Ozone distribution in central Italy and its effect on crop productivity

The focus of the present study was to assess the ozone levels in a typical area of the Mediterranean basin, viz. Tuscany (central Italy). Eighty-thousand hourly mean ozone concentrations were recorded by 10 automatic analysers in the districts of Florence, Pisa, Lucca and Prato, from May to September 1995 to 1997. The highest daily mean concentrations were reached in Florence, with a maximum hourly average of 197 ppb. In Lucca and Pisa, the peaks were close to 100 ppb. Data from Prato were much lower. Long-term critical levels for vegetation, as set by United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), were constantly exceeded in Florence and Pisa, occasionally in Lucca, never in Prato. The results were used to fit exposure/yield response relationships proposed by UNECE and US National Crop Loss Assessment Network for some important crops. The estimated yield losses varied in Florence from 8% for corn and alfalfa to 27% for soybean, in Pisa from 5% for corn to 24% for soybean, in Lucca from 3% for corn to 17% for soybean. A preliminary economic estimate for corn, wheat, barley, soybean, tomato and alfalfa, calculated annual damage to be 4.6 M Euro in Florence, 0.5 M Euro in Lucca and 3 M Euro in Pisa. The picture must be regarded as only partial, as exposure/yield response relationships for important Italian crops (such as grapevine and vegetables) are not available.     

PREDICTIVE MODELS FOR THE BIOMASS OF BLUE-GREEN ALGAE IN LAKES1

In lakes which experience water quality problems due to the nuisance growth of blue-green algae, summer concentrations of chlorophyll a may not always be a meaningful measure of water quality for making management decisions. Models for the prediction of summer mean blue-green algal biomass were thus developed from data collected from five systems located in North America and Sweden. It is suggested that the model of choice is log BG =?0.142 + 0.596 log TP – 0.963 log Z, where BG is the biomass of blue-green algae (g m^?3), TP is the concentration of total phosphorus (mg m^?3), and Z is the mean depth of the lake (m). When coupled to current loading models, this model can potentially be used to assess the impacts of phosphorus loading reductions on threshold odor in water supplies.     

教室声环境的主观反应及烦恼度阈限值的探讨

通过实测和问卷调查，采用模糊数学方法处理调查对象对教室声环境主观反应的所有信息，得出了在教室学习时的烦恼度阈值为49.2dB，并和国家标准值进行了比较。同时还采用了模糊数学综合评判方法－－Ridit分析，对调查结果进行检验，验证了所得烦恼度阈值的合理性，用模糊数学方法处理人们对噪声的主观反应，结果表明，该方法比传统的心理物理法计算更为理想。     

磐石等四种泥炭脱除硫化氢能力的研究

本文介绍用自采的磐石等四种泥炭，以硫化氢为试验气体，用同一套试验设备，在相同条件下进行脱臭能力为比的试验研究。并由试验中总结出影响泥炭脱臭能力的物理及化学因素。     

Ontogenetic shifts in fusion–rejection thresholds in a colonial marine hydrozoan,<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus</Emphasis>

Like many modular organisms, genetically distinct colonies of the hydrozoan Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus naturally fuse to produce chimeras. One of the principal cooperative benefits of fusion arises from the increased size of the resulting chimeric individual, which may enhance survivorship. However, fusion also promotes conflict through competition between cell lineages for representation in reproductive tissues. Previous studies on H. symbiologicarpus show that, consistent with kin selection theory, a highly polymorphic self/non-self recognition system limits fusion to close kin. However, these recognition systems are intrinsically subject to error. Conspecific acceptance threshold theory predicts that as the costs and benefits of making recognition errors change, or the frequencies of encounters between acceptable and unacceptable kin vary, the recognition system should respond. Specifically, as the benefits of acceptance decline or the frequency of encounters with unacceptable individuals increases, the acceptance threshold should become more restrictive. We tested this hypothesis by monitoring changes in the expression of fusion/rejection behaviors of H. symbiolongicarpus during colony establishment, a period of high mortality when the size-dependent benefits of fusion may be changing most rapidly, and the frequency of encounters with close kin declines. Across seven full-sib families, fusion frequencies between pairs of sibling colonies declined from 73% for 3-day-old colonies to 58% by day 12. This decline is consistent with optimal acceptance threshold theory. However, the period of maximum decline also corresponds to an interval during which the recognition effector mechanism becomes fully functional, suggesting that the shift to a more restrictive conspecific acceptance threshold may reflect an intrinsic constraint on recognition system maturation.Communicated by T. Czeschlik     

Measurement of Odor-Plume Structure in a Wind Tunnel Using a Photoionization Detector and a Tracer Gas

The patterns of stimulus available to moths flying along pheromone plumes in a 3-m-long wind tunnel were characterized using a high frequency photoionization detector in conjunction with an inert tracer gas. Four contrasting flow regimes and source conditions were produced: odor released in pulses from a vertical and horizontal array of four sources, odor released continuously from a point source, and odor released continuously from a point source into an oscillatory wake. Although the four flow regimes produced plumes of intermittent and fluctuating concentration, there were considerable differences in the structure of the signal presented to the sensor. Pulses of tracer gas released at 10 Hz retained most of their longitudinal and lateral separation. The plume growing in the disturbed flow (`oscillatory'), was broader in its lateral extent than the plume growing in an undisturbed flow (`continuous'), and the concentrations in the former were lower at each downstream position. The signal recorded in the disturbed flow had higher intermittency, but the ratio between the peak concentration and the signal mean was lower than in the continuous plume. Time scales were typically longer in the tunnel than in a field setting, but length scales and the main features of intermittency and fluctuation were similar. Moths flying along plumes of pheromone in this and similar wind tunnels typically slow their velocity and narrow the lateral excursions of their flight track as they approach a pheromone source. Which features of the plumes measured in this study account for these behavioral reactions remains to be determined.     

The communal crop: modulation of sucrose response thresholds of pre-foraging honey bees with incoming nectar quality

We examined whether the quality (concentration) of incoming sucrose solutions returned by foraging honey bees affected the response thresholds of pre-foraging members of the colony. Six pairs of colonies were given ad libitum access to sucrose solution feeders. A colony from each pair was switched from 20–50% sugar concentration feeders while the other continued to have access to 20% sucrose feeders. Proboscis extension response (PER) scores to an increasing series of sucrose concentrations were significantly higher in pre-foragers of colonies foraging on 20% sucrose throughout compared to pre-foragers in colonies where foraging was switched to 50% sucrose. Although all colonies had honey stores, the concentration of sugar solution in non-foraging bees crops were significantly lower in bees from colonies foraging on 20% sucrose compared to those from colonies foraging on 50% sucrose. Because response thresholds to sugar of young bees were modulated by the concentration of sucrose solution returned to colonies, we repeated the 2000 study of Pankiw and Page that potentially confounded baseline response thresholds with modulated scores due to experience in the colony. Here, we examined PER scores to sucrose in bees within 6 h of emergence, prior to feeding experience, and their forage choice 2 to 3 weeks later. Pollen foragers had higher PER scores as newly emerged bees compared to bees that eventually became nectar foragers. These results confirm those of the 2000 study by Pankiw and Page. Combined, these experiments demonstrate that variation in pre-forager sucrose response thresholds are established prior to emerging as adults but may be modulated by incoming resources later on. Whether this modulation has long-term effects on foraging behavior is unknown but modulation has short-term effects and the potential to act as a means of communication among all bees in the colony.Communicated by M. Giurfa     

国外恶臭污染管理办法对我国管理体系构建的启示

GB 14554-1993《恶臭污染物排放标准》是当前我国控制恶臭污染的主要手段,该标准的制定虽然在一定程度上减少了恶臭污染造成的不利影响,但随着投诉情况的逐年增加,已无法满足当前复杂严重污染形势的需要.为了全面系统地控制恶臭污染、提高恶臭污染管理工作能力、改善整体恶臭污染形势,需要掌握我国恶臭污染情况,并借鉴国外管理经验建立我国的恶臭污染管理体系.从法律法规、控制标准和评价方法3个方面,深入研究公害法、无组织源排放标准、有组织源排放标准和技术标准、安全防护距离、气味强度范围、气味指数、投诉标准和综合因素评价法等10种国外常用的恶臭污染管理方法,分析我国恶臭污染情况和恶臭污染管理现状,并结合国内外对比分析结果指出我国恶臭污染管理存在的问题.结果表明,我国恶臭污染管理存在起步晚、法规标准体系不完善、环境监管手段缺乏、恶臭污染防治系统缺失以及公共宣传、教育不到位等问题.建议将恶臭污染防治与管理纳入相关法律法规,完善法规体系;筛选、开发有效的检测技术,建立科学的标准化监测技术体系,提升监管能力;构建科学、合理的恶臭污染评价体系,形成企业积极采取措施开展控制技术升级改造的良性循环;加强与受控方、高校等科研单位和机构的交流合作,提高制订政策的有效性和执行性;加大公共宣传和教育力度,推动恶臭污染知识普及和建立民众监督机制.      

溪流生态系统次生盐化的生态学研究进展

溪流次生盐化是人类活动干扰导致可溶性盐向水体迁移从而造成盐浓度异常增高的现象,由于干扰类型(如农业生产、河岸带植被破坏、采矿废水与污水排放等)的不同,溪流次生盐化呈现出溶解性无机离子组成复杂、盐浓度间歇性波动等特点. 已有研究发现:①溪流次生盐化会造成藻类、底栖动物和鱼类的群落结构产生变化,主要包括物种丰度、生物量、生物多样性、功能摄食类群等方面;②高盐环境对非耐盐物种产生胁迫从而降低其出现频率,敏感底栖动物会增加漂移行为以选择低盐环境,而敏感鱼类则消失;③耐盐物种应对高盐胁迫有不同策略,如卵胎生的产卵方式以减少在高盐环境中的时间,或拥有较强的渗透调节能力维持体内渗透平衡. 主要问题:①影响水生生物的可能是单一离子又或是离子组合,不同盐化水体所增加的离子类型及浓度都有很大差别,而要逐一探明单一离子及离子组合的影响需要巨大的工作量;②野外研究常以电导率或ρ(TDS)(TDS为总溶解性固体)表征盐化程度,而电导率或ρ(TDS)会改变有机污染物、重金属的生物毒性,也会与营养盐、悬浮物等因子产生交互作用,难以确定盐化对水生生物的独立影响. 因此,今后需关注全球变暖背景下次生盐化与营养盐、重金属的耦合作用,注重我国本土水生生物的耐受性及其适应调节机制,并重视基于野外调查与室内试验两类不同数据所获得水生生物适盐范围的对比验证;同时为满足水生生物健康保护,应加强对溪流次生盐化有指示作用的水质监测指标的开发及阈值的制订.      

移动除臭装置对填埋场作业面膜下臭气去除试验研究

采用移动除臭装置对填埋场作业面夜间覆膜后产生的臭气进行净化试验研究。结果表明,移动除臭装置对臭气中H2S和NH3平均去除率分别为52.7%,41.3%;臭气浓度平均去除率为97.4%;甲硫醇及甲硫醚的去除率分别为99.9%,100%。温度、气体停留时间是影响除臭效果的主要因素。