Modeling ecosystem responses to prescribed fires in a phosphorus-enriched Everglades wetland: I. Phosphorus dynamics and cattail recovery

We have developed and applied a process-based model, the Wetland Ecosystem Model (WEM), to evaluate the effects of a prescribed fire on the phosphorus (P) dynamics and cattail (Typha domingensis) growth in a P-enriched area in the Florida Everglades. The WEM couples major ecosystem processes including carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and P biogeochemical cycles, plant growth, hydrology, and fire disturbance. The model is used to assess the effects of a prescribed fire on P dynamics and cattail growth through dynamic interaction among four modules: fire, water chemistry, soil, and vegetation. The simulation results are in agreement with observed data including cattail above- and belowground biomass and dead mass, P concentration in surface-water, pore-water, and soil, and soil and water temperature. Cattail aboveground biomass reached the unburned level one year after burn; belowground biomass recovered to unburned level one and half years after the fire, however, dead mass did not completely reach unburned level two years after fires. The fire increased water and soil temperatures in the short term, while indirectly increasing the sensitivity of water and soil temperature post-fire response to air temperature by altering the energy exchange between air and water through a canopy gap created by fire. The fire also altered the P dynamics in surface-water and pore-water. A post-fire P pulse that lasted for less than one month was observed in surface-water. A similar P pulse, but in a small magnitude and a longer duration, was also observed in the pore-water total phosphorus (TP), and then came back to normal level after approximately three months. No significant changes in soil TP was observed during the study period. Meanwhile, no significant changes in water nutrients were observed downstream of the study plot. This finding indicated that the P-enriched wetlands in Everglades act as a buffer in regulating the P concentration in surface-water. Our study showed that the distance of fire effects on a 300 m × 300 m plot was less than 300 m downstream. Sensitivity analysis identified that the air temperature and hydrological conditions are two important driving factors which may alter the cattail community dynamics in response to prescribed fires. Similar to the filed studies, this study provided evidences that fire played an important role in managing plant growth and P dynamics in the Florida Everglades.     

城市路面降雨径流污染特征及源解析的研究进展

城市路面径流是城市地表径流的重要组成部分,因其污染强度大、对地表水体的影响严重而被予以格外的关注。通过对国内外关于路面径流水质的研究进行总结发现：我国城市道路径流中COD、TP、TN和Pb的平均质量浓度分别为239.59、0.46、6.29和0.14 mg·L-1,超过了国家地表水环境质量Ⅴ类标准,TSS的质量浓度高达552.86 mg·L-1。因此,COD、TP、TN、Pb和TSS是我国路面径流的主要污染物。高速路径流污染物Pb、Cu和Zn的浓度明显高于普通道路,而普通道路径流污染物中COD和TSS要高于高速路。与其他国家相比,我国城市道路雨水径流污染物浓度偏高。多数研究表明：污染物的质量浓度与降雨量呈负相关关系,路面坡度增加了车辆与路面的摩擦力和燃料的消耗,进而导致路面径流污染物的浓度较高,路面清扫或许对污染物的浓度有不利的影响,主要由于道路清扫将路面中部分大颗粒破碎,释放出了细小的颗粒物（粒径〈43μm）并且不能将其清除的缘故。但是,降雨强度、干期、降雨历时和车流量对径流水质的影响存在一定的争议。通过对现有的研究总结发现：车流量≥30000的路面径流中COD、TSS、Pb和Cu的浓度是车流量〈30000的路面径流中的2.5、4.3、1.4和5.1倍;路面径流中的重金属主要来源于车辆的交通损耗,有机污染物来源于车辆的交通活动和路面材质,营养污染物来源于大气干湿沉降。今后应从以下几方面开展研究：将多环芳烃、大肠杆菌等水质指标列入研究计划;深入分析影响降雨径流水质的因素及各影响因子间的交互作用;运用同位素溯源技术识别道路径流污染物来源。     

再生水用于景观水体的氮磷水质标准确定

污水再生利用是解决水资源短缺问题的重要措施,其中再生水回用于景观水体是主要途径之一.而防止水华爆发则是再生水景观利用的首要任务,控制再生水中的氮磷是防止水华爆发的根本措施.目前已有的景观水体水质标准中,氮磷浓度限值要求不统一,缺乏科学依据.因此再生水处理过程中氮磷控制标准执行易出现矛盾,不利于保障再生水景观利用的水质安全.再生水景观利用的氮磷控制标准,应在藻类最大生长潜力研究的基础上,通过藻类生长的Logistic模型和Monod模型、景观水体氮磷浓度模型按拟合,并结合水体自净能力和水质保障措施等综合因素加以确定.以栅藻(Scenedesmus sp)为例,通过Logistic模型和Monod模型拟合景观水体水华控制氮磷浓度限值的确定方法.     

广州城郊菜地土壤磷素特征及流失风险分析

通过化学分析和土壤淋洗试验对广州城郊菜地土壤磷素特征和流失风险进行了研究和分析。结果表明.广州城郊菜地土壤全磷含量极高;与自然土壤相比较,菜园土壤无机磷比例增大、有机磷比例降低;无机磷中的AI-P、Fe-P比例增加.O-P比例降低,Ca-P比例基本一致;土壤Olsen P、Bray-1 P、Mehlich-1 P、0.01mol/L CaCl_2和H_2O提取的磷含量相当高;土壤淋洗液中溶解态磷和总磷持续保持很高的浓度,土壤磷供应强度大。菜园土壤中磷进入水体引起水体磷浓度增加,导致水体富营养化风险大;土壤磷的测定值可作为土壤磷流失风险和对水环境影响程度的评估依据。菜地应作为农业非点源磷污染的优先控制区、应通过严格控制磷肥的投入和合理施肥等控制磷的流失。     

Bioavailability of trace metals in brownfield soils in an urban area in the UK

Thirty-two brownfield sites from the city of Wolverhampton were selected from those with a former industrial use, wasteland or areas adjacent to industrial processes. Samples (<2 mm powdered soil fraction) were analysed, using inductively coupled plasma–atomic emission spectrometry (ICP–AES) for 20 elements. Loss on ignition and pH were also determined. A five-step chemical sequential extraction technique was carried out. Single leach extraction with 0.12 M hydrochloric acid of Pb, Cu and Zn in soil was determined as a first approximation of the bioavailability in the human stomach. Some of the sites were found to have high concentrations of the potentially toxic elements Pb, Zn, Cu and Ni. The partitioning of metals showed a high variability, however a number of trends were determined. The majority of Zn was partitioned into the least chemically stable phases (steps 1, 2 and 3). The majority of Cu was associated with the organic phase (step 4) and the majority of Ni was fractionated into the residue phase (step 5). The majority of Pb was associated with the residue fraction (step 5) followed by Fe–Mn oxide fraction (step 3). The variability reflects the heterogeneous and complex nature of metal speciation in urban soils with varied historic histories. There was a strong inverse linear relationship between the metals Ni, Zn and Pb in the readily exchangeable phase (step 1) and soil pH, significant at P < 0.01 level. There was a significant increase (P < 0.05) in the partitioning of Cu, Ni and Zn into step 4 (the organic phase) in soils with a higher organic carbon content (estimated by loss on ignition). Copper was highly partitioned into step 4 as it has a strong association with organics in soil but this phase was not important for the partitioning of Ni or Zn. The fractionation of Ni, Cu and Zn increased significantly in step 3 when the total metal concentration increases (P < 0.01). The Fe–Mn oxide fraction becomes more important in soils elevated in these metals, possibly due to the scavenging of metals by oxides. Cu and Pb extracted by HCl was statistically similar to the sum of the metals in steps 1 to 4 (P < 0.01) and HCl available Zn was statistically similar to the sum of Zn in steps 1 to 3 (P < 0.01). Step 4 (the organic phase) was not an important phase for Zn, so it was concluded that any Cu, Zn and Pb present in soil in a nonresidue phase would be potentially available for uptake into the human system once soil has been ingested.     

Estimating an homogeneous series of a population abundance indicator despite changes in data collection procedure: A hierarchical Bayesian modelling approach

Abundance indicators are required both to assess and to manage wild populations. As new techniques are developed and teams in charge of gathering the data change, data collection procedures (DCPs) can evolve in space and time. How to estimate an homogeneous series of abundance indicator despite changes in DCP? To tackle this question a hierarchical Bayesian modelling (HBM) approach is proposed. It integrates multiple DCPs in order to derive a single abundance indicator that can be compared over space and time irrespective of the DCP used. Compared to single DCP models, it takes further advantage for abundance estimation of the joint treatment of a larger set of spatio-temporal units. After presenting the general formulation of our HBM approach, it is applied to the juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) population of the River Nivelle (France). Posterior model checking, using χ² discrepancy measure, do not reveal any inadequacy between the model and the data. Despite a change in the DCP used (successive removals to catch-per-unit of effort), a unique abundance indicator for the 425 spatio-temporal units (site × year) sampled over twenty-four years (1985-2008) is estimated. The HBM approach allows the assessment of precision of the abundance estimates and shows variation between DCPs: a reduction in precision is observed during the most recent years (2005-2008) when only the catch-per-unit of effort DCP was used. The merits and generality of our HBM approach are discussed. We contend it extends previous single DCP models or inter-calibration of two DCPs, and it could be applied to a wide range of specific situations (taxon and DCPs).     

Source identification and groundwater health risk assessment of PTEs in the stormwater runoff in an abandoned mining area

Environmental Geochemistry and Health - Xikuangshan antimony mine in Lengshuijiang, China, has been developed for many years, and stormwater runoff contains high levels of potentially toxic...     

Assessment on contaminations in sediments of an intake and the inflow canals in Taihu Lake,China

As the second largest freshwater lake in China, Taihu Lake provides water supply to approximately 32 million inhabitants around the lake. However, dramatically increased pollution has threatened the safety of drinking water supply in recent years. In the present study, we investigated the contaminations of nutrients and heavy metals in the sediments of an intake and inflow canals in Gonghu Bay, Taihu Lake. Moreover, we also examined the impact of human activities on spatial distribution characteristics of contaminations. Our results showed that the intake presented relatively lower concentrations of phosphorus and nitrogen compared with inflow canals. However, the concentrations of Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn and Pb in the sediments of the intake exceeded the lowest effect level (LEL) values, indicating a potential risk to drinking water resource. In addition, the concentrations of Ni in the sediments of Tianji Canal and Jinshu Canal exceeded the severe effect level (SEL) value. More importantly, the concentrations of Cu in the sediments of Tianji Canal exceeded three times of the SEL value. Multivariate statistical analysis confirmed that the domestic sewage primarily contributed to the nutrient accumulation, and the leakage of electronic trash dominated the enrichment of metals in the sediments. Taken together, more effort should be made to ensure the security of water resources in Taihu Lake, especially for the treatment of domestic sewage and industrial wastewater.     

皖南低山丘陵地区流域氮磷径流输出特征

通过对安徽南部宣城地区梅村小流域的定位监测,研究了该小流域地表径流中氮磷输出特征。结果表明:氮输出以NO-3N为主,占氮素输出总量的60%,磷输出以悬浮颗粒结合态磷(PAP)为主,占磷输出总量的92%;各类形态氮素输出量间存在极显著线性正相关关系;PAP随悬浮颗粒输出量的增加而增加,PAP与水溶性磷(DP)输出量间存在着极显著的对数关系;氮磷输出具有明显的季节性变化规律,夏季输出量最大,其次是春季,再次是秋季,冬季最少,这是由降雨量的季节性变化所引起的。而且暴雨对氮磷输出的贡献率极大,因此控制雨季土壤侵蚀是有效控制氮磷通过径流输出的最重要方式。     

Cycling of metals in desert soils: effects of Tamarix nilotica and inundation by lake water

Concentrations of Ca, Mg, K, Na, Cu, Zn, Al, Fe and Mn were measured in soils and in Tamarix nilotica from Wadi Allaqi on the shore of Lake Nasser in the Eastern Desert of Egypt. All of the elements were concentrated in the leaves of Tamarix relative to the stems and roots. Leaf:soil concentration ratios, used as an indicator of metal accumulation in the plant, showed high enrichment factors for Na (67.5), K (63.0) and Mg (35.0); of the trace elements measured, Zn had the highest enrichment factor (7.64). Comparison with other desert species suggested that Tamarix was exceptional only in the accumulation of sodium. Periodic inundation of the soil by Lake Nasser caused dilution and dispersion of the accumulated salts.     

Bioaccessibility of metals in soils: comparison between chemical extractions and in vitro tests

It is well-known that the total metal content in soils is not a good indicator of their harmful effects, leading to an overestimation of risks. Toxicological and environmental hazards depend on the chemical species and on its bioavailability to target organisms. Because a good estimation of bioavailability is difficult, a good compromise is to assess bioaccessibility, defined as the maximum amount of a pollutant which is potentially absorbable by a target organism. This study presents a comparison of different strategies to measure metal bioaccessibility in soils. Three procedures were applied to real soil samples with different levels of metal contamination: pseudo-total metal attack, selective sequential extractions and in vitro tests (deliberately developed to simulate human or mammals digestion). Considering the first step of the selective extraction procedure, which can provide the bioaccessible fraction for deposit-feeder organisms, data obtained for each metal were lower than those obtained from in vitro tests. Therefore, it is possible to highlight that this extraction tends to underestimate metal bioaccessibility in soils for humans, while in vitro tests certainly will overestimate bioaccessibility for organisms as invertebrates. If the sum of first and second step of sequential procedure is considered, results are quite similar to those obtained from in vitro tests, but this kind of procedure would require two days of work rather than a few hours required to perform an in vitro test. Results highlight the diversity among the differently defined bioaccessible fractions and the need to apply the most suitable procedure depending on the target organism.     

Source identification and prediction of nitrogen and phosphorus pollution of Lake Taihu by an ensemble machine learning technique

● A machine learning model was used to identify lake nutrient pollution sources. ● XGBoost model showed the best performance for lake water quality prediction. ● Model feature size was reduced by screening the key features with the MIC method. ● TN and TP concentrations of Lake Taihu are mainly affected by endogenous sources. ● Next-month lake TN and TP concentrations were predicted accurately. Effective control of lake eutrophication necessitates a full understanding of the complicated nitrogen and phosphorus pollution sources, for which mathematical modeling is commonly adopted. In contrast to the conventional knowledge-based models that usually perform poorly due to insufficient knowledge of pollutant geochemical cycling, we employed an ensemble machine learning (ML) model to identify the key nitrogen and phosphorus sources of lakes. Six ML models were developed based on 13 years of historical data of Lake Taihu’s water quality, environmental input, and meteorological conditions, among which the XGBoost model stood out as the best model for total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) prediction. The results suggest that the lake TN is mainly affected by the endogenous load and inflow river water quality, while the lake TP is predominantly from endogenous sources. The prediction of the lake TN and TP concentration changes in response to these key feature variations suggests that endogenous source control is a highly desirable option for lake eutrophication control. Finally, one-month-ahead prediction of lake TN and TP concentrations (R² of 0.85 and 0.95, respectively) was achieved based on this model with sliding time window lengths of 9 and 6 months, respectively. Our work demonstrates the great potential of using ensemble ML models for lake pollution source tracking and prediction, which may provide valuable references for early warning and rational control of lake eutrophication.     

Effect of chemical dose on phosphorus removal and membrane fouling control in a UCT-MBR

Phosphorus removal was enhanced effectively by dosing aluminum sulfate and effluent phosphorus concentration was lower than 0.5 mg/L. Sludge activity was not inhibited but improved slightly with addition of aluminum sulfate. EPS concentrations both in mixed liquid and on membrane surface were decreased, contributing to the effective mitigation of membrane fouling. To enhance phosphorus removal and make the effluent meet the strict discharge level of total phosphorus (TP, 0.5 mg/L), flocculant dosing is frequently applied. In this study, the performance of aluminum sulfate dosing in a University of Cape Town Membrane Bioreactor (UCT-MBR) was investigated, in terms of the nutrients removal performance, sludge characteristics and membrane fouling. The results indicated that the addition of aluminum sulfate into the aerobic reactor continuously had significantly enhanced phosphorus removal. Moreover, COD, NH₄⁺-N and TN removal were not affected and effluent all met the first level A criteria of GB18918-2002. In addition, the addition of aluminum sulfate had improved the sludge activity slightly and reduced trans-membrane pressure (TMP) increase rate from 1.13 KPa/d to 0.57 KPa/d effectively. The membrane fouling was alleviated attributed to the increased average particle sizes and the decreased accumulation of the small sludge particles on membrane surface. Furthermore, the decline of extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) concentration in mixed sludge liquid decreased its accumulation on membrane surface, resulting in the mitigation of membrane fouling directly.     

氮肥运筹和少免耕对麦田氮素径流流失的影响

采用田间小区定位试验研究了自然降雨条件下氮肥运筹和少免耕措施对稻麦两熟农田麦季氮素径流流失特征的影响。结果表明：自然降雨后麦田耕层土壤平均水分质量分数26.34%为径流事件发生的临界土壤水分质量分数。常规施肥（T0）条件下,麦季径流水量达2185.05 m3·hm-2,径流侵蚀泥沙量达716.08 kg.hm-2,少免耕（T2）处理增加麦田径流水量达29.67%,减少径流侵蚀泥沙量达13.96%,而肥料运筹（T1）与T0处理差异不显著;就整个麦季而言,T0处理条件下,径流水全氮（TN）平均质量浓度和径流侵蚀泥沙TN平均质量分数分别为10.51 mg·L-1和1.19 g·kg-1,T1处理显著降低径流水TN质量浓度和侵蚀泥沙TN质量分数分别达11.63%和5.93%,T2处理显著降低径流侵蚀泥沙TN质量分数达7.95%;麦季氮素径流流失主要集中在小麦生育前期,包括径流水氮素流失量和径流侵蚀过程中由泥沙流失的氮素量。T0处理条件下,氮素流失总量达31.76 kg·hm-2,其中,径流水氮素流失量占麦季氮素总流失量95%以上,T1处理减少麦季氮素总流失量达9.25%,而T2处理则增加麦季氮素总流失量达16.75%。     

Estimating preferences for outdoor recreation:: a comparison of continuous and count data demand system frameworks

Continuous and count data demand system models have emerged as attractive alternatives to the discrete choice random utility maximization models (RUMs) that currently dominate the seasonal, multi-site recreation demand literature. This paper compares the frameworks conceptually and investigates their empirical performance with a common data set. Although the two modeling approaches employ substantially different behavioral and econometric assumptions, results from a recreation application based on the 1997 Iowa Wetlands Survey suggest that qualitatively similar policy inferences arise from the competing structures.     

贵州草海湿地农田渠系水质空间分异特征及影响分析

为了解草海湿地农田渠系水质现状、空间分异特征及影响因素,于2011年秋季对草海湿地进行大空间尺度的采样,分析了氮磷等理化指标,采用单因子污染指数法和营养状态指数法分别对农田渠系水质和湖泊营养状态进行评价.结果表明,草海湿地农田渠系水质污染严重,多数水质为V类或劣V类,总氮和溶解氧是水体中的主要污染因子;上游水质劣于下游,尤其是上游靠近县城区域的水质最差;多等级排水渠系对氮磷具有一定的截留作用,干渠V级水质好于低级渠系水质;不同的土地利用方式对水质的影响不同,城镇用地>集中式村落>农田;草海湿地水体上、中、下游营养水平分别为中度富营养、轻度富营养和中营养,外源污染物的累积和湖泊营养水平的提高导致其沼泽化,而流域不合理的土地利用结构加剧了沼泽化的进程.     

Fully integrated approach: an alternative solution of coupling a GIS and diffuse pollution models

As a tool for management, query, visualization and analysis of spatially referred information, GIS has been recognized as a method to aid the modeling of diffuse pollution and visualize the results in a spatial context. A common question in integrating diffuse pollution models and GIS is to choose a suitable coupling approach, in which the feature of diffuse pollution models should be taken into account. In this paper, we report on our experience in coupling a distributed diffuse pollution model with a GIS. A prototype of fully integrated system is developed in this paper. This system has high flexibility, extendibility and great data management efficiency. Differences in applicability of loose coupling, tight coupling and fully integrated approaches are addressed. It is concluded that the fully integrated approach can avoid tanglesome data exchange and routine execution and more robust than loose and tight coupling approaches and is suitable for distributed diffuse pollution modes.     

氮肥运筹和少免耕对麦田氮素径流流失的影响

采用田间小区定位试验研究了自然降雨条件下氮肥运筹和少免耕措施对稻麦两熟农田麦季氮素径流流失特征的影响。结果表明:自然降雨后麦田耕层土壤平均水分质量分数26.34%为径流事件发生的临界土壤水分质量分数。常规施肥(T0)条件下,麦季径流水量达2185.05 m3·hm-2,径流侵蚀泥沙量达716.08 kg.hm-2,少免耕(T2)处理增加麦田径流水量达29.67%,减少径流侵蚀泥沙量达13.96%,而肥料运筹(T1)与T0处理差异不显著;就整个麦季而言,T0处理条件下,径流水全氮(TN)平均质量浓度和径流侵蚀泥沙TN平均质量分数分别为10.51 mg·L-1和1.19 g·kg-1,T1处理显著降低径流水TN质量浓度和侵蚀泥沙TN质量分数分别达11.63%和5.93%,T2处理显著降低径流侵蚀泥沙TN质量分数达7.95%;麦季氮素径流流失主要集中在小麦生育前期,包括径流水氮素流失量和径流侵蚀过程中由泥沙流失的氮素量。T0处理条件下,氮素流失总量达31.76 kg·hm-2,其中,径流水氮素流失量占麦季氮素总流失量95%以上,T1处理减少麦季氮素总流失量达9.25%,而T2处理则增加麦季氮素总流失量达16.75%...     

Bayesian predictive inference for the proportion of eroded land in a small area in Iowa

There is an increasing interest in the quality of soil, especially for small geographical areas. We present a method to estimate the percent of the area in a county or hydrological basin that is eroded. There are sample data (for several counties in eastern Iowa) from the National Resources Inventory and population data on land use, land capability class, rainfall and slope length and steepness. Using the Gibbs sampler we perform Bayesian predictive inference to obtain estimates for the non-sampled units. These estimates, together with the sample data, provide an estimate of the proportion of the total area that is eroded. We assess the quality of fit of our model using two cross-validation exercises and graphical methods.     

Phosphorus in Phoenix: a budget and spatial representation of phosphorus in an urban ecosystem

As urban environments dominate the landscape, we need to examine how limiting nutrients such as phosphorus (P) cycle in these novel ecosystems. Sustainable management of P resources is necessary to ensure global food security and to minimize freshwater pollution. We used a spatially explicit budget to quantify the pools and fluxes of P in the Greater Phoenix Area in Arizona, USA, using the boundaries of the Central Arizona-Phoenix Long-Term Ecological Research site. Inputs were dominated by direct imports of food and fertilizer for local agriculture, while most outputs were small, including water, crops, and material destined for recycling. Internally, fluxes were dominated by transfers of food and feed from local agriculture and the recycling of human and animal excretion. Spatial correction of P dynamics across the city showed that human density and associated infrastructure, especially asphalt, dominated the distribution of P pools across the landscape. Phosphorus fluxes were dominated by agricultural production, with agricultural soils accumulating P. Human features (infrastructure, technology, and waste management decisions) and biophysical characteristics (soil properties, water fluxes, and storage) mediated P dynamics in Phoenix. P cycling was most notably affected by water management practices that conserve and recycle water, preventing the loss of waterborne P from the ecosystem. P is not intentionally managed, and as a result, changes in land use and demographics, particularly increased urbanization and declining agriculture, may lead to increased losses of P from this system. We suggest that city managers should minimize cross-boundary fluxes of P to the city. Reduced P fluxes may be accomplished through more efficient recycling of waste, therefore decreasing dependence on external nonrenewable P resources and minimizing aquatic pollution. Our spatial approach and consideration of both pools and fluxes across a heterogeneous urban ecosystem increases the utility of nutrient budgets for city managers. Our budget explicitly links processes that affect P cycling across space with the management of other resources (e.g., water). A holistic management strategy that deliberately couples the management of P and other resources should be a priority for cities in achieving urban sustainability.