How Kentish plovers,<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Charadrius alexandrinus</Emphasis>, cope with heat stress during incubation

Biparental incubation is frequent among shorebirds and is expected when the survival prospects of offspring increase relative to uniparental incubation. To understand why this occurs, it is important to identify the factors that constrain uniparental incubation. It is assumed that birds choose nesting sites that provide an appropriate microclimate for incubation. Many shorebirds nest in sites with no or little cover, where ambient temperatures at ground level might be >50°C during very hot days. Shorebirds nest in exposed sites because predation risk on incubating adults is higher in covered sites. In hot environments, incubating shorebirds might experience heat stress in exposed sites, and this may compromise nesting success if adults are unable to attend their nests continuously, limiting the possibilities of uniparental incubation and thus the expression of a sexual conflict over incubation. The operative temperatures of Kentish plovers (Charadrius alexandrinus) were recorded in exposed and covered sites, and the thermal behaviour and incubating tactics of pair members were studied in a hot environment. During the hottest part of the day, there was a difference of 10–15°C in the operative temperatures of plovers between covered and exposed sites. Plovers in covered sites did not exhibit any thermoregulatory behaviour indicative of thermal stress, probably because the thermal range encountered by them in such places during most of the daytime was close to the thermo-neutral zone. The frequency with which plovers in exposed sites exhibited thermoregulatory behaviour was related to ambient temperature. Under very hot conditions, incubating birds were probably unable to maintain homeostasis for long periods and pair members resorted to shortening incubation bouts. Female Kentish plovers mainly incubate in the daytime and males during the night. However, the probability of diurnal incubation by males increased with ambient temperature in exposed nests, but not in covered ones. In fact, the frequency of participation in diurnal incubation by males was greater in exposed than in covered sites, suggesting that the participation of males in diurnal incubation may be related to the inability of females to stay at the nest during long periods when the ambient temperature is high. Even after resorting to shortened incubation bouts, the plovers may be unable to attend their nests continuously during heat waves, and the nests may be deserted. The propensity of plovers to desert their nests was affected by proximity to water, with nests located close to water being deserted less frequently. It seems likely that susceptibility to thermal stress changed in relation to proximity to water because in sites close to water it was possible to belly-soak, which would allow a more continuous nest attendance. Therefore, despite the adoption of behavioural solutions to face heavy heat loads, nesting success was vulnerable to these solutions because heat stress during extended periods may constrain parental nest attendance, and this may limit the opportunities for sexual conflicts over incubation.Communicated by J. Graves     

我国农田土壤碳氮耦合特征的区域差异

利用中国第2次土壤普查数据,分析了稻作和旱作方式下农田耕层土壤有机碳和全氮特征及其区域差异。结果表明,水田土壤有机碳和全氮含量分别为旱地的147.8%和145.5%,但水田碳氮含量的区域变异低于旱地。全国水田和旱地土壤有机碳氮比值分别为10.8和9.9,各区域水田土壤碳氮比值普遍高于旱地,其中东北水田最高,而华东旱地和西北旱地最低。旱地碳氮比值的区域变异显著,水田则不显著。农田耕层土壤有机碳和全氮含量呈显著正相关,除华北地区外,各区域无论水田还是旱地其碳氮含量之间相关系数都超过0.8,达极显著水平。由此可见,我国农田耕层土壤有机碳和全氮含量之间存在显著耦合关系,而且不同利用方式和区域之间差异显著;相同氮水平下,水田土壤可能储存更多的有机碳。     

中、缅、印交界地区(东喜马拉雅山-横断山) 生物多样性保护研究

在中、缅、印交界的２９．１万ｋｍ＾２区域内，可区划为６种类型区。为保护生物多样性庆在云南境内扩建和新建一批自然区，在三国交界区域建立中、缅、印国际自然保护区，并在缅甸葡萄城建核心地带管理所，在中国昆明建立东喜马拉雅山－横断山揿样性保护中心。中心对本区域内不同类型生态系统的时空分布进行宏观研究，初步确认具有全球意义的原生态区与生态系统，探索跨国界的区域性生物多样性保护与管理途径。     

A simple and cheap method for preparation of coupled ZrO2/ZnO with high photocatalytic activities

The objective of this study was to prepare a new photocatalyst with high activities for degradation of organic pollutants. Coupled ZrO₂/ZnO photocatalyst was prepared with a simple precipitation method with cheap raw materials zinc acetate and zirconium oxychloride, and was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Reactive brilliant red X-3B was used as a model compound to investigate the photocatalytic activity of synthesized catalysts in water under 254 nm UV irradiation. Results show that the optimal calcination temperature and coupling molar ratio of Zr were 350°C And 2.5%, respectively. At the calcination temperature of 350°C, ZrO₂ was dispersed on the surface of hexagonal ZnO in the form of amorphous clusters. The particle size of ZrO₂/ZnO decreased with the decrease of calcination temperature and the increase of Zr coupling amount. ZrO₂/ZnO has better photocatalytic activity for degradation of reactive brilliant red (RBR) X-3B than pure ZnO and P25-TiO₂.     

欧盟环境立法对国际环境合作的影响

在共同的全球利益之下,因社会性因素的紧密联结而结成的较为成熟的区域性组织可以说在环境保护利益上更具有可协调性,并已成为国际环境合作的一种途径.本文通过分析区域性组织-欧洲联盟内部的环境立法,来探析国际环境合作领域.     

改善环境规划管理 促进沈阳的可持续发展

结合正在实施之中的“沈阳可持续发展项目”,论述了通过消除沈阳环境规划管理方面的制约因素 ,加强发展过程中的跨部门协调合作、民主决策和公众广泛参与的机制 ,促进沈阳市社会、经济和环境全面的持续发展     

The sound of cooperation: Musical influences on cooperative behavior

Music as an environmental aspect of professional workplaces has been closely studied with respect to consumer behavior while sparse attention has been given to its relevance for employee behavior. In this article, we focus on the influence of music upon cooperative behavior within decision‐making groups. Based on results from two extended 20‐round public goods experiments, we find that happy music significantly and positively influences cooperative behavior. We also find a significant positive association between mood and cooperative behavior. Consequently, while our studies provide partial support for the relevance of affect in relation to cooperation within groups, we also show an independently important function of happy music that fits with a theory of synchronous and rhythmic activity as a social lubricant. More generally, our findings indicate that music and perhaps other atmospheric variables that are designed to prime consumer behavior might have comparably important effects for employees and consequently warrant closer investigation. Copyright © 2016 The Authors Journal of Organizational Behavior Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.     

三级AO耦合工艺低温污水处理脱氮机理

采用分段进水三级AO耦合流离生化工艺处理低温废水,在温度为（10±1）℃条件下,控制HRT为8h,进水流量分配比为3：2：1,污泥回流比为50%,考察耦合工艺对低温污水中污染物的去除效果、反应器内污染物变化规律、各级氮去除规律及系统硝化反硝化性能.研究表明：耦合工艺COD及NH₄⁺-N去除效率均超过90%,TN及TP去除效率达到80%,反应器内生物膜污泥浓度在400~800mg/L之间,系统各级NH₄⁺-N去除率均超过80%,缺氧反硝化脱氮率及好氧同步硝化反硝化脱氮率分别为50.15%和26.05%.受底物浓度及功能菌群数量影响,系统第二级比硝化速率及比反硝化速率均最高.     

Simultaneous Fe(III) reduction and ammonia oxidation process in Anammox sludge

In recent years, there have been a number of reports on the phenomenon in which ferric iron (Fe(III)) is reduced to ferrous iron [Fe(II)] in anaerobic environments, accompanied by simultaneous oxidation of ammonia to NO₂^-, NO₃^-, or N₂. However, studies on the relevant reaction characteristics and mechanisms are rare. Recently, in research on the effect of Fe(III) on the activity of Anammox sludge, excess ammonia oxidization has also been found. Hence, in the present study, Fe(III) was used to serve as the electron acceptor instead of NO₂^-, and the feasibility and characteristics of Anammox coupled to Fe(III) reduction (termed Feammox) were investigated. After 160days of cultivation, the conversion rate of ammonia in the reactor was above 80%, accompanied by the production of a large amount of NO₃^- and a small amount of NO₂^-. The total nitrogen removal rate was up to 71.8%. Furthermore, quantities of Fe(II) were detected in the sludge fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and denaturated gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analyses further revealed that in the sludge, some Anammox bacteria were retained, and some microbes were enriched during the acclimatization process. We thus deduced that in Anammox sludge, Fe(III) reduction takes place together with ammonia oxidation to NO₂^- and NO₃^- along with the Anammox process.     

A case study of development and application of a streamlined control and response modeling system for PM2.5 attainment assessment in China

This article describes the development and application of a streamlined air control and response modeling system with a novel response surface modeling-linear coupled fitting method and a new module to provide streamlined model data for PM_(2.5) attainment assessment in China.This method is capable of significantly reducing the dimensions required to establish a response surface model,as well as capturing more realistic response of PM_(2.5) to emission changes with a limited number of model simulations.The newly developed module establishes a data link between the system and the Software for Model Attainment Test—Community Edition(SMAT-CE),and has the ability to rapidly provide model responses to emission control scenarios for SMAT-CE using a simple interface.The performance of this streamlined system is demonstrated through a case study of the Yangtze River Delta(YRD) in China.Our results show that this system is capable of reproducing the Community Multi-Scale Air Quality(CMAQ) model simulation results with maximum mean normalized error 3.5%.It is also demonstrated that primary emissions make a major contribution to ambient levels of PM_(2.5) in January and August(e.g.,more than50%contributed by primary emissions in Shanghai),and Shanghai needs to have regional emission control both locally and in its neighboring provinces to meet China's annual PM_(2.5)National Ambient Air Quality Standard.The streamlined system provides a real-time control/response assessment to identify the contributions of major emission sources to ambient PM_(2.5)(and potentially O_3 as well) and streamline air quality data for SMAT-CE to perform attainment assessments.