Novel Organisms: Comparing Invasive Species, GMOs, and Emerging Pathogens

Invasive species, range-expanding species, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), synthetic organisms, and emerging pathogens increasingly affect the human environment. We propose a framework that allows comparison of consecutive stages that such novel organisms go through. The framework provides a common terminology for novel organisms, facilitating knowledge exchange among researchers, managers, and policy makers that work on, or have to make effective decisions about, novel organisms. The framework also indicates that knowledge about the causes and consequences of stage transitions for the better studied novel organisms, such as invasive species, can be transferred to more poorly studied ones, such as GMOs and emerging pathogens. Finally, the framework advances understanding of how climate change can affect the establishment, spread, and impacts of novel organisms, and how biodiversity affects, and is affected by, novel organisms.     

Beyond selectivity: Are behavioral avoidance and hormesis likely causes of pyrethroid-induced outbreaks of the southern red mite Oligonychus ilicis?

Secondary pest outbreak is a counterintuitive ecological backlash of pesticide use in agriculture that takes place with the increase in abundance of a non-targeted pest species after pesticide application against a targeted pest species. Although the phenomenon was well recognized, its alternative causes are seldom considered. Outbreaks of the southern red mite Oligonychus ilicis are frequently reported in Brazilian coffee farms after the application of pyrethroid insecticides against the coffee leaf miner Leucoptera coffeella. Selectivity favoring the red mite against its main predatory mites is generally assumed as the outbreak cause, but this theory has never been tested. Here, we assessed the toxicity (and thus the selectivity) of deltamethrin against both mite species: the southern red mite and its phytoseid predator Amblyseius herbicolus. Additionally, behavioral avoidance and deltamethrin-induced hormesis were also tested as potential causes of red mite outbreak using free-choice behavioral walking bioassays with the predatory mite and life-table experiments with both mite species, respectively. Lethal toxicity bioassays indicated that the predatory mite was slightly more susceptible than its prey (1.5×), but in more robust demographic bioassays, the predator was three times more tolerant to deltamethrin than its prey, indicating that predator susceptibility to deltamethrin is not a cause of the reported outbreaks. The predator did not exhibit behavioral avoidance to deltamethrin; however insecticide-induced hormesis in the red mite led to its high population increase under low doses, which was not observed for the predatory mite. Therefore, deltamethrin-induced hormesis is a likely cause of the reported red mite outbreaks.     

Towards a planning support system for environmental management and agri-environmental measures--the Colorfields study

The authors present the beginnings of a planning support system (PSS) for agri-environmental measures exemplified by a virtual implementation of Colorfields and blooming strips on model farms, based on real-world data. This paper starts with an introduction to the Colorfields, a concept for transdisciplinary and sustainable landscape design of set-aside land. Colorfields comprise of blooming strips of flowering annual or biennial plants, which are designed and drilled in pattern on fallow land creating Land Art. The temporary scenic arrangements of the Colorfields combine the advantages of ecological strips, e.g. providing habitats for insects (especially bees), improving soil fertility through the cultivation of intercrops, with improvements of the social recognition of farmers as producers of pleasant landscapes instead of monoculture fields.The prototype of the PSS uses two software tools of different scientific origin, the bio-economic modeling system MODAM and the landscape visualization system Lenné3D, which are linked based on geo-data. The resulting system helps to assess the economic effects and visualizes the effects of the specific landuse patterns under different scenarios.The economic assessment of blooming strips on arable land and of one Colorfield on fallow land shows that these measures prove to be profitable from an economic viewpoint assuming the current area payments for the obligatory European Union set-aside program. Furthermore, the visualizations enable the design to be tested virtually by exploring the resultant scenery. They provide artists, planners and stakeholders including farmers with a tool to virtually wander through landscape scenarios supporting a collaborative design and a shared vision for the community.The results of the two model farms and previous case studies for Colorfields demonstrate how current policy conditions could be used for the improvement of environmental and scenic qualities. Furthermore, the ability of the tools, MODAM and Lenné3D, suggests to support and promote these activities.     

加强预警监测体系建设 高效应对突发生态环境问题

简述了区域突发生态环境问题的现状与特点以及环境监测应对突发生态环境问题的现状,指出了环境监测应对突发生态环境污染存在的问题。提出,应加快预警监测技术体系建设,丰富预警监测技术手段,重视生物生态监测在预警监测中的作用,提高环境质量综合评价水平,发挥环境信息系统在预警监测中的作用,加强预警监测技术人才培养。     

生态补水对玄武湖水质的影响

分析南京玄武湖1997年-2010年的水质变化,以及生态补水与玄武湖水质变化的关系。结果表明,玄武湖于1998年实施生态补水,随着生态补水的持续运行和生态补水量的不断增加,玄武湖水质得以显著改善,其水质类别由生态补水前的劣V类水体转为V类水体,并接近于Ⅳ类水体,富营养化程度由重度富营养化水平转为轻度富营养化水平。目前玄武湖主要营养物质来源于生态补水,相关性分析显示各湖区TN浓度与生态补水中TN浓度呈显著相关关系。     

农药企业搬迁土地挥发性有机物风险评价

对常州某农药生产场地土壤中挥发性有机物(VOCs)污染状况以及健康风险和生态风险进行了调查评价。结果表明,该场地土壤中挥发性有机物污染以苯系物和卤代烃为主。苯系物质量浓度为0~56.6 mg/kg,卤代烃质量浓度为0~1.14 mg/kg。健康风险评价结果均在可接受范围内,而生态风险评价显示生产车间内的土壤VOCs生态风险较大,存在着对生物的危害。     

近期我国生态环境状况变化趋势分析研究

利用2000年和2005年遥感监测数据及相关统计数据,从生物丰度、植被覆盖、水网密度、土地退化和环境质量五个方面综合评价近五年来我国的生态环境变化趋势,并分析生态环境状况的变化与生物丰度指数等五个因子之间的相关关系.该评价不包括香港特别行政区、澳门特别行政区和台湾省.     

太湖沉积物重金属污染及生态风险性评价

对1993年～1999年所采集的太湖表层沉积物中重金属含量进行了统计分析和生态风险性评价.结果表明,太湖沉积物的pH值呈中性至弱碱性,较适合于沉积物中粘土矿物及腐殖质对重金属的吸附;太湖大部分地区沉积物未受到重金属污染,且沉积物中重金属处于安全状态.沉积物生态风险性指数评价结果也表明,太湖大部分地区目前无重金属生态危害.     

生态围隔对水源地水质的改善效果

采用渔网及土工布挂片双层材料以及填充的水花生构建了生态围隔,对藻类进行拦截,降低取水口藻类密度,同时通过水花生的吸收和拦截,以及土工布挂片形成的附着生物群落的降解和吸收作用,降低颗粒态以及溶解态营养盐,达到取水口水质的改善效果.生态工程实施后,取水口内悬浮颗粒物显著降低了29.8％,同时透明度提高了27.5％.对藻类的拦截效果研究表明,围隔对叶绿素a的去除率为23.0％,对总藻类数量的去除率为20.7％.通过对围隔内外蓝藻数量在藻类数量的比例分析,生态围隔对蓝藻的去除率高于总藻类的去除率,说明了对于藻类拦截的效果具有一定的选择性.对营养盐的改善效果主要体现在颗粒态物质上,其中颗粒态氮磷的去除率分别为48.4％和31.3％.