Structural Changes in the Carabid Fauna of Forest Ecosystems under a Toxic Impact

Changes in the abundance, species composition, and biomorphological structure of the carabid fauna were studied in birch and fir–spruce forests growing in a zone exposed to emissions from a copper-smelting plant in the Middle Urals. The dynamic density of carabids decreased and their species composition and the ratio of life forms changed along the pollution gradient, but the principle of organization of carabidocenoses and the structure of dominance in them remained undisturbed.     

WATER CONSTRAINTS ON ENERGY DEVELOPMENT: A FRAMEWORK FOR ANALYSIS1

ABSTRACT: The pressure on water resources from energy resource development and transformation is likely to be greater in the future than it has been in the past. A rational resolution of the political problems that this situation will generate requires that: 1) planning based on predictions of future energy supply and demand be replaced by scenario, or “what if?” analysis; 2) full attention be paid to the uncertainties in per-unit-energy water requirements; 3) suitable stochastic measures of water availability be used to compare water supply with water demand; 4) realistic ecological criteria, and other alternative use criteria, be developed for estimating impacts of water withdrawn or consurned for energy development; 5) human consequences of ecological impaccts are described in a manner that will allow the political process to intervene in an optimum manner to allocate water resources.     

Aggregated Estimation of the Basic Parameters of Biological Production and the Carbon Budget of Russian Terrestrial Ecosystems: 1. Stocks of Plant Organic Mass

The data presented were obtained at the first stage (1993–1999) of studies on evaluating the basic parameters of biological production in Russian terrestrial ecosystems in order to provide information for assessing and modeling the carbon budget of the entire terrestrial biota of the country. Stocks of phytomass (by fractions), coarse woody debris, and dead roots (underground necromass) were calculated by two independent methods, which yielded close results. The total amount of phytomass in Russian terrestrial ecosystems was estimated at 81800 Tg (=10¹² g = million t) dry matter, or 39989 Tg carbon. Forest ecosystems comprise a greater part (82.1%) of live plant organic matter (here and below, comparisons are made with respect to the carbon content); natural grasslands and brushwoods account for 8.8%; the phytomass of wetlands (bogs and swamps), for 6.6%; and the phytomass of farmlands, for only 2.5%. Aboveground wood contains approximately two-thirds of the plant carbon (63.8%), and green parts contain 9.9%. For all classes of ecosystems, the proportion of underground phytomass averages 26.7% of the total amount, varying from 22.0% in forests to 57.1% in grasslands and brushwoods. The average phytomass density on lands covered with vegetation (1629.9 million hectares in Russia) is 5.02 kg/m² dry matter, or 2.45 kg C/m². The total amount of carbon in coarse woody debris is 4955 Tg C, and 9180 Tg C are in the underground necromass. In total, the vegetation of Russian terrestrial ecosystems (without litter) contains 54124 Tg carbon.     

Production and emission of phosphine gas from wetland ecosystems

Phosphine is a part of an atmospheric link of phosphorus cycle on earth, which could be an important pathway for phosphorus transport in environment.Wetland ecosystems are important locations for global biogeochemical phosphorus cycle.In this study, production and emission fluxes of free phosphine from four wetlands types in southern China were observed in different seasons.The results showed that the concentration of phosphine liberated from wetlands was at pg/m3-ng/m3 level.The emission concentrations of different wetlands followed the sequence:paddy field(51.83 ± 3.06) ng/m3 marsh(46.54 ± 20.55) ng/m3 lake(37.05 ± 22.74) ng/m3 coastal wetland(1.71 ± 0.73) ng/m3, the positive phosphine emission flux occurred in rice paddy field(6.67 ± 5.18) ng/(m2·hr) and marsh(6.23 ± 26.9) ng/(m2·hr), while a negative phosphine flux of(-13.11 ± 35.04) ng/(m2·hr) was observed on the water-air interface of Lake Taihu, suggesting that paddy field and marsh may be important sources for phosphine gas in atmosphere, while lake may be a sink of atmospheric phosphine gas during the sampling period.Atmospheric phosphine levels and emission flux from Yancheng marsh and rice paddy field varied in different seasons and vegetational zones.Both diffusion resistance in aqueous phase and temperature were dominating factors for the production and transportation of phosphine to atmosphere.     

扬州城市生态系统稳定性分析

城市生态系统稳定性直接影响到城市与人类的发展,文章对城市生态系统稳定性概念及表示方法进行了探讨,利用生态系统波动大小与总体发展趋势表示稳定性.并在此基础上从社会-经济-自然复合生态系统角度初步建立城市生态系统稳定性指标体系,利用主成分分析方法对2000-2008年扬州城市生态系统稳定性进行了实例分析评价,结果表明,20...     

生态系统转换区土壤有机质动力学特征的δ^13C方法研究

对土壤有机质的动力学过程的研究是评价区域土壤质量、合理开发利用土壤以及全球碳循环一气候交化研究的基础性工作。系统分析了生态系统转换区土壤有机质动力学特征的δ^13C方法研究的理论基础和应用现状,包括影响土壤有机质δ^13C值的各种内外因素;土壤有机质不同化学组成、不同粒径组分、不同比重组分的δ^13C特征值域;土壤微生...     

Impacts of atrazine in aquatic ecosystems

A portion of all herbicides applied to forests, croplands, road sides, and gardens are inevitably lost to water bodies either directly through runoff or indirectly by leaching through groundwater into ephemeral streams and lakes. Once in the aquatic environment, herbicides may cause stress within aquatic communities and radically alter community structure. Atrazine is one of the most effective and inexpensive herbicides in the world and is consequently used more frequently than any other herbicide. Atrazine is frequently detected in aquatic waters, and has been known to affect reproduction of aquatic flora and fauna, which in turn impacts on the community structure as a whole. This paper presents a summary of the reported direct and indirect impacts of atrazine on aquatic organisms and community structure. The information can be used for developing improved management guidelines and legislation. It is concluded that a single universal maximum limit on the atrazine application in catchments, as suggested by many regulatory authorities, does not provide adequate protection of the aquatic environment. Rather, it is advocated that flexible limits on the application of atrazine be developed in line with the potential risk of contamination to surface and subsurface water and fragility of the aquatic environment.     

生态系统娱乐文化价值的评估研究——兼谈对我国贫困地区的意义

娱乐文化功能是生态系统向人类提供的重要服务功能之一。研究生态系统娱乐文化价值是研究生态系统服务功能的一个重要方面。了解娱乐文化价值的重要性对我国生态系统脆弱但旅游资源丰富的贫困地区的发展具有重要意义。阐述了生态系统娱乐文化价值的内涵与构成，利用国内外有关娱乐文化价值评估的数据资料，总结得出了娱乐文化价值量的重要性，并说明了其评估方法。最后提出了解决我国生态脆弱但旅游资源丰富的贫困地区的可持续发展之路——发展生态旅游，以及生态旅游管理的措施和建议。     

PnET-CN模型对东亚森林生态系统碳通量模拟的适用性和不确定性分析

东亚地区森林类型多样,开展区域生态系统碳循环模拟时应考虑森林类型的差异。论文利用基于叶氮浓度-最大净光合作用速率关系的PnET-CN模型,对东亚地区8 个森林生态系统通量观测站点的总生态系统碳交换（GEE）和生态系统呼吸（RE）进行模拟,以探讨模型的适用性并对不确定性来源进行分析。研究结果表明：①PnET-CN模型能较为准确地模拟东亚地区大部分森林生态系统站点的GEE和RE;②模型的适用性排序依次为温带、寒温带、亚热带、 热带,模型未能很好地模拟热带湿地森林GEE和RE 的季节与年际变异;③在同一气候区中,PnET-CN模型更加适用于针叶林碳交换的模拟;④PnET-CN模型比较准确地反映了东亚森林生态系统GEE、RE对气候因子（例如,温度或辐射）的响应,但在低温、较弱辐射条件下模型低估了GEE,在高温或较强辐射条件下高估了GEE;在低温条件下模型低估了RE,在高温条件下模型高估了RE。针对东亚多个森林通量站点的模拟情况,论文提出模型应在以下方面进行改进：①PnET-CN模型计算物候时除了考虑温度之外还应加入土壤湿度的影响,并对不同气候区森林生态系统赋予不同叶片凋落时长;②PnET-CN模型中温度对GEE的限制以及光合最适温度应该根据不同站点设置;③PnET-CN模型应该考虑森林生态系统对环境胁迫的适应性,加强对干旱等干扰的模拟;④同时对于拥有复杂水文条件的森林生态系统应该改进土壤含水量的算法,以准确反映该类型森林生态系统GEE和RE的季节变化。     

Nitrate in shallow groundwater in typical agricultural and forest ecosystems in China, 2004-2010

The nitrate-nitrogen(NO 3-N) concentrations from shallow groundwater wells situated in 29 of the Chinese Ecosystem Research Network field stations,representing typical agroand forest ecosystems,were assessed using monitoring data collected between 2004 and 2010.Results from this assessment permit a national scale assessment of nitrate concentrations in shallow groundwater,and allow linkages between nitrate concentrations in groundwater and broad land use categories to be made.Results indicated that most of the NO 3--N concentrations in groundwater from the agroand forest ecosystems were below the Class 3 drinking water standard stated in the Chinese National Standard:Quality Standard for Ground Water(≤ 20 mg/L).Over the study period,the average NO 3--N concentrations were significantly higher in agro-ecosystems(4.1 ± 0.33 mg/L) than in forest ecosystems(0.5 ± 0.04 mg/L).NO 3-N concentrations were relatively higher(> 10 mg N /L) in 10 of the 43 wells sampled in the agricultural ecosystems.These elevated concentrations occurred mainly in the Ansai,Yucheng,Linze,Fukang,Akesu,and Cele field sites,which were located in arid and semiarid areas where irrigation rates are high.We suggest that improvements in N fertilizer application and irrigation management practices in the arid and semi-arid agricultural ecosystems of China are the key to managing groundwater nitrate concentrations.