Evaluating the prospects for sustainable energy development in a sample of Chinese villages

This paper describes the methods used to evaluate the potential for achieving sustainable energy development in six Chinese villages included in the Sustainable Users' Concepts for China Engaging Scientific Scenarios (SUCCESS) Project by examining energy efficiency potential and local renewable energy prospects. The approaches needed to obtain and analyse information on possible energy efficiency measures and renewable energy resources are summarised. Results are presented in terms of cumulative net savings in primary energy consumption, as an indicator of energy resource depletion, and associated carbon dioxide emissions, as an indicator of global climate change. Options for sustainable energy development are ranked in order of likely implementation and practical actions which could be considered in each village are identified.     

DNAPL Source Depletion: 1. Predicting Rates and Timeframes

Given the relatively rapid rate of dense nonaqueous‐phase liquid (DNAPL) ganglia depletion, source zones are generally dominated by horizontal layers of DNAPL after a release to the saturated zone. Estimating the time required to attain specific source strength reduction targets resulting from partial DNAPL source depletion is challenging due to a lack of available screening models, and because little has been done to synthesize available empirical data. Analytical and semi‐analytical models are used to study general DNAPL pool dissolution dynamics. The half‐life for the decline in DNAPL source strength (i.e., aqueous mass discharge) is demonstrated as proportional to the square root of the pool length, the thickness of the pool, and the solubility for single component DNAPLs. The through‐pool discharge is shown to be potentially significant for thin pools or in upper regions of thicker pools. An empirical analysis is used to evaluate average concentration decline rates for 13 in situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) and 16 enhanced in situ bioremediation (EISB) sites. Mean apparent decline rates, based on the time required to achieve the observed source strength reduction, are calculated for the ISCO and EISB sites (half‐lives of 0.39 year and 0.29 year, respectively). The empirical study sites are shown to have faster decline rates than for a large, complex study site where ISCO was implemented (half‐life of 2.5 years), and for a conceptual pool‐dominated trichloroethene source zone where EISB was simulated (half‐life of 2.5 years). Guidance is provided on using these findings in estimating timeframes for partial DNAPL depletion goals. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Fungal inoculum properties: extracellular enzyme expression and pentachlorophenol removal in highly contaminated field soils

This study was conducted to improve the pentachlorophenol (PCP) bioremediation ability of white-rot fungi in highly contaminated field soils by manipulating bioaugmentation variables. These were the dry weight percentage of fungal inoculum addition (31-175 g kg(-1)), PCP concentration (100-2137 mg kg(-1) PCP), fungal inoculum formulation, and time (1-7 wk). Five fungal isolates were used: the New Zealand isolates Trametes versicolor (L.: Fr.) HR131 and Trametes sp. HR577; the North American isolates Phanerochaete chrysosporium Burds. (two isolates) and Phanerochaete sordida (Karst.) Erikss. & Ryv. Pentachlorophenol removal, manganese peroxidase, and laccase activity, and the formation of chloroanisoles in the contaminated field soils were measured. The majority of PCP removed by the Trametes isolates was in the first week after bioaugmentation. The maximum PCP removal by the fungi varied from 50 to 65% from a 1065 mg kg(-1) PCP contaminated field soil. Pentachlorophenol was preferentially converted to pentachloroanisole (PCA) by the Phanerochaete isolates (>60%), while 2 to 9% of the PCP removed by two Trametes isolates was converted to PCA. A pH increase was measured following bioaugmentation that was dependent on PCP concentration, fungal inoculum addition, and formulation. This, together with rapid initial PCP removal, possibly changed the bioavailability of the remaining PCP to the fungi and significantly decreased the sequestering of PCP in the contaminated field soils. The research supports the conclusion that New Zealand Trametes spp. can rapidly remove PCP in contaminated field soils. Bioavailability and extractability of PCP in the contaminated field soil may significantly increase after bioaugmentation.     

Factors Related to Spatial Patterns of Rural Land Fragmentation in Texas

Fragmentation of family-owned farms and ranches has been identified as the greatest single threat to wildlife habitat, water supply, and the long-term viability of agriculture in Texas. However, an integrative framework for insights into the pathways of land use change has been lacking. The specific objectives of the study are to test the hypotheses that the nonagricultural value (NAV) of rural land is a reliable indicator of trends in land fragmentation and that NAV in Texas is spatially correlated with population density, and to explore the idea that recent changes in property size patterns are better represented by a categorical model than by one that reflects incremental changes. We propose that the State-and-Transition model, developed to describe the dynamics of semi-arid ecosystems, provides an appropriate conceptual framework for characterizing categorical shifts in rural property patterns. Results suggest that changes in population density are spatially correlated with NAV and farm size, and that rural property size is spatially correlated with changes in NAV. With increasing NAV, the proportion of large properties tends to decrease while the area represented by small properties tends to increase. Although a correlation exists between NAV and population density, it is the trend in NAV that appears to be a stronger predictor of land fragmentation. The empirical relationships established herein, viewed within the conceptual framework of the State-and-Transition model, can provide a useful tool for evaluating land use policies for maintaining critical ecosystem services delivered from privately owned land in private land states, such as Texas.     

Climate change and population genetic structure of marine species

Climate change influences populations by reducing or extirpating local populations, by disrupting patterns of migration and by shifting geographical distributions. These events can affect genetic population structure in several ways. Molecular markers have been used in numerous population genetic and phylogeographical studies of marine species and have detected population responses to climate change in the last few decades, such as range expansions, adaptative shifts and declines or increases in abundance. Little is known, however, about the molecular and physiological basis of adaptive responses to climate change in marine Mediterranean species. The Mediterranean Sea ecosystem is a ‘living laboratory’ with native species that are challenged by environmental change and by invasive species and a ‘gene-climate’ approach should be adopted as a way of focusing on the relationship between climate warming and genetic diversity.     

Evaluation of maternal serum dimeric inhibin a as a first-trimester marker of down's syndrome

While second-trimester prenatal screening programmes for Down's syndrome have become established in prenatal care, it would be advantageous to be able to offer screening in earlier preganancy. To this end, we have evaluated a new potential maternal serum marker, dimeric inhibin A, as a possible first-trimester marker. Dimeric inhibin A was measured in propsectively collected maternal serum from 23 cases of Down's syndrome and matched chromosomally normal controls, at 11–13 weeks' gestation. Levels of this protein were significantly elevated in the Down's pregnancies compared with the control pregnancies. The median multiple of the normal median (MOM) for the Down's samples was 2.46 (95 per cent confidence interval: 2.11–3.26, P<0.0001 vs. controls). These results suggest that dimeric inhibin A is a useful discriminator of Down's-affected pregnancies from normal pregnancies in the first trimester and that sensitive screening in combination with maternal age and other possible markers may be practicable in the first trimester.     

A preliminary investigation of the efficacy of riparian fencing schemes for reducing contributions from eroding channel banks to the siltation of salmonid spawning gravels across the south west UK

The low productivity of salmonids in many river systems across the UK is testament to their intolerance of water quality perturbations including those associated with excessive sedimentation. Catchment and fishery managers concerned with combating such issues require reliable information on the key sources of the sediment problem to target management and on the efficacy of the mitigation options being implemented. In recognition of the latter requirement, a pre- and post-remediation sediment sourcing survey was used to examine the potential for using sediment tracing to assemble preliminary information on the efficacy of riparian fencing schemes for reducing sediment contributions from eroding channel banks to salmonid spawning gravels in the Rivers Camel, Fal, Lynher, Plym, Tamar and Tavy in the south west of the UK. Respective estimates of the overall mean proportion (±95% confidence limits) of the interstitial sediment input to salmonid spawning gravels originating from eroding channel banks during the pre- (1999–2000) and post-remediation (2008–2009) study periods were computed at 97 ± 1% vs. 69 ± 1%, 94 ± 1% vs. 91 ± 1%, 12 ± 1% vs. 10 ± 1%, 92 ± 1% vs. 34 ± 1%, 31 ± 1% vs. 16 ± 1% and 90 ± 1% vs. 66 ± 1%. Whilst the study demonstrates the potential utility of the fingerprinting approach for helping to assemble important information on the efficacy of bank fencing as a sediment source control measure at catchment scale, a number of limitations of the work and some suggestions for improving experimental design are discussed. Equivalent data are urgently required for many sediment mitigation options to help inform the development of water quality policy packages designed to protect aquatic ecosystems.     

The risk of harmful algal blooms (HABs) in the oyster-growing estuaries of New South Wales, Australia

The spatial and temporal variability of potentially harmful phytoplankton was examined in the oyster-growing estuaries of New South Wales. Forty-five taxa from 31 estuaries were identified from 2005 to 2009. Harmful species richness was latitudinally graded for rivers, with increasing number of taxa southward. There were significant differences (within an estuary) in harmful species abundance and richness for 11 of 21 estuaries tested. Where differences were observed, these were predominately due to species belonging to the Pseudo-nitzschia delicatissima group, Dinophysis acuminata, Dictyocha octonaria and Prorocentrum cordatum with a consistent upstream versus downstream pattern emerging. Temporal (seasonal or interannual) patterns in harmful phytoplankton within and among estuaries were highly variable. Examination of harmful phytoplankton in relation to recognised estuary disturbance measures revealed species abundance correlated to estuary modification levels and flushing time, with modified, slow flushing estuaries having higher abundance. Harmful species richness correlated with bioregion, estuary modification levels and estuary class, with southern, unmodified lakes demonstrating greater species density. Predicting how these risk taxa and risk zones may change with further estuary disturbance and projected climate warming will require more focused, smaller scale studies aimed at a deeper understanding of species-specific ecology and bloom mechanisms. Coupled with this consideration, there is an imperative for further taxonomic, ecological and toxicological investigations into poorly understood taxa (e.g. Pseudo-nitzschia).     

Background level of risk determines the intensity of predator neophobia in juvenile convict cichlids

Behavioural ecology is rife with examples of prey animals that are able to adjust the intensity of their anti-predator response to match background risk levels. Often, preys need experience with predators before they will invest in costly anti-predator responses. This means that prey animals often fail to respond to predators during their first encounter. Recently, we have shown that prey raised under high-risk conditions may exhibit avoidance of potential predation cues independent of experience (neophobia). Such phenotypically plastic neophobic predator responses may reduce the initial costs of learning ecologically relevant threats while maintaining sufficient behavioural plasticity to respond to variation in local conditions. Here, we test if induced neophobia results in threat-sensitive behavioural trade-offs in response to a novel chemosensory cue. Our first experiment shows that while juvenile convict cichlids (Amatitlania nigrofasciata) pre-exposed to high (but not low) risk conditions exhibited predator avoidance to a novel odour (rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss), the response intensity was not influenced by the concentration of trout odour detected. Our second experiment demonstrated that the intensity of anti-predator response towards a novel predator cue was dependent upon the level of background risk. Convict cichlids pre-exposed to high-risk conditions showed stronger responses than those pre-exposed to low-risk conditions, while cichlids pre-exposed to intermediate-risk conditions exhibited intermediate response intensities. Together, these data demonstrate that background levels of risk and not the concentration of novel cues detected shape the induced neophobic response pattern of juvenile convict cichlids.     

Use of ecoacoustics to determine biodiversity patterns across ecological gradients

The variety of local animal sounds characterizes a landscape. We used ecoacoustics to noninvasively assess the species richness of various biotopes typical of an ecofriendly forest plantation with diverse ecological gradients and both nonnative and indigenous vegetation. The reference area was an adjacent large World Heritage Site protected area (PA). All sites were in a global biodiversity hotspot. Our results showed how taxa segregated into various biotopes. We identified 65 singing species, including birds, frogs, crickets, and katydids. Large, natural, protected grassland sites in the PA had the highest mean acoustic diversity (14.1 species/site). Areas covered in nonnative timber or grass species were devoid of acoustic species. Sites grazed by native and domestic megaherbivores were fairly rich (5.1) in acoustic species but none were unique to this habitat type, where acoustic diversity was greater than in intensively managed grassland sites (0.04). Natural vegetation patches inside the plantation mosaic supported high mean acoustic diversity (indigenous forests 7.6, grasslands 8.0, wetlands 9.1), which increased as plant heterogeneity and patch size increased. Indigenous forest patches within the plantation mosaic contained a highly characteristic acoustic species assemblage, emphasizing their complementary contribution to local biodiversity. Overall, acoustic signals determined spatial biodiversity patterns and can be a useful tool for guiding conservation.