Managing forest ecosystem services for hydropower production

In many countries, hydropower development is rapidly becoming a focus of green growth policies. This represents a significant opportunity for ecosystem services-based land management that integrates environmental and development goals to benefit the hydropower sector and support economic growth. In this study, we present an approach for targeting ecosystem-provision investment in hydropower catchments coupled with hydrologic modeling to quantify the benefits of soil and water conservation activities. We demonstrate the application of this approach in five hydropower facility catchments in the state of Himachal Pradesh, India. The results show that there is a high potential for targeted soil and water conservation to increase sediment retention services that benefit hydropower facilities (up to a 44% reduction in sediment transported from uplands into streams), although this benefit is distributed non-uniformly across catchments and levels of investment. The extent to which services can be improved is strongly driven by current land use and management practices that impact how and where conservation activities can be located. Iterative use of the method described here, in a process of stakeholder engagement and capacity-building, enables policy makers to determine the optimal mix of land management strategies and budget allocation to maximize service improvements that support hydropower production.     

摇动床生物膜反应器和活性污泥法组合技术处理高浓度有机废水的研究

利用摇动床生物膜反应器(简称摇动床)技术具有的容积负荷高与污泥产量低的优点,在普通活性污泥池的前部填充高性能丙烯酸树脂纤维(Biofringe)填料,研究了摇动床和活性污泥法组合技术处理高浓度有机废水的有效性。结果表明,该组合技术具有很强的有机物去除能力,当进水COD平均质量浓度由1500mg/L上升到2514mg/L时,出水COD的平均去除率基本保持在96%以上;整个运行阶段的出水COD浓度均满足《污水综合排放标准》(GB8978—1996)的二级标准;当进水NH4+-N浓度增加时,NH4+-N的去除率由99.7%降低到76.5%,但是在试验运行的整个阶段,摇动床和活性污泥法组合技术系统都表现出较强的硝化能力;活性污泥池中最高的混合液悬浮固体(MLSS)质量浓度为10625mg/L,最高MLSS约为普通活性污泥法的4倍;运行结束后的污泥产率为0.186,污泥产率仅为普通活性污泥法的50%左右。     

Is the growth stimulation by low doses of glyphosate sustained over time?

The herbicide, glyphosate, has been shown to stimulate growth in a range of species when applied at doses of 5-60 g a.e. ha⁻¹, corresponding to realistic spray drift events. This study investigates growth of shoot parameters over time to detect whether the glyphosate induced growth increase was sustained and had a final effect on reproduction. The results showed that an actual biomass growth rate increase took place within the first week after spraying with glyphosate doses <60 g a.e. ha⁻¹. This initial growth boost kept treated plants larger than untreated plants for up to six weeks, but at harvest there was no significant difference between control plants and treated plants. Possible effects of glyphosate hormesis on the competitive ability of spray drift affected plants are discussed.     

Specific features of seedage in Norway spruce (Picea abies karst.) in the northern Moscow region

Climatic characteristics of the northern Moscow region and the periodicity of seedage in Norway spruce were analyzed retrospectively. The relationship between the intensity of seedage and weather conditions in the period before seedage was revealed.     

WATER SUPPLY IMPACTS OF NUCLEAR FALL1

ABSTRACT: “Nuclear winter,” more properly called “nuclear fall,” could be caused by injection of large amounts of dust into the atmosphere. Besides causing a decrease in temperature, it could be accompanied by “nuclear drought,” a catastrophic decrease in precipitation. Dry land agriculture would then be impossible, and municipal, industrial, and irrigation water supplies would be diminished. It has been argued that nuclear winter/fall poses a much greater threat to human survival than do fall out or the direct impacts of a conflict. However, this does not appear to be true, at least for the U.S. Even under the unprecedented drought that could result from nuclear fall, water supplies would be available for many essential activities. For the most part, ground water supplies would be relatively invulnerable to nuclear drought, and adequate surface supplies would be available for potable uses. This assumes that conveyance facilities and power supplies survive a conflict largely intact or can be repaired.     

A SUPERCRITICAL FLUME FOR MEASURING SEDIMENT-LADEN STREAMFLOW1

ABSTRACT: After 25 years of operation on ephemeral streams in the semiarid Southwest, this supercritical flume has provided more than 350 station-years of reliable streamflow data, even under freezethaw conditions experienced at elevations of 1,500 to 2,100 m, in Arizona. The flume has also provided streamflow data during flood periods produced by high intensity summer thunderstorm conditions, where considerable sediment and other debris was moved downstream.     

麦秆酸预处理后与猪粪混合发酵提高产气量的效应研究

为了研究不同水平的酸处理对麦秆混合发酵过程中各指标变化的影响,本试验通过测定不同醋酸浓度、时间处理后的麦秆与猪粪混合厌氧发酵进程中还原糖、挥发性脂肪酸(VFA)含量,以及p H值变化和甲烷产量,探究各指标的关系并优化得出最佳醋酸处理组合,以期为酸预处理混合发酵实现高甲烷产量提供可靠的理论依据.结果表明,醋酸处理后的麦秆通过与猪粪混合发酵可明显提高甲烷单位产量,增幅为124.28%~207.40%.发酵过程中还原糖、VFA、p H值间相互影响.通过响应面法建立模型,得到醋酸处理的最优组合为浓度3.35%、时间6.75d,最大甲烷单位产量751.97 m L·g-1(以VS计).     

不同施氮处理下旱作农田土壤CH_4、N_2O气体排放特征研究

依托甘肃农业大学布设在定西市李家堡镇的长期施氮定位实验,对不同施氮农田CH4和N2O气体通量,采用静态箱-气相色谱法进行小麦生育期的连续观测,并对影响通量变化的环境因子同期观测.结果表明:5个施氮处理下(0、52.5、105、157.5、210 kg·hm-2),旱作农田土壤在小麦全生育期内表现为CH4累积通量的汇和N2O累积通量的源;且不施氮处理时,CH4累积吸收通量最大;施氮量为210 kg·hm-2时,土壤CH4的累积吸收通量所受抑制最大,即土壤CH4累积吸收通量随施氮量升高而降低.相反,不施氮处理时,土壤N2O的累积排放通量最小,施氮量为210 kg·hm-2时,土壤N2O的累积排放通量最大,土壤N2O累积排放通量随施氮量的增加而增大.综合分析,施氮量增大会抑制全生育期旱作春小麦田土壤CH4吸收通量,提高土壤N2O的排放通量.因此,合理控制施氮量有利于生育期旱作农田土壤减排.CH4平均吸收通量随土壤温度的升高而降低,随土壤水分的升高而升高;相反,N2O平均排放通量随土壤温度的升高而升高,随土壤水分的升高而降低.5~10 cm层次的土壤温度与CH4平均吸收通量呈极显著线性负相关,与N2O平均排放通量呈显著正相关.5~10 cm层次的土壤水分与CH4平均吸收通量呈极显著线性正相关,与N2O平均排放通量呈显著负相关.     

基于“国家公顷”模型的福建省2012年生态足迹分析

生态足迹是分析和评价国家或地区可持续发展的重要指标。为更加准确地核算小尺度生态足迹,修正了传统生态足迹模型中的均衡因子与产量因子,运用"国家公顷"生态足迹模型,对福建省2012年的生态足迹进行计算。结果表明,福建省2012年的人均生态足迹为1.155372nhm2,人均生态赤字为0.806598nhm2。福建省的人口消费需求超过了自然生态系统的承载能力,可持续发展状况不容乐观。     

磺化石墨烯对小麦幼苗生长及生理生化指标的影响

随着石墨烯生产量和使用量的不断增大,其对生态环境的风险逐渐引起了环境学家的关注。采用水培试验,探究了磺化石墨烯(SGO)对小麦幼苗的生长、抗氧化酶活性及脂质过氧化的影响。结果表明:在培养10 d后,低浓度磺化石墨烯对小麦根系的生长有显著促进作用(P0.05),200 mg·L-1浓度处理与对照处理相比提高了84.3%,随着浓度增加促进作用逐渐减弱,1 000 mg·L-1时与对照相比提高了19.9%。但对小麦地上部的生长没有影响。磺化石墨烯处理的小麦幼苗根系和叶片组织中超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)、过氧化物酶(POD)及丙二醛(MDA)都呈现先下降后上升的趋势。当磺化石墨烯浓度低于200 mg·L-1时,处理组小麦抗氧化酶的活性及MDA含量相对于对照处理大都有所降低,说明低浓度时磺化石墨烯没有对小麦的生长产生氧化胁迫,这与磺化石墨烯可能具有一定的抗氧化能力有关,而高浓度时由于产生氧化胁迫使各项生理生化指标逐渐上升。本实验结果为石墨烯材料对植物的毒理学研究提供了基础数据。