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     

Impact of human development on safety consciousness in construction

The International Labour Organization (ILO) reports that the risk of fatal occupational injuries in developing countries is almost twice as high as in developed countries, indicating a potential relationship between the fatality rates and the development level. The human development index (HDI), based on life expectancy, knowledge level and purchasing power parity, endorsed by the United Nations Development Programme, is a widely accepted measure of the development level. This study investigates the relationship between the HDI and the fatality rates reported by the ILO. A 23-country data set is used to demonstrate the general trend of the relationship followed by country-specific analyses for Australia, Spain, Hungary and Turkey. The study conducted is limited to fatal occupational injuries in construction, where the accidents are notoriously high. The results demonstrate a statistically significant inverse relationship between the fatality rates and the HDI.     

The effects on waste reduction and recycling rates when different components of the waste stream are counted

States differ in the components or solid waste management activities which they include when determining solid waste reduction and recycling rates. Thus, when attempting to draw comparisons among states, confusion arises in two ways: (1) use of two types of rates; and (2) use of different components or activities when calculating a given rate. This paper presents a mathematical basis for understanding the impacts on rate calculations when variations occur in the components and activities included in those calculations. Estimates of the incremental changes occurring in the rate calculations when incineration or selected components such as yard waste, construction and demolition wastes, and junked automobiles, are added to a base of municipal solid waste constituents are found using national data. Finally, the achieved rates reported by states counting different combinations are compared.     

Monoterpene emissions and carbonyl compound air concentrations during the blooming period of rape (Brassica napus)

An increasing percentage of agricultural land in Germany is used for oil seed plants. Hence, rape has become an important agricultural plant (in Saxony 1998: 12% of the farmland) in the recent years. During flowering of rape along with intensive radiation and high temperatures, a higher production and emission of biogenic VOC was observed. The emissions of terpenes were determined and more importantly, high concentrations of organic carbonyl compounds were observed during this field experiment. All measurements of interest have been carried out during two selected days with optimal weather conditions. It is found that the origin or the mechanism of formation of different group of compounds had strong influence on the day to day variation of their concentrations. The emission flux of terpenes from flowering rape plants was determined to be 16–32 μg h⁻¹ m⁻² (30–60 ng h⁻¹ per g dry plant––540–1080 ng h⁻¹ per plant), in total. Limonene, -thujene and sabinene were the most important compounds (about 60% of total terpenes). For limonene and sabinene reference emission rates (M_S) and temperature coefficients were determined: β_limonene=0.108 K⁻¹ and M_S=14.57 μg h⁻¹ m⁻²; β_sabinene=0.095 K⁻¹ and M_S=5.39 μg h⁻¹ m⁻².

The detected carbonyl compound concentrations were unexpectedly high (maximum formaldehyde concentration was 18.1 ppbv and 3.4 ppbv for butyraldehyde) for an open field. Possible reasons for these concentrations are the combination of primary emission from the plants induced by high temperature and high ozone stress, the secondary formation from biogenically and advected anthropogenically emitted VOC at high radiation intensities and furthered by the low wind speeds at this time.     

Monoterpene emissions and carbonyl compound air concentrations during the blooming period of rape (Brassica napus)

An increasing percentage of agricultural land in Germany is used for oil seed plants. Hence, rape has become an important agricultural plant (in Saxony 1998: 12% of the farmland) in the recent years. During flowering of rape along with intensive radiation and high temperatures, a higher production and emission of biogenic VOC was observed. The emissions of terpenes were determined and more importantly, high concentrations of organic carbonyl compounds were observed during this field experiment. All measurements of interest have been carried out during two selected days with optimal weather conditions. It is found that the origin or the mechanism of formation of different group of compounds had strong influence on the day to day variation of their concentrations. The emission flux of terpenes from flowering rape plants was determined to be 16–32 μg h⁻¹ m⁻² (30–60 ng h⁻¹ per g dry plant––540–1080 ng h⁻¹ per plant), in total. Limonene, α-thujene and sabinene were the most important compounds (about 60% of total terpenes). For limonene and sabinene reference emission rates (M_S) and temperature coefficients were determined: β_limonene=0.108 K⁻¹ and M_S=14.57 μg h⁻¹ m⁻²; β_sabinene=0.095 K⁻¹ and M_S=5.39 μg h⁻¹ m⁻².The detected carbonyl compound concentrations were unexpectedly high (maximum formaldehyde concentration was 18.1 ppbv and 3.4 ppbv for butyraldehyde) for an open field. Possible reasons for these concentrations are the combination of primary emission from the plants induced by high temperature and high ozone stress, the secondary formation from biogenically and advected anthropogenically emitted VOC at high radiation intensities and furthered by the low wind speeds at this time.     

青藏高原西北部近地表气温直减率时空分布特征

近地表气温直减率是研究山地生态系统对气候变化响应过程中的重要参数,论文基于青藏高原西北部1951—2013年的9个标准气象站以及2012—2016年的高山自设观测站的日平均气温、最低气温、最高气温（T_ave、T_min、T_max）数据,分析了青藏高原西北部近地表气温直减率（LR_Tave、LR_Tmin、LR_Tmax）的时空分布特征。结果表明：1）青藏高原西北部近地表气温随高程增大有显著下降趋势。研究区两个区域的LR_Tave、LR_Tmin、LR_Tmax均呈现出显著的空间差异性,而基于气象站的LR_Tave、LR_Tmin高于高山观测站的LR_Tave、LR_Tmin、LR_Tmax,其中LR_Tmin差异最为显著,而LR_Tmax空间差异较小。2）青藏高原西北部近地表气温直减率具有明显的季节差异,气象站的LR_Tave、LR_Tmin、LR_Tmax季节变化趋势为春季高、夏季较高、冬季低,而高山观测站的LR_Tave、LR_Tmin、LR_Tmax季节变化趋势为夏季高、冬季低。其中气象站LR_Tmax在四季中的差异最显著,而高山观测站的LR_Tmin的季节差异最大。高山观测站的气温直减率在4—9月间具有较为稳定的值。3）青藏高原西北部LR_Tave、LR_Tmin在气温突变年前后具有显著的差异,LR_Tmax无显著的变化。其中,在气温突变年之后,LR_Tave、LR_Tmin有显著的上升趋势,表明青藏高原西北部地区的LR_Tave、LR_Tmin对区域气候变化的响应显著,而LR_Tmax对区域气候变化的响应不显著。研究将有效改善青藏高原西北部气温空间分布规律研究的不足,为区域气候变化研究及生态系统对气候响应等定量研究提供理论基础。     

好氧硝化颗粒污泥搁置后活性恢复研究

利用气提式内循环间歇反应器(SBAR)考察好氧硝化颗粒污泥搁置2个月后重新投入运行, 其物理性状和微生物活性的恢复情况. 结果表明, 搁置后颗粒由棕黄色转为灰黑色, 粒径及沉降速率无明显变化. 颗粒重新投入反应器, 2周后颜色基本恢复; 污泥浓度、颗粒粒径以及沉降速率迅速增加; 颗粒中异养菌活性在1 d内即可恢复至原水平的86％, COD去除活性5 d后完全恢复, 去除率稳定在80%以上. 活性恢复阶段采用较高的曝气量和较长的循环时间有利于硝化菌的活性恢复, 第41 d曝气量由0.05 m³·h^-1提高到0.10 m³·h^-1后, 亚硝酸菌和硝酸菌活性分别由原水平的88%和82%提高到122%和92%, 氨氮去除率由之前的80% ～ 90%迅速提高到96%以上; 第65 d循环时间由4 h延长至6 h使硝酸菌的活性得到了完全恢复.     

渤海沉积物中重金属分布及环境背景值

讨论了渤海25柱岩芯样细颗粒（<0.063mm）中重金属含量分布,采用统计学方法确定了底质重金属的分布类型,通过渤海中部岩芯样分析结果,获得渤海沉积物中Cu、Pb、Zn、Cd的环境背景值。在研究中,借助Pb²¹⁰测年技术测定了百年前沉积层中重金属含量,结果与渤海底质Cu、Pb、Zn和Cd环境背景值是吻合的。     

Parental investment, potential reproductive rates, and mating system in the strawberry dart-poison frog, Dendrobates pumilio

We studied the effect of relative parental investment on potential reproductive rates (PRRs) to explain sex differences in selectivity and competition in the dart-poison frog Dendrobates pumilio. We recorded the reproductive behavior of this species in a Costa Rican lowland rainforest for almost 6 months. Females spent more time on parental care than males, and `time out' estimates suggest that PRRs of males are much higher than than those of females, rendering females the limiting sex in the mating process. Males defended territories that provide suitable calling sites, space for courtship and oviposition, and prevent interference by competitors. Male mating success was highly variable, from 0 to 12 matings, and was significantly correlated with calling activity and average perch height, but was independent of body size and weight. Estimates of opportunity for sexual selection and variation in male mating success are given. The mating system is polygamous: males and females mated several times with different mates. Females were more selective than males and may sample males between matings. The discrepancy in PRRs between the sexes due to differences in parental investment and the prolonged breeding season is sufficient to explain the observed mating pattern i.e., selective females, high variance in male mating success, and the considerable opportunity for sexual selection. Received: 9 June 1998 / Received in revised form: 27 March 1999 / Accepted: 3 April 1999     

Encounter rate and task allocation in harvester ants

As conditions change, social insect colonies adjust the numbers of workers engaged in various tasks, such as foraging and nest work. This process of task allocation operates without central control; individuals respond to simple, local cues. This study investigates one such cue, the pattern of an ant's interactions with other workers. We examined how an ant's tendency to perform midden work, carrying objects to and sorting the refuse pile of the colony, is related to the recent history of the ant's brief antennal contacts, in laboratory colonies of the red harvester ant, Pogonomyrmex barbatus. The probability that an ant performed midden work was related to its recent interactions in two ways. First, the time an ant spent performing midden work was positively correlated with the number of midden workers that ant had met while it was away from the midden. Second, ants engaged in a task other than midden work were more likely to begin to do midden work when their rate of encounter per minute with midden workers was high. Cues based on interaction rate may enable ants to respond to changes in worker numbers even though ants cannot count or assess total numbers engaged in a task. Received: 1 July 1998 / Accepted: 15 November 1998