Climatic sensitivity of temperate forests

Climatic change and associated global changes are of major interest to foresters, both in terms of forest ecology and of future forest production. Predicting the likely effects of global change on forests is extremely difficult due to the critical lack of information on regional changes in meteorological factors relevant to forests. However, existing models of forest production and forest distribution fail to take adequate account of what is already known. Climate and carbon dioxide concentrations have shown substantial changes over the last 100 years. Although the rate of change is likely to increase, recent proposed and implemented control strategies, together with better climatic models, are tending to suggest that the rate of change will be less than initially thought. This means that past changes may provide an increasingly useful source of information. In particular, information on the impact on forests of both long-term climate change and short-term climatic events is rapidly increasing. Such information should be built into future forest response models.     

Stomatal conductance of semi-natural Mediterranean grasslands: implications for the development of ozone critical levels

Intra-genus and intra-specific variation and the influence of nitrogen enrichment on net assimilation and stomatal conductance of some annual Trifolium species of Mediterranean dehesa grasslands were assessed under experimental conditions. Also gas exchange rates were compared between some Leguminosae and Poaceae species growing in the field in a dehesa ecosystem in central Spain. The results showed that the previously reported different O3 sensitivity of some Trifolium species growing in pots does not seem to be related to different maximum g(s) values. In addition, no clear differences on gas exchange rates could be attributed to Leguminosae and Poaceae families growing in the field, with intra-genus variation being more important than differences found between families. Further studies are needed to increase the database for developing a flux-based approach for setting O3 critical levels for semi-natural Mediterranean species.     

China's grazed temperate grasslands are a net source of atmospheric methane

A budget for the methane (CH₄) cycle in the Xilin River basin of Inner Mongolia is presented. The annual CH₄ budget in this region depends primarily on the sum of atmospheric CH₄ uptake by upland soils, emission from small wetlands, and emission from grazing ruminants (sheep, goats, and cattle). Flux rates for these processes were averaged over multiple years with differing summer rainfall. Although uplands constitute the vast majority of land area, they consume much less CH₄ per unit area than is emitted by wetlands and ruminants. Atmospheric CH₄ uptake by upland soils was ?3.3 and ?4.8 kg CH₄ ha^?1 y^?1 in grazed and ungrazed areas, respectively. Average CH₄ emission was 791.0 kg CH₄ ha^?1 y^?1 from wetlands and 8.6 kg CH₄ ha^?1 y^?1 from ruminants. The basin area-weighted average of all three processes was 6.8 kg CH₄ ha^?1 y^?1, indicating that ruminant production has converted this basin to a net source of atmospheric CH₄. The total CH₄ emission from the Xilin River basin was 7.29 Gg CH₄ y^?1. The current grazing intensity is about eightfold higher than that which would result in a net zero CH₄ flux. Since grazing intensity has increased throughout western China, it is likely that ruminant production has converted China's grazed temperate grasslands to a net source of atmospheric CH₄ overall.     

First-order sensitivity analysis of models with time-dependent parameters: an application to PAN and ozone

A major limitation of the decoupled direct method for local sensitivity analysis (Dunker, 1984, Journal of Chemical Physics 81; 2385–2393; Gao, 1995, Ph.D. Thesis, University of Connecticut; McCroskey and McRae, 1987, Documentation for the direct decoupled sensitivity analysis method-DDM, Pittsburgh, PA) has been its restriction to the calculation of sensitivity coefficients for constant rate parameters. Realistic atmospheric simulations require that the rate parameters in chemical mechanisms, especially photolysis rate parameters and rate parameters strongly affected by temperature variations, vary diurnally during a simulation. For this reason a new conceptual framework has been devised where time-dependent rate parameters are expressed as products of time-varying profiles and time-independent multipliers. For computational convenience the nominal values of the time-independent multipliers are chosen to be unity. According to the new procedure the decoupled direct method is used to calculate the derivatives of the concentrations with respect to each time-independent multiplier. These derivatives represent the sensitivity of the concentrations to the time-varying profiles of the time-dependent rate parameters. Local sensitivity coefficients for O₃ and PAN were calculated for a moderately polluted scenario that was free of clouds and at a constant temperature using the Regional Atmospheric Chemistry Mechanism (RACM) (Stockwell et al., 1997, Journal of Geophysical Research 102, 25,847–25,879). Calculations were compared for simulations with constant as well as diurnally changing photolysis rate coefficients. The results show that sensitivity coefficients calculated using constant, average, rate parameter values may be significantly different from sensitivity coefficients calculated using time-varying rate parameters and therefore the relative importance of the mechanism's reactions may be different for the two calculations. The greatest differences in sensitivity coefficients were found for reactions with rates that have strong diurnal variations, such as photolysis, HO and NO₃ reactions. It was further found that diurnally varying reactions have cumulative effects on sensitivity coefficients during the simulation of an episode that are not present when constant rate parameters are used. These results have implications, not only for sensitivity analysis and modelling, but also for the use of measurements to validate chemical models.     

Climate of the earth: an overview

Climate has varied over a large range in the recent history of the Earth, with extremes represented by equable environments of the Cretaceous and Eocene and the comparatively frigid conditions of the ice ages that punctuated the past few million years. It is suggested that major shifts in climate are controlled largely by variations in CO(2) with related fluctuations in modes of ocean circulation. Changes in climate can proceed rapidly, on time scales as short as centuries or even decades, as indicated by data for the Younger Dryas (a period of globally cold conditions interrupting recovery of the Earth from the last ice age) and the Little Ice Age (a cold snap extending from about 1250 to about 1850 ad). Rapid fluctuations in climate appear to be linked to changes in production of deep water in the North Atlantic, possibly also to variations in circulation of intermediate waters in the Pacific. Mechanisms are discussed whereby changes in ocean circulation can result in shifts of climate on a global scale. A 10 000 year record of climate from Norway is used to provide context for a discussion of possible changes in climate today arising as a result of the build-up of industrially related greenhouse gases. Brief, somewhat pessimistic, comments are offered concerning the prospects for meaningful near-term predictions of the response of climate to increased concentrations of greenhouse gases. Studies of past climates, by drawing attention to important processes and feedbacks, can play a valuable role in the development of credible models for the future.     

Evidence for potential impacts of ozone on Pinus cembra L. at mountain sites in Europe: an overview

We summarize what is known about the impact of ozone (O(3)) on Pinus cembra in the timberline ecotone of the central European Alps and the Carpathian Mountains. In the central European Alps exposure to ambient and two-fold ambient O(3) throughout one growing season did neither cause any visible injury nor affect the photosynthetic machinery and biochemical parameters in current to 1-year-old needles. By contrast, in the southern French Alps and in the Carpathians 1-year-old needles of Pinus cembra trees showed visual symptoms similar to those observed in O(3) stressed pine stands in southern California. For the southern French Alps the observed symptoms could clearly be attributed O(3) and differences in O(3) uptake seems to be the likely key factor for explaining the observed decline. For the Carpathians however, other reasons such as drought may not be excluded in eliciting the observed symptoms. Thus, the action of O(3) has always to be evaluated in concert with other environmental impacts, determining the tree's sensitivity to stress.     

天津市秋季臭氧浓度影响因素及相关关系研究

选择天津市秋季典型重污染时期2005年11月2～7日近地面大气O3、NO、NO2、CO、紫外线(UV)强度和温度等观测数据,研究O3浓度的时间变化特征及其与相关前体物、气象条件的相关关系.结果表明,在观测期间O3浓度存在明显的日变化周期,在13:00～14:00时浓度最大,夜间变化平缓;O3浓度与NO、NO2、NOx和CO等前体物呈较好的负相关关系;温度和UV与O3浓度密切相关,昼间O3与UV呈相同变化趋势,相关系数达0.71,O3浓度变化滞后于UV变化,将O3浓度与前1小时的UV对比分析,相关系数提高到0.81.     

Depletion of stratospheric ozone over the Antarctic and Arctic: responses of plants of polar terrestrial ecosystems to enhanced UV-B, an overview

Depletion of stratospheric ozone over the Antarctic has been re-occurring yearly since 1974, leading to enhanced UV-B radiation. Arctic ozone depletion has been observed since 1990. Ozone recovery has been predicted by 2050, but no signs of recovery occur. Here we review responses of polar plants to experimentally varied UV-B through supplementation or exclusion. In supplementation studies comparing ambient and above ambient UV-B, no effect on growth occurred. UV-B-induced DNA damage, as measured in polar bryophytes, is repaired overnight by photoreactivation. With UV exclusion, growth at near ambient may be less than at below ambient UV-B levels, which relates to the UV response curve of polar plants. UV-B screening foils also alter PAR, humidity, and temperature and interactions of UV with environmental factors may occur. Plant phenolics induced by solar UV-B, as in pollen, spores and lignin, may serve as a climate proxy for past UV. Since the Antarctic and Arctic terrestrial ecosystems differ essentially, (e.g. higher species diversity and more trophic interactions in the Arctic), generalization of polar plant responses to UV-B needs caution.     

污泥酸化速率影响因子的探讨

采用城市污水厂污泥作为嗜酸微生物菌株来源,通过添加一定量的单质硫,使其中的嗜酸硫杆菌群大量增殖,并使污泥pH大幅降低.取得的培养物可用于废旧干电池中重金属沥滤等的处理.由于培养物对重金属沥滤效率和污泥的酸化速率密切相关,为此进行了不同的污泥种类、加硫量、污泥浓度和曝气强度对污泥酸化速率影响的实验.实验表明,初沉泥、二沉泥和混合浓缩污泥都能迅速利用硫产酸;加硫量(以100 mL污泥计)在0.5、1.0、2.0、4.0 g时,快速酸化的趋势相同.0.5 g的加硫量显示出略微慢的酸化速率,最后达到的最低pH在1.2左右,其他三个都降至1.0以下.污泥质量分数在0.5%、1.0%、2.0%、3.0%、4.0%时,也具有相同的酸化趋势,0.5%质量分数的污泥下降速率最快,这与较低浓度下污泥对pH的缓冲能力较小有关;曝气强度在0.45 L/min和0.3 L/min差别较小,5 d内能迅速降低pH,0.2 L/min的酸化速率较慢,足够长的时间(12 d)也能将pH降至2.5左右,0.1 L/min的曝气强度的酸化速率最慢,不能达到预期的酸化效果.     

Meta-analysis of the relative sensitivity of semi-natural vegetation species to ozone

This study identified 83 species from existing publications suitable for inclusion in a database of sensitivity of species to ozone (OZOVEG database). An index, the relative sensitivity to ozone, was calculated for each species based on changes in biomass in order to test for species traits associated with ozone sensitivity. Meta-analysis of the ozone sensitivity data showed a wide inter-specific range in response to ozone. Some relationships in comparison to plant physiological and ecological characteristics were identified. Plants of the therophyte lifeform were particularly sensitive to ozone. Species with higher mature leaf N concentration were more sensitive to ozone than those with lower leaf N concentration. Some relationships between relative sensitivity to ozone and Ellenberg habitat requirements were also identified. In contrast, no relationships between relative sensitivity to ozone and mature leaf P concentration, Grime's CSR strategy, leaf longevity, flowering season, stomatal density and maximum altitude were found. The relative sensitivity of species and relationships with plant characteristics identified in this study could be used to predict sensitivity to ozone of untested species and communities.     

Ambient ozone in forests of the Central and Eastern European mountains

Ambient ozone (O(3)) concentrations in the forested areas of the Central and Eastern European (CEE) mountains measured on passive sampler networks and in several locations equipped with active monitors are reviewed. Some areas of the Carpathian Mountains, especially in Romania and parts of Poland, as well as the Sumava and Brdy Mountains in the Czech Republic are characterized by low European background concentrations of the pollutant (summer season means approximately 30 ppb). Other parts of the Carpathians, especially the western part of the range (Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Poland), some of the Eastern (Ukraine) and Southern (Romania) Carpathians and the Jizerske Mountains have high O(3) levels with peak values >100 ppb and seasonal means approximately 50 ppb. Large portions of the CEE mountain forests experience O(3) exposures that are above levels recommended for protection of forest and natural vegetation. Continuation of monitoring efforts with a combination of active monitors and passive samplers is needed for developing risk assessment scenarios for forests and other natural areas of the CEE Region.     

European abatement of surface ozone in a global perspective

EU's programme Clean Air for Europe (CAFE) is presently revising the policy on air quality which will lead to the adoption of a thematic strategy on air pollution under the Sixth Environmental Action Programme by mid-2005. For the abatement of surface ozone it is becoming evident that processes outside European control will be crucial for meeting long-term aims and air quality guidelines in Europe in the future. Measurements and modelling results indicate that there is a strong link between climate change and surface ozone. A warmer and dryer European climate is very likely to lead to increased ozone concentrations. Furthermore, increased anthropogenic emissions in developing economies in Asia are likely to raise the hemispheric background level of ozone. A significant increase in the background concentration of ozone has been observed at several sites in Northern Europe although the underlying causes are not settled. The photochemical formation of tropospheric ozone from increased concentrations of methane and CO may also lead to a higher ozone level on a global scale. Gradually, these effects may outweigh the effect of the reduced European ozone precursor emissions. This calls for a global or hemispheric perspective in the revision of the European air quality policy for ozone.     

Factors influencing the ground level distribution of ozone in Europe

Ozone is a widely distributed pollutant in the atmospheric boundary layer over north west Europe. Three main sources have been identified: the stratosphere, the free troposphere and boundary layer photochemical production. The pattern of ground level ozone concentrations resulting from these three sources cannot be accurately specified. Ozone shows significant variations in space and time but because of the high cost of continuous monitoring equipment, spatial variations on a national and international basis have not been studied in detail. Variations in ozone concentrations at individual monitoring sites have been given a great deal of attention and experience gained from United Kingdom monitoring sites is described in some detail. The averaging time statistical model of Larsen is employed to relate the exposure levels measured over different averaging periods. Diurnal variations have a major influence on exposure levels at sites nominally exposed to the same regional ozone distribution. The physical and chemical mechanisms which give rise to diurnal variations are detailed so that sites can be screened for different diurnal behaviour characteristics.     

Factors affecting the outcome of corporate sustainability policy: a review paper

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Despite having a focus on sustainability policy planning, failures occur during the implementation process. The gap between policy and its...     

Influence of uncertain reaction rates on ozone sensitivity to emissions

Air quality models rely upon simplified photochemical mechanisms to efficiently represent the thousands of chemical species that interact to form air pollution. Uncertainties in the chemical reaction rate constants and photolysis frequencies that comprise those mechanisms can generate uncertainty in the estimation of pollutant concentrations and their responsiveness to emission controls. A high-order sensitivity analysis technique is applied to quantify the extent to which reaction rate uncertainties influence estimates of ozone concentrations and their sensitivities to precursor emissions during an air pollution episode in Houston, Texas. Several reactions were found to have much larger proportional effects on ozone’s sensitivities to emissions than on its concentrations. In particular, uncertainties in photolysis frequencies and in the rate of reaction between NO₂ and OH to form nitric acid can significantly influence the magnitude and sign of peak ozone sensitivity to nitrogen oxide (NO_x) emissions. Ozone sensitivity to VOCs exhibits a much more muted response to uncertainties in the reaction rate constants and photolysis frequencies considered here. The results indicate the importance of accurate reaction rate constants to predicting the ozone impacts resulting from NO_x emission controls.     

The role of arginine decarboxylase in modulating the sensitivity of barley to ozone

Polyamines (PA) are known to be involved in the areas of plant physiology and biochemistry which are related to the response of a plant to air pollution. This study examines the role of arginine decarboxylase (ADC), an important rate-limiting enzyme in polyamine synthesis, in barley plants exposed to ozone (O(3)). The activity of ADC increased significantly in O(3)-treated leaves when visible injury was hardly apparent. The increase in ADC activity may be a mechanism to increase the PA levels in O(3)-treated leaves and so minimize the damaging effects of O(3). Supporting this, foliar applications of DL-alpha-difluoromethylarginine (DFMA), a specific inhibitor of ADC, prevented the rise in ADC activity and visible injury was considerable on exposure to O(3). This damage was not due to the foliar sprays, as little visible injury was seen in leaves in the O(3)-free controls. The results are discussed in terms of the roles of PA in conferring O(3) resistance in plants.     

Factors affecting the degradation of amoxicillin in composting toilet

The biological and non-biological factors that affect the degradation of amoxicillin in the composting process of feces have been investigated. The effect of living bacteria and the enzyme (beta-lactamase) on amoxicillin decay was examined, and our results indicated that the biological effects are likely to be negligible. Consequently, the effect of phosphate, ammonia and pH level as non-biological factors was investigated by monitoring the reduction rate of amoxicillin in phosphate and ammonia buffer solutions with several pH levels. Each reduction rate constant was integrated by a simulation model, and the each calculated amoxicillin reduction profile was compared to the reduction profiles of amoxicillin in the composting process of feces. The calculated results corresponded almost exactly to the experimental profiles. We therefore concluded that the degradation of amoxicillin in a toilet matrix was dependent on the concentration of ammonia, phosphate and hydroxyl ion.     

羟基磷灰石吸附水溶液中Zn2+影响因素的研究

对羟基磷灰石(HAp)吸附水溶液中Zn2 的各种影响因素进行了系统的研究.实验结果表明,去除率与Zn2 的初始浓度呈负相关关系;酸性环境不利于HAp对Zn2 的吸附,随着pH值的增加去除率迅速升高,当pH值升到10左右时,去除率几乎接近100%,之后随着碱性的增强去除率反而下降;去除率与作用时间、HAp的用量和作用温度呈正相关关系.HAp对水溶液中Zn2 的吸附符合Langmuir等温吸附模型,它对Zn2 的最大吸附容量为6.72 mg/g.