Ownership property size,landscape structure,and spatial relationships in the Edwards Plateau of Texas (USA): landscape scale habitat management implications

The present research focused on using spatial analysis to determine relationships among land ownership property sizes and landscape structure, with a focus on conservation management implications. Indices and metrics of ownership property sizes and landscape structure were calculated for 20 km buffer areas around 31 North American Breeding Bird Survey transects, 12 located within the Edwards Plateau ecoregion and 18 in contiguous ecoregions. The number of bird species observed at each transect provided a measure of avian species richness associated with land cover classes for each respective transect (González in Urban influence on diversity of avifauna in the Edwards Plateau of Texas: effect of property sizes on rural landscape structure, Texas A&M University, 2005). Spatial correlations were calculated between each pair of the landscape indices. Spatial analysis identified a “threshold of habitat fragmentation” for the 500 acre (ac) ownership property size. Significant spatial correlations among variables showed that property sizes lower than 500 ac produced habitat fragmentation represented by a decrease in mean patch size (MN) and proximity among habitat patches (Index PROX). Spatial analysis also made possible the prioritization of ecological sub-regions of the Edwards Plateau for conservation or restoration. The Live Oak-Mesquite Savannah showed the highest average ownership property size (7305 ac) and the highest values of patch richness. Based on the results, management in the Live Oak-Mesquite Savannah sub-region should focus on the conservation of land mosaic diversity to assure native avian species turnover (Whittaker 1972). In Balcones Canyon Lands, 64 % of land was covered by farms smaller than 500 ac and the overall average ownership property size was above the threshold of fragmentation (1440 ac), implying that management policies there should focus both on habitat conservation and on restoration. In contrast, 71 % of land in the Lampasas Cut Plains was covered by farms smaller than 500 ac, and average ownership property size was very close to the fragmentation threshold (625 ac). Consequently, the results indicate that management in the Lampasas Cut Plains sub-region should focus on habitat restoration (e.g., corridors that connect isolated habitat patches). In general, the threshold of ownership property size, 500 ac, is important for conservation planning because below that threshold of property size, habitat patch size begins to decrease and the distance between equivalent patches of habitat increases. Isolated patches act as islands within a sea of less suitable habitat which produce negative effects on biodiversity. Identifying the spatial characteristics indicative of habitat fragmentation, or the likelihood thereof, is an important issue for conservation planning in places with urban sprawl influence.     

Dynamic extreme values modeling and monitoring by means of sea shores water quality biomarkers and valvometry

Water quality can be evaluated using biomarkers such as tissular enzymatic activities of endemic species. Measurement of molluscs bivalves activity at high frequency (e.g., valvometry) during a long time period is another way to record the animal behavior and to evaluate perturbations of the water quality in real time. As the pollution affects the activity of oysters, we consider the valves opening and closing velocities to monitor the water quality assessment. We propose to model the huge volume of velocity data collected in the framework of valvometry using a new nonparametric extreme values statistical model. The objective is to estimate the tail probabilities and the extreme quantiles of the distribution of valve closing velocity. The tail of the distribution function of valve closing velocity is modeled by a Pareto distribution with parameter ??_t,τ, beyond a threshold τ according to the time t of the experiment. Our modeling approach reveals the dependence between the specific activity of two enzymatic biomarkers (Glutathione-S-transferase and acetylcholinesterase) and the continuous recording of oyster valve velocity, proving the suitability of this tool for water quality assessment. Thus, valvometry allows in real-time in situ analysis of the bivalves behavior and appears as an effective early warning tool in ecological risk assessment and marine environment monitoring.     

“Würde der kreatur” and the common morality

If respect for the dignity of non-human creatures is to be an element of public policy it needs, as a first step, to be assimilated into the common morality. It is suggested that such respect may be based on several philosophical premises. Limiting the discussion to sentient animals, the paper reviews three of these: the concept of animal telos; the application of Rawlsian contractarianism to the case of non-human animals as moral patients; and human attitudes to animals in the light of virtue theory. Consideration is then given to the extent to which, by accommodating respect for the dignity of animals within the common morality, these principles might find more substantive expression in public policy.     

基于GIS淹没模型的城市道路内涝灾害风险区划研究

在求取襄阳中心城区重现期雨量与可抽排雨量的基础上,采用基于GIS暴雨洪涝淹没模型计算不同重现期致灾雨量的淹没水深和范围;依据城市内涝对道路的实际影响,制作城市道路内涝灾害风险区划图。结果表明,该方法能够直观表达研究区域内不同雨量阈值的内涝灾害淹没风险分布,定量评估淹没水深、淹没范围。同时给出了城市道路内涝灾害风险区划图,结合城市道路信息,准确定位高风险易涝街区,为政府部门决策提供科学依据。     

Seasonal dynamic and in situ division rates of the dominant Dinophysis species in Punic harbors of Carthage (Gulf of Tunis, South Mediterranean)

This study investigates spatio-temporal variations of in situ division rate (μ) of two species of the genus Dinophysis. Based on a postmitotic index approach, estimates of μ from net-haul samples were compared during five daily cell cycles studies in three stations of the Punic harbors of Carthage (Gulf of Tunis). To study the annual cycle of Dinophysis spp., weekly sampling were carried out from March 2008 to June 2010. In addition, sampling over 24 h was conducted on three-cycle studies in late spring and two-cycle studies in autumn, seasons characterized by Dinophysis proliferations. We recorded important abundances of Dinophysis sacculus stein (2.25?×?10⁴ cells/l, June 2008) and Dinophysis cf. acuminata (3?×?10⁴ cells/l, June 2009). Cellular division was phased in D. sacculus stein and D. cf. acuminata, but the division time, required for the population cohorts to pass from one phase to another, and values of estimated division rates varied between seasons and stations for the same species. D. cf. acuminata exhibit moderate (0.22 day^?1) to high (0.68 day^?1) value of μ. In contrast, D. sacculus shows very low μ values (0.02–0.17 day^?1) in autumn season to moderate values (0.21–0.35 day^?1) in late spring. The results presented here confirm that the postmitotic index approach allowed estimated of μ at low field depths and concentrations (10²–10³ cells/l).     

Applying physicochemical approaches to control phosphogypsum heavy metal releases in aquatic environment

One of the most important sources of solid waste in the Mediterranean Basin ecosystem originated from the phosphate fertilizer industries, which discharge phosphogypsum (PG) directly into aquatic environments or are stacked on stockpiles. The present study investigates metal release from PG under the influence of variable pH, increasing PG mass content, and complexing organic matter ligands. Major ions from PG leachates, grain size and charge, main functional groups along with metal leachability (Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu, and Zn) were determined using ion chromatography, laser diffraction, zetameter, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and atomic absorption spectroscopy, respectively. The complete dissolution of PG recorded is at 2 g/L. Saturation and supersaturation with respect to PG may occur at concentrations of 3 and 4 g/L, respectively, revealing a clustering phenomenon leading to heavy metal encapsulation within the aggregates. Organic ligands such as citrate may trigger the cationic exchange within the PG suspension leading to ion release. As these factors are considered as specific process involving the release of contaminants from PG during storage under natural conditions, this study could set the foundations for PG remediation in aquatic environment. Organic ligands under controlled pH conditions could be utilized in treating fertilizer industrial wastes by taking into consideration the particularity of the receiving area, thus decreasing metal hazardous impact on natural media.     

Struvite precipitation by the dissolved CO2 degasification technique: impact of the airflow rate and pH

In the present work, struvite precipitation was provoked by the dissolved CO(2) degasification technique where precipitation occurred following the degassing of the CO(2) by atmospheric air. The impact of the airflow rate and initial solution pH on struvite precipitation were assessed. For initial solution pH<6.5, no precipitation was observed. For initial solution pH>6.5, the phosphorus removal through struvite precipitation could be improved by increasing the airflow rate up to 25 L min(-1), or by increasing the initial pH for higher airflow rates. Compared to traditional techniques of struvite precipitation such as stirring and aeration, the dissolved CO(2) degasification technique is promising since a high amount of phosphorus (approximately 78%) could be removed at relatively short experiment time.     

Climate change risks in Sahelian Africa

Analyses of Sahel regional and country-specific rainfall and temperature time series derived from a fixed subset of stations show the well-documented large-scale decreasing trend in rainfall that occurred between 1970 and 2000 and also, an increasing trend in summertime maximum and wintertime minimum temperatures. The evolution of summertime mean maximum temperature is almost opposite to that of rainfall, and a significant correlation is observed between the evolution of this quantity and millet yields, in comparison with correlation with summertime rainfall. It appears that quantifying future vulnerability of the Sahel zone to climate change is rather difficult because climate models have not in general shown yet a satisfactory reproduction of the observed climate variability of this area.     

多效膜蒸馏技术浓缩回收废水中的二甲基亚砜

利用具有内部潜热回收功能的气隙式多效膜蒸馏(MEMD)组件对含二甲基亚砜(DMSO)的化纤废水进行了浓缩回收研究,考察了料液中DMSO浓度、进料流量、进料温度和膜侧进口温度对膜通量、造水比、分离因子和回收率的影响。结果表明,多效膜蒸馏可以将DMSO废水浓缩至200~300 g/L;初始浓度为6.2 g/L时,造水比和分离因子最高值分别为12.4和76.0;虽然膜通量、造水比和分离因子均随料液浓度增大而下降,但是当DMSO浓度达到200 g/L时,膜通量、造水比、分离因子仍分别高达3.74 L/(m2·h)、7.1、32.1;在整个浓缩过程中,回收率维持在99.6%以上;当DMSO废水浓缩达到150 g/L以上时,含有少量DMSO的渗透液可作为二次料液继续用MEMD过程浓缩。膜组件在连续运行的1个月内保持了良好的操作性能。该实验研究表明,多效膜蒸馏过程可以高效节能地浓缩回收化纤废水中的DMSO。