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     

隐伏断裂的地气测量及其意义

传统概念的地气测量是指地下上升到地表并扩散到大气空间的天然状态气体 ,如CO2 、CH4 、Rn、Hg、H2 等。近十多年的研究证实地气还包含着新的内涵 ,即地壳岩石以及地表土壤中还存着痕量的金属与非金属气体 ,通过捕集这些气体 ,可以获得更多的深部地质构造、矿床信息。据报导 ,国内外的研究主要是在已知矿床上做的正演研究。本文是在已知隐伏断层构造上方地表 ,试验金属与非金属地气存在的可能性。     

生物过滤技术在大气污染控制中的应用

生物过滤是控制大气污染的经济有效技术,具有较好的发展前景。本文介绍了生物过滤技术处理废气的研究,应用历史,现状,和生物过滤理论,分析了工艺的使用范围,设计及运行控制要点,列举了应用的范例。     

木质纤维素原料预处理技术研究近况

木质纤维素的结构导致其不易降解。通过酸处理、碱处理、液态高温水技术、爆破处理、湿式氧化、超临界CO2处理、生物降解等预处理手段,可使后续过程的效率大大提高。较为全面地对国内外木质纤维素原料预处理技术的研究近况做了总结,主要对国外学者的试验方法和现象分析进行了简要描述,并对萼合于我国的方法提出了自己的观点。     

基于维纳过程的MEMS陀螺仪贮存寿命评估

目的 针对MEMS陀螺仪在步进应力加速试验条件下获取的性能退化数据,提出基于维纳过程的贮存寿命评估方法及其模型准确度检验方法。方法 首先,确定温度为影响MEMS陀螺仪性能退化的主要环境因素,采用步进温度应力加速试验的方式获取其性能退化数据。其次,分析各项性能参数的演变规律,确定标度因数为表征产品性能退化的特征性能参数。最后,采用漂移维纳过程对标度因数退化轨迹进行建模,并外推得到常温条件下的贮存寿命。结果 采用留一法对模型精度进行验证,模型准确度最低为86.44%。可靠度水平为0.95时,常温贮存(25 ℃)条件下的寿命评估结果为50.02 a。结论 基于维纳过程建立的性能退化模型的准确度在85%以上,该模型可应用于指定贮存条件下MEMS陀螺仪的性能退化预测及贮存寿命评估。     

伪装遮障材料耐老化性能与机理分析

目的 研究伪装遮障材料在实用期的老化机理,获悉伪装遮障材料失效的主要环境因素。方法 通过分析伪装遮障材料在自然环境和实验室单因素环境中的性能变化,得出影响伪装遮障材料老化失效的主要因素。采用扫描电子显微镜、红外光谱仪、X射线光电子能谱仪表征材料的微观形貌、化学结构和化学成分变化,解释伪装遮障材料的老化机理。结果 获得了在不同自然环境、实验室单因素环境下,伪装遮障材料颜色外观和力学性能的变化规律,得到了伪装遮障材料在老化过程中发生的微观形貌、化学结构和化学成分变化。结论 伪装遮障材料在西双版纳自然环境下的老化程度最大,在济南自然环境下的老化程度最小。光照是导致伪装遮障材料颜色外观及力学性能降低的主要因素。老化过程中,主要是材料表面的聚氨酯发生老化、脱落,导致材料的力学性能下降。伪装遮障材料破坏时,纤维有2种失效形式,一种是纤维脱黏、直接断裂;另一种是纤维脱黏,拔出,或者拔出过程中断裂。     

不同温湿度条件下微米硼的氧化过程研究

目的 探究不同温湿度条件下微米硼的氧化层结构特征。方法 利用高温水浴浸泡处理去除原料微米硼的表面氧化层,然后在恒温恒湿条件下对微米硼进行加速氧化,利用扫描电子显微镜、透射电子显微镜和X射线光电子能谱对加速氧化后硼颗粒的氧化层厚度及组成进行分析,总结表面氧化层结构及成分组成变化规律,揭示温湿度条件下微米硼的氧化机制。结果 微米硼经高温水浴浸泡处理后,表面氧化层去除率达到50%。随着加速氧化时间的延长,硼颗粒氧化层的厚度逐渐增大,由内向外硼颗粒表面可以用B-BxOy-B2O3三层结构来表示,BxOy总是伴随着B2O3同时出现的,且随着氧化反应的进行,颗粒表面BxOy的含量将超过B的含量。结论 不同温湿度条件下微米硼的氧化机制为O2向B颗粒内部单向扩散的反应机制,B先与O2反应,形成低氧化物BxOy,BxOy进而与O2反应生成B2O3。随着氧化层厚度的增加,O2向B颗粒内部扩散的阻力增大,氧化反应速率随之降低。相比湿度的影响,温度的升高可显著加快硼表面氧化层的形成;温度一定时,湿度的增加可促进硼氧化层的形成。     

工程塑料环境因素与载荷应力耦合作用试验装置研究

目的 设计一种能够模拟工程塑料实际服役工作环境的试验装置,在多型自然环境中,构建兼具环境因素侵蚀与载荷应力耦合作用的试验条件。方法 研制工程塑料环境因素与载荷应力协同作用试验装置,采用包括拉伸加载、弯曲加载、控制系统等组件的模块化设计,实现0.01~16 Hz加载频率的拉伸及弯曲载荷,最大1 550 kg的拉伸载荷,最大375 kg的弯曲载荷。结果 将研制完成的试验装置置于多型自然环境下对试验施加恒定和交变载荷,以真实模拟工程塑料实际服役中的环境因素与载荷应力协同作用。结论 试验装置制造加工难度小,结构稳定可靠,可用于评价和研究工程塑料等系列类型材料的环境损伤性能演变。