有机膨润土吸附垃圾渗滤液中苯酚的研究

以溴化十六烷基三甲铵为改性剂制备有机膨润土,研究了有机膨润土吸附垃圾渗滤液中典型有机污染物苯酚的性能、条件及改性条件对吸附效果的影响。结果表明,有机膨润土对苯酚有很好的吸附效果,实验条件下对苯酚的去除率可达90％以上,pH值是影响有机膨润土吸附能力的主要因素,绘制了不同初始浓度的苯酚溶液在平衡浓度达国家工业废水的第二类污染物三级排放标准时,改性膨润土的用量曲线及吸附等温线,并得到投样量方程：y＝0．1959x－0．2458,R^2＝0．9751。     

有机膨润土对苯胺的吸附性能及应用研究

以溴化十六烷基三甲铵为改性剂制备有机膨润土,利用正交实验研究了有机膨润土吸附垃圾渗滤液中极性有机污染物苯胺的性能、条件及改性条件对吸附效果的影响。结果表明,有机改性膨润土对苯胺有很好的吸附效果,实验条件下对苯胺的去除率可达90％以上,绘制了有机膨润土吸附苯胺的吸附等温线,通过与吸附苯酚效果的比较,总结了有机膨润土吸附极性有机污染物的一般规律。     

改性凹凸棒石对模拟含酚废水处理机制的研究

利用有机阳离子表面活性剂对凹凸棒石表面进行改性,研究改性凹凸棒石吸附去除模拟含酚水中苯酚的机理,同时对影响吸附去除苯酚的因素进行探讨.结果表明,用十六烷基三甲基溴化铵(HDTMA)和溴代十六烷基吡啶(CPB)等有机阳离子对天然凹凸棒石进行改性后能大大提高对苯酚的吸附去除率;HDTMA和CPB改性土对苯酚的吸附机制主要是其有机相对苯酚的分配作用;HDTMA和CPB改性土对苯酚的吸附等温线呈线性,L型吸附等温方程更适合该吸附过程.在pH＞10时,HDTMA改性土除通过分配作用以外还可通过静电吸附增强对苯酚的吸附;随着HDTMA改性剂用量的增加,HDTMA改性土对苯酚的吸附去除率也逐渐增加并达到最大值.     

邻硝基苯酚在有机改性凹凸棒土上的吸附行为

应用阳离子表面活性剂十六烷基三甲基溴化铵(HDTMA)、溴代十六烷基吡啶(CPB)、四乙基溴化铵(TEA)和四丁基溴化铵(TBA)分别对凹凸棒石原土进行改性,研究有机改性凹凸棒土对水中邻硝基苯酚的吸附作用.结果表明,四种改性土对水中邻硝基苯酚的吸附在较短的时间内即基本达到平衡,且对水中邻硝基苯酚的吸附去除率与改性土的有机碳含量呈明显的正相关,同样条件下其去除能力大小的顺序是CPB改性土＞HDTMA改性土＞TBA改性土＞TEA改性土;当体系pH值大于邻硝基苯酚的pKa时,CPB改性土对邻硝基苯酚的吸附能力明显增强; CPB改性土对邻硝基苯酚的吸附过程更适合用Henry吸附等温线进行描述,该吸附过程的主要机制是分配作用;CPB改性土对邻硝基苯酚的吸附过程是吸热反应,该吸附过程中无化学键力和配位基交换力等强作用力;阴离子表面活性剂十二烷基苯磺酸钠(SDBS)的存在抑制了CPB改性土对邻硝基苯酚的吸附.     

聚二甲基二烯丙基氯化铵改性高炉渣的制备及其应用

用聚二甲基二烯丙基氯化铵(PDMDAAC)改性高炉渣以提高其对印染废水的处理能力.研究了改性过程中改性剂浓度、温度和制备时间对改性效果的影响,对模拟印染废水和实际印染废水进行了处理,表明PDMDAAC改性大大提高了高炉渣对染料的吸附能力.     

有机物在水/有机膨润土界面的化学行为

研究了苯酚、苯胺、对硝基苯酚等极性或可离子化有机物在不／有机膨润土界面的化学行为，定量描述了表面吸附和分配作用对双阳离子有机膨润土吸附作用的相对贡献率及影响因素。结果表明，表面吸附和分配作用的相对贡献率大小与改性时加入的双阳离子表面活性剂的组成与配比有关。双阳离子有机膨润土40TMAB／60DTAB和40TMAB／200TMAB对苯酚的吸附，在低浓度时以表面吸附为主，在高浓度时以分配作用为主。     

对硝苯苯酚在阴—阳离子有机膨胀润土／水间的界面行为研究

用阴、阳离子表面活性剂改性制得一系列阴－阳离子有机膨润土,表征了有机膨润土的结构特征,研究了对硝基苯酚在阴－阳离子有机膨润土／水间的界面行为,并探讨了其吸附机理。结果表明：阴－阳离子有机膨润土的层间距和有机碳含量与改性时阴、阳离子表面活性剂的组成和配比有关;阴－阳离子表面活性剂在有机膨润土中形成了增溶作用较强的有机相,在一定配比下对水中有机污染物产生协同效应。     

对硝基苯酚在沉积物上的吸附特性1

研究了沉积物吸附对硝基苯酚的作用机理及影响因素.结果表明,对硝基苯酚在沉积物上的吸附由其中的有机质含量和结构决定,体系的pH值对对硝基苯酚的吸附有较大的影响,其主要原因是体系的pH值控制着沉积物中有机质的溶出量.在实验浓度范围内,分配作用在沉积物吸附对硝基苯酚中占主导地位.     

对硝基苯酚在阴-阳离子有机膨润土/水间的界面行为研究

用阴、阳离子表面活性剂改性制得一系列阴-阳离子有机膨润土,表征了有机膨润土的结构特征,研究了对硝基苯酚在阴-阳离子有机膨润土/水间的界面行为,并探讨了其吸附机理.结果表明:阴-阳离子有机膨润土的层间距和有机碳含量与改性时阴、阳离子表面活性剂的组成和配比有关;阴-阳离子表面活性剂在有机膨润土中形成了增溶(分配)作用较强的有机相,在一定配比下对水中有机污染物产生协同效应.     

对硝基苯酚在沉积物上的吸附特性

研究了沉积物吸附对硝基苯酚的作用机理及影响因素,结果表明,对硝基苯酚在沉积物上的吸附由其中的有机质含量和结构决定,体系的pH值对对硝基苯酚的吸附有较大的影响,其主要原因是体系的pH值控制着沉积物中有机质的溶出量,在实验浓度范围内,分配作用在沉积物吸附对硝基酚中占主导地位。     

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.     

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.     

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.     

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).     

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