Analyzing the Impacts of Dams on Riparian Ecosystems: A Review of Research Strategies and Their Relevance to the Snake River Through Hells Canyon

River damming provides a dominant human impact on river environments worldwide, and while local impacts of reservoir flooding are immediate, subsequent ecological impacts downstream can be extensive. In this article, we assess seven research strategies for analyzing the impacts of dams and river flow regulation on riparian ecosystems. These include spatial comparisons of (1) upstream versus downstream reaches, (2) progressive downstream patterns, or (3) the dammed river versus an adjacent free-flowing or differently regulated river(s). Temporal comparisons consider (4) pre- versus post-dam, or (5) sequential post-dam conditions. However, spatial comparisons are complicated by the fact that dams are not randomly located, and temporal comparisons are commonly limited by sparse historic information. As a result, comparative approaches are often correlative and vulnerable to confounding factors. To complement these analyses, (6) flow or sediment modifications can be implemented to test causal associations. Finally, (7) process-based modeling represents a predictive approach incorporating hydrogeomorphic processes and their biological consequences. In a case study of Hells Canyon, the upstream versus downstream comparison is confounded by a dramatic geomorphic transition. Comparison of the multiple reaches below the dams should be useful, and the comparison of Snake River with the adjacent free-flowing Salmon River may provide the strongest spatial comparison. A pre- versus post-dam comparison would provide the most direct study approach, but pre-dam information is limited to historic reports and archival photographs. We conclude that multiple study approaches are essential to provide confident interpretations of ecological impacts downstream from dams, and propose a comprehensive study for Hells Canyon that integrates multiple research strategies.     

Volunteer Macroinvertebrate Monitoring: Tensions Among Group Goals,Data Quality,and Outcomes

Volunteer monitoring of natural resources is promoted for its ability to increase public awareness, to provide valuable knowledge, and to encourage policy change that promotes ecosystem health. We used the case of volunteer macroinvertebrate monitoring (VMM) in streams to investigate whether the quality of data collected is correlated with data use and organizers' perception of whether they have achieved these outcomes. We examined the relation between site and group characteristics, data quality, data use, and perceived outcomes (education, social capital, and policy change). We found that group size and the degree to which citizen groups perform tasks on their own (rather than aided by professionals) positively correlated with the quality of data collected. Group size and number of years monitoring positively influenced whether a group used their data. While one might expect that groups committed to collecting good-quality data would be more likely to use it, there was no relation between data quality and data use, and no relation between data quality and perceived outcomes. More data use was, however, correlated with a group's feeling of connection to a network of engaged citizens and professionals. While VMM may hold promise for bringing citizens and scientists together to work on joint conservation agendas, our data illustrate that data quality does not correlate with a volunteer group's desire to use their data to promote regulatory change. Therefore, we encourage scientists and citizens alike to recognize this potential disconnect and strive to be explicit about the role of data in conservation efforts.     

Non-microcystin producing Microcystis wesenbergii (Komárek) Komárek (Cyanobacteria) representing a main waterbloom-forming species in Chinese waters

It is well known that several morphospecies of Microcystis, such as Microcystis aeruginosa (Kützing) Lemmermann and Microcystis viridis (A. Brown) Lemmermann can produce hepatotoxic microcystins. However, previous studies gave contradictory conclusions about microcystin production of Microcystis wesenbergii (Komárek) Komárek. In the present study, ten Microcystis morphospecies were identified in waterblooms of seven Chinese waterbodies, and Microcystis wesenbergii was shown as the dominant species in these waters. More than 250 single colonies of M. wesenbergii were chosen, under morphological identification, to examine whether M. wesenbergii produce hepatotoxic microcystin by using multiplex PCR for molecular detection of a region (mcyA) of microcystin synthesis genes, and chemical analyses of microcystin content by ELISA and HPLC for 21 isolated strains of M. wesenbergii from these waters were also performed. Both molecular and chemical methods demonstrated that M. wesenbergii from Chinese waters did not produce microcystin.     

River-Stream Connectivity Affects Fish Bioassessment Performance

Stream fish bioassessment methods assume that fish assemblages observed in sample sites reflect responses to local stressors, but fish assemblages are influenced by local factors as well as regional dispersal to and from connected streams. We hypothesized that fish movement to and from refugia and source populations in connected rivers (i.e., riverine dispersal) would weaken or decouple relations between fish community metrics and local environmental conditions. We compared fish-environment relations between streams that flow into large rivers (mainstem tributaries) and streams that lack riverine confluences (headwater tributaries) at multiple spatial grains using data from the USEPA's Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program in the mid-Atlantic highlands, USA (n = 157 sites). Headwater and mainstem tributaries were not different in local environmental conditions, but showed important differences in fish metric responses to environmental quality gradients. Stream sites flowing into mainstem channels within 10 fluvial km showed consistently weaker relations to local environmental conditions than stream sites that lacked such mainstem connections. Moreover, these patterns diminished at longer distances from riverine confluences, consistent with the hypothesis of riverine dispersal. Our results suggest that (1) the precision of fish bioassessment metrics may be improved by calibrating scoring criteria based on the spatial position of sites within stream networks and (2) the spatial grain of fish bioassessment studies may be manipulated to suit objectives by including or excluding fishes exhibiting riverine dispersal.     

RETRACTED ARTICLE: Environmental Impact Assessment of Industrial Structure Change in a Rural Region of China

As the embodiment of human activities, the change of regional industrial structure is an essential driving factor of global environmental change. Consequently, the research on the change of regional industrial structure and associated effects on the environment is one of the key issues of researches on sustainable development, human–environment relationship, and regional response to global environment change. However, compared to the flourish of researches on environmental impact assessment of industrial departments, few studies have been conducted to assess the environmental impact of regional industrial structure. In this study, based on a synthetic analysis of environmental disturbances of different industrial departments, the environmental impact coefficient of industrial department associated with the index of environmental impact of industrial structure was constructed, so as to make a quantitative assessment of environmental impact of the change of regional industrial structure. And the results of the case study in Lijiang City, a rural region of China, have showed that there are two obvious changes of industrial structure in the study area from 1992 to 2003, associated with a continuous decreasing of the index of environmental impact of industrial structure, which indicated a positive environmental effects of the change of regional industrial structure.     

氯酚与富里酸的缔合作用

本文用超滤膜方法证实氯酚与富里酸之间存在缔合作用,并计算出表观缔合常数在２．７＊１０＾３－－１２１＊１０＾３ｍｌ．ｇ＾－１范围内。实验结果表明”ＰＨ、富里酸含量,氯酚取代氯原子个数都能够影响Ｋ值的大小。     

应用D412螯合树脂治理含镍电镀废水的研究

本文研究了Ｄ４１２螯合树脂对Ｎｉ（Ⅱ）离子静态和动态的吸收性能,并且研究了使用Ｄ４１２树脂除去和回收电镀废水中镍的最佳条件。     

层次分析法在化工园区安全评价中的应用

本文采用层次分析法对化工园区域的安全水平评价进行了综合分析研究,得到了化工园区安全评价指标的选取、安全指标权重的确定的技术方法.结果表明,为了构建较为全面的化工园区安全水平评价指标体系,可从区域企业安全生产状况、区域规划状况、区域应急资源利用能力、区域社会经济状况四个方面共25个安全评价指标组成评价体系,进而采用层次分析法确定了各指标的权重,计算结果不仅能够反映园区风险的分布状况,而且对整个园区的规划和布局具有较好的决策支持作用.总而言之,将层次分析法用于化学工业园的安全评价是一种新的尝试,对此进行全面的介绍有着一定的工程实际应用价值.     

基于热带海洋大气环境下机载PCB板的环境适应性对比研究

目的 通过机载PCB板(Printed Circuit Board,PCB)在热带海洋大气环境下的腐蚀老化特征和电气性能退化规律分析,研究其在热带海洋大气环境下的环境适应性。方法 根据热带海洋大气环境中PCB板的实际使用环境大多为舱室内部封闭或半封闭的情况,分别设计并开展海南万宁海洋平台棚下暴露场和某海域环境户外简易遮蔽玻璃框下3 a的自然环境试验。结果 PCB板的焊点、焊盘、印制导线以及引线头等部位在2种试验环境中均出现了不同程度的腐蚀破坏,试验后期,所有部位的腐蚀程度全部达到了4级,导通电阻从几十毫欧增大至几十兆欧,绝缘电阻从10 GΩ以上降低至几兆欧。结论 在万宁站试验2 a和某海域试验3 a后,PCB板均不满足耐电压的技术要求(500 V交流电压60 s),万宁海洋平台棚下暴露场对PCB板的环境适应性更为严酷。     

不同温湿度条件下微米硼的氧化过程研究

目的 探究不同温湿度条件下微米硼的氧化层结构特征。方法 利用高温水浴浸泡处理去除原料微米硼的表面氧化层,然后在恒温恒湿条件下对微米硼进行加速氧化,利用扫描电子显微镜、透射电子显微镜和X射线光电子能谱对加速氧化后硼颗粒的氧化层厚度及组成进行分析,总结表面氧化层结构及成分组成变化规律,揭示温湿度条件下微米硼的氧化机制。结果 微米硼经高温水浴浸泡处理后,表面氧化层去除率达到50%。随着加速氧化时间的延长,硼颗粒氧化层的厚度逐渐增大,由内向外硼颗粒表面可以用B-BxOy-B2O3三层结构来表示,BxOy总是伴随着B2O3同时出现的,且随着氧化反应的进行,颗粒表面BxOy的含量将超过B的含量。结论 不同温湿度条件下微米硼的氧化机制为O2向B颗粒内部单向扩散的反应机制,B先与O2反应,形成低氧化物BxOy,BxOy进而与O2反应生成B2O3。随着氧化层厚度的增加,O2向B颗粒内部扩散的阻力增大,氧化反应速率随之降低。相比湿度的影响,温度的升高可显著加快硼表面氧化层的形成;温度一定时,湿度的增加可促进硼氧化层的形成。