How Corridors Reduce Indigo Bunting Nest Success

Abstract:  Corridors are a popular strategy to conserve biodiversity and promote gene flow in fragmented landscapes. Corridor effectiveness has been bolstered by the fact that no empirical field studies have shown negative effects on populations or communities. I tested the hypothesis that corridors increase nest predation in connected habitat fragments relative to unconnected fragments. I evaluated this hypothesis in a large-scale experimental system of open-habitat fragments that varied in shape and connectivity. Corridors increased nest predation rates in connected fragments relative to unconnected fragments with lower edge:area ratios. Nest predation rates were similar between connected and unconnected fragments with higher edge:area ratios. These results suggest that the increase in predator activity is largely attributable to edge effects incurred through the addition of a corridor. This is the first field study to demonstrate that corridors can negatively impact animal populations occupying connected fragments.     

CLUSTER ANALYSIS AND WATER PROJECT EVALUATION1

Large-scale water projects have long been undertaken for the benefit of people. Information appears to be needed as to who benefits as a result of these projects. The hypothesis was tested that regional income and employment benefits would be closely related to areas where water projects were located. The analytical procedure centered on cluster analysis used to delineate counties in the Tennessee River Watershed on the basis of changes in selected variables over different periods. The hypothesis was rejected. It was concluded that benefits of water projects were not necessarily confined to isolated areas near projects but were regional.     

活性污泥1#数学模型(ASM1)中的组分

活性污泥l#数学模型(AMl)常常用于预测污水处理厂中的生物过程。活性污泥数学模型组分的鉴定对活性污泥l#数学模型的应用具有重要的意义。本文描述了在活性污泥l#模型(ASMl)中污水组分的概念,以及组分鉴定的研究现状。     

Management of an Agroecosystem

Agroecosystems (AESs) are autotrophic ecosystems managed by man. The goal of the management is to obtain the maximum possible amount of high-quality agricultural products while preserving agricultural resources, primarily the soils and biodiversity. The main components of the management of AES structures and functions, including primary and secondary biological production, the ratio between the energy flows in the plant–man and plant–livestock–man food chains, the efficiency of energy transfer in the plant–livestock link, and conservation of agricultural resources, are considered.     

General prevention and risk minimization in LCA A combined approach

Methods for life cycle assessment of products (LCA) are most often based on the general prevention principle, as opposed to the risk minimization principle. Here, the desirability and feasibility of a combined approach are discussed, along with the conditions for elaboration in the framework of LCA methodology, and the consequences for LCA practice. A combined approach provides a separate assessment of above and below threshold pollution, offering the possibility to combat above threshold impacts with priority. Spatial differentiation in fate, exposure, and effect modelling is identified to play a central role in the implementation. The collection of region-specific data turns out to be the most elaborate requirement for the implementation in both methodology and practice. A methodological framework for the construction of characterization factors is provided. Along with spatial differentiation of existing parameters, two newly introduced spatial parameters play a key role: the sensitivity factor and the threshold factor. The practicability of the proposed procedure is illustrated by an example of its application. Providing a reasonable data availability, the development of separate LCA characterization factors for the respective assessment of pollution levels above and below environmental threshold values seems to be a feasible task that may add to LCA credibility.     

Environmental Impacts of the Akosombo Dam and Effects of Climate Change on the Lake Levels

The Akosombo dam was constructed on the Volta river primarily for the generation of hydropower. The resultant Volta lake which was formed between 1962 and 1966 in Ghana will probably long be one of the greatest man-made lakes. It produces 912MW of electricity at its maximum operating capacity. The Akosombo hydroelectric project (HEP) was meant among others to open up Ghana to rapid industrialization and hence modern development. Other positive impacts of the HEP include fishing, farming, transportation and tourism. However, there are equally negative impacts, some of which the project did not envisage and these are felt on the physical, biological and human subsystems within the immediate project environments and places much more distant from them. Recently, there have been declines in the lake levels resulting most probably from inadequate rainfall and/or runoff from the river catchments that feed the lake, and also from the observed rising temperatures. Comparisons of the runoff from two most important tributaries of the Volta (White Volta and Oti) for two time periods of 1951–1970 and 1971–1990 showed reductions in mean streamflows of 23.1% on the White Volta and 32.5% on the Oti. Similarly, a plot of the mean annual temperatures for the upper Volta basin indicated a 1^C rise in temperature from 1945–1993.     

高效生物处理技术在炼油厂碱渣废水处理中的应用

结合大港石化实际情况,在详细介绍柴油碱渣应用QBR高效生物处理技术取得成功的基础上,提出酸化回收粗酚或环烷酸并配套QBR、QBF等高效生物处理技术处理各种碱渣的新型工艺路线。经QBR处理后,出水COD去除率可达97%以上,石油类和挥发酚的去除率可达98%以上,硫化物去除率在99%以上。该技术的成功应用解决了困扰石化公司多年的碱渣废水处理的老大难问题,为炼厂碱渣废水乃至高浓度有机废水的处理开辟了一条新的途径。     

外来生物入侵关键点控制管理体系——基于风险管理的研究

将风险管理理论与外来生物入侵风险分析相结合，借鉴食品质量控制中的关键点控制原理，提出了防止外来生物入侵风险的关键点控制方法。针对人类有意引种、随人类活动无意引入以及自然传入3类外来生物入侵的传入途径，在入侵途径上确定若干个风险控制关键点，有针对性地提出了相应的控制措施，以减小外来生物的入侵风险，提高我国在防止外来生物入侵方面的管理与控制效率。     

我国生态安全现状分析及保护对策研究

生态安全是国家安全的重要组成部分,是国防安全、政治和经济安全的基础。笔者论述生态安全的基本含义、构成和特点,分析我国生态安全在国土资源安全、水资源安全、环境安全和生物物种安全等方面存在严重的问题,指出我国生态安全有加速恶化的趋势。以其为基础,提出了保护我国生态安全的具体对策和措施,为我国生态安全提供切实可行的手段和途径,旨在提醒国人对生态安全引起高度重视,有效保护我国的生态安全。     

雾灵山自然保护区的生态效应与保护对策

通过对雾灵山国家级自然保护区的调查，研究保护区的生态沿革，分析保护区的生态功能、生态作用等生态效应，针对当前所存在的草甸严重退化、动物种群密度降低、水量减少等生态问题，提出对保护区的生态环境应尽快制定环境保护规范化，建立生物多样性保护权威机构，实行社区共管，开展科学生态旅游等措施。