Composition and temporal fluctuations of inshore juvenile fish populations in the Kornati Archipelago, eastern middle Adriatic

Temporal fluctuations of species composition and abundance of fish juveniles in the National Park Kornati were studied over 12 months from January to December 1992. A total of 40 168 individuals, representing 24 families and 69 species, were collected using a 50 m long beach seine. The community was dominated numerically by a few species: Atherina hepsetus (45.90%), Sarpa salpa (21.21%), Diplodus vulgaris (10.49%), and Symphodus ocellatus (6.98%), constituting over 84.58% of the total catch. Similarity between patterns in the abundance of the 17 most common species were examined using correlation matrix-based principal component analysis. Results were compared to the abiotic factors leading to the conclusion that only a low amount of variation in the abundance field can be explained by temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen. Received: 23 March 1997 / Accepted: 11 April 1997     

Limited scope for reproductive senescence in wild populations of a short-lived fish

Senescence in wild populations was long considered negligible but current evidence suggests that it is widespread in natural populations of mammals and birds, affecting the survival and reproductive output of older individuals. In contrast, little is known about reproductive senescence in species with asymptotic growth that can keep increasing their reproductive output as they grow older and larger. Using a cross-sectional study, we tested age-related decline in fecundity and relative allocation to reproduction in five wild populations of an annual killifish, Nothobranchius furzeri (Cyprinodontiformes). We did not detect any decline in absolute female egg production over their short lifespan in the wild. Relative fecundity (egg production controlled for female body mass) tended to decrease with age. This effect was driven primarily by a single population that survived 17 weeks, almost twice as long as the median persistence of the other four study populations. There was no decrease in relative ovary mass while in males, relative testes mass actually increased with age. Intra-population variation in relative ovary mass increased in older females suggesting heterogeneity in individual trajectories of female reproductive allocation. Overall, we demonstrate that annual killifish do not experience significant age-related decline in reproductive functions during their very short lifespan in the wild despite the marked deterioration of gonad tissue detected in captivity.     

Learning for social-ecological change: a qualitative review of outcomes across empirical literature in natural resource management

Learning is considered as a promising mechanism to cope with rapid environmental change. The implications of learning for natural resource management (NRM) have not been explored in-depth and the evidence on the topic is scattered across multiple sources. We provide a qualitative review of types of learning outcomes and consider their manifestations in NRM across selected empirical literature. We conducted a systematic search of the peer-reviewed literature (N = 1,223) and a qualitative meta-synthesis of included articles, with an explicit focus on learning outcomes and NRM changes (N = 53). Besides social learning, we found several learning concepts used, including policy and transformative learning, and multiple links between learning and NRM reported. We observe that the development of skills, together with a system approach involving multi-level capacities, is decisive for implications of learning for NRM. Future reviews could systematically compare how primary research applies different learning concepts and discusses links between learning and NRM changes.     

CO<Subscript>2</Subscript>-fertilization and potential future terrestrial carbon uptake in India

There is huge knowledge gap in our understanding of many terrestrial carbon cycle processes. In this paper, we investigate the bounds on terrestrial carbon uptake over India that arises solely due to CO ₂ -fertilization. For this purpose, we use a terrestrial carbon cycle model and consider two extreme scenarios: unlimited CO₂-fertilization is allowed for the terrestrial vegetation with CO₂ concentration level at 735 ppm in one case, and CO₂-fertilization is capped at year 1975 levels for another simulation. Our simulations show that, under equilibrium conditions, modeled carbon stocks in natural potential vegetation increase by 17 Gt-C with unlimited fertilization for CO₂ levels and climate change corresponding to the end of 21st century but they decline by 5.5 Gt-C if fertilization is limited at 1975 levels of CO₂ concentration. The carbon stock changes are dominated by forests. The area covered by natural potential forests increases by about 36% in the unlimited fertilization case but decreases by 15% in the fertilization-capped case. Thus, the assumption regarding CO₂-fertilization has the potential to alter the sign of terrestrial carbon uptake over India. Our model simulations also imply that the maximum potential terrestrial sequestration over India, under equilibrium conditions and best case scenario of unlimited CO₂-fertilization, is only 18% of the 21st century SRES A2 scenarios emissions from India. The limited uptake potential of the natural potential vegetation suggests that reduction of CO₂ emissions and afforestation programs should be top priorities.     

熟污泥改良土壤中Cd的形态分布特征和生物有效性

通过苜蓿盆栽实验和Tessier五步提取法,研究了不同比例的堆肥污泥施入黄土后,土壤中Cd的形态分布和生物有效性及重金属在施污土壤-苜蓿中的迁移转化规律。结果表明：不同比例的污泥施入黄土后,随着污泥施入量的增加,土壤中Cd的主要赋存形态由对照组的不可利用态(残渣态)向潜在有效态(铁锰氧化态)转化,污泥的施入提高了重金属Cd的生物有效性;苜蓿的种植对施污根际土中Cd的活性产生了钝化作用,使施污黄土根际土壤中潜在有效态Cd主要向不可利用态的Cd转化;苜蓿各器官对Cd均有富集和转移能力,苜蓿各部位重金属Cd含量的分布规律为：根部>茎叶部;线性回归分析结果表明：碳酸盐结合态Cd是苜蓿茎叶部和根部吸收Cd的主要贡献形态;因此在实际生产时须严格控制污泥的施用量,以避免Cd在苜蓿体内富集危害动物和人体健康。     

The use of polymer compounds in the deposits from the combustion of briquettes in domestic heating as an identifier of fuel quality

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The utilisation of waste wood from furniture production brings new problems connected with an incomplete thermochemical decomposition of additives...     

长江上游水土流失成因及治理模式研究--以重庆市城口县为例

水土保持工作是一项直接关系三峡工程和“南水北调”工程的重要工作,也是西部生态环境建设的重要内容之一。以“长治”工程重点县——城口县为例,研究其水土流失成因及治理模式。该县位于重庆市最北端,既是“长治”工程重点县,也是“南水北调”工程中线引水方案丹江口水库上游水土保持工作重点县。该县水土流失比较严重,流失面积高达1 728.67 km\+2,占全县土地总面积的52.61%。造成水土流失的主要原因既有自然因素,又有人为因素,但其资源相当丰富,为水土流失治理模式提供了较好的基础条件。在分析其水土流失成因基础上,结合该县的资源优势和实际情况,提出其水土流失治理的模式和途径,以期进一步推进该县生态环境建设、加强水土保持工作,为长江上游贫困山区县的水土保持工作探索比较合适的模式和途径。     

Mercury in fish tissues in the area of Malachov Hg-ore deposit (Slovakia)

Environmental Geochemistry and Health - The abandoned Malachov deposit belongs among the most important historic Hg deposits in the world. The soil, groundwater, surface water, plants, and animals...