Different habitats, different habits? Response to foraging information in the parasitic wasp Venturia canescens

The parasitic wasp, Venturia canescens (Gravenhorst) (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), has two reproductive modes, namely, thelytoky or arrhenotoky, and occurs in habitats with highly variable or relatively stable host abundances, respectively. Since information processing is costly, we expected that information indicating resource availability would be mainly used by the thelytokous wasps and less so by the arrhenotokous type. This idea was explored by two different approaches. In a study on patch-time allocation, we used females from ten populations and measured patch-residence times of individuals that visited multiple patches at different encounter rates. In a more detailed approach, thelytokous and arrhenotokous females from a single location were observed continuously while foraging, and all behaviors were recorded. Wasps of both reproductive modes (i.e., both habitat types) used information for the assessment of habitat quality. However, the way that the information was used differed between them. Whereas thelytokous females used foraging information to maximize their efficiency at high patch-encounter rates, arrhenotokous females merely reduced the number of offspring produced without changing patch times. The behavior of the arrhenotokous females should result in a spreading of offspring across the habitat and, thus, reduced sib-mating. The foraging strategy of these wasps might therefore be an adaptation to reduce costs associated with inbreeding.     

Reproductive partitioning in communally breeding guira cuckoos,<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Guira guira</Emphasis>

Guira cuckoos, Guira guira, exhibit a rare polygynandrous reproductive system with groups containing several male and female breeders, allowing for important tests of reproductive skew models. Female reproductive strategies involve leaving the group, varying clutch size, egg ejection and infanticide, among others. Here we examined the predictions of reproductive skew models relative to reproductive partitioning among females in groups. We used yolk protein electrophoresis to identify individual females eggs in joint nests. We found that reproductive partitioning favors early-laying females, which lay and incubate more eggs than females that begin laying later. Because the female that lays first tends to switch between repeated nesting bouts, and females do not always contribute eggs to each bout, female reproductive success tends to equalize within groups over time. The pattern of reproductive partitioning differs from that described for anis, another crotophagine joint-nester. We calculated reproductive skew indices for groups in 2 years, for both laying and incubation, as well as an overall population value. These were compared to random skew generated by simulations. Varying degrees of skew were found for different groups, and also across sequential nesting bouts of the same groups. Overall, however, skew did not deviate from random within the population. Nests that reached incubation tended to have lower skew values during the laying phase than nests terminated due to ejection of all eggs followed by desertion. Groups had higher reproductive skew indices in their first nesting bout of the season, and these nests frequently failed. These results illustrate the importance of social organization in determining not only individual, but group success in reproduction, and highlight the flexibility of vertebrate social behavior.Communicated by J. Dickinson     

我国废弃电器电子产品的EPR执行模式研究

延伸生产者责任,将生产者对产品所负的责任扩展到产品生命周期的消费后阶段,为＂废弃产品的环境影响责任＂找到了合理的承担主体。研究了延伸生产者责任的概念、种类及特征。以德、日、中国台湾为例,分析了发达国家及地区的废弃电器电子产品的EPR执行模式。总结了我国废弃电器电子产品回收处理的现状、原因及具体实施情况。在借鉴他国及地区成功经验的基础上,提出了我国废弃电器电子产品的EPR执行模式。     

Effects of paternal care on reproductive success in the polygynous spotless starling Sturnus unicolor

For males of socially polygynous avian species like the spotless starling, there may exist a trade-off between investing in paternal care and controlling several nests. To determine how the intensity of paternal care affects reproductive success per brood sired or expressed as the total number of young raised in all nests controlled by the same male, it is necessary to manipulate paternal care. Testosterone (T) has been shown to depress the tendency for males to care for their young, and induces them to acquire more mates. The effects of paternal care on reproductive success were studied by treating certain male starlings with exogenous T and others with the antiandrogen cyproterone acetate (CA), and comparing the parental behavior of T- and CA-males throughout the breeding season with that of controls. CA-males fed their chicks more during the first week after hatching than T-males, with controls feeding at intermediate rates, both on a per nest basis and as total effort for all nests controlled by the same male. Paternal feeding rates during the first week of chick life had a significant positive effect on the number of fledged young. The hormone treatment significantly affected the number of chicks raised per nest, CA-males having a higher breeding success per nest than T-males, and controls showing intermediate levels of success. There was no significant effect of treatment on total reproductive success attained by males throughout the season. In the polygonous spotless starling, the intensity of paternal care of young affects reproductive success per nest positively but not on a seasonal basis. Received: 6 February 1999 / Received in revised form: 30 June 1999 / Accepted: 11 July 1999     

Performance of completely autotrophic nitrogen removal over nitrite process under different aeration modes and dissolved oxygen

In this study, three sequential batch biofilm reactors (SBBRs) were operated for 155 days to evaluate the performance of completely autotrophic nitrogen removal over nitrite (CANON) process under different aeration modes and dissolved oxygen (DO). Synthetic wastewater with 160-mg NH4 ⁺-N/L was fed into the reactors. In the continuously-aerated reactor, the efficiency of the ammonium nitrogen conversion and total nitrogen (TN) removal reached 80% and 70%, respectively, with DO between 0.8–1.0 mg/L. Whereas in the intermittently-aerated reactor, at the aeration/non-aeration ratio of 1.0, ammonium was always under the detection limit and 86% of TN was removed with DO between 2.0–2.5 mg/L during the aeration time. Results show that CANON could be achieved in both continuous and intermittent aeration pattern. However, to achieve the same nitrogen removal efficiency, the DO needed in the intermittently-aerated sequential batch biofilm reactor (SBBR) during the aeration period was higher than that in the continuously-aerated SBBR. In addition, the DO in the CANON system should be adjusted to the aeration mode, and low DO was not a prerequisite to CANON process.     

Pheromone-based female mate choice and its effect on reproductive investment in a spitting spider

Numerous studies have focused on whether organisms can signal or perceive pheromones and use chemical signals in species and mate recognition. Recently, there have been an increasing number of studies investigating whether pheromones are used in mate choice. Yet, little attention has been paid in exploring the effects of pheromone-based mate choice on reproductive investment. We first tested this hypothesis by providing virgin Scytodes sp. females with a choice between two virgin males in the presence of chemical signals alone and found strong evidence of an odor-based mate preference. We then examined the consequences of the odor-based mate choice by allowing female Scytodes sp. that had previously made an odor-only mate choice to mate with preferred and non-preferred males, respectively. We measured the success of copulation, mortality of male, pre-oviposition interval, egg-sac weight, egg weight, fecundity, fertility, embryonic period, and size of offspring at hatching. Females that mated with the preferred males produced significantly heavier egg sacs that contained more and larger eggs with a greater fertility. Significantly more non-preferred males than preferred males were killed by spitting. However, pre-oviposition interval, embryonic period, and hatchling size were not affected by female mate choice. This study is the first to demonstrate that female spiders are able to regulate their highly valuable reproductive investment based solely on chemical signals.     

Age- and state-dependent reproductive effort in male mountain goats, Oreamnos americanus

In mammalian polygynous mating systems, male reproductive effort consists mainly of male–male competition and courting of females, which entail substantial somatic costs. Males are thus expected to adjust their reproductive effort according to their age and condition. In this study, we examined how activity budgets of male mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus), a polygynous ungulate, varied with age in a marked population over two periods: (1) summers 1995–2006 and (2) ruts 2004–2006. We then assessed if the proportions of time spent in male–male competition and courtship behaviors were influenced by age-specific body mass and social rank during the rut. Males spent most of their time foraging and resting during summer, and rested more and foraged less with increasing age. During the rut, pronounced shifts in activity budgets occurred as juveniles (1–2 years) increased time spent foraging, whereas adults (≥3 years) increased standing and time spent in social interactions at the expense of foraging. At old age, reproductive effort either stabilized or decreased slightly, providing weak support for the ‘mating strategy–effort’ hypothesis, predicting that courtship behaviors should peak in prime-aged males. Age-specific body mass did not affect time spent in male–male competition, but was positively related with time spent in courtship behaviors, providing support for the ‘individual quality’ hypothesis, predicting that males with more resources at the start of the rut should spend more time in mating-related activities. Age-specific social rank did not affect reproductive effort. Surviving to prime age while increasing mass each year should thus allow male ungulates to gain greater ability to court estrus females.     

污泥生物炭制备吸附陶粒

以城市污泥热解产生的生物炭(BC)与高岭土(KL)为原料制备吸附陶粒(SKC),研究其对环丙沙星(CIP)的吸脱附性能,开展吸附动力学和等温吸附特性研究,结合形貌、孔结构、物相组成、表面电位探讨其吸附机制,利用TCLP法研究重金属浸出特征.结果表明BC与KL以6∶4的质量比混合造粒,经1 050℃烧结5 min得到的SKC对CIP有明显的吸附效果,去除率达65.34%;SKC对CIP的吸附符合二级动力学模型,在不同质量浓度下的吸附特性适用于Freundlich等温吸附模型,吸附过程同时存在物理和化学吸附.SKC具有良好的孔隙结构,物相组成以硅铝氧化物、铁氧化物和金属磷酸盐为主,既能降低重金属的浸出毒性又具有良好的CIP吸附去除效果,有望为处理废水中高浓度CIP提供一种低成本可回收的吸附材料,也为BC的规模化安全利用提供了新思路.     

不同基质浓度下SBR进水方式对厌氧氨氧化的影响

采用厌氧SBR反应器,分别以配水培养和以实际晚期垃圾渗滤液培养的厌氧氨氧化菌为研究对象,考察了不同基质浓度下,SBR改进式连续进水方式与一次性进水方式对厌氧氨氧化工艺运行性能的影响.结果表明,当处理人工配水时,在中低进水浓度下(NO2--N￡400mg/L),与改进式连续进水方式相比,宜采用一次性进水方式运行;在高进水浓度下(NO2--N3400mg/L)改进式连续进水方式比一次性进水方式优势明显,特别是在5h改进式连续进水方式下,平均比污泥脱氮速率增加至39.11mgN/(gVSS·h),相比一次进水方式效率提高40%.当处理进水NO2--N浓度为(300±20)mg/L的实际晚期垃圾渗滤液时, 5h改进式连续进水的SBR比污泥脱氮速率最高.由于晚期渗滤液较配水成分复杂,使得厌氧氨氧化菌面临有机物和有害物质的影响,其厌氧氨氧化的反应速率低于同等基质浓度配水条件下的厌氧氨氧化反应速率.     

危险废弃物处置项目运作模式探析

为随着危废处置行业的发展和众多项目的建设,其运作模式也呈现多元化。为了探索适合危废处置项目建设的运作模式,结合国内公益性项目市场化运作常用的模式,以化工危废处置项目为代表,调查研究江苏省及周边地区该类项目,分析不同模式的优点及不足,提出相比于目前常用的BOT,BOO等模式,区域性的危废处置项目采用PPP模式更适合,并给出了需要完善的配套措施建议。