Tradeoffs between forestry resource and conservation values under alternate policy regimes: A spatial analysis of the western Canadian boreal plains

An important element of resource management and conservation is an understanding of the tradeoffs between marketed products, such as timber, and measures of environmental quality, such as biodiversity. In this paper, we develop an integrated economic-ecological spatial optimization model that we then apply to evaluate alternate forest policies on a 560,000 km² study region of managed boreal forest in Alberta and British Columbia, Canada. The integrated model incorporates dynamic forest sector harvesting, current levels of oil and gas sector development, coarse-filter or habitat-based old forest indicators, a set of empirical forest bird abundance models, and statistical models of the natural and current fire regimes. Using our integrated model, economic tradeoff curves, or production possibility frontiers, are developed to illustrate the cost of achieving coarse-filter targets by a set time (50 years) within a 100-year time horizon. We found levels of ecological indicators and economic returns from the timber industry could both be increased if spatial constraints imposed by the current policy environment were relaxed; other factors being equal, this implies current policy should be revised. We explore the production possibility frontier's relationship to the range of natural variation of old forest habitat, and show how this range can be used to guide choices of preferred locations along the frontier. We also show that coarse-filter constraints on the abundance of certain habitat elements are sufficient to satisfy some fine-filter objectives, expressed as the predicted abundances of various species of songbirds.     

铜陵新桥矿区土壤中耐Cu微生物的筛选研究

选择安徽铜陵新桥矿区富Cu的污染土壤,充分利用微生物受自然环境重金属胁迫而产生耐性这一特点,进行土壤中耐Cu微生物的筛选研究。实验过程中分别配制三种不同的培养基,细菌、真菌和放线菌培养基。在水浴恒温振荡器中对土壤中耐受重金属的微生物进行驯化,将得到的对Cu2+耐受性最高的液体培养基作为菌源,在琼脂平板培养基上进行划线分离,并将得到的纯菌株在光学显微镜下进行形态观察,菌种经试管斜面富集培养后保存在4℃冰箱中以便后续使用。研究发现,土样中细菌和真菌对Cu的耐受性低,最高耐受质量浓度分别只达到500mg·L-1和1100mg·L-1。而放线菌表现出Cu高耐受性,分离得到的放线菌耐受Cu的质量浓度最高达到10000mg·L-1,初步鉴定该放线菌株为链霉菌属。该放线菌菌种可能同时对Cu有吸附降解特性,具有成为污染土壤生物治理的高效耐受吸附菌种的潜力巨大。     

秦岭火地塘森林水质的季节性变化特征

在秦岭火地塘林区选择2个闭合小流域及2个支沟集水区,对流域出口径流及支沟集水区溪流水pH值及水化学成分进行了8 a的测试,采用机理分析方法,就森林水质的季节性变化特征进行了研究.结果表明,林区径流pH值在7.1～8.4之间,冬、春季较高,夏、秋季较低,总体上水呈弱碱性;NO-3浓度春季和初夏较高,NH 4冬季和初春较高,PO3-4冬季与夏季较高;K 浓度春、秋季较高,Na 浓度则9月最大,8月最小;Ca2 浓度以6月和10月较高,年内变化范围19.4～44.3 mg·L-1,Mg2 则3月较高,年内变化范围2.18～5.25 mg·L-1;Cd浓度随季节的变化以1～4月较高,Pb浓度12、1月较高,但Cd、Pb均以秋季较低,年内变化范围分别为0.019～0.326 5 μg稬-1和0.217～3.886 μh稬-1;Mn浓度5、12月较高,Fe浓度春季较高,Zn则以3、8月较高.林区径流水质属Ⅰ类,相对而言,水质随季节的变化以秋季较好,冬、春季较差.     

Nestmate recognition in ants is possible without tactile interaction

Ants of the genus Camponotus are able to discriminate recognition cues of colony members (nestmates) from recognition cues of workers of a different colony (non-nestmates) from a distance of 1 cm. Free moving, individual Camponotus floridanus workers encountered differently treated dummies on a T-bar and their behavior was recorded. Aggressive behavior was scored as mandibular threat towards dummies. Dummies were treated with hexane extracts of postpharyngeal glands (PPGs) from nestmates or non-nestmates which contain long-chain hydrocarbons in ratios comparable to what is found on the cuticle. The cuticular hydrocarbon profile bears cues which are essential for nestmate recognition. Although workers were prevented from antennating the dummies, they showed significantly less aggressive behavior towards dummies treated with nestmate PPG extracts than towards dummies treated with non-nestmate PPG extracts. In an additional experiment, we show that cis-9-tricosene, an alkene naturally not found in C. floridanus' cuticular profile, is behaviorally active and can interfere with nestmate recognition when presented together with a nestmate PPG extract. Our study demonstrates for the first time that the complex multi-component recognition cues can be perceived and discriminated by ants at close range. We conclude that contact chemosensilla are not crucial for nestmate recognition since tactile interaction is not necessary.     

利用细菌表面展示技术构建镉耐受性的重组根瘤菌

通过细菌表面展示功能基因InaXN、猴金属硫蛋白α亚基四聚体MT4α和两种启动子PnifH及Plac元件,分别构建两个重组质粒pTNIM和pBLIM.进一步通过三亲本杂交,将重组质粒分别导入费氏中华根瘤菌HN01,分别构建获得诱导表达型重组菌HN01(pTNIM)和组成表达型重组菌HN01(pBLIM).在培养条件下比较测定重组菌和出发菌对镉的吸附能力和耐受性,结果表明,组成表达型重组菌HN01(pBLIM)在上述两个方面的能力得到明显增强,对镉的吸附富集能力提高了2倍.研究还发现重组根瘤菌也具有很好的静态吸附效果.盆栽实验结果表明,接种诱导表达型重组菌HN01(pTNIM)的大豆根瘤和根中Cd2+的富集量均明显高于野生菌株HN01.本实验为后续探索重组根瘤菌与宿主植物共生体系在Cd2+污染土壤修复中的应用前景奠定了基础.     

铜尾矿区9种优势植物体内重金属和氮磷含量研究

以杨山冲铜尾矿废弃地人工覆土上生长的9种优势植物为研究对象,探讨不同植物对尾矿基质中重金属和氮磷的吸收特性以及与基质理化性质之间的关联。土壤样品采集时沿基质垂直方向分为4层：A层（覆土层0~5 cm）、B层（覆土层5~20 cm）、C层（尾砂层20~25 cm）、D层（尾砂层25~40 cm）,植物样品采集时草本植物分地上和地下2部分、木本植物分根、茎和叶3部分采集。结果表明：随着9种植物生长,A层和B层基质理化性质得到明显的改善。主要表现在A层中w（总氮）、w（氨氮）、w（硝氮）、w（有效磷）和w（有机质）显著高于C、D层（P〈0.05）,B层中w（有效态Cu）、w（有效态Zn）显著低于A、C、D层（P〈0.05）。9种优势植物对Cu、Pb、Zn的吸收和积累能力具有明显差异性,其中草本植物以根系积累为主,木本植物以叶片积累为主。草本植物对尾矿基质表现出较强的适应性和耐性,其中毛叶荩草（Arthraxon prionodes）根系中Cu、Pb、Zn的富集量均最大,耐性表现最突出,是较为理想的铜尾矿基质的修复物种。另外,本研究还发现,9种植物体内氮磷质量分数也各不相同,其中木本植物叶中氮磷质量分数均大于根、茎。木本植物体内w（总氮）与w（总磷）、w（Cu）、w（Zn）相关性较好,草本植物体内w（Cu）、w（Pb）、w（Zn）之间相关性较好,表明彼此之间存在一定的促进作用。     

基于分形学的瓦斯爆炸事故时序数据分析模型及应用

针对煤矿瓦斯爆炸灾害子系统的复杂非线性动力学特性,以南方某省1958—2007年的煤矿瓦斯爆炸事故发生数构建时间序列,应用霍斯特时间序列数据的标度行为,提出瓦斯爆炸时间序列的重标极差分析(R/S分析)方法。结果表明:瓦斯爆炸时间序列的霍斯特指数为0.550 2,分形维数为1.449 8,其分式布朗运动轨迹表现出一定的持久性和非高斯性。为诊断瓦斯爆炸事故时间序列变异年份,对时间序列进行分段R/S分析,获得变异年份为1974年,以1974年为分界点构成2个时间序列,霍斯特指数分别为0.589 1和0.697 5,分形维数为1.410 9和1.302 5,与煤矿瓦斯爆炸事故时间序列的持久性趋势一致。煤矿瓦斯爆炸事故时间序列看似无序却蕴藏规律,反映了系统的动力学变化特征,R/S分析方法可以描述煤矿瓦斯爆炸事故时间序列的动力学特征。     

白银矿区土壤重金属及可培养细菌重金属耐受性研究

对白银矿区土壤重金属进行分析研究,分离、筛选和鉴定了受污染土壤中的可培养细菌,并考察其对土壤中重金属胁迫的耐受性。结果表明：白银矿区王岘镇尾渣堆和东大沟河沟土壤重金属污染Pb＞Zn＞Cu;从污染最严重的土壤中分离、筛选出砖红色微杆菌（Microbacterium testaceum）、特基拉芽孢杆菌（Bacillus tequilensis）和解单端孢菌素微杆菌（Microbacterium trichothecenolyticum）3种细菌,其中菌株M1（Microbacterium testaceum）对Pb、Zn、Cu、Cd的胁迫具有明显的耐受性。     

Factors affecting the floristic diversity and nestedness in the islets of Lake Bardawil, North Sinai, Egypt: implications for conservation

Island biogeography theory and nestedness are two relevant and important concepts in biogeography and conservation. However, their integration and application has not been examined for maintaining or maximizing species diversity, especially in arid regions. The aim of this study is to investigate the ecological mechanisms related to the observed pattern of floristic diversity and nestedness in the Lake Bardawil islets on the Mediterranean coast of Sinai Peninsula before the execution of the North Sinai Agricultural Development Project (NSADP) that will threaten the ecosystem of the lake. Plant species on 15 islets were identified and categorized into ecological groups related to their life-form, salt tolerance and succulence. Richness of total plant species and their ecological groups were positively correlated with islet area, number of habitats and elevation, and negatively with disturbance index. The temperature calculator detected highly significant nestedness for the entire flora and all ecological groups. Distance from the mainland had no effect on either species richness or nested pattern of total plant species and their ecological groups. Both the analyses of species richness and nested distribution yielded evidence for a positive species-area relationship. Although nestedness was detected for the entire plant species and their ecological groups, many species and islets exhibited idiosyncratic distribution. Idiosyncrasies could be mainly attributed to demographic stochasticity which is an important character for species interaction and diversity maintenance in arid regions. Therefore, in developing conservation strategies for the Lake Bardawil islets, it is important to incorporate spatial and temporal stability of populations.     

Genetic relatedness and space use in a behaviorally flexible species of marmot, the woodchuck (Marmota monax)

Solitary species show several patterns of space use and relatedness. Individuals may associate randomly or may live near female or male kin, often as a result of natal philopatry or dispersal patterns. Although usually described as solitary or asocial, woodchucks (Marmota monax) are behaviorally flexible marmots that exhibit greater sociality in some populations than others. I examined relationships between kinship, geographic distance, and home range overlap, as well as dispersal and philopatry, to determine the extent to which kin associated spatially. I used a combination of microsatellite DNA analysis, long-term behavioral observations, and radiotelemetry to test predictions that females, but not males, would associate with kin. Indeed, woodchucks lived closer and shared a greater proportion of their home range with more closely related animals. Overlap of females' and males' home ranges was positively correlated with kinship, and male–female dyads shared more area with closer kin. Most juveniles delayed dispersal beyond their first summer. Females often remained philopatric and settled near their natal range. Although males often dispersed as yearlings, some males also established territories within or immediately adjacent to their natal home ranges. A combination of factors can explain these spatial patterns, including high population density associated with the study site's location within a suburban environment, high dispersal costs, and abundant food. Thus, despite their asocial and solitary reputation, woodchucks displayed spatial patterns seen in other, more social species of ground-dwelling sciurids.