Differential timing and latitudinal variation in sex ratio of Aquatic Warblers during the autumn migration

Differential migration has been extensively reported in spring, but less so in autumn, particularly in relation to sex in monomorphic bird species. Here, we analysed the autumn passage of a monomorphic, globally threatened passerine, the Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicola throughout Western Europe, with regard to age and sex. We showed that, overall, adults migrated earlier than first-year birds, and males migrated earlier than females during the autumn migration. This may be caused by an overall social dominance of adults over immatures, and differentiated migration strategy of males and females. In addition, we found male-skewed sex proportions, with a tendency to an equalised ratio in more southern stopover sites. This may indicate a male bias in the global population or different migration strategies of the sexes. Differential migration may cause the age and sex classes to be exposed differently to various threats affecting demographic structure of the species.     

上海一次典型雾霾过程中不同天气现象的气溶胶光学特性及转化机制

以上海市2013年冬季一次持续雾霾过程为例,根据能见度和相对湿度的地面观测资料将雾霾过程划分为干霾、湿霾、雾3种不同天气现象,对不同天气现象的气溶胶光学特性垂直分布特征进行了研究,并初步分析不同天气现象的转化机制.结果表明,3种不同天气现象的发生顺序为湿霾→干霾→湿霾及湿霾→雾→干霾→湿霾,相对湿度对能见度的影响最大,温度次之,再次是风速,而PM_(2.5)对能见度的影响最小.CALIPSO(Cloud Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation)探测期间,存在2~3 km明显气溶胶层,且不同天气现象的气溶胶层厚度不同(雾湿霾干霾);雾霾发生期间,1.0 km以下高度气溶胶消光能力最大;在干霾、湿霾到雾的转化过程中,球形、大粒径气溶胶增多,非球形、小粒径气溶胶减少.     

羊粪生物炭对水体中诺氟沙星的吸附特性

以羊粪为原料分别在350、450、550、650℃条件下制备生物炭,通过元素分析、BET-N_2、电镜扫描及FTIR表征了不同热解温度下羊粪生物炭的结构特征,并采用序批实验研究了pH、生物炭投加量、热解温度、初始浓度等因素对羊粪生物炭吸附水体中诺氟沙星(NOR)的影响及吸附机制.结果表明,随着热解温度的升高,生物炭的比表面积、总孔容、平均孔径增大,芳香性和稳定性也有所提高.羊粪生物炭吸附NOR的最佳初始pH为6.0,吸附在180 min左右达到平衡,采用准二级动力学模型能更好地拟合动力学数据(R~20.96),吸附速率由表面吸附和颗粒内扩散共同控制.等温吸附拟合发现,Langmuir模型能较好地描述NOR在羊粪生物炭上的吸附行为(R~20.93),吸附过程均为有利吸附,且可能与氢键和π-π键作用密切相关,4种热解温度下生物炭的吸附能力大小为:650℃550℃450℃350℃.吸附过程中ΔGθ0、ΔHθ0、ΔSθ0,表明羊粪生物炭对NOR的吸附是自发、吸热及熵增加的过程.650℃和550℃条件下制备的羊粪生物炭可作为水体中NOR的优势吸附材料.     

Improvement of electrical resistivity tomography for leachate injection monitoring

Leachate recirculation is a key process in the scope of operating municipal waste landfills as bioreactors, which aims to increase the moisture content to optimize the biodegradation in landfills. Given that liquid flows exhibit a complex behaviour in very heterogeneous porous media, in situ monitoring methods are required. Surface time-lapse electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) is usually proposed. Using numerical modelling with typical 2D and 3D injection plume patterns and 2D and 3D inversion codes, we show that wrong changes of resistivity can be calculated at depth if standard parameters are used for time-lapse ERT inversion. Major artefacts typically exhibit significant increases of resistivity (more than +30%) which can be misinterpreted as gas migration within the waste. In order to eliminate these artefacts, we tested an advanced time-lapse ERT procedure that includes (i) two advanced inversion tools and (ii) two alternative array geometries. The first advanced tool uses invariant regions in the model. The second advanced tool uses an inversion with a “minimum length” constraint. The alternative arrays focus on (i) a pole–dipole array (2D case), and (ii) a star array (3D case). The results show that these two advanced inversion tools and the two alternative arrays remove almost completely the artefacts within +/?5% both for 2D and 3D situations. As a field application, time-lapse ERT is applied using the star array during a 3D leachate injection in a non-hazardous municipal waste landfill. To evaluate the robustness of the two advanced tools, a synthetic model including both true decrease and increase of resistivity is built. The advanced time-lapse ERT procedure eliminates unwanted artefacts, while keeping a satisfactory image of true resistivity variations. This study demonstrates that significant and robust improvements can be obtained for time-lapse ERT monitoring of leachate recirculation in waste landfills.     

Life cycle cost evaluation of the digital opacity compliance system

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established EPA Reference Method 9 (Method 9) as the preferred enforcement approach for verifying compliance with federal visible opacity standards. While Method 9 has an extensive history of successful employment, reliance on human observers to quantify visible emissions is inherently subjective, a characteristic that exposes Method 9 results to claims of inaccuracy, bias and, in some cases, outright fraud.The Digital Opacity Compliance System (DOCS), which employs commercial-off-the-shelf digital photography coupled with simple computer processing, is a new approach for quantifying visible opacity. The DOCS technology has been previously demonstrated to meet and, in many cases, surpass the Method 9 accuracy and reliability standards (McFarland et al., 2006). Beyond its performance relative to Method 9, DOCS provides a permanent visual record of opacity, a vital feature in legal compliance challenges.In recent DOCS field testing, the opacity analysis of two hundred and forty one (241) regulated air emissions from the following industrial processes: 1) industrial scrubbers, 2) emergency generators, 3) asphalt paving, 4) steel production and 5) incineration indicated that Method 9 and DOCS were statistically equivalent at the 99% confidence level. However, a life cycle cost analysis demonstrated that implementation of DOCS could potentially save a facility $15,732 per trained opacity observer compared to utilization of Method 9.     

Return to the River: Environmental Flow Policy in the United States and Canada1

Abstract: This paper provides an overview and summary of United States and Canadian federal, state, and provincial laws that offer some form of legal protection for environmental flows. Special attention is given to the new “second generation” law established in Texas and to ways western states are beginning to encourage transactions that help restore dewatered streams. Progress in the eastern states and some Canadian provinces to provide environmental flow protection is addressed. Based on this review, this paper presents recommended elements of a “model” environmental flow policy.     

Spiders in mountain habitats of the Giant Mountains

Ground-living spiders were studied using modified pitfall traps during several years in four characteristic habitats in Giant Mountains (Krkono?e Mts.), the High Sudetes, Czech Republic: alpine tundra, subalpine mire, tall-herb stand at the bottom of a glacial corrie, and decaying mountain spruce forest. Ecological and zoogeographical aspects of spider communities were analysed. The spider communities of alpine tundra, subalpine mire, and glacial corrie exhibited long-term stability, whereas the community of decaying mountain forest changed during observations. Small linyphiid spiders, dominating in mature forest, were gradually replaced by larger Iycosid and gnaphosid species. Zoogeographic characterization of mountain habitats was made based on species exhibiting disjunctive area. In contrast to plants, for spiders of boreal origin alpine tundra is the most important habitat for survival, followed by screes, mires, spruce forests, and corries.     

A phenomenological approach shows a high coherence of warming patterns in dimictic aquatic systems across latitude

To predict the coherence in local responses to large-scale climatic forcing among aquatic systems, we developed a generalized approach to compare long-term data of dimictic water bodies based on phenomenologically defined hydrographic events. These climate-sensitive phases (inverse stratification, spring overturn, early thermal stratification, summer stagnation) were classified in a dual code (cold/warm) based on threshold temperatures. Accounting for a latitudinal gradient in seasonal timing of phases derived from gradients in cumulative irradiation (2.2?days per degree latitude), we found a high spatial and temporal coherence in warm–cold patterns for six lakes (84?%) and the Baltic Sea (78?%), even when using the same thresholds for all sites. Similarity to CW-codes for the North Sea still was up to 72?%. The approach allows prediction of phase-specific warming trends and resulting instantaneous or time-delayed ecological responses. Exemplarily, we show that warming during early thermal stratification controls food-web-mediated effects on key species during summer.     

Design and evaluation of a local analytic-deliberative process for climate adaptation planning

In the midst of rapidly proliferating engagement efforts around climate adaptation, attention to the design and evaluation of decision support processes and products is warranted. We report on the development and evaluation of a process framework called the Vulnerability, Consequences, and Adaptation Planning Scenarios (VCAPS) process. VCAPS is a systematic approach to integrate local knowledge with scientific understanding by providing opportunities for facilitated, deliberative learning-based activities with local decision makers about climate change vulnerability and adaptation. We introduce the conceptual basis of the process in analytic-deliberation, hazard management, and vulnerability. Our evaluations from eight coastal communities where the approach was applied point to four assets of VCAPS: it promotes synthesis of local and scientific knowledge; it stimulates systems thinking and learning; it facilitates governance by producing action plans with transparent justifications; and it accommodates participant time constraints and preferences.