Subregional differences in Australian climate risk perceptions: coastal versus agricultural areas of the Hunter Valley,NSW

‘Environmental cognitive stress’ a hybrid model combining environmental stress and cognitive determinants of pro-environmental behavior is explored among Australians living in contrasting ‘micro’ climates in the same river catchment system. Peoples’ climate risk perceptions are mediated by their connections to local environment, observations of environmental change and personal weather experiences. A longitudinal study randomly sampled 1,162 Hunter Valley coastal and rural residents in New South Wales. Telephone interviewers (2008) recruited lakeside homeowners ‘at risk’ of sea level rise, nearby ‘control’ residents and a comparable farming area group. Follow-up interviews (2011) located 81.5 % of the original sample. Fifty-six items based on the model asked about climate change observations, concerns, impacts and actions. Statistically significant rural–suburban and time differences were found. The rural sample was attuned to conditions affecting agricultural productivity: They worried about drought and heat, saw trees dying and changes to seasons and natural rhythms. They anticipate the impact of water scarcity, conserve water and value protecting plants and animals. Compared to higher elevation residents, lake dwellers observed marine life loss, worry about sea level rise and predict the decline of property values. Across time, all groups’ perceptions of warming indicators declined. Concerns and impacts were high and generally stayed high, as did actions related to energy use. No differences emerged in beliefs about climate warming. Climate change observations, along with concerns and actions, have important implications for the environmental cognitive stress model. Overall, dynamic changes in residents’ understandings are related to a changing policy environment, the vicissitudes of climate debates and weather experiences, including extreme swings from inundation to drought.     

Leaching of copper,chromium and arsenic in a soil of south west Victoria,Australia

The movement of copper, chromium and arsenic originating from samples of the wood preservative Tanalith® through mildly acidic, sandy loam soil was investigated. Small, undisturbed soil cores (of dimensions 15 × 15 × 15 cm) were removed from the topsoil of a paddock adjacent to the Glenelg River in the Western District of Victoria, Australia. The paddock soils were thin (<30cm) greyish brown, mildly acidic, sandy loams with a moderate organic carbon content (2–5%) overlying a limestone cap. Tanalith® was applied to the surface of the cores which were then irrigated with deionised water at approximately 30 mm day^‐1. Copper concentrations in all leachate remained at background levels throughout the experiment, and this element was found to be immobilised in the top 4 cm of the soil. Up to 29% of the applied dose of chromium was detected in the leachate, with breakthrough occurring within 20 days of Tanalith® application. Up to 13% ofthe applied dose ofarsenic was detected in the leachate, although in this case breakthrough was not observed until 25 days after Tanalith® application and leachate concentrations were still rising when the experiment came to a close. Significant concentrations of arsenic and chromium were found in the top 6 cm of the soil profile.     

假如地球上没有人类

假如地球上没有人类据《新科学家》报道,毋庸置疑,人类是地球有史以来最具统治力的生物。仅仅数千年的时间,城市、农田和牧场就侵占了地球陆地超过1／3的面积。据估计,人类现在霸占了地球40％的生产力。人类的连番冲击让地球变得满目疮痍:草原变为耕地,森林夷为平地,地下蓄水层干枯;而核能废料、化学污染、入侵物种、生物灭绝及气候变暖都是人类活动造成的直接恶果。如果可能的话,与人类分享地球的其它生物会毫不犹豫地把我们“踢出”地球。现在,假设它们如愿以偿,地球上65亿人明天一夜之间从地球上消失,被送到遥远的星系接受再教育,那么,地球将会发生怎样的变化?     

Comparative observations on the biometry and development of Calanus finmarchicus and C. helgolandicus in Copepodite Stage V,with comments on other Calanidae

A similar, sexual dimorphism in Copepodite Stage V was observed in winter generations of Calanus finmarchicus (Gunnerus) and C. helgolandicus (Claus), co-existing in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland. In both species, the frequency distribution of prosome length in the Copepodite V population was bimodal. Among individual Stage V copepodites kept in the laboratory, those of the larger form alone produced adult males. Indications of morphological distinctions between the forms other than in size, however, were absent. Differences in least-squares regressions of individual cephalosome on metasome lengths, previously attributed to a distinction in prosome shape by Grigg et al. (1985), reflected size alone. These two measurements also were greater in the “large” form, but this independently of each other. Variations in their relative contributions to the prosome length distinguished individuals, and were continuous between the forms. Present and previously published observations on members of the family Calanidae have been compared. The presence, or not, of a sexual distinction in prosome length in the Stage V copepodite is variable among calanids, within and between species. A possible association with the extent of seasonal variations in size and life-cycle characteristics is suggested.     

Ecological Conservation Through Aesthetic Landscape Planning: A Case Study of the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway

A consequence of expanding residential development into rural areas is the potential alteration of ecological communities. Certain novel land-use policies seek practical solutions by accommodating social needs for housing while conserving biodiversity. This study investigates whether regulations designed to protect the aesthetic characteristics of a river corridor simultaneously mitigate negative effects of development on avian biodiversity, despite the absence of explicit conservation objectives. Using housing data from the US Census (1990 and 2000) and the Audubon Christmas Bird Count (1987–2000), we examined changes in housing density, avian communities, and the relationship between these two variables in a location that has adopted aesthetic landscape planning, the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway. We found that overall species diversity increased in the Riverway, but remained constant in reference areas, although the relative increase in housing density in the two areas did not differ. We also found that omnivore populations decreased in the Riverway and increased in reference sites. On the whole, our study provides preliminary evidence that aesthetic landscape planning, such as employed in the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway, might constitute a politically viable approach to conserve ecological resources.     

Do developmental initiatives influence local attitudes toward conservation? A case study from the Kalakad–Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve,India

We evaluated the conservation attitudes of the local villagers living adjacent to the Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve in southern India 6 years after implementation of a World Bank funded eco-development project. We assessed attitudes towards three facets of conservation: the tiger, an emblematic species signifying India's commitment to wildlife conservation; the forest, a principle source of fuel-wood and other products; and the Forest Department, which manages the forest. More specifically we predicted that (i) attitudes would be an effective predictor of resource use interest in the forest and (ii) benefits obtained from the EDP would create more favorable attitudes towards conservation and the protected area employees. Twelve villages located within 3 km from the reserve boundary were chosen and 2-3% of the households interviewed with regard to their attitudes towards these three facets of conservation, their household resource use patterns, wealth, sex, age and length of residency. We found significant associations between wealth, sex, age and both tiger and forest conservation. Providing benefits has not changed the underlying attitudes of the communities. The poorer sections of society, whether receiving benefits or not, tended to support tiger conservation because conserving wildlife did not affect their livelihood in any way, whereas both the rich and poor had misgivings about forest conservation due to dependency on forest products. We conclude that the eco-development project has not effectively addressed the most important of the local concerns.     

The role of humic non-exchangeable binding in the promotion of metal ion transport in groundwaters in the environment

Metal ions form strong complexes with humic substances. When the metal ion is first complexed by humic material, it is bound in an 'exchangeable' mode. The metal ion in this fraction is strongly bound, however, if the metal-humic complex encounters a stronger binding site on a surface, then the metal ion may dissociate from the humic substance and be immobilised. However, over time, exchangeably-bound metal may transfer to a 'non-exchangeable' mode. Transfer into this mode and dissociation from it are slow, regardless of the strength of the competing sink, and so immobilisation may be hindered. A series of coupled chemical transport calculations has been performed to investigate the likely effects of non-exchangeable binding upon the transport of metal ions in the environment. The calculations show that metal in the non-exchangeable mode will have a significantly higher mobility than that in the exchangeable mode. The critical factor is the ratio of the non-exchangeable first-order dissociation rate constant and the residence time in the groundwater column, metal ion mobility increasing with decreasing rate constant. A second series of calculations has investigated the effect of the sorption to surfaces of humic/metal complexes on the transport of the non-exchangeably bound metal. It was found that such sorption may reduce mobility, depending upon the humic fraction to which the metal ion is bound. For the more weakly sorbing humic fractions, under ambient conditions (humic concentration etc.) the non-exchangeable fraction may still transport significantly. However, for the more strongly sorbed fractions, the non-exchangeable fraction has little effect upon mobility. In addition to direct retardation, sorption also increases the residence time of the non-exchangeable fraction, giving more time for dissociation and immobilisation. The non-exchangeable dissociation reaction, and the sorption reaction have been classified in terms of two Damkohler numbers, which can be used to determine the importance of chemical kinetics during transport calculations. These numbers have been used to develop a set of rules that determine when full chemical kinetic calculations are required for a reliable prediction, and when equilibrium may be assumed, or when the reactions are sufficiently slow that they may be ignored completely.