Effects of human activities (raking,scraping, off-road vehicles) and natural resource protections on the spatial distribution of beach vegetation and related shoreline features in New Jersey

This study examined the relative impacts of different human activities and natural resource protections on the spatial distribution of beach vegetation and related habitat features (wrack, dune succession) in New Jersey (USA). Field surveys of the 209-km shoreline categorized beach segments according to vegetation cover classes, human activities, protection measures (exclosures, beach management plans, access restrictions) and ownership status (federal, state, etc.). A partition model (classification tree) was used to confirm the relative dominance hierarchy of human actions on the distribution of beach vegetation observed, and quantitative comparisons of dominant activities were conducted using vegetation data collected on 218 transects. The spatial extent of beach vegetation was found to be severely restricted by human activities when unconstrained by resource protections. The greatest reductions were found to result from mechanical raking (?99 %), scraping (?91 %) and all-year recreational ORV use (?86 %), which were dominant on nearly 70 % of the state shoreline. Beaches containing larger areas of vegetation (>5 m) were concentrated in areas with resource protections of various kinds (99 %), and on federal or other public parklands (68 %). Exclosures resulted in the greatest coverage of vegetation (48 % of beach surface) compared to public access restricted areas (41 %), beach management plans (31 %), government-only ORV use (31 %), and off-season recreational ORVs (15 %). Greater protection and recovery of beach vegetation and habitat is needed for species conservation and erosion protection in New Jersey and other coastal environments where these activities occur.     

餐厨垃圾和绿化废弃物混合堆肥的试用

以餐厨垃圾和绿化废弃物堆肥作为种植基质,研究了其不同堆肥比例对黑麦草(Lolium perenne L.)生长的影响。结果表明,将不同基质组分别施用后,黑麦草各项生长指标(植株高度、盖度、地上和地下生物量(干重))均良好,其中2#基质(80%土壤+20%堆肥)施用效果优于1#(90%土壤+10%堆肥)和3#(70%土壤+30%堆肥)基质。对比不同堆肥对黑麦草生长的影响发现,(80%+20%)堆肥6处理的黑麦草地上和地下生物量最大,分别约为40 g和28 g,第三茬草地上生物量(干重)与对照组相比增幅为164.3%,盖度达到了98%。本研究确定了堆肥和土壤的最佳配比以及最佳堆肥类型,不但可以解决其资源化再利用的问题,而且植物生长良好,表明该技术在城市绿化中具有一定的应用前景。     

潜流人工湿地去除毒死蜱、双酚A、4-壬基酚

为研究潜流人工湿地对毒死蜱、BPA及4-NP的去除效果,选取宽叶香蒲、芦苇、花叶香蒲及小香蒲4种湿地植物,通过SPE-HPLC测定进出水中3种污染物的浓度,计算4种植物潜流人工湿地对3种污染物的去除效率。结果表明,水力停留时间3 d,4组植物对毒死蜱、BPA和4-NP去除率均高于60%,各植物组对毒死蜱和4-NP的去除效果之间无显著性差异,宽叶香蒲对BPA的去除率为82.66%,显著高于其余3种植物组62.96%~69.63%。在静态条件下,毒死蜱、BPA和4-NP在模拟系统内降解过程符合一级降解动力学方程,降解方程分别为:c=124.63exp(-t/25.393)+3.7618 1,c=316.61exp(-t/34.955)+0.56475 2,c=168.91exp(-t/17.061)+12.133 3(c,剩余浓度,μg/L;t,停留时间,h),半衰期分别为18、21和11 h。     

Mixed Integer Linear Programming Models for Selecting Ground-Level Ozone Control Strategies

The traditional strategy for ground-level ozone control is to apply emission reductions across the board throughout certain time periods and locations. In this paper, we study various mixed integer linear programming (MILP) models that seek to select targeted control strategies for the Dallas Fort-Worth (DFW) region to reduce emissions, in order to achieve the State Implementation Plan (SIP) requirements with minimum cost. Statistics and optimization methods are used to determine a potential set of cost-effective control strategies for reducing ozone. These targeted control strategies are specified for different types of emission sources in various time periods and locations. Three MILP models, a static model, a sequential model, and a dynamic model, are studied in this research. These different MILP models allow decision makers to study how the targeted control strategies change under different circumstances. Meanwhile, two types of auxiliary variables are considered as supplemental control strategies in the optimization if the current set of control strategies is unable to reduce ozone to comply with the 8-h ozone standard. Results from the different models can provide decision makers with information concerning how the effectiveness of the control strategies varies with daily emission patterns and meteorology.     

聚合硫酸铁/高锰酸钾/二氧化氯组合工艺用于聚氯乙烯废水回收的工程化研究

采用聚合硫酸铁复配高锰酸钾混凝结合二氧化氯氧化的组合工艺成功解决了某厂聚氯乙烯生产废水回收工艺CODMn不达标问题。工程运行结果表明,当原水CODMn=30～48 mg/L,浊度=25～46 NTU时,在CFe=16.8 mg/L,CKMnO4=45 mg/L,CClO2=20 mg/L的条件下,出水CODMn<10 mg/L,浊度<0.5 NTU,达到工业循环补给水的水质要求。     

Orchid conservation in the biodiversity hotspot of southwestern China

Xishuangbanna is on the northern margins of tropical Asia in southwestern China and has the largest area of tropical forest remaining in the country. It is in the Indo‐Burma hotspot and contains 16% of China's vascular flora in <0.2% of the country's total area (19,690 km²). Rapid expansion of monoculture crops in the last 20 years, particularly rubber, threatens this region's exceptional biodiversity. To understand the effects of land‐use change and collection on orchid species diversity and determine protection priorities, we conducted systematic field surveys, observed markets, interviewed orchid collectors, and then determined the conservation status of all orchids. We identified 426 orchid species in 115 genera in Xishuangbanna: 31% of all orchid species that occur in China. Species richness was highest at 1000–1200 m elevation. Three orchid species were assessed as possibly extinct in the wild, 15 as critically endangered, 82 as endangered, 124 as vulnerable, 186 as least concern, and 16 as data deficient. Declines over 20 years in harvested species suggested over‐collection was the major threat, and utility value (i.e., medicinal or ornamental value) was significantly related to endangerment. Expansion of rubber tree plantations was less of a threat to orchids than to other taxa because only 75 orchid species (17.6%) occurred below the 1000‐m‐elevation ceiling for rubber cultivation, and most of these (46) occurred in nature reserves. However, climate change is projected to lift this ceiling to around 1300 m by 2050, and the limited area at higher elevations reduces the potential for upslope range expansion. The Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden is committed to achieving zero plant extinctions in Xishuangbanna, and orchids are a high priority. Appropriate in and ex situ conservation strategies, including new protected areas and seed banking, have been developed for every threatened orchid species and are being implemented.     

Social Approval of the Community Assessment Model for Odor Dispersal: Results from a Citizen Survey

Odors emitted from US Midwest hog production facilities present farmers, residents, and state regulatory agencies with a set of complex challenges. To predict odor exposure from multiple swine production sources simultaneously, and to determine siting recommendations for proposed new or enlarged hog facilities, researchers at Iowa State University designed the community assessment model for odor dispersion (CAM). A three-county citizen survey conducted in Iowa examined the level of hypothetical social acceptance of the modeling process, and level of trust in CAM results. While 69 % of respondents approved of modeling as a way to determine the most socially appropriate location for production sites, only 35 % would trust the results if potential odor exposure from a new facility were proposed to be built near their home. We analyzed approval of the CAM model, and level of trust, across a number of demographic, attitudinal, and belief factors regarding environmental quality and the hog industry. Overall, trust in CAM was uneven and varied across respondents. Those residents who would not trust CAM tended to be more concerned with environmental quality and less inclined to believe that the hog industry is critically important economically. Those who would not trust CAM results also had significantly more direct experience with odors. Findings point to predominantly positive, yet equivocal acceptance of CAM results among the citizenry, which is not unexpected given conflict typical of siting decisions in industry and waste disposal arenas. Recommendations are offered regarding the interaction of trust, beliefs and attitudes and the utility of CAM.     

An evaluation of improvements in the air quality of Beijing arising from the use of new vehicle emission standards

An innovative approach of mean emission by vehicle type was used in this paper to assess the impact of new vehicle emission standards in Beijing, China during the period of 2000–2005. It was found that CO and NO_x emissions decreased by 48% and 23%, respectively, from Type O (before 2000) to Type I (year 2000) vehicles. The reductions from Type O to Type II (year 2002) vehicles were 85% and 73% for CO and NO_x, respectively. When all three types of vehicles (Types O, I and II) are combined, the annual per vehicle CO emissions decreased from 586 kg per vehicle per year in 2000 to 324 kg per vehicle per year in 2005, while that of NO_x decreased from 66.9 to 43.4 kg per vehicle per year, which was mainly resulted from the impact of stringent new vehicle emission standards implemented in years 2000 and 2002. However, the vehicle population increased by 70% during the same time period, which offset the impact of cleaner vehicles. Thus, the total vehicle emission decreased little for CO (885,000 tons in 2000, 837,000 tons in 2005) and even increased slightly for NO_x (101,000 and 112,000 tons in 2000 and 2005, respectively). The ambient concentrations of CO decreased significantly throughout 2000–2005, the same trend was not observed for NO₂. Correlation analysis (grey correlation and Pearson correlation) between the annual vehicle emissions and annual concentrations of CO, the annual NO_x emission and annual NO₂ concentration indicated that the implementation of new vehicle emission standards was associated with the abatement of ambient CO and NO₂ concentrations in Beijing.