Assessing the effectiveness of specially protected areas for conservation of Antarctica's botanical diversity

Vegetation is sparsely distributed over Antarctica's ice‐free ground, and distinct plant communities are present in each of the continent's 15 recently identified Antarctic Conservation Biogeographic Regions (ACBRs). With rapidly increasing human activity in Antarctica, terrestrial plant communities are at risk of damage or destruction by trampling, overland transport, and infrastructure construction and from the impacts of anthropogenically introduced species, as well as uncontrollable pressures such as fur seal (Arctocephalus gazella) activity and climate change. Under the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, the conservation of plant communities can be enacted and facilitated through the designation of Antarctic Specially Protected Areas (ASPAs). We examined the distribution within the 15 ACBRs of the 33 ASPAs whose explicit purpose includes protecting macroscopic terrestrial flora. We completed the first survey using normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) satellite remote sensing to provide baseline data on the extent of vegetation cover in all ASPAs designated for plant protection in Antarctica. Large omissions in the protection of Antarctic botanical diversity were found. There was no protection of plant communities in 6 ACBRs, and in another 6, <0.4% of the ACBR area was included in an ASPA that protected vegetation. Protected vegetation cover within the 33 ASPAs totaled 16.1 km² for the entire Antarctic continent; over half was within a single protected area. Over 96% of the protected vegetation was contained in 2 ACBRs, which together contributed only 7.8% of the continent's ice‐free ground. We conclude that Antarctic botanical diversity is clearly inadequately protected and call for systematic designation of ASPAs protecting plant communities by the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties, the members of the governing body of the continent.     

Effects of premixed methane concentration on distribution of flame region and hazard effects in a tube and a tunnel gas explosion

Study of flame distribution laws and the hazard effects in a tunnel gas explosion accident is of great importance for safety issue. However, it has not yet been fully explored. The object of present work is mainly to study the effects of premixed gas concentration on the distribution law of the flame region and the hazard effects involving methane-air explosion in a tube and a tunnel based on experimental and numerical results. The experiments were conducted in a tube with one end closed and the other open. The tube was partially filled with premixed methane-air mixture with six different premixed methane concentrations. Major simulation works were performed in a full-scale tunnel with a length of 1000 m. The first 56 m of the tunnel were occupied by methane–air mixture. Results show that the flame region is always longer than the original gas region in any case. Concentration has significant effects on the flame region distribution and the explosion behaviors. In the tube, peak overpressures and maximum rates of overpressure rise (dp/dt)_max for mixtures with lower and higher concentrations are great lower than that for mixtures close to stoichiometric concentration. Due to the gas diffusion effect, not the stoichiometric mixture but the mixture with a slightly higher concentration of 11% gets the highest peak overpressure and the shock wave speed along the tube. In the full-scale tunnel, for fuel lean and stoichiometric mixture, the maximum peak combustion rates is achieved before arriving at the boundary of the original methane accumulation region, while for fuel rich mixture, the maximum value appears beyond the region. It is also found that the flame region for the case of stoichiometric mixture is the shortest as 72 m since the higher explosion intensity shortens the gas diffusion time. The case for concentration of 13% can reach up to a longest value of 128 m for longer diffusion time and the abundant fuel. The “serious injury and death” zone caused by shock wave may reach up to 3–8 times of the length of the original methane occupied region, which is the widest damage region.     

基于逐月退水系数的三江源枯季径流特征分析

利用1960~2009年三江源区枯季月径流数据,分析了退水过程中月径流和退水系数的变化趋势,并利用逐月退水系数重建了枯季径流过程。结果表明:(1)黄河源区和澜沧江源区枯季月径流呈减少的趋势,长江源区呈微弱的增加趋势,枯季径流受控于夏季径流,二者保持一致的变化趋势;(2)黄河和长江源区逐月退水系数的变化趋势在整个退水期是增加的,意味着地下水退水过程减缓,这可能是长期的气候变暖导致江河源区地下水库容增加的结果,在澜沧江源区退水系数的变化没有明显的趋势;(3)可以利用多年平均退水系数和10月径流来重建冬季(11月到来年2月)月径流量,计算值与实测值误差控制在8%以内,拟合精度较高。该研究对认识气候变化背景下三江源区枯季径流特征和水文预报方面具有一定参考价值。     

原子荧光法测定土壤中砷的质量控制评价标准研究

组织多家实验室开展监测,研究了原子荧光法测定土壤中砷的质量控制措施及其评价标准。研究表明,RSD、RD、RSD'、RD'、RE和加标回收率是土壤监测的重要质量控制措施,对于标准样品,其评价标准分别为RSD≤10%、RD≤30%、RSD'≤20%、RD'≤30%、RE≤±20%、空白加标回收率为95%~105%、标准样品加标回收率为75%~110%;其与两个土壤标准样品系列、与土壤中砷的浓度均没有显著的相关性。     

Pesticide dispersion by spraying under tropical conditions

Pesticide air pollution by spraying was evaluated under different temperature, humidity and wind climatic conditions in Brazil. Field experiments were performed with application towards the soil and in guava orchards, where spray dispersion was monitored by adding p-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), a fluorescent substance, as a tracer to the water contained in the spray tanks. Samples were collected with filter membranes (Whatman 180025), and the PABA was extracted from the filters by shaking with water in a Petri dish and measured in a spectrofluorometer. A spray aimed towards the soil with filters positioned on the ground and hung at different heights did not show different upward dispersion as observed when lateral pulverization was conducted. In this case, a tractor with a sprayer moved through a 3 m high and 6 m wide frame with filter membranes mounted at 60 cm intervals. Spray dispersion patterns were modified by guava leaf resistance. No influence of temperature and humidity was observed in this short-lived spraying process. Nevertheless, wind drift can occur during airborne dispersion and is an important pesticide pollution source which requires control. Droplets with PABA powered by assisted spraying upwards returned to the ground by gravity and, therefore, did not constitute a vertical source of atmospheric pollution.     

山区生态旅游开发初步研究——以粤西北旅游区为例

山区旅游资源丰富,生态系统复杂但旅游承载力弱,因此山区旅游开发具有区别于其它地区的特殊的发展模式,也使研究山区生态旅游的开发具有特别重要的现实意义。从生态旅游的概念、内涵以及山区生态旅游开发的主要模式分析出发,讨论了粤西北山区生态旅游发展的现状和问题,并以粤西北旅游区的核心区怀集县为重点,探讨了经济基础较薄弱的粤西北山区发展生态旅游的对策,给出了在开发与管理方面的具体建议。     

准东煤电煤化工产业带区域环境规划的探讨

昌吉州准东地区拥有丰富的煤炭资源，是新疆重要的能源战略储备基地。分析了准东地区资源和环境现状，探讨了产业带内区域环境规划，并就产业带内生态适宜区或非适宜区产业布局和注意的环境问题进行了研究。强调在该区域发展煤电产业时，必须调整思路，强化管理，发展循环经济，走可持续发展道路。     

中国参与经济全球化的区域格局响应研究

以加入WTO为标志.中国积极参与经济全球化已成为一种必然.但由于我国的国土规模、自然环境、气候条件等方面的地区差异很大,地区之间在发展水平上一直存在着差距,地区发展不平衡是个长期的国内政治经济现象.这种地区发展的差距表现为各类地区融入经济全球化的程度不同,反应不同.有些地区能够借助经济的全球化而发展自身,有些地区则无法从中受益,甚至因而处于更加落后的境地.本文从三大经济地带、各经济区和各省(市)区三个屡次分析和探讨了不同区域对经济全球化响应的差异,并对全球化条件下我国内部区域一体化格局进行了深入的研究.     

Developing a sustainable agro-system for central Nepal using reduced tillage and straw mulching

In Nepal, soil erosion under maize (Zea mays) agro-ecosystems is most critical during the pre-monsoon season. Very few field experiments have been conducted on reduced tillage and rice straw (Oryza sativa) mulching, although these conservation approaches have been recommended. Thus, a five replicate field experiment was established in 2001 at Kathmandu University (1500 m above sea level) on land with 18% slope to evaluate the efficiency of reduced tillage and mulching on soil and nutrient losses and maize yield. The results showed non-significant differences among conservation approaches on runoff and maize yield. Mulching and reduced tillage significantly lowered annual and pre-monsoon soil and nutrient losses compared to conventional tillage. Soil organic matter (SOM) and nitrogen losses associated with eroded sediment were significantly higher in conventional tillage. However, due to limited availability and high opportunity cost of rice straw, reduced tillage would be a better option for soil and nutrient conservation without sacrificing economic yield in upland maize agro-ecosystems.     

湘江长沙段饮用水水源保护区持久性有机污染物调查及防治对策

采用Waters-C18固相萃取柱预处理水样,建立了7种痕量持久性有机污染物的固相萃取-气相色谱-电子捕获(SPE-GC-ECD)分析测试方法。方法的回收率均在82.0%~105.4%的范围内,相对标准偏差(RSD)小于5.5%。采用该方法对湘江长沙段饮用水水源保护区5个监测断面的水样进行分析和调查。研究发现,除饮用水水源保护区下游断面六氯苯和o’,p’-DDT未检出外;其它断面所测的POPs均有检出,且浓度在0.27~2.27 ng/L范围内。针对POPs的污染现状,提出了相应的防治对策。