Human Influence and Classical Biogeographic Predictors of Rare Species Occurrence

Biogeographic theory predicts that rare species occur more often in larger, less‐isolated habitat patches and suggests that patch size and connectivity are positive predictors of patch quality for conservation. However, in areas substantially modified by humans, rare species may be relegated to the most isolated patches. We used data from plant surveys of 81 meadow patches in the Georgia Basin of Canada and the United States to show that presence of threatened and endangered plants was positively predicted for patches that were isolated on small islands surrounded by ocean and for patches that were isolated by surrounding forest. Neither patch size nor connectivity were positive predictors of rare species occurrence. Thus, in our study area, human influence, presumably due to disturbance or introduction of competitive non‐native species, appears to have overwhelmed classical predictors of rare species distribution, such that greater patch isolation appeared to favor presence of rare species. We suggest conservation planners consider the potential advantages of protecting geographically isolated patches in human‐modified landscapes because such patches may represent the only habitats in which rare species are likely to persist. Influencia Humana y Predictores Biogeográficos Clásicos de la Ocurrencia de Especies Raras     

Virtual Garden Computer Program for use in Exploring the Elements of Biodiversity People Want in Cities

Urban ecology is emerging as an integrative science that explores the interactions of people and biodiversity in cities. Interdisciplinary research requires the creation of new tools that allow the investigation of relations between people and biodiversity. It has been established that access to green spaces or nature benefits city dwellers, but the role of species diversity in providing psychological benefits remains poorly studied. We developed a user‐friendly 3‐dimensional computer program (Virtual Garden [ www.tinyurl.com/3DVirtualGarden ]) that allows people to design their own public or private green spaces with 95 biotic and abiotic features. Virtual Garden allows researchers to explore what elements of biodiversity people would like to have in their nearby green spaces while accounting for other functions that people value in urban green spaces. In 2011, 732 participants used our Virtual Garden program to design their ideal small public garden. On average gardens contained 5 different animals, 8 flowers, and 5 woody plant species. Although the mathematical distribution of flower and woody plant richness (i.e., number of species per garden) appeared to be similar to what would be expected by random selection of features, 30% of participants did not place any animal species in their gardens. Among those who placed animals in their gardens, 94% selected colorful species (e.g., ladybug [Coccinella septempunctata], Great Tit [Parus major], and goldfish), 53% selected herptiles or large mammals, and 67% selected non‐native species. Older participants with a higher level of education and participants with a greater concern for nature designed gardens with relatively higher species richness and more native species. If cities are to be planned for the mutual benefit of people and biodiversity and to provide people meaningful experiences with urban nature, it is important to investigate people's relations with biodiversity further. Virtual Garden offers a standardized tool with which to explore these relations in different environments, cultures, and countries. It can also be used by stakeholders (e.g., city planners) to consider people's opinions of local design. Programa de Computadora de Jardín Virtual para Uso en la Exploración de los Elementos de Biodiversidad que la Gente Desea en las Ciudades     

Lichen Conservation in Heavily Managed Boreal Forests

Lichens are an important component of the boreal forest, where they are long lived, tend to accumulate in older stands, and are a major food source for the threatened woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou). To be fully sustainable, silvicultural practices in the boreal forest must include the conservation of ecological integrity. Dominant forest management practices, however, have short‐term negative effects on lichen diversity, particularly the application of herbicides. To better understand the long‐term effects of forest management, we examined lichen regeneration in 35 mixed black spruce (Picea mariana) and jack pine (Pinus banksiana) forest stands across northern Ontario to determine recovery following logging and postharvest silvicultural practices. Our forest stands were 25–40 years old and had undergone 3 common sivilcultural treatments that included harvested and planted; harvested, planted, and treated with N‐[phosphonomethyl] glycine (glyphosate); and harvested, planted, and treated with 2,4‐dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4‐D). Forest stands with herbicide treatments had lower lichen biomass and higher beta and gamma diversity than planted stands that were not treated chemically or control stands. In northwestern Ontario, planted stands that were not treated chemically had significantly greater (p < 0.05) alpha diversity than stands treated with herbicides or control stands. Our results show that common silvicultural practices do not emulate natural disturbances caused by wildfires in the boreal forest for the lichen community. We suggest a reduction in the amount of chemical application be considered in areas where lichen biomass is likely to be high and where the recovery of woodland caribou is an objective. Conservación de Líquenes en Bosques Boreales Manejados Intensivamente     

Effects of Exurban Development and Temperature on Bird Species in the Southern Appalachians

Land‐use dynamics and climatic gradients have large effects on many terrestrial systems. Exurban development, one of the fastest growing forms of land use in the United States, may affect wildlife through habitat fragmentation and building presence may alter habitat quality. We studied the effects of residential development and temperature gradients on bird species occurrence at 140 study sites in the southern Appalachian Mountains (North Carolina, U.S.A.) that varied with respect to building density and elevation. We used occupancy models to determine 36 bird species’ associations with building density, forest canopy cover, average daily mean temperature, and an interaction between building density and mean temperature. Responses varied with habitat requirement, breeding range, and migration distance. Building density and mean temperature were both included in the top occupancy models for 19 of 36 species and a building density by temperature interaction was included in models for 8 bird species. As exurban development expands in the southern Appalachians, interior forest species and Neotropical migrants are likely to decline, but shrubland or edge species are not likely to benefit. Overall, effects of building density were greater than those of forest canopy cover. Exurban development had a greater effect on birds at high elevations due to a greater abundance of sensitive forest‐interior species and Neotropical migrants. A warming climate may exacerbate these negative effects. Efectos del Desarrollo Exurbano y de la Temperatura sobre Especies de Aves en las Apalaches del Sur     

山东省O3时空分布及影响因素分析

为认识山东省环境空气中O3的污染现状,基于2015～2019年国省控环境空气自动监测站的O3监测数据、2019～2020年4～9月气象代表站的气象数据及邻近环境空气站的O3监测数据,探究了山东省O3时空分布特征及与气象因素的关系.结果表明,山东省O3污染日益突出,年均ρ(O3-8h)(90百分位)和ρ(Ox)(O3 与NO2之和)升高速率分别为7.6μg·(m3·a)-1和7.0μg·(m3·a)-1,年均ρ(PM2.5)、ρ(CO)(95百分位数)和ρ(NO2)均逐步下降,下降速率均小于ρ(O3)上升速率.03污染呈现夏季高冬季低的"M型"或"倒V型"月变化特征,在6月或9月达到峰值,且污染月呈提前出现趋势.山东省年均ρ(O3-8h)(90百分位)呈现"内陆高,沿海低"的特点,并有区域均匀性发展趋势.相关性分析表明,山东省ρ(O3-8h)总体与日最高温度呈正相关,与相对湿度、气压和风速呈负相关,其中日 最高温度和相对湿度是O3-8h主控气象因子,气象因素对不同城市O3-8h超标率的影响具有显著差异.     

基于随机森林的南京市PM2.5和O3对减排的响应

自2013年《大气污染防治行动计划》实施后,南京市大气污染有所改善,但仍面临着细颗粒物(PM_2.5)和臭氧(O₃)污染问题.为探究污染物浓度对其前体物减排的响应,获得有效的减排策略,常利用大气化学模式进行多组基于排放扰动的敏感性试验,而这需要消耗大量计算时间和计算资源.应用随机森林算法对2015年大气化学传输模式(GEOS-Chem)模拟结果进行机器学习,高效地预测了南京2019年PM_2.5浓度日均值和日最大8 h臭氧(MDA8 O₃)浓度对不同人为源排放控制情景的响应.随机森林结果表明2019年中国人为排放每减少10%,南京ρ(PM_2.5)季节平均值下降2～4μg·m^-3.当2019年中国人为源减排比例高于20%时,南京ρ(PM_2.5)年均值将低于国家二级限值(35μg·m^-3).若仅对中国地区O₃前体物氮氧化物(NO_x)和挥发性有机污染物(VOCs)同比例减排,反而...     

UV-catalytic treatment of spent caustic from ethene plant with hydrogen peroxide and ozone oxidation

The performance of UV/H2O2, UV/O3 and UV/H2O2/O3 oxidation systems for treating spent caustic from an ethylene plant was investigated, in UV/H2O2 system, with the increase of H202 dosage, removal efficiencies of COD and the ratio of biochemical oxygen demand(BOD) to chemical oxygen demand(COD) of the effluent were increased and a better performance was obtained than the H2O2 system alone. In UV/H2O2 system, removal efficiency of COD reach 68% under the optimum condition, and BOD/COD ratio was significantly increased from 0.22 to 0.52. In UV/O3 system, with the increase of O3 dosage, removal efficiency of COD and BOD/COD ratio were increased, and a better performance was obtained than the O3 system alone. Under the optimum condition, removal efficiency of COD was 54%, and BOD/COD ratio was significantly increased from 0.22 to 0.48. In UV/H2O2/O3 system, COD removal efficiency was found to be 22.0% higher than UV/O3 system.     

吊水壶尾矿坝渗流特性三维有限元分析

本文结合工程实例,以吊水壶尾矿坝为背景,建立现状尾矿坝三维模型,利用三维有限元法反演分析现状尾矿坝的渗流场,将计算结果与勘察的浸润面对比分析,验证模型的可靠性和合理性。基于此模型建立加高后的尾矿坝三维模型,计算正常蓄水位和设计洪水位两种工况下的渗流场,分析坝体浸润面埋深、滩长、渗流坡降等,结果表明,不设排渗措施时,尾矿坝干滩长度、浸润面埋深均能满足规范要求,而且尖流性态良好,满足渗透稳定。提出该尾矿坎可通过加高工程来进行渗流控制的建议。     

催化强化臭氧氧化处理化工园区生化尾水

以陶粒为载体,以TiO2,Fe2O3,MnO2为活性组分,考察不同活性组分的陶粒作为催化剂对化工园区生化尾水臭氧氧化能力的强化情况。结果表明,3种负载型催化剂均能有效强化臭氧氧化过程,显著降低生化尾水Abs、UV254以及COD等指标,其中以Fe2O3/陶粒的催化强化效果最为显著,能显著降低生化尾水在200~250 nm处的吸波强度,尾水UV254从0.580降至0.320,COD从240 mg/L降至194 mg/L。