Vegetable Oil Spills - Pollution Or Over-Cautiousness?

Vegetable oil spills are relatively uncommon compared to those of mineral oil in the marine environment. Evidence from the spillages that have occurred indicate that they can cause the death of animals in the vicinity through suffocation, inhibition of feeding and other non-specific toxic effects. Smothering of the intertidal area may lead to the development of anoxic conditions with associated changes in species diversity. Polymerisation appears to be a key process in determining the persistence of these oils in the intertidal region. Experiments have indicated that indigenous bacteria are capable of degrading the oil until it polymerises and work is being directed towards determining mechanisms to aid in the degradation process. in conclusion, vegetable oils are pollutants although the risk to the marine environment is small but that does not mean we should not be prepared for such events.     

我国历史生物地理学研究的开拓者——文焕然先生诞辰100周年祭

文焕然是开拓历史生物地理学的著名历史地理学家。在历史植物地理方面的贡献主要有：（1）论作发表早于中国历史地理学形成;（2）研究兼及群落与学科分类系统,尤对北方竹林与全国性及研究力量薄弱省级政区的森林分布与变迁有较全面、深入的研究;（3）研究方法兼顾自然科学与人文科学,深入实地考察、调查,订正、补充文献中讹传与疏漏,探讨影响因素并提出建议;（4）具有知难而进、厚积薄发、不断扩展与深化等研究特点。对历史动物地理学的贡献主要有：（1）发表论作较早;（2）主要涉及爬行纲、鸟纲、兽纲中多珍稀物种研究;（3）成果可作为生态环境变化代用指标、古脊椎动物与现代动物及相关学科领域研究参考、森林与竹林分布佐证,历久弥坚,得到国外学者重视。     

内蒙古草原煤矿区周边土壤汞分布特征

为探究汞(Hg)对内蒙古地区草原土壤的影响,于2015年5月～2016年5月对呼伦贝尔(HB)、鄂尔多斯(ER)、霍林郭勒(HL)和锡林浩特(XL)电厂周边土壤Hg分布进行研究。设计采样路线,分别位于四个地区的东、西、南、北,每条路线上每隔5km布点,对土壤样品进行采集,并用原子荧光光度计(普析通用PF-7原子荧光光度计)对土壤中Hg含量进行测定。实验结果表明:四个地区土壤Hg含量的平均值均高于Hg在土壤中的背景值,受人为活动干扰明显;空间积累特征为:土壤中Hg的超背景值倍率由污染源的中心向四周逐渐递减,但各方向上的递减速率差异很大,各方向上的传输距离也有一定差异,其空间分布表现出明显的方向性;利用单因子指数法(P)和潜在生态危害指数法(Ei)对四个地区汞的污染程度及风险评价进行分析发现,PHB处于无污染状态,PER属于轻度污染,PHL和PXL属于中度污染; HB和ER地区分别属于强生态风险程度(Ⅲ级)、很强生态风险程度(Ⅳ级)、HL和XL地区属于极强生态风险程度(Ⅴ级)。     

Portraying the Perils to Polar Bears: The Role of Empathic and Objective Perspective-taking Toward Animals in Climate Change Communication

Images of animals, particularly polar bears, harmed by climate change are often used in environmental campaigns, despite warnings of potential reactance and resultant perceived distance from the issue. As an alternative to these emotional appeals, environmental campaigns could encourage an objective (i.e., emotionally detached) perspective on climate change impacts. The present research tests the effects of a message that encourage empathic vs. objective perspectives toward polar bears harmed by climate change on emotions and subsequent support for climate change activism among 241 American adults through an online survey. Contrary to popular warnings, the present research found no reactance toward portraying harm to polar bears from climate change and no benefits of taking an objective perspective toward the polar bears. Instead, portrayals of polar bears harmed by climate change motivated both environmentalists and non-environmentalists to donate money to environmental activist groups when they took an empathic perspective toward the animals. Empathy and hope explain effects for environmentalists and empathy, hope, worry, personal guilt, and boredom explain effects for non-environmentalists.     

Multi-scales Analysis of Driving Forces on Land Use/Cover Change in China: Taking Farmland Returning to Forest or Grassland as a Case

Abstract

Increasing populations are causing an increase in food demands, and the area of cultivated land expands every year. Inappropriate land transition from ecology to production results in the constant decline of the ecological security level and influences the regional sustainable development. Adjusting unreasonable land use mode and reconstructing natural land cover are important ways to maintain and improve the ecological environment. Also reclaiming farmland as areas for forests and grasslands (FRFG) is another way. Successful implementation of FRFG in China is the result of comprehensive effect of the multi-scales driving forces. This paper analyses the driving forces of FRFG in China on a national (country)—regional (province)—local (county)—household (farmer) level scale, and the results are: driving forces at the national scale include ecological and food security and the western development of China; at the regional scale, ecological and economic benefits become the main factors to influence the dimension of FRFG under the same policy. The driving forces can be divided into 6 types: industrial structure adjustment, water source protection, flood prevention, the Three-Gorge Project protection, reduction of the amount of sediment flowing into the Yellow River and wind erosion desertification prevention. The driving forces at the local scale can be divided into 12 types with developing leading industries, increasing farmers' income and improving agricultural production conditions as the main types; at the household scale, the national policy meeting farmers' demands and the optimization of individual interests are all driving forces.     

氮沉降对草原凋落物分解的影响

大气氮沉降增加是全球变化的重要现象之一,草原生态系统对氮沉降增加的响应成为草地生态学的研究热点之一。凋落物分解是草原生态系统养分循环和能量流动的主要途径,氮沉降增加引起草原植物群落结构变化,导致凋落物质量、土壤肥力、土壤微生物和土壤动物的变化,最终影响凋落物的分解。本文综述了氮沉降对草原凋落物结构、化学组成和分解环境的影响等方面的国内外最新研究进展,讨论了需进一步加强研究的内容,以期为进一步拓展该领域研究的广度和深度、为全面分析和评估全球变化对草原生态系统的影响提供参考。     

General Evaluation of Risk Associated With the Use of Pesticides and Other Chemical Substances on Animal Breeding and Plant Production Farms

Abstract

A general characteristic of chemical risk on plant production farms in Poland is presented. The paper describes risk associated with the natural occurrence of chemical substances (such as ammonium and hydrogen sulfide) in the process of animai breeding and risk connected with the use of artificial fertilizers and pesticides. Pesticides are briefly described taking into consideration toxicity classes and the toxic effect of individual compounds. Exposure to pesticides is presented for individual methods and related activities. Finally, the author discusses pesticide risk on fruit-growing farms and in greenhouses.     

油田开发区域草原生态环境演变规律及保护恢复对策

针对目前大庆地区草原面积逐渐减少;草原“三化”加剧,草质变劣;草原土壤板结,污染严重以及草原支离破碎的现状,分析了油田开发建设对生态的影响,并从宏观上提出了对油田区草原植被的保护对策与恢复措施。     

Selecting suitable sites for animal waste application using a raster GIS

Rapid growth of intensive animal industries in southeast Queensland, Australia, has led to large volumes of animal waste production, which posses serious environmental problems in the Murray Darling Basin (MDB). This study presents a method of selecting sites for the safe application of animal waste as fertiliser to agricultural land. A site suitability map for the Westbrook subcatchment within the MDB was created using a geographic information system (GIS)-based weighted linear combination (WLC) model. The factors affecting the suitability of a site for animal waste application were selected, and digital data sets derived from up to 1:50,000 scale maps were acquired. After initial preprocessing, digital data sets were clipped to the size of the delineated subcatchment boundary producing input factors. These input factors were weighted using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) that employed an objectives-oriented comparison (OOC) technique to formulate the pairwise comparison matrix. The OOC technique, which is capable of deriving factor weight independently, formulated the weight derivation process by making it more logical and systematic. The factor attributes were classified into multiple classes and weighted using the AHP. The effects of the number of input factors and factor weighting on the areal extent and the degree of site suitability were examined. Due to the presence of large nonagricultural and residential areas in the subcatchment, only 16% of the area was found suitable for animal waste application. The areal extent resulting from this site suitability assessment was found to be dependent on the areal constraints imposed on each input factor, while the degree of suitability was principally a function of the weight distribution between the factors.     

Targeting sites for conservation: using a patch-based ranking scheme to assess conservation potential

Rare habitats are increasingly threatened by fragmentation and measures are required to conserve these valuable resources. Here, we present a method of targeting habitat patches for conservation using a Geographical Information System. We ranked patches of chalk grassland in the Chiltern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty using simple abiotic criteria, namely: patch area, patch shape, proximity to areas of the same habitat and surrounding land-use type. We compiled a regionally specific list of indicator species and ranked the habitat patches based on their alpha diversity (calculated from species richness). We compared the results of the two ranking schemes and identified key aggregations of the existing reserve network. These could form the basis of future habitat expansion as required by the United Kingdom Biodiversity Action Plan.