Testing for relationships between individual crab behavior and metabolic rate across ecological contexts

Two classes of explanations for covariation between activity level and metabolic rate among conspecifics have been proposed. First, individual-level variation in activity exhibited during the measurement of metabolic rate should covary with routine metabolic rate because movement increases respiration (a methodological relationship). Second, energetic-based hypotheses posit relationships between individual activity measured under more natural conditions and baseline measures of metabolic rate, among other behavioral, physiological, and life-history traits (functional relationships). Here, we examined these potential relationships between individual behavior and metabolic rate in the mud crab (Panopeus herbstii). Specifically, we tested for (1) an effect of crab activity in metabolic chambers (activity_chamber) on routine metabolic rate (RMR), and (2) an effect of crab activity in mesocosms that mimicked field conditions (activity_mesocosm) on standard metabolic rate (SMR). To test for context dependence, we assessed both activity-metabolic rate relationships in the absence and presence of predation threat from toadfish (Opsanus tau) in the form of waterborne chemical cues. Individual variation in activity_mesocosm and RMR was repeatable over time. In support of a methodological relationship, individual differences in RMR were partially explained by crab activity_chamber. After accounting for this methodological relationship, individual SMR was inversely related to activity_mesocosm, supporting an allocation model that predicts behavior and baseline metabolic rate compete for finite energy reserves. We found no evidence of context dependence in either activity-metabolic rate relationship. Thus, our study emphasizes the importance of considering methodological artifacts in elucidating functional relationships between individual behavior and energetics.     

PCDD/Fs in soil around a hospital waste incinerator: comparison after three years of operation

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) can be formed during the cooling of flue gases in waste incinerator. These pollutants are either in the gas phase or attached to the fine particles, escaping dust collection. After stack emission, they are slowly oxidized photochemically (gas phase), or eventually are deposited (dry and wet deposition of particulate) in earth surface. In 2007 and 2010, 11 soil samples were collected in the vicinity of a hospital waste incinerator (HWI), prior and after its startup. In order to find out any variation of PCDD/Fs in soil, in brief dioxins, their concentrations were analyzed by high-resolution gas chromatography with high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRGC/HRMS). Compared to the baseline survey (2007), PCDD/Fs in soil significantly increased, by average, +81.6% in total PCDD/Fs and +132.7% in international toxic equivalency (I-TEQ) unit. By principal component analysis (PCA), both the PCDD/Fs homologue and the HxCDF isomer profile in soil were found to become more similar with fly ash. Generally, this incinerator influences the soil only in a limited area. More comprehensive supervision, stricter management and more advanced technology should be implemented in this plant to reduce pollutants emission, even though the level of PCDD/Fs in soil is quite low at present.     

广州珠江表层沉积物中石油烃分布特征研究

对珠江广州段7个采样点的表层沉积物中的石油烃浓度进行了测定,结果表明广州珠江表层沉积物中的石油烃污浓度水平在288.62~725.13μg/g之间。市区南航道、后航道浓度相对较高,前航道黄埔涌口(Ⅶ号点)附近石油烃浓度已接近海洋第二类沉积物标准值;西航道至前航道和南航道、平洲水道至后航道沿程石油类浓度与有机质含量逐渐升高,说明广州市区是造成石油及有机污染的主要区域。与有机质含量及沉积物粒度的相关性分析发现,表层沉积物中石油烃浓度与有机质水平存在非常显著的正相关关系(相关系数r=0.987,P<0.01);与粘粒组分存在显著的正相关关系,相关系数(r=0.885,P<0.05),而与砂粒组分成非常显著的负相关关系(r=-0.919,P<0.01)。     

Improvement of detection method of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in reclaimed water

Cryptosporidium and Giardia are two typical species of pathogenic protozoans that seriously endanger water quality. Previous works indicated that detection of Cryptosporidium and Giardia with modified United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) method-1623 using a membrane filtration-elution for sample concentration attained better recovery and lower cost compared to the USEPA method-1623. Several improvements of membrane filtration-elution step as well as immunomagnetic separation (IMS) steps were investigated and an optimized method for detection of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in wastewater reclamation system was recommended in this paper. The experimental results show that an overnight soak of the membrane after scraping and vortex agitation before elution could enhance and stabilize the recovery. Increasing turbidity to 4 NTU by adding kaolin clay before filtration could effectively improve the recovery of low-turbidity water. Washing the concentrate after centrifugation and twice acid dissociation both reduced the impact of water quality to protozoan recovery. Protozoans in different water samples were determined by this optimized method, and the recovery of Cryptosporidium and Giardia were above 70% and 80% respectively, much higher than the acceptance of method-1623.     

Parameter uncertainties in the modelling of vegetation dynamics—Effects on tree community structure and ecosystem functioning in European forest biomes

Dynamic vegetation models are useful tools for analysing terrestrial ecosystem processes and their interactions with climate through variations in carbon and water exchange. Long-term changes in structure and composition (vegetation dynamics) caused by altered competitive strength between plant functional types (PFTs) are attracting increasing attention as controls on ecosystem functioning and potential feedbacks to climate. Imperfect process knowledge and limited observational data restrict the possibility to parameterise these processes adequately and potentially contribute to uncertainty in model results. This study addresses uncertainty among parameters scaling vegetation dynamic processes in a process-based ecosystem model, LPJ-GUESS, designed for regional-scale studies, with the objective to assess the extent to which this uncertainty propagates to additional uncertainty in the tree community structure (in terms of the tree functional types present and their relative abundance) and thus to ecosystem functioning (carbon storage and fluxes). The results clearly indicate that the uncertainties in parameterisation can lead to a shift in competitive balance, most strikingly among deciduous tree PFTs, with dominance of either shade-tolerant or shade-intolerant PFTs being possible, depending on the choice of plausible parameter values. Despite this uncertainty, our results indicate that the resulting effect on ecosystem functioning is low. Since the vegetation dynamics in LPJ-GUESS are representative for the more complex Earth system models now being applied within ecosystem and climate research, we assume that our findings will be of general relevance. We suggest that, in terms of carbon storage and fluxes, the heavier parameterisation requirement of the processes involved does not widen the overall uncertainty in model predictions.     

自来水厂细菌固定化除锰及其水质条件的研究

对自来水厂除锰细菌的３种固定化途径进行了实验分析。表明生态平衡的自固定化能够在短期内高效、稳定地除锰,通过控制运行参数和水质,把滤柱的除锰成熟期期短为５０ｄ。。     

基于多模式的乌江流域径流对气候变化的响应研究

采用经统计降尺度与偏差订正的4种全球气候模式(GFDL-ESM2M,HadGEM2-ES,IPSL-CM5A-LR和MIROC5)1861 ～ 2005年的历史气候模拟试验和2006 ～ 2018年的RCP4.5情景预估资料,驱动SWAT水文模型,分析了1861～2018年乌江流域气候变化特征及其对径流的影响.同时,采用1861～2018年4种全球气候模式在工业革命前控制试验(piControl)数据,对比分析了"自然"和"人为+自然"强迫下流域气候及径流变化的差异.研究结果表明:(1)1861～2018年乌江流域平均气温呈现显著上升趋势,气温倾向率为0.03℃/10a;降水呈显著下降趋势,降水倾向率为-10.9 mm/10a.流域主要水文控制站武隆站年平均流量呈显著下降趋势,倾向率为-20.8 m3/s/10a;四季平均流量倾向率分别为-10.8、-46.1、-20.1、-5.9 m3/s/10a,均呈显著下降趋势;枯水极值流量倾向率为-7.6 m3/s/10a,丰水极值流量倾向率为-43.5 m3/s/10a,下降趋势显著.(2)"自然"强迫控制试验下,1861～2018年乌江流域年平均气温无明显变化趋势;降水则为不显著上升趋势,倾向率为1.9 mm/10a;年平均流量呈微弱上升趋势,倾向率为0.1 m3/s/10a;四季平均流量倾向率分别为-1.1、-18.6、11.0、8.9 m3/s/10a,春季平均流量不显著下降,夏季显著下降,秋季不显著上升,冬季显著上升;枯水极值流量倾向率为2.5 m3/s/10a,丰水极值流量为-9.5 m3/s/10a,变化趋势均不显著.(3)相对"自然"强迫序列,人类活动引起的气候变化导致1861 ～ 2018年乌江四季平均流量分别减少7.1％、9.7％、8.7％、11.9％;枯水与丰水极值流量分别下降9.3％和5.0％.     

辐射制冷技术在安全帽上的应用研究*

为缓解夏季配戴安全帽导致的头部高温不适,采用具有光谱选择特性的辐射降温涂料对安全帽表面光学性能进行改性,经光学测试,安全帽的太阳辐射反射率由45%提升至89%,大气窗口发射率由92%提升至95%。对安全帽进行降温效果测试,并基于测试结果建立热力学模型。结果表明:在阳光直射下,改性安全帽内部温度低于普通白色安全帽,温差最大12.2 ℃;在热力学模型中,即使在夏季最热时间段（12∶00～14∶00）,改性安全帽内部温度仍可比普通安全帽低8 ℃,预测平均评价值由普通安全帽的3.5降低至1.0,预测不满意百分比从100%降低至20%。     

The perverse fisheries consequences of mosquito net malaria prophylaxis in East Africa

Malaria is a serious global health issue, with around 200 million cases per year. As such, great effort has been put into the mass distribution of bed nets as a means of prophylaxis within Africa. Distributed mosquito nets are intended to be used for malaria protection, yet increasing evidence suggests that fishing is a primary use for these nets, providing fresh concerns for already stressed coastal ecosystems. While research documents the scale of mosquito net fisheries globally, no quantitative analysis of their landings exists. The effects of these fisheries on the wider ecosystem assemblages have not previously been examined. In this study, we present the first detailed analysis of the sustainability of these fisheries by examining the diversity, age class, trophic structure and magnitude of biomass removal. Dragnet landings, one of two gear types in which mosquito nets can be utilised, were recorded across ten sites in northern Mozambique where the use of Mosquito nets for fishing is common. Our results indicate a substantial removal of juveniles from coastal seagrass meadows, many of which are commercially important in the region or play important ecological roles. We conclude that the use of mosquito nets for fishing may contribute to food insecurity, greater poverty and the loss of ecosystem functioning.