Temporal variation in size-assortative mating and male mate choice in a spider with amphisexual care

Males should be more selective when they have a high investment in reproduction, especially in species with biparental or paternal care. In this context, male mate choice can promote size-assortative mating (SAM) when (1) large males win intrasexual disputes, (2) large females are more fecund, and (3) males prefer larger females to smaller ones. In the spider Manogea porracea, males exhibit high reproductive investment by building their webs above those of females and exhibiting extended care of offspring in the absence of females. Under these circumstances, we expect the occurrence of SAM and male preference for large females. Herein, we performed observations and experiments in the field to evaluate the hypotheses that (1) M. porracea mates assortatively by size and (2) SAM is influenced by male mate choice. Furthermore, we measured variables that could affect mating patterns, the sex ratios, and densities of both sexes. Pairing in M. porracea was positively size-assortative in 2012, but not in 2013. Large males won most disputes for mates and preferred larger females, which produced more eggs. The inconsistency in detection of SAM was due to population dynamics, namely variations in sex ratio and population density across the breeding season. Furthermore, we found that the significance of male mate choice on sexual selection of body size in M. porracea strongly depends on the competition intensity for mating opportunities. The traditional sexual selection hypothesis of SAM needs to be reviewed and must include measures of competition intensity.     

TiO2/膨润土复合材料对Hg2+的吸附性能研究

利用纳米TiO_2对膨润土进行复合改性,制备TiO_2/膨润土复合材料.采用电镜扫描、X-射线衍射表征改性前后膨润土的结构和形貌.通过室内模拟实验,以膨润土为对照,研究不同添加量、pH、吸附时间及初始Hg~(2+)浓度等条件下,TiO_2/膨润土复合材料对Hg~(2+)的吸附特性与性能,同时通过正交试验,探究TiO_2/膨润土复合材料吸附Hg~(2+)的最优条件.结果表明,改性后的膨润土颗粒明显变小,且颗粒疏松多空孔,层间距增大.相比于膨润土,TiO_2/膨润土复合材料吸附性能得到极大提高.TiO_2/膨润土复合材料对Hg~(2+)的吸附率均随着添加量、pH、吸附时间的增大而增大,添加量为1.5 g·L~(-1)、pH为7.0、吸附时间为120 min时,吸附率达98.0%以上.但TiO_2/膨润土复合材料对Hg~(2+)的吸附率随着初始Hg~(2+)浓度的增大而减小.通过4种动力学模型拟合发现,吸附过程符合假二级动力学方程,吸附以化学吸附为主.吸附等温线更符合Langmuir等温方程,属于典型的单分子层吸附,最大吸附量为20.66 mg·g-1.吸附Hg~(2+)的最优实验条件:添加量为2.0 g·L~(-1),pH为8.0,初始Hg~(2+)浓度为45 mg·L~(-1),吸附时间为16 h,此时吸附率99.9%,平衡浓度为0.034 mg·L~(-1).     

湟水河流域水质时空变化特征及其污染源解析

基于2012—2014年水质数据,综合应用多元统计分析与一维水质模型(Qual2Kw),系统分析了湟水河水质时空变化及其污染物来源.结果表明:湟水河河流水质主要受化学需氧量、生化需氧量、铜、六价铬、水温、溶解氧、总氮、氨氮等8项水质指标影响,且氨氮和总氮污染严重;湟水河水质时间上可划分为3个时段:时段1(6—10月)、时段2(5月和11月)和时段3(12月—4月),时段1水质明显优于时段2和时段3,湟水河水体受工业生活排放污水的影响显著,面源污染对河流水质的影响低于点源污染;空间上可分为3大区段:湟水河上游、中游和下游,中游西宁市段污染较重;基于Qual2Kw模型的污染物贡献比例计算结果揭示了湟水河民和桥断面的氨氮负荷主要来源于扎马隆(S2)-西钢桥(S3),总氮主要来源于报社桥(S5)-小峡桥(S6),其中支流点源是氨氮的主要污染源,普通点源即城镇生活污水和工业废水排放是总氮的主要污染来源,上游干流农田地表径流、畜禽养殖废水、农村生活污水等污染源氨氮、总氮排放也不容忽视.研究结果可以为湟水河流域水环境管理提供科学依据.     

基于本地污染源调查的杭州市大气污染物排放清单研究

基于实地调查数据并辅以统计数据,采用物料衡算法和排放因子法,估算了杭州市2015年大气污染物排放清单,并选取经纬度坐标、路网、航道、土地类型和人口等数据作为权重因子,研究了该地区各类排放源污染物排放空间分布特征.结果表明,杭州市2015年SO_2、NO_x、CO、VOCs、PM_(10)、PM_(2.5)和NH_3年排放总量分别为22.20×10~3、108.17×10~3、192.10×10~3、134.94×10~3、78.12×10~3、27.65×10~3和59.75×10~3t.工业源是杭州市SO_2排放的主要来源,移动源对NO_x和CO的排放贡献最为显著,扬尘源是杭州市PM_(10)和PM_(2.5)排放的最主要来源,其次为工业源;VOCs排放的主要来源依次为工业源、天然源和移动源;NH_3排放主要来自农业源.从空间分布来看,排放主要集中在中心城区及其周边的萧山、下沙、大江东、余杭和富阳等工业企业相对密集的区域.本研究建立的排放清单在污染源覆盖范围和排放因子方面仍然存在一定的不确定性,建议在后续研究中重点开展低、小、散企业及本地化排放因子调查研究工作,进一步提升大气污染物排放清单的准确度.     

养殖鱼塘底泥微生物抗生素耐药基因分布分析

针对水产养殖中抗生素滥用引起微生物耐药基因污染的现象,本实验以杭州市某水产养殖区底泥样品为研究对象,测定了底泥样品中抗生素含量,并从其中分离出74株可培养细菌.采用PCR方法对分离菌株中磺胺类、四环素类、喹诺酮类、氯霉素类抗性基因(antibiotic resistance genes,ARGs)和整合子基因进行了检测.结果表明,除tet A(四环素类)耐药基因未被检出外,其余3种耐药基因及整合子基因均被检出,其中qnr S(喹诺酮类)耐药基因的检出率最高,为50.00%.另外,利用16S r DNA序列分析技术将分离菌株鉴定为12个属、19个种,包括环境中多种常见土著细菌及部分致病菌,其中气单胞菌(Aeromonas spp.)数量最多(29株),占分离菌株的39.19%.掌握水产养殖区中ARGs的污染现状,对控制其传播、保障食品安全和保护微生态环境具有重要指导意义.     

Visible leaf injury in young trees of Fagus sylvatica L. and Quercus robur L. in relation to ozone uptake and ozone exposure. An Open-Top Chambers experiment in South Alpine environmental conditions

An Open-Top Chambers experiment on Fagus sylvatica and Quercus robur seedlings was conducted in order to compare the performance of an exposure-based (AOT40) and a flux-based approaches in predicting the appearance of ozone visible injuries on leaves. Three different ozone treatments (charcoal-filtered; non-filtered; and open plots) and two soil moisture treatments (watered and non-watered plots) were performed. A Jarvisian stomatal conductance model was drawn up and parameterised for both species and typical South Alpine environmental conditions, thus allowing the calculation of ozone stomatal fluxes for every treatment. A critical ozone flux level for the onset of leaf visible injury in beech was clearly identified between 32.6 and 33.6 mmolO3 m(-2). In contrast, it was not possible to identify an exposure critical level using the AOT40 index. Water stress delayed the onset of the leaf visible injuries, but the flux-based approach was able to take it into account accurately.     

Low cost measurements of nitrogen and sulphur dry deposition velocities at a semi-alpine site: gradient measurements and a comparison with deposition model estimates

The conditional time averaged gradient method was used to measure air-surface exchange of nitrogen and sulphur compounds at a semi-alpine site in Southern Norway. Dry deposition velocities were then obtained from the bi-weekly concentration gradient measurements. Annual deposition velocities were found to be 1.4, 11.8 and 4.0 mm s(-1) for NH3, HNO3 and SO2, respectively, if all data were included, and to be 10.8, 11.8 and 13.0 mm s(-1), respectively, if only positive values were included. Measured deposition velocities were compared to two sets of values estimated from a big-leaf dry deposition module applying to two different land types (short grass and forbs, and tundra), driven by measured micrometeorological parameters. The deposition module gives reasonable values for this site throughout the year, but does not reproduce the large variability as shown in the measured data. No apparent seasonal variations were found from either measurements or module estimates due to the very low productivity of the studied area.     

Effects of three pesticides on the avoidance behavior of earthworms in laboratory tests performed under temperate and tropical conditions

Little research has been performed on the impact of pesticides on earthworms under tropical conditions. Taking into consideration the often-limited resources in tropical countries, simple screening tests are needed. Therefore, it was investigated whether three pesticides relevant for the Brazilian Amazon (benomyl, carbendazim, lambda-cyhalothrin) affect the avoidance behavior of the earthworm Eisenia fetida. The tests were performed for two days according to ISO guideline 17512 but were adapted to tropical conditions (i.e. test substrate, test organism and temperature). The results indicate that this test gives reproducible and reliable results. Toxicity values (NOEC, EC50) are lower than those determined in 14 day-acute mortality tests and are approximately in the same range such as those found in 56 day-chronic reproduction tests with the same earthworm species, which were performed in parallel. Therefore, the use of the earthworm avoidance tests is recommended as a screening tool for the risk assessment of pesticides.     

Effect of two major N-nitroso hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) metabolites on earthworm reproductive success

Soil and topical tests were employed to investigate the effect of two N-nitroso metabolites of RDX (hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine) on earthworm reproduction. The lowest observed effect concentration (LOEC) for cocoon production and hatching was 50mg/kg for both hexahydro-1-nitroso-3,5-dinitro-1,3,5-triazine (MNX) and hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitroso-1,3,5-triazine (TNX) in soil. MNX and TNX also significantly affected cocoon hatching in soil (p<0.001) and in topical tests (p=0.001). The LOECs for cocoon hatching were 1 and 10mg/kg for MNX and TNX in soil, respectively, and 10mg/L in the topical test. Greater than 100mg/kg MNX and TNX completely inhibited cocoon hatching. In soil, the EC20 values for MNX were 8.7 and 8.8mg/kg for cocoon and juvenile production, respectively, compared to 9.2 and 9.1mg/kg for TNX, respectively. The EC20 values for the total number of cocoon hatchlings were 3.1 and 4.7mg/kg for MNX and TNX, respectively, in soil and 4.5 and 3.1mg/L in the topical test. Both MNX and TNX inhibited cocoon production and hatching, suggesting that they may have a negative affect on soil ecosystems at contaminated sites.     

Physiological responses to atmospheric fluorine pollution in transplants of Pseudoscleropodium purum

Transplants of the moss Pseudoscleropodium purum were placed under shade, and with an auto irrigation system, at five sites in the surroundings of an aluminium smelter to enable study of the possible effects of F on different physiological parameters after exposure periods of 28 and 56 days. Reference thresholds for the content of Chl a+b and for the pigment indexes of Chl a/b and D665/D665a were established with the data corresponding to 22 transplants of each duration of exposure, at seven sites where there was little or no contamination by F. The highest determination coefficients for the levels of F in moss were those obtained for chlorophyll content (Chl a+b) and the D665/D665a pigment index, with the effects being most evident in the transplants exposed to the contamination for 56 days.