土壤B[a]P叠加污染对蚯蚓体腔细胞SOD、POD和MDA的毒性效应

采用累积试验方法,研究土壤苯并[a]芘（B[a]P）多次叠加污染对赤子爱胜蚓（Eisenia foetida）体腔细胞超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）、过氧化物酶（POD）和丙二醛（MDA）的毒性效应.结果表明,随着土壤中B[a]P暴露时间的延长,蚯蚓体腔细胞的SOD、POD活力和MDA含量呈初期（1～14 d）下降速率较快,尔后（14～56 d）下降速率减小的变化趋势.在叠加污染条件下,0～ 20 cm深度土壤中蚯蚓体腔细胞SOD活力和MDA含量在14d时分别比一次污染低20.97％和15.96％,POD活力比一次污染高20.44％;而在＞20～40 cm深度土壤中蚯蚓体腔细胞SOD、POD活力和MDA含量在14d时分别比一次污染低52.89％、18.00％和70.60％.表明B[a]P叠加污染土壤中蚯蚓体腔细胞的毒性效应低于一次污染.     

地质灾害危险性评估分级因素的探讨

地质灾害危险性评估工作级别由建设项目重要性和评估区地质环境条件复杂程度这两个因素决定.在分析现行相关标准和研究成果的基础上,指出建设项目重要性可依次由省部级相关技术标准、项目行政审批权限级别、预估灾后损失程度顺序确定,以先符合者为准;指出评估区地质环境条件复杂程度可由地质灾害发育程度、地形与地貌复杂程度、地质构造复杂程度、岩土体工程地质性质、水文地质条件、破坏地质环境的人类工程活动程度等6项判定因素确定,并初步确定了地质灾害发育程度、地形与地貌复杂程度、地质构造复杂程度、岩土体工程地质性质、水文地质条件和破坏地质环境的人类工程活动程度等分级评价标准.     

Effect of the chemical composition of organic extracts from environmental and industrial atmospheric samples on the genotoxicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons mixtures

Particulate organic matter (PM) present in the atmosphere is a complex mixture of chemicals like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) that may exert adverse health effects including respiratory and cardiovascular disturbances and cancer. In this study, airborne samples from environmental or industrial areas exhibiting different physicochemical composition were compared for their capacities to induce DNA damage in human hepatocytes HepG2. DNA strand breaks and DNA adducts formed by benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-dihydrodiol-9,10-epoxide (BPDE), the most reactive metabolite of the carcinogenic benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), were measured with the comet assay and by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)/mass spectrometry, respectively. Cells were exposed to organic matter extracted from PM. Experiments were performed either at a constant concentration of B[a]P or at concentrations corresponding to fixed air volumes. Results show that industrial extracts tend to produce more benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide-N ²-2′-deoxyguanosine (BPDE-N ²-dGuo) DNA adducts than strand breaks, whereas the opposite was observed with environmental extracts. The chemical composition of the extracts significantly impacts the nature and levels of DNA damage. The amount of B[a]P and interaction with other contaminants in the extracts need to be considered to explain the formation of DNA damage. These results emphasize the use of in vitro tests as promising and complementary tools to widely used toxic equivalent factor (TEF) approach in order to assess health hazards related to chemical exposure of the general population.     

双酚A对斑马鱼成鱼肝脏功能基因转录调控的影响

运用实时定量即时聚合链式反应RT-PCR方法,研究了双酚A对斑马鱼成鱼肝脏的功能基因转录水平的影响。结果显示,28 d半静水暴露以后,FGF8A和STAU 2 表现出传统的正剂量—效应关系,CLDN 1和CALCA的表达为倒剂量—抑制效应关系,SP 4基因在15 μg·L^-1 双酚A时表现为显著抑制效应,但是在150 和1 500 μg·L^-1却表现为显著的诱导效应。 试验进一步探讨了这些表达异常的基因在双酚A干扰去除后能否自我调节和修复。结果显示,CLDN 1能恢复到正常表达水平,而其他4个基因在低剂量组却维持原来的高毒性作用水平甚至表现出更高的毒性作用。研究证明双酚A对斑马鱼成鱼肝脏的基因转录调控具有一定的非单调剂量—效应作用。     

苯并[a]芘对马氏珠母贝D型面盘幼虫发育的影响

苯并芘(B[a]P)已广泛分布于海洋环境中,低等海洋无脊椎动物从受精卵开始整个生长发育过程都面临着B[a]P等多环芳烃类污染物(PAHs)的威胁。本实验以热带海洋优势贝类马氏珠母贝(Pinctada maetensii)作为材料,研究B[a]P对马氏珠母贝D型面盘幼虫发育的影响。将幼虫暴露于不同浓度(1、2、4、10和15μg·L-1)B[a]P中,在暴露后第12、24、36、48、72、84小时,分别测定其D型面盘幼虫的死亡率和畸形数。结果表明:B[a]P对D型面盘幼虫死亡率的影响明显,死亡率与时间呈正相关,其中4和10μg·L-1浓度组的响应最敏感。在1～10μg·L-1浓度范围内,死亡率与浓度呈正相关;B[a]P暴露对马氏珠母贝D型面盘幼虫的形态也有显著影响,且随着浓度的增大产生畸形个体的时间越短。另外,B[a]P对马氏珠母贝D型面盘幼虫的半数致死浓度(LC50)随着时间的推移逐渐降低后趋于稳定,48h时LC50趋于稳定,为21.56μg·L-1。研究表明,B[a]P对马氏珠母贝D形幼虫的发育具有不利影响,并可能影响其种群结构。     

Effects of climate and exurban development on nest predation and predator presence in the southern Appalachian Mountains (USA)

In the eastern United States, land-use and climate change have likely contributed to declines in the abundance of Neotropical migrant birds that occupy forest interiors, but the mechanisms are not well understood. We conducted a nest-predation experiment in southern Appalachian Mountain forests (North Carolina, U.S.A.) during the 2009 and 2010 breeding seasons to determine the effects of exurban development and temperature on predator presence and the average number of days until eggs in an artificial nest were disturbed by predators. We baited artificial nests with quail (Excalfactoria chinensi) eggs and monitored them for 18 days. We used clay eggs, track plates, and motion-triggered cameras to detect and identify nest predators. The average number of days a nest was undisturbed decreased as mean temperature increased and, to a lesser extent, as the density of buildings increased. Nests on the ground were more often depredated than those in trees, likely due to increased predation by opossum (Didelphis virginiana) and other carnivores. Raccoons (Procyon lotor), opossums, corvids (Corvus brachyrhynchos and Cyanocitta cristata), chipmunks (Tamias striatus), black bears (Ursus americanus), and domestic cats (Felis catus) were the most commonly detected predators. Presence of these predators did not vary as a function of mean temperature. Domestic cats and corvids were detected more frequently in plots with high rather than low densities of buildings. Forest-interior specialists and Neotropical migrants often nest in cool, high-elevation areas with low housing density. These bird species, especially those that nest on the ground, may be most vulnerable to increased nest predation if temperature and exurban development increase at higher elevations as anticipated.     

Occurrence of the non-native annual bluegrass on the Antarctic mainland and its negative effects on native plants

Few non-native species have colonized Antarctica, although increased human activity and accelerated climate change may increase their number, distributional range, and effects on native species on the continent. We searched 13 sites on the maritime Antarctic islands and 12 sites on the Antarctic Peninsula for annual bluegrass (Poa annua), a non-native flowering plant. We also evaluated the possible effects of competition between P. annua and 2 vascular plants native to Antarctica, Antarctic pearlwort (Colobanthus quitensis) and Antarctic hairgrass (Deschampsia antarctica). We grew the native species in experimental plots with and without annual bluegrass under conditions that mimicked the Antarctic environment. After 5 months, we measured photosynthetic performance on the basis of chlorophyll fluorescence and determined total biomass of both native species. We found individual specimens of annual bluegrass at 3 different sites on the Antarctic Peninsula during the 2007-2008 and 2009-2010 austral summers. The presence of bluegrass was associated with a statistically significant reduction in biomass of pearlwort and hairgrass, whereas the decrease in biomass of bluegrass was not statistically significant. Similarly, the presence of bluegrass significantly reduced the photosynthetic performance of the 2 native species. Sites where bluegrass occurred were close to major maritime routes of scientific expeditions and of tourist cruises to Antarctica. We believe that if current levels of human activity and regional warming persist, more non-native plant species are likely to colonize the Antarctic and may affect native species.     

Changes in Avian and Plant Communities of Aspen Woodlands over 12 Years after Livestock Removal in the Northwestern Great Basin

Abstract: Riparian and quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) woodlands are centers of avian abundance and diversity in the western United States, but they have been affected adversely by land use practices, particularly livestock grazing. In 1990, cattle were removed from a 112,500‐ha national wildlife refuge in southeastern Oregon. Thereafter, we monitored changes in vegetation and bird abundance in years 1–3 (phase 1) and 10–12 (phase 2) in 17 riparian and 9 snow‐pocket aspen plots. On each 1.5‐ha plot, we sampled vegetation in 6 transects. Three times during each breeding season, observers recorded all birds 50 m to each side of the plot's 150‐m centerline for 25 minutes. We analyzed data with multivariate analysis of variance and paired t tests with p values adjusted for multiple comparisons. In both periods, riparian and snow‐pocket aspen produced extensive regeneration of new shoots ( stems/ha and 7079 stems/ha, respectively). By phase 2, a 64% increase in medium‐diameter trees in riparian stands indicated successful recruitment into the overstory, but this pattern was not seen in snow‐pocket stands, where the density of trees was over 2 times greater. By phase 2 in riparian and snow‐pocket stands, native forb cover had increased by 68% and 57%, respectively, mesic shrub cover had increased by 29% and 58%, and sagebrush cover had decreased by 24% and 31%. Total avian abundance increased by 33% and 39% in riparian and snow‐pocket aspen, respectively, ground or understory nesters increased by 133% and 67% and overstory nesters increased by 34% and 33%. Similarly, ground or understory foragers increased by 25% and 32%, aerial foragers by 55% and 57%, and overstory foragers by 66% and 43%. We interpreted the substantial regeneration of aspen shoots, increased densities of riparian forbs and shrubs, and increased avian abundances as a multitrophic‐level response to the total removal of livestock and as substantial movement toward recovery of biological integrity.     

Climate change and the cost of conserving species in Madagascar

We examined the cost of conserving species as climate changes. We used a Maxent species distribution model to predict the ranges from 2000 to 2080 of 74 plant species endemic to the forests of Madagascar under 3 climate scenarios. We set a conservation target of achieving 10,000 ha of forest cover for each species and calculated the cost of achieving this target under each scenario. We interviewed managers of projects to restore native forests and conducted a literature review to obtain the net present cost per hectare of management actions to maintain or establish forest cover. For each species, we added hectares of land from lowest to highest cost per additional year of forest cover until the conservation target was achieved throughout the time period. Climate change was predicted to reduce the size of species' ranges, the overlap between species' ranges and existing or planned protected areas, and the overlap between species' ranges and existing forest. As a result, climate change increased the cost of achieving the conservation target by necessitating successively more costly management actions: additional management within existing protected areas (US$0-60/ha); avoidance of forest degradation (i.e., loss of biomass) in community-managed areas ($160-576/ha); avoidance of deforestation in unprotected areas ($252-1069/ha); and establishment of forest on nonforested land within protected areas ($802-2710/ha), in community-managed areas ($962-3226/ha), and in unprotected areas ($1054-3719/ha). Our results suggest that although forest restoration may be required for the conservation of some species as climate changes, it is more cost-effective to maintain existing forest wherever possible.