Content analysis of newspaper coverage of the Florida panther

Populations of large carnivores are declining globally, and analysis of public discourse about carnivores is useful for understanding public opinion and influences on management and policy. Portrayal of carnivores in the media affects public perceptions and support for their conservation. We conducted a content analysis of 513 articles about Florida panthers (Puma concolor coryi) published from 2003 to 2006 in newspapers with local circulation in core panther habitat in southwest Florida and papers with statewide circulation to compare the differences in the amount of coverage and portrayals of panther risks to people and property on the basis of proximity of human communities to panthers. Local papers published significantly more news articles and significantly longer news articles primarily about panthers. Articles in local and statewide papers used both episodic frames, which focus on specific occurrences (e.g., a panther sighting or predation) and thematic frames, which focus on general trends (e.g., abundance of panthers over time). Local articles more often emphasized risks that panthers might harm people, pets, or livestock than statewide papers. Our results are consistent with theory that proximity to human-carnivore conflict influences perceptions and salience of risks posed by large carnivores. Most articles mentioned panthers as a secondary topic, which we believe was a result of the relevance an endangered carnivore has in discussions of public land management, development, and regulations in Florida. Claims made by sources quoted in each article had a neutral to positive depiction of panthers, and most quotations were from federal and state agency scientists. We suggest continued use by the media of agency sources provides the opportunity for clear, concordant messages about panther management. Content analysis provides a way to monitor media portrayal of carnivores for consistency with agency outreach goals.     

我国湖泊营养物基准的制定方法研究

湖泊富营养化的程度日益严重,已经对人类的生产生活、水生动植物的生存造成了危害。西方一些发达国家尤其是美国已经制定了水体水质基准,形成了一系列的基准制定的方法体系,建立了水质的管理体制。文章描述了我国的湖泊富营养化的现状、美国营养物基准的研究进展;列举了几个能够辅助基准制定的数学模型,探讨了我国的湖泊富营养化基准的制定方法步骤;通过几种模型的比较,并结合我国各方面的特点,确定我国基准制定中参照状态向基准的转化方法以及基准模型的应用和成果。     

Industrial air pollution by metals monitored by a synthetic fabric: A case study of a community

To supplement an epidemiological investigation into respiratory cancer, a synthetic fabric called tak was used to study the deposition of atmospheric metal pollution within the town of Armadale, central Scotland. Pollution maps showed high concentrations of several metals in areas close to the town's steel foundry and in a second area in the north of the town. Through further statistical analyses, those metals were identified which had probably been emitted by the foundry, and temporal variations in metal deposition patterns were examined. The advantages of this method of low technology sampling, which include the low cost and a high density of sampling sites, are described.