Measuring love and care for nature

This study aimed to develop a psychometrically sound measure of the construct of love and deep caring for nature as an expression of people’s personal and explicitly emotional relationship with nature. Expert opinion and pre-pilot surveys were employed for refinement of the item pool, and a sample of 307 university students was used in a major pilot study aiming to further purify scale items. A field trial was conducted using a sample of 261 tourists at leisure with nature. The final 15-item Love and Care for Nature (LCN) scale is differentiated from established measures of similar constructs, and demonstrates high internal consistency and sound validity. This research extends the psychological frameworks of environmental altruism, and has also taken the philosophical concept of biophilia, as love for nature, into the operational realm by making it perceptible and measurable.     

Copper oxide nanoparticles can induce toxicity to the freshwater shredder Allogamus ligonifer

Increased commercialisation of nanometal-based products augments the possibility of their deposition into aquatic ecosystems; this, in turn, may pose risks to aquatic biota and associated ecological functions. Freshwater invertebrate shredders mostly use microbially-colonized plant litter as food resource and play an important role in aquatic detritus food webs. We assessed lethal effects of nanoCuO on the shredder Allogamus ligonifer (Trichoptera, Limnephilidae) by determining the concentration that induced 50% of death (LC₅₀), and sublethal effects of nanoCuO on the feeding behaviour and growth of the shredder by exposing the animals to: (i) stream water supplemented with nanoCuO and microbially-colonized leaves, and (ii) stream water (without nanoCuO) and microbially-colonized leaves pre-exposed to nanoCuO. Results from acute lethal tests showed that the 96 h LC₅₀ of nanoCuO was very high (569 mg L⁻¹). In the absence of nanoparticles, leaf consumption rate was 0.27 mg leaf DM mg⁻¹ animal DM d⁻¹ and the shredder growth rate was 56 μg animal DM mg⁻¹ animal DM d⁻¹. A significant inhibition in leaf consumption rate (up to 47%) and invertebrate growth rate (up to 46%) was observed when shredders were exposed to the higher tested sublethal concentration of nanoCuO (75 mg L⁻¹) through either contaminated stream water or pre-contaminated food. The exposure to increased nanoCuO concentration via water or pre-contaminated food led to higher accumulation of copper in the larval body. Leached water-soluble ionic copper from the nanoCuO adsorbed or accumulated in the shredder (up to 10.2% of total Cu) seemed to influence the feeding behaviour and growth of the shredder.     

Communicating climate science: The role of perceived communicator’s motives

In two experimental studies, we investigated the effects of public perceptions of climate scientists’ communicative motives on trust in scientists and willingness to engage with climate science messages. Study 1 demonstrated that members of the public who were led to believe that scientists aim to inform about the consequences of climate change (rather than to persuade to take a particular course of action) reported higher trust in scientists and stronger willingness to engage in environmental behaviour. Study 2 revealed that this effect was moderated by the style of the scientific message that participants were exposed to. Participants who expected scientists to engage in persuasion were more receptive to persuasive rather than informative messages, while the opposite was true for participants who believed that scientists’ purpose was purely to inform. In both studies the effects of perceived motives on willingness to act in line with the climate change messages were mediated through trust in scientists. The data demonstrate that managing public expectations about the purposes of science communication and delivering messages that are consistent with these expectations are a key to successful communication of climate science.     

实施行为安全修正机制的探讨

行为安全修正理论是在“行为ABC”心理学研究的基础上提出的改变人的行为的理论,它通过变革型领导的领导方式来获得员工对组织的信任,并通过强化行为的实施结果对行为人本身的影响来强化人们实施安全的或是考虑更加安全的工作方法.本文通过对国内外一些相关研究进行回顾和对比,结合行为心理学理论,对行为安全的要旨进行了概述,并指出通过...     

有冰海区中的溢油行为

在冰海区中的溢油事故直接污染海洋环境。本文介绍了国外对溢油在有冰海区中行为的研究。研究表明，与温水中有很大的不同在于，结冰海区溢油行为与冰的密集度、冰厚及冰的类型等有关。本文学介绍了国内第一个为海洋管理服务的渤海有冰海区溢油行为数值计算模拟。     

Effect of introducing prenatal diagnosis on the reproductive behaviour of families at risk for cystic fibrosis. A Cohort study

We studied 101 couples to determine how far their reproductive behaviour was affected by the diagnosis of cystic fibrosis (CF) on its first occurrence in the couple's progeny and by the availability of prenatal diagnosis (PD). The couples were all resident in the Veneto and Trentino regions and attending the Verona CF Centre. CF had been diagnosed in the first affected child, during the period 1 January 1980-1 July 1990, before the age of 1 year. Couples received a questionnaire regarding socio-demographic status, reproduction data, and awareness of PD. Reproductive history was divided into three phases: prior to diagnosis of CF in the first affected child; from this time until PD was made available; and after the couples had learned of PD. In phase 2 (awareness of the genetic risk but not of PD), 54 couples showed a marked decrease in reproduction, none of the few pregnancies that occurred being taken to term. When couples became aware of PD, some resumption of reproductive activity occurred and 11 per cent of the 101 couples had another child; PD was used in 65 per cent of pregnancies and the abortion rate decreased to 35 per cent. All couples who opted for PD had no children without CF.     

Do kin always make better neighbours?: The effects of territory quality

Summary The effects of territory quality on kin-biased territorial defence behaviour and fitness of juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were examined by manipulating food and predation risk levels in an artificial stream channel. Groups of related (full sibling) or unrelated fry were observed in the channel under one of four treatments: (1) high food-low predator (high territory quality); (2) high food-high predator; (3) low food-low predator; and (4) low food-high predator (low territory quality). Fish within kin groups always initiated fewer aggressive interactions, defended smaller territories, exhibited higher proportions of threat type territorial defence behaviours (as opposed to overtly aggressive behaviours) and had a higher mean weight increase than non-kin groups. Within both kin and non-kin groups, decreasing territory quality significantly increased the frequency of aggressive interactions, the size of territories and decreased growth. It is argued that while kin-biased territorial defence behaviours are always present, decreased availability of resources and increased predation risk serve to reduce the magnitude of this kin bias. However, even in low-quality territories, the benefit of associating with kin may increase the probability of overwintering survival (increased fitness) of the young fish by increasing body size.     

湖南省几种主要菜园土铅的化学行为及其作物效应的初步研究

温度、ｐＨ、有机质及不同价态阳离子对铅吸持－解吸量有明显的影响．土壤中的铅在低浓度范围内（红茶园土为１００μｇ／ｇ，石灰性菜园土为５００μｇ／ｇ）对小白菜生长有刺激作用，超过一定浓度（红菜园土为≥５００μｇ／ｇ，石灰性莱园土为≥１００μｇ／ｇ）则有抑制作用．小白莱的含铅量随土壤铅浓度的增加而增加，两者呈极显著正相关．三种改良剂对铅污染土壤有明显的改良效果，其中以猪粪、石灰两种改良剂的效果为好，钙镁磷肥次之．     

化学农药污染土壤植物修复中的环境化学问题

报道了利用植草修复受DDT，BHC和Dicofol污染的研究，讨论了化学农药污染土壤植物修复中,农药在植物中富集与在土壤中降解以及结合残留等环境化学问题。研究表明，在植物修复的过程中，通过草对农药吸收的途径而去除土壤中污染物的作用所作的贡献很小，植草的作用可能是通过草的根部向土壤释放酶和某些分泌物，从而激发土壤中微生物的活性，并加速农药生物降解作用的结果。草在不同土壤中修复能力的差异，可能与不同土壤中所存土著微生物的差异以及其活性受酶和某些分泌物所激发差异的结果。选择能使根际区产生强烈的生物降解作用的草品种，是利用草作为化学农药污染土壤修复的关键。土壤与植株中农药结合残留的形成可能是土壤中污染物消除的又一个重要因素。     

Evolution of plant volatile production in insect-plant relationships

Summary The production of volatile secondary plant substances during the evolution of terrestrial plants is reviewed in regard to the defensive systems of plants to microorganisms and herbivores. Plant volatiles can be produced by both anabolic and catabolic processes. Although attraction of pollinators is a well-studied phenomenon, functions of volatiles range from excretion of waste products to the production of compounds attracting natural enemies of herbivores. During the evolution of the angiosperms a diversity of volatiles were selected to defend generative parts against microorganisms. Many of these allomones were related to or even identical with sex pheromones of insects. As a result flowers of angiosperms became utilized as a mating site. Consequently insects visiting flowers became involved in pollination, facilitating the steps from anemophily to entomophily. The efficiency of entomophily was increased because of nutritional rewards.An evolutionary scenario for the impact of plant volatiles on insects is presented and the role of volatile allomones in the establishment of plant-insect relationships is emphasized by (1) their strong antimicrobial properties, (2) strategies to protect symbiotic microorganisms, (3) their function as repellents and deterrents, (4) the use of volatile allomones as kairomones. These facts speak for an adaptation of insects to plant physiology and a limited importance of phytophagous insects in selection pressure upon plants. Herbivorous insects have realized specific adaptations to be able to discriminate between complex odour blends, but the utilization of chemical groups among insect taxa is different.The main theories on plant chemical defence do not discuss the impact of volatiles on host plant selection and may be apt to revision when pheromones, allomones, kairomones and synomones are not taken into account.