Assessing the Potential Impacts to Riparian Ecosystems Resulting from Hemlock Mortality in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (Adelges tsugae) is spreading across forests in eastern North America, causing mortality of eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis [L.] Carr.) and Carolina hemlock (Tsuga caroliniana Engelm.). The loss of hemlock from riparian forests in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) may result in significant physical, chemical, and biological alterations to stream environments. To assess the influence of riparian hemlock stands on stream conditions and estimate possible impacts from hemlock loss in GSMNP, we paired hardwood- and hemlock-dominated streams to examine differences in water temperature, nitrate concentrations, pH, discharge, and available photosynthetic light. We used a Geographic Information System (GIS) to identify stream pairs that were similar in topography, geology, land use, and disturbance history in order to isolate forest type as a variable. Differences between hemlock- and hardwood-dominated streams could not be explained by dominant forest type alone as forest type yields no consistent signal on measured conditions of headwater streams in GSMNP. The variability in the results indicate that other landscape variables, such as the influence of understory Rhododendron species, may exert more control on stream conditions than canopy composition. The results of this study suggest that the replacement of hemlock overstory with hardwood species will have minimal impact on long-term stream conditions, however disturbance during the transition is likely to have significant impacts. Management of riparian forests undergoing hemlock decline should, therefore, focus on facilitating a faster transition to hardwood-dominated stands to minimize long-term effects on water quality.     

Microtubule integrity and cell viability under metal (Cu,Ni and Cr) stress in the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa

The effects of increasing Cu, Ni and Cr concentrations (0.5, 5, 10, 20 and 40 mg L⁻¹) on microtubule organization and the viability of leaf cells of the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa for 13 consecutive days were investigated under laboratory conditions. Increased oblique microtubule orientation, microtubule depolymerization at the 5–40 mg L⁻¹ Ni treatments after 3 d of exposure, and a complete microtubule depolymerization at all Ni treatments after 5 d were observed. Cu depolymerised microtubules after three to 7 d of exposure, while Cr caused an extensive microtubule bundling after 9 or 11 d of exposure, depending on metal dosage. Fluorescence intensity measurements further consolidated the above phenomena. Cell death, occurring at later time than microtubule disturbance, was also observed at all Cu and Ni treatments and at the 10–40 mg L⁻¹ Cr treatments and adding to the above quantification of the number of dead cells clearly showed that only a portion of the cell population studied died. The data presented, being the first assessment of microtubule disturbance in seagrasses, indicate that microtubules in seagrass leaf cells could be used as a valuable and early marker of metal-induced stress in biomonitoring programmes.     

Characterizing Coral Condition Using Estimates of Three-dimensional Colony Surface Area

Coral reefs provide shoreline protection, biological diversity, fishery harvests, and tourism, all values that stem from the physically-complex coral infrastructure. Stony corals (scleractinians) construct and maintain the reef through deposition of calcium carbonate. Therefore, assessment of coral reefs requires at least some measurement endpoints that reflect the biological and physical condition of stony corals. Most monitoring programs portray coral quantity as live coral cover, which is the two-dimensional proportion of coral surface to sea floor viewed from above (planar view). The absence of the third dimension, however, limits our ability to characterize coral reef value, physiology, health and sustainability. A three-dimensional (3D) approach more realistically characterizes coral structure available as community habitat and, when combined with estimates of live coral tissue, quantifies the amount of living coral available for photosynthesis, growth and reproduction. A rapid coral survey procedure that coupled 3D coral quantification with more traditional survey measurements was developed and tested in the field. The survey procedure relied on only three underwater observations – species identification, colony size, and proportion of live tissue – made on each colony in the transect. These observations generated a variety of metrics, including several based on 3D colony surface area, that are relevant to reef management.     

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in Caspian seals of unusual mortality event during 2000 and 2001

Persistent organic pollutants including organochlorine pesticides, PCBs, and PCDDs/DFs were determined in the blubber of Caspian seals, which died during an outbreak of canine distemper virus in 2000 and 2001. DDTs were the predominant contaminants that ranged from 3.1 to 560 microg/g lipid. A negative correlation was observed between concentration of contaminants and blubber thickness. During spring, as the blubber layer becomes thin after breeding and moulting, seals may face higher risk due to the increased concentration of organochlorines in their bodies. TEQs in the blubber of Caspian seals (10-340 pg TEQ/g) were lower than those in seals from other locations, suggesting that toxic effects of these contaminants are a deal less in the present population and they are unlikely to be linked to mass mortality. The levels of PCBs and pesticides in Caspian seals, however, comparable to those in other aquatic mammals that have suffered from epizootics, might pose a risk of immunosuppression.     

Overview of deaths associated with natural events, United States, 1979–2004

Analysis of the National Center for Health Statistics' Compressed Mortality File showed that between 1979 and 2004, natural events caused 21,491 deaths in the United States. During this 26-year period, there were 10,827 cold-related deaths and 5,279 heat-related deaths. Extreme cold or heat accounted for 75 per cent of the total number of deaths attributed to natural events— more than all of deaths resulting from lightning, storms and foods, and earth movements, such as earthquakes and landslides. Cold-related death rates were highest in the states of Alaska, Montana, New Mexico, and South Dakota, while heat-related deaths were highest in the states of Arizona, Missouri, and Arkansas. These deaths occurred more often among the elderly and black men. Other deaths were attributed to lightning (1,906), storms and foods (2,741), and earth movements (738). Most deaths associated with natural events are preventable and society can take action to decrease the morbidity and mortality connected with them.     

Heavy metal concentrations in plants and different harvestable parts: A soil-plant equilibrium model

A mathematical interaction model, validated by experimental results, was developed to modeling the metal uptake by plants and induced growth decrease, by knowing metal in soils. The model relates the dynamics of the uptake of metals from soil to plants. Also, two types of relationships are tested: total and available metal content. The model successfully fitted the experimental data and made it possible to predict the threshold values of total mortality with a satisfactory approach. Data are taken from soils treated with Cd and Ni for ryegrass (Lolium perenne, L.) and oats (Avena sativa L.), respectively. Concentrations are measured in the aboveground biomass of plants. In the latter case, the concentration of metals in different parts of the plants (tillering, shooting and earing) is also modeled. At low concentrations, the effects of metals are moderate, and the dynamics appear to be linear. However, increasing concentrations show nonlinear behaviors.     

九孔鲍苗种培育期间"脱板症"预防探讨

采用不同的光照强度,异、同地亲鲍,投放受精卵和投放担轮幼虫等3种方法进行育苗试验,结果表明,在九孔鲍人工苗种生产中,采取1 000～1500 lx的光照强度,用异地亲鲍繁育,投放担轮幼虫等方法进行育苗,可以预防或减少"脱板症"的发生.本文还就相关问题进行了探讨.     

2006—2016年我国工亡率趋势变化及其地区差异研究——基于工伤保险数据

为了解决目前国内现有工亡率数据所存在的局限性问题，引入我国工伤保险数据，并在此基础上分析2006—2016年我国及各地区的工亡率变化趋势， 进而运用泰尔指数分析法测算全国及各地区的工亡率地区差异。研究结果表明:2006—2016年，我国总体工亡率呈下降趋势，但整体水平仍偏高；西部明显高于东、中部，但东、中、西部之间的工亡率差异在缩小；东部、中部和西部内部各省市之间的差异还比较大。最后，提出设定管控工亡率指标时要注重追求本质上的进步，各地应采取措施解决不平衡的问题，完善标准化工亡报告制度，选择更高水平的国际对标体系。     

Evaluating mortality rates with a novel integrated framework for nonmonogamous species

The conservation of wildlife requires management based on quantitative evidence, and especially for large carnivores, unraveling cause‐specific mortalities and understanding their impact on population dynamics is crucial. Acquiring this knowledge is challenging because it is difficult to obtain robust long‐term data sets on endangered populations and, usually, data are collected through diverse sampling strategies. Integrated population models (IPMs) offer a way to integrate data generated through different processes. However, IPMs are female‐based models that cannot account for mate availability, and this feature limits their applicability to monogamous species only. We extended classical IPMs to a two‐sex framework that allows investigation of population dynamics and quantification of cause‐specific mortality rates in nonmonogamous species. We illustrated our approach by simultaneously modeling different types of data from a reintroduced, unhunted brown bear (Ursus arctos) population living in an area with a dense human population. In a population mainly driven by adult survival, we estimated that on average 11% of cubs and 61% of adults died from human‐related causes. Although the population is currently not at risk, adult survival and thus population dynamics are driven by anthropogenic mortality. Given the recent increase of human‐bear conflicts in the area, removal of individuals for management purposes and through poaching may increase, reversing the positive population growth rate. Our approach can be generalized to other species affected by cause‐specific mortality and will be useful to inform conservation decisions for other nonmonogamous species, such as most large carnivores, for which data are scarce and diverse and thus data integration is highly desirable.     

成都市气温与PM2.5和O3交互作用对疾病死亡人数的影响研究

利用成都市2014~2016年逐日呼吸系统疾病和心脑血管疾病死亡资料、同期气象资料和PM_2.5日均浓度和每日臭氧最大8h平均浓度（O₃）资料,采用分布滞后模型以及广义相加模型中的独立效应模型、非参数二元响应模型和温度分层模型探究了成都市气温、PM_2.5和O₃单效应,以及气温与PM_2.5（或O₃）交互作用对当地呼吸和心脑血管疾病死亡人数的影响.单效应分析结果表明,气温与两种疾病死亡人数的累计暴露-反应关系均呈反“J”型分布,最适温度在22.2℃,该温度对应的疾病死亡人数最少;累积滞后1d的PM_2.5（或O₃）对应的健康风险最大,此时,PM_2.5和O₃浓度每升高10μg/m³,呼吸系统疾病死亡风险分别增加0.58%和0.54%,心脑血管疾病死亡风险分别增加0.35%和0.66%.分季节研究结果表明,PM_2.5对两种疾病死亡影响的健康风险冬季最高,而O₃的健康风险在秋季最显著.交互作用的研究结果表明,高温与高浓度的PM_2.5（或O₃）对疾病死亡的影响存在协同放大效应,当气温高于22.2℃时,PM_2.5和O₃浓度每升高10μg/m³,对应的呼吸系统疾病死亡风险分别增加2.30%和1.14%,心脑血管疾病死亡风险分别增加1.09%和1.03%.研究结果提示O₃对人群健康的影响也不容忽视,应该引起足够的重视.