Methane emissions from rice fields under continuous straw return in the middle-lower reaches of the Yangtze River

A three-year experiment was conducted in the middle-lower reaches of the Yangtze River in China to study the influence of continuous wheat straw return during the rice season and continuous rice straw return in wheat on methane (CH 4 ) emissions from rice fields in which, the rice-wheat rotation system is the most dominant planting pattern. The field experiment was initiated in October 2009 and has continued since the wheat-growing season of that year. The analyses for the present study were conducted in the second (2011) and third (2012) rice growing seasons. Four treatments, namely, the continuous return of wheat straw and rice straw in every season (WR), of rice straw but no wheat straw return (R), of wheat straw but no rice straw return (W) and a control with no straw return (CK), were laid out in a randomized split-plot design. The total seasonal CH 4 emissions ranged from 107.4 to 491.7 kg/ha (2011) and 160.3 to 909.6 kg/ha (2012). The increase in CH 4 emissions for treatments WR and W were 289% and 230% in the second year and 185% and 225% in the third year, respectively, in relation to CK. We observed less methane emissions in the treatment R than in CK by 14%-43%, but not statistically significant. Treatment R could increase rice productivity while no more CH 4 emission occurs. The difference in the total CH 4 emissions mainly related to a difference in the methane flux rate during the first 30-35 days after transplant in the rice growing season, which was caused by the amount of dissolved oxygen in paddy water and the amount of reducible soil materials.     

100-years of Australian bushfire property losses: Is the risk significant and is it increasing?

This study examines the bushfire (wildland fire) risk to the built environment in Australia. The most salient result is that the annual probability of building destruction has remained almost constant over the last century despite large demographic and social changes as well as improvements in fire fighting technique and resources. Most historical losses have taken place in a few extreme fires which if repeated are likely to overwhelm even the most professional of fire services. We also calculate the average annual probability of a random home on the urban–bushland interface being destroyed by a bushfire to be of the order of 1 in 6500, a factor 6.5 times lower than the ignition probability of a structural house fire. Thus on average and if this risk was perceived rationally, the incentive for individual homeowners to mitigate and reduce the bushfire danger even further is low. This being the case and despite predictions of an increasing likelihood of conditions favouring bushfires under global climate change, we suspect that building losses due to bushfires are unlikely to alter materially in the near future.     

猫跳河流域梯级水库夏季N2O的产生与释放机理

为了研究河流筑坝对河流氮生物地球化学循环的影响，在夏季水体分层期间对猫跳河梯级水库坝前分层采集水样进行了相关地球化学分析。结果显示，在上游的两座水库存在2个明显的温度分层现象，并影响到了水体N2O的产生和分布。红枫水库整个剖面的氮分布主要受硝化作用控制，而百花湖、修文及红岩水库则表现为上层水体为硝化作用，中层为硝化反硝化共同作用。所有水库表层水和下泄水高饱和度的N2O含量表明这些水体为大气N2O的源。百花湖底层反硝化作用强烈，中间产物N2O大量消耗。底层泄水的方式对于温室气体释放影响重大，因此不同水库下泄水的N2O含量在时间和空间上的变化与水库运行和调蓄模式有关。研究结果表明，梯级水库过程对N2O的排放影响很大，在水电开发的环境保护中应当引起重视。     

Road Facilitation of Trematode Infections in Snails of Northern Alaska

Abstract:  Road disturbances can influence wildlife health by spreading disease agents and hosts or by generating environmental conditions that sustain these agent and host populations. I evaluated field patterns of trematode infections in snails inhabiting ponds at varying distances from the Dalton Highway, a wilderness road that intersects northern Alaska. I also assessed the relationships between trematode infections and snail densities and six environmental variables: calcium concentration, aquatic vegetative cover, canopy cover, temperature, pond size, and community structure. Presence of trematode infections and snail density were negatively correlated with distance from the highway. Of the pond characteristics measured, only calcium concentration and vegetation density declined with distance from road. However, neither variable was positively associated with snail density or trematode presence. One potential explanation for observed patterns is that vehicles, road maintenance, or vertebrate vectors attracted to the highway facilitate colonization of snails or trematodes. Emerging disease threats to biological diversity in northern ecosystems highlight the importance of understanding how roads affect disease transmission.     

全球变暖背景下中亚兴都库什、喀喇昆仑及天山气候变化研究进展

中亚兴都库什、喀喇昆仑及天山山脉（HKT）是气候变化敏感区,其在全球变暖背景下的气候变化对区域生态和经济系统的稳定性及可持续发展有重要意义。目前对中亚高海拔地区的研究多集中于局部区域,有关HKT地区气候变化的综合对比分析较为缺乏。本文对HKT地区现代气候变化的相关研究成果进行简单梳理和回顾,重点总结了HKT地区气候变化特征、影响机制及其与全球变暖的联系。结果表明：（1）近60 a,HKT地区不同区域气候的时空特征存在差异,从时间上看,天山的年均温及年降水量均呈上升趋势,而兴都库什-喀喇昆仑山的年均温呈不显著增加趋势,其年降水量变化趋势不稳定;从空间上看,HKT地区山脉南坡气温高于北坡,但北坡降水量高于南坡,且天山南北坡年降水均呈上升趋势。（2）HKT地区的气候变化除了受西风环流、南亚印度季风及局地条件等影响外,还受到北大西洋涛动和厄尔尼诺-南方涛动等大尺度气候模态的调制,如兴都库什-喀喇昆仑山脉在NAO正（负）位相和ENSO暖（冷）位相降水趋于增加（减少）。     

热/自然交变环境下玻璃纤维增强SiO2气凝胶复合材料模拟使役工况试验研究

目的 研究装备动力舱在热/自然交变环境下玻璃纤维增强SiO2气凝胶复合材料性能随模拟使役工况试验时间的退化规律,提升装备动力舱热/自然交变环境效应控制水平。方法 以玻璃纤维增强SiO2气凝胶复合材料为研究对象,以湿热、盐雾和高温试验为热/自然交变环境试验谱,以振动试验为加速因子,开展5个周期的实验室模拟使役工况加速试验,对比分析样件初始状态和每一个周期试验后的性能。结果 经模拟使役工况试验后,玻璃纤维增强SiO2气凝胶复合材料的颜色由白色逐渐变成黄色,SiO2气凝胶含量逐渐减少,纤维元素组成变化不明显,导热系数升高,隔热性能下降,且均在4周期模拟使役工况试验后出现明显变化。结论 玻璃纤维增强SiO2气凝胶复合材料经5个周期的模拟使役工况试验后,其常温导热系数仅为0.026 4 W/(m.K),热面温度为200 ℃时,冷面平均温度仅为68.5 ℃,热/自然交变温差为43.5 ℃,具有良好的环境适应性。     

增温及秸秆施用对豆-麦轮作土壤微生物量碳氮及细菌群落结构的影响

为研究增温和秸秆施用对农田土壤微生物量碳氮和细菌群落结构的影响,设置随机区组试验,试验设置空白(CK)、增温(WA)、秸秆施用(SA)和增温及秸秆施用(WS)这4种处理.分别在大豆生长季和冬小麦生长季采集土壤样品,测定土壤微生物量碳氮,并采用Illumina Hi Seq高通量测序法测定土壤细菌群落结构.结果表明,无论是大豆季还是冬小麦田,不同增温及秸秆施用处理的土壤微生物量碳含量均无显著(P 0. 05)差异,大豆季增温处理土壤微生物量氮含量显著(P 0. 01)高于对照,且大豆季土壤微生物量氮含量极显著(P 0. 001)高于冬小麦田.大豆季各处理间土壤细菌纲、目、科和属水平上的类群均无显著(P 0. 05)差异,冬小麦季不同处理间的细菌群落结构存在显著差异.大豆季CK与WA、SA处理最具优势的芽单胞菌目(Gemmatimonadales)、芽单胞菌科(Gemmatimonadaceae)和鞘氨醇单胞菌属(Sphingomonas)的细菌比例之间均存在显著(P 0. 05)差异,冬小麦季CK与WA处理最具优势的γ-变形菌纲(γ-Proteobacteria)的细菌比例之间存在显著(P 0. 05)差异.大豆季增温处理的物种数、Shannon指数、Simpson指数和Chao1指数均最小,冬小麦季增温及秸秆施用处理的物种数、Shannon指数、Simpson指数和Chao1指数均最大.大豆季土壤细菌α多样性指标与土壤微生物量碳氮之间存在极显著(P 0. 001)的相关关系,而冬小麦季这些指标之间则不存在类似的关系.     

氯化铜催化二噁英生成实验及指纹特性分析

氯化铜被认为是对二■英(PCDD/F)生成促进作用最强的金属催化剂,温度和氧气含量是影响其催化二■英生成的关键因素.本文选取250～550℃间8个不同温度点及0～20%间4种不同氧气含量,系统性地研究了温度和氧气含量对含氯化铜模拟飞灰(MFA)生成二■英的影响,并通过分析指纹特性探讨二■英的生成路径和机理.结果发现,290～350℃之间二■英生成量较高,且在290℃时二■英总量达到最大值;氧气含量为10%时二■英生成量达到最高.研究二■英同分异构体分布可从分子层面为研究其生成路径和机理提供重要信息,因此,本文分析了四至八氯代PCDD/F的全部异构体的分布.结果表明,在本文所选取的温度和氧含量范围内,温度对二■英生成路径的影响高于氧气含量.最后,重点讨论了2,3,7,8位氯取代的17种有毒异构体的分布随温度和氧气的变化情况及生成路径.利用主成分分析法(PCA)证实了氯化铜催化二■英从头合成过程中存在经由氯酚路径生成的异构体,并讨论了不同工况下氯酚路径对二■英生成的影响.     

Effects of environmental contaminants on fertility and reproductive health

Recent research indicates that the human infertility rate is increasing. Although various reasons have been hypothesized for the growing infertility rate, environmental contaminants are potentially important causal agents associated with this change. Chemical contaminants are widespread throughout our environment and human exposure is virtually unavoidable. The overall contribution of environmental exposure to infertility is unknown, but studies involving occupational exposure, together with results from animal experiments, suggest that environmental contaminants may adversely affect fertility. We reviewed the adverse effects of environmental exposure on fertility and related reproductive outcomes. Environmental contaminants covered in this review include heavy metals, organic solvents, pesticides and endocrine disrupting chemicals. It is hoped that this review will highlight the need for further research in this area.