墨西哥在一个区域合作的框架之内成功消除氯丹

一组众所周知的化学药品已被划分为持久性有机污染物(POPs)1.它们的性质包括高毒性、在环境中保留时间长、在大气中可长距离传播和能在脂肪组织中累积.与持久性有机污染物直接接触可以导致急性效应、持久性有机污染物用作农药的事故,例如,已经有使农业劳动者致死或重病的例子.……     

墨西哥在一个区域合作的框架之内成功消除氯丹

一组众所周知的化学药品已被划分为持久性有机污染物(POPs)1.它们的性质包括高毒性、在环境中保留时间长、在大气中可长距离传播和能在脂肪组织中累积.与持久性有机污染物直接接触可以导致急性效应、持久性有机污染物用作农药的事故,例如,已经有使农业劳动者致死或重病的例子.     

墨西哥在一个区域合作的框架之内成功消除氯丹

一组众所周知的化学药品已被划分为持久性有机污染物（POPs），它们的性质包括高毒性、在环境中保留时间长、在大气中可长距离传播和能在脂肪组织中累积．与持久性有机污染物直接接触可以导致急性效应、持久性有机污染物用作农药的事故，例如，已经有使农业劳动者致死或重病的例子。     

墨西哥在一个区域合作的框架之内成功消除氯丹

一组众所周知的化学药品已被划分为持久性有机污染物(PO Ps)1.它们的性质包括高毒性、在环境中保留时间长、在大气中可长距离传播和能在脂肪组织中累积.与持久性有机污染物直接接触可以导致急性效应、持久性有机污染物用作农药的事故,例如,已经有使农业劳动者致死或重病的例子.氯丹是被分类为持久性有机污染物的一种农药,过去广泛地用于控制农作物和森林的虫害.它也应用于家庭和工业,包括木材和木制品的白蚁防治.它被标明是一种可能的人类致癌物质.大剂量的氯丹能够破坏神经系统或肝脏.人们还发现氯丹也影响内分泌系统和消化系统.它能引起…     

微塑料与农药污染的联合毒性作用研究进展

近海环境中的微塑料污染问题已成为全球性的环境问题,引起了世界范围内的广泛关注。微塑料不仅能够对生物造成物理损伤,而且塑料中的添加剂如邻苯二甲酸酯、双酚A、多溴二苯醚等也会随着塑料的风化而浸出进入环境,对生物产生毒害,同时,微塑料还能吸附海洋环境中的其他污染物,从而对生物产生联合毒性作用。本文综述了微塑料与持久性有机污染物的联合作用,结果表明聚苯乙烯微塑料能够吸附海水中的持久性有机污染物如多环芳烃、多氯联苯、有机氯农药滴滴涕,从而可能导致这些污染物在海洋生物组织中富集,对人类健康存在直接或间接危害。最后本文在总结前人研究的基础上,对未来微塑料与农药污染联合毒性作用的研究方向做了简要分析和展望。     

中国北方典型湖泊沉积物-水界面六六六的迁移行为

六六六(HCHs)是一类持久性有机污染物,因其具有环境持久性、长距离迁移性、生物累积性和高毒性而倍受公众及科学界关注.大量研究表明,沉积物不仅是持久性有机污染物的汇,还是这类污染物长期和潜在的污染源.当外源污染得到有效控制时,内源释放的影响则显得尤为突出.沉积物中污染物会通过扩散或再悬浮等途径重新进入水体环境,     

卷首语

持久性有机污染物(POPs)由于在环境中难降解,可沿食物链累积放大,可以长距离迁移至世界各地且具有很高的毒性,是一类对环境和人类生存威胁最大的化学污染物.POPs的甄别、环境过程、健康影响与污染控制是二十一世纪环境科学领域的重大科学问题.为避免环境和人类健康受到POPs危害,国际社会于2001年5月共同通过了《关于持久性有机污     

我国持久性有机污染物人体负荷研究进展

持久性有机污染物所造成的污染已经成为全球性的环境问题.关于由其污染导致的环境和健康损害的研究是当前环境科学的热点之一.我国正处在经济快速发展时期,环境污染对居民健康的潜在危害尤其值得关注.本文对近年来有关我国居民持久性有机污染物的人体负荷的研究进展进行综述,为我国进一步开展相关研究提供参考.     

气相色谱串联三重四极杆质谱在持久性有机污染物分析中的应用

三重四极杆质谱的多重反应监测模式适合痕量有机化合物的分析,应用气相色谱串联三重四极杆质谱(GC-MS/MS)检测多环境介质中持久性有机污染物有逐年增多的趋势.本文综合评述了GC-MS/MS在水体、大气、土壤、沉积物和生物样品中持久性有机污染物分析方面的应用.     

多溴联苯醚和全氟烷基酸的分子毒理机制研究

多溴联苯醚(PBDEs)和全氟烷基酸(PFAAs)是两类使用量大、环境污染广泛、人体暴露严重的新型有机污染物,2009年已纳入《斯德哥尔摩公约》持久性有机污染物(POPs)名单,但其毒性效应及作用机制并不明确.本文综述了本课题组近几年针对多溴联苯醚PBDEs和全氟烷基酸PFAAs的分子毒理机制研究工作,主要集中在这两类污染物对甲状腺系统、雌激素系统和肝脏脂肪酸代谢系统干扰效应的分子机制研究.本文分别从分子、细胞和活体三个层面,研究了污染物与核受体的直接结合作用、结合后受体的构象变化、细胞内受体的转录活性、以及活体暴露后受体调控基因的表达变化,由此阐明了污染物通过与受体直接作用导致细胞和活体生物功能改变的分子机制.同时结合计算模拟,探讨了污染物生物效应与其化学结构之间的关系,发现污染物的受体活性取决于它们与受体结合的空间构型,而其活性强度基本与二者的结合能力一致,主要受疏水作用和氢键的影响.此外,还通过研究污染物与天然配体转运蛋白的相互作用,明确了各个污染物与转运蛋白的结合能力,探讨了其构效关系,并评估了污染物对天然配体在体内转运过程的潜在干扰效应.通过上述研究工作,提出了多层面、多靶点研究环境污染物分子毒理机制的新思路,建立和引进了研究污染物与生物靶分子相互作用的新方法,发现了PBDEs、PFAAs与TR、ER、PPARγ核受体结合的新模式,为深入了解这些污染物的分子毒理机制提供了有用的信息和有效的研究手段.     

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.