Particle fluxes above forests: observations, methodological considerations and method comparisons

This paper reports a study designed to test, evaluate and compare micro-meteorological methods for determining the particle number flux above forest canopies. Half-hour average particle number fluxes above a representative broad-leaved forest in Denmark derived using eddy covariance range from -7x10(7) m(-2) s(-1) (1st percentile) to 5x10(7) m(-2) s(-1) (99th percentile), and have a median value of -1.6x10(6) m(-2) s(-1). The statistical uncertainties associated with the particle number flux estimates are larger than those for momentum fluxes and imply that in this data set approximately half of the particle number fluxes are not statistically different to zero. Particle number fluxes from relaxed eddy accumulation (REA) and eddy covariance are highly correlated and of almost identical magnitude. Flux estimates from the co-spectral and dissipation methods are also correlated with those from eddy covariance but exhibit higher absolute magnitude of fluxes.     

Field controlled experiments of mercury accumulation in crops from air and soil

Field open top chambers (OTCs) and soil mercury (Hg) enriched experiments were employed to study the influence of Hg concentrations in air and soil on the Hg accumulation in the organs of maize (Zea mays L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Results showed that Hg concentrations in foliages were correlated significantly (p < 0.05) with air Hg concentrations but insignificantly correlated with soil Hg concentrations, indicating that Hg in crop foliages was mainly from air. Hg concentrations in roots were generally correlated with soil Hg concentrations (p < 0.05) but insignificantly correlated with air Hg concentrations, indicating that Hg in crop roots was mainly from soil. No significant correlations were found between Hg concentrations in stems and those in air and soil. However, Hg concentrations in upper stems were usually higher than those in bottom stems, implying air Hg might have stronger influence than soil Hg on stem Hg accumulation.     

巢湖低温高效聚磷菌的筛选及其特性

采用低温富集培养及混合平板分离技术,从巢湖底泥中分离筛选得到2株在低温下仍具有较高效能的菌株D3、D6,经过厌氧/好氧交替培养,2种菌株在低温下(8℃)的除磷率均达到80%以上。在低温下,研究了p H、微量元素对2株菌株生长及除磷率的影响,实验结果表明,2株菌都具有广泛的温度适应性,适宜其生长和除磷的p H为中性偏碱,微量元素的缺乏对2株菌株的生长和除磷效果有不同程度的不良影响。染色观察显示,厌氧培养时菌体内聚羟基丁酸(PHB)颗粒明显增多,转为好氧培养后异染颗粒增多,为典型的聚磷菌特征。经鉴定,2株菌均属假单胞菌属。     

水华束丝藻与铜绿微囊藻净化水体氮磷及其脂质积累过程比较

选取水华束丝藻与铜绿微囊藻作为典型水华蓝藻,探索水华蓝藻净化水体及合成生物柴油的潜力.采用氮磷浓度为NH4-N 7.5 mg/L,PO43--P 1.0 mg/L的模拟污水,重点考察了在光照强度与温度不同的条件下2种微藻对氮磷的去除率,并利用尼罗红荧光染色法测定了微藻中的中性脂含量.结果表明,2种藻对PO43--P的去除率均较高,最高达到98％,对NH4+-N的去除率稍低,最高为52％.水华束丝藻及铜绿微囊藻均具有较强积累中性脂的能力,适宜的温度与光照条件有利于微藻对氮磷的去除及细胞中脂类的积累.2种藻均在光照强度为12 000 lx时中性脂含量更高.水华束丝藻在温度为18 ～22℃条件下,生长更优,氮磷净化效果较好,中性脂积累能力更强.而铜绿微囊藻在温度为22～ 26℃时表现更好.     

MapGIS技术支持下的宜宾市翠屏区宋家乡环境地球化学质量评价

采用地质累积指数和污染程度分析方法,结合MapGIS空间分析技术,对宜宾市翠屏区宋家乡项目区土地质量进行系统的环境地球化学质量评价,重点对调查区的重金属元素(As、Hg、Cd、Cr、Zn、Cu、Pb、Ni)情况进行土壤质量评价。结果显示,宋家乡研究区土壤中存在不同程度的Hg、Cd、Cr、Zn、Pb、Ni和Cu重金属超标,主要集中在洋坪村、丘陵村和大地村,而大地村的镉超标较为严重,整个研究区砷没有出现污染。为此,结合实际查明造成重金属污染的原因,为该区土壤资源、环境评价和农业经济发展规划提供实用的地球化学信息。     

Accumulation and mobility of zinc in soil amended with different levels of pig-manure compost

Applying manure compost not only results in zinc accumulation in the soil but also causes an increase in zinc mobility and enhances zinc leaching. In this study, the physical and chemical characteristics of zinc, zinc profiles, and zinc balance were investigated to characterise the fate of zinc in fields where the quality and amount of pig manure compost applied have been known for 13 years. Moreover, we determined zinc fractionation in both 0.1 mol L^?1HCl-soluble (mobile) and -insoluble (immobile) fractions. Adsorption of zinc in the soil was enhanced with increasing total carbon content following the application of pig manure compost. The 159.6 mg ha^?1 year^?1manure applied plot (triplicate) exceeded the Japanese regulatory level after only 6 years of applying pig manure compost, whereas the 53.2 mg ha^?1 year^?1 manure applied plot (standard) reached the regulatory level after 13 years. The zinc loads in the plots were 17.0 and 5.6 kg ha^?1 year^?1, respectively. However, 5.9 % and 17.2 % of the zinc loaded in the standard and the triplicate pig manure compost applied plots, respectively, were estimated to be lost from the plough layer. Based on the vertical distribution of mobile and immobile zinc content, a higher rate of applied manure compost caused an increase in the mobile zinc fraction to a depth of 40 cm. Although the adsorption capacity of zinc was enhanced following the application of pig manure compost, a greater amount of mobile zinc could move downward through the manure amended soil than through non manure-amended soil.     

Use of Habitats as Surrogates of Biodiversity for Efficient Coral Reef Conservation Planning in Pacific Ocean Islands

Abstract: Marine protected areas (MPAs) have been highlighted as a means toward effective conservation of coral reefs. New strategies are required to more effectively select MPA locations and increase the pace of their implementation. Many criteria exist to design MPA networks, but generally, it is recommended that networks conserve a diversity of species selected for, among other attributes, their representativeness, rarity, or endemicity. Because knowledge of species’ spatial distribution remains scarce, efficient surrogates are urgently needed. We used five different levels of habitat maps and six spatial scales of analysis to identify under which circumstances habitat data used to design MPA networks for Wallis Island provided better representation of species than random choice alone. Protected‐area site selections were derived from a rarity–complementarity algorithm. Habitat surrogacy was tested for commercial fish species, all fish species, commercially harvested invertebrates, corals, and algae species. Efficiency of habitat surrogacy varied by species group, type of habitat map, and spatial scale of analysis. Maps with the highest habitat thematic complexity provided better surrogates than simpler maps and were more robust to changes in spatial scales. Surrogates were most efficient for commercial fishes, corals, and algae but not for commercial invertebrates. Conversely, other measurements of species‐habitat associations, such as richness congruence and composition similarities provided weak results. We provide, in part, a habitat‐mapping methodology for designation of MPAs for Pacific Ocean islands that are characterized by habitat zonations similar to Wallis. Given the increasing availability and affordability of space‐borne imagery to map habitats, our approach could appreciably facilitate and improve current approaches to coral reef conservation and enhance MPA implementation.     

DIFFERENTIAL ACCUMULATION OF SELENIUM AMONG AXIAL MUSCLE,REPRODUCTIVE AND LIVER TISSUES OF FOUR WARMWATER FISH SPECIES1

Bluegill (Lepotmis macrochirus), largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), white catfish (Ictalurus catus), and channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), collected from an electric power plant cooling reservoir and a municipal water supply reservoir near Roxboro, North Carolina, were analyzed for selenium concentrations in axial muscle, reproductive and liver tissues. Fishes from the municipal water reservoir had lower selenium concentrations (≤0.2-2.1 μg/g - wet weight) than found in the cooling reservoir fishes (1.6-70.0 μg/g - wet weight) but similar distributions of concentrations among the tissues was evident. Selenium was differentially accumulated, with higher concentrations in liver tissues (0.7-70.0 μg/g - wet weight), followed by female reproductive tissues (0.7-25.0 μg/g - wet weight), axial muscle tissues (≤0.2-23.0 μg/g - wet weight) and male reproductive tissues (0.2-7.2 μg/g - wet weight).     

CADMIUM ACCUMULATION AND TOXICITY IN SUBMERGED PLANT HYDRILLA VERTICILLATA (l.f.) ROYLE

Cadmium accumulation and its toxicity in relation tochlorophyll, protein, cysteine contents and in vivo nitrate reductaseactivity were studied under controlled conditions in Hydrillaverticillata, a submerged commonly occurring macrophyte. Plants weresubjected to six different concentrations of Cd ranging from 1.0 to 25.0 µM for 24, 48, 72 and 168 h. Tissue Cd concentration was maximum (13.71 µmoles/g dw) at 25 µM background concentration. At this concentration, a decrease of approximately 79 and 72% was found in chlorophyll and protein content. In vivo nitrate reductase activity was stimulated at 1.0 µM; however, the activity gradually declined beyond this concentration. Exposure to various cadmium concentrations resulted in an increase in cysteine content of the plant.     

Use of Approximate Inference in an Index of Completeness of Biological Inventories

Abstract:  To assess the completeness of a floristic or faunal inventory, one may use the ratio of the observed number of species to the "true number" of species ( C ). If the inventory is complete , C = 1. The estimate of the true number can be obtained from accumulation curves, nonparametric methods, or other techniques. We devised a simple method for computing confidence intervals (CI) for C and for evaluating the null hypothesis that the inventory is complete. The method is based on the assumptions that an estimate of the variance of the true number of species is known and that the distribution of the estimator of the true number of species is approximately normal. We applied our method to bird inventories in the Balsas Basin of Mexico. The completeness index for subtransects were lower (84.0, 85.4, and 89.9%) than for the whole transect (91.6%) (all significantly different from 100%). Thus, these particular inventories were incomplete at 2 spatial resolutions. Our method of estimating CI for C can be used to estimate species richness obtained from databases of different sites or to test the null hypothesis that an inventory derived from a database is complete.