Factors influencing food choice by the seaweed-eating marine snail Norrisianorrisi (Trochidae)

Through two-choice gustatory experiments, a␣preference hierarchy was established␣for␣the␣herbivorous gastropod Norrisianorrisi Sowerby, with laminarialean kelps preferred over all other seaweeds. Among the kelps, laminae of Macrocystispyrifera were slightly preferred over Egregiamenziesii, and both were strongly preferred over sporophylls of Eiseniaarborea. E.arborea, the least preferred kelp, was consistently chosen over other algae common in the snail's habitat (Halidrysdioica, Dictyotaflabellata, and Pterocladiacapillacea) and over seaweeds believed to be edible and palatable based on their morphology, structure, and secondary chemistry (Endarachnebinghamiae, Mazzaellaflaccida, and Ulvalobata). The morphologies and structural toughness of tested seaweeds varied significantly as did their nutritional (% carbon, % nitrogen, C:N ratio, and % ash) contents and phlorotannin concentrations; however, snails preferred to feed on kelps regardless of nutritional content, toughness or phlorotannin concentration; and among kelps preferred to feed on the least tough species (based on penetrometer measurements), which also were those containing the lowest phlorotannin concentrations. Preference for kelp was not upheld in experiments using agarose thalli to which freeze-dried powder, of either the kelp Eiseniaarborea or non-kelp Endarachnebinghamiae was added, suggesting the destruction of attractant chemicals during the making of the artificial foods. Our data suggest that the preference of N. norrisi for kelps over other potentially edible and palatable seaweeds may not be related to nutritional content, but instead may have evolved in response to factors such as availability, habitat provision, or refuge from predation. Received: 27 September 1996 / Accepted: 7 October 1997     

Effects of UV radiation of different wavebands on pigmentation, 15N-ammonium uptake, amino acid pools and adenylate contents of marine diatoms

Three marine diatoms Lauderia annulata Cleve, Odontella sinensis (Greville) Grunow and Thalassiosira rotula Meunier were exposed to ultraviolet (UV) radiation of different wavebands under controlled laboratory conditions (0.035 vol% CO₂, 18 °C). Several changes in the patterns of pigments in these organisms were seen depending on the waveband of UV radiation and species examined. UV-B and UV-B plus UV-A radiation led to a reduction in the overall pigment content of all three diatoms. The uptake of ¹⁵N-ammonium was less affected by 5-h UV-A (WG 320) but significantly reduced after UV-B and UV-B plus UV-A exposure. The pattern of free amino acid pools varied depending on the applied UV wavebands and the tested diatom. The main protein-bound amino acids of T. rotula decreased after 5-h UV irradiance except leucine. Contents of adenosine 5′-mono-, di-, and triphosphate (AMP, ADP and ATP) were affected differently by UV radiation; ATP values increased at the end of UV-B and UV-B plus UV-A exposure. These results have been discussed with reference to the impact of the different UV sources and the influence on the nitrogen metabolism in connection to pigments and supply with energy. Received: 13 May 1997 / Accepted: 11 October 1997     

Instrument Choice When Regulators and Firms Bargain

We compare outcomes with an emissions tax and an emissions standard when a firm and regulator engage in cooperative bargaining over the stringency of the regulation. Bargaining is motivated by giving the firm a choice of abatement technologies. If the firm's preferred technology differs from the regulator's, the first-best outcome is not an equilibrium of the traditional noncooperative game in which the regulator is a Stackelberg leader. The regulator may therefore choose to offer the firm a more lenient regulation if it agrees to switch technologies. We find that the resulting bargaining outcomes differ for a tax and a standard even though information is symmetric, and we identify conditions under which each instrument yields lower social costs.     

Nutrient transfer functions: the site of integration between feeding behaviour and nutritional physiology

Summary. We describe and extend a graphical approach to quantitative nutrition that focuses on the interplay between behavioural and physiological components of nutritional regulation. The site of integration is the nutrient transfer function, which is the function describing the time course of nutrient transfer between serially connected nutritional compartments (e.g., from the gut to the blood). The relationship between the shape of the nutrient transfer function and the temporal patterns of feeding determines the values of two key quantitative parameters of nutrition: the rate ('power') and the efficiency of nutrient acquisition. The approach can be extended to consider, in addition to the short-term behavioural and physiological decisions made by animals, some ecological determinants and longer-term, life history consequences of such decisions. Most importantly, this category of models can provide insights into the interplay among the various nutrients in an animal's diet. We illustrate this using hypothetical examples, and also present preliminary data for the power-efficiency relationships of protein and digestible carbohydrates in locusts. Finally, we consider existing evidence for the various means available to these and other insects for regulating such relationships. Received 24 September 1997; accepted 9 December 1997.     

Modelling and assessment of South African elephant Loxodonta africana population persistence

The use of a quantitative population growth model to investigate the persistence of South African elephant populations is explored. The model provides quantitative assessments of population persistence and confidence intervals for estimated parameters based purely on population size estimates. The analysis supports the view that most of the larger populations in the region are secure. This view is further supported by a lack of density dependent effects in most of the recovering populations and the high population rates of increase observed. This predominantly positive prognosis is in contrast with that emerging from most of the rest of the African continent where the populations are under greater threat because of habitat restriction and direct human conflict. This preliminary assessment of elephant population persistence suggests that “viable” populations may lie between 400 and 6000 individuals. Although not inconsistent with information-greedy genetic and demographic models, the relationship between population growth versus genetic and demographic models should be further investigated. The implementation of a metapopulation management strategy towards these smaller populations is advocated. In addition, as all of the populations included in this analysis have been afforded some degree of protection since the 1920s, continued protection would be a prerequisite for their continued survival.     

木质纤维素原料预处理技术研究近况

木质纤维素的结构导致其不易降解。通过酸处理、碱处理、液态高温水技术、爆破处理、湿式氧化、超临界CO2处理、生物降解等预处理手段,可使后续过程的效率大大提高。较为全面地对国内外木质纤维素原料预处理技术的研究近况做了总结,主要对国外学者的试验方法和现象分析进行了简要描述,并对萼合于我国的方法提出了自己的观点。     

一种新型石墨电极的制备及其对苯酚的去除

为了探索一种对有机废水处理有效、廉价、来源广泛、环境友好的电极,以石墨、环氧树脂、固化剂和丙酮为原料,研究制备了一种新型石墨电极 (NGE). 分别采用热水浸泡、乙醇溶液回流、丙酮回流、超声-丙酮回流以及电化学法对制备的石墨电极进行预处理,前三者效果较差,超声-丙酮回流可改善处理效果,但不够理想,电化学法可取得满意的效果.苯酚降解的UV光谱分析表明,尽管商品石墨电极 (CGE) 比NGE具有更高的苯酚氧化效率,但其电解液积累大量的苯醌,而NGE电解液中苯醌积累量少,并且电解过程中逐渐降低. NGE比CGE具有更好的TOC去除效果,两者TOC去除率分别为40%和31%. SEM分析结果表明,CGE被严重腐蚀,NGE无明显变化,表现出良好的稳定性.     

超声处理对剩余污泥的粒径和溶出物的影响

为了有效地发挥微型动物摄食对剩余污泥的减量作用,研究了超声声能密度和超声时间对剩余污泥的粒径和溶出物(蛋白质、多糖、DNA、COD及BOD)溶出的影响.在脉冲比2:1和超声时间10min的条件下,声能密度为0.2W·mL-1时出现一个污泥粒径变化的转折点,当小于转折点时污泥粒径随声能密度增加明显下降,而当大于转折点时污泥粒径几乎不受声能密度影响.在脉冲比2:1和声能密度0.8W·mL-1的条件下,超声时间5min是个转折点.上清液中溶出物的浓度随超声波声能密度或超声时间的增加而增加,各溶出物指标之间存在显著的相关关系.溶出物指标中蛋白质指标可以较好地反映出污泥破解状态.为了得到既能使污泥粒径变小到微型动物可摄食的程度又能使污泥中溶出物的溶出量最少的效果,建议声能密度或超声时间取上述转折点为限值.个数平均粒径(Dn)和重量平均粒径(Dw)分别反映了污泥的几何粒径变化和溶出物的溶出状况,因此,在超声破解污泥-微型动物摄食污泥的污泥减量工艺中可通过Dn和Dw的并用来决定剩余污泥超声处理的工艺参数.