Quantifying the environmental impact of ecovillages and co-housing communities: a systematic literature review

Many intentional communities worldwide, such as ecovillages and co-housing communities, have explicit goals of living in an environmentally sustainable manner, and are taking conscious steps towards these goals in response to the widely discussed unsustainability of the global sociotechnical system. There are numerous claims from researchers and community members, in the academic and grey literature, that intentional communities are making significant improvements towards sustainability goals, particularly in terms of environmental impact. However, actual measures of progress, with evidence supporting these claims, are relatively scarce. This paper presents the findings of a systematic review of quantitative studies of the environmental impact of intentional communities, including comparisons with relevant “mainstream” communities. The review focused on the two indicators that are most commonly reported in studies of the impact of intentional communities – the ecological footprint and the carbon footprint. This review was undertaken as there is a lack of literature reviews that comprehensively compile existing quantitative studies about intentional communities. In total, the review identified 16 separate studies covering 23 communities and 30 footprint measurements, with publication dates ranging from 2000 to 2014. This is a greater number of studies than in any other literature review of this topic. Taken as a whole, these compiled studies provide strong support for claims of greater environmental sustainability within these communities, and reinforce the need for greater research and exploration of the role sustainability-oriented intentional communities can play in the transition to more sustainable sociotechnical systems.     

DGGE、T-RFLP 、LH-PCR对两种活性污泥的微生物种群多样性分析的比较

采用基于PCR扩增的分子生态技术DGGE、T-RFLP和LH-PCR,对2种典型污水处理系统中的活性污泥（生活污泥、焦化污泥）进行微生物种群多样性分析;并以此比较3种技术的优劣,提出不同应用条件下研究方法的选择依据。根据实验结果：DGGE得到的条带较多,但误差来源也最多;T-RFLP技术较为灵敏,但需要选择适当的内切酶,严格控制酶切条件,并且文库比对误差较大;而LH-PCR操作简单,结果稳定性较高。虽然目前尚无法判断3种方法的准确性,但LH-PCR在活性污泥的微生物种群多样性分析中已显示出潜在优势。     

Effects of acute γ-irradiation on the aquatic microbial microcosm in comparison with chemicals

Effects of acute γ-irradiation were investigated in the aquatic microcosm consisting of green algae (Chlorella sp. and Scenedesmus sp.) and a blue–green alga (Tolypothrix sp.) as producers; an oligochaete (Aeolosoma hemprichi), rotifers (Lecane sp. and Philodina sp.) and a ciliate protozoan (Cyclidium glaucoma) as consumers; and more than four species of bacteria as decomposers. At 100 Gy, populations were not affected in any taxa. At 500–5000 Gy, one or three taxa died out and populations of two or three taxa decreased over time, while that of Tolypothrix sp. increased. This Tolypothrix sp. increase was likely an indirect effect due to interspecies interactions. The principal response curve analysis revealed that the main trend of the effects was a dose-dependent population decrease. For a better understanding of radiation risks in aquatic microbial communities, effect doses of γ-rays compared with copper, herbicides and detergents were evaluated using the radiochemoecological conceptual model and the effect index for microcosm.     

施肥与秸秆还田对太湖稻-油复种系统春季杂草群落特征的影响

掌握不同管理模式下稻田杂草群落特征,可以为杂草综合防治及农田生物多样性的保持提供理论依据和技术途径。借助稻-油复种系统长期定位施肥试验（江苏吴江,始于1987年）,于2007年春季监测长期不同施肥和秸秆还田对农田杂草群落的影响。施肥与秸秆还田对春季稻田杂草群落结构特征存在显著作用。长期有机无机肥配合施用下（化肥+猪粪+秸秆）杂草生物多样性和生物量均下降;长期不施氮肥下杂草总密度显著增高,达1 810 ind./m2;长期不施肥时,田间野老鹳草成为优势种群,其相对密度达879%;全年秸秆还田（化肥+油菜秸秆+水稻秸秆）下,田间优势杂草种群为禾本科的看麦娘,其相对密度达697%;秋熟水稻秸秆还田下杂草生物量下降,而生物多样性显著提高。上述结果表明,通过合理施肥和秸秆还田措施,可以对稻油复种模式中春季杂草群落进行有效调控。     

崇明东滩不同部位的季节性沉积研究

2002年4月至2003年4月,通过对崇明东滩南部、中部和北部的标志桩观测以及实地观测分析,发现崇明东滩在一年中不同季节冲淤变化过程存在很大差异：春季到夏季,南部以冲刷为主,中部和北部以淤积为主;夏季到秋季,南部和中部以淤积为主,北部表现为冲刷;秋季到冬季,南部、中部和北部都以冲刷为主;头一年冬季到次年春季,南部和北部以淤积为主,中部则表现为冲刷。在同一观测路线上,不同季节高、中、低潮滩冲淤也存在一定差异。通过对沉积物粒度、水体含沙量等指标的测试,并借助潮差等资料,探究了影响潮滩季节性沉积的因素,发现潮滩季节性沉积与潮滩基础地貌、水体含沙量、水动力、潮流等有密切关系;但在不同部位不同季节,各因素对潮滩冲淤影响程度各不相同。     

Postfire succession in a forest of the cryolithozone: The example of central Yakutia

The results of studies on postfire succession in larch forests of the permafrost zone are discussed. The main directions of successional processes in burned-out areas of different ages are described. It has been shown that secondary pyrogenic successions in larch forests follow the scheme of rapid regeneration without tree species replacement and the model of succession tolerance. Groups of plant species with different life strategies and indicator species characterizing different stages of the overgrowing of burned-out areas have been identified.     

Specific features of early stages of progressive succession in an anthropogenic landscape: An example from southeastern Belarus

Specific features of progressive succession in the vegetation of anthropogenically transformed landscapes in southeastern Belarus have been studied in permanent test plots. Using phytoindication scales proposed by Ellenberg (1974) and Tsyganov (1983), trends of changes in ecological conditions in the first years of succession have been revealed.     

Use and knowledge of fuelwood in three rural caatinga (dryland) communities in NE Brazil

The woody species known, used, and preferred as fuelwood were examined in three rural communities within the county of Soledade, Paraíba State, NE Brazil. Ethnobotanical information was collected using semi-structured interviews with more than 90% of the local households (55 adult residents; 31 women, and 24 males). The interviewees cited 36 plant species as fuelwoods, distributed among 30 genera and 15 families, in addition to two unidentified plants. The plant families represented by the largest numbers of species were Euphorbiaceae, Anacardiaceae, Mimosaceae, Caesalpiniaceae, Sapotaceae, and Fabaceae. The species Caesalpinia pyramidalis Tul. (“catingueira”) was cited with the greatest frequency in all three communities. Within the communities we found significant differences on the number of plants cited and actually used (p < 0.05), indicating that the residents knew more fuelwood species than they effectively harvest. The different distances from the communities to the urban centers were not related to differences on the use or the size of the stocks of fuelwood. Additionally, the study revealed that the communities examined still maintain a significant knowledge of the use of energy-providing plants in spite of the widespread use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Readers should send their comments on this paper to: BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.     

Accumulation, distribution and cellular partitioning of mercury in several halophytes of a contaminated salt marsh

This work evaluates the role of a plant community in mercury (Hg) stabilization and mobility in a contaminated Portuguese salt marsh. With this aim, the distribution of Hg in below and aboveground tissues, as well as the metal partitioning between cellular fractions (soluble and insoluble) in four different species (Triglochin maritima L., Juncus maritimus Lam, Sarcocornia perennis (Miller) A.J. Scott, and Halimione portulacoides (L.) Aellen) was assessed. Mercury accumulation, translocation and compartmentation between organs and cellular fractions were related to the plant species.Results showed that the degree of Hg absorption and retention was influenced both by environmental parameters and metal translocation/partitioning strategies. Different plant species presented different allocation patterns, with marked differences between monocots (T. maritima and J. maritimus) and dicots (S. perennis, H. portulacoides). Overall, the two monocots, in particular T. maritima showed higher Hg retention in the belowground organs whereas the dicots, particularly S. perennis presented a more pronounced translocation to the aboveground tissues. Considering cellular Hg partitioning, all species showed a higher Hg binding to cell walls and membranes rather than in the soluble fractions. This strategy can be related to the high degree of tolerance observed in the studied species. These results indicate that the composition of salt marsh plant communities can be very important in dictating the Hg mobility within the marsh ecosystem and in the rest of the aquatic system as well as providing important insights to future phytoremediation approaches in Hg contaminated salt marshes.     

基于高通量测序的工业园区地下水和土壤细菌群落结构比较研究

为探究工业园区地下水和土壤细菌群落结构、多样性变化特征,采用高通量测序技术对地下水和土壤细菌16S r RNA基因高变区域进行序列测定。通过对Alpha多样性、物种组成、丰度和群落结构的分析,比较地下水和土壤细菌群落结构的异同。Alpha多样性的比较结果表明,土壤细菌群落多样性和丰富度明显高于地下水,地下水细菌群落多样性指数反映出地下水已受到周边污染源的影响。物种注释结果表明,地下水样品共检出48个细菌门,土壤样品共检出50个细菌门。变形菌门(Proteobacteria)、拟杆菌门(Bacteroidetes)和厚壁菌门(Firmicutes)是地下水细菌群落的优势类群,共占93.54%,且该工业园区地下水细菌群落呈现出典型的淡水种群特征;土壤中优势细菌门为Proteobacteria、放线菌门(Actinobacteria)、酸杆菌门(Acidobacteria)、Firmicutes和芽单胞菌门(Gemmatimonadetes),共占85.21%。由于地下水和土壤两者的生态系统和理化环境的差异,致使Actinobacteria、Acidobacteria、绿弯菌门(Chloroflexi)、硝化螺旋菌门(Nitrospirae)、α-变形菌纲(Alphaproteobacteria)、δ-变形菌纲(Deltaproteobacteria)和Gemmatimonadetes占比在地下水和土壤细菌群落间差异显著,同时使地下水和土壤细菌群落各含有一些特有的优势细菌属(地下水2个,土壤4个)。基于高通量测序技术对工业园区样品的测序结果可以为地下水和土壤环境的生态评价提供方法依据。