Atmospheric particle characterization, distribution, and deposition in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, Central China

Physical characterization and chemical analysis of settled dusts collected in Xi’an from November 2007 to December 2008 show that (1) dust deposition rates ranged from 14.6 to 350.4 g m⁻² yr⁻¹. The average deposition rate (76.7 g m⁻² yr⁻¹) ranks the 11th out of 56 dust deposition rates observed throughout the world. The coal-burning power was the major particle source; (2) on average (except site 4), ∼10% of the settled dusts having size <2.6, ∼30% having size <10.5, and >70% having size <30 μm; (3) the concentrations for 20 out of 27 elements analyzed were upto 18 times higher than their soil background values in China. With such high deposition rates of dusts that contain elevated levels of toxic elements, actions should be taken to reduce emission and studies are needed to assess the potential impacts of settled particles on surface ecosystem, water resource, and human health in the area.     

Low cost measurements of nitrogen and sulphur dry deposition velocities at a semi-alpine site: gradient measurements and a comparison with deposition model estimates

The conditional time averaged gradient method was used to measure air-surface exchange of nitrogen and sulphur compounds at a semi-alpine site in Southern Norway. Dry deposition velocities were then obtained from the bi-weekly concentration gradient measurements. Annual deposition velocities were found to be 1.4, 11.8 and 4.0 mm s(-1) for NH3, HNO3 and SO2, respectively, if all data were included, and to be 10.8, 11.8 and 13.0 mm s(-1), respectively, if only positive values were included. Measured deposition velocities were compared to two sets of values estimated from a big-leaf dry deposition module applying to two different land types (short grass and forbs, and tundra), driven by measured micrometeorological parameters. The deposition module gives reasonable values for this site throughout the year, but does not reproduce the large variability as shown in the measured data. No apparent seasonal variations were found from either measurements or module estimates due to the very low productivity of the studied area.     

Modeling Acidification Recovery on Threatened Ecosystems: Application to the Evaluation of the Gothenburg Protocol in France

To evaluate the acid deposition reduction negotiated for 2010 within the UNECE LRTAP Gothenburg Protocol, sulphur and nitrogen deposition time-series (1880–2100) were compared to critical loads of acidity on five French ecosystems: Massif Central basalt (site 1) and granite (2); Paris Bassin tertiary sands (3); Vosges mountains sandstone (4) and Landes eolian sands (5). The SAFE model was used to estimate the response of soil solution pH and ratio to the deposition scenario. Among the five sites, critical loads were exceeded in the past at sites 3, 4 and 5. Sites 3 and 4 were still expected to exceed in 2010, the Protocol year. Further reduction of atmospheric deposition, mainly nitrogen, would be needed to achieve recovery on these ecosystems. At sites 3, 4 and 5, the delay between the critical load exceedance and the violation of the critical chemical criterion was estimated to be 10 to 30 years in the top soil and 50 to 90 years in the deeper soil. At site 5, a recovery was expected in the top soil in 2010 with a time lag of 10 years. Unexpectedly, soil pH continued to decrease after 1980 in the deeper soil at sites 2 and 5. This time lag indicated that acidification moved down the soil profile as a consequence of slow base cation depletion by ion exchange. This delayed response of the soil solution was the result of the combination of weathering rates and vegetation uptake but also of the relative ratio between base cation deposition and acid compounds.     

Trends in snowpack chemistry and comparison to National Atmospheric Deposition Program results for the Rocky Mountains, US, 1993–2004

Seasonal snowpack chemistry data from the Rocky Mountain region of the US was examined to identify long-term trends in concentration and chemical deposition in snow and in snow-water equivalent. For the period 1993–2004, comparisons of trends were made between 54 Rocky Mountain Snowpack sites and 16 National Atmospheric Deposition Program wetfall sites located nearby in the region. The region was divided into three subregions: Northern, Central, and Southern. A non-parametric correlation method known as the Regional Kendall Test was used. This technique collectively computed the slope, direction, and probability of trend for several sites at once in each of the Northern, Central, and Southern Rockies subregions. Seasonal Kendall tests were used to evaluate trends at individual sites.Significant trends occurred during the period in wetfall and snowpack concentrations and deposition, and in precipitation. For the comparison, trends in concentrations of ammonium, nitrate, and sulfate for the two networks were in fair agreement. In several cases, increases in ammonium and nitrate concentrations, and decreases in sulfate concentrations for both wetfall and snowpack were consistent in the three subregions. However, deposition patterns between wetfall and snowpack more often were opposite, particularly for ammonium and nitrate. Decreases in ammonium and nitrate deposition in wetfall in the central and southern rockies subregions mostly were moderately significant (p<0.11) in constrast to highly significant increases in snowpack (p<0.02). These opposite trends likely are explained by different rates of declining precipitation during the recent drought (1999–2004) and increasing concentration. Furthermore, dry deposition was an important factor in total deposition of nitrogen in the region. Sulfate deposition decreased with moderate to high significance in all three subregions in both wetfall and snowpack. Precipitation trends consistently were downward and significant for wetfall, snowpack, and snow-telemetry data for the central and southern rockies subregions (p<0.03), while no trends were noted for the Northern Rockies subregion.     

甲胺生产废水中氨氮资源化的试验研究

利用MgSO4·7H2O和Na2HPO4·12H2O作为试验药剂,通过正交试验和单因素优化试验,对化学沉淀法处理甲胺生产废水中氨氮的工艺条件进行优化.结果表明,在pH=9.4、反应时间15 min、搅拌速度150 r/min、Mg:N(摩尔比值)=1.1、P:N(摩尔比值)=1.0时,化学沉淀法处理300 mL甲胺生产废水,氨氮去除率维持在92%以上,COD去除率可达37%以上.同时为验证工艺条件适应性和沉淀物(MgNH4PO4)作为农作物肥料使用的价值性,对最优条件下得到的沉淀物进行研究.与MgNH4PO4纯度为100%相比,沉淀物MgNH4PO4纯度达到86%以上.因此,化学沉淀法处理氨氮不仅具有良好的效果,而且得到的MgNH4PO4含有较高N、P,可以用作农作物肥料.     

Empirical and simulated critical loads for nitrogen deposition in California mixed conifer forests

Empirical critical loads (CL) for N deposition were determined from changes in epiphytic lichen communities, elevated NO(3)(-) leaching in streamwater, and reduced fine root biomass in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws.) at sites with varying N deposition. The CL for lichen community impacts of 3.1kg ha(-1) year(-1) is expected to protect all components of the forest ecosystem from the adverse effects of N deposition. Much of the western Sierra Nevada is above the lichen-based CL, showing significant changes in lichen indicator groups. The empirical N deposition threshold and that simulated by the DayCent model for enhanced NO(3)(-)leaching were 17kg N ha(-1) year(-1). DayCent estimated that elevated NO(3)(-) leaching in the San Bernardino Mountains began in the late 1950s. Critical values for litter C:N (34.1), ponderosa pine foliar N (1.1%), and N concentrations (1.0%) in the lichen Letharia vulpina ((L.) Hue) are indicative of CL exceedance.     

Effects of Conversion of Dry Tropical Forest to Agricultural Mosaic on Herpetofaunal Assemblages

Abstract: We explored the impact of forest conversion to agricultural mosaic on anuran, lizard, snake, and turtle assemblages of Neotropical dry forests. Over 2 years, we sampled 6 small watersheds on the west coast of Mexico, 3 conserved and 3 disturbed. The disturbed watersheds were characterized by a mosaic of pastures and cultivated fields (corn, beans, squash) intermingled with patches of different successional stages of dry forest. In each watershed, we conducted 11 diurnal and nocturnal time‐constrained searches in 10 randomly established plots. We considered vulnerability traits of species in relation to habitat modification. Eighteen anuran, 18 lizard, 23 snake, and 3 turtle species were recorded. Thirty‐six species (58%) occurred in both forest conditions, and 14 (22%) and 12 species (19%) occurred only in the conserved and disturbed sites, respectively. Assemblages responded differently to disturbance. Species richness, diversity, and abundance of lizards were higher in disturbed forests. Anuran diversity and species richness were lower in disturbed forest but abundance was similar in both forest conditions. Diversity, richness, and abundance of turtles were lower in disturbed forest. The structure and composition of snake assemblages did not differ between forest conditions. We considered species disturbance sensitive if their abundance was significantly less in disturbed areas. Four anuran (22%), 2 lizard (11%), and 3 turtle (100%) species were sensitive to disturbance. No snake species was sensitive. The decline in abundance of disturbance‐sensitive species was associated with the reduction of forest canopy cover, woody stem cover, roots, and litter‐layer ground cover. Anuran species with small body size and direct embryonic development were especially sensitive to forest disturbance. An important goal for the conservation of herpetofauna should be the determination of species traits associated with extinction or persistence in agricultural mosaics.     

Interactions of forests with secondary air pollutants: some challenges for future research

The effects of ozone and other photochemical oxidants on individual trees have been studied for several decades, but there has been much less research on the potential effects on entire forest ecosystems. Given that ozone and other oxidants affect the production and subsequent fate of biogenic volatile organic compounds that act as signalling molecules, there is a need for more detailed study of the role of oxidants in modifying trophic interactions in forests. Deposition of fine particulates to forests may act as a source of nutrients, but also changes leaf surface properties, increasing the duration of surface wetness and modifying the habitat for epiphytic organisms, leading to increased risks from pathogens. Even where this pathway contributes a relatively small input of nutrients to forests, the indirect effects on canopy processes and subsequent deposition to the forest floor in throughfall and litter may play a more important role that has yet to be fully investigated.     

南方土壤酸沉降敏感性研究Ⅷ.盐基离子淋溶的多因素分析

在模拟酸雨条件下土壤盐基离子淋溶特性研究的基础上，采用生成分分析及多元回归分析方法研究了土壤盐基淋溶的影响因子．结果表明，通过主成分分析方法可将选取的15个原始变量综合成为2个主成分，为进一步分析盐基释放量与土壤理化性质之间的关系提供了方便．影响盐基释放量的主要因子有土壤原始pH值、可交换性盐基含量、蒙脱石含量、活性氧化物、1.4nm矿物等，它们表现出效应，而高岭石和可交换性铝含量表现出负效应．利用主成分分析的结果进行多元回归分析，可得到土壤累积盐基释放量与2个主成分之间的回归方程．     

大气氮磷沉降量分析——以杭州北里湖为例

为更好地了解大气氮磷沉降量的影响因素及其对水环境的影响,采用自制采样器,对杭州北里湖2011年4月-2012年2月大气氮、磷的总、湿沉降进行采集,并通过对干、湿沉降量的计算,探讨了大气干、湿沉降中TN、TP、NH4+-N和NO3--N的变化趋势.结果表明,因秋季利于沉降而不利于扩散,夏季降水多,各物质的干沉降量表现出秋季高、夏季低的特点,湿沉降量则夏季较高.TN干沉降以NH4+-N为主,其干沉降量与气温、气压及降水量有关,而NO3--N干沉降量与风速有关;大气湿沉降量除NO3--N外,TN、TP和NH4+-N与降水量均呈现出较强的相关性,相关系数分别为0.882、0.700和0.827.在研究期间,TN、NH4+-N和NO3--N以湿沉降为主,TP以干沉降为主;北里湖大气总沉降的入湖TN量为4 503.74kg/km2,TP为100.14 kg./km2,入湖的TN/TP比值高达45,远超出正常水平,这对北里湖水体的富营养化产生了严重影响.