Reduction in global habitat loss from fossil-fuel-dependent increases in cropland productivity

Terrestrial biodiversity loss and climate change, driven mainly by loss of habitat to agriculture and fossil fuel (FF) use, respectively, are considered among the world's greatest environmental threats. However, FF-dependent technologies are currently essential for manufacturing synthetic nitrogen fertilizers (SNFs) and synthetic pesticides (SPs) critical to increasing agricultural productivity, which reduces habitat loss. Fossil fuel use increases CO₂ levels, further enhancing agricultural productivity. Based on estimates of global increases in yields from SNFs, SPs, and atmospheric CO₂ fertilization, I estimated that FF-dependent technologies are responsible for at least 62.5% of current global food production (GFP) from cropland. Thus, if FF use is eschewed in the future, maintaining current GFP means croplands would have to increase from 12.2% of global land area (GLA) excluding Antarctica to 32.7%. The additional 20.4% of GLA needed exceeds habitat lost currently to cropland (12.2% of GLA) and cumulative conservation areas globally (14.6% of GLA). Thus, although eliminating FF use could reduce climate change, its unintended consequences may be to significantly exacerbate biodiversity loss and indirectly increase food costs, reducing food security which, moreover, disproportionately affects the poor. Although it may be possible to replace SNFs and SPs with FF-free technologies, such substitutes have not yet been demonstrated to be sufficiently economical or efficient. In the interim, meeting global food demand and keeping food prices affordable would increase habitat conversion and food prices. These trade-offs should be considered in analyses of climate change policies.     

Validation of the CANDY model with Russian long-term experiments

The CANDY model has been qualitatively assessed for simulating long-term dynamics of soil organic carbon and tested against different long-term experiments representing various land uses and geographical sites, but never before against conditions of the Former Soviet Union (FSU). Our goal was to simulate long-term trends in soil organic carbon for the long-term experiments of Barybino (Moscow region, Russia), Grakov (Kharkow region, Ukraine) and Yachenka (Minsk region, Belarus) representing the predominant arable soil types, climate conditions and typical management strategies for the investigated arable areas. The fit of modelled results to the observed data was evaluated to assess the suitability of the model for further applications in the FSU. The crop parameters of the CANDY model had to be adapted to the low yields observed under the Russian site conditions resulting in a higher sensitivity to crop-derived carbon input as a function of yield. The results show that the approach of treating the organic carbon situated in micro pores as inert, is an applicable solution for simulating soil carbon dynamics under Russian conditions. This evaluation of CANDY, against long-term experiments from Russia, gives confidence for its wider application in this region.     

Natural Recovery of Technogenic Landscapes in Open Larch Forests in Northeastern Russia

Studies on the vegetation and soil complexes in areas of the Kolyma River basin disturbed by mining, in the northeast of the Chukchi Peninsula, have been performed to reveal trends in natural restorative processes in posttechnogenic landscapes. Data on the flora, phytomass stock, chemical composition of plants pioneering in the overgrowing of disturbed areas, and physicochemical properties of soils and technogenic eluvia have been obtained. The results have shown that plant cover restoration in disturbed areas depends primarily on the type (genesis) of technogenic substrates, the content of fine earth in the surface layer, and the distance from natural plant complexes that serve as a source of seeds coming to the disturbed area.     

Strategy of Biological Reclamation of Chemically Polluted Ecosystems

The strategy of biological reclamation of ecosystems in the zones of chemical pollution with asymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (ADMH), a highly toxic propellant, is proposed. The strategy is based on the results of comprehensive studies on trends in the interactions of soils, plants, and accompanying microorganisms with ADMH at rocket stage drop sites and in specially established test areas, under natural and controlled conditions.__________Translated from Ekologiya, No. 3, 2005, pp. 193–200.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Ermakov, Panova, Stepanova.     

Quantifying the influence of the cultivated plant species on the occurrence of carabid beetles within certain species using contingency table analysis

The influence of the cultivated plant stand, subject to the timing of sampling, on the occurrence of selected carabid species is investigated for three years running. Due to the nominal character of the factors (cultivar, timing, carabid species and year) we used log-linear models of four dimensional contingency tables under certain hypotheses of independence. A coefficient of contingency is calculated for characterizing the partial association between two factors respectively. The difference in G 2 's between two nested models is used to test if there are differences between the three years concerning the strength of partial association between the number of beetles in the selected species and the cultivar or the sampling time respectively.     

重庆金佛山土壤中PAHs含量的海拔梯度分布及来源解析

高海拔山区的冷凝效应使其成为了持久性有机污染物(persistent organic pollutants,POPs)的储存库.利用气相色谱-质谱联用仪(GC/MS)测定了重庆金佛山南坡不同海拔高度10个表层土壤样品中多环芳烃(polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons,PAHs)的含量和组成,运用比值法和主成分分析法解析其污染来源,采用Ba P毒性当量浓度(TEQBa P)评价其生态风险.结果表明,土壤中16种优控PAHs的含量范围是240~2 121 ng·g-1,平均值为849 ng·g-1,并以2~3环为主,7种致癌性PAHs的含量平均占到了总PAHs的17.8%.研究区土壤中不同环PAHs和PAHs的总量都随着海拔的升高有增加的趋势,其中低环的增加趋势最显著,而高环的波动性较大,但不同环PAHs占总PAHs的比例并未随着海拔的升高表现出一定的规律性.研究区土壤中PAHs主要来自于石油源,石油产品以及煤炭和生物质的燃烧源.研究区土壤已受到一定程度的污染,但毒性风险较小.     

预处理方法对玉米芯作为反硝化固体碳源的影响

分别用1.5%NaOH、1%H2SO4、1.5%H2O2和碱性双氧水(含有1.5%H2O2的NaOH溶液)并联合紫外照射对玉米芯进行预处理,将预处理后玉米芯作为反硝化固体碳源和微生物载体进行静态释碳和静态反硝化实验,考察预处理后玉米芯释碳、反硝化性能及微生物附着情况.结果表明,经过碱和碱性双氧水预处理后的玉米芯碳源可利用性和反硝化效率均有显著的改善,尤其是碱预处理方法,静态反硝化反应至41 d时,仍能保持90%以上的硝酸盐去除率.因此,碱预处理方法可以改善玉米芯释碳性能,有利于微生物的附着和碳源的利用.     

城市土壤重金属污染来源研究

随着城市工业化和城市化进程的不断深入,人们越来越关注城市土壤重金属污染的问题.本文介绍了城市土壤的概念,城市土壤重金属污染的特征及其危害.重点从工业、交通、大气沉降、农用物资等自然和人为污染来源,探讨城市土壤重金属污染来源的种类和特点,并提出了城市土壤重金属污染的生物效应与食品安全、土壤重金属迁移转化规律、同位素地球化学示踪方法和城市土壤数据库建设等方面的研究展望,以期为城市土壤重金属污染的相关研究、环境改善管理和决策提供参考依据.     

论《诗经》的防灾救灾思想

我国是一个自然灾害发生比较频繁的国家,而中华民族防灾救灾的思想意识也是源远流长、极为丰富的。这些思想构成了中国优秀传统文化的重要组成部分。《诗经》中也有很多与防灾救灾思想相关的内容,如在天命禳弭、仓储备荒、疏导灌溉等方面都给我们留下一笔宝贵财富,对于我们今后的防灾救灾也将产生积极的启迪。     

化学融雪剂NaCl和KCOOH对城市街道绿化土壤中重金属Pb和Cu迁移行为的影响

长期大量使用传统氯盐型融雪剂(NaCl)导致的城市环境问题引起了广泛重视,探究甲酸钾(KCOOH)等有机替代型融雪剂的环境效应十分必要.本研究采用土柱淋溶方法探讨0.01 mol·L-1、0.05 mol·L-1和0.1 mol·L-1不同浓度NaCl和KCOOH处理对沈阳市街道绿化土壤重金属Pb、Cu迁移行为的影响.结果表明NaCl和KCOOH处理浓度的增加显著提高土壤中Pb和Cu的释放量,且同浓度NaCl和KCOOH处理土壤对Cu的释放量均高于对Pb的释放量.两种处理下土壤对Pb、Cu释放量与土壤可溶性有机质含量显著相关表明胶体运移是重金属Pb、Cu迁移的主要方式.KCOOH对土壤胶体扩散的作用较NaCl更小,以及KCOOH处理下土壤氧化还原电位降低p H升高是KCOOH对土壤Pb和Cu释放量低于NaCl的主要原因.因此,与传统无机型融雪剂NaCl相比,有机型融雪剂KCOOH可一定程度降低城市街道绿化土壤中Pb、Cu的淋溶释放.