During the last decade, many studies have focused on the detrimental effects of noise pollution on acoustic communication. Surprisingly, although it is known that noise exposure strongly influences health in humans, studies on wildlife remain scarce. In order to gain insight into the consequences of traffic noise exposure, we experimentally manipulated traffic noise exposure as well as the endocrine status of animals to investigate physiological and phenotypic consequences of noise pollution in an anuran species. We showed that noise exposure increased stress hormone level and induced an immunosuppressive effect. In addition, both traffic noise exposure and stress hormone application negatively impacted H. arborea vocal sac coloration. Moreover, our results suggest profound changes in sexual selection processes because the best quality males with initial attractive vocal sac coloration were the most impacted by noise. Hence, our study suggests that the recent increases in anthropogenic noise worldwide might affect a broader range of animal species than previously thought, because of alteration of visual signals and immunity. Generalizing these results to other taxa is crucial for the conservation of biodiversity in an increasingly noisy world. 相似文献
Here we review some of the main processes and key parameters affecting the mobility of radiocesium in soils of semi-natural areas. We further illustrate them in a collection of soil surface horizons which largely differ in their organic matter contents. In soils, specific retention of radiocesium occurs in a very small number of sorbing sites, which are the frayed edge sites (FES) born out of weathered micaceous minerals. The FES abundance directly governs the mobility of trace Cs in the rhizosphere and thus its transfer from soil to plant. Here, we show that the accumulation of organic matter in topsoils can exert a dilution of FES-bearing minerals in the thick humus of some forest soils. Consequently, such accumulation significantly contributes to increasing 137Cs soil-to-plant transfer. Potassium depletion and extensive exploration of the organic horizons by plant roots can further enhance the contamination hazard. As humus thickness depends on both ecological conditions and forest management. our observations support the following ideas: (1) forest ecosystems can be classified according to their sensitivity to radiocesium bio-recycling, (2) specific forest management could be searched to decrease such bio-recycling. 相似文献
The objectives in this work were to investigate a conceptual layout for an inexpensive and simple system that would treat primary municipal wastewater to discharge standards. A commercial hydroponic system was adapted for this study and the wastewater was used to irrigate wooly digitalis (Digitalis lanata Ehrh.) and foxglove (Digitalis purpurea L.). These plants are medicinal and produce cardenolide compounds. Influent and effluent samples were collected once a month for six months and analyzed to determine the various parameters relating to water quality. The legal discharge levels for total suspended solids (SS), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) were reached for the two tested plants after 48 h of wastewater treatment; the removal was 82, 93, and 79%, respectively, for wooly digitalis and 92, 92, and 84%, respectively, for foxglove. Similar results were obtained during a 6-mo period although the sewage composition varied widely. The system tended to be unable to remove N and P to concentrations below regulated levels. Compared with the nutrient solution composition, the wastewater was more concentrated in Na+ and Cl- and less in N, K+, and Ca2+. These variations can lead to the decline of wooly digitalis plants. Foxglove developed a significant root system to increase mineral absorption wastewater being used as the unique nutritive source. After 10 wk all the wooly digitalis seedlings were dead. Despite this fact, however, the root system remained in place for a significant time (< 4 mo), thus continuing to filter wastewater and to be used as a bacterial support thus making it possible to have a security period to replace the dead plants. 相似文献
The objective of this study was to assess the time variation of mineral and water stress levels across the life of a declining, Mg-deficient, spruce stand, in order to clarify the factors that caused the decline. Since 1985, strong soil acidification linked to a large leaching of nitrate and base cations was measured at the study site. In 1994, 5 trees were felled and tree rings were measured and analysed for Ca, Mg, K, Sr, 13C12C and 87Sr/86Sr isotopic ratios. Strontium pools and fluxes as well as root Sr isotope ratio in relation to depth were also measured. Wood chemical concentrations and isotope ratios were strongly related to the dominance status of each tree. On average during the study period, the 87Sr/86Sr ratio of spruce wood decreased. Using a mechanistic model computing long term variations of 87Sr/86Sr ratio in trees and soils, we reproduced the observed trend by simulating soil acidification – increasing Sr drainage from the whole profile, and particularly from the organic horizon –, and root uptake becoming more superficial with time. Between 1952 and 1976, tree ring 13C decreased strongly and continuously, which, in addition to other factors, might be related to an increase in water stress. Thus, a decrease in rooting depth, possibly related to soil acidification, appeared as a possible cause for the long term increase in water stress. The extreme drought event of 1976 appears to have revealed and triggered the decline. 相似文献
This study investigates the spatiotemporal variability of major and trace elements, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), total dissolved solids (TDS), and suspended particulate matter (SPM) in surface waters of several hydrosystems of the Loire River watershed in France. In particular, this study aims to delineate the impact of the abovementioned water physicochemical parameters on natural iron and manganese physical speciation (homoaggregation/heteroaggregation) among fine colloidal and dissolved (<?10 nm), colloidal (10–450 nm) and particulate (>?450 nm) phases in Loire River watershed. Results show that the chemistry of the Loire River watershed is controlled by two end members: magmatic and metamorphic petrographic context on the upper part of the watershed; and sedimentary rocks for the middle and low part of the Loire. The percentage of particulate Fe and Mn increased downstream concurrent with the increase in SPM and major cations concentration, whereas the percentage of colloidal Fe and Mn decreased downstream. Transmission electron microscopy analyses of the colloidal and particulate fractions (from the non-filtered water sample) revealed that heteroaggregation of Fe and Mn rich natural nanoparticles and natural organic matter to the particulate phase is the dominant mechanism. The heteroaggregation controls the partitioning of Fe and Mn in the different fractions, potentially due to the increase in the ionic strength, and divalent cations concentration downstream, and SPM concentration. These findings imply that SPM concentration plays an important role in controlling the fate and behavior of Fe and Mn in various sized fractions.
Physical speciation by heteroaggregation of (Fe-Mn) compounds: high [SPM]?→?[Fe-Mn] particulate faction; low {SPM]?→?[Fe-Mn] colloid-dissolved fraction.
Cloud and rainwater samples have been collected at a high elevation site in the Vosges Mountains. An automated collection system has been used to collect bulk cloudwater and small cloudwater droplets. Bulk cloudwater concentrations were up to 10 times more concentrated than rainwater concentrations. Small clouddroplets showed generally higher concentrations than bulk cloudwater. Nevertheless, the enrichment factors depend on the compounds under study and appear to be related to the composition of the cloud condensation nuclei forming small or large clouddroplets. Principal component analysis and factor analysis were applied to the collected datasets and confirmed the influence of the cloud condensation nuclei on the composition difference between small and large cloudwater droplets. 相似文献
Recording the activity of animals as they migrate or forage has proven hugely advantageous to understanding how animals use
their environment. Where animals cannot be directly observed, the problem remains of how to identify distinct behaviours that
represent an animal’s decision-making process. An excellent example of this problem is that of foraging penguins, which travel
to sea to find prey to provision their young. Without direct sampling of the prey field, we cannot calibrate patterns of movement
with prey capture, and therefore we cannot determine how different activities link to decision-making. To overcome this, we
use a hidden markov model (HMM), which is a machine-learning technique that seeks to identify the underlying states of a system
from observable outputs. We apply HMM to determine classes of behaviour from repetitive dives. We take dive data from 103
breeding macaroni penguins at Bird Island, South Georgia, for which we have measures of weight gain over a trip. We identify
two classes of behaviour; those of short-shallow and long-deep dives. Using these two behaviours, we calculate the transition
probabilities between these states and analyse these data to determine what predicts variation in the transition probabilities.
We found that the stage of reproduction during a season, the sex and year of an individual influenced the probability of transition
between long-deep and short-shallow sequential dives. We also found differences in the hourly transition rates between the
four reproductive stages (incubation, broodguard, crèche and premoult) over a daily cycle. We conclude that this application
of HMMs for behavioural switching is potentially useful for other species and other types of recorded behaviour. 相似文献
Conservation science is a morally motivated field, with implicit and explicit values built into its practice. As such, conservationists must engage with conservation ethics to interrogate underlying values. We examine cutting-edge ecological science and contemporary ethics to revisit two conservation norms that have become dogmatic in the field: ecological collectives, but not individual animals, are valuable and anthropomorphism should be staunchly avoided. Emerging studies demonstrate that individuals and their intraspecific variation can be instrumentally valuable for conservation science, and there is an emerging consensus within environmental philosophy around the moral worth of individuals. Thus, we suggest conservation science should explicitly recognize the value of individuals. We also argue that avoiding anthropomorphism is detrimental to conservation because critical anthropomorphism enables a more nuanced scientific approach—allowing conservationists to ask enlightened questions with creativity and compassion. We provide evidence that both dogmatic norms are scientifically and morally outdated and propose new normative values to push conservation towards more robust science and ethical practice. 相似文献