湘江衡阳段沉积物中铊等重金属的污染特征及其生态风险评估

湘江是我国重金属污染最重的河流之一。为了更全面了解湘江衡阳段表层沉积物重金属污染现状及其潜在生态风险,在前期相关研究基础上,分析了重金属Tl及其他4种重金属(Mn、Co、Ni和V)的含量水平和分布特征,并采用地累积指数法和潜在生态风险指数法对沉积物中重金属污染现状和潜在生态风险进行了评价。结果表明,湘江衡阳段表层沉积物中Tl和Mn有一定程度的累积和污染,其含量分别为0.12～2.09mg·kg-1和234～4580mg·kg-1。由于Tl具有较强的毒性响应,其潜在生态风险不容忽视。综合前期相关研究结果,研究区域中10种重金属总潜在生态风险指数(RI)为27.8～6266,约70%采样点具有重度生态风险,其主要风险来源于Cd和Tl。     

京杭大运河江南城镇段表层沉积物重金属富集水平及潜在生态风险评价

以京杭大运河9个江南城镇段表层沉积物为研究对象,研究具城镇源特征的重金属（Cu、Pb、Zn、Cd和Cr）在表层沉积物中的富集水平及其潜在生态风险.结果表明,Cu、Pb、Zn和Cd在大运河城镇段表层沉积物中显著富集,分别为所属长江沉积物相应背景值的1.2—6.4、1.8—5.8、2.6—18.7和7.1—22.7倍,Cr...     

太湖主要入湖河口表层沉积物重金属分布特征及风险评价

为揭示太湖主要入湖河口表层沉积物重金属分布特征及其生态风险,采集太湖西岸和北岸12条主要入湖河口表层沉积物样品,对沉积物中5种重金属元素(Cu、Zn、Ni、Pb、Cd)的含量及空间分布特征进行了分析,并利用地累积指数法和潜在生态风险指数法分别研究了表层沉积物重金属的累积程度及生态风险。结果表明,调查的12条入湖河流河口表层沉积物均受到不同程度的重金属污染,Cu、Zn、Ni、Pb、Cd的平均质量分数分别为63.04、173.11、56.71、37.05、2.23 mg?kg~(-1)。各重金属在空间分布上具有差异性,总体表现为大港河(DGH)、乌溪港(WXG)庙渎港(MDG)、大浦港(DPG)、陈东港(CDG)、官渎港(GDG)、洪巷港(HXG)、社渎港(SDG)河口表层沉积物以重金属Cd污染为主,而沙塘港(STG)、太滆运河(TG)、直湖港(ZHG)、梁溪河(LXH)河口表层沉积物表现为Cu、Zn、Ni、Pb的复合污染。地累积指数法评价表明,各入湖河流河口表层沉积物重金属的污染程度表现为CdCuZnNiPb。潜在风险指数(riE)表明各重金属的潜在生态风险表现为CdCuNiPbZn,主要污染物为Cd。其中庙渎港(MDG)和社渎港(SDG)处于严重风险状态,大港河(DGH)、乌溪港(WXG)、大浦港(DPG)、官渎港(GDG)、洪巷港(HXG)处于重度风险状态,陈东港(CDG)、太滆运河(TG)处于中度风险状态,其余点位生态风险较低。研究表明,西岸入湖河流表层沉积物重金属潜在生态风险等级高于北岸,但北岸入湖河流河口表层沉积物中Cu、Zn、Ni、Pb的累积也应当得到重视。     

小浪底水库沉积物中重金属污染及生态风险评价

重金属污染已经成为水环境污染防治的重要内容.研究表明,进入水体中的重金属大部分与悬浮物结合,在水流缓慢时,悬浮物逐渐沉积下来,大大降低了水中重金属元素的浓度.在特定的环境地球化学条件下,水库沉积物中重金属可通过一系列物理、化学和生物过程而释放出来,导致水环境"二次污染",严重威胁水库生态环境安全.因此,研究沉积物中重金属的含量变化规律,评价重金属污染的潜在生态风险,探讨其在水体中的迁移转化过程,对于保护区域水环境质量和防治重金属污染具有重要意义.本实验通过采集小浪底水库表层沉积物样品,对水库沉积物中重金属的含量与分布进行研究,并对其潜在的生态     

太湖北部表层沉积物重金属污染及其生物毒性研究

在分析太湖北部梅梁湾、竺山湾和贡湖表层沉积物和野生铜锈环棱螺体内重金属残留水平基础上,利用潜在生态危害指数法评价了区域重金属污染的潜在生态风险,并利用综合污染指数法评价了野生铜锈环棱螺受重金属污染的状况。研究结果表明,3个区域表层沉积物孔隙水的生物综合毒性处于低毒到中毒水平,而表层沉积物重金属污染均处于较低的生态风险,但3个区域的野生铜锈环棱螺体内重金属的综合污染指数处于中度到重度的污染水平。由此可以得出太湖北部沉积物重金属污染对底栖生物仍具有一定的潜在生态风险。     

广东红海湾表层沉积物重金属含量的空间分布特征与污染状况评价

对红海湾近岸海域20个采样站沉积物样品中的7种重金属含量分布进行了研究,结果表明:该海域表层沉积物中Cu、Pb、Zn、Cd、Cr、Hg和As质量分数范围分别为2.60~13.30、16.70~38.00、45.20~81.10、0.00~0.11、10.40~23.10、0.03~0.50、6.42~10.20 mg·kg~(-1),平均值分别为6.29、25.44、57.87、0.03、15.32、0.07、7.97 mg·kg~(-1),其中,Cu、Zn、Cd、Cr和Hg平均值低于全国海岸带重金属的背景值。海洋沉积物质量单因子污染指数法评价结果显示,Cu、Pb、Zn、Cd、Cr、Hg和As的平均含量均符合海洋沉积物质量Ⅰ类标准,7种重金属平均含量的污染程度为PbAsZnHgCrCuCd。潜在生态危害指数法评价结果显示,红海湾近岸海域潜在生态风险指数等级"较低",海洋生态环境状况较好;结合重金属富集程度分析,该海域Pb的富集程度较高且集中于近岸海域。表层沉积物中重金属和TOC相关性分析表明:该海域表层沉积物TOC含量与重金属Cu、Pb、Zn、Cr和As含量具有一定的正相关性。进一步通过主成分分析研究沉积物中重金属污染来源,发现前2个主成分的贡献率分别为60.41%和16.48%;结合相关性分析,认为该海域沉积物重金属Cu、Pb、Zn、Cr和As的主要来源为工业废水与城市污水。文章揭示了红海湾近岸海域沉积物中重金属的分布特征,可为海洋生态环境建设提供依据。     

莱州湾表层沉积物中重金属时空分布、污染来源及风险评价

运用污染风险评价标准和方法研究了2010年5月(春)、8月(夏)、10月(秋)和12月(冬)莱州湾表层沉积物中7种重金属污染物的时空分布特征、来源及生态风险。结果表明,表层沉积物中Cr、Zn和Pb含量均呈现春季低于其他季节特征,秋季Hg含量是其他季节的4倍,Cu、As和Pb含量无显著季节差异。表层沉积物中Cr、Cu、Zn、As和Cd最高值出现在莱州湾中部及小清河河口等西部水域,来源呈现受自然作用影响较大的特征;而Hg和Pb最高值出现在龙口和界河河口等东部水域,来源呈现受周边工业污染物的人为排放影响较大的特征。基于地理累积指数、生态效应浓度以及Hakanson潜在生态风险指数的综合评价表明,13%~29%的研究区域的表层沉积物受到轻微程度的Cd、Hg和Pb污染,Cd和Hg高值水域达到中等生态风险程度;Hg和As在65%~68%的研究区域的表层沉积物中达到可能对沉积物底质环境及生物群落产生不利生态影响水平。基于对重金属污染物的评价结果,莱州湾表层沉积物质量较好,局部区域存在Hg、Pb、Cd和As的潜在污染风险。     

应用多变量脸谱图进行河流与湖泊表层沉积物重金属污染状况的综合对比研究

依据沉积学原理和水体沉积物重金属的环境地球化学特征,将地积累指数与改进的多变量Chernoff脸谱图相结合,选择江西德兴铜矿附近的乐安江表层沉积物以及德国西南部Mannheim和Worms周围若干湖泊的表层沉积物作为研究对象,开展不同地域、不同类型水体沉积物中重金属积累的对比分析和污染状况的综合性定量评价.多变量脸谱图能清晰地反映出两区域沉积物中重金属的污染特征和空间分布模式.     

厦门市水体表层沉积物重金属污染生态风险分析

沉积物是水环境的基本组成部分,其重金属含量常被作为水环境质量的重要指标之一。以厦门市为例探讨了不同城市化区域水体表层沉积物中重金属的分布特征,并采用沉积物地累积指数、Hakanson潜在生态风险指数等方法对重金属Zn、Pb、Cu、Cd、Cr、As、Hg进行环境风险评估。研究结果表明,厦门水体表层沉积物中Zn、Pb、Cu、Cd、Cr、As、Hg的含量分别为182.2、63.7、31.3、0.19、67.9、10.4、0.11 mg/kg,空间分布呈现出从城市远郊区到中心城区显著增加的趋势;依照地累积指数评价结果显示：7种重金属的污染程度顺序依次为：Hg（Pb（Zn（Cu（Cd（As（Cr;采用Hakanson提出的潜在生态危害指数法,获得厦门市主要水库重金属生态风险构成危害的顺序：Hg（Cd（Pb（As（Cu（Zn（Cr;水体表层沉积物中重金属污染水平与区域城市化水平在一定时期内呈正相关关系,这为我国快速城市化发展过程中水环境恶化问题的改善提出了警示。     

应用多变量脸谱图进行河流与湖泊表层沉积物重金属污染状况的综合对…

依据沉积学原理和水体沉积物重金属的环境地球化学特征，将地积累指数与改进的多变量ｈｅｒｎｏｆｆ脸谱图相结合，选择江西德兴铜矿附近的乐安江表层沉积物以及德国西南部Ｍａｎｎｈｅｉｍ和Ｗｏｒｍｓ周围若干湖泊的表层沉积物作为研究对象开展不同地域、不同类型水体沉积物中重金属积累的对比分析和污染状况的综合性定量评介，多变量脸谱图能清晰地反映出两区域沉积物中重金属的污染特征和空间分布模式。     

Representation of the world's biophysical conditions by the global protected area network

Protected areas (PAs) are often implemented without consideration of already existing PAs, which is likely to cause an overrepresentation of certain biophysical conditions. We assessed the representativeness of the current PA network with regard to the world's biophysical conditions to highlight which conditions are underprotected and where these conditions are located. We overlaid terrestrial and marine PAs with information on biophysical conditions (e.g., temperature, precipitation, and elevation) and then quantified the percentage of area covered by the PA network. For 1 variable at a time in the terrestrial realm, high temperature, low precipitation, and medium and very high elevation were underrepresented. For the marine realm, low and medium sea surface temperature (SST), medium and high sea surface salinity (SSS), and the deep sea were underrepresented. Overall, protection was evenly distributed for elevation across the terrestrial realm and SST across the marine realm. For 2 variables at a time, cold and very dry terrestrial environments had mostly low protection, which was also the case for low SST and low and medium SSS across most depths for marine environments. Low protection occurred mostly in the Sahara and the Arabian Peninsula for the terrestrial realm and along the Tropic of Capricorn and toward the poles for the marine realm. Although biodiversity measures are of prime importance for the design of PA networks, highlighting biophysical gaps in current PAs adds a frequently overlooked perspective. These gaps may weaken the potential of PAs to conserve biodiversity. Thus, our results may provide useful insights for researchers, practitioners, and policy makers to establish a more comprehensive global PA network.     

Quantitative composition of the defensive secretion ofBledius species (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Oxytelinae) is adapted to naturally occurring predators

Summary The adaptation of defensive secretions to their target organisms was examined for the abdominal gland secretions ofBledius furcatus, B. spectabilis andB. arenarius. Therefore the target organisms of the secretion of theseBledius species (i.e. their predators) had to be identified. At the collection sites examined these were the earwigLabidura riparia, the antCataglyphis bicolor, the flyLispe candicans, different carabids of the generaPogonus, Dichirotrichus, Dyschirius, Bembidion andCalathus and the wading birdsHaematopus ostralegus andCalidris alba. The secretion of the abdominal glands contains the toxin ptoluquinone dissolved in either-dodecalactone and 1-undecene (B. furcatus andB. spectabilis) or in octanoic acid and octyloctanoate (B. arenarius). The ratio of these solvents is species-specific. Application experiments using some of the natural insect predators (L. riparia, C. bicolor, Pogonus, Di. gustavii, Dyschirius) revealed that these solvent ratios provided a more effective deterrent than other possible ratios. Thus by combining the solvents in certain ratios, the capability of cuticular penetration and therefore the effectiveness of the defensive secretions are adapted to their natural targets.     

Democracy versus development: New urban debates

The politics of development includes subtexts of choice, as underpinned by community consensus (or lack of it), against the larger backdrop of a liberal democracy, with its intricate power structures that influence the choice of concepts and often lead to complicity rather than consent. A dilemma exists between the understanding of field-level practitioners and that of academics, whose understandings of progress differ. Progress can (and often does) imply long-term change across generations whereas development is often more a matter of crisis management and delivering tangible results to end-users. This makes it a bone of contention across political systems, irrespective of local or global dynamics. Development can emerge as a tool to be wielded for power and further political mileage at the expense of progress. Progress cannot be studied as a counterpoint to development as the sense of history is often missing in development interventions. Development tends to be piecemeal as its very logic often stems from the rationale of power. This is not to suggest, however, that development is only about politics; it is definitely more than the politics of everyday life and involves all of civil society that requires its critical and immediate attention. In this sense, it has become a priority for politicians with an underlying agenda designed to out-manouevre dissent and all statements of protest.     

A framework to measure the wildness of managed large vertebrate populations

As landscapes continue to fall under human influence through habitat loss and fragmentation, fencing is increasingly being used to mitigate anthropogenic threats and enhance the commercial value of wildlife. Subsequent intensification of management potentially erodes wildness by disembodying populations from landscape-level processes, thereby disconnecting species from natural selection. Tools are needed to measure the degree to which populations of large vertebrate species in formally protected and privately owned wildlife areas are self-sustaining and free to adapt. We devised a framework to measure such wildness based on 6 attributes relating to the evolutionary and ecological dynamics of vertebrates (space, disease and parasite resistance, exposure to predation, exposure to limitations and fluctuations of food and water supply, and reproduction). For each attribute, we set empirical, species-specific thresholds between 5 wildness states based on quantifiable management interventions. We analysed data from 205 private wildlife properties with management objectives spanning ecotourism to consumptive utilization to test the framework on 6 herbivore species representing a range of conservation statuses and commercial values. Wildness scores among species differed significantly, and the proportion of populations identified as wild ranged from 12% to 84%, which indicates the tool detected site-scale differences both among populations of different species and populations of the same species under different management regimes. By quantifying wildness, this framework provides practitioners with standardized measurement units that link biodiversity with the sustainable use of wildlife. Applications include informing species management plans at local scales; standardizing the inclusion of managed populations in red-list assessments; and providing a platform for certification and regulation of wildlife-based economies. Applying this framework may help embed wildness as a normative value in policy and mitigate the shifting baseline of what it means to truly conserve a species.     

Achieving Open Access to Conservation Science

Conservation science is a crisis discipline in which the results of scientific enquiry must be made available quickly to those implementing management. We assessed the extent to which scientific research published since the year 2000 in 20 conservation science journals is publicly available. Of the 19,207 papers published, 1,667 (8.68%) are freely downloadable from an official repository. Moreover, only 938 papers (4.88%) meet the standard definition of open access in which material can be freely reused providing attribution to the authors is given. This compares poorly with a comparable set of 20 evolutionary biology journals, where 31.93% of papers are freely downloadable and 7.49% are open access. Seventeen of the 20 conservation journals offer an open access option, but fewer than 5% of the papers are available through open access. The cost of accessing the full body of conservation science runs into tens of thousands of dollars per year for institutional subscribers, and many conservation practitioners cannot access pay‐per‐view science through their workplace. However, important initiatives such as Research4Life are making science available to organizations in developing countries. We urge authors of conservation science to pay for open access on a per‐article basis or to choose publication in open access journals, taking care to ensure the license allows reuse for any purpose providing attribution is given. Currently, it would cost $51 million to make all conservation science published since 2000 freely available by paying the open access fees currently levied to authors. Publishers of conservation journals might consider more cost effective models for open access and conservation‐oriented organizations running journals could consider a broader range of options for open access to nonmembers such as sponsorship of open access via membership fees. Obtención de Acceso Abierto a la Ciencia de la Conservación     

Sexual Predators,Energy Development,and Conservation in Greater Yellowstone

Abstract: In the United States, as elsewhere, a growing debate pits national energy policy and homeland security against biological conservation. In rural communities the extraction of fossil fuels is often encouraged because of the employment opportunities it offers, although the concomitant itinerant workforce is often associated with increased wildlife poaching. We explored possible positive and negative factors associated with energy extraction in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), an area known for its national parks, intact biological diversity, and some of the New World's longest terrestrial migrations. Specifically, we asked whether counties with different economies—recreation (ski), agrarian (ranching or farming), and energy extractive (petroleum)—differed in healthcare (gauged by the abundance of hospital beds) and in the frequency of sexual predators. The absolute and relative frequency of registered sex offenders grew approximately two to three times faster in areas reliant on energy extraction. Healthcare among counties did not differ. The strong conflation of community dishevel, as reflected by in‐migrant sexual predators, and ecological decay in Greater Yellowstone is consistent with patterns seen in similar systems from Ecuador to northern Canada, where social and environmental disarray exist around energy boomtowns. In our case, that groups (albeit with different aims) mobilized campaigns to help maintain the quality of rural livelihoods by protecting open space is a positive sign that conservation can matter, especially in the face of rampant and poorly executed energy extraction projects. Our findings further suggest that the public and industry need stronger regulatory action to instill greater vigilance when and where social factors and land conversion impact biological systems.     

Comparison of the insecticidal effects of water extracted and intact aromatic plants onAcanthoscelides obtectus,a bruchid beetle pest of kidney beans

Summary Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say) is one of the most damaging pests of kidney beans,Phaseolus vulgaris L. worldwide. However, aromatic plants from the families Lamiaceae, Lauraceae, Myrtaceae and Poaceae can protect kidney beans by direct or delayed insecticidal effect, through increased adult mortality and inhibition of beetle reproduction (both oviposition and adult emergence). The efficiency of hydrodistillated and intact plants fromThymus vulgaris andT. serpyllum, Mentha piperata, Rosmarinus officinalis, Satureia hortensis, Eucalyptus globulus, Laurus nobilis, Origanum vulgare, andCymbopogon nardus was compared. For both extracts,Origanum vulgare had the best effect. The insecticidal effect was induced by more than the essential oils because no significant difference was noticed between distilled and intact plants extract. Inhibition of reproduction was particularly important. These results suggest that lipidic as well as non lipidic, allelochemicals, such as phenolics, or non-protein amino-acids, or flavonoids may be involved in the toxicity of aromatic plants to this beetle.     

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.     

Some polyphagous Homoptera gain protection from their natural enemies by feeding on the toxic plantsSpartium junceum andErythrina corallodendrum (Leguminosae)

Summary Interactions were studied among alkaloid-containing legumes (Erythrina corallodendrum andSpartium junceum) and non-toxic plants (Citrus sinensis, Cucurbita moschata andEuphorbia tirucalli), several polyphagous homopterans,Aphis craccivora (Aphididae),Icerya purchasi, I. aegyptiaca (Margarodidae),Lepidosaphes ulmi (Diaspididae) andPlanococcus citri (Pseudococcidae), and some major natural enemies of these homopterans. Significant reductions in survival due to negative effects of alkaloid containing as compared with non-alkaloidal plants were recorded for the predatorsRodolia cardinalis andChilocorus bipustulatus, but not forCryptolaemus montrouzieri (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae),Chrysoperla carnea (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) andSympherobius sanctus (Neuroptera: Sympherobiidae). The development time of the larvae or pupae ofR. cardinalis, C. carnea andS. sanctus was longer on the toxic plants than on the non-toxic ones. The percentage of parasitism ofA. craccivora collected from the non-alkaloidal plantsVicia palaestina andMelilotus albus was much higher than that onS. junceum. The parasitoid complexes ofA. craccivora differed between both plant groups. The nutritive value of honeydew ofI. purchasi andA. craccivora, as expressed by the life span ofEncyrtus infelix (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) adults, was also investigated. Life spans were significantly longer when the wasps fed on honeydew produced on non-alkaloidal plants (C. sinensis andPittosporum tobira) than on alkaloid containing plants whenI. purchasi — but notA. craccivora — was the producer. It is suggested that the chemical defense ofE. corallodendrum andS. junceum is exploited by polyphagous phytophages to reduce predation. In nature, population growth and density of four of the investigated homopterans are conspicuously high when they developed on the alkaloid containing plant species, and very low on non-alkaloid plants. The efficiency of their natural enemies may be reduced by sequestration of alkaloids (or other toxic plant compounds) or their transfer into excreted honeydew. Therefore it is assumed that a generalist phytophagous homopteran may be protected from its natural enemies, although at different rates of efficiency, if it can safely sequester the host allelochemical when it develops on toxic species within its host range.