Assessing Land-Use Impacts on Natural Resources

/ Much information is available on changes that occur in natural resources from both spatially-explicit data on environmental conditions and models of the interactions of these conditions and resources with human activities. The strategy for assessing land-use impacts on natural resources developed in this paper provides a framework for using relevant data and models to address questions of how management practices can promote both use and protection of resources. This assessment strategy integrates spatially explicit environmental data using geographic information systems (GIS) with computer models that simulate changes in land cover in response to land-use impacts. The computer models also simulate susceptibility of species to changes in habitat suitability and landscape patterns. The approach is applied to management of limestone barrens on the Oak Ridge Reservation in East Tennessee. Potential limestone barrens habitats are identified by overlaying appropriate soils, geology, slope, and land-use/land-cover conditions. Their validity is tested against known sites containing rare species that occur in these habitats. The location of habitats at risk in the aftermath of human activities is determined by using an available area model that identifies the size and proximity of sites that particular types of species can no longer use as habitat. The resulting risk map can be used in land management planning. The approach uses readily available in situ and remotely sensed data and is applicable to a wide range of locations and land-use scenarios. This approach can be refined based on needs identified by land managers and on the sensitivity of the results to the resolution of available resource information.KEY WORDS: Land management; Assessment; Habitat characterization; Limestone barrens; Ecological modeling; Geographic information systems     

滦河水体溶解性有机物的综合分级表征及其混凝去除过程

天然水体溶解性有机物(DOM)是微污染物的潜在载体,是消毒副产物的主要前驱物,自身又可能成为微污染物,因此研究其内在特性和去除机理有着重要的基础性科学意义.本研究综合利用化学、物理分级方法(即树脂和超滤分级法),对中国北方典型饮用水源--滦河水体的DOM进行全面分级表征.此水体DOM基本化学分级特征是憎水酸(HoA)、亲水性物质(HiM)含量较高,且具有季节稳定性;其物理分级特征是分子量＜1 kDa及3 kDa～10 kDa的组分含量较高,也表现出一定的时间稳定性.选用工业聚合铝(PAC)研究此DOM的基本混凝特征和内在混凝机理,结果表明,强憎水部分HoA及3 kDa～10 kDa间的有机物较易被去除,而较大分子量范围10 kDa～30 kDa间的有机物去除率较低,说明混凝过程中此DOM的物理性质不起主要作用,而化学性质更为重要.特别对DOM各组分作进一步(结合)分级研究,发现HoA主要在＞10 kDa范围.＜1 kDa的有机物中主要为HiM,但其中还含有HoA和弱憎水酸(WHoA),这使特定条件下部分＜1 kDa有机物被混凝去除成为可能.另外,HoA中按分子量大小仍可分为易去除和难去除部分,但分布不连续,易去除部分在3 kDa～10 kDa和＞30 kDa区间,而其10 kDa～30 kDa部分较难去除,说明可能存在其他结构性影响因素,值得深入研究.     

NETWORK AND SUBWATERSHED PARAMETERS EXTRACTED FROM DIGITAL ELEVATION MODELS: THE BILLS CREEK EXPERIENCE1

ABSTRACT: An automated extraction of channel network and sub-watershed characteristics from digital elevation models (DEM) is performed by model DEDNM. This model can process DEM data of limited vertical resolution representing low relief terrain. Such representations often include ill-defined drainage boundaries and indeterminate flow paths. The application watershed is an 84 km² low relief watershed in southwestern Oklahoma. The standard for validation is the network and subwatershed parameters defined by the blue line method on USGS 7.5–minute topographic maps. Evaluation of the generated and validation networks by visual comparisons shows a high degree of correlation. Comparison of selected network parameters (channel length, slope, drainage density, etc.) and of drainage network composition (bifurcation, length, slope, and area ratios) shows that, on the average, the generated parameters are within 5 percent of those derived from the validation network. The largest discrepancies were found for the channel slope values. The results of this application demonstrate that DEDNM effectively addresses network definition problems often encountered in low relief terrain and that it can generate accurate network and subwatershed parameters under those conditions.     

ENVIRONMENTAL AUDITING: An Approach for Characterizing Tropospheric Ozone Risk to Forests

/ The risk tropospheric ozone poses to forests in the United States is dependent on the variation in ozone exposure across the distribution of the forests in question and the various environmental and climate factors predominant in the region. All these factors have a spatial nature, and consequently an approach to characterization of ozone risk is presented that places ozone exposure-response functions for species as seedlings and model-simulated tree and stand responses in a spatial context using a geographical information systems (GIS). The GIS is used to aggregate factors considered important in a risk characterization, including: (1) estimated ozone exposures over forested regions, (2) measures of ozone effects on species' and stand growth, and (3) spatially distributed environmental, genetic, and exposure influences on species' response to ozone. The GIS-based risk characterization provides an estimation of the extent and magnitude of the potential ozone impact on forests. A preliminary risk characterization demonstrating this approach considered only the eastern United States and only the limited empirical data quantifying the effect of ozone exposures on forest tree species as seedlings. The area-weighted response of the annual seedling biomass loss formed the basis for a sensitivity ranking: sensitive-aspen and black cherry (14%-33% biomass loss over 50% of their distribution); moderately sensitive-tulip popular, loblolly pine, eastern white pine, and sugar maple (5%-13% biomass loss); insensitive-Virginia pine and red maple (0%-1% loss). In the future, the GIS-based risk characterization will include process-based model simulations of the three- to 5-year growth response of individual species as large trees with relevant environmental interactions and model simulated response of mixed stands. The interactive nature of GIS provides a tool to explore consequences of the range of climate conditions across a species' distribution, forest management practices, changing ozone precursors, regulatory control strategies, and other factors influencing the spatial distribution of ozone over time as more information becomes available.KEY WORDS: Ecological risk assessment; GIS; Ozone; Risk characterization; Forests; Trees     

Assessment and management of urbanization-induced ecological risks

The urban ecological risk incurred during the processes of urbanization has been constantly accumulating, creating a severe challenge for China to achieve sustainable urban development. At present, research on systematic evaluation of urban ecological risks is still inadequate, especially at an urban ecosystem level. In this special issue, we use Xiamen City as an example to identify the sources and receptors of urban ecological risks, to develop a methodology system of urban ecological risk assessment, and to propose a method for the management of urban ecological risks. This special issue contains 11 research articles resulting from a comprehensive research project funded by China’s National Natural Science Foundation. The innovations reported in this special issue include a framework of urban ecological risk assessment and a standardized procedure for carrying out urban ecological risk assessment using multiple stressors and endpoints.     

火力发电厂汽轮机的安全评价

介绍了火力发电厂设备中的汽轮机的本体结构, 以及汽轮机的安全评价内容.针对汽轮机的本身特点和安全评价内容,提出了两种安全评价方法对汽轮机进行安全评价.     

开封城市土壤磷素组成特征及流失风险

为深入了解城市土壤磷素组成特征及其对受纳水体的影响,以开封城市表层土壤为研究对象,分析开封城市不同功能区土壤磷素的组成特征,并采用"突变点"法计算土壤磷素流失临界值,探讨开封城市不同功能区表层土壤磷素流失风险.结果表明,开封城市土壤总磷为400~1 427 mg·kg~(-1),其中无机磷占65%~99%;速效磷(Olsen-P)和易解吸磷分别为3.41~115.03 mg·kg~(-1)和0.01~9.40 mg·kg~(-1),与土壤磷素背景值相比,城市土壤磷素呈现明显集聚.开封城市土壤总磷和速效磷均呈现出东高西低,中心老城区高于新城区的空间分布格局;在不同功能区分布上,居民区土壤各形态磷素含量均最高.开封城市土壤磷素流失临界值对应的Olsen-P为22.18 mg·kg~(-1),超过临界值的土样占总土样数的33.64%,磷素流失风险最高的区域亦分布在中心老城区.     

微波催化燃烧气态甲苯特性及床层温度分布

采用浸渍法制备Cu-Mn-Ce/堇青石蜂窝催化剂,于微波催化燃烧装置中考察其对甲苯废气的催化活性与稳定性,并对固定床温度进行了测试分析.研究表明,微波加热下床层温度分布均匀,甲苯的最佳反应温度在230~270℃之间.当停留时间大于9.7s且床层温度高于270℃时,甲苯的降解率大于90%.铜锰铈单金属氧化物及其复合氧化物尖晶石是主要的活性组分,甲苯在其表面上进行准一级反应而被催化氧化.高温对催化剂结构有影响,但重复性试验证实了催化剂的高活性和良好的稳定性.本文为微波催化燃烧技术治理VOCs废气的中试研究及下一步的实际应用提供了理论支持.     

机械化学法修复柴油污染土壤的效率、产物及影响

针对常规污染土壤修复处理方法存在有毒降解产物、容易产生二次污染等问题,本研究采用行星球磨仪研究了机械化学法（MC）对柴油污染土壤的修复效能,利用GC/MS对柴油烃组分的降解产物进行分析,并采用SEM、XRD、BET、FTIR和TGA等方法对不同处理条件下的土壤样品进行表征.结果表明,MC处理在0.5~4.0 h内对土壤中总石油烃（TPH）的去除率可达95%以上.随着初始TPH浓度和球土质量比的升高,TPH去除率随之提高.采用MC处理后柴油组分降解难度顺序如下：烷烃<烯烃<环烷烃<芳香族化合物.在球磨处理4 h后,未检出有毒有害残留物质.球磨后土壤粒径变小,表面变粗糙,粘土矿物中的硅氧四面体暴露在土壤表面,矿物结构的结晶度逐渐降低,晶体结构逐渐破裂或变形,可在土壤表面形成富电子区域或促使土壤具有更高的反应活性,这是机械化学法高效降解柴油的主要机制.其次,土壤有机质的主要官能团受到破坏,纳米级孔隙容量降低,从而降低了土壤组分的吸附能力,增加了柴油的有效性,也有助于柴油的解吸和机械化学降解.此外,随着球磨时间的增加,土壤有机碳（SOC）含量先增加后下降,但均高于处理前.可见,MC处理可以快速彻底降解土壤中的柴油,且有利于增加土壤有机碳含量,对于石油烃污染土壤修复具有较好的应用潜力.     

冬季不同污水处理工艺对溶解性有机物的去除

以东北地区4个城市污水处理厂为研究对象,考察冬季不同污水处理工艺对溶解性有机物(DOM)组分的去除效果,以及对DOM组分的光谱学特性和卤代活性的影响.利用XAD树脂将DOM分为5个部分:疏水性有机酸(HPO-A)、疏水性中性有机物(HPO-N)、过渡亲水性有机酸(TPI-A)、过渡亲水性中性有机物(TPI-N)和亲水性有机物(HPI).结果表明,A/O法、曝气生物滤池、浮动填料法和A2/O法对DOM都具有较高的去除能力,其中曝气生物滤池对DOM的处理效果最好.经4种污水处理工艺处理后,5种组分的芳香性和三卤甲烷生成活性(STHMFP)均升高.A2/O法对HPO-A和TPI-A的芳香性增强程度最高,而曝气生物滤池对HPO-N,TPI-N和HPI的芳香性增强程度最高.浮动填料法对HPO-A,TPI-A和HPI的STHMFP升高最显著,A2/O法对HPO-N的STHMFP增加最显著,曝气生物滤池对TPI-N的STHMFP升高最显著.4种污水处理工艺对HPI中荧光物质的去除率高于非荧光物质.而对于其他4种DOM组分来说,不同的污水处理工艺对不同荧光峰的改变不相同.