Stakeholder perceptions and practices regarding Prosopis (mesquite) invasions and management in South Africa

Invasive alien trees impact the environment and human livelihoods. The human dimensions of such invasions are less well understood than the ecological aspects, and this is hindering the development of effective management strategies. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken to investigate the knowledge and perceptions of Prosopis between different stakeholder groups. Chi-squared tests, Welch ANOVAs, and Principle Component Analyses were run. Factors such as land tenure and proximity to invasions were especially important for explaining differences in perceptions and practices relating to Prosopis among different stakeholder groups. Most respondents were aware of Prosopis and considered it to be invasive (i.e., spreading). Costs associated with Prosopis were perceived to exceed benefits, and most stakeholders wanted to see a reduction in the abundance of Prosopis stands. The mean total cost for the management of Prosopis was US$ 1914 year⁻¹ per farm, where costs ranged from under US$ 10 to over UD$ 500 per ha based on invasion densities and objectives for control. The findings highlight the need for more effective management interventions.     

Comparison of alternative strategies for invasive species distribution modeling

Species distribution models (SDMs) can provide useful information for managing biological invasions, such as identification of priority areas for early detection or for determining containment boundaries. However, prediction of invasive species using SDMs can be challenging because they typically violate the core assumption of being at equilibrium with their environment, which may lead to poorly guided management resulting from high levels of omission. Our goal was to provide a suite of potential decision strategies (DSs) that were not reliant on the equilibrium assumption but rather could be chosen to better match the management application, which in this case was to ensure containment through adequate surveillance. We used presence-only data and expert knowledge for model calibration and presence/absence data to evaluate the potential distribution of an introduced mesquite (Leguminoseae: Prosopis) invasion located in the Pilbara Region of northwest Western Australia. Five different DSs with varying levels of conservatism/risk were derived from a multi-criteria evaluation model using ordered weighted averaging. The performance of DSs over all possible thresholds was examined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. DSs not on the convex hull of the ROC curves were discarded. Two threshold determination methods (TDMs) were compared on the two remaining DSs, one that assumed equilibrium (by maximizing overall prediction success) and another that assumed the invasion was ongoing (using a 95% threshold for true positives). The most conservative DS fitted the validation data most closely but could only predict 75% of the presence data. A more risk-taking DS could predict 95% of the presence data, which identified 8.5 times more area for surveillance, and better highlighted known populations that are still rapidly invading. This DS and TDM coupling was considered to be the most appropriate for our management application. Our results show that predictive niche modeling was highly sensitive to risk levels, but that these can be tailored to match specified management objectives. The methods implemented can be readily adapted to other invasive species or for conservation purposes.     

Unveiling human-assisted dispersal mechanisms in invasive alien insects: Integration of spatial stochastic simulation and phenology models

Capturing the spread of biological invasions in heterogeneous landscapes is a complex modelling task where information on both dispersal and population dynamics needs to be integrated. Spatial stochastic simulation and phenology models have rarely been combined to assist in the study of human-assisted long-distance dispersal events.Here we develop a process-based spatially explicit landscape-extent simulation model that considers the spread and detection of invasive insects. Natural and human-assisted dispersal mechanisms are modelled with an individual-based approach using negative exponential and negative power law dispersal kernels and gravity models. The model incorporates a phenology sub-model that uses daily temperature grids for the prediction and timing of the population dynamics in each habitat patch. The model was applied to the study of the invasion by the important maize pest western corn rootworm (WCR) Diabrotica virgifera ssp. virgifera in Europe. We parameterized and validated the model using maximum likelihood and simulation methods from the historical invasion of WCR in Austria.WCR was found to follow stratified dispersal where international transport networks in the Danube basin played a key role in the occurrence of long-distance dispersal events. Detection measures were found to be effective and altitude had a significant effect on limiting the spread of WCR. Spatial stochastic simulation combined with phenology models, maximum likelihood methods and predicted versus observed regression showed a high degree of flexibility that captured the salient features of WCR spread in Austria. This modelling approach is useful because it allows to fully exploit and the often limited and heterogeneous information available regarding the population dynamics and dispersal of alien invasive insects.     

外源氮输入对互花米草生长及叶特征的影响

入侵种互花米草（Spartina alterniflora）是滨海盐沼湿地的多年生草本植物,研究人类活动引起的外源氮输入对其生长的影响有助于了解滨海湿地生态系统结构和功能的未来变化趋势。运用随机区组试验设计方法,模拟海滩水分条件（间歇淹水和持续淹水）,研究了互花米草的地上部生物量、叶片光合特征以及形态特征对外源氮输入的响应。结果表明：互花米草地上部生物量在施氮条件下显著增加,且在土壤处于间歇淹水状态时表现更为明显;施氮条件下植株分蘖数比对照处理分别增加了60.0%和60.2%,是引起地上部生物量增加的主要原因。施加氮素促进了互花米草叶片的生长,叶面积、叶数、叶长和叶宽均显著增加,而叶数的变化是导致植物叶面积增加的主要因素。外源氮输入促进了互花米草叶绿素含量的增加,而对净光合速率的季节变化特征无明显影响。持续淹水处理的植物地上部生物量、生长速率、分蘖数、净光合速率和叶面积均低于间歇淹水处理,说明持续淹水状态对互花米草生长造成了一定的抑制作用。     

洋河水库流域土壤与库区沉积物中磷形态特征研究

应用SMT法研究了洋河水库流域土壤、河道及库区沉积物中总磷(TP)、无机磷(IP)、有机磷(OP)、铁/铝磷(Fe/Al-P)、钙磷(Ca-P)等5种形态,分析了不同区域各形态磷的分布特征.结果表明,洋河水库流域土壤、沉积物中TP、总氮(TN)和有机质(OM)的均值含量总体变化趋势为河道>库区>土壤,其中TP含量变化不大,这说明营养盐不仅通过土壤径流、河道迁移进入库区,而且库区沉积物的释放作用同样明显.库区柱状沉积物有明显的“表层富积”现象,随着沉积物深度的增加,TP、TN和OM含量逐渐减少,在0~16cm下降趋势明显,16cm以下基本保持不变,说明库区沉积物主要以表层污染为主.土壤、沉积物中的磷以IP为主,大约占TP的46%~79%之间,且研究区各磷形态中以Ca-P为主,大约占TP的22%~68%,这与库区地质—地球化学特征有关.土壤中TP的增加主要来自于Ca-P,与该地区土壤的地质背景有关,河道沉积物中TP的增加主要来自于Fe/Al-P,即河道受到人类活动污染的影响较大,而库区TP的增加主要来自于OP,说明洋河水库的富营养化与流域的工业、生活污染以及农业面源污染有关.     

浅谈C语言字符串格式化

介绍了C语言格式式化输出类操作函数,对该类函数的实现方式和C语言可变参数的工作原理进行了较为详细的阐述,同时,构造了一个方便通用的格式化输出函数,为数据数据格式化操作提供了一条灵活便捷有效的处理途径.     

一株溶藻细菌的溶藻特性及其鉴定

从海绵固定化微生物系统中分离获得1株溶藻细菌P15,对其溶解铜绿微囊藻(Microcystisaeruginosa)、栅藻(Scenedesmus)及小球藻(Chlorella)的效果、溶藻方式进行了研究,并利用16SrDNA序列分析法进行了鉴定.结果表明,初始菌浓度大于2.4×10⁷个/mL时,P15菌具有理想的溶藻效果,48h后铜绿微囊藻去除率可达到65.84%,栅藻及小球藻也能很好地去除.P15菌革兰氏染色阳性,可运动;能利用乳酸胺等32种常见碳源.P15菌株与多株红球菌的16SrDNA核苷酸序列的同源性均在99.7%以上,归属于红球菌属.     

珠三角大气中二英污染水平与区域迁移

采用高分辨气相色谱/高分辨质谱法对珠三角地区2019年11月冬季期间和2020年8月夏季期间大气环境中17种氯取代二■英的现状水平进行了测定,并在此基础上对其空间分布、指纹特征、指示性单体和区域迁移特征也进行了分析.结果表明,夏季和冬季二■英的浓度平均值分别为1.40 pg·m^-3和5.14 pg·m^-3,而毒性当量（以I-TEQ计）平均值分别为0.087 pg·m^-3和0.076 pg·m^-3.同时,9个城市夏季和冬季二■英的空间分布不一致,这可能由各地区采样期间的气象条件和排放源的影响导致. OCDD、 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-HpCDD、 OCDF和1,2,3,4,6,7,8-HpCDF是夏季和冬季的主要指纹特征单体;而2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF和1,2,3,4,7,8-HxCDF是主要的毒性贡献单体,且贡献率越大,其与总毒性当量的线性相关性越强.由后向轨迹模拟结果发现,夏季受东南偏南季风影响,气团由海上迁移至陆地,导致夏季二■英浓度较低,且高浓度区域主要受本地排放源影响;而冬季受东北...     

沈阳市城区土壤和灰尘中铅的分布特征

对沈阳市城市土壤和灰尘中铅的分布特征进行了研究.结果表明,沈阳市区土壤中全铅含量为26～2910.60mg/kg,平均为199.72mg/kg,是对照(33.30mg/kg)的6倍,是沈阳市土壤背景值(22.15mg/kg)的9倍;沈阳市区灰尘中铅浓度范围为19.58～2809.90mg/kg,平均为220.06mg/kg,是对照(37.97mg/kg)的5.8倍;沈阳市土壤和灰尘中铅分布空间差异大,局部污染比较严重,灰尘中铅与土壤中铅的分布规律趋于一致,铁西区铅浓度最高,其次是和平区、皇姑区和于洪区的交界处以及大东工业区;土壤和灰尘中铅含量与距污染源的距离成反比,与距地表的距离也成反比.