海洋微生物来源的天然产物开发研究进展

综述了近年来海洋微生物来源天然产物研究的新进展,总结了该类天然产物的开发策略.通过对样品采用不同的预处理方式、不同的分离培养基以及新的培养方法,讨论如何获得海洋来源的特有微生物和增加海洋来源微生物类群的多样性.阐述了在海洋微生物天然产物的开发过程中,采用宏基因组技术及基因组测序等手段,来发现难培养或不可培养微生物中的天然产物以及处于"沉默"状态的天然产物.最后介绍了异源生物合成、组合生物合成以及核糖体工程等技术在海洋微生物天然产物开发和改造中的应用,并举例论述了海洋微生物天然产物的开发.     

太湖、巢湖沉积物中重金属污染的总量特征及其区域性差异

选取太湖、巢湖污染较为严重的区域为研究对象,采集季节性沉积物柱状样,以0.5cm的间距高精度分割样品,分析其中的Fe,Mn,Cu,Zn等重金属元素的含量,对沉积物中重金属的总量特征及季节性变化特征进行了分析,得出以下结论:太湖、巢湖沉积物中重金属的总量均呈现出Fe>Mn>Zn>Cu的特征,季节性变化幅度为Mn>Fe>Zn>Cu,重金属元素的地球化学性质对其季节性变化有很大的影响.同时,不同的区域背景差异(如元素丰度、污染状况等)导致了太湖、巢湖采样点沉积物中重金属元素季节性特征的差异.     

智能化建筑=绿色建筑

在过去的十年中,“智能化建筑”这个术语已经被广泛地用于描述新的高技术建筑物.这一术语在亚洲已经相当流行,那里有许多最大的新建筑建设项目.智能化建筑的概念自然与对环境无害的“绿色建筑物”有关.本文对Brengel技术中心作了介绍,它是由美国绿色建筑理事会(USGBC)能源和环境设计指导(LEED)绿色建筑评定体系首批认证的12个建筑物之一.     

智能化建筑=绿色建筑

在过去的十年中 ,“智能化建筑”这个术语已经被广泛地用于描述新的高技术建筑物 .这一术语在亚洲已经相当流行 ,那里有许多最大的新建筑建设项目 .智能化建筑的概念自然与对环境无害的“绿色建筑物”有关 .本文对 Brengel技术中心作了介绍 ,它是由美国绿色建筑理事会 (USGBC)能源和环境设计指导 (LEED)绿色建筑评定体系首批认证的 12个建筑物之一 .     

美国可持续的建筑服务:承包商在绿色建筑中的作用

成功的可持续建筑设计和建造过程的特点是合作的和跨科学的,然而在很多情况下,实现建设服务并未被看作是可持续的建筑项目的设计和交工的一个必要步骤.承包商常常仅仅被看作是建筑服务的经纪人,他们只是简单地遵循图纸和技术要求,并且只是通过建筑现场再循环计划对可持续的建筑工程做出贡献.宾夕法尼亚州立大学和实现优秀建筑的合作伙伴(PACE)正在联合进行关于在成功地交付高性能的可持续建筑物过程中建筑管理伙伴作用的研究,其目的是确定对可持续的建筑项目起决定性作用的过程和决策中建造服务工作的价值,和为参与可持续的设计和建筑过程的合作单位开发先进的技术.     

纳米金属氧化物模拟天然酶催化水体中酚类污染物转化的研究进展

天然酶作为一种绿色催化剂,能够介导水体中酚类污染物形成酚氧自由基中间体,随后这些活性中间体通过共价偶联机制生成大分子聚合产物.纳米金属氧化物(N-MOs)兼具纳米材料和天然酶"双重身份",有望克服天然酶稳定性差、难回收、易失活和价格昂贵等缺点,高效地催化氧化水体中酚类污染物的转化.本文概述了两种天然酶(过氧化物酶和酚氧化酶)的基本性能及其催化偶联酚类污染物转化的作用机理,系统地探讨了N-MOs的纳米特性及其模拟天然酶催化氧化底物的显色反应、作用效能和影响因素,并阐释了N-MOs作为纳米酶催化氧化酚类污染物转化的最新研究进展及其潜在的应用价值,旨在为拓展和开发新型、有效地纳米酶在环境中的应用提供新的理论基础和技术指导.     

智能化建筑=绿色建筑

在过去的十年中,“智能化建筑”这个术语已经被广泛地用于描述新的高技术建筑物.这一 术语在亚洲已经相当流行,那里有许多最大的新建筑建设项目.智能化建筑的概念自然与对环 境无害的“绿色建筑物”有关.本文对Brengel技术中心作了介绍,它是由美国绿色建筑理事 会(USGBC)能源和环境设计指导(LEED)绿色建筑评定体系首批认证的12个建筑物之一.     

油松过氧化物酶季节变化动态

采用聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳技术,对华北地区14个油松种源的过氧化物酶(POD)季节变化动态进行了分析.电泳共分离出8条谱带,其中一条为油松的特征谱带.其余7条在不同生长季节均有较明显的变化,且不同种源间POD酶谱变化具有一定的差异,表明油松植物过氧化物酶具有季节性生长阶段的特异性和种源特异性.     

黄土丘陵区4种植被类型土壤呼吸季节及年际变化

土壤碳库是陆地生态系统中的最大碳库,通过土壤呼吸向大气排放CO2是土壤碳固存的重要支出项.以黄土丘陵区4种典型植被类型(天然辽东栎林、人工刺槐林、天然侧柏林、天然灌丛)为研究对象.在各植被类型中设置20m×20 m的样方,在每个样方的四角和中心分别设立一个PVC环,测定分析3个生长季(2011、2013、2014年)林地土壤呼吸特征及其对主要环境因子的响应.结果表明,各林地生长季内土壤呼吸表现出明显的季节变化规律,前期较低,中后期达到较高水平,4种植被类型呈现大致相同的变化趋势.不同植被类型间土壤呼吸水平存在一定差异,总体表现为辽东栎林侧柏林灌丛刺槐林.3个生长季土壤呼吸速率在植被类型间的变异系数较年际的变异系数低.4种植被类型的土壤温湿度与土壤呼吸的相关关系都极显著(P0.01),但土壤呼吸速率对土壤湿度的响应更敏感,刺槐林尤为突出.用土壤温度和土壤湿度共同拟合土壤呼吸速率效果良好,可以较好地解释某种植被类型对环境条件的响应规律.综上,在黄土丘陵区,4种植被类型土壤呼吸具有明显的季节性;就年际变化来看环境因素对其影响大过植被类型间的影响;干旱半干旱地区土壤湿度对土壤呼吸的影响更显著,且土壤温度与土壤湿度共同拟合对土壤呼吸解释性更强.     

川西亚高山/高山森林土壤微生物对季节性冻融的响应

通过研究川西亚高山/高山森林矿质土壤层微生物群落丰度和结构在季节性冻融期间的变化,可为深入认识亚高山/高山森林冬季土壤生态过程提供理论依据.于2009年8月至2010年8月,在植物生长季节、土壤冻结阶段(包括土壤冻结期和土壤深冻期)和土壤融化阶段(包括土壤融冻期和土壤融化后期),采用变性梯度凝胶电泳(PCR-DGGE)和实时定量PCR技术同步研究不同海拔冷杉次生林(3 023 m)、天然混交林(3 298 m)和岷江冷杉原始林(3 582 m)矿质土壤层微生物类群的变化特征.结果显示,随着土壤冻结的开始,土壤细菌数量显著降低(P<0.05),而在随后的融化过程中又显著升高;土壤真菌数量具有和细菌数量相似的变化趋势,在融化阶段显著升高;土壤古菌数量在土壤冻结阶段得到升高,表现出与细菌数量相反的变化趋势.并且,Shannon-Wiener指数(H)随森林类群的变化而变化,在土壤冻结阶段,细菌H主要表现为3 582 m处<3 298 m处<3 023 m处,古菌H表现为3 298 m处<3 023 m处<3582 m处,真菌H表现为3 023 m处<3 582 m处<3 298 m处;而在土壤融化阶段3种菌落的H均表现为3 582 m处<3 023m处<3 298 m处.综上,季节性冻融期间强烈的环境变化极大地影响了土壤微生物群落的数量和结构,但不同微生物类群在不同海拔表现出一定的差异.     

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     

Representation of the world's biophysical conditions by the global protected area network

Protected areas (PAs) are often implemented without consideration of already existing PAs, which is likely to cause an overrepresentation of certain biophysical conditions. We assessed the representativeness of the current PA network with regard to the world's biophysical conditions to highlight which conditions are underprotected and where these conditions are located. We overlaid terrestrial and marine PAs with information on biophysical conditions (e.g., temperature, precipitation, and elevation) and then quantified the percentage of area covered by the PA network. For 1 variable at a time in the terrestrial realm, high temperature, low precipitation, and medium and very high elevation were underrepresented. For the marine realm, low and medium sea surface temperature (SST), medium and high sea surface salinity (SSS), and the deep sea were underrepresented. Overall, protection was evenly distributed for elevation across the terrestrial realm and SST across the marine realm. For 2 variables at a time, cold and very dry terrestrial environments had mostly low protection, which was also the case for low SST and low and medium SSS across most depths for marine environments. Low protection occurred mostly in the Sahara and the Arabian Peninsula for the terrestrial realm and along the Tropic of Capricorn and toward the poles for the marine realm. Although biodiversity measures are of prime importance for the design of PA networks, highlighting biophysical gaps in current PAs adds a frequently overlooked perspective. These gaps may weaken the potential of PAs to conserve biodiversity. Thus, our results may provide useful insights for researchers, practitioners, and policy makers to establish a more comprehensive global PA network.     

Quantitative composition of the defensive secretion ofBledius species (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Oxytelinae) is adapted to naturally occurring predators

Summary The adaptation of defensive secretions to their target organisms was examined for the abdominal gland secretions ofBledius furcatus, B. spectabilis andB. arenarius. Therefore the target organisms of the secretion of theseBledius species (i.e. their predators) had to be identified. At the collection sites examined these were the earwigLabidura riparia, the antCataglyphis bicolor, the flyLispe candicans, different carabids of the generaPogonus, Dichirotrichus, Dyschirius, Bembidion andCalathus and the wading birdsHaematopus ostralegus andCalidris alba. The secretion of the abdominal glands contains the toxin ptoluquinone dissolved in either-dodecalactone and 1-undecene (B. furcatus andB. spectabilis) or in octanoic acid and octyloctanoate (B. arenarius). The ratio of these solvents is species-specific. Application experiments using some of the natural insect predators (L. riparia, C. bicolor, Pogonus, Di. gustavii, Dyschirius) revealed that these solvent ratios provided a more effective deterrent than other possible ratios. Thus by combining the solvents in certain ratios, the capability of cuticular penetration and therefore the effectiveness of the defensive secretions are adapted to their natural targets.     

Democracy versus development: New urban debates

The politics of development includes subtexts of choice, as underpinned by community consensus (or lack of it), against the larger backdrop of a liberal democracy, with its intricate power structures that influence the choice of concepts and often lead to complicity rather than consent. A dilemma exists between the understanding of field-level practitioners and that of academics, whose understandings of progress differ. Progress can (and often does) imply long-term change across generations whereas development is often more a matter of crisis management and delivering tangible results to end-users. This makes it a bone of contention across political systems, irrespective of local or global dynamics. Development can emerge as a tool to be wielded for power and further political mileage at the expense of progress. Progress cannot be studied as a counterpoint to development as the sense of history is often missing in development interventions. Development tends to be piecemeal as its very logic often stems from the rationale of power. This is not to suggest, however, that development is only about politics; it is definitely more than the politics of everyday life and involves all of civil society that requires its critical and immediate attention. In this sense, it has become a priority for politicians with an underlying agenda designed to out-manouevre dissent and all statements of protest.     

A framework to measure the wildness of managed large vertebrate populations

As landscapes continue to fall under human influence through habitat loss and fragmentation, fencing is increasingly being used to mitigate anthropogenic threats and enhance the commercial value of wildlife. Subsequent intensification of management potentially erodes wildness by disembodying populations from landscape-level processes, thereby disconnecting species from natural selection. Tools are needed to measure the degree to which populations of large vertebrate species in formally protected and privately owned wildlife areas are self-sustaining and free to adapt. We devised a framework to measure such wildness based on 6 attributes relating to the evolutionary and ecological dynamics of vertebrates (space, disease and parasite resistance, exposure to predation, exposure to limitations and fluctuations of food and water supply, and reproduction). For each attribute, we set empirical, species-specific thresholds between 5 wildness states based on quantifiable management interventions. We analysed data from 205 private wildlife properties with management objectives spanning ecotourism to consumptive utilization to test the framework on 6 herbivore species representing a range of conservation statuses and commercial values. Wildness scores among species differed significantly, and the proportion of populations identified as wild ranged from 12% to 84%, which indicates the tool detected site-scale differences both among populations of different species and populations of the same species under different management regimes. By quantifying wildness, this framework provides practitioners with standardized measurement units that link biodiversity with the sustainable use of wildlife. Applications include informing species management plans at local scales; standardizing the inclusion of managed populations in red-list assessments; and providing a platform for certification and regulation of wildlife-based economies. Applying this framework may help embed wildness as a normative value in policy and mitigate the shifting baseline of what it means to truly conserve a species.     

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.     

Sexual Predators,Energy Development,and Conservation in Greater Yellowstone

Abstract: In the United States, as elsewhere, a growing debate pits national energy policy and homeland security against biological conservation. In rural communities the extraction of fossil fuels is often encouraged because of the employment opportunities it offers, although the concomitant itinerant workforce is often associated with increased wildlife poaching. We explored possible positive and negative factors associated with energy extraction in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), an area known for its national parks, intact biological diversity, and some of the New World's longest terrestrial migrations. Specifically, we asked whether counties with different economies—recreation (ski), agrarian (ranching or farming), and energy extractive (petroleum)—differed in healthcare (gauged by the abundance of hospital beds) and in the frequency of sexual predators. The absolute and relative frequency of registered sex offenders grew approximately two to three times faster in areas reliant on energy extraction. Healthcare among counties did not differ. The strong conflation of community dishevel, as reflected by in‐migrant sexual predators, and ecological decay in Greater Yellowstone is consistent with patterns seen in similar systems from Ecuador to northern Canada, where social and environmental disarray exist around energy boomtowns. In our case, that groups (albeit with different aims) mobilized campaigns to help maintain the quality of rural livelihoods by protecting open space is a positive sign that conservation can matter, especially in the face of rampant and poorly executed energy extraction projects. Our findings further suggest that the public and industry need stronger regulatory action to instill greater vigilance when and where social factors and land conversion impact biological systems.     

Comparison of the insecticidal effects of water extracted and intact aromatic plants onAcanthoscelides obtectus,a bruchid beetle pest of kidney beans

Summary Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say) is one of the most damaging pests of kidney beans,Phaseolus vulgaris L. worldwide. However, aromatic plants from the families Lamiaceae, Lauraceae, Myrtaceae and Poaceae can protect kidney beans by direct or delayed insecticidal effect, through increased adult mortality and inhibition of beetle reproduction (both oviposition and adult emergence). The efficiency of hydrodistillated and intact plants fromThymus vulgaris andT. serpyllum, Mentha piperata, Rosmarinus officinalis, Satureia hortensis, Eucalyptus globulus, Laurus nobilis, Origanum vulgare, andCymbopogon nardus was compared. For both extracts,Origanum vulgare had the best effect. The insecticidal effect was induced by more than the essential oils because no significant difference was noticed between distilled and intact plants extract. Inhibition of reproduction was particularly important. These results suggest that lipidic as well as non lipidic, allelochemicals, such as phenolics, or non-protein amino-acids, or flavonoids may be involved in the toxicity of aromatic plants to this beetle.     

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.