Variations in global temperature and precipitation for the period of 1948 to 2010

Climate change has impacts on both natural and human systems. Accurate information regarding variations in precipitation and temperature is essential for identifying and understanding these potential impacts. This research applied Mann–Kendall, rescaled range analysis and wave transform methods to analyze the trends and periodic properties of global and regional surface air temperature (SAT) and precipitation (PR) over the period of 1948 to 2010. The results show that 65.34 % of the area studied exhibits significant warming trends (p?<?0.05) while only 3.18 % of the area exhibits significant cooling trends. The greatest warming trends are observed in Antarctica (0.32 °C per decade) and Middle Africa (0.21 °C per decade). Notably, 62.26 % of the area became wetter, while 22.01 % of the area shows drying trends. Northern Europe shows the largest precipitation increase, 12.49 mm per decade. Western Africa shows the fastest drying, ?21.05 mm per decade. The rescaled range analysis reveals large areas that show persistent warming trends; this behavior in SAT is more obvious than that in PR. Wave transform results show that a 1-year period of SAT variation dominates in all regions, while inconsistent 0.5-year bands are observed in East Asia, Middle Africa, and Southeast Asia. In PR, significant power in the wavelet power spectrum at a 1-year period was observed in 17 regions, i.e., in all regions studied except Western Europe, where precipitation is instead characterized by 0.5-year and 0.25-year periods. Overall, the variations in SAT and PR can be consistent with the combined impacts of natural and anthropogenic factors, such as atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, the internal variability of climate system, and volcanic eruptions.     

Coupling urban 3-D information and circuit theory to advance the development of urban ecological networks

Ongoing, rapid urban growth accompanied by habitat fragmentation and loss challenges biodiversity conservation and leads to decreases in ecosystem services. Application of the concept of ecological networks in the preservation and restoration of connections among isolated patches of natural areas is a powerful conservation strategy. However, previous approaches often failed to objectively consider the impacts of complex 3-D city environments on ecological niches. We used airborne lidar-derived information on the 3-D structure of the built environment and vegetation and detailed land use and cover data to characterize habitat quality, niche diversity, and human disturbance and to predict habitat connectivity among 38 identified habitat core areas (HCAs) in Nanjing, China. We used circuit theory and Linkage Mapper to create a landscape resistance layer, simulate habitat connectivity, and identify and prioritize important corridors. We mapped 64 links by using current flow centrality to evaluate each HCA's contribution and the links that facilitate intact connectivity. Values were highest for HCA links located in the west, south, and northeast of the study area, where natural forests with complex 3-D structures predominate. Two smaller HCA areas had high centrality scores relative to their extents, which means they could act as important stepping stones in connectivity planning. The mapped pinch-point regions had narrow and fragile links among the HCAs, suggesting they require special protection. The barriers with the highest impact scores were mainly located at the HCA connections to Purple Mountain and, based on these high scores, are more likely to indicate important locations that can be restored to improve potential connections. Our novel framework allowed us to sufficiently convey spatially explicit information to identify targets for habitat restoration and potential pathways for species movement and dispersal. Such information is critical for assessing existing or potential habitats and corridors and developing strategic plans to balance habitat conservation and other land uses based on scientifically informed connectivity planning and implementation.     

Growth characteristics of algae during early stages of phytoplankton bloom in Lake Taihu, China

Three treatments, sediment plus lake water (S+W), sterilized sediment plus lake water (SS+W), and sediment plus filtered lake water (S+FW), were recruited to investigate the growth characteristics of algae during pre-bloom and the importance of algal inocula in the water column and sediment. The results showed that in the water column, biomass of all algae increased in all treatments when recruitment was initiated, whereas this tendency differed among treatments with further increment of temperature. The process of algal growth consisted of two stages: Stage I, the onset of recruitment and Stage II, the subsequent growth of algae. Compared with S+W, in Stage I, SS+W significantly increased the biomass of cyanophytes by 178.70%, and decreased the biomass of non-cyanophytes by 43.40%; In Stage II, SS+W notably stimulated the growth of all algae, thus incurring the occurrence of phytoplankton bloom. Further analyses revealed that both metabolic activity and photochemical activity of algae were enhanced in SS+W, which resulted from the releasing of nutrients from sediment. These results suggest that algal growth in Stage II and algal inocula in the water column can be important factors for the formation of phytoplankton bloom. In addition, possible mechanisms promoting algal recruitment and subsequent growth of algae were explored.     

Joint effects of heavy metal binary mixtures on seed germination, root and shoot growth, bacterial bioluminescence, and gene mutation

This investigation was to assess the joint effects of metal binary mixtures on seed germination,root and shoot growth,bacterial bioluminescence,and gene mutation based on the one toxic unit(1 TU)approach.Different sensitivities and orders of toxicity of metal mixtures were observed among the bioassays.In general,mostly additive or antagonistic effects were observed,while almost no synergistic effects by the binary metal mixtures in all bioassays.Therefore,the combined effects of heavy metals in the different bioassays were difficult to generalize since they were dependent on both chemical type and the organism used in each bioassay.However, these results indicate that a battery of bioassays with mixture chemicals as opposed to just a single assay with single metal is a better strategy for the bioassessment of environmental pollutants.     

Machining efficiency of powder mixed near dry electrical discharge machining based on different material combinations of tool electrode and workpiece electrode

Powder mixed near dry electrical discharge machining (PMND-EDM) is a novel electrical discharge machining (EDM) process. It is proposed to further improve the machining efficiency of dry EDM. The principle of material removal in PMND-EDM is illustrated and its deionization principle is proposed. The influence of residual heat on MRR is analyzed. The concept of superfluous residual heat is proposed. The material removal rate (MRR), the main index of machining efficiency for PMND-EDM process, is researched. Single factor experiments are performed to get effect of peak current, pulse on time, pulse off time, flow rate, tool rotational speed, air pressure and powder concentration on MRR under different material combinations of tool electrode and workpiece electrode. Thermal phenomena in PMND-EDM are illustrated. Effect of each process parameter on MRR of PMND-EDM is gotten and analyzed based on the deionization principle of PMND-EDM. Differences in MRR under different material combinations are found out. Brass tool electrode and W18Cr4V workpiece gain higher MRR under most of discharge conditions, while the superiority of copper tool electrode and 45 carbon steel workpiece in MRR arise when there is improper heat dissipation. The difference is analyzed based on the deionization principle of PMND-EDM.     

Comparison of inorganic chemical compositions of atmospheric TSP, PM10 and PM2.5 in northern and southern Chinese coastal cities

To compare the inorganic chemical compositions of TSP(total suspended paniculate),PM_(10)(particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than 10 μm) and PM_(2.5)(particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm) in southern and northern cities in China,atmospheric particles were synchronously collected in Dalian(the northern city)and Xiamen(the southern city) in spring and autumn of 2004.The mass concentrations,twenty-three elements and nine soluble ions were assessed.The results show that in Dalian,the mass concentrations of Mg,Al,Ca,Mn and Fe in spring were 4.0-10.1,2.6-8.0,4.1-12,1.2-3.6 and 2.9-7.9 times higher,respectively,than those in Xiamen.The dust storm influence is more obvious in Dalian in spring.However,in Xiamen,heavy metals accounted for 13.9%-17.9%of TSP,while heavy metals contributed to 5.5%-9.3%of TSP in Dalian.These concentrations suggest that heavy metal pollution in Xiamen was more serious.In addition,the concentrations of Na~+,Cl~-,Ca~(2+) and Mg~(2+) were higher in Dalian due to the influence of marine aerosol,construction activities and soil dust.The NO~(3-)/SO_4~(2-) ratios in Dalian(0.25-0.49) were lower than those in Xiamen(0.51-0.62),indicating that the contributions of vehicle emission to particles in Xiamen were higher.Coefficient of divergence values was higher than 0.40,implying that the inorganic chemical composition profiles for the particles of Dalian and Xiamen were quite different from each other.     

基于3个生物评价指数的滦河上游水质评价研究

对滦河上游布设的10个监测站点分别于2012年和2015年进行了四次大型无脊椎底栖动物采样,并对其种类区系组成、密度及分布进行了统计分析.在基于大型无脊椎底栖动物进行水质评价的过程中,分别使用需氧有机体百分率、Shannon-Wiener生物多样性指数和BI生物指数对滦河上游的水质状况进行评价,并获得了基于三个指数的各站点的水质情况.在分析各站点的水质评价结果的一致性和差异性的基础上,对三个指数用于水质评价的可行性和合理性进行了讨论.     

生态保护学的建设与发展

通过简要回顾生态保护工作的发展历程,将生态保护学划分为自然保护学和生态保护学两个阶段。从研究对象及性质、内容与分支、学科基础、学科体系,论述了《环境保护学》的建设和发展,并指明了生态保护学的地位、作用及发展趋势。     

Source analysis of particulate matter associated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in an industrial city in northeastern China

Particle-associated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations were investigated at eight sampling sites during cold periods where heating is used (heating period) (February to March, 2005) and warm periods where heating is not required (non-heating periods) (August to September 2006) in the urban area of Anshan, an iron and steel city in northeastern China. Eleven PAH species were measured using GC-MS. The total average concentrations of PAHs ranged from 46.14 to 385.60 ng m(-3) in the heating period and from 5.28 to 146.40 ng m(-3) in the non-heating period. The lowest concentration of ∑PAHs was observed at Qianshan, a monitoring site far from the city and industrial area, and the highest concentration occurred in the site located at the factory area of Anshan Iron and Steel Incorporation. Moreover, ambient PAH profiles were studied and high molecular weight PAH (including 4-6 rings) species occurred in the high fractions. Toxic equivalent factors analysis gave the potential carcinogenic risks in Anshan. For the heating sampling period, BaP equivalent concentration is in the range of 41.98 to 220.83 ng m(-3), and 9.23 to 126.00 ng m(-3) for the non-heating sampling period. By diagnostic ratio analysis, traffic emission and combustion (coal or biomass) were potential sources for PAHs in Anshan. Finally, PCA results indicated the major sources were vehicle emission, steel industry emission, and coal combustion for both heating and non-heating seasons, which agreed with the results from the diagnostic ratio analysis.