Burrowing bird's decline driven by EIA over-use

Modifications to ecosystems often lead to externalities that can be assigned an economic value and traded in ecosystem service markets. One such value may include the provisioning of nest sites for organisms that would otherwise be ousted from the surrounding cultural landscape, such as the sand martin (Riparia riparia), small passerine utilizing river bank rippings when available. The studied sand martin population was initially characterized as relying heavily on human activities for habitat, as extensive river regulation caused the relocation of 97% of Czech sand martins to man-made habitats, most commonly sandpits and gravel-sandpits. The socioeconomic changes and strict implementation of the EIA law had further detrimental effects on this species, which already adjusted to the human-dominated landscape, ousting it for a second time from its key nesting habitats, causing closure 86% of sandpits with only occasional quarrying and closure of 47% of those with regular small-scale regular quarrying. Meanwhile, large-scale quarries remained nearly unaffected. Conversion of any actively quarried site to that with vertical slopes present, but with quarrying absent, led to the progressive disappearance of sand martin colonies in 73% of sandpits with ceased occasional quarrying and in 87% of sandpits with ceased regular small-scale quarrying. The sharp decrease in the number of nest-sites of a bird protected by law is a gloomy result of the hypertrophied business regulation (EIA is estimated to cost € 970 million annually in the E.U. alone) aimed, paradoxically, to support the environment.     

武汉市3种类型湖泊浮游植物群落特点及关键影响因子

为揭示不同类型湖泊浮游植物群落特点及关键影响因子,于2018年春季、夏季、秋季和冬季对武汉市城市(UL)、郊野型(CL)和生态保育区(EL)这3种类型共24个湖泊174个采样点进行了浮游植物和水质参数采样调查.结果表明,3种类型湖泊共鉴定出浮游植物9门159属365种,绿藻门、蓝藻门和硅藻门的种类最多,分别占总物种数的55.34%、 15.89%和15.07%.浮游植物细胞密度变化范围为3.60×10⁶～421.99×10⁶ cell·L^-1,叶绿素a (Chla)变化范围为15.60～240.50μg·L^-1,生物量变化范围为27.71～379.79 mg·L^-1,香浓-威纳(Shannon-Wiener)多样性指数变化范围为0.29～2.86.在3种类型湖泊中,EL和UL的细胞密度、 Chla和生物量均低于CL,而Shannon-Wiener多样性指数则相反.非度量多维尺度分析(NMDS)和相似性分析(ANOSIM)结果表明,3种类型湖泊浮游植物群落结构存在差异(Stres...     

Effect of goethite coating and humic acid on the transport of bacteriophage PRD1 in columns of saturated sand

The transport of bacteriophage PRD1, a model virus, was studied in columns containing sediment mixtures of quartz sand with goethite-coated sand and using various solutions consisting of monovalent and divalent salts and humic acid (HA). Without HA and in the absence of sand, the inactivation rate of PRD1 was found to be as low as 0.014 day(-1) (at 5+/-3 degrees C), but in the presence of HA it was much lower (0.0009 day(-1)), indicating that HA helps PRD1 to survive. When the fraction of goethite in the sediment was increased, the removal of PRD1 also increased. However, in the presence of HA, C/C0 values of PRD1 increased by as much as 5 log units, thereby almost completely eliminating the effect of addition of goethite. The sticking efficiency was not linearly dependent on the amount of goethite added to the quartz sand; this is apparently due to surface charge heterogeneity of PRD1. Our results imply that, in the presence of dissolved organic matter (DOM), viruses can be transported for long distances thanks to two effects: attachment is poor because DOM has occupied favourable sites for attachment and inactivation of virus may have decreased. This conclusion justifies making conservative assumptions about the attachment of viruses when calculating protection zones for groundwater wells.     

Upscaling heterogeneity in aquifer reactivity via the exposure-time concept: inverse model

A novel inverse technique is proposed to quantitatively characterize macroscopic variability in aquifer reactivity in a Lagrangian representation. Reactivity heterogeneity is expressed in terms of distributions of flux over cumulative time of exposure of the solution to reactive surface area, termed here 'cumulative reactivity'. In cases involving single aqueous species the combined effects of physical and reactivity heterogeneity on reactive solute transport can often be established and further investigated through joint distributions of flux over travel time and cumulative reactivity. The inverse technique requires the breakthrough curve of a passive tracer to determine the distribution of flux over travel time, and additional breakthrough curves of reactive tracers provide additional moments of the distribution of flux over cumulative reactivity given travel time. Thus breakthroughs of one passive and two reactive tracers can provide the mean and variance of the distribution of flux over cumulative reactivity. This Lagrangian characterization is achieved with knowledge of the types of reactive surfaces present, but not their spatial locations. The distributions can subsequently be applied via forward modeling using the same technique to predict breakthrough curves of other solutes undergoing first-order reactions in similar physically and chemically heterogeneous configurations.     

Exploring farmer preference shaping in international agricultural climate change adaptation regimes

Questions of equity, justice, and fairness in the international agricultural adaptation regime have emerged in recent years, prompting interest in regime power dynamics. Here, a three-dimensional conceptual framework of ‘power as domination’ is applied to the UNFCCC adaptation regime. We argue that this ‘power-over’ framing is an important lens through which to view adaptation, a field dominated by ‘power-to’, capacity-based constructs. The framework distinguishes between power-over manifesting through decision-making, agenda setting and preference shaping. Through a literature review we demonstrate that first and second dimension behavioral views of power-over fail to account for the subtle ways in which the interests and preferences of smallholder farmers are unknowingly shaped and restricted within the regime. Potential sources of third dimension preference shaping power are explored in a survey with high-level decision makers involved in National Adaptation Plans (NAP) development in seven countries. The results suggest that several inter-related features of the international agriculture adaptation regime collectively contribute to the shaping of interests and preferences of smallholders: prevailing discourses of uncertainty and the perceived limited capacity of smallholders; the resulting privileged status of ‘expert’ decision makers; the predominance of neoliberal development rationalities; and systemic biases resulting from the nation state as the principle unit of UNFCCC negotiation. These forces lie beyond the explanatory scope of first and second dimensions of power-over and help to explain why stakeholder engagement in adaptation decision making remains superficial in nature and why adaptation responses in agriculture can be considered ‘common and non-differentiated’. We argue for increased awareness of third dimension manifestations and impacts of power in adaptation literature to facilitate the improved participation of marginalized stakeholders in UNFCCC and domestic adaptation decision making forums, to increase the diversity of adaptation options available to smallholders, and ultimately, to improve the attribution of responsibility for adaptation outcomes.     

Development of the PRCQ: A measure of perceived restorative characteristics of zoo attractions

This study describes the development of the Perceived Restorative Characteristics Questionnaire (PRCQ), a measure of perceived restorative characteristics of zoo attractions. The questionnaire was administered in two zoo attractions. The hypothesized five factor structure of the PRCQ, and relations between perceived restorative characteristics and experienced pleasure in and preference for the attractions were examined. In Study 1, 137 visitors of a Dutch zoo evaluated perceived restorative characteristics of a butterfly garden; In Study 2, 158 visitors evaluated those of a baboon attraction. In Study 1 three factors emerged (fascination, escape and coherence); In Study 2 four factors could be distinguished (fascination, novelty, escape, coherence). Compatibility did not appear as a separate factoring either study. Perceived fascination and escape were significant predictors of experienced pleasure and preference in both attractions. The implications of the findings are discussed.     

镇江市环境结构对鸟类群落的影响研究

文章选取镇江市作为典型城市,就空间异质性和面积这两个环境结构因素对鸟类的影响进行了调查研究。结果表明：面积对物种数存在一定影响,这种影响在空间异质性较高时较为明显,面积对物种多样性和均匀度无显著影响;环境多样性与自然度的作用是相互独立的,而自然度的影响比环境多样性更为显著,均匀度与环境多样性存在着较显著的负相关;以鸟类为代表的野生动物与环境关系密切,城市环境的改善不仅有利于保护鸟类资源,而且更重要的是改善城市人们的生活环境。     

Porous media grain size distribution and hydrodynamic forces effects on transport and deposition of suspended particles

The effects of porous media grain size distribution on the transport and deposition of polydisperse suspended particles under different flow velocities were investigated. Selected Kaolinite particles(2–30 μm) and Fluorescein(dissolved tracer) were injected in the porous media by step input injection technique. Three sands filled columns were used: Fine sand,Coarse sand, and a third sand(Mixture) obtained by mixing the two last sands in equal weight proportion. The porous media performance on the particle removal was evaluated by analysing particles breakthrough curves, hydro-dispersive parameters determined using the analytical solution of convection–dispersion equation with a first order deposition kinetics, particles deposition profiles, and particle-size distribution of the recovered and the deposited particles. The deposition kinetics and the longitudinal hydrodynamic dispersion coefficients are controlled by the porous media grain size distribution. Mixture sand is more dispersive than Fine and Coarse sands. More the uniformity coefficient of the porous medium is large, higher is the filtration efficiency. At low velocities, porous media capture all sizes of suspended particles injected with larger ones mainly captured at the entrance.A high flow velocity carries the particles deeper into the porous media, producing more gradual changes in the deposition profile. The median diameter of the deposited particles at different depth increases with flow velocity. The large grain size distribution leads to build narrow pores enhancing the deposition of the particles by straining.     

Urban ecological systems: scientific foundations and a decade of progress

Urban ecological studies, including focus on cities, suburbs, and exurbs, while having deep roots in the early to mid 20th century, have burgeoned in the last several decades. We use the state factor approach to highlight the role of important aspects of climate, substrate, organisms, relief, and time in differentiating urban from non-urban areas, and for determining heterogeneity within spatially extensive metropolitan areas. In addition to reviewing key findings relevant to each state factor, we note the emergence of tentative "urban syndromes" concerning soils, streams, wildlife and plants, and homogenization of certain ecosystem functions, such as soil organic carbon dynamics. We note the utility of the ecosystem approach, the human ecosystem framework, and watersheds as integrative tools to tie information about multiple state factors together. The organismal component of urban complexes includes the social organization of the human population, and we review key modes by which human populations within urban areas are differentiated, and how such differentiation affects environmentally relevant actions. Emerging syntheses in land change science and ecological urban design are also summarized. The multifaceted frameworks and the growing urban knowledge base do however identify some pressing research needs.