Characteristics of microfauna and their relationships with the performance of an activated sludge plant in China

The occurrence and abundance of the microfauna groups were compared with the physico-chemical and operational parameters of the Baoding Lugang Sewage Treatment Plant in China. Attached and crawling ciliates were the dominant groups of ciliates. Crawling ciliates and testate amoebae showed a strong association with effluent BOD5 (biochemical oxygen demand). Therefore, these two groups are likely to be useful bioindicators since their number decreased as the process produced poor quality effluent. Testate amoebae also had significant negative correlations with effluent TN (total nitrogen), NH4 -N, SS (suspended solids) and SVI (sludge volumetric index), which means that this group of ciliates may be indicators of good performance of the activated sludge system. Carnivorous ciliates and flagellates had significant positive correlations with SVI, suggesting that these two groups may be indicators of bad settlement conditions of sludge. As identification of the microfauna species is difficult and time-consuming, we recommend using microfauna functional groups to evaluate the performance of the activated sludge system.     

基于浮游植物生物完整性的北部湾生态健康评价

应用生物完整性理论和方法,研究基于浮游植物生物完整性指数(Phytoplanktonic Index of Biotic Integrity,P-IBI)在海湾生态评价中的方法构建,通过生境区域划分、评价因子选择、阈值确定等构建适合海湾的P-IBI生态健康评价指标体系,并以北部湾为例开展应用与验证。基于P-IBI的北部湾生态健康评价结果显示:3个水期中枯水期相对较好,丰水期次之,平水期最差,钦州市茅尾海海域内4个采样点在3个水期评价结果大部分为"差"和"较差",其余大部分采样点都在"一般"及以上。Spearman相关性分析显示,P-IBI均与水质类别正相关。研究结果表明P-IBI指数在北部湾生态健康评价应用与验证结果基本符合实际,应用P-IBI能够较好地开展海湾的生态健康评价,可因地制宜应用于近岸海域生态评价。     

Using experimental reintroductions to resolve the roles of habitat quality and metapopulation dynamics on patch occupancy in fragmented landscapes

Declines of species in fragmented landscapes can potentially be reversed either by restoring connectivity or restoring local habitat quality. Models fitted to snapshot occupancy data can be used to predict the effectiveness of these actions. However, such inferences can be misleading if the reliability of the habitat and landscape metrics used is unknown. The only way to unambiguously resolve the roles of habitat quality and metapopulation dynamics is to conduct experimental reintroductions to unoccupied patches so that habitat quality can be measured directly from data on vital rates. We, therefore, conducted a 15-year study that involved reintroducing a threatened New Zealand bird to unoccupied forest fragments to obtain reliable data on their habitat quality and reassess initial inferences made by modeling occupancy against habitat and landscape metrics. Although reproductive rates were similar among fragments, subtle differences in adult survival rates resulted in λ (finite rate of increase) estimations of <0.9 for 9 of the 12 fragments that were previously unoccupied. This was the case for only 1 of 14 naturally occupied fragments. This variation in λ largely explained the original occupancy pattern, reversing our original conclusion from occupancy modeling that this occupancy pattern was isolation driven and suggesting that it would be detrimental to increase connectivity without improving local habitat quality. These results illustrate that inferences from snapshot occupancy should be treated with caution and subjected to testing through experimental reintroductions in selected model systems.