Characterization of microbial communities from coastal waters using microarrays

Molecular methods, including DNA probes, were used to identify and enumerate pathogenic Vibrio species in the Chesapeake Bay; our data indicated that Vibrio vulnificus exhibits seasonal fluctuations in number. Our work included a characterization of total microbial communities from the Bay; development of microarrays that identify and quantify the diversity of those communities; and observation of temporal changes in those communities. To identify members of the microbial community, we amplified the 16S rDNA gene from community DNA isolated from a biofilm sample collected from the Chesapeake Bay in February, 2000. The resultant 75 sequences were 95% or more similar to 7 species including two recently described Shewanella species, baltica and frigidimarina, that have not been previously isolated from the Chesapeake. When the genera of bacteria from biofilm after culturing are compared to those detected by subcloning amplified 16S fragments from community DNA, the cultured sample exhibited a strong bias. In oysters collected in February, the most common bacteria were previously unknown. Based on our 16S findings, we are developing microarrays to detect these and other microbial species in these estuarine communities. The microarrays will detect each species using four distinct loci, with the multiple loci serving as an internal control. The accuracy of the microarray will be measured using sentinel species such as Aeromonas species, Escherichia coli, and Vibrio vulnificus. Using microarrays, it should be possible to determine the annual fluctuations of bacterial species (culturable and non-culturable, pathogenic and non-pathogenic). The data may be applied to understanding patterns of environmental change; assessing the health of the Bay; and evaluating the risk of human illness associated with exposure to and ingestion of water and shellfish.     

Biological complexity confounds the separation of point- and non-point sources of human impact on the natural world

Identifying process from pattern is one of the most vexing tasks inenvironmental monitoring. Given information on the distribution of speciesin a pre-defined area, together with comprehensive data on how environmentalconditions in that area have altered through time, is it possible toidentify the factors controlling the species‘ layout? Here, the practicalsignificance of this quandary is demonstrated using a series ofenvironmentally-degraded coastal lagoons in New South Wales. The TuggerahLakes (33°17′S,151°30′E) have over the last 50 yearsexperienced significant changes in species‘ distributions. Seagrasses,macroalgae, phytoplankton, molluscs, prawns and the jellyfish Catostylus mosaicus have altered in spatial pattern. Two human activitieshave been blamed for these perturbations: (1) agricultural clearance ofnative vegetation from the catchment, with associated input of top-soil andnutrients; (2) the commissioning of a coal-fired power station in 1967, withmassive uptake and recirculation of lake water for cooling purposes. In thispaper, spatial changes in macrophyte distributions over the last 50 yearsare reviewed in an attempt to identify the true source(s) of perturbation.The model adopted assumes that the power station is a point source of impactwhile nutrient inputs from the catchment are a diffuse source of impact;changes in species distributions can hypothetically be related back to thesesources according to whether they are localised or widespread. However,after a comprehensive analysis of available macrophyte data derived frominterviews, aerial photography and line transect methodologyies theconclusion is reached that changes in biogeographical pattern around theTuggerah Lakes cannot be attributed to specific anthropogenic pressures atanything beyond the coarsest of levels. This is considered to be the normfor most coastal management situations where natural background variation(’noise‘) and the complexity of linkages between physical, chemical andbiological components confounds the identification of causal relationships.The practical implications of this conclusion are discussed in the contextof litigation and remedial management design. Emphasis is placed on theneed to adopt an adaptive approach to estuarine management, incorporatingexplicit recognition of the limitations of available data, and to developnew techniques for identifying cause-effect relationships.     

西藏公路建设过程中的生态保护

针对西藏独特的高原生态环境特征，分析了公路建设的生态影响，提出了不同生态系统类型的生态恢复和保护措施。     

皇甫川流域主要人工灌木水分生态的研究

通过在丰水年(1998年)和欠水年(1999年)连续两个生长季对皇甫川流域主要灌木沙棘、沙柳和柠条的生物学特性、蒸腾特征及土壤水分含量的测定及分析,得出结果为:三种灌木蒸腾强度在晴天和阴天表现的日变化规律不同。在丰水年和欠水年的生长季内,三种灌木蒸腾强度均随土壤含水量和降雨量的增减而增减,环境因子综合作用于灌木蒸腾的过程。无论丰水年还是欠水年,三种灌木地上生物量的增长与蒸腾耗水量均呈同步增长,生长季内皇甫川流域主要灌木蒸腾系数均较高,灌木的生长是以消耗大量水分为代价,水分是其生长的主要限制因子之一;柠条蒸腾系数较小,这反映了柠条能较有效利用水分,积累干物质,适合于在皇甫川流域生长;通过测定与计算,皇甫川流域沙棘适宜盖度为61%～79%、柠条为43%～55%、沙柳为46%～59%。     

长白山西坡风灾干扰区的恢复和保护

长白山西坡发生的灾害性风灾干扰,一方面给长白山自然保护区的森林资源造成巨大损失,同时也提出了如何加强保护和加速恢复的新课题。文中分析了风灾干扰区的更新格局和过程以及干扰后处理的有关问题,提出了从立地和景观水平促进更新恢复的保护措施     

我国海洋灾害经济损失评估模型研究

针对目前我国海洋灾害给海洋环境及造成损害的实际情况，运用环境经济学及系统动力学的理论和方法，并在溢油模型及ＧＩＳ的支持下，首次建立了用一系列密切相关的子模块来评估经济损失的数学模型。它对于促进我国海洋灾害经济损失评估的定量化进程将起到一定的作用。     

面向未来的企业可持续发展必由之路:生态效益

介绍工业生态学中生态效益的基本概念、核心思想和企业向生态效益型发展的必要性和必然性 ,分析了推行生态效益管理的关键和难点 ,并提出我国企业推行生态效益的对策建议。     

织物干洗的工业生态研究

正确评价干洗剂对人体的毒副作用，合理地设定干洗过程挥发性有害物质的残留限量，是开发干洗业环境无害技术和绿色服务的先决条件。只有在充分保证环境安全的前提下，通过逐步推行化学清洁产品的总体选择战略，从环境管理和经济发展的结合上来规范企业的环境行为，才能最终实现干洗业的可持续发展。     

喀斯特石漠化地区生态恢复重建技术及其成果的价值评估——以广西平果县果化示范区为例

用土壤改良技术、表层岩溶水开发技术和生物恢复重建技术等对广西平果县果化示范区的土壤和植被等进行了恢复重建,结果是:果化示范区的植被覆盖率由2000年重建前的10%提高到2005年的50%~70%,水土流失也得到了较明显的控制,土壤侵蚀模数下降到了510.92 kg/(km2.a)。用生态经济学的原理和方法,对恢复后的生态系统服务价值进行了评估,结果表明示范区新增的间接利用价值达10186873元,间接利用价值是直接利用价值的12倍。新增的生态效益为8002053元,社会效益为2184820元。扣除治理期间实际投入的科研费用,增加的总生态服务净价值为8869308元。     

系统动力学复杂性及其在海洋生态学中的研究进展

海洋生态系统具有开放性、耗散性和非线性等特点,可以借助于系统动力学方法对其研究.系统动力学研究一个不可回避的问题就是系统动力学复杂性.本文在简单介绍几种常见的系统动力学模型及其复杂性问题的基础上,系统阐述了当前系统动力学复杂性在海洋生物多样性的维持、海洋生态系统的物质循环、海洋生物群落结构稳定性、有害藻类的暴发、海洋污染物的扩散、海洋生态毒理动力学、海洋生物资源的开发与管理等方面的应用、研究进展及相关问题.在总结以上研究进展的基础上,本文对系统动力学复杂性在海洋生态学研究中的应用进行了展望.