Safeguarding the Pantanal Wetlands: Threats and Conservation Initiatives

Abstract:  The Pantanal, one of the largest wetlands on the planet, comprises 140,000 km² of lowland floodplain of the upper Rio Paraguai basin that drains the Cerrado of central Brazil. The diverse mosaics of habitats resulting from the varied soil types and inundation regimes are responsible for an extraordinarily rich terrestrial and aquatic biota, exemplified by the bird richest wetland in the world—463 birds have been recorded there—and the largest known populations of several threatened mammals, such as Pampas deer ( Ozotoceros bezoarticus ), marsh deer ( Blastocerus dichotomus ), giant otter ( Pteronura brasiliensis ), and jaguar ( Panthera onca ). Until recently, deforestation of the adjoining Brazilian central plateau was considered the major threat to this area, but now deforestation is a critical problem within the floodplain itself. More than 40% of the forest and savanna habitats have been altered for cattle ranching through the introduction of exotic grasses. And there are other threats that lead to large-scale disruption of ecological processes, severely affecting biodiversity. Although the Pantanal wetland is a Biosphere Reserve and is considered a Wetland of International Importance, only 2.5% of the upper Paraguai River basin is formally protected. To date, protected areas have been created opportunistically and as such, although of undoubted value, protect only a fraction of the Pantanal's wildlife and habitats. Among the conservation initiatives in the area, the private sector is increasingly participating in the establishment of private reserves. The prospects are far from optimistic, however, and the major challenge is to find alternative socioeconomic models that allow for conservation and economic uses of the land in association with the development of specific environmental legislation that reflects the unique characteristics of the region.     

Air Pollution Administrative Control—A Local Responsibility

Chemical, analytical and biological studies were completed on the organic matter of large air pollution samples from Detroit. The high tumor response observed on mouse skin when the organic matter was applied in 12.5 per cent concentration can be partially explained by the presence of poly nuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) as tumor initiators and certain acidic components as tumor promotors. Certain polaric neutral components of still unknown nature are indicated also to act as tumor promotors. The concentrations of PAH in various locations in Detroit and New York during different seasonal, meteorologic and traffic conditions are compared.

The relative importance of carcinogenic air pollutants in man’s environment is discussed in line with epidemiological evidence.     

Antibiotic Resistance of Enterococcus spp. Isolated from Wastewater and Sludge of Poultry Slaughterhouses

Antibiotimicrobial resistance was investigated in 537 Enterococcus spp. isolates recovered from 22 samples of crude inflow, treated effluent and sludge collected in wastewater treatment plants of eight poultry slaughterhouses of Portugal. No significant differences (P > 0.05) were found in the resistance to each antimicrobial agent with regards to the origin of the sample (inflow, sludge and effluent). Many of the isolates displayed resistance to tetracycline (85.7%), erythromycin (45.7%), nitrofurantoin (34.0%) and rifampicin (17.8%). Resistance was also observed, but to a lesser extent, to ciprofloxacin (10.2%), ampicillin (8.0%), chloramphenicol (4.6%), vancomycin (0.9%) and gentamicin (0.4%). Resistance to three or more antimicrobial classes was present in 37.1% of the isolates. Wastewater treatment resulted in viable enterococci decrease between less than 1 log and 4 log; nevertheless, more than 4.4 × 10⁵ colony forming units (CFU)/100 mL were present in the outflow of the plants and thus resistant enterococci are not prevented from reaching the general environment.     

Effects of particle concentration on clearance rate and feeding current velocity in the marine bryozoan Flustrellidra hispida

Colonies of the marine bryozoan Flustrellidra hispida (Fabricius) were collected intertidally from Port St Mary, Isle of Man (UK) during the autumn and winter 1981/1982. Suspension feeding in F. hispida was examined in some detail, using as food the alge Tetraselmis suecica. Previous studies had not examined variation in the speed of suspended food particles travelling through the lophophore. It is clear that feeding rate, as measured by particle velocity, varies over periods of time, even when all external factors are kept constant. Moreover, particle speed within the lophophore can be shown to be positively correlated with the concentration of suspended food particles in the surrounding environment. It is also apparent that feeding current velocity varies at different positions within the lophophore. In addition observations are made on the involvement of the tentacles in particle capture.     

Trends of Contaminants and Effects in Bald Eagles of the Great Lakes Basin

Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) numbers in North America have increased since the ban of DDT and other organochlorine compounds in the 1970s. The decrease in the environmental concentrations of p,p-DDE has lead to the lessening of egg-shell thinning and has been a major reason for the current resurgence of bald eagle populations in temperate North America, however, this recovery has not been uniform. Eagles nesting along the shorelines and islands of the Great Lakes have continued to experience impaired productivity. In order to examine some of the reasons for the current recovery of bald eagles in the Great Lakes Basin and the potential use of eagles as a bioindicator species of Great Lakes water quality, we analyzed trends in reproductive activity, concentrations of PCBs and p,p-DDE in unhatched eggs, and rates of developmental deformities. Numbers of occupied nests, fledged young, and yearly productivity rates have increased across the basin. No trends have been observed in changes in the concentrations of p,p-DDE nor Total PCBs in unhatched eggs. An increasing rate in the incidence of developmental deformities in nestlings has been observed in Michigan. The recovery of the bald eagle population along the Great Lakes is most likely due to immigration of relatively uncontaminated adults from Interior regions.     

河西走廊石羊河下游地区盐碱土中放线菌多样性

为了解甘肃省河西走廊石羊河流域地区盐碱土中放线菌种群结构及多样性,采用非培养法对河西走廊石羊河下游流域的3种不同类型土样(原生盐碱土、次生盐碱土和农田土)的总DNA进行提取,用放线菌特异性引物对16S rRNA基因进行扩增,构建放线菌16S rRNA克隆文库.用HaeⅢ和HhaⅠ两种限制性内切酶对阳性克隆子进行16S rDNA扩增片段限制性内切酶分析(Amplifed Ribosomal DNA Restriction Analysis,ARDRA),提取酶切带型不同的菌液进行测序,构建其系统发育树并进行多样性指数分析.结果显示:原生盐碱土克隆文库中90个阳性克隆分归于20个OTUs,分属于微球菌科(Micrococcaceae)、中村氏菌科(Nakamurellaceae)、类诺卡氏菌科(Nocardioidaceae)、链霉菌科(Streptomycetaceae)、棒状杆菌科(Corynebacteriaceae)、诺卡氏菌科(Nocardiaceae)和未知类群;次生盐碱土克隆文库中98个阳性克隆分归于32个OTUs,分属于纤维素单胞菌科(Cellulomonadaceae)、微球菌科(Micrococcaceae)、地嗜皮菌科(Geodermatophilaceae)、类诺卡氏菌科(Nocardioidaceae)、小单孢菌科(Micromonosporaceae)、伪诺卡氏菌科(Pseudonocardiaceae)、链霉菌科(Streptomycetaceae)、链孢囊菌科(Streptosporangiaceae)、高温单孢菌科(Thermomonosporaceae)、动孢囊菌科(Kineosporiaceae)、糖霉菌科(Glycomycetaceae)和未知类群;农田土克隆文库中98个阳性克隆分归于10个OTUs,分属于微球菌科(Micrococcaceae)、博戈里亚湖菌科(Bogoriellaceae)、地嗜皮菌科(Geodermatophilaceae)、中村氏菌科(Nakamurellaceae)、类诺卡氏菌科(Nocardioidaceae)和未知类群.其中,微球菌亚目(Micrococcineae)是3种不同类型土壤中的优势类群.多样性指数和稀释性曲线分析结果显示,3种不同类型土壤中放线菌多样性为次生盐碱土>原生盐碱土>农田土.     

上海佘山国家森林公园空气负离子动态及其主要影响因子

以上海佘山国家森林公园为研究地,通过定点观测,对比分析了林内与空地的空气负离子在日变化和季节变化上的规律。研究结果表明:在一日内的上午、中午、下午3个时段,林内与空地的空气负离子浓度和安培空气离子评价系数(CI)值均无显著性差异;而在这3个时段,林内的空气负离子浓度和CI值均显著高于空地;季节上,林内与空地的负离子浓度、CI值以及空气清洁程度均为夏秋季大于春季大于冬季,林内和空地在夏秋两季负离子浓度和CI值都显著大于空地。同时林内的空气清洁程度在4个季节皆高于空地。通过多元回归分析得出,总悬浮颗粒物(TSP)是影响夏秋两季林内负离子浓度和CI值的主要影响因素;相对湿度是影响夏秋两季空地空气负离子浓度和CI值的主要影响因素。     

不同雨强对太湖河网区河道入湖营养盐负荷影响

为揭示太湖河网区不同雨强下入湖河道面源污染规律,以太湖入湖负荷最大的河道大浦河为例,通过一周年逐日高频监测水体各形态氮、磷及溶解性有机碳等营养盐情况,结合河道流量及降雨量的自动监测资料,分析了大雨、中雨、小雨及无雨等4种降雨强度下太湖河网区典型河道的流量和营养盐负荷特征.结果表明,作为太湖河网区的典型入湖河道,大浦河时常发生往复流现象,观测的365 d内,有60 d日均流量为负值,占16%;河道流量对雨强的响应较为迟缓,仅强降雨事件( 25 mm·d~(-1))下,降雨当日河道流量才显著增加;中雨期平均流量仅比无雨期高了29%,在统计上不显著.河道水体营养盐浓度在不同降雨强度下差异不显著,大雨、中雨、小雨及无雨事件下河道总氮浓度分别为(3. 00±0. 58)、(3. 34±0. 93)、(3. 55±1. 05)和(3. 37±1. 14) mg·L~(-1),小雨事件当天水体总氮浓度均值最高,而4种类型降雨事件下河道总磷含量分别为(0. 228±0. 068)、(0. 258±0. 121)、(0. 219±0. 083)和(0. 225±0. 121) mg·L~(-1),差异性也不显著,就平均值而言,中雨时河道总磷浓度最高.夏季典型降雨过程分析表明,不同雨强发生之后河道溶解性有机碳和各形态氮的浓度变化不大,但大雨之后次日河道各形态磷浓度有明显增高,持续时间为2 d,中雨后次日河道总磷和颗粒态磷有明显增高,持续时间仅为1 d,小雨后磷浓度基本无变化.大雨、中雨、小雨和无雨时总氮日负荷分别为7. 64、3. 19、3. 21和2. 62 t·d~(-1),总磷日负荷分别为0. 59、0. 26、0. 22和0. 20 t·d~(-1),受入湖流量影响,大雨期营养盐日负荷显著高于中雨及以下强度的降雨;然而,由于一年内大雨出现频次较少,大雨期氮和磷总入湖负荷占年负荷的比重不大,大雨期总氮和总磷分别入湖61. 11 t和4. 72 t,占观测周年的5. 6%和5. 8%,这与山区河道降雨负荷间的关系有着显著区别.本高频观测表明,太湖流域平原河网区河道面源污染汇集过程复杂,入湖负荷受降雨强度的影响相对较小,入湖水量是营养盐负荷的重要影响因素.本研究结果对太湖流域平原河网区湖泊的面源污染的估算及控制对策的制定具有参考价值.