Integrating lidar and satellite optical depth with ambient monitoring for 3-dimensional particulate characterization

A combination of in-situ PM_2.5, sunphotometers, upward pointing lidar and satellite aerosol optical depth (AOD) instruments have been employed to better understand variability in the correlation between AOD and PM_2.5 at the surface. Previous studies have shown good correlation between these measures, especially in the US east, and encouraged the use of satellite data for spatially interpolating between ground sensors. This work shows that cases of weak correlation can be better understood with knowledge of whether the aerosol is confined to the surface planetary boundary layer (PBL) or aloft. Lidar apportionment of the fraction of aerosol optical depth that is within the PBL can be scaled to give better agreement with surface PM_2.5 than does the total column amount. The study has shown that lidar combined with surface and remotely sensed data might be strategically used to improve our understanding of long-range or regionally transported pollutants in multiple dimensions.     

An integrated look at decision-making in bees as they abandon a depleted food source

While there has been considerable research on the behavioral processes that underlie animals’ ability respond to shifting rewards, it remains unclear how animals coordinate multiple processes over time. To investigate this, we compared the behavior of honeybees (Apis mellifera) and bumblebees (Bombus impatiens), in an open-ended search task. Bees were given brief access to a high-quality food source, which then became non-rewarding. Then, over an extended period, we examined (1) bees’ tendency to persist at the depleted site, (2) their tendency to return to a different low-quality food source where they had been foraging previously, (3) their tendency to return to the hive, and (4) how previous reward history influenced their tendency to shift among these options. Compared to bumblebees, honeybees were much slower to abandon the depleted site and were much more likely to make trips to the hive while bumblebees were much more likely to return to the familiar low-quality site. These observed species differences are interpreted in terms of evolved individual and social differences between these species. We show evidence of well-studied behavioral processes such as extinction, negative contrast effects, and reliance on a social group, and provide, for the first time, a picture of how these processes interact with one another as part of a common sequential decision-making process.     

Exposure of PM2.5 and EC from diesel and gasoline vehicles in communities near the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach,California

The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are the entry point for almost half of all cargo containers entering the United States. The use of diesel trucks to move Port-related goods has raised significant public health concerns associated with black carbon and other air pollutants. It is difficult to reliably estimate people's exposure to vehicle-related pollutants due to the narrow impact zone of traffic, usually within 200–300 m downwind of major roadways. Previous studies suffer from the lack of traffic count data on surface streets and the lack of neighborhood-level population data. We examined seasonal and annual average exposures of particulate matter less than 2.5 μm (PM_2.5) and elemental carbon (EC) at a neighborhood scale for communities heavily impacted by diesel trucks near these ports. We assembled a traffic-activity database that distinguishes gasoline and diesel vehicles on both freeways and surface streets, by consolidating information from several sources, including our own field measurements. The CALINE4 model was used to estimate residential exposure of the study population to PM_2.5 and EC. Parcel property data were used to allocate Census block group (BG) population to increase spatial resolution. The annual average PM_2.5 and EC exposure due to local traffic was 3.8 and 0.4 μg m^?3, respectively. On average, surface streets contributed a little more than freeways (55% vs. 45% for EC and 57% and 43% for PM_2.5). Light-duty vehicles contributed significantly more than heavy-duty trucks for PM_2.5 (61% vs. 39%), but slightly less than heavy-duty trucks for EC (49% vs. 51%). Community mean population exposure was similar using parcel, census block, and BG population data, but extreme values and standard deviations varied significantly at different spatial resolutions. The intake fraction for the study population was in the range of 1.0–2.2 × 10^?5 by vehicle type, roadway type, and season.     

Improving the Evaluation of Conservation Programs

Abstract: The evaluation of conservation programs is rare but increasingly important in improving their effectiveness. Regular evaluations of conservation programs and the implementation of recommendations resulting from such assessments are infrequent because of resistance by participants and lack of funding. Evaluations may be internal or external, depending on the purpose of the review and how broadly it is focused. We strongly recommend external peer review of long-term complex conservation programs every 5 years, supported by more frequent (annual) internal reviews. Criteria for success must encompass both biological and social measures and include learning and the application of new knowledge to management. Evaluations must also go beyond monitoring to assess the value of the program. We emphasize the need to include the organization and function of a conservation program (the process) in any evaluation in addition to substantive criteria for success, which usually involve biological measures (numbers). A dysfunctional program organization and process can as effectively cripple a conservation effort as can a major biological catastrophe. We provide examples of different types of conservation program evaluations, including moderated workshops and case-study analysis, and provide advice on the logistics and organization of the review, emphasizing the importance of the evaluation process itself to a successful outcome. One important aspect of an evaluation is having an individual with leadership ability and considerable expertise to organize the format and oversee the review process itself. Second, it is essential at the outset to ensure agreement among the program participants and the review committee on the goals and objectives of the conservation program, what is to be evaluated, and the criteria for defining success. Finally, the best evaluations are inclusive and involve all participants and stakeholders.     

Sustainable Development and Wildlife Conservation in Tanzanian Maasailand

Many current wildlife conservation efforts in Africa focus on providing local communities with economic incentives to utilize wildlife as a form of land use in order to achieve the twin goals of ecological preservation as well as sustainable human economic development. Tanzanian Maasailand is home to some of the greatest concentrations of large mammals remaining outside National Parks and reserves, as well as a uniquely traditional human culture in the form of the Maasai themselves. Both are increasingly threatened by a variety of factors; poaching and habitat loss for wildlife, and the increasing marginalization of their pastoralist economy with regards to the Maasai. The fundamental cause of declining wildlife populations and biodiversity loss is that the Maasai have little economic or social interest in wildlife due to centralized management and financial benefits which are directed primarily to the Tanzanian state. Maasai pastoralism is highly compatible with wildlife, and the potential for the local communities to sustainably manage and benefit from this resource is promising. However, implementation of effective community-based natural resource management in the area faces political, cultural, and economic obstacles which will be critical in determining the outcomes of both conservation and community development efforts in Maasailand.     

大鼠类Alu重复序列的克隆及其在染色体DNA突变分析中的应用

从大鼠低Ｃｏｔ值ＤＮＡ文库分离到一种类Ａｌｕ的重复序列,命名为ＲＡＬＲＳ－１。对ＲＡＬＲＳ－１克隆并进行了测序,长度为２８３ｂｐ,发现其中含有单一的微卫星（ｍｉｃｒｏｓａｔｅｌｌｉｔｅ）序列ＡＧ,ＡＧＧ和ＡＧＧＧ。ＲＡＬＲＳ－１ＤＮＡ序列在大鼠单倍体基因组中的拷贝数为１５００００～３３００００。依ＲＡＬＲＳ－１中的一段序列合成了一２８寡核苷酸探针（ＡＧＧＧ）７,对大鼠正常组织和肿瘤组织ＤＮＡ指数谱     

The Estuarine Component of the Us E.P.A.'S Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program

The US Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Research and Development has initiated the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) to monitor status and trends in the condition of the nation's near coastal waters, forests, wetlands, agro-ecosystems, surface waters, deserts and rangelands. the programme is also intended to evaluate the effectiveness of Agency policies at protecting ecological resources occurring in these systems. Monitoring data collected for all ecosystems will be integrated for regional and national status and trends assessments. the near coastal component of EMAP consists of estuaries, coastal waters, and the Great Lakes. Near coastal ecosystems have been regionalized and classified, and an integrated sampling strategy has been developed. EPA and NOAA have agreed to coordinate and, to the extent possible, integrate the near coastal component of EMAP with the NOAA National Status and Trends Program. A demonstration project was conducted in estuaries of the mid-Atlantic region (Chesapeake Bay to Cape Cod) in the summer of 1990. in 1991, monitoring continued in mid-Atlantic estuaries and was initiated in estuaries of a portion of the Gulf of Mexico. Preliminary results indicate: there are no insurmountable logistical problems with sampling on a regional scale; several of the selected indicators are practical and sensitive on the regional scale; and an efficient effort in future years will provide valuable information on condition of estuarine resources at regional scales.