Water‐Yield Reduction After Afforestation and Related Processes in the Semiarid Liupan Mountains,Northwest China1

Abstract: The increase of coverage of forest/vegetation is imperative to improve the environment in dry‐land areas of China, especially for protecting soil against serious erosion and sandstorms. However, inherent severe water shortages, drought stresses, and increasing water use competition greatly restrict the reforestation. Notably, the water‐yield reduction after afforestation generates intense debate about the correct approach to afforestation and forest management in dry‐land areas. However, most studies on water‐yield reduction of forests have been at catchment scales, and there are few studies of the response of total evapotranspiration (ET) and its partitioning to vegetation structure change. This motivates us to learn the linkage between hydrological processes and vegetation structure in slope ecosystems. Therefore, an ecohydrological study was carried out by measuring the individual items of water balance on sloping plots covered by different vegetation types in the semiarid Liupan Mountains of northwest China. The ratio of precipitation consumed as ET was about 60% for grassland, 93% for shrubs, and >95% for forestland. Thus, the water yield was very low, site‐specific, and sensitive to vegetation change. Conversion of grassland to forest decreased the annual water yield from slope by 50‐100 mm. In certain periods, the plantations at lower slopes even consumed the runon from upper slopes. Reducing the density of forests and shrubs by thinning was not an efficient approach to minimize water use. Leaf area index was a better indicator than plant density to relate ET to vegetation structure and to evaluate the soil water carrying capacity for vegetation (i.e., the maximum amount of vegetation that can be supported by the available soil water for an extended time). Selecting proper vegetation types and plant species, based on site soil water condition, may be more effective than the forest density regulation to minimize water‐yield reduction by vegetation coverage increase and notably by reforestation. Finally, the focuses in future research to improve the forest‐water relations in dry‐land areas are recommended as follows: vegetation growth dynamics driven by environment especially water conditions, coupling of ecological and hydrological processes, further development of distributed ecohydrological models, quantitative relation of eco‐water quota of ecosystems with vegetation structures, multi‐scaled evaluation of soil water carrying capacity for vegetation, and the development of widely applicable decision support tools.     

Uptake of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by Trifolium pretense L. from water in the presence of a nonionic surfactant

A greenhouse study examined plant uptake of phenanthrene and pyrene, as representatives of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), from an aqueous solution containing a nonionic surfactant Tween 80. The uptake was conducted with 1.0 mg l(-1) phenanthrene and 0.12 mg l(-1) pyrene under a wide range of Tween 80 concentrations (0-105.6 mg l(-1)). Tween 80 at the test concentrations did not show any apparent phytotoxity toward the growth of red clover (Trifolium pretense L.). At concentrations generally lower than 13.2 mg l(-1), Tween 80 enhanced the plant uptake based on the concentrations and PCFs (plant concentration factors) of these two PAHs. When present at higher concentrations, Tween 80 inhibited the uptake of both PAH compounds by the tested plant. The maximal plant uptake was observed at 6.6 mg l(-1) Tween 80, in which PAH concentrations and PCFs were 18-115% higher than those in Tween 80-free controls. The total mass removal (off-take) of phenanthrene and pyrene by root or shoot increased initially and decreased thereafter with the increase in Tween 80 concentrations. Although shoot biomass was evidently larger than root, the off-take was much higher in root than shoot because of the larger root concentrations of these chemicals. Results from this study show promises for the potential efficacy of enhanced phytoremediation in PAH contaminated sites using surfactant amendment.     

Patterns and sources of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans in surficial sediments of Lakes Erie and Ontario

This study determines spatial trends and congener patterns of 2378-substituted polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) in surficial sediments of Lakes Erie and Ontario. Sediments are enriched in 2378-PCDFs in Lake Ontario, and the PCDD/F concentrations increased from shallow near-shore sediments towards deep-water depositional zone sediments. In Lake Erie, sediments were dominated by octachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, and the highest PCDD/F concentrations were observed in the western basin and the southern shoreline of the central basin with a decrease towards the eastern basin and the northern shoreline of the central basin. Principal components analysis revealed that chemical manufacture and disposal of chemical waste along the Niagara River has been a major PCDD/F source to Lake Ontario; while PCDD/Fs in Lake Erie are from multiple sources including industrial sources along the Detroit River, major tributaries along the southern shoreline of the lake, and atmospherically-derived material from the upper lakes and connecting channels.     

Preparation of coal slurry with organic solvents

In this study, various organic solvents were used to prepare coal slurries and the rheological and thermal properties of coal-organic solvent slurries were examined. Solvents with molecules containing unpaired electrons (high basicity) show high extraction power and cause swelling of coal. Therefore, coal-organic solvent slurries usually showed higher viscosities compared to coal-water slurry. In addition, coal slurries prepared by alcohols and cyclohexanone demonstrated lower settling rates but a high specific sedimentation volume presumably because these solvents swelled coal particles well and led to the formation of weak gel structures in the bulk. In addition, ethanol and cyclohexanone are capable of breaking a considerable amount of hydrogen bonds in coal and subsequently opening up the structures. Thus, more surface area is available for combustion and the combustion rate of coal slurries was increased.     

飞雪迎春到——记第五届中国国际安全生产及职业健康展览会筹备工作

<正>由国家安全生产监督管理总局主办的中国国际安全生产及职业健康展览会(以下简称五届安展)将于2010年9月1～3日在中国国家会议中心如期举行。近年来,在党中央、国务院领导对安全生产和     

燃烧假人实验室安全监控及应急处理系统设计

针对燃烧假人实验室的安全监控和应急处理要求,根据相关国家标准,设计了感温、感烟、可燃气体探测器、声光报警器,摄像装置、通排风系统、灭火处理系统和水喷淋降温装置,并采取防雷击和防静电措施,实现了对高温、烟雾和燃气泄露等安全隐患的全面监控和处理。     

常德市地下水污染现状及防治对策

摘要：随着国民经济的快速发展和城市人口的大量增加，水资源的保护和开发利用显得日趋重要。本文通过对常德市的地下水水样进行污染综合指数评价，得出了常德市的地下水污染现状，对地下水污染源和污染途径进行了分析，提出了相应的防治建议。     

液货危险品码头的安全与防治污染管理对策

液货（液体化工）危险品码头的安全与污染防治管理水平直接关系到港口、码头、水域和周围环境的安全。本文结合日照港的实际，对日照港口安全管理状况调查和分析，找出了港口安全管理存在的主要问题是安全管理机构、法规、人员等方面存在缺陷，提出对该类码头的安全管理与污染防治对策，从而为港口安全有效管理提供决策依据。     

灾损度指数法在灾害经济损失评估中的应用——以福建台风灾害经济损失趋势分析为例

采用灾损度DLD和环境不稳定度EI两个要素,构建了灾害经济损失指数DELI(灾损度指数)指标对灾害经济损失进行评估。并应用它对福建省台风灾害经济损失趋势变化进行分析。研究表明:利用灾损度指数对灾害经济损失评估方法可取,它不受灾害发生的时间和地点限制,可比性强,资料信息源多,计算方便,适用范围广;福建省台风灾害灾损度指数呈波动上升,反映福建台风灾情加重与灾害本身损失加大和福建省环境不稳定度加大有关,与实际情况相符。     

综合性医院建设项目环境影响评价要点分析

综合性医院的医疗废水要分一般废水和特殊废水，在坚持全过程控制原则、减量化原则、就地处理等原则的同时，根据需要进行一级处理和二级处理；按要求将医疗垃圾分类、包装、存放、处理；对水处理污泥应按危险废物进行处理。建设项目的水环境影响评价应进行详细的预测评价、一般专项评价或一般性分析；在医疗废物处理设施的环境影响评价中，医疗废物焚烧应作为评价重点，做到社会效益、环境效益和经济效益相统一。