Evaluation of Operational National Weather Service Gridded Flash Flood Guidance over the Arkansas Red River Basin

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service (NWS) flash flood warnings are issued by Weather Forecast Offices and are underpinned by information from the Flash Flood Guidance (FFG) system operated by the River Forecast Centers (RFCs). This study focuses on the quantitative evaluation and limitations of the FFG system using reported flash flood cases in 2010 and 2011. The flash flood reports were obtained from the NWS Storm Event database for the Arkansas‐Red Basin RFC (ABRFC). The current FFG system at the ABRFC provides gridded flash flood guidance (GFFG) system using the NWS Hydrology Laboratory‐Research Distributed Hydrologic Model to translate the upper zone soil moisture to estimates of Soil Conservation Service Curve Numbers. Comparisons of the GFFG and real‐time Multisensor Precipitation Estimator‐derived Quantitative Precipitation Estimate for the same duration and location were used to analyze the success of the system. Typically, the six‐hour duration was characterized by higher probability of detection values than the three‐hour duration, which highlights the difficulty of hydrologic process estimation for shorter time scales. The current system does not take into account physical characteristics such as land use, including irrigated agricultural farm and urban areas, hence, overly dry soil moisture estimates over these areas can lower the success rate of the GFFG product.     

Geochemical forms of trace metals in mangrove sediments—Red Sea (Egypt)

Seven sediment samples from mangrove sediments of the Red Sea were taken in order to evaluate the possible contamination of the sediments by trace metals (iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd)). Sequential extraction techniques were performed to study the different geochemical forms of these metals. X-ray diffraction analysis has been performed to correlate the mineralogical composition with the geochemical forms of the studied elements. The results of Fe and Mn contents indicate that they are in large part from lithogenous origin. The elevated concentrations are associated with the residual form ranged from 70 to 93% for Fe and 46 to 70% for Mn. The percentage of Zn, Cu, Cd and Pb in the non-residual form was much greater than that of the residual fractions. This reflects the high mobility and bioavailability of these metals in mangrove sediments of the Red Sea. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed the presence of silicate components including quartz, feldspars and clay minerals in some locality. Non-silicate components recorded in the study area as calcite as well as, Mg-calcite. Quantitatively both components i.e. silicate and carbonate varied according to their source material.     

城市生态保护红线划定技术研究——以宜昌市为例

划定生态保护红线,是生态文明建设的一项重要任务,对维护国家和区域生态安全及经济社会可持续发展具有重要的战略意义。目前,城市化发展中面临着突出生态环境问题,在城市层面开展生态保护红线的划定工作显得更加紧迫。但现阶段生态保护红线的划分技术上仍处于不断探索与完善阶段。基于此,文章以湖北省宜昌市为例,利用RS和GIS技术,采用"识-评-落-融-分"的技术流程,提出了一套城市生态保护红线体系与划分方法。结果表明:宜昌市生态保护红线体系划分为3个层级:生态保护红线区、生态保护黄线区和生态保护绿线区;生态保护红线区、黄线区和绿线区分别占全市面积的48.83%、31.50%和19.67%。     

中国生物多样性变化趋势分析

在生物多样性受到严重威胁前提下,为评估中国生物多样性保护的成效,引入了世界自然保护联盟(IUCN)开发设计的红色名录指数(Red List Index,RLI),结合我国实际情况修订后,计算脊椎动物和维管植物的红色名录指数。结果显示,以均值法(Equal-steps method)计算的脊椎动物RLI有所上升,脊椎动物整体多样性丧失速率下降;而以灭绝风险法(Extinction risk method)计算的脊椎动物RLI有所下降,表明有部分高濒危等级的脊椎动物物种进一步丧失;两种方法计算的维管植物RLI均有所下降,说明维管植物多样性丧失速率加快;而基于均值法计算的维管植物RLI下降速率更快,说明数量较多的物种丧失速率加快,亟需加强保护。这是RLI在国家水平上进行应用,也是在国家水平上对RLI指数进行验证,计算结果将为我国生物多样性保护提供参考。     

阳离子絮凝剂P(AM-DAC)的合成、表征及应用

以丙烯酰胺(AM)和丙烯酰氧乙基三甲基氯化铵(DAC)为单体,过硫酸钾(KPS)为引发剂,通过水溶液聚合的方法合成了阳离子絮凝剂P(AM-DAC)。探讨了单体配比、单体浓度、引发剂用量、反应时间、反应温度等因素对阳离子聚丙烯酰胺(CPAM)主要性能的影响。实验得出了较佳的反应条件:聚合温度为70℃,引发剂用量为0.16%,单体配比m(AM):m(DAC)=1:8,总单体浓度为20%,反应时间3 h。在上述条件下,所得阳离子聚丙烯酰胺絮凝剂的特性黏数为18.692 4 dL/g,在其加入量为0.003%的条件下处理巡司河污水,上层清液透光率达90.7%,污泥脱水率达89.2%。并对该聚合物絮凝剂的结构和热行为进行了表征。     

水射流空化强化光催化处理活性艳红模拟废水

采用水射流空化强化TiO2光催化处理活性艳红X-3B模拟废水3.3 L,进行了自来水与蒸馏水的效果比较并初步研究了反应温度、催化剂投加量、溶液pH、染料初始质量浓度以及空化管喉管直径对染料去除率的影响。针对模拟废水,实验结果表明:该工艺克服了传统光催化技术中催化剂容易团聚的不足,使反应能够持续进行。溶剂全部为蒸馏水的脱色率和表观反应动力学常数分别是溶剂全部为自来水的2.1倍和4.2倍。在最优条件下:染料初始质量浓度30 mg/L,pH 3.0,温度60℃,TiO2投加量150 mg/L,反应进行90 min后染料脱色率可以达到96%。而在结合实际情况优化后的推荐值下,pH 6.0,温度40℃,空化管喉管直径选用1.5mm,其它条件不变,染料脱色率及COD去除率分别为69%和54%,该结果更能指导实践。     

Nest site selection in the open-nesting honeybee Apis florea

We studied nest site selection by swarms of the red dwarf honeybee, Apis florea. By video recording and decoding all dances of four swarms, we were able to determine the direction and distances indicated by 1,239 dances performed by the bees. The bees also performed a total of 715 nondirectional dances; dances that were so brief that no directional information could be extracted. Even though dances converged over time to a smaller number of areas, in none of the swarms did dances converge to one site. As a result, even prior to lift off, bees performed dances indicating nest sites in several different directions. Two of four swarms traveled directly in what seemed to be the general direction indicated by the majority of dances in the half hour prior to swarm lift off. The other two traveled along circuitous routes in the general direction indicated by the dances. We suggest that nest site selection in A. florea has similar elements to nest site selection in the better-studied Apis mellifera. However, the observation that many more locations are indicated by dances prior to lift off also shows that there are fundamental differences between the two species.     

Extirpation of Macroalgae (Sargassum spp.) on the Subtropical East Australian Coast

Abstract: Populations of large brown algae of the Laminariales and Fucales (Phaeophyta) have declined or been extirpated from many locations on temperate coasts worldwide. We conducted field surveys and a literature review, and examined herbarium specimens, through which we discovered previously unreported extirpations of large brown algal species from a tropical and subtropical coastline. Sargassum amaliae, S. aquifolium, S. carpophyllum, S. polycystum, and S. spinifex were common habitat‐forming macroalgae that supported diverse assemblages of invertebrates and smaller algae before urbanization began in 1970 along the 45‐km length of Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. Causes of these extirpations are not known, but are consistent with losses of other large brown algal species from coastal areas undergoing urbanization or eutrophication. Sargassum spp. do not have the characteristics thought to protect marine species from extinction (large geographical ranges, occurrence on many different substrata, long‐distance dispersal). Some local Sargassum spp. are endemic to eastern Australia. Abundance of Sargassum is limited by suitable substrata on the sandy southern Queensland coast (370 km). These substrata are 12 rocky headlands separated by long (5–105 km) sandy beaches. Most multicellular propagules (the only motile stage in Sargassum) settle within 1–3 m of parental thalli, which restricts long‐distance dispersal needed to maintain connectivity among populations and to recolonize areas of the headlands from which populations have been extirpated. Local Sargassum spp. could be categorized as data deficient by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), but the IUCN vulnerable category is more accurate given extirpations, limited habitat, and the lack of connectivity among populations.     

Status Assessment of New Zealand's Naturally Uncommon Ecosystems

Abstract: Globally, ecosystems are under increasing anthropogenic pressure; thus, many are at risk of elimination. This situation has led the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to propose a quantitative approach to ecosystem‐risk assessment. However, there is a need for their proposed criteria to be evaluated through practical examples spanning a diverse range of ecosystems and scales. We applied the IUCN's ecosystem red‐list criteria, which are based on changes in extent of ecosystems and reductions in ecosystem processes, to New Zealand's 72 naturally uncommon ecosystems. We aimed to test the applicability of the proposed criteria to ecosystems that are naturally uncommon (i.e., those that would naturally occur over a small area in the absence of human activity) and to provide information on the probability of ecosystem elimination so that conservation priorities might be set. We also tested the hypothesis that naturally uncommon ecosystems classified as threatened on the basis of IUCN Red List criteria contain more threatened plant species than those classified as nonthreatened. We identified 18 critically endangered, 17 endangered, and 10 vulnerable ecosystems. We estimated that naturally uncommon ecosystems contained 145 (85%) of mainland New Zealand's taxonomically distinct nationally critical, nationally endangered, and nationally vulnerable plant species, 66 (46%) of which were endemic to naturally uncommon ecosystems. We estimated there was a greater number of threatened plant species (per unit area) in critically endangered ecosystems than in ecosystems classified as nonthreatened. With their high levels of endemism and rapid and relatively well‐documented history of anthropogenic change, New Zealand's naturally uncommon ecosystems provide an excellent case‐study for the ongoing development of international criteria for threatened ecosystems. We suggest that interactions and synergies among decline in area, decline in function, and the scale of application of the criteria be used to improve the IUCN criteria for threatened ecosystems.     

两性猕猴桃株系“龙山红”的生物学特征

“龙山红”是从四川省龙门山南段的野生彩色猕猴桃中筛选出的一个两性花品种，平均单果重65．59g，可溶性固形物含量14．6％、总糖含量10．2％，果实酸甜适口，香气浓厚。果实成熟后中柱外围（即种子外侧）的果肉成淡红色，果实较耐贮运。首次发现雌雄同体且充分发育的两性花猕猴桃品种，在理论上和生产上都具有重要的意义。