介质阻挡放电对水中双氯芬酸钠的降解

本实验采用介质阻挡放电方法降解水溶液中的双氯芬酸钠,考察了初始浓度、Fe2+、腐植酸、硝酸根离子对双氯芬酸钠降解的影响,及降解过程中溶液TOC含量和UV的变化,并初步探讨了其降解动力学.结果表明,双氯芬酸钠在介质阻挡放电反应器中的降解符合一级反应动力学.对于初始浓度为10mg·1-1、20 mg·1-1和30 mg·1-1的双氯芬酸钠,降解率随着初始浓度的增加而降低.影响因子腐植酸和硝酸根离子的添加均能显著提高双氯芬酸钠的降解率,但相同实验条件下,亚铁离子的添加抑制了双氯芬酸钠的降解,当Fe2+添加量为1.0 mmol·1-1时,双氯芬酸钠的降解率仅为74.94%.降解过程中溶液TOC的含量减少缓慢,TOC残留含量仅从13.69 mg·1-1降为11.1 mg·1-1,可见双氯芬酸钠的矿化程度不高,而双氯芬酸钠的紫外-可见吸收光谱在吸收波段递减,介质阻挡放电对双氯芬酸钠有稳定的降解效果.     

γ-辐照降解微囊藻毒素的研究

γ-辐照对水中微囊藻毒素(微囊藻毒素-LR和微囊藻毒素-RR)具有较好的去除效果,实验室培养样品中微囊藻毒素-LR在8 kGy辐照剂量下降解率达到98.8%,而微囊藻毒素-RR在5 kGy辐照剂量下就达到100%的降解率.对太湖水样进行γ-辐照,其中微囊藻毒素得到有效降解,降解后其浓度远低于国家规定标准.γ-辐照对微囊藻毒素的降解可以通过一级动力学进行描述.     

γ-辐照预处理太湖源水的研究

γ-辐照是一种高级氧化技术。为考察γ-辐照对水华爆发时期太湖源水预处理的效果,采集了此时期水样进行了预处理研究。结果表明:采集的水样处于富营养化状态;水样直接进行γ-辐照,其中的微囊藻毒素-LR和微囊藻毒素-RR得到有效降解。在10kGy的辐照剂量下,微囊藻毒素-LR和微囊藻毒素-RR的降解率均大于63%,降解后微囊藻毒素-LR质量浓度低于国家规定标准。碳酸钠的加入促进了微囊藻毒素的降解,但是效果不是很明显,降解率提高最大幅度为7.8%。γ-辐照对源水中的其他有机物质具有一定的去除作用。水样经辐照后,pH值的变化幅度最大为0.4,但pH仍在7.0~8.0之间。辐照技术在水华爆发时期水源地水预处理方面具有应用价值。     

水化电子e_(aq)~-对乙酰甲胺磷的作用

利用60Co-γ辐射降解有机磷农药乙酰甲胺磷的稀水溶液,以乙酰胆碱酯酶抑制率为指标,研究了不同吸收剂量下水化电子对乙酰甲胺磷稀水溶液辐照前后的毒性变化;并采用高效液相色谱、离子色谱、气-质联用等检测手段对降解产物进行了分析.结合溶液毒性变化和降解率、生成的无机离子浓度、降解产物结构分析等,初步推导了60Co-γ辐射降解过程中水化电子对乙酰甲胺磷的作用机理.     

γ-辐照对水中敌草隆的降解研究

以敌草隆作为研究对象,探讨了γ-辐照对敌草隆的降解效果,以及NO3-,NO2-,H2O2和CO32-对降解效果的影响,在初始浓度为18.5mg·l-1时,1.0kGy的辐照剂量即可达到完全去除;随着辐照剂量的增加,敌草隆水溶液在200nm-400nm处的吸光度均逐渐减小,敌草隆的浓度也逐渐减小.NO3-,NO2-,H2O2和CO32-的加入均抑制了敌草隆的降解.辐照降解敌草隆的过程主要是由·OH自由基引起的,并且可以用一级动力学来描述.     

三硝基甲苯的γ-辐照降解实验研究

基于三硝基甲苯(TNT)溶液采用常规处理方法难以降解,采用60Co-γ射线对三硝基甲苯溶液进行辐照降解,研究了吸收剂量、初始浓度、溶液初始pH值、双氧水(H2O2)等因素对辐照降解效果的影响.实验结果表明,60Co-γ射线辐照能够有效地降解三硝基甲苯.三硝基甲苯溶液初始浓度为5—50 mg.L-1,当接受不超过15 kGy剂量时,三硝基甲苯的降解率可达100%,化学需氧量(COD)去除率可达55%;弱酸性和碱性环境更有利于三硝基甲苯的降解和COD的去除;加入少量H2O2时,三硝基甲苯降解率和COD去除速率均随之增加,但过高的H2O2加入量将会抑制三硝基甲苯的去除,并且加入H2O2的量愈大其抑制作用愈明显.     

Fe(Ⅲ)/HSO3-降解双氯芬酸钠动力学及机理研究

研究了基于Fe(Ⅲ)活化亚硫酸氢盐(HSO3,BS)的新型高级氧化技术对水中双氯芬酸钠的降解,考察了pH、Fe3+用量、BS用量、DCF初始浓度、溶解氧、温度、Cl-及黄腐酸(FA)对Fe(Ⅲ)/BS降解DCF的影响,探讨了DCF的降解机理.结果 表明,Fe(Ⅲ)/BS可实现Fe(Ⅲ/Ⅱ)自循环,快速高效地降解DCF,...     

TiO2对水溶液中4-氯酚电子束辐照降解和矿化的影响

以电子加速器为辐照手段,在4-氯酚水溶液中添加TiO2纳米粒子,通过对溶液辐照前后4-氯酚浓度、GC/MS、总有机碳(TOC)、氯离子浓度、辐照前后的紫外-可见光谱过程和溶液pH值的测定分析,研究4-氯酚水溶液在TiO2纳米粒子存在下的辐照降解和矿化特性.结果表明,TiO2纳米粒子的加入对4-氯酚的辐照降解效果没有明显影响,但改变了4-氯酚的降解途径并可以较大地提高4-氯酚的矿化.     

γ-辐照对水中腐殖酸去除的研究

以腐殖酸作为消毒副产物前驱物的代表,研究了γ-辐照对其去除效果.结果表明,γ-辐照对水中腐殖酸具有较好的去除作用.腐殖酸初始浓度为10mg·l-1时,在1.0kGy的辐照剂量下,腐殖酸去除率为88.6%,总有机碳减少62.8%,色度去除率为76%.随着辐照剂量的增加,氧化还原电位先增大后减小,而电导率则相反.在相同的辐照剂量下,初始浓度较低的腐殖酸去除率较高.碳酸盐对辐照去除腐殖酸具有抑制作用,中性条件有利于γ-辐照对腐殖酸的去除.辐照去除腐殖酸的过程可用一级动力学描述.     

Y-射线辐照催化降解水溶液中萘普生

利用^60co产生的y-射线辐照水溶液中萘普生,研究了萘普生的降解特性．通过测定辐射后萘普生的浓度,探讨了吸收剂量、溶液pH、不同添加物（H2O2,CO23-;t-BuOH）对萘普生降解效果的影响．结果表明,1一射线辐照能有效催化降解水溶液中的萘普生,降解过程符合准一级动力学方程．萘普生浓度为23．6mg·L^-1,吸...     

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.