Characterization of aircraft emissions and air quality impacts of an international airport

Beijing Capital International Airport(ZBAA) is the world's second busiest airport. In this study, the emissions of air pollutants from aircraft and other sources at ZBAA in 2015 were estimated using an improved method, which considered the mixing layer height calculated based on aircraft meteorological data relay(AMDAR), instead of using the height(915 m)recommended by ICAO. The yearly emissions of NO_x, CO, VOCs, SO_2, and PM_(2.5) at the airport were 8.76 × 10~3, 4.43 × 10~3, 5.43 × 10~2, 4.80 × 10~2, and 1.49 × 10~2 ton/year, respectively. The spatial–temporal distribution of aircraft emissions was systematically analyzed to understand the emission characteristics of aircraft. The results indicated that NOxwas mainly emitted during the take-off and climb phases, accounting for 20.5% and 55.5% of the total emissions. CO and HC were mainly emitted during the taxi phase, accounting for 91.6%and 92.2% of the total emissions. Because the mixing layer height was high in summer, the emissions of aircraft were at the highest level throughout the year. Based on the detailed emissions inventory, four seasons simulation using WRF-CMAQ model was performed over the domain surrounding the airport. The results indicated that the contribution to PM_(2.5) was relatively high in winter; the average impact was about 1.15 μg/m~3 within a radius of1 km around the airport. Meanwhile, the near surroundings and southwest areas of the airport are the most sensitive to PM_(2.5).     

多级孔板扰流泡沫发生器流场模拟分析

通过数值模拟方法,对内锥和多级孔板组合扰流结构下的泡沫发生器流场进行了模拟和分析。通过CFD流场模拟软件Fluent,以泡沫发生器的真实操作工况为边界条件进行建模,得到了气液两相掺混流场的结构和重要动力学参数,并进行了分析。发现扰流件的下游区域存在一个较稳定回流区,同时在多级孔板区域流场的湍动能及湍动能耗散率较高,对泡沫发生器中气液两相掺混有利。扰流件下游液相分布较为均匀,进一步验证了发泡器内部气液掺混效果较佳。通过流场模拟,验证了圆锥和四级孔板组合扰流结构对强化泡沫发生器内气液掺混的有效性。     

Implementation of ecological modeling as an effective management and investigation tool: Lake Kinneret as a case study

The need for scientifically based management of lakes, as key water resources, requires the establishment of quantitative relationships between in-lake processes responsible for water quality (WQ) and the intensity of major management measures (MM, e.g. nutrient loading). In this paper, we estimate the impact of potential changes in nutrient loading on the Lake Kinneret ecosystem. Following validation of the model against a comprehensive dataset, we applied an approach that goes beyond scenario testing by linking the lake ecosystem model DYRESM–CAEDYM with a set of ecosystem variables included in a pre-assessed system of water quality indices. The emergent properties of the ecosystem predicted from the model simulations were also compared with lake data as a form of indirect validation of the model. Model output, in good agreement with lake data, indicated differential effects of nitrogen and phosphorus nutrient loading on concentrations, and major in-lake fluxes, of TN and TP, and dynamics and algal community structure. Both model output and lake data indicated a strong relationship between nitrogen loading and in-lake TN values. This relationship is not apparent for phosphorus and only a weak relationship exists between phosphorus loading and in-lake TP. The modeling results, expressed in terms of water quality, allowed establishment of critical/threshold values for the nutrient loads. Implementation of the ecological modeling supplemented with the quantified set of WQ indices allowed us to take a step towards establishment of the association between permissible ranges for water quality and major management measures, i.e. towards sustainable management.     

Value of protected areas to avian persistence across 20 years of climate and land-use change

Establishing protected areas, where human activities and land cover changes are restricted, is among the most widely used strategies for biodiversity conservation. This practice is based on the assumption that protected areas buffer species from processes that drive extinction. However, protected areas can maintain biodiversity in the face of climate change and subsequent shifts in distributions have been questioned. We evaluated the degree to which protected areas influenced colonization and extinction patterns of 97 avian species over 20 years in the northeastern United States. We fitted single-visit dynamic occupancy models to data from Breeding Bird Atlases to quantify the magnitude of the effect of drivers of local colonization and extinction (e.g., climate, land cover, and amount of protected area) in heterogeneous landscapes that varied in the amount of area under protection. Colonization and extinction probabilities improved as the amount of protected area increased, but these effects were conditional on landscape context and species characteristics. In this forest-dominated region, benefits of additional land protection were greatest when both forest cover in a grid square and amount of protected area in neighboring grid squares were low. Effects did not vary with species’ migratory habit or conservation status. Increasing the amounts of land protection benefitted the range margins species but not the core range species. The greatest improvements in colonization and extinction rates accrued for forest birds relative to open-habitat or generalist species. Overall, protected areas stemmed extinction more than they promoted colonization. Our results indicate that land protection remains a viable conservation strategy despite changing habitat and climate, as protected areas both reduce the risk of local extinction and facilitate movement into new areas. Our findings suggest conservation in the face of climate change favors creation of new protected areas over enlarging existing ones as the optimal strategy to reduce extinction and provide stepping stones for the greatest number of species.     

Biodiversity,ecohydrology, threat status and conservation priority of the freshwater fishes of river Gomti,a tributary of river Ganga (India)

Extensive surveys were conducted to explore the diversity of fishes, distribution patterns, abundance, threat, and habitat status in the upper, middle, and lower stretch of river Gomti, a tributary of river Ganga. Altogether 56 fish species belonging to 20 families and 42 genera were collected from various sampling sites. Of the 56 species, five belong to the ‘endangered’ (EN) category and 11 belong to the vulnerable (VU) category. Six major categories of habitat were identified and pattern of fish assemblage and dominant genera in each habitat studied. Considerable differences were observed in the fish species richness and relative abundance (RA) of the species in the different sampling sites of river Gomti. Shannon–Wiener biodiversity index has been calculated for the fishes indicating considerable variation (p < 0.05) across the river. Apart from Indian Major Carps (Labeo rohita, Catla catla, Cirrhinus mrigala), Chitala chitala, Notopterus notopterus, Ompok pabda, O. bimaculatus, Labeo bata, L. calbasu, Cirrhinus reba, Channa marulius, Bagarius bagarius, and Clupisoma garua were the important species. All the species have been reported for the first time in this river. Indiscriminate catch, poisoning, using of fine mesh sized nets, dumping of sewage, siltation, water abstraction, changing land use pattern, decreased water discharge, and exotic species threaten the fish diversity. Urgent need exists for taking up research on the priority fish species and their habitat. Restoration measures have been proposed based on ecosystem scale approach for fish biodiversity conservation.