Genetic Structure of Herpetofauna on Halmahera Island,Indonesia: Implications for Aketajawe‐Lolobata National Park

Abstract: Genetic variation within species—a priority for biodiversity conservation—is influenced by natural selection, demography, and stochastic events such as genetic drift. We evaluated the role of these factors in 14 codistributed species of reptiles and amphibians on the Indonesian island of Halmahera by testing whether their molecular variation was correlated with geographic distance, ecology, riverine barriers, or Halmahera's paleoisland precursors. We found support for isolation by distance effects in four species. Two of these four were also significantly affected either by rivers or by ecology. A fifth species was significantly affected by ecology and a sixth was significantly affected by Halmahera's paleoislands. [Correction added after publication 9 December 2009: the previous sentence was edited for clarity.] These findings—the most comprehensive survey of multispecies genetic variation on Halmahera to date—bode well for the efficacy of the recently established Aketajawe‐Lolobata National Park in conserving a substantial component of vertebrate genetic variation on this island. Future success of conservation efforts will depend crucially, of course, on funding for and enforcement of conservation management of this park.     

Modeling of BP Texas City refinery incident

This paper presents detailed modeling results of the BP Texas City refinery incident. Three different approaches and explosion modeling tools were used to study the event. The results predicted by all three approaches are similar and all approaches identified a hazard potential comparable to what was witnessed on March 23, 2005. This confirms that quantitative risk assessment (QRA) has the ability to model a realistic scenario, and is therefore useful in safety measure design and emergency preparedness decision making to improve overall safety performance. Had QRA been conducted during a management of change (MOC) decision-making process, personnel trailers likely would not have been sited in such close proximity to the process units. The resulting severe consequences would then not have occurred. This work also aims to emphasize the importance of QRA in process safety management.

The paper presents the authors’ perception of the sequence of events involved in the incident based on the published literature available at the time of writing. It also assesses potential consequences for the perceived sequence of events using a variety of consequence assessment tools. In doing so, the analysis illustrates how this incident could have been prevented in spite of many operational difficulties. The observations and commentary presented in this paper are intended solely for the purpose of process safety enhancement on the basis of the lessons learned. BP has published its own detailed report; the incident is also the subject of a recent investigation by the US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, with the CSB's final report being available at http://www.csb.gov/index.cfm?folder=completed_investigations&page=info&INV_ID=52 (as of April 2007).     

The Importance of Mixing Height in Characterising Pollution Levels from Aerosol Optical Thickness Derived by Satellite

In the present study the horizontal distribution of columnar aerosol optical thicknessderived at high spatial resolution from Earth observation satellite data in the Lombardy area (Italy) was converted to the horizontal distribution of optically effective aerosols concentration at the ground level. This was achieved by incorporating information on atmosphere's mixing height, at which pollutants released at ground level are vertically dispersed by convection or mechanical turbulence. The resulted fields compared favourably to pollutant concentration measurements provided by the ground stations. These results show that it is possible to calculate mean concentration fields by using the spatial distribution of aerosol optical thickness (AOT) measured by satellite normalized by the atmospheric mixing height. The advantage of satellites in measuring AOT is that they can capture all actual emissions compared to the models, which are based on inventoried data.     

Influence of hydrodynamic conditions on the production and fate of Posidonia oceanica in a semi-enclosed shallow basin (Stagnone di Marsala, Western Sicily)

An integrated approach using hydrodynamic and transport numerical models, lepidochronology and stable isotope analysis was used to investigate how local hydrodynamic conditions influence the primary production and fate of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica in a Mediterranean semi-enclosed marine system (Stagnone di Marsala). The water mass exchange aptitude of different sectors of the basin was analysed, and data collected were used to select two sectors (colonized by Posidonia oceanica showing the lowest and highest water exchange values) for biological analyses. According to the mean dispersal coefficient differences simulated by the hydrodynamic model, growth rate and primary production of P. oceanica differed between sectors, with average values lower in the central sector where water exchange is lower than in the southern sector. Although P. oceanica coverage and primary production were higher in the southern sector, carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis suggests that the transfer of seagrass organic matter to higher trophic levels of the food web was higher in the central sector. The possibility of a link between hydrodynamism, production and fate of organic matter is proposed to explain the observed patterns.     

中国陆地生态系统土壤异养呼吸变异的影响因素

土壤异养呼吸是生态系统碳平衡估算中的关键因子之一.通过文献调研,收集了中国陆地生态系统中土壤异养呼吸的观测数据,同时收集整理了试验地点气候资料(年总降水量和年平均气温)和环境因子(如树木生长年龄)指标.结果表明,异养呼吸与土壤呼吸的关系可用幂函数方程描述,异养呼吸随土壤呼吸的增大而增大,该幂函数方程可解释异养呼吸73%(R2=0.730,P<0.001)的变异.异养呼吸与年总降水量以及年平均气温的关系均可用一元线性方程描述.异养呼吸占土壤呼吸的比例与年总降水量、年平均气温的关系均可用对数回归方程描述,异养呼吸占土壤呼吸的比例随年总降水量的增大和年平均气温的升高而减小.异养呼吸占土壤呼吸的比例随树龄的增大而增大,两者之间的关系可用幂函数方程描述.进一步的结果表明,经验模型模拟得到的异养呼吸模拟值与实际样地观测结果之间呈显著的线性回归关系,采用的经验统计模型可较好地模拟异养呼吸的变异.     

集合最优插值同化方法在珠三角空气质量模拟中的初步应用

本文旨在探讨集合最优插值(EnOI)同化方法对MM5-STEM空气质量模式污染物浓度预报场的修正能力,先从局地化尺度(L)及经验系数(α)的敏感性试验中获得NO2、SO2和PM10各自的"最优L和α组合",然后对此参数设置下的同化结果进行分析.研究结果显示,EnOI在NO2、SO2及PM10的同化试验中均取得较好的效果,检验站点均方根误差(RMSE)的平均下降比例分别可达33%、32%和42%,RMSE值下降的站点占检验站点总数的比例分别为86%、84%和91%.表明该方法能够有效地应用在珠三角空气质量模拟中,产生与实际更为接近的污染物浓度预报场.     

Determination of nitrogen reduction levels necessary to reach groundwater quality targets in Slovenia

Within a collaborative project between Slovenian Environment Agency （ARSO） and Research Center Jfilich （FZJ）, nitrogen reduction levels necessary to reach groundwater quality targets in Slovenia were assessed. For this purpose the hydrological model GROWA- DENUZ was coupled with agricultural N balances and applied consistently to the whole territory of Slovenia in a spatial resolution of 100 x 100 m. GROWA was used to determine the water balance in Slovenia for the hydrologic period 1971-2000. Simultaneously, the displaceable N load in soft was assessed from agricultural Slovenian N surpluses for 2011 and the atmospheric N deposition. Subsequently, the DENUZ model was used to assess the nitrate degradation in soil and, in combination with the percolation water rates from the GROWA model, to determine nitrate concentration in the leachate. The areas showing predicted nitrate concentrations in the leachate above the EU groundwater quality standard of 50 mg NO3/L have been identified as priority areas for implementing nitrogen reduction measures. For these ＂hot spot＂ areas DENUZ was used in a backward mode to quantify the maximal permissible nitrogen surplus levels in agriculture to guarantee a nitrate concentration in percolation water below 50 mg NO3/L. Model results indicate that additional N reduction measures should be implemented in priority areas rather than area-covering. Research work will directly support the implementation of the European Union Water Framework Directive in Slovenia, e.g., by using the maximal permissible nitrogen surplus levels as a framework for the derivation of regionally adapted and hence effective nitrogen reduction measures.     

Numerical simulation of flow hydrodynamics of struvite pellets in a liquid–solid fluidized bed

Phosphorus recovery in the form of struvite has been aroused in recent decades for its dual advantages in eutrophication control and resource protection.The usage of the struvite products is normally determined by the size which is largely depended on the hydrodynamics.In this study,flow behavior of struvite pellets was simulated by means of Eulerian–Eulerian two-fluid model combining with kinetic theory of granular flow in a liquid–solid fluidized bed reactor(FBR).A parametric study including the mesh size,time step,discretization strategy,turbulent model and drag model was first developed,followed by the evaluations of crucial operational conditions,particle characteristics and reactor shapes.The results showed that a cold model with the mesh resolution of 16 × 240,default time step of 0.001 sec and first order discretization scheme was accurate enough to describe the fluidization.The struvite holdup profile using Syamlal–O'Brien drag model was best fitted to the experimental data as compared with other drag models and the empirical Richardson–Zaki equation.Regarding the model evaluation,it showed that liquid velocity and particle size played important roles on both solid holdups and velocities.The reactor diameter only influenced the solid velocity while the static bed height almost took no effect.These results are direct and can be applied to guide the operation and process control of the struvite fluidization.Moreover,the model parameters can also be used as the basic settings in further crystallization simulations.     

流域土地利用变化的水生态响应研究

流域土地利用变化造成水体物理、化学条件变化,并对诸多水生生物产生影响,进而破坏水系的生态系统结构和功能.研究显示:① 流域土地利用变化将引起水文、底质、生境改变等物理响应,以及水体营养盐、细菌、有毒有害物含量、溶解氧变化等化学响应,分布式水文模型成为研究物理和化学响应的重要工具;② 流域土地利用变化的生物响应表现为水生生物与自然用地类型呈正相关,而与农业用地、城镇用地呈负相关,并且存在明显的尺度效应,统计学分析是主要的研究方法;③ 大尺度的土地利用变化在水文过程下造成河段尺度上的外源物质输入、水文条件、底质结构等物理化学因子变化,是影响水生生物生境的直接原因.存在主要问题:① 流域土地利用变化的生物响应关系机制尚不明晰;② 流域土地利用变化的生物响应是通过物理响应、化学响应来间接作用的,但三者之间的非线性关系十分复杂;③ 水生生物对环境因子变化的敏感性和适用性存在较大差异.因此,未来研究应关注流域水文过程驱动下的物质迁移转化过程及由此带来的物理、化学和生物响应以及三者之间的关系,加强流域水文规律总结和参数率定,构建符合流域特征的参数数据库,并着力构建以保护水生态系统结构与功能为核心的流域山水林田湖系统综合管控模式.