Habitat Use and Life History as Predictors of Bird Responses to Habitat Change

Abstract:  In theory the consideration of life-history characteristics should provide a way of making predictive generalizations about the responses of different species to environmental modification. Nevertheless, few studies have tested the validity of this assumption or attempted to apply it across large numbers of related species. We explored both quantitative and qualitative contrasts between species of waterbirds that have either expanded or contracted their ranges in southern Africa over the past 40 years to test the hypothesis that expansionists and contractionists, respectively, should share life-history characteristics and/or ecological attributes. Similarities and differences in life history and ecology were explored through multivariate statistics. Overall, life-history traits provided an inadequate explanation of whether species would be range expansionists or contractionists. By contrast, ecological attributes of species that related to habitat use correlated well with range changes. In particular, waterbird species that inhabit pans seemed to be preadapted to using human-made dams and impoundments. The ability of many species to use artificial wetlands has aided their westward range expansions into arid regions of southern Africa. By contrast, species that rely on vegetated wetlands and that require reeds for nesting were predisposed to range contraction because their habitats have been severely affected by agricultural development and urbanization. In direct contrast to range expansions, most range contractions were west to east, the eastward contraction reflected the high level of wetland loss and degradation in the eastern lowlands of South Africa. Based on analysis of ecological attributes of regional contractionists, several additional species were identified as of potential conservation concern, although such concern may not as yet have been expressed.     

Human health risk assessment of explosives and heavy metals at a military gunnery range

In this research, a risk assessment was undertaken in order to develop the remediation and management strategy of a contaminated gunnery site, where a nearby flood controlling reservoir is under construction. Six chemicals, including explosives and heavy metals, posing potential risk to environmental and human health, were targeted in this study. A site-specific conceptual site model was constructed, based on effective, reasonable exposure pathways, to avoid any overestimation of the risk. Also, conservative default values were adapted to prevent underestimation of the risk when site-specific values were not available. The risks posed by the six contaminants were calculated using the API’s Decision Support System for Exposure and Risk Assessment, with several assumptions. In the crater-formed-area (Ac), the non-carcinogenic risks (i.e., HI values) of tri-nitro-toluene (TNT) and Cd were slightly larger than 1, but for RDX (Royal Demolition Explosives) was over 50. The total non-carcinogenic risk of the whole gunnery range was calculated to be 62.5, which was a significantly high value. The carcinogenicity of Cd was estimated to be about 10⁻³, while that for Pb was about 5 × 10⁻⁴, which greatly exceeded the generally acceptable carcinogenic risk level of 10⁻⁴–10⁻⁶. It was concluded from the risk assessment that there is an immediate need for remediation of both carcinogens and non-carcinogens before construction of the reservoir. However, for a more accurate risk assessment, further specific estimations of the changes in environmental conditions due to the construction of the reservoir will be required; and more over, the effects of the pollutants to the ecosystem will also need to be evaluated.     

冷却塔的噪声特性与控制

以某小区冷却塔的噪声治理为例,通过对其噪声数据的测量,详细分析了冷却塔噪声的主要来源和特性,并从消声、吸声、隔声等方面阐述了一种实用的控制措施。结果表明,此方案不仅降噪效果明显,而且能够完全满足设备所需通风量和温度的要求,在工程实际过程中取得了良好的降噪效果。     

Predicting Extinction Risk of Brazilian Atlantic Forest Angiosperms

Understanding how plant life history affects species vulnerability to anthropogenic disturbances and environmental change is a major ecological challenge. We examined how vegetation type, growth form, and geographic range size relate to extinction risk throughout the Brazilian Atlantic Forest domain. We used a database containing species‐level information of 6,929 angiosperms within 112 families and a molecular‐based working phylogeny. We used decision trees, standard regression, and phylogenetic regression to explore the relationships between species attributes and extinction risk. We found a significant phylogenetic signal in extinction risk. Vegetation type, growth form, and geographic range size were related to species extinction risk, but the effect of growth form was not evident after phylogeny was controlled for. Species restricted to either rocky outcrops or scrub vegetation on sandy coastal plains exhibited the highest extinction risk among vegetation types, a finding that supports the hypothesis that species adapted to resource‐limited environments are more vulnerable to extinction. Among growth forms, epiphytes were associated with the highest extinction risk in non‐phylogenetic regression models, followed by trees, whereas shrubs and climbers were associated with lower extinction risk. However, the higher extinction risk of epiphytes was not significant after correcting for phylogenetic relatedness. Our findings provide new indicators of extinction risk and insights into the mechanisms governing plant vulnerability to extinction in a highly diverse flora where human disturbances are both frequent and widespread. Predicción del Riesgo de Extinción de Angiospermas del Bosque Atlántico Brasileño     

近50 a三江源地区蒸发量的变化特征及其影响因子分析

选用青海省三江源地区1964~2013年14个气象台站观测的基本气象数据,利用线性倾向性估计和Mann-Kendall检验方法等分析了三江源地区蒸发皿蒸发量的时空变化和变化趋势,并以完全相关分析方法进行蒸发量上升成因分析。结果表明:三江源地区年蒸发量总体呈显著上升趋势,其线性变化速率为30.1 mm/10 a,夏秋冬季蒸发量均呈显著上升变化,春季变化趋势不明显,夏季和秋季蒸发量上升对年蒸发量上升贡献最大;逐月蒸发量变化趋势均增加,但幅度各异;冬季蒸发量在2011年发生了突变,其余各季和年均未发生突变.蒸发量月际变化规律明显,表现为双峰型分布,双峰出现在5月和7月,最小值出现在1月;季节变化也十分明显,夏季蒸发量最大,其次为春季和秋季,冬季蒸发量最少,表明春夏两季蒸发量的多少对三江源地区水循环起重要作用。年和四季蒸发量呈现出西北部少,东南部及东北部多的分布特点,气候变化速率分布自西向东逐渐增大。蒸发量年际变化不剧烈,年蒸发量变异系数从西北向东南逐渐增大,四季蒸发量变异系数空间分布明显不同。年蒸发量与平均气温总体上呈正相关,与气温日较差、相对湿度呈负相关,平均气温上升、气温日较差和相对湿度下降是三江源地区蒸发量上升的主要因素。     

Representative boreal forest habitats in northern Europe,and a revised model for ecosystem management and biodiversity conservation

The natural range of variation of ecosystems provides reference conditions for sustainable management and biodiversity conservation. We review how the understanding of natural reference conditions of boreal forests in northern Europe has changed from earlier perceptions of even-aged dynamics driven by stand-replacing disturbances towards current understanding highlighting the role of non-stand-replacing disturbances and the resultant complex forest dynamics and structures. We show how earlier views and conceptual models of forest disturbance dynamics, including the influential ASIO model, provide estimates of reference conditions that are outside the natural range of variation. Based on a research synthesis, we present a revised forest reference model incorporating the observed complexity of ecosystem dynamics and the prevalence of old forests. Finally, we outline a management model and demonstrate its use in forest ecosystem management and show how regional conservation area needs can be estimated. We conclude that attaining favourable conservation status in northern Europe’s boreal forests requires increasing emphasis on ecosystem management and conservation for old forest characteristics.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s13280-020-01444-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

某试验场土壤重金属分布特征及其污染评价

试验场重金属污染是广受关注的环境问题之一.选取吉林某试验场的静爆试验区、落弹区和生活保障区作为研究对象,检测了112个表层土壤样品及两个土壤剖面中的重金属(As、 Cd、 Cr、 Cu、 Ni、 Pb和Zn)含量,分析了重金属分布特征并对其进行了源解析,采用多个污染指数评价法对重金属的污染程度及潜在生态风险进行了研究.结果表明,静爆试验区土壤中As、 Cd、 Cu、 Ni和Zn含量的平均值高于吉林省背景值,且Cu、 Zn、 As和Cd含量表现出较强的空间异质性;落弹区土壤中As、 Cd和Ni含量的平均值超出背景值;生活保障区土壤中As和Cd含量的平均值高于背景值,并且Pb、 Cd、 Zn和Cr变异系数较强,表明其可能受到人类活动的影响.在不同的试验区,土壤中As、 Cr、 Cu、 Ni和Zn含量具有显著差异(P<0.05),静爆试验区较落弹区受到试验活动影响更为强烈,土壤剖面表层重金属含量明显偏高,土壤剖面中重金属未发生明显垂向迁移.多元统计和APCS-MLR源解析分析表明,Zn、 Pb和Cd主要受到试验活动相关的污染源影响,Cr和Ni主要受成土母质自然源影响,As和Cu来源较为...     

上海市绿地植被的吸热降温效益评估

城市绿地夏季高温时具有明显降温作用。但现有研究侧重降温效应观测及其影响因子解析,而对绿地降温效益与人居环境需求的空间一致性鲜有研究。以上海市为例,基于高分卫星影像与样地观测数据,采用植被蒸腾吸热经验模型评估了城市绿地夏季降温效益,并利用GIS空间分析技术量化了绿地降温效益与空气温度及人口分布的空间耦合程度。结果表明:2017年上海城市绿地面积为10.45万hm ²,夏季（6-9月）绿地植被吸热量可达8.49×10 ¹⁵ J,相当于节约夏季空调降温的经济价值为14.57亿元,其中46%和33%的绿地降温效益来自阔叶林与混交林;浦东新区、崇明区和奉贤区的绿地植被合计贡献了67%的降温效益,但虹口、黄浦、徐汇等中心城区绿地的单位面积降温效益较高。更需关注的是,绿地植被降温效益与人居环境需求表现出局部地区的空间不一致,其中28.62%的地区植被降温效益与空气温度处于低耦合状态,7.31%的地区植被降温效益与人口密度为低耦合水平,且均集中分布在中心城区。因此,重点提升中心城区绿地植被降温功能,并规划建设周边绿地降温效益的空间辐射通道,是上海城市生态空间优化的重要方向。     

装备外部冷却方法及在环境试验中的应用概述

首先简述了机载电子装备冷却的基本要素。其次,详细介绍了机载电子装备环控通风冷却、液体冷却方式的具体要求及不同的接口方式。然后,通过实例介绍了装备的不同冷却方式、方法及在实际中的应用。通过试验研究发现,不同的冷却方式不仅对机载电子装备本身有不同程度的影响,还对机载电子装备在环境试验过程中产生极大的影响,从而提出在实际应用中,应着重依据分析的内容考虑机载电子装备需采用的冷却方式,以达到最好的实施效果。     

基于LCA的废弃手机资源化有效运输范围量化研究

基于生命周期评价方法（LCA）分析了废弃手机资源化过程的环境效益和跨区域运输过程的环境影响,并在此基础上提出了废弃手机跨区域流动的有效运输范围及其量化方法.通过采用IMPACT 2002+评价模型,从人体健康、生态系统质量、气候变化、资源消耗四方面对当前中国废弃手机两种典型资源化利用方案和运输过程的环境表现进行了评估.结果表明,两种资源化方案均表现出显著环境效益;部件再使用和材料再生过程是废弃手机资源化环境效益的主要贡献来源;综合考虑跨区域运输过程,在满足环境效益为正的前提下,包括部件再使用和不包括部件再使用两种资源化方案的有效运输范围分别为0~3094km与0~1248km.同时,对跨区域运输过程关键参数分析后发现,提高铁路运输占比和降低货车运输空返率可以有效扩大废弃手机跨区域转移的运输范围.