Methane and CO2 fluxes from an Indonesian peatland used for sago palm (Metroxylon sagu Rottb.) cultivation: Effects of fertilizer and groundwater level management

Tropical peatland is a vast potential land source for biological production, but peatland is a major natural source of greenhouse gases, especially methane (CH₄). It is important to evaluate the changes in greenhouse gas emissions induced by cultivation practices for sustainable agricultural use of tropical peatland. We investigated the effects of fertilizer application and the groundwater level on CH₄ and carbon dioxide (CO₂) fluxes in an Indonesian peat soil. The crop cultivated was sago palm (Metroxylon sagu Rottb.), which can grow on tropical peat soil without drainage and yield great amounts of starch. CH₄ emission through sago palm plants was first estimated by collecting gas samples immediately after cutting sago suckers using the closed chamber method. The CH₄ fluxes ranged from negative values to 1.0 mg C m⁻² h⁻¹. The mean CH₄ flux from treatment with macroelements (N, P, and K) and microelements (B, Cu, Fe, and Zn) applied at normal rates did not differ significantly from that of the No fertilizer treatment, although increasing the application rates of macroelements or microelements by 10-fold increased the CH₄ flux by a factor of two or three. The relationship between CH₄ flux and the groundwater table was regressed to a logarithmic equation, which indicated that to maintain a small CH₄ flux, the groundwater table should be maintained at <−45 cm. The CO₂ fluxes ranged between 24 and 150 mg C m⁻² h⁻¹, and were not significantly affected by either fertilizer treatments or the groundwater level. The inclusion of sago palm suckers in a chamber increased CH₄ emission from the peat soil significantly. Thus, gas emissions mediated by certain kinds of palm plants should not be disregarded.     

Maternal provisioning of sequestered defensive steroids by the Asian snake <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhabdophis tigrinus</Emphasis>

Summary.   Rhabdophis tigrinus obtains defensive steroids (bufadienolides) from its diet and sequesters those compounds in specialized structures on its neck known as nuchal glands. Hatchling snakes lacking these steroids must acquire them from toads consumed as prey. Here we show that females provision bufadienolides to their offspring in amounts correlated to the quantity in their own nuchal glands; thus, chemically protected mothers produce defended offspring. Bufadienolides can be provisioned to embryos via deposition in yolk and by transfer across the egg membranes within the oviducts. Maternally provisioned bufadienolides persist in the nuchal glands of juvenile snakes from the time of hatching in late summer until the following spring, when toads of ingestible size become abundant. Therefore, maternal provisioning may provide chemical protection from predators for young R. tigrinus in the absence of dietary sources of bufadienolides.     

Detecting crucial dispersal pathways using a virtual ecology approach: A case study of the mirid bug <Emphasis Type="Italic">Stenotus rubrovittatus</Emphasis>

Detecting dispersal pathways is important both for understanding species range expansion and for managing nuisance species. However, direct detection is difficult. Here, we propose detecting these crucial pathways using a virtual ecology approach, simulating species dynamics using models, and virtual observations. As a case study, we developed a dispersal model based on cellular automata for the pest insect Stenotus rubrovittatus and simulated its expansion. We tested models for species expansion based on four landscape parameters as candidate pathways; these are river density, road density, area of paddy fields, and area of abandoned farmland, and validated their accuracy. We found that both road density and abandoned area models had prediction accuracy. The simulation requires simple data only to have predictive power, allowing for fast modeling and swift establishment of management plans.     

Effect of grinding and heating on Ni2+ uptake properties of waste paper sludge

Uptake properties of Ni2+ were examined for unmilled and milled paper sludge calcined at various temperatures to develop a new usage of waste paper sludge. Since paper sludge mainly consists of cellulose ([C6H(10)O5]n) fibers, calcite (CaCO3), kaolinite (Al2Si2O5(OH)4) and talc (Mg3Si(4)O(10)(OH)2), amorphous and crystalline CaO(MgO)-Al(2)O(3)-SiO(2) compounds are formed by calcining paper sludge. Wet and dry milling treatments were performed to accelerate solid-state reaction to form the above mentioned target compounds. The crystalline phases originally present decompose at increasing calcining temperature (up to 800 degrees C) in the order cellulose 相似文献   

Seasonal variation in the acute effects of ozone on premature mortality among elderly Japanese

We conducted a multicity time-series study using monitoring data to assess seasonal patterns of short-term ozone–mortality association among elderly aged 65 years and over in Japan. Daily exposure to ambient ozone was computed using hourly measurements of photochemical oxidants available at multiple monitoring stations in each city. Effects of ozone on daily all-cause non-accidental, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality were estimated using distributed lag linear models, controlling for confounding by temporal, day of the week, temperature, and flu epidemics. City-level effect estimates were combined using inverse variance meta-analysis. In spring and autumn, a 10-ppbv increase of daily maximum 8-h average ozone concentration in the previous 3 days was associated with 0.69 % (95 % confidence interval (CI): 0.27–1.10), 1.07 % (0.34–1.82), and 1.77 % (0.78–2.77) increases in daily all-cause, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality, respectively. Forward displacement of respiratory mortality was large during the cold season despite lower ozone concentration. Results were generally independent of fine particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide. Findings suggest significant mortality effects of short-term ozone exposure among the elderly during the moderate season. Those with underlying respiratory diseases were susceptible, even during winter.     

Toxicity and metabolism of copper pyrithione and its degradation product, 2,2'-dipyridyldisulfide in a marine polychaete

We conducted acute toxicity tests and sediment toxicity tests for copper pyrithione (CuPT) and a metal pyrithione degradation product, 2,2′-dipyridyldisulfide [(PS)₂], using a marine polychaete Perinereis nuntia. The acute toxicity tests yielded 14-d LC₅₀ concentrations for CuPT and (PS)₂ of 0.06 mg L⁻¹ and 7.9 mg L⁻¹, respectively. Sediment toxicity tests resulted in 14-d LC₅₀ concentrations for CuPT and (PS)₂ of 1.1 mg kg⁻¹ dry wt. and 14 mg kg⁻¹ dry wt., respectively. In addition to mortality, sediment avoidance behavior and decreases in animal growth rate were observed; growth rate was the most susceptible endpoint in the sediment toxicity tests of both toxicants. Thus, we propose lowest observed effect concentrations of 0.3 mg kg⁻¹ dry wt. and 0.2 mg kg⁻¹ dry wt. for CuPT and (PS)₂, respectively, and no observed effect concentrations of 0.1 mg kg⁻¹ dry wt. for both CuPT and (PS)₂. The difference in the toxicity values between CuPT and (PS)₂ observed in the acute toxicity test was greater than the difference in these values in the sediment toxicity test, and we attribute this to (PS)₂ being more hydrophilic than CuPT. In addition to the toxicity tests, we analyzed conjugation activity of several polychaete enzymes to the toxicants and marked activity of palmitoyl coenzyme-A:biocides acyltransferase and UDP-glucuronosyl transferase was observed.     

Hydroxyiminodisuccinic acid (HIDS): A novel biodegradable chelating ligand for the increase of iron bioavailability and arsenic phytoextraction

The influence of biodegradable chelating ligands on arsenic and iron uptake by hydroponically grown rice seedlings (Oryza sativa L.) was investigated. Even though the growth solution contained sufficient Fe, the growth of rice seedlings gradually decreased up to 76% with the increase of pH of the solution from 7 to 11. Iron forms insoluble ferric hydroxide complexes at neutral or alkaline pH in oxic condition. Chelating ligands produce soluble ‘Fe–ligand complex’ which assist Fe uptake in plants. The biodegradable chelating ligand hydroxyiminodisuccinic acid (HIDS) was more efficient then those of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), ethylenediaminedisuccinic acid (EDDS), and iminodisuccinic acid (IDS) in the increase of Fe uptake and growth of rice seedling. A total of 79 ± 20, 87 ± 6, 116 ± 15, and 63 ± 18 mg dry biomass of rice seedlings were produced with the addition of 0.5 mM of EDDS, EDTA, HIDS, and IDS in the nutrient solution, respectively. The Fe concentrations in rice tissues were 117 ± 15, 82 ± 8, 167 ± 25, and 118 ± 22 μmol g⁻¹ dry weights when 0.25 mM of EDDS, EDTA, HIDS, and IDS were added to the nutrient solution, respectively. Most of the Fe accumulated in rice tissues was stored in roots after the addition of chelating ligands in the solution. The results indicate that the HIDS would be a potential alternative to environmentally persistent EDTA for the increase of Fe uptake and plant growth. The HIDS also increased As uptake in rice root though its translocation from root to shoot was not augmented. This study reports HIDS for the first time as a promising chelating ligand for the enhancement of Fe bioavailability and As phytoextraction.     

Deposition velocity of PM2.5 sulfate in the summer above a deciduous forest in central Japan

In order to increase knowledge of aerosol dry deposition for the regional assessment of acid deposition and transboundary air pollution in East Asia, an experimental study on PM2.5 sulfate deposition was implemented in the early summer of 2009. The experimental field was located in a deciduous forest at the foot of Mt. Asama, central Japan. Aerosol fluxes were obtained using the aerodynamic gradient method. Three aerosol samplers were placed on an experimental tower at 21, 24 and 27 m above the ground surface, and collected PM2.5 on filters for chemical analysis. Vertical concentration differences between 21 m and 27 m of PM2.5 sulfate were detected significantly when the concentration exceeded 1 μg m^?3. Mean deposition velocity was estimated to be 0.9 ± 1.0 cm s^?1 in the daytime and 0.3 ± 0.3 cm s^?1 in the nighttime. In the case that a height-dependent correction in the roughness sub-layer was taken into account, the deposition velocities increased more, especially in daytime. Higher deposition velocities in the daytime were associated with larger friction velocities and unstable conditions. The deposition velocities observed in this study were in agreement with other experimental results found in the literature. On the other hand, they were higher than those calculated by theoretical models. Two empirical parameterizations (Wesely, M.L., Cook, D.R., Hart, R.L., 1985. Measurement and parameterization of particulate sulfur dry deposition over grass. Journal of Geophysical Research 90, 2131–2143; Ruijgrok, W., Tieben, H., Eisinga, P., 1997. The dry deposition of particles to a forest canopy: a comparison of model and experimental results. Atmospheric Environment 31, 399–415) were validated by the observations. The general trend of higher daytime and lower nighttime deposition velocities was similar among the observation and the two parameterizations. The large variability found in the measurement was not reproduced by the parameterizations, because it is attributable to random error from the differences between the samplers. The observations were in accordance with the parameterization of Ruijgrok et al. (1997) for a forest, although much larger than that of Wesely et al. (1985) for grasslands. This indicates the large difference in aerosol deposition velocities between forests and grasslands.     

Blooming of Microcystis aeruginosa in the reservoir of the reclaimed land and discharge of microcystins to Isahaya Bay (Japan)

Purpose

In the reservoir created in the reclaimed land in Isahaya Bay, Japan, Microcystis aeruginosa, which produces microcystins (MCs), bloomed every year, and the water with high levels of MCs in the reservoir has been often drained to Isahaya Bay to adjust the water level. The principal aims of this study are to clarify the water conditions suitable for blooming of M. aeruginosa in the reservoir, to follow the amount of distribution of MCs inside and outside the reservoir, and to discuss how blooming of M. aeruginosa is controlled in the reservoir and how MCs produced by Microcystis spread or accumulate in the aquatic environment.

Method

We monitored the water quality (temperature, salinity, dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), and dissolved inorganic phosphorus) in the reservoir with seasonal blooming of microalgae including phytoplankton and M. aeruginosa using the concentrations of chlorophyll ?? and MCs, respectively, and collected the surface sediment in the reservoir and the bay to determine the MC content using the ELISA method.

Result

M. aeruginosa bloomed in extremely low DIN conditions of the water in warm seasons (spring and late summer to autumn). The year-mean standing stock of MCs was approximately 34.5?kg in the water and 8.4?kg in the surface sediment in the reservoir. Approximately 64.5?kg of MCs was discharged with the effluent to the bay in a year.

Conclusion

Since a large amount of MCs always suspends in the water in the reservoir and it has been discharged to the bay, suspension-feeding animals are exposed most seriously to the high levels of MCs occurring in these areas. We need to pay attention to the danger of widespread dispersal of MCs and biological concentration of MCs by fish and clam inside and outside the reservoir.     

Industrial Zoning as a Means of Controlling Area Source Air Pollution

The simple ATDL urban dispersion model Is based on the formula Xo(g/m³) = CO(g/m²s)/U(m/s). The diurnal variation of the stability factor C, which can be thought of as the width of the urban area divided by the vertical dispersion of the pollution cloud, has not before been satisfactorily estimated. Using observed diurnal variations of CO concentrations and traffic frequencies reported by DeMarrais of the EPA for many stations in the states of Maryland, New Jersey, and Colorado, and using wind data from these states, hourly values of C - XoU/Q were calculated. The ratio of C to the daily average C is found to equal about 2.5 at 4 a.m., drops to about 0.5 by 8 a.m., and remains at 0.5 until about 6 p.m.., when it starts to climb slowly again. Application of this new stability factor to independent CO data from Los Angeles yields correlations between measured and predicted concentrations of about 0.7.