Light-mediated thresholds in stream-water nutrient composition in a river network

The elemental composition of solutes transported by rivers reflects combined influences of surrounding watersheds and transformations within stream networks, yet comparatively little is known about downstream changes in effects of watershed loading vs. in-channel processes. In the forested watershed of a river under a mediterranean hydrologic regime, we examined the influence of longitudinal changes in environmental conditions on water-column nutrient composition during summer base flow across a network of sites ranging from strongly heterotrophic headwater streams to larger, more autotrophic sites downstream. Small streams (0.1-10 km2 watershed area) had longitudinally similar nutrient concentration and composition with low (approximately 2) dissolved nitrogen (N) to phosphorus (P) ratios. Abrupt deviations from this pattern were observed in larger streams with watershed areas > 100 km2 where insolation and algal abundance and production rapidly increased. Downstream, phosphorus and silica concentrations decreased by > 50% compared to headwater streams, and dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen increased by approximately 3-6 times. Decreasing dissolved P and increasing dissolved N raised stream-water N:P to 46 at the most downstream sites, suggesting a transition from N limitation in headwaters to potential P limitation in larger channels. We hypothesize that these changes were mediated by increasing algal photosynthesis and N fixation by benthic algal assemblages, which, in response to increasing light availability, strongly altered stream-water nutrient concentration and stoichiometry in larger streams and rivers.     

单阀FIA氢化物发生分光光度法测定水中砷的研究

利用自行设计制造的新型氢化物发生及吸收装置,将流动注射技术同氢化物发生分光光度法有机地结合在一起。设计了一种单阀ＦＩＡ氢化物发生分光光度测砷的流路系统,该系统不南非载气,选用ＡｇＮＯ３－ＨＮＯ３－聚乙烯醇－乙醇混合液作为吸收液及ＫＢＨ４溶液作生反应。瘫针该方法用各种水中痕量砷的测定,具有简便,快速（３０次／ｈ）、灵敏度高,重现性好（Ｒ．Ｓ．Ｄ＝３．０４５）、检出限低（ｃＬ＝１．８２×１０＾－９ｇ／     

Constraints on tree seedling establishment in montane grasslands of the Valles Caldera, New Mexico

Montane and subalpine grasslands are prominent, but poorly understood, features of the Rocky Mountains. These communities frequently occur below reversed tree lines on valley floors, where nightly cold air accumulation is spatially coupled with fine soil texture. We used field experiments to assess the roles of minimum temperature, soil texture, grass competition, and ungulate browsing on the growth, photosynthetic performance, and survival of transplanted ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) seedlings at 32 sites straddling such reversed tree lines in the Valles Caldera National Preserve (VCNP) of the Jemez Mountains, New Mexico (USA). Seedling growth increased most strongly with increasing nighttime minimum temperatures away from the valley bottoms; seedlings experiencing the coldest temperatures on the caldera floor exhibited stunted needles and often no measurable height growth. Based on the chlorophyll fluorescence ratios PhiPSII and Fv/Fm, we found that low minimum temperatures, low soil moisture, and fine soil texture all contributed to photoinhibition. Neighboring herbs had only minor negative effects on seedlings. We found no effect of ungulates, but golden-mantled ground squirrels (Spermophilus lateralis) caused substantial seedling mortality. Second-year seedling survival was highest on sandy soils, and third-year survival was highest at sites with higher minimum temperatures. We conclude that differential tree seedling establishment driven by low minimum temperatures in the valley bottoms is the primary factor maintaining montane grasslands of the VCNP, although this process probably operated historically in combination with frequent surface fire to set the position of the tree line ecotone. As at alpine tree lines, reversed tree lines bordering montane and subalpine grasslands can represent temperature-sensitive boundaries of the tree life form.     

Trait synergisms and the rarity, extirpation, and extinction risk of desert fishes

Understanding the causes and consequences of species extinctions is a central goal in ecology. Faced with the difficult task of identifying those species with the greatest need for conservation, ecologists have turned to using predictive suites of ecological and life-history traits to provide reasonable estimates of species extinction risk. Previous studies have linked individual traits to extinction risk, yet the nonadditive contribution of multiple traits to the entire extinction process, from species rarity to local extirpation to global extinction, has not been examined. This study asks whether trait synergisms predispose native fishes of the Lower Colorado River Basin (USA) to risk of extinction through their effects on rarity and local extirpation and their vulnerability to different sources of threat. Fish species with "slow" life histories (e.g., large body size, long life, and delayed maturity), minimal parental care to offspring, and specialized feeding behaviors are associated with smaller geographic distribution, greater frequency of local extirpation, and higher perceived extinction risk than that expected by simple additive effects of traits in combination. This supports the notion that trait synergisms increase the susceptibility of native fishes to multiple stages of the extinction process, thus making them prone to the multiple jeopardies resulting from a combination of fewer individuals, narrow environmental tolerances, and long recovery times following environmental change. Given that particular traits, some acting in concert, may differentially predispose native fishes to rarity, extirpation, and extinction, we suggest that management efforts in the Lower Colorado River Basin should be congruent with the life-history requirements of multiple species over large spatial and temporal scales.     

缓释碳源净水基质吸附-生物协同脱氮的机理研究

以聚乙烯醇(PVA)、海藻酸钠(SA)、玉米芯(Y)为原料制备了PVA-SA(基质Ⅰ)和PVA-SA-Y(基质Ⅱ),研究了缓释碳源净水基质的释碳性能、吸附性能、脱氮性能及机理。结果表明,基质Ⅰ、基质Ⅱ的释碳量分别为0.30～1.00、0.30～1.60mg/g,平衡吸附量分别为0.317 8、0.907 9mg/g,总氮平均去除率分别为10.90%、32.40%,Y疏松多孔的结构特征是提高基质Ⅱ吸附、脱氮性能的关键,高通量测序结果表明基质Ⅱ中脱氮单胞菌属(Denitratisoma)、食酸菌属(Acidovorax)等与反硝化顺利进行相关的菌种比例较高。基于脱氮过程中COD、氨氮、亚硝酸盐氮、硝酸盐氮浓度的变化情况,提出了缺氧条件下基质的脱氮模型。根据模型计算,基质Ⅱ通过同化和反硝化削减的COD量与基质Ⅰ相似,通过吸附途径削减的氨氮比基质Ⅰ高11.2百分点,通过反硝化作用去除的硝酸盐氮比基质Ⅰ高43.0百分点。     

Hydrochemical Changes Over Time in the Zahedan Aquifer, Iran

Groundwater in the Zahedan Aquifer located in the arid southeast of Iran was chemically characterized to understand both the nature of the alluvium aquifer and the effect of human activities, specifically sewage disposal on groundwater quality. Concentrations of major cations and anions in the Zahedan Aquifer are much higher than concentrations observed in groundwater of similar settings. Although the nature of the aquifer and climatic parameters have affected the chemistry of groundwater, human impacts on the groundwater quality are more significant. The electrical conductivity in some areas of the Zahedan aquifer increased up to 7,500μS/cm in 25 years. Human influences in some areas are so prevalent, that the groundwater type changed from a Na⁺-HCO₃ ^- in 1976 to a Na⁺-Cl^- type in 2000. The impact of human influences on the groundwater quality is also indicated through observed nitrate concentration up to 4.81 meq/L in the urban area.     

Farm-level irrigation and the marginal cost of water use: evidence from Georgia

We create a proxy for the cost of irrigation water in Georgia from a sample of Georgia irrigators by investigating the marginal cost of pumping groundwater. We then combine this proxy with agronomic and climatic variables to estimate the response of agricultural water use to differences in the marginal cost of irrigation. The results show that pumping costs are a significant determinant of water use, and imply that agricultural water use would be moderately affected by institutional changes that would explicitly price water.     

Colorado River Floods, Droughts, and Shrimp Fishing in the Upper Gulf of California, Mexico

Accurate procedures that measure hydrologic variability would have great value for evaluating ecosystem impacts of upstream water use in the Colorado River Basin. Many local extractive income-based stakeholders rely directly or indirectly on ecosystem health and are adversely affected when the river does not flow. This study focuses on the impact of little or no Colorado River flow on the Mexican shrimp industry. Although there have been complaints that U.S. diversions of Colorado River flow have greatly impaired the shrimp fishery, this research demonstrates that freshwater rarely reaches the Gulf even during times of flooding, and that other factors such as overfishing may influence the instability of shrimp populations. Advanced very-high-resolution radiometer (AVHRR) satellite imagery was used to assess water volumes diverted away from the channel of the Colorado River and ultimately the Gulf of California during flooding periods. Analysis of data demonstrated that little freshwater actually reaches the Gulf even during floods because of its diversion into a large dry lake bed basin known as Laguna Salada. Fuller use of the Colorado River throughout its entire course to the sea is possible and could benefit a large cohort of users without catastrophic habitat destruction in delta ecosystems. Reconstruction of a natural earthen berm, as proposed by Ducks Unlimited, would maximize the use of floodwaters for ecosystem benefits. These findings have profound implications for local economic activities dependent on hydrologic resources in the Colorado River Delta and Upper Gulf.     

Taking Environmental Action: The Role of Local Composition, Context, and Collective

This article explores individual and community action taken in response to perceived environmental risks by investigating the determinants of environmental action across a range of action types. A conceptual framework is first presented, which provides a foundation for investigating the role of local compositional (i.e., individual characteristics), contextual (i.e., neighborhood environment), and collective (i.e., social networks) factors in environmental action. To test the utility of the conceptual framework, a quantitative survey was administered to a random sample of households (n = 512) in Hamilton, Canada. The results suggest that the predictors of environmental action vary by action type (i.e., personal change, individual civic action, and cooperative civic action), and that factors related to perceived environmental exposure and social capital generally play a stronger, more consistent role in civic environmental action than sociodemographic or neighborhood factors. The results underscore the role of social connection in responses to perceived environmental risks.     

Evaluating portable infrared spectrometers for measuring the silica content of coal dust

Miners face a variety of respiratory hazards while on the job, including exposure to silica dust which can lead to silicosis, a potentially fatal lung disease. Currently, field-collected filter samples of silica are sent for laboratory analysis and the results take weeks to be reported. Since the mining workplace is constantly moving into new and often different geological strata with changing silica levels, more timely data on silica levels in mining workplaces could help reduce exposures. Improvements in infrared (IR) spectroscopy open the prospect for end-of-shift silica measurements at mine sites. Two field-portable IR spectrometers were evaluated for their ability to quantify the mass of silica on filter samples loaded with known amounts of either silica or silica-bearing coal dust (silica content ranging from 10-200 μg/filter). Analyses included a scheme to correct for the presence of kaolin, which is a confounder for IR analysis of silica. IR measurements of the samples were compared to parallel measurements derived using the laboratory-based U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration P7 analytical method. Linear correlations between Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and P7 data yielded slopes in the range of 0.90-0.97 with minimal bias. Data from a variable filter array spectrometer did not correlate as well, mainly due to poor wavelength resolution compared to the FTIR instrument. This work has shown that FTIR spectrometry has the potential to reasonably estimate the silica exposure of miners if employed in an end-of-shift method.