Festering food: chytridiomycete pathogen reduces quality of Daphnia host as a food resource

When parasitic infections are severe or highly prevalent among prey, a significant component of the predator's diet may consist of parasitized hosts. However, despite the ubiquity of parasites in most food webs, comparisons of the nutritional quality of prey as a function of infection status are largely absent. We measured the nutritional consequences of chytridiomycete infections in Daphnia, which achieve high prevalence in lake ecosystems (>80%), and tested the hypothesis that Daphnia pulicaria infected with Polycaryum laeve are diminished in food quality relative to uninfected hosts. Compared with uninfected adults, infected individuals were smaller, contained less nitrogen and phosphorus, and were lower in several important fatty acids. Infected zooplankton had significantly shorter carapace lengths (8%) and lower mass (8-20%) than uninfected individuals. Parasitized animals contained significantly less phosphorus (16-18% less by dry mass) and nitrogen (4-6% less) than did healthy individuals. Infected individuals also contained 26-34% less saturated fatty acid and 31-42% less docosahexaenoic acid, an essential fatty acid that is typically low in cladocera, but critical to fish growth. Our results suggest that naturally occurring levels of chytrid infections in D. pulicaria populations reduce the quality of food available to secondary consumers, including planktivorous fishes, with potentially important effects for lake food webs.     

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEAVER TO WETLAND HABITATS AND WATERFOWL IN WYOMING1

ABSTRACT: Beaver (Castor canadensis) are habitat‐modifying keystone species, and their activities broadly influence many other plants and animals. Beaver are especially important to waterfowl in the western U.S. where riparian and wetland habitats comprise less than 2 percent of the landscape yet provide habitat for greater than 80 percent of wildlife species. Wyoming is currently ranked sixth of the 50 states in the size of its breeding waterfowl population, and beaver ponds may play a significant role in providing habitat for these birds. The objectives of this research were to: (1) identify streams in Wyoming where beaver are currently present, extirpated, or used to manage riparian habitat; (2) identify areas where beaver could be relocated to create wetlands and improve riparian habitat; (3) compare wetland surface areas between areas that have beaver with those that did not; and (4) compare waterfowl numbers in areas with and without beaver. Using a survey of 125 land managers in Wyoming, we found that beaver have been removed from 23 percent (6,497 kin) of the streams for which managers had direct knowledge (28,297 kin). The same managers estimated that there are over 3,500 km of streams where beaver could improve habitat conditions. The riparian width in streams with beaver ponds averaged 33.9 m (95 percent CI = 25.1–42.7 m) in contrast to 10.5 m (CI = 8.6–12.4 m) in streams without beaver. During waterfowl surveys we counted 7.5 ducks/km (CI = O.9–14.4 ducks/kin) of stream in areas with beaver ponds and only O.1 ducks/km (no CIs calculated) of stream in similar areas without beaver present. Beginning in 1994, we restored beaver to 14 streams throughout Wyoming in an effort to create wetlands and improve riparian habitat. Waterfowl have been quick to respond to these important habitats. We feel that beaver restoration and management can be used to improve habitat in drainages where conflicts with other land uses are minimal.     

活性炭深度处理工艺用于地下回灌的水质研究

以北京高碑店污水处理厂二级生化出水为对象,研究了用于地下回灌的活性炭三级处理工艺.活性炭可有效降低DOC,UV-254和COD,部分去除可吸附有机卤化物(AOX).再经过土壤含水层处理,约90%的可吸附有机溴化物(AOBr)可被去除.Ames试验结果显示活性炭工艺可有效降低二级生化出水中的致突物.GC/MS分析表明,活性炭吸附可降低有机物含量,再经土壤含水层处理,大部分有机物及优先控制的污染物可被去除.      

京津冀一次重污染过程的成因和来源

2016年12月16~21日,京津冀地区经历了一次大范围重污染过程.本文基于空气质量监测资料及实况天气图分析了此次极端区域重污染事件的天气成因,并利用嵌套网格空气质量预报模式（NAQPMS）对京津冀主要城市PM_2.5污染来源进行定量解析.结果表明：污染前中期500hPa高空为偏西气流伴空中回暖,后期转槽前偏南气流增温增湿明显;对应地面气压逐渐降低,辐合不断增强;垂直方向上,逆温层不断抬升加厚,中低层暖平流明显,风垂直切变小;大气长时间处于极度静稳状态也是造成此次重污染过程的天气因素.污染期间,京津冀各主要城市PM_2.5污染本地贡献占40%~60%;北京市PM_2.5本地贡献为48%,其中16~17日北京市主要受沿太行山东侧的西南向输送通道（邯郸-邢台-石家庄-保定-北京）影响,其后风速减小,北京本地及周边城市贡献增大.     

施肥及种植作物对汞污染土壤中微生物生态的修复

以中性紫色土为材料，通过向土壤添加氯化汞的模拟培养试验、施肥试验以及作物栽培试验，研究了汞对土壤中微生物区系和重要微生物生理群繁育的毒害效应。结果表明，向土壤中添加HgCl2，总体上抑制了细菌、真菌、放线菌及氨化细菌的繁育，硝化细菌、自生固氮菌、纤维素降解菌在一定质量分数范围内被汞刺激增长，在另一定质量分数段则被汞抑制。施肥和栽种作物削弱了汞对微生物的毒害，使土壤微生物生态得到一定程度的修复，说明利用农业措施修复汞污染的土壤是可行的。栽种作物时，汞对微生物的抑制效应受到掩蔽，作物产量和植株体内汞含量是汞污染程度的良好指标。以微生物和植物对汞污染的反应，基本一致的HgCl2危害质量分数指标是5mg．kg^-1。     

成渝地区一次区域重污染过程来源解析及减排效果研究

基于嵌套网格空气质量预报模式(NAQPMS)及耦合的污染来源追踪模块模拟2017年12月16日至2018年1月3日成渝地区一次区域重污染过程,定量解析成渝地区主要城市PM2.5来源,评估过程中应急减排的成效。结果表明,天气静稳和风向辐合是造成此次重污染过程的重要因素,污染峰值阶段,成渝地区多个城市PM2.5日均质量浓度超过150μg/m3,达到重度污染级别。污染过程中,成都市PM2.5本地排放的贡献率为42%,眉山和德阳贡献率将近30%;重庆市PM2.5本地排放的贡献率为60%,外来输送以湖北、湖南和其他地区为主,贡献率为24%,成都和重庆市的工业源和交通源的贡献最大。区域联防联控应急减排对成渝各城市空气质量改善效果显著,成渝地区PM2.5浓度降低率为5%~11%,对于未实施应急预警方案的地区(如眉山市)受周边城市减排影响,浓度降低可达6%。     

Ecological principles,biodiversity, and the electric utility industry

The synthetic field of conservation biology uses principles derived from many different disciplines to address biodiversity issues. Many of these principles have come from ecology, and two simple ones that seem to relate to many issues involving the utility industry are: (1) Everything is interconnected (and should usually stay that way), and (2) We can never do merely one thing. The first principle can be applied to both the biotic and physical environments that are impacted by industrial activities. Habitat fragmentation and the loss of physical and biotic connectedness that results are frequently associated with transmission rights-of-way. These problems can be reduced—or even turned into conservation benefits—by careful planning and creative management. The second principle applies to the utility industry's programs to deal with carbon released by burning fossil fuels. Ecological knowledge can allow these programs to contribute to the preservation of biodiversity in addition to addressing a pollution problem. Without careful ecological analyses, industry could easily create new problems while implementing solutions to old ones.     

典型湿地沉积物中硝酸盐异化还原成铵的细菌群落结构的研究

为研究中国典型湿地沉积物硝酸盐异化还原成铵过程(Dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium,DNRA)的群落组成,针对DNRA过程的功能基因nrfA进行高通量测序.选取中国典型湿地岸边带的表层沉积物8个样点,质控后每个样品得到60000条序列,在相似度≥90%得到279个OTUs进行生态学分析.由基因丰度值显示:8个湿地沉积物的丰度为(6.69±0.28)×10~7～(8.44±0.48)×10~8 copies g~(-1).多样性分析(OTUs水平)结果表明:本研究的湿地沉积物样点中,南方湿地沉积物样点的多样性要高于北方样点.对代表OTUs进行分类,共定义到8个门(Phylum),23个属(Genus).其中相对丰度最高的3个属为Anaeromyxobacter(24.71%)、Anaerolinea(9.70%)和Dokdonella(7.94%),表明三者在群落组成中占主导地位.PCoA分析(OTUs水平)表明南北方地区差异是导致中国湿地沉积物中DNRA菌群结构不同的最主要影响因素.结合沉积物理化因子分析,DNRA细菌的丰度与碳氮比、年平均降水量及年平均温度呈显著正相关.本研究在一定程度上揭示了中国典型湿地沉积物DNRA细菌的群落组成、多样性及其与环境因子的关系.     

Prenatal diagnosis of Pallister–Killian syndrome: Resolution of cytogenetic ambiguity by use of fluorescent in situ hybridization

We report a case of Pallister-Killian syndrome initially diagnosed prenatally as tetrasomy 21. A 33-year-old primiparous woman was noted at 24 weeks' gestation to have moderate polyhydramnios. Ultrasonography showed diminished fetal stomach filling, hydronephrosis, and prominence of the cisterna magna. Cytogenetic analysis of cultured amniocytes was initially interpreted as mosaic tetrasomy 21: 46,XX/47,XX,+i(21q). The patient was then referred to our centre for genetic counselling. At 34 weeks' gestation, a dysmorphic infant was delivered and died within 30 min. Physical features were consistent with the Pallister-Killian syndrome. Renal, gastrointestinal, and central nervous system anomalies were found at post-mortem examination. Analysis of peripheral lymphocytes revealed 5 per cent of cells with a marker chromosome, while 92 per cent of cultured fibroblasts had this same marker. Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) using an alpha-satellite probe for chromosomes 13 and 21 failed to hybridize to the marker, while a chromosome 12 centromeric probe unequivocally identified it as an i(12p). Use of FISH can provide rapid, specific prenatal diagnosis of ambiguous marker chromosomes and improve prenatal counselling.