Do yellow-bellied marmots respond to predator vocalizations?

We conducted four experiments to determine whether yellow-bellied marmots, Marmota flaviventris, discriminate among predator vocalizations, and if so, whether the recognition mechanism is learned or experience-independent. First, we broadcast to marmots the social sounds of coyotes, Canis latrans, wolves, Canis lupus, and golden eagles, Aquila chrysaetos, as well as conspecific alarm calls. Coyotes and eagles are extant predators at our study site, while wolves have been absent since the mid-1930s. In three follow-up experiments, we reversed the eagle call and presented marmots with forward and reverse calls to control for response to general properties of call structure rather than those specifically associated with eagles, we tested for novelty by comparing responses to familiar and unfamiliar birds, and we tested for the duration of predator sounds by comparing a wolf howl (that was much longer than the coyote in the first experiment) with a long coyote howl of equal duration to the original wolf. Marmots suppressed foraging and increased looking most after presentation of the conspecific alarm call and least after that of the coyote in the first experiment, with moderate responses to wolf and eagle calls. Marmots responded more to the forward eagle call than the reverse call, a finding consistent with a recognition template. Marmots did not differentiate vocalizations from the novel and familiar birds, suggesting that novelty itself did not explain our results. Furthermore, marmots did not differentiate between a wolf howl and a coyote howl of equal duration, suggesting that the duration of the vocalizations played a role in the marmots’ response. Our results show that marmots may respond to predators based solely on acoustic stimuli. The response to currently novel wolf calls suggests that they have an experience-independent ability to identify certain predators acoustically. Marmots’ response to predator vocalizations is not unexpected because 25 of 30 species in which acoustic predator discrimination has been studied have a demonstrated ability to respond selectively to cues from their predators.     

底栖动物在水生生态系统健康评价中的作用分析

从生态系统健康的概念入手,通过对生态系统健康评价方法的研究和分析,对底栖动物尤其是大型底柄无脊椎动物在生态系统健康评价中的作用进行了分析和总结.生物监测法和多指标评价法是水生态系统健康评价的主要手段,而利用指示物种、预测模型和底柄生物的完整性指数等多种方法可以对水生态系统健康进行快速和准确的评价.如何完善底栖动物在生态系统健康评价中的作用并综合运用其他评价技术,以及结合评价结果对受损水生态系统进行生态修复和重建将是这一领域未来研究的重点所在.     

Finding Hope in the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment

Abstract:  Over the past quarter century, a new scientific activity has emerged: collective assessments by large numbers of scientists from different disciplines combining their expertise to better understand human interrelations with nature and to inform policy. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment exceeded all such assessments before it in both the breadth of its coverage and the depth of its analysis of socioecological system dynamics. The findings are not encouraging. Nearly all ecosystems are being degraded and will continue to be degraded for decades to come even if policy changes are initiated now. For scientists participating in the assessment, the MA had another disconcerting aspect. It clearly shows that our fragmented, disciplinary knowledges cannot simply be combined to form an understanding of a whole complex system. Counterbalancing the despair of the findings and scientific difficulties of aggregating specialized knowledges, the MA demonstrated the potential of a deliberative democratic approach to grappling with complex problems .     

Is a voluntary approach an effective environmental policy instrument?: A case for environmental management systems

Using Japanese facility-level data from an OECD survey, we estimate the effects of implementation of ISO14001 and publication of environmental reports on the facilities’ environmental performance. While most previous studies focused on an index of emissions toxicity, this study examines three areas of impacts, none of which have been explored in the literature: natural resource use, solid waste generation, and wastewater effluent. The study is also unique in that the effectiveness of ISO14001 is considered in relation to environmental regulations. Our findings are summarized as follows. First, both ISO14001 and report publication help reduce all three impacts; the former appears more effective in all areas except wastewater. Second, environmental regulations do not weaken the effect of ISO14001. Third, assistance programs offered by local governments—a voluntary approach—promote facilities’ adoption of ISO14001. These findings suggest that governments can use command-and-control and voluntary approaches concurrently.     

构建土壤生态筛选基准的技术关键及方法学概述

土壤生态筛选基准是指为了对陆地生物及关键的土壤生态功能提供适当保护而制定的土壤中污染物的浓度限值,污染物浓度超过此值,需对土壤采取进一步的风险评价行动或污染控制措施.论文综述了当前国际上土壤生态筛选基准的发展现状,系统阐述了制定土壤生态筛选基准的方法学及4个基本步骤:数据收集、适用数据的选择、基于效应的数据外推与阈值估算和筛选值的最终确立,并对构建适于我国使用的土壤生态筛选基准时可能会遇到的关键问题进行了讨论.     

基于复配改性木质素磺酸铵的环保型木质材料的生命周期评价

利用改性木质素制备的木质材料其生产过程对生态环境有重要的影响.为探讨该环保型木质材料的可行性,利用Ga Bi 6.0软件,对基于复配改性木质素磺酸铵的环保型木质材料(HMIL/WF)进行生命周期评价,比较分析生命周期各生产环节的非生物资源耗竭、酸化效应、富营养化、全球变暖潜值、臭氧层破坏潜能以及光化学臭氧生成潜力等主要环境影响类型.结果表明:在HMIL/WF材料生命周期的3个子系统中,纤维制造子系统对各环境影响贡献值最大,此次是产品成型子系统,后期加工子系统对环境影响最小.全球变暖潜值是HMIL/WF材料环境影响的主要类型,占总环境影响值的73.09%,环境影响大小依次为全球变暖潜值、酸化效应、光化学臭氧生成潜力、富营养化、非生物资源耗竭和臭氧层破坏潜能.热能消耗的环境影响最为严重,占HMIL/WF材料生命周期总环境影响的44.77%.各生产环节的环境影响大小顺序依次为热能消耗、电能消耗、H_2O_2生产、木质素磺酸铵(AL)制备和运输阶段.热能消耗环节的全球变暖潜值、酸化效应、光化学臭氧生成潜力、富营养化和非生物资源耗竭的影响值为HMIL/WF材料生产各环节的最高值;运输阶段产生了最高的臭氧层破坏潜能.与传统中密度纤维板的生命周期环境影响潜值总值(4.71×10~(-9))相比,HMIL/WF材料的环境影响总值(4.22×10~(-9))减少了10.4%.     

Euclidean贴近度水质评价法及其应用

分析了模糊综合评判在水质评价中的缺陷,将模糊数学中的贴近度与经典的Euclidean距离结合,提出Euclidean贴近度水质评价法。结果表明,该评价方法具有科学性、合理性,并且精度高,简单实用。     

兰州市区大气中TSP及其成分含量的测定与变化规律的研究

报导了兰州市一年内大气中TSP及其成分含量的监测结果、污染程度和变化规律,为兰州市进一步治理大气污染,加强环境管理,提高环境质量提供了科学依据。     

采样高度和降雪对大气污染物监测结果的影响

大气中SO_2、NO_x、TSP和CO平行采样监测结果的统计分析表明,地面与楼顶采样的差异不显著,其浓度变化有随高度呈规律性的变化趋向,降雪具有明显的洗脱清除作用。     

TOPSIS法在大气环境质量评价中的应用

应用多目标决策中的TOPSIS法(即逼近于理想解的排序方法)对湖南长沙等十城市的大气环境质量进行评价,并与欧几里德贴近度法和上海指数法相比较,认为该评价方法对比较多个城市(或多个监测点,下同)的大气环境质量的优劣,比欧几里德贴近度法和上海指数法均优越.