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.     

Three-year lifecycle,large body,and very high threshold temperature in the cricket <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gryllus argenteus</Emphasis> for special adaptation to desiccation cycle in Malawi

In temperate climates, the initiation and termination of diapause synchronize the stress-tolerant stage with the stressful season and reproduction with the non-stressful season in many insects. Synchronization is often regulated by photoperiodism.Voltinism and the ultimate size of adults are also important determinants for their lifecycle, and different diapause stages and voltinism patterns are known in crickets.Here, we investigated the life history of the African cricket Gryllus argenteus from Malawi, which is a typical arid tropical highland. The climate is characterized by alternating arid and wet seasons, each of which lasts for half a year, and where the available heat mass is much less than lowlands at the same latitude. We first measured the nymphal duration at each rearing temperature and calculated the lower developmental threshold (t ₀) to be 20.19 °C based on Ikemoto and Takai (2000) and 19.38 °C based on a conventional line-fitting method. These values are very high relative to many other insects. The local temperature in winter does not fall below 15 °C, but this is much higher than the lethal limit. This suggested that critical stress in this locality was not coldness but low precipitation in winter. We estimated, based both on local temperature change and the Ikemoto and Takai’s t ₀, that G. argenteus required 3 years to complete its lifecycle unlike wet lowland species, where univoltinism or multi-voltinism are commonplace. Photoperiodism was observed in this species, but due to a lag between annual cycles in photoperiod, temperature, and humidity, photoperiodism alone cannot atune their lifecycle with local conditions.Synchronization in this species was achieved by three different adaptations: photoperiodism, high t ₀, and large body size, which give it a long lifecycle. Although the species cannot achieve a univoltine lifecycle because of its high t₀ value, it can escape from dry season by entering diapause at moderate temperatures, probably thereby achieving adaptive synchrony of lifecycle with both favorable and unfavorable seasons. A comparison between a conventional photothermogram and a newly formulated photohydrogram or photohygrogram demonstrates that even though sufficient heat is available, scarcity of water and thus scarcity of foliage should force the cricket to maintain diapause at intermediate temperature. The results suggested that high t ₀, large body size, and multi-ennial lifecycle mutually affect each other and formulate a unique adaptation under such an extreme environment.     

秋夏季黄河三角洲湿地土壤汞和甲基汞的变化

汞在湿地中的行为对湿地水生生物健康具有重要影响.于2011年和2012年分别采集干(夏初)湿(秋季)季节黄河三角洲湿地土壤样品,分析不同季节汞与甲基汞的含量差异和垂直变化.秋季总汞平均含量为0.064 mg·kg-1;夏季为0.027 mg·kg-1,总汞含量平均减少57%,湿地由积水到干旱过程中导致汞的释放.秋季各点位0~10 cm深甲基汞平均含量为0.28μg·kg-1,夏季甲基汞平均含量为0.066μg·kg-1,各点位含量平均减少76%.在秋季受湿地淹水影响,利于甲基汞的形成,水分减少和湿地干旱导致土壤中的甲基汞减少.在垂直方向上,夏季与秋季相比总汞在0~10 cm深度都有减少,土壤中的汞发生释放,因此,湿地在秋季表现为汇,而在春夏季为大气汞的源.硫酸盐还原细菌的含量秋季远高于夏季,在夏季硫酸盐还原菌与甲基汞和甲基化率均显著相关,硫酸盐还原菌、淹水环境、有机物质都会影响甲基汞产生和分布.     

金华地区PM2.5中的极性有机示踪物

用GC/MS,对金华地区3个采样点、四个季节,225个PM_(2.5)样品中10种极性有机示踪化合物进行了分析,包括天然源:3个异戊二烯SOA示踪物、1个α-蒎烯SOA示踪物和2个真菌孢子示踪物,和人为源:1个甲苯SOA示踪物、3个生物质燃烧示踪物.结果表明,异戊二烯SOA示踪物浓度为3.41~48.50 ng·m~(-3),α-蒎烯SOA示踪物浓度为2.45~25.40 ng·m~(-3),甲苯SOA示踪物为4.75~39.80 ng·m~(-3).各SOA示踪物均有明显的季节变化,其中,异戊二烯SOA示踪物呈夏季秋季≈春季冬季,α-蒎烯SOA示踪物夏季春季≈秋季冬季,甲苯SOA示踪物秋季夏季春季冬季.估算得出甲苯SOC对OC的贡献为3.03%~24.50%,而来源于生物质燃烧的有机碳对OC的贡献可以达到1.23%~42.80%.表明人为源排放前体物的二次转化以及生物质燃烧是金华地区大气细颗粒物污染的重要来源.     

新疆阿克苏地区平原区高砷地下水分布特征及富集因素分析

地下水砷污染是全球化环境问题.本文基于阿克苏地区平原区2017年75个地下水砷实测含量进行分析.结果表明,研究区地下水砷含量变化范围为ND-98.70 μg?L-1,平均值为9.42μg?L-1,超标率达26.7％.水平方向上,高砷地下水主要集中在研究区的中部偏南一带;垂直方向上,山麓斜坡冲洪积砾质平原潜水区地下水砷含...     

细水雾灭火剂在商用厨房中的应用研究

商用厨房火灾的最主要原因是油锅的持续高温引发食用油自燃起火,食用油极易复燃的火灾行为大大增加了其扑救难度,通过实验表明,细水雾灭火剂极强的冷却作用能够有效扑救食用油火灾.     

典型木材燃料层流扩散火焰碳黑生成特性研究

为了对木材燃料层流扩散火焰碳黑生成特性进行研究,搭建了基于消光法原理的轴对称层流火焰碳黑浓度测量平台,选用马尾松针、柚木以及红橡木三种典型木材燃料粉碎成针状试样,并堆成直径3.5 cm堆垛,利用酒精引燃后可获得稳定的层流扩散火焰,同时通过电热丝辅助加热延长稳定燃烧。通过对三种典型木材燃料层流燃烧过程的质量损失和火焰碳黑浓度的测量和对比分析,结果显示三种燃料中马尾松针碳黑生成能力最大,这说明木材的碳黑生成能力可能与其碳元素和氧元素的含量有关。     

Genotoxicity detected in wild mice living in a highly polluted wetland area in south western Spain

A field study was carried out in the south of the Iberian Peninsula in an industrial area in the neighbourhood of Huelva city, SW Spain, and in a natural area (Do?ana National Park) for comparison, to estimate the genetic risk induced by environmental pollution in wild mice. Genotoxic effects in a sentinel organism, the Algerian mice (Mus spretus) free living in the industrial area were compared with animals of the same species living in the natural protected area. The single cell gel electrophoresis, or Comet assay, was performed as a genotoxicity test in peripheral blood of mice. Our results clearly show that mice free living in the contaminated area bear a high burden of genetic damage as compared with control individuals. The results suggest that the assessing of genotoxicity levels by the Comet assay in wild mice can be used as a valuable test in pollution monitoring and environmental conservation.     

Short- and medium-term effects of experimental nitrogen fertilization on arthropods associated with Calluna vulgaris heathlands in north-west Spain

We studied the short- and medium-term effects of experimental nitrogen fertilization (3 and 15 months after the treatment) on the arthropods of Calluna vulgaris heathlands in NW Spain. Three heathland sites were selected with two permanent plots per site: control and fertilized. Ammonium nitrate fertilizer (56 kg N ha(-1) yr(-1)) was applied monthly and insects were caught using pitfall traps. We found mainly species-level responses to nitrogen addition. Seven species (e.g. Lochmaea suturalis) showed a consistent trend (benefited or harmed) in both periods and were proposed as possible reliable indicators of the effects of nitrogen deposition in these ecosystems. We also found variable arthropod trophic-group responses: (a) herbivores (leaf beetles, true bugs) increased in abundance on a short-term scale; (b) predators (carabid beetles, true bugs) showed opposite and less clear responses in both periods. Further long-term studies are needed to determine the mechanisms underlying the observed arthropod responses.     

New metallothionein assay in Scrobicularia plana: heating effect and correlation with other biomarkers

Metallothionein (MT) and other biomarker levels were measured in Scrobicularia plana clams to assess pollution of the Guadalquivir Estuary possibly affected by metals released from Aznalcóllar pyrite mine in 1998. After optimizing reagent concentrations for monobromobimane derivatization, MT levels were quantified by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to fluorescence detection (RP-HPLC-FD) in heated or unheated digestive gland extracts and compared to those obtained by differential pulse polarography (DPP). MT content assayed by RP-HPLC-FD in unheated samples was higher than that obtained by DPP and correlated better with metals and anti-oxidant activities. MT assay by RP-HPLC-FD in unheated extracts would be preferable for assessing metal pollution, due to its greater sensitivity and specificity. In addition to MT induction, glyoxalase II inhibition was well correlated with metal contents. Our results suggest that metals at the estuary do not originate from Aznalcóllar spill, but from those carried along by the river and deposited at its concave bank.