Estimated heavy metal emissions to the atmosphere due to projected changes in the Brazilian energy generation matrix

An estimate of heavy metals emissions to the atmosphere due to the projected changes in the Brazilian energy generation fuel matrix is presented. Present use of fossil fuel combustion for energy production is projected to increase from the present 14.5% to 29.6% of the total energy generation in Brazil in 2005. Most of this increase will be based on coal- and natural-gas-burning plants. The changes will result in an increase of about 100% in the average emissions (in tons year⁻¹) of As (9.4 to 17.7), Cr (7.0 to 16.6) and Hg (2.4 to 4.1), 50% of Cd (1.2 to 1.8), and 20% of Ni (101 to 123) and Pb (23.3 to 29.9). Although relatively small for most heavy metals when compared to other industrial sources, the changes in the energy matrix will be particularly important for Hg, reaching a maximum emission of 12 tons (t) year⁻¹, representing 15% of the total emissions of Hg to the atmosphere in Brazil. The use of Brazilian coals and the location of most coal-burning plants in a relatively small region in the south of the country strongly suggest that monitoring programs should be implemented during the building of the new plants. At a regional level the expected increase in Hg emissions to the atmosphere due to coal burning in Brazil, although small relative to North America and Europe, will equal the total amount estimated for South and Central America.     

Strategy of Biological Reclamation of Chemically Polluted Ecosystems

The strategy of biological reclamation of ecosystems in the zones of chemical pollution with asymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (ADMH), a highly toxic propellant, is proposed. The strategy is based on the results of comprehensive studies on trends in the interactions of soils, plants, and accompanying microorganisms with ADMH at rocket stage drop sites and in specially established test areas, under natural and controlled conditions.__________Translated from Ekologiya, No. 3, 2005, pp. 193–200.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Ermakov, Panova, Stepanova.     

Ecological and genetic characteristics of the distribution of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bradybaena fruticum</Emphasis> Mull. (mollusca,gastropoda, pulmonata) in a forest-steppe landscape

The distribution pattern of the gastropod Bradybaena fruticum has been studied in a forest-steppe landscape. Analysis of the frequencies of polymorphic biochemical and conchological characters has yielded preliminary results on the characteristics of the species population structure whose formation was determined by a set of natural and anthropogenic factors.Translated from Ekologiya, No. 1, 2005, pp. 39–47.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Snegin.     

Dynamics of Yielding Capacity of Small Cranberry in Southern Karelia

The dynamics of yielding capacity of small cranberry (Oxycoccus palustris Pers.) were studied in three permanent sampling plots in a natural bog in southern Karelia for 28 years (1975–2002). The yield of berries varied from year to year from 1 to 179 g/m² depending on phytocenotic and, to a greater extent, climatic factors. The proportion between the number of ripe berries and the number of flowers varied from 10 to 66%. No distinct periodicity in the abundance of fruiting was revealed.__________Translated from Ekologiya, No. 4, 2005, pp. 264–268.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Yudina, Maksimova.     

Role of the Forest Entomofauna in Successional Processes

Participation of the entomofauna in the succession of forest biogeocenoses is analyzed. In stable ecosystems, insects serve as a mechanism providing for long-term ecological stability. In unstable ecosystems, their activities are essentially negative and cause ecosystem degradation.__________Translated from Ekologiya, No. 3, 2005, pp. 227–230.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Yanovskii.     

Structural Changes in the Fauna of Pollinating Insects in Urban Landscapes

Species composition, abundance, and some ecological features of pollinating insects have been studied in urbanized landscapes. Changes in the composition of bumblebees (Hymenoptera) and butterflies (Lepidoptera, Rhopalocera) and their adaptive potential in urban environments are considered.__________Translated from Ekologiya, No. 4, 2005, pp. 286–293.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Eremeeva, Sushchev.     

Heavy metals in water, sediments, plants and fish of Kali Nadi U.P. (India)

The distribution of heavy metals viz., Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn in the water, sediments, plants and fish samples collected from the Kali Nadi (India) have been determined. The studies have shown that there was considerable variation in the concentration of heavy metals from one sampling station to the other which may be due to the variation in the quality of industrial and sewage wastes being added to the river at different places. The orders of the concentration of heavy metals in water, sediments, plants (Eicchornia crassipes) and fish (Heteropnuestes fossilis) were Fe > Zn > Cu > Mn > Cr > Ni > Pb > Co > Cd; Fe > Zn > Mn > Ni > Cr > Co > Cu > Pb > Cd; Fe > Mn > Zn > Cu > Ni > Co > Pb > Cr > Cd and Fe > Zn > Mn > Ni > Pb > Co > Cr > Cu > Cd, respectively.     

Exoautometabolic regulation of transgenes in microorganisms

Data on the existence of a specific system regulating the growth, size, and structure of enterobacterial populations are first summarized in terms of the chemical ecology concept formulated by S.S. Shvarts. The role of this system in transgene functioning is described using the example of the lux operon integrated into Escherichia coli. A relatively simple test for estimating such interactions is proposed.Translated from Ekologiya, No. 2, 2005, pp. 91–96.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Pshenichnov, Maslennikova, Nikitina.     

Accumulation of metals by vegetation in a small drainage area exposed to aerotechnogenic pollution

Trends in the accumulation of metals by different plant species have been analyzed in a forest phytocenosis of the southern taiga zone of the Middle Urals, which is polluted by emissions from a copper-smelting plant. The rate of metal accumulation in the course of annual and net phytomass production and metal outflow with surface waters beyond the biogeocenosis boundaries have been estimated.Translated from Ekologiya, No. 1, 2005, pp. 26–31.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Fedorova, Odintseva.     

Use of (7)Be to document soil erosion associated with a short period of extreme rainfall

Intensification and expansion of agricultural production since the 1970s have increased soil erosion problems in south-central Chile. Quantitative information on soil loss is needed for erosion risk assessment and to establish the effectiveness of improved land management practices. Since information from traditional sources, such as erosion plots, is limited, attention has been directed to the use of environmental radionuclides for documenting erosion rates. Cs-137 has been successfully utilised for this purpose, but only provides information on medium-term erosion rates. There is also a need to document event-related soil erosion. This paper outlines the basis for using (7)Be measurements to document short-term erosion and reports its successful use for quantifying the erosion that occurred within an arable field, as a result of a period of heavy rainfall (400mm in 27 days) occurring in May 2005. The study field had been under a no-till, no-burning system for 18 years, but immediately prior to the period of heavy rainfall the harvest residues were burnt. The erosion recorded therefore reflected both the extreme nature of the rainfall and the effects of the burning in increasing surface runoff and erosion. The sampled area corresponded to that used previously by the authors to document the medium-term erosion rates associated with both conventional tillage and the subsequent switch to a no-till system. Comparisons between the erosion documented for the period of heavy rainfall in 2005 with these medium-term erosion rates permits some tentative conclusions regarding the importance of extreme events and the impact of burning in increasing the erosion associated with the no-till system.     

安徽省近49年短历时强降水事件趋势变化特征

为了加强对小时时间尺度的雨强特征及变化分析研究,基于安徽省1961～2009年16个台站1小时降水量资料,针对超过98%分位点的短历时强降水事件,分析其短历时强降水量、降水次数、降水强度、占总降水的比重及日分布的趋势变化特征。结果表明：近49 a来安徽省短历时强降水量总体呈增多趋势,且自东向西增加趋势逐渐显著。由M K突变检验法分析可知,2001年后有明显的向上突变整体增多,2005年后突变显著。主要是短历时强降水次数的增多导致短历时强降水量增多。近49 a来安徽省总降水量增加的78%来源于短历时强降水,且在总降水时间日趋减少的情况下,短历时强降水时间增加,对总降水的贡献越来越大。而在日分布方面,短历时强降水的日分布呈明显的双峰结构,频发时间段分别位于午后到傍晚、后半夜到早晨。但出现在上午的短历时强降水量及次数的增长趋势要明显超过午后到傍晚,因此可推测未来峰值和谷值的差异将减小,双峰的特征将逐渐减弱     

Morphological-anatomical features of underground organs in some higher plant species in relation to their adaptation to ecological conditions

In seven higher plant species of different taxa, structural features of underground organs have been considered, and the levels of intraspecific variation in some characters of these organs have been determined. Different pathways of the structural adaptation of these species to the environment are demonstrated on the morphological and anatomical levels.Translated from Ekologiya, No. 2, 2005, pp. 97–105.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Tarshis.     

Characteristics of Cajander Larch (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Larix cajanderi</Emphasis> Mayr) on Dredging Waste Dumps in the Amur Region

Former dredging sites were studied in the taiga zone of the Amur region (in Khabarovsk Krai). The involvement of Larix cajanderi in plant succession on dredging waste dumps was revealed. Some morphological-anatomical parameters of L. cajanderi needles were compared in trees growing on the dumps and in adjacent open larch stands on waterlogged peaty soils.__________Translated from Ekologiya, No. 4, 2005, pp. 259–263.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Osipov, Burundukova.     

Paleoecology and dynamics of forest ecosystems in Central Evenkia during the past 2400 years

New data on the composition of surface assemblages of plant macroremains from soil and swamp samples have been obtained in the study of geomorphologically different localities in the middle reaches of the Nizhnyaya Tunguska River. The results of paleocarpological analysis of forest soil sections supported by relevant palynological and geochronological data are presented. Natural changes of the forest cover over the past 2400 years and quantitative characteristics of the paleoclimate during each stage are described.Translated from Ekologiya, No. 1, 2005, pp. 3–10.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Koshkarova, Koshkarov.     

Response of lithophilic zoobenthos to changes in the granulometric composition of grounds in the metarithral zone of a small river in the foothills of southwestern kamchatka

Data on the species composition, abundance, and biomass of macrozoobenthos in the rapids of a small river flowing in the foothills of the southwestern Kamchatka Peninsula are considered along with the results of quantitative analysis of structural rearrangements in the lithophilic community under the effects of changes in the granulometric composition of bottom sediments. Groups of lithophilic and pelophilic invertebrates typical of the metarithral of such rivers (e.g., chironomids of subfamilies Diamesinae and Prodiamesinae) are identified.Translated from Ekologiya, No. 2, 2005, pp. 120–125.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Leman, Chebanova.     

The Campus Demotechnic Index: a comparison of technological energy consumption at US colleges and universities

The Campus Demotechnic Index (CDI) was modified from the Demotechnic Index (D-Index) to serve as an index of energy use for US colleges and universities. CDI values were calculated by assessing the total campus energy used for the built and mobile environments against energy required to meet the basal metabolic demand of the total campus population. Like the D-Index, the CDI measured the scalar quantity of energy used relative to the quantity of energy required for simple survival on a per capita basis, thus providing a rational metric for comparison among institutions. For the interval 2000–2005, CDI was calculated for 64 US higher education institutions and compared using maximum, minimum, mean and median CDI values, total gigajoules used, campus population, and consumption-adjusted population. Wilcoxon signed rank test results compared pair-by-pair differences of ranked CDI values from 2000 to 2005 to determine whether CDI values were significantly increasing or decreasing over time. In general, CDI values increased over time, but increases over the 6-year interval were only significantly higher in 8 of 30 two-year comparisons; in 2005, CDI values ranged from 1.1 to 56.3 (mean = 11.9, median = 8.2, n = 64), whereas in 2000, CDI values ranged from 2.0 to 53.0 (mean = 12.6, median = 9.1, n = 22). Results suggest that the CDI may serve as a useful metric for tracking campus energy efficiency over time as well as a means of comparison of energy use among institutions.     

Monitoring of Vegetation Development in Technogenically Disturbed Areas of the Usinskoe Oil Field

Vegetation development and changes in the characteristics of the substrate in technogenically disturbed sites in the Usinskoe oil field were monitored for ten years (1992–2002). It has been demonstrated that 86 species of vascular plants and 12 species of bryophytes constitute the vegetation formed on fill-up soils during the first stages of recovery succession. A succession of dominant species was observed in the tenth year of monitoring. Differences in plant composition on the ground surface of different technological zones of plots located in different landscapes are described.__________Translated from Ekologiya, No. 4, 2005, pp. 269–274.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Zheleznova, Kuznetsova, Evdokimova, Turubanova.     

Some characteristics of plutonium distribution in the atmospheric air and plants in the zone surrounding the Mayak Production Association

The results of long-term studies on plutonium distribution in the atmospheric air and plants in the area surrounding the Mayak Production Association in the years 1976–1995 are summarized. Data are presented on the changes in plutonium concentration in the air overtime at some points located in the survey zone and the impact zone of the industrial enterprise as compared to those in the control region. In addition, data on the changes in air plutonium concentration depending on the season and direction of wind are presented; the ratios between plutonium concentrations in the air and the fallout are analyzed.Translated from Ekologiya, No. 1, 2005, pp. 20–25.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Chudin, Shcherbakova, Maslovskii, Kocheva, Iovlev, Denisenko, Demin, Mamin, Chebotina.     

Analysis of Catenae in the Kivach Reserve: Structure,Succession State,and Potential Composition of Forest Vegetation

Types of catenae of the moraine landscape of the Kivach Reserve have been described, and five ecotopes have been distinguished in their composition. The analysis of ecological ranges of the main forest-forming species has made it possible to predict the potential composition of a tree synusia that included five to seven species in the greater part of the catenae and three species in depressions with stagnant moistening. The population demographic approach has been used to determine the succession status of communities in the study area. Six variants of phytochores have been distinguished in the herb-dwarf shrub layer; the main ecological and succession factors of distribution have been determined for them.__________Translated from Ekologiya, No. 4, 2005, pp. 252–258.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Platonova.     

Changes in Species Diversity of Rove Beetles (Coleoptera,Staphylinidae) Depending on the Age of Pine Plantations in Central Belarus

Trends of changes in species richness and dominance in staphylinid communities depending on the age of pine plantations have been analyzed. The species richness of these communities is high in the plantations of age classes 1 and 2 (11 and 28 years, respectively) but decreases in the plantations of age class 3 (60 years). The highest and lowest indices of species diversity are observed in the plantations of age classes 2 and 3, respectively. Four groups of rove beetles have been distinguished by the criterion of their dominance in pine plantations of different ages.__________Translated from Ekologiya, No. 4, 2005, pp. 306–313.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Derunkov.