A Population Viability Analysis for African Elephant (Loxodonta africana): How Big Should Reserves Be?

We present an age-structured, density-dependent model of elephant population dynamics in a fluctuating environment, drawing primarily upon the life history parameters obtained from studies in semi-arid land at Tsavo National Park, Kenya. Density regulation occurs by changes in the age of first reproduction and calving interval. We model environmental stochasticity with drought events affecting sex- and age-specific survivorships. Results indicate a maximum population growth rate of 3% per year and an equilibrium elephant density of 3.1/mile². Analysis of the demographic results and their sensitivity to changes in juvenile survivorship and drought frequencies, supported by genetic considerations, suggests that in semi-arid regions a minimum reserve size of 1000 mile² is necessary to attain a 99% probability of population persistence for 1000 years. The effect of age-independent culling on population viability is also analyzed.     

Innovation and Environmental Voluntary Approaches

Criteria have been developed in general terms for evaluating voluntary approaches. Nevertheless, there still remains limited assessment regarding the performance of environmental voluntary approaches as there is a general dearth of empirical information. In relation to innovation and voluntary approaches there are two main schools of thought, namely, the no innovation scenario and innovation through collective learning. This paper outlines the arguments regarding environmental voluntary approaches and innovation and reports on an empirical study of an Irish packaging voluntary agreement. Its findings would indicate that the no innovation scenario is applicable to the Irish packaging voluntary agreement.     

锰铈脱硝催化剂的制备及其再生性能研究

采用等体积浸渍法制备了一系列Mn-Ce-Ox复合氧化物脱硝催化剂用于NH3选择性催化还原(NH3-SCR)NO。考察了Mn/Ce摩尔比、焙烧温度、H2O和SO2对Mn-Ce-Ox复合氧化物脱硝催化剂活性的影响及催化剂中毒再生性能。结果表明:当NH3:NO=1:1,空速为5 000 h-1,550℃焙烧制得的Mn/Ce摩尔比为5∶1的Mn-Ce-Ox复合脱硝催化剂活性最佳,活性温度窗口为100~260℃,在此温度区间内催化剂活性大于90%。200℃时,Mn-Ce-Ox复合催化剂活性最高为97.84%;在10%(V/V)H2O蒸汽和300×10-6SO2共存条件下,200℃时,催化剂活性在开始反应2.5 h内迅速下降至53%左右,并在之后的6 h内没有明显变化;中毒催化剂经常温水洗再生处理、质量分数为3%的硝酸溶液再生处理和550℃焙烧2 h再生处理后200℃活性均能恢复到90%以上,其中中毒催化剂经质量分数为3%硝酸处理后活性恢复率最高。     

铜仁土壤-水稻重金属积累效应与安全种植区划

铜仁市有色金属矿业活动频繁,为了解贵州省铜仁地区土壤-水稻重金属积累与迁移转化状况,开展水稻安全种植区划,共采集水田土壤和相应稻米样品230组,并测试重金属和土壤理化性质等.通过单因子指数法对稻米样品进行评价,并结合土壤环境质量和食品污染物限量提出安全种植区划方法.结果表明:①水田土壤pH在4.4～7.9之间,ω(As)、ω(Cd)、ω(Cu)、ω(Hg)、ω(Ni)和ω(Zn)平均值分别为 12.94、0.343、30.53、3.869、30.32和 110.0 mg-kg-1,其中 As、Cd、Hg 和 Zn与环境质量农用地土壤污染风险管控标准中的筛选值相比,超标11.7％、10.9％、53.0％和3.04％.②稻米中ω(As)、ω(Cd)、ω(Cu)、ω(Hg)、ω(Ni)和 a(Zn)的表征值为0.056、0.017、1.445、0.010、0.215和 17.59 mg·kg-1;与国家食品安全标准(GB 2762-2017)相比,稻米样品中As、Cd和Hg含量超标达15.7％、3.04％和19.1％.其As超标点位主要集中分布于松桃县,Hg主要分布于碧江和万山区.③稻米富集系数大小顺序为:Zn＞Cd＞Cu＞Hg＞As=Ni,稻米对于Zn的吸收富集能力最强.④研究区大部分区域均属于优先保护类,安全利用类集中分布在铜仁东部,严格管控类零星分布于碧江区、万山区和江口县等地.结果表明,铜仁市部分地区土壤存在重金属污染,同时水稻的安全种植也存在一定风险.     

Genetic and evolutionary constraints for the symbiosis between animals and methanogenic bacteria

It has been assumed that the feeding habits of animals predispose the composition of the microbial biota living in their intestinal tracts. Here we show that in arthropods and vertebrates the presence of methanogenic bacteria requires a quality of the host that is under phylogenetic rather than dietary constraint: competence for intestinal methanogenic bacteria is a primitive-shared character among reptiles, birds, and mammals, and a shared-derived trait of millipedes, termites, cockroaches and scarab beetles. The presence of methanogenic bacteria seems to be a prerequisite for the evolution of anatomic specializations of the intestinal tract such as hindguts, caeca or rumina, and it is likely that it also has consequences for the reproductive strategies of the animals.Methanogenic animals contribute to atmospheric methane by their breath and faeces. Because the status as either methane-producer or non-producer is shared by most species belonging to a higher taxonomic unit, it is possible to calculate methane emissions that are characteristic for whole taxa. In combination with ecological field data on the biomass it is possible to arive at estimates concerning the global contributions by animals.The demonstration of a genetic basis for the symbiosis between methanogens and animals will allow new approaches for the reduction of methane emission by domestic animals.     

Prenatal diagnosis of congenital nephrosis by in utero kidney biopsy

The diagnosis of congenital nephrosis is difficult during the antepartum period. The combination of an elevated amniotic fluid alpha-fetoprotein, a negative acetylcholinesterase, and a negative ultrasound examination is highly indicative of congenital nephrosis; however, these findings can also be associated with a normal gestation. This is the first report of pathologic confirmation of congenital nephrosis from an in utero fetal kidney biopsy. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.