The tree species matters: Biodiversity and ecosystem service implications of replacing Scots pine production stands with Norway spruce

Ambio - The choice of tree species used in production forests matters for biodiversity and ecosystem services. In Sweden, damage to young production forests by large browsing herbivores is helping...     

Mg-Fe layered double hydroxide with chloride intercalated: synthesis,characterization and application for efficient nitrate removal

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Mg-Fe layered double hydroxide intercalated with chloride (Mg-Fe-Cl LDH) was synthetized, characterized, and evaluated as adsorbent to remove nitrate...     

长期缺氧吸磷驯化下强化生物除磷系统污泥除磷方式的转化

采用交替厌氧/缺氧/好氧运行的序批式活性污泥反应器(SBR),通过梯度投加电子受体NO_3~-,考察长期缺氧吸磷驯化下强化生物除磷(EBPR)系统的性能及除磷方式的转化。结果表明,当进水COD为300～450mg/L、PO_4~(3-)(以P计,下同)和氨氮分别为8、14mg/L时,驯化期间TN去除率均保持在75%以上,长期缺氧吸磷驯化对COD和氨氮的去除没有影响。硝态氮投加量为5mg/L时,EBPR系统因电子受体投加不足除磷性能迅速恶化,增加硝态氮投加量至10mg/L,经过近30d的恢复,缺氧吸磷率最高可达97.67%,进一步提高硝态氮投加量至15mg/L,系统内硝态氮的积累导致缺氧吸磷率下降。污泥吸磷小试结果表明,经缺氧吸磷驯化后,即使除磷性能欠佳的低浓度电子受体系统污泥也具有良好的反硝化吸磷能力,可见经NO_3~-长期驯化的缺氧吸磷系统有利于筛选以NO_3~-为电子受体的反硝化聚磷菌。     

相对湿度对钙基脱硫剂干法烟气脱硫效率的影响

为得到干法烟气脱硫较优的相对湿度,并验证钙基脱硫剂在干法烟气脱硫中的可行性,在模拟干法烟气脱硫实验台上,研究了钙基脱硫剂在不同相对湿度(0～45%)条件下,脱硫剂的出口浓度、脱硫效率和固硫量。结果表明,在相对湿度从0变化至45%时,可以稳定运行的穿透时间由160 min增加到720 min,可达100%脱硫效率的运行时间由0增至580 min,脱硫剂的固硫量从43.37 mg增加到332.09 mg;增加相对湿度能显著提高烟气脱硫效率,在保证烟气不穿透物料且不出现黏壁现象的条件下,较优的相对湿度为45%。研究明确了在低相对湿度条件下此种脱硫剂的可行性并确定了较优化的干法脱硫湿度,为干法脱硫条件的选择提供了参考。     

磺胺类制药废水中苯系物的快速同步检测

磺胺类制药废水是一类难降解有机废水,其中含有苯磺酰胺、苯磺酸、苯酚等苯系物,对这些物质的快速检测十分必要,针对这3种物质建立了基于高效液相色谱的快速同步检测方法。采用C18柱为分离柱,比较了乙腈/水、甲醇/水和甲醇/缓冲盐3种流动相体系的分离效果,优化了230、240、250和260 nm 4种检测波长等条件。结果表明,V甲醇∶V磷酸二氢铵溶液(0.5%,p H=3.5)=50∶50作为流动相时,基线稳定,峰形较好,3种目标物在11 min内即可实现有效分离,且浓度为5～100 mg·L~(-1)时,3种目标物峰面积与质量浓度的线性关系良好(R20.999),检出限为15.0～29.4μg·L~(-1),相对偏差为0.05%～1.56%(n=5),该方法能同时检测苯磺酸、苯酚和苯磺酰胺,具有简便、灵敏、准确等优点,可为制药废水的快速检测和磺胺类药物降解机理的分析提供便利。     

Spatial and temporal patterns and the socioeconomic impacts of landslides in the tropical and mountainous Colombian Andes

Landslides are a natural hazard that presents a major threat to human life and infrastructure. Although they are a very common phenomenon in Colombia, there is a lack of analysis that entails national and comprehensive spatial, temporal, and socioeconomic evaluations of such events based on historical records. This study provides a detailed assessment of the spatial and temporal patterns and the socioeconomic impacts associated with landslides that occurred in the country between 1900 and 2018. Two national landslide databases were consulted and this information was complemented by local and regional landslide catalogues. A total of 30,730 landslides were recorded in the 118-year period. Rainfall is the most common trigger of landslides, responsible for 92 per cent of those registered, but most fatalities (68 per cent) are due to landslides caused by volcanic activity and earthquakes. An ‘fN curve’ revealed a very high frequency of small and moderate fatal landslides in the time frame.     

Influence of Chronic Man-made Pollution on Bromus inermis Genome Size

Russian Journal of Ecology - Technogenic pollution can accelerate microevolutionary processes in natural populations. We estimated the nuclear DNA content of 10 Bromus inermis Leyss. samples from...     

An Experimental Methodology for Monitoring Contaminant Transport Through Geotechnical Centrifuge Models

In this paper, an attempt has been made to highlight an experimental methodology for monitoring contaminant transport through locally available silty soil and commercially available clay in geotechnical centrifuge models, for different compaction states. Use of multiple depth sensors to determine depth distribution of sodium chloride in the soil column has been detailed. The obtained results have been compared with argentometric method. To validate the centrifuge modelling, modelling of models has been used. The test setup developed can simulate contaminant transport mechanisms through the soil mass, which is approximately 10 m deep, over a period of 600 days. R _e and P _e are found to be N times higher in the centrifuge models. These numbers are found to be several orders less than unity. This indicates that laminar flow prevails and the dominating Cl⁻ transport mechanism in centrifuge is diffusion. The study also highlights the fact that the geotechnical centrifuge modelling can be used as a viable alternative to field scale experimentation.     

The Influence of Linear Elements on Plant Species Diversity of Mediterranean Rural Landscapes: Assessment of Different Indices and Statistical Approaches

This paper mainly aims to study the linear element influence on the estimation of vascular plant species diversity in five Mediterranean landscapes modeled as land cover patch mosaics. These landscapes have several core habitats and a different set of linear elements -habitat edges or ecotones, roads or railways, rivers, streams and hedgerows on farm land- whose plant composition were examined. Secondly, it aims to check plant diversity estimation in Mediterranean landscapes using parametric and non-parametric procedures, with two indices: Species richness and Shannon index.Land cover types and landscape linear elements were identified from aerial photographs. Their spatial information was processed using GIS techniques. Field plots were selected using a stratified sampling design according to relieve and tree density of each habitat type. A 50×20 m² multi-scale sampling plot was designed for the core habitats and across the main landscape linear elements. Richness and diversity of plant species were estimated by comparing the observed field data to ICE (Incidence-based Coverage Estimator) and ACE (Abundance-based Coverage Estimator) non-parametric estimators.The species density, percentage of unique species, and alpha diversity per plot were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in linear elements than in core habitats. ICE estimate of number of species was 32% higher than of ACE estimate, which did not differ significantly from the observed values. Accumulated species richness in core habitats together with linear elements, were significantly higher than those recorded only in the core habitats in all the landscapes. Conversely, Shannon diversity index did not show significant differences.     

Status of the Riparian Ecosystem in the Upper San Pedro River, Arizona: Application of an Assessment Model

A portion of Arizona’s San Pedro River is managed as a National Riparian Conservation Area but is potentially affected by ground-water withdrawals beyond the conservation area borders. We applied an assessment model to the Conservation Area as a basis for monitoring long-term changes in riparian ecosystem condition resulting from changes in river water availability, and collected multi-year data on a subset of the most sensitive bioindicators. The assessment model is based on nine vegetation bioindicators that are sensitive to changes in surface water or ground water. Site index scores allow for placement into one of three condition classes, each reflecting particular ranges for site hydrology and vegetation structure. We collected the bioindicator data at 26 sites distributed among 14 reaches that had similar stream flow hydrology (spatial flow intermittency) and geomorphology (channel sinuosity, flood-plain width). Overall, 39% of the riparian corridor fell within condition class 3 (the wettest condition), 55% in condition class 2, and 6% in the driest condition class. Condition class 3 reaches have high cover of herbaceous wetland plants (e.g., Juncus and Schoenoplectus spp.) along the perennial stream channel and dense, multi-aged Populus-Salix woodlands in the flood plain, sustained by shallow ground water in the stream alluvium. In condition class 2, intermittent stream flows result in low cover of streamside wetland herbs, but Populus-Salix remain abundant in the flood plain. Perennial wetland plants are absent from condition class 1, reflecting highly intermittent stream flows; the flood plain is vegetated by Tamarixa small tree that tolerates the deep and fluctuating ground water levels that typify this reach type. Abundance of herbaceous wetland plants and growth rate of Salix gooddingii varied between years with different stream flow rates, indicating utility of these measures for tracking short-term responses to hydrologic change. Repeat measurement of all bioindicators will indicate long-term trends in hydro-vegetational condition.