Assessing the economic impact of invasive species: the case of yellow starthistle (Centaurea solsitialis L.) in the rangelands of Idaho, USA

Yellow starthistle (Centaurea solsitialis L.) is an invasive weed that creates problems for the management of Idaho's rangelands. A bioeconomic approach combined with an input-output economic model is used to estimate direct and secondary economic costs of the weed in relation to its interference with agricultural and non-agricultural benefits that rangelands provide. Direct economic costs of the infestations were estimated to be of 8.2 million '05 dollars per year, and secondary costs of 4.5 million '05 dollars per year, for a total of 12.7 million '05 dollars; agricultural related economic impacts accounted for 79% of this total cost, and non-agricultural for 21%.     

Threatened and Endangered Species: At What Cost? The Corps of Engineers Looks at Expenditures and Priorities

Current political conditions, primarily budgetary uncertainty, and the related reluctance to make funding commitments for future generations, have raised questions about the costs of conservation and environmental protection that have not previously been asked. As Federal investments are scrutinized and budgets become ever more constrained, the costs associated with environmental requirements could begin to be of greater importance and to influence decisions on Federal projects. In response to concerns about the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) spending under the Endangered Species Act (P.L. 93-205) (ESA), a limited investigation was performed to determine the accuracy of reported Corps expenditures. The investigation showed that, for particular groups of species, actual conservation costs for threatened and endangered species may be twice the amounts previously reported in the annual ESA expenditure reporting to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In light of this finding, the Corps has sought a means to provide more accurate and consistent reporting of expenditures for addressing threatened and endangered species. A Species Costs Template (template) has been developed to identify the types and magnitude of costs related to the ESA and to counteract the impediments (legal, institutional, and practical) to underreporting costs. The template will be used by the Corps for reporting ESA costs beginning with Fiscal Year 2005 (FY05) (reported in January 2006). Five broad categories of expenditures (effects determination costs, ESA protection and conservation costs, equipment costs, opportunity costs, and other species costs) are identified by the template.     

A Social Analysis of the Bioinvasions of Dreissena polymorpha in Spain and Hydrilla verticillata in Guatemala

Human agency plays a key role in the processes of biological invasions. This comprises not only the human role in the configuration of driving forces or in the perception of the impacts, but also the conceptualization of alien species themselves as an environmental problem. This paper examines different stakeholders' positions in bioinvasion processes at different scales, and it looks at their relevance for the management of invasive species. It compares two cases: the invasion process of Dreissena polymorpha in the Ebro River in Spain and the case of Hydrilla verticillata in Lake Izabal, Guatemala. Our results are structured according to impacts and to management options. The discussion focuses on the relevance of incorporating the different stakeholders' interests and values in the analysis and management of biological invasions. Although social analysis of stakeholders' positions is necessary in order to foster management actions, it also reveals conflicts on the relevant criteria and on the very definition of invasive species.     

电活性生物膜阳极构建及其对2，4，6-三氯酚同步降解和产电

为实现氯酚（CPs）的高效降解和资源化利用,探究微生物燃料电池（MFC）体系优势功能菌,揭示生物降解路径.接种、驯化长春市南郊污水处理厂的厌氧活性污泥,获得生物膜阳极以构筑MFC-2,4,6-TCP体系,基于扫描电子电镜（SEM）、16S rRNA分析测序方法,考察生物膜阳极微生物的附着情况和优势菌种,基于电化学阻抗（EIS）、循环伏安（CV）和线性扫描伏安（LSV）等电化学分析手段,表征生物阳极的电化学性能和氧化还原能力.结果表明,生物膜阳极微生物种类丰富,其中Geobacter和Acinetobacter分别为MFC-2,4,6-TCP体系产电和降解驯化期的优势功能菌,体系最大输出电压可达0.55 V,最大功率密度为428.65 mW·m-2,对2,4,6-TCP的降解和矿化率可达97.5%和85.4%.随着MFC循环次数的增加,微生物代谢途径多样化,产电菌逐渐演替为协同菌,且优势功能菌对2,4,6-TCP降解的中间产物（环己醇）,其毒性远低于氯酚或苯酚,更利于被微生物利用.该结果可为氯酚废水的实际处理提供新策略和技术参考.     

向家坝库区沉积物磷形态分布及释放风险

采用改进的连续提取法研究了向家坝库区沉积物中有机磷（OP）和无机磷（IP）的各赋存形态及分布特征,讨论了各形态磷的生物可利用性和释放风险.结果表明,向家坝库区沉积物总磷（TP）含量为388.9~616.4 mg·kg^-1,总体处于安全级别.库区沉积物磷形态以惰性碎屑态无机磷（De-P_i）和残渣态有机磷（Re-P_o）为主,两者共占TP质量分数的60%以上,呈上游高下游低的趋势,流域地质背景是主要的影响因素.以可交换态无机磷（Ex-P_i）、铝结合态无机磷（Al-P_i）、铁结合态无机磷（Fe-P_i）、可交换态有机磷（Ex-P_o）、铁铝结合态有机磷（Fe/Al-P_o）之和来估算生物可利用磷（BAP）,BAP/TP来评价沉积物中磷的释放风险,BAP含量为23.0~91.1 mg·kg^-1,BAP/TP为6.2%~17.1%.向家坝水库沉积物磷的释放风险较低.库区沉积物BAP储量为767.68 t,对向家坝水库上覆水磷浓度的潜在贡献为0.148 mg·L^-1,是导致未来库区水质恶化的重要因素 之一,应加强对库区内源磷的释放管理.     

2016~2020年上海市PM2.5化学组成特征和来源解析

2016~2020年在上海市区和郊区的6个点位开展了颗粒物系统性观测研究,分析了PM_2.5的质量浓度以及水溶性离子、有机碳/元素碳、无机元素等化学组分,并利用正矩阵因子分解模型对PM_2.5的来源进行了解析。结果表明,上海PM_2.5浓度水平呈现下降趋势,年均质量浓度依次为46,43,37,40,39μg/m³,表现为冬高夏低,西高东低的时空分布特征。有机物在PM_2.5中占比最高(30%~32%),不同年份和季节间的差异较小。二次无机离子(硫酸盐、硝酸盐和铵盐)的区域性特征明显,其中硝酸盐的占比在5a间升高最多,且在冬季污染过程中起到了关键作用。解析得到PM_2.5的来源有9类,分别为二次硝酸盐(30.6%)、二次硫酸盐(20.7%)、机动车(12.6%)、工业(8.0%)、生物质燃烧(7.7%)、扬尘(6.5%)、燃煤(5.8%)、海盐(4.8%)和船舶(3.2%)。机动车和船舶等移动源、秸秆焚烧和烟花爆竹燃放等生物质燃烧源的贡献浓度在研究期间呈现下降趋势,体现了相关治理措施的管控效果。     

秦皇岛市4种常见绿化植物滞尘效应研究

通过对秦皇岛市4种常见绿化植物的叶片滞尘量、单株滞尘能力及相关因素的研究,发现绿化植物单位叶面积的滞尘量最大可以相差2.5倍左右,树种叶片滞尘能力的大小排序为：国槐＞悬铃木＞金银木＞连翘,单株滞尘能力的大小排序为：悬铃木＞国槐＞金银木＞连翘;绿化植物的滞尘量与环境中粉尘含量成正比,树木滞尘能力还与叶片表面性状、叶面积指数及植物所处环境等因素有关。     

外来赤潮生物入侵现状及对赤潮灾害的影响研究

外来赤潮生物入侵加剧了我国近海海域的赤潮灾害。根据2004—2013年的数据统计,分别从赤潮生物优势种、频率、海域分布和赤潮面积4个方面分析了外来赤潮生物对我国近海赤潮灾害的影响,并着重从外来赤潮生物入侵早期预警系统建设、压舱水排放管理和赤潮灾害防治技术3个方面提出应对措施。     

Responses of a soil bacterium, Pseudomonas chlororaphis O6 to commercial metal oxide nanoparticles compared with responses to metal ions

The toxicity of commercially-available CuO and ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) to pathogenic bacteria was compared for a beneficial rhizosphere isolate, Pseudomonas chlororaphis O6. The NPs aggregated, released ions to different extents under the conditions used for bacterial exposure, and associated with bacterial cell surface. Bacterial surface charge was neutralized by NPs, dependent on pH. The CuO NPs were more toxic than the ZnO NPs. The negative surface charge on colloids of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) was reduced by Cu ions but not by CuO NPs; the EPS protected cells from CuO NPs-toxicity. CuO NPs-toxicity was eliminated by a Cu ion chelator, suggesting that ion release was involved. Neither NPs released alkaline phosphatase from the cells’ periplasm, indicating minimal outer membrane damage. Accumulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species was correlated with CuO NPs lethality. Environmental deposition of NPs could create niches for ion release, with impacts on susceptible soil microbes.     

Quantitative Determination of Rarity of Freshwater Fishes and Implications for Imperiled‐Species Designations

Abstract: Conserving rare species and protecting biodiversity and ecosystem functioning depends on sound information on the nature of rarity. Rarity is multidimensional and has a variety of definitions, which presents the need for a quantitative classification scheme with which to categorize species as rare or common. We constructed such a classification for North American freshwater fishes to better describe rarity in fishes and provide researchers and managers with a tool to streamline conservation efforts. We used data on range extents, habitat specificities, and local population sizes of North American freshwater fishes and a variety of quantitative methods and statistical decision criteria, including quantile regression and a cost‐function algorithm to determine thresholds for categorizing a species as rare or common. Species fell into eight groups that conform to an established framework for rarity. Fishes listed by the American Fisheries Society (AFS) as endangered, threatened, or vulnerable were most often rare because their local population sizes were low, ranges were small, and they had specific habitat needs, in that order, whereas unlisted species were most often considered common on the basis of these three factors. Species with large ranges generally had few specific habitat needs, whereas those with small ranges tended to have narrow habitat specificities. We identified 30 species not designated as imperiled by AFS that were rare along all dimensions of rarity and may warrant further study or protection, and we found three designated species that were common along all dimensions and may require a review of their imperilment status. Our approach could be applied to other taxa to aid conservation decisions and serve as a useful tool for future revisions of listings of fish species.