Parasitic wasps orient to green leaf volatiles

Summary Undamaged plants emit low levels of green leaf volatiles (GLVs), while caterpillar-damaged and artificially damaged plants emit relatively higher levels of certain GLVs. Female braconid parasitoids,Microplitis croceipes, oriented to both damaged plants and to individual GLVs in no-choice tests in a wind tunnel, but seldom oriented to undamaged plants. Female ichneumonid parasitoids,Netelia heroica, also oriented to individual GLVs in a wind tunnel. Males of both wasp species failed to orient to the GLVs. These data show that leaf-feeding caterpillars can cause the release of GLVs, and that parasitic wasps can respond to these odors by flying upwind (chemoanemotactic response), which brings the wasps to their caterpillar hosts. This supports the hypothesis that plants communicate with members of the third trophic level,i.e., plants under herbivore attack emit chemical signals that guide natural enemies of herbivores to sites of plant damage. In this interaction, the GLVs serve as tritrophic plant-to-parasitoid synomones. That parasitoids from two different wasp families oriented to GLVs suggests that the response may be widespread among the Hymenoptera.Mention of a commercial or proprietary product does not constitute an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture     

黄潮土的土壤水渗漏及硝态氮淋溶研究

在黄淮海平原 1hm2 小麦 -玉米轮作田块上 ,利用水量平衡模型对黄潮土的土壤水渗漏和硝态氮淋溶状况进行了定量研究。结果表明 ,黄潮土的土壤水渗漏和硝态氮淋溶状况非常严重 ,全耕作年土壤水渗漏量达到2 73 .9mm ,为灌溉水量的 60 .6% ;硝态氮淋溶达到 81.8kg·hm-2 ,为氮输入总量的 15 .7%。     

Behavioral responses to a novel predator and competitor of invasive mosquitofish and their non-invasive relatives (Gambusia sp.)

Attributes of the recipient community may affect the invasion success of arriving non-indigenous organisms. In particular, biotic interactions may enhance the resistance of communities to invasion. Invading organisms typically encounter a novel suite of competitors and predators, and thus their invasiveness may be affected by how they cope with these interactions. Behavioral plasticity may help invaders to respond appropriately to novelty. We examined the behavioral responses of highly invasive mosquitofish to representative novel competitors and predators they might encounter as they spread through North America. We compared the behavior of invasive Gambusia holbrooki and G. affinis to that of two close relatives of lower invasive potential (G. geiseri and G. hispaniolae) in order to elucidate whether responses to novelty related to invasiveness. In short-term assays, female Gambusia were paired with a novel competitor, Pimephales promelas, and a novel predator, Micropterus dolomieu. Behavioral responses were measured in terms of foraging success and efficiency, activity, refuge use, predator inspections, and interspecific aggression. Contrary to a priori predictions, invasive and non-invasive responses to novel interactions did not differ consistently. In response to novel competition, both invasive species increased foraging efficiency, but so did G. geiseri. In response to novel predation, only G. holbrooki decreased consumption and activity and increased refuge use. No antipredator response was observed in G. affinis. We found consistent differences, however, between invasives and non-invasives in foraging behavior. Both in the presence and absence of the competitor and the predator, invasives foraged more efficiently and consumed more prey than non-invasives.Communicated by P. Bednekoff     

硫酸锰废渣的浸出毒性及处理研究

研究了硫酸锰废渣的主要金属元素组成及浸出毒性,并采用锰渣加石灰混合的方法进行无害化处理,研究结果表明,硫酸锰废渣浸出液中Mn、Cd超标,锰渣加石灰混合处理的方法能有效降低废渣的浸出毒性,锰渣与石灰的重量比为25：2最佳.     

浅谈有毒有害液体化学品溢漏的应急反应技术

分析了有毒有害化学品海上溢漏的行为状态，简要介绍了针对海上溢漏的几种应急反应技术。     

微生物沥滤法去除城市污泥中重金属的试验研究

城市污泥的植物营养元素丰富,农业资源化利用潜力巨大,但污泥中重金属含量常常超标,所以采取一定措施对污泥中重金属加以去除十分必要。本研究以桂林城市污泥作为培养介质,利用以还原硫作为生长基质进行生命活动的氧化硫硫杆菌来沥滤去除污泥中重金属。结果表明,在基质投配比为5gL并附以15%的驯化污泥回流条件下,能将污泥驯化周期缩短为5d,Cu、Zn和Cd的去除率分别达到了70.8%、80.4%和78.9%。同时,污泥中剩余的重金属含量可满足污泥农用的国家标准。     

橡胶及制品自然贮存老化行为研究进展

针对橡胶及制品自然贮存老化行为的研究现状,从宏观性能、微观结构、自然贮存试验方法等方面进行综述。其中,宏观性能主要包括力学性能和其他宏观性能两个方面;微观结构方面主要包括FTIR技术、热分析技术、SEM及XPS技术等三个方面;自然贮存试验方法方面主要是部分橡胶及制品的相关自然贮存试验规范及标准。橡胶及制品自然贮存老化行为研究应加强自然贮存试验,综合运用分析手段掌握橡胶及制品的真实老化行为,从而改善橡胶性能,延长其使用寿命。     

危险废物在填埋场中的浸出规律模拟实验方法研究

应用数学模型对危险物质的非饱水浸出机理进行了分析，并建立了小柱非饱和水模拟浸出实验系统，对危险废物在填埋场中的浸出规律进行了研究，结果表明，小柱模拟实验能较真实地反映实际填埋场中危险组中填埋场中的迁移和浸出规律，该系统的建立为我国危险废物填埋场的设计、施工及埋场的安全评价具有指导意义。     

Heavy Metal Transport and Behavior in the Lower Columbia river, USA

The primary objective of this study was to evaluate temporal changes in heavy metal content of lower Columbia River sediment following terminated or reduced soluble heavy metal loading from the world's largest lead-zinc refinery and mining districts in the USA and Canada. Sediment cores were collected from two fine sediment depositional sites (∼600 km downstream) in August 1999 and were analyzed for total metal content, texture, and age/dating parameters. Zinc, cadmium and lead contents in 1999 declined by only a factor of two over their depth profile maxima (dated as between 1970 and 1980). In sharp contrast, more than a 10-fold decrease in dissolved metal loading occurred during this same period. Zinc in filtered Columbia River water at downstream locations also declined by > 10-fold, consistent with the reduced upper river solute-metal loading. Once soluble metal releases are reduced or terminated, the solute half-time in Columbia River water is months versus ∼20 yr for adsorbed metals on surficial (or resuspended) bed sediments. The much slower rate of decline for sediment, as compared to the solute phase, is attributed to resuspension, transport and redeposition of irreversibly bound metals from upstream sedimentary deposits. This implies downstream exposure of benthic or particle-ingesting biota can continue for years following source remediation and/or termination of soluble metal releases. Accordingly, contaminant contents of both particulate and solute phases of river water, as well as sediment core sections, are suggested for assessing long-term biotic exposure/response to mitigation activities in the Columbia River and similar fluvial ecosystems.     

MODELING NITROGEN UPTAKE AND POTENTIAL NITRATE LEACHING UNDER DIFFERENT IRRIGATION PROGRAMS IN NITROGEN-FERTILIZED TOMATO USING THE COMPUTER PROGRAM NLEAP

Readily available nitrogen (N) sources such as ammonium nitrate with excessive irrigation present a potential hazard for the environment. The computer program Nitrate Leaching and Economic Analysis Package (NLEAP) is a mechanistic model developed for rapid site-specific estimates of nitrate-nitrogen (NO₃-N) moving below the root zone in agricultural crops and potantial impacts of NO₃-N leaching into groundwater. In this study, the value of NLEAP was tested to simulate N uptake by crops and NO₃-N leaching parameters in large lysimeters under the tomato crop. Three seedlings of tomato variety of H-2274 (Lycopersicum esculentum L.) were transplanted into each lysimeter. N fertilizer at the rate of 140 kg N ha^–1 was sidedressed in two split applications, the first half as ammonium sulphate and the second half as ammonium nitrate. The lysimeters were irrigated based on programs of C 0.75, 1.00, 1.25 and 1.50, C referring to class A-Pan evaporation coefficients. Parameters such as leaching index (LI), annual leaching risk potential (ALRP), N available for leaching (NAL), amount of NO₃-N leached (NL) and amount of N taken up by the crops (NU) were estimated using the NLEAP computer model. To test the ability of model to simulate N uptake and NL, measured values were compared with simulated values. Significant correlations, R² = 0.92 and P < 0.03 for the first year and R² = 0.86 and P < 0.06 for the second year, were found between measured and simulated values for crop N consumption, indicating that the NLEAP model adequately described crop N uptake under the varied irrigation programs using an optimal N fertilization program for the experimental site. Significant correlations, R² = 0.96 and P < 0.01 for the first year and R² = 0.97 and P < 0.01 for the second year, were also found between measured and simulated values of NL, indicating that the NLEAP model also adequately predicted NL under the varied irrigation programs. Therefore, this computer model can be useful to estimate the NO₃-N moving beyond the root zone under conditions in which the present experiment was carried out. Also, the NLEAP-estimated NAL values and other parameters can also be used to improve N management practices and N fertilizer recommendations that will help to decrease the adverse effect of N fertilizer on groundwater quality and farm profitability.