Hunting Increases Dispersal Limitation in the Tree Carapa procera, a Nontimber Forest Product

Abstract:  The sustainability of seed extraction from natural populations has been questioned recently. Increased recruitment failure under intense seed harvesting suggests that seed extraction intensifies source limitation. Nevertheless, areas where more seeds are collected tend to also have more intense hunting of seed-dispersing animals. We studied whether such hunting, by limiting disperser activity, could cause quantitative dispersal limitation, especially for large crops and for crops in years of high seed abundance. In each of four Carapa procera (Meliaceae) populations in French Guiana and Surinam, two with hunting and two without, we compared seed fate for individual trees varying in crop size in years of high and low population-level seed abundance. Carapa seeds are a nontimber forest product and depend on dispersal by scatter-hoarding rodents for survival and seedling establishment. Hunting negatively affected the proportion of seeds dispersed and caused greater numbers of seeds to germinate or be infested by moths below parent trees, where they would likely die. Hunting of seed-dispersing animals disproportionally affected large seed crops, but we found no additional effect of population-level seed abundance on dispersal rates. Consistently lower rates of seed dispersal, especially for large seed crops, may translate to lower levels of seedling recruitment under hunting. Our results therefore suggest that the subsistence hunting that usually accompanies seed collection is at the cost of seed dispersal and may contribute to recruitment failure of these nontimber forest products. Seed extraction from natural populations may affect seedling recruitment less if accompanied by measures adequately incorporating and protecting seed dispersers.     

Occurence and Distribution of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Ankara Precipitation

Urban atmospheric environment contains many trace organic pollutants that are related to the incomplete fuel combustion in domestic heating, industrial plants and automobile traffic. Removal of these pollutants from the atmosphere takes place through wet and dry deposition as well as chemical transformations. In this study, concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in wet deposition samples were determined at an urban site of Turkey. Wet and dry deposition samples were collected using Andersen Rain Sampler. The sampler was modified accordingly for the collection of organic pollutants. Collected samples were preconcentrated by using solid phase extraction (SPE) disks and consecutively analyzed by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). Among the 13 compounds quantified in this study, anthracene, fluoranthene, and pyrene were found more frequently and at elevated concentrations (202, 271 and 260 ng L^-1 mean concentrations, respectively).Concentrations of PAHs were found to be high in winter period.     

火龙果果皮色素的提取及稳定性研究

研究了火龙果果皮色素提取的最佳条件、提取液的稳定性和各种添加剂对提取液稳定性的影响。     

Comparison of Soil Extraction Isotherms of Soil Samples Saturated With Nonpolar Liquids

In multiphase systems capillary pressures play a significant role on fluid movement and retention. The facility to predict the effect of different thermal remediation strategies requires the knowledge of the effect of temperature on capillary pressure-saturation relationships in the soils. The objective of recent study was (a) to develop a technique for routinely measuring the pressure-saturation curves of soil samples saturated with a nonpolar liquid at different regulated temperatures (b) to build a database using the measured pressure-saturation curves and the physical, chemical properties of the model soils (c) to establish the dependence of nonaqueous phase liquid retention on the soil properties and the temperature. The retention curves (extraction isotherms) with nonaqueous phase liquid were determined using a modified pressure plate extractor. The wetting phase was a non-aromatic hydrocarbon distillation product. Pressure plates were designed and constructed in the laboratory of our department. The temperature was held constant at 20, 40 and 60 ^∘C. Statistical analysis was performed involving selected soil parameters and the measured nonaqueous phase liquid retention data. The results show that knowing some easily measurable soil parameters (bulk density, particle size distribution, humus and lime content) we can estimate the nonaqueous phase liquid retention of the soils. The measured “extraction isotherms” provide essential information about the temperature-dependency of pressure-saturation curves.     

Effects of Acid Rain on Competitive Releases of Cd, Cu, and Zn from Two Natural Soils and Two Contaminated Soils in Hunan, China

Leaching experiments of rebuilt soil columns with two simulated acid rain solutions (pH 4.6–3.8) were conducted for two natural soils and two artificial contaminated soils from Hunan, south-central China, to study effects of acid rain on competitive releases of soil Cd, Cu, and Zn. Distilled water was used in comparison. The results showed that the total releases were Zn>Cu>Cd for the natural soils and Cd>Zn≫Cu for the contaminated soils, which reflected sensitivity of these metals to acid rain. Leached with different acid rain, about 26–76% of external Cd and 11–68% external Zn were released, but more than 99% of external Cu was adsorbed by the soils, and therefore Cu had a different sorption and desorption pattern from Cd and Zn. Metal releases were obviously correlated with releases of TOC in the leachates, which could be described as an exponential equation. Compared with the natural soils, acid rain not only led to changes in total metal contents, but also in metal fraction distributions in the contaminated soils. More acidified soils had a lower sorption capacity to metals, mostly related to soil properties such as pH, organic matter, soil particles, adsorbed SO₄ ²⁻, exchangeable Al³⁺ and H⁺, and contents of Fe₂O₃ and Al₂O₃.     

土壤中硫的形态分析及其测定方法研究进展

本文对土壤中硫的形态分析与测定方法,从无机硫,有机硫,总硫,以及硫的系统分析方法,硫的检测几个方面进行了综述,对各种方法进行了客观的评价,指出了尚待于解决的问题,并对今后的研究进行了展望。     

数值模拟结合SF_6示踪法确定煤层钻孔瓦斯抽采有效半径

为准确确定煤层钻孔的瓦斯抽采有效半径,实现最优钻孔设计及最佳抽采效果,根据煤层瓦斯流动理论与煤岩体变形理论,建立钻孔抽采煤层瓦斯的气固耦合数学模型。并利用COMSOLMultiphysics软件,模拟SF6气体在瓦斯渗流场内的运移过程。利用SF6气体示踪法进行现场测试。依据相似定律,结合模拟与实测结果确定钻孔抽采有效半径的范围。以黄陵集团一号煤矿306工作面为例进行试验研究。试验结果表明,模拟结果与实测结果基本吻合;在钻孔直径为94 mm,抽采负压为15 kPa的条件下,预抽30天后,试验工作面抽采有效半径为5.88 m。     

U型工作面上隅角埋管瓦斯抽采数值模拟研究

传统的U型通风工作面上隅角瓦斯积聚现象经常出现,严重制约着矿井正常生产能力的有效发挥,对矿井安全生产造成重大威胁。基于前人对采空区非均质多孔介质气体运移理论的研究,采用Fluent软件数值模拟研究了U型和上隅角埋管条件下U型通风系统的静压力场和瓦斯浓度场。研究结果表明：在相同的模型参数条件下,U型通风容易造成上隅角瓦斯积聚,上隅角瓦斯超限问题十分严重;采空区5m处埋管,治理上隅角瓦斯积聚的效果欠佳,达不到安全开采的条件;15m处埋管可以较好的解决上隅角瓦斯超限问题,工作面没有出现瓦斯积聚现象,工作面和回风巷的瓦斯浓度始终处于1％以下;25m处埋管的效果与15m基本相同,没有表现出更好的瓦斯治理效果。综合数值模拟的结果,确定了上隅角埋管抽放采空区瓦斯的理想抽放位置为距离地板垂高1．2m、沿走向深入采空区15m处。     

基于单体对象的城市区域火灾风险评价方法研究

从分析城市区域内单体对象自身的致灾因素及其制约灭火抢险救援力量发挥的环节入手,基于指数法和层次分析法建立了单体对象火灾风险评价指标体系.以单体对象火灾风险向量为基础,基于线性加权模型构建了一种新的区域火灾风险评价计算模型,并以树形结构表征了区域火灾风险评价结构.试点地区实例表明,该方法能够有效地评价城市区域火灾风险.     

A method to extract algae toxin of microcystin-LR

A simple and low-cost method to obtain cyanobacterial toxin microcystin-LR(MC-LR) was developed. A new strain of Microcystis aeruginosa,named DC-1, producing microcystin-LR but not microcystin-RR, was separated from the field blooming algae samples of Dianchi Lake.in southwest of China. Following three times‘freeze and thaw treatment, the cultivated DC-cells were extracted with 40% methanol in water.The extract was centrifuged and the supernatant applied to a Hydrophilic-Lipophilic Balance(HLB) SPE cartridge.Eluted impuries with a certain gradient from 30% to 50% methanol in water, MC-LR was finally eluted from the HLB cartridge with 60%.may be used in adsorption and biodegradation experiments instead of using expensive standard reagents.