Farmland damage and its impact on the overlapped areas of cropland and coal resources in the eastern plains of China

The subsidence caused by coal mining in areas where cropland and coal resources overlap in the eastern plains of China with high ground water levels has caused large amounts of water to collect in cropland, significant damage to cropland, and a sharp contradiction between people and land distribution within this region. Systematic analysis and calculation were conducted on these areas by using GIS spatial overlay analysis technology, subsidence and occupied cropland estimation models, and crop yield reduction prediction model to reveal the overlapped characteristics and extent of farmland damage, as well as to evaluate the effects of farmland damage to grain yield, farmland landscape, agricultural population, and dynamical equilibrium of the total cultivated land. Results showed that the overlapped areas of cropland and coal resources on the eastern plains of China occupied an area covering 1.33 × 10⁵ km², which accounted for 31.93% of the total cropland area. In 2020, the accumulative total area of destroyed cropland reached 3.83 × 10³ km², thus reducing grain yield by 9.63 × 10⁸ kg, and increasing the number of landless farmers to 1.91 × 10⁶. Furthermore, the quality and production capacity of cultivated land decreased, farmland landscape patterns changed, land patterns and structures were adjusted, the dynamical equilibrium of the total cultivated land was difficult to guarantee, and social instability increased in coal mining subsidence areas. These findings provided a scientific basis for relevant government departments to enact countermeasures for the coordinative production of coal and grain.     

华东地区2000-2014年间秸秆燃烧排放PM2.5时空动态变化

秸秆燃烧释放大量细小颗粒物（Fine Particulate Matter）,对大气环境、生态系统和人类健康有重要影响.该研究基于2000-2014年中国华东地区农作物产量统计数据,估算各区域秸秆产量及室内外农作物秸秆燃烧总量.并运用排放因子法,估算15年间华东地区农作物秸秆燃烧PM_2.5排放总量.研究结果表明,华东地区秸秆产量及燃烧总量分别为：2033.2 Mt和32678.59 Wt,PM_2.5的排放总量为851.95 Wt.此外,PM_2.5排放在时间和空间上不均衡.卫星火点监测数据显示,农田秸秆燃烧密集区域主要分布在山东南部、安徽北部、江苏和浙江东北部及上海市大部分地区;单位网格PM_2.5最大的排放量多集中在山东、安徽北部、江苏中部和北部、浙江东北部和上海区域.时间序列上,山东、江苏和安徽呈显著增长趋势,上海、福建和浙江呈显著降低趋势.稻谷、小麦、玉米、豆类和油菜秸秆燃烧对污染物PM_2.5的贡献率分别为32.45%、30.18%、18.95%、3.77%和14.65%.农作物秸秆燃烧释放PM_2.5与工业粉尘的排放比变化趋势表明山东、安徽和江苏总体呈上升趋势;上海、福建和浙江总体保持平稳趋势.通过对华东地区农作物秸秆燃烧释放PM_2.5的时空变化研究,为更好的揭示秸秆燃烧对区域环境的影响提供数据支持.     

Ecological and Social Outcomes of a New Protected Area in Tanzania

Balancing ecological and social outcomes of conservation actions is recognized in global conservation policy but is challenging in practice. Compensation to land owners or users for foregone assets has been proposed by economists as an efficient way to mitigate negative social impacts of human displacement from protected areas. Joint empirical assessments of the conservation and social impacts of protected area establishment involving compensation payments are scarce. We synthesized social and biological studies related to the establishment of the Derema forest corridor in Tanzania's biodiverse East Usambara Mountains. This lengthy conservation process involved the appropriation of approximately 960 ha of native canopy agroforest and steep slopes for the corridor and monetary compensation to more than 1100 claimants in the surrounding villages. The overarching goals from the outset were to conserve ecological processes while doing no harm to the local communities. We evaluated whether these goals were achieved by analyzing 3 indicators of success: enhancement of forest connectivity, improvement of forest condition, and mitigation of negative impacts on local people's livelihoods. Indicators of forest connectivity and conditions were enhanced through reductions of forest loss and exotic species and increases in native species and canopy closure. Despite great efforts by national and international organizations, the intervention failed to mitigate livelihood losses especially among the poorest people. The Derema case illustrates the challenges of designing and implementing compensation schemes for conservation‐related displacement of people. Resultados Ecológicos y Sociales de un Área Protegida Nueva en Tanzania     

137Cs Inventory in Abiotic Component and Biota From the Aegean and Ionian Sea - Greece

This study deals with ¹³⁷Cs dispersion and behaviour in the Aegean and Ionian Sea based on work done during the period 1984-1994, as a brief general review. Sea water, sediment and marine biota were analysed and measured by gamma spectrometry and the activity concentrations of ¹³⁷Cs were evaluated with consideration to the sources of pollution. According to ¹³⁷Cs levels the period is distinguished into three sub-periods, the pre-Chernobyl, the early Chernobyl influence and the late Chernobyl influence period. During the early period of the Chernobyl accident the ¹³⁷Cs levels in the Greek marine environment increased roughly up to an order of magnitude if compared with the pre-accident ones. Since 1988, the late impact of the accident is focused mainly in the North Aegean Sea, at the Dardanelles mouth, due to the Black Sea outflow.     

Survey of dioxin sources in the Baltic Region (extended summary)

The present paper summarises the results of the project: 'Survey of Anthropogenic Sources of Dioxins and Furans in the Baltic Region'. As a part of the project, inventories have been carried out in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland by applying the toolkit for quantification of dioxin and furan releases developed by UNEP Chemicals. The main route of direct releases to the environment is emission to air. Total emission to air from Poland was estimated at 490 (88-1,300) g I-TEQ/year, whereas the emissions from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were estimated as being 14 (2.4-54), 23 (2.6-63) and 17 (2.6-38) g I-TEQ, respectively. In general, the uncertainty on the estimates is very high, and recommendations regarding further development of the inventories have been made, and measures for reducing the releases have been provided.     

青藏高原东部黄土粒度分布的端元模型研究

为了探讨青藏高原东部黄土粒度指标蕴含的物源和沉积信息,运用参数化端元分析模型对青藏高原东部地区采集的大量表土和马兰黄土样品粒度数据进行了分解。结果得到五个Gen.Weibull分布端元,分别是:(1)众数粒径为1~2μm和7~9μm的远源端元,可能由高空西风搬运而来;(2)众数粒径为35~45μm和60~80μm中远源端元,可能主要由高原季风搬运而来;(3)众数粒径为180~560μm的砂粒组分端元,可能主要为近源和局地来源。因此研究区黄土为多物源、多搬运动力下的风成沉积物。进一步比较端元间的众数粒径、标准偏差以及含量占比的差异,揭示了沉积区的地理位置、地形地貌等环境因素差异对黄土沉积有重要影响。此外,研究区与邻近的黄土高原西缘黄土粒度端元的特征差异指示了青藏高原东部黄土在搬运动力、物质来源及其贡献方面与西部黄土高原明显不同。     

Pursuit-deterrent communication between prey animals and timber rattlesnakes (Crotalus horridus): the response of snakes to harassment displays

A thorough understanding of communication requires an evaluation of both the signaler and receiver. Most analyses of prey–predator communication are incomplete because they examine only the behavior of the prey. Predators in these systems may be understudied because they are perceived as less tractable research subjects, due to their more cryptic hunting behaviors and secretive lifestyles. For example, research on interactions between rodents and rattlesnakes has focused on the behavior of rodent signalers, while responses of snakes have been virtually unexamined. Rattlesnakes are ambush predators, and capture rodents by waiting at foraging sites for long periods of time. In this study, I take advantage of the sedentary nature of this foraging strategy and use fixed videography to record natural encounters between timber rattlesnakes (Crotalus horridus) and their prey. Three different prey species were found to exhibit conspicuous visual displays to snakes, both when snakes were actively foraging, and when they were basking. After receiving displays, foraging snakes left their ambush sites and moved long distances before locating subsequent ambush sites, indicating that they responded to displays by abandoning attempts to ambush prey in the vicinity of signalers. This study represents the first quantitative analysis of the response of free-ranging snakes to signals from their prey, and elucidates a technique by which such quantitative data can be more easily obtained.     

华东某铀矿区地表水中放射性核素铀含量特征分析

以华东某铀矿区为研究对象,利用X-Series II电感耦合等离子体质谱仪测定铀矿区和对照区共114个地表水样品中放射性核素铀含量,采用单因子指数法评价放射性铀污染,以查明铀矿区地表水铀污染现状。结果表明:(1)研究区地表水铀平均含量39.89μg/L,分别是含矿未采区、江西省背景值、对照区的32.17倍、64.34倍和199.45倍;各亚区地表水的铀含量平均值从大到小顺序为:水冶场区开采矿井区废弃矿井区尾矿库区;废弃矿井区、水冶场区、开采矿井区等亚区地表水铀含量受到较强人为活动影响;(2)单因子污染指数评价结果表明各亚区地表水铀污染程度为:水冶场区开采矿井区废弃矿井区尾矿库区。其中,水冶场区、开采矿井区、废弃矿井区、尾矿库区地表水的铀污染程度均为重度污染;对照区未污染。结合研究区铀含量特征,铀矿开采、运输与选冶等实际情况,建议从改善矿石运输条件、改善废水处理设备,提高废水处理技术等方面进行地表水铀污染防治。