Long-term demographic and genetic effects of releasing captive-born individuals into the wild

Because of continued habitat destruction and species extirpations, the need to use captive breeding for conservation purposes has been increasing steadily. However, the long-term demographic and genetic effects associated with releasing captive-born individuals with varied life histories into the wild remain largely unknown. To address this question, we developed forward-time, agent-based models for 4 species with long-running captive-breeding and release programs: coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), golden lion tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia), western toad (Anaxyrus boreas), and Whooping Crane (Grus americana). We measured the effects of supplementation by comparing population size and neutral genetic diversity in supplemented populations to the same characteristics in unaltered populations 100 years after supplementation ended. Releasing even slightly less fit captive-born individuals to supplement wild populations typically resulted in reductions in population sizes and genetic diversity over the long term when the fitness reductions were heritable (i.e., due to genetic adaptation to captivity) and populations continued to be regulated by density-dependent mechanisms over time. Negative effects for species with longer life spans and lower rates of population replacement were smaller than for species with shorter life spans and higher rates of population replacement. Programs that released captive-born individuals over fewer years or that avoided breeding individuals with captive ancestry had smaller reductions in population size and genetic diversity over the long term. Relying on selection in the wild to remove individuals with reduced fitness mitigated some negative demographic effects, but at a substantial cost to neutral genetic diversity. Our results suggest that conservation-focused captive-breeding programs should take measures to prevent even small amounts of genetic adaptation to captivity, quantitatively determine the minimum number of captive-born individuals to release each year, and fully account for the interactions among genetic adaptation to captivity, population regulation, and life-history variation.     

Particulate matter and metals partitioning in highway rainfall-runoff

This study investigated the particulate matter (PM) and metals in highway dry deposition and rainfall-runoff as a function of hydrologic transport and settling on an event basis. Events were differentiated as mass-limited (ML) and flow-limited (FL). Results indicate that unique and separate suspended sediment concentration (SSC) relationships with turbidity occurred for ML and FL events. Sixty minutes of quiescent settling produced a single SSC-turbidity relationship for all events. ML events transport higher proportions of settleable and sediment PM while FL events transported relatively higher suspended PM. For batch clarification with one hour of settling, ML events had generally higher treatment efficiencies compared to FL events for the same settling conditions. Highway dry deposition PM was hetero-disperse and coarse (d _{50 m} = 304 μm). Results indicate that the acidic rainfall is not a significant contributor to metals in runoff but is capable of leaching metals from dry deposition PM into runoff. Partitioning in retained runoff resulted in a particulate-bound predominance for most metals except Ca and Mg. While the finer fraction of dry deposition PM (< 75 μm) generates the highest metal concentrations, the highest metal mass is associated with the coarser fraction (> 75 μm).     

库布齐沙漠自然植被与人工植被土壤水盐的空间异质性比较研究

干旱半干旱地区土壤水盐的空间分布对土地利用和生态恢复具有重要作用。运用传统统计学和地统计学对库布齐沙漠5种自然植被和5种人工植被0～10和10～20cm深度土壤水分和盐分的空间异质性进行了小尺度比较分析。结果表明：9种群落的土壤水盐平均值下层大于表层,且盐分的空间相关性较水分更高;人工植被土壤水分（CV=5.3%～22.7%）和盐分（CV=15.7%～51.2%）具有空间分布均匀、层间差异不明显等特征,而自然植被水分（CV=9.9%～32.6%）和盐分的（CV=26.9%～180.0%）却与之相反;小尺度上,人工植被土壤不同层间的水分关系、盐分关系以及水盐关系可能随建植时间的增加会越来越不明显,格局强度将不断减弱,这也极有可能改变大尺度上的水盐运移状况,进而影响研究区生态系统的稳定性和安全性。     

人工甜味剂在污水处理厂和自来水厂的归趋

研究了7种常用的人工甜味剂〔安赛蜜、三氯蔗糖、糖精、甜蜜素、纽甜、阿斯巴甜和NHDC(新橙皮苷二氢查耳酮)〕在污水处理厂及自来水厂的分布. 7种人工甜味剂在污水处理厂进水中均被检出,质量浓度为6.4～31 671.0 ng/L. 安赛蜜、三氯蔗糖、糖精、甜蜜素在污水处理厂的出水中被检出,质量浓度为32.4～11 204.0 ng/L. 这些甜味剂将随污水处理厂的出水排放而进入水环境. 安赛蜜、三氯蔗糖、糖精、甜蜜素、纽甜在自来水厂进水中被检出,质量浓度为低于定量限～579.4 ng/L,其中前4种在自来水中被检出,质量浓度为23.3～504.2 ng/L. 沉淀、絮凝、氯化消毒作用对人工甜味剂没有明显的去除作用. 生物降解能有效去除糖精、甜蜜素、阿斯巴甜、纽甜和NHDC,但对安赛蜜和三氯蔗糖去除率不高,去除率均小于20%.      

Stability of a Coal Waste Artificial Reef

The feasibility of using U.K. coal-fired power station waste materials for artificial reef production is being examined. in June, 1989, an experimental artificial reef was constructed in Poole Bay, off the central south coast of the U.K., using three different mixtures of pulverised fuel ash (PFA), flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) gypsum and slurry, stabilized with cement and formed into blocks. Fifty tonnes of 40 × 20 × 20 cm blocks were formed into eight conical reef units replicating three different PFA/gypsum mixtures and one concrete control. the reef structure is 10m below chart datum on a flat sandy sea-bed.

Combustion of coal concentrates the heavy metal content in the resultant ash. the purpose of stabilization of the ash as blocks is twofold: to immobilize heavy metals (or other components) and to provide hard substratum for the attachment of organisms. to examine the effectiveness of this stabilization and hence the environmental compatibility of the block materials, heavy metal (Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Mn, Ni, Zn) content of the blocks has been monitored routinely over two years, to determine leaching rates. Sectional profiles indicate partial replacement of calcium content by magnesium. Associated with this there has also been some redistribution of heavy metals. Only in the case of cadmium has there been a detectable loss from the surface of blocks. Chromium and manganese concentrations appear to have increased. the metal content of the reef epibiota (including ascidians, Ascidia mentula; hydroids, Halecium spp.; bryozoans, Bugula spp. and red algae) growing on the ash blocks has been compared to that of epibiota attached to the concrete controls and surrounding sea-bed. to date no evidence of excess bioaccumulation of metals has been detected.

The physical integrity of the ash reef blocks has been maintained. There is evidence that the blocks are increasing in compressive strength.

An indication of the fishery enhancement potential of the experimental structure is given by the presence of eight commercially fished species (crustaceans and molluscs) including lobsters (Homarus gammarus).     

Differences in the rainwater composition on two consecutive days

The relationship between the rainwater composition on two consecutive rain days was analyzed. Logrono, a remote station in the North of Spain was chosen for the analyses. The concentration of the major ions in the rainwater of the first rain day is linearly related to the concentration of the second rain day except for those ions whose source is the soil (Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺). These ions are related to SO₄ ^2? and NO₃ ^? in the first rain day, but not in the second.     

深圳市酸雨变化特征及形成原因分析

深圳市长年属于较重酸雨区,对城市生态带来重要影响,酸雨污染已经成为当前迫切需要解决的环境问题。为了了解近年来深圳市降水的变化特征及污染状况,利用2001—-2011年的降水监测数据,分析了降水酸化程度及化学组分特征,探讨了致酸原因,’为酸雨污染控制对策制定提供基础依据。研究结果表明,深圳市酸雨污染在2004--2006年达到较高水平（降水pH值4,49～4．59）,2007年以来明显有所改善（降水pH值4．73～5．02）,酸雨频率也显著降低。在时间变化上呈现夏季酸雨污染相对较严重,在空间变化上表现出宝安区和龙岗区酸雨污染相对较轻。相对于北京等城市,深圳市降水中离子浓度较低,同时大气中污染物浓度也较低,表明深圳市降水比较清洁,但由于大气中碱性物质含量较低,导致降水酸性较强。深圳市近年降水[SO42-]／[NO3-]的比值不断下降并低于2,硫酸硝酸混合型酸雨特征明显,表明机动车对降水酸性的影响不断增强。Cl-和Na＋对降水阴阳离子的贡献较高（分别达到24％和30％）,反映降水受海洋的影响较大。深圳与广州、东莞、佛山等城市的降水酸度和酸雨频率变化趋势较为一致,区域传输对酸雨形成也有重要影响。     

NaCl改性人造沸石去除废水中氨氮的性能及其影响因素

采用NaCl溶液对人造沸石进行改性处理,考察NaCl溶液浓度对改性效果的影响.通过表面特征分析、静态吸附试验及吸附等温分析,进一步比较了人造沸石和改性人造沸石对氨氮的吸附去除性能.由X射线衍射(XRD)分析可知,沸石经改性后表面变粗糙,同时出现NaCl晶体特征衍射峰.试验结果表明,1.0 mol·L-1NaCl溶液对人造沸石的改性效果最佳;在沸石用量为1.0 g(50 mL废水)、氨氮浓度为10 mol·L-1、反应时间为40 min、反应温度为25℃和pH值为6.52条件下,改性人造沸石对氨氮的吸附效果最佳,去除率为96.02％.Langmuir和Freundlich吸附等温方程均可较好地拟合2种沸石对氨氮的吸附过程.改性人造沸石对氨氮的吸附饱和容量(21.46 mg·g-1)远大于人造沸石(9.03 mg·g-1).     

吉林电网的暴雨灾害风险等级区划与评估研究

开展暴雨灾害对电网安全的风险等级区划与评估,可以指导电网的规划设计、建设、运行,最大限度保证电网安全.从风险评估四要素出发,充分考虑各要素的空间差异和权重差异,构建了等级划分标准,开展了风险区划和分区评价.结果表明:暴雨洪涝对吉林电网危害最高的地区是长春部分地区、吉林市辖区和通化的集安地区;其次是长春大部、四平大部、吉林部分地区和延边州的珲春部分地区;风险最低的地区主要在白城部分地区、白山部分地区及延边大部.从风险区划各指标的分析来看,通化地区南部的高风险性是由致灾因子的高危险性起主要作用,而吉林省中部地区的高、中风险性是由其孕灾环境的高敏感性及承灾体的高易损性引起的.     

基于计算智能的流域污染排放优化模式研究

基于人工神经网络和遗传算法建立了流域排污削减控制的技术框架.通过对排污口和目标断面水质监测数据的模拟与优化提出最优的排污削减控制策略,从而使目标功能区达标,可以间接的实现环境容量总量控制.结合情景分析理论对松花江哈尔滨段的朱顺屯-东江桥(S1)与东江桥-大顶子山(S2)功能区进行了COD的排污优化研究.结果表明,S1区段执行III类功能区标准时,何家沟与松北两个排污口平均削减率分别为23%和25%;执行II类功能区标准时2个排污平均削减率分别为64%和42%.S2执行II类功能区标准,太平,阿什河和呼兰河排污口全年平均削减率分别为18%、53%和25%.基于计算智能的削减控制模式实用可操作性强,可以科学、合理的对各个排污口源强进行优化,给出最优的污染排放策略.