恐龙骨骼化石与其它脊椎动物骨骼的微量元素的对比研究

采用中子活化分析 (INAA)技术 ,对比分析恐龙骨骼化石及其它脊椎动物 (乌龟、鱼和大量哺乳动物 )骨骼中微量元素的含量组合 ,结果表明稀土、砷、钡、铀元素在恐龙骨骼化石中的含量远高于其它脊椎动物骨骼 ,而锌元素的含量情况却与之相反 ;同时进一步分析推测得出 :这种砷、钡元素含量的高异常和锌元素的低异常 ,极可能是导致四川盆地恐龙动物群集群死亡的原因之一。     

Wood materials used as a means to reduce greenhouse gases (GHGs): An examination of wooden utility poles

There has been growing concern over the build-up of greenhouse gase(GHGs) in the atmosphere, particularly carbon dioxide (CO₂), as acause of global warming. The IPCC Third Assessment Report (2001) suggests two ways in which the choice of materials could berelevant. First, some materials, particularly wood, have the advantage thatthey continue to hold carbon (C)in their cells even after being convertedto products. The implications of this feature are well researched. Second,an area that is not well researched relates to the different energyrequirements for producing similar products made with different materials. Using the findings of recent research, this paper compares the energyrequirements and C emissions of manufacturing a product using wood withthat of other materials. The case study of utility poles demonstrates thepositive C and global warming consequences of the lower energyrequirements of wood in the U.S., compared to other materials such assteel or concrete. It demonstrates that GHG emissions associated withutility poles are a small but significant percent of total US annual emissions. Wood utility poles are associated with GHG emission reductions of 163Terragrams (Tg) of CO₂ when compared with steel poles. This isabout 2.8 percent of US annual GHG emissions, which are estimated atabout 5.28 Petragrams (Pg) of CO₂ annually. Thus, the use ofwooden utility poles rather than steel results in a small but significantreduction in total US emissions.     

Impact of Human Activities on Carbon Dioxide (CO<Subscript>2</Subscript>) Emissions: A Statistical Analysis

Summary The balance of evidence suggests a perceptible human influence on global ecosystems. Human activities are affecting the global ecosystem, some directly and some indirectly. If researchers could clarify the extent to which specific human activities affect global ecosystems, they would be in a much better position to suggest strategies for mitigating against the worst disturbances. Sophisticated statistical analysis can help in interpreting the influence of specific human activities on global ecosystems more carefully. This study aims at identifying significant or influential human activities (i.e. factors) on CO₂ emissions using statistical analyses. The study was conducted for two cases: (i) developed countries and (ii) developing countries. In developed countries, this study identified three influential human activities for CO₂ emissions: (i) combustion of fossil fuels, (ii) population pressure on natural and terrestrial ecosystems, and (iii) land use change. In developing countries, the significant human activities causing an upsurge of CO₂ emissions are: (i) combustion of fossil fuels, (ii) terrestrial ecosystem strength and (iii) land use change. Among these factors, combustion of fossil fuels is the most influential human activity for CO₂ emissions both in developed and developing countries. Regression analysis based on the factor scores indicated that combustion of fossil fuels has significant positive influence on CO₂ emissions in both developed and developing countries. Terrestrial ecosystem strength has a significant negative influence on CO₂ emissions. Land use change and CO₂ emissions are positively related, although regression analysis showed that the influence of land use change on CO₂ emissions was still insignificant. It is anticipated, from the findings of this study, that CO₂ emissions can be reduced by reducing fossil-fuel consumption and switching to alternative energy sources, preserving exiting forests, planting trees on abandoned and degraded forest lands, or by planting trees by social/agroforestry on agricultural lands.     

南京北郊黑碳气溶胶的来源解析

利用七波段黑碳仪对2015年1~12月南京北郊地区黑碳(black carbon,BC)气溶胶实时监测,并结合黑碳仪模型对该期间内BC进行来源解析,探讨化石燃料排放产生BC(BCff)与生物质燃烧产生BC(BCbb)各自的贡献大小.结果表明,观测期间BC的吸收波长指数(α)和生物质燃烧对BC的贡献百分比(BB)的变化范围都较大但趋势较为一致;冬季α值偏高而夏季α值较低,表明不同季节时间BC来源和强度的差异性.BCff在各季节BC总浓度中占比略有不同但均高于75%;BC、BCff和BCbb的日变化趋势均呈双峰特征,在07:00~09:00和18:00~21:00左右浓度有最大值;全天中,BCff对BC贡献最大,浓度值约为BCbb的3~5倍;夜晚BC浓度普遍高于白天,其平均浓度值是白天的1.2倍.由浓度权重轨迹分析的结果可知,影响南京北郊地区高浓度BC的源区主要集中在浙江、安徽以及江西和福建等地区.     

南海西部富颗石柱状样的矿物学特征

颗石藻生物矿化作用形成的方解石质颗石化石富含地球化学信息,是古海洋研究的理想材料,而典型样品的获取及其矿物学研究是前提与基础。选取南海西部越南岸外夏季上升流区MD05-2901孔柱状样,通过颗石分布特征、生源组分、矿物物相和红外光谱等矿物学特征研究,探讨了颗石化石关联的沉积环境信息,进而探索了古海洋研究的新思路和方法。结果显示：南海西部MD05-2901孔柱状样从顶部到底部（随着深度的增大）颗石化石含量具有表层较高、中部含量最高、底部含量少的分布特征;有机碳含量在1.19%—2.78%,平均含量为1.99%,随深度的增加逐渐减小;以颗石为主的碳酸钙质无机碳含量在0.85%—1.65%波动,平均含量为1.12%,变化呈现较明显的周期性,与颗石的分布特征有强相关性;柱状样C/N分析表明这一时期沉积物主要为海洋自生沉积。富颗石沉积样品矿物物相主要含有方解石、伊利石、蒙脱石、绿泥石、高岭石,以及少量石英等。FTIR分析表明蒙脱石中可能吸附有机质,值得矿物学家深入研究。颗石藻沉积环境的矿物学特征富含沉积信息,为古海洋研究提供了新的研究途径。     

Long-run dynamics of renewable energy consumption on carbon emissions and economic growth in the European union

This paper examines long-run and short-run dynamics of renewable energy consumption on carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions and economic growth in the European Union. This study employs cointegration tests, Granger causality tests and vector error correction estimates to examine the direction of Granger causality, the long-run dynamics of economic growth and energy variables on carbon emissions. This study analyses time series data from the World Development Indicators over the period from1961 to 2012. The results of this study support a link between renewable energy consumption, economic growth, industrialization, exports and CO₂ emissions in the long-run and short-run. The results support that the sign of the long-run dynamics from the endogenous variables to the CO₂ emissions variable is negative and significant, which implies that the energy and environmental policies of the European Union aimed at curbing CO₂ emissions must have been effective in the long-term. Furthermore, renewable energy consumption and exports have significant negative impact on CO₂ emissions in the short-run. However, industrialization and economic growth have positive impact on CO₂ emissions in the short-run. The results suggest that both economic growth and industrialization must have been achieved at the cost of harming the environment. The finding suggests that the increasing consumption of renewable energy tends to play an important role in curbing carbon emissions in the region.     

Estimating the normal background rate of species extinction

A key measure of humanity's global impact is by how much it has increased species extinction rates. Familiar statements are that these are 100–1000 times pre‐human or background extinction levels. Estimating recent rates is straightforward, but establishing a background rate for comparison is not. Previous researchers chose an approximate benchmark of 1 extinction per million species per year (E/MSY). We explored disparate lines of evidence that suggest a substantially lower estimate. Fossil data yield direct estimates of extinction rates, but they are temporally coarse, mostly limited to marine hard‐bodied taxa, and generally involve genera not species. Based on these data, typical background loss is 0.01 genera per million genera per year. Molecular phylogenies are available for more taxa and ecosystems, but it is debated whether they can be used to estimate separately speciation and extinction rates. We selected data to address known concerns and used them to determine median extinction estimates from statistical distributions of probable values for terrestrial plants and animals. We then created simulations to explore effects of violating model assumptions. Finally, we compiled estimates of diversification—the difference between speciation and extinction rates for different taxa. Median estimates of extinction rates ranged from 0.023 to 0.135 E/MSY. Simulation results suggested over‐ and under‐estimation of extinction from individual phylogenies partially canceled each other out when large sets of phylogenies were analyzed. There was no evidence for recent and widespread pre‐human overall declines in diversity. This implies that average extinction rates are less than average diversification rates. Median diversification rates were 0.05–0.2 new species per million species per year. On the basis of these results, we concluded that typical rates of background extinction may be closer to 0.1 E/MSY. Thus, current extinction rates are 1,000 times higher than natural background rates of extinction and future rates are likely to be 10,000 times higher. Estimación de la Tasa Normal de Extinción de Especies     

Emerging conservation challenges and prospects in an era of offshore hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation

Globally, extensive marine areas important for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem functioning are undergoing exploration and extraction of oil and natural gas resources. Such operations are expanding to previously inaccessible deep waters and other frontier regions, while conservation‐related legislation and planning is often lacking. Conservation challenges arising from offshore hydrocarbon development are wide‐ranging. These challenges include threats to ecosystems and marine species from oil spills, negative impacts on native biodiversity from invasive species colonizing drilling infrastructure, and increased political conflicts that can delay conservation actions. With mounting offshore operations, conservationists need to urgently consider some possible opportunities that could be leveraged for conservation. Leveraging options, as part of multi‐billion dollar marine hydrocarbon operations, include the use of facilities and costly equipment of the deep and ultra‐deep hydrocarbon industry for deep‐sea conservation research and monitoring and establishing new conservation research, practice, and monitoring funds and environmental offsetting schemes. The conservation community, including conservation scientists, should become more involved in the earliest planning and exploration phases and remain involved throughout the operations so as to influence decision making and promote continuous monitoring of biodiversity and ecosystems. A prompt response by conservation professionals to offshore oil and gas developments can mitigate impacts of future decisions and actions of the industry and governments. New environmental decision support tools can be used to explicitly incorporate the impacts of hydrocarbon operations on biodiversity into marine spatial and conservation plans and thus allow for optimum trade‐offs among multiple objectives, costs, and risks.     

生物卵化石研究进展简述

卵生是动物界最普遍的繁殖方式,卵的孵化对繁殖季节突发的气候变化响应敏感,孵化成败又与生物种群数量变动和群落演替密切相关,因此卵化石具有重要的古生物学、古气候学、古生态学研究价值。但由于卵生动物种类十分丰富,卵形态特征多样,研究领域广泛,有必要总结梳理卵化石的研究进展。本文通过对主要卵生动物类群卵的形态特征,以及卵化石在古生物学、古气候学、古生态学方面研究进展的回顾,发现卵化石的研究主要集中在脊椎动物类群,为脊椎动物演化提供了重要证据,但是由于脊椎动物卵化石通常难以建立连续的长序列记录,其古生态学和古气候学研究极为不足。然而,无脊椎动物卵化石由于数量丰富,具有统计意义,其在古生态学、古气候学研究领域具有重要意义,但是其在古生物学,包括种属鉴定等方面的研究需要加强。在无脊椎动物中,蜗牛及其卵化石在黄土-古土壤地层中保存丰富且地层分布连续,最有可能建立卵化石的长序列。通过现代过程研究,明确蜗牛卵的气候指示意义,建立第四纪蜗牛卵化石长序列,发挥蜗牛卵化石的古气候学和古生态学研究价值,是亟需开展的研究工作。     

西藏地区水电开发的低碳效益评价

论文针对西藏水电开发及外送在我国优化能源资源配置、调整能源结构和控制CO₂排放中的重要地位,综合考虑受电区火力发电的供电煤耗、CO₂排放水平及其动态变化,开展西藏地区水电开发的化石燃料替代、CO₂减排等低碳效益评价。结果表明：1）2006—2012年西藏水电开发的化石燃料替代效应和CO₂减排效应变化具有明显的波动性;2）不同技术水平下西藏水电开发的化石燃料替代效应存在明显差异,华中电网技术水平下西藏水电开发的化石燃料替代量最大,西北、西藏电网技术水平下次之,全国电网技术水平下最小;3）不同排放水平下西藏水电开发的CO₂减排效应也存在明显差异,西藏电网排放水平下西藏水电开发的CO₂减排量最大,西北、华中电网排放水平下次之;4）西藏水电未来开发的化石燃料替代潜力和CO₂减排潜力突出,2030年西藏水电开发的化石燃料替代量超过2012年西北电网5省区火电燃料消耗总量的75%;与其他排放水平相比,2030年华中电网排放水平下西藏水电开发的CO₂减排量相对较小,但仍然超过2013年阿根廷、巴基斯坦、越南等国能源消费的CO₂排放量。因此,西藏水电开发及外送对于我国推动能源结构低碳化、实现2030年应对气候变化国家自主行动目标等具有重要意义。