Double Allee Effects and Extinction in the Island Fox

Abstract:  An Allee effect (AE) occurs in populations when individuals suffer a decrease in fitness at low densities. If a fitness component is reduced (component AE), per capita population growth rates may decline as a consequence (demographic AE) and extinction risk is increased. The island fox ( Urocyon littoralis ) is endemic to six of the eight California Channel Islands. Population crashes have coincided with an increase in predation by Golden Eagles ( Aquila chrysaetos ). We propose that AEs could render fox populations more sensitive and may be a likely explanation for their sharp decline. We analyzed demographic data collected between 1988 and 2000 to test whether fox density (1) influences survival and reproductive rates; (2) interacts with eagle presence and affects fox fitness parameters; and (3) influences per capita fox population trends. A double component AE simultaneously influenced survival (of adults and pups) and proportion of breeding adult females. The adult survival AE was driven by predation by eagles. These component AEs led to a demographic AE. Multiple-component AEs, a predation-driven AE, and the simultaneous occurrence of both component and demographic AEs in a mammal are all previously unreported processes. Populations below 7 foxes/km² could have suboptimal population growth rates due to the demographic AE, and AEs may have contributed to the dramatic declines in three fox populations. Because fox densities in critically endangered populations are well below this level, removing Golden Eagles appears necessary to prevent a predation-driven AE. Conservationists should also be aware of AEs when planning the release of captive foxes. More generally, our findings highlight the danger of overlooking AEs in the conservation of populations of rare or threatened species.     

混凝气浮—生物接触氧化法处理机械加工业含乳化油废水

在混凝剂筛选、不同水质处理效果比较和生物处理实验的基础上,优化确定出混凝气浮—生物接触氧化组合处理工艺。工程实践证实:将含油乳化液与总排口水混合,混凝气浮的COD去除率可达52.4%;接触氧化的COD去除率为81%;处理出水达到国家排放标准一级指标要求。     

反向PCR法克隆芳香烃龙胆酸降解途径中诱导型龙胆酸1,2-加双氧酶基因

龙胆酸1,2-加双氧酶(GDO)是芳香烃龙胆酸途径的一个关键酶.产碱假单胞菌P25X具有保守性与诱导性各一组GDO同工酶,突变株SNZ28的保守型龙胆酸1,2加双氧酶基因(GDOⅠ)被链霉素/奇霉素抗性基因打断,但在含有龙胆酸盐的基本培养基上,仍能明显观察到GDO的活性.由龙胆酸诱导生长的SNZ28全蛋白二维电泳结果分析,获得了一个与Ralstoniasp.U2的GDO酶有极高同源性的蛋白点.根据对该蛋白点的N端和Q-Tof测序的结果,设计了一对简并引物,克隆了诱导型GDO酶的片段,通过对此片段的分析,设计了逆向PCR引物,利用Southern blot杂交,确定了合适的限制性内切酶(SalⅠ和SphⅠ),以单一酶切的P25X基因组DNA自联后的产物为模板,进行反向PCR.测序表明,获得了一段1047bp与Ralstoniasp.U2.的龙胆酸1,2-加双氧酶具有极高同源性的序列.研究结果揭示了SNZ28中存在诱导型GDO酶.本文中也对不同来源的GDO酶进行了比较研究,其结果为进一步对生物降解基因的进化研究打下了基础.图4表2参16     

乳状液膜法分离提取醋酸的模拟试验

研究了LMS－2－煤油－NaOH液膜体系处理醛酸水溶液的最佳操作条件，讨论了表面活性剂浓度、搅拌速度、试剂比、油内比及乳水比对提取率的影响，得出了制乳的最佳稳定条件，提取率可达96％以上。     

活性炭纤维电极法处理印染废水的应用研究

采用新型催化电极处理了１８种水溶性及水不溶性染料液，并应用于数种实际扎染残液的处理，脱色率可达到９５％￣１００％，ＣＤＣｃｒ去除率达到４０％￣７０％。初步探讨了该电化学处理系统的反应机理，推论整个处理为吸附，自由基聚合和絮凝反应相结合的过程。     

Synthesis and identification of graft copolymers of wood pulp and styrene

Based on the graft copolymerization reactions of lignin and vinyl monomers, a series of graft copolymers of wood pulp and styrene (1-phenylethene) has been synthesized. The wood pulps used in this research are unbleached products produced by chemical, thermal, and mechanical pulping. All of them contain a high content of lignin (25–29 wt%). The grafting reaction is a free radical polymerization coinitiated by calcium chloride, hydrogen peroxide, and wood pulp in dimethylsulfoxide at 30°C. The effect of reaction temperature, reaction time, and the amount of the reactants on the conversion of monomer, yield of product, weight increase of pulp, and grafting efficiency of monomer has been studied. The grafted wood pulp was separated from homopolystyrene formed during the reaction by extraction of the reaction product with benzene in a Soxhlet apparatus for at least 48 h. The results show that after the reaction, the weight of all wood pulps was significantly increased and the weight increase of very high yield sodium bisulfite pulp (VHYS) was 333%. This proves that a part of the polymerized styrene was chemically bound to the wood pulp. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra of the extracted products show absorbance peaks characteristic of both wood and polystyrene and, thus, provide strong proof of grafting. Grafting has completely changed the surface properties of the starting wood pulp from hydrophilic to hydrophobic, and under ordinary thermal compression conditions, thermoplastic composite objects of good uniformity can be made directly from reaction products which contain up to 52 wt% wood pulp.     

The Influence of Anthropogenic Contamination On Metals Release From Coastal Sediment Suspensions with Aerated Sea Water

The zinc, cadmium, copper and lead release from the uncontaminated and contaminated coastal sediments with aerated sea water was studied. the metals transfer to the dissolved forms was monitored during one-two months by differential pulse anodic voltammetry (DPASV). the sediments with different initial degree of contamination were sampled in the Peter the Great Bay, Sea of Japan around Vladivostok-the biggest city in Russian Far East. Sediment contamination by metals led to increased release to solution of zinc due to sulphide oxidation and cadmium on account of organic matter decomposition. the copper behaviour was complicated by strong binding with organic matter and enhancements of copper release can only be seen in sediment with a low organic matter content. Significant lead transfer to dissolved forms was not observed regardless of sediment contamination. the temperature affected the release of cadmium and copper through enhanced organic matter destruction. the dissolved metal fluxes from the sediment transformation are compared with metal fluxes towards bottom. Such comparisons show that second contamination by dissolved metals of the studied coastal environment may be important for cadmium only.     

Climate change decision-support and the tolerable windows approach

The Tolerable Windows Approach (TWA) to Integrated Assessments (IA) of global warming is based on external normative specifications of tolerable sets of climate impacts as well as proposed emission quotas and policy instruments for implementation. In a subsequent step, the complete set of admissible climate protection strategies which are compatible with these normative inputs is determined by scientific analysis. In doing so, minimum requirements concerning global and national greenhouse gas emission paths can be determined. In this paper we present the basic methodological elements of TWA, discuss its relation to more conventional approaches to IA like cost–benefit analyses, and present some preliminary results obtained by a reduced-form climate model.     

乳状液膜吸收有机废气的实验研究

为提高水吸收乙酸丁酯的净化效率,以石油醚作膜相,聚异丁烯单丁二酰亚胺(T151)、聚异丁烯多丁二酰亚胺(T155)作乳化剂,制备水相/油相(W/O)型乳状液,作为分散相加入水中形成水相/油相/水相(W/O/W)型乳状液膜,进行了吸收含乙酸丁酯模拟废气的研究.主要考察了制乳速度、乳水比、表面活性剂用量、废气中乙酸丁酯初始浓度等参数对液膜吸收效率的影响.结果表明,乳状液膜体系对乙酸丁酯的吸收效率较高,在搅拌转速为400r/min,V(石油醚)∶V(水)为1∶1,w(T151)和w(T155)分别为6%和4%,V(乳化剂)∶V(水)为1∶4条件下制备的乳状液膜稳定性较好,且对乙酸丁酯废气吸收效率最高,可达80%以上.      

基于反演模型的焦炉无组织苯并[a]芘排放因子研究

由于焦炉无组织苯并[a]芘排放因子难以测量,导致了焦炉苯并[a]芘大气污染研究存在一定的不确定性.针对上述问题,本研究根据1999年~2003年上海某焦化厂的产量、空气质量监测等数据,建立了基于AERMOD(AMS/EPA REGULATORY MODEL)模型反演苯并[a]芘排放因子的方法.结果显示,企业周边3个监测点年平均浓度结果分别为0.033,0.0024,0.0031μg/m³,均超过了2012年颁布的环境空气质量标准,通过AERMOD模型反演得到该焦化厂苯并[a]芘平均排放因子为14.71mg/t焦煤, 苯并[a]芘预测浓度超标面积125km²,超标区域主要集中在焦化厂周围,超标焦炉苯并[a]芘防护距离为6300m.