Ozone flux over a Norway spruce forest and correlation with net ecosystem production

Daily ozone deposition flux to a Norway spruce forest in Czech Republic was measured using the gradient method in July and August 2008. Results were in good agreement with a deposition flux model. The mean daily stomatal uptake of ozone was around 47% of total deposition. Average deposition velocity was 0.39 cm s⁻¹ and 0.36 cm s⁻¹ by the gradient method and the deposition model, respectively. Measured and modelled non-stomatal uptake was around 0.2 cm s⁻¹. In addition, net ecosystem production (NEP) was measured by using Eddy Covariance and correlations with O₃ concentrations at 15 m a.g.l., total deposition and stomatal uptake were tested. Total deposition and stomatal uptake of ozone significantly decreased NEP, especially by high intensities of solar radiation.     

Perceptions of Wood in Rivers and Challenges for Stream Restoration in the United States

This article reports a study of the public perception of large wood in rivers and streams in the United States. Large wood is an element of freshwater aquatic ecosystems that has attracted much scientific interest in recent years because of its value in biological and geomorphological processes. At the heart of the issue is the nature of the relationship between scientific recognition of the ecological and geomorphological benefits of wood in rivers, management practices utilizing wood for river remediation progress, and public perceptions of in-channel wood. Surveys of students’ perceptions of riverscapes with and without large wood in the states of Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Oregon, and Texas suggest that many individuals in the United States adhere to traditionally negative views of wood. Except for students in Oregon, most respondents considered photographs of riverscapes with wood to be less aesthetically pleasing and needing more improvement than rivers without wood. Analysis of reasons given for improvement needs suggest that Oregon students are concerned with improving channels without wood for fauna habitat, whereas respondents elsewhere focused on the need for cleaning wood-rich channels for flood risk management. These results underscore the importance of public education to increase awareness of the geomorphological and ecological significance of wood in stream systems. This awareness should foster more positive attitudes toward wood. An integrated program of research, education, and policy is advocated to bridge the gap between scientific knowledge and public perception for effective management and restoration of river systems with wood.     

Winter CO2 Fluxes in Ecosystems of Central Siberia: Comparative Estimates Using Three Different Approaches

Russian Journal of Ecology - Winter CO2 fluxes in Central Siberian ecosystems have been measured using different methodological approaches: dynamic chamber measurements at the soil surface under...     

Changes Versus Homeostasis in Alpine and Sub-Alpine Vegetation Over Three Decades in the Sub-Arctic

Plant species distributions are expected to shift and diversity is expected to decline as a result of global climate change, particularly in the Arctic where climate warming is amplified. We have recorded the changes in richness and abundance of vascular plants at Abisko, sub-Arctic Sweden, by re-sampling five studies consisting of seven datasets; one in the mountain birch forest and six at open sites. The oldest study was initiated in 1977–1979 and the latest in 1992. Total species number increased at all sites except for the birch forest site where richness decreased. We found no general pattern in how composition of vascular plants has changed over time. Three species, Calamagrostis lapponica, Carex vaginata and Salix reticulata, showed an overall increase in cover/frequency, while two Equisetum taxa decreased. Instead, we showed that the magnitude and direction of changes in species richness and composition differ among sites.     

我国城市生活垃圾处理行业2007年发展综述

本文简述了2007年国内城市生活垃圾处理的总体状况,归纳了2007年国家发布及实施的有关标准与政策以及在实施中存在的主要问题;重点分析了城市生活垃圾填埋、焚烧和堆肥的现状,并对行业的发展进行了展望.     

基于人工神经网络方法的河北省近海沉积物重金属污染综合评价

利用误差反相传播神经（BP）网络对河北省近海沉积物中的铅、镉、锌、汞、砷5种重金属元素的污染水平进行分析,利用自组织特征映射（SOFM）网络对上述重金属元素分布特征进行分类,通过分类与污染水平量化值的结合,进行综合评价。SOFM把52个沉积物样品分别划分为3、4、6类和9类。对比各种分类,分为3类的物理意义较明确。每个类别分别对应高中低不同的污染物浓度水平,差异显著、分类方式比较合理。通过此种分类可以判断河北省近海的沉积物重金属污染在不同海域存在一定的差别,整体上是离海岸越远,沉积物的重金属污染水平越高,距海岸较近的海域内,沉积物的重金属污染水平较低,但渤海湾内的重金属污染水平高于其他海域。     

土壤微生物生物量及多样性测定方法评述

土壤微生物作为土壤中重要的分解者,在养分的循环与转化中起着重要的作用。另外,由于其与土壤理化性质相比,对外界环境的变化更为敏感,因此,土壤微生物性质常被用作表征土壤质量的灵敏性指标,而土壤微生物生物量与微生物多样性是土壤微生物学研究中应用最广泛的指标。土壤环境复杂,微生物种类丰富多样,需要合适的研究方法才能真正打开土壤系统这个黑箱,自19世纪60年代以后,土壤微生物学在研究方法上取得了重要的进展,本文综述了微生物生物量及多样性的概念及微生物生物量和多样性研究方法的发展状况,重点就已有应用比较多的研究方法如测定微生物生物量的熏蒸法,测定微生物多样性的平板计数法、Biolog微平板计数法、磷脂脂肪酸法及分子生物学等研究方法进行了详细介绍及优缺点分析。结合现有微生物生物量及多样性的测定方法,在未来的研究中,一方面应该引入更多的新技术,发展新方法,以期探索更多的未知微生物种群;其次应该根据实验要求,完善和改进现有研究方法,使其更为统一和准确;再者,在微生物数据的分析上应该探索和借鉴更多的分析方法和手段,从而更深入更全面的解读实验当中所得到的微生物的信息。     

Nanoparticles: Their potential toxicity,waste and environmental management

This literature review discusses specific issues related to handling of waste containing nanomaterials. The aims are (1) to highlight problems related to uncontrolled release of nanoparticles to the environment through waste disposal, and (2) to introduce the topics of nanowaste and nanotoxicology to the waste management community. Many nanoparticles used by industry contain heavy metals, thus toxicity and bioaccumulation of heavy metals contained in nanoparticles may become important environmental issues. Although bioavailability of heavy metals contained in nanoparticles can be lower than those present in soluble form, the toxicity resulting from their intrinsic nature (e.g. their size, shape or density) may be significant. An approach to the treatment of nanowaste requires understanding of all its properties – not only chemical, but also physical and biological. Progress in nanowaste management also requires studies of the environmental impact of the new materials. The authors believe Amara’s law is applicable to the impact of nanotechnologies, and society might overestimate the short-term effects of these technologies, while underestimating the long-term effects. It is necessary to have basic information from companies about the level and nature of nanomaterials produced or emitted and about the expectation of the life cycle time of nanoproducts as a basis to estimate the level of nanowaste in the future. Without knowing how companies plan to use and store recycled and nonrecycled nanomaterials, development of regulations is difficult. Tagging of nanoproducts is proposed as a means to facilitate separation and recovery of nanomaterials.     

Effects of urbanization on the population structure of freshwater turtles across the United States

Landscape‐scale alterations that accompany urbanization may negatively affect the population structure of wildlife species such as freshwater turtles. Changes to nesting sites and higher mortality rates due to vehicular collisions and increased predator populations may particularly affect immature turtles and mature female turtles. We hypothesized that the proportions of adult female and immature turtles in a population will negatively correlate with landscape urbanization. As a collaborative effort of the Ecological Research as Education Network (EREN), we sampled freshwater turtle populations in 11 states across the central and eastern United States. Contrary to expectations, we found a significant positive relationship between proportions of mature female painted turtles (Chrysemys picta) and urbanization. We did not detect a relationship between urbanization and proportions of immature turtles. Urbanization may alter the thermal environment of nesting sites such that more females are produced as urbanization increases. Our approach of creating a collaborative network of scientists and students at undergraduate institutions proved valuable in terms of testing our hypothesis over a large spatial scale while also allowing students to gain hands‐on experience in conservation science.     

自然保护区、恢复力和动态景观

在这个日益被人类活动所改变的世界里,保护生物多样性对于维持有恢复力的生态系统和确保生态系统产品的可持续流动以及对社会的服务是至关重要的.但是,现有的自然保护区和国家公园不大可能结合生态系统的长期和大尺度的动态.因此,保护策略必须包括大面积的人类利用经营的土地.为了能使生态系统在大规模的自然和人为干扰之后得以重组,以生态存储形式出现的空间恢复力是必备的前提.生态存储包括那些能使生态系统得以重组的物种、相互作用和结构,它的组成部分可能出现在干扰斑块中,也可能出现在周围的景观中.现有的静态自然保护区应该由动态自然保护区加以补充,例如生态休闲地和动态演替保护区,这些都是在景观尺度上模拟自然干扰状况,进行生态系统经营的组成部分.