活性污泥胞外聚合物的分层组分及溶解性微生物代谢产物的特性

提取了活性污泥胞外聚合物(EPS)和溶解性微生物代谢产物(SMP),并按EPS的紧密程度对松散EPS、紧密EPS的分层组分以及SMP属性进行了分析鉴定.结果表明,以葡萄糖为基质时,松散EPS的主要组成是多糖,紧密EPS的主要组成是蛋白质,而SMP主要由腐殖质类物质构成.SMP、松散EPS、紧密EPS和总样EPS的三维荧光图谱显示其只有类色氨酸峰和类腐殖酸峰,其类腐殖酸峰主要是由生物代谢产生的腐殖质组成.大分子量腐殖质类物质在几种组分中均出现,但是具有腐殖质特性的分子量为8500 Da的组分会在SMP中大量生成,而具有腐殖质特性的分子量为400 Da的组分只存在于EPS的紧密层中,这与微生物对这3种物质的生物可利用性有关.     

纳米水滑石与Hela细胞的生物相容性研究

为了探讨纳米水滑石与Hela细胞的生物相容性,采用单细胞凝胶电泳法检测了纳米水滑石对Hela细胞DNA的损伤,并采用H2DCF-DA荧光法检测了纳米水滑石对Hela细胞活性氧簇的影响.结果发现,随着纳米水滑石浓度的升高(0~800μg·mL-1),Hela细胞尾部DNA含量、尾距及胞内活性氧簇含量均呈逐渐升高趋势;较低浓度(50、100μg·mL-1)纳米水滑石处理后,Hela细胞尾部DNA含量、尾距及胞内活性氧簇含量与对照组无显著性差异(p>0.05),而较高浓度(200、400、800μg·mL-1)纳米水滑石处理后,Hela细胞尾部DNA含量、尾距及胞内活性氧簇含量与对照组差异显著(p<0.05,p<0.01).以上结果表明,较高浓度(≥200μg·mL-1)的纳米水滑石可对Hela细胞DNA产生损伤,而较低浓度(≤100μg·mL-1)的纳米水滑石则具有较好的生物相容性,有可能作为载体应用于医药领域.     

活性污泥生物炭对沉积物中镉生态毒性的影响

为评价沉积物中生物炭对重金属Cd生态毒性的影响,以底栖动物铜锈环棱螺(Bellamya aeruginosa)为测试生物,采用14-d亚慢性沉积物生物测试研究了不同添加水平的活性污泥生物炭与不同浓度Cd联合作用对Cd的生物积累、肝胰脏细胞DNA损伤以及超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)和丙二醛(MDA)的影响。结果表明,活性污泥生物炭可以显著降低间隙水中Cd含量。当沉积物w(Cd)较低(10μg·g~(-1))时,添加生物炭并不显著降低Cd的生物积累,当沉积物w(Cd)较高(50μg·g~(-1))时,只有w=5%的生物炭才能显著降低Cd的生物积累。活性污泥生物炭对铜锈环棱螺不具有毒性。添加生物炭后,低Cd处理组DNA损伤指数、SOD活性和MDA含量均没有显著改变,提示低Cd沉积物中添加生物炭不影响Cd毒性。就高Cd处理组而言,添加w=1%生物炭也不影响Cd毒性,当添加w=5%生物炭时,DNA损伤显著降低,SOD活性明显升高,MDA含量显著下降,Cd毒性下降约60%。因此,沉积物中Cd生物有效性的降低并不必然导致Cd在铜锈环棱螺体内生物积累的减少。沉积物中较高比例的生物炭通过对Cd的吸附阻控在一定程度上减少了生物积累,从而可以有效地降低毒性。生物炭对沉积物中污染物生态毒性的影响与污染物的种类和浓度以及生物炭用量有关。     

铬胁迫下不同品种小麦萌发和内源激素的变化

采用K2(CrO4)3溶液,设5个浓度,对3种不同抗性的小麦品种(新麦19、矮抗58和豫麦18)进行萌发期胁迫处理,研究了幼苗的发芽势、发芽率、根长、芽长及内源激素含量的变化.结果表明:(1)随着铬浓度的增加,发芽势、发芽率和芽长均基本呈"先升后降"趋势;(2)同一浓度铬处理下,发芽率、发芽势和芽长从大到小的顺序依次为:新麦19、矮抗58、豫麦18,根长从大到小的顺序为:豫麦18、新麦19、矮抗58;(3)150 mg L-1的铬胁迫下,IAA与ABA在小麦幼苗、幼根中含量降低,在籽粒中含量升高,其中新麦19籽粒和根芽中ABA含量均高于其他品种的;(4)不同浓度铬胁迫下,IAA/ABA值在新麦19中最低,变化幅度最小,新麦19表现出较强的抵抗铬胁迫能力.图3表1参20     

秸秆生物炭修复电镀厂污染土壤的效果和作用机理初探

以某电镀厂污染场地重污染区域土壤为研究对象,利用秸秆生物炭对污染土壤进行稳定化试验,研究不同生物炭添加量(0、10、30、50、70和100 g.kg-1)条件下土壤中重金属全量和形态变化。结果表明,秸秆生物炭能够改变污染土壤中重金属的形态分布,对该污染土壤有明显的稳定化作用。其中对铬的作用效果最明显,随生物炭添加量的增加,残渣态铬含量明显上升,100 g.kg-1生物炭添加量处理残渣态铬含量较对照(1 098.75 mg.kg-1)增幅最大,增加59.51 mg.kg-1;对铜和镍的稳定化效果受添加量的影响,当生物炭添加量分别在70和30g.kg-1以上时,对铜和镍有一定稳定化作用;对该污染土壤中锌则无明显稳定化作用。当生物炭添加量为50 g.kg-1时,4种重金属残渣态总量较对照(1 745 mg.kg-1)明显增加,为1 805.95 mg.kg-1,添加量也较为合理。     

生物吸附剂的制备及其对铬的吸附性能

通过对吸附时间、吸附液pH值、溶液含铬浓度与菌丝球投加量的效应值与极值进行正交分析 ,确定出影响生物吸附效果的各因素依次是 :吸附时间→吸附液pH值→菌丝球投加量→铬浓度 .实验筛选出了两个对铬具有良好吸附性能的菌种 :黄曲霉 (Aspergillusflavus)、曲霉属 (Aspergillussp .) .在吸附 8h的条件下 ,它们对含铬 1 5mg·l- 1的吸附液除铬率分别达 6 7 1 %和 71 2 % ,两者的最佳吸附条件是 :pH =5 ,铬菌投加比为 5mg·g- 1.以这两种霉菌为主 ,通过吸附性能实验 ,探讨了多种因素对生物吸附剂除铬性能的影响 .     

铜暴露下赤子爱胜蚓（Eisenia foetida）活体基因的损伤研究

通过碱性单细胞凝胶电泳法研究了Cu2+暴露剂量对赤子爱胜蚓(Eiseniafoetida)活体基因损伤的动态影响.结果显示:不添加Cu2+的对照组和添加Cu2+的处理组蚯蚓体腔细胞尾部DNA含量和尾长均呈非正态分布(p<0.05);在暴露72h时,125mg·L-1Cu2+处理组尾部DNA含量值最大,为41.44%,100mg·L-1Cu2+处理组尾长值最大,为33.79μm;随着Cu2+暴露剂量的增加,尾部DNA含量和尾长损伤频率增加;对照组和处理组的尾部DNA含量和尾长之间均存在显著性差异(p<0.05),Spearman非参数相关分析表明,尾部DNA百分含量和尾长之间呈显著相关(p<0.01,n=21),Cu2+暴露浓度与尾部DNA百分含量、尾长具有良好的剂量-构效关系(p<0.01).在125mg·L-1Cu2+浓度下暴露72h时蚯蚓的基因损伤程度达到最大,损伤程度为3级.可见,蚯蚓DNA生物标志物是重金属污染基因毒理诊断的重要指标,碱性SCGE试验是检测Cu2+暴露对赤子爱胜蚓活体基因损伤的有效手段.     

生物有机肥对香蕉枯萎病及根系分泌物的影响

生物有机肥通过调节微生物群落多样性来改善土壤生态环境,而根际微生物生态环境变化取决于根系分泌物的种类和数量.研究通过盆栽试验和离位溶液培养法研究了生物有机肥对香蕉枯萎病及香蕉根系分泌物的影响.结果表明,生物有机肥对香蕉枯萎病的防病效果高于有机肥和不施肥处理,生物有机肥和有机肥防病效果分别达到55.4%和28.5%;香蕉根系分泌物中低分子量有机酸包括草酸、苹果酸和反丁烯二酸,以草酸为主,ρ(草酸)占ρ(有机酸总量)的百分比为83.6%~93.0%;生物有机肥比有机肥更显著降低香蕉根系分泌物中ρ(苹果酸)、ρ(反丁烯二酸)和ρ(有机酸总量),不同处理处理根系分泌物的ρ(有机酸)依次为:有机肥>生物有机肥>不施肥;生物有机肥处理的氨基酸种类和质量浓度最大,有机肥次之,生物有机肥处理中根系分泌物的ρ(γ-氨基丁酸)、ρ(β-丙氨酸)、ρ(a-氨基丁酸)、ρ(谷氨酸)、ρ(天冬氨酸)和ρ(磷酸丝氨酸)均显著高于有机肥和不施肥处理;生物有机肥处理的主要氨基酸[各氨基酸质量浓度占ρ(氨基酸总量)的百分比大于5%]有磷酸丝氨酸、苏氨酸、γ-氨基丁酸、乙醇氨和肌肽,其中ρ(磷酸丝氨酸)和ρ(γ-氨基丁酸)显著高于不施肥和有机肥处理;香蕉枯萎病病情指数与ρ(磷酸丝氨酸)、ρ(丝氨酸)、ρ(异亮氨酸)呈显著负相关,相关系数分别为-0.99、-0.98和-0.95,与ρ(鹅肌肽)呈极显著正相关,相关系数为1.00.生物有机肥降低了根系分泌物中有机酸的质量浓度,增加了氨基酸的种类和质量浓度,且香蕉枯萎病病情指数与根系分泌物中一些氨基酸质量浓度存在显著相关性,这可能是生物有机肥在香蕉枯萎病防治中起作用的原因之一.     

有机沸石对水中BTEX及铬酸根离子的吸附

以天然沸石作为对比物 ,考察了有机沸石对水中BTEX (苯、甲苯、乙苯、二甲苯 )及铬酸根离子的吸附性能 .结果表明 :有机沸石对水中BTEX和铬酸根离子的吸附性能较天然沸石有了很大提高 ,在低质量浓度范围 ( 0— 0 2 5g·l- 1 )内呈现良好的线性关系 .对铬酸根离子的吸附符合Langmuir吸附模型 ,1 5℃时的饱和吸附容量为 1 5 97g·kg- 1 .     

重金属Cr(Ⅵ)、Pb及Cu胁迫对双齿围沙蚕体腔细胞的DNA损伤

为探讨重金属Cr(Ⅵ)、Pb以及Cu对沙蚕体腔细胞DNA的毒性效应,以双齿围沙蚕为受试动物,重金属按不同剂量水平,Cr(Ⅵ):10、100和200 mg· L-1,Pb:5、50和100 mg·L-1,Cu:1、10和20 mg· L-1,分别胁迫沙蚕24 h,以不加任何重金属离子的海水为对照,采用单细胞凝胶电泳技术,检测其体腔细胞DNA损伤程度.结果表明,与空白对照组相比,3种重金属离子的各浓度组都能引起沙蚕体腔细胞DNA损伤,且3种重金属胁迫浓度与细胞DNA损伤程度之间存在显著的剂量-效应关系.双齿围沙蚕可以作为单细胞凝胶电泳的实验材料用于重金属所致环境污染的生物监测指示生物.     

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