Meta-analysis of the effects of upstream land cover on stream recovery

Unpredictable or variable ecosystem recovery from disturbance presents a challenge to conservation, particularly as the scale of human disturbance continues to increase. Theory suggests land-cover and disturbance characteristics affect recovery, but individual studies of disturbance and recovery frequently struggle to uncover generalizable patterns because of high levels of site-specific variation. To understand how land-cover, disturbance type, and disturbance duration influence ecosystem recovery, we used studies documenting recovery of 50 streams to perform a global meta-analysis of stream recovery from disturbances that affect water quality (e.g., oil spill, fire, wastewater). We extracted upstream natural and urban land-cover percentages for each site and performed model selection and averaging to identify influences on recovery completeness. Most streams improved following the end of a disturbance (median 240% of disturbed condition) but did not recover fully to baseline predisturbance condition within the studied period (median study period 2 years; median recovery 60% of baseline). Scale of disturbance in time and space did not predict recovery, but sites with higher percentages of upstream natural land cover had less complete recovery relative to sites with more urban or agricultural cover, possibly due to higher baseline conditions in these streams. Our findings suggest impacts to systems with low anthropogenic stress may be more irreversible than impacts to already modified systems. We call for more long-term evaluations of ecosystem response to disturbance and the inclusion of regional references and predisturbance reference conditions for comparison. A more thorough understanding of the role of the surrounding landscape in shaping stream response to disturbance can help managers calibrate expectations for recovery and prioritize protection.     

河北平原土壤重金属人为污染的富集因子分析

在环境地球化学研究中,自然异常与人为异常往往同时存在,因此要判断环境污染状况,从自然异常中分离人为异常是十分重要的。文章根据重金属元素的环境地球化学行为,采用富集因子来判别河北平原表层土壤中重金属的人为污染情况。以4 km^2为一个评价单元,选择Zr为标准化元素,分别以河北太行山区岩石平均值及该评价单元所对应的深层土壤样品的分析值为地球化学背景,计算得到了河北平原表层土壤中重金属元素的两组富集因子值,分别用EF和CEF表示。结果表明,除As、Ni外,其它重金属元素的EF和CEF分布特征基本一致。按CEF计算结果,该区表层土壤约有50%的区域（约40 000 km^2）发生了1级轻微的重金属污染;As、Cr、Cu、Ni、Pb、Zn约有1%～5%的少部分区域发生了2级中度以上重金属污染;Cd、Hg达到2级中度污染的面积为河北平原总面积的14.7%和49.6%,达到3级显著污染级别以上分别为1.1%（880 km^2）和12.6%（10 080 km^2）。重金属污染主要分布在工矿区（如冀东北部地区的铁矿集区、白洋淀及周边的小冶炼厂集中区）、污灌区（如唐海县的Cd异常、石家庄及其南部的河两岸的多金属异常）、大中城镇（Hg异常）。河北平原的实例研究表明,应用富集因子可有效区分重金属污染的自然影响和人为影响。     

太湖北部流域水化学特征及其控制因素

为了解太湖北部流域主要河网区水质受该流域地质状况、岩石和土壤的化学风化作用以及人类活动的影响等方面,对太湖北部流域河网区主要河道水体中的主要离子进行了采样研究。结果表明:太湖北部流域水体中的TDS平均值为355.74mg·L-1,变化范围为276.08～681.54mg·L-1,其中Ca2+和HCO3-是占绝对优势的离子,分别占阳离子和阴离子总量的46.2%和48.9%;其次是Na+和SO42-,分别占阳离子和阴离子总量的35.9%和27.5%。进而判断出该流域水化学类型是以碳酸盐岩石和蒸发岩来源为主的HCO3--Ca2+-Na+型。再从离子的自然起源和人类活动角度分别对水化学类型的控制因素进行分析,一方面利用吉布斯分布模式投点作图得出结论:其离子自然起源的优势机制是岩石的风化作用,而蒸发-结晶和大气降水的输入作用十分微弱,这与该流域的水文、地理、地质背景相一致;另一方面通过SPSS软件的相关关系分析得出结论:NO3-、SO42-、K+、Ca2+和Mg2+的相关性较强,与Cl-也呈正相关,说明水体中这些主要离子都具有共同的来源,其中NO3-的较高含量(平均值为14.74mg·L-1)反映了该流域受人类影响较大。尤其是NO3-与SO42-的相关性达到0.83,再次说明氮污染对该流域水体的酸化和水质变化有较大影响。     

基于多源遥感信息的人为热排放量空间化——以浙江省为例

基于自上而下能源清单法,主要考虑工业、交通、建筑和人体新陈代谢这4个热源对人为热的贡献,估算了2010年浙江省68个县市的人为热排放总量.使用DMSP/OLS遥感夜间灯光数据以及阈值法提取出人为热排放的主要区域,并有效减少夜灯像元溢出效应的影响.利用夜间灯光数据和增强型植被指数(EVI)构建人居指数,基于各市县人为热排放总量与其行政区范围内人居指数累计值之间很强的相关关系建立人为热排放量空间化模型,获得了250m分辨率下浙江省2010年城市人为热通量的空间分布.结果显示浙江省各县市的平均人为热排放通量为5.5W/m²,城市高值区一般介于10~40W/m².栅格化的人为热数据可以为城市气候环境的数值模拟研究提供基础数据支持.     

北京主城区人为热排放的时空特征研究

利用源清单法对北京主城区的人为热进行研究,得出不同热源排放总量与时空特征并进行小区验证.结果表明：主城区的人为热年排放总量为1.11×10¹⁸J/a,为太阳辐射总量的8.1%,其中建筑排热占人为热排放的45.3%,交通和工业部分分别占30.1%、20.2%;人为排热总量最大的为朝阳和海淀区,占主城区总量的52.2%,最少的东城和大兴区均占7.7%;主城区平均排放强度为14.55W/m²,最大为西城区82.30W/m²,大兴区仅为2.61W/m²;人为热排放高值区多集中于北二环与北四环内,约为60~100W/m²,少数街道和地区排热在150W/m²以上,最高排热强度272~376W/m²为北京CBD区,人为热结果与遥感反演的地表温度有一定的正相关关系;交通排热的月变化不显著,日变化系数在09：00、18：00左右较高,建筑排热在不同季节不同时刻均有明显差别,出现“双峰”现象,同人们作息规律相一致.     

Selected landslide types in the Central Himalaya: their relation to geological structure and anthropogenic activities

In a region that is highly sensitive to tectonic instability, the fragile nature of the Himalayas becomes further adversely affected by anthropogenic intervention. In the present study observations indicate that the landsliding process occurs along various tectonic zones where it is assisted by human activities. Bedding and joint plane dip slopes, high joint and joint set frequencies, low vegetation cover, high monsoonal rainfall, thin soil cover and anthropogenic activities were found to be the main causative factors of the landslides. Anthropogenic activities include local path, canal and road construction, mining and quarrying, overgrazing, deforestation and unscientific agricultural practices, such as tilling steeper slopes (>30) without contour benches and without provision of drainage ditches, and overcropping without giving rest to the overtaxed soils. Where slope conditions are critical human activities should be controlled so as to minimise the slope failure processes. Various recommendations are proposed.     

ASSESSING POTENTIAL SOURCES OF ASBESTOS FIBERS IN WATER SUPPLIES OF S. E. QUEBEC1

ABSTRACT: A comparative study of the concentration of asbestos fibers in drinking water supplies of southeastern Quebec was undertaken to assess the relative contributions of fibers by asbestos-bearing railway ballast and naturally occurring asbestos deposits. Water samples were taken from areas where one or the other potential sources or neither potential source was present. In addition, rainwater samples were taken to assess the importance of atmospheric contributions. The sampling design accounted for potential variations in fiber counts due to the season, location and analytical procedures. Fiber concentrations were estimated from counts made on a JEOL 100CX scanning transmission electron microscope and statistically compared among areas. These levels were then compared with levels found in other areas of Canada and the United States. The results indicate that the rail ballast could be contributing statistically (albeit marginally) significant quantities of fibers to water supplies during the summer but not in the spring. Estimated concentrations in water supplies ranged between 1.7 × 10⁶fibers/liter and 147.8 × 10⁶fibers/liter. Fiber levels in samples taken during the spring were significantly higher and more variable than those taken during the summer. The presence of fibers in rainwater samples at concentrations of 1.9 × 10⁶fibers/liter, 18.3 × 10⁶fibers/liter and 23.7 × 10⁶fibers/liter suggests that atmospheric transport may play an important role in contributing fibers to regional systems. Fiber levels found in these systems are not unique when compared to levels observed elsewhere in North America.     

New perspectives in ecotoxicology

The task of regulating potentially harmful chemicals in the environment is presently hindered by the lack of appropriate concepts and methods for evaluating the effects of anthropogenic chemicals on ecosystems. Toxicity tests at the molecular and physiological levels have been used successfully as indicators of adverse effects on test organisms and have been extrapolated to humans to establish a basis for risk assessment. However, laboratory measurements of effects upon individuals do not translate readily into potential effects upon natural populations, in part because natural populations interact with other populations and with the physical environment. Even more difficult to assess are the deleterious impacts of anthropogenic chemicals on ecosystems, because of effects on species interactions, diversity, nutrient cycling, productivity, climatic changes, and other processes.Effects on ecosystems resulting from chemical stresses are outside the realm of classical toxicology, and an ecosystem-level perspective is essential for the consideration of such effects; but the science that deals with ecosystem-level effects,ecotoxicology, is still developing. This article synthesizes the topics discussed at a workshop on ecotoxicology held by the Ecosystems Research Center at Cornell University. Topics covered include: the regulatory framework in which ecotoxicological research must be applied; ecosystem modification of toxicant fate and transport; how ecosystem composition, structure, and function are influenced by chemicals; methods currently available for predicting the effects of chemicals at the ecosystem level; and recommendations on research needs to enhance the state of the science of ecotoxicology.     

人类活动对城市地下水影响的探讨

通过对城市地下水包气带特征、地下水的排泄和补给特征、雨水排泄特征的系统分析，认为由于城市地下水系统受自然条件和人为因素双重作用的控制使之表现出与自然状态下完全不同的特征：由于地表的硬化，城市包气带由三层结构变为四层结构，即地表硬化层、土壤水带、中间带和毛细水带；城市地区的人文历史沉积也会对包气带造成影响；雨水主要通过城市的排水系统排泄。地下水主要通过人工开采排泄，都表现出集中排泄的特点。文中还对酸沉降对城市地区地下水水质和包气带性质可能受到的影响进行了初步的分析。