Levels and distribution of Dechlorane Plus in coastal sediments of the Yellow Sea, North China

Dechlorane Plus (DP) has been determined in surface sediments from three Chinese coastal bays, e.g. Jiaozhou, Sishili and Taozi Bay in North China. DP concentrations ranged from <1.2 to 187 pg g⁻¹ dry weight (dw) (mean: 24.7 pg g⁻¹ dw) in Jiaozhou Bay, <1.2 to 135 pg g⁻¹ dw (mean 69.9 pg g⁻¹ dw) in Sishili Bay and <1.2 to 66.7 pg g⁻¹ dw (mean: 40.4 pg g⁻¹ dw) in Taozi Bay, respectively. Additionally, two dechlorinated species were quantified, which accounted for 0.6-5.1% of the ∑DP concentration.The f_syn values (syn-isomer/(syn- + anti-isomer)) in sediments from Jiaozhou Bay (mean 0.29) were close to the technical DP mixture (0.2-0.4), probably indicating local inputs of DP. In contrast, sediments in Sishili and Taozi Bay showed much lower f_syn values (mean 0.16). During transportation the DP isomers are subject to stereo selective degradation which partly resulted in the relative enrichment of anti-DP in coastal sediments.     

Organophosphorus flame retardants and plasticizers in the atmosphere of the North Sea

Air samples collected in the German part of the North Sea from March to July 2010 were investigated for organophosphorus compounds (OPs) being applied as flame retardants and plasticizers. The ∑₈OPs concentration ranged from 110 to 1400 pg m⁻³ while tris(2-chloroisopropyl) phosphate (TCPP) dominated all samples with individual concentrations up to 1200 pg m⁻³. The highest concentrations were observed in continental air masses showing the high influence of industrialized regions including production sites on atmospheric emissions and concentrations. The occurrence of OPs even in oceanic/Arctic air masses shows that OPs can undergo long-range atmospheric transport. Dry particle-bound deposition fluxes from 9 to 240 ng m⁻² d⁻¹ for ∑₈OPs were estimated leading to a minimum annual flux of 710 ± 580 kg y⁻¹ OPs into the German North Sea. This study presents the first occurrence of OPs in the marine atmosphere together with important information on their long-range transport potential.     

The Botanist Effect Revisited: Plant Species Richness, County Area, and Human Population Size in the United States

Abstract:  The "botanist effect" is thought to be the reason for higher plant species richness in areas where botanists are disproportionately present as an artefactual consequence of a more thorough sampling. We examined whether this was the case for U.S. counties. We collated the number of species of vascular plants, human population size, and the area of U.S. counties. Controlling for spatial autocorrelation and county area, plant species richness increased with human population size and density in counties with and without universities and/or botanical gardens, with no significant differences in the relation between the two subsets. This is consistent with previous findings and further evidence of a broad-scale positive correlation between species richness and human population presence, which has important consequences for the experience of nature by inhabitants of densely populated regions. Combined with the many reports of a negative correlation between the two variables at a local scale, the positive relation between plant species richness in U.S. counties and human population presence stresses the need for the conservation of seminatural areas in urbanized ecosystems and for the containment of urban and suburban sprawl.     

Nutrient dynamics between sediment and overlying water in the inner part of Izmir Bay, Eastern Aegean

In this article a concept is described in order to predict and map the occurrence of benthic communities within and near the German Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the North Sea. The approach consists of two work steps: (1) geostatistical analysis of abiotic measurement data and (2) calculation of benthic provinces by means of Classification and Regression Trees (CART) and GIS-techniques. From bottom water measurements on salinity, temperature, silicate and nutrients as well as from punctual data on grain size ranges (0–20, 20–63, 63–2,000 μ) raster maps were calculated by use of geostatistical methods. At first the autocorrelation structure was examined and modelled with help of variogram analysis. The resulting variogram models were then used to calculate raster maps by applying ordinary kriging procedures. After intersecting these raster maps with punctual data on eight benthic communities a decision tree was derived to predict the occurrence of these communities within the study area. Since such a CART tree corresponds to a hierarchically ordered set of decision rules it was applied to the geostatistically estimated raster data to predict benthic habitats within and near the EEZ.     

不同施肥模式对华北平原小麦-玉米轮作体系产量及土壤硝态氮的影响

为了探索培育高产粮田的施肥模式,实现氮肥资源的高效利用与环境效益,以华北平原的小麦（Triticum aestivum）-玉米（Zea mays L.）轮作体系作为研究对象,通过2007─2011年4个轮作季,探讨不同的施肥模式对作物产量和土壤硝态氮的影响。试验以处理A（当地传统管理）作为对照,从测土确定施肥量、按作物生长发育明确施肥时期、合理分配各时期的养分配比及增施有机肥等方面改变传统施肥模式,设置3种高产施肥培育模式,分别为处理B（现有高产田推荐管理）、处理C（高肥料投入管理）和处理D（水肥高效管理）,进行田间小区试验。4个轮作季的总产量以处理D为最高,达75430 kg·hm-2,其次是处理C为75166 kg·hm-2,当地传统的产量最低。冬小麦季的吸氮量为处理C和D显著高于A处理,分别高出444.78 kg·hm-2和310.20 kg·hm-2,但与处理B无显著差异;处理D在夏玉米季的吸氮量为776.75 kg·hm-2,显著高于处理A。处理B的氮肥偏生产力值最高为38.21,处理D为36.71,处理A和C均为28.33。各处理经过4个轮作季后,土壤硝态氮均在120-160 cm出现累积峰,A、B、C和D的硝态氮峰值分别为58.65、28.98、105.89、45.29 mg·kg-1。在0-100cm土层,处理B的硝态氮累积量达到144.22 kg·hm-2,显著高于处理A、C、D;所有处理在100-200 cm土层均出现较高的硝态氮累积,处理C高达1021.19 kg·hm-2;0-400 cm的土壤硝态氮累积量分别为724.27、711-92、1324.30、730.70 kg·hm-2。处理A、B、C、D在耕层土壤氮素的表观损失分别为1298.95、653.18、1236.39和718.43 kg·hm-2,处理B、D显著低于处理A、C,D和B间差异不显著。因此,处理D是培育高产的理想施肥模式,合理的施肥量、科学的施肥时期以及有机无机的合理配比是达到高产、提高肥效和环境友好的关键。     

The Effect of Local Biomass Projects on Energy Balance and GHG Emission: A Life Cycle Approach

Emerging attention has been given to the use of biomass in local areas for its contribution to reducing fossil fuel dependence and mitigating global warming. The objective of the present study is to develop a method that quantitatively assesses the effects of local biomass projects on fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission. A practical method based on a life cycle approach is proposed and applied to a case of bioethanol project in Miyako Islands of Japan. The project is aiming to produce bioethanol from molasses within the islands, and to replace the entire gasoline consumed in the islands to E3 fuel (i.e., a mixture of 3% ethanol and 97% gasoline by volume). The assessment using the developed method revealed that, first, the complete shift from gasoline to E3 fuel allows for decreases in fossil fuel consumption and GHG emission. Second, the performance of the project is improved by the integration of the ethanol plant and the sugar factory. Moreover, the assessment found that, in small-scale bioethanol projects, the contribution of capital goods to life cycle fuel consumption and GHG emission is not negligible.     

Monitoring and information reporting for sustainable forest management: a regional comparison of forestry stakeholder perceptions

Since the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) [1992, Agenda 21: programme of action for sustainable development. United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), 3-14 June 1992. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 294pp.], the management of information has become central to the management of forest resources. In the cases of North America and Europe, similar issues have been challenging policy makers as they determine the information suitable for monitoring progress towards sustainable forest management (SFM). Using an 'online' survey, this research explored multiple stakeholder perspectives on monitoring and information reporting for SFM in different jurisdictions. The research was based on the premise that an analysis of the variation in stakeholder observations across a range of SFM 'issue areas' could provide valuable insight into the perceived need for SFM-related monitoring and information reporting in the regions of Europe, Canada and the USA. Despite the traditional limitations associated with exploratory survey research, the results indicate a demand for more information on SFM-related issues. The results also highlight the degree to which the perceptions of a sample of stakeholders can differ between Europe, USA and Canada. While these results cannot be generalized beyond the present study, they do suggest that further studies are needed to understand stakeholder perspectives on forestry-related monitoring and information reporting in different jurisdictions.     

华北暴雨云和降水的中/微尺度结构特征(Ⅰ)——一次暴雨的天气背景研究

为研究华北暴雨形成时的中尺度与微尺度的结构特征,选取发生于2005年7月22-24日的一次华北暴雨过程为研究对象,利用1°×1°的NCEP再分析资料和0.05°×0.05°的FY2C红外TBB资料,对此次暴雨过程发生时的天气形势、水汽输送、大气稳定度、云场特征进行了分析.结果表明:此次暴雨过程是在登陆台风和西风槽的共同影响下产生的,高空槽后的西风急流入侵到华北北部,低层副高西侧的东南急流位于华北东部,使得华北地区上空形成了有利于触发对流的低层辐合和高层辐散的天气形势.低层印度季风与我国南海夏季风对水汽的北上有重要作用,还有一部分水汽系来自副高西侧的东南风急流输送;高层水汽主要是由偏东气流经副高西侧向西,然后转向北输送到华北;华北地区的低层存在较强的水汽辐合,高层存在相对较弱的水汽辐散区,这为暴雨发生提供了必要的水汽条件.     

The wild ancestors of domestic animals as a neglected and threatened component of biodiversity

Domestic animals have immense economic, cultural, and practical value and have played pivotal roles in the development of human civilization. Many domesticates have, among their wild relatives, undomesticated forms representative of their ancestors. Resurgent interest in these ancestral forms has highlighted the unclear genetic status of many, and some are threatened with extinction by hybridization with domestic conspecifics. We considered the contemporary status of these ancestral forms relative to their scientific, practical, and ecological importance; the varied impacts of wild–domestic hybridization; and the challenges and potential resolutions involved in conservation efforts. Identifying and conserving ancestral forms, particularly with respect to disentangling patterns of gene flow from domesticates, is complex because of the lack of available genomic and phenotypic baselines. Comparative behavioral, ecological, and genetic studies of ancestral-type, feral, and domestic animals should be prioritized to establish the contemporary status of the former. Such baseline information will be fundamental in ensuring successful conservation efforts.