Experiencing Biodiversity as a Bridge over the Science–Society Communication Gap

Drawing on the idea that biodiversity is simply the diversity of living things, and that everyone knows what diversity and living things mean, most conservation professionals eschew the need to explain the many complex ways in which biodiversity is understood in science. On many biodiversity‐related issues, this lack of clarity leads to a communication gap between science and the general public, including decision makers who must design and implement biodiversity policies. Closing this communication gap is pivotal to the ability of science to inform sound environmental decision making. To address this communication gap, we propose a surrogate of biodiversity for communication purposes that captures the scientific definition of biodiversity yet can be understood by nonscientists; that is, biodiversity as a learning experience. The prerequisites of this or any other biodiversity communication surrogate are that it should have transdisciplinary relevance; not be measurable; be accessible to a wide audience; be usable to translate biodiversity issues; and understandably encompass biodiversity concepts. Biodiversity as a learning experience satisfies these prerequisites and is philosophically robust. More importantly, it can effectively contribute to closing the communication gap between biodiversity science and society at large. Experimentando la Biodiversidad como un Puente sobre el Vacío entre la Comunicación Ciencia‐Sociedad     

Effects of Wind Energy Development on Nesting Ecology of Greater Prairie‐Chickens in Fragmented Grasslands

Wind energy is targeted to meet 20% of U.S. energy needs by 2030, but new sites for development of renewable energy may overlap with important habitats of declining populations of grassland birds. Greater Prairie‐Chickens (Tympanuchus cupido) are an obligate grassland bird species predicted to respond negatively to energy development. We used a modified before–after control–impact design to test for impacts of a wind energy development on the reproductive ecology of prairie‐chickens in a 5‐year study. We located 59 and 185 nests before and after development, respectively, of a 201 MW wind energy facility in Greater Prairie‐Chicken nesting habitat and assessed nest site selection and nest survival relative to proximity to wind energy infrastructure and habitat conditions. Proximity to turbines did not negatively affect nest site selection (β = 0.03, 95% CI = ?1.2–1.3) or nest survival (β = ?0.3, 95% CI = ?0.6–0.1). Instead, nest site selection and survival were strongly related to vegetative cover and other local conditions determined by management for cattle production. Integration of our project results with previous reports of behavioral avoidance of oil and gas facilities by other species of prairie grouse suggests new avenues for research to mitigate impacts of energy development. Efectos del Desarrollo de la Energía Eólica sobre la Ecología de Anidación de Gallinas de la Gran Pradera en Pastizales Fragmentados     

Effect of Rotational Shepherding on Demographic and Genetic Connectivity of Calcareous Grassland Plants

Response to habitat fragmentation may not be generalized among species, in particular for plant communities with a variety of dispersal traits. Calcareous grasslands are one of the most species‐rich habitats in Central Europe, but abandonment of traditional management has caused a dramatic decline of calcareous grassland species. In the Southern Franconian Alb in Germany, reintroduction of rotational shepherding in previously abandoned grasslands has restored species diversity, and it has been suggested that sheep support seed dispersal among grasslands. We tested the effect of rotational shepherding on demographic and genetic connectivity of calcareous grassland specialist plants and whether the response of plant populations to shepherding was limited to species dispersed by animals (zoochory). Specifically, we tested competing dispersal models and source and focal patch properties to explain landscape connectivity with patch‐occupancy data of 31 species. We fitted the same connectivity models to patch occupancy and nuclear microsatellite data for the herb Dianthus carthusianorum (Carthusian pink). For 27 species, patch connectivity was explained by dispersal by rotational shepherding regardless of adaptations to zoochory, whereas population size (16% species) and patch area (0% species) of source patches were not important predictors of patch occupancy in most species. [Correction made after online publication, February 25, 2014: Population size and patch area percentages were mistakenly inverted, and have now been fixed.] Microsite diversity of focal patches significantly increased the model variance explained by patch occupancy in 90% of the species. For D. carthusianorum, patch connectivity through rotational shepherding explained both patch occupancy and population genetic diversity. Our results suggest shepherding provides dispersal for multiple plant species regardless of their dispersal adaptations and thus offers a useful approach to restore plant diversity in fragmented calcareous grasslands. Efectos del Pastoreo Rotacional sobre la Conectividad Genética y Demográfica de Plantas de Pastizales Calcáreos     

Expanding Kenya's protected areas under the Convention on Biological Diversity to maximize coverage of plant diversity

Biodiversity is highly valuable and critically threatened by anthropogenic degradation of the natural environment. In response, governments have pledged enhanced protected‐area coverage, which requires scarce biological data to identify conservation priorities. To assist this effort, we mapped conservation priorities in Kenya based on maximizing alpha (species richness) and beta diversity (species turnover) of plant communities while minimizing economic costs. We used plant‐cover percentages from vegetation surveys of over 2000 plots to build separate models for each type of diversity. Opportunity and management costs were based on literature data and interviews with conservation organizations. Species richness was predicted to be highest in a belt from Lake Turkana through Mount Kenya and in a belt parallel to the coast, and species turnover was predicted to be highest in western Kenya and along the coast. Our results suggest the expanding reserve network should focus on the coast and northeastern provinces of Kenya, where new biological surveys would also fill biological data gaps. Meeting the Convention on Biological Diversity target of 17% terrestrial coverage by 2020 would increase representation of Kenya's plant communities by 75%. However, this would require about 50 times more funds than Kenya has received thus far from the Global Environment Facility.     

铋银氧化物混合物高效氧化降解四溴双酚A的研究

以Ag NO3和Na Bi O3·2H2O为原料,采用离子交换-共沉淀法制备了铋银氧化物混合物(silver bismuth oxide,BSO),并利用它氧化降解溴代阻燃剂四溴双酚A(TBBPA).研究了制备过程中银铋摩尔比及降解过程中BSO用量对TBBPA降解效果的影响.结果表明,当银铋摩尔比为1∶1,BSO用量为1 g·L-1时,40 mg·L-1TBBPA在7 min内可完全降解,其总有机碳的去除率高达80%.采用离子色谱、气相色谱-质谱联用仪及X射线光电子能谱监测降解过程中TBBPA的变化,发现TBBPA降解过程涉及脱溴、叔丁基碳的断裂和苯环的开环氧化等反应.利用Na N3作为分子探针,发现单线态氧是BSO氧化降解TBBPA的主要反应活性物种.     

不同粒径汽车尾气颗粒物对A549细胞毒性作用的比较

讨论并比较了不同粒径汽车尾气颗粒物对人肺癌上皮细胞A549的毒性作用.通过采样器MOUDI分级捕获不同粒径的汽车尾气颗粒物,再分别以0、50、100、200、400 μg·mL^-1的浓度及不同粒径的尾气颗粒物对A549细胞染毒48 h,然后用四甲基偶氮唑盐比色法 检测颗粒物对细胞活力的影响,用乳酸脱氢酶（LDH）释放法测定细胞膜完整性的改变,用超氧化物歧化酶（Super oxide dismutase,SOD）及丙二醛（Malondialdehyde,MDA）试剂盒测定细胞的氧化应激水平及氧化损伤.结果显示：染毒浓度为50 μg·mL^-1时,各粒径染毒组与对照组,以及各粒径染毒组之间细胞生存率的差异均不显著（p>0.05）;染毒浓度为100~400 μg·mL^-1时,与对照组相比,各粒径汽车尾气颗粒物均以剂量依赖的方式引起细胞存活率降低（p<0.05）;同一染毒浓度下,PM_0.18~1.00组抑制细胞增殖的能力、破坏细胞膜完整性的能力及引起胞内氧化应激水平升高的能力均显著强于PM_1.00~3.20组,其中,PM_0.56~1.00组毒性最大.与对照组相比,各粒径染毒组胞内MDA含量均上升（p<0.05）,其中,PM_0.56~1.00组胞内MDA含量最高,其他粒径染毒组彼此之间的MDA含量差异不显著（p>0.05）.因此,汽车尾气颗粒物可抑制A549细胞增殖功能,破坏细胞膜的完整性,引起细胞氧化应激及膜脂质的过氧化损伤.不同粒径汽车尾气颗粒物对细胞的损伤作用有所差异,PM_0.18~1.00的毒性强于PM_1.00~3.20,而PM_0.56~1.00的毒性又强于PM_0.18~0.56.     

活性污泥工艺的多目标优化分析

研究了多目标优化方法在活性污泥工艺优化中应用的可行性,以国际水协(IWA)发布的基准仿真模型BSM1的工艺流程为对象,以出水水质、过程能耗和反应池体积的指标为优化目标,以反应池池容(5个)、混合液回流量、污泥回流量、污泥排放量、反应池氧气传质系数(3个)等11个变量为决策变量,构建了基于BSM1的多目标优化模型,并利用MatLab非支配排序遗传算法NSGA-II进行求解,获得了BSM1多目标优化模型的Pareto解.研究结果表明,在Dry进水条件下,通过将体积指标增大4.1%,可以明显改善出水水质指标(降低81.5%),能耗指标也能得到一定改善(降低13.3%);在3种进水条件(Dry,Rain,Storm)下,相对于BSM1工艺参数的缺省值,利用本研究的优化解作为工艺参数,均能不同程度改善出水水质、降低能耗.研究结果显示,在活性污泥过程不同目标之间进行权衡可以通过多目标优化方法来实现.     

MBR中活性污泥对雌酮E1的吸附性能研究

研究了MBR中灭活污泥对雌酮(El)的吸附行为,考察了污泥浓度、污泥粒径和El初始浓度对E1吸附效果的影响,并探讨了不同污泥组分(悬浮颗粒、胶体和溶解物)对E1的吸附作用贡献.结果表明,在E1初始浓度为l～500μg·L-1,4h左右达到吸附平衡;E1的吸附符合Freundlich吸附模型,呈线性吸附;E1初始浓度越大,吸附速率越小.随着污泥浓度升高,单位污泥对E1的吸附量显著下降,出现了固体浓度效应;而吸附去除率却随着污泥浓度的升高而显著增加,且两者之间呈显著正相关(p＜0.05).活性污泥对E1的单位吸附容量随着污泥粒径增大而减小.污泥中悬浮颗粒、胶体和溶解物的含量分别为87.8％、9.6％和2.6％,吸附平衡时,E1在3种组分中的浓度分别为13.9 μg·g-1、24.1 g·g-1和12.5 μg· g-1,胶体吸附效果最好.不同组分对E1的吸附贡献与其含量正相关,吸附贡献为:悬浮颗粒＞胶体＞溶解物.     

多壁碳纳米管表面共价偶联分子印迹聚合物及其对水中双酚A的吸附性能

通过羧化、酰氯化、酰胺化反应在多壁碳纳米管(MWCNTs)表面引入不饱和侧链(－CH＝CH2),然后以双酚A(BPA)为模板分子,4-乙烯吡啶(4-VP)为功能单体,乙二醇二甲基丙烯酸酯(EGDMA)为交联剂,在MWCNTs－CH＝CH2表面制备一种新型的分子印迹聚合物纳米材料.采用扫描电镜、傅里叶变换红外光谱(FT-IR)、热重分析对制备吸附剂(MWCNTs@BPA-MIPs)的结构与形态进行了表征且证实有一层稳定的分子印迹聚合物(MIPs)接枝在MWCNTs的表面通过平衡结合实验与斯卡查德(Scatchard)分析证实了印迹聚合物的吸附性质.结果证实,BPA的吸附容量高达123.8 mg·g-1,而且与模板分子BPA的类似物双酚C(BPC)和邻硝基酚(o-NP)比较,MWCNTs@BPA-MIPs对BPA具有更好的选择性和更快的吸附动力学特性.     

低温低C/N比复合A~2/O启动实验研究

研究了低温低碳氮比条件下好氧段添加AquaMat(s阿科蔓)的A2/O工艺的挂膜启动实验。结果表明:在环境温度为10¹2℃,C/N为3.5左右的条件下,当系统HRT为10 h,SRT为15 d,污泥回流比为100%,硝化液回流比为200%,好氧段DO在212℃,C/N为3.5左右的条件下,当系统HRT为10 h,SRT为15 d,污泥回流比为100%,硝化液回流比为200%,好氧段DO在2³ mg/L,初始MLSS为4 000 mg/L时,好氧段阿科蔓经30 d左右挂膜成功。系统对COD,氨氮,总氮的去除率分别达到90%、97%、60%。对总磷的去除率低且不稳定。实验研究了挂膜过程中COD、氨氮、硝酸盐氮、总氮、总磷、ORP、MLSS及微生物相的变化规律并分析了变化原因。