Level of environmental threat posed by horticultural trade in Cactaceae

Ornamental horticulture has been identified as an important threat to plant biodiversity and is a major pathway for plant invasions worldwide. In this context, the family Cactaceae is particularly challenging because it is considered the fifth most threatened large taxonomic group in the world; several species are among the most widespread and damaging invasive species; and Cactaceae is one of the most popular horticultural plant groups. Based on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna and the 11 largest online auction sites selling cacti, we documented the international cactus trade. To provide an in‐depth look at the dynamics of the industry, we surveyed the businesses involved in the cactus trade in South Africa (a hotspot of cactus trade and invasions). We purchased seeds of every available species and used DNA barcoding to identify species to the genus level. Although <20% of this trade involved threatened species and <3% involved known invasive species, many species were identified by a common name. However, only 0.02% of the globally traded cacti were collected from wild populations. Despite a large commercial network, all South African imports (of which 15% and 1.5% were of species listed as threatened and invasive, respectively) came from the same source. With DNA barcoding, we identified 24% of the species to genus level. Based on our results, we believe that if trade restrictions are placed on the small proportion of cacti that are invasive and there is no major increase in harvesting of native populations, then the commercial trade in cactus poses a negligible environmental threat. However, there are currently no effective methods for easily identifying which cacti are traded, and both the illicit harvesting of cacti from the wild and the informal trade in invasive taxa pose on‐going conservation challenges.     

应用底栖动物为指示生物的松花江干流水生态预警研究

指示生物监测及水生态预警是利用水环境中指示物种的数量、群落结构指标和个体生理指标等描述水生态系统的健康状态,其相比于常规理化监测和预警更直接地反映水体的生态质量。本研究在松花江干流2012—2015年大型底栖无脊椎动物监测结果的基础上,结合各监测点生态质量管理目标,通过分析物种的种类、出现的频次、物种污染敏感性(耐污值),尝试提出了松花江干流监控断面以底栖动物为指示生物的水生态预警模式,研究思路和结果对流域水环境风险管理指标的拓展有积极作用。     

Method for Rapidly Assessing the Overtopping Risk of Bridges Due to Flooding over a Large Geographic Region

Hydraulic events are a leading cause of bridge failures. While these hydraulic events are accounted for in bridge design, changing environmental and land use conditions require continual updating of this risk. For example, after a bridge has been constructed, streamflow can change in unanticipated ways as a result of land use changes, geomorphic changes, and climate change. The objective of this research was to create a screening method able to quickly and inexpensively estimate overtopping risk across a collection of bridges based on the current streamflow conditions. The method uses a geographic information system, nationally available and standardized datasets, and recent regression equations to quantify bridge vulnerability to overtopping for flooding with varying return periods. This screening method could also be used to assist decision makers in updating the Waterway Adequacy field in the National Bridge Inventory, which indicates the overtopping risk of bridges. The method was applied to a portion of the Hampton Roads region of Virginia, United States that includes 475 bridges. The results of the analysis, when combined with transportation data for bridges, aid decision makers to assign further resources to complete more detailed analyses of bridges identified as being at risk for overtopping.     

Experimental investigations on regeneration energy and energy management strategy in series hydraulic/electric synergy system

This research work draws an insight into the experimental investigations on a series hydraulic/electric synergy system—a green transportation system. An experimental test rig of the system with all necessary sensors and instrumentation has been developed to study the energy saving through hydraulic regenerative braking. The effect of various system parameters, such as braking time, maximum accumulator pressure, pre-charge pressure of hydro-pneumatic accumulator, volumetric displacement of the hydraulic master pump, and hydraulic regeneration pump on the quantum of regeneration energy, was analyzed. In addition, an AMESim model of the real-time experimental test rig has been developed and validated with experimental results. A set of five different experimental designs (parameter variations) of the system is defined with the available standard component sizes. The best design is selected of the available experimental designs based on the maximum hydraulic regeneration energy and regeneration efficiency. It was observed that the selected design has an energy efficiency of 13.3% and a regeneration efficiency of 43.8%. An accumulator-centric control strategy for energy management is developed and implemented on the experimental test rig configured with the selected design. The effectiveness of the control strategy is tested through experiments and simulation on the developed test rig.     

The green dividend of urban biking? Evidence of improved community and sustainable development

As the cost of car ownership has skyrocketed, urban biking has experienced the largest share increase of any transportation mode, rising by 40% between the years 2000 and 2014. Growing attention is being paid to the potential local economic development impacts of urban neighbourhoods becoming more bike-friendly. It is now a green economic development strategy in cities as diverse as Chicago, New York City, Portland, and San Francisco to increase bicycling as a transportation mode. This paper reports the results of a survey of 2032 responses from faculty, staff, and students of a car-dependent, downtown university. We use a mixed methods approach, including data from the American Community Survey, to support our arguments and to inform potential savings and economic benefit calculations that can be achieved from bicycle infrastructure investments and anticipated redistributed spending patterns. We argue that urban biking results in a green dividend that promotes local community development and more importantly results in zero carbon emissions.     

三叶鬼针草生物量分配与化感作用对大气温度升高的响应

全球气候变暖已经成为不容置疑的事实,同时外来入侵植物对入侵地的生态环境造成严重的危害,外来入侵植物可能对温度升高做出积极地响应。文章研究了不同温度(22、26和30℃)处理对入侵植物三叶鬼针草(Bidens pilosa L.)种子萌发、幼苗生物量分配及化感作用的影响,探讨三叶鬼针草对全球气候变暖的响应策略。结果表明;温度为22和26℃比30℃有利于三叶鬼针草种子的萌发。温度升高显著增加三叶鬼针草的株高、生物量和叶面积,三叶鬼针草幼苗增加对茎和叶的生物量投资。同时相同浓度的三叶鬼针草水浸提液对马唐(Digitaria sanguinalis(L.)Scop)和牛筋草(Eleusine indica(L.)Gaertn)的化感作用随着温度升高而增强。研究表明:温度升高促进了三叶鬼针草的生长,改变生物量分配模式同时增强了对受体植物的化感作用。温度升高可能是促进三叶鬼针草入侵的生态环境因子之一,未来全球气温变暖可能使其入侵加剧。     

阶式生物接触氧化对富营养化太湖水源水中溶解有机物的去除性能研究

构建阶式生物接触氧化反应器处理富营养化太湖水源水，对其净水效能进行研究。结果表明，在优化工况条件下，阶式生物氧化反应器的三阶对太湖水源水中DOC的累积去除率分别为34．4％、40．2％和47．5％，对BDOC的总去除率为68．4％，除生物降解外，填料拦截、生物吸附絮凝等物理、化学作用对去除原水中的DOC仍有重要作用。DOC分子量分级表明，太湖源水中含量最大的是分子量〈500Da的DOC，含量最小的是分子量在5k～500Da间的DOC。阶式生物接触氧化反应器对分子量〈500 Da的DOC的去除率在60％以上，而出水中5k～500 Da区间的DOC含量相比原水增加近1倍。     

固定化微生物法去除模拟渗滤液中氨氮的研究

采用固定化微生物曝气生物滤池（I-BAF）技术成功处理了模拟垃圾渗滤液,探讨了pH和溶解氧（DO）对系统脱氮性能的影响。结果表明,固定化微生物曝气生物滤池反应系统启动迅速,运行稳定,可以有效去除模拟垃圾渗滤液中的有机物和氨氮,其去除率分别达到97.1%和99.9%。在pH为7.5～8.5之间,DO 4.0 mg/L左右的条件下对模拟垃圾渗滤液中氮的去除最为有利,同步硝化反硝化效率以及总氮去除率均达到最高,分别为96.2%和94.3%。这主要是由于I-BAF系统中大孔载体提供了厌氧-兼氧-好氧的微环境,使硝化和反硝化反应在同一个反应器内发生,共同作用实现模拟垃圾渗滤液中总氮的去除。     

O_3-BAC组合工艺深度净化MBR出水的中试研究

采用臭氧-生物活性炭（O3-BAC）组合工艺对某工业园区再生水厂MBR出水进行了深度净化的中试研究,主要考察了组合工艺各节点对常规指标的处理效果。结果表明,臭氧投加量约3 mg/L（H2O）、臭氧接触塔接触时间为30min、活性炭滤池空床接触时间（BECT）为15 min时,O3-BAC组合工艺能有效去除水中色度、浊度,平均色度和浊度分别从21度和7.8 NTU降至3度和2.0 NTU以下;组合工艺对UV254、高锰酸盐指数的平均去除率分别约为39%和35%;对NH4＋-N有一定的去除,去除率为58%～77%;组合工艺对粪大肠菌群去除效果显著,平均去除率在95%以上。O3-BAC组合工艺是一种有效工业园区再生水深度净化技术。     

低剂量臭氧的直接通加对活性污泥的活性、微生物种群及污泥减量化的影响

研究构建了2个容积为1.1 L的好氧活性污泥反应器（即1号和2号反应器）1,号反应器每天直接通加低剂量臭氧（投加量为0.01 g O3/g TSS）,不加臭氧的2号反应器作为对照平行运行,均采用每天换一次人工污水的充/排式操作。运行71 d的结果表明2,个反应器对人工污水COD的处理效果基本相同。反应器运行40 d后1,号反应器的污泥浓度比2号反应器的污泥浓度低1 400～1 700 mg/L并可稳定在8 200 mg/L,污泥减量化效果明显。低剂量臭氧的直接通加明显降低了胞内ATP浓度,并影响了微生物的抗氧化活性,2号反应器的平均超氧化物歧化酶和过氧化氢酶酶活比1号反应器分别高了24.3%和9.5%。PCR-DGGE对两反应器微生物种群的分析结果表明：Uncultured gammaproteobacteria bacteri-um、Nannocystis exedens和Uncultured actinobacterium为1号反应器的主要种群;而2号反应器的主要种群为Uncultured bacte-rium和Uncultured gammaproteobacteria bacterium。