N deposition as a threat to the World's protected areas under the Convention on Biological Diversity

This paper combines the world’s protected areas (PAs) under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), common classification systems of ecosystem conservation status, and current knowledge on ecosystem responses to nitrogen (N) deposition to determine areas most at risk. The results show that 40% (approx. 11% of total area) of PAs currently receive >10 kg N/ha/yr with projections for 2030 indicating that this situation is not expected to change. Furthermore, 950 PAs are projected to receive >30 kg N/ha/yr by 2030 (approx. twice the 2000 number), of which 62 (approx. 11,300 km²) are also Biodiversity Hotspots and G200 ecoregions; with forest and grassland ecosystems in Asia particularly at risk. Many of these sites are known to be sensitive to N deposition effects, both in terms of biodiversity changes and ecosystem services they provide. Urgent assessment of high risk areas identified in this study is recommended to inform the conservation efforts of the CBD.     

机械排烟作用下无机防烟卷帘防烟特性的实验研究

采用全尺寸模拟实验,通过测量机械排烟作用下无机防烟卷帘背火面壁面的平均温升、卷帘缝隙处的烟气流动等,对无机防烟卷帘在机械排烟作用下的防烟特性展开研究。结果表明:无机防烟卷帘在发生火灾时自动下降至地面,在机械排烟作用下,在20 m in的实验时间内,基本上能将烟气阻挡在模拟着火房间内,只有极少量烟气进入模拟中庭,卷帘背火面壁面温度接近环境温度;该无机防烟卷帘具有良好的挡烟耐热性能,火灾时可以保证非着火区域人员的安全疏散。本文研究可为该种新型无机防烟卷帘在复杂中庭防火设计中的应用提供实验支持。     

基于GIS与RUSLE的武陵山区小流域土壤侵蚀评价研究

以长江中下游武陵山区女儿寨小流域为研究区,基于数据观测积累及实地调查采样等方法,计算了研究区降雨侵蚀力、土壤可蚀性等因子,运用GIS与RUSLE评价了流域土壤侵蚀强度并分析了其与土地利用方式、海拔高度的关系。结果表明,流域平均土壤侵蚀强度为78844 t/（km2·a）,属微度侵蚀,流域面积9518%的范围发生轻度以下的侵蚀,强烈以上侵蚀仅占1.19%。从土地利用类型来看,耕地、果园侵蚀强度较大,均达到中度侵蚀,有林地除竹林地为轻度侵蚀外均属微度侵蚀,耕地、果园、竹林地是今后水土流失防治的主要地类。不同海拔高度中,低海拔（200～400 m）区域侵蚀量占到流域侵蚀总量的6442%,是水土流失防治的重点地带。研究为应用修正通用土壤流失方程在武陵山区进行土壤侵蚀评价提供范例,为研究区防治土壤侵蚀和流域管理规划决策提供相应参考     

贵阳市区大气降水中有机酸的研究

利用ICS-90常规离子色谱结合RFC-30型淋洗液在线发生器,对贵阳市区大气降水中的小分子有机酸进行了系统研究。测得贵阳市降水中的有机酸主要以甲酸[质量分数为(0.2-4.5)×10-6]、乙酸[质量分数为(0.6-5.3)×10-6]、草酸[质量分数为(0.1-4.9)×10-6]为主,其次是乳酸和丙酮酸,及少量丙酸和甲烷磺酸;有机酸对降水自由酸平均贡献为23.2%,占总阴离子的1.4%;通过比较贵阳市区有机酸前后二十年的变化,得出现阶段可能至少有近1/2乙酸和3/4甲酸来源于人类的活动,这说明有机酸人为源是其来源的重要组成部分。     

硫化矿物中无机盐及重金属离子溶出的影响因素探讨

基于浸泡试验,在不同的时间、温度、酸碱度、固液比等条件下研究硫化矿物中无机盐和重金属离子的溶出反应,得到影响该溶出反应的重要因素,为实际矿业生产过程中硫化矿物的堆放和处理提供了理论依据.     

成都市城区大气细颗粒物水溶性离子污染特征

为了解成都市城区大气细颗粒物水溶性离子污染特征,在成都市城区四季采集PM2.5有效样品共计102个,测得颗粒物质量浓度以及水溶性离子质量浓度(NH4+、Ca2+、Na+、Mg2+、K+、F-、NO3-、SO42-、Cl-),并分析其浓度变化特征,重点关注二次无机离子的污染特征及形成影响.结果表明,成都市城区水溶性离子与...     

Testing hypotheses on shape and distribution of ecological response curves

Niche theory with hypotheses on shape and distribution of ecological response curves is used in the studies of resource sharing of competing plant species. Predictions based on theory should be applicable when, e.g., effects of competing species on the ecological tolerances are assessed or species’ diversity along a resource gradient is evaluated. We studied the ecological response curves of competing plant species along a resource gradient in boreal forests. The study was based on nation-wide soil and vegetation data collected from 455 sample plots on boreal forests in Finland. Species response curves along a soil fertility gradient (in terms of C/N ratio) were estimated using generalized additive models. Distribution of species optima and the relationship of niche width and skewness to the location of the optimum were analyzed with new bootstrap tests. The developed tests can account for the effects of truncation observed in the response curves of several species and for the uneven distribution of observations on the gradient.The estimated response curves of the major field layer species of boreal forests were not evenly distributed along soil C/N gradient. The density of optima peaked with relatively high nitrogen availability. Species with optima at low nitrogen availability had relatively broad realized niches. Niche width was negatively correlated with the density of optima. Species optima were packed and niches were narrow at high resource levels. This result suggests that a greater number of more specialized species can occur and interspecific competition decreases niche widths at high resource levels. Species were packed in the gradient where the C/N ratio was lower than 25, i.e., in conditions where nitrification can take place. This indicates that the majority of the vascular plants of boreal forests are favoured by the availability of NO₃⁻. Those few species thriving at high C/N ratios have broader realized niches.     

Rain‐washing of foliar deposits of Dimilin®WP‐25 formulated in four different carrier liquids

Abstract

Dimilin^® WP‐25, a wettable powder formulation of diflubenzuron (DFB) [1‐(4‐chlorophenyl)‐3‐(2,6‐difluorobenzoyl) urea], was formulated in four different carrier liquids, viz., water; a light petroleum paraffinic oil, ID 585; a heavy paraffinic oil, Sunspray^® 7N; and a 1:2 mixture of a light petroleum aromatic solvent (Cyclosol^® 63) and canola oil; to provide four end‐use mixtures, Dim‐W, Dim‐585, Dim‐7N and Dim‐Cy‐C respectively, each containing 28 g of DFB per litre. Balsam fir branch tips clipped from greenhouse‐grown seedlings, and sugar maple branch tips clipped from field‐grown young trees, were exposed to uniform‐sized droplets (ranging in diameters from 135 to 190 μm) of the four end‐use mixtures which were atomized using a monodispersed droplet generator. Droplets were collected on the fir and maple branch tips and the initial residue per g fresh weight of foliage was determined by high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The branch tips were exposed to cumulative rainfall of 3, 6 and 10 mm at an intensity of 5 mm/h and at time intervals of 1, 12, 36 and 72 h after DFB treatment, to test the influence of ‘ageing’ of foliar residues on rainfastness. Foliar samples were collected for residue determination just before the onset of rainfall, and at 0.5 h post‐rain. DFB was quantified by the HPLC method. In the case of fir foliage, the Dim‐W formulation was the most susceptible to rain‐washing and the rainfastness did not increase with the ageing period of foliar deposits. In contrast, the three oil‐based mixtures showed greater rainfastness depending upon the carrier liquid and the ageing period. Rainfastness decreased in the order of Dim‐Cy‐C > Dim‐7N > Dim‐585 > Dim‐W. In contrast, the data on maple foliage indicated that the ageing of deposits increased the rainfastness of all the 4 end‐use mixtures. Dim‐585 was the most susceptible to rain washing, and rainfastness decreased in the order of Dim‐W > Dim‐Cy‐C > Dim‐7N > Dim‐585.     

Interannual Changes in the C:N:P Ratios of Seston and Zooplankton of a High Mountain Lake in Sierra Nevada,Spain

We investigated the carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus content inthe seston and the zooplankton of a high-mountain lake duringthree years of contrasting physical and chemical conditions.Carbon in seston was ten times higher in 1995 than in 1996 and1997. Phosphorus content in seston was variable for the studyperiod, increasing gradually towards late summer in 1995, butpeaking abruptly in 1996 and 1997, reflecting atmosphericdepositions. Seston C:P were high and did not fit any definitepattern in 1995, and were particularly low after the thaw, increasing towards mid-summer in 1996 and 1997. As the seasonprogressed, major decreases in these ratios occurred coincidingwith important atmospheric inputs in the lake area. ZooplanktonN:P and C:P were negatively associated to the appearance ofrotifers and copepod nauplii in 1995, but positively correlatedto the ontogenetic development of the most abundant species,Mixodiaptomus laciniatus, in 1996. Seasonal variations inzooplankton N:P and C:P ratios showed limited interannual, butlarge intraannual variability. The comparison between the bulkcarbon in seston and zooplankton demands for this elementindicated that zooplankton were above food-quantity thresholdsfor maximum growth in 1995, 1996 and mid-season of 1997,therefore suffering only from food-quantity constraints afterthe thaw (nauplii dominance) and towards late season (adultdominance) in the latter year. The high C:P ratios in sestonrelative to zooplankton in 1995 imply that the zooplankton mayhave faced severe food-quality constraints (in terms ofphosphorus) during this year. Differences between bulkzooplankton and seston elemental nutrients are also discussed inrelation to the competitive abilities of species, andparticularly of Daphnia.     

Monitoring of eutrophication and nutrient limitation in the Izmir Bay (Turkey) before and after Wastewater Treatment Plant

The distribution of inorganic nutrients and phytoplankton chlorophyll-a was investigated and N/P ratios were determined in Izmir Bay during 1996-2001. The average concentrations showed ranges of 0.01-0.19 and 0.01-10 microM for phosphate-phosphorus; 0.11-1.8 and 0.13-27 microM for (nitrate+nitrite)-nitrogen, 0.30-4.1 and 0.50-39 microM for silicate and 0.02-4.3 and 0.10-26 microg l(-1) for chlorophyll-a in the outer and middle-inner bays, respectively. The results are compared with the values obtained from the relatively unpolluted waters of the Aegean Sea. The N/P ratio is significantly lower than the assimilatory optimal (N/P=15:1) in conformity with Redfield's ratio N/P=16:1. Nitrogen is the limiting element in the Izmir Bay. Phosphate, which originates from detergents, is an important source for eutrophication in the bay, especially in the inner bay. In early 2000, a Wastewater Treatment Plant (WTP) began to treat domestic and industrial wastes. This plant treats the wastes about 60% capacity between 2000 and 2001. The sampling periods cover before and after treatment plant. Although the capacity of wastewater plant is sufficient for removal of nitrogen from the wastes, it is inadequate for removal of phosphate. This is also in accordance with the decreasing N/P ratios observed during 2000-2001 (after WTP) in the middle-inner bays.