Effects of Restoring Oak Savannas on Bird Communities and Populations

Abstract:  Efforts to restore and maintain oak savannas in North America, with emphasis on the use of prescribed fire, have become common. Little is known, however, about how restoration affects animal populations, especially those of birds. I compared the breeding densities, community structure, and reproductive success of birds in oak savannas maintained by prescribed fire (12 sites) with those in closed-canopy forests (13 sites). All sampling was conducted in Illinois (U.S.A.). Of the 31 bird species analyzed, 12 were more common in savannas, 14 were not affected by habitat structure, and 5 were more common in forest habitat. The species favored by disturbance and restoration included Northern Bobwhites ( Colinus virginianus ), Mourning Doves (  Zenaida macroura ), Red-headed Woodpeckers (  Melanerpes erythrocephalus ), Indigo Buntings (  Passerina cyanea ), and Baltimore Orioles ( Icterus galbula ). Those more common in closed-canopy forest included Ovenbirds ( Seiurus aurocapilla ) and Wood Thrushes (  Hylocichla mustelina ). Few species were unique to one type of habitat, but overall avian community structure in oak savannas and closed-canopy forests was generally distinctive. Estimates of nesting success (derived from 785 nests) revealed that 6 of the 13 species considered experienced greater productivity in the savanna habitat. Rates of brood parasitism were unaffected by restoration and habitat structure. Within savannas, tract size had little effect on breeding abundances and reproductive success. My results illustrate that restoration techniques can significantly affect the ecology of constituent animal populations and communities and have key implications regarding avian conservation and the management of forest habitat in fragmented landscapes. Small patches of forest habitat that regularly function as population sinks may offer far better prospects for birds if they are subjected to disturbance and ecosystem restoration.     

Relative Importance of Reproductive Biology and Establishment Ecology for Persistence of a Rare Shrub in a Fragmented Landscape

Abstract:  Verticordia fimbrilepis (Turcz) ssp. fimbrilepis (Myrtaceae) is an endangered shrub that occurs in a number of populations varying in size and landscape context. We compared the importance of factors associated with its reproductive biology with that of factors influencing the regeneration niche in survival of small, isolated populations in contrasting habitat fragments. Small populations on road verges had equal or greater diversity of insect visitors to flowers, rates of pollination, and seed production compared with larger populations in conservation reserves. V. fimbrilepis seeds remained dormant in the soil for at least 30 months, and germination was stimulated by smoke. Plants were killed by fire, but mass recruitment from soil-stored seed reserves occurred in the first and second winters following fire. Our studies showed some seedling recruitment between fires, but this was strongly related to the availability of competition-free establishment sites. Whether this is enough to replace older plants as they die and thereby sustain stable populations is unknown and probably varies with the landscape. Environmental variation between fire episodes influenced population size. Drought increased mortality, but wetter years encouraged interfire recruitment. Most populations are declining and cannot recover without the occurrence of fire. In a fragmented agricultural landscape, fire suppression is the primary management practice. This may adversely affect rare species such as V. fimbrilepis and others with similar life histories that rely on a particular fire regime to persist. Population persistence is more likely to be related to stochastic environmental events than to factors associated with reproductive biology.     

变压器火灾事故及其对策

从几个方面对变压器起火的可能性进行了分析，探讨了预防变压器火灾事故的一些防范措施。     

景区典型树种的热解特性及动力学研究

为了研究山林或景区中不同植物的热稳定性,选取了景区种植数量较多的6种典型树种:女贞、枇杷、竹子、松树、柏树和法桐的枝干和叶作为样品。借助同步热分析仪,在温升速率20℃/min的条件下,对未经干燥处理的样品进行热解特性及热解反应动力学研究。通过TG、DTG以及DSC曲线分析各样品的热解过程,并采用分阶段一级反应动力学模型Coats-Redfern法求得相应参数。研究结果表明:所取样品的热解过程都出现4个明显的热解阶段,即脱水阶段、综纤维素热解阶段、木质素热分解阶段、炭化阶段。根据6个树种的主要热解阶段和动力学分析,6种树种的热稳定性从低到高顺序依次为竹子、女贞、枇杷、法桐、柏树、松树。     

轻质油品罐区流淌火灾发展特征和危害研究

为了研究罐区储运过程中发生泄漏导致的流淌火事故,设计并搭建了流淌火燃烧试验平台。采用流淌火燃烧试验平台和CFD数值计算2种方法研究了汽油流淌燃烧特性,对比分析表明,流淌火实体试验与CFD数值计算的结果误差在可接受范围内。基于上述结论,以防火堤内储存汽油的4个2 000 m3汽油储罐罐组为研究对象,模拟计算输油管道泄漏至防火堤内引发流淌性火灾的危害特性,得到了流淌火灾蔓延发展过程以及流淌面积、温度场等特征参数的变化规律。研究结果表明:泄漏速率保持不变时,流淌面积逐渐增大直至趋于稳定,其增长速率不断减小;流淌火发展至稳定燃烧阶段时,临近储罐被火焰包围,其中高度为5 m处的罐壁温度和辐射强度最大,温度在1 300 ℃左右波动,辐射强度稳定在500 kW/m2左右。     

地铁同站台高架换乘车站火灾人员疏散研究

为研究地铁同站台高架换乘车站发生火灾事故的疏散模式,以具有该换乘形式的某实体车站的全尺寸火灾实验烟气扩散规律为基础,使用buildingEXODUS软件研究该车站站厅、站台、设备区、停靠列车等多个区域火灾场景下乘客疏散所需的时间。对比分析站厅中部闸机、站厅楼扶梯入口及站厅出入口附近3处发生火灾的场景,分别研究地铁车站内闸机及栅栏门、自动扶梯、应急出口等设施的运行状态对于疏散结果的影响,获取每种工况下的疏散时间,3种火灾场景下,上行扶梯关闭、所有闸机及栅栏门打开、应急出口打开能够有效减少疏散时间,火源位于楼扶梯入口时对疏散时间的影响最大;研究站台中部、站台楼扶梯入口2处发生火灾的场景下,扶梯运行状态对于疏散时间的影响,上行扶梯停止运行后的乘客疏散时间相较于扶梯上行时分别降低41%,35%;分析设备区火灾对于设备区内工作人员疏散时间与乘客疏散时间的影响,由于工作人员数量相对较少,对车站整体疏散时间影响不明显;对比分析4B编组列车车头、车中及车尾发生火灾的场景对于乘客疏散时间的影响,火源位于车中时对疏散时间的影响最大。     

适应城市消防规划需求的火灾风险评估研究

研究城市火灾风险评估,可以为城市消防规划提供有效参考,对推进城市防灾减灾工程具有重要意义。面向所要研究区域的城市消防规划需求,首先分析区域火灾历史统计数据,提炼区域的火灾特点,从火灾危险性、承灾体易损性、城市抗灾能力3方面分析指标影响因子,建立了城市火灾风险评估指标体系;其次,提出了以建设用地地块为评估单元,基于现场调研和卫星遥感影像、城市用地分类相结合的指标因子快速分析方法,并通过加权平均评估城市火灾风险;最后,通过城市火灾风险评估案例研究,阐释了评估的技术流程和结果形式。研究结果表明:适应城市消防规划需求的火灾风险评估方法可以快速定量评估区域火灾风险的空间分布特征,还能识别出消防安全布局的重点地区,进一步支撑城市消防规划编制。     

胶带运输巷水幕抑制火灾烟气效率影响因素实验研究

针对胶带运输巷火灾时期有毒烟气蔓延严重威胁工作人员的生命安全问题,提出利用水幕阻烟法抑制火灾烟气传播,搭建小尺寸实验台研究水幕对矿井巷道火灾烟气的阻挡效果。通过分析火灾烟气的运移规律,测量温度分布、非水溶性火灾烟气体积分数的变化,检验矿井运输巷内设置水幕阻烟的有效性。实验结果表明:水幕开启后,其下游空间烟气体积分数降低,能够有效阻止火灾烟气的扩散;水幕远离烟气源、增加水幕层数、水幕向上喷射、喷头压力增大均能够提高水幕的阻烟效果。实验为矿井巷道等地下建筑的防排烟设计提供了思路,对火灾的救援与人员的疏散具有重要意义。     

网格化在TFT-LCD企业消防管理中的应用

本文以某TFT-LCD企业消防网格化实际情况为例,从网格生态构架、划分原则、信息平台建设以及培训和宣传等方面进行详细剖析,阐明在企业中如何进行消防网格化设计。通过模拟测试研究,结果表明:消防网格化的应用可以极大提高企业消防的反馈时间,但网格化在企业实际消防管理中存在非本网格员工相互推诿、拒绝配合消防工作、员工积极性不高等问题,针对问题提出措施建议,不断的优化消防网格化在企业中的应用,为企业的消防管理提供一种新思路。     

火灾后内配H型钢的矩形钢管混凝土柱剩余承载力有限元分析

该文采用ABAQUS有限元软件建立了火灾后内配H型钢的矩形钢管混凝土柱模型,计算了常温下与火灾后该构件的轴向荷载-位移关系曲线,对火灾后的受力性能进行了分析;此外与相同含钢率的钢管混凝土柱构件火灾后剩余承载力进行了对比,发现内配型钢钢管混凝土柱剩余承载力较钢管混凝土柱得以增强,且构件延性优于钢管混凝土;同时对比了强、弱轴两种加载方式下该类构件火灾后剩余承载力,最后对影响火灾后该类构件剩余承载力的主要因素进行了参数分析,发现升温时间、截面周长和长细比对其影响较为显著。