The place of nature in conservation conflicts

Conservation conflicts are gaining importance in contemporary conservation scholarship such that conservation may have entered a conflict hype. We attempted to uncover and deconstruct the normative assumptions behind such studies by raising several questions: what are conservation conflicts, what justifies the attention they receive, do conservation-conflict studies limit wildlife conservation, is scientific knowledge stacked against wildlife in conservation conflicts, do conservation-conflict studies adopt a specific view of democracy, can laws be used to force conservation outcomes, why is flexibility needed in managing conservation conflicts, can conservation conflicts be managed by promoting tolerance, and who needs to compromise in conservation conflicts? We suggest that many of the intellectual premises in the field may defang conservation and prevent it from truly addressing the current conservation crisis as it accelerates. By framing conservation conflicts as conflicts between people about wildlife or nature, the field insidiously transfers guilt, whereby human activities are no longer blamed for causing species decline and extinctions but conservation is instead blamed for causing social conflicts. When the focus is on mitigating social conflicts without limiting in any powerful way human activities damaging to nature, conservation-conflict studies risk keeping conservation within the limits of human activities, instead of keeping human activities within the limits of nature. For conservation to successfully stop the biodiversity crisis, we suggest the alternative goal of recognizing nature's right to existence to maintenance of ecological functions and evolutionary processes. Nature being a rights bearer or legal person would imply its needs must be explicitly taken into account in conflict adjudication. If, even in conservation, nature's interests come second to human interests, it may be no surprise that conservation cannot succeed.     

Epidemiologic Analysis of Factors Associated with Local Disappearances of Native Ranid Frogs in Arizona

Abstract:  We examined factors that may independently or synergistically contribute to amphibian population declines. We used epidemiologic case–control methodology to sample and analyze a large database developed and maintained by the Arizona Game and Fish Department that describes historical and currently known ranid frog localities in Arizona, U.S.A. Sites with historical documentation of target ranid species ( n = 324) were evaluated to identify locations where frogs had disappeared during the study period (case sites) and locations where frog populations persisted (control sites). Between 1986 and 2003, 117 (36%) of the 324 sites became case sites, of which 105 were used in the analyses. An equal number of control sites were sampled to control for the effects of time. Risk factors, or predictor variables, were defined from environmental data summarized during site surveys and geographic information system data layers. We evaluated risk factors with univariate and multifactorial logistic-regression analyses to derive odds ratios (OR). Odds for local population disappearance were significantly related to 4 factors in the multifactorial model. Disappearance of frog populations increased with increasing elevation (OR = 2.7 for every 500 m, p < 0.01). Sites where disappearances occurred were 4.3 times more likely to have other nearby sites that also experienced disappearances (OR = 4.3, p < 0.01), whereas the odds of disappearance were 6.7 times less (OR = 0.15, p < 0.01) when there was a source population nearby. Sites with disappearances were 2.6 times more likely to have introduced crayfish than were control sites (OR = 2.6, p = 0.04). The identification of factors associated with frog disappearances increases understanding of declines occurring in natural populations and aids in conservation efforts to reestablish and protect native ranids by identifying and prioritizing implicated threats.     

铝系混凝剂优势形态分析及其混凝特性

聚合氯化铝（PACl）是常用的水处理混凝剂,在应用过程中通常表现出比传统铝盐更为优异的效果.研究表明,这种优异性能主要得益于其特殊的组成,特别是高分子聚合物Al₁₃和Al₃₀独特的物化特性.Al₁₃和Al₃₀是铝离子水解过程中的中间产物,在地球科学和环境化学等领域有着重要的研究价值.于水处理而言,二者的结构和分子特性是研究者关注的重点,大量研究基于此展开,很多重要的发现为实际应用奠定了基础.基于对PACl及其组成性质的研究,本文对PACl的混凝特性及其优势形态分子的分析进行了综合阐述.     

浙江典型海湾潮间带沉积物污染及生态风险评价

基于浙江4个典型海湾潮间带表层沉积物重金属元素Cu、Zn、Pb、Cr、Cd、Hg、As和多氯联苯（PCB）的调查结果,探究其污染特征、潜在生态风险和来源.结果表明,海湾潮间带表层沉积物Cd、Hg、As、PCB含量均符合国家海洋沉积物质量Ⅰ类标准;42%、9%、3%、12%站位的Cu、Zn、Pb、Cr符合国家海洋沉积物质量II类标准,1%站位的Cu和Zn符合国家海洋沉积物质量III类标准.区域污染程度（PLI_zone）依次为乐清湾 > 三门湾 > 象山港 > 杭州湾,乐清湾潮间带沉积环境为中等污染,杭州湾、象山港和三门湾潮间带沉积环境无污染.区域生态风险（RI）依次为乐清湾 > 杭州湾 > 三门湾 > 象山港,乐清湾和杭州湾潮间带沉积物为中潜在生态风险,三门湾和象山港潮间带沉积物为低潜在生态风险.Cd是首要的潜在生态风险因子,Cd对杭州湾、象山港、三门湾、乐清湾潜在生态风险指数（RI）的贡献分别为63%、54%、58%和55%.生活污水、工农业和交通污染是浙江典型海湾潮间带重金属和PCB的主要来源.     

水稻秸秆生物炭中铜和镉的形态分布及释放特性

由于目前缺乏对生物质原料来源的管控办法,极有可能用产自受污染农田土壤的秸秆制备出具有高重金属含量的生物炭,因此,研究生物炭中重金属的形态分布及其释放特性对于防控生物炭应用产生的环境风险具有重要意义.基于此,分别采集江西省贵溪铜冶炼厂周边九牛岗污染区和中国科学院鹰潭红壤生态实验站清洁区种植的水稻秸秆制备生物炭（分别记为“九牛岗生物炭”和“红壤站生物炭”）,分析两种生物炭中Cu、Cd的含量及其化学形态分布,考察不同固液比及pH对生物炭中Cu、Cd浸出的影响.结果表明:九牛岗生物炭中Cu、Cd的总量（以w计）分别为119.99、3.83 mg/kg,显著高于红壤站生物炭（19.50、0.96 mg/kg）.尽管九牛岗生物炭中w（酸溶态Cu）、w（酸溶态Cd）显著高于红壤站生物炭,但在形态分布上,九牛岗生物炭中Cu、Cd主要为相对稳定态（可氧化态和残渣态）,二者占比分别为80.3%、76.7%,高于红壤站生物炭（二者占比分别为53.2%、48.0%）.高固液比和低pH可有效增加两种生物炭中Cu、Cd的浸出毒性,其中,九牛岗生物炭在固液比为1:20和1:60时,浸出液中ρ（Cu）、ρ（Cd）均超过GB/T 14848—2017《地下水质量标准》中Ⅱ类标准限值.动力学及累积释放试验表明,两种生物炭中的部分Cu、Cd可在短时间内迅速释放而后逐渐平稳并有上升趋势,且九牛岗生物炭中Cu、Cd释放量显著高于红壤站生物炭.研究显示,来自污染区水稻秸秆生物炭中的Cu、Cd活性显著高于清洁区生物炭,具有更高的环境风险.      

长江流域水生态环境安全主要问题、形势与对策

为进一步深化长江流域水生态环境保护的系统性、整体性科学认识,围绕长江水生态环境安全的主要问题及形势进行了剖析,提出了进一步加强长江流域水生态环境安全保障的对策建议.研究表明:在水环境质量方面,磷污染成为制约水质改善的主要影响因素,农业源排放量占比高,但工业源入河对水体的影响更直接,水库群运行带来的水沙条件变化对磷污染沿程演变有明显影响;在水生态健康方面,长江水生生物资源衰退、湖库富营养化格局发生改变、湿地生态功能退化问题突出;在水环境风险方面,化工围江、航运污染风险引起广泛关注.当前长江流域面临着源头区水资源战略储备减少、区域经济发展与生态环境保护双重压力仍较大、水环境质量仍存问题隐患、水生态系统退化态势未得到根本遏制等复杂且严峻的形势,未来长江水生态环境安全保障仍有诸多挑战.建议统筹长江全流域“一盘棋”,推进区域绿色协调发展,强化磷污染点面源综合管控,着力提升水生态健康水平,同时加快水环境风险隐患排查整治,强化科技创新有效供给.      

黄渤海区域水产品中全氟烷基物质的分布特征

选取黄渤海区域水产品生产、消费水平较高的23个城市,采集鱼类、海洋贝类、甲壳类、头足类及海珍品（海参、鲍鱼）等5类水产品共1225个样本,采用超快速液相色谱-串联质谱法测定了23种全氟烷基物质（PFASs）的含量,并分析了黄渤海区域水产品中PFASs的残留水平及分布特征.结果表明,黄渤海区域水产品中PFASs的残留水平具有明显的组分差异、城市分布及品种分布差异等特征.在23种PFASs组分中,共检出20种PFASs,其中全氟辛烷磺酸（PFOS）和全氟辛酸（PFOA）的检出率最高,分别为79.1%和71.7%,且PFOA的质量浓度占比最高（64.5%）,为首要污染组分;在不同采样点样本中,莱州湾近岸的潍坊、滨州和东营,渤海湾近岸的沧州以及辽东湾近岸的营口为PFASs总质量浓度（∑PFASs）较高的城市,残留水平范围为10.2~16.8μg/kg;在不同品种样本中,检出PFASs组分的数量由高到低为：鱼类（20种） > 海洋贝类、甲壳类（18种） > 海珍品（16种） > 头足类（10种）,其中海洋贝类、海珍品样本中检出率最高的是PFOA,鱼类、甲壳类样本中检出率最高的是PFOS,而头足类则是全氟辛烷磺酰胺（PFOSA）;通过计算不同水产品中PFASs各组分的平均含量发现,PFOA、PFOS、全氟十一烷酸（PFUdA）和PFOSA在不同品种中平均含量相对较高,且表现出较为明显的组分差异性;通过计算危害指数（HR）评价人体暴露于PFASs的健康风险,得到PFASs各组分的危害指数均 < 1,说明黄渤海区域水产品中残留的PFASs对消费者的潜在健康风险较低.     

含菌气溶胶扩散对人群的潜在影响风险

为分析生物气溶胶释放对人群潜在影响风险的情况,利用CALPUFF模型定量模拟了2019年7月24~8月20日中牧兰州生物药厂含菌气溶胶扩散、浓度空间分布、对人群潜在健康风险,并结合公开报道的检测数据开展验证.结果显示：生物药厂的含菌气溶胶排放源附近高值区主要集中于厂区四周,影响范围主要以厂区为中心,并向四周逐渐扩散;检测结果中兰州兽研所1#,兰州大学2#地区健康风险比例41.49：1,在模拟的相对风险大小的误差区间（36.15±8.48）范围内,说明本研究含菌气溶胶对人群潜在影响风险的模拟结果可信.