Range-wide Yangtze freshwater dolphin expedition: The last chance to see Baiji?

BACKGROUND, AIM AND SCOPE: There are two species of fresh water cetaceans surviving in the Yangtze River system in China: Baiji (Lipotes vexillifer) and Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides asiaeorientalis). As a result of the expansion of human activities on the river, their distribution ranges appear to be decreasing and in the case of the Baiji, are even being restricted to several sections. The Baiji is the world's most critically endangered cetacean species with a population estimated at only a few tens of individuals. The Yangtze finless porpoise is the world's only freshwater-adapted population of the species, and it has been estimated that only around 1,000 individuals remain in the river system. In order to prevent the extinction of Baiji and a sharp decline in the abundance of the porpoise, in situ conservation (i.e. in the river) and two ex situ conservation (i.e. in semi-natural reserves and in captivity) strategies were proposed and have been implemented since the early 1990s. In view of both the severely endangered status of the animals and the severely degraded conditions of their habitats, the feasibility and actual status of these two strategies are raised for discussion. MAIN FEATURES: The threats faced by the cetaceans are mainly from the unfettered exploitation of the river's resources. In the past 20 years, five nature reserves have been established along the river. Imposing maximum prohibition of harmful and illegal fishing methods in the reserves might prolong the process of extinction of these cetaceans in the wild, but so far, the administrative measures taken in the reserves have not yet kept the abundance from sharply declining. As human use of the river and its resources is expected to intensify for many decades into the future, the ability of the river to continue to support these species is certainly undecided. Therefore, rescuing animals from the river and establishing viable breeding populations in seminatural reserves, in which the environment is similar to the main stream of the river, and in captivity, has to be considered urgently as the short-term goal of ex situ strategies. Since the abundance of porpoises is higher than that of the Baiji, we have first established breeding populations of them in the semi-natural reserves and in captivity. But, considering the extremely low density of Baiji in the river, an immediate range-wide Yangtze Baiji survey is an urgent need for locating and capturing sufficient Baiji for successfully establishing a breeding population of them in semi-natural reserves. RESULTS: Two semi-natural reserves (in Shishou, Hubei Province, and Tongling, Anhui Province) have been set up along the river in order to establish breeding populations of the Baiji and the porpoises. So far, several small groups of porpoises that were caught in the main stream of the river have successively been introduced into the semi-natural reserves. Under careful management, these animals in both of the semi-natural reserves not only survive, but can also reproduce naturally and successfully. At least one or three calves were born in each reserve each year. Additionally, a breeding group of porpoises is being established at the Baiji Dolphinarium at the Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan. There are presently four adults and one calf living in the Dolphinarium. The calf, born in July, 2005, is the first captive bred Yangtze Finless Porpoise in the world. In preparation for the range-wide Yangtze cetacean survey, a 9-day pilot expedition on the river near Wuhan was conducted in March, 2006, in order to develop methods for locating the Baiji. No Baiji were expected to be seen in such a short period but about 40 porpoise sightings were observed. Results of the pilot survey indicated that traditional visual and acoustical survey methods for cetaceans should be adapted to find the elusive Baiji in the river. Currently, the range-wide Yangtze cetacean survey is in preparation. The survey will cover over 1,700 km of the Yangtze River from Yichang to Shanghai, and is expected to provide detailed information on Baiji and porpoise numbers and distribution patterns in the river. DISCUSSION: Although the short-term goal of ex situ conservation is to rescue cetaceans from the river and to establish viable breeding populations in semi-natural reserves and in captivity, the long-term goal of releasing the animals back into the river when the threats have decreased and the natural environment has been improved, should not be neglected. Moreover, the in situ conservation efforts in the natural reserves, and even in the entire Yangtze River system, including the lakes, should not be ignored or abandoned at any time. The activities contributing to the conservation of the Baiji and the porpoise in the wild have the incidental effect of benefiting the entire Yangtze ecosystem and other rare threatened species. The dynamics of the groups of porpoises in semi-natural reserves should be monitored continually, in order to guide the establishment of breeding groups of Baiji in these semi-natural reserves in the near future. CONCLUSIONS: Under the existing severely degraded conditions of the Yangtze system, the sharply fall populations of Baiji and porpoises will not be suspended in the foreseeable future. Therefore, ex situ conservation should be emphasized, and the severely threatened Baiji in the river should be removed and translocated to semi-natural reserves for establishing viable breeding populations. The successful program of capturing, translocating and maintaining finless porpoises in the Shishou semi-natural reserve has demonstrated its adequacy as an ex situ environment for cetaceans. Following the successful pilot survey in the river, the immediate range-wide Yangtze cetacean survey is proposed and is in preparation. The range-wide survey is expected to ensure that any remaining Baiji can be found reliably and captured successfully after the survey. RECOMMENDATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES: During the range-wide survey, not only the Baiji but also the porpoise as well as their habitats should be investigated based on visual and acoustical methods that adapted to the river and the animals. Meanwhile, the current risk levels to the Baiji and porpoises should be evaluated at each area where Baiji or porpoises can be reliably sighted. Any capture efforts should be targeted on the most threatened areas, or where there is maximum risk of injury or death. The immediate track of the Baiji should be carried out once a Baiji is sighted during the range-wide survey in order to obtain the movement route of the animals, which is crucial information for the successful capture operation. Additionally, the need to establish new semi-natural reserves for the porpoises should be placed on the agenda of local and central governments in the near future.     

Identification of main influencing factors of life cycle CO2 emissions from the integrated steelworks using sensitivity analysis

The amount of CO₂ emissions from steelworks accounts for a great share of the total CO₂ emissions from industry in China. Thus, reducing CO₂ emissions from steelworks is urgent for China's environmental protection and sustainable development. This study aims at identifying factors that influence CO₂ emissions from steelworks and proposing measures to reduce CO₂ emissions. The life cycle inventory (LCI) of iron and steel products implies the relationship between the CO₂ emissions of the steelworks and the input variables of the LCI. The Tornado Chart Tool is utilized to calculate the variation of CO₂ emissions caused by the change of each input variables of LCI. Then, mean sensitivity of each input variable is calculated and the ranking criterion developed is used to identify the main factors influencing the integrated steelworks. Subsequently, measures for reducing CO₂ emissions are proposed. The results indicate that the very important influencing factors of CO₂ emissions in steelworks are the CO₂ emission factor of Blast Furnace Gas (BFG), liquid steel unit consumption of continuous casting, continuous casting slab unit consumption of hot rolling and hot metal ratio of steel making. Consequently, many efficient measures for reducing CO₂ emissions have been proposed, such as removing CO₂ contained in BFG, decreasing the hot metal ratio of Basic Oxygen Furnace (BOF), recycling BFG, optimizing the products' structure, etc.     

电化学间接氧化法处理H_2S气体的研究

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硐室爆破中安全填塞长度设计原则的研究

通过分析药室体积和药室横断面积，应用气体运动相似的特性，推导出一种新的硐室爆破填塞长度设计原则，并给出了计算实例     

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国土资源是区域可持续发展的基础,国土资源的合理开发利用是区域持发展的必由之路。首先详细地分析了江苏国土资源的优势条件,然后着重阐述了江苏国土资源的劣势,指出 一个资源约束型省份人地关系紧张、气候灾害频敏、环境问题突出已严重制约着区域的可持续发展;最后,根据江苏省情,对江苏可持续发展提出如下建议;加强对地理区位的开发和利用,促进力的合理布局,严格控制人口增长,努力提高人口素质,严格保护耕地,高效利用     

自然灾害与地质勘探劳动保护

自然灾害和人密切相关,这不仅表现在自然灾害施予的客体是人,人的伤亡和财产损失是自然灾害的标志,而且表现在自然灾害的发生受人类活动的强烈影响。地质勘探活动是人类改造自然获取财富的主要活动之一。它一方面遭受自然灾害的危害,另一方面存在诱发触发自然灾害的危险,自然灾害已成了地质勘探活动的巨大障碍。自然灾害特别是地质灾害(人工诱发触发地质灾害、地方病)和气象灾害的测、报、防、治、救措施和方法研究是地质勘探劳动保护的重要课题。     

利用土地人口容力开放模型对沪苏锡常城市群的分析

本文提出了土地人口容力,即单位面积土地的人口容量的概念,建立了描述和测算开放区域人口容力的模型,确立了模型对多种人口容力定义,揭示了不同人口容力模型的内在联系性,并将它用于沪苏锡常城市群的土地人口容力测算和分析。     

巢湖14~#井水位微动态异常研究

应用微动态异常频次、Ｍ２波振幅比等方法,对巢湖１４＃井水位１９８７～１９９７年进行了全过程的分析研究。研究结果表明：在华东几次中强震前,该井水位的微动态异常频次在地震前３～４个月有明显增高的异常显示,而水位Ｍ２波振幅比在地震前也存在３～４个月的下降异常。由此可以认为该井有可能成为华东及东部沿海５级以上地震的灵敏井点之一,而且在地震的短期预测方面可能会提供有益的异常信息。     

一种新型的带放大器的压杆式压电压力传感器及其在爆炸测试技术中的应用

介绍了一种新型带放大器的压杆式压电压力传感器。该传感器采用压电陶瓷作为敏感元件;为提高其响应速率,采用带声吸收杆式的结构;并充分考虑到测试专用设备的特殊构造,放置放大器及电池的需要,采用了特殊的外观及内腔结构;为提高传感器及其测试系统的响应速率,采用具有高输入阻抗及５０Ω输出阻抗的电压放大器,同时也采用ＳＹＶ－ ５０－ ７－ １较粗的射频传输电缆,减少了爆炸与冲击模拟信号的传输畸变。该传感器经过爆炸洞及爆炸罐压力测试的反复试验,证明性能的确优异     

噪声对岗位职工血三脂水平影响的调查分析

通过对金川公司１２４８名职工血三脂水平调查的结果表明：长期在噪声环境下作业,会导致血清中总胆固醇和甘油三酯的含量增高;噪声暴露量与血清中总胆固醇、甘油三酯的含量及血三脂的异常率呈正相关,与高密度脂蛋白的含量呈负相关;建议把血三脂的测定作为噪声岗位职工的健康监护指标之一。