Change in avian functional fingerprints of a Neotropical montane forest over 100 years as an indicator of ecosystem integrity

Ecologically relevant traits of organisms in an assemblage determine an ecosystem's functional fingerprint (i.e., the shape, size, and position of multidimensional trait space). Quantifying changes in functional fingerprints can therefore provide information about the effects of diversity loss or gain through time on ecosystem condition and is a promising approach to monitoring ecological integrity. This, however, is seldom possible owing to limitations in historical surveys and a lack of data on organismal traits, particularly in diverse tropical regions. Using data from detailed bird surveys from 4 periods across more than a century, and morphological and ecological traits of 233 species, we quantified changes in the avian functional fingerprint of a tropical montane forest in the Andes of Colombia. We found that 78% of the variation in functional space, regardless of period, was described by 3 major axes summarizing body size, dispersal ability (indexed by wing shape), and habitat breadth. Changes in species composition significantly altered the functional fingerprint of the assemblage and functional richness and dispersion decreased 35–60%. Owing to species extirpations and to novel additions to the assemblage, functional space decreased over time, but at least 11% of its volume in the 2010s extended to areas of functional space that were unoccupied in the 1910s. The assemblage now includes fewer large-sized species, more species with greater dispersal ability, and fewer habitat specialists. Extirpated species had high functional uniqueness and distinctiveness, resulting in large reductions in functional richness and dispersion after their loss, which implies important consequences for ecosystem integrity. Conservation efforts aimed at maintaining ecosystem function must move beyond seeking to sustain species numbers to designing complementary strategies for the maintenance of ecological function by identifying and conserving species with traits conferring high vulnerability such as large body size, poor dispersal ability, and greater habitat specialization. Article impact statement: Changes in functional fingerprints provide a means to quantify the integrity of ecological assemblages affected by diversity loss or gain.     

Effect of Habitat Fragmentation and Isolation on the Population of Alpine Musk Deer

The alpine musk deer (Moschus chrysogaster) is a key species of some terrestrial ecosystems, it has an important economic and conservative significance as a kind of medical animal in China. Due to the interaction between natural forces and human disturbance, the habitats of alpine musk deer are fragmented and isolated in different mountains and the populations are confronted with many problems of survival. In this paper, we discuss the impact of habitat fragmentation and isolation on alpine musk deer populations based on the investigation on the population densities and sizes and environmental factors in different reserves, as well as on the analysis of its ecological adaptability. We found that the alpine musk deer has strong ecological adaptability; the population development of alpine musk deer may benefit from the reduction of the forest area and even from the fragmentation and isolation of the habitat to a certain extent. However, deforestion should not be encouraged only for the alpine musk deer population, but should also be based on the overall consideration of biodiversity conservation.     

Effects of SO2 and H2O on low-temperature NO conversion over F-V2O5-WO3/TiO2 catalysts

F-V_2 O_5-WO3/Ti02 catalysts were prepared by the impregnation method.As the content of F ions increased from 0.00 to 0.35 wt.%,the NO conversion of F-V_2 O_5-WO_3/TiO_2 catalysts initially increased and then decreased.The 0.2 F-V_2 O_5-WO_3/TiO_2 catalyst(0.2 wt.% F ion)exhibited the best denitration(De-NOx) performance,with more than 95% NO conversion in the temperature range 160-360℃,and 99.0% N2 selectivity between 110 and 280℃.The addition of an appropriate amount of F ions eroded the surface morphology of the catalyst and reduced its grain size,thus enhancing the NO conversion at low temperature as well as the sulfur and water resistance of the V_2 O_5-WO3/Ti02 catalyst.After selective catalytic reduction(SCR) reaction in a gas flow containing SO_2 and H_2 O,the number of NH3 adsorption sites,active component content,specific surface area and pore volume decreased to different degrees.Ammonium sulfate species deposited on the catalyst surface,which blocked part of the active sites and reduced the NO conversion performance of the catalyst.On-line thermal regeneration could not completely recover the catalyst activity,although it prolonged the cumulative life of the catalyst.In addition,a mechanism for the effects of S02 and H_2 O on catalyst NO conversion was proposed.     

硅胶表面TEOS疏水化改性及吸附VOCs特性

以正硅酸乙酯（TEOS）为疏水改性剂,通过硅胶表面的羟基接枝反应,得到具备一定疏水性的改性硅胶;利用BET、FT-IR、XRD和TG-DTG等手段对改性硅胶的结构及稳定性进行了表征;在此基础上考察了改性硅胶对各类有机废气的吸附性能.结果表明,TEOS成功接枝在了硅胶表面,改性硅胶不仅具备一定的疏水性,而且机械强度增加到原来的66.85%,稳定性也都得到了提高; 550℃空气下焙烧后的改性硅胶仍具有疏水性且吸附容量是焙烧之前的2倍;在高湿度高浓度的废气治理中,TEOS改性硅胶表现出更高的吸附能力和优良的热再生性能.高浓度下改性硅胶的吸附容量是低浓度下的10倍且不受水汽的影响;改性硅胶循环10次的吸附/脱附几乎不变,且在一定条件下,15~30min就达到90%的脱附率.     

磁性氧化石墨处理乳化含油废水及磁致增强效应

以高铁酸钾为氧化剂,基于改进Hummers法制备了新型磁性氧化石墨材料,在SEM、FTIR、氮气吸脱附和表面接触角表征基础上,探究了该材料处理乳化含油废水的效果及磁致增强效应.结果表明：相较于石墨,磁性氧化石墨比表面积增大,表面有卷曲结构并负载着Fe₃O₄颗粒,具有含氧官能团,存在疏水性较强的微观孔隙结构.在外加磁场条件下,磁性氧化石墨团聚,形成疏水性宏观孔隙结构,利于乳化油滴的吸附和附着.磁性氧化石墨处理乳化含油废水的能力远好于石墨与粉末活性炭,且处理效率与磁场强度成正相关,COD去除率可达95%以上.使用后的磁性氧化石墨进行溶剂萃取或热处理,可以循环使用.磁性氧化石墨经过4次循环使用,热再生效率为92%,溶剂萃取再生效率为86%.以上研究为乳化含油废水的处理提供了一种有效的方法.     

A Spatial Model to Estimate Habitat Fragmentation and Its Consequences on Long-Term Persistence of Animal Populations

The increasing use of the landscape by humans has led to important diminutions of natural surfaces. The remaining patches of wild habitat are small and isolated from each other among a matrix of inhospitable land-uses. This habitat fragmentation, by disabling population movements and stopping their spread to new habitats, is a major threat to the survival of numerous plant and animal species. We developed a general model, adaptable for specific species, capable of identifying suitable habitat patches within fragmented landscapes and investigating the capacity of populations to move between these patches. This approach combines GIS analysis of a landscape, with spatial dynamic modeling. Suitable habitat is identified using a threshold area to perimeter ratio. Potential movement pathways of species between habitat patches are modeled using a cellular automaton. Habitat connectivity is estimated by overlaying habitat patches with movement pathways. The maximum potential population is calculated within and between connected habitat patches and potential risk of inbreeding within meta-populations is considered. The model was tested on a sample map and applied to scenario maps of predicted land-use change in the Peoria Tri-county region (IL). It (1) showed area of natural area alone was insufficient to estimate the consequences on animal populations; (2) underscored the necessity to use approaches investigating the effect of land-use change spatially through the landscape and the importance of considering species-specific life history characteristics; and (3) highlighted the model's potential utility as an indicator of species likelihood to be affected negatively by land-use scenarios and therefore requiring detailed investigation.     

Mega-Development Trends in the Amazon: Implications for Global Change

This paper describes four global-change phenomena that are having major impacts on Amazonian forests. The first is accelerating deforestation and logging. Despite recent government initiatives to slow forest loss, deforestation rates in Brazilian Amazonia have increased from 1.1 million ha yr^–1 in the early 1990s, to nearly 1.5 million ha yr^–1 from 1992–1994, and to more than 1.9 million ha yr^–1 from 1995–1998. Deforestation is also occurring rapidly in some other parts of the Amazon Basin, such as in Bolivia and Ecuador, while industrialized logging is increasing dramatically in the Guianas and central Amazonia.The second phenomenon is that patterns of forest loss and fragmentation are rapidly changing. In recent decades, large-scale deforestation has mainly occurred in the southern and eastern portions of the Amazon — in the Brazilian states of Pará, Maranho, Rondônia, Acre, and Mato Grosso, and in northern Bolivia. While rates of forest loss remain very high in these areas, the development of major new highways is providing direct conduits into the heart of the Amazon. If future trends follow past patterns, land-hungry settlers and loggers may largely bisect the forests of the Amazon Basin.The third phenomenon is that climatic variability is interacting with human land uses, creating additional impacts on forest ecosystems. The 1997/98 El Niño drought, for example, led to a major increase in forest burning, with wildfires raging out of control in the northern Amazonian state of Roraima and other locations. Logging operations, which create labyrinths of roads and tracks in forsts, are increasing fuel loads, desiccation and ignition sources in forest interiors. Forest fragmentation also increases fire susceptibility by creating dry, fire-prone forest edges.Finally, recent evidence suggests that intact Amazonian forests are a globally significant carbon sink, quite possibly caused by higher forest growth rates in response to increasing atmospheric CO₂ fertilization. Evidence for a carbon sink comes from long-term forest mensuration plots, from whole-forest studies of carbon flux and from investigations of atmospheric CO₂ and oxygen isotopes. Unfortunately, intact Amazonian forests are rapidly diminishing. Hence, not only is the destruction of these forests a major source of greenhouse gases, but it is reducing their intrinsic capacity to help buffer the rapid anthropogenic rise in CO₂.     

废旧塑料回收利用技术

从我国废塑料回收利用的现状出发 ,分析了今后我国废塑料回收利用技术的发展趋势和应采取的措施 ,指出了废塑料回收利用的重要性。     

陶瓷微滤膜过滤黑液的清洗与再生

对无机陶瓷微滤膜过滤草桨黑液的膜清洗及再生的方法进行了研究。考察了物理和化学方法的再生效果、单种清洗剂的清洗效果、复合方法的清洗效果和效果的可重复性。结果表明物理冲洗、高温灼烧、单一的化学清洗剂清洗均可以提高陶瓷膜的再生通量；但是复合方法对陶瓷微滤膜的再生效果较好，其中按氢氧化钠溶液清洗、硝酸溶液清洗、次氯酸钠溶液清洗的实验步骤，膜的再生渗透通量高．且重复性强，可望在工业生产的在线清洗中应用。     

ASMs模型中异养菌减衰系数之间的关系及其测定

国际水协(IAWQ)推出的ASM1、ASM2、ASM2D号模型中描述微生物的衰亡过程采用了死亡-再生模式,而ASM3号模型中描述微生物的衰亡则采用了传统减衰模式,文章从两种减衰模式的机理出发,指出了两者之间的区别与联系,并详细推导了两种减衰模式中各参数之间的关系,以此得出了异养菌传统减衰系数bH'和死亡-再生减衰系数bH的测定计算方法。文中在20℃条件下,对以印染废水为主的实际污水处理厂活性污泥的异养菌减衰系数bH'和bH进行了测定,所得结果分别为0.20和0.50。