Ingestion and egestion of microplastic by aquatic insects in Egypt wastewater

Microplastics (MPs) are frequently regarded as environmental and biota contaminants. Yet, research on the accumulation of MPs in living entities, particularly aquatic insects that serve as food resources in the aquatic food chain, is limited. This study to investigate the accumulation of MPs in aquatic insects from water and sediment in an Egyptian wastewater basin. Four typical freshwater insect groups were used. The highest MP load per gram wet weight was reported by collector-gatherers (Chironomus sp. and Hydrophilus sp.), followed by collector-filterers (Culex sp.) with the second highest MP load. However, Predators (Aeshna sp.) had the lowest values. Also, the present results showed a reduction in the number of MPs in all insect taxa tested after a 24 h depuration time, with differences in the observed egestion ability. The mean number of MPs per individual significantly reduced after 24 h in both Chironomus sp. and Culex sp. larvae, where 53% and 40% of MPs particles were ejected from them, respectively. However, the ability of MP egestion decreases in Aeshna sp. nymph (25%), and the lowest proportion of ejection was observed in Hydrophilus sp. adults (9%). Polyethylene terephthalate fibers were the most abundant type of MP in both sediment and water, followed by fragments (polyethylene and polypropylene). Yet, only polyester fibers were detected in the various insect species. The average length of fibers in the various insects was somewhat shorter than in the surrounding environment. The current study reveals that MP ingestion by aquatic insects is not always related to levels of pollution in the environment, since other factors such as feeding strategies may play a role in MP ingestion. Based on these observations, further studies should be carried out on studies on toxicological impacts of MPs on freshwater/aquatic biota.     

Identifying robust strategies for assisted migration in a competitive stochastic metacommunity

Assisted migration (AM) is the translocation of species beyond their historical range to locations that are expected to be more suitable under future climate change. However, a relocated population may fail to establish in its donor community if there is high uncertainty in decision-making, climate, and interactions with the recipient ecological community. To quantify the benefit to persistence and risk of establishment failure of AM under different management scenarios (e.g., choosing target species, proportion of population to relocate, and optimal location to relocate), we built a stochastic metacommunity model to simulate several species reproducing, dispersing, and competing on a temperature gradient as temperature increases over time. Without AM, the species were vulnerable to climate change when they had low population sizes, short dispersal, and strong poleward competition. When relocating species that exemplified these traits, AM increased the long-term persistence of the species most when relocating a fraction of the donor population, even if the remaining population was very small or rapidly declining. This suggests that leaving behind a fraction of the population could be a robust approach, allowing managers to repeat AM in case they move the species to the wrong place and at the wrong time, especially when it is difficult to identify a species’ optimal climate. We found that AM most benefitted species with low dispersal ability and least benefited species with narrow thermal tolerances, for which AM increased extinction risk on average. Although relocation did not affect the persistence of nontarget species in our simple competitive model, researchers will need to consider a more complete set of community interactions to comprehensively understand invasion potential.     

Factors influencing perceptions of aquatic ecosystems

While factors influencing perceptions of drinking water have been well studied, those of aquatic ecosystems have been to lesser extent. We conducted a review to improve awareness of these factors. Environmental factors found to influence public perceptions of aquatic ecosystems were presence/absence of water plants and algae, presence/absence of floating debris, the odor, movement (for flowing waters) and clarity/turbidity of the water, and the type, condition, setting, naturalness, and overall aesthetic appeal of the ecosystem. Sociocultural factors found to influence public perceptions of aquatic ecosystems included age, education, gender, and place-based knowledge. We provide perspectives of how managers can better meet the diverse social demands placed on aquatic ecosystems. The importance and benefits of considering these perspectives may be especially beneficial where significant multi-generational and culturally relevant place-based knowledge exist.     

Fishing‐gear restrictions and biomass gains for coral reef fishes in marine protected areas

Considerable empirical evidence supports recovery of reef fish populations with fishery closures. In countries where full exclusion of people from fishing may be perceived as inequitable, fishing‐gear restrictions on nonselective and destructive gears may offer socially relevant management alternatives to build recovery of fish biomass. Even so, few researchers have statistically compared the responses of tropical reef fisheries to alternative management strategies. We tested for the effects of fishery closures and fishing gear restrictions on tropical reef fish biomass at the community and family level. We conducted 1,396 underwater surveys at 617 unique sites across a spatial hierarchy within 22 global marine ecoregions that represented 5 realms. We compared total biomass across local fish assemblages and among 20 families of reef fishes inside marine protected areas (MPAs) with different fishing restrictions: no‐take, hook‐and‐line fishing only, several fishing gears allowed, and sites open to all fishing gears. We included a further category representing remote sites, where fishing pressure is low. As expected, full fishery closures, (i.e., no‐take zones) most benefited community‐ and family‐level fish biomass in comparison with restrictions on fishing gears and openly fished sites. Although biomass responses to fishery closures were highly variable across families, some fishery targets (e.g., Carcharhinidae and Lutjanidae) responded positively to multiple restrictions on fishing gears (i.e., where gears other than hook and line were not permitted). Remoteness also positively affected the response of community‐level fish biomass and many fish families. Our findings provide strong support for the role of fishing restrictions in building recovery of fish biomass and indicate important interactions among fishing‐gear types that affect biomass of a diverse set of reef fish families.     

沼泽湿地水生无脊椎动物完整性指数构建与健康评价

依据2017年5、7、9月对三江平原19处沼泽湿地(参照湿地6处,受损湿地13处)的水生无脊椎动物采样结果,应用生物完整性理论和方法,构建水生无脊椎动物完整性指数,评价三江平原沼泽湿地健康状况。通过对27个候选指标的分布范围、判别能力和相关性分析,筛选出总分类单元数、扁卷螺科百分比、龙虱科百分比、刮食者百分比4个指标构成水生无脊椎动物完整性指数核心指标。采用比值法计算各指标参数值,将各参数值加和得到水生无脊椎动物完整性指数值。根据参照湿地水生无脊椎动物完整性指数值的25%分位数值确定评价标准,对小于25%分位数的值进行三等分,确定三江平原沼泽湿地健康评价标准:≥2.58,无干扰;1.72～2.58,轻度干扰;0.86～1.72,中度干扰;0～0.86,重度干扰。结果表明:所调查的三江平原沼泽湿地有78.95%受到不同程度的干扰(其中47.37%受到了中重度干扰),21.05%属于无干扰。     

生理毒代动力学模型及其在有机污染物水生生态毒理研究中的应用

人类生产和生活使用各种人工合成的化学品,种类和数量急剧增长,对生态系统和人体健康造成了极大威胁。因此,亟需采用高效的方法对数量巨大的化合物进行毒性评价。对生理毒代动力学(PBTK)模型的建立过程及其在污染物生态毒理研究中的应用进行了综述。PBTK模型,又称生理药代动力学(PBPK)模型,是利用生理学和解剖学等原理,将生物体简化为用血流连接的肝、肾和脂肪等各组织器官房室,模拟化合物在生物体内的吸收、分布、代谢和排泄过程。模型参数包括生理参数和生化参数2个部分,可用MATLAB等软件进行模拟。模型已应用于数百余种有机污染物在鱼体等水生生物体的毒代动力学模拟。已有模拟结果能够预测化合物在生物体内的有效剂量,对化合物毒性进行评估,并可用于不同物种、不同剂量和不同暴露途径间的外推,有力推进了污染物生态毒理研究工作的开展。     

"十三五"国家自然科学基金对能源环境管理领域的资助状况和趋势

能源环境管理是各界关注的热点话题,也是科学研究的重要方向.以国家自然科学基金资助能源环境管理领域的科研项目为基础数据信息,本文重点分析了"十三五"期间国家自然科学基金在该领域资助项目的总体特征、研究主题和热点变化,并结合新时代科学基金资助导向提出了可能的发展趋势.主要结论包括:①能源环境管理领域面上、青年、地区等自由探索类项目的立项绝对数和学科占比均呈上升趋势,并更多向青年学者倾斜,资助强度保持稳定;②碳、能源和环境是自由探索项目中出现频率最高的热词,与之相关的研究主题随着政策等调整具有动态变化特征;③能源环境管理领域重点、重大等引导类项目和优青、杰青、创新研究群体等人才类项目不断实现突破,增速明显,学科占比优势突出;④问题导向与本土情景、理论体系和一般规律、学科交叉融合,以及市场和微观主体作用是研究选题确立与项目申请时可能需要重点关注的方向.     

基于数据库的植物功能性状研究现状文献计量学分析

植物功能性状数据库是功能生态学研究的重要工具.了解基于植物功能性状数据库的植物功能性状研究现状,对探讨功能多样性和生物多样性具有重要的指导意义.介绍植物功能性状数据库的类型、影响力的评价方法和使用方法,并整理了17个植物功能性状库(附表).同时,通过Web of Science检索了2008-2018年间基于植物功能性状数据库开展植物功能性状研究的论文,从刊文数量、期刊分布、研究机构、主要作者、研究热点等方面进行分析.结果表明:基于数据库开展植物功能性状研究的文章数量和被引次数呈快速增长的趋势.当前此方向的研究主要以少数学者、机构为核心,大量论文发表在少数期刊上.研究热点主要体现在群落生态学、气候变化和性状进化、恢复和生存策略等方面.未来应加强研究者、研究机构之间的合作,数据共享,建立全球型的数据完善的植物功能性状数据库,同时加强数据标准化处理,解决地下性状和生理性状等难以获取及量化的问题,完善化石记录的植物性状和植物不同生长阶段的植物功能性状数据.(图5表4参60附表1)     

生态缺水条件下流域生态经济系统安全性分析

生态用水和社会经济用水的竞争状况使得研究水资源短缺地区的流域生态经济系统安全状况、有效进行生态缺水条件下流域生态经济系统的调控十分必要.从宏观角度出发,首先分析了流域生态经济系统演化的机制和影响因素,在此基础上,通过建立指标体系,提出了构建流域主要指标为状态变量的生态经济系统演化模型,并利用模型进行系统安全性分析.以潮白河流域为例,构建了人口数量、人均GDP、生态系统指数以及生态用水比例为状态变量的生态经济系统演化模型.模型模拟结果表明,如果不加以调控,该流域将无法提供生态经济系统的安全保障.提出了提高生态用水比例、控制经济增长速度和积极进行生态建设、控制水土流失的对策,为实现潮白河流域的生态经济系统安全保障服务.     

南黄海东部海域浮游生态系统要素季节变化的模拟研究

利用海洋生态系统动力学垂直一维物理-生物耦合模式模拟研究了南黄海东部海域浮游生态系统要素垂直分布的季节变化.物理亚模型为一维POM模式(Princeton Ocean Model),基于文献结果对垂直混合系数Kh和Km进行了调整;生态亚模型为ERSEM模式(European Regional Sea Ecosystem Model),主要考虑浮游植物、浮游动物、细菌、底栖碎屑和营养盐(氮、磷、硅)等状态变量.模拟结果表明,浮游植物出现一年双峰的态势和夏季次表层叶绿素最大值的现象,春、秋季水华期间,表层叶绿素峰值分别为3.25 mg/m3和0.71 mg/m3.浮游动物和细菌在春季水华后表层出现峰值,分别为143.6 mg C/m3和23.55 mg C/m3.硝酸盐、磷酸盐和硅酸盐的垂直分布均在5-11月呈现表层浓度低、底层浓度高的分布.通过计算碳通量可以看出,在春、夏季,浮游植物对无机碳的摄取量分别为58.944 g C·m-2·quarter-1和68.276 g C·m-2·quarter-1,高于细菌对非生命有机碳的摄取.在冬季,细菌对非生命有机碳的摄取超过浮游植物对无机碳的摄取量.浮游动物在冬季主要摄食细菌,占71%;春、夏季主要摄食浮游植物,可达67.5%.浮游植物对碳的释放主要是以DOC的形式,约占90%.