Application of the benthic index of biotic integrity to environmental monitoring in Chesapeake Bay

The Chesapeake Bay benthic index of biotic integrity (B-IBI) was developed to assess benthic community health and environmental quality in Chesapeake Bay. The B-IBI provides Chesapeake Bay monitoring programs with a uniform tool with which to characterize bay-wide benthic community condition and assess the health of the Bay. A probability-based design permits unbiased annual estimates of areal degradation within the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries with quantifiable precision. However, of greatest interest to managers is the identification of problem areas most in need of restoration. Here we apply the B-IBI to benthic data collected in the Bay since 1994 to assess benthic community degradation by Chesapeake Bay Program segment and water depth. We used a new B-IBI classification system that improves the reliability of the estimates of degradation. Estimates were produced for 67 Chesapeake Bay Program segments. Greatest degradation was found in areas that are known to experience hypoxia or show toxic contamination, such as the mesohaline portion of the Potomac River, the Patapsco River, and the Maryland mainstem. Logistic regression models revealed increased probability of degraded benthos with depth for the lower Potomac River, Patapsco River, Nanticoke River, lower York River, and the Maryland mainstem. Our assessment of degradation by segment and water depth provided greater resolution of relative condition than previously available, and helped define the extent of degradation in Chesapeake Bay.     

Selecting Socio-Economic Metrics for Watershed Management

The selection of social and economic metrics to document baseline conditions and analyze the dynamic relationships between ecosystems and human communities are important decisions for scientists, managers, and watershed citizens. A large variety of social and economic data is available but these have limited use without theoretical frameworks. In this paper, several frameworks for reviewing social-ecosystem relations are offered, namely social sanctions, sense of place, civic structure, and cultural differences. Underlying all of these frameworks are attitudes, beliefs, values, and norms that affect which questions are asked and which indicators are chosen. Much work and significant challenges remain in developing a standard set of spatially based socio-economic metrics for watershed management.     

Using environmental stressor information to predict the ecological status of Maryland non-tidal streams as measured by biological indicators

In Maryland, U.S., an interim framework has recentlybeen developed for using biologically based thresholds, or `biocriteria', to assess the health of nontidal streams statewide at watershed scales. The evaluation of impairment is based on indices of biological integrity from the Maryland Biological Stream Survey (MBSS). We applied logistic regression to quantify how the biotic integrity of streams at a local scale is affected by cumulative effects resulting from catchment land uses, point sources, and nearby transmission line rights-of-way. Indicators for land use were developed from the remote sensing National Land Cover Data and applied at different scales. We determined that the risk of local impairment in nontidal streams rapidly increases with increased urban land use in the catchment area. The average likelihood of failing biocriteria doubled with every 10% points increment in urban land, thus an increase in urban land use from 0 to 20% quadruples the risk of impairment. For the basins evaluated in this study, catchments with more than 40–50% urban land use had greater than 80% probability of failing biocriteria, on average. Inclusion of rights-of-way and point sources in the model did not significantly improve the fit for this data set, most likely because of their low numbers. The overall results indicate that our predictive modeling approach can help pinpoint stream ecosystems experiencing or vulnerable to degradation.     

乙酸型顶极群落的内平衡与反馈调节机制研究

通过产酸脱硫反应器处理高浓度硫酸盐有机废水的连续流试验，从“动态”角度考察COD／SO4^2-比改变引起的pH值、氧化还原电位（ORP）、碱度（ALK）和末端产物（VFAs）等的变动及生态因子的叠加效应引发的优势种群变迁，分析了乙酸型顶极群落的稳定性及其发生定向性生态演替的规律，进而阐明了乙酸型顶极群落抵抗环境压力的内平衡与反馈调节机制，并指出乙酸型代谢和乙酸型顶极群落是产酸脱硫生态系统的典型特征。     

Effect of free-air CO2 enrichment on nematode communities in a Chinese farmland ecosystem

At a rice-wheat rotational free-air CO2 enrichment(FACE) platform, the effect of elevated atmospheric CO2 on soil nematode communities in a farmland ecosystem was studied. Wheat plots were exposed to elevated atmospheric CO2 (ambient 370 μl/L 200 μl/L).32 families and 40 genera of nematode were observed in soil suspensions during the study period. Under FACE treatment, the numbers of total nematodes, bacterivores and fungivores exhibited an increasing trend. Because of the seasonal variation of soil temperature and moisture, the effect of elevated atmospheric CO2 on soil nematodes was only observed under favorable conditions. The response of nematode communities to elevated atmospheric CO2 may indicate the change of soil food web.     

构建云南省新型生态工业园区的思考

论述了构建云南新型生态工业园区的必要性,对构建云南生态工业园提出了设想和初步设计,并分析了存在问题,提出了保证措施。     

长江口岛屿湿地的底栖动物资源研究

调查了长江口3个岛屿湿地的底栖动物资源及其生态特征和环境功能。经鉴定底栖无脊椎动物有41种,优势种为河蚬(Corbiculafluminea)、焦河蓝蛤(Potamocorbulaustulata)、缢蛏(Sinonovaculaconstricta)、麂眼螺(Rissoinasp.)、光滑狭口螺(Stenothyraglabra)、谭氏泥蟹(Ilyrplaxdeschampsi)、无齿相手蟹(Sesarmadenaani)和天津厚蟹(Helicetridenstientsinensis)。讨论了底栖动物资源的主要生态学特征及其环境功能,提出了对底栖动物资源合理利用与保护的建议。     

辽河流域河流栖息地评价指标与评价方法研究

建立了由底质、栖息地复杂性、速度-深度结合特性、堤岸稳定性、河道变化、河水水量状况、植被多样性、水质状况、人类活动强度和河岸土地利用类型所构成的河流栖息地评价指标体系,确定了各指标的等级划分以及栖息地综合指数的计算方法.结合2005年辽河流域河流生态调查结果,对流域内所调查的28个河段的栖息地质量状况进行了具体评价,并进一步分析了河道栖息地综合指数与河流理化因子、底栖生物以及小流域土地利用状况的相关关系.结果表明:①辽河流域28个河段的栖息地质量状况差异显著,其中10个河段达到了较好等级以上,6个仅为中等水平,12个河段为较差等级以下;②栖息地质量与理化因子、底栖生物指标具有显著相关性,表明栖息地质量是影响水质与生物状况的重要因素;③小流域的人类未利用土地比例与栖息地质量显著相关,表明小流域土地利用程度对栖息地环境质量影响较大,是恢复与保护河流栖息地质量的重要条件.     

略论中国绿色社区建设

绿色社区建设在中国刚刚起步 ,这是一种全新的发展理念、发展目标和发展模式 ,是实施可持续发展战略的现实要求 ,是加快中国城市化进程的必然选择 ,是全面建设小康社会的重要内涵 ,是创造绿色文明的热切呼唤。建设绿色社区具有重要的理论指导意义和实践示范作用。