Effects of Cattle Grazing on Diversity in Ephemeral Wetlands

Abstract:  Cattle are usually thought of as a threat to biodiversity. In regions threatened by exotic species invasion and lacking native wild grazers, however, cattle may produce the type of disturbance that helps maintain diverse communities. Across 72 vernal pools, I examined the effect of different grazing treatments (ungrazed, continuously grazed, wet-season grazed and dry-season grazed) on vernal-pool plant and aquatic faunal diversity in the Central Valley of California. After 3 years of treatment, ungrazed pools had 88% higher cover of exotic annual grasses and 47% lower relative cover of native species than pools grazed at historical levels (continuously grazed). Species richness of native plants declined by 25% and aquatic invertebrate richness was 28% lower in the ungrazed compared with the continuously grazed treatments. Release from grazing reduced pool inundation period by 50 to 80%, making it difficult for some vernal-pool endemic species to complete their life cycle. My results show that one should not assume livestock and ranching operations are necessarily damaging to native communities. In my central California study site, grazing helped maintain native plant and aquatic diversity in vernal pools.     

植物铜素毒害及其抗性机制研究进展

Cu是植物生命活动必需的微量矿质元素，广泛参与各种生命活动；但过量Cu胁迫将诱导植物细胞产生大量活性氧，引起膜脂过氧化，膜透性增大，细胞内容物大量外渗，甚至发生细胞死亡。Cu^2 扩散到细胞核内会诱发DNA之间、蛋白质之间以及DNA和蛋白质之间发生分子内和分子间交联，DNA链的断裂、重排和脱嘌呤作用等前诱变损伤以及DNA期外合成、DNA甲基化异常等遗传毒害。植物细胞在长期进化过程中形成了各种抗Cu素毒害机制，如细胞壁的固着作用、质膜的限制作用、有机小分子(有机酸、植物螯合肽、金属硫蛋白)螯合作用等。文章综述了有关研究的最新进展。     

Role of small mammals in natural and anthropogenic landscapes of the right-bank region of Saratov oblast

Small mammal communities inhabiting natural and anthropogenically transformed areas of the right-bank region of Saratov oblast are fairly similar in species composition. They are represented by wide-spread, common species that, against the background of a low population density of typical steppe species, make a major contribution to the community. The highest ecological tolerance is characteristic of the striped field mouse Apodemus agrarius, which is widespread in the study region and dominates in the majority of natural biotopes and in agrocenoses; the common vole Microtus arvalis is scarce in agrocenoses.     

污水处理厂中浮游生物群落DNA指纹及其与水质指标的关系

以武汉龙王嘴污水处理系统为研究对象,揭示了污水处理各阶段中浮游生物群落的DNA指纹拓扑结构,进而探索了其与浮游生物群落结构和环境理化因子的关系.首先建立了污水处理系统中浮游生物群落总DNA提取方法,然后用原核与真核特异性引物对流程(A2/O氧化沟工艺)中不同阶段的浮游生物群落总DNA进行PCR扩增,用变性梯度凝胶电泳(DGGE)检测,并对平行水样分别进行常规理化因子和浮游生物物种的检测与鉴定.结果显示,各采样点理化因子、物种组成与浮游生物DNA指纹的统计分析结果十分吻合.厌氧、缺氧和好氧阶段间差异较小,进水、出水分别与其它采样点间差异较大.研究结果表明,污水中浮游生物群落具有丰富的多样性,其DNA指纹在空间距离较短的污水处理过程中发生了改变,而且其改变的趋势与生物组成和理化指标的趋势相符,说明浮游生物群落DNA指纹与水质指标密切相关.     

三峡库区优势藻类聚集参数与水华状态函数

在三峡库区最大次级河流嘉陵江现场采集水样,并进行藻类生长试验,探讨了藻类在氮磷比、光照强度和流速条件下的聚集行为.在不同TN/TP和光照强度的静水表层中主要藻类为蓝、绿藻.优势种为蓝藻门的水华微囊藻,总体上蓝藻的聚集参数θ大于绿藻;在流速大于0.03m·s-1的动态水体中蓝绿藻聚集参数迅速下降,优势藻类不再明显.对水质的生态学评价结果表明,水华微囊藻聚集参数θ与生物多样性指数d拟合的可决系数R2在0.81以上,反映出优势藻聚集能力与水体环境质量的反比关系.作为水质污染和营养水平评价依据的指数d不能直接表征水华污染状态,因此.在参数θ的基础上构建了描述水华污染状态的函数G,将函数G应用于对实验结果和实际流域水华污染的评价,结果表明,水华状态函数G确实能有效和半定量刻划水华污染程度.     

Do native brown trout and non-native brook trout interact reproductively?

Reproductive interactions between native and non-native species of fish have received little attention compared to other types of interactions such as predation or competition for food and habitat. We studied the reproductive interactions between non-native brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) and native brown trout (Salmo trutta) in a Pyrenees Mountain stream (SW France). We found evidence of significant interspecific interactions owing to consistent spatial and temporal overlap in redd localizations and spawning periods. We observed mixed spawning groups composed of the two species, interspecific subordinate males, and presence of natural hybrids (tiger trout). These reproductive interactions could be detrimental to the reproduction success of both species. Our study shows that non-native species might have detrimental effects on native species via subtle hybridization behavior.     

Distribution Of Cadmium And Nickel Among Various Forms In Natural And Contaminated Soils Amended With Edta

Because of its strong chelating capacity, application of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) to soils may change the amount and distribution of heavy metals among their various chemical forms. Therefore, a greenhouse experiment was conducted using two cultivars of Brassica species (Brassica juncea and Brassica carinata) as hyper accumulator test crops on natural and artificially Cd and Ni contaminated soils. Both natural and metal amended soils were treated with disodium salt of EDTA at 0 and 1 g kg^–1 soil. After harvest of crops, soil samples were fractionated into water soluble plus exchangeable (WE), carbonate (CARB), organic matter (OM), Mn oxide (MnOX), amorphous Fe oxide (AFeOX), crystalline Fe oxide (CFeOX) and residual (RES) fractions. In metal amended soils, Cd and Ni were found predominantly in the AFeOX fraction in the absence of EDTA application and in the WE fraction in EDTA treated soil. Application of EDTA resulted in the redistribution of Cd among different forms and increased significantly Cd in the WE fraction with a concomitant significant decrease in the OM fraction. In natural soils, more than 40% of the total Cd was present in the RES fraction while in contaminated soil it was only 5%. Nickel in the WE fraction increased significantly while it considerably decreased in the CARB, OM, MnOX, AFeOX and CFeOX fractions with EDTA addition. This indicated that applied EDTA is capable to move Cd and Ni from the less soluble or more stable forms (CARB, OM, MnOX, AFeOX and CFeOX) to the most soluble form (WE). N natural soils, Ni in the RES fraction was found upto 49%, whereas only 10% of the total Ni was observed in contaminated soil, irrespective of EDTA treatment. In general, the amount of Cd recovered after harvest of both the Brassica cultivars did not differ significantly in any fraction except the WE fraction. The amount of Ni recovered in the AFeOX fraction was significantly higher after harvest of B. juncea as compared to B. carinata.Readers should send their comments on this paper to: BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.     

污水处理与回用过程对生态毒性的削减和水质安全评价

利用发光细菌急性毒性试验、藻类生长抑制试验、斑马鱼幼鱼致死试验和SOS/umu试验对以A2O-MBR为主要处理工艺的污水处理及回用中生态毒性的变化进行研究,同时利用建立的水质安全性评价体系对再生水回用中的生物安全性进行评价,保障再生水回用的安全性。结果表明,A2O二级生物处理可有效削减荧光抑制毒性、藻细胞生长抑制毒性和斑马鱼幼鱼急性毒性,削减了94%以上,不过遗传毒性只削减了50.92%;由于消毒过程的引入,MBR处理出水的4种生态毒性呈现不同程度的升高,尤其是对遗传毒性和斑马鱼幼鱼毒性;当再生水回用于人工湖之后,4种生态毒性都明显降低,尤其是遗传毒性,削减了89.21%;水质安全性评价结果显示,经A2O生物处理后污水水质等级由C级升高至A级,产生的再生水回用于景观用水之后水质等级由B级升高到A级。研究表明,A2O二级生物处理和人工湖近自然系统能有效降低污水及再生水的生物毒性,而消毒副产物会使MBR-消毒出水毒性增大,并且开放式的生态系统可进一步去除在污水处理过程中未被去除的毒性物质,尤其是遗传毒性物质,从而改善水质。     

广西环江尾矿重金属形态及其潜在迁移能力分析

以广西环江地区某尾矿库3个区域的尾矿样品为研究对象,在化学成分和矿物成分分析的基础上,运用Dold七步分级化学提取法,研究了Zn,Cd,Pb,As,Sb和Ni 6种重金属的赋存形态特征,并分析了其潜在迁移能力。结果表明,3个区域的尾矿样品均为碳酸盐型金属硫化物尾矿,样品中Zn和Pb的质量浓度较高(分别达4 119.9 mg/kg和3 375.1 mg/kg),Cd和Ni的质量浓度相对较低,As和Sb的质量浓度差别较大(可达191.5 mg/kg和86.5 mg/kg)。形态分析结果表明,Zn和As的迁移性较强,且具有一定的环境风险,Pb,Cd,Sb和Ni相对较稳定。     

常压等离子体射流去除水中糖皮质激素污染物

搭建射流介质阻挡放电反应器,对常压等离子体射流技术降解水中代表性糖皮质激素氢化可的松（HC）进行了研究.考察了放电功率、空气流量、溶液初始pH值、放电时间等因素对HC降解效果的影响.结果表明,HC的去除率随放电功率增大和放电时间延长而增加;溶液初始pH值、通入空气流量等因素对HC处理效果也有很大影响.在初始浓度为0.138mmol/L,放电功率为49.7W,气流量为4L/min的实验条件下,在本反应器中放电处理120min后HC的去除率可达98%.本文使用了不同自由基抑制剂研究了活性氧自由基（ROS）在HC降解过程中的作用,并通过发射光谱（OES）观测了放电过程中产生的自由基种类.研究结果对常压等离子技术去除有机污染物的发展有一定的参考价值.