Do novel genotypes drive the success of an invasive bark beetle-fungus complex? Implications for potential reinvasion

Novel genotypes often arise during biological invasions, but their role in invasion success has rarely been elucidated. Here we examined the population genetics and behavior of the fungus, Leptographium procerum, vectored by a highly invasive bark beetle, Dendroctonus valens, to determine whether genetic changes in the fungus contributed to the invasive success of the beetle-fungal complex in China. The fungus was introduced by the beetle from the United States to China, where we identified several novel genotypes using microsatellite markers. These novel genotypes were more pathogenic to Chinese host seedlings than were other genotypes and they also induced the release of higher amounts of 3-carene, the primary host attractant for the beetle vector, from inoculated seedlings. This evidence suggests a possible mechanism, based on the evolution of a novel genotype during the two or three decades since its introduction, for the success of the beetle-fungal complex in its introduced region.     

关于我国环境保护投资的界定与思考

对比分析了国内外环保投资范围的界定原则,解析了环保投资的内涵,从环保投资的性质、目的和内涵等方面提出了环保投资的界定原则。研究表明,目前我国环保投资统计口径比较混乱,环保投资虚高,且投资结构不尽合理,资金使用效率不高,造成污染治理和生态恢复速度一直滞后于环境污染和生态破坏速度。建议明晰环保投资定位,优化投资结构,明确投资范围,统一统计口径,拓宽投资融资渠道,保障投资金额,加强投资监管,提高投资使用效率,解决现有环境问题。     

居民低碳消费行为及碳排放驱动因素的实证分析——基于杭州地区的调查

人为碳排放在碳减排中发挥着独特的作用,而实现低碳消费方式是促进碳减排的重要途径.基于杭州地区常住居民的调查数据,对样本居民的交通消费、生活能源消费和消费习惯等三个方面进行了行为比较,测算了居民的生活性能源碳排放量,并通过构建计量模型分析了居民碳排放的影响因素.其中,居民收入水平、最近一周是否使用过一次性产品、地域因素等对居民碳排放有着显著影响.以此为基础,提出了引导居民转变传统消费模式,提升低碳消费意识等政策依据.     

泸州市环保产业调查与分析

环保产业作为环境与经济协调发展的关键,是推进生态文明建设的关键举措。通过泸州市2008年环保及相关产业调查,对相关企业规模、结构、从业人员等相关数据进行分析,阐述了环保产业在泸州市经济发展中的作用和存在的问题。并针对泸州市社会经济发展现状,提出了政府调控、统筹规划、加大投入、全力扶持等大力发展泸州市环保产业的建议。     

厦门市区环境天然放射性水平监测

参照国家环保局颁发的<环境天然放射性水平调查规定>,在厦门城市建城区开展了原野、道路和建筑物室内γ辐射剂量率监测,查明了市区环境的天然放射性水平现状,为厦门市放射性环境管理提供了重要的资料.     

Biological detection and analysis of mercury toxicity to alfalfa (Medicago sativa) plants

Mercury has become one of the major causes of toxic metal pollution in agricultural lands. Accumulation of mercury by plants may disrupt many cellular functions and block growth and development. To assess mercury toxicity, we performed an experiment focusing on the responses of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) to Hg(2+)-induced oxidative stress. Alfalfa plants were treated with 0-40microM HgCl(2) for 7d. The concentrations of Hg(2+) were positively correlated with the generation of O2- and H(2)O(2) in leaves. Treatment with Hg(2+) increased the activities of NADH oxidase and lipoxygenase (LOX) and damaged the biomembrane lipids. To understand biochemical responses under Hg stress, activities of several antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and glutathione reductase (GR) were assayed. Analysis of SOD activity by non-denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed five isoforms in leaves, but they showed different patterns. Also, eight isoenzymes of APX and seven of POD in leaves were detected. However, only one isoform of CAT was visualized. The total activities of APX, POD and CAT were generally enhanced. We also measured several antioxidative metabolites such as ascorbate and glutathione (GSH), and found that both differentially accumulated in leaves. These results indicate that the increased levels of O2- and H(2)O(2) under Hg stress were closely linked to the improved capacity of antioxidant enzymes. The data not only provide the important information for better understanding of the toxic and tolerance mechanisms, but as well can be used as a bio-indicator for soil contamination by Hg.     

Comparison of receptor models for source apportionment of volatile organic compounds in Beijing, China

Identifying the sources of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is key to reducing ground-level ozone and secondary organic aerosols (SOAs). Several receptor models have been developed to apportion sources, but an intercomparison of these models had not been performed for VOCs in China. In the present study, we compared VOC sources based on chemical mass balance (CMB), UNMIX, and positive matrix factorization (PMF) models. Gasoline-related sources, petrochemical production, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) were identified by all three models as the major contributors, with UNMIX and PMF producing quite similar results. The contributions of gasoline-related sources and LPG estimated by the CMB model were higher, and petrochemical emissions were lower than in the UNMIX and PMF results, possibly because the VOC profiles used in the CMB model were for fresh emissions and the profiles extracted from ambient measurements by the two-factor analysis models were "aged".     

Ozonation of oxytetracycline and toxicological assessment of its oxidation by-products

Antibiotic formulation effluents are well known for their difficult elimination by traditional bio-treatment methods and their important contribution to environmental pollution due to its fluctuating and recalcitrant nature. In the present study the effect of ozonation on the degradation of oxytetracycline (OTC) aqueous solution (100mgl(-1)) at different pH values (3, 7 and 11) was investigated. Ozone (11mgl(-1) corresponds the concentration of ozone in gas phase) was chosen considering its rapid reaction and decomposition rate. The concentration of oxytetracycline, chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and BOD5/COD ratio were the parameters to evaluate the efficiency of the ozonation process. In addition, the toxic potential of the OTC degradation was investigated by the bioluminescence test using the LUMIStox 300 instrument and results were expressed as the percentage inhibition of the luminescence of the marine bacteria Vibrio fischeri. The results demonstrate that ozonation as a partial step of a combined treatment concept is a potential technique for biodegradability enhancement of effluents from pharmaceutical industries containing high concentration of oxytetracycline provided that the appropriate ozonation period is selected. At pH 11 and after 60min of ozonation of oxytetracycline aqueous solutions (100 and 200mgl(-1)) the BOD5/COD ratios were 0.69 and 0.52, respectively. It was also shown that COD removal rates increase with increasing pH as a consequence of enhanced ozone decomposition rates at elevated pH values. The results of bioluminescence data indicate that first by-products after partial ozonation (5-30min) of OTC were more toxic than the parent compound.     

生物质燃气高温过滤材料的研究

日趋严格的环保要求和某些工艺过程的特殊需要,对生物质燃气中灰尘的数量和粒度提出了更高的要求,即对生物质气化系统中的过滤工艺有了新的要求。针对生物质气化工艺的特点及其灰尘的特性,重点研究了针刺过滤毡和金属多孔材料两类高温过滤材料。通过研究比较,两种材料各有优缺点,针刺过滤毡过滤精度高,运行工况比较稳定,但是过滤气速小,适用温度低,设备比较庞大;金属多孔材料过滤精度相对较低,但是过滤气速和使用温度高,设备相对紧凑。     

Effectiveness of protected areas for vertebrates based on taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity

Establishing protected areas is the primary goal and tool for preventing irreversible biodiversity loss. However, the effectiveness of protected areas that target specific species has been questioned for some time because targeting key species for conservation may impair the integral regional pool of species diversity and phylogenetic and functional diversity are seldom considered. We assessed the efficacy of protected areas in China for the conservation of phylogenetic diversity based on the ranges and phylogenies of 2279 terrestrial vertebrates. Phylogenetic and taxonomic diversity were strongly and positively correlated, and only 12.1–43.8% of priority conservation areas are currently protected. However, the patterns and coverage of phylogenetic diversity were affected when weighted by species richness. These results indicated that in China, protected areas targeting high species richness protected phylogenetic diversity well overall but failed to do so in some regions with more unique or threatened communities (e.g., coastal areas of eastern China, where severely threatened avian communities were less protected). Our results suggest that the current distribution of protected areas could be improved, although most protected areas protect both taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity.