Topological analysis of the ecological importance of elasmobranch fishes: A food web study on the Gulf of Tortugas, Colombia

We built a trophic network based on a matrix of interspecific trophic relationships to assess the role of elasmobranch fishes in shaping community structure of the Gulf of Tortugas in the Colombian Pacific Ocean. We analyzed diet similarities to define trophic components (nodes) - rather than taxonomical groups - in the network. We evaluated the ecological function of species or trophic entities through topological analysis of their structural importance in trophic networks by applying one local and several mesoscale network indices. We found that top predatory elasmobranchs play an important ecological role in top-down control and in propagating indirect effects through the system owing to high values of the node degree, centrality and topological importance indices. However, invertebrates and teleost fishes had higher connectivity and topological importance than other elasmobranchs in the network before and after removal of top predators from the system. Results from our study thus suggest that elasmobranchs at intermediate trophic levels - commonly referred to as “mesopredators” - are not so important in all complex coastal ecosystems as previously reported.     

核辐射技术在环境污染治理中的应用

以γ射线或电子束为基本手段的核辐射技术，在环境污染治理中的应用日益广泛，除了其优良的消毒性能外，还可用于废气、废水、固体废物以及环境难降解有毒有机物的处理，该文阐述了电子束辐照烟气脱硫、辐照处理工业废水、辐射降解，难降解有机污染物等方面的研究应用，以及利用气溶胶强化电子束脱硫硝和对石油进行辐射脱硫的设想，并展望了这类技术的应用前景。