Responses of grassland ecosystem carbon fluxes to precipitation and their environmental factors in the Badain Jaran Desert

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Studying the effects of precipitation on carbon exchange in grassland ecosystems is critical for revealing the mechanisms of the carbon cycle. In this...     

Household solid fuel use with diabetes and fasting blood glucose levels among middle-aged and older adults in China

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - To explore the impacts of household solid fuel use for cooking and heating on diabetes and fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels, we used data from the...     

Fabrication and Study of Poly (vinyl alcohol) Film Functionalized with Basella alba Stem Extract

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - In this study eco-friendly composite films were prepared based on poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) containing different content of Basella alba stem extract (BA)...     

The structure of absorbing roots in invasive and native maple species

Specific structural features of absorbing roots have been studied in Acer negundo (an invasive species in the southern Cisural region), compared to native Acer platanoides and A. tataricum. A comparative analysis of the diameter of fine roots, stele and bark volumes, and the frequencies of roots with retained primary bark, root hairs, arbuscular mycorrhiza, and dark septate endophytes has been performed in the invasive and native species from four habitats (by two habitats in the forest–steppe and steppe zones). The roots of A. negundo have been additionally studied in trees from two monospecific stands. It has been found that the structure of fine roots significantly differs between the invasive and native species: the roots of A. negundo are larger, with relatively poorly developed root hairs and low occurrence of dark septate endophytes. In monospecific stands, the frequency of mycorrhiza in A. negundo roots is very low, with arbuscules and dark septate endophytes being totally absent. It is concluded that specific structural features of the belowground absorbing apparatus in A. negundo are accounted for mainly by traits autonomously formed in a plant, rather than by characteristics of symbiotic relationships, and that they are not consistent with the assumption that the invasive species can utilize soil resources more effectively or more rapidly than taxonomically close native species.     

Soil-ecological conditions of the zone of salt waste dumping and plant adaptation to them

Technogenic surface formations near salt waste dumps are subject to salinization by sodium chloride. Synanthropic representatives of local flora that have adapted to salinization are characterized by increased concentrations of salinizing ions; redistribution of chlorides, with their predominant accumulation in above-ground organs; selective absorption with respect to sodium, chloride, and potassium ions; and decreased activity of hydrogen ions in cells.     

Biodiversity conservation: From ecosystem to the ecosystem approach

The possibility of implementing 12 principles of the ecosystem approach is considered with regard to the results of meetings of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and recent international forums. The importance of these principles for achieving the main goals of the CBD is shown, and the role of biosphere reserves in solving urgent problems of biodiversity conservation and sustainable development in adjoining territories of subjects of the Russian Federation is discussed.     

Notes From The National Air Quality Conference

The National Air Quality Conference, which was held during January 14-16 in San Francisco, promised to “provide decision-makers in government, business, and labor with information on the possible economic and employment impacts of the federal Clean Air Act along with strategies for change.” The meeting appeared to be important from the standpoint of who was speaking, who was attending, and who was reacting. JAPCA asked Francis J. O’Donnell, editor of Air/Water Pollution Report, to provide this special report.     

Influence of Processing Conditions on Morphological,Thermal and Degradative Behavior of Nanocomposites Based on Plasticized Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) and Organo-Modified Clay

The effect of processing conditions (casting and extrusion) and plasticization on the disintegrability in compost of organically modified clay poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) nanocomposites was studied. Tributylhexadecylphosphonium bromide (TBHP) was used as organic modifier. As revealed by WAXS and TEM observations, intercalated nanobiocomposites with clay stacks and some individually dispersed platelets were obtained. The melting temperature of the neat PHB diminished with the addition of plasticizer, thus broadening the processing window. Biodegradation test revealed that while the clay slows down the degradation rate, the plasticizer increases the degradation of the samples, reaching a similar final percentage of disintegrability when both plasticizer and clay were added in the formulation.     

Aboveground phytomass and rate of plant debris decomposition in herbaceous communities exposed to soil pollution with heavy metals

Consideration is given to production and decomposition processes in herbaceous communities exposed to chemical pollution with heavy metals in the Middle Urals. High variation in the aboveground phytomass of agrobotanical groups (legumes, forbs, grasses) is due to spatial heterogeneity of soil pollution levels and consequent changes in the species composition of plant communities in the areas studied. Therefore, nonparametric statistical methods have been used (Kruskal–Wallis test with subsequent pairwise comparisons by Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney with Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons). The phytomass of legumes remains unchanged in the increasing pollution gradient, while the contribution of forbs to the total phytomass decreases and that of grasses increases. Soils rich in nutrient elements can maintain a high rate of plant debris decomposition, counterbalancing the adverse effect of increased heavy metal concentrations on relevant processes. The balance between production and mineralization processes provides for the sustainable, long-term existence of herbaceous communities under conditions of intense pollution of the natural environment.     

低碳经济是发展循环经济的必然选择——浅谈我国工业固体废物资源化

循环经济与低碳经济都是要求人类在考虑生产和消费时,还需考虑自然生态系统的承载能力,尽可能地节约自然资源,不断提高固体废物的利用效率,在固体废物减量化、资源化、无害化过程中,降低化石能源消耗,减少温室气体排放活动,建设资源节约型、环境友好型社会,促进人与自然的和谐发展。