Climatic and stream-flow controls on tree growth in a Western montane riparian forest

Humans have severely impacted riparian ecosystems through water diversions, impoundments, and consumptive uses. Effective management of these important areas is becoming an increasingly high priority of land managers, particularly as municipal, industrial, and recreational demands for water increase. We examined radial tree growth of four riparian tree species (Pinus jeffreyi, Populus trichocarpa, Betula occidentalis, and Pinus monophylla) along Bishop Creek, California, and developed models relating basal area increment (BAI) and relative basal area increment (RBAI) to climatic and stream flow variables. Between years 1995–1999, univariate regression analysis with stream flow explained 29 to 61% of the variation in BAI and RBAI among all species except P. trichocarpa; growth by P. trichocarpa was not significantly related to stream flows over this period. Stepwise linear regression indicated that species responded differently to climatic variables, and models based on these variables explained between 33 to 86% of variation in BAI and RBAI during the decade of the 1990s. We examined branch growth of P. trichocarpa for sensitivity to differences in stream flow regimes and found that annual branch growth did not vary between a high- and low-flow site, but that annual branch growth was significantly higher in wet years with greater stream flows. Our results support the establishment of site-specific management goals by land managers that take into account all of the important tree species present in riparian ecosystems and their differential responses to altered hydrologic condition. Instream flow requirements for maintaining tree growth and vigor are only one of the species-specific responses that need to be evaluated, and these assessments should attempt to separate experimentally stream-flow (managed) controls from climatic (unmanaged) controls on growth.     

Estimation of Cumulative Frequency Distribution for Carbon Monoxide Concentration from Wind-Speed Data, in Buenos Aires (Argentina)

In this article we apply and test a methodology to estimate cumulative frequency distribution for air pollutant concentration from wind-speed data. We use the inverse relationship after Simpson et al. (Atmospheric Environment, 19, 75–82, 1985) between the opposing percentile values in the statistical distributions for air pollutant concentrations and wind-speed data. This relationship is valid, irrespective of the statistical distributions of both variables, if an inverse relationship between them is also applicable. The available data are five years of 8-h average carbon monoxide concentration and 8-h mean wind-speed, observed in Buenos Aires (Argentina). The performance of the obtained empirical expressions in estimating cumulative frequency distributions for 8-h CO is statistically evaluated. The results show that it is possible to obtain an acceptable cumulative frequency distribution for 8-h CO concentration at the site if the cumulative frequency distribution for wind-speed is known. Q–Q plots show a good agreement between estimated and observed values. From our data, the mean relative error of the estimations was found to be as much as 8.0%.     

ADAPTATION TO ARIDITY: WATER DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTH AFRICA1

ABSTRACT The Republic of South Africa, legatee of a three-century history of recurring drought, is firmly committed to a program of the optimum use of its water for the national benefit. Its water law encourages centralized planning in that water is held to be the property of the state and is assignable without requiring acquiescence by the basin or province of origin. Interbasin diversions from the Tugela River to the Vaal River Basin, from the Orange River to the Fish and Sundays River Basins, and from several basins to Cape Town are under construction as are facilities for water importation from Lesotho and Angola. For satisfaction of demands beyond the year 2000 the nation may depend increasingly on a shift of its power production and water-using industry from the coal fields of the central plateau to nuclear power development with associated desalination along its coasts. Alternatively, and preferably, it may cooperate in a co-prosperity bloc in Southern Africa aiding the economies of its neighbors by development for mutual advantage of the water and power resources of the Okavango and other northern rivers.     

Environmental changes in Sepetiba Bay,SE Brazil

Sepetiba Bay is an example of an aquatic environment that has been severely impacted by human occupation and industrial activities in its basin. Some 400 industries including metallurgical, petrochemical and pyrometallurgical smelters, which emitted pollutants to air, soil and water, were established in Sepetiba Basin during the past 30 years. Apart from these point sources, changes in land use have also resulted in a large remobilization of pollutant deposition on Sepetiba Bay Basin. Studies have pointed out significant changes in sedimentation rates, concentrations of inorganic pollutants (Zn, Cd, Pb and Hg) and more recently, eutrophication, pointing to this area as an example of an impacted coastal zone. Notwithstanding local sources, Sepetiba Bay also suffers environmental impacts caused by diversion of river waters from adjacent basins, with some 30% of the total Hg flux to Sepetiba Bay and a 10-fold increase in water and sediment fluxes resulting from this. Decreasing environmental quality compromises both the large biodiversity and the potential economic uses of Sepetiba Bay, including fisheries and tourism. Monitoring of heavy metal levels in organisms (algae, mollusks, crustaceans and oysters) often shows concentrations well above the limits allowed following Brazilian legislation for food quality. Historical evolution of these concentrations suggests a worsening of the situation. Failure to monitor the effect of land-based activities, including those from other basins artificially associated with Sepetiba Bay has resulted in poor scenario construction and proper management planning.     

基于响应曲面法的臭氧生成敏感性分析

准确判断臭氧(O₃)生成敏感性对O₃污染成因分析和防控对策的制定至关重要.首次利用响应曲面方法设计最优试验方案,基于盒子模式模拟结果,快速量化O₃对其前体物变化的响应.结果表明,CO对O₃有正贡献,NO_x和VOCs与O₃呈现显著非线性关系,当φ(VOCs)与[φ(NO_x)-13.75]比值大于4.17时,为NO_x控制区,小于4.17时,为VOCs控制区;烯烃为影响O₃生成的关键VOCs组分,当φ(烯烃)与[φ(NO_x)-15]比值小于1.10且φ(烯烃)<35×10^-9时,烯烃有利于O₃的生成.响应曲面法在多因素和其交互作用对O₃生成影响的研究中取得了良好效果,为高效判断O₃敏感性提供了新的思路和方法.     

Photochemical oxidation of reduced sulfur compounds in an urban location based on short time monitoring data

This study examines the oxidation of reduced sulfur compounds (RSCs) in urban ambient air. The photochemical conversions of RSC (such as DMS, CS₂, H₂S, DMDS, and CH₃SH) to a further oxidized form (e.g., SO₂, MSA, and H₂SO₄) were assessed using a photochemical box model. For our model simulation of RSC oxidation, measurements were taken at an urban monitoring station in Seoul, Korea (37.6° N, 127° E) during three separate time periods (e.g., Sept. 17–18, Oct. 23, and Oct. 27–28, 2003). The results indicate that DMS and H₂S were the dominant RSCs with concentrations of 370 ± 140 and 110 ± 60 pptv, respectively. The photochemical conversion of DMDS to SO₂ was found to occur more efficiently than other RSCs. The overall results of our study suggest that photochemical conversion of RSCs accounted for less than 15% of the observed SO₂ during the measurement period. The SO₂ production from DMS oxidation (mainly by the reaction with OH) was found to be affected primarily by the abstraction channel due to high NO_x levels during the experimental conditions.     

屋顶绿化生态系统箱的研制

调查发现广州市屋顶自然生长的维管植物有49科109属128种,植物种类较多的科为菊科、禾本科、桑科、景天科、茜草科和鸭跖草科;屋顶自然生长的植物种类数量与环境受污染程度成反比,而与周围植物的多少成正比;屋顶自然生长的植物由于长期适应屋顶的极端环境,形成了的一些独特的生态生物学特征。基于上述结果配置相应的植物组合,设计适于屋顶绿化的生态系统箱、配制相应土壤并进行技术集成,观测其生长和隔热效应。同时进行空白对照、黑网荫蓬对照、生态隔热层对照、普通土壤种植区对比试验,发现生态隔热层和生态系统箱具有成本低、易维持、隔热好、景观美的效果。     

海河平原农业供水的决策分析模型

本文根据海河平原水源不足的问题,采用系统分析的方法,探讨了农业供水的对策。提出的决策分析模型可望适用于不同大小的区域。通过实际资料的分析得出实行节流、管理与开源的具体方案及经济效益。分析成果表明推行节水灌溉技术与管理措施是完全可行的。在建立节流系统(包括管带与滴灌及调整耕作制度、作物布局)和加强水管理的基础上,实行开源引江、引黄,可大大缩减调水规模,降低开源工程投资,缓和工农与城乡供水的矛盾。     

黑箱加速大气暴露试验热强化效应和相关性研究

利用温湿度测量仪监测黑箱内的温湿度变化,分析黑箱自然加速试验装置的热强化效应。以3种不同配方的丙烯酸涂料为试验对象,在江津地区高温高湿环境下开展了黑箱加速大气暴露试验和朝南45°角大气暴露试验,从模拟性和加速性2个方面研究了2种试验方法的相关性。分析结果表明,黑箱加速大气暴露试验方法与朝南45°角大气暴露试验方法之间的相关性相当高。     

丹江口水库水位抬高面临的挑战及其对策

移民与生态环境问题是丹江口水库水位抬高所面临的主要问题。移民问题是水位抬高首当其冲需要解决的难题,存在政策法规、移民资金、安置措施、脱贫致富等问题,需要以市场为导向,综合考虑诸多因素,制定可行的移民规划,确保移民的稳定和发展。生态环境问题是非常艰巨的问题,水土流失严重、污染源与污染总量日益增加、水质下降、支流库湾富营养化进程加剧等问题将困扰水库的运行与管理,后靠移民的生产生活也在一定程度上对生态环境产生影响;建议成立专门的监管机构,全方位开展水源地保护工作,确保水库水质安全和南水北调中线工程战略目标的实现。