Complementary Roles of Home Gardens and Exotic Tree Plantations as Alternative Habitats for Plants of the Ethiopian Montane Rainforest

Abstract:  Many tropical forests have been converted for agri- or silviculture or a combination of both (agroforestry). Conservation at a landscape scale requires an understanding of the distribution and abundance of native biodiversity in these converted natural ecosystems, of which the knowledge is especially poor for African agroecosystems. We compared species density and species composition of four plant groups (trees and shrubs, epiphytic vascular plants, mosses, and liverworts) among three arboreal land-use types in southwestern Ethiopia (montane rainforest fragments, shade-tree coffee home gardens, and exotic tree plantations). Species density was significantly higher in forests than in coffee home gardens for all plant groups and in exotic tree plantations for all groups except mosses. Home gardens had more vascular epiphytic species than plantations, whereas the reverse was true for mosses and liverworts. The species composition of the forest plots was sometimes more similar to home-garden plots than plantation plots and sometimes vice versa. Fifteen forest plots had, however, cumulatively more species than a random selection of 15 nonforest (coffee home garden and plantation) plots, even if the 2 plot types complemented each other in terms of habitats for forest plants. Tree plantations dominated by Eucalyptus had many small trees and shrubs in common with forests, whereas plantations with Cupressus were important substrates for forests mosses and liverworts. Our results illustrate the importance of undisturbed forests habitats for conservation of species at a landscape scale and that different human-made land-use types may complement each other in their capacity as additional habitats for forest species.     

Fluorescence excitation-emission spectroscopy with regional integration analysis for assessment of compost maturity

Composting of animal manures is believed as an alternative way for directly recycling them in farms, and therefore assessment of compost maturity is crucial for achieving high quality compost. Fluorescence excitation-emission matrices (EEMs) combined with regional integration analysis is presented to assess compost maturity. The results showed that the EEM contours of water-extract organic matter (WEOM) from immature composts exhibited four peaks at excitation/emission (Ex/Em) of 220/340 nm, 280/340 nm, 220/410 nm, and 330/410 nm, whereas EEM contour of WEOM from mature composts had only two peaks at Ex/Em of 230/420 nm and 330/420 nm. Pearson correlation demonstrated that peaks intensity rather than their ratios had a significantly correlation with the common indices assessing compost maturity, whereas the normalized excitation-emission area volumes (Φ_i,ns) from regional integration analysis had a stronger correlation with the common indices assessing compost maturity than peaks intensity. It is concluded that the Φ_i,ns from regional integration analysis are more suitable to assess the maturity of compost than the intensities of peaks. Therefore, the fluorescence spectroscopy combined with regional integration analysis can be used as a valuable industrial and research tool for assessing compost maturity, given its high sensitivity and selectivity.     

基于改进层次分析法的化工园区应急能力评估研究

本文采用诱导矩阵的方法对层次分析法进行改进,并将整个计算过程计算机程序化。再利用改进的层次分析法计算出化工园区应急能力各因素的权重。最后根据各因素权重以及各因素的打分情况得到园区的应急能力等级。结果表明：对改进的层次分析法程序化会提高分析速度和精度,并且通过各因素权重分析,对园区的应急能力的改善提出针对性建议。     

铁路行车事故预测方法分析与比较

对铁路行车事故的特点和类型进行分析;根据美国铁路2005年安全年报提供的数据,运用灰色系统理论和BP神经网络方法建立铁路行车事故的预测模型;利用MATLAB软件进行预测仿真,比较和分析两种预测方法的精度及特点。结果表明:灰色系统理论预测结果固定,短期效果比较好;BP神经网络预测具有适应性和灵活性,适用于长期预测。采用灰色系统理论和BP神经网络进行铁路行车事故的预测,克服了传统数学统计预测方法中建立复杂的数学模型,预测准确性低的缺点,对预防和控制铁路事故的发生,降低事故损失具有现实意义。     

长江上游不同地形条件下的土地利用/覆盖变化

基于1〖DK〗∶10万的1980、2000和2005年的土地利用/覆盖数据和90 m分辨率的DEM数据,采用转移概率矩阵和地形 面积频度方法,分析了1980~2005年长江上游地区不同地形因子条件下的土地利用/覆盖变化。结果表明：1）1980~2000年,草地、林地和农业用地面积变化趋势与2000~2005年相反。后5 a,可能由于退耕的土地出现反弹现象增多,草地和林地面积出现缩减而农业用地面积增加。两个分析时段主要的土地利用/覆盖类型变化趋势类似,包括农业用地向林地和草地的转化,林地向农业用地的转化以及草地向裸地的转化。2）农业用地和城镇用地主要分布于低海拔区而林地、草地则主要分布于高海拔区。低海拔区主要是退耕还林和城市化过程。高海拔区主要是林地的退化消失和草地退化沙化过程。3）农业用地在坡度段10~25°所占面积比例最大。林地用地面积比例随坡度变陡呈现规则递增,城镇用地分布趋势与之相反。近年裸地趋向分布于缓坡区。坡度0~5°的区域主要是草地退化沙化过程;5~10°坡度段主要是退耕还林过程;大于10°的区域造林工程与森林退化并存。4）各种土地利用/覆盖类型对不同坡向的适宜性相差不大。各种坡向上土地利用/覆盖类型变化类似.     

Fluorescence excitation–emission matrix spectra coupled with parallel factor and regional integration analysis to characterize organic matter humification

The present several humification indexes cannot provide the whole fluorescence information on organic matter composition and the evaluation results from them are inconsistent sometimes. In this study, fluorescence excitation–emission matrix spectra coupled with parallel factor analysis and fluorescence regional integration analysis were utilized to investigate organic matter humification, and the projection pursuit cluster (PPC) model was applied to form a suitable index for overcoming the difficulties in multi-index evaluation. The result showed that the ratio between the volume of humic- and fulvic-like fluorescence region and the volume of protein-like fluorescence region not only revealed the heterogeneity of organic matter, but also provided more accurate information on organic matter humification. In addition, the results showed that the PPC model could be used to characterize integrally the humification, and the projected characteristic value calculated from the PPC model could be used as the integrated humification evaluation index.     

Optimization and validation of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the determination of endosulfan residues in food samples

In this study, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was optimized and applied to the determination of endosulfan residues in 20 different kinds of food commodities including vegetables, dry fruits, tea and meat. The limit of detection (IC₁₅) was 0.8 μg kg^?1 and the sensitivity (IC₅₀) was 5.3 μg kg^?1. Three simple extraction methods were developed, including shaking on the rotary shaker at 250 r min^?1 overnight, shaking on the rotary shaker for 1 h and thoroughly mixing for 2 min. Methanol was used as the extraction solvent in this study. The extracts were diluted in 0.5% fish skin gelatin (FG) in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) at various dilutions in order to remove the matrix interference. For cabbage (purple and green), asparagus, Japanese green, Chinese cabbage, scallion, garland chrysanthemum, spinach and garlic, the extracts were diluted 10-fold; for carrots and tea, the extracts were diluted 15-fold and 900-fold, respectively. The extracts of celery, adzuki beans and chestnuts, were diluted 20-fold to avoid the matrix interference; ginger, vegetable soybean and peanut extracts were diluted 100-fold; mutton and chicken extracts were diluted 10-fold and for eel, the dilution was 40-fold. Average recoveries were 63.13–125.61%. Validation was conducted by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results of this study will be useful to the wide application of an ELISA for the rapid determination of pesticides in food samples.     

Matrix effects in analysis of dialkyl phosphate metabolites of organophosphate pesticides in urine by gas chromatography/tandem mass spectrometer

Urinary dialkyl phosphate metabolites (DAPs) are used as biomarkers to evaluate human exposure to organophosphate pesticides. The objective was to evaluate potential artifacts in urinary DAPs analysis during sample preparation and method calibration. Diluted urine pools were commonly used to prepare calibration standards to minimize the effects due to the complexity of urine matrix. Matrix effects on measurements of DAPs were evaluated by spiking known amount of standards into distilled water, synthetic urine and diluted urine pool. Different matrices resulted in similar concentrations detected for all target compounds, except dimethylphosphate (DMP) with the deviation of measurement as large as eight times the spiked amount. In this study, we also found that urinary particles, which usually appeared after thawing frozen human urine samples, could affect the measurements of DAPs, especially DMP and diethylthiophosphate (DETP). Results of DAPs measurements in three types of sample matrices, i.e. urine without particles, urine with particles and particles only were compared. DETP could be subject to large error during this preparation step. The use of deuterated and ¹³C₁₂-labeled DAPs as internal standards is also evaluated. Overall, these issues can cause misidentification and inaccuracies, which may significantly affect the data quality.     

生物强化组合工艺处理河水的三维荧光及生物多样性分析

通过对受污染地表水进行生物滤池-臭氧预氧化-生物活性炭滤池工艺处理,考察生物强化条件下该项工艺对河水中主要污染物的净化效果,并采用EEM光谱技术进行了溶解性有机物变化和去除规律分析,利用PCR-DGGE技术进行各单元中微生物多样性对比分析。结果表明,生物强化组合工艺系统出水水质主要指标已达到/接近地表水环境质量标准(GB 3838-2002)Ⅳ类限值,生物强化滤池填料中微生物多样性指数和物种数均高于其他工艺单元。受污染河水DOM中主要的荧光物质有类芳香族蛋白质(荧光峰A、B和E)及类腐殖酸(荧光峰C)及类富里酸(荧光峰D),其中,A峰、B峰与E峰的中心位置分别位于225/340 nm、275/336 nm和225/298 nm,各特征荧光峰强度发生明显改变表明,污水中溶解性有机物的含量随系统处理过程而变化。     

餐厨垃圾连续堆肥处理系统中试研究

餐厨垃圾是影响城市环境重要的污染源,其处理尤其是就地堆肥处理近年来受到重视.为了利用园林绿化基质作为餐厨垃圾堆肥的水分调节材料,按照1:1体积比进行连续堆肥,研究添加园林绿化基质对餐厨垃圾堆肥过程中理化指标的影响,为餐厨垃圾无害化处理提供科学依据和技术指导.结果表明,物料堆肥升温启动迅速,第3天就达到50℃,高温持续10 d以上,达到无害化要求;堆肥最终减容率达到53％以上,减量化效果明显;物料总氮和总磷含量呈升高趋势,总有机质含量降低,肥料营养元素含量在6％以上,符合有机肥国家标准(NY525-2002).总的来说,园林绿化基质作为调理剂与餐厨垃圾联合堆肥方法可行,减量化效果好,品质符合标准.