Persistence of methyl <Emphasis Type="Italic">tertiary</Emphasis> butyl ether (MTBE) against metabolism by Danish vegetation

BACKGROUND: Methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) is the second most highly produced industrial chemical in the US and a frequent groundwater pollutant. At the same time, MTBE is quite persistent to biotic and abiotic decomposition. The goal of this study was to find plant species that could degrade MTBE and might be used in phytoremediation. METHODS: Excised roots and leaves (0.3 g) from more than 24 Danish plant species out of 15 families were kept in glass vessels with 25 ml spiked aqueous solution for 2 to 4 days. MTBE concentrations were 1 to 5 mg/L. Samples were taken directly from the solution with a needle and injected to a purge and trap unit. MTBE and the main metabolite, TBA, were measured by GC/FID. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Solutions with roots of poplar (Populus robusta) and a willow hybrid (Salix viminalis x schwerinii) produced TBA in trace amounts, probably stemming from bacteria. Significant MTBE reduction (> 10%) was not observed in any of the tests. Leaves from none of the species (trees, grasses and herbs) reduced the concentration of MTBE in the solution and no TBA, nor any other known metabolite of MTBE, was detected. CONCLUSION: It was not possible to find plants capable of efficiently degrading MTBE. This gives rise to the conclusion that plants probably cannot degrade MTBE at all, or only very slowly. RECOMMENDATIONS AND OUTLOOK: For phytoremediation projects, this has, as consequence, that the volatilization by plants (except with genetically engineered plants) is the only relevant removal process for MTBE. For risk assessment of MTBE, degradation by the plant empire is not a relevant sink process.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Juniperus oxycedrus</Emphasis> ssp.<Emphasis Type="Italic">macrocarpa</Emphasis> in SW Spain: Ecology and conservation problems

Woodlands of the Mediterranean speciesJuniperus oxycedrus ssp.macrocarpa (maritime juniper) are both vulnerable and ecologically important. Their ecology and biological status along the SW coast of Spain are not well known; this, the first major study of these juniper populations is a basis for future research and restoration policies. These communities are subject to harsh conditions, the plant composition being controlled by several factors at different scales. On a large scale, climate and soil texture play an important role in controlling the soil water availability to plants, and in separating xerophytic from mesic communities. On a small scale, coastal physiography, and substrate composition are related to differences in the floristic composition. Coastal plantations modify environmental conditions, such as sand mobility and salt spray deposition, inducing important changes in plant communities. The population of maritime juniper on this coast was estimated in ca. 25 000 individuals, of which 93.6% are concentrated in three locations. Large proportions of young individuals were found in extensive and protected populations. Howerver, adult individuals dominated the smaller populations located under pine plantations. This limitation of recruitment may be imposed by several factors. A male biased ratio was detected on the southern coast of Cádiz, which I hypothesize is due to the lower cost of pollen production in a stressful habitat. Preservation of suitable habitats, the recovery of abandoned pine plantations, and the connection between juniper populations, seem to be important requisites for the conservation of maritime juniper in the southwestern coast of Spain.     

火力发电厂灰渣场地理化性质对植物生长的影响

经实地考察分析 ,对芜湖火力发电厂灰渣场地理化性质和植物生长的关系进行了研究。结果表明 ,芜湖发电厂灰渣场地自然定居的植物仅 30种 ,大部分定居物种是适于风力传播的繁殖体 ,它和渣场周边的植物繁殖体源有重要关系。灰渣场地物理性质不良、养分不平衡而贫瘠和重金属浓度过高是限制植物定居的主要因素。     

Influences of Microhabitat Constraints and Rock-Climbing Disturbance on Cliff-Face Vegetation Communities

Abstract:  Many researchers report that rock climbing has significant negative effects on cliff biota. Most work on climbing disturbance, however, has not controlled for variation in microsite characteristics when comparing areas with and without climbing presence. Additionally, some researchers do not identify the style or difficulty level of climbing routes sampled or select climbing routes that do not represent current trends in the sport. We solved these problems by sampling climbing areas used by advanced "sport" climbers and quantifying differences in microtopography between climbed and control cliffs. We determined whether differences in vegetation existed between pristine and sport-climbed cliff faces when microsite factors were not controlled. We then determined the relative influence of the presence of climbing, cliff-face microtopography, local physical factors, and regional geography on the richness, abundance, and community composition of cliff-face vascular plants, bryophytes, and lichens. When we did not control for microsite differences among cliffs, our results were consistent with the majority of prior work on impacts of climbing (i.e., sport-climbed cliff faces supported a lower mean richness of vascular plants and bryophytes and significantly different frequencies of individual species when compared with pristine cliff faces). When we investigated the relative influences of microtopography and climbing disturbance, however, the differences in vegetation were not related to climbing disturbance but rather to the selection by sport climbers of cliff faces with microsite characteristics that support less vegetation. Climbed sites had not diverged toward a separate vegetation community; instead, they supported a subset of the species found on pristine cliff faces. Prior management recommendations to restrict development of new climbing routes should be reevaluated based on our results.     

不同植被对工业污染区盐渍土的改良效果

以包头市西郊工业污染区盐渍化弃耕地为对象，研究了不同植被对土壤水盐动态和体积质量的影响。研究表明，造林后使林地内草本植物得到较快恢复，且归还土壤的枯落物比木本植物多，改良盐渍土壤和促进脱盐的作用较好；随植被盖度增加，盐渍土土壤含盐量和体积质量降低，盐渍土性状逐步改善。因此，在实施以耐盐树种造林为先导的工业污染区盐渍土恢复植被工程时，应适当降低造林密度，以利于林地内草本植物的恢复和建立林草复合植被，提高工业污染区盐渍土的生物治理效果。     

Concentrations of arsenic and heavy metals in vegetation at two abandoned mine tailings in South Korea

Untreated abandoned mines may result in hazards to ecosystems due to dispersion of various toxic elements such as arsenic (As) and lead (Pb). Phytoremediation is an alternative of remediation for large scale mine dumps. Plant species were sampled from two abandoned gold (Au) mines in South Korea. Plant samples were digested following the guidelines of US EPA Method 3050 (US-EPA, 1996) and analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Concentrations and bioaccumulation factors of plants are reported and out-performing species are summarized. Poplar trees (Populus davidiana) growing on the Myoungbong tailings were suggested to be a potential species for revegetation of large scale Au mine tailings. Arsenic accumulations of bracken ferns (Pteridium aquilinum) sampled from the Duckum tailings were far lower than those of the reported hyperaccumulators, but the possible chronic adverse effects on residents through daily diet are of concern.     

改善城市空气质量的研究

本文分析了风、干湿沉降在城市内大气污染物清除过程中的作用，指出平均风速对大气质量起主导作用，但在清除污染物方面干湿沉降为主要过程。要改善城市大气环境，除限制排放及高烟囱集中排放外，还可在低源群四周设置防护林带及人工雨装置来清除低源烟云，并给出了林带及人工雨带宽度的计算公式。由计算可知分割设防护带方法优于区域隔离带法。     

Application of aerial remote sensing in the study on vegetation in Guangzhou,China

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自组织神经网络在有害赤潮预警研究中的应用

根据非线性理论及有害赤潮的特点，探讨应用人工神经网络原理进行赤潮预警预报的方法，提出网络可塑性较强，无监督的ART－KOHONEN网络模型，阐述了其基本原理和算法。将该模型应用于辽宁省营口市鲅鱼圈海域，结果表明：该方法能较理想地解决无训练样本的分类识别问题，具有较高的精度，可用于有害赤潮的预警预报工作。     

南极菲尔德斯半岛植被微区CO2浓度的监测

在南极苔藓植被的微环境区内 ,CO2 的浓度在 4 73 5mg·m- 3以上 ,大大高于全球CO2 的平均浓度 (3 56mg·m- 3) ,可见苔藓等植被区可能是大气CO2 的源之一 .这与特殊的南极条件下植被的生理生态特性有关 .在苔藓分布区 ,CO2 浓度日变化的主要影响因素是光照和温度 .菲尔德斯半岛变化无常的天气状况使得CO2 浓度昼夜变化规律出现局部波动 ,不同的天气状况也使CO2 浓度发生变化 .研究表明 :光照条件是CO2 浓度变化的主导影响因素 ,从CO2 浓度的季节变化中可以看出 ,CO2 浓度变化与大气温度呈负相关 ;与降水量和空气相对湿度呈正相关 .本文首次给出了极地环境下植被微区的CO2 浓度变化及其影响因素 ,为极地温室气体的研究提供了新的材料