Ecological role of lipids and fatty acids in the early postembryonic development of the daubed shanny, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Leptoclinus maculatus</Emphasis> (Fries, 1838) from Kongsfjorden,West Spitsbergen in winter

The dynamics of lipid and fatty acid composition of the muscles (flesh) and lipid sac in L. maculatus early life stages of different age collected in Kongsfjorden (Svalbard, Norway), in winter, during the polar night was studied. We showed that the total lipid content in the muscles increases on account of energetic triacylglycerols derived from the lipid sac, which is resorbed in juveniles as they switch to a demersal mode of life. The fatty acid spectrum directly reflects age-dependent and seasonal features of L. maculatus early life stages. The results of the study elucidate the specific role of lipids and fatty acids in the ecological and biochemical mechanisms related to ontogenic development of fish from the family Stichaeidae, particularly arctic-boreal L. maculatus, which assumed to become increasingly frequent in the Spitsbergen water area. They are important for understanding the ability of organisms to maintain and preserve the functional stability of ecosystems as a whole, especially under conditions of climate change in the Arctic.     

Variation in Morphophysiological Traits of Male and Female <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aporia crataegi</Emphasis> L. (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) Depending on the Timing of Adult Emergence

The correlation between the timing of adult emergence and variation in morphophysiological parameters of males and females has been analyzed in the black-veined white Aporia crataegi L. In 2013 to 2015, black-veined white butterflies were collected from a natural population in the south of Sverdlovsk oblast throughout the emergence period; at the same time, adult insects were reared from pupae in individual cages. Comparison of the field observations in nature and the results of rearing preimaginal stages has shown that the largest adults are the first to emerge, while the smallest are the last to emerge. This pattern holds true both for the parameters varying throughout the adult insect life (body weight and relative abdomen weight) and for the permanent characteristic of the “structural” size (wing area). The influence of protandry and food availability to caterpillars on the variation in the size of adult A. crataegi during the period of generation emergence is discussed.     

Marsh Frog (Rana ridibunda Pall.) in Cooling Ponds in the Middle Urals

Environmental conditions in cooling ponds of thermal power plants are favorable for marsh frogs. Their populations inhabiting Verkhne-Tagil and Reftinskoe reservoirs differ in some traits, such as size and age composition, growth rate after metamorphosis, spawning type, fecundity, and characteristics of larval development. Differentiation in body size manifests itself at the early stages of terrestrial life and progresses at later stages. As a consequence, larger individuals may reach maturity and participate in reproduction at an earlier age.     

Relative Assessment of Indicators in Sustainability Enhancement (RAISE): a first approach in the manufacturing stage of products

The estimation of the sustainability performance of products requires tools to provide systematic approaches to the definition of impacts, indicators and comparative scenarios from early design stages. This paper illustrates the Relative Assessment of Indicators in Sustainability Enhancement (RAISE) methodology that is based on the measure of negative impacts generated during any product life cycle stage. This approach includes a systematic process for the definition and evaluation of indicators to compare the sustainability performance of products considering each indicator individually and using a holistic index of sustainability to entail an overall comparison between products from manufacturing scenarios. The RAISE method is developed with the aim of assessing sustainability performance of product life cycle stages and incorporating this assessment into the decision-making process when comparing different manufacturing scenarios. A guitar capo manufactured in polymeric material is used as case study to demonstrate the use of the method. In this paper, only the manufacturing stage is considered; however, the method can also be employed in other stages of the life cycle.     

Examining Environmental Kuznets Curve for river effluents in India

This study aims to determine the trade-off between river pollution and the growth of the economy in the context of India using the concept of Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC). According to EKC theory, environmental pressure tends to rise faster than income growth in the early stages of economic development and then declines in the later stages with further economic growth. The present study has used the cross-sectional time series data for river pollutants of Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Dissolved Hydrogen Ions (PH) across various states of India for the period 1990–1991 to 2005–2006. This study shows why the conventional EKC model is not sufficient to ascertain the declining path of pollution as the economy grows in the second stage. The paper uses the modified EKC theory where the EKC curve is proposed to have 2 turning points. Our results indicated ‘tilted-S shaped’ relationship which contradicts EKC in the early stages. Most of the regions that were studied have crossed the first turning point but are still to cross the second turning point, which means that there will be an ascent in the pollution level in the future. This calls for more stringent environment policies complementing the desired growth path.     

Processes of natural soil and vegetation recovery on a worked-out open pit coal mine (Bol’shezemel’skaya tundra)

The processes of soil and vegetation recovery after cessation of surface coal mining operations have been studied for the first time in the far north of Europe. Three stages of primary succession—from primitive algal groups to closed plant communities—have been identified, with the main role being played by soil algae at the zero stage, by herbs at the first stage, and by grasses at the second stage. A close relationship between the early stages in the development of phytocenoses and the stages of posttechnogenic soil formation is demonstrated.     

长江中游尺八湖现代沉积物营养元素富集的环境意义

通过基于~(210)Pb与环境事件分析相结合的定年方法,在建立沉积年代序列的基础上,对长江中游尺八湖CB-1孔现代沉积物营养元素(TOC、TN、TP)及C/N值进行分析,并结合尺八湖所在的监利县志有关记载,对沉积物营养元素富集与人口数据进行相关分析。结果表明:1尺八湖近70a来沉积物营养元素富集可分为2个主要阶段:上世纪80年代以前TOC、TN、TP值变化平稳,富集系数EF值反映营养元素富集尚在自然水平范围内;上世纪80年代以来TOC、TN、TP值呈显著上升,EF值反映营养元素的富集超越了自然水平。2尺八湖现代沉积物营养元素的变化与湖泊流域所在地区(监利县)人口数量呈显著相关关系,TP值与人口数量在突变点上相一致。3上世纪70年代末、80年代初以来,是尺八湖营养元素快速富集阶段,这当与该时间段人口增长、人类生产活动旺盛、农业种植中化肥使用量增加等因素具有密切关系。     

Bacterial community changes during fir needle litter decomposition in an alpine forest in eastern Tibetan Plateau

Bacterial community plays an important role in litter decomposition. Although the changes of bacterial community as litter decomposition proceeding can be regulated by frozen temperature and changed litter quality in cold regimes, little information has been available on. Therefore, the structure and diversity of the bacterial community in Minjiang fir (Abies faxoniana) needle litter were measured in an alpine forest in eastern Tibetan Plateau. The litter samples were sampled at the onset of the freezing stage, the deep freezing stage, the thawing stage, the early growing season and the late growing season from December 2010 to November 2011. The methods of real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) coupled with denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) were used. The copy numbers of bacterial 16S rDNA in the fir needle litter changed significantly as litter decomposition proceeding. The abundance of bacterial 16S rDNA was significantly lower at the deep freezing stage but highest at the thawing stage. A large number of bands were observed on the DGGE gel; the intensities and distances of the bands were significantly different among the samples at different stages; the indexes of bacterial diversity at the onset of the freezing and deep freezing stages were lower than them at the other stages. All of the bacterial sequences were affiliated with six distinct classes and an unknown group. Redundancy analysis indicated that moisture, mass loss and the release of litter elements (e.g., C, N, P) exerted obvious influences over the bacterial communities.     

Transfer of 137Cs to rice plants from various paddy soils contaminated under flooded conditions at different growth stages

Soil blocks from 18 paddy fields around three Korean nuclear power plant sites were put into lysimeters. Greenhouse experiments were carried out to investigate the (137)Cs transfer from these paddy soils to rice plants for its deposition at different growth stages. A solution of (137)Cs was applied to the flooded lysimeters at 2-3 different stages. The applied (137)Cs was mixed with the topsoil only at the pre-transplanting application. The transfer was quantified with a transfer factor based on the unit-area deposition (TF(a), m(2)kg(-1)-dry). The TF(a) in the pre-transplanting application showed a remarkable variation with the soils. However, the differences in the mean values among the study sites were not statistically significant. The straw TF(a) was 2-3 times higher than the corresponding seed value. The early-tillering stage and booting stage applications resulted in a higher transfer than the pre-transplanting application by factors of, on an average, 2 and 16 for the straws, and 3 and 25 for the hulled seeds, respectively. The (137)Cs transfer was found to correlate negatively with the soil pH and positively with the organic matter content. Based on the present results, the representative (137)Cs TF(a) values for the rice are proposed for use in the whole of Korea for the deposition at three different growth stages.     

Size structure of urban agglomerations in China: rationality evaluation,patterns, and implications

ABSTRACT

This paper establishes a diagnostic model for assessing the rationality of size structure of urban agglomerations (UAs) in China. The model is designed to determine from a three-dimensional index including size distribution index (SDI), size compactness index (SCI), and size efficiency index (SEI). The spatio-temporal pattern of size structure involving the studied 19 UAs and its implications are explored. The results indicate that size structure of China’s UAs advanced from a low rationality development stage to a moderate rationality development stage in 1995–2015. Among them, the SDI and SEI were reasonably high, and the SCI was relatively low. Spatially, the high rationality UAs were distributed across eastern China, while the low rationality UAs were located in western China. UAs with positive size structure possessed typically a dual- or multicenter urban structure, while UAs with negative size structure usually presented as a single-center structure. The evolutionary trajectories of rationality of size structure of UAs can be summarized as four different stages. Our findings suggest that, in addition to consolidating the status of national-level UAs, the development of regional-level UAs should be promoted. Also, the fostering focus and direction should be oriented toward an UA with dual- or multicenter spatial structure.     

基于无机氮磷利用特征的小球藻优化培养技术

氮磷对小球藻的生长产生重要影响,基于氮磷优化培养条件的探讨具有理论和实际意义。在静置培养、通气培养和通气加碳源（葡萄糖）培养等条件下对小球藻的生长影响和氮磷消耗进行了试验,采用分批取样补料方式对培养过程进行了优化研究。结果表明,在未调节培养液pH值条件下,藻液的pH值在7~9变化,随培养时间呈略微下降的趋势。各培养条件下,小球藻对硝酸盐的吸收速率均表现出先快后慢的特征,对磷的吸收利用表现为总磷先快速被吸收利用,然后稳定在一定范围内波动。小球藻的生长在静置培养条件下主要受培养液中硝酸盐氮含量和培养液pH值的影响,通气培养条件下主要受培养液中硝酸盐氮含量的影响,通气外加碳源培养条件下主要受培养液中可溶解性总磷含量和硝酸盐氮含量双重影响。在通气外加碳源分批取样补料的藻类优化培养中,生长中期取样补料小球藻生长速率受影响较小,单位时间生物量最高,达3 565 mg/（L·d     

亚热带山地常绿落叶阔叶混交林物种幼苗功能性状差异研究

以湖南八大公山25 hm~2常绿落叶阔叶混交林动态监测样地中24个常见物种为研究对象,按照不同生长阶段(H_1:5≤H20 cm、H_2:20≤H40 cm、H_3:40≤H80 cm、H_4:80≤H130 cm、H_5:H≥130 cm且DBH1 cm)获取了826株幼苗并测量了叶片和茎干功能性状,分析了不同生长阶段、冠层和叶片习性幼苗功能性状变异,以及不同功能性状对幼苗存活的影响。结果表明:(1)幼苗功能性状在不同生长阶段差异显著,随着幼苗生长,比叶面积(SLA)、叶片碳氮比(C/N)呈现下降趋势,比茎密度(SSD)、叶柄长度(PL)、叶片氮磷比(N/P)和叶绿素含量(Chl)呈现升高趋势;(2)SLA在灌木层、亚乔木层和乔木层间无明显变化,叶片厚度(LT)、Chl和N/P在3个冠层间变化显著,SSD和PL均在灌木层和乔木层间无明显变化,C/N在灌木层和亚乔木层间无明显差异;(3)常绿树种幼苗具有较高的Chl和LT,落叶树种幼苗具有较高的SLA、叶片氮含量(LNC)、叶片磷含量(LPC)和PL;(4)个体大小对幼苗存活具有显著正效应,LPC促进落叶树种幼苗存活,抑制常绿树种幼苗存活。在植物生活史早期,不同功能群植物针对林下低光环境采取了不同生长适应策略,不同生长阶段幼苗也根据光环境的改变调整自身功能性状。另外,八大公山常绿落叶阔叶混交林中幼苗的生长主要受氮素限制,且这种限制作用随着幼苗生长逐渐减弱。     

Phenes of Woody Plants: Identification,Scaling, and Use in Population Studies (An Example of Pinus sylvestrisL.)

The methods of identification and scaling of phenes of forest plants are described. The phene identification consists of five stages. Specific features of studies at each stage are shown using identification of the phenes of seed color, cone color, and seed scale structure in Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestrisL.) as examples. The method of phene scaling is based on the comparison of phene frequencies in a bog and in adjacent upland populations of pine. At the boundary between the bog and dry land, the frequencies of population-level phenes change, whereas those of superpopulation-level phenes remain unchanged.     

Assessment of the State of Lung Lichen, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lobaria pulmonaria</Emphasis> (L.) Hoffm., in Forest Communities with Different Times Since Disturbance in the Northeast of European Russia

Quantitative parameters of cenopopulations of Lobaria pulmonaria, an endangered cyanolichen, have been studied in spruce phytocenoses of Karelia recovering after disturbance through the successional stage of aspen stands for a period ranging from 80 to 450 years. The results show that, as the time since disturbance increases, the total number of L. pulmonaria thalli and the number of colonized substrate units increase as well, with no stabilization of these parameters being observed in the series of communities studied. The total area of thalli in the phytocenoses is restored within approximately 200 years after the last disturbance. In old-growth forests (>400 years), L. pulmonaria thalli colonize a broad spectrum of tree species in different life states, including lower branches of young spruce trees. Even if they serve as temporary substrates, this can markedly strengthen the potential of the species for further expansion within the community in case of shortage in the main phorophyte (aspen). Thus, the proportion of regressive populations decreases, while that of colonizing populations increases, which is indicative of successful reproduction of the species.     

Tritium levels in Chinese cabbage and radish plants acutely exposed to HTO vapor at different growth stages

To simulate an acute exposure of Chinese cabbage and radish plants to airborne HTO, the potted plants were exposed to HTO vapor under semi-outdoor conditions for 1h at different times from the early to late growth stages. The plants were grown outdoors and the plant tritium was measured at the end of an exposure (h(0)) and at harvest. The leaf tissue free water tritium (TFWT) concentrations at h(0) were considerably lower than estimated equilibrium concentrations. In the leaves of Chinese cabbage, the exposure at the earlier growth stage generally ended with a higher TFWT concentration. Such a tendency was not apparent either in the leaves or roots of radish. On the other hand, the earlier stage exposure gave rise to lower TFWT concentrations at the harvest of both crops. For the OBT (organically bound tritium), however, the same occurred only in the Chinese cabbage leaves. During the period between the exposure and harvest, the TFWT concentrations reduced by factors of up to 1.1 x 10(6) for the Chinese cabbage leaves and 1.3 x 10(4) for the radish roots. Based on the activity ratios of OBT to TFWT at harvest, it is estimated that OBT mostly contributes much more to the ingestion dose than TFWT does.     

底质营养盐对菹草生长及养分分配的影响

在野外池塘中,利用3种不同营养状况的底质研究底质营养盐对菹草生长及养分分配的影响,结果表明：沉水植物菹草面对底质营养盐的胁迫出现了急性的生理生化反应,在生长初期叶片总的可溶性糖含量在肥沃的底质上高于贫营养底质上;根、茎、叶和石芽各构件都具有异速生长现象,并且表现规律不一样;菹草的根冠比随底质营养盐的不同而变化;随着营养条件对菹草生长胁迫加重,根、冠的异速生长愈明显,同时石芽的N∶P和C∶N比率显著受底质营养盐的影响,而菹草叶片和茎N∶P和C∶N比率不受底质肥力的影响,这些响应将改变石芽第2年的命运和影响种群的维持;在胁迫生境下,菹草首先分配资源到无性繁殖体--石芽上以便维持种群的延续,以回避策略应对底质营养盐胁迫。     

Age,Survivorship and Life Expectancy in Near Eastern Fire Salamander, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Salamandra infraimmaculata</Emphasis> (Caudata: Salamandridae)

Populations from different environmental habitats indicate variation in life history traits and these differences are mostly related to longevity, age and size at maturity. In this study, age structure, longevity, survivorship and sexual size dimorphism of Near Eastern fire salamander (Salamandra infraimmaculata) were assessed by means of skeletochronological analysis. Maximum lifespan was recorded to be twelve years in females and eleven years in males and age at maturity was estimated as three and four years for both sexes. Females had significantly larger SVL than that of males, while age structure and mean age did not differ between sexes. Age and body size were positively correlated with each other for both females and males. Since the populations of the Near Eastern fire salamander in Turkey are in decline, the present study which provides preliminary data on life history traits of this species could be helpful for future biological studies.     

Influence of intra- and interspecific competition on daily activity of common (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Microtus arvalis</Emphasis>) and East European (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Microtus rossiaemeridionalis</Emphasis>) voles in experiments

The influence of intra- and interspecific competition of common and East European voles on their daily activity was studied in 34-m² enclosures at the Chernogolovka Experimental Research Station (Moscow Region). Family groups of animals captured in the same biotopes were placed in enclosures and, 25 day later, their daily activity was observed. Thereafter, the animals were pooled and observations were repeated 25 days later. The experiment consisted of three stages. At the first stage, the daily activity, time budget, and social behavior of common voles were studied before and after pooling different family groups; at the second stage, the same was performed with East European voles; and at the third stage, with both species. The species proved to use different strategies for alleviating intraspecific competition: in common voles, this was segregation of ecological niches via desynchronization of daily activity; in East European voles, conversely, aggregation in groups and synchronization of activity. Under experimental cohabitation, the strategy of the common vole, a more aggressive species, was to force out the other species, ecologically similar but less competitive; the strategy of the East European vole was aimed at avoidance via segregation of ecological niches in time.     

Lipid peroxidation rates in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Taraxacum officinale</Emphasis> Wigg. and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Vicia cracca</Emphasis> L. from biotopes with different levels of soil pollution with heavy metals

The rates of lipid peroxidation (LPO) have been studied in Taraxacum officinale Wigg. (Asteraceae) and Vicia cracca L. (Fabaceae) from urban ecosystems with different levels of soil pollution with heavy metals (HMs), including Pb, Zn, Cu, and Cr. The former species responds to the increased HM contents by intensification of LPO processes, with their parameters correlating with the concentrations of Pb, Zn, and Cu in the soil. In the latter species from the same biotopes, conversely, LPO homeostasis remains actually undisturbed.     

Foliar contamination of Phaseolus vulgaris with aerosols of 137Cs, 85Sr, 133Ba and 123mTe: influence of plant development stage upon contamination and rain

As part of a requirement to improve the assessment of the impact of radioactive fallout on consumed agricultural products, bean plants at four development stages (seedlings, preflowering, late flowering and mature plants) were contaminated by dry deposition of (137)Cs, (85)Sr, (133)Ba and (123m)Te aerosols. The influence of two rain scenarios and of the development stage upon contamination on interception, retention, and translocation to pods was studied. Interception of the four radionuclides was almost identical and varied from 30 to 60% with increasing development stage. The most important rain parameter was the time which elapsed between contamination and the first rain. Whatever the development stage, rain washed off more cesium from the leaves when it occurred 2 days after the deposit (37% at the seedling stage, for example) rather than later on (6 days, 27%), due to rapid migration of Cs in the plant. The first rain washed off nearly 40% of Ba whatever the scenario. For later stages, Sr and Ba were more washed off by heavy weekly rains than by weak twice-a-week rains, perhaps because of the Sr/Ba-contaminated material loss associated with wash off (desquamation of cuticles). Te showed little wash off (less than 5%). Wash off decreased with an older development stage for a weak rain intensity, due to the superimposition of leaves. Heavy rains removed this shelter effect. At harvest, rain effect was no longer detectable as foliar activity was similar for both rain scenarios. Translocation factors (TF) for strontium and barium increased from 6 x 10(-3) to 1 x 10(-1) with the plant development stage upon contamination, whereas those for cesium remained almost unchanged between 2 x 10(-1) and 4 x 10(-1). Flowering is the most critical stage towards residual contamination in pods at harvest, with the exception of direct deposit on pods at the mature stage (TF values are one order of magnitude higher). TF value for Te was 6.5 x 10(-2) and was due to direct deposit. Modelling reflected the trends, through the differential values of the wash off and absorption coefficients, of what was reported for experimental results.