Quantifying and mapping species threat abatement opportunities to support national target setting

The successful implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity's post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework will rely on effective translation of targets from global to national level and increased engagement across diverse sectors of society. Species conservation targets require policy support measures that can be applied to a diversity of taxonomic groups, that link action targets to outcome goals, and that can be applied to both global and national data sets to account for national context, which the species threat abatement and restoration (STAR) metric does. To test the flexibility of STAR, we applied the metric to vascular plants listed on national red lists of Brazil, Norway, and South Africa. The STAR metric uses data on species’ extinction risk, distributions, and threats, which we obtained from national red lists to quantify the contribution that threat abatement and habitat restoration activities could make to reducing species’ extinction risk. Across all 3 countries, the greatest opportunity for reducing plant species’ extinction risk was from abating threats from agricultural activities, which could reduce species’ extinction risk by 54% in Norway, 36% in South Africa, and 29% in Brazil. Species extinction risk could be reduced by a further 21% in South Africa by abating threats from invasive species and by 21% in Brazil by abating threats from urban expansion. Even with different approaches to red-listing among countries, the STAR metric yielded informative results that identified where the greatest conservation gains could be made for species through threat-abatement and restoration activities. Quantifiably linking local taxonomic coverage and data collection to global processes with STAR would allow national target setting to align with global targets and enable state and nonstate actors to measure and report on their potential contributions to species conservation.     

Revised estimates and projections of down syndrome births in the United States,and the effects of prenatal diagnosis utilization, 1970–2002

The objectives of this study were to: (1) calculate revised estimates and projections of United States annual Down syndrome (DS) births for 1970–2002, and (2) estimate the effects of amniocentesis on these baseline DS birth projections. Three models of amniocentesis utilization among 30–34 and ≧ 35-year-old women were considered. The recently revised Census Bureau birth projections, and new single year maternal age DS risk rates estimated from a 1970–1983 Ohio data set, were used. Data from all three Census Bureau projection series were analysed; series II was considered in depth since it is consistent with recent fertility levels. Assuming no use of amniocentesis, total estimated DS births dropped from about 4770 in 1970 to 4120 in 1980 (a 14 per cent decline), but are projected to a plateau of about 5100 by the year 1990 (a 24 per cent increase). DS births to women ≧ 35 would increase dramatically from about 1050 in 1980 to 1900 in 2000 (an 81 per cent increase). Assuming 1983 Ohio prenatal diagnosis ratios for women aged 30–34 (1.7 per cent) and ≧ 35 (23.4 per cent) are used nationally, an annual reduction of about 7 per cent of DS births in 1986 and 9 per cent in 2002 would result. Fifty and 70 per cent utilization among women 30–34 and 235, respectively, would reduce DS births by about 33 per cent in 1986 and 38 per cent in 2002. Therefore, if the projected increase in DS births is to be averted, utilization of prenatal diagnosis by ≧ 30-year-old women must increase substantially.     

乳山湾邻近海域沉积物中好氧氨氧化微生物分布特征

氮素循环是海洋生态系统物质循环的重要组成部分,对维持海洋生态平衡具有重要意义.由好氧氨氧化微生物(aerobic ammonia-oxidizing microorganism,AOM)推动的氨氧化过程是硝化作用的限速步骤.本研究通过荧光定量PCR技术,并结合潜在硝化速率(potential nitrification rates,PNR)的测定,研究了2014年8月乳山湾邻近海域沉积物中好氧氨氧化微生物种群分布特征.结果表明,3个采样站位中氨氧化细菌(ammonia-oxidizing bacteria,AOB)amo A拷贝数均高于氨氧化古菌(ammonia-oxidizing archaea,AOA);活性AOB占总AOB的比值低于1%,而活性AOA未检出;添加可抑制AOB活性的氨苄青霉素后,潜在硝化速率显著降低(P0.05).由此可知,AOB在8月乳山湾邻近海域沉积物氨氧化过程中发挥了重要作用.溶解氧浓度、温度及铵盐浓度对乳山湾邻近海域沉积物中好氧氨氧化微生物的种群丰度起着重要的调控作用.     

机动车排放细微/超细颗粒物消光特性的Mie理论研究

机动车等燃烧源排放颗粒物离散系统的消光特性主要取决于颗粒群的物理化学组分和粒径分布特征. 利用内部混合模型,确定典型机动车排放颗粒物的密度和光学复折射系数(m),通过Mie理论模型研究不同粒径下单体颗粒物的光学特性,从而研究机动车排放的nm/μm级粒径下细微/超细颗粒物的无量纲光散射率(Q_scat)、无量纲光吸收率(Q_abs)以及无量纲消光率(Q_ext). 结果表明,不同国家的轻型柴油车(LDV)排放超细颗粒物的化学组分差异较大,而重型柴油车(HDV)则没有显著差别. 相关性分析表明,机动车排放颗粒物的EC组分所占比例与复折射系数的实部(n)和虚部(k)均有极强相关性,相关系数(R>/sup>2)分别为0.995 6和0.993 8.通过Mie理论计算 4种复折射系数下典型机动车排放颗粒物Q_scat,Q_abs和Q_ext随粒径的变化特征发现,粒径为400～600 nm范围的单体颗粒物消光作用最大. 当颗粒物粒径>1 μm时,Q_scat,Q_abs和Q_ext逐渐稳定为常数1.2,1.0和2.2, 此时消光率与复折射系数无关.      

香烟侧流烟中超细颗粒物释放及衰减特性

超细颗粒物(Ultrafine Particles,UFPs)能够进入人体肺泡组织进而危害人体健康,为了解香烟侧流烟中UFPs数浓度和表面积浓度释放及衰减特性,结合环境舱和现场实验结果对不同品牌香烟颗粒进行了分析.结果表明:燃烧过程中UFPs数浓度和表面积浓度峰值粒径分别为47.5~66.3 nm和85.6~100.5 nm,衰减2 h后,数浓度和表面积浓度峰值粒径仍小于200 nm;不同品牌香烟侧流烟中UFPs数浓度和表面积浓度释放速率分别为4.22×10~(12)~5.23×10~(12)个·min~(-1)和5.95×10~(10)~6.90×10~(10)μm2~·min~(-1),根据该释放速率模拟得到的不同换气率条件下UFPs数浓度衰减趋势与实验结果相符;通风和实验环境均会影响UFPs的衰减速率,随着换气率由0.7次·h~(-1)增至7次·h~(-1),侧流烟中UFPs的衰减时间由3 h降低至40 min,吸附作用的存在亦会加快UFPs的衰减速率.     

三种激光雷达监测污染物分布和输送对比

利用3种不同型号激光雷达在广州番禺大气成分观测站开展外场同步对比观测实验.通过全球地基气溶胶监测网（AERONET）气溶胶光学厚度（AOD）产品验证了3种激光雷达原始信号反演消光系数的可靠性.同时对比探讨了激光雷达低层反演能见度产品与能见度仪的相关性;对比美国国家环境预报中心全球同化系统模式（NCEP-GDAS）模拟结果讨论了激光雷达对混合层高度反演的有效性.最后利用个例分析揭示不同天气型下污染物可能的外源输送和本地积累.量化分析结果表明：3部激光雷达反演的能见度与能见度仪的相关系数均达到0.7以上,混合层高度均与NCEP-GDAS模式计算的混合层高度具有一定的可比性.与模拟结果相比,白天混合层高度在霾天气时相对较低,更能有效的揭示霾天气,亦可反映夜间间歇性湍流特性.应用分析表明：3部激光雷达均能较为一致的监测污染物的输送和本地的累积.外来输送主要以弱冷空气输送型为例,分析个例（2014年11月21~22日、24~25日）表明：后一过程（24~25日）由于夜间混合层高度（MLH）低,导致上层的粒子无法下传,污染物聚集在0.8km,且快速过境了,而前一过程（21~22日）整层输送,导致了近地层相对高的PM_2.5浓度;本地累积主要以冷高出海型为例（2014年11月25日20：00~27日20：00）,逆温与低的地表通风系数共同造成了前一时段（25日20：00~26日20：00）的消光明显高于后一时段（26日20：00~27日20：00）.     

不同恢复方式对硝化颗粒污泥活性的影响

利用SBR反应器培养的成熟好氧硝化颗粒污泥,进行了硝化颗粒污泥临界活性以及不同氨氮浓度及曝气时间对储存的好氧硝化颗粒污泥活性恢复的影响研究.结果表明,储存不同时间的硝化菌活性(SOUR,O2/VSS)差别较大,储存前硝化颗粒污泥硝化菌SOUR为13.15 mg·(g·h)-1,储存20 d的硝化菌SOUR下降了1.26 mg·(g·h)-1,恢复运行了5个周期,氨氮去除率已经达到95%以上,恢复后活性为13.87 mg·(g·h)-1.但储存30 d的硝化菌SOUR降了11.63 mg·(g·h)-1,恢复运行51个周期后,氨氮去除率才达到92.64%,恢复后活性为14.92 mg·(g·h)-1,同时这种储存方法恢复时间较长,因此提出硝化颗粒污泥的临界活性为当硝化菌SOUR开始下降时,进行活性恢复.在临界活性的基础上,采用当硝化菌SOUR下降到临界活性时实施恢复,之后进入下一个储存周期,这种储存方式即为动态储存.当进水氨氮浓度分别为20、30、40 mg·L-1时,进行颗粒污泥活性恢复,进水氨氮浓度为40 mg·L-1恢复后硝化菌活性最高,经过3次动态储存后,其活性保持良好.当曝气时间分别为1、2、3 h时,进行颗粒污泥活性恢复,曝气时间为1 h时恢复后硝化菌活性最高,在动态储存过程中其活性一直保持较高水平.     

Effect of orchard age on soil nitrogen transformation in subtropical China and implications

A better understanding of nitrogen transformation in soils could reveal the capacity for biological inorganic N supply and improve the efficiency of N fertilizers. In this study, a ¹⁵N tracing study was carried out to investigate the effects of converting woodland to orchard, and orchard age on the gross rates of N transformation occurring simultaneously in subtropical soils in Eastern China. The results showed that inorganic N supply rate was remained constant with soil organic C and N contents increased after converting woodland into citrus orchard and with increasing orchard age. This phenomenon was most probably due to the increase in the turnover time of recalcitrant organic-N, which increased with decreasing soil pH along with increasing orchard age significantly. The amoA gene copy numbers of both archaeal and bacterial were stimulated by orchard planting and increased with increasing orchard age. The nitrification capacity (defined as the ratio of gross rate of nitrification to total gross rate of mineralization) increased following the Michaelis–Menten equation, sharply in the first 10 years after woodland conversion to orchard, and increased continuously but much more slowly till 30 years. Due to the increase in nitrification capacity and unchanged NO₃⁻ consumption, the dominance of ammonium in inorganic N in woodland soil was shifted to nitrate dominance in orchard soils. These results indicated that the risk of NO₃⁻ loss was expected to increase and the amount of N needed from fertilizers for fruit growth did not change although soil organic N accumulated with orchard age.     

长江三角洲地区1980~2009年灰霾分布特征及影响因子

选取中国长江三角洲地区38个观测站1980~2009年的地面观测资料和2001~2009年国家环境保护总局公布的空气污染指数(API)数据,统计分析了长江三角洲地区近30年灰霾分布情况.计算了观测站点的消光系数并进行了两次订正,给出了其季均值和年均值分布情况,讨论了3个典型站(南京、杭州和合肥)的能见度与灰霾日数、干消光系数和API之间的关系.结果表明,近30年来,长江三角洲地区的灰霾日数整体呈增长趋势,有71%的站点灰霾日数的年平均增长率大于零.订正后的消光系数冬季高,夏季低.南京、杭州和合肥灰霾日数与干消光系数的增长趋势一致,在霾日,南京、杭州和合肥三地,能见度与API呈负相关,其相关性随相对湿度的增加而增强.