Pollinators,pests, and predators: Recognizing ecological trade-offs in agroecosystems

Ecological interactions between crops and wild animals frequently result in increases or declines in crop yield. Yet, positive and negative interactions have mostly been treated independently, owing partly to disciplinary silos in ecological and agricultural sciences. We advocate a new integrated research paradigm that explicitly recognizes cost-benefit trade-offs among animal activities and acknowledges that these activities occur within social-ecological contexts. Support for this paradigm is presented in an evidence-based conceptual model structured around five evidence statements highlighting emerging trends applicable to sustainable agriculture. The full range of benefits and costs associated with animal activities in agroecosystems cannot be quantified by focusing on single species groups, crops, or systems. Management of productive agroecosystems should sustain cycles of ecological interactions between crops and wild animals, not isolate these cycles from the system. Advancing this paradigm will therefore require integrated studies that determine net returns of animal activity in agroecosystems.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s13280-015-0696-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Evaluation of genotoxic variations in plant model systems in a case of metal stressors

This study was designed to assess the effects of long term, high metal exposition (cadmium, lead, copper, nickel and zinc) on DNA damage in four plant model systems [Taraxacum officinale (Asteraceae), Matricaria recutita L. (Asteraceae), Robinia pseudoacacia L. (Fabaceae), and Urtica dioica (Urticaceae)]. DNA stability was investigated by a Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique. Agarose-gel electrophoresis revealed total of 37 bands with different molecular weights ranging from 1250 to 5000 bp. It generated distinctive polymorphism value of 72.97% (27 bands) total in four plant species investigated. The dendrogram constructed using NTSYSpc programme showed that there is grouping in separate clusters of the same plant model collected from two different areas (metal-exposed and control samples). The study concluded that the long term metal-exposing periods had genotoxic stress on macromolecules of plant model systems investigated and biomarkers used should be augmented for reliable estimates of genotoxicity after exposure of plants to metal stressors.     

冲击爆炸作用对核电站安全壳毁伤效应研究的进展

核电站破坏后放射性燃料泄露带来的灾难性后果,使得核电站特别是核反应堆成为军事打击和恐怖袭击的重要目标之一.本文分析总结了核反应堆安全壳因弹体和飞机的冲(撞)击爆炸导致受损所涉及的关键科学问题的国内外研究进展,指出核安全壳体防护效能的研究重点主要在于:弹体“侵彻(贯穿)+爆炸”作用对双层钢筋混凝土和内衬钢板复合核安全壳结...     

Extremes of Temperature, Oxygen and Blooms in the Baltic Sea in a Changing Climate

In the future, the Baltic Sea ecosystem will be impacted both by climate change and by riverine and atmospheric nutrient inputs. Multi-model ensemble simulations comprising one IPCC scenario (A1B), two global climate models, two regional climate models, and three Baltic Sea ecosystem models were performed to elucidate the combined effect of climate change and changes in nutrient inputs. This study focuses on the occurrence of extreme events in the projected future climate. Results suggest that the number of days favoring cyanobacteria blooms could increase, anoxic events may become more frequent and last longer, and salinity may tend to decrease. Nutrient load reductions following the Baltic Sea Action Plan can reduce the deterioration of oxygen conditions.     

作物秸秆对铜绿微囊藻的抑制作用

通过室内模拟实验研究了大麦、水稻和小麦3种作物秸秆对铜绿微囊藻(Microcystis aeruginosa)的抑制作用,并计算了不同秸秆的抑制率和抑制中浓度（EC₅₀）。研究结果表明,大麦秸秆、水稻秸秆和小麦秸秆对铜绿微囊藻的生长有显著的抑制作用,而且随着培养时间和秸秆投加量的增加,抑制作用提高。处理96 h后大麦和水稻秸秆处理下的铜绿微囊藻几乎全部死亡,表明本研究所用不同作物秸秆对铜绿微囊藻的生长有显著的抑制效果。研究结果还表明,大麦、水稻和小麦秸秆对铜绿微囊藻的72 h-EC₅₀由大到小依次是大麦>水稻>小麦,分别为248、334和1 943 mg/L,表明不同植物的秸秆对藻类的影响作用不同。分析3种秸秆抑制铜绿微囊藻生长的原因可能是3种植物秸秆在好氧的条件下可以分解产生多种具有抑藻作用化学物质,如有机酸、含甲基的酚类物质、醇类和酮类物质等,这些物质通过化感作用抑制铜绿微囊藻的生长,尤以大麦秸秆作用最为明显。     

中国经济增长与物质消耗关系的实证研究

本文运用广义最小平方法和处理面板数据的固定影响模型,利用我国各省市1995-2009年物质消耗指数、人均GDP和人均固定资产投资等跨部门的时间序列数据,分析经济增长与物质消耗的关系。其主要结论如下:经济增长与物质消耗呈现正向关系,没有表现出明显的去物质化。固定资产投资对物质消耗趋势在统计上具有很好的解释力。固定效应模型下的广义最小二乘法对于处理跨部门的时间序列数据有明显的效果,固定效应模型的省际差异项有效地刻画了物质消耗与经济增长相关关系的省级差异。我国目前仍处于有形资产的积累阶段,为了达到发达国家的固定资产积累水平,必要的基础设施建设不能缺少。产业结构的差异会影响物质消耗与经济增长的关系强度,第一产业相对于第二产业需要更多的物质消耗。经济发展水平同样会影响物质消耗与经济增长的关系强度,发达地区相对于欠发达地区需要的物质消耗更少。     

Review,assessment and recommendations on environmental policies in Western China

Reviewing the existing environmental policies in Western China,we find that:in time sequence,the characteristics of China's western environmental policies shift from"development drive governance"to the full implementation of environmental protection and construction;and in spatial sequence,the ecological,social,and economic development of Western China reach to coordination through the nature reserve setting,ecological migrants,fiscal transfer payment and differentiated ecological environmental policies.Due to the implementation of the policies and projects,environmental degradation trends in the western ecological environment were alleviated significantly,the living conditions of farmers and herdsmen were improved,and many successful experiences were explored.However,future ecological environmental construction in Western China requires further improvement in integrated planning,eco-compensation mechanism,and policy assessment.This paper concludes with specific recommendations such as drawing up ecological environment construction planning,strengthening environmental law enforcement and incentive mechanisms,improving policy assessment and scientific support,enhancing environmental protection capacity,improving eco-compensation mechanism,and refining the environmental policies for key areas.     

红阳猕猴桃和葛根配方的解酒保肝与抗氧化作用研究

研究红阳猕猴桃、葛根及其配方组合物的解酒保肝与抗氧化作用。采用乙醇所致小鼠自主活动减少和小鼠共济失调实验评价解酒作用;采用小鼠酒精性肝损伤模型评价保肝作用,采用ELISA测定大鼠尿液中8-羟基脱氧鸟苷酸（8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine,8-OHdG）和乙酰—赖氨酸加合物（hexanoyl-lysine adduct,HEL）,以了解配方组合物对DNA过氧化和脂质过氧化的影响。结果表明,红阳猕猴桃—葛根配方可减轻酒精所致小鼠行为抑制和共济失调,提示具有解酒作用;对酒精所致小鼠肝脏MDA、TG水平升高和GSH水平降低有明显改善,提示具有保护化学性肝损伤作用;降低正常和酒精损伤大鼠尿液中过氧化生物标志物水平,提示具有较好的抗氧化作用。红阳猕猴桃—葛根配方具有快速解酒作用,且可持续2—4h;对酒精性肝损伤有一定的保护作用,其机制与抗氧化有关。     

Positive vs. false detection: A comparison of analytical methods and performance for analysis of cyclic volatile methylsiloxanes (cVMS) in environmental samples from remote regions

Contamination and analytical variation can significantly hinder trace analysis of cyclic methyl volatile siloxanes (cVMS); potentially resulting in the report of false positives at concentrations approaching detection limits. To assess detection and variation associated with trace cVMS analysis in environmental matrices, a co-operative laboratory comparison for the analysis of octametylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4), decamethylcylcopentasiloxane (D5), and dodecametylcyclohexasiloxane (D6) in sediment and biota from the Svalbard Archipelago was conducted. Two definitions of detection limits were evaluated in this study; method detection limits (MDL, matrix defined) and limits of detection (LOD, solvent defined). D5 was the only cVMS detected above both LOD (0.08–0.81 ng g⁻¹ ww) and MDL (0.47–2.36 ng g⁻¹ ww) within sediment by all laboratories where concentrations ranged from 0.55 to 3.91 ng g⁻¹ ww. The percentage of positive detects for D5 decreased by 80% when MDL was defined as the detection limit. D5 was also detected at the highest frequency among all laboratories in fish liver with concentrations ranging from 0.72 to 345 ng g⁻¹ ww. Similar to sediment, percentage of positive detects for D5 decreased by 60% across all laboratories for fish livers when using MDL (0.68–3.49 ng g⁻¹ ww). Similar observations were seen with both D4 and D6, indicating that sample matrix significantly contributes to analytical response variation. Despite differences in analytical methods used between laboratories, good agreement was obtained when using MDL to define detection limits. This study shows the importance of incorporating variation introduced by sample matrices into detection limit calculations to insure data accuracy of cVMS at low concentrations.     

Functional gene expression of oil-degrading bacteria resistant to hexadecane toxicity

Contamination with oil poses a threat to the environment and to human health worldwide. Biological methodologies have proved to be economical, versatile and efficient for the remediation of pollutants. In this paper, a highly efficient oil-degrading bacterial strain USTB-2 was isolated from an oil production well of Dagang oil field in Tianjin, China. The 16S rRNA sequence of USTB-2 showed 100% similarity with that of Bacillus subtilis BSn5. Hexadecane is one of the most important components in petroleum. The half inhibitory ratio (IC₅₀) of hexadecane inhibited organisms, determined by microcalorimetry, was lower in USTB-2 than in B. BSn5. The results indicate that the strain USTB-2 degrades hexadecane to make it less toxic compared with the normal strain. RT-PCR was used to evaluate the expression of oil-degrading enzymes, specifically 4-hydroxyphenylacetate 3-monooxygenase genes (HPMO). A sharp increase in the expression of HPMO genes was observed for USTB-2, while the expression of HPMO genes in reference strain B. BSn5 remained relatively stable. These methods can be used to study the metabolic potential of microorganisms for in situ oil decontamination.