图像处理在弹琴蛙(Rana adenopleura)蝌蚪生物监测研究中的应用

利用图像处理方法对不同质量浓度的阿特拉津溶液(1mg／L、5mg／L、10mg／L、15me／L)中弹琴蛙(Rana ade-nopleura)蝌蚪行为进行了图像的识别及分析．根据实验结果，利用MATLAB语言编写了弹琴蛙蝌蚪在水族缸中具体分布型判定的程序，采用了负二项分布的参数κ值来反应不同溶液中蝌蚪聚集程度的差异，并作为该指示生物监测阿特拉津水体污染情况的一个指标．结果显示，该程序可如实反映不同污染水体中蝌蚪的聚集程度：经χ^2检验各种水体中蝌蚪均符合负二项分布，同时阿特拉津溶液中蝌蚪的κ值均小于空白对照和丙酮对照，表明阿特拉津溶液的浓度和蝌蚪的聚集程度相关．图9表1参14     

阿特拉津溶液对弹琴蛙(Rana adenopleura)蝌蚪形态发育的影响

研究了弹琴蛙(Rana adenopleura)蝌蚪在不同阿特拉津浓度(p／mg L^-1：5，10，15，20)溶液中经不同时间处理(10d、20d)后的形态发育特征．结果表明：20d处理组蝌蚪的全长增长率和后肢长增长率低于空白对照组(CKH20)，全长出现负增长，而丙酮对照组(CKacetone)蝌蚪的全长增长率高于CKH2o．实验证明，阿特拉津可抑制蝌蚪的生长和发育，而丙酮却促进蝌蚪的生长．各环境因素的多因素方差分析结果显示，pH和电导率与阿特拉津对蝌蚪的生长、发育作用效应相一致．图2表8参14     

除草剂阿特拉津(Atrazine)溶液中弹琴蛙蝌蚪(Rana adenopleura)的行为模式

研究了不同条件下阿特拉津溶液中 (ρ1～ 4/mgL-1:5 ,10 ,15 ,2 0 )弹琴蛙 (Ranaadenopleura)蝌蚪的行为 ,运用方差分析 (ANOVA)检验了蝌蚪在不同浓度的阿特拉津、时间段、pH值、溶氧量等条件下的行为差异性 .根据实验结果 ,确立了正常及异常行为模式 .结果表明 :在水温 (15 .0± 0 .5 )℃的条件下 ,弹琴蛙蝌蚪异常行为的出现主要与阿特拉津的浓度有关 ,同时与实验时间的长短也有一定的关系 ,而与 pH值、溶氧量关系不大 .实验组与对照组相比 ,蝌蚪出现异常行为的频次差异极显著 (P <0 .0 1) ;其中在实验组中 ,蝌蚪在 5mg/L的阿特拉津溶液中与 10mg/L、15mg/L、2 0mg/L中出现异常行为的频次差异极显著 (P <0 .0 1) ,而在 10mg/L、15mg/L、2 0mg/L阿特拉津溶液中出现异常行为的频次差异不显著 (P >0 .0 5 ) ,相关性分析表明 ,蝌蚪异常行为的出现与阿特拉津的浓度没有剂量反应关系 (r2 =0 .4 94 ) ;在对照组中 ,0 .5mL/L丙酮对照和空白对照中蝌蚪出现异常行为的频次差异不显著 (P >0 .0 5 ) .图 3表 2参 17     

阿特拉津对弹琴蛙(Rana adenopleura)蝌蚪微核和核异常的影响

分别在d1、d3、d7、d14,观察空白对照(CK-)、水溶助剂0.1mL/L二甲基亚砜对照(CK )、阿特拉津0.01mg/L(ρ1)、0.1mg/L(ρ2)、1mg/L(ρ3)和10mg/L(ρ4)溶液中弹琴蛙(Ranaadenopleura)蝌蚪血红细胞微核和核异常细胞数.结果表明,d14时,ρ1、ρ2、ρ3和ρ4组蝌蚪的微核率分别是CK-的2.25、2.50、4.25、5.11倍(P<0.05),说明阿特拉津可引起蝌蚪血红细胞微核率升高;且与d1、d3、d7相比较,微核率随着时间的延长有升高的趋势.d14时,ρ2、ρ3和ρ4组蝌蚪的总核异常率(含微核率)分别是CK-的2.59、2.17、1.96倍(P<0.05),说明阿特拉津也可引起蝌蚪血红细胞总核异常率升高.图2表1参17     

阿特拉津对弹琴蛙（Rana adenopleura）蝌蚪微核

分别在d1、d3、d7、d14,观察空白对照(CK-)、水溶助剂0.1mL/L二甲基亚砜对照(CK )、阿特拉津0.01mg/L(ρ1)、0.1mg/L(ρ2)、1mg/L(ρ3)和10mg/L(ρ4)溶液中弹琴蛙(Ranaadenopleura)蝌蚪血红细胞微核和核异常细胞数.结果表明,d14时,ρ1、ρ2、ρ3和ρ4组蝌蚪的微核率分别是CK-的2.25、2.50、4.25、5.11倍(P<0.05),说明阿特拉津可引起蝌蚪血红细胞微核率升高;且与d1、d3、d7相比较,微核率随着时间的延长有升高的趋势.d14时,ρ2、ρ3和ρ4组蝌蚪的总核异常率(含微核率)分别是CK-的2.59、2.17、1.96倍(P<0.05),说明阿特拉津也可引起蝌蚪血红细胞总核异常率升高.图2表1参17     

西藏齿突蟾(Scutiger boulengeri)蝌蚪冷适应行为研究

通过实验室蝌蚪微空间温度行为变化频次统计分析,发现10℃时的所有西藏齿突蟾(Scutiger boulengeri)蝌蚪、15℃时除低海拔种群外的所有西藏齿突蟾蝌蚪的聚集分布均符合负二项分布,也符合NeymanⅡ型分布,在5℃、0℃时,不同分组的西藏齿突蟾蝌蚪行为分布有差异.西藏齿突蟾蝌蚪在低温5℃、0℃时的行为分布方式改变可能是对低温冻害的一种适应性反应,由环境温度改变导致蝌蚪行为分布方式的改变可能是高海拔两栖类蝌蚪对分布区域水温改变规律长期形成的一种适应对策.图1表2参12     

除草剂西玛津对非洲爪蟾生存和性腺发育的影响

为了研究三嗪类除草剂西玛津对两栖动物非洲爪蟾(Xenopus laevis)生存和性腺发育的毒性作用,并且与另一种三嗪类除草剂阿特拉津的毒性进行比较,将非洲爪蟾从46/47阶段开始暴露西玛津和阿特拉津到变态1个月后停止,再饲养2个月后将其解剖,取性腺做形态学和组织学观察.暴露期间,每天记录蝌蚪的生长发育情况和存活率.结果显示,在暴露的第1周内(蝌蚪处于46~50阶段),西玛津可导致蝌蚪死亡率明显升高,随后的时间内西玛津对非洲爪蟾的生存不再有明显影响,但却使发育阶段明显的不整齐.阿特拉津对非洲爪蟾的生存和发育则没有明显影响.西玛津和阿特拉津对非洲爪蟾性腺的总体形态和性别比没有明显影响,然而两种除草剂均在一定程度上导致了睾丸组织学的改变.西玛津可能与阿特拉津一样能够通过雌性化/去雄性化作用影响非洲爪蟾睾丸的发育.     

水体阿特拉津残留对千屈菜的毒性效应

为向水体污染的植物修复技术提供依据,采用营养液水培法研究5个阿特拉津浓度(1、2、4、8和16 mg L-1)下千屈菜鲜重增量、叶片相对含水量(RWC)、丙二醛(MDA)含量、过氧化物酶(POD)活性、根系活力和叶绿素含量等的变化差异.结果表明,阿特拉津胁迫下,千屈菜在实验浓度范围内均可存活和生长;但鲜重增量、RWC、叶绿素含量均有不同程度的下降,根系活力和POD活性降低,同时MDA含量上升,膜脂过氧化程度加剧.阿特拉津浓度越高,其对千屈菜的毒性越高.1 mg L-1处理下,除POD活性外植物其他生长和生理指标均与空白对照无显著差异;但16 mgL-1处理下,鲜重增量、MDA含量和POD活性则显著低于正常水平.由于阿特拉津的降解,这种不良影响随处理时间的延长而减弱.千屈菜对低浓度阿特拉津(≤1 mg L-1)具有较高耐受性.     

Cu改性悬浮型光催化纳滤膜反应器处理阿特拉津溶液的降解效率及动力学研究

通过将Cu改性悬浮型光催化氧化过程与纳滤分离膜技术进行耦合构成悬浮型光催化纳滤膜反应器联合处理阿特拉津(Atrazine)溶液.在Atrazine初始浓度ρ0分别为5,15和25mg·l-1,光催化剂浓度ρTiO2为1500mg·l-1,废水pH值为5.5,UV强度为45mW·cm-2,膜分离压力和错流流速分别控制在1250kPa和3m·s-1,反应温度20±1℃的最佳实验条件下,35min之内目标污染物基本被彻底光催化降解,矿化率达到90%以上,出现显著耦合效应;当目标污染物浓度分别为5mg·l-1,15mg·l-1和25mg·l-1时,在ρ/ρ0≥0.6的范围内,光催化降解过程分别遵循一级、零级和一级的混合以及零级反应动力学模型.     

除草剂阿特拉津对鲫鱼外周血红细胞微核和总核异常的影响

采用静态水质接触染毒法将鲫鱼(Carassius auratus)分别暴露于质量浓度为0、0.1、0.5、1.0、5.0和10.0 mg·L-1的阿特拉津溶液中,分别在染毒后的第3、6、10、14、19和24 d对所有染毒组鲫鱼进行尾静脉采血;研究在不同作用时间和不同质量浓度下,阿特拉津对鲫鱼外周血红细胞微核和总核异常的影响.结果表明:阿特拉津能使鲫鱼外周血红细胞微核率和总核异常率显著升高,并在一定条件下存在剂量-效应和时间-效应关系.短时间(≤6 d)暴露时,阿特拉津与外周血红细胞微核率之间在0～10.0 mg·L-1范围内存在剂量-效应关系;长时间(≥10 d)暴露时,仅在0.1～5.0 mg·L-1范围内存在剂量-效应关系.而阿特拉津与外周血红细胞总核异常率之间则在所有测定时间下均存在剂量-效应关系.同时,时间-效应的研究结果表明,在所有质量浓度下,鲫鱼外周血红细胞微核率和总核异常率均随着污染胁迫时间的延长而先升高后降低,且外周血红细胞微核率和总核异常率达到峰值所需时间表现为低质量浓度的滞后于高质量浓度的.试验显示,除草剂阿特拉津对鲫鱼具有潜在的致突变作用,其能对鲫鱼产生较强的遗传损伤,且遗传损伤程度随阿特拉津质量浓度的增加或污染胁迫时间的延长而增强.     

Rapid,recurring, structured survey versus bioblitz for generating biodiversity data and analysis with a multispecies abundance model

A bioblitz inexpensively and quickly generates biodiversity data, but bioblitzes are often conducted with haphazard, unreplicated sampling. Results tend to be taxonomically, geographically, or temporally biased, lack metadata, and consist of lists of observed taxa that do not enable further analyses or correction for imperfect detection. A rapid, recurring, structured survey (RRSS) uses a structured sampling design and temporal and spatial replication to survey randomly selected sites on a conservation property. We participated in a loosely structured bioblitz and a subsequent RRSS at Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve in Springville (St. Clair County), Alabama (USA) to compare observed richness derived from the 2 survey approaches. The RRSS data structure enabled us to fit models that accounted for imperfect detection to estimate abundances, occupancy probabilities, and habitat associations. The loosely structured bioblitz data could not be used in such models. We present a new integrated multispecies abundance model that we applied to avian RRSS data. Our model extension enables estimation for the community, employs data augmentation to estimate the number of undetected species, and incorporates covariates. The RRSS generated a more comprehensive and less biased list of observed taxonomic richness than the loosely structured bioblitz (e.g., 73 vs. 45 bird species and 104 vs. 63 insect families from the RRSS vs. loosely structured bioblitz, respectively). Models fit to the RRSS data identified seasonal patterns in avian community composition and allowed for estimation of habitat–occupancy relationships for insect taxa. The RRSS protocol has potential for broad transferability as a standardized, quick, and inexpensive way to inventory biodiversity and estimate ecological parameters while providing an outreach opportunity.     

Compliance with and ecosystem function of biodiversity offsets in North American and European freshwaters

Land-use change via human development is a major driver of biodiversity loss. To reduce these impacts, billions of dollars are spent on biodiversity offsets. However, studies evaluating offset project effectiveness that examine components such as the overall compliance and function of projects remain rare. We reviewed 577 offsetting projects in freshwater ecosystems that included the metrics project size, type of aquatic system (e.g., wetland and creek), offsetting measure (e.g., enhancement, restoration, and creation), and an assessment of the projects’ compliance and functional success. Project information was obtained from scientific and government databases and gray literature. Despite considerable investment in offsetting projects, crucial problems persisted. Although compliance and function were related to each other, a high level of compliance did not guarantee a high degree of function. However, large projects relative to area had better function than small projects. Function improved when projects targeted productivity or specific ecosystem features and when multiple complementary management targets were in place. Restorative measures were more likely to achieve targets than creating entirely new ecosystems. Altogether the relationships we found highlight specific ecological processes that may help improve offsetting outcomes.     

A palaeo-hydrogeological model for arsenic contamination in southern and south-east Asia

An argument is presented in which areas of natural arsenic contamination of modern groundwaters throughout Asia have a common origin. Arsenic originally accumulated in oceanic ferro-manganoan sediments of the eastern Palaeo-Tethys. This was further concentrated through oceanic crustal extinction in what later became the south-east Chinese accreted mineralised terrain. Proto-Himalayan uplift of this area created the palaeo-drainage systems of the Ganges – Brahmaputra, Irrawaddy, Mekong, and Red Rivers, with consequent headwater erosion of arsenic-rich sediments. Their downstream deposition as immature and easily redistributed Neogene sandstones, silts, and iron-rich clays has created secondary and tertiary reservoirs of adsorbed and authigenic arsenic, from which the current arsenic-rich groundwaters have evolved. Considering river basins within the above palaeo-hydrogeological framework provides a basis for assessing the risk of arsenic in groundwater basins of south and south-eastern Asia.     

Threats to intact tropical peatlands and opportunities for their conservation

Large, intact areas of tropical peatland are highly threatened at a global scale by the expansion of commercial agriculture and other forms of economic development. Conserving peatlands on a landscape scale, with their hydrology intact, is of international conservation importance to preserve their distinctive biodiversity and ecosystem services and maintain their resilience to future environmental change. We explored threats to and opportunities for conserving remaining intact tropical peatlands; thus, we excluded peatlands of Indonesia and Malaysia, where extensive deforestation, drainage, and conversion to plantations means conservation in this region can protect only small fragments of the original ecosystem. We focused on a case study, the Pastaza‐Marañón Foreland Basin (PMFB) in Peru, which is among the largest known intact tropical peatland landscapes in the world and is representative of peatland vulnerability. Maintenance of the hydrological conditions critical for carbon storage and ecosystem function of peatlands is, in the PMFB, primarily threatened by expansion of commercial agriculture linked to new transport infrastructure that is facilitating access to remote areas. There remain opportunities in the PMFB and elsewhere to develop alternative, more sustainable land‐use practices. Although some of the peatlands in the PMFB fall within existing legally protected areas, this protection does not include the most carbon‐dense (domed pole forest) areas. New carbon‐based conservation instruments (e.g., REDD+, Green Climate Fund), developing markets for sustainable peatland products, transferring land title to local communities, and expanding protected areas offer pathways to increased protection for intact tropical peatlands in Amazonia and elsewhere, such as those in New Guinea and Central Africa which remain, for the moment, broadly beyond the frontier of commercial development.     

Cost‐effective conservation of an endangered frog under uncertainty

How should managers choose among conservation options when resources are scarce and there is uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of actions? Well‐developed tools exist for prioritizing areas for one‐time and binary actions (e.g., protect vs. not protect), but methods for prioritizing incremental or ongoing actions (such as habitat creation and maintenance) remain uncommon. We devised an approach that combines metapopulation viability and cost‐effectiveness analyses to select among alternative conservation actions while accounting for uncertainty. In our study, cost‐effectiveness is the ratio between the benefit of an action and its economic cost, where benefit is the change in metapopulation viability. We applied the approach to the case of the endangered growling grass frog (Litoria raniformis), which is threatened by urban development. We extended a Bayesian model to predict metapopulation viability under 9 urbanization and management scenarios and incorporated the full probability distribution of possible outcomes for each scenario into the cost‐effectiveness analysis. This allowed us to discern between cost‐effective alternatives that were robust to uncertainty and those with a relatively high risk of failure. We found a relatively high risk of extinction following urbanization if the only action was reservation of core habitat; habitat creation actions performed better than enhancement actions; and cost‐effectiveness ranking changed depending on the consideration of uncertainty. Our results suggest that creation and maintenance of wetlands dedicated to L. raniformis is the only cost‐effective action likely to result in a sufficiently low risk of extinction. To our knowledge we are the first study to use Bayesian metapopulation viability analysis to explicitly incorporate parametric and demographic uncertainty into a cost‐effective evaluation of conservation actions. The approach offers guidance to decision makers aiming to achieve cost‐effective conservation under uncertainty.     

Human Influence and Classical Biogeographic Predictors of Rare Species Occurrence

Biogeographic theory predicts that rare species occur more often in larger, less‐isolated habitat patches and suggests that patch size and connectivity are positive predictors of patch quality for conservation. However, in areas substantially modified by humans, rare species may be relegated to the most isolated patches. We used data from plant surveys of 81 meadow patches in the Georgia Basin of Canada and the United States to show that presence of threatened and endangered plants was positively predicted for patches that were isolated on small islands surrounded by ocean and for patches that were isolated by surrounding forest. Neither patch size nor connectivity were positive predictors of rare species occurrence. Thus, in our study area, human influence, presumably due to disturbance or introduction of competitive non‐native species, appears to have overwhelmed classical predictors of rare species distribution, such that greater patch isolation appeared to favor presence of rare species. We suggest conservation planners consider the potential advantages of protecting geographically isolated patches in human‐modified landscapes because such patches may represent the only habitats in which rare species are likely to persist. Influencia Humana y Predictores Biogeográficos Clásicos de la Ocurrencia de Especies Raras     

Seasonal dynamics of macro-algae in the South Lake of Tunis

The macro-algae communities observed in the south lake of Tunis are characterized by the predominance of nitrophilous algae which are in the order of biomass importance:Ulva, Cladophora andEnteromorpha. We have noted seasonal changes of alga distribution. The wind appears to be one of the most important factors influencing this distribution. The total biomass reaches a maximum in the spring. Rapid decomposition of the biomass leads to a severe ecological imbalance, resulting in crises of anoxia and fish death. A restoration project has already started. It aims at removal of contaminated muds and the introduction of a new circulation system. The main objectives of this work were to collect information on the distribution and biomass of the phytobenthic communities as a first step in the constitution of a database for further comparison.     

Patterns and biases of climate change threats in the IUCN Red List

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assessments rely on published data and expert inputs, and biases can be introduced where underlying definitions and concepts are ambiguous. Consideration of climate change threat is no exception, and recently numerous approaches to assessing the threat of climate change to species have been developed. We explored IUCN Red List assessments of amphibians and birds to determine whether species listed as threatened by climate change display distinct patterns in terms of habitat occupied and additional nonclimatic threats faced. We compared IUCN Red List data with a published data set of species’ biological and ecological traits believed to infer high vulnerability to climate change and determined whether distributions of climate change‐threatened species on the IUCN Red List concur with those of climate change‐threatened species identified with the trait‐based approach and whether species possessing these traits are more likely to have climate change listed as a threat on the IUCN Red List. Species in some ecosystems (e.g., grassland, shrubland) and subject to particular threats (e.g., invasive species) were more likely to have climate change as a listed threat. Geographical patterns of climate change‐threatened amphibians and birds on the IUCN Red List were incongruent with patterns of global species richness and patterns identified using trait‐based approaches. Certain traits were linked to increases or decreases in the likelihood of a species being threatened by climate change. Broad temperature tolerance of a species was consistently related to an increased likelihood of climate change threat, indicating counterintuitive relationships in IUCN assessments. To improve the robustness of species assessments of the vulnerability or extinction risk associated with climate change, we suggest IUCN adopt a more cohesive approach whereby specific traits highlighted by our results are considered in Red List assessments. To achieve this and to strengthen the climate change‐vulnerability assessments approach, it is necessary to identify and implement logical avenues for further research into traits that make species vulnerable to climate change (including population‐level threats).     

Parasitic wasps orient to green leaf volatiles

Summary Undamaged plants emit low levels of green leaf volatiles (GLVs), while caterpillar-damaged and artificially damaged plants emit relatively higher levels of certain GLVs. Female braconid parasitoids,Microplitis croceipes, oriented to both damaged plants and to individual GLVs in no-choice tests in a wind tunnel, but seldom oriented to undamaged plants. Female ichneumonid parasitoids,Netelia heroica, also oriented to individual GLVs in a wind tunnel. Males of both wasp species failed to orient to the GLVs. These data show that leaf-feeding caterpillars can cause the release of GLVs, and that parasitic wasps can respond to these odors by flying upwind (chemoanemotactic response), which brings the wasps to their caterpillar hosts. This supports the hypothesis that plants communicate with members of the third trophic level,i.e., plants under herbivore attack emit chemical signals that guide natural enemies of herbivores to sites of plant damage. In this interaction, the GLVs serve as tritrophic plant-to-parasitoid synomones. That parasitoids from two different wasp families oriented to GLVs suggests that the response may be widespread among the Hymenoptera.Mention of a commercial or proprietary product does not constitute an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture