Progress in the ecology and conservation of giant pandas

Giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) conservation is a possible success story in the making. If extinction of this iconic endangered species can be avoided, the species will become a showcase program for the Chinese government and its collaborators. We reviewed the major advancements in ecological science for the giant panda, examining how these advancements have contributed to panda conservation. Pandas’ morphological and behavioral adaptations to a diet of bamboo, which bear strong influence on movement ecology, have been well studied, providing knowledge to guide management actions ranging from reserve design to climate change mitigation. Foraging ecology has also provided essential information used in the creation of landscape models of panda habitat. Because habitat loss and fragmentation are major drivers of the panda population decline, efforts have been made to help identify core habitat areas, establish where habitat corridors are needed, and prioritize areas for protection and restoration. Thus, habitat models have provided guidance for the Chinese governments’ creation of 67 protected areas. Behavioral research has revealed a complex and efficient communication system and documented the need for protection of habitat that serves as a communication platform for bringing the sexes together for mating. Further research shows that den sites in old‐growth forests may be a limiting resource, indicating potential value in providing alternative den sites for rearing offspring. Advancements in molecular ecology have been revolutionary and have been applied to population census, determining population structure and genetic diversity, evaluating connectivity following habitat fragmentation, and understanding dispersal patterns. These advancements form a foundation for increasing the application of adaptive management approaches to move panda conservation forward more rapidly. Although the Chinese government has made great progress in setting aside protected areas, future emphasis will be improved management of pandas and their habitat.     

饮水的化学组分与地氟病的关系

饮水的化学成分分析结果表明，徐州地区居民饮用水中的氟含量ｐＨ，Ｎａ＾＋，ＨＣＯ＾－３，Ａｓ，Ｂ和矿化度呈正相关关系，与Ｋ＾＋，Ｃａ＾２＋，Ａｌ＾３＋，Ｂａ＾２＋，Ｓｉ＾４＋呈负相关关系。地氟病的发病率不仅与饮水的氟含量密切相关，而且受饮水中其它组份的制榴，饮水中Ｃａ＾２＋，Ａｌ＾３＋，Ｓｒ＾２＋，Ｂ，Ｓｉ＾４＋，Ｋ＾＋，Ｇｅ＾４＋等组分的增高可抑制或减缓地氟病的发生。     

吡虫啉的光解水解和土壤降

在实验室测定了吡虫啉的光解、不同ｐＨ条件下的水解与在东北黑土等３种不同土壤中的降解。试验结果表明，在３００Ｗ低压汞灯下，吡虫啉水相溶液的光解呈一级反应动力学反应，光解半衰期为６．８１ｈ；在ｐＨ５、ｐＨ７、ｐＨ９的缓冲溶液中的水解半衰期分别为３０．６、１３．６与８．０ｄ；在东北黑土、太湖水稻土和江西红壤中的降解半衰期分别为１０．７、１１．１和４．１ｄ。     

Distribution of quinolone and macrolide resistance genes and their co-occurrence with heavy metal resistance genes in vegetable soils with long-term application of manure

The spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) has become an increasingly serious global public health issue. This study investigated the distribution characteristics and influencing factors of ARB and ARGs in greenhouse vegetable soils with long-term application of manure. Five typical ARGs, four heavy metal resistance genes (MRGs), and two mobile genetic elements (MGEs) were quantified by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The amount of ARB in manure-improved soil greatly exceeded that in control soil, and the bacterial resistance rate decreased significantly with increases in antibiotic concentrations. In addition, the resistance rate of ARB to enrofloxacin (ENR) was lower than that of tylosin (TYL). Real-time qPCR results showed that long-term application of manure enhanced the relative abundance of ARGs in vegetable soils, and the content and proportion of quinolone resistance genes were higher than those of macrolide resistance genes. Redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that qepA and qnrS significantly correlated with total and available amounts of Cu and Zn, highlighting that certain heavy metals can influence persistence of ARGs. Integrase gene intI1 correlated significantly with the relative abundance of qepA, qnrS, and ermF, suggesting that intI1 played an important role in the horizontal transfer of ARGs. Furthermore, there was a weakly but not significantly positive correlation between specific detected MRGs and ARGs and MGEs. The results of this study enhance understanding the potential for increasing ARGs in manure-applied soil, assessing ecological risk and reducing the spread of ARGs.

Graphic abstract

     

循环载体生物滤池─—生物过滤新工艺

循环载体生物过滤工艺融三相流化、悬浮曝气、移动接触等几种不同工艺于一体，具有独特的工作原理和工艺特征。动态实验结果表明，循环载体生物过滤工艺容积负荷高，耐冲击负荷能力强，处理效果好，是一种比较理想的生物处理工艺。     

用热分析法研究鼎湖山土壤的粘粒矿物

广东鼎湖山自然保护区的土壤主要为山地黄壤和赤红壤。本文用差热-热重-微商热重(DTA-TG-DTG)联合热分析法,对两种土壤的粘粒矿物进行了初步研究,确认两种土壤的粘粒矿物组成主要为伊利石、高岭石、三水铝石、蛭石、针铁矿等。伊利石、三水铝石、蛭石的含量山地黄壤多于赤红壤,而高岭石则相反。两种土壤的风化程度不高,土壤矿物风化主要处于幼年阶段,山地黄壤尤其明显。另外,对不同林型下的赤红壤也进行了对比研究,其粘粒矿物组成和数量差异不大。     

铁催化聚丙烯腈脱氮的研究

应用热天平研究了载铁聚丙烯腈的脱氮碳化行为，负载铁对ＰＡＮ的稳定化和脱氮碳化均具有显著的催化作用，并在５８０－７６０℃范围内明显增加了Ｎ２形成速率。ＸＰＳ和ＸＲＤ对碳化过程中铁和氮化学形态变化的研究结果表明，铁催化反应机理可能是负载铁与吡啶氮作用形成中间体铁氮化物，后者进而分解释放出Ｎ２。     

Bioleaching of spent Ni-Cd batteries and phylogenetic analysis of an acidophilic strain in acidified sludge

Biohydrometallurgy is a novel method to recycle discarded batteries, in which sewage sludge is used as microorganisms and culture due to the presence of indigenous Thiobacilli. A two-step continuous flow leaching system consisting of an acidifying reactor and a leaching reactor was introduced to achieve the bioleaching of spent nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) batteries. The acid supernatant produced in the acidifying reactor by the microorganisms with ferrous ions as the substrate was conducted into the leaching reactor to dissolve electrode materials. The efficiency of a batch treatment of batteries was examined. The results showed that the complete dissolution of two AA-sized Ni-Cd batteries with 0.6 L/d acid supernatant took about 30, 20, and 35 days for Ni, Cd, and Co, respectively. But the dissolution ability of the three metals was different. Cd and Co can be leached mostly for pH below 4.0 while the complete dissolution of Ni can be achieved for pH below 2.5. Meanwhile, a strain (named Thiooxidans. WL) accounting for the reduction of pH in the acidified sludge was isolated and sequenced. It was identified to be 100% similar to Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans strain Tf-49 based on 16S rDNA sequence analysis. The relevant phylogenetic tree constructed indicates that the strain should be classified into genus Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans.