Assessing effects of non-native crayfish on mosquito survival

Introductions of non-native predators often reduce biodiversity and affect natural predator–prey relationships and may increase the abundance of potential disease vectors (e.g., mosquitoes) indirectly through competition or predation cascades. The Santa Monica Mountains (California, U.S.A.), situated in a global biodiversity hotspot, is an area of conservation concern due to climate change, urbanization, and the introduction of non-native species. We examined the effect of non-native crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) on an existing native predator, dragonfly nymphs (Aeshna sp.), and their mosquito larvae (Anopheles sp.) prey. We used laboratory experiments to compare the predation efficiency of both predators, separately and together, and field data on counts of dragonfly nymphs and mosquito larvae sampled from 13 local streams. We predicted a lower predation efficiency of crayfish compared with native dragonfly nymphs and a reduced predation efficiency of dragonfly nymphs in the presence of crayfish. Dragonfly nymphs were an order of magnitude more efficient predators than crayfish, and dragonfly nymph predation efficiency was reduced in the presence of crayfish. Field count data showed that populations of dragonfly nymphs and mosquito larvae were strongly correlated with crayfish presence in streams, such that sites with crayfish tended to have fewer dragonfly nymphs and more mosquito larvae. Under natural conditions, it is likely that crayfish reduce the abundance of dragonfly nymphs and their predation efficiency and thereby, directly and indirectly, lead to higher mosquito populations and a loss of ecosystem services related to disease vector control.     

Flame regime estimations of gasoline explosion in a tube

Flame regime of gasoline-air mixture explosion is related to chemical reaction, turbulent flow and heat and mass transfer. Experimental data of gas velocity, pressure and flame temperature of gasoline-air mixture explosion in a tube at the equivalence ratio of 0.72, 1.00 and 1.28 were preliminarily acquired. Then, fluctuating velocities, overpressures, and burned and unburned gas temperatures at early stage (50 ms), intermediate stage (150 ms) and last stage (250 ms) in three explosions were determined through the analysis of the experimental data. Finally, the Damköhler number and Reynolds number of the early, intermediate and late stage were calculated respectively, and the flame regimes for each stage were estimated through the Damköhler number vs. Reynolds number diagram. Results show that all the flames at early, intermediate and late stage of the three explosions have the same regime of flamelets-in-eddies. The conclusions can provide some useful references for further study of the flame regime and the numerical analysis model selection of gasoline-air mixture explosion.     

地壳元素铁的吸光贡献对黑碳吸光增强估算的影响——以武汉为例

传统方法使用固定的波长吸收指数来估算地壳元素或棕碳吸光,但该方法只能处理仅存在两种组分的情形(黑碳/棕碳,或黑碳/地壳元素)的吸光贡献,存在较大不确定性.为此,本文提出一种新的方法,利用武汉在线观测数据(2021年2、3、8、9月),采用铁作为地壳元素的示踪物,利用最小相关系数法(MRS)得出地壳元素的吸光贡献,在扣除地壳元素吸光之后,再得到黑碳吸光增强系数(E_abs).结果显示观测期间370nm波段地壳元素吸光贡献均值为12.3%,月均值范围5.7%~15.5%,且波长吸收指数与铁的浓度正相关,表明地壳元素吸光贡献不可忽视.地壳元素吸光贡献呈现出显著的季节特征,呈现出冬季低,春季高的特点.地壳元素吸光的分离前后计算的E_abs存在一定的差异,受到了黑碳和铁的相关性的影响.观测期间扣除地壳元素吸光后,E_abs均值为1.43±0.53,在季节性上呈现春夏高,秋冬低的特性,春季较高E_abs值与春季黑碳较高的老化程度有关.E_abs对无机盐和有机物的含量存在正的依赖关系,证明了这些包裹物质对吸光增强的影响.     

The evolution of Müllerian mimicry

It is now 130 years since Fritz Müller proposed an evolutionary explanation for the close similarity of co-existing unpalatable prey species, a phenomenon now known as Müllerian mimicry. Müller's hypothesis was that unpalatable species evolve a similar appearance to reduce the mortality involved in training predators to avoid them, and he backed up his arguments with a mathematical model in which predators attack a fixed number (n) of each distinct unpalatable type in a given season before avoiding them. Here, I review what has since been discovered about Müllerian mimicry and consider in particular its relationship to other forms of mimicry. Müller's specific model of associative learning involving a "fixed n" in a given season has not been supported, and several experiments now suggest that two distinct unpalatable prey types may be just as easy to learn to avoid as one. Nevertheless, Müller's general insight that novel unpalatable forms have higher mortality than common unpalatable forms as a result of predation has been well supported by field experiments. From its inception, there has been a heated debate over the nature of the relationship between Müllerian co-mimics that differ in their level of defence. There is now a growing awareness that this relationship can be mediated by many factors, including synergistic effects between co-mimics that differ in their mode of defence, rates of generalisation among warning signals and concomitant changes in prey density as mimicry evolves. I highlight areas for future enquiry, including the possibility of Müllerian mimicry systems based on profitability rather than unprofitability and the co-evolution of defence.     

广州地区大气棕色碳气溶胶光吸收特性

2014年冬季在广州番禺站利用校正后的7波段黑碳仪数据,计算棕色碳(BrC)在不同波长的光吸收特性,并结合气溶胶及气体成分在线监测仪(MARGA)和在线OCEC分析仪同步观测数据,分析了BrC的来源.结果表明:BrC在370、470、520、590和660 nm处对光吸收的贡献随波长增大而变小,不同波段的贡献分别为25. 9%、19. 7%、14. 1%、11. 6%和7. 7%; BrC光吸收系数、水溶性钾离子(K~+)和有机碳(OC)浓度大致呈现日间低,夜间高的趋势,说明生物质燃烧产物对BrC的光吸收系数贡献很大,傍晚附近农村地区逐渐活跃的秸秆燃烧活动和夜间稳定的边界层也有利于污染物累积; BrC光吸收系数与OC的比值在午后出现低值,说明二次有机气溶胶和老化的气溶胶的吸光能力较弱.相关性分析表明,BrC光吸收系数与K+离子和OC浓度的相关性最高,BrC光吸收系数与硝酸根(NO_3~-)和铵根(NH_4~+)离子也具有较高的相关性.     

Identifying socioeconomic and biophysical factors driving forest loss in protected areas

Protected areas (PAs) are a commonly used strategy to confront forest conversion and biodiversity loss. Although determining drivers of forest loss is central to conservation success, understanding of them is limited by conventional modeling assumptions. We used random forest regression to evaluate potential drivers of deforestation in PAs in Mexico, while accounting for nonlinear relationships and higher order interactions underlying deforestation processes. Socioeconomic drivers (e.g., road density, human population density) and underlying biophysical conditions (e.g., precipitation, distance to water, elevation, slope) were stronger predictors of forest loss than PA characteristics, such as age, type, and management effectiveness. Within PA characteristics, variables reflecting collaborative and equitable management and PA size were the strongest predictors of forest loss, albeit with less explanatory power than socioeconomic and biophysical variables. In contrast to previously used methods, which typically have been based on the assumption of linear relationships, we found that the associations between most predictors and forest loss are nonlinear. Our results can inform decisions on the allocation of PA resources by strengthening management in PAs with the highest risk of deforestation and help preemptively protect key biodiversity areas that may be vulnerable to deforestation in the future.     

Quecksilbergasfeinreinigung mittels metall- und salzpartikelbelegter Tr?germaterialien (G/S-Reaktor) ?kotoxizit?t von Quecksilber und seiner Verbindungen

Zusammenfassung  Bei einer genauen Kenntnis der vorliegenden Quecksilberverbindungen und ihrem Verhalten im Rauchgaspfad thermischer Anlagen k?nnen durch entsprechende technische Ma?nahmen die Abscheideeffizienzen in trockenen, quasitrockenen und nassen Rauchgasreinigungsanlagen erheblich gesteigert werden, so da? der derzeit gesetzlich vorgeschriebene Emissionsgrenzwert von 50 μg/m³ [i.N.tr.] eingehalten und unterschritten wird. Die in den letzten Jahren unternommenen Aktivit?ten und Fortschritte bei der Reduzierung des Quecksilberaussto?es von thermischen Anlagen werden zusammenfassend dargestellt. Am Beispiel von tr?gerimmobilisierten metall- und/oder metallsalzpartikelbelegten Tr?germaterialien (G/S-Reaktoren) wird die selektive Entfernung des Quecksilbers bzw. dessen Verbindungen experimentell und theoretisch im Rauchgaspfad verdeutlicht. Aus der selektiven Abtrennung von Quecksilber und seinen Verbindungen in der Gasphase resultieren auch entsprechende ?kologische und ?konomische Vorteile, die den allgemein erkennbaren Trend der artspezifischen Abtrennung von Schadstoffen mit einer m?glichen Rückführung des Wertstoffes Quecksilber in den Wirtschaftskreislauf unterstützen.      

广州城区黑碳气溶胶吸光增强特性研究

本研究运用最小相关系数法（MRS）,使用元素碳（EC）作为示踪物,得到一次排放的质量吸光效率（MAE_p）,结合黑碳仪（AE33）和有机碳/元素碳分析仪获得实测的质量吸光效率MAE_t,进而通过MAE_t/MAE_p的比值得出吸光增强系数（E_abs）.采样站点位于广州市城区暨南大学大气超级监测站,采样时间涵盖了干季（2019年1月26日~3月31日）和湿季（2018年5月1日~7月31日）.对广州市城区的黑碳气溶胶及其光学特征进行分析,EC在干季的平均浓度（1.93±1.38）μgC/m³高于湿季（1.46±0.75）μgC/m³,而E_abs520在干季的均值（1.26±0.34）低于湿季（1.63±0.55）.E_abs520在干湿季的日变化差异明显,但有机碳（OC）、EC、OC/EC、波长指数（AAE_470-660）均为干季高于湿季.分析发现气溶胶负载补偿参数k值与E_abs520在湿季呈现出较好的相关性,而在干季相关性较差,可能与生物质燃烧的影响有关;探讨了O₃、NO₂和SOC/OC对E_abs520的影响,在干季O₃与E_abs520的相关性较差（R²=0.21）,在湿季较好（R²=0.46）,SOC/OC却展现出了相反的关系,而NO₂在干季和湿季与E_abs520的相关性都较差（R²=0.01）,并发现温度对E_abs520存在一定的影响.通过后向轨迹聚类分析发现,长距离传输气团的的黑碳E_abs520值较高.     

基于MODIS_C061的长三角地区AOD与Angström指数时空变化分析

以长三角为研究区,利用AERONET地基观测的气溶胶光学厚度(AOD)数据,验证了基于MODIS_C061深蓝算法(DB)的AOD产品适用于长三角地区.并利用2000～2018年MOD04_L2产品,分析研究区AOD和Angstr?m指数(AE)的时空变化特征.结果表明,长三角地区AOD呈现东部和北部平原地区高、南部和西部山区低的空间分布,AE呈现南部地区高北部地区低的空间分布. 2003～2007年,AOD年均值增长显著,增长率为23%, 2011年以后逐渐下降; 2001～2003年,AE年均值增长迅速, 2012年以后逐渐下降.AOD在长三角地区呈现夏季最高、冬季最低的显著季节性变化,月均值6月最高达0.84, 8月最低为0.40;AE呈现秋季最高,春季最低的季节性变化,月均值9月最高达1.47, 3月最低为1.08.根据AOD与AE的关系,对长三角地区气溶胶类型进行了研究,结果表明人为产生的城市工业气溶胶是该地区主要的气溶胶类型,其次为混合型和清洁大陆型.