The effects of temperature and resource availability on denitrification and relative N2O production in boreal lake sediments

Anthropogenic environmental stressors(like atmospheric deposition,land use change,and climate warming) are predicted to increase inorganic nitrogen and organic carbon loading to northern boreal lakes,with potential consequences for denitrification in lakes.However,our ability to predict effects of these changes is currently limited as northern boreal lakes have been largely neglected in denitrification studies.The aim of this study was therefore to assess how maximum potential denitrification and N_2O production rates,and the relationship between the two(relative N_2O production),is controlled by availability of nitrate(NO_3~-),carbon(C),phosphorus(P),and temperature.Experiments were performed using the acetylene inhibition technique on sediments from a small,nutrient poor boreal lake in northern Sweden in 2014.Maximum potential denitrification and N_2O production rates at 4°C were reached already at NO_3~-additions of 106–120 μg NO_3~-–N/L,and remained unchanged with higher NO_3 amendments.Higher incubation temperatures increased maximum potential denitrification and N_2O production rates,and Q10 was somewhat higher for N_2O production(1.77) than for denitrification(1.69).The relative N_2O production ranged between 13% and 64%,and was not related to NO_3~-concentration,but the ratio increased when incubations were amended with C and P(from a median of 16% to 27%).Combined,our results suggests that unproductive northern boreal lakes currently have low potential for denitrification but are susceptible to small changes in NO_3 loading especially if these are accompanied by enhanced C and P availability,likely promoting higher N_2O production relative to N_2.     

A/O工艺生物除磷和好氧反硝化效果及影响因素研究

采用A/O工艺处理低碳源城市污水,研究了生物除磷和好氧反硝化脱氮效果及其影响因素。试验结果表明:①磷的出水浓度低于0.8mg/L,去除率达到92%~98%;②影响好氧反硝化的主要因素为DO和HRT。当DO控制在2mg/L左右,HRT控制在6h时,好氧反硝化效果最好。增加了脱氮效率,减少了碳源和需氧量。NH4+-N去除率高达94%,总脱氮率可高达76%左右。     

Interaction of engineered nanoparticles with various components of the environment and possible strategies for their risk assessment

Nanoparticles are the materials with at least two dimensions between 1 and 100 nm. Mostly these nanoparticles are natural products but their tremendous commercial use has boosted the artificial synthesis of these particles (engineered nanoparticles). Accelerated production and use of these engineered nanoparticles may cause their release in the environment and facilitate the frequent interactions with biotic and abiotic components of the ecosystems. Despite remarkable commercial benefits, their presence in the nature may cause hazardous biological effects. Therefore, detail understanding of their sources, release interaction with environment, and possible risk assessment would provide a basis for safer use of engineered nanoparticles with minimal or no hazardous impact on environment. Keeping all these points in mind the present review provides updated information on various aspects, e.g. sources, different types, synthesis, interaction with environment, possible strategies for risk management of engineered nanoparticles.     

Role of organic and black carbon in the chemical composition of atmospheric aerosol at European background sites

The mass concentrations of inorganic ions, water-soluble organic carbon, water-insoluble organic carbon and black carbon were determined in atmospheric aerosol collected at three European background sites: (i) the Jungfraujoch, Switzerland (high-alpine, PM_2.5 aerosol); (ii) K-puszta, Hungary (rural, PM_1.0 aerosol); (iii) Mace Head, Ireland (marine, total particulate matter). At the Jungfraujoch and K-puszta the contribution of carbonaceous compounds to the aerosol mass was higher than that of inorganic ions by 33% and 94%, respectively. At these continental sites about 60% of the organic carbon was water soluble, 55–75% of the total carbon proved to be refractory and a considerable portion of the water soluble, refractory organic matter was composed of humic-like substances. At Mace Head the mass concentration of organic matter was found to be about twice than that of nonsea-salt ions, 40% of the organic carbon was water soluble and the amount of highly refractory carbon was low. Humic-like substances were not detected but instead low molecular weight carboxylic acids were responsible for about one-fifth of the water-soluble organic mass. These results imply that the influence of carbonaceous compounds on aerosol properties (e.g. hygroscopic, optical) might be significant.     

A climatology of regional background ozone at different elevations in Switzerland (1992–1998)

The ozone records of several monitoring stations in Switzerland from 1992 to 1998 are investigated with respect to the variability observed during regional background conditions, i.e. conditions with little detectable local or regional-scale influences as evident by NO_x and CO concentrations. The sites cover different altitudes between 490 and 3600 m asl. They are characteristic of near-surface conditions, the top of the planetary boundary layer or residual layer, the complex atmosphere in an alpine valley, and the free troposphere. The results reveal a distinctly different ozone variability (diurnal cycles, seasonal cycles, trends) during regional background conditions compared to all days. The estimated annual average ozone concentration under these conditions is between 33 and 50 ppb, dependent on altitude, with a spring maximum and an autumn/winter minimum. Differences in background ozone are found depending on the synoptic weather type. For all sites a positive ozone trend is calculated for background conditions that is larger than for all data. For the latter, the trends appear to be stronger positive for the last 7 years than for the last 11 years.     

中国省域能源消费碳排放时空异质性的EOF和GWR分析

利用自然正交函数(EOF)揭示中国各省份能源消费碳排放量变动的时空特征,借助地理加权回归模型(GWR)分析了碳排放量驱动因素的空间分布状况.研究结果表明:中国省域能源消费碳排放量整体处于增长状态,但其增长速度有减缓趋势;EOF第一模态结果显示,碳排放量以四川省为中心向南北方向扩散,低值区集中分布在西北地区和珠三角地区;第二模态结果显示,碳排放量增长速度表现出西南地区和东南沿海地区较快,而中部省份碳排放量增长速度较慢的态势.碳排放量影响因素的重要程度由大到小依次为:总人口变化量、人均GDP变化量、城镇化率变化量、二产比重变化量、贸易开放程度变化量和能源消耗强度变化量,其中,总人口变化量的影响程度最为剧烈,每当总人口变化1%时,碳排放量相应地会变化0.5358%.     

Towards a spatially explicit and quantitative vulnerability assessment of environmental change in Europe

Over the next century, society will increasingly be confronted with the impacts of global change (e.g. pollution, land use changes, and climate change). Multiple scenarios provide us with a range of possible changes in socio-economic trends, land uses and climate (i.e. exposure) and allow us to assess the response of ecosystems and changes in the services they provide (i.e. potential impacts). Since vulnerability to global change is less when society is able to adapt, it is important to provide decision makers with tools that will allow them to assess and compare the vulnerability of different sectors and regions to global change, taking into account exposure and sensitivity, as well as adaptive capacity. This paper presents a method that allows quantitative spatial analyses of the vulnerability of the human-environment system on a European scale. It is a first step towards providing stakeholders and policy makers with a spatially explicit portfolio of comparable projections of ecosystem services, providing a basis for discussion on the sustainable management of Europe’s natural resources.

The influence of environmental factors on the carbon dioxide flux across the water–air interface of reservoirs in south-eastern Poland

Studies concerning the emission of carbon dioxide(CO_2) were carried out in 2009–2012 for six reservoirs located in four provinces of south-eastern Poland. The CO_2 flux across the water–air interface was measured using the "static chamber" method. The measured fluxes of CO_2(FCO_2) ranged from-30.64 to 183.78 mmol/m~2/day, and the average values varied in the range from-3.52 to 82.11 mmol/m2/day. In most of the cases, emission of CO_2 to the atmosphere was observed. The obtained values of CO_2 fluxes were comparable to values typical for other temperate reservoirs. Analysis of the influence of selected environmental factors on the FCO_2 showed that it depends on parameters characterizing both the sediments and surface water. The CO_2 flux at the water–air interface was positively correlated with parameters of bottom sediments such as porosity, content of organic carbon and total nitrogen; and negatively with p H value and δ~(13)C of organic carbon. In the case of the parameters characterizing surface water, positive dependences on the concentrations of nitrate and total nitrogen, and negative relationships with water temperature and chlorophyll a concentrations, were found.     

Restoration of ecosystems for biodiversity and carbon sequestration: Simulating growth dynamics of brigalow vegetation communities in Australia

Restoration of abandoned and degraded ecosystems through enhanced management of mature remnant patches and naturally regenerating (regrowth) forests is currently being used in the recovery of ecosystems for biodiversity protection and carbon sequestration. Knowledge of long-term dynamics of these ecosystems is often very limited. Vegetation models that examine long-term forest growth and succession of uneven aged, mixed-species forest ecosystems are integral to the planning and assessment of the recovery process of biodiversity values and biomass accumulation. This paper examined the use of the Ecosystem Dynamics Simulator (EDS) in projecting growth dynamics of mature remnant brigalow forest communities and recovery process of regrowth brigalow thickets. We used data from 188 long-term monitored plots of remnant and regrowth forests measured between 1963 and 2010. In this study the model was parameterised for 34 tree and shrub species and tested with independent long-term measurements. The model closely approximated actual development trajectories of mature forests and regrowth thickets but some inaccuracies in estimating regeneration through asexual reproduction and mortality were noted as reflected in stem density projections of remnant plots that had a mean of absolute relative bias of 46.2 (±12.4)%. Changes in species composition in remnant forests were projected with a 10% error. Basal area values observed in all remnant plots ranged from 6 to 29 m² ha⁻¹ and EDS projections between 1966 and 2005 (39 years) were 68.2 (±10.9)% of the observed basal area. Projected live aboveground biomass of remnant plots had a mean of 93.5 (±5.9) t ha⁻¹ compared to a mean of 91.3 (±8.0) t ha⁻¹ observed in the plots. In regrowth thicket, the model produced satisfactory projections of tree density (91%), basal area (89%), height (87%) and aboveground biomass (84%) compared to the observed attributes. Basal area and biomass accumulation in 45-year-old regrowth plots was approximately similar to that in remnant forests but recovery of woody understorey was very slow. The model projected that it would take 95 years for the regrowth to thin down to similar densities observed in original or remnant brigalow forests. These results indicated that EDS can produce relatively accurate projections of growth dynamics of brigalow regrowth forests necessary for informing restoration planning and projecting biomass accumulation.     

内蒙古干草原冬、春季大气气溶胶的若干特征观测研究

内蒙古半干旱草原区大气气溶胶浓度以及散射等特性对生态环境、气候变化与预测研究有重要意义,文利用2009年1～4月在锡林浩特观象台草原站的观测资料,分析了冬、春季背景大气气溶胶质量浓度、黑碳质量浓度、散射系数的分布特征。研究发现,背景天气下,PM10、PM2.5、PM1.0浓度值都较低,平均值分别为22.7、9.5、6.1μg/m3,3种PM浓度值间的相关性不同;黑碳浓度平均值为0.59μg/m3,小粒子中的含量较高,其日分布规律受人类活动影响较大,与各PM浓度分布有较大不同;散射系数平均值为31.2Mm-1,与PM10、PM2.5、PM1.0、黑碳质量浓度都显著相关。三种PM中,PM2.5对散射和吸收的影响最大。风速、相对湿度对不同粒径的PM以及黑碳浓度、散射系数的影响有所不同。