水体微量有机物被动监测技术研究进展

被动采样技术是一种待测物自发地由环境向采样器传输的采样方法,相对传统采样方法其装置小、成本低、检出限低,获得的监测结果为一段时间内的环境平均水平.该技术在水环境微量有机污染物的监测中具有极大优势,随水体中新型污染物的不断出现,被动采样技术在水体中的应用范围也不断扩大.本文概述了近40年来对水体被动采样技术的研究,介绍了该技术的发展、原理以及在不同水体中对新型污染物的应用,详细总结了应用中的不确定性因素和校正方法,分析了该技术目前存在的问题,并对其未来发展趋势和应用前景进行了展望.     

电化学方法检测海水中铁的研究进展

海水中的痕量铁作为限制海洋浮游植物初级生产力的关键因素之一,在海洋生物地球化学循环中起着重要的作用.及时分析海水中铁的不同存在形态及其含量,对于进一步认识铁循环机制和有效预防海洋环境污染具有重要意义.电化学方法较其他分析方法在检测海水中痕量铁的含量,尤其是形态分析方面具有独特的优势.本文总结了运用电化学方法检测海水及其他自然水体中铁的分析方法,以期为发展准确、快速测定海水中痕量铁的形态及其含量的分析技术提供基础性参考.     

汞胁迫下蛋白核小球藻(Chlorella pyrenoidosa)的生理生化响应

由于工农业生产废水的大量排放,重金属污染已成为21世纪人们关注的焦点.重金属进入水体后,可通过多种途径影响生物的生长发育、形态行为及生理生化过程.其中,汞(Hg)是一种最常见的环境重金属污染物,在自然水体中的含量为16.6—65.9 ng.L-1[1],具有持久性、易迁移性和高度的生物富集性等特点.而蛋白核小球藻(Chlorella pyrenoidosa)     

塑料企业周边水体中多溴联苯醚的污染特征

多溴联苯醚(PBDEs)是一种新型的持久性有机污染物(POPs)。采用固相萃取-气相色谱法测定了某塑料企业周边及当地自然水体中的PBDEs浓度,主要针对BDE~(-1)7、28、47、66、85、99、100、138、153、154、183、203及BDE-209共13个PBDE同系物的浓度水平、组成分布和污染特征进行分析。结果显示,使用企业周边水体中除BDE-203在水体中未检出外,其余12种PBDE同系物均有不同程度的检出。Σ13PBDEs质量范围处于未检出~363 ng·L~(-1),各同系物的平均质量浓度为未检出~42.6ng·L~(-1)。其中BDE-209为最大检出质量丰度同系物,但其检出率仅为25.0%,检出率较高的同系物是BDE~(-1)7、BDE-28和BDE~(-1)00,检出率分别为75.0%、75.0%、58.3%,低溴代联苯醚的检出率显著高于高溴代联苯醚。当地自然水体中13种PBDEs均有不同程度的检出,检出浓度在0.161~1.83 ng·L~(-1)。企业周边水体中PBDEs的污染水平显著高于自然水体,是自然水体浓度的5~100倍。因此,企业周边区域水体中PBDEs的污染情况应引起相关部门关注。     

建筑与水体关系的探讨

通过建筑与水体的相互关系,阐述建筑与自然水环境、人工水环境的有机结合.在水体的形式、形态和造型等方面,详细介绍了水在建筑设计与室内设计中的应用和处理手法.     

微囊藻毒素及其与其他环境污染物的联合毒性研究进展

微囊藻毒素(microcystins,MCs)是一种蓝藻代谢产物,在全球富营养淡水生态系统中广泛分布,高浓度的MCs不仅对水生生物造成负面影响,还会与水体中共存污染物发生相互作用,影响彼此在生物体内转化代谢和毒性效应.因此,开展MCs与多种环境污染物的复合污染对不同生物的毒性研究十分必要,其对水体复合污染风险评价和防控有着重要的意义.笔者综述了 MCs在全球水体中的分布情况,并介绍了 MCs与水体中其他典型污染物联合暴露时对不同生物的毒性作用,最后针对目前相关研究的不足进行了分析并提出几点展望.     

水中天然含氮有机物的形成、迁移转化及分布

天然含氮有机物是水环境中的重要组成部分,其在天然水体中的形态及分布对环境质量有显著影响.本文围绕水中天然含氮有机物在氮循环中的地位、迁移转化以及其在国内主要水域中的分布情况,对天然含氮有机物的研究现状进行了梳理.我国不同水域中溶解性含氮有机物(DON)浓度相差较大;其中水体中DON浓度一般在1.0 mg·L^-1以下;沉积物中DON浓度通常为几十至几百mg·kg^-1.水体DON以分子量<1 kDa的有机物为主,主要成分是尿素、氨基酸等物质.沉积物DON以分子量<1 kDa和>30 kDa的有机物为主,其中前者主要由芳构化程度较高的氨基酸等小分子有机物构成,后者以腐殖质类为主.水体中部分胺类物质本身具有一定毒性,游离氨基酸等DON还是卤乙腈、卤代酰胺、卤代硝基甲烷、卤化氰和亚硝胺等含氮消毒副产物的重要前体物.由于水体中许多含氮有机物具有生物可利用性,有机氮可能是引起水体富营养化的重要原因之一.     

计算机模拟研究钚(Ⅳ)的人体毒性

引入Ca2+、Fe3+、Zn2+、Mn2+等金属离子和氨基酸、柠檬酸、乳酸等小分子配体建立了Pu4+在人体血浆、胃液、组织液、细胞液等主要体液中的金属离子-小分子配体热力学平衡模型.利用该模型研究了正常生理条件下Pu(Ⅳ)在各体液中的存在形态以及pH值和[Pu]改变对Pu(Ⅳ)形态的影响.结果表明,血浆中的低浓度Pu(Ⅳ)易以Pu(OH)4(aq)的形态蓄积在肝脏中,钚浓度升高则形成沉淀难以排出;胃液中的Pu(Ⅳ)可大量进入血液中,但胃液pH值升高可实现钚的促排;组织液中钚会沉积在骨骼无机表面;高浓度Pu(Ⅳ)对大多数细胞有极高毒性;随着尿液的pH值增大,沉积的Pu(OH)4(s)会对肾脏造成损伤;胰液中的Pu(Ⅳ)的形态随着pH值改变而发生显著变化,而胆汁中高钚含量的Pu(Ⅳ)易滞留在肝脏内;在正常汗液pH值波动范围内,Pu(Ⅳ)易进入人体,从而对钚操作人员的健康产生危害.     

硅藻土对水中氟化物的吸附特性研究

中国高浓度含氟水分布广泛且危害严重,水体除氟迫在眉睫.研发除氟效果好、价格便宜的吸附材料是一项艰巨的任务,对水体除氟具有重大的意义.硅藻土(Diatomite)因其特有的物理和化学性质,作为一种新型的吸附型、环保型材料近年来在工业中已经得到了普遍的应用.以硅藻土作为吸附剂对水体中的氟化物(F?)进行吸附研究,采用了SE...     

水体中金属(氧化物)纳米颗粒的环境行为与污染控制研究进展

金属(氧化物)纳米材料在生产和使用过程中,可以通过各种途径进入到水环境中,对水生生物、生态环境和人体健康产生威胁.理解纳米颗粒在水体中的环境行为,对于评估纳米材料的归趋及其对环境和人体的健康风险至关重要.本文概述了金属(氧化物)纳米颗粒的性质、来源和毒性危害,汇总了表征纳米颗粒浓度、粒径及形貌的分析方法与技术,分析了它们在水环境中的环境行为以及影响其稳定性的主要环境因素,并总结了水体中金属(氧化物)纳米颗粒的去除方法和效果的最新研究进展.随着金属(氧化物)纳米材料的广泛应用,未来有必要加强对自然水体中纳米颗粒环境行为的研究,并系统开展纳米颗粒健康风险评估工作,为预测纳米材料进入水环境后的归趋和风险提供科学依据.     

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.