Hermaphrodite sex role preferences: the role of partner body size, mating history and female fitness in the sea slug Chelidonura sandrana

Costs and benefits associated with matings and the effects of mating frequency on fitness commonly differ between the sexes. As a result, outcrossing simultaneous hermaphrodites may prefer to copulate in the more rewarding sex role, generating conflicts over sperm donation and sperm receipt between mates. Because recent sex role preference models remain controversial, we contrast here some of their assumptions and predictions in the sea slug Chelidonura sandrana. For this hermaphrodite with sperm storage and internal fertilisation, risk-averse models assume that fitness pay-offs are constantly higher in the female than in the male function in any single mating. Moreover, excluding mutual partner assessment, these models predict male mating behaviour to be independent of receiver traits. The competing gender ratio hypothesis assumes that relative fitness pay-offs, and thus the preferred mating roles, vary and may reverse between matings and predicts that ejaculation strategies co-vary with receiver quality. We found that field mating rates of C. sandrana substantially exceeded what is required to maintain female fertility and fecundity, indicating large variation in direct female benefits between matings. We further demonstrate that male copulation duration adaptively increased with partner body size (i.e. fecundity) but decreased with recent partner promiscuity. These findings are compatible with the gender ratio hypothesis but contradict risk-averse models.     

长江三角洲及其附近地区两千年来水灾的研究

通过对长江三角洲及其附近地区两千年来水灾生成频率和强度的分析。认为两晋、南北朝时期和南宋、元、明、清时期是两千年来本区的主要水灾期。对照两千年来中国东部气候变化、海面升降与长江口河道变迁关系,认为在本区水灾生成事件中,气候因素起着主导控制作用。当然,人类活动对本区水灾生成的影响也不容忽视。本地区近百年来的旱涝灾害规律可用非线性科学的方法进行研究,旱涝灾害的准60年、准35年和准11年的长周期变化与地球自转速度、地极移动和太阳黑子活动的3个周期变化基本一致。本地区气候系统的行为具有混沌特征。这是线性逼近和周期叠加预报方法难以得出灾害预报正确结果的原因,但气候系统半个月的确定性预测可以实现。     

Determination of turbulent burning velocities of dust air mixtures with the open tube method

Correlating turbulent burning velocity to turbulence intensity and basic flame parameters-like laminar burning velocity for dust air mixtures is not only a scientific challenge but also of practical importance for the modelling of dust flame propagation in industrial facilities and choice of adequate safety strategy. The open tube method has been implemented to measure laminar and turbulent burning velocities at laboratory scale for turbulence intensities in the range of a few m/s. Special care has been given to the experimental technique so that a direct access to the desired parameters was possible minimising interpretation difficulties. In particular, the flame is propagating freely, the flame velocity is directly accessible by visualisation and the turbulence intensity is measured at the flame front during flame propagation with special aerodynamic probes. In the present paper, those achievements are briefly recalled. In addition, a complete set of experiments for diametrically opposed dusts, starch and aluminium, has been performed and is presented hereafter. The experimental data, measured for potato dust air mixtures seem to be in accordance with the Bray Gülder model in the range of 1.5 m/s<u′<3.5 m/s. For a further confirmation, the measurement range has been extended to lower levels of turbulence of u′<1.5 m/s. This could be achieved by changing the mode of preparation of the dust air mixture. In former tests, the particles have been injected into the tube from a pressurised dust reservoir; for the lower turbulence range, the particles have been inserted into the tube from above by means of a sieve–riddler system, and the turbulence generated from the pressurised gas reservoir as before. For higher levels of turbulence, aluminium air mixtures have been investigated using the particle injection mode with pressurised dust reservoir. Due to high burning rates much higher flame speeds than for potato dusts of up to 23 m/s have been obtained.     

A quantitative succession model for nine montana forest communities

A quantitative succession model was developed both to meet resource management needs in Montana's Lewis and Clark National Forest and to develop a modeling methodology. It builds upon previous concepts and incudes three new features: quantitative prediction of all tree species and seedlings; quantitative predictions of important understory species; and successional pathways determined by fire intensity and scorch height. The method is described and demonstrated for selected Montana habitat (community) types. It is also available in managerial guidelines and has been programmed as a new module in theforplan simulator. Weaknesses of this and other models are discussed. Conclusions relate succession modeling to resource management needs.     

基于生命周期的轨道交通能耗与碳排放分析

轨道交通的高效低污染特征备受关注,以广佛二期地铁为研究对象,测算广佛二期地铁的能源消费量,以及CO2、CH4、N2O等温室气体(Greenhouse Gases,GHGs)排放量;再基于生命周期理论,采用量化方法对比广佛二期地铁与出租车、私人载客汽车、公交车、私人摩托车4种客运交通工具的能源利用效率、能源强度、碳排放强度;最后,分析广佛二期地铁对佛山市交通行业能耗和GHGs排放的影响.结果表明,广佛二期地铁近期能源消费量为4 562.95 t标准煤,CO2排放量为12 651.57 t,CH4排放量为0.152 t,N2O排放量为0.201 t.与燃油机动车相比,广佛二期地铁具有更高的能源利用效率,同时具有较高的节能减排潜力.研究表明,广佛二期地铁的开通不但是缓解佛山市机动车辆增长的重要方式,而且对城市交通节能减排具有重要意义.     

The global partnership for sustainable development

This paper examines whether foreign aid, together with other economic, social and environmental factors, contributes to sustainable development. It starts with an illustrative theoretical growth model where foreign aid promotes sustainable development by protecting the environment. Using factor analysis and newly developed estimation methods for a dynamic panel data model with endogenous regressors, the empirical section of the paper finds evidence that foreign aid has had a significantly positive influence on sustainable development in aid recipient countries. This effect is very likely to go through channels related to growth and resources as well as a technology channel with respect to energy intensity. This research has important implications for a post‐2015 development framework on international collective action with regard to a sustainable future.     

Changes in nitrogen budget and potential risk to the environment over 20 years (1990–2010) in the agroecosystems of the Haihe Basin,China

The nitrogen balance can serve as an indicator of the risk to the environment of nitrogen loss from agricultural land. To investigate the temporal and spatial changes in agricultural nitrogen application and its potential threat to the environment of the Haihe Basin in China, we used a database of county-level agricultural statistics to calculate agricultural nitrogen input, output, surplus intensity, and use efficiency. Chemical fertilizer nitrogen input increased by 51.7% from 1990 to 2000 and by 37.2% from 2000 to 2010, concomitant with increasing crop yields. Simultaneously, the nitrogen surplus intensity increased by 53.5% from 1990 to 2000 and by 16.5% from 2000 to 2010, presenting a continuously increased environmental risk. Nitrogen use efficiency decreased from 0.46 in 1990 to 0.42 in 2000 and remained constant at 0.42 in 2010, partly due to fertilizer composition and type improvement. This level indicates that more than half of nitrogen inputs are lost in agroecosystems. Our results suggest that although the improvement in fertilizer composition and types has partially offset the decrease in nitrogen use efficiency, the environmental risk has still increased gradually over the past 20 years, along with the increase in crop yields and nitrogen application. It is important to achieve a better nitrogen balance through more effective management to significantly reduce the environmental risk, decrease nitrogen surplus intensity, and increase nitrogen use efficiency without sacrificing crop yields.     

The relationship between light intensity and nutrient uptake kinetics in six freshwater diatoms

In order to find effective measures to control diatom blooms, a better understanding of the physiological characteristics of nutrient uptake in diatoms is needed. A study of P and Si-uptake kinetics for diatom species from two light regimes was conducted at low (LL), moderate (ML) and high light intensities (HL) (2, 25 and 80 μmol photons/(m²·sec)), respectively. The results showed that P uptake of diatoms was heavily influenced by historic light regimes. P affinity changed with growth and photosynthetic activity. The lowest half saturation constant for P uptake (K_m(P)) was under HL for high-light adapted diatoms while the lowest half-saturation constant for low-light adapted diatoms was observed under LL. The Si half-saturation constant (K_m(Si)) increased with increasing light intensities for pennate diatoms but decreased for centric diatoms. Diatom volumes were correlated with the maximum Si uptake rates (V_m(Si)) at HL and K_m(Si) at ML and HL for six diatom species. Our results imply that when we assess the development of diatom blooms we should consider light intensity and cell volume in addition to ambient Si or P concentration. The relationship between light intensity and P-uptake suggests that we can find suitable methods to control diatom blooms on the basis of reducing phytoplankton activity of P-uptake and photosynthesis simultaneously.     

恶臭污染评价方法及来源识别研究

随着经济的发展,人们的环境意识不断增强,恶臭作为一种环境污染已越来越受到人们的重视.文章概述了恶臭评价的主要影响因素,以及目前常用的评价方法如臭气强度评价法、臭气浓度(或臭气指数)评价法、臭气扩散模型预测评价法,同时从谱图恶臭污染源识别和源解析模型识别技术两方面介绍了恶臭污染物源解析技术,为恶臭污染事故诊断分析、定性恶臭污染物来源提供了一种新的途径和方法.最后通过分析目前尚未解决的科学问题,指出了今后的研究方向.     

1990年以来长江三角洲耕地资源变化及驱动因子研究

长江三角洲地区是中国经济发展最为快速的地区之一,虽耕地资源秉赋较好,但在经济快速发展的背景下,耕地问题显得十分严峻。以长江三角洲地区16个地级市为研究对象,利用1990~2012年相关数据,以市域为单元分析了耕地资源变化和实际利用强度的时空演变过程。结果表明:(1)1990~2012年,长三角地区的耕地总面积和人均耕地面积呈现周期性的下降趋势,以"快-慢-快-慢-慢"的循环模式逐步降低;(2)长三角地区耕地实际利用强度大体呈现"北强南弱"分布规律,在空间表现上,原来集中连片的 "高-高"、"低-低"格局正逐渐破碎化,开始出现斑点镶嵌式格局;(3)长三角地区的人口、二三产业比重和城市化水平均对耕地面积变化起到显著作用,其弹性系数分别为-0.216、-0.194和-0.203,而人均GDP与耕地面积则没有显著相关性。