A comprehensive review of climate adaptation in the United States: more than before, but less than needed

We reviewed existing and planned adaptation activities of federal, tribal, state, and local governments and the private sector in the United States (U.S.) to understand what types of adaptation activities are underway across different sectors and scales throughout the country. Primary sources of review included material officially submitted for consideration in the upcoming 2013 U.S. National Climate Assessment and supplemental peer-reviewed and grey literature. Although substantial adaptation planning is occurring in various sectors, levels of government, and the private sector, few measures have been implemented and even fewer have been evaluated. Most adaptation actions to date appear to be incremental changes, not the transformational changes that may be needed in certain cases to adapt to significant changes in climate. While there appear to be no one-size-fits-all adaptations, there are similarities in approaches across scales and sectors, including mainstreaming climate considerations into existing policies and plans, and pursuing no- and low-regrets strategies. Despite the positive momentum in recent years, barriers to implementation still impede action in all sectors and across scales. The most significant barriers include lack of funding, policy and institutional constraints, and difficulty in anticipating climate change given the current state of information on change. However, the practice of adaptation can advance through learning by doing, stakeholder engagements (including “listening sessions”), and sharing of best practices. Efforts to advance adaptation across the U.S. and globally will necessitate the reduction or elimination of barriers, the enhancement of information and best practice sharing mechanisms, and the creation of comprehensive adaptation evaluation metrics.     

Landmark memories are more robust when acquired at the nest site than en route: experiments in desert ants

Foraging desert ants, Cataglyphis fortis, encounter different sequences of visual landmarks while navigating by path integration. This paper explores the question whether the storage of landmark information depends on the context in which the landmarks are learned during an ant's foraging journey. Two experimental set-ups were designed in which the ants experienced an artificial landmark panorama that was placed either around the nest entrance (nest marks) or along the vector route leading straight towards the feeder (route marks). The two training paradigms resulted in pronounced differences in the storage characteristics of the acquired landmark information: memory traces of nest marks were much more robust against extinction and/or suppression than those of route marks. In functional terms, this result is in accord with the observation that desert ants encounter new route marks during every foraging run but always pass the same landmarks when approaching the nest entrance.     

Intrageneric differences in the four stereoisomers of stenusine in the rove beetle genus, Stenus (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae)

Most species of the rove beetle genus Stenus employ the spreading alkaloid stenusine as an escape mechanism on water surfaces. In the case of danger, they emit stenusine from their pygidial glands, and it propels them over the water very quickly. Stenusine is a chiral molecule with four stereoisomers: (2′R,3R)-, (2′S,3R)-, (2′S,3S)-, and (2′R,3S)-stenusine. The percentile ratio of these four isomers is only known for the most common species of the genus: Stenus comma. With the intention of determining the stereoisomer ratios of five additional species from the two subgenera, Stenus and Hypostenus, we used GC/mass spectrometry measurements with a chiral phase. The results showed that the ratio differs among the genus. These findings can be a basis for chemotaxonomy. It is also possible that the biological function of stenusine, e.g., as antibiotic or fungicide, varies with changing stereoisomer composition.

Computational molecular species delimitation and taxonomic revision of the gecko genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ebenavia</Emphasis> Boettger, 1878

Cryptic species have been detected in many groups of organisms and must be assumed to make up a significant portion of global biodiversity. We study geckos of the Ebenavia inunguis complex from Madagascar and surrounding islands and use species delimitation algorithms (GMYC, BOLD, BPP), COI barcode divergence, diagnostic codon indels in the nuclear marker PRLR, diagnostic categorical morphological characters, and significant differences in continuous morphological characters for its taxonomic revision. BPP yielded ≥?10 operational taxonomic units, whereas GMYC (≥?27) and BOLD (26) suggested substantial oversplitting. In consequnce, we resurrect Ebenavia boettgeri Boulenger 1885 and describe Ebenavia tuelinae sp. nov., Ebenavia safari sp. nov., and Ebenavia robusta sp. nov., increasing the number of recognised species in Ebenavia from two to six. Further lineages of Ebenavia retrieved by BPP may warrant species or subspecies status, but further taxonomic conclusions are postponed until more data become available. Finally, we present an identification key to the genus Ebenavia, provide an updated distribution map, and discuss the diagnostic values of computational species delimitation as well as morphological and molecular diagnostic characters.     

Behavioural evidence of male volatile pheromones in the sex-role reversed wolf spiders Allocosa brasiliensis and Allocosa alticeps

The use of chemical signals in a sexual context is widespread in the animal kingdom. Most studies in spiders report the use of female pheromones that attract potential sexual partners. Allocosa brasiliensis and Allocosa alticeps are two burrowing wolf spiders that show sex-role reversal. Females locate male burrows and initiate courtship before males perform any detectable visual or vibratory signal. So, females of these species would be detecting chemical or mechanical cues left by males. Our objective was to explore the potential for male pheromones to play a role in mate detection in A. brasiliensis and A. alticeps. We designed two experiments. In Experiment 1, we tested the occurrence of male contact pheromones by evaluating female courtship when exposed to empty burrows constructed by males or females (control). In Experiment 2, we tested the existence of male volatile pheromones by evaluating female behaviour when exposed to artificial burrows connected to tubes containing males, females or empty tubes (control). Our results suggest the occurrence of male volatile pheromones that trigger female courtship in both Allocosa species. The sex-role reversal postulated for these wolf spiders could be driving the consequent reversal in typical pheromone-emitter and detector roles expected for spiders.     

二次富集气相色谱法测定环境中的痕量磷化氢

本文研究了富集柱类型、富集温度和色谱操作条件等因素对二次富集气相色谱法测定环境中痕量PH3的影响,并将其应用于青岛大气和东海陆架沉积物中PH3的测定,取得了较为满意的结果.该方法具有操作简单、灵敏度高、分析速度快、干扰少等优点,其检测限为0.02 pg、精密度2.0%、线性范围为0.56 pg～5.6 ng.用此方法测定了冬季东海大陆架表层沉积物中PH3含量为(0.51～23.10)×10-9,其分布明显受到人类活动的影响,研究结果还表明东海沉积物中的PH3是海洋中磷的潜在来源之一;青岛崂山大气中PH3日变化趋势说明大气中PH3明显受光照的影响.     

Pre-listing conservation of candidate species under the endangered species act: An evaluation of prevalence,accessibility, and market-based conservation efforts

In 2011, a legal settlement required the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to develop a series of work plans to assess a backlog of candidate species for protection under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Using the resulting USFWS Fiscal Year 2013–2018 work plan, which included 261 candidate species, we identified and analyzed pre-listing candidate conservation plans (PLCP) to determine their characteristics and evaluate the use of market-based mechanisms. Among the 34 PLCPs identified, we found that species-based conservation plans were more common than habitat-based plans, and market-based conservation approaches were infrequently implemented. Inconsistencies in plan documentation were present throughout the USFWS’s online portal, and not all documentation was publicly accessible. Lastly, we found that many states had implemented their own endangered species programs or initiated conservation plans through a state agency. Our work informs the recently-adopted USFWS pre-listing conservation policy and highlights needed improvements in tracking large numbers of at-risk species as they become the subject of regulations. Increased transparency and consistency in conservation plan databases, coupled with increased accessibility, will improve future at-risk species planning.     

渤海沉积物中的活性铁与其氧化还原环境的关系

应用2001年12月航次所取得的渤海三个典型区域沉积物柱样品,用5％HCl浸取溶解自然粒度下的沉积物,测定了其中的Fe^3 ,Fe^2 ,Fe^3 /Fe^2 值,探讨了其分布特性及其与沉积物氧化还原环境的关系。结果表明Fe^3 在整个研究海域均是从表层向下逐渐递减的,Fe^2 在辽东湾是从表层向下逐渐减小的,而在其他海域是逐渐增加的。沉积物的上层（约50cm厚）Fe^3 含量变化复杂。一些柱状样Fe^2 含量随深度的增加而降低,可能除与沉积物来源有关外,还与“活性铁”的总量有关,“活性铁”含量在垂直方向上随深度而降低。从“活性铁”与Fe^3 /Fe^2 判断,所研究的渤海区沉积环境以弱氧化环境为主,局部地区为还原环境。     

三维虚拟地理环境构建与应用

可量测三维虚拟地理环境是数字地球应用的基础平台。本文研究了三维虚拟地理环境构建空间几何建模与纹理建模关键技术。提出了一种适用于大规模生产建库的可量测三维虚拟地理环境构建的生产工艺模型和三维虚拟模型数据获取的方法。介绍了三维虚拟地理环境在城市规划、房产经营管理等方面的应用。     

多氯联苯(PCBs)污染对秋茄Kandelia candel生长的影响

通过盆栽实验研究了不同浓度(180×10-9、900×10-9、1 800×10-9和2 700×10-9)的多氯联苯(PCBs)对红树植物秋茄Kandelia candel幼苗生长的影响.结果表明:秋茄的生长指标茎高、茎径、茎体积和生物量的生长量呈现先上升后下降的变化趋势,不过各处理的生长指标均高于对照组;研究表明,秋茄能在PCBs浓度为2 700×10-9的沉积物中正常生长,对PCBs有较强的耐受性和适应性.     

Effects of humic acid fractions with different polarities on photodegradation of 2, 4-D in aqueous environments

Four fractions (A, B, C, and D) of humic acids (HAs) were separated based on the polarity from weak to strong. UV-vis absorption and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis show that the fractions C and Dpossessedmore aromatic C=C content. The influences of HAs and their fractions on the photolysis were investigated by the photodegradation of 2,4-D solutions under simulated solar light irradiation. The degradation rate of 2,4-D was found to decrease in the presence of bulk HAs or their fractions especially at high HAs concentration. The fractions of strong polarity C and D retarded the degradation rate more than the fractions of weak polarity A and B. This could be attributed to the different absorption intensity of the four HAs fractions in the order of D ⩾ C > A > B, and the stronger π-π electron donor-acceptor interactions between the strong polar fractions and 2,4-D.     

Life in extreme environments: survival strategy of the endolithic desert lichen Verrucaria rubrocincta

Verrucaria rubrocincta Breuss is an endolithic lichen that inhabits caliche plates exposed on the surface of the Sonoran Desert. Caliche surface temperatures are regularly in excess of 60 degrees C during the summer and approach 0 degrees C in the winter. Incident light intensities are high, with photosynthetically active radiation levels typically to 2,600 micromol/m(2) s(-1) during the summer. A cross-section of rock inhabited by V. rubrocincta shows an anatomical zonation comprising an upper micrite layer, a photobiont layer containing clusters of algal cells, and a pseudomedulla embedded in the caliche. Hyphae of the pseudomedulla become less numerous with depth below the rock surface. Stable carbon and oxygen isotopic data for the caliche and micrite fall into two sloping, well-separated arrays on a delta(13)C-delta(18)O plot. The delta(13)C(PDB) of the micrite ranges from 2.1 to 8.1 and delta(18)O(SMOW) from 25.4 to 28.9, whereas delta(13)C(PDB) of the caliche ranges from -4.7 to 0.7 and delta(18)O(SMOW) from 23.7 to 29.2. The isotopic data of the micrite can be explained by preferential fixing of (12)C into the alga, leaving local (13)C enrichment and evaporative enrichment of (18)O in the water. The (14)C dates of the micrite range from recent to 884 years b.p., indicating that "dead" carbon from the caliche is not a significant source for the lichen-precipitated micrite. The endolithic growth is an adaptation to the environmental extremes of exposed rock surfaces in the hot desert. The micrite layer is highly reflective and reduces light intensity to the algae below and acts as an efficient sunscreen that blocks harmful UV radiation. The micrite also acts as a cap to the lichen and helps trap moisture. The lichen survives by the combined effects of biodeterioration and biomineralization. Biodeterioration of the caliche concomitant with biomineralization of a protective surface coating of micrite results in the distinctive anatomy of V. rubrocincta.