Assessment of Endocrine‐Disrupting Chemicals Attenuation in a Coastal Plain Stream Prior to Wastewater Treatment Plant Closure

The U.S. Geological Survey is conducting a combined pre/post‐closure assessment at a long‐term wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) site at Fort Gordon near Augusta, Georgia. Here, we assess select endocrine‐active chemicals and benthic macroinvertebrate community structure prior to closure of the WWTP. Substantial downstream transport and limited instream attenuation of endocrine‐disrupting chemicals (EDCs) was observed in Spirit Creek over a 2.2‐km stream segment downstream of the WWTP outfall. A modest decline (less than 20% in all cases) in surface water detections was observed with increasing distance downstream of the WWTP and attributed to partitioning to the sediment. Estrogens detected in surface water in this study included estrone (E1), 17β‐estradiol (E2), and estriol (E3). The 5 ng/l and higher mean estrogen concentrations observed in downstream locations indicated that the potential for endocrine disruption was substantial. Concentrations of alkylphenol ethoxylate (APE) metabolite EDCs also remained statistically elevated above levels observed at the upstream control site. Wastewater‐derived pharmaceutical and APE metabolites were detected in the outflow of Spirit Lake, indicating the potential for EDC transport to aquatic ecosystems downstream of Fort Gordon. The results indicate substantial EDC occurrence, downstream transport, and persistence under continuous supply conditions and provide a baseline for a rare evaluation of ecosystem response to WWTP closure.     

基于能值方法的甘薯燃料乙醇产业生态系统分析

发展燃料乙醇已成为替代能源战略下的成熟模式,但传统燃料乙醇生产的污染问题严重影响了燃料乙醇的生存和发展,因此建立以燃料乙醇生产为核心企业,包括由原料种植者、乙醇生产者、分解者、资源回收利用者等一系列利益相关者组成的产业生态系统,已成为燃料乙醇可持续发展的有效途径. 根据燃料乙醇生产过程中对废物处理和资源化利用情况,将其划分成传统生产方案(方案Ⅰ)、废物处理生产方案(方案Ⅱ)和产业生态系统方案(方案Ⅲ),并采用改进后的能值分析方法及指标体系对3种生产方案进行比较分析. 结果表明:与方案Ⅰ相比,通过废物处理和中水回用,方案Ⅱ的ε_EYR(能值产出率)提高了59.37%,ε_ELR(环境负荷率)降低了75.39%;延长产业链,增加循环利用方式后,方案Ⅲ比方案Ⅰ的ε_EYR提高了86.19%,ε_ELR降低了82.98%. 3种生产方案的可持续发展能力为方案Ⅰ<方案Ⅱ<方案Ⅲ.      

China's endemic vertebrates sheltering under the protective umbrella of the giant panda

The giant panda attracts disproportionate conservation resources. How well does this emphasis protect other endemic species? Detailed data on geographical ranges are not available for plants or invertebrates, so we restrict our analyses to 3 vertebrate taxa: birds, mammals, and amphibians. There are gaps in their protection, and we recommend practical actions to fill them. We identified patterns of species richness, then identified which species are endemic to China, and then which, like the panda, live in forests. After refining each species' range by its known elevational range and remaining forest habitats as determined from remote sensing, we identified the top 5% richest areas as the centers of endemism. Southern mountains, especially the eastern Hengduan Mountains, were centers for all 3 taxa. Over 96% of the panda habitat overlapped the endemic centers. Thus, investing in almost any panda habitat will benefit many other endemics. Existing panda national nature reserves cover all but one of the endemic species that overlap with the panda's distribution. Of particular interest are 14 mammal, 20 bird, and 82 amphibian species that are inadequately protected. Most of these species the International Union for Conservation of Nature currently deems threatened. But 7 mammal, 3 bird, and 20 amphibian species are currently nonthreatened, yet their geographical ranges are <20,000 km² after accounting for elevational restriction and remaining habitats. These species concentrate mainly in Sichuan, Yunnan, Nan Mountains, and Hainan. There is a high concentration in the east Daxiang and Xiaoxiang Mountains of Sichuan, where pandas are absent and where there are no national nature reserves. The others concentrate in Yunnan, Nan Mountains, and Hainan. Here, 10 prefectures might establish new protected areas or upgrade local nature reserves to national status.     

An integrated indicator on regional ecological civilization construction in China

China has come up with ecological civilization as one of major goals to improve its ecological sustainability during development in future. Under this broad framework, social, economic and natural ecosystems are expected to develop in harmony. However, there is lack of evaluation mechanism for this newly proposed strategy. Therefore, in this article, ecosystem services, Ecological Footprint and gross domestic product per capita were selected in order to reflect the resource endowment, human occupation on natural capital, and the economic growth. Thus, an integrated indicator was constructed from the three indexes based on the linear correlation among them, and we provided comprehensive evaluation on ecological civilization construction in the provinces and municipalities in China in 2010. When it comes to the indicator of ecological civilization construction, Hainan province has the greatest value which is 0.5091 and Beijing municipality has the smallest value which is 0.0377. At last, the article analyzed the ecological pressure and efficiency in ecological civilization construction in China. The results contribute to scientific and objective evaluation of regional ecological civilization construction in order to properly make decisions and take actions.     

神东矿区AVHRR/NDVI的时空、开采强度和气候效应

研究采矿扰动区长时序、多维度NDVI变化趋势,有助于认识非自然生态区植被演替规律,对高强度开采条件下西北脆弱生态区地表植被自然修复和人工修复工作具有指导意义.研究通过设立直接影响区、间接影响区和自然生态校验区,利用长时序GIMMS AVHRR/NDVI（1981～2006）植被指数数据集,结合同期温度、降水和煤炭产量信息,从时间、空间、气候和开采强度方面开展对比分析,并以长时序MODIS NPP/NDVI（2000～2010）数据进行结果验证.时序分析表明,全球变化背景下,神东矿区植被生长季二度延长;空间分析表明,神东矿区NDVI增量低于缓冲区,缓冲区NDVI增量低于自然生态区;开采强度分析表明,随着神东矿区开采强度增强,NDVI增速放缓,增长速率低于自然生态区;气候变化分析表明,神东矿区NDVI受温度升高、降水减少共同作用,与温度相关性较高,与降水相关性较低;同期MODIS NPP/NDVI验证结果表现出与AVHRR/NDVI一致的规律性.     

Restoration of badlands and natural capital: an application in Saldaña (Palencia,northern Spain)

The environment provides many necessary services for a plethora of human activities related to that are being acknowledged as our ecosystems degrade; therefore, ecosystem-based solutions are becoming increasingly more important. Hydrologic restorations (HRs) apply this type of ecosystem approach; there are multiple examples around the Mediterranean area executed since the beginning of the twentieth century. One good example of these restoration-type solutions can be seen in the badlands of Saldaña (Palencia, Spain). This case has been particularly successful in stopping gully erosion from badlands. Despite its importance for the well-being of the inhabitants of Saldaña and surroundings, the economic effects of these services which were put into place by this HR have never been assessed. In the present study, four different and compatible ecosystem restored services have been valued in monetary terms. For their aggregation, an innovative approach has been taken using the analytic hierarchy process methodology, so the weight of each ecosystem service (ES) can be determined. The economic flow of these ESs has been calculated in terms of annual income and updated values, from which natural capital increase in the population of Saldaña can be assessed. After analysing the results, it can be concluded that the village has earned more than seven million euros, which, in turn, generates important benefits to its inhabitants.     

Variations in the elemental compositions of plants,and computer‐aided sampling in ecosystems∗

To obtain comparable results of multi‐element analysis of plant materials by different laboratories, a harmonized sampling procedure for terrestrial and marine ecosystems is essential. The heterogeneous distribution of chemical elements in living organisms is influenced by different biological parameters. These parameters are mainly characterized by genetic predetermination, seasonal changes, edaphic and climatic conditions, and delocalization processes of chemical substances by metabolic activities.

The biological variations of the element content in plants were divided into 5 systematic levels, which are: 1. the plant species; 2. the population; 3. the stand (within an ecosystem); 4. the individual; and 5. the plant compartment. Each of these systematic levels can be related to: 1. genetic variabilities; 2. different climatic, edaphic and anthropogenic influences; 3. microclimatic or microedaphic conditions; 4. age of plants (stage of development), exposure to environmental influences (light, wind, pollution etc.), seasonal changes; and 5. transport and deposition of substances within the different plant compartments (organs, tissues, cells, organelles).

An expert system for random and systematic sampling for multi‐element analysis of environmental materials, such as plants, soils and precipitation is presented. After statistical division of the research area, the program provides advice for contamination‐free collection of environmental samples.     

黄土高原生态系统过渡带土地覆盖的时空变化分析

在全球气候变化及其生态环境效应研究中,生态系统过渡带作为气候变化和人类活动的敏感区域,其土地覆盖的时空变化分析逐渐成为土地利用科学研究的热点问题。基于GIS的时空分析方法,在对Holdridge生命地带模型的判别标准进行改进的基础上,构建了生态系统过渡带的时空分析模型。在建立土地覆盖正向和逆向转换规则的基础上,构建了土地覆盖正向和逆向转换指数模型。并以黄土高原为案例区,在定量识别生态系统过渡带类型及其空间格局的基础上,定量评价了各种生态系统过渡带类型土地覆盖的转换情况。模拟分析结果表明,黄土高原地区共有14种生态系统过渡带类型,其总面积占整个黄土高原的25.21%。在1985-2005年期间,黄土高原生态系统过渡带内的耕地面积平均每10 a减少0.93%,而湿地和水体、林地、草地的面积则平均每10 a分别增加3.47%、0.24%、0.06%。整个过渡带区域土地覆盖的转换率从28.53%降低到21.91%,且其正向转换和逆向转换面积总体上均呈减少的趋势。另外,黄土高原生态系统过渡带区域和非过渡带区域的土地覆盖转换率对比分析显示,过渡带区域土地覆盖的转换率高于非过渡带区域。     

三江源区生态系统服务间接使用价值评估

论文利用替代成本法、机会成本法和影子工程法等经济学方法,对三江源区生态系统提供的间接使用价值进行了评估。研究结果表明:2008年三江源区生态系统的间接使用价值共计1.74×10¹¹元,其中水源涵养价值为1.07×10¹¹元,占61.38%,土壤保持价值为4.60×10¹⁰元,占26.50%,气候调节价值为2.01×10¹⁰元,占11.56%,空气质量调节价值为9.56×10⁸元,占0.55%。该结果突出反映了三江源区作为水源发源地在水量平衡、调节区域水分循环和改善水文状况等方面做出的贡献。     

Vermetid reefs in the Mediterranean Sea as archives of sea-level and surface temperature changes

Vermetid reefs are among the most important bioconstructions in the Mediterranean Sea, with a distribution restricted to the warmest part of the basin. Their structure, and vertical and geographical distribution make them good biological indicators of changes in sea level and sea-surface temperature over the last two millennia.