大气污染指示植物的研究

自50年代以来.为寻找一种经济、实用和灵敏的方法来监测环境变化,开展了大量大气污染指示植物的研究.这些工作包括用植物叶片典型症状、树皮、草本植物、附生植物指示气体污染(O_3、PANs、NO_x、SO_2、HF、乙烯等)、粉尘以及重金属污染.进入80年代以后,有关研究集中到利用植物富集的污染物含量结合计算机等先进技术指示和监测大气环境变化及进行大气质量评价.本文对国内外开展的大气污染指示植物研究的历史及其主要方法作了简要介绍,并就利用植物指示和监测大气污染的若干问题进行了探讨.     

广州城市生态环境变化

对广州城市生态环境因子的大气，水，固体废弃物和噪声污染状况近十年数据结合广州城市发展，分析其环境污染变化特征，结果表明，广州市大气环境污染已由煤烟型向石油型转变;环境中有机污染严重，主要表现为氨氮，BOD5，砷化物和汞化物污染，固体垃圾产出量逐年增加，声环境在逐步好转。     

上海市公园绿地常见落叶树木叶片汞浓度时空特征及环境意义

植物叶片汞浓度与大气气态单质汞(GEM/Hg0)浓度的线性关系表明叶片汞浓度大小可用于指示植物生长区内GEM浓度的高低水平.通过分析上海市绿地公园(25座)中常见落叶树木樱花、水杉、法桐叶片汞浓度的时空变化特征,探究区域内GEM含量水平及分布特征.2017年5-10月对7座公园中这3种树木叶汞浓度进行连续监测,结果显示...     

广州市区植物叶片重金属元素含量及其大气污染评价

文章通过对广州市区植物叶片中重金属元素含量的分析,研究了植物大气环境污染指数,探讨了植物叶片重金属元素含量与城市大气环境污染之间的关系。结果表明,植物叶片中Cu,Pb,Cd,Cr元素污染都较严重,在重污染区这些元素的含量明显高于清洁对照区;用植物污染指数可以综合评价大气环境质量状况;利用植物叶片内的重金属含量变化,为大气污染生物监测和环境质量评价提供了科学依据。     

酸沉降对森林植物影响过程和机理

文章丰要包括如下几方而的内容：（1）概述了酸沉降作用下森林衰退的状况及其相关工作的开展情况；（2）总结了酸沉降对森林植物的影响过程和机理；（3）阐述了酸沉降对森林植物影响研究的模型和临界酸负荷值的确定；（4）探讨了存在的问题和未来值得研究的方向。指山未来的研究方向主要是：酸沉降对森林生态系统的影响机理和森林生态系统对酸沉降的反馈机制；酸沉降对非优势种、稀有种及低等植物的影响；酸沉降与其它环境因子对森林植物的共同影响；酸沉降的监控和预测，建立适合我斟实际情况的研究模型；将常规分析手段和分子生物学技术相结合，加强抗性植物和指示植物的筛选工作；加强受损森林植被的恢复和重建工作；开展酸沉降对森林植被的格局动态及森林演替动态变化研究。     

太原城区绿化植物受氯气伤害的特征及其抗性的研究

本文采用开顶式熏气试验技术，对太原城区栽植的某些树种、花卉和草坪植物的叶片受氯气污染的伤害特征及其熏气后的“远后效应”进行了研究，并根据这些植物的抗氯气能力进行了分级、提出适于氯气污染区的绿化植物和监测植物。     

广州地区酸雨特征及其对植物的影响研究

根据酸雨监测资料，分析了广州地区酸雨的时间变化规格九空间分布特征，探讨了广州地区酸雨的主要形成原因和影响因素，对酸雨对广州地区植物的影响进行了评价，指出酸雨已经对广州地区植物的生存环境造成了严重危害，必须采取更为有效的措施来防治酸雨污染，并提出了一些具体的防治措施。     

突发性环境污染事故应急预警网络系统的设计与开发

本文分析了突发性环境污染事故的预警、应急监测和处理工作,通过对系统设计、数据库设计、系统实施、系统的功能等方面的介绍,给出了一种突发性环境污染事故预警、应急监测和处理方面软件开发的新方法。     

监测和净化难分解性有机污染物质的植物基因工程技术

介绍了植物基因工程技术在监测和净化难分解性有机污染物质方面的研究进展。生物中存在着能降解难分解性有机污染物质的酶及其编码基因，具有识别和除去难分解性有机污染物质的免疫系统、受体和响应元件。这方面的研究工作多以哺乳动物为材料，植物的相关研究还处于起步阶段。创造环境监测和环境污染净化为目标的新型植物将成为转基因植物研究的极其重要的研究方向之一。     

上海宝山钢铁厂绿化植物病虫害现状与治理对策

本文调查及分析了上海宝钢植物病虫害种类及发生情况与植物种类、植物群落配置,环境污染状况的关系,认为宝钢在植物保护工作中,应引入“IPM”病虫害综合治理技术,选择绿化树种时应考虑植物对病虫害的抗性及抗污染能力,增加群落物种组成的多样性,同时应用农业技术和生物技术控制病虫害发生程度,以减少因使用农药而造成的环境污染,维持生态平衡。     

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.     

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.     

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.     

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