洞庭湖表层沉积物重金属污染状况评估

基于2010—2015年连续对洞庭湖3个主要湖区10个采样点的表层沉积物中Cd、Hg、As、Cu、Pb和Cr等重金属含量分析,对洞庭湖湖区表层沉积物中重金属的时空分布特征进行了探讨,并采用地积累指数法、潜在生态风险指数法和对数衰减模型评价洞庭湖沉积物重金属的污染状况.结果表明,洞庭湖沉积物中重金属平均含量大小顺序为CrPbCuAsCdHg,Cd、Cr和Pb的含量年际变化变幅较大,Hg、Cu和As则较小.地积累指数值(I_(geo))和单因子生态风险值(E_i~r)表明Cd和Hg是洞庭湖沉积物重金属主要污染物;从产生可以观察到毒性效果的最大可能性(P_(max))来看,Cd是洞庭湖沉积物重金属首要潜在水生生物风险毒性因子.综合地累积指数值(I_(tot))、总潜在生态风险值(RI)和预测的水生生物毒性比率(Y)的评价结果表明,在2010—2015年期间全湖重金属呈重度污染,面临重度潜在生态风险并可能具有产生水生生物毒性的风险,其各子湖区重金属的污染程度、潜在生态风险水平及潜在水生生物毒性水平排序为南洞庭湖东洞庭湖西洞庭湖;从随时间的变化趋势来看,在2014—2015年期间全湖及其东洞庭湖和南洞庭湖两个湖区的重金属污染程度、潜在生态风险水平及潜在水生生物毒性水平都要比2010—2013年降低,西洞庭湖区的重金属潜在生态风险水平及潜在水生生物毒性水平没有变化.     

洞庭湖及其入湖口沉积物中重金属的污染特征、来源与生态风险

选择洞庭湖及9个入湖口为研究区,分析了沉积物中Tl、Sb、Hg、Cd、As、Pb、Cu、Ni和Cr等9种重金属的空间分布、来源、污染特征与潜在生态风险.结果表明,入湖口沉积物中各重金属含量在0.08—100 mg·kg~(-1)之间,洞庭湖全湖沉积物中Tl、Sb、Hg、Cd、As、Pb、Cu、Ni和Cr的平均含量分别为背景值的1.47、2.33、5.55、8.30、2.32、2.17、1.98、1.60和1.58倍,其中Cd、Hg、Sb和As的富集程度相对较高.湖体沉积物中Tl、Sb、As、Cu和Cr空间分布表现为南洞庭湖东洞庭湖西洞庭湖;Hg、Cd和Ni空间分布表现为南洞庭湖西洞庭湖东洞庭湖;Pb的空间分布为东洞庭湖南洞庭湖西洞庭湖.来源分析得出东洞庭湖沉积物中重金属主要受湘江来水的影响;南洞庭湖沉积物中重金属受湘江和资江的共同影响;西洞庭湖沉积物中重金属来源较复杂.污染负荷指数法得出:入湖口污染程度(PLI值)大小为S1S2S3S4S8S5S9S6S7;湖体污染程度(PLI_((area))值)大小为南洞庭湖东洞庭湖西洞庭湖.洞庭湖全湖受到强污染(PLI_((area))值2.22),各重金属的污染程度(CF值)大小为CdHgSbAsPbCuNiCrTl.入湖口生态风险大小为S1S2S3S8S4S9S6S5S7;湖体生态风险大小为南洞庭湖东洞庭湖西洞庭湖.洞庭湖全湖生态风险指数为689.3,属"严重"生态风险.各重金属的生态风险大小为CdHgSbTlAsPbCuNiCr,主要风险污染物是Cd和Hg,其次为Sb和Tl.综合研究表明,S1、S2、S13、S14、S15、S19、S20、S22、S24和S25采样区污染严重,已成为"严重"生态风险区域.     

洞庭湖湘江入湖口至出湖口水域表层沉积物中重金属时空分布特征与生态风险

基于2007—2012年连续对洞庭湖湘江入湖口至出湖口水域5个采样点的表层沉积物中Cd、Hg、As、Cu、Pb、Cr和Zn等7种重金属含量分析,对该水域表层沉积物中重金属的时空分布特征进行了探讨,并采用沉积物质量基准法对其生态风险进行了评价.结果表明,Cd、Hg、As、Cu、Pb、Cr和Zn的含量分别为0.54—79.90 mg·kg-1、0.046—0.712 mg·kg-1、15.2—289.0 mg·kg-1、29.0—217.0 mg·kg-1、6.0—246.0 mg·kg-1、65.4—269.0 mg·kg-1和41.4—632.0 mg·kg-1,其大小顺序为ZnCrPbCuAsCdHg;Cd、Hg、As、Cu、Pb和Zn含量沿程总体呈"V"形变化趋势,Cr含量沿程变化较小,重金属含量年际变化较为稳定;As具有较高生态风险,其余污染物具有较低生态风险,不同污染物生态风险的大小顺序为AsCdCrCuPbZnHg,S1和S3具有较高生态风险,其余点位具有较低生态风险,不同点位生态风险的大小顺序为S1S3S5S2S4.     

洞庭湖主要入湖口表层沉积物重金属分布特征与生态风险评价

尽管针对洞庭湖沉积物中重金属的研究工作较多,但缺乏针对其主要入湖口的研究。基于2014年12月和2015年6月对洞庭湖主要入湖口表层沉积物中重金属调查,分析了重金属含量的时空分布特征,并采用一致性沉积物质量基准法对其生态风险进行了评价。结果表明,Cd、Hg、As、Cu、Pb和Zn的平均含量分别为3.27、0.190、27.10、39.8、38.0和157.8 mg·kg-1,其大小顺序为ZnCuPbAsCdHg,Cd和As含量出现超过土壤环境质量三级标准的现象,是主要的重金属污染物。Cd、As、Pb和Zn等4种重金属含量的最高值均出现在湘江入湖口,Cu含量的最高值出现在资水入湖口,Hg含量以沅江入湖口最高,除Pb外,其他5种重金属在湘江和资水入湖口的含量均大于平均值,表明湘江和资水入湖口污染较为严重;汛期与非汛期6种重金属的含量均无显著性差异(P0.05)。6种重金属生态风险大小顺序为AsCdZnPbCuHg,各入湖口生态风险大小顺序为湘江入湖口资水入湖口沅江入湖口汨罗江入湖口澧水入湖口长江"三口"新墙河入湖口,其中湘江和资水入湖口为较高生态风险,其他入湖口为较低生态风险。入湖河流是洞庭湖湖体沉积物重金属污染的主要来源,在一定程度上,入湖河流沉积物中重金属的含量对洞庭湖湖体沉积物中重金属污染状况起着决定性作用,因此,洞庭湖流域重金属污染防控应以入湖河流为主,其中尤以湘江和资水为重点。     

洞庭湖大型底栖动物与表层沉积物重金属研究

目前关于洞庭湖沉积物重金属已经有一定的研究,然而关于洞庭湖底栖动物与沉积物重金属的关系研究还是空白。本通过研究底栖动物与沉积物重金属的相关性,初步筛选出适宜洞庭湖沉积物重金属监测的底栖动物指标。2014年对洞庭湖大型底栖动物和表层沉积物重金属进行了4次调查,共记录底栖动物4门7纲58种,其中寡毛类7种,软体动物28种,水生昆虫19种,线虫(Nematoda sp.)1种,蛭类(Hirudinea sp.)2种,钩虾(Gammaridae sp.)1种。洞庭湖底栖动物平均密度为187.4 ind·m~(-2),软体动物是最主要的类群,占总密度的47.3%,寡毛类和水生昆虫的密度分别为24.1和27.8 ind·m~(-2),分别占总密度的12.9%和14.9%。洞庭湖沉积物重金属污染物主要是As、Cd和Hg,其平均质量分数分别为26.0、2.81和0.18 mg·kg~(-1),分别超过了洞庭湖背景值0.94、11.2和1.57倍,其中As和Cd分别超过了国家土壤环境质量二级标准0.04和3.68倍。内梅罗评价显示湘江和资江入湖口和洞庭湖出口是沉积物重金属污染最严重的地点。寡毛类密度与Pb、Cd、As、内梅罗指数值呈极显著正相关,BI指数与Cr、Pb、Cd呈显著负相关,可以看出寡毛类较为耐受重金属污染。研究表明寡毛类密度和BI指数可以作为洞庭湖表层沉积物重金属污染指示指标。     

粤西三座重要供水水库沉积物营养盐负荷与重金属污染特征

为揭示粤西3座供水水库（高州水库、鹤地水库、大水桥水库）沉积物营养盐负荷及重金属污染特征,于2008年6月在各水库大坝前湖泊区采集柱状沉积物,运用SMT法、碱性过硫酸钾消解法、烧失法和ICP-MS法分别测定其柱状沉积物中氮磷营养盐、有机质和7种重金属（Cu、Pb、Zn、Cd、Ni、Cr与Hg）的含量,并采用潜在生态风险指数法对表层重金属污染的潜在生态风险进行评价,同时通过相关性分析重金属的可能来源。结果表明：3座水库沉积物总氮质量分数为1.13~3.37 mg·g-1,有机质为11.83~20.37 mg·g-1,其表层总氮、有机质的质量分数大小顺序为高州水库〉大水桥水库〉鹤地水库,总磷的质量浓度在0.22~0.77 mg·g-1之间,其表层总磷质量分数大小顺序为高州水库〉鹤地水库〉大水桥水库,在垂直剖面上,总氮、总磷与有机质的质量分数在16 cm至表层沉积物垂直断面显著高于其他断面,表明近些年来水库内源营养盐负荷逐渐加重。重金属质量分数平均值均高于广东省土壤环境背景值,总体呈现随深度增加而降低的趋势,但3座水库间重金属质量分数差异较大,其中鹤地和高州水库的Zn和Pb污染相对严重（质量分数分别为Zn：353.15、693.35 mg·kg-1;Pb：74.51、127.91 mg·kg-1）,大水桥水库的Cr和Ni污染相对严重（质量分数分别为Cr：238.69 mg·kg-1;Ni：251.06 mg·kg-1）。潜在生态风险评价表明,3座水库Cd和Hg具有高的生态危害,应引起重视,其他重金属则处于轻微的生态危害等级。同时沉积物高有机质的质量浓度经矿化分解可能加剧水体重金属生态危害。根据相关性分析和其他相关资料可知,粤西农业区大量化肥农药面源污染汇入造成水库初级生产力提高并最终沉降可能是沉积物营养盐、有机质与重金属的主要来源。     

厦门市水体表层沉积物重金属污染生态风险分析

沉积物是水环境的基本组成部分,其重金属含量常被作为水环境质量的重要指标之一。以厦门市为例探讨了不同城市化区域水体表层沉积物中重金属的分布特征,并采用沉积物地累积指数、Hakanson潜在生态风险指数等方法对重金属Zn、Pb、Cu、Cd、Cr、As、Hg进行环境风险评估。研究结果表明,厦门水体表层沉积物中Zn、Pb、Cu、Cd、Cr、As、Hg的含量分别为182.2、63.7、31.3、0.19、67.9、10.4、0.11 mg/kg,空间分布呈现出从城市远郊区到中心城区显著增加的趋势;依照地累积指数评价结果显示：7种重金属的污染程度顺序依次为：Hg（Pb（Zn（Cu（Cd（As（Cr;采用Hakanson提出的潜在生态危害指数法,获得厦门市主要水库重金属生态风险构成危害的顺序：Hg（Cd（Pb（As（Cu（Zn（Cr;水体表层沉积物中重金属污染水平与区域城市化水平在一定时期内呈正相关关系,这为我国快速城市化发展过程中水环境恶化问题的改善提出了警示。     

东洞庭湖及其入湖口水域表层沉积物中重金属的分布特征与生态风险

为了解东洞庭湖及其入湖口表层沉积物中TI、Sb等重金属的污染特征,对9个采样断面表层沉积物中TI、Sb、Hg、Cd、As、Pb、Cu、Ni、Co、Cr、V、Mn和Zn等13种重金属的含量、空间分布特征、来源进行了分析,并对其生态风险进行了评价。研究结果表明,沉积物中13种重金属的平均质量分数在0.180~762 mg·kg~(-1)之间,其质量分数大小为MnZnVCrPbCuNiAsCoCdSbTIHg。湘江(S1)和汨罗江(S2)入湖口以及鹿角(S4)、东洞庭湖(S6)、岳阳楼(S7)和洞庭湖出口(S9)表层沉积物中重金属污染较严重,各重金属具有相同的来源或产生了复合污染。第一主成分(PC1)主要源于湘江和汨罗江来水,湘江起主导作用;V主要源于湖区周边污染。地累积指数评价得出:沉积物中各重金属的污染程度顺序为CdHgPbAs=ZnSbVCuMnTICoNiCr,整个研究区(I_(tot)=5.74)面临严重污染。潜在生态风险指数(E_r~i)表明各重金属的生态风险大小为CdHgSbTIAsPbCuNiCoVCrZnMn;沉积物中13种重金属的RI值介于217.9~1968之间,平均值为555.1,整个研究区属"重度"生态风险,主要风险污染物为Cd和Hg,其次为TI和Sb。各采样点的生态风险大小顺序为S1S6S9S7S4S2S5(扁山)S8(大小西湖)S3(新墙河)。研究表明,湘江入湖口(S1)面临"严重"生态风险,鹿角(S4)至洞庭湖出口(S9)水域面临"重度"生态风险,S1、S4、S6、S7和S9已成为了潜在生态风险区域。     

大型垃圾焚烧厂周边土壤重金属含量水平、空间分布、来源及潜在生态风险评价

通过采集珠三角东部某市大型垃圾焚烧厂周边表层土壤样品,分析了各样品中Cd、Pb、Hg、As、Cr、Cu、Ni、Zn和Co等9种重金属含量,研究了重金属的含量水平、空间分布、来源及潜在生态风险。结果表明,研究范围内表层土壤重金属含量分别为Cd(0.183±0.07)mg·kg-1、Pb(34.8±18.7)mg·kg-1、Hg(0.081±0.028)mg·kg-1、As(11.5±9.1)mg·kg-1、Cr(31.5±19.1)mg·kg-1、Cu(17.6±12.3)mg·kg-1、Ni(7.13±4.20)mg·kg-1、Zn(82.4±44.2)mg·kg-1、Co(3.37±3.08)mg·kg-1。其中,Hg和Zn的含量分别超出广东省土壤历史背景值1倍和2倍,其余重金属含量与背景值相差不大。综合空间分布特征分析、相关性分析、聚类分析和主成分分析的结果,可以将9种重金属分为4类。Cr、Ni、Cu、Co的分布特征极为相似,且相互之间有极显著相关性,结合聚类分析和主成分分析结果,其来源主要为土壤母质。As、Zn、Pb的空间分布特征具有一定相似性,但相关性分析和聚类分析显示元素间联系不紧密,结合主成分分析结果,其来源与土壤母质和多种人类活动污染有关。Cd和Hg的空间分布特征均显示这两种重金属与垃圾焚烧厂存在联系,Cd与垃圾焚烧厂存在一定联系,而Hg与垃圾焚烧厂存在较强联系。潜在生态风险评价结果显示,该研究区域土壤重金属生态风险不高,多种重金属的综合潜在生态风险指数(RI)的范围为51~269.79,Hg和Cd对RI的贡献率相对较大,分别为52.33%和18.30%。研究表明,垃圾焚烧厂周边表层土壤Hg具有独特的环境污染特征,在垃圾焚烧厂周边的土壤重金属污染调查中,Hg污染应受到重点关注。     

莱州湾表层沉积物中重金属时空分布、污染来源及风险评价

运用污染风险评价标准和方法研究了2010年5月(春)、8月(夏)、10月(秋)和12月(冬)莱州湾表层沉积物中7种重金属污染物的时空分布特征、来源及生态风险。结果表明,表层沉积物中Cr、Zn和Pb含量均呈现春季低于其他季节特征,秋季Hg含量是其他季节的4倍,Cu、As和Pb含量无显著季节差异。表层沉积物中Cr、Cu、Zn、As和Cd最高值出现在莱州湾中部及小清河河口等西部水域,来源呈现受自然作用影响较大的特征;而Hg和Pb最高值出现在龙口和界河河口等东部水域,来源呈现受周边工业污染物的人为排放影响较大的特征。基于地理累积指数、生态效应浓度以及Hakanson潜在生态风险指数的综合评价表明,13%~29%的研究区域的表层沉积物受到轻微程度的Cd、Hg和Pb污染,Cd和Hg高值水域达到中等生态风险程度;Hg和As在65%~68%的研究区域的表层沉积物中达到可能对沉积物底质环境及生物群落产生不利生态影响水平。基于对重金属污染物的评价结果,莱州湾表层沉积物质量较好,局部区域存在Hg、Pb、Cd和As的潜在污染风险。     

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.     

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