Herbivores enable plant survival under nutrient limited conditions in a model grazing system

We make a theoretical study of nitrogen cycling in a model of a grazing system with five compartments. The rates of uptake of nutrient by plants and herbivores are allowed nonlinear forms which involve no a priori assumptions about whether the system is subject to top-down or bottom-up control. We derive a method of piecewise linear approximation which allows analytical study of the system. We then use this method to investigate the properties of the equilibrium states of the system, and in particular whether the system favours donor- or recipient-control, the grazing optimization problem, and the potential benefits of herbivory to plant growth. We are able to generalise our results to all uptake functions of the same qualitative class as those considered, and to show that in general the system will tend to a stable equilibrium state of donor-controlled herbivory. In this model, the presence of the ‘right’ class of herbivore is not only beneficial to plant growth in certain circumstances, but can be essential to their survival, allowing plants to co-exist with herbivores under conditions in which they would be unable to survive alone.     

Population viability of the Siberian Tiger in a changing landscape: Going, going and gone?

The Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) is a flagship species of the boreal forest ecosystem in northeastern China and Russia Far East. During the past century, the tiger population has declined sharply from more than 3000 to fewer than 600 individuals, and its habitat has become much smaller and greatly fragmented. Poaching, habitat degradation, habitat loss, and habitat fragmentation have been widely recognized as the primary causes for the observed population decline. Using a population viability analysis tool (RAMAS/GIS), we simulated the effects of poaching, habitat degradation, habitat loss, and habitat fragmentation on the population dynamics and extinction risk of the Amur tiger, and then explored the relative effectiveness of three conservation strategies involving improving habitat quality and establishing movement corridors in China and Russia. A series of controlled simulation experiments were performed based on the current spatial distribution of habitat and field-observed vital rates. Our results showed that the Amur tiger population could be viable for the next 100 years if the current habitat area and quality were well-maintained, with poaching strictly prohibited of the tigers and their main prey species. Poaching and habitat degradation (mainly prey scarcity) had the largest negative impacts on the tiger population persistence. While the effect of habitat loss was also substantial, habitat fragmentation per se had less influence on the long-term fate of the tiger population. However, to sustain the subpopulations in both Russia and China would take much greater conservation efforts. The viability of the Chinese population of tigers would rely heavily on its connectivity with the largest patch on the other side of the border. Improving the habitat quality of small patches only or increasing habitat connectivity through movement corridors alone would not be enough to guarantee the long-term population persistence of the Amur tiger in both Russia and China. The only conservation strategy that allowed for long-term persistence of tigers in both countries required both the improvement of habitat quality and the establishment of a transnational reserve network. Our study provides new insights into the metapopulation dynamics and persistence of the Amur tiger, which should be useful in landscape and conservation planning for protecting the biggest cat species in the world.     

Scientists' opinions on the global status and management of biological diversity

The large investments needed if loss of biological diversity is to be stemmed will likely lead to increased public and political scrutiny of conservation strategies and the science underlying them. It is therefore crucial to understand the degree of consensus or divergence among scientists on core scientific perceptions and strategies most likely to achieve given objectives. I developed an internet survey designed to elucidate the opinions of conservation scientists. Conservation scientists (n =583) were unanimous (99.5%) in their view that a serious loss of biological diversity is likely, very likely, or virtually certain. Scientists' agreement that serious loss is very likely or virtually certain ranged from 72.8% for Western Europe to 90.9% for Southeast Asia. Tropical coral ecosystems were perceived as the most seriously affected by loss of biological diversity; 88.0% of respondents familiar with that ecosystem type agreed that a serious loss is very likely or virtually certain. With regard to conservation strategies, scientists most often viewed understanding how people and nature interact in certain contexts and the role of biological diversity in maintaining ecosystem function as their priorities. Protection of biological diversity for its cultural and spiritual values and because of its usefulness to humans were low priorities, which suggests that many scientists do not fully support the utilitarian concept of ecosystem services. Many scientists expressed a willingness to consider conservation triage, engage in active conservation interventions, and consider reframing conservation goals and measures of success for conservation of biological diversity in an era of climate change. Although some heterogeneity of opinion is evident, results of the survey show a clear consensus within the scientific community on core issues of the extent and geographic scope of loss of biological diversity and on elements that may contribute to successful conservation strategies in the future.     

基于氮磷指数的小流域氮磷流失风险评价

识别区域氮磷流失综合风险分布状况并对氮磷流失进行综合调控是控制非点源污染的有效措施。但传统的研究往往局限于氮或磷流失风险的单独评估和调控,以密云水库沿湖集约化农区东庄小流域为例,应用氮指数、磷指数及氮磷综合指数法,对区域氮磷流失风险进行综合评价。结果表明：流域氮、磷流失风险总体上较小,80%以上的区域均处于氮、磷流失的无风险或低风险区,但氮、磷流失的空间分布存在较大差异。其中氮流失的高度风险区集中在山地中土壤侵蚀指数较大的果园;而磷流失的高风险区域主要分布在河流沿岸的农业用地。氮磷综合风险指数显示,93.1%的区域处于无风险和低风险区,中度以上风险区占总面积的6.9%,主要集中在流域中部有着较高的肥料施用、地势陡峭且处在河流沿岸的农业用地或山地中。单独考虑氮指数或磷指数都难以反映区域氮磷流失的综合风险状况,容易忽略磷指数高氮指数低、氮指数高和磷指数低以及氮、磷风险在中等的区域。因此,在氮、磷流失风险评估基础上,进行氮磷流失风险的综合评价,可为氮磷流失的综合调控提供指导。     

化工园区泄漏事故安全风险评估模式研究

为减少化工事故频发造成严重人员伤亡及财产损失,在分析危化品泄漏事故类型的基础上,从事故发生概率和事故后果两方面提出危化品泄漏事故风险评估模型.以中毒事故为例,对重庆长寿化工园区内某企业一液氨储罐进行风险评估.基于概率模型计算中毒事故概率,结果表明该储罐发生泄漏引起中毒的概率较小;数值模拟结果显示:影响范围随时间的增加而...     

基于化学损耗矫正的青岛胶州市环境VOCs来源解析

臭氧已成为影响我国环境空气质量的重要污染物之一,准确解析环境臭氧及其前体物VOCs的关键源类及其贡献对于有效防控臭氧污染具有重要作用.因此,利用光化学年龄参数方法估算了青岛胶州市2021年1月1日至2月28日在线VOCs监测数据的初始浓度,矫正环境VOCs物种的光化学损耗;并利用正定矩阵因子分解(PMF)和臭氧生成潜势(OFP)模型进行了环境VOCs及其OFP来源解析研究,以期为青岛市环境臭氧污染的防控提供数据支撑.结果表明,研究期间青岛市环境ρ(TVOCs)和OFP的平均值分别为65.9μg·m^-3和176.7μg·m^-3;其中丙烷浓度(12.4μg·m^-3)和占比(18.9%)最高,而间/对-二甲苯的OFP(24.6μg·m^-3)及占比(13.9%)最高.研究期间TVOCs的初始浓度为153.1μg·m^-3,其光化学损耗率达到63.8%.烯烃是光化学损耗率(92.1%)最高的VOCs物种,其中异戊二烯的光化学损耗率达到98.6%,明显高于其它VOCs物种.基于初始浓度的来源...     

生物炭施用对紫色土旱坡地土壤氮流失形态及通量的影响

明确生物炭施用对紫色土旱坡地土壤氮流失形态及通量的影响,为提升紫色土旱坡地耕地质量及减少紫色土旱坡地农业面源污染发生风险提供科学依据.以油菜/玉米轮作农田生态系统为研究对象,通过田间试验,研究了不施肥(对照)、常规施肥、优化施肥及生物炭(化肥减量配施生物炭)这4个处理对紫色土旱坡地地表径流和壤中流氮素流失形态及通量的影响.结果表明:①在各施肥处理中,常规处理总径流量最大,为16 133 L·a~(-1),生物炭处理总径流量最小,为11 893 L·a~(-1).各施肥处理以壤中流为主要径流方式,壤中流流失量占总流失量的61.80%～68.60%;与对照(不施肥处理)相比,其余各施肥处理泥沙流失量均有所降低,其中常规处理降低的效果最明显.②铵态氮主要通过地表径流流失,占总流失通量的86.51%～96.58%;铵态氮流失通量最大的为施生物炭处理[0.69 kg·(hm~2·a)~(-1)].③各施肥处理产流中的颗粒态氮浓度均高于对照处理,且常规施肥处理的颗粒态氮流失通量最大,为2.87 kg·(hm~2·a)~(-1).④各施肥处理的壤中流和地表径流中的全氮浓度和硝态氮浓度均存在极显著正相关关系(P0.01).硝态氮是全氮流失的主要形态,且二者均以壤中流为主要流失途径;全氮通过壤中流流失占比为72.86%～89.13%,且常规施肥处理的全氮总流失通量最大,为35.58 kg·(hm~2·a)~(-1),而施生物炭处理全氮总流失通量最小,为21.49 kg·(hm~2·a)~(-1).化肥减量配施生物炭能明显降低径流量和氮的流失通量,可有效阻控农业面源污染发生的风险.     

生物炭添加对湿地植物菖蒲根系通气组织和根系泌氧的影响

在处理污水的潜流人工湿地中,湿地植物容易受到缺氧胁迫.尽管菖蒲(Acorus calamus L.)是一类对缺氧条件具有显著抵抗能力的湿地植物,但菖蒲的生理响应并不能完全消除湿地长期缺氧带来的胁迫.生物炭添加能够缓解菖蒲体内超氧化物和过氧化物的积累,显著降低膜脂过氧化程度,但生物炭对缓解缺氧胁迫的具体机制尚不清晰.因此,本研究通过在温室内构建5种不同的生物炭湿地,采用植物生态学分析方法,将植物根系通气组织、根孔隙度和根系泌氧相结合,研究菖蒲根部组织对生物炭添加的响应机制.结果表明,通过在传统潜流人工湿地中添加生物炭,有利于菖蒲形成根系通气组织,增大根孔隙度,生物炭投加量与根孔隙度具有显著正相关关系.在湿地中添加生物炭将利于O_2通过通气组织传输至地下部分,并以根系泌氧(radial oxygen loss,ROL)的形式扩散至根际,显著提高根系泌氧量.与其它光强相比,在3 000μmol·(m~2·s)~(-1)条件下,菖蒲泌氧能力较强,生物炭投加比例对植物ROL的影响不显著.     

干旱区绿洲城镇扩张对耕地空间影响及预测——以河西走廊区域为例

绿洲城镇是干旱地区人类活动最剧烈、人口集聚度最高、“人—地”关系矛盾最为突出的生态环境脆弱区。受全球气候变化影响及西部大开发战略推动,区域城镇与绿洲耕地之间的动态变化及利弊权衡成为当前关注的热点。基于1990—2015年多时相遥感影像数据,以典型绿洲城镇河西走廊为研究区,引入Markov和ANN-CA模型对河西走廊城镇用地与耕地的时空动态转换特征与规律展开探索,揭示了城镇扩张对耕地的影响过程与机制。研究结果表明：（1）河西走廊土地总体以未利用土地和草地为主,城镇用地与耕地仅占区域总面积的0.63%、6.35%,且城镇与耕地面积共同经历了先减少后增加的“V”型变化趋势。（2）1990—2015年河西走廊城镇面积扩张了1.53倍,其中15.67%的城镇扩张用地来自耕地占用,其他主要来源于草地,沙漠和戈壁等未利用土地。另外,区域内5个地市城镇扩张的耕地占用差异较大。（3）结合Markov与ANN-CA模型的模拟和预测结果表明,2015—2030年河西走廊79.77%的城镇扩张用地将来源于周边耕地,且城镇空间扩张方式以外延扩展为主,未来耕地被城镇侵占压力较大。研究结果将为干旱区相似区域空间规划和耕地保护提供决策支持。     

Effect of environmental parameters on the degradability of polymer films in laboratory-scale composting reactors

Previous research in our laboratory reported a convenient laboratory-scale composting test method to study the weight loss of polymer films in aerobic thermophilic (53°C) reactors maintained at a 60% moisture content. The laboratory-scale compost reactors contained the following synthetic compost mixture (percentage on dry-weight basis): tree leaves (45.0), shredded paper (16.5), food (6.7), meat (5.8), cow manure (17.5), sawdust (1.9), aluminum and steel shavings (2.4), glass beads (1.3), urea (1.9), and a compost seed (1.0) which is designated Mix-1 in this work. To simplify the laboratory-scale compost weight loss test method and better understand how compost mixture compositions and environmental parameters affect the rate of plastic degradation, a systematic variation of the synthetic mixture composition as well as the moisture content was carried out. Cellulose acetate (CA) with a degree of substitution (DS) value of 1.7 and cellophane films were chosen as test polymer substrates for this work. The extent of CA DS-1.7 and cellophane weight loss as a function of the exposure time remained unchanged when the metal and glass components of the mixture were excluded in Mix-2. Further study showed that large variations in the mixture composition such as the replacement of tree leaves, food, meat, and sawdust with steam-exploded wood and alfalfa (forming Mix-C) could be made with little or no change in the time dependence of CA DS-1.7 film weight loss. In contrast, substituting tree leaves, food, meat, cow manure, and sawdust with steam-exploded wood in combination with either Rabbit Choice (Mix-D) or starch and urea (Mix-E) resulted in a significant time increase (from 7 to 12 days) for the complete disappearance of CA DS-1.7 films. Interestingly, in this work no direct correlation was observed between the C/N ratio (which ranged from 13.9 to 61.4) and the CA DS-1.7 film weight loss. Decreasing moisture contents of the compost Mix-2 from 60 and 50 and 40% resulted in dramatic changes in polymer degradation such that CA DS-1.7 showed an increase in the time period for a complete disappearance of polymer films from 6 to 16 and 30 days, respectively.Guest Editor: Dr. Graham Swift, Rohm & Haas.Paper presented at the Bio/Environmentally Degradable Polymer Society—Second National Meeting, August 19–21, 1993, Chicago, Illinois.