Biological complexity confounds the separation of point- and non-point sources of human impact on the natural world

Identifying process from pattern is one of the most vexing tasks inenvironmental monitoring. Given information on the distribution of speciesin a pre-defined area, together with comprehensive data on how environmentalconditions in that area have altered through time, is it possible toidentify the factors controlling the species‘ layout? Here, the practicalsignificance of this quandary is demonstrated using a series ofenvironmentally-degraded coastal lagoons in New South Wales. The TuggerahLakes (33°17′S,151°30′E) have over the last 50 yearsexperienced significant changes in species‘ distributions. Seagrasses,macroalgae, phytoplankton, molluscs, prawns and the jellyfish Catostylus mosaicus have altered in spatial pattern. Two human activitieshave been blamed for these perturbations: (1) agricultural clearance ofnative vegetation from the catchment, with associated input of top-soil andnutrients; (2) the commissioning of a coal-fired power station in 1967, withmassive uptake and recirculation of lake water for cooling purposes. In thispaper, spatial changes in macrophyte distributions over the last 50 yearsare reviewed in an attempt to identify the true source(s) of perturbation.The model adopted assumes that the power station is a point source of impactwhile nutrient inputs from the catchment are a diffuse source of impact;changes in species distributions can hypothetically be related back to thesesources according to whether they are localised or widespread. However,after a comprehensive analysis of available macrophyte data derived frominterviews, aerial photography and line transect methodologyies theconclusion is reached that changes in biogeographical pattern around theTuggerah Lakes cannot be attributed to specific anthropogenic pressures atanything beyond the coarsest of levels. This is considered to be the normfor most coastal management situations where natural background variation(’noise‘) and the complexity of linkages between physical, chemical andbiological components confounds the identification of causal relationships.The practical implications of this conclusion are discussed in the contextof litigation and remedial management design. Emphasis is placed on theneed to adopt an adaptive approach to estuarine management, incorporatingexplicit recognition of the limitations of available data, and to developnew techniques for identifying cause-effect relationships.     

Changes in forest biomass carbon stock in the Pearl River Delta between 1989 and 2003

Forest ecosystems play a significant role in maintaining climate stability at the regional and global scales as an important carbon sink.Regional forest carbon storage and its dynamic changes in the Pearl River Delta have been estimated using the continuous biomass expansion factor(BEF)method based on field measurements of forests plots in different age classes and forest inventory data of three periods(1989–1993,1994–1998,1999–2003).The results show that regional carbon storage increased by 16.76%,from 48....     

基于涡度相关技术的农田生态系统碳收支评估

以涡度相关技术为主要观测手段,连续观测冬小麦和水稻生态系统主要生长季净生态系统CO₂交换（NEE）的变化规律,评估两种农田生态系统CO₂的源/汇功能.结果表明,整个观测期间,两种作物生态系统CO₂浓度的日变化曲线呈现白天低、晚上高的"一峰一谷"型,冬小麦生态系统变化较为平缓,而水稻生态系统变化则比较剧烈.冬小麦和水稻生态系统白天30 min CO₂通量的平均值分别为-13.4 μmol·m^-2·s^-1和-12.9 μmol·m^-2·s^-1,通量最高值分别出现冬小麦的孕穗期与水稻的开花期.此外,两种作物生长季CO₂通量表现出"U"形曲线的日变化特点,白天以吸收CO₂为主,冬小麦和水稻生态系统分别于12：00和11：30达到吸收峰值;夜间CO₂通量变化较为稳定,表现为呼吸排放CO₂.两种农田生态系统均表现为碳汇,冬小麦与水稻生态系统净碳交换分别为188.2 g·m^-2与233.8 g·m^-2.     

利用水资源环境创建城市生态湿地景观的研究

针对利用水资源环境创建城市生态湿地景观的研究,介绍了南京湿地目前存在的问题,主要包括有湿地水质需要改善、湿地生物多样性受到威胁和湿地科研有待加强,探讨了新济洲国家湿地公园的建设,包括新济洲国家湿地公园定位体现地域特色、新济洲湿地建设思路,介绍了新济洲水资源协调利用,主要包括,建立水资源可持续利用机制、合理控制湿地污水排放、开展湿地治理,提升湿地水质,提出了新济洲国家湿地公园建设内容,并进行了对新济洲国家湿地公园建设效益分析.     

环境承载力与环境扶贫

随着人类环境意识的觉醒与升华，引发了对自身生存环境的更深层次的思考。本文就环境承载力的内涵与外延以及它既会造成贫困又可解脱贫困的关键作用进行了研究和探讨。     

SBBR工艺处理有机农药废水的生产性试验

为了实现SBBR工艺处理有机农药废水在生产上的应用,选择有代表性的农药厂进行生产性试验。试验结果表明:COD、BOD5、SS、TP平均去除率分别为90.1%、91%、88.8%和94.7%,出水水质达到GB8978-1996《污水综合排放标准》中的二级标准,并且运行稳定、投资省。     

考虑“双碳”目标与健康损失的区域现役火电机组有序退役研究

火电行业是我国经济社会发展的重要基础和保障，但也是碳排放的主要源头之一。在“双碳”目标约束下，新能源装机将持续增长，而火电机组则面临降碳和退役的压力。以安徽省为研究区域，考虑“双碳”目标与污染导致的健康损失等因素，对全省现役火电机组的计划退役与有序退役方案进行对比分析，为火电行业实现低碳发展提供路径参考。在有序退役方案下，结合初始投资、使用年限、年度发电收益与污染物排放计算出现役机组每年的净现值，并且根据未来安徽省碳排放削减目标，得到优化后的机组退役时间和顺序。结果表明：与常规的计划退役方案相比，有序退役方案使安徽省火电机组退役时间平均提前约5 a，在2060年碳中和之前可实现现役机组全部退役。2020—2060年，现役机组有序退役可累计减少碳排放量12.76亿t；累计减少SO₂、NO_x、PM_2.5排放量分别为1.44万t、2.13万t、0.17万t，比计划退役方案减少8.66亿元的健康损失。机组的有序退役不仅能带来巨大的环境效益与社会效益，也为“双碳”目标的实现提供了有力保障。     

Power matters in closing the phenotyping gap

Much of our understanding of physiology and metabolism is derived from investigating mouse mutants and transgenic mice, and open-access platforms for standardized mouse phenotyping such as the German Mouse Clinic (GMC) are currently viewed as one powerful tool for identifying novel gene-function relationships. Phenotyping or phenotypic screening involves the comparison of wild-type control mice with their mutant or transgenic littermates. In our study, we explored the extent to which standardized phenotyping will succeed in detecting biologically relevant phenotypic differences in mice generated and provided by different collaborators. We analyzed quantitative metabolic data (body mass, energy intake, and energy metabolized) collected at the GMC under the current workflow, and used them for statistical power considerations. Our results demonstrate that there is substantial variability in these parameters among lines of wild-type C57BL/6 (B6) mice from different sources. Given this variable background noise in mice that serve as controls, subtle phenotypes in mutant or transgenic littermates may be overlooked. Furthermore, a phenotype observed in one cohort of a mutant line may not be reproducible (to the same extent) in mice coming from a different environment or supplier. In the light of these constraints, we encourage researchers to incorporate information on intrastrain variability into future study planning, or to perform advanced hierarchical analyses. Both will ultimately improve the detectability of novel phenotypes by phenotypic screening. Carola W. Meyer and Ralf Elvert contributed equally to this work.     

骆马湖的氮磷平衡及实施截污工程对水质改善效果的研究

骆马湖“九五”期间的氮磷平衡分析结果表明：氮磷在骆马湖湖体中的滞留量分别为1188.89t/a和193.36t/a。根据骆马湖的水质要求，在骆马湖截污工程完成后，没有新的污染进入水体的前提下，对骆马湖水体通过自然净化恢复到要求状态所需的时间进行了详细的数学推导和科学论证，结果表明，在不考虑底泥营养物质的情况下，只需0.19年左右的时间就能恢复，如果考虑底泥的影响。也只需0.59年左右的时间就能恢复，因此得出结论：对骆马湖实施截污是加速骆马湖水体改善的最佳途径。     

西南地区近14a植被覆盖变化及其与气候因子的关系

基于1999~2012年NDVI数据,结合气温和降水资料,运用GIS和RS技术,分析了西南地区近14a植被覆盖的时空变化特征及与气温、降水的关系。结果表明:(1)该区植被生长良好,各植被类型NDVI均呈显著增加趋势。空间整体表现为改善状态,改善面积远大于退化面积,严重退化区仅占1.18%。退化区分布于横断山地北部、四川盆地东部以及云贵高原中部。(2)植被覆盖变化将以良性发展为主,但强持续性的退化区和弱持续性的改善区应值得关注;强持续性的退化区主要分布在横断山地中北部、云贵高原中西部、若尔盖高原中部、四川盆地与若尔盖高原相交区域;草原强持续性的退化面积最大,针阔混交林强持续性的改善面积最大。(3)NDVI与温度存在明显的正相关关系,而与降水及干旱指数变化的关系不太明显,温度是影响该区植被变化的主要自然因素。