Effects of Short- and Long-Term Disturbance Resulting from Military Maneuvers on Vegetation and Soils in a Mixed Prairie Area

Loss of grassland species resulting from activities such as off-road vehicle use increases the need for models that predict effects of anthropogenic disturbance. The relationship of disturbance by military training to plant species richness and composition on two soils (Foard and Lawton) in a mixed prairie area was investigated. Track cover (cover of vehicle disturbance to the soil) and soil organic carbon were selected as measures of short- and long-term disturbance, respectively. Soil and vegetation data, collected in 1-m² quadrats, were analyzed at three spatial scales (60, 10, and 1 m²). Plant species richness peaked at intermediate levels of soil organic carbon at the 10-m² and 1-m² spatial scales on both the Lawton and Foard soils, and at intermediate levels of track cover at all three spatial scales on the Foard soil. Species composition differed across the disturbance gradient on the Foard soil but not on the Lawton soil. Disturbance increased total plant species richness on the Foard soil. The authors conclude that disturbance up to intermediate levels can be used to maintain biodiversity by enriching the plant species pool.     

Air pollutant concentrations near three Texas roadways, part II: Chemical characterization and transformation of pollutants

Spatial gradients of vehicular emitted air pollutants were measured in the vicinity of three roadways in the Austin, Texas area: (1) State Highway 71 (SH-71), a heavily traveled arterial highway dominated by passenger vehicles; (2) Interstate 35 (I-35), a limited access highway north of Austin in Georgetown; and (3) Farm to Market Road 973 (FM-973), a heavily traveled surface roadway with significant truck traffic. A mobile monitoring platform was used to characterize the gradients of CO and NO_x concentrations with increased distance from each roadway, while concentrations of carbonyls in the gas-phase and fine particulate matter mass and composition were measured at stationary sites upwind and at one (I-35 and FM-973) or two (SH-71) downwind sites. Regardless of roadway type or wind direction, concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO), nitric oxide (NO), and oxides of nitrogen (NO_x) returned to background levels within a few hundred meters of the roadway. Under perpendicular wind conditions, CO, NO and NO_x concentrations decreased exponentially with increasing distance perpendicular to the roadways. The decay rate for NO was more than a factor of two greater than for CO, and it comprised a larger fraction of NO_x closer to the roadways than further downwind suggesting the potential significance of near roadway chemical processing as well as atmospheric dilution. Concentrations of most carbonyl species decreased with distance downwind of SH-71. However, concentrations of acetaldehyde and acrolein increased farther downwind of SH-71, suggesting chemical generation from the oxidation of primary vehicular emissions. The behavior of particle-bound organic species was complex and further investigation of the size-segregated chemical composition of particulate matter (PM) at increasing downwind distances from roadways is warranted. Fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) mass concentrations, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), hopanes, and elemental carbon (EC) concentrations generally exhibited concentrations that decreased with distance downwind of SH-71. Concentrations of organic carbon (OC) increased from upwind concentrations immediately downwind of SH-71 and continued to increase further downwind from the roadway. This behavior may have primarily resulted from condensation of semi-volatile organic species emitted from vehicle sources with transport downwind of the roadway.     

Migratory crustaceans as biomonitors of metal pollution in their nursery areas. The Lesina lagoon (SE Italy) as a case study

Lichens collected in an unpolluted forest (background) in November 2004, transplanted at 41 sampling sites along the Madina-Tetteh Quarshie road, retrieved in February 2005 and analysed were found to contain higher concentrations of Manganese (Mn), Vanadium (V), lead, Cadmium (Cd), Chromium (Cr) and Nickel (Ni) than in the background area. Observations showed that of all the heavy metals studied, Manganese concentrations were highest at all sampling points with maximum values around a traffic light, an intersection and car fitting/mechanic workshops. Significant correlations were found between Ni and Mn, Mn and Cr and Mn and V. Statistical analysis also revealed a relatively even dispersion of the studied elements on the eastern side of the road than on the western side.     

RESEARCH: Optimizing the Mix of Strategies for Control of Vehicular Emissions

/ A number of strategies for the control of vehicular emissions are being considered by the Philippine government to address Metropolitan Manila's air quality problem. An analytical tool is needed for optimizing criteria pollutant reductions given the budgetary constraints. The simplest approach is to take costs and pollutant removals to be linear with each strategy's scale of activity, and this is readily solved as a linear programming problem. Another approach is to use a dynamic system of weights which shift with progressive improvements in pollutant emissions. The two approaches yield somewhat different results, suggesting the sensitivity of the solution to the assumed weights. The study also illustrates the importance of a sound methodology for evaluating priorities given to different air quality goals. One such methodology may involve a polling of expert panels and the public to gain insight into the relative importance given to competing emissions reduction goals. An informal polling of resource agency staff was conducted and discussed in this paper. The authors take the position that proper planning involves tracing intermediate steps to the final outcome and not just focusing on the latter.KEY WORDS: Vehicular emissions; Urban air quality; Emissions control; Optimization; Manila; Environmental systems analysis     

城市道路机动车排放总烃与非甲烷烃的关系

通过在西安城市道路隧道中设三个监测点对进入隧道的机动车排出的总烃（ＴＨＣ）和非甲烷烃（ＮＭＨＣ）浓度进行连续５天采样分析。结果表明城市机动车排放的碳氢化合物以非甲烷烃为主，非甲烷烃占总烃的８２５％，汽车排放ＴＨＣ和ＮＭＨＣ之间有极好的线性相关，用统计回归方法得出了机动车排放总烃和非甲烷烃的换算公式     

西安城市交通干道汽车污染物排放因子

在西安城市交通隧道内设３ 个空气监测点，对通过隧道的汽车排气形成的污染物浓度、隧道内风速、过往隧道的交通量进行采样、观测和统计。根据实测数据用大气扩散方程求得西安城市道路汽车平均单车 Ｃ Ｏ、 Ｈ Ｃ 和 Ｎ Ｏｘ 排放因子分别为３３２７９ ±１２１５８ 、３５７７ ±１８１６ 和４６０５ ±１９８１ ｍｇ／ｍ·ｖｅｈ 。与国外的成果相比，中国城市道路汽车 Ｃ Ｏ 和 Ｈ Ｃ 排放因子分别是国外发达国家汽车排放因子的２ ～９ 倍和３ ～９ 倍，而中国城市汽车 Ｎ Ｏｘ 排放因子约为发达国家汽车排放因子的二分之一。     

车辆阻塞效应下隧道火灾烟气温度及烟气逆流长度变化规律研究

通过数值模拟方法对车辆阻塞效应下的隧道火灾烟气温度及烟气逆流长度的变化规律进行了研究。主要分两种车辆阻塞效应讨论:1辆设定大小车辆障碍物阻塞;2辆设定大小车辆障碍物阻塞,且在同一车道。通过改变火源高度、纵向通风速度探究了车辆阻塞效应下隧道火灾烟气温度及烟气逆流长度的变化规律。结果表明:两种车辆阻塞效应下,随着火源高度的升高,隧道内顶棚烟气温度的变化规律相同:随火源高度的升高而增大。2辆车辆阻塞下的隧道顶棚烟气温度略低;两种车辆阻塞效应下,随着火源高度的升高,隧道内烟气逆流长度的变化规律不同。1辆车辆阻塞下烟气逆流长度随火源高度的升高而增大,而2辆车辆阻塞效应下烟气逆流长度随火源高度的升高而减小。     

Persistence and developmental transition of wide seismic lines in the western Boreal Plains of Canada

This study examined the fate of seismic lines utilized in oil and gas exploration in Canada's western Boreal Plains. It retrospectively followed the persistence, recovery and developmental transition of seismic lines established between the 1960s and the mid-1970s through to 2003. We examined lines that passed through three forest types; aspen, white spruce, and lowland black spruce. In general, the recovery rates of seismic lines to woody vegetation were low. After 35 years, 8.2% of seismic lines across all forest types had recovered to greater than 50% cover of woody vegetation. Only the upland forest types recovered; aspen and white spruce. Most seismic lines ( approximately 65% at 35 years) remained in a cleared state with a cover of low forbs. The most common transition for seismic lines was to tracked access ( approximately 20% at 35 years). Transition to other anthropogenic developments such as roads, pipelines, buildings, and timber harvest blocks was 5% after 35 years. The pulse of industrial activity initiated in the mid-1990s greatly increased the transition rate of seismic to tracked access for a short period of time. The discussion focused on natural and anthropogenic factors that hinder recovery and on the management directions that would facilitate greater recovery rates.     

Vehicular emissions in China in 2006 and 2010

Vehicular emissions in China in 2006 and 2010 were calculated at a high spatial resolution based on the data released by the National Bureau of Statistics, by taking the emission standards into consideration. China's vehicular emissions of carbon monoxide(CO),nitrogen oxides(NO_x), volatile organic compounds(VOCs), ammonia(NH_3), fine particulate matters(PM_(2.5)), inhalable particulate matters(PM_(10)), black carbon(BC), and organic carbon(OC) were 30,113.9, 4593.7, 6838.0, 20.9, 400.2, 430.5, 285.6, and 105.1 Gg, respectively, in 2006 and 34,175.2, 5167.5, 7029.4, 74.0, 386.4, 417.1, 270.9, and 106.2 Gg, respectively, in 2010. CO,VOCs, and NH_3 emissions were mainly from motorcycles and light-duty gasoline vehicles,whereas NO_X, PM_(2.5), PM_(10), and BC emissions were mainly from rural vehicles and heavyduty diesel trucks. OC emissions were mainly from motorcycles and heavy-duty diesel trucks. Vehicles of pre-China Ⅰ(vehicular emission standard of China before phase Ⅰ) and China Ⅰ(vehicular emission standard of China in phase Ⅰ) were the primary contributors to all of the pollutant emissions except NH_3, which was mainly from China Ⅲ and China Ⅳ gasoline vehicles. The total emissions of all the pollutants except NH_3 changed little from2006 to 2010. This finding can be attributed to the implementation of strict emission standards and to improvements in oil quality.     

Application of air pollution dispersion modeling for source-contribution assessment and model performance evaluation at integrated industrial estate-Pantnagar

Source-contribution assessment of ambient NO₂ concentration was performed at Pantnagar, India through simulation of two urban mathematical dispersive models namely Gaussian Finite Line Source Model (GFLSM) and Industrial Source Complex Model (ISCST-3) and model performances were evaluated. Principal approaches were development of comprehensive emission inventory, monitoring of traffic density and regional air quality and conclusively simulation of urban dispersive models. Initially, 18 industries were found responsible for emission of 39.11 kg/h of NO₂ through 43 elevated stacks. Further, vehicular emission potential in terms of NO₂ was computed as 7.1 kg/h. Air quality monitoring delineates an annual average NO₂ concentration of 32.6 μg/m³. Finally, GFLSM and ISCST-3 were simulated in conjunction with developed emission inventories and existing meteorological conditions. Models simulation indicated that contribution of NO₂ from industrial and vehicular source was in a range of 45-70% and 9-39%, respectively. Further, statistical analysis revealed satisfactory model performance with an aggregate accuracy of 61.9%.