Will Observation Error and Biases Ruin the Use of Simple Extinction Models?

Abstract: Estimating the risk of extinction for populations of endangered species is an important component of conservation biology. These estimates must be made from data that contain both environmental noise in the year-to-year transitions in population size (so-called "process error"), random errors in sampling, and possible biases in sampling ( both forms of observation errors). To determine how much faith to place in estimated extinction rates, it is important to know how sensitive they are to observation error. We used three simple, commonly employed models of population dynamics to generate simulated population time series. We then combined random observation error or systematic biases with those data, fit models to the time series data, and observed how close the extinction dynamics of the fitted models compared with the dynamics of the underlying models. We found that systematic biases in sampling rarely affected estimates of extinction risk. We also found that even moderate levels of random observation error do not significantly affect extinction estimates except over a small range of process errors, corresponding to the region where extinction risk is most uncertain. With more substantial sampling error, estimates of extinction risk degraded rapidly. Field census techniques for a variety of taxa often involve observation errors within ±32% of actual population sizes. For typical time series used in conservation, therefore, we often may not need to be overly concerned about observation errors as an extra source of imperfection in our estimated extinction rates.     

Demographic Forecasting in Koala Conservation

Abstract: The koala currently needs conservation intervention. There is clear evidence of decline in many populations, but the existence of other stable or expanding populations offers the possibility of a variety of creative solutions to their conservation problems. The 1998 National Koala Conservation Strategy emphasizes the need to obtain demographic information and to use this information to assess management options for koalas. We need accurate diagnoses of the status of koala populations and forecasts of their demographic future with and without particular management actions. In a qualitative fashion, this process has been undertaken many times on a local and national scale. Quantitative demographic forecasting tools are increasingly available, and koala management could benefit from their application both at the scale of individual populations and more broadly. There is already a considerable body of suitable data on the dispersal, effects of normal and catastrophic environmental variation on reproduction and survival, and on the effects of habitat change. Demographic forecasting, however, is hampered because the full suite of information is rarely available from a single population. In two Queensland populations, retrospective population viability analyses provided forecasts that were in agreement with observed population trends. Work is needed to determine whether data from one population can be applied to other populations. Models can then be developed to make projections at a multipopulation level on the basis of local population dynamics and dispersal. Certain koala populations, because of their long history of study, offer the opportunity to test demographic models retrospectively. These tests will not only aid in fine-tuning the models for koala biology and data but will also assist with the more general process of validating the models.     

Poisoned plusiines: toxicity of milkweed latex and cardenolides to some generalist caterpillars

Summary. Larvae of Trichoplusia ni Hübner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) that ingested latex from Asclepias curassavica L. (Asclepiadaceae) often regurgitated and convulsed with spasms before becoming immobile and unresponsive. Some larvae required over a day to recover sufficiently to feed. Latices from four other plant species in three families were all deterrent, but none caused detectable poisoning. The toxicity of A. curassavica latex was evidently due to cardenolides because pure cardenolides had similar effects when ingested by T. ni. Other species of noctuid caterpillars (Rachiplusia ou Guenée, Anagrapha falcifera Kirby, and Autographa precationis Guenée) sometimes also suffered spasms and temporary immobility when fed A. curassavica latex. A more distantly related noctuid, Spodoptera ornithogalli, was deterred by the latex, but showed no overt physiological responses at the dosage tested. T. ni larvae failed to develop on intact leaves of A. curassavica, on leaves with latex canals deactivated by midrib severance, and on excised leaves. Similarly, larvae reared on excised A. syriaca L. leaves to the final instar died when transferred to A. curassavica leaves with either intact or severed midribs. The final instar larvae sometimes suffered from spasms and immobility even when confined on leaves with depressurized canal systems. Evidently, cardenolides stored outside the latex system suffice to poison larvae. We conclude that cardenolides in A. curassavica have potent physiological effects on some generalist caterpillars and that the presence of these compounds both inside and outside laticifers effectively protects the plant. Received 30 June 1999; accepted 18 October 1999     

环境管理、规划管理与项目管理

文章从深入分析环境管理的内涵出发,进而提出树立项目管理意识,强化项目管理的概念,说明项目管理在环境管理中的地位和作用,从这个意义上讨论环境管理与项目管理的关系,简述环境保护项目管理的主要环节,达到提高环境管理效能的途径的目的。     

Sorption of polar and nonpolar aromatic compounds to four surface soils of eastern China

Improved predictions on the fate of organic pollutants in surface environments require a better understanding of the underlying sorption mechanisms that control their uptake by soils. In this study, we monitored sorption of nine aromatic compounds with varying physicochemical properties (hydrophobicity, electron-donor/acceptor ability and polarity), including two polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, two chlorobenzenes, two nitroaromatic compounds, dichlobenil, carbaryl and 2,4-dichlorophenol in aqueous suspension of four surface soils of eastern China. The tested soils were characterized with respect to organic carbon (OC) content, black carbon content, mineralogy, morphology and size fraction to assess the role of the diverse soil characteristics in sorption. The results of this study show that not only the solute hydrophobicity and the OC content of soil are important to the retention of organic pollutants, but also the solute molecular structure and the soil nature.     

50所长江沿岸高校实验废液排放情况调查与分析

目的：了解长江沿岸高校实验室废液排放情况及现状。方法：以问卷调查方式,对长江沿岸高校实验室操作程序、管理制度、废液排放情况进行调查。结果：38％的高校管理制度不完善,68％的高校实验操作不规范,44％的学校环保意识宣传不到位,62％的高校实验废液未处理就直接排放。结论：高校实验室正成为长江生态环境恶化的污染源．我国应制定和完善相关法律,加强实验废液处理,杜绝高校成为长江水质污染新的根源。     

城市湿地公园建设中的若干问题探讨

本文主要围绕城市湿地公园建设中的定位、自然化、生态修复、危害物种防治四方面进行探讨,以期对城市湿地公园的建设和管理起到一定的指导作用。     

基于信息量⁃Scoops3D联合模型的地质灾害易发性评价∗

贵渝管道沿线地势险峻、构造活跃、雨量集中,崩滑流等地质灾害十分发育,科学开展管道沿线地质灾害的易发性评估工作对确保其安全运行至关重要。本研究在查明管道沿线自然地质环境及地质灾害分布的基础上,结合管道沿线地形地质特征、管道展布与斜坡体的相互空间位置关系划分了 101 段适合管道工程特点的评价单元,基于信息量数理统计模型与 Scoops3D 物理力学模型对管道沿线地质灾害的易发性进行了评价。评价结果表明管道沿线地质灾害的高易发区主要集中在遵义及桐梓县附近,其中 7 段处于极高易发区,26 段处于高易发区,20 段处于中易发区,30 段处于低易发区,18 段处于极低易发区。通过 ROC 曲线分别求得信息量、Scoops3D 以及二者联合模型的 AUC 值分别为 0.796、0.683 和 0.803,结果表明信息量-Scoops3D 联合模型的评价准确性最高。     

基于热带海洋大气环境下机载PCB板的环境适应性对比研究

目的 通过机载PCB板(Printed Circuit Board,PCB)在热带海洋大气环境下的腐蚀老化特征和电气性能退化规律分析,研究其在热带海洋大气环境下的环境适应性。方法 根据热带海洋大气环境中PCB板的实际使用环境大多为舱室内部封闭或半封闭的情况,分别设计并开展海南万宁海洋平台棚下暴露场和某海域环境户外简易遮蔽玻璃框下3 a的自然环境试验。结果 PCB板的焊点、焊盘、印制导线以及引线头等部位在2种试验环境中均出现了不同程度的腐蚀破坏,试验后期,所有部位的腐蚀程度全部达到了4级,导通电阻从几十毫欧增大至几十兆欧,绝缘电阻从10 GΩ以上降低至几兆欧。结论 在万宁站试验2 a和某海域试验3 a后,PCB板均不满足耐电压的技术要求(500 V交流电压60 s),万宁海洋平台棚下暴露场对PCB板的环境适应性更为严酷。