Settlement decisions in blue tits: difference in the use of social information according to age and individual success

Dispersers are expected to assess breeding habitat quality before settlement. Although cues reflecting habitat quality are well studied, social cues have not been as well evaluated. In this paper, we studied breeding habitat selection during 3 years in a natural population of blue tits, Cyanistes caeruleus, breeding in nest-boxes. Our aim was to investigate if this species used conspecific density and/or reproductive success of con- and heterospecifics (i.e., social cues) in settlement decisions. The patterns observed were consistent with the idea that juveniles, when dispersing from their natal patches, did not react to any of the cues that we tested. In contrast, breeders that dispersed seemed to respond to both conspecific mean patch reproductive success (PRS) and breeding density of the settlement patch in the year of dispersal, their response differing according to their own reproductive success. Indeed, failed breeders moved to areas with high PRS and low density relative to source patches, while successful breeders behaved the opposite. The comparison between juveniles and adults might be modulated by the limited time available to juveniles to gather information on PRS and density at the end of the dispersing year. Adults lacking these time constraints, however, seemed to rely on these conspecific cues although limited by their own quality. Additionally, breeders were more likely to be immigrants in patches with relatively low breeding success and density the previous year, suggesting that settlement is influenced by multiple cues, which may reveal information on different aspects of habitat and be available at different moments. Collectively, our results support the importance of social cues for blue tits’ settlement.     

长江口邻近海域沉积物中厌氧氨氧化细菌分布特征研究

海洋生态系统氮素循环对维持海洋生态收支平衡具有重要意义,由厌氧氨氧化细菌(anaerobic ammonia-oxidizing bacteria,ANAMMOX Bacteria)推动的厌氧氨氧化过程是海洋氮素移除的重要途径.本研究采用荧光定量PCR(q PCR)技术,并结合环境理化因子,分析了2011年夏季长江口邻近海域沉积物中厌氧氨氧化细菌的种群丰度分布特征.结果表明,厌氧氨氧化细菌的种群丰度在长江口邻近海域的空间分布与环境因子密切相关,总有机碳含量、盐度、铵盐浓度对长江口邻近海域沉积物中厌氧氨氧化细菌的种群丰度具有重要调控作用.厌氧氨氧化细菌的丰度分布与总有机碳含量呈显著正相关关系(P0.01,r=0.69),同时又随亚硝酸盐浓度、溶解氧浓度的升高而降低,而盐度对厌氧氨氧化细菌丰度分布的影响较为复杂.     

铝粉表面超声波化学镀Ni-Co合金的研究

目的在铝粉表面进行镀Ni-Co合金层的研究,为制备新型的空心陶瓷吸波材料提供基础原料。方法利用超声波化学镀法。结果铝粉经过超声波化学镀Ni-Co合金,质量增加平均百分率达到了89.0%,通过SEM,EDS和XRD分析,表明在铝粉表面形成了Ni-Co合金层。结论利用超声波化学镀法能够在铝粉表面形成Ni-Co合金层。     

HPLC-ICP-MS在植物有机硒形态分析中的应用现状

植物是人们摄取硒的主要来源,富硒植物中富含可开发利用的有机硒,我国湖北恩施高硒地区富硒植物资源丰富亟待开发利用。植物中硒的形态分析是研究开发富硒植物资源的基础,而高效液相色谱与电感耦合等离子体质谱联用技术(HPLC-ICP-MS)是目前硒形态分析使用最为广泛的技术,它在样品的前处理、分析灵敏度、准确性等方面均具有优势,可以实现富硒植物中含硒生物大分子、硒形态以及与氨基酸结合位点及机理的分析。因此作者综述了植物样品的预处理过程,介绍了HPLC-ICP-MS联用技术在测定植物硒形态及其应用方面的研究成果,为我国富硒植物、富硒产品中硒形态的分析测定、开发富硒植物资源提供指导。     

长三角绿色技术创新网络结构特征与优化策略

绿色技术创新作为区域技术创新体系的重要组成部分,是维持区域发展可持续性、增强区域竞争优势的重要驱动力.基于区域一体化的研究视角,通过采集长三角绿色技术专利合作及绿色技术转移数据,运用Gephi复杂网络分析方法,对长三角绿色技术创新网络进行结构分析.结果 表明:(1)长三角绿色技术创新网络发育程度较低,大量城市在绿色技术创新网络中较边缘化;(2)绿色技术创新依赖创新主体间知识互动,地理邻近促进了创新合作行为的产生和知识的扩散;(3)长三角绿色技术创新网络"强-强联系"与"核心-边缘"结构特征明显,绿色技术专利合作网络呈现"一超多强"的多中心格局,绿色技术转让网络呈现单中心格局;(4)区域一体化下,长三角绿色技术创新网络兼具邻近性和等级性特征,不同类型城市参与创新网络应有差异;进而,提出长三角绿色技术创新网络优化策略.创新点在于:建立了区域一体化与技术创新网络的关联,探讨了绿色技术创新的空间组织形式,强调了地理邻近对于绿色技术创新网络的重要性.     

新型冠状病毒肺炎疫情期间企业生产安全风险管理

本文在分析新型冠状病毒肺炎疫情期间企业安全风险特点的基础上,建立了疫情期间安全风险管理模型,分析了这一特殊时期企业外部变化,以及企业内部人、物、环境、管理变化带来特殊安全风险,提出了针对性的风险管控措施。     

Using Ion-Exchange Resins to Study Soil Response to Experimental Watershed Acidification

Ion-exchange resins (IER) offer alternative approaches to measuring ionic movement in soils that may have advantages over traditional approaches in some settings, but more information is needed to understand how IER compare with traditional methods of measurement in forested ecosystems. At the Bear Brook Watershed in Maine (BBWM), one of two paired, forested watersheds is treated bi-monthly with S and N (28.8 and 25.2kgha⁻¹yr⁻¹ of S and N, respectively). Both IER and ceramic cup tension lysimeters were used to study soil solution responses after ∼11 years of treatment. Results from both methods showed treatments resulted in the mobilization of base cations and Al, and higher SO₄—S and inorganic N in the treated watershed. Both methods indicated similar differences in results associated with forest type (hardwoods versus softwoods), a result of differences in litter quality and atmospheric aerosol interception capacity. The correlation between lysimeter and IER data for individual analytes varied greatly. Significant correlations were evident for Na (r=0.75), Al (r=0.65), Mn (r=0.61), Fe (r=0.57), Ca (r=0.49), K (r=0.41) and NO₃—N (r=0.59). No correlation was evident between IER and soil solution data for NH₄—N and Pb. Both IER and soil solution techniques suggested similar interpretations of biogeochemical behavior in the watershed.     

Soil amendments, plant age, and intercropping impact p,p'-DDE bioavailability to Cucurbita pepo

Field experiments were conducted to optimize the phytoextraction of weathered p,p'-DDE (p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene) by Cucurbita subspecies. The effects of two soil amendments, mycorrhizae or a biosurfactant, on p,p'-DDE accumulation was determined. Also, p,p'-DDE uptake was assessed during plant growth (12, 26, 38, and 62 d), and cultivars that accumulate weathered p,p'-DDE were intercropped with cultivars known not to have that ability. Cucurbita pepo L. ssp. pepo accumulated large amounts of the contaminant, having stem bioconcentration factors, amounts of p,p'-DDE translocated, and contaminant phytoextraction that were 14, 9.9, and 5.0 times greater than C. pepo L. ssp. ovifera (L.) D.S. Decker, respectively. During 62 d, the stem BCF (bioconcentration factor) for p,p'-DDE in subspecies pepo remained constant and the total amount of contaminant accumulated was correlated with plant biomass (r(2) = 0.86). For subspecies ovifera, the stem BCF was highest at 12 d (1.5) but decreased to 0.39 by 62 d, and p,p'-DDE removal was not correlated with plant biomass. Mycorrhizal inoculation increased p,p'-DDE accumulation by both subspecies by an average 4.4 times. For subspecies pepo, mycorrhizae increased the percentage of contaminant extracted from 0.72 to 2.1%. Biosurfactant amendment also enhanced contaminant accumulation by both subspecies, although treatment reduced subspecies ovifera biomass by 60%. The biosurfactant had no effect on the biomass of subspecies pepo, increased the average contaminant concentration by 3.6-fold, and doubled the overall amount of p,p'-DDE removed from the soil. Soil amendments that enhance the mobility of weathered persistent organic pollutants will significantly increase the amount of contaminant phytoextraction by Cucurbita pepo.     

Recycling of an industrial sludge and marine clay as light-weight aggregates

The geographical limitations of Singapore, its restricted natural resources and voluminous municipal and industrial waste streams, make environmental management a major challenge for the island state. In an attempt to find ways to reduce importation of raw materials and the waste sent to landfill, light weight aggregates were produced from marine clay and a CaF(2)-rich semiconductor industry sludge. Aggregates were produced in a bench-scale rotary kiln with three clay/sludge loadings (90/10, 70/30 and 50/50%). All three mixtures showed good bloating behavior during firing and the ceramic pellets (1-1.5cm diameter) had densities well below that required for light-weight aggregates. In the initial tests, the pore sizes of the aggregates were in general too large resulting in high water absorption. Comparisons between the composition of the two waste products and the aggregates showed a significant loss of fluorine (40-60%) during processing; a problem which may require flue gas treatment. Leach testing showed that the formed aggregates would not pose a human or environmental hazard in terms of fluorine mobilization.     

Augmenting Watershed Model Calibration with Incorporation of Ancillary Data Sources and Qualitative Soft Data Sources

Watershed simulation models such as the Soil & Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) can be calibrated using “hard data” such as temporal streamflow observations; however, users may find upon examination of model outputs, that the calibrated models may not reflect actual watershed behavior. Thus, it is often advantageous to use “soft data” (i.e., qualitative knowledge such as expected denitrification rates that observed time series do not typically exist) to ensure that the calibrated model is representative of the real world. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of coupling SWAT‐Check (a post‐evaluation framework for SWAT outputs) and IPEAT‐SD (Integrated Parameter Estimation and Uncertainty Analysis Tool‐Soft & hard Data evaluation) to constrain the bounds of soft data during SWAT auto‐calibration. IPEAT‐SD integrates 59 soft data variables to ensure SWAT does not violate physical processes known to occur in watersheds. IPEAT‐SD was evaluated for two case studies where soft data such as denitrification rate, nitrate attributed from subsurface flow to total discharge ratio, and total sediment loading were used to conduct model calibration. Results indicated that SWAT model outputs may not satisfy reasonable soft data responses without providing pre‐defined bounds. IPEAT‐SD provides an efficient and rigorous framework for users to conduct future studies while considering both soft data and traditional hard information measures in watershed modeling.