Biological complexity confounds the separation of point- and non-point sources of human impact on the natural world

Identifying process from pattern is one of the most vexing tasks inenvironmental monitoring. Given information on the distribution of speciesin a pre-defined area, together with comprehensive data on how environmentalconditions in that area have altered through time, is it possible toidentify the factors controlling the species‘ layout? Here, the practicalsignificance of this quandary is demonstrated using a series ofenvironmentally-degraded coastal lagoons in New South Wales. The TuggerahLakes (33°17′S,151°30′E) have over the last 50 yearsexperienced significant changes in species‘ distributions. Seagrasses,macroalgae, phytoplankton, molluscs, prawns and the jellyfish Catostylus mosaicus have altered in spatial pattern. Two human activitieshave been blamed for these perturbations: (1) agricultural clearance ofnative vegetation from the catchment, with associated input of top-soil andnutrients; (2) the commissioning of a coal-fired power station in 1967, withmassive uptake and recirculation of lake water for cooling purposes. In thispaper, spatial changes in macrophyte distributions over the last 50 yearsare reviewed in an attempt to identify the true source(s) of perturbation.The model adopted assumes that the power station is a point source of impactwhile nutrient inputs from the catchment are a diffuse source of impact;changes in species distributions can hypothetically be related back to thesesources according to whether they are localised or widespread. However,after a comprehensive analysis of available macrophyte data derived frominterviews, aerial photography and line transect methodologyies theconclusion is reached that changes in biogeographical pattern around theTuggerah Lakes cannot be attributed to specific anthropogenic pressures atanything beyond the coarsest of levels. This is considered to be the normfor most coastal management situations where natural background variation(’noise‘) and the complexity of linkages between physical, chemical andbiological components confounds the identification of causal relationships.The practical implications of this conclusion are discussed in the contextof litigation and remedial management design. Emphasis is placed on theneed to adopt an adaptive approach to estuarine management, incorporatingexplicit recognition of the limitations of available data, and to developnew techniques for identifying cause-effect relationships.     

Obligations to animals are based on rights

Some feminist philosophers criticize the idea of human rights because, they allege, it encapsulates male bias; it is therefore misguided, in their view, to extend moral rights to non-human animals. I argue that the feminist criticism is misguided. Ideas are not biased in favour of men simply because they originate with men, nor are ideas themselves biased in favour of men because men have used them prejudicially. As for the position that women should abandon theories of rights and embrace an ethic that emphasizes care: women who made this choice would not so much liberate themselves from the patriarchy as they would conform to its representation of women as emotional, subjective and irrational. There is, then, no good reason to withhold ascribing rights to non-human animals, based on the criticisms of rights made by some feminists.Some of the material in the discussion of the feminist critique of rights originally appeared in my The Case for Animal Rights: A Decade's Passing inA Quarter Century of Value Inquiry: Presidential Addresses of the American Society of Value Inquiry, edited by Richard T. Hull, pp. 451–455. Amsterdam and Atlanta, GA: Rodopi, 1994. These passages are reprinted with the permission of the editor and publisher, whose thoughtful co-operation is gratefully acknowledged.     

沿江施工产生悬浮物对环境影响分析

通过对太仓港围滩吹填工程施工过程泥浆水的采样分析，研究涉及工程施工过程泥浆扩散和演变规律；进而评价吹填工程施工引起悬浮物的增加对水质、水生生物和鱼类的影响。     

金鱼藻对Cu2+的生物吸附特征

研究了沉水植物金鱼藻对Cu2 的吸附动力学及热力学特征.结果表明,金鱼藻对Cu2 的吸附在20min内达到平衡,吸附动力学的实验结果符合伪二级动力学方程,其相关系数达到0.9937,表明该吸附为多种反应同时作用的复杂过程.用Langmuir和Freundlich2种吸附等温式拟合吸附热力学的实验结果表明,以Langmuir模型拟合效果更好,相关系数为0.9977,其最大吸附量为7.79mg/g.在解吸实验中,各浓度组的解吸率均在1%以下,表明金鱼藻对Cu2 的吸持作用较强.     

混凝研究中的界面过程化学:IPF-颗粒物-水溶液的相互作用

仅以IPF 颗粒物 水溶液的相互作用为例 ,对混凝研究中二界面过程化学领域的进展加以介绍 .研究结果表明 ,经过预制的聚合铝在混凝过程中表现出较好的形态稳定性 ,而传统混凝剂则强烈地受溶液化学过程 ,尤其是溶液pH值的影响 .混凝剂水解聚合形态倾向于在颗粒物表面吸附沉积 ,而直接引发混凝作用 .单体形态则通过转化为聚合、沉淀形态起混凝作用     

深入认识生态承载力的空间构成发展节约化畜牧业的初探

内蒙古自治区位于祖国北部边疆，地域辽阔，是我国北疆的绿色屏障，由于自然条件的制约，草场保护与草地资源利用间的矛盾比较突出。近几年我区的过度放牧和养殖，使草地面积退化，而且草地建设严重滞后。我区有得天独厚的风能和水资源，但资源分布不均，东部地区水资源和草地资源丰富，而中西部地区风能资源丰富，如何充分认识与利用资源空间有机组成，充分利用生态承载力，实现生存与生态良性发展，则显得十分重要。本文要结合我区的风、水、土、草等资源的分布条件，探讨我区走协调发展的道路。     

城市特定生境下土壤动物的生态分布

通过对2002年9月至2003年3月间上海3种生境类型下土壤动物的调查,共捕获土壤动物3863个,属27个类群,其中绿地中的类群数和个体数多于农田和废弃地。农田中的优势类群为弹尾类(collembola)和蚯蚓类(Oligchaeta);废弃地中的优势类群为线虫类(Nematoda)、双翅类幼虫(Diptera(L))、螨类(Acarina)和弹尾类(Collembola);绿地中的优势类群为线蚓类(Enchytraeidae)和弹尾类(Collembola)。绿地中的优势类群为农田和绿地中的Simpson,优势度指数除12月外均高于废弃地,与Pielou均匀性指数相反,但Shannon-Wiener多样性指数规律不明显。土壤动物的数量和种类在10月份最多,随天气转冷而减少,绿地和废弃地中土壤动物个体数于次年3月份逐渐增多,农田中的于次年1月逐渐增多。表聚性显著,Ⅰ层(0～5cm)最多,Ⅱ(5～10cm)、Ⅲ(10～15cm)两层差异不大。     

论小于63μm粒级作为水体颗粒物重金属研究介质的合理性及有关粒级转换模型研究

粒度是影响水体颗粒物中重金属含量的重要因素。研究了与此有关的两个问题：１．对各种粒度校正方法进行了讨论，论证了以小于６３μｍ粒级作为水体颗粒物中重金属研究介质的合理性：２．由于我国文献中大量资料是关于小于５０μｍ粒级颗粒物的，为使其与小于６３μｍ粒级数据有对比性，我们采集了我国东部自北至南地理、水文条件显著不同的十数条河流共２７个表层沉积物样品，对Ｃｕ、Ｐｂ、Ｚｎ、Ｃｄ、Ｃｏ、Ｎｉ、Ｆｅ、Ｍｎ等７种重金属元素在小于５０μｍ和小于６３μｍ两种粒级中的含量进行了分析，以简约主轴法回归模型Ⅱ建立了两种粒级中重金属含量的回归模型。     

泸沽湖特有水生生物的保护初探

泸沽湖有水生生物 133种。本文对其种群结构、数量作了调查 ,分析了特有种水生生物结构变化原因是不合理利用 ,应通过管理措施和工程措施保护特有水生生物     

Progress in the research on aquatic environmental nonpoint source pollution in China

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