Relationship between morphological disparity and taxonomic diversity in rodent communities in the zone of influence from the Eastern Ural Radioactive Trace in the Southern Urals

To test the hypothesis that morphological disparity increases while taxonomic diversity decreases in a radioactively contaminated environment, the relationship of these parameters was studied in communities (taxocenes) of rodents living in the Southern Urals in the zone of influence from the Eastern Ural Radioactive Trace (EURT) (2003–2008). Young of the year of six rodent species (98 samples) were examined in the background (control) area (0.2 Ci/km²) and in the impact area polluted with radionuclides from the EURT (750 Ci/km²). The dynamics of morphological disparity (MD), assessed with regard to average values of five exterior characters, was compared between the control and impact taxocenes. Taxonomic (taxocenotic) diversity was estimated with the Shannon index (H). Morphological disparity was found to increase significantly at low rodent abundance (in conditionally unfavorable years) and decrease at high abundance, with the value of MD in the impact taxocene being significantly higher. A negative correlation between MD and H was revealed (r = −0.70), in conformity with the above hypothesis. Discordance (difference in direction) of annual changes in the test parameters, with H increasing while MD decreases (or vice versa) was observed in unfavorable years; it can be used as an indicator of conditions unfavorable for rodent taxocenes.     

Problems of Population Dynamics of the White-Eyed Pochard (Aythya nyrocaGuld., 1770) in the Eastern Sea of Azov Region

The long-term population dynamics of the white-eyed pochard (Aythya nyroca) in the eastern Sea of Azov region was analyzed. It was found that the local population of this species tends to decrease in size. Clutch size, egg size, reproductive behavior, intraspecific clutches, embryonic mortality, and hatching success in this population were studied. The contents of PCDD and PCDF in the eggs of waterfowl were estimated. The eggs of white-eyed pochard, compared to other waterfowl, proved to contain abnormally high concentrations of xenobiotics. Possible causes of A. nyrocapopulation decline, including the impact of superecotoxicants, are discussed.     

Differences in responses of herpetobionts and geobionts to impact from the Kosogorsky Metallurgical Plant (Tula region,Russia)

The influence of the Kosogorsky Metallurgical Plant (KMP; Tula region, Russia) on the abundance and biodiversity of carabid beetles and soil macrofauna and on the trophic activity of soil biota was studied. Metal concentrations in the impact plot were many times higher than those in the control plot located on the same transect. As the transect approached KMP, both the abundance of soil invertebrates (geobionts) and trophic activity of the soil biota remained unchanged, whereas the abundance and diversity of carabids (herpetobionts) decreased drastically. It is suggested that the impact of the KMP on herpetobionts is accounted for by modification of the structure of ecosystems and that herpetobiontic and geobiontic groups of the macrofauna respond differently to this impact because of differences in the ecological mechanisms of population response.     

Morphogenetic Effects of Drought and Nonselective Elimination in Population of Bank Vole (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Clethrionomys glareolus</Emphasis>) in Southern Taiga Subzone

Methods of geometric morphometrics have been used to estimate the influence ratio of nonselective elimination and drought factors on variation in the shape and size of the mandible in the population of bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus Schreb.) in the southern taiga subzone. Nonselective elimination of rodent populations for medical and sanitary purposes was carried out in a felling site located in a focus of hemorrhagic fever, in the spring of a climatically normal year and of a dry year. The summer samples of mature young of the year from control bank vole colonies and impact colonies (i.e., recovered after deratization) in adjacent years have been compared. The results show that drought, nonselective elimination, and the interaction of these factors have significant effects on the size and shape of the mandible. Changes in its shape under drought conditions are largely due to allometry. Morphogenetic effects of nonselective elimination are highly repeatable between climatically different years. A significantly higher level of within-group morphological disparity (MNND) of the undisturbed control cenopopulation in a dry year has been revealed, which indirectly indicates a stronger destabilization of morphogenesis upon exposure to the autecological factor. Every ecological factor contributes to the development of specific configurations of the mandible; i.e., it induces certain changes in morphogenesis in response to aut- and synecological effects and their combination.     

Benthic macroinvertebrates along the soil/water interface of the HUMEX Lake 1989–1991

The taxonomic composition, abundance, and size distribution of benthic macroinvertebrates were studied at the soil/water interface two years before and the first year after the start of artificial acidification of a small catchment and its humic lake. The macroinvertebrate assemblage consisted mainly of predators; dragonflies (Odonata), damselflies (Zygoptera), net-building caddisflies (Polycentropodidae), diving beetles (Dytiscidae), and water bugs (Hemiptera). It is suggested that benthic and planktonic microcrustaceans are important prey for damselflies and that intraguild predation is important for the structure of the community. The typical bog tarn assemblage did not include snails, mussels, or macrocrustaceans, which are algae- and detritus feeders known to be affected by low pH. The only potential herbivores on filaments algae and shredders of coarse detritus were case building caddisflies and the ephemeropteran Leptophlebia vespertina, which were all found in low numbers. If the artificial acidification will eliminate these macroinvertebrates, it will have little impact on attached filaments algae, and on processing of coarse detritus. Although there was a general similarity in taxonomic structure on the two sides, significantly higher numbers of dytiscids (Acilius sulcatus and Ilybius spp.) were consistently found on the experimental side than on the control side through the three years of study. The first year after acidification, the number of Zygoptera was lower on the experimental side than on the control side. The abundance on the control side in this year was, however, also higher than in the previous two years. The size distribution of Coenagrion hastulatum, the dominating zygopteran, showed no difference between lake sides. Significant difference between years indicate, however, that size distribution could be used to detect altered growth conditions.     

Features of Prooxidant and Antioxidant Systems of Greater Plantain <Emphasis Type="Italic">Plantago major</Emphasis> Growing for a Long Time under Conditions of Radioactive Contamination

The viability and state of the prooxidant and antioxidant systems of Plantago major seed progeny from cenopopulations growing for a long time at the East-Ural Radioactive Trace (EURT) has been estimated. Radiation doses of maternal plants have been calculated using our empirical data in ERICA Tool. The absorbed dose rates for plantain in the EURT zone varied from 19 to 157 μGy/h, which is 178–1455 times higher than the background values. These relatively low levels of chronic irradiation did not cause a significant decrease in the survival rate of P. major seed progeny; the rate of root and leaf growth decreased only in seedlings from the most polluted cenopopulation. A prooxidant shift was revealed in seedlings from the EURT zone. Given the same regime of enzyme protection (SOD, CAT, and POX) against active oxygen forms, the average rate of accumulation of secondary products of lipid peroxidation (MDA) was 3.3 times higher in impact samples than in background samples. The level of prooxidant shift in impact samples is not linearly related to dose rates that are classified as low doses.     

Employment implications of stricter pollution regulation in China: theories and lessons from the USA

While the goal of reducing environmental impact has become an urgent imperative for Chinese leadership, the central and potentially competing objective for policy makers and planners remains economic growth and job creation. This paper systematically examines the perceived trade-offs between pollution control regulation and employment at the microeconomic and macroeconomic scale. We synthesize the theoretical literature on the employment impact of pollution control regulation at the firm, industry, and economy levels and summarize the theoretically sufficient conditions for employment-enhancing regulation. The paper examines the US experience with the impact of pollution control on job growth in the 1980s and 1990s and draws out the mechanisms through which job growth and pollution control can be congruent, examining their adaptability to the Chinese context. Specifically, this paper highlights the importance of targeting regulations toward sectors where labor costs represent a small portion of overall costs or sectors with low labor intensity. We demonstrate that in the Chinese context, a transition to an economy with a higher proportion of tertiary output is likely to facilitate a joint strategy of stringent pollution control combined with job growth.     

Analysis of rodent populations in technogenically transformed areas (with reference to <Emphasis Type="Italic">Apodemus</Emphasis> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">S.</Emphasis>) <Emphasis Type="Italic">uralensis</Emphasis> from the EURT zone)

It is shown that the response of rodent populations to acute and chronic irradiation depends on its functional structure, i.e., on specific features of animals with two alternative types of ontogenetic development. Upon acute irradiation, sexually immature young of the year (animals with the second type of ontogeny) are most radioresistant. Exposure to chronic irradiation, as in the zone of the Eastern Ural Radioactive Trace (EURT), leads to an increase in the proportion of mature young of the year (animals with the first type of ontogeny), which are the most radiosensitive part of the population. The abundance and fecundity of mice in the impact zone are consistently higher than in the background zone, which improves the adaptive potential of the population. The role of species ecological specialization and configuration of the contaminated zone in the formation of migrant rodent population is emphasized. It is concluded that a high migration activity allows the pigmy wood mouse (a radiosensitive species) to avoid long-term radiation exposure.     

Assessment of biological effects in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Plantago major</Emphasis> L. Seed progeny in the zone of impact from a Copper Smelter

The quality of seed progeny was studied in Plantago major from populations growing for a long time in the gradient of chemical pollution around the Karabash Copper Smelter (KCS). The results showed that the range of variation in seed germination and seedling survival rates was wider in background than in impact populations. The lowest values of growth parameters (the number of seedlings with a true leaf and root length) were recorded in the sample from the most polluted plot. Challenging exposure to toxic elements (seed germination in soils from polluted plots) was found to stimulate, to different extents, the rate of leaf formation and suppress root growth in the seedlings. It cannot be stated from these results that the adaptive potential of plants grown in the zone of impact from the KCS is altered, compared to that in other samples. Evaluation of the prooxidant and antioxidant status of seedlings from this zone revealed a decrease in superoxide dismutase and catalase activities (to 60 and 33% of background values, respectively) and an increase in peroxidase activity (to 122%). The prooxidant status of seedlings in samples from the KCS zone was found to be increased, except for the sample from the most polluted plot.     

Reproductive Parameters of Adult Birds and Morphophysiological Characteristics of Chicks in the Pied Flycatcher (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Ficedula hypoleuca</Emphasis> Pall.) in Technogenically Polluted Habitats

Effects of toxic emissions (heavy metals and sulfur dioxide) on reproductive parameters of adult pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca Pall.) and morphophysiological characteristics of their progeny have been studied in the vicinity of the Middle Ural Copper-Smelting Plant. In polluted areas, the fecundity of adult birds is lower, mortality among the progeny is higher, and changes in the physiological parameters of birds are observed. The effects of toxic load are better manifested in nestlings than in adult birds. They include an increase in the liver index, the reduction of hemoglobin concentration, and an increase in the proportion of immature erythrocytes in the peripheral blood. The proportion of anemic birds also increases. The weakening of nestlings facilitates their infestation by the larvae of parasitic flies. Changes in the differential blood count of nestlings reflect the combined impact of toxic pollutants and parasites.     

Assessment of application-rate dependent effects of a long-term fire retardant chemical (Fire Trol 934) on Typha domingensis germination

Although long-term fire retardants (LTR) gain increasingly acceptance as effective tools for wildfire management, recent studies indicate their potential harmfulness in the environment, especially in aquatic ecosystems. This study comprises a first laboratory impact assessment of LTR action in temporal Mediterranean wetlands, using seed germination of Typha domingensis as indicator of impact. Our aim was to identify application rates upon which seed germination could be significantly affected. We tested for low (1 l m(-2)) and high (3 l m(-2)) application rates of Fire Trol 934 which are recommended by the manufacturers as a function of fuel characteristics. In addition, we simulated the impact of a higher application rate of 5 l m(-2) because inhomogeneous dispersal of the LTR during fire control and prevention operations can result in locally elevated applications. Results of a microcosm experiment indicate that application rates of 1 or 3 l m(-2) can impact Typha germination rates in the short-term via indirect LTR-mediated effects on water quality, which suppressed necessary cues for germination. However, a subsequent experiment with Petri dishes, using seeds isolated from the LTR treated sediments did not show significantly different germination rates between the control and the treatments with application rates of 1 or 3 l m(-2). This suggests that retardant pre-application germination success could be recovered in nature once the retardant is eliminated. By contrast, seeds almost completely failed to germinate in the microcosm experiment and the subsequent Petri dish essay when an application rate of 5 l m(-2) was used. This suggests a critical level upon which Typha seed germination may be perpetually limited. Research should be extended to other plant species to provide fire managers with guidelines for environmentally safe use of LTR in the Mediterranean region.     

城市自然景区游客环境责任行为影响因素研究

城市自然景区是城市中不可多得的旅游资源和游憩空间,游客旅游行为对城市自然景区的游憩冲击一直是城市旅游管理亟待解决的棘手问题,研究游客的环境责任行为是控制游憩负面冲击,增强城市自然景区可持续发展能力的有效途径。本研究在国内外文献综述和实践观察基础上,将游客社会责任意识引入游客环境冲击感知和环境责任行为的关系研究中,建立了包含生态环境冲击感知、不友善行为感知、游客冲突感知和设施管理冲击感知四个游憩冲击感知变量,自我约束行为和保护促进行为两个环境责任行为变量的"游憩冲击感知—社会责任意识—环境责任行为"理论模型,应用问卷调查和结构方程模型,以长沙岳麓山国家5A级景区为案例,对城市自然景区游客环境责任行为的影响因素及其相互关系展开定量实证研究。研究发现:(1)游客游憩冲击感知对环境责任行为的直接影响作用较小,生态环境冲击感知对环境保护促进行为具有显著正向影响;(2)游客社会责任意识对环境自我约束行为具有显著正向影响,其在游客环境冲击感知、设施管理冲击感知、游客冲突感知与环境责任行为的影响关系中起中介作用;(3)游客冲击感知对社会责任意识的影响主要表现为游客生态环境冲击感知和设施管理冲击感知对游客社会责任意识具有显著的正向影响,而游客冲突感知对游客社会责任意识具有显著的负向影响。根据研究结论,文章最后指出城市自然景区游客环境责任行为若干管理启示。     

Phenogenetic monitoring of the weeping birch (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Betula pendula</Emphasis> Roth.) in the Middle Urals: testing a new method for assessing developmental instability in higher plants

Variation of bilateral leaf structures in Middle Ural cenopopulations of the weeping birch (Betula pendula Roth.) growing in gradients of industrial pollution was studied to test the efficiency of a new method of population and individual phenogenetic monitoring allowing an indirect assessment of developmental destabilization by segregating the variance of total asymmetry (TA _R ²) into its additive components, the variances of fluctuating asymmetry (FA _R ²) and directional asymmetry (DA _R ²). The method was tested in the impact zones of two copper-smelting plants in the Middle Urals. The degree of impact was characterized by the index of technogenic pollution (ITP) reflecting the average total contents of 15 water-soluble pollutants in snow samples. The level of asymmetry was estimated from the numbers of denticles with incoming veins (dentovenal elements) on the left and right leaf margins. Spearman’s coefficient of rank correlation between the group values of variance in fluctuating asymmetry (FA _R ²) and corresponding ITP values reached r _S = 0.914 (p < 0.001), providing evidence that the method is highly appropriate for ecological indication of the phenogenetic response of trees to environmental pollution.     

Assessing the relationship between perfluoroalkyl substances,thyroid hormones and binding proteins in pregnant women; a longitudinal mixed effects approach

The mechanisms involved in thyroid homeostasis are complex, and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have been indicated to interfere at several levels in this endocrine system. Disruption of the maternal thyroid homeostasis during early pregnancy is of particular concern, where subclinical changes in maternal thyroid hormones (THs) may affect embryonic and foetal development.The present study investigated associations between THs, thyroid binding proteins (TH-BPs) and PFAS concentrations in pregnant women from Northern Norway.Women participating in The Northern Norway Mother-and-Child contaminant Cohort Study (MISA) donated a blood sample at three visits related to their pregnancy and postpartum period (during the second trimester, 3 days and 6 weeks after delivery) in the period 2007–2009. Participants were assigned to quartiles according to PFAS concentrations during the second trimester and mixed effects linear models were used to investigate potential associations between PFASs and repeated measurements of THs, TH-BPs, thyroxin binding capacity and thyroid peroxidase antibodies (anti-TPOs).Women within the highest perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) quartile had 24% higher mean concentrations of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) compared to the first quartile at all sampling points. Women within the highest quartiles of perfluorodecanoate (PFDA) had 4% lower mean concentrations of triiodothyronine (T3) and women within the highest quartile of perfluoroundecanoate (PFUnDA) had 3% lower mean concentrations of free triiodothyronine (FT3). Further, the difference in concentrations and the changes between three time points were the same for the PFAS quartiles. Thyroxin binding capacity was associated with all the THs and TH-BPs, and was selected as a holistic adjustment for individual changes in TH homeostasis during pregnancy. Finally, adjusting for maternal iodine status did not influence the model predictions.Findings in the present study suggest modifications of TH homeostasis by PFASs in a background exposed maternal population. The variation in levels of THs between PFAS quartiles was within normal reference ranges and may not be of clinical significance in the pregnant woman. However, subtle individual changes in maternal THs may have significant consequences for foetal health.     

A quantitative risk assessment of waterborne infectious disease in the inundation area of a tropical monsoon region

Flooding and inundation are annual events that occur during the rainy season in Cambodia, and inundation has a strong relationship with human health. This study simulated the coliform bacteria distribution using a hydraulic model and estimated the impact of inundation on public health using a dose–response model. The model parameters were calibrated using field survey data from Cambodia and obtained good agreement with the coliform group count distribution. The results suggest that the impact of inundation on human health is most noticeable in residential areas. The annual average risk of infection during medium-sized flood events is 0.21. The risk due to groundwater use ranges from 0.12 to 0.17 in inundation areas and reaches as high as 0.23 outside the inundation areas. The risk attributed to groundwater use is therefore higher than that for surface water use (0.02–0.06), except in densely populated areas at the city center. There is a high risk for infection with waterborne disease in residential areas, and the annual average risk during small flood events is 0.94. An assessment of possible countermeasures to reduce the risk shows that the control of inundation may bring more risk to public health in Cambodia. Shallower inundation water (<0.3 m) leads to a higher risk of infection, but if the depth is greater than 2 m, the risk is low in residential areas. The simulated results explain the spatial distributions of infection risk,, which are vitally important for determining the highest priority places with relatively high risk and will be helpful for decision makers when considering the implementation of countermeasures.     

Late 20th century mangrove encroachment in the coastal Australian monsoon tropics parallels the regional increase in woody biomass

In Kakadu National Park, a World Heritage property in the Australian monsoon tropics 250 km to the east of Darwin, a number of recent studies have shown that woody encroachment (expansion of woody communities) and densification (increased biomass in woody communities) has occurred in the last 40 years. The cause of this increase in woody biomass is poorly understood, but possibly associated with the control of invasive Asian water buffalo, trend to higher rainfall, and increased frequency of fires. Mangroves provide an important context to understand these landscape changes, given that they are unaffected by fire or feral water buffalo. We examine change in mangrove distribution in a series of coastal tropical swamps fringing Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia over a 30-year period using a series of 7 aerial photographs spanning 23 years from 1974 and a 2004 high-resolution satellite image. In late 1974, Darwin was impacted by an intense tropical cyclone. Vegetation at 3,000 randomly placed points was manually classified, and a multinomial logistic model was used to asses the impact of landscape position (coastal, intertidal, and upper-tidal) and swamp on mangrove change between 1974 and 2004. Over the study period, there was instability and slight mangrove loss at the coast, stability in the intertidal zone, and mangrove gain in the upper-tidal zone, with an overall increase in mangrove presence of 16.2% above the pre-cyclone distribution. A swamp that was impacted by drainage works for mosquito control and the construction of a sewage treatment plant showed a greater mangrove increase than the two unmodified swamps. The mangrove expansion is consistent with woody encroachment observed in nearby but ecologically distinct systems. Plausible causes for this change include changed local hydrology, changes in sea level, and elevated atmospheric CO₂ concentrations.     

中美大气污染的空间交互影响--来自国家和城市层面PM2.5的经验证据

准确识别中美大气污染的空间交互影响可以为两国在大气污染治理领域开展双边合作提供科学依据。以PM 2.5浓度表征大气污染程度,采用收敛交叉映射(Convergent Cross Mapping,CCM)方法,在采集伯克利地球发布的小时数据的基础上通过算数平均得到2018年1月1日至2018年12月31日的PM 2.5浓度日均数据,从国家和城市两个层面识别了中美大气污染的空间交互影响。研究发现,中美两国的大气污染是空间交互影响的。其中,国家层面,在CCM因果检验基础上的广义同步检验表明,在1%显著性水平上,大气污染仅存在由美国指向中国的单向因果关系。城市层面,中美两国10个样本城市之间理论上共存在50个可能的因果关系(5×5×2)。研究发现,在1%显著性水平上,美国城市指向中国城市的因果关系有12个,而中国城市指向美国城市的因果关系仅有5个。在影响强度上,美国城市的大气污染对中国城市的影响强度高于中国城市的大气污染对美国城市的影响强度,如重庆的大气污染对华盛顿的影响强度为0.21,而华盛顿的大气污染对重庆的影响强度为0.35。面对大气污染的空间交互影响,中美两国可通过积极开展联合科研攻关,厘清大气污染的传输路径及其驱动因素,进行污染物的联合监测与数据管理;通过共享大气污染治理技术和建立大气污染防治基金等方式,加强在大气污染治理领域的合作。一旦中美两国成功建立起大气污染双边合作治理体系,依靠两国的国际地位和国际影响力,必将吸引越来越多的国家参与进来共同行动,大气污染全球治理体系的构建将非常值得期待。     

Adaptation of greater plantain, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Plantago major</Emphasis> L., to long-term radiation and chemical exposure

A comparative study of the greater plantain seed progeny was performed with samples from cenopopulations growing for a long time under conditions of radioactive contamination (in the Eastern Ural Radioactive Trace, EURT) or chemical pollution (in the impact zone of the Nizhny Tagil Iron and Steel Works, NTMK). The progeny of plants from the NTMK zone had low viability but proved to be resistant to the additional impact of a “new” factor (acute γ-irradiation) as well as of the “habitual” factor (heavy metal toxicity). Plantain seeds from the EURT area showed high viability and low heavy metal and radiation resistance; i.e., no preadaptation effect was revealed. In experiments on growing plants from different cenopopulations in plot culture, samples from the EURT zone were characterized mainly by morphoses of generative organs, while samples from the NTMK area, by morphoses of vegetative organs.     

Impacts of economic growth and urbanization on CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> emissions: regional differences in China based on panel estimation

This study analyzed the impact of urbanization and the level of economic development on CO₂ emissions using the STIRPAT model and provincial panel data for China. This study classified the 29 provinces of China into three groups (eastern, central, and western regions) and examined regional differences in the environmental impacts of urbanization and economic development levels. The results demonstrated that there was an inverted U-shaped relationship between urbanization and CO₂ emissions in the central and western regions of China. However, we did not confirm the environmental Kuznets curve relationship between urbanization and CO₂ emissions in eastern China, where CO₂ emissions increase monotonically with urbanization. This study showed that the impacts of urbanization differ considerably. There was a U-shaped relationship between economic growth and CO₂ emissions. However, the point of inflexion was very low, which indicates that economic growth will promote CO₂ emissions in China. The share of the industry output value had a marginal incremental effect on CO₂ emissions. There was a decreasing effect of population scale on CO₂ emissions. Energy efficiency is the main factor that restrains CO₂ emissions, and the effect was higher in regions with low energy efficiency.     

Recent Levels of Radionuclide Contamination in the Eastern Ural Radioactive Trace and Biological Effects in Local Populations of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Plantago major</Emphasis> L.

The results of the study have shown that the stocks of ⁹⁰Sr and ¹³⁷Cs in the frontal part of the EURT are 6700–15000 and 200–400 kBq/m², respectively. The coefficients of their accumulation in different herbaceous plant species in this impact zone are lower than in other areas. The accumulative capability of plants has probably decreased in the course of selection as an adaptation to the effect of radiation. The viability and growth parameters of Plantago major L. seeds from the EURT zone are similar to those of seeds from the background sample. Cenopopulations chronically exposed to radiation are characterized by a higher mutation rate in the progeny and an unstable response to additional acute irradiation in most characters studied. A high level of inbreeding is observed in all P. major cenopopulations of plantain. The cenopopulation of the impact zone is characterized by a lower variation of allozyme loci, which may be a result of stringent selection for individuals better adapted to the complex of conditions existing in its habitat.