Loss of PM2.5 nitrate from filter samples in central California

Evaporative loss of particulate matter (with aerodynamic diameter < 2.5 microm, [PM2.5]) ammonium nitrate from quartz-fiber filters during aerosol sampling was evaluated from December 3, 1999, through February 3, 2001, at two urban (Fresno and Bakersfield) and three nonurban (Bethel Island, Sierra Nevada Foothills, and Angiola) sites in central California. Compared with total particulate nitrate, evaporative nitrate losses ranged from < 10% during cold months to > 80% during warm months. In agreement with theory, evaporative loss from quartz-fiber filters in nitric acid denuded samplers is controlled by the ambient nitric acid-to-particulate nitrate ratio, which is determined mainly by ambient temperature. Accurate estimation of nitrate volatilization requires a detailed thermodynamic model and comprehensive chemical measurements. For the 14-month average of PM2.5 acquired on Teflon-membrane filters, measured PM2.5 mass was 8-16% lower than actual PM2.5 mass owing to nitrate volatilization. For 24-hr samples, measured PM2.5 was as much as 32-44% lower than actual PM2.5 at three California Central Valley locations.     

A comparative evaluation of accelerated solvent extraction and Polytron extraction for quantification of lipids and extractable organochlorine in fish

Optimal conditions for extraction methods using an accelerated solvent extractor (ASE) and a Polytron homogenizer were established for quantification of (crude) lipids and extractable organochlorine (EOCl) in fish. The two methods, an ASE consecutive extraction at 55 and 100 degrees C for ground, freeze-dried filets, and a Polytron extraction at room temperature with four repetitions for ground, wet filets and with two repetitions for wet fish livers were evaluated in terms of reproducibility and comparability. With respect to lipid measurement, the two methods have comparable reproducibility and the experimental errors are relatively small compared to natural variations of fish to fish within a sampling site. For EOCl measurement, the relative standard deviation tends to increase with decreasing levels of EOCl in specimens. An important factor for the relative standard deviation of measurements of analytes present at trace levels in fish matrices is sampling error in taking aliquots. Statistical analysis using a paired comparison design showed that measurement values (crude lipids or EOCl) obtained from these two extraction methods are, in general, not equivalent. There is a good correlation between the two methods for lipid measurement; whereas for EOCl measurements, high degrees of correlation exist within the exposed fish group, but not in the reference group.     

A reevaluation of carbon monoxide: past trends,future concentrations,and implications for conformity "hot-spot" policies

Control of CO is one of the great air-quality management success stories of the past 20 years. This paper evaluates whether past progress will continue into the future and whether changes in microscale CO concentrations are comparable to reductions observed at the regional scale. Neighborhood and microscale CO concentrations were evaluated at six northern and southern California monitoring sites. The study also included a review of CO emission, concentration, and exposure trends and on-road motor vehicle-based CO emission control programs for California and the United States. Consistent with California and national trends, CO concentrations declined at each of the six study locations from 1988 through 1998. Microscale concentrations declined at the same rate as did neighborhood-scale concentrations. Rollback analyses demonstrated that microscale concentrations will continue to decline through at least 2010-2020. Within a few years, microscale violations of the CO National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) will be unlikely in California except under extraordinary circumstances.     

Synergistic interactions between chemical alarm cues and the presence of conspecific and heterospecific fish shoals

Chemical and visual sources of information are used by aquatic prey during risk assessment. Here, we test the behavioral response of littoral prey fish to combinations of chemical alarm cues (skin extract) and the visual presence of a fish shoal. We scented minnow traps with either alarm cues or water (control) placed inside the trap, a jar that contained either a fish shoal or nothing (control), and recorded the number and species of fish captured. We predicted that chemical alarm cues would reduce the number of fish captured and that a fish shoal would increase the number of fish captured. The predicted effect of chemical and visual cues combined depended on the nature of the interaction. We found that the lowest catch rate was for the combination of alarm cue + no shoal, but the highest catch rate occurred for the combination of alarm cue + shoal. Fish shoal + water had the second highest catch rate and no shoal + water had the second lowest catch rate. We conclude that chemical alarm cues induce area avoidance in the absence of a shoal, but a strong behavioral proclivity to increase shoal cohesion in the presence of a shoal. The presence of a shoal in the traps induced alarmed fish to shoal with them and thus, enter the traps. This occurred even though traps were the source of the alarm cue.Communicated by A. Mathis     

The paradox of risk assessment: comparing responses of fathead minnows to capture-released and diet-released alarm cues from two different predators

Summary. Many aquatic prey are known to use chemical alarm cues to assess their risk of predation. In fishes, such alarm cues can be released either through damage of the epidermis during a predatory attack (capture-released) or through release from the predator feces (diet-released). In our study, we compared the importance of capture- versus diet-released alarm cues in risk assessment by fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) that were na?ve to fish predators. We utilized two different fish predators: a specialized piscivore, the northern pike (Esox lucius) and a generalist predator, the brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis). Handling time of pike consuming minnows was much shorter than for trout consuming minnows, likely resulting in less epidermal damage to the minnows during attacks by pike. In accordance with this, minnows showed a less intense antipredator response to capture-released cues from pike than capture-released cues from trout. This represents a paradox in risk assessment for the minnows as they respond to the specialized piscivore, the more dangerous predator, with a less intense antipredator response. In contrast, the minnows showed a stronger antipredator response to the specialized piscivore than to the generalist when given diet cues. This work highlights the need for researchers to carefully consider the nature of the information available to prey in risk assessment.     

Potential effects of forest policies on terrestrial biodiversity in a multi-ownership province.

We used spatial simulation models to evaluate how current and two alternative policies might affect potential biodiversity over 100 years in the Coast Ranges Physiographic Province of Oregon. This 2.3-million-ha province is characterized by a diversity of public and private forest owners, and a wide range of forest policy and management objectives. We evaluated habitat availability for seven focal species representing different life histories. We also examined how policies affected old-growth stand structure, age distributions relative to the historical range of variability, and landscape patterns of forest types. Under the current policy scenario, the area of habitat for old-growth forest structure and associated species increased over time, the habitat for some early-successional associates remained stable, and the area of hardwood vegetation and diverse early-successional stages declined. The province is projected to move toward but not reach the historical range of variation of forest age classes that may have occurred under the wildfire regimes of the pre-Euroamerican settlement period. Ownership explained much of the pattern of biodiversity in the province, and under the current policy scenario, its effect increased over time as the landscape diverged into highly contrasting forest structures and ages. Patch type diversity declined slightly overall but declined strongly within ownerships. Most of the modeled change in biodiversity over time resulted from policies on public forest lands that were intended to increase the area of late-successional forests and species. One of the alternative policies, increased retention of wildlife trees on private lands, reduced the contrast between ownerships and increased habitat availability over time for both early- and late-successional species. Analysis of another alternative, stopping thinning of plantations on federal lands, indicated that current thinning regimes improve habitat for the Olive-sided Flycatcher, but the no-thinning alternative had no effect on the habitat scores for the late-successional species in the 100-year simulation. A comparison of indicators of biological diversity suggests that using focal species and forest structural measures can provide complementary information on biodiversity. The multi-ownership perspective provided a more complete synthesis of province-wide biodiversity patterns than assessments based on single ownerships.     

Mate guarding,copulation strategies and paternity in the sex-role reversed,socially polyandrous red-necked phalarope<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Phalaropus lobatus</Emphasis>

In a recent review, Westneat and Stewart (2003) compiled evidence that extra-pair paternity results from a three-player interaction in which sexual conflict is a potent force. Sequentially polyandrous species of birds appear to fit this idea well. Earlier breeding males may attempt to use sperm storage by females to obtain paternity in their mates subsequent clutches. Later-breeding males may consequently attempt to avoid sperm competition by preferring to pair with previously unmated females. Females may bias events one way or the other. We examined the applicability of these hypotheses by studying mating behavior and paternity in red-necked phalaropes (Phalaropus lobatus), a sex-role reversed, socially polyandrous shorebird. Male red-necked phalaropes guarded mates more strongly than other shorebirds. Males increased within-pair copulation attempts during their mates fertile period, and maintained or further increased attempts towards the end of laying, suggesting an attempt to fertilize the females next clutch; these attempts were usually thwarted by the female. Paired males sought extra-pair copulations with females about to re-enter the breeding pool. Multilocus DNA fingerprinting showed that 6% of clutches (4/63) each contained one chick sired by a male other than the incubator, producing a population rate of these events of 1.7% (n=226 chicks). Male mates had full paternity in all first clutches (n=25) and 15 of 16 monogamous replacement clutches. In contrast, 3 of 6 clutches of second males contained extra-pair young likely fathered by the females previous mate. Previously mated female phalaropes may employ counter-strategies that prevent later mating males from discriminating against them. The stability of this polyandrous system, in which males provide all parental care, ultimately may depend on females providing males with eggs containing primarily genes of the incubating male, and not a previous mate.Communicated by M. Webster     

Positive perceptions of green and open space as predictors of neighbourhood quality of life: implications for urban planning across the city region

The provision of green and open space in the face of wider development pressure is a key urban challenge. Despite this, few studies have critically investigated the quality of life implications of such provision. This paper focuses on perceptions of built environment factors and their influence on neighbourhood quality of life. Data are drawn from a household survey questionnaire completed by 483 residents living in three neighbourhoods in Dublin, Ireland – an inner city neighbourhood, a suburb and a peri-urban settlement. Positive perceptions of green and open space were identified as important predictors of high levels of neighbourhood satisfaction, surpassed only by dwelling characteristics. This suggests that development strategies which fail to provide for properly planned green and open spaces may be detrimental to neighbourhood quality of life. Furthermore, the results suggest a need for design solutions which consider neighbourhood typology in achieving improved neighbourhood quality of life.     

三峡库区澎溪河回水区溶解态金属离子来源和时空分布特征分析

以三峡库区北岸最大支流澎溪河的高阳平湖段为例,探讨随着调水方式导致的水位变化,三峡库区支流金属离子Ca、Zn、Fe、Cr、Pb、Cu和Hg等在时间、水平和垂直空间维度上的分布和动态.在2013年6月5日~2014年5月29日为期1 a的采样周期内于澎溪河长年回水区高阳平湖的4个采样点采样共21次,平均每17.3 d采集一次.水体样品分别采自水体表层(0~0.5 m)、中层和底层(底泥以上0.5 m).冬季水体不分层期间,中层样品采自水深1/2处,分层时则采自温跃层.应用RBR-80220型水质自动分析仪监测各样点水温、电导率、水深等数据.水样采用冷原子吸收法和电感耦合等离子体原子发射光谱法(ICP-AES)测定各金属质量浓度.运用Excel、SPSS软件进行数据统计分析;以Hg离子为例,利用Matlab软件构建各水位时期金属离子质量浓度分布三维柱状图.结果表明:(1)从水体可溶性金属离子质量浓度角度,澎溪河水质总体较好,Cr、Pb、Cu、Zn和Hg等离子均低于地表水环境质量标准(GB3838-2002)Ⅲ类水质标准相应离子质量浓度;(2)在来源上,Cr、Pb和Cu等离子来源于干流回水;Fe和Zn离子来源于澎溪河内源;Hg离子来源受干流回水和内源影响.金属离子随着温度分层出现质量浓度分层现象;(3)影响高阳平湖电导率的主要物质是非金属离子.