An experimental test of female choice relative to male structural coloration in eastern bluebirds

Several experimental studies have shown that female birds use ornamental melanin and carotenoid plumage coloration as criteria in mate choice. Whether females choose mates based on natural variation in structural coloration, however, has not been well established. Male eastern bluebirds (Sialia sialis) display brilliant ultraviolet (UV)-blue plumage coloration on their head, back, wings, and tail, which is positively correlated with condition, reproductive effort, and reproductive success. We experimentally tested the hypothesis that female eastern bluebirds prefer as mates males that display brighter structural coloration by presenting breeding-condition females with males of variable coloration. We conducted two types of mate-choice experiments. First, females chose between males whose coloration was manipulated within the natural range of variation in the population; feathers were either brightened with violet marker or dulled with black marker. Second, females chose between males with naturally dull or bright plumage coloration. In both manipulated and unmanipulated coloration trials, female choice did not differ significantly from random with respect to structural coloration. We found no support for the hypothesis that the UV–blue coloration of male eastern bluebirds functions as a criterion in female mate choice.     

Wetland cultivation and hydrological management in eastern Africa: Matching community and hydrological needs through sustainable wetland use

Wetlands are critical natural resources in developing countries where they perform a range of environmental functions and provide numerous socio-economic benefits to local communities and a wider population. In recent years, however, many wetlands throughout eastern Africa have come under extreme pressure as government policies, socio-economic change and population pressure have stimulated a need for more agriculturally productive land. Although wetland drainage and cultivation can make a key contribution to food and livelihood security in the short term, in the long term there are concerns over the sustainability of this utilization and the maintenance of wetland benefits. This article draws upon recent research carried out in western Ethiopia, which addressed the sustainability of wetland agriculture in an area of increasing food insecurity and population pressure. It discusses the impacts of drainage and cultivation on wetland hydrology and draws attention to local wetland management strategies, particularly those characterized by multiple use of wetlands, where agriculture exists alongside other wetland uses. The article suggests that where multiple wetland uses exist, a range of benefits can be sustained with little evidence of environmental degradation. Ways of promoting and empowering such sustainable wetland management systems are discussed in the context of the wider need for water security throughout the region.     

川东地区气田水水质特性研究

气田水是天然气开采过程中采出的地层水,因其来源广泛、类型众多以及成分复杂等原因导致其很难达标处理,且容易对土壤、地表水以及地下水造成污染。因此,本文以川东地区气田水为研究对象,通过常规水质分析和GC-MS等技术手段对其进行全面分析,结果表明：①川东地区气田水特征污染物为氯化物、COD、SS、阴离子表面活性剂以及硫化物等物质;②根据其水质特性可以将川东地区气田水分为两类,一类是高矿化度、高含有机物气田水;另一类是高含硫、高含有机物气田水;③川东地区气田水中共有17种有机污染物,主要为烷烃类、醇类、酯类以及少量酸类等物质。     

Maternal characteristics and the production and recruitment of sons in the eastern kingbird (<Emphasis Type="BoldItalic">Tyrannus tyrannus</Emphasis>)

Sex allocation theory predicts that if variance in reproductive success differs between the sexes, females who are able to produce high-quality young should bias offspring sex ratio towards the sex with the higher potential reproductive success. We tested the hypothesis that high-quality (i.e., heavy) female eastern kingbirds (Tyrannus tyrannus) that bred early in the breeding season would produce male-biased clutches. A significant opportunity for sexual selection also exists in this socially monogamous but cryptically polygamous species, and we predicted that successful extra-pair (EP) sires would be associated with an excess of male offspring. Although population brood sex ratio did not differ from parity, it increased significantly with female body mass and declined with female breeding date, but was independent of the morphology and display (song) behavior (correlates of reproductive success) of social males and EP sires. Male offspring were significantly heavier than female offspring at fledging. Moreover, the probability that male offspring were resighted in subsequent years declined with breeding date, and was greater in replacement clutches, but lower when clutch size was large. Probability of resighting female offspring varied annually, but was independent of all other variables. Given that variance in reproductive success of male kingbirds is much greater than that of females, and that male offspring are more expensive to produce and have a higher probability of recruitment if fledged early in the season, our results support predictions of sex allocation theory: high-quality (heavy) females breeding when conditions were optimal for male recruitment produced an excess of sons.     

Local economic situation,local environmental mobilization and local government environmental policy in Hungary

Studies of advanced capitalist societies have shown that relatively wealthy localities with organized environmental groups are able to avoid unattractive facilities. The aim of this article is to ask whether the same logic applies in Hungary, a middle-income ‘transition’ society. The focus is not on the formal legal powers of local governments but on some of the influences on local government environmental policy. Drawing on a survey of mayors, notaries and environmental officials in 600 local government units in Hungary (from Budapest to villages), it explores the relation between environmental group mobilization, environmental group influence and environmental policy. It is shown that there are systematic differences in environmental group mobilization between settlements of different types, and that these differences, together with differences in local economic situation, explain the differing levels of perceived influence of environmental groups on policy. The localities where perceived environmental group influence is greatest are identified and shown to be places where there are higher education institutions and a tradition of ‘civic culture’, or where the local government is using the environment as an asset as part of an economic development strategy. It is concluded that similar processes to those found in advanced capitalist societies exist in Hungary. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

河西走廊东部冬春季积雪对沙尘天气的影响

利用河西走廊东部5个气象站1961─2007年逐月积雪深度、积雪日数和沙尘天气的常规观测资料,分析了河西走廊东部冬春季积雪深度、积雪日数和春夏季沙尘日数的时空变化特征,进而探讨河西走廊东部冬春季积雪与春夏季沙尘天气的关系. 结果表明:受海拔高度、地理位置以及天气系统等影响,河西走廊东部积雪从东南向西北递减,高海拔地区的积雪多于低海拔地区;沙尘日数从西北向东南递减,低海拔地区的沙尘日数明显多于高海拔地区. 河西走廊东部冬春季积雪与春夏季沙尘日数呈显著负相关. 积雪深度与沙尘日数的负相关性高于积雪日数与沙尘日数的负相关性;冬春季积雪对春季沙尘的影响大于对夏季沙尘的影响;山区积雪与沙尘日数的相关性高于平原区积雪与沙尘日数的相关性.      

Survey of trace metals in drinking water supplied to rural populations in the eastern Llanos of Venezuela

To ascertain the water quality for human consumption, chemical parameters such as pH, conductivity and total dissolved calcium, magnesium, iron, aluminum, zinc, copper and manganese were measured during four sampling periods (November 2002; March, May and July 2003) in drinking water wells which supply several forest camps and rural populations located in the eastern Llanos of Venezuela. Copper levels in drinking water in November 2002 were found to be significantly higher (P<0.05) than the other assessed periods. Temporal variations of the other parameters considered were not statistically significant. Calcium and magnesium concentrations were found to be extremely low (mean concentration+/-S.D. of 0.27+/-0.25mg/l for Ca and 0.219+/-0.118 for Mg) during the four sampling periods, probably because of the carbonate bearing scarcity in the soils lithic component. The rest of the metals complied with the Venezuelan and International guidelines of quality criteria for drinking water.     

川东地区气田水处理技术及工程应用

针对川东地区气田水的性质和目前气田水处理工艺存在的问题,通过对不同水样进行室内蒸发及生物氧化实验,开发了蒸发-生物-臭氧以及氧化-生物-臭氧联合工艺技术。实验结果表明:经蒸发-生物-臭氧复合工艺以及氧化-生物-臭氧复合工艺处理后,川东地区气田水中主要指标CODCr、Cl-、硫化物以及石油类的去除率超过95%,出水指标达到GB 8978-1996《污水综合排放标准》一级排放要求;这两种处理工艺整体适应能力强,抗来水冲击负荷高,能高效处理气田水中污染物且出水稳定,有效实现了气田水的达标处置,实现资源化配置,符合国家环保政策,可实现较好的经济、社会和环境效益,对当前川东地区气田水处理有一定的参考价值。     

崇明东滩表层沉积物重金属空间分布特征及其污染评价

以崇明东滩潮间带表层沉积物为研究对象,在粒度分析、重金属以及有机碳含量测定的基础上,采用ArcGIS中的地统计分析模块研究了重金属Cu、Pb、Zn、Cr、Cd的空间分布格局,应用克里金法进行空间插值作图,估算了沉降通量,并运用地质累积指数法和潜在生态危害指数法对重金属污染现状进行了评价.结果表明:①目前崇明东滩重金属Cu、Pb、Zn、Cr、Cd含量平均值分别为42、27、69、71、0.23μg.g-1,均超过上海潮滩背景值,且受沉积物粒径分布和有机碳的影响,重金属含量呈现自岸向海和自北向南下降的趋势;②崇明东滩重金属Cu、Pb、Zn、Cr、Cd的年沉降量分别为187、121、395、312、1.04 t,总沉积通量为11 g.(m2.a)-1,反映崇明东滩仍具有较强的重金属污染物"过滤器"功能;③重金属污染状况总体为清洁,但Cd、Pb和Cu的污染程度相对较高.     

东部平原湖区沉积物中溶解性有机氮分布特征

选择东部平原湖区11个湖泊进行水质和表层沉积物调查,采用综合营养状态指数（TLI）对各湖泊营养状态进行评价,研究了沉积物溶解性有机氮（DON）和游离氨基酸（FAA）的含量分布及DON分子质量分级特征,并探讨了不同湖泊沉积物有机质来源。结果表明：除固城湖和骆马湖处于中营养水平外,东部平原湖区其他湖泊均处于富营养化状态。沉积物DON浓度差异较大,在9.98~182.00 mg·kg-1之间波动,均值为57.25 mg·kg-1,太湖、滆湖、阳澄湖沉积物DON含量较高,均在140 mg·kg-1以上,其他湖泊沉积物DON含量均在50 mg·kg-1以下。区域内氨基酸（FAA）分布比较均匀,FAA浓度在3.58~13.28 mg·kg-1之间,平均值是8.14 mg·kg-1。沉积物DON和FAA含量与沉积物其他形态氮、溶解性有机碳（DOC）等污染指标均表现出显著正相关性。东部平原湖区沉积物分子质量分级结果表明：该湖区沉积物DON、DOC和SUV254基本都分布在 30 kDa 2个范围内。东部平原湖区C/N比的值介于2.31~89.02之间,除滆湖外其他湖泊沉积物C/N值均大于10,说明该地区湖泊沉积物有机质主要来自外源。