Applying network theory to prioritize multispecies habitat networks that are robust to climate and land‐use change

Designing connected landscapes is among the most widespread strategies for achieving biodiversity conservation targets. The challenge lies in simultaneously satisfying the connectivity needs of multiple species at multiple spatial scales under uncertain climate and land‐use change. To evaluate the contribution of remnant habitat fragments to the connectivity of regional habitat networks, we developed a method to integrate uncertainty in climate and land‐use change projections with the latest developments in network‐connectivity research and spatial, multipurpose conservation prioritization. We used land‐use change simulations to explore robustness of species’ habitat networks to alternative development scenarios. We applied our method to 14 vertebrate focal species of periurban Montreal, Canada. Accounting for connectivity in spatial prioritization strongly modified conservation priorities and the modified priorities were robust to uncertain climate change. Setting conservation priorities based on habitat quality and connectivity maintained a large proportion of the region's connectivity, despite anticipated habitat loss due to climate and land‐use change. The application of connectivity criteria alongside habitat‐quality criteria for protected‐area design was efficient with respect to the amount of area that needs protection and did not necessarily amplify trade‐offs among conservation criteria. Our approach and results are being applied in and around Montreal and are well suited to the design of ecological networks and green infrastructure for the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services in other regions, in particular regions around large cities, where connectivity is critically low.     

禾草灵对水稻生长和典型土壤酶活性的影响

禾草灵是一种广泛使用的除草剂,在土壤中大量残留,对非靶标生物产生危害。为探究除草剂对环境生物的毒性作用,本研究模拟水稻自然生长的环境,评估禾草灵对水稻及土壤微生物的影响。研究结果表明,低浓度禾草灵(200 μg L^-1)处理4 d对土壤微生物量没有显著影响(P>0.05);8 d时,水稻生长没有明显变化,但土壤微生物量较对照组显著升高(P<0.05)。高浓度禾草灵(1 000 μg L^-1)处理4天后,土壤脲酶、酸性磷酸酶和过氧化氢酶的活性显著下降(P<0.05),下降幅度分别为8.9%,16.6%和10.2%;处理8 d后,水稻幼苗鲜重显著降低(P>0.05),叶绿素a和叶绿素b含量分别下降了13.5%和13.3%。本研究证实高浓度的禾草灵残留会对植物和土壤微生物产生不良的影响。     

肠道微生物对土壤中铜、锌、锰生物可给性的影响

为了更全面、准确地评价土壤中金属元素对人体的健康风险,研究土壤中金属元素在结肠阶段的生物可给性具有重要意义。通过采集我国一些地区的6种土壤,利用in vitro方法(PBET和SHIME联用)研究土壤中Cu、Zn、Mn在胃、小肠、结肠阶段的生物可给性。研究显示,土壤中Cu、Zn、Mn在胃阶段的生物可给性分别为23.8%~63.0%、21.2%~64.4%、11.7%~35.6%;从胃阶段到小肠阶段,土壤中Cu的生物可给性提高了0.4%~14.4%,而土壤中Zn在小肠阶段的生物可给性降低了6.7%~38.7%。结肠阶段,土壤中Cu、Zn、Mn的生物可给性分别为2.4%~12.9%、5.7%~18.7%、6.2%~18.9%,与小肠阶段相比,分别降低了21.7%~56.9%、0.4%~36.8%、4.5%~19.1%。结果表明,在肠道微生物存在的情况下,土壤中Cu、Zn、Mn在结肠阶段有较低的人体健康风险。     

黄、渤海滨海带大气颗粒物时空分布与来源特征

PM10作为大气污染物监测的主要指标之一,探究大气PM10浓度对大气环境质量和人体健康评价具有重要意义。黄、渤海滨海带包括京、津和辽、冀、鲁、苏等工、农业大省,区域大气PM10污染的时空分布和来源特征具有复杂性和典型性。在锦州、北京、天津、烟台、青岛、连云港和盐城7个城市布设10个采样点,含7个城市点和3个农村点,开展为期一年的大气颗粒物的采样;同时,于冬季1月和夏季7月在锦州、天津和烟台进行合计60 d的加密采样,藉以确定研究区域大气PM10的时空分布和来源特征。结果表明,黄、渤海滨海带大气年均PM10总浓度为(129’18)"g·m~(-3),单月最低值出现在2015年7月盐城农村样点15"g·m~(-3),最高值为2015年3月北京城市点307"g·m~(-3)。盐城大气PM10浓度(城市点(85’27)"g·m~(-3)和农村点(66’35)"g·m~(-3))显著低于其他样点大气PM10浓度。渤海滨海带中西部的京(140’68"g·m~(-3))、津(169’60"g·m~(-3))两市大气PM10年均浓度显著高于东部的锦州(125’41"g·m~(-3))和烟台(109’31"g·m~(-3));而且黄海滨海带大气PM10年均浓度(114"g·m~(-3))显著低于渤海滨海带年均浓度(136"g·m~(-3)),总体上表现出西高东低、北高南低的特征。黄、渤海滨海带城市点和农村点年均浓度分别为(129’18)"g·m~(-3)和(112’30)"g·m~(-3);农村点春冬季大气PM10浓度和城市点浓度相当,无显著差异,夏秋季大气PM10浓度略低于城市浓度,表明农村地区大气颗粒物污染情况也较为严重,需受到关注。区域内PM10浓度季节变化整体表现为春冬高、夏秋低。利用多元回归分析初步判断黄、渤海滨海带PM10属于复合来源,大气PM10浓度约30%的变化与降水、人均能耗和沙尘天气相关。黄、渤海滨海带大气PM10浓度的昼夜变化不大,大气PM10浓度与气温呈现正相关,与风速和降水呈现负相关,表现为受各种气象因素综合作用的影响。     

武汉地区水环境中全氟化合物污染水平及其分布特征

武汉作为中国氟化工行业的主要生产基地之一,其水环境中全氟及多氟类化合物(PFASs)污染情况对评估该地区水环境生态安全至关重要。采集了武汉城区10个污水处理厂进、出口污水和19个地表水样品,利用HPLC-ESI-MS/MS技术分析研究该区域水环境中PFASs污染水平及其分布特征。结果发现,武汉地区的污水和地表水样品中,PFASs污染均以短链同系物全氟丁酸(PFBA)和全氟丁基磺酸(PFBS)为主。污水处理厂进、出口污水中PFASs总浓度分别为11.8~12 700 ng·L~(-1)和19.1~9 970 ng·L~(-1)。在城区15个湖水样品中,PFASs总浓度为21.0~10 900 ng·L~(-1);在流经城区的4个江水样品中,PFASs总浓度为4.11~4.77 ng·L~(-1),比湖水样品中PFASs浓度水平低1~2个数量级。与污水中PFASs空间分布趋势一致,各湖泊水样中PFASs总体水平呈现汉口汉阳武昌的趋势,表明城市工业布局与人口密度程度直接影响城市PFASs污染空间分布。值得注意的是,与以往水环境中PFASs污染以全氟辛酸(PFOA)和全氟辛基磺酸(PFOS)为主不同,武汉地区水环境中PFASs污染以短链同系物为主,表明短链替代效应已经渐渐在中国化工领域出现,中国全氟行业在响应国际组织规范和建议的基础上做出了实质性进展。然而,对于短链PFASs的污染特征、迁移运输以及生态风险等科学问题,还需要更进一步的研究。     

Effect of deforestation on fertility attributes of Mollisols in the NW of Iran

The impacts of deforestation on soil fertility indices – are still not well understood in the forest lands of Iran characterised by Mediterranean type climate. Consistent with this, 8 soil pedons and 32 soil cores were described and sampled from four different soil types of forest and adjacent cultivated soil along a Mollisols transect. The results revealed a considerable depletion in the values of soil organic carbon (by 60–88%), total N (by 67–88%), available K (by 20–45%), cation exchange capacity (by 9–21%), and the diethylene-triamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA) fraction of Fe (by 40–72%), Mn (by 10–60%), and Zn (by 49–80%) after deforestation. In contrast, soil pH (by 0.36–0.9 units), C:N ratio (by 3–84%), available P (22–139%), and DTPA Cu (by 4–55%) tended to increase due to deforestation. Cultivated soils showed a drop of 70–82% in the values of the soil productivity index than to those of the forest soil, indicating a degrading and declining effect of deforestation on soil productivity capacity. It was found that the majority of soil fertility indices were affected negatively by deforestation and more than half of the organic matter was lost to deforestation, which, in turn, could lead to deterioration in soil quality or land productivity capacity.     

Trace element content in soils of the King George and Elephant islands,maritime Antarctica

Trace element concentrations were studied in soils of the King George and Elephant islands in the maritime part of West Antarctica. The lowest concentrations of Cu, Pb, Cd, Zn, Ni and Mn were typical for the pristine soil of Elephant Island. The highest concentrations of these elements were found in the Fildes Peninsula and revealed the influence of human activities in the area of the Bellingshausen station and adjacent waste disposal sites. Ornithogenic soils of the Fildes Peninsula have shown low concentrations of Cd and As. Using geoaccumulation indexes, all the pristine soils of King George and Elephant islands and ornithogenic soils of the Fildes Peninsula were classified as unpolluted; the human-affected soils were mainly identified as moderately polluted. Obtained data can be used as background concentration levels for further researches.     

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/furans and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls in food and feed in the Lithuanian market

Foods and feeds were analyzed during the period of 2007–2014 employing validated and accredited methods based on gas chromatography–high-resolution mass spectrometry. Sampling has been carried out in-line with national monitoring programs as well as during import controls into Lithuania. Food samples such as eggs, milk, beef, pork, poultry, fats of plant and animal origin, fish, cod liver, and feed samples such as premixes, feeds of plant origin, compound feed, mineral feed, vegetable oil, and fish meals were analyzed. Most of the samples exhibited concentrations below maximum limits, except cod liver. Health impacts were assessed in respect to human daily intakes. Data between groups are compared.     

Evidence of new particle formation during post monsoon season over a high-altitude site of the Western Ghats,India

The formation of ultrafine particles, their growth, and associated characteristic features has been studied during new particle formation events over a high-altitude station of the Western Ghats during the 2014 post-monsoon season. Most of the events were observed during noon time where particle bursts in the nucleation-mode size range from 5 to 25 nm followed by sustained growth in size. This phenomenon persists for ～4–8 h with a growth rate of 1–2 nm h^–1. Peak concentrations of nucleation-mode particles during the event generally vary from 2300 to 5000 cm^–3. The mean growth rate is 1.4 ± 0.42 nm h^–1, particle formation rate is 1.14 ± 0.22 cm^–3 s^–1, coagulation sink is 0.35 ± 0.22 cm^–3 s^–1, and condensational sink is 15.4 ± 2.6?×?10^–3 s^–1. All these values are comparable with earlier results from Indian region. Comparison of size-segregated particle number concentration during days of new particle formation events and those without new particle formation were carried out showing a distinct variation in nucleation and Aitken mode with least variability associated with the accumulation mode.     

陕北黄土丘陵区不同土地利用方式下土壤碳剖面分布特征

黄土高原土层深厚,土壤剖面碳存储受土地利用方式影响明显.为探讨不同土地利用方式对深层土壤碳分布的影响,研究了人工经济林地(陕北米脂)、退耕还林地(神木)和防风固沙林地(榆林榆阳区)0~20.0 m土壤有机碳(SOC)和无机碳(SIC)的分布特征和差异.结果表明,在不同土地利用方式下SOC含量:矮化枣树(2.00 g·kg~(-1))未矮化枣树(1.54 g·kg~(-1))柠条林(0.97 g·kg~(-1))退化人工草地(0.81 g·kg~(-1))樟子松林(0.70 g·kg~(-1))荒草地(0.45 g·kg~(-1)),且各剖面之间SOC含量存在显著性差异(P0.05).在不同土地利用方式下SIC含量:矮化枣树(11.66 g·kg~(-1))≥未矮化枣树(11.59g·kg~(-1))柠条林(9.62 g·kg~(-1))退化人工草地(8.07 g·kg~(-1))樟子松林(4.32 g·kg~(-1))荒草地(0.47 g·kg~(-1));人工经济林和退耕还林(草)样地内所有土壤剖面之间SIC含量无显著性差异;人工经济林、退耕还林(草)剖面和防风固沙林地剖面SIC含量存在显著性差异(P0.05).矮化枣树、未矮化枣树、柠条林、退化人工草地、樟子松林和荒草地土壤剖面无机碳密度分别是有机碳密度的6.19、7.71、10.80、10.78、5.91和1.03倍.综上可见,不同土地利用方式之间土壤碳储量存在明显差异,无机碳的含量远高于有机碳.