三亚河表层沉积物中多环芳烃分布、来源解析及生态风险评价

为了解三亚河表层沉积物中多环芳烃分布特征及生态风险,应用加压流体萃取、高效液相色谱检测表层沉积物中16种优先控制PAHs的含量和组成.结果表明,研究区域内表层沉积物中PAHs含量为3.23—493 ng·g~(-1)之间,平均浓度为211 ng·g~(-1),调查区域表层沉积物中PAHs含量与其它区域河流、湖库和海域沉积物中PAHs的含量比较,PAHs含量属于低值水平.调查区域表层沉积物中PAHs含量以3—5环为主,其对总浓度的贡献率为76.6%—100%,平均为84.4%,采用同分异构体比值分析结果显示PAHs主要来源于木柴、煤炭等燃烧源.质量基准法和质量标准法分析表明三亚河表层沉积物中的PAHs含量水平对该区域的生态环境影响较小,但对长期生活在该区域的底栖生物将构成轻微的潜在威胁,应采取相应管控措施,控制多环芳烃排入三亚河.     

珠江水体表层沉积物中PAHs的含量与来源研究

沿珠江白鹅潭水域及大学城官州河流域设立6个采样点,利用沉积物捕获器收集沉积物。参照美国EPA8000系列方法及质量保证和质量控制,对各采样点表层沉积物中16种多环芳烃（polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons,PAHs）进行分析,以阐明珠江广州河段表层沉积物中PAHs的含量和分布特征,并结合特征化合物指数对其来源作初步探讨。珠江广州河段表层沉积物中PAHs总量介于4 787.5～8 665 ng·g^-1,平均值为7 078 ng·g^-1,黄沙码头河涌出口沉积物中总量为最高（8 665 ng·g^-1）,芳村码头为最低（4 787.5 ng·g^-1）。16种多环芳烃中菲、荧蒽、芘含量较高,分别占PAHs总量的16.11%、14.47%和17.77%。特征化合物荧蒽/202比值均小于0.5,茚并[1,2,3-cd]芘/276比值均大于0.2,表明珠江广州段表层沉积物中PAHs主要来源于化石燃料的不完全燃烧。     

锦州湾表层沉积物中多环芳烃测定与生态风险评价

通过测定锦州湾表层沉积物样品中16种美国EPA优控多环芳烃（PAHs）的污染水平,分析其组成、空间分布特征及来源,并进行了生态风险评价.结果表明,锦州湾表层沉积物中PAHs总量分布范围为133.44—593.91 ng.g-1,近岸地区浓度较高,外海海区浓度逐渐降低.就其组成特征而言,以4—6环PAHs为主,占总量的5...     

基于统计方法的辽东湾沉积物中多环芳烃来源特征分析

为研究辽东湾表层沉积物中多环芳烃(PAHs)的来源特征,2014年5月采集了20个辽东湾海域表层沉积物样品,并利用气相色谱质谱联用仪对优先控制的16种PAHs进行测定,采用聚类分析、主成分分析-多元线性回归分析、异构体比值3种统计方法对辽东湾表层沉积物中PAHs来源特征进行了研究。结果表明,辽东湾表层沉积物中PAHs含量范围88.5~199.3 ng·g-1,平均值为(126.3±35.3)ng·g-1,其中,萘、菲和荧蒽是PAHs优势组分。通过统计分析结果表明,辽东湾北部表层沉积物中PAHs含量低于西南部,沉积物中PAHs的来源包括石油燃烧来源、煤炭、木材等生物质燃烧来源和石油来源,其中燃烧来源是主要来源,煤炭、木材等生物质燃烧来源占49.9%,石油燃烧来源和石油来源占50.1%。     

汕头红树林湿地表层沉积物环境因子对PAHs分布的影响

为了探明红树林湿地表层沉积物环境因子对多环芳烃分布的影响,野外采集了汕头红树林湿地表层沉积物样品,实验室内有机溶剂提取、氧化铝硅胶柱净化和气质联用分析了沉积物多环芳烃的质量分数、CHN元素仪分析了沉积物有机碳和黑碳的质量分数、激光粒度仪分析了沉积物的粒级组成,研究了沉积物有机碳、黑碳和粒度等各环境因子与多环芳烃的相关性.结果表明:有机碳与2～3环、4环和总多环芳烃的质量分数显著相关(P<0.05),表明表层沉积物有机碳的质量分数对PAHs的分布产生了显著的影响;黑碳与2～3环、4环、5～6环和总多环芳烃的质量分数显著相关(P<0.01),表明表层沉积物黑碳的质量分数对PAHs的分布产生了显著的影响;粘粒与2～3环多环芳烃的质量分数显著相关(P<0.05),与4环、5～6环和总多环芳烃的质量分数显著相关(P<0.01),表明表层沉积物粘粒的质量分数对PAHs的分布也产生了显著的影响;多元线性逐步回归分析显示,各回归方程黑碳的偏回归系数值都是最大,沉积物黑碳的质量分数对多环芳烃的质量分数贡献最大,表明黑碳是多环芳烃分布的主要影响因素.     

滴水湖水体及沉积物中重金属和多环芳烃的污染分析与评价

为探明临港地区开发对滴水湖水环境的影响,利用原子吸收分光光度计(TAS990)、顺序注射双道原子荧光光度计(AFS-9130)和高效液相色谱仪(HPLC)等仪器检测了滴水湖湖区表层湖水及沉积物中重金属和多环芳烃(PAHs)含量,并采用单因子分析、Hakanson潜在风险评价和主成分分析等方法对其污染状况进行风险评价和来源分析。结果表明,Hg是表层湖水中污染最为严重的重金属,Cd和Hg在沉积物中污染最严重;表层湖水中ρ(PAHs)为66~269 ng·L-1,主要以低分子量PAHs(2~3环)为主;而沉积物(以干重计)中w(PAHs)为46~54ng·g-1,主要以高分子量PAHs(4~6环)为主。重金属总体呈高生态风险,沉积物中Cu、Pb和Hg主要来自于潮滩底质,Cd可能来自滴水湖上游的工业活动与生活污水等人为源;PAHs污染轻微,但致癌性PAHs所占比例较高,沉积物中的污染主要来自燃烧源。     

黄海近岸表层沉积物中多环芳烃来源解析

采集了黄海近岸(日照岚山海域)12个站位的表层沉积物样品,利用气相色谱-质谱仪(GC-MS)分析了样品中16种多环芳烃(PAHs)的含量,结果显示16种PAHs含量范围在76.384～7512.023 ng·g-1,平均值为2622.576 ng·g-1.低环PAHs组分所占比重较大,中高环PAHs相对较小.利用比值法定性解析PAHs的来源,初步判断PAHs可能来自燃煤、燃油、焦化、柴油泄漏等污染源.进一步引用相关源成分谱,应用化学质量平衡模型(CMB8.2)对PAHs的来源进行定最解析,拟合计算结果表明研究海域表层沉积物中PAHs的主要来源为燃煤源、燃油源(主要为柴油燃烧)和焦炉源,其相对贡献率分别为53.99%、25.57%和13.97%.     

厦门湾海域表层沉积物重金属和多环芳烃污染特征及生态风险评价

研究了厦门湾海域表层沉积物中Cu,Pb,Zn,Cr,Cd,Hg和As和16种多环芳烃的分布、来源及潜在的生态风险.结果表明:(1)Cu,Pb和As平均含量均介于效应浓度区间低值(ERL)和效应浓度区间中值(ERM)之间,而大多数站位Zn,Cr,Cd和Hg平均含量则低于ERL值;(2)沉积物多环芳烃(PAHs)以石油或油料燃烧来源为主,PAHs的总量远低于ERL值(4000μg·kg~(-1));(3)重金属与低环PAHs相关性显著,易发生交互作用;(4)利用沉积物平均效应区间中值商法(mERM-Q)进行沉积物生态风险评价发现,筼笃湖表层沉积物对海洋底栖生物可能存在较强的生物毒性风险.     

泉州湾表层沉积物中多环芳烃的含量分布特征及污染来源

采用气相色谱-质谱联用(GC-MS)方法,对泉州湾表层沉积物中16种优先控制多环芳烃(PAHs)进行定量分析,采用LMW/HMW、BaA/(BaA+Chr)、InP/(InP+BgP)、Ppi等特定比值对PAHs来源进行分析.结果表明,沉积物中PAHs的总含量在182.8-721.1ng·g-1之间,以3-5环为主;P...     

日照近岸海域表层沉积物中多环芳烃的生态风险分析

采用平均效应区间中值商法、有机碳归一化法和效应区间低、中值法3种评价方法,分析日照近岸海域表层沉积物中多环芳烃(PAHs)的生态风险.效应区间低、中值法评价结果表明:岚山头附近海域表层沉积物中16种PAHs可能都存在生态风险;远离岚山头的东部和北部海域以及岚山港南部附近海域表层沉积物中芴和菲可能具有一定的生态风险.平均效应区间中值商法和有机碳归一化法评价结果均显示:岚山头附近海域表层沉积物可能存在相对较高的生态风险,其它海域表层沉积物具有潜在生态风险的可能性较低.平均效应区间中值商法评价结果显示:岚山头附近海域表层沉积物发生毒性的可能性为50%.     

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.     

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     

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).