太湖沉积物柱状样中有机氯农药的垂直分布特征

采用气相色谱质谱法测定了太湖沉积物柱状样品中有机氯农药(OCPs)含量,探讨了沉积柱中有机氯农药的垂直变化特征及可能的来源.研究结果表明:沉积柱中OCPs浓度为0.88—4.73 ng·g-1(干重),平均值为2.17 ng·g-1;DDTs、HCHs、六氯苯的残留量均较高,其中DDTs为0.10—1.32 ng·g-1,平均值为0.57 ng·g-1;HCHs的浓度为0.25—1.99 ng·g-1,平均值为0.65 ng·g-1;六氯苯为0.50—1.35 ng·g-1,平均值为0.92 ng·g-1.3个湖湾的沉积柱表层DDTs含量最高,有明显的表面富集现象,成分分析表明,太湖可能着存在着DDTs类物质的输入.     

北京市大气颗粒物PM2.5,PM10及降雪中的汞

研究了北京大气颗粒物PM25,PM10及降雪中的汞.结果表明,北京大气颗粒物PM25中汞的浓度为024—179ng·m-3,PM10中汞的浓度为038—302ng·m-3,冬季PM25和PM10中汞的浓度明显高于夏季;北京大气可吸入颗粒物中的汞均以细粒子(≤25μm)为主,冬季细粒子中汞的浓度高是细粒子多且其汞含量高共同作用的结果,而夏季则是细粒子中汞的含量高.降雪中汞的浓度在106—162ng·l-1之间,降雪中可溶性汞为总汞的一半左右.     

汞在不同粒径大气颗粒物中的分布

采用DFG 1型五段分级采样装置及冷蒸汽原子荧光法 ,对北京市冬、春、夏和秋季不同粒径大气颗粒物 (分别为≤ 1 1μm ,1 1— 2 0 μm ,2 0— 3 3μm ,3 3— 7 0 μm和≥ 7 0 μm )中的汞进行分析 .结果表明 :北京大气颗粒物中汞的浓度在 0 6 0— 3 95ng·m-3 之间 ,冬季平均浓度为 2 85ng·m-3 ,远大于其它季节 ;大气颗粒物中的汞呈双峰分布 ,在≤ 1 1μm的细颗粒和粗粒径处各有一峰值 ;北京大气颗粒物中的汞主要分布在≤ 1 1μm的细颗粒中 ,不同粒径颗粒物中汞的分布随季节变化而变化 ,冬季各粒径颗粒物中汞的浓度比其它季节高 ;大气颗粒物中汞的质量中值粒径 (MMD )冬季为 0 71μm ,其它季节均大于1 0 μm ;北京大气颗粒物中的汞至少有 5 0 %可进入人体呼吸系统 ,且冬季最为严重     

黄浦江水相中有机氯农药的污染特征分析

本文研究了黄浦江水相中有机氯农药的浓度分布、组成特征和污染来源;分析黄浦江水体中有机氯农药(OCPs)含量的时空变化;在黄浦江水相样品中,除了甲氧氯在所有样品中均未检出外,其他20种有机氯农药在样品中均被检出,在所有水样中的OCPs浓度范围为0.29—44.7(中值2.19)ng·L~(-1).六六六(HCHs)是主要污染物,其次为滴滴涕(DDTs),浓度分别为0.13—38.3(中值0.92)ng·L~(-1)、0.03—3.28(中值0.63)ng·L~(-1).HCHs呈现出自上游至下游浓度逐渐升高的趋势,DDTs在上、下游无明显的空间分布规律.HCHs、DDTs的浓度均呈现夏季低、冬季高、春秋介于中间的季节性规律.     

珠三角电子垃圾拆解区室内环境中多溴联苯醚的人体暴露

通过对清远市电子垃圾拆解区11户居民室内积尘和室内空气颗粒物中PBDEs和PBB153赋存量和赋存特征的分析,以及利用环境保护部近年编著的《中国人群暴露参数手册》中的暴露参数对该地区的人群暴露量和暴露特征进行评估.结果表明,研究区域居民室内积尘中PBDEs的含量为646—7862 ng·g~(-1),室内空气颗粒物中含量为477—1579 pg·m-3; PBDEs及其各单体以及PBB153在室内积尘和室内空气颗粒物中的含量之间具有显著的相关性(r=0.629—0.895,P0.05),其主要来源可能是室外输送;男性成人、女性成人和儿童(9—12岁)对室内环境介质中PBDEs的总暴露量分别为2507±2099、2831±2400、8455±7382 pg·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)bw.对不同暴露途径而言,所有暴露人群经口摄入积尘中上述化合物的日均暴露量占总日均暴露量的比例最高,其次是经呼吸暴露,经皮肤暴露相对较低.对于不同暴露人群而言,儿童经皮肤暴露摄入上述化合物的比例相对最高,而男性成人经呼吸摄入上述化合物的比例相对最高.     

广州市农业土壤中六六六(HCHs)和滴滴涕(DDTs)的残留特征

采集了广州市农业土壤表层(0～20 cm)样品118个,采用气相色谱方法对土壤中六六六(HCHs)和滴滴涕(DDTs)进行分析,初步揭示了广州市土壤中有机氯农药的分布及残留情况,并做出潜在生态风险评价.研究结果表明:HCHs的检出率为95.8%,残留范围在ND～17.96 ng·g-1之间,平均值2.10 ng·g-1,DDT的检出率为92.4%,残留范围在ND～327.87 ng·g-1之间,平均值为1 8.97 ng·g-1.HCHs的4种异构体中,β-HCH质量分数最高,平均质量分数为0.86 ng·g-1,而p,p'-DDT是4种DDTs异构体中质量分数最高的,平均质量分数为11.89 ng·g-1.不同土壤利用类型中,耕地土壤中的有机氯农药残留量明显高于林地和果园地.与国内外部分地方和我国土壤环境质量标准相比,广州市农业土壤中DDTs和HCHs污染程度较低.     

北京大气颗粒物中多环芳烃浓度季节变化及来源分析

使用大流量滤膜采样器,从2006年9月至2007年8月,每周同时采集北京城市大气可吸入颗粒物(PM10)和细粒子样品(PM2.5)各一次,二氯甲烷超声抽提一气相色谱/质谱分析了17种多环芳烃(PAHs)浓度,结果表明,春、夏、秋、冬四季北京大气PM10和PM2.5中PAHs总量分别为63.8±44.6ng·m-3、43.2±4.5ng·m-3、84.7±108.3ng·m-3、348.0±250.0ng·m-3和54.7±17.3ng·m-3、40.3±8.6ng·m-3、66.1±81.5ng·m-3、337.7±267.2ng·m-3;约有70%的PAHs存在于细粒子PM2.5中,其质量浓度有明显季节变化,冬季>秋季>春季>夏季;颗粒物中PAHs主要以4、5、6环存在,其中4环以上占79.4%.源解析表明,北京大气颗粒物中的PAHs主要来自燃煤,同时汽油、柴油燃烧排放也不能忽略.结合气象要素分析,温度升高和太阳辐射增强易造成多环芳烃挥发和反应,湿沉降有利于多环芳烃随颗粒物清除.     

洪湖湿地鹭科鸟类组织中有机氯农药的分布特征及风险评价

利用气相色谱-电子俘获检测器(GC-ECD)测定了洪湖鹭科鸟类(包括白鹭、池鹭)的胸脯肌肉、肝脏组织中的有机氯农药(OCPs)的含量.结果显示,鹭科鸟体内六六六(HCHs)、滴滴涕(DDTs)、六氯代苯、艾氏剂、七氯、环氧七氯等大部分有机氯农药均有检出.白鹭肌肉组织中HCHs和DDTs的含量范围分别为:11.3—89.4 ng.g-1和162—2149 ng.g-1(以脂重计,下同),平均值分别为37.3 ng.g-1和943 ng.g-1;肝脏组织中HCHs和DDTs的含量范围分别为:3.73—30.6 ng.g-1和280—957 ng.g-1,平均值分别为14.6 ng.g-1和566 ng.g-1.池鹭肌肉组织中HCHs和DDTs的含量范围分别为:3.61—25.8 ng.g-1和68.4—261 ng.g-1,平均值分别为11.5 ng.g-1和189 ng.g-1;肝脏组织中HCHs和DDTs的含量范围分别为:6.63—18.9 ng.g-1和147—1305 ng.g-1,平均值分别为13.1 ng.g-1和553 ng.g-1.统计分析显示,HCHs和DDTs在洪湖鹭科鸟组织中的含量差异均不显著(P>0.05).分析结果表明,洪湖湿地系统可作为有机氯污染的潜在源区,而候鸟可成为有机污染物在繁殖地与越冬地之间的传输介质.洪湖地区鹭鸟体内有机氯污染与全球其它地区相比处于较低水平,有机氯农药尚未对本区鸟类产生威胁.     

北京市不同区域采暖期大气颗粒物中多环芳烃的分布特征

利用分级采样器分别采集北京市不同区域采暖期的大气颗粒物,分析多环芳烃的组成及含量.结果表明北京市大气总悬浮颗粒物中总多环芳烃的含量城乡结合带为7486—43687ng·m-3,郊区为11993—39786ng·m-3.在城乡结合带,80%以上的多环芳烃存在于粒径<20μm的颗粒物中;在郊区,77%以上的多环芳烃存在于粒径<20μm的颗粒物中.比较不同环数的多环芳烃在不同粒径范围内大气颗粒物中的分配比例,发现随环数的减少其分配比例呈现归一化.不同粒径范围的颗粒物中苯并(a)芘均与总多环芳烃含量显著相关(p<0001).     

江阴市大气PM_(2.5)中有机氯农药的残留水平、空间分布及来源分析

于2013年秋季利用大流量采样器采集了江苏省江阴市大气PM_(2.5)样品,使用气相色谱质谱连用仪(GCMS)检测了19种有机氯农药(OCPs),对其残留水平、空间分布及来源进行分析。结果显示,江阴市大气PM_(2.5)中19种OCPs的总质量浓度平均值为2.84 ng·m-3,主要成分为HCHs、DDTs、工业氯丹以及甲氧氯,分别占OCPs总量的48.2%、19.7%、12.3%和12.5%。与国内外其他地区比较,江阴市大气中有机氯农药污染水平属中等偏上。OCPs空间分布趋势表现为环境监测中心OCPs污染水平最高,而申港公园污染水平最低。来源分析表明,江阴市大气PM_(2.5)中DDTs和氯丹均来源于历史残留;HCHs既来源于工业HCHs的历史残留,同时又存在大量林丹的输入。     

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.     

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     

Potential for Electropositive Metal to Reduce the Interactions of Atlantic Sturgeon with Fishing Gear

Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrhynchus) populations have been declared either endangered or threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Effective measures to repel sturgeon from fishing gear would be beneficial to both fish and fishers because they could reduce both fishery‐associated mortality and the need for seasonal and area closures of specific fisheries. Some chondrostean fishes (e.g., sturgeons and paddlefishes) can detect weak electric field gradients (possibly as low as 5 Μv/cm) due to arrays of electroreceptors (ampullae of Lorenzini) on their snout and gill covers. Weak electric fields, such as those produced by electropositive metals (typically mixtures of the lanthanide elements), could therefore potentially be used as a deterrent. To test this idea, we recorded the behavioral responses of juvenile Atlantic sturgeon (31–43 cm fork length) to electropositive metal (primarily a mixture of the lanthanide elements neodymium and praseodymium) both in the presence and absence of food stimuli. Trials were conducted in an approximately 2.5 m diameter × 0.3 m deep tank, and fish behaviors were recorded with an overhead digital video camera. Video records were subsequently digitized (x, y coordinate system), the distance between the fish and the electropositive metal calculated, and data summarized by compiling frequency distributions with 5‐cm bins. Juvenile sturgeon showed clear avoidance of electropositive metal but only when food was present. On the basis of our results, we conclude that the electropositive metals, or other sources of weak electric fields, may eventually be used to reduce the interactions of Atlantic sturgeon with fishing gear, but further investigation is needed. El Potencial del Metal Electropositivo para Reducir las Interacciones del Esturión Atlántico con Instrumentos de Pesca Bouyoucos, Bushnell & Brill 13–003     

The role of time and species identities in spatial patterns of species richness and conservation

Many conservation actions are justified on the basis of managing biodiversity. Biodiversity, in terms of species richness, is largely the product of rare species. This is problematic because the intensity of sampling needed to characterize communities and patterns of rarity or to justify the use of surrogates has biased sampling in favor of space over time. However, environmental fluctuations interacting with community dynamics lead to temporal variations in where and when species occur, potentially affecting conservation planning by generating uncertainty about results of species distribution modeling (including range determinations), selection of surrogates for biodiversity, and the proportion of biodiversity composed of rare species. To have confidence in the evidence base for conservation actions, one must consider whether temporal replication is necessary to produce broad inferences. Using approximately 20 years of macrofaunal data from tidal flats in 2 harbors, we explored variation in the identity of rare, common, restricted range, and widespread species over time and space. Over time, rare taxa were more likely to increase in abundance or occurrence than to remain rare or disappear and to exhibit temporal patterns in their occurrence. Space–time congruency in ranges (i.e., spatially widespread taxa were also temporally widespread) was observed only where samples were collected across an environmental gradient. Fifteen percent of the taxa in both harbors changed over time from having spatially restricted ranges to having widespread ranges. Our findings suggest that rare species can provide stability against environmental change, because the majority of species were not random transients, but that selection of biodiversity surrogates requires temporal validation. Rarity needs to be considered both spatially and temporally, as species that occur randomly over time are likely to play a different role in ecosystem functioning than those exhibiting temporal structure (e.g., seasonality). Moreover, temporal structure offers the opportunity to place management and conservation activities within windows of maximum opportunity.     

Main nutrient compounds in food bodies of Mexican <Emphasis Type="Italic">Acacia</Emphasis> ant-plants

Summary. Myrmecophytic plants use obligate ant mutualists as a constitutive indirect defence mechanism. These plants often produce cellular food bodies (FBs) to nourish their resident ants. Lipids, proteins, and even highly specialised compounds such as glycogen have been reported from FBs, but detailed chemical analyses of FB composition have so far been presented only for Southeast Asian Macaranga and Central American Piper myrmecophytes. Here we report the chemical composition of FBs of five myrmecophytic Acacia (Fabaceae) species from Mexico using HPLC (carbohydrates and proteins) and GC-MS (lipids). Feeding experiments revealed no hints on any use of external food sources by the inhabiting Pseudomyrmex ants. These ants obviously rely completely on FBs and extrafloral nectar provided by their hosts. The total content of nutrients in Acacia FBs was 15-25% of FB dry mass, being much lower than in Macaranga or Piper FBs. Proteins were dominating (8-14 % dm) in Acacia FBs and thus were present in higher amounts than in Macaranga FBs, yet in lower amounts than in Piper. Lipids contributed 1-9 % of dry mass, showing a lower proportion than in FBs of Macaranga or Piper. Carbohydrates made up 3-11 % dm, reaching in most Acacia species the same range as observed in Macaranga and in Piper FBs. Water content was 18-24 % of FB fresh mass, and structural tissue obviously made up a much higher proportion in Acacia FBs than in Macaranga or Piper FBs. Both characters might represent an adaptation to producing FBs unprotected at the leaf tips under dry conditions. Acacia FBs contain all amino acids and all fatty acids that are considered essential for insects, and their contents of lipids and proteins are higher than in the leaves from which they are ontogenetically derived. This indicates a putatively adaptive enrichment of nutritionally valuable compounds in structures functioning as ant-food.     

Examining the uncertain origin and management role of martens on Prince of Wales Island,Alaska

Conservation biologists are generally united in efforts to curtail the spread of non‐native species globally. However, the colonization history of a species is not always certain, and whether a species is considered non‐native or native depends on the conservation benchmark. Such ambiguities have led to inconsistent management. Within the Tongass National Forest of Alaska, the status of American marten (Martes americana) on the largest, most biologically diverse and deforested island, Prince of Wales (POW), is unclear. Ten martens were released to POW in the early 1930s, and it was generally believed to be the founding event, although this has been questioned. The uncertainty surrounding when and how martens colonized POW complicates management, especially because martens were selected as a design species for the Tongass. To explore the history of martens of POW we reviewed other plausible routes of colonization; genetically and isotopically analyzed putative marten fossils deposited in the late Pleistocene and early Holocene to verify marten occupancy of POW; and used contemporary genetic data from martens on POW and the mainland in coalescent simulations to identify the probable source of the present‐day marten population on POW. We found evidence for multiple routes of colonization by forest‐associated mammals beginning in the Holocene, which were likely used by American martens to naturally colonize POW. Although we cannot rule out human‐assisted movement of martens by Alaskan Natives or fur trappers, we suggest that martens be managed for persistence on POW. More generally, our findings illustrate the difficulty of labeling species as non‐native or native, even when genetic and paleo‐ecological data are available, and support the notion that community resilience or species invasiveness should be prioritized when making management decisions rather than more subjective and less certain conservation benchmarks.