Overview of temporary ponds in the Mediterranean region: threats, management and conservation issues

Mediterranean temporary ponds (MTPs) comprise an endangered habitat with several endemic species that can be found in many countries, mainly in the Mediterranean region but are disappearing at a high rate. For designing optimal conservation and management strategies for the particular ecosystems, appropriate characterization and classification of these ponds is necessary based on the different type of habitats and on their varying environmental conditions. This paper presents the current ecological status and the threats of Mediterranean temporary ponds and summarizes some management and conservation issues based on the existing experience on a regional level. Emphasis is given in the Greek MTPs with respect to their characteristics and the pressures received mainly from human activities such as agriculture and water overexploitation. Restoration practices should be commenced immediately aiming at the reestablishment of the ponds' hydroperiod and water quality at the natural levels.     

Stormwater runoff pollution loads from an urban catchment with rainy climate in China

An older urban district in Wuhan, China, is transitioning from discharging sewage and stormwater directly into lakes, to directing the sewage to wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Dealing with polluted stormwater discharge is a great challenge. Stormwater runoff from an urban catchment with a combined sewer system was sampled and analyzed over a three-year period. Results indicate that wet weather flows account for 66%, 31%, 17%, and 13% of the total load of suspended solids (SS), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total nitrogen, and total phosphorus, respectively. The first flush of COD and SS was significant in all runoff events. More than 50% of the SS and COD loads were transported by the first 30% of runoff volume. Storage and treatment of the first 10 mm from each combined sewer overflow event could reduce more than 70% of the annual COD overflow load. An integrated solution is recommended, consisting of a tank connected to the WWTP and a detention pond, to store and treat the combined sewer overflow (CSO). These results may be helpful in mitigating CSO pollution for many other urban areas in China and other developing countries.     

Distribution and ecology of leptocephali of the congrid eel, Ariosoma scheelei, around Sulawesi Island, Indonesia

A survey for leptocephali around Sulawesi Island in the central Indonesian Seas during May 2001 found that the leptocephali of the congrid eel, Ariosoma scheelei, were present in all seven areas that were sampled. A total of 551 leptocephali (22–166 mm TL) were collected, and A. scheelei was by far the most abundant species of leptocephali collected during the survey. The wide range of sizes in most areas indicated that spawning had occurred during a period of several months in many different areas, although the exact spawning locations were not determined. The larger size classes were more abundant in all areas except in Tomini Bay on the northeast side of Sulawesi Island. The highest catch rates were observed at the eastern edge of the Java Sea and to the north in the Celebes Sea near Makassar Strait. Premetamorphic leptocephali were also collected in surface samples at 11 stations (N=62), but metamorphosing leptocephali (N=86) were only caught in IKMT tows that fished from the surface to about 200 m. Metamorphosing leptocephali were collected primarily at two stations in the Java Sea and Makassar Strait where a surface layer of lower-salinity water was detected. Their total lengths (105.3–153.3 mm) and the largest premetamorphic individuals suggested that this species can reach maximum sizes of about 165 mm before beginning to metamorphose. It is hypothesized that this species may be abundant in the Indonesian Seas region and that it has ecological traits such as large size at recruitment and a small size at reproduction that have made it successful in many regions of the Indo-Pacific.     

Release,deposition and elimination of radiocesium (137Cs) in the terrestrial environment

Radionuclide contamination in terrestrial ecosystems has reached a dangerous level. The major artificial radionuclide present in the environment is ¹³⁷Cs, which is released as a result of weapon production related to atomic projects, accidental explosions of nuclear power plants and other sources, such as reactors, evaporation ponds, liquid storage tanks, and burial grounds. The release of potentially hazardous radionuclides (radiocesium) in recent years has provided the opportunity to conduct multidisciplinary studies on their fate and transport. Radiocesium’s high fission yield and ease of detection made it a prime candidate for early radio-ecological investigations. The facility setting provides a diverse background for the improved understanding of various factors that contribute toward the fate and transfer of radionuclides in the terrestrial ecosystem. In this review, we summarize the significant environmental radiocesium transfer factors to determine the damaging effects of radiocesium on terrestrial ecosystem. It has been found that ¹³⁷Cs can trace the transport of other radionuclides that have a high affinity for binding to soil particles (silts and clays). Possible remedial methods are also discussed for contaminated terrestrial systems. This review will serve as a guideline for future studies of the fate and transport of ¹³⁷Cs in terrestrial environments in the wake of the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant disaster in 2011.     

Wind Characteristics of Mesquite Streets in the Northern Chihuahuan Desert, New Mexico, USA

Past research has shown that the most important areas for active sand movement in the northern part of the Chihuahuan Desert are mesquite-dominated desert ecosystems possessing sandy soil texture. The most active sand movement in the mesquite-dominated ecosystems has been shown to take place on elongated bare soil patches referred to as “streets”. Aerodynamic properties of mesquite streets eroded by wind should be included in explaining how mesquite streets are more emissive sand sources than surrounding desert land. To understand the effects of wind properties, we measured them at two flat mesquite sites having highly similar soil textures but very different configurations of mesquite. The differences in wind properties at the two sites were caused by differences of size, orientation, and porosity of the mesquite, along with the presence of mesquite coppice dunes (sand dunes stabilized by mesquites growing in the dune and on its surface) found only at one of the two sites. Wind direction, u_* (friction velocity), z₀ (aerodynamic roughness height) and D (zero plane displacement height) were estimated for 15-m tower and 3-m mast data. These aerodynamic data allowed us to distinguish five categories with differing potentials for sediment transport. Sediment transport for the five categories varied from unrestricted, free transport to virtually no transport caused by vegetation protection from wind forces. In addition, “steering” of winds below the level of the tops of mesquite bushes and coppice dunes allowed longer parallel wind durations and increased wind erosion for streets that aligned roughly SW–NE. U.S. Government right to retain a non-exclusive royalty-free licence in and to any copyright is acknowledged.     

Evaluation of heavy metal contamination in Phaeozem of northeast China

Surface and profile Phaeozem soil samples from 31 locations affected by various anthropogenic activities such as mining, chemical manufacturing, traffic emission and pesticide application were collected in Heilongjiang Province and Jilin Province, northeast China. The range of total concentrations of four heavy metals Cd, Pb, Cu and Zn in the soil was 0.011–3.137, 10.31–62.34, 9.74–51.21 and 39.54–247.59 mg kg⁻¹, respectively, determined using the acidic digestion procedure. Four methods including single contamination evaluation, background concentration comparison, surface/subsurface concentration comparison and exchangeable fraction evaluation were used to evaluate the extent of metal contamination in Phaeozem. The results indicated that different activities increased the concentrations of the heavy metals in surface soils, where high concentrations of cadmium and lead were found close to chemical plants and in the suburbs of the investigated cities. The four methods showed a general trend of increased soil contamination with heavy metals. Cadmium was of the most concern compared with the other contaminated elements in the study area, due to the long-term phosphatic fertilizer utilization and industrial activities. The proper evaluation method for cadmium contamination was the background concentration comparison, while for zinc and copper was the single contaminative index evaluation. Cadmium and lead could be the potential environmental risk in the Phaeozem area based on the different evaluations.     

Metal contamination of riverine sediments below the Avoca mines, south east Ireland

The River Avoca is severely polluted by discharges of acid mine drainage (AMD) from the abandoned sulphur and copper mines at Avoca. The riverine sediments were studied during a low flow period to establish the degree of contamination and to identify the major processes affecting sediment metal concentrations. pH plays a major role in the regulation of zinc adsorption and desorption in sediments, showing a significant correlation (p&0.001). The zinc concentration in the sediment falls below background levels after the input of AMD. However, the metal precipitated when the pH increased downstream of a fertiliser factory (pH8.0), some 7 km below the mine. In contrast Cu and Fe significantly increased (p0.001) both in the sediment (0--30 mm depth) and the surface ochre immediately below the mixing zone. Copper removal appears to be primarily by co-precipitation. Higher sediment enrichment factors for all metals were obtained in the surface sediment layer (ochre) deposited on larger stones and in floc material collected in sediment traps, compared with the subsurface sediment. Cadmium was not recorded in any of the sediment collected at the detection limit used (0.01 g g-1). Metal deposition in the sediments was found to be spacially variable, so sub-sampling is required, although replicates show little variation. Results indicate that short term variation in metal inputs is identified by sampling the surface layer only, whereas sampling of the subsurface layer (<63 m fraction) is more suitable for identifying long-term trends in sediment quality. The implication of sediment analysis in assessing environmental impact is discussed.     

Test of a simple model for estimating evaporation from bare soils in different environments

A simplified model originally proposed by Aydin [Aydin, M., 1998a. A new model for predicting evaporation from bare field soil. In: Proceedings of the International Symposium and second Chinese National Conference on Rainwater Utilization, Xuzhou-Jiangsu, China, pp. 283–287] for estimating actual evaporation from bare soils was tested under different environmental conditions. Field experiments were carried out on clay soils in a semi-arid region of Turkey. A sandy soil column-experiment in a drying chamber and a study with the same sand media in a greenhouse were conducted at Arid Land Research Center, Tottori University, Japan, in order to test the performance of the model.The model is based on the relations among potential and actual soil evaporation and soil–water potential at the top surface layer of the soil, with some simplifying assumptions. Input parameters of the model are simple and relatively obtainable viz. climatic parameters for the calculations of potential soil evaporation and matric potential measured near the soil surface.Despite some differences between calculated and measured soil evaporation, the agreement was reasonable at all sites. This agreement seems to support the model assumptions, and the model is potentially valuable, but the objective measurement of soil–water potential near the surface of the profile is difficult, especially for a drier upper layer.