Modelling of spatio-temporal population dynamics of earthworms under wetland conditions—An integrated approach

Both the effects of earthworms on soils and the effects of soil conditions on earthworms have been studied with the help of experiments and modelling. This paper provides a model architecture allowing coupling both effects to a dynamic interaction in changing environmental conditions. We chose for a spatio-temporally explicit model and focussed on wetland conditions. Soil temperature and humidity have been modelled by means of finite volumes and were used to determine the spatial habitat suitability. The life cycles of earthworms have been modelled by Leslie matrices where soil humidity, soil temperature and population densities have been used to parametrize survival and transition probabilities. Earthworm dispersion has been described by a cellular automaton of the domain providing spatial population densities for both the life cycle submodel and the soil conditions submodel.     

Investigation of stakeholders' awareness and adoption of Inherently Safer Design (ISD) principles in South African utility industry projects

The paper examines the level of awareness of stakeholders in adopting Inherently Safer Design (ISD) principles in the Project Life Cycle Management (PLCM) of South African Energy utility projects. It seeks to understand whether stakeholders in the latter stages of the Project Life Cycle are competent to make design change decisions on these projects. ISD principles are essentially useful for reducing risks and as such, safety experts have acknowledged it as an excellent approach in the design process. However, there are no known efforts to date that attempt to integrate ISD concepts into PLCM. This paper seeks to fill this gap. This study, through the review of extant literature establishes that ISD principles can be used in project procurement, and adopts a quantitative survey approach in obtaining information from stakeholders in the South African utility industry. Findings reveal that the principles of inherent safety are permeating into the management of South African utility projects but the level of awareness and its adoption are below optimal levels. It also emerged that there is a divergent awareness of ISD strategies amongst PLCM stakeholders and that the design engineers are better informed about the ISD approach of eliminating risks and hazards in the industrial systems studied than other stakeholders. The findings also indicate that the level of awareness of stakeholders of ISD principles is greater within earlier project phases. Based on these findings, the paper concludes that the hazards witnessed within the project execution and finalization phases could be as a result of the low levels of awareness, divergent views and lower use of ISD strategies by PLCM stakeholders. It is suggested that the level of awareness of the principles, concepts, basics and benefits of integrating ISD into PLCM be raised amongst stakeholders functioning within utility industry project procurement in South Africa and that design changes be limited to the earlier phases of utility project procurement.     

藻源性黑水团环境效应Ⅲ:对水-沉积物界面处Fe-S-P循环的影响

利用静态模拟实验装置研究了藻源性黑水团发生过程中沉积物表层上覆水和沉积物间隙水中Fe-S-P的变化过程.结果表明:加入藻细胞后很快形成厌氧、还原环境,使得沉积物中Fe-S-P发生强烈的生物地球化学变化;实验第1d,表层上覆水中的Fe2+、SO42-、S2-含量高达4.993,242.0,387.57mg/L,为对照样柱中的1.8倍、2.2倍和18.8倍;在沉积物4cm处其浓度分别为8.5,40.0,65.3mg/L.随后,沉积物表层上覆水中Fe2+、S2-含量表现出一个先快速增加、随后降低的趋势,其浓度分别在实验的第3,2d达到最大值为11.1,634.6mg/L. 沉积物中PO43--P浓度受Fe-P解析等具有滞后性,从实验的第2d后开始直至实验结束时表现为其含量持续增加,到实验结束时其浓度为39.450mg/L,为对照样柱中的242倍.上覆水和间隙水中Fe-S-P含量的变化,反映了藻华聚集形成的厌氧环境中发生了剧烈的生物地球化学反应,从而使得沉积物中形成的Fe2+、S2- 和 PO43--P不断向上覆水体中扩散,对形成黑水团的水体生态系统的恢复造成阻碍和不良影响.     

三峡库区消落带甲基汞变化特征的模拟

为探寻三峡水库消落带在干湿交替条件下甲基汞的变化规律,以库区典型消落带土壤为研究对象,采用模拟试验,研究了干湿交替条件下消落带土壤和水体甲基汞含量和动态变化趋势及其影响因素.结果表明:淹水过程会促进土壤无机汞向有机汞转化,土壤甲基汞含量在淹水和落干过程均呈现先增加后减少的趋势;随着干湿交替周期的增加,土壤甲基汞含量增加,第二次淹水后土壤甲基汞平均含量比第一次淹水增加了22.13%,第二次落干后土壤甲基汞平均含量比第一次落干增加了58.17%.第二次淹水过程土壤甲基汞占总汞的比例明显高于第一次淹水,土壤中汞的甲基化主要与干湿交替循环有关.土壤淹水后会迅速向水体释放甲基汞,水体中甲基汞含量明显增加,两次淹水过程增幅分别为119.42%和334.72%,水体甲基汞和土壤甲基汞之间无显著相关.干湿交替环境土壤甲基汞含量主要受pH值、有机质含量、Eh和土壤含水量等因素的影响;水体中甲基汞含量的影响因素则主要有水体pH值、DO、DOM、水温等.     

The derivation of discount rates with an augmented measure of income

Most developed economies invest in public goods such as national defense, education, infrastructure, and the environment. Discount rates used to evaluate such projects should reflect the rate of return on the current mix of investment opportunities. Rates derived from the productivity of private capital neglect returns beyond the market boundary. The present paper derives discount rates using an augmented measure of national income inclusive of non-market goods. In an empirical application focusing on air pollution and climate damages in the United States economy, the paper reports that the difference between augmented and market discount rates averages 0.3 percentage points from 1999 to 2014.     

Scaling up private land conservation to meet recovery goals for grassland birds

Long-term population declines have elevated recovery of grassland avifauna to among the highest conservation priorities in North America. Because most of the Great Plains is privately owned, recovery of grassland bird populations depends on voluntary conservation with strong partnerships between private landowners and resource professionals. Despite large areas enrolled in voluntary practices through U.S. Department of Agriculture's Lesser Prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) Initiative (LPCI), the effectiveness of Farm Bill investments for meeting wildlife conservation goals remains an open question. Our objectives were to evaluate extents to which Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and LPCI-grazing practices influence population densities of grassland birds; estimate relative contributions of practices to regional bird populations; and evaluate percentages of populations conserved relative to vulnerability of species. We designed a large-scale impact-reference study and used the Integrated Monitoring in Bird Conservation Regions program to evaluate bird population targets of the Playa Lakes Joint Venture. We used point transect distance sampling to estimate density and population size for 35 species of grassland birds on private lands enrolled in native or introduced CRP plantings and LPCI-prescribed grazing. Treatment effects indicated CRP plantings increased densities of three grassland obligates vulnerable to habitat loss, and LPCI grazing increased densities of four species requiring heterogeneity in dense, tall-grass structure (α = 0.1). Population estimates in 2016 indicated the practices conserved breeding habitat for 4.5 million birds (90% CI: 4.0–5.1), and increased population sizes of 16 species , totaling 1.8 million birds (CI: 1.4–2.4). Conservation practices on private land benefited the most vulnerable grassland obligate species (AIC_c weight = 0.53). By addressing habitat loss and degradation in agricultural landscapes, conservation on private land provides a solution to declining avifauna of North America and scales up to meet population recovery goals for the most imperiled grassland birds.     

Source apportionment studies for particulates (PM10) in Kozhikode,South Western India using a combined receptor model

In the present work, source apportionment studies were carried out for particulate matter – one among the significant pollutants as addressed by The National Ambient Air Quality Standards. Advantages and disadvantages of each receptor model were addressed using a combined receptor model which integrates Factor Analysis (FA), Positive Matrix Factorisation (PMF) and Chemical Mass Balance (CMB). Verification of the approach was done using sets of synthetic data as well as field data from Kozhikode. Sampling was carried out in National Institute of Technology, Calicut for a period of over 26 days with 24-hour sampling. The sampling gave an average PM concentration value in the range of 29.174–129.176 µg m^?3. Studies using field data revealed five dominant sources and their contributions obtained from CMB and PMF were compared. Soil dust (contribution from CMB: 18%; contribution from PMF: 16%), marine aerosol (17%; 25%), construction and aggregate processing (46%; 11%), garden waste combustion (18%; 45%), and vehicular exhaust (1%; 3%) were major contributors in the site under study. The outcomes of the study integrated with the support of local authorities and by the acceptance of residents can definitely curb the pollution levels in the site under the study.     

Effects of a lead- and cadmium-resistant fungal strain on the absorption of heavy metals by Vetiveria zizanioides北大核心CSCD

A two-factor randomized complete block experiment was used to explore the remediation by a plant-microorganism combination on soils contaminated by lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd). Factor A was the amount of fungi, for which four values were considered, namely, 0, 1, 3, and 5 g. Factor B was the level of contamination by lead and cadmium, for which six values were considered, namely, Cd0Pb0, Cd10Pb400, Cd20Pb600, Cd30Pb800, Cd50Pb1200, and Cd80Pb1800 (data in units of mg/ kg). The results showed that the resistant fungi promoted the growth of vetiver (Vetiveria zizanioides). At weights of 1, 3, and 5 g, the resistant fungi increased the biomass of vetiver by 41.9%, 74.9%, and 71.7% respectively. The resistant fungi stimulated the absorption of lead and cadmium by both the aerial and underground parts of vetiver. In the presence of 80 mg/kg of Cd2+ and 1 800 mg/kg of Pb2+, the contents of lead in the aerial parts of vetiver were increased by 120.6%, 265.4%, and 242.9%, while the lead content in the underground parts were increased by 110.3%, 278.2%, and 266.2%, after the addition of 1 g, 3 g, and 5 g of fungi, respectively. The content of cadmium in the aerial parts increased by 113.2%, 238.3%, and 217.3%, while the content of cadmium in the underground parts increased by 103.1%, 298.8%, and 274.4%, after the addition of 1 g, 3 g, and 5 g of fungi, respectively. The addition of fungi strengthened the effect of V. zizanioides to remediate soils contaminated by lead and cadmium, and the remediation after the addition of 3 g of fungi was better than that after treatment with 1 g and 5 g of fungi. The combination of resistant fungi and the heavy metal enrichment plant, vetiver, under different concentrations of lead and cadmium showed that the fungi had a significant effect on the remediation of soils contaminated by lead and cadmium. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

白洋淀底栖藻类与多环芳烃生态风险相关性研究——基于综合生物反应指数法

湖泊富营养化与有机污染物的交互作用是当前国内外研究热点,为了建立富营养化湖泊中多环芳烃(PAHs)生态效应与底栖藻类群落之间的相关关系。本研究以白洋淀为研究区,选取8个国控样点作为采样点,依据人为干扰程度不同将8个采样点划分为3种生境:生境1(S1和S2)主要遭受上游府河废水排放影响;生境2(S3、S6和S8)主要遭受水产养殖和生活污水的影响;生境3(S4、S5和S7)遭受人为干扰较小。分别在2009年4月、8月和11月收集了底栖藻类样品,并测定了白洋淀中15种PAHs。运用RQ_((NC))和RQ_((MPC))等改进风险熵值(RQ)方法计算PAHs生态风险。研究结果表明:(1)底栖藻类群落指标AD、Chl a、Chl b/a、CHL、CYA、APA、GLU、LEU、PSC和AFDW的值在11月最高,其次是8月和4月;就空间分布而言,这些指标值在生境1中最高,其次是生境2和生境3;而Chl c/a和BAC值在8月最高,其次是11月和4月,从空间分布特征而言,这些指标值在生境3最高;(2)相关分析结果表明,Chl a、Chl b/a、CHL、CYA、APA、GLU、LEU、PSC和AFDW的指标与PAHs污染物浓度呈显著正相关,而Chl c/a和BAC指标与污染物PAHs浓度呈显著负相关;(3)就空间分异特征而言,生境1中的ΣPAHs浓度最高,就季节变化而言,PAHs的浓度从4月到8月逐渐增加,而从8月到11月逐渐下降。各类PAHs表现出与ΣPAHs相同的时空变化特征;(4)IBR与RQ_(ΣPAHs(NCs))呈正相关关系(r=0.827,P0.01);除RQAcy(NCs)外,其他种类PAHs生态风险均与IBR呈相正相关关系(r=0.699~0.899),其中RQ_(BaP(NCs))与IBR显著正相关(r=0.899,P0.01)。此外,除沉积物TP外,IBR与TSI、水中TN、水中TP和沉积物TN也呈显著正相关(r=0.722~0.862)。因此,在富营养化湖泊中应考虑运用底栖藻类IBR生态监测PAHs污染水平。     

磺胺和四环素类抗生素对大肠杆菌联合突变效应的研究

抗生素的滥用造成的环境安全问题已不可忽视,关于抗生素联合毒性效应研究较多,但联合突变效应研究较少。因此,本文以大肠杆菌为受试生物,研究了2种磺胺类抗生素(磺胺氯哒嗪(SCP)、磺胺二甲嘧啶(SMZ))和3种四环素类抗生素(二甲胺四环素(MH)、盐酸四环素(TH)和盐酸强力霉素(DH))单一及联合暴露时对大肠杆菌的突变效应。结果表明:在单一暴露下,磺胺类抗生素会促进大肠杆菌的突变效应,四环素类抗生素没有明显的促进作用;联合暴露下,磺胺类抗生素对大肠杆菌突变效应为相加,磺胺和四环素类抗生素对大肠杆菌突变效应为拮抗。本研究初步探索了抗生素对大肠杆菌的联合致突变风险,为今后环境中抗生素混合暴露的生态风险评价和抗生素污染控制标准制定提供一种理论支撑。