Elevated CO2 changes the moderate shade tolerance of yellow birch seedlings

To demonstrate the existence of light thresholds in plant growth and to examine the effects of elevated CO2 on the shade tolerance of a tree species, an experiment consisting of a completely randomized design for a total of 96 yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britton) seedlings was conducted with 3 light levels (2.9%, 7.7%, 26.1% of full sunlight)×2 CO2 levels (350 and 700±10 ppm) with 4 replications in a phytotron. The study proved that thresholds exist and they vary in different plant organs. In ambient CO2, the thresholds were 13.3%, 18.7%, 15.0%, 15.2%, and 15.6% of full sunlight for stem, leaf, root, total plant biomass, and the averaged value, respectively. In 700 ppm CO2, the corresponding thresholds were 16.7%, 21.3%, 18.1%, 21.7% and 19.5% for stem, leaf, root, total plant biomass, and the averaged value, respectively. The lowest threshold in the stem is an indicator of the minimal light intensity for regular growth for seedlings of this species. Below this threshold, light-stressful growth occurs. The result of a paired t-test indicated that the thresholds in elevated CO2 were significantly higher than in ambient CO2. This suggests that yellow birch will lose its moderate shade tolerance, evolutionally becoming a shade-intolerant species, and that it may become more difficult to naturally regenerate in the future.     

模拟酸露对植物影响的实验

模拟酸露对植物影响的实验结果表明，用酸露处理后，蚕豆的生理指标发生一定的变化，尤以ｐＨ１３．０时的变化较明显，显示了模拟酸露对植物的伤害作用。     

聚合氯化铝铁检验方法研究

聚合氯化铝铁是一种新型净水剂,它结合铝系和铁系净水剂的优点,有助于减少水中铅含量。利用《水处理剂聚合氯化铅(GB15892-1995)》和《净化剂聚合氯化铁(GB14591-93)》的方法,对聚合氯化铅铁主要技术指标的检验做了探索。经反复实验,取得了较好的效果。     

An Assessment of the Valuation Methods Used to Calculate the Index of Sustainable Economic Welfare (ISEW), Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI), and Sustainable Net Benefit Index (SNBI)

For some time now, ecological economists have been putting forward a ‘threshold hypothesis’ – the notion that when macroeconomic systems expand beyond a certain size, the additional cost of growth exceeds the flow of additional benefits. In order to support their belief, ecological economists have developed a number of similar indexes to measure and compare the benefits and costs of growth (e.g., the Index of Sustainable Economic Welfare and the Genuine Progress Indicator). In virtually every instance where an index of this type has been calculated for a particular country, the movement of the index appears to reinforce the existence of the threshold hypothesis. Of late, a number of observers have expressed concerns about whether these alternative indexes reflect concrete reality or the prejudices of ecological economists. In view of these concerns, this paper closely examines the valuation methods used in the calculation the Index of Sustainable Economic Welfare, the Genuine Progress Indicator, and the Sustainable Net Benefit Index. It is argued that a consistent and more robust set of valuation techniques is required in order for these alternative indexes to gain broad acceptability.*Readers should send their comments on this paper to: BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.     

循环经济发展指标体系研究及实证评价

以“3R”原则为指导和出发点,构建了自上而下的树型指标体系(包含目标层-控制层-指标层三层指标体系)。并形成了理论指标体系和操作指标体系,分别面向推广应用的理论研究和规划管理。据此,运用灰色关联度分析方法,对南通市循环经济规划进行预评价。分析发现：随着循环经济建设的不断推进。南通市循环经济发展水平将不断提升,但是其提升与发展表现出明显的阶段性特征,具体是：2002—2007年是对传统经济发展方式的延续与改造,因而仍处于相对粗放型的经济发展状态。循环经济建设的重点是污染减量排放和资源减量化;2008—2010年是粗放经济向集约经济转轨的阶段,此阶段更加注重生态环境保护以及污染减排和治理;2011-2020年进入了循环经济发展的初级阶段,资源集约型和节约型的循环经济初具规模。     

Bird Species Assemblages as Indicators of Biological Integrity in Great Basin Rangeland

The study evaluates the potential for bird species assemblages to serve as indicators of biological integrity of rangelands in the Great Basin in much the same way that fish and invertebrate assemblages have been used as indicators in aquatic environments. Our approach was to identify metrics of the bird community using relatively simple sampling methods that reflect the degree of rangeland degradation and are consistent over a variety of vegetation types and geographic areas. We conducted the study in three range types (i.e., potential natural plant community types) in each of two widely separated areas of the Great Basin: south-eastern Idaho (sagebrush steppe range types) and west-central Utah (salt-desert shrub range types). Sites were selected in each range type to represent three levels of grazing impact, and in Idaho included sites modified for crested wheatgrass production. Birds were sampled by point counts on 9 100-m radius plots at 250-m spacing on each of 20 sites in each area during the breeding season. In sagebrush-steppe, 964 individuals in 8 species of passerine birds were used in analyses. Five metrics were significantly related to impact class, both when analyzed within range type and when analyzed with all range types combined. Species richness, relative abundance of shrub obligate species, and relative abundance of Brewer's sparrow were generally lower for the higher impact classes, whereas the reverse was true for dominance by a single species and for relative abundance of horned larks. In contrast, total number of individuals did not differ significantly as a function of impact class. In salt-desert shrub, a total of 843 birds in 4 species were included in analyses, 98% of which were horned larks. None of the metrics identified above was significantly related to impact class. Two metrics for breeding birds in sagebrush steppe (species richness and dominance) showed little overlap between values for the extremes of impact class, and thus they have potential as indicators of biological integrity. However, the sensitivity of these metrics appears to be greatest at the high impact end of the spectrum, which suggests they may have limited utility in distinguishing between sites having light and moderate impact.     

基于指标体系的地下水环境承载力评价

在分析可持续发展指标体系及模型研究的基础上，对地下水环境承载力问题进行了探讨，并提出了相应的指标与模型，通过实全对两个模型进行了进一步阐释。结果表明，模糊优选模型较系统学模型更能反映问题的实质，结果亦更具说服力。     

Artificial neural network based carbon monoxide persistence models for episodic urban air quality management

This paper describes the development of artificial neural network (ANN) based carbon monoxide (CO) persistence (ANNCOP) models to forecast 8-h average CO concentration using 1-h maximum predicted CO data for the critical (winter) period (November–March). The models have been developed for three 8-h groupings of 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 2–10 p.m., at two air quality control regions (AQCRs) in Delhi city, representing an urban intersection and an arterial road consisting heterogeneous traffic flows. The result indicates that time grouping of 2–10 pm is dominantly affected by inversion conditions and peak traffic flow. The ANNCOP model corresponding to this grouping predicts the 8-h average CO concentrations within the accuracy range of 68–71%. The CO persistence values derived from ANNCOP model are comparable with the persistence values as suggested by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), USA. This work demonstrates that ANN based model is capable of describing winter period CO persistence phenomena.     

Determining Sources of Fecal Bacteria in Waterways

The microbiological contamination of waterways by pathogenic microbes has been, and is still, a persistent public safety concern in the United States and in most countries of the world. As most enteric pathogens are transmitted through the fecal–oral route, fecal pollution is generally regarded as the major contributor of pathogens to waterways. Fecal pollution of waterways can originate from wastewater treatment facilities, septic tanks, domestic- and wild-animal feces, and pets. Because enteric pathogens are derived from human or animal sources, techniques capable of identifying and apportioning fecal sources have been intensively investigated for use in remediation efforts and to satisfy regulatory concerns. Pollution of human origin is of the most concern, since human feces is more likely to contain human-specific enteric pathogens. Fecal indicator bacteria have been used successfully as the primary tool for microbiologically based risk assessment. However measurement of fecal indicator bacteria does not define what pathogens are present, or define the sources of these bacteria. Microbial source tracking (MST) methods that have the ability to differentiate among sources of fecal pollution are currently under development. These methods will ultimately be useful for risk assessment purposes and to aid regulatory agencies in developing strategies to remediate microbiologically impaired waterways.     

Frog, Bat, and Dung Beetle Diversity in the Cloud Forest and Coffee Agroecosystems of Veracruz, Mexico

Abstract:  We compared the species diversity of copronecrophagous beetles (Scarabaeinae) , bats, and frogs in tropical montane cloud forest (original vegetation) and shaded coffee plantations (an agroecosystem common to the region) for a landscape in central Veracruz, Mexico. We sampled in three tropical montane cloud forest fragments and in three coffee plantations with traditional polyculture shade between 1998 and 2001. The three indicator groups responded differently to the transformation of tropical montane cloud forest into shaded coffee plantations. The species richness of frogs was one-fifth less in coffee plantations than in forest fragments, and only one-third of the frog species occurred in both forest fragments and coffee plantations. The number of beetle species and their abundance was significantly greater in coffee plantations than in the forest fragments, whereas species richness and species composition of bats were virtually the same in both habitats. The majority of the abundant species remained as such in both communities, but species that were less abundant were not scarce in both habitats. We attributed differences in the species assemblages to the differing degrees of penetrability of the borders of the two habitat types (especially for the coffee plantations) and to the differences in life-history traits among species. Shaded coffee plantations form a matrix that envelops the remaining fragments of cloud forest. Together they connect the forest fragments with the other habitats of the landscape and represent a highly functional resource for the preservation of biodiversity that serves as a complement to but not a substitute for cloud forest in this notably modified landscape.