An energetic perspective on the relationship between disturbance and ecosystem productivity

Previous ecological models for disturbance from energetic perspectives have focused on destructive pulses by which storages in a system are quickly drained during disturbance events and recovered thereafter. However, considering the wide range of disturbance intensities, frequencies, and durations in nature, disturbance effects on ecosystem energetics would be better understood by diversifying the disturbance effects on specific system configurations or energy pathways. Based on two hypotheses, we built simulation models of the variable disturbance-productivity relationships observed in a freshwater aquatic microcosm study. First, we hypothesized that disturbances will differentially alter the intrinsic rates of energy pathways in a system. Second, we hypothesized that there is a disturbance threshold where response of the intrinsic rates changes abruptly. Simulation results showed variable patterns of gross primary productivity (GPP) during the disturbance and post-disturbance periods under the diverse scenarios of disturbance effects on the intrinsic rates. Simulation results confirmed that the second hypothesis (i.e., disturbance threshold) was essential to achieve a U-shaped or peaked disturbance-productivity relationship. We evaluated the models by comparing them with the results of the microcosm tests, and suggested possible mechanisms of the variable disturbance-productivity relationships by varying parameters related to the disturbance effects on the intrinsic rates and the disturbance thresholds.     

Analyzing Variability and the Rate of Decline of Migratory Shorebirds in Moreton Bay,Australia

Abstract: Estimating the abundance of migratory species is difficult because sources of variability differ substantially among species and populations. Recently developed state‐space models address this variability issue by directly modeling both environmental and measurement error, although their efficacy in detecting declines is relatively untested for empirical data. We applied state‐space modeling, generalized least squares (with autoregression error structure), and standard linear regression to data on abundance of wetland birds (shorebirds and terns) at Moreton Bay in southeast Queensland, Australia. There are internationally significant numbers of 8 species of waterbirds in the bay, and it is a major terminus of the large East Asian‐Australasian Flyway. In our analyses, we considered 22 migrant and 8 resident species. State‐space models identified abundances of 7 species of migrants as significantly declining and abundance of one species as significantly increasing. Declines in migrant abundance over 15 years were 43–79%. Generalized least squares with an autoregressive error structure showed abundance changes in 11 species, and standard linear regression showed abundance changes in 15 species. The higher power of the regression models meant they detected more declines, but they also were associated with a higher rate of false detections. If the declines in Moreton Bay are consistent with trends from other sites across the flyway as a whole, then a large number of species are in significant decline.     

Variability in Population Abundance and the Classification of Extinction Risk

Abstract: Classifying species according to their risk of extinction is a common practice and underpins much conservation activity. The reliability of such classifications rests on the accuracy of threat categorizations, but very little is known about the magnitude and types of errors that might be expected. The process of risk classification involves combining information from many sources, and understanding the quality of each source is critical to evaluating the overall status of the species. One common criterion used to classify extinction risk is a decline in abundance. Because abundance is a direct measure of conservation status, counts of individuals are generally the preferred method of evaluating whether populations are declining. Using the thresholds from criterion A of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List (critically endangered, decline in abundance of >80% over 10 years or 3 generations; endangered, decline in abundance of 50–80%; vulnerable, decline in abundance of 30–50%; least concern or near threatened, decline in abundance of 0–30%), we assessed 3 methods used to detect declines solely from estimates of abundance: use of just 2 estimates of abundance; use of linear regression on a time series of abundance; and use of state‐space models on a time series of abundance. We generated simulation data from empirical estimates of the typical variability in abundance and assessed the 3 methods for classification errors. The estimates of the proportion of falsely detected declines for linear regression and the state‐space models were low (maximum 3–14%), but 33–75% of small declines (30–50% over 15 years) were not detected. Ignoring uncertainty in estimates of abundance (with just 2 estimates of abundance) allowed more power to detect small declines (95%), but there was a high percentage (50%) of false detections. For all 3 methods, the proportion of declines estimated to be >80% was higher than the true proportion. Use of abundance data to detect species at risk of extinction may either fail to detect initial declines in abundance or have a high error rate.     

主分量分析法用于湖泊富营养化评价的相互比较

应用主分量分析法,建立一个度量湖泊富营养化程度的综合指标,根据该综合指标的大小,可以进行湖泊富营养化程度的相互比较.通过实例分析并与统计评分评价结果比较表明,该法具有显著辨别不同富营养程度的变异性能力.     

Fate of atrazine and chlorpyrifos during solid state fermentation—examination of processes

Abstract

Solid state fermentation (SSF) was investigated as a means to dispose of two commonly used pesticides, chlorpyrifos (O, O‐diethyl O‐(3,5,6‐trichloro‐2‐pyridyl) phosphorothioate) and atrazine (2‐chloro‐4‐ethylamino‐6‐isopropylamino‐1,3,5‐triazine). SSF experiments were carried out in bench‐scale bioreaetors (equipped with CO₂ and volatile organic traps) containing a mixture of lignocellulosic materials and a radiolabeled pesticide. Ethyl acetate‐extractable, alkali soluble, and alkali insoluble fractions were evaluated for radioactivity following a 60‐d incubation period at 40°C. The majority of the [2, 6‐pyridyl‐¹⁴C]chlorpyrifos was associated with the ethyl acetate extract (about 74%), 17% was trapped as organic volatiles by polyurethane foam traps and < 0.5% of the chlorpyrifos was mineralized to CO². Only small amounts of the radioactivity were associated with alkali soluble (0.0003%) and alkali insoluble (0.3%) fractions. In the [¹⁴C‐U‐ring] atrazine bioreactors, very little of the radioactivity volatilized (<0.5%) and less than 0.5% was mineralized to CO₂. Approximately 57% of the applied radioactivity was associated with the ethyl acetate extract while 9% and 24% of the radioactivity was associated with the alkali soluble (humic and fulvic acids) and alkali insoluble fractions, respectively. Possible reaction mechanisms by which covalent bonds could be formed between atrazine (or metabolites) and humic substances were investigated. The issue of bound atrazine residue (alkali soluble fraction) was at least partially resolved. Oxidative coupling experiments revealed that formation of covalent bond linkages between amino substituent groups of atrazine residue and humic substances is highly unlikely.     

京津潮白河多环芳烃及其衍生物分布

采用固相萃取-气相色谱质谱联用仪测定京津潮白河中的多环芳烃(PAHs)及其衍生物(SPAHs)的污染水平,并采用絮凝法分析水样中自由态PAHs/SPAHs和结合态PAHs/SPAHs的分布。结果表明,京津潮白河中PAHs和SPAHs总质量浓度分别为55.06～215.02 ng·L~(-1)和92.37～227.33 ng·L~(-1),上游河段PAHs和SPAHs质量浓度均低于下游河段。7种致癌PAHs占比为22%～41%,需引起重视。本研究中的SPAHs包括三类物质:氧化PAHs(OPAHs)、甲基PAHs(MPAHs)和氯代PAHs(Cl PAHs)。其中,OPAHs对SPAHs贡献最大(59%～71%),其次是Cl PAHs(22%～32%)和MPAHs(7%～14%)。京津潮白河中PAHs和SPAHs主要以自由态形式存在,总浓度可以准确估计污染物的环境风险。     

溢油应急培训现状与思考

分析了溢油应急培训现状及存在的实际问题，并在此基础上提出了加强溢油应急培训的意见和建议。     

Evaluation of fungal potentiality for bioconversion of domestic wastewater sludge

This study was undertaken to screen the filamentous fungi isolated from its relevant habitats (wastewater, sewage sludge and sludge cake) for the bioconversion of domestic wastewater sludge. A total of 35 fungal strains were tested against wastewater sludge (total suspended solids, TSS 1%-5% w/w) to evaluate its potentiality for enhancing the biodegradability and dewaterability using liquid state bioconversion(LSB) process. The strains were divided into five groups i. e. Penicillium, Aspergillus, Trichoderma, Basidiomycete and Miscellaneous, respectively. The strains WWZP1003, SCahmA103, SCahmT105 and PC-9 among their respective groups of Penicillium,Aspergillus, Trichoderma and Basidiomycete played potential roles in terms of separation (formation of pellets/flocs/filaments),biodegradation(removal of COD) and filtration(filterability) of treated domestic wastewater sludge. The Miscellaneous group was not considered due to its unsatisfactory results as compared to the other groups. The pH value was also influenced by the microbial treatment during fermentation process. The filterability of treated sludge was improved by fungal treatment, and lowest filtration time was recorded for the strain WWZP1003 and SCahmA103 of Penicillium and Aspergillus groups respectively compared with other strains.     

加工工业城市——常州市城市生态安全评价

针对常州市生态环境现状,利用"压力-状态-响应(P-S-R)"理论,构建基于城市资源环境压力、资源环境状态和人文环境响应3个类别的城市生态安全评价模型,以常州市2000—2007年发展过程中的人口,经济、环境等相关指标建立的城市生态安全评价体系进行评价,结果表明:常州市的城市生态安全总体水平在中等偏下,多数城市生态指标处于较低水平,影响常州城市生态安全整体水平的提高。利用P-S-R模型对于常州市城市生态建设和城市发展规划具有一定的参考价值。     

煤层条带开采整体安全系数确定方法研究

为评价工程中条带开采方案的煤层整体稳定性,确定开采方案的安全程度,基于强度折减原理,应用FLAC3D数值模拟软件,将工程实际与数值实验相结合,研究煤层条带开采对地表沉陷、围岩变形和破坏的影响,用安全系数对安全程度进行评价。提出条带开采整体失稳的临界状态判断标准为采空区之间及采空区至地表岩体塑性区域连通,并以地表最大沉降和顶板最大位移突然增大作为临界状态判断标准的验证条件,结果表明:应用强度折减原理进行数值模拟确定的条带开采整体安全系数与工程实际相吻合。