酸沉降下加速土壤酸化的影响因素

酸沉降对土壤和水域的酸化影响是土壤环境化学研究前沿的热点问题之一。酸沉降的化学组成对酸性土壤的进一步酸化起着催化剂的作用。在酸雨影响下,SO42-、NO-3、有机阴离子是加速土壤酸化和盐基淋溶损失的主要阴离子,外源H+的进入会加速铝离子水解。自然因素与人为因素导致土壤酸化的实际酸化速率差异表明:HCO3-、RCOO-在土壤剖面中的淋失状况可反映自然土壤的酸化速率,而SO42-和NO-3淋溶产生的质子负荷揭示土壤受人为因素影响的酸化速率。通过计算酸沉降的主要化学成分进入土壤前后的质子负荷平衡,与酸中和容量(ANC)相结合,反映酸沉降加速土壤酸化的进程。     

酸化土壤活性铝溶出及形态变化的初步研究

用模拟酸雨酸化浙江省３种主要类型土壤，研究了酸化土壤活性铝的溶出和铝的形态变化。结果表明：酸雨对强酸性土壤（ｐＨ＜５）中活性铝的释出有一定促进作用，活性铝以Ａ１￣（３－）离子为主。当土壤ｐＨ值＞５时．活性铝以单聚羟基铝为主。酸化土壤中的活性铝主要是由土壤中固相的Ａｌ（ＯＨ）转化而来。     

应用灰色系统理论预测土壤酸化趋势

本文以各组分组成的土壤酸中和容量动态变化作为指标,用灰色系统控制理论对酸雨引起南方土壤的酸化趋势进行定量的预测分析。     

模拟酸雨致酸土壤对小麦幼苗生长发育的影响

用模拟酸雨淋洗土壤,造成土壤酸化和盐基流失,然后播种小麦(Triticumaestivum)。幼苗长至5片叶子时的测定表明:幼苗的生物量、叶片叶绿素含量和光合速率均降低,次生根减少,根系活动下降。酸化土壤对根系生物量和某些生理活动的影响大于对地上部的影响。     

酸雨致酸土壤对小麦幼苗若干营养代谢的影响

通过模拟酸雨淋洗土壤,造成土壤酸化和盐基流失.将小麦幼苗栽培于由酸雨致酸的土壤,其体内的碳素代谢和氮素代谢受到抑制,从而导致体内可溶性糖含量和含N量下降.其中致酸土壤对根系碳素代谢和氮素代谢的抑制作用大于对茎叶碳素代谢和氮素代谢的抑制作用.表4参23     

酸性降水对土壤酸化及铝溶出的影响

用静态平衡法探讨了酸性降水对土壤酸化及铝溶出的影响。实验结果表明:土壤对酸的缓冲能力较强;酸雨对土壤酸化的贡献甚微,但对土壤中活性铝的溶出却有明显效应。另外,土壤本身的特性(如酸碱度,腐殖质含量及温度等)也起很大作用。对于地质条件相近的土壤,由于本身的pH值不同,铝的溶出量差别很大,一般而言,酸性土铝的溶出量高于碱性土。因此,可以推断:我国西南地区酸性降水可能对当地土壤生态存在着潜在的危害。     

模拟酸雨的土壤淋洗液对马尾松华山松幼苗生长的影响

用不同酸度的模拟酸雨土壤淋洗液作培养液，以中性降水土壤淋洗液作对照，研究了马尾松、华山松幼苗受土壤溶液酸度及Ａｌ３＋浓度毒害的症状。观测了受毒害后的可视性症状出现的时间、根系伸长生长受阻的情况、植物体各部分生物量以及一些物质含量的浓度。结果表明，植物体受土壤溶液中各种浓度的Ｈ＋与Ａｌ３＋影响后，普遍出现根部膨胀、植物体发红的受害症状。低酸度模拟酸雨的土壤淋洗液可在一定时间内使幼苗生物量呈增加的趋势，高酸度模拟酸雨处理后的情况则与之相反。与可视性症状相比，植物体中一些物质的含量对Ｈ＋和Ａｌ３＋浓度更加敏感；根系部分敏感于地上部分；华山松敏感于马尾松。     

土壤水溶态铜对小白菜的毒害效应及其预测模型

土壤中铜(Cu)重金属的生物毒性/有效性主要取决于它们在土壤液相中含量和土壤溶液的性质。探寻土壤有效态Cu的生物毒害效应,表征量化其与土壤溶液性质关系,可为土壤Cu的环境风险评价提供参考。选取17种典型农田土壤,探讨了有效态Cu(土壤孔隙水以及CaCl_2浸提态)对小白菜生长的毒性效应及其预测模型。结果表明:土壤孔隙水中Cu对小白菜生长10%抑制的毒性阈值值(EC_(10))和50%抑制的毒性阈值(EC_(50)),最大值与最小值相差为14.7和14.6倍;同样,对于CaCl_2提取态Cu的EC_(10)和EC_(50),最大值与最小值相差12.7和7.7倍,表明土壤溶液性质对水溶性Cu对小白菜的毒性阈值影响很大。建立了土壤溶液的重要因子(溶解性有机碳、土壤溶液pH值、电导率、全硫含量、Ca~(2+)、Mg~(2+)、K~+、Na~+)和水溶性Cu阈值之间的多元回归关系,结果显示,土壤溶液性质可以较好地预测水溶性Cu对小白菜的毒性阈值。同时,土壤溶液中Mg~(2+)、K~+和S的含量是控制孔隙水中Cu对小白菜生长毒性的最重要因子,单一的S能分别解释34%的EC_(10)变异,K~+解释26%的EC_(50)变化。本研究结果可为陆地环境中水溶性Cu的风险评价提供基础。     

模拟酸雨致酸土壤对小麦幼苗生长发育的影响

用模拟酸雨淋洗土壤，造成土壤酸化和盐基流失，然后播种小麦(Triticum aestivum)。幼苗长至5片叶子时的测定表明：幼苗的生物量、叶片叶绿素含量和光合速率均降低，次生根减少，根系活动下降。酸化土壤对根系生物量和某些生理活动的影响大于对地上部的影响。     

铝与土壤之间的表面化学反应及其后果

80年代以来，由于酸雨的发生及其对农业生产和生态环境的危害，土壤酸化问题再次成为土壤化学研究的热点．铝离子的土壤化学行为是土壤酸化的根本原因，而铝的吸附是给离子的土壤化学行为的重要方面．因此．研究铝的吸附有助于提示土壤酸化的本质，为防治土壤酸化提供有益的信息．本文综述了近30年来铝离子吸附的研究进展．其中包括吸附性铝离子的形态；铝的吸附表面；阴离子对铝吸附的影响；铝吸附的机理；铝的吸附对土壤性质的影响等．     

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.     

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     

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).