Seasonal and diel variation in movement rhythms of sand dollar, Peronella lesueuri (Valenciennes 1841), in Cockburn Sound, Western Australia

Rates and direction of movement in the sand dollar Peronella lesueuri were measured in summer and winter in Cockburn Sound, a large coastal embayment in south-western Australia. P. lesueuri was found to have a diurnal activity pattern throughout the year and had a greater movement rate in the summer (mean of 5.3 cm h^?1, day; 3.9 cm h^?1, night) than in the winter (mean of 2.7 cm h^?1, day; 2.0 cm h^?1, night). Seasonal change in temperature and physiological requirements by the sand dollar are the most likely reason for the seasonal differences. Reasons for diurnal variation were not clear. Direction of movement was found to be random at both times of the year. Based on these movement rates, one sand dollar can bioturbate an approximate area of 0.1 m² day^?1 and 36.4 m² year^?1. At a conservative density estimate of 0.5 sand dollars per m² it takes approximately 20 days for the sand dollars to rework the entire area of the sediments in the habitats they occupy.     

水体中磺胺甲恶唑和甲氧苄氨嘧啶的自然光降解

实验研究了磺胺甲恶唑和甲氧苄氨嘧啶连续暴露于自然光下72 h,在pH值为4.0、7.0、9.0水体中的光降解行为,同时考察了黑暗条件下对照样品在不同pH条件下的稳定性.实验表明,光强、光照时间、水体pH都直接影响到磺胺甲恶唑的去除率.在自然光照环境下,不同pH溶液中的磺胺甲恶唑均易发生光降解,而黑暗对照样品去除率较小.甲氧苄氨嘧啶则比较稳定,几乎未发生降解,但黑暗对照样品在pH值为4.0和7.0的溶液中,与起始浓度相比,去除率大于10%,这可能主要与该药物在不同pH溶液中的离子形态及光照过程中的温度波动有关.     

The Conservation Status and Conservation Strategy of Picea neoveitchii

Picea neoveitchii is an endemic species in China. It had been listed as an endangered species in red data books. It scatters in several locations of south slope of the Qinling Mountain of China. Upon reviewing the related literature, discussing with leading scholars on gymnosperm, ecology and plant conservation, the field survey was carried out in four locations. There are eleven mature individuals and two seedlings surviving in its natural habitats. With the survey of quadrat method in four locations, related community index were calculated such as relative important value （RIV）, species richness, similarity index, diversity index and evenness index etc. The community could be sorted and characterized as three groups based on the community parameters. The analysis of vegetation table elucidates that Picea neoveitchii is a dominant species with low grouping rate in most surveyed sites. The RAPD analysis shows target species has intraspecific genetic variability. The estimation of Shannon＇s phenotypic diversity index （Ho） also explains the difference of genetic variations of different locations. Due to the lack of enough knowledge and professional guide of conservation biological perspective, Picea neoveitchii had been clear-cut for timber production. The extent of occurrence and area of occupancy declined rapidly from 1950s to 1990s. According to the Conservation Category guideline proposed by the World Conservation Union, the conservation status of Picea neoveitchii was reevaluated as Critically Endangered （CR） B2b C2a D. Upon research in areas of ecology, molecular biology, cluster analysis of environmental parameters, a practical conservation strategy is recommended in this research.     

Sustainable urban planning and the brownfield development process in the United Kingdom: Lessons from the Thames Gateway

Over recent decades urban and regional development agendas in the United Kingdom have become dominated by the discourses of sustainable development, holistic regeneration and community capacity-building. It is in this context that brownfield development has emerged as a core feature in strategies to regenerate urban areas. Bringing brownfields back into use tends to be, a priori, presented as a 'good thing' that will have broader economic, environmental and social benefits. This paper assesses the role that brownfield development plays in urban and regional policy agendas in the UK. It begins by identifying the rationales for, and concerns associated with, the brownfield development process in the UK, before discussing the trajectories of policy under the New Labour government since 1997. It argues that at present too much is expected from brownfield-led regeneration programmes and that wider benefits will only accrue if these programmes are embedded within a wider and more comprehensive set of development projects and policy agendas.     

Ammonia emissions from swine houses in the southeastern United States

Ammonia (NH3) from confined animal feeding operations is emitted from several sources including lagoons, field applications, and houses. This paper presents studies that were conducted to evaluate NH3 emissions from swine finisher and sow animal houses in the southeastern USA. Management and climate variables including animal weight, feed consumption, housing gutter water temperature, total time fans operated per day, house air temperature, house ambient NH3 concentration, and animal numbers were measured to determine their individual and combined effect on NH3 emissions. Ammonia emissions varied on daily and seasonal bases with higher emissions during warmer periods. For finishers, the summertime housing emissions on a per-animal basis were 2.4 times higher than wintertime (7.0 vs. 3.3 g NH3 animal(-1) d(-1)) or 3.2 times higher when compared on an animal unit (AU) basis (1 AU = 500 kg) because of climate and animal size differences between measurement periods. For summertime, the emission factor for the finishing pigs was 7.8 times higher than for sows on an animal basis and 25.6 times higher on an AU basis. Simple models were developed for housing emissions based on (i) all measured factors that were independent of each other and (ii) on three commonly measured management factors. The two models explained 97 and 64%, respectively, of variations in emissions. Ammonia emissions were found to be somewhat less than other studies on the same type housing due to more representative housing concentration measurements and calibration of exhaust fans; thus, emission factors for these type houses will be less than previously thought.     

Differential feeding of worker larvae affects caste characters in the Cape honeybee,<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Apis mellifera capensis</Emphasis>

Sections of brood from colonies of the Cape honeybee ( Apis mellifera capensis), the African honeybee ( A. m. scutellata), and hybrid bees of the two races were exchanged between colonies to study the effect of different brood-origin/nurse-bee combinations on development of caste characters. When Cape larvae were raised by African workers the amount of food provided almost doubled in comparison with Cape larvae reared by their own workers. In contrast, African larvae raised by Cape workers were provided with only half the amount they received from their own workers. After the bees emerged, we found a large degree of plasticity in characters related to caste differentiation, which corresponded closely to the amount of food provided. Super-fed Cape bees had enlarged spermathecae, were heavier than normal workers and developed more rapidly, and had reduced pollen combs, all typical for a more queen-like condition. Ovariole numbers did not appear to be enhanced by additional feeding. Cape bees that behave as social parasites in African bee colonies were most queen-like in the characters studied, albeit within the range that was found for Cape bees from normal colonies, suggesting within-colony selection for characters that enhance reproduction.Communicated by R. Page     

MUNICIPAL WATER CONSERVATION ALTERNATIVES1

ABSTRACT: The municipal water conservation options available to meet the goals of a national water conservation policy are evaluated. Water conservation with water conservation devices is shown to offer many significant advantages over education and pricing and metering as a method of accomplishing water conservation goals. Current constraints on the use of water conservation devices are outlined, and their elimination is suggested if the nation's water conservation goals are to be met.     

Nitrogen cycling through swine production systems: ammonia, dinitrogen, and nitrous oxide emissions

Ammonia (NH(3)) emissions from animal systems have become a primary concern for all of livestock production. The purpose of this research was to establish the relationship of nitrogen (N) emissions to specific components of swine production systems and to determine accurate NH(3) emission factors appropriate for the regional climate, geography, and production systems. Micrometeorological instrumentation and gas sensors were placed over two lagoons in North Carolina during 1997-1999 to obtain information for determining ammonia emissions over extended periods and without interfering with the surrounding climate. Ammonia emissions varied diurnally and seasonally and were related to lagoon ammonium concentration, acidity, temperature, and wind turbulence. Conversion of significant quantities of ammonium NH(4)(+) to dinitrogen gas (N(2)) were measured in all lagoons with the emission rate largely dependent on NH(4)(+) concentration. Lagoon NH(4)(+) conversion to N(2) accounted for the largest loss component of the N entering the farm (43% as N(2)); however, small amounts of N(2)O were emitted from the lagoon (0.1%) and from field applications (0.05%) when effluent was applied nearby. In disagreement with previous and current estimates of NH(3) emissions from confined animal feeding operation (CAFO) systems, and invalidating current assumptions that most or all emissions are in the form of NH(3), we found much smaller NH(3) emissions from animal housing (7%), lagoons (8%), and fields (2%) using independent measurements of N transformation and transport. Nitrogen input and output in the production system were evaluated, and 95% of input N was accounted for as output N from the system.