Effects of low concentrations of the phenylurea herbicide diuron on biofilm algae and bacteria

A system of recirculating channels was used in this study to examine the long-term effects (29 d) of environmentally realistic concentrations of the herbicide diuron (from 0.07 to 7 μg L⁻¹) on biofilm communities. The autotrophic activity of biofilms was affected by this herbicide, as reflected by a marked decrease in the photosynthetic efficiency. Diuron exposure also increased chlorophyll-a content and reduced the biovolume of diatom taxa at low concentrations. The effects on bacteria were also remarkable. Bacterial abundance was reduced after a week of exposure to the herbicide at a range of concentrations. Effects were on the number of live bacteria and on the increase in the leucine-aminopeptidase activity. It is suggested that inputs of herbicides to the river ecosystem at low concentrations may cause a chain of effects in the biofilm, which include inhibitory effects on algae but also indirect effects on the relationships between biofilm components.     

Design and Performance of a Channel Reconstruction Project in a Coastal California Gravel-Bed Stream

A 0.9 km-reach of Uvas Creek, California, was reconstructed as a sinuous, meandering channel in November 1995. In February 1996, this new channel washed out. We reviewed project documents to determine the basis for the project design and conducted our own historical geomorphological study to understand the processes operating in the catchment and project reach. The project was designed using a popular stream classification system, based on which the designers assumed that a "C4" channel (a meandering gravel-bed channel) would be stable at the site. Our historical geomorphological analysis showed that the reach had been braided historically, typical of streams draining the Franciscan Formation in the California Coast Ranges, with episodic flows and high sand and gravel transport. After the project washed out, Uvas Creek reestablished an irregular, braided sand-and-gravel channel, although the channel here was narrower than it had been historically, probably due to such factors as incision caused by gravel mining. Our study casts doubt on several assumptions common in many stream restoration projects: that channel stability is always an appropriate goal; that channel forms are determined by flows with return periods of about 1.5 years; that a channel classification system is an easy, appropriate basis for channel design; and that a new channel form can be imposed without addressing the processes that determine channel form.     

CHANNEL INSTABILITY IN THE LOESS AREA OF THE MIDWESTERN UNITED STATES1

ABSTRACT: The bess area of the midwestern United States contains thousands of miles of unstable stream channels that are undergoing system‐wide channel‐adjustment processes as a result of (1) modifications to drainage basins dating back to the turn of the 20th century, including land clearing and poor soil‐conservation practices, which caused the filling of stream channels, and consequently (2) direct, human modifications to stream channels such as dredging and straightening to improve drainage conditions and reduce the frequency of out‐of‐bank flows. Today, many of these channels are still highly unstable and threaten bridges, other structures, and land adjacent to the channels. The most severe, widespread instabilities are in western Iowa where a thick cap of bess and the lack of sand‐and gravel‐sized bed sediments in many channels hinders downstream aggradation, bed‐level recovery and the consequent reduction of bank heights, and renewed bank stability. In contrast, streams draining west‐central Illinois, east‐central Iowa, and other areas, where the bess cap is relatively thin and there are ample supplies of sand‐and gravel‐sized material, are closer to recovery. Throughout the region, however, channel widening by mass‐wasting processes is the dominant adjustment process.     

内源性气态SO2对血管的舒张作用及其机制：细胞离子通道的作用

为了探讨内源性气态二氧化硫(SO2)对心血管功能的调节作用,首次采用SO2气体直接作用血管环的方法,观察SO2对血管环张力的影响及其与血管组织细胞离子通道的关系.结果发现:1)SO2气体不论在生理相关浓度范围内,还是在高浓度下均可剂量依赖性地引起血管环的舒张反应,EC50值为(1247.38±98.32)μmol·L-1.在生理浓度((110.34±35.22)μmol·L-1)和较低浓度下(<450μmol·L-1),SO2的舒张作用是内皮依赖性的,而在较高浓度下(>500μmol·L-1),SO2的舒张作用与内皮无关;2)硝苯地平(Nifedipine,L型钙通道阻断剂)可部分抑制较高浓度(1500μmol·L-1)SO2引起的舒张反应,而对较低浓度(30、300μmol·L-1)SO2引起的舒张反应无显著影响;3)四乙基氯化铵(TEA,非特异性钾通道阻断剂)则对较低浓度和较高浓度SO2引起的舒张反应均有部分抑制作用;4)格列本脲(Glibenclamide,ATP敏感的钾通道(KATP)的特异阻断剂)可部分抑制1500μmol·L-1SO2引起的舒张反应,而对30、300μmol·L-1SO2引起的舒张反应无显著影响;5)IbTx(Iberiotoxin,大电导钙激活钾通道(BKCa)阻断剂)只可部分抑制30、300μmol·L-1SO2引起的舒张反应,而对1500μmol·L-1SO2引起的舒张反应无显著影响.由此结论:内源性气态SO2对大鼠离体胸主动脉环有剂量依赖性的舒张作用;在生理浓度和较低浓度下,SO2的舒张作用是内皮依赖性的,其作用机制与BKCa通道有关;而在较高浓度下,SO2的舒张作用与内皮无关,其作用机制与KATP和L型钙通道等有关;气态SO2的生理作用远大于它的衍生物亚硫酸盐和亚硫酸氢盐.     

Biophysical‐Regulatory Classification and Profiling of Streams Across Management Units and Ecoregions1

Caruso, Brian S. and Joshua Haynes, 2011. Biophysical‐Regulatory Classification and Profiling of Streams Across Management Units and Ecoregions. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 00(0):1‐22. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752‐1688.2010.00522.x Abstract: Aquatic resources management in the United States (U.S.) under Clean Water Act Section 404 has become more complex after recent Supreme Court decisions and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) guidance. Many intermittent/ephemeral and headwater streams may not be jurisdictional if they lack a significant nexus with navigable waters. Streams in semiarid USEPA Region 8 were classified based on hydrologic permanence and stream order using National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) Plus and GIS to provide information across broad spatial scales to aid with jurisdictional determinations (JDs). Four classes were developed for profiling across management units and ecoregions. Based on medium‐resolution NHDPlus data, intermittent streams comprise >¾, and first order streams constitute >½ of the total stream length in Region 8. Mountain states and ecoregions have the largest percentage of perennial first order streams, whereas the Dakotas, plains, and desert ecoregions have the greatest percentages of intermittent first order and intermittent higher order streams. In the Upper Colorado River Basin, >50% of reaches are intermittent first order, and 9% are perennial first order. NHDPlus data can significantly underestimate the length of headwater and intermittent streams, but can still be a valuable tool to help develop stream classes and for regional JD planning and analysis. Refinement of the stream classes using high resolution NHD data and other key catchment parameters can improve their utility for JDs.     

“3·29”液氯泄漏事故的疏散通知过程调查研究

为了提高毒气泄漏事故的疏散通知效率,研究疏散通知传播的基本过程及影响因素。以"3.29"液氯泄漏事故为典型案例,采用调查问卷和访谈相结合的方式对参与疏散的人员展开疏散通知情况调查,并利用SPSS软件进行影响因素的相关性验证。结果表明:在疏散通知过程中多种通知方式同时使用,村委会干部、民警和消防队员的通知更能促使公众选择疏散行动;人员接到通知后并不是立即采取疏散行动,通常会基于他人的行动和环境的变化来决定自己的行为;可以忽略性别、年龄、教育程度3因素的影响,而环境和视觉因素以及疏散通知的内容对于疏散准备时间有显著影响。合理选用疏散通知方式、提高通知内容的质量有助于疏散通知的传播。     

Hydrography Change Detection: The Usefulness of Surface Channels Derived From LiDAR DEMs for Updating Mapped Hydrography1

Abstract: The 1:24,000‐scale high‐resolution National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) mapped hydrography flow lines require regular updating because land surface conditions that affect surface channel drainage change over time. Historically, NHD flow lines were created by digitizing surface water information from aerial photography and paper maps. Using these same methods to update nationwide NHD flow lines is costly and inefficient; furthermore, these methods result in hydrography that lacks the horizontal and vertical accuracy needed for fully integrated datasets useful for mapping and scientific investigations. Effective methods for improving mapped hydrography employ change detection analysis of surface channels derived from light detection and ranging (LiDAR) digital elevation models (DEMs) and NHD flow lines. In this article, we describe the usefulness of surface channels derived from LiDAR DEMs for hydrography change detection to derive spatially accurate and time‐relevant mapped hydrography. The methods employ analyses of horizontal and vertical differences between LiDAR‐derived surface channels and NHD flow lines to define candidate locations of hydrography change. These methods alleviate the need to analyze and update the nationwide NHD for time relevant hydrography, and provide an avenue for updating the dataset where change has occurred.     

MANAGEMENT OF BASEFLOW AUGMENTATION: A REVIEW1

ABSTRACT: Baseflow augmentation refers to the temporary storage of subsurface water in floodplains, streambanks, and/or stream bottoms during the wet season, either by natural or artificial means, for later release during the dry season to increase the magnitude and permanence of low flows. Management strategies for baseflow augmentation fall into the following categories: (1) range management, (2) upland vegetation management, (3) riparian vegetation management, (4) upland runoff detention and retention, and (5) the use of instream structures. The benefits of a management strategy focused on baseflow augmentation are many, including: (1) increased summer flows, (2) healthier riparian areas, (3) increased channel and bank stability, (4) decreased erosion and sediment transport, (5) improved water quality, (6) enhanced fish and wildlife habitat, (7) lower stream temperatures, and (8) improved stream aesthetics. This review has shown that baseflow augmentation has been successfully accomplished in a few documented cases. Given its clear impact on soil and water conservation, particularly in the semiarid western U.S., it appears that baseflow augmentation is a concept whose time has come. Research is needed on how to successfully integrate baseflow augmentation within comprehensive resource management strategies.     

A Cost‐Effective Laser Scanning Method for Mapping Stream Channel Geometry and Roughness

This brief pilot study implements a camera‐based laser scanning system that potentially offers a viable, cost‐effective alternative to traditional terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) and LiDAR equipment. We adapted a low‐cost laser ranging system (SICK LSM111) to acquire area scans of the channel and bed for a temporarily diverted stream. The 5 m × 2 m study area was scanned at a 4 mm point spacing which resulted in a point cloud density of 5,600 points/m². A local maxima search algorithm was applied to the point cloud and a grain size distribution of the stream bed was extracted. The 84th and 90th percentiles of this distribution, which are commonly used to characterize channel roughness, were 90 mm and 109 mm, respectively. Our example shows the system can resolve both large‐scale geometry (e.g., bed slope and channel width) and small‐scale roughness elements (e.g., grain sizes between about 30 and 255 mm) in an exposed stream channel thereby providing a resolution adequate for the estimation of ecohydraulic roughness parameters such as Manning's n. While more work is necessary to refine our specific field‐deployable system's design, these initial results are promising in particular for those working on a limited or fixed budget. This opens up a realm of laser scanning applications and monitoring strategies for water resources that may not have been possible previously due to cost limitations associated with traditional TLS systems.     

人工湿地生态根孔技术及其应用

人工湿地亚表层介质的堵塞问题一直是湿地系统持续有效运行的障碍,极大地限制了人工湿地技术的大规模工程应用.通过白洋淀自然湿地现场研究,发现由大型水生植物所形成的根孔异常发达,径级不等的死活根孔混合在一起,组成了庞大的湿地根孔网络.人工湿地生态根孔技术通过模拟白洋淀湿地自然的芦苇根孔系统,以人为填埋的植物秸秆作为湿地的填料/介质,有效地改变了土壤亚表层大孔隙结构,为人工湿地建设和应用开辟了一条新途径.通过构筑根孔和自然根孔之间的过渡和湿地根孔的不断更新,实现湿地填料/介质的自我更新,克服了一般潜流人工湿地其填料/介质易发生堵塞的缺点.构筑根孔有效填补了人工湿地运行初期大量自然根孔尚未形成的空白期.该技术在小试湿地中获得了成功应用.以玉米秸秆和地肤秸秆作为小试模拟湿地的填埋介质,其填埋量体积比为2%～4%.与未填埋秸秆的基质土壤处理单元相比,填埋秸秆处理单元其导水效率和营养盐去除能力都得到了有效提高.研究结果表明:填埋秸秆腐烂后形成的构筑根孔其水分侧向入渗率是基质土壤的20倍左右.在中、低营养盐负荷情况下,填埋秸秆处理单元对溶解性总氮(DTN)去除率平均提高4.5%～27.1%;对溶解性总磷(DTP)去除率平均提高7.0%～20.4%.