Seabirds as Indicators of Changes in Marine Ecosystems: Ecological Monitoring on Machias Seal Island

Changes in marine ecosystems can be manifested in many different ways, on different temporal and spatial scales. Seabirds are top consumers in marine foodwebs and offer opportunities to detect and assess the biological effects of changes in physical parameters (sea-surface temperature [SST], salinity, depth of thermocline etc.) of the marine ecosystem. We compare six-eight years' of data on the biology (diet, and breeding success) of four species of seabird (arctic tern Sterna paradisaeaand common tern S. hirundo, which feed at the sea surface; and Atlantic puffin Fratercula arctica and razorbill Alca torda, which dive 30–60 m for their prey) breeding on Machias Seal Island (MSI) in the Bay of Fundy with both our own meteorological and oceanographic measurements, and with standard measurements from conventional sources. These are compared with fisheries data on changes in the main prey of all the seabirds concerned (juvenile or 0-group herring Clupea harengus) which are the most direct link between the seabirds and the physical properties of the marine system. We explore relationships between seabird productivity and diet, and other aspects of both herring biology (larval surveys, and fat content) and oceanography (SST data from the island, and remotely sensed data from the entrance to the Bay of Fundy). Timing of laying by puffins followed SST variation at neither the local (MSI) nor regional scales, but at the scale of the North Atlantic, following the trend of populations breeding off northern Norway. The proportion of herring in the diet of terns over 6 years varied inversely with herring larval abundance the previous fall; this relationship was not statistically significant in the puffin and razorbill. A major new finding is the considerable (50%) inter-annual variation in the energy density (fat content) of juvenile herring that are the main seabird prey; breeding success of both species of tern varied in parallel with the energy density of juvenile herring in the diet until the last two years of the study, when sandlance (Ammodytes sp.) and euphausid shrimp predominated in the diet. Our long-term research approach combines traditional population monitoring (of numbers of breeding birds) with demographic, behavioural and environmental monitoring, to provide new understanding of the marine ecosystem as well as of seabirds.     

Evacuation behavior and Three Mile Island

The responses of the residents to the nuclear power plant arcident at Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania illustrate the factors influencing pre-impact coping responses of populations exposed to technological hazards. Confusion itnd ambiguous information influenced both the decision to evaluate and to remain in place. Proximity to the facility, stage in life cycle and the actions of friends and neighbors influenced the decision to evacuate.     

湖北石首天鹅洲湿地旅游资源综合评价

湿地是地球上水陆相互作用形成的独特生态系统,湿地评价能帮助人们更好地开发和利用湿地资源.通过采用多层次分析法(AHP),对湖北天鹅洲湿地旅游资源的价值进行分层、分权重的评价实践,探讨了一种定性与定量相结合的湿地评价方法,为天鹅洲湿地旅游资源的开发强度和可利用潜力提供指导.     

海南岛沿海牡蛎体中PAHs的时空分布及其健康风险评价

2009~2014年对海南岛沿岸近江牡蛎(Crassostrea rivularis)体中16种PAHs的污染水平、空间分布及趋势变化进行了研究.结果表明,海南岛沿岸牡蛎体中多环芳烃(PAHs)含量范围为289~2426ng/g d.w.,平均值为856.7ng/g d.w..与国内外相比,海南岛牡蛎体PAHs含量处于中等水平.海南岛牡蛎体PAHs含量表现出一定的空间差异,平均含量大小顺序为:八所港>榆林港>马袅港>东寨港. Mann-Kendall检验结果显示,八所港牡蛎体中PAHs含量有显著上升趋势(P0.05).组分分析结果显示,海南岛牡蛎主要以2~3环的低分子量PAHs为主(62.3%~92.5%).来源分析表明牡蛎体PAHs主要为石油源和油类燃烧源.风险评价结果显示,八所港牡蛎的PAHs致癌风险超过最大可接受致癌风险(10-5),但尚未达到严重的致癌风险(10-4),而其他站点牡蛎均处于可接受致癌风险水平.本研究建议居民对八所港牡蛎和海南其它牡蛎的日均消费量分别不超过56g和 67g.     

海南土壤中稀土元素含量及分布特征

对海南四种不同母质来源的土壤样品中的稀土元素含量及分布特征进行了研究,结果表明:除砂岩母质外,海南省其它母质的土壤中稀土元素总量都高于全国土壤、世界土壤和地壳中稀土元素的平均含量;各母质类型土壤中Eu亏损明显。花岗岩上发育的土壤中稀土元素含量最高,总量达419.42mg/kg。砂岩和花岗岩上发育的土壤中LREE相对富集。LREE和HREE在不同母质来源的土壤剖面中的富集、迁移等地球化学行为不完全相同,这说明:土壤发育过程中,稀土元素的含量和分布不仅仅和成土过程、气候及其它地球化学因素有关,而且与母质也有重要的关系,母质往往制约着风化成土过程中稀土元素的地球化学行为。     

基于森林健康视角的北长山岛人工林生物量

以山东省长岛县北长山岛为研究区,通过现场调查、数学模型和3S技术,分析人工林生物量的总量（全部生物量）、存量（活树生物量）、失量（死树生物量）和存量失量比,并探讨生物量的影响因子.结果显示：（1）北长山岛人工林生物量总量共5.88万t,均值为145.8t/hm²,高于全国和山东省的平均水平;生物量存量共3.79万t,失量共2.09万t,其均值分别为93.9t/hm²和51.9t/hm²,森林健康问题已经成为影响北长山岛人工林生物量的重要因素.（2）随着林分密度的增加,生物量总量和存量呈现先上升后下降的趋势,失量持续上升,存量失量比则不断下降;随着胸径的增大,黑松的存量失量比逐渐减小,刺槐则相反;NDVI与生物量总量、存量和存量失量比呈显著正相关,与失量呈显著负相关.（3）存量失量比与坡向、土壤含水率、全磷和总氮呈显著正相关,与海拔、坡度、含盐量和全钾呈显著负相关,与坡位、pH值和总碳关系不明显.     

Landsenses pattern design to mitigate gale conditions in the coastal city – a case study of Pingtan,China

ABSTRACT

Due to the special geographic locations and multiple typhoons a year, the frequent strong winds bring great discomfort and danger to the daily lives of the urban residents in southeast coast of China. The strategic design of landsenses pattern on different scales can help reduce gale days in urban areas while delivering diverse additional benefits such as pollution control and biodiversity habitat protection. Although the greatest gale days are observed in cold and damp winters, there is comparatively little information available for land managers to determine an appropriate strategy for landsenses pattern design under these climatic conditions. We present a framework for prioritization and selection of landsenses pattern for gale day reductions. The framework is supported by examining the relationships between urban landsenses pattern evolution and gale day mitigation in the past, with which we used to develop implementation guidelines that maximize reductions of urban surface gale days. We focus particularly on quantifying the benefits of four types of landsenses: land-use patterns, urban road network, architectural patterns, and vertical greening systems (green walls and facades) and demonstrate how to apply the framework with a case study from Pingtan Island, China.     

Intraguild predation and mesopredator release effect on long-lived prey

Complete extirpation of a species can generate cascading effects throughout an ecosystem, yet are precisely the goal of island eradications of pest species. “Mesopredator release effect”, an asymmetrical special case of intraguild predation, has been hypothesised as a possible indirect effect from eradications, where superpredator removal can generate a mesopredator increase which may increase the impact on their shared prey. Theoretically this suggests that for intraguild predators, the superpredator may protect the shared prey from mesopredation, and removal of superpredators alone is not recommended. We create a model of long-lived age-structured shared prey and explore the non-equilibrium dynamics of this system. The superpredator can impact all prey life-stages (adult survival and reproductive success) whereas the smaller mesopredator can only impact early life-stages (reproductive success). This model is independently tested with data from a closed oceanic island system where eradication of introduced intraguild predators is possible for conservation of threatened birds. Mesopredator release only occurs in strongly top-down moderated (resource-abundant) systems. Even when mesopredator release can occur, the negative impact of more mesopredators is outweighed by the benefit of superpredator removal, allowing recovery of the prey population. Results are robust to 10% variation in model parameters. The consideration of age-structured prey contradicts previous theoretical results for mesopredator release effect and intraguild predation. Superpredator eradication is vital for population recovery of long-lived insular species. Nonetheless island conservation must retain a whole-ecosystem perspective given the complex trophic relationships among multiple species on islands.     

上海崇明岛农田土壤中多氯联苯的残留特征

在上海崇明岛采集了101个耕层土壤样品,利用GC-μECD测定了8种多氯联苯(PCBs)浓度,并对其进行多元统计分析,探讨了其可能的污染来源.结果表明,样品PCBs浓度范围为n.d.~261ng/g,均值为56.0ng/g,低氯联苯含量和检出率均较高.不同土壤利用方式对PCBs残留量有一定影响,表现为水稻田土壤>大棚蔬菜西瓜田土壤>露天蔬菜西瓜田土壤.主成分分析和相关性研究结果显示,土壤中低氯联苯同系物间相关性较好,污染来源可能为同一类.     

长兴岛邻近海域的沉积物粒度参数特征及物源分析

采用筛分法和吸液法分析长兴岛邻近海域11个表层沉积物样品,获得了1Φ间隔的粒度参数数据。分析结果表明,临港工业区附近海域的沉积物类型主要有G、S、S-T-Y、TS、YS、G-S-T、ST、YT共8种,S和ST是该区的优势和次优势组份。平均粒径在-1~2.623Φ,分选系数在0.221~3.213,偏态在0.311~1.311,峰态在0.828~3.978。基于沉积物各粒级的空间分布规律,对研究区域的物质来源情况,进行了分析讨论。