Patterns of plant trait-environment relationships along a forest succession chronosequence

Land-use change due to socioeconomic factors leads to the abandonment of traditional intensive coppice management in large areas of the mountainous landscapes of the Apennines (Italy). In this study we explored the multivariate relationship between plant species traits, stage of forest succession and environmental gradients. We focused on community-level patterns in plant traits of the vegetation of beech forest understory along the regeneration chronosequence initiated after cessation of coppicing. We hypothesized that the correlations between the traits and environmental factors should increase with succession age due to the decreasing role of chance.Landscape-level heterogeneity, i.e. changing elevation, slope, exposition, bedrock and forest stand age was assessed using a stratified random sampling design. Sixty sites were sampled for stand structure and species composition. We focused on 14 plant traits related to persistence, growth and dispersal. The recently developed data-analytical method, Model-Based Recursive Partitioning, was used to disentangle the relationships between patterns of plant traits and environmental gradients.About half (seven) of the studied plant traits showed significant correlations with succession stand age, elevation, inclination, heat index and bedrock. Contrary to the low number of trait-environment correlations in early succession, eight traits showed significant relationships with one or more abiotic factors in older stages of the post-coppice development. Stand age had the highest independent explanatory power, explaining 40% of variance of SLA, more than 17% of variance of short-distance seed dispersal and more than 15% of variance of both long-term connection and extensive perennial root. Among the other abiotic factors, elevation explained 27% of variance of SLA, inclination explained 6-8% of variance of long-term connection, extensive perennial root, thickening and large bud bank.The observed trait-environmental relationship is assumed to be driven by various environmental factors operating at various levels of complexity. While forest succession in relatively homogeneous landscapes might be driven mainly by environmental factors related to forest succession itself and associated abiotic changes (such as changes in light and soil moisture patterns), in heterogeneous landscapes the succession pathways may be structured by landscape-level environmental factors such as inclination. However, in the present study, forest stand age had the highest explanatory power for most of the investigated traits, supporting the assumption of the overall strong impact of succession-driven environmental factors in trait-environment relationships.     

Set-aside management: How do succession, sowing patterns and landscape context affect biodiversity?

European Union (EU) member states set aside between 5 and 15% of arable land during the last two decades, but abolition of the set-aside scheme in 2008 caused a sudden loss in habitat availability and biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. Management of set-aside has many facets and in this perspective paper we focus on the biodiversity effects of successional age, sowing strategies and landscape context. Young, 1-2-year-old set-asides have been initially considered to be too ephemeral to have any conservation value. However, when a rich seed and bud bank is available, a species-rich natural (secondary) succession can be observed. Arable (annual) weed communities in the first two years of succession can even include endangered plant species with associated rare insect consumers. Furthermore, many bird species benefit from early-successional habitats, whereas small mammal communities are richer in older habitats. If the local plant species pool is poor, sowings of diverse mixtures from regional seed collections can be recommended. Set-aside managers using species-rich sowings often experience that dominant weeds suppress the less competitive annual species. This trend to species-poor communities can be avoided by intraspecific aggregation of competitively weak species. Broadening the spatial scale from the plot to the landscape, efficiency of set-aside is highest in simple landscapes, where set-aside exhibits greatest effect in enhancement of biodiversity and associated services such as pollination and biological control. In complex landscapes, however, additional set-aside does not add much to the high level of biodiversity and ecological processes already present. Twenty percent of semi-natural, non-crop habitat appears to be a rough threshold for enhancing biodiversity and sustaining services such as pollination and biological control, but improved set-aside management should have the potential to reduce the percentage of semi-natural non-crop habitat needed. EU policy should tailor set-aside schemes for the maintenance of biodiversity and also consider that management efficiency is higher in simple than complex landscapes.     

地下环境中Fe2+对硝基苯的还原衰减作用模拟研究

研究了地下环境中的Fe2+对硝基苯(NB)的还原衰减作用,模拟了Fe2+还原硝基苯的过程及不同硬度、CO32-、SO42-、NO3-、Cl-等地下水化学组成对反应的影响,目的是阐明Fe2+还原硝基苯的机制及水化学组成对反应影响的原因.结果表明,在温度为10℃、pH为6.8的条件下,Fe2+和硝基苯浓度皆对其还原衰减有影...     

Path creation for sustainable consumption: promoting alternative heating systems in Finland

There are many cost-effective technologies to reduce resource use and carbon dioxide emissions in space heating, yet they are adopted very slowly, and inefficient heating systems persist. In this article, we examine path dependence and path creation in home heating systems. Path dependence refers to the self-sustaining characteristics of existing systems such as the dominant energy system. Path creation is a related concept that highlights entrepreneurship in ‘mindfully deviating’ from existing paths and creating new ones by engaging various stakeholders and generating momentum. Research on path creation in energy systems has focused on energy production systems, whereas end-use technologies have gained less attention. We explore the role of path creation in end-use technologies through four attempts to change heating systems for detached houses in Finland via the promotion of heat pump technologies. Within the path creation process, we focus on how the initiators of new paths try to counter the forces maintaining the dominant system. In particular, we pay attention to how small organizations make use of co-operation to challenge the existing path. The aim is to identify the conditions for successful path creation by entrepreneurs and energy end-users under adverse conditions.     

Integration of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell in a sugar-ethanol factory: analysis of the efficiency and the environmental profile of the products

The effect of the integration of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) technology in a sugar-ethanol factory on the environmental profile/footprint of the products (sugar, ethanol, electricity) is evaluated. The sugarcane is the primary feedstock and sugar, ethanol and electricity are the main products of the system, where the functional unit is defined as 9.86 ton/h of sugar, 2.195 ton/h of hydrated ethanol (96% w/w) and 847 kWh of electricity. A detailed set of material and energy inputs and outputs was obtained from a local factory and was completed using simulation data by Aspen Plus^®.The environmental impacts (greenhouse gases and air pollution), exergy efficiency and a renewability parameter have been considered as indicators for the comparative assessment with conventional sugar, ethanol and electricity production technologies. The results show that the use of a SOFC technology involves a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (52-55%) and non-renewable resources (60-64%) when compared with the conventional integrated sugar and ethanol plant. The higher renewability index (0.93) and exergy efficiency (38%) are noticed for the Solid Oxide Fuel Cell technology integrated in the sugar-ethanol factory than conventional sugar-ethanol plant.     

Resource productivity enhancement as means for promoting cleaner production: analysis of co-incineration in cement plants through a life cycle approach

The objective of this paper is to assess the environmental effectiveness of a strategic measure aimed at resource productivity enhancement. The cement industry has been identified as a relevant sector for this global issue, since the related production process enables the use of waste in partial substitution of raw materials and in substitution of traditional fuels. The analysis of the cement production sector in Italy has been here performed, investigating the recovery of energy from waste through co-incineration. In terms of air emissions, the emission performances of cement kilns appear independent from the use of alternative fuels at the percentages usually employed. However, in order to measure the cleanliness of a production system, systematic analysis with global perspective is needed. For this aim, the principles of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) have been used for a case study analysis of an Italian active plant using an amount of recovered plastics as an alternative fuel resource. The improvement on the investigated process has been quantitatively measured as a way for cleaner production, first in terms of gross energy requirement, and then through an environmental performance comparison with a sector benchmark. The analysis has highlighted the benefits on the global environmental balance for the practice of co-incineration in the cement production process.     

Mercury removals by existing pollutants control devices of four coal-fired power plants in China

The mercury removals by existing pollution control devices in four coal-fired power plants of China were carried out based on a measurement method with the aluminum matrix sorbent.     

超声波-臭氧破解剩余污泥技术的初步研究

剩余污泥的处理与处置是我国和世界面临的重要环境课题.文章初步研究了臭氧、超声波及其组合工艺对剩余污泥的破解作用,考察了反应时间、臭氧流量、超声功率对污泥破解效果的影响.研究表明:臭氧流量为7I/min时破解效果最好,反应40min,SCOD、NH3-N、TN和TP分别比反应前提高了586%、178%、522%和1781...     

浅析我国森林生态效益补偿制度

概述了中国森林生态效益补偿研究的发展历程和总体状况,通过对森林生态效益补偿制度的回顾、补偿现状的描述,综述相关文献分析了森林生态效益补偿制度存在的一些问题,并提出了相应的建议。     

基于未确知测度识别模型在污水处理厂运行效率评价中的应用

污水处理厂运行效率定量评价是当前污水处理行业管理与研究需要解决的问题,运行效率涉及到污水处理水量、水质和污染物的去除率、能耗和药荆消耗等方面诸多项指标。是多指标综合评价问题。文章借助未确知测度识别数学理论．构造了污水处理厂运行效率定量评价模型。并应用于某污水处理厂的运行效率评价,取得了较满意的效果。