Expedient Metrics to Describe Plant Community Change Across Gradients of Anthropogenic Influence

Human influence associated with land use may cause considerable biodiversity losses, namely in oceanic islands such as the Azores. Our goal was to identify plant indicator species across two gradients of increasing anthropogenic influence and management (arborescent and herbaceous communities) and determine similarity between plant communities of uncategorized vegetation plots to those in reference gradients using metrics derived from R programming. We intend to test and provide an expedient way to determine the conservation value of a given uncategorized vegetation plot based on the number of native, endemic, introduced, and invasive indicator species present. Using the metric IndVal, plant taxa with a significant indicator value for each community type in the two anthropogenic gradients were determined. A new metric, ComVal, was developed to assess the similarity of an uncategorized vegetation plot toward a reference community type, based on (i) the percentage of pre-defined indicator species from reference communities present in the vegetation plots, and (ii) the percentage of indicator species, specific to a given reference community type, present in the vegetation plot. Using a data resampling approach, the communities were randomly used as training or validation sets to classify vegetation plots based on ComVal. The percentage match with reference community types ranged from 77 to 100 % and from 79 to 100 %, for herbaceous and arborescent vegetation plots, respectively. Both IndVal and ComVal are part of a suite of useful tools characterizing plant communities and plant community change along gradients of anthropogenic influence without a priori knowledge of their biology and ecology.     

Diversity of methanotrophs in a simulated modified biocover reactor

A simulated landfill biocover microcosm consisting of a modifying ceramsite material and compost were investigated. Results show that the mixture can improve the material porosity and achieve a stable and highly efficient (100%) methane oxidation over an extended operating period. The diversity of the methanotrophic community in the microcosm was assessed. Type I methanotrophs were enhanced in the microcosm due to the increased air diffusion and distribution, whereas the microbial diversity and population density of type II methanotrophs were not significantly affected. Moreover, the type I methanotrophic community structure significantly varied with the reactor height, whereas that of type II methanotrophic communities did not exhibit a spatial variation. Phylogenetic analysis showed that type I methanotroph-based nested polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) resulted in the detection of eight different populations, most of which are related to Methylobacter sp., whereas that of type II resulted in the detection of nine different populations, most of which are related to Methylocystaceae. Methanotrophic community analysis also indicated that a number of new methanotrophic genera not closely related to any known methanotrophic populations were present.     

Soil warming effect on net ecosystem exchange of carbon dioxide during the transition from winter carbon source to spring carbon sink in a temperate urban lawn

The significant warming in urban environment caused by the combined effects of global warming and heat island has stimulated widely development of urban vegetations. However, it is less known of the climate feedback of urban lawn in warmed environment. Soil warming effect on net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of carbon dioxide during the transition period from winter to spring was investigated in a temperate urban lawn in Beijing, China. The NEE (negative for uptake) under soil warming treatment (temperature was about 5℃ higher than the ambient treatment as a control) was -0.71 μmol/(m².sec), the ecosytem was a CO₂ sink under soil warming treatment, the lawn ecosystem under the control was a CO₂ source (0.13 μmol/(m².sec)), indicating that the lawn ecosystem would provide a negative feedback to global warming. There was no significant effect of soil warming on nocturnal NEE (i.e., ecosystem respiration), although the soil temperature sensitivity (Q₁₀) of ecosystem respiration under soil warming treatment was 3.86, much lower than that in the control (7.03). The CO₂ uptake was significantly increased by soil warming treatment that was attributed to about 100% increase of α (apparent quantum yield) and A_max (maximum rate of photosynthesis). Our results indicated that the response of photosynthesis in urban lawn is much more sensitive to global warming than respiration in the transition period.     

基于PCR-TGGE技术的餐厨垃圾厌氧消化微生物群落结构解析

为了解不同负荷下单相餐厨垃圾厌氧消化反应器内微生物群落结构演替特征,在单相厌氧消化反应器负荷为2.0～8.5kg·m-·3d-1(以VS计)的不同负荷条件下取样,运用16SrDNA的PCR-TGGE技术对反应器内微生物进行动态追踪.同时,运用Dice系统和NMDS软件对PCR-TGGE图谱进行分析.结果表明,负荷为4.0～6.0kg·m-·3d-1时,微生物群落结构变化不大;负荷为6.0～7.0kg·m-·3d-1时,微生物群落结构变化较为明显;负荷分别为7.0～8.0kg·m-·3d-1及8.5kg·m-·3d-1时,微生物群落结构变化最为明显.纵观整个过程,在餐厨垃圾厌氧消化反应器有机负荷在2.0～8.5kg·m-·3d-1下厌氧反应器内的微生物群落结构存在明显的阶段性演替;负荷为7.0kg·m-·3d-1时微生物群落结构的丰富度最好.     

利用皂土吸附和介电泳方法间接去除水中的Mn2+

水中重金属去除一直是水处理的技术难点.锰虽然是动物必需的微量元素之一,但是人和动物摄入过量的锰会对神经系统等产生毒害.利用皂土吸附水中的重金属Mn2+,在装有微电极阵列芯片的介电泳池研究装置中,通过调节外加交流电压,捕获悬浮液中的皂土从而间接去除Mn2+.吸附了微量重金属离子的皂土被捕获到电场强度较大的区域,发生了正介电泳.该研究为建立一种从废水中间接去除重金属离子的实际可行方法奠定了实验基础,不存在二次污染.     

再生条件对钾基CO_2吸附剂吸附性能的影响

通过固定床实验研究了再生条件对钾基CO2吸附剂吸附性能的影响。深入分析了再生温度和气氛对吸附穿透时间和饱和吸附量的影响。研究发现,当再生温度为200℃,N2气氛下再生时效果最佳,在此条件下再生后钾基CO2吸附剂循环性能良好,10次循环后仍然能有很好的吸附效果;再生气氛中有H2O或CO2时会影响再生反应的进行,不利于吸附剂的再生。     

有机氯农药污染土壤的Fenton氧化修复研究

研究了Fenton氧化对某实际有机氯农药污染场地土壤的修复效果。结果显示:Fenton氧化能够快速有效地降解污染土壤中的六氯和DDTs。当Fe2+浓度为80 mmol/L,Fe2+与H2O2的摩尔浓度比为1∶5,水土比10∶1时,反应6 h,土壤中六氯和总DDT的去除率分别为:96.7%和78.2%。每方土的修复成本估算为951元。     

SBR在高校中水回用领域的工程应用研究

采用SBR工艺对高校校园废水进行了处理,运行结果表明:废水中COD含量从200～360mg/L降至60mg/L以下,BOD5含量从70～110mg/L降至20mg/L以下,氨氮含量从60～80mg/L降至10mg/L以下,SS含量从75～160mg/L降至50mg/L以下,达到了北京市DB11307—2005《水污染物排放标准》的二级排放标准。     

水泥炉窑SNCR及SCR烟气脱硝技术比较

通过分析水泥炉窑氮氧化物(NOx)生成机理、脱除技术以及国内外水泥炉窑脱硝现状并结合我国具体情况,探讨适合我国的水泥炉窑切实可行脱硝技术,为"十二五"期间我国水泥炉窑开展烟气脱硝整治工作提供技术性方向。