Abundance patterns and foraging activity of ant communities in abandoned,organic and commercial apple orchards in Northern California

The abundance patterns of ant communities were monitored with pitfall traps during 14 weeks in four northern California, dry farmed, apple orchards: an abandoned orchard undisturbed for 25 years, two ‘organically’ managed orchards, one with a cover crop of bell beans (Vicia faba) and grasses and the other kept clean of cover by discing, and a ‘commercial’ clean cultivated orchard sprayed with organophosphate insecticides. Six species of ants coexisted in the abandoned orchard, whereas only two species were found in the managed orchards. In both the organic and sprayed, clean cultivated systems, ants were more abundant in the orchard edges than in the vegetation-free centers. This trend was not apparent in the abandoned or organic cover orchards, where plant diversity in the center was similar to that of the edges. Ant predation on potato tuberworm larvae, Phthorimaea operculella, artificially placed on the orchard floor, declined with the intensity of management and vegetational simplication. A higher incidence of larval removal occurred in the edges than in the centers of the clean cultivated orchards. No noticeable populations of ants were detected on the trees in any of the orchards. Increased vegetational diversity and lack of disturbance appeared to affect ant locomotory activity and foraging efficiency by creating preferred sheltering and feeding sites.     

Can Forest-protection carbon projects improve rural livelihoods? Analysis of the Noel Kempff Mercado climate action project,Bolivia

We studied the Noel KempffMercado Climate Action Project (NKMCAP),Bolivia, to assess whether forestprotection carbon (C) projects cansignificantly benefit local people. Wehypothesized that forest protection canonly securely deliver C if significantstakeholders are meaningfully andtransparently involved, traditional orcustomary rights are recognized and theirloss compensated for, and there are directlinkages between conservation anddevelopment objective. Our researchfocused on 53 members of the communities ofFlorida, Porvenir and Piso Firme and 36secondary stakeholders. In each of thevillages we held half-day meetings withcommunity leaders, complemented bysemi-structured one-hour interviews with 5,10, and 7 families, representing 20%, 10%and 8% of each community. The long-termimpact of the NKMCAP on the localcommunities may well be positive. However,in the short run, certain sections of thelocal communities are financially poorer. Forest protection projects clearly have thepotential to sequester C, protectbiodiversity and simultaneously contributeto sustainable rural development, but ifthey really are to improve rurallivelihoods, they must be designed andimplemented carefully and participatively.     

Forestry Mitigation Options for Mexico: Finding Synergies between National Sustainable Development Priorities and Global Concerns

We examine carbon (C) reference and mitigation scenarios for the Mexicanforest sector between the year 2000 and 2030. Estimates are presentedseparately for the period 2008–2012.Future C emissions and capture are estimated using a simulation modelthat: a) allocates the country land use/land cover classes among differentfuture uses and categories using demand-based scenarios for forestryproducts; b) estimates the total C densities associated to each land usecategory, and c) determines the net carbon implications of the process ofland use/cover change according to the different scenarios.The options analyzed include both afforestation/reforestation, such ascommercial, bionenergy and restoration plantations, and agroforestrysystems, and forest conservation, through the sustainable management ofnative forests and forest protection.The total mitigation potential, estimated as the difference between the totallong-term carbon stock in the reference and the mitigation scenario reaches300 × 10⁶ Mg C in the year 2012 and increases to 1,382 × 10⁶ Mg C in 2030. The average net sequestration in the 30 year period is 46 × 10⁶ Mg C yr^-1, or 12.5 × 10⁶ Mg C yr^-1 within the period 2008 to 2012. The costs of selected mitigation options range from 0.7–3.5 Mg C^-1 to 35 Mg C^-1. Some options are cost effective.     

土壤重金属污染的酶学诊断——紫色土中的镉、铜、铅、砷对水稻根系过氧化物酶的影响

通过四川酸性紫色土、中性紫色土,石灰性紫色土中不同浓度的Cd、Cu、Pb、As对水稻根系过氧化物酶的影响研究,揭示了过氧化物酶受抑制与产生抗性的过程.在低浓度时,上述元素对过氧化物酶的影响能反映土壤类型影响的差别.确定了三种紫色土中Cd、Cu、Pb、As的临界浓度.     

加热方式对垃圾热解过程中HCl析出特性影响的实验研究

在自行设计的小型外热式固定床试验台上，以垃圾中广泛存在的PVC为原料，通过改变加热方式、热解终温等参数。重点研究了快，慢两种加热方式下垃圾热解过程中HCl的析出特性，并从理论上进行了初步探讨。     

Adenylate cyclase of Mytilus galloprovincialis posterior adductor muscle: basal properties and sensitivity to serotonin

The presence and characteristics of a membrane-bound adenylate cyclase from Mytilus galloprovincialis Lmk posterior adductor muscle have been investigated. The enzyme has a Michaelis constant (K _m) of 0.38 mM at 20°C and requires divalent cations (Mg²⁺/Mn²⁺) for its activity. Optimal GTP concentrations are between 10^-5 and 10^-4 M. The non-hydrolizable GTP-analogues GMPpNHp and GTPS increase the activity of the enzyme four- to ten-fold. Sodium fluoride stimulates the enzymatic activity seven- to eight-fold. Forskolin increases the enzymatic activity two- to three-fold. Serotonin stimulates the adenylate cyclase activity in a dose-dependent manner. These experiments were performed with mussels collected from the estuary of Muros, Spain, in 1990.     

Engaging Economic Development Agencies in Environmental Protection: the case for embedded autonomy

This article examines the role of economic development agencies in strengthening the environmental performance of industry within rapidly industrialising East Asian economies. Three case-study examples are considered, namely, the role of the Industrial Development Board in reducing industrial pollution in Taiwan, pollution control in the palm oil industry in Malaysia, and the role of the Economic Development Board in influencing environmental performance of industry in Singapore. The concept of embedded autonomy is developed to consider the ways in which agencies of economic development can work with firms and industries while simultaneously remaining autonomous from these firms with respect to setting and enforcing performance standards. The three cases suggest that a form of policy integration that more directly integrates economic and environmental goals within agencies of economic development may be feasible, but only where there exists a strong autonomous government bureaucracy and where there is strong societal commitment to improving the environmental performance of industry.     

NITROGEN AND ORGANIC MATTER LOSSES IN NO‐TILL CORN CROPPING SYSTEMS1

ABSTRACT: Intensive cropping systems based on mechanical movement of soil have induced land degradation in most agricultural areas due to soil erosion and soil fertility losses. Thus, farmers have been increasing fertilization rates to maintain an economically competitive crop yield. This practice has resulted in water quality degradation and lake eutrophication in many agricultural watersheds. Research was conducted in the Patzcuaro watershed in central Mexico to develop appropriate technology that prevents nonpoint source pollution from fertilizers. Organic matter (OM) and nitrogen (N) losses in runoff and nitrate (NO₃‐N) percolation in Andisols with corn under conventional till (CT) and no‐till (NT) treatments using variable percentages of crop residue as soil cover were investigated for steep‐slope agriculture. USLE type runoff plots were used to collect water runoff, while suction tubes with porous caps at 30, 60, and 90 cm depth were used to sample soil water solutes for NO₃‐N analyses. Results indicated a significant reduction of N and OM losses in runoff as residue cover increased in the NT treatments. Inorganic N in runoff was 25 kg/ha for NT without residue cover (NT‐0) and 6 kg/ha for the NT with 100 percent residue cover (NT‐100). Organic matter losses in runoff were 157 and 24 kg/ha for the NT‐0 and NT‐100 treatments, respectively. Nitrate‐N percolation was evident in CT and NT with 100 percent residue cover (NT‐100). However, NT‐100 had higher NO₃‐N concentration at the root zone, suggesting the possibility of reducing fertilization rates with the use of NT treatments.     

Equilibrium and kinetic studies on biosorption of Hg(II), Cd(II) and Pb(II) ions onto microalgae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

The microalgae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii was used for the biosorption of Hg(II), Cd(II) and Pb(II) ions. The maximum adsorption of Hg(II) and Cd(II) ions on Chlamydomonas reinhardtii biomass was observed at pH 6.0 and the corresponding value for Pb(II) ions was 5.0. The biosorption of Hg(II), Cd(II) and Pb(II) ions by microalgae biomass increased as the initial concentration of Hg(II), Cd(II) and Pb(II) ions increased in the biosorption medium. The maximum biosorption capacities of microalgae for Hg(II), Cd(II) and Pb(II) ions were 72.2+/-0.67, 42.6+/-0.54 and 96.3+/-0.86 mg/g dry biomass, respectively. The affinity order for algal biomass was Pb(II)>Hg(II)>Cd(II). FT-IR analysis of algal biomass revealed the presence of amino, carboxyl, hydroxyl and carbonyl groups, which were responsible for biosorption of metal ions. Biosorption equilibrium was established in about 60 min and the equilibrium was well described by the Freundlich biosorption isotherms. Temperature change in the range of 5-35 degrees C did not affect the biosorption capacity. The microalgae could be regenerated using 0.1 M HCl, with up to 98% recovery, which allowed the reuse of the biomass in six biosorption-desorption cycles without any considerable loss of biosorption capacity.     

Erratum to: Accumulation of Cr,Cd, Pb,Cu, and Zn by plants in tanning sludge storage sites: opportunities for contamination bioindication and phytoremediation

Environmental Science and Pollution Research -