Estimates of species- and ecosystem-level respiration of woody stems along an elevational gradient in the Luquillo Mountains, Puerto Rico

We measured CO₂ efflux from stems of seven subtropical tree species situated along an elevational gradient in the Luquillo Mountains, Puerto Rico and scaled these measurements up to the landscape level based on modeled and empirical relations. The most important determinants of ecosystem stem respiration were species composition and stem temperature. At a species scale, measured CO₂ efflux per unit bole surface area at a given temperature was highest in the early successional species Cecropia schreberiana and lowest in species that inhabit high elevations such as Micropholis garciniifolia and Tabebuia rigida. Carbon dioxide efflux rates followed a diel pattern that lagged approximately 6 h behind changes in sapwood temperatures. At an ecosystem scale, our simulation model indicates a decreasing trend of stem respiration rates with increasing elevation due to shifts in species composition, lower temperatures and reductions in branch surface area. The highest estimated stem respiration rates were present in the lowland tabonuco forest type and the lowest rates were present in the elfin forest type (mean 7.4 and 2.1 Mg C ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹, respectively). There was slight temperature-induced seasonal variation in simulated stem respiration rates at low elevations, with a maximum difference of 19% between the months of February and July. Our results coincide well with those of Odum and Jordan [Odum, H.T., Jordan, C.F., 1970. Metabolism and evapotranspiration of the lower forest in a giant plastic cylinder. In: Odum, H.T., Pigeon, R.F. (Eds.), A Tropical Rain Forest: A Study of Irradiation and Ecology at El Verde, Puerto Rico. U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, Oak Ridge, TN, pp. I165–I189] for the tabonuco forest type and extend their work by presenting estimates and spatial patterns of woody tissue respiration for the entire mountain rather than for a single forested plot.     

Song dialects do not restrict gene flow in an urban population of the orange-tufted sunbird, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nectarinia osea</Emphasis>

Geographic variation in vocalizations is widespread in passerine birds, but its origins and maintenance remain unclear. In this study, we test the hypothesis that song dialect, a culturally transmitted trait, is related to the population genetic structure of the orange-tufted sunbird, Nectarinia osea. To address this, we compared mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence variation together with allele frequencies at five microsatellite loci from an urban population of sunbirds exhibiting two distinct song dialects on a microgeographic scale. Our findings reveal no association between dialect membership and genetic composition. All genetic measures, from both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA, indicate high levels of gene flow between both dialect populations. The low F _ST values obtained from mtDNA and microsatellite analysis imply that the variation among dialects does not account for more than 2%, at best, of the overall genetic variation found in the entire population. These measures fall well within the range of similar measures obtained in other studies of species exhibiting vocal dialects, most of which fail to detect any dialect-based genetic differentiation. The persistence of dialects in the orange-tufted sunbird may thus best be explained by dispersal of individuals across dialect boundaries and possibly from surrounding areas, followed by postdispersal vocal matching. Because genetic structuring appears weaker than cultural structure in this species, we discuss the behavioral mechanisms underlying dialect maintenance in the presence of apparent gene flow.     

Queen–worker–brood coadaptation rather than conflict may drive colony resource allocation in the ant Temnothorax curvispinosus

Conflicts of interest among genetically heterogeneous nestmates in social insect colonies have been emphasized as driving colony resource allocation. However, potential intracolonial conflicts may not actually be realized so that resource allocation could be shaped primarily by among-colony selection that maximizes colony productivity. To elucidate the causal basis of patterns of resource allocation, I experimentally manipulated three fundamental aspects of colony social structure (relatedness among workers, relatedness among larvae, and queen presence) in the ant Temnothorax curvispinosus and measured effects on colony resource allocation to new workers, gynes, and males. The experimental manipulations had widespread effects on patterns of colony resource allocation, but there was little evidence for realized conflicts over the sex ratio and caste ratio. Decreasing nestmate relatedness caused decreased colony productivity, suggesting that more closely related nestmates have more favorably interacting phenotypes. Together, these results suggest that resource allocation in T. curvispinosus may be shaped more by among-colony selection than intracolonial conflict, leading to queen–worker–brood coadaptation.     

Disease prevention and resistance in social insects: modeling the survival consequences of immunity,hygienic behavior,and colony organization

Understanding the origin of disease resistance in social insects is difficult due to the lack of well-established phylogenies of presocial and eusocial species and the absence of extant basal and intermediate forms. Moreover, comprehensive accounts of infection-control traits in social insect lineages are not available. Therefore, to explore the evolution of pathogen control in social insects we used cellular automata models to analyze the efficacy of immunity and nest hygiene, which we assumed were basal traits, and allogrooming, which likely followed the transition to eusociality, and their interactions with colony demography and patterns of worker spatial distribution. Models showed that nest hygiene provided an immediate survival benefit and that immunity lowered overall disease susceptibility under both constant and periodic exposure scenarios. Allogrooming increased survivorship in chronically challenged colonies but also increased pathogen transmission rates under conditions of periodic exposure. Colonies having demographies biased towards young or old individuals had slightly higher mortality than those with heterogeneous demographies. The distribution of older individuals relative to the nest center had no significant effect on susceptibility and provided only a minor survival advantage. Models indicated that nest hygiene and immunity function on different temporal scales and can interact with demography to lower disease risks. Our results suggest how infection control systems in social insects could have been built upon the inducible immune defenses and nest hygienic behaviors of solitary and presocial ancestors and served as important preadaptations to manage disease exposure and transmission in colonies of eusocial species.     

湿法烟气脱硫环境下亚硫酸钙强制催化氧化的研究

采用机械搅拌槽式反应器,对湿法烟气脱硫环境进行模拟以研究锰催化对亚硫酸钙氧化的影响。实验得出:湿法烟气脱硫环境下,当槽内亚硫酸钙浆液浓度很小时,锰离子催化氧化对SIV浓度是1.5级,对Mn2+浓度是0.5 级;随着亚硫酸钙浆液增加至某一浓度后,氧化反应开始遵循并行反应机理,即氧化反应包括SIV离子的非催化氧化反应和SIV离子的锰离子催化氧化反应,且锰离子的催化氧化反应对Mn2+浓度是0.5级。文中提出的氧化反应速率的试验公式可以用来对湿法烟气脱硫中的氧化过程进行模拟。     

FeSO4/Ac脱硫剂脱硫性能的研究

为寻找经济适用且具有较高效率的烟气脱硫方法．研制了FeSO4／Ac脱硫剂。并对FeSO4／Ac脱硫剂的脱硫性能进行了实验研究。实验研究结果显示,烟气中O2、水蒸气含量的多少及脱硫温度的高低会影响FeSO4／Ac脱硫剂的脱硫性能。实验证明,当n(O2):n(SO2)=7～10、n(H2O)：n(SO2)=3～5、脱硫温度取120℃时,FeSO4／Ac脱硫剂具有良好的脱硫性能,脱硫效率可达92．1％～96．8％。FeSO4／Ac脱硫剂能够再生重复使用。采用水蒸气加热再生法对FeSO4／Ac脱硫剂进行再生,实验结果显示,经4次加热法再生的FeSO4／Ac脱硫剂的脱硫效率仍能达到91％。     

汽油加生物添加剂对发动机废气排放的影响研究

通过发动机的台架试验,系统研究了将一种热带植物提取物作为添加剂加入到不同成分的汽油中对汽油机废气排放特性的影响．结果表明：对于93^#高清洁汽油和93^#成分汽油,除了未燃碳氢(HC)略有上升外,其他排放物如氮氧化物NOx、一氧化碳等有所减少,CO2排放有明显的改善．对于乙醇汽油,则HC和CO2略有上升．     

污泥基生物炭结构的共焦显微拉曼技术应用

采用共焦显微拉曼光谱仪探索不同热解温度(500~900)℃条件下所制备的污泥基生物炭结构变化的表征方法.结果表明,拉曼信号的荧光干扰与生物炭的理化特性有较强的相关性.随着热解温度升高,拉曼漂移系数减小,这与污泥基生物炭挥发分含量、H/C和O/C比变化趋势一致.其中,漂移系数与挥发分含量和H/C的相关性指数分别是0.97和0.94,其变化规律可用来准确评估生物炭挥发分含量和H/C的变化.同时,生物炭在拉曼光谱中的特征峰强度比D/G随着热解温度升高而增强,代表了污泥基生物炭无序化程度增加的过程.谷区域(V)与D峰强度比IV/ID随热解温度升高而减小,表明具有缺陷的稠合芳环结构的比例增加;另外,经分峰拟合后得到的ID1/IG1变化较小,而ID2/IG2呈增加趋势,证实了小分子侧链基团断裂形成的化合物部分沉积在炭表面,形成缺陷和非晶结构;IG1/IG2随着热解温度升高而减小,表明了炭基材料键角有序与无序比随着热解温度的升高而降低.因此,拉曼光谱可用于表征污泥基生物炭的微观结构变化,反映其结构演变规律.     

三重属性的承载力约束下中国水资源利用效率动态演进特征分析

基于水资源"资源禀赋-社会经济-生态环境"三重属性约束建立承载力测算模型,创新性地将水资源承载力作为投入要素,构建SFA效率测算模型,运用2003～2017年中国31个省份面板数据,应用Kernel密度估计和Markov链对水资源使用效率的动态演进特征进行分析.结果表明:①中国大部分省份水资源承载力在稳步提升,西北、华北、东北和华中地区呈较低水平,西南、华南等地区呈较高水平;②中国所有省份水资源利用效率均保持稳定增长,西部地区比中、东部地区增长幅度更大,整体呈现东高西低,南高北低的空间态势;③中国水资源利用效率动态演进存在多极化和趋同化现象,部分省份存在梯度效应,同时具有俱乐部收敛特征,流动性差,马太效应凸显.为实现水资源、社会和环境的协调耦合,降低区域间资源使用效率差异,提升水资源利用效率,提出需要充分考虑水资源承载力,统筹全国及区域水资源供需协调发展战略,构建水权交易市场等建议.     

江西华齐铜多金属矿区含矿硅质岩的地球化学特征及成因探讨

矿产远景地质调查过程中,在江西华齐铜多金属矿区发现含矿硅质岩.测试分析显示,区内硅质岩贫Al2O3、TiO2,Co、Cr等元素含量低,贫∑REE,δ(Eu)为负异常,δ(Ce)为弱正异常,HREE相对富集等热水沉积物的特征.在判别硅质岩形成的系列图解上,样品均指示热水沉积作用和大陆边缘环境,这与SiO2/Al2O3、SiO2/(K2O+Na2O)、SiO2/MgO、MnO/TiO2、K/Rb等特征值所指示的结果相一致.本区硅质岩地球化学特征及其对比结果说明该区域构造演化的复杂性.在元古代华南海槽构造演化中在华夏地块边缘发生断裂拉张,形成断陷盆地,并发生了热水喷流沉积成岩成矿作用.本区硅质岩与成矿关系密切,研究硅质岩对于认识区域构造演化及寻找矿化体具有重要意义.