Green Symbolism in the Genetic Modification Debate

The character of the current controversy over geneticallymodified (GM) agriculture, typified by protesters' use of emotivesymbolism, has been largely inspired by the Green movement'snon-governmental organizations and political parties. This articleexplores the deeper philosophical and spiritual motivations of the Greenmovement, to inquire why it is implacably opposed to GM agriculture. TheGreen movement's anti-capitalism, exemplified by the hate-symbol statusof Monsanto as the company pioneering GM crops, is viewed within thewider context of alienation in the modern era. A complex of meanings isseen in Frankenstein as the focal symbol of GM protests, includingperceptions of risk, fears of the remixing of living identities seen ingenetic engineering, and resentment at the spiritual nihilism of thereduction of life to the digital code of DNA. By contrast, RobertGoodin's Green Theory of Value, which postulates the deep psychologicalimportance of nature in locating the self in a meaningful context largerthan ourselves, can explain the power of the Green symbol of thethreatened environment, Gaia. The advent of GM agriculture seems toimply that capitalism and technology can now enframe nature itself,leaving a world devoid of natural myth or meaning, with no escape fromthe alienation and nihilism of modernity. The central question posed forprotagonists of the GM debate is whether their agenda is based on thesepowerful but mythical conceptions of the environment, or whetherpreservation of the real environment is their primary ethic.     

水环境质量评价的普适指数公式

在适当设定水质指标的“基准”值情况下,用相对于“基准”值的指标相对值替换对数形式的指数公式中的水质指标值,采用遗传算法优化不同指标的指数公式中的参数,得到对多项指标通用的水质普适指数公式;并用折衷型激励功效函数将单项指标的指数加权为综合指数。公式的正确性已被多处水质评价检验。      

Why the Conservation of Forest Genetic Resources Has Not Worked

Abstract:  Genetic diversity is indispensable for long-term forest sustainability and is therefore mentioned in numerous binding and nonbinding political covenants calling for action. Nevertheless, there are significant obstacles to the conservation of forest genetic resources. We discuss hindrances to genetic conservation, mainly in Europe. We identified impediments by reviewing the literature and on the basis of the experiences of the authors in this field and their participation in related political processes. The impediments include (1) difficulties in assessing and monitoring genetic erosion and human impacts (e.g., by the lack of markers showing adaptive variation and the lack of record keeping on the use and transfer of forest-tree germplasm), (2) complexities of European national structures that make the development of a common strategy toward forest genetic conservation problematic, (3) lack of effective forest governance in many parts of the world, (4) the general unattractiveness of genes as flagships in raising public awareness, (5) lack of integration of genetic aspects into biodiversity conservation, and (6) the fact that scientists and politicians are often at cross-purposes. To overcome these impediments, forest geneticists and their peers in species conservation have to participate more actively in decision making. In doing so, they must be prepared to face challenges on 2 fronts: participating in political processes and the provision of significant research findings to ensure that decisions with respect to forest genetic diversity are politically implementable and effectively address targets.     

2004年夏季太湖梅梁湾席状漂浮水华风力漂移入湾量计算

太湖北部重度水华暴发时,在夏季盛行风推动下,漂浮的席状水华可由大太湖漂移进入位于太湖北部的梅梁湾,使湾内的水华加剧.本文通过室内风箱水槽实验和野外观测,对水华的风力漂移作了定量研究,建立了风速与水华漂移速度的指数相关方程.并据此对2004年夏季太湖北部发生席状水华的6d分别计算了水华风力漂移入湾量.6d中,只有2004-07-31水华漂移是由湾内向大太湖输出,且量很小,只有0.05 km²;其余5d水华漂移进入梅梁湾的面积占整个梅梁湾面积的3.7%～13.3%,进入量最大的是2004-06-11,达17.4km²,最少的是2004-07-30,为4.8 km².     

Importance of dispersal routes that minimize open‐ocean movement to the genetic structure of island populations

Islands present a unique scenario in conservation biology, offering refuge yet imposing limitations on insular populations. The Kimberley region of northwestern Australia has more than 2500 islands that have recently come into focus as substantial conservation resources. It is therefore of great interest for managers to understand the driving forces of genetic structure of species within these island archipelagos. We used the ubiquitous bar‐shouldered skink (Ctenotus inornatus) as a model species to represent the influence of landscape factors on genetic structure across the Kimberley islands. On 41 islands and 4 mainland locations in a remote area of Australia, we genotyped individuals across 18 nuclear (microsatellite) markers. Measures of genetic differentiation and diversity were used in two complementary analyses. We used circuit theory and Mantel tests to examine the influence of the landscape matrix on population connectivity and linear regression and model selection based on Akaike's information criterion to investigate landscape controls on genetic diversity. Genetic differentiation between islands was best predicted with circuit‐theory models that accounted for the large difference in resistance to dispersal between land and ocean. In contrast, straight‐line distances were unrelated to either resistance distances or genetic differentiation. Instead, connectivity was determined by island‐hopping routes that allow organisms to minimize the distance of difficult ocean passages. Island populations of C. inornatus retained varying degrees of genetic diversity (N_A = 1.83 – 7.39), but it was greatest on islands closer to the mainland, in terms of resistance‐distance units. In contrast, genetic diversity was unrelated to island size. Our results highlight the potential for islands to contribute to both theoretical and applied conservation, provide strong evidence of the driving forces of population structure within undisturbed landscapes, and identify the islands most valuable for conservation based on their contributions to gene flow and genetic diversity.     

Effect of Rotational Shepherding on Demographic and Genetic Connectivity of Calcareous Grassland Plants

Response to habitat fragmentation may not be generalized among species, in particular for plant communities with a variety of dispersal traits. Calcareous grasslands are one of the most species‐rich habitats in Central Europe, but abandonment of traditional management has caused a dramatic decline of calcareous grassland species. In the Southern Franconian Alb in Germany, reintroduction of rotational shepherding in previously abandoned grasslands has restored species diversity, and it has been suggested that sheep support seed dispersal among grasslands. We tested the effect of rotational shepherding on demographic and genetic connectivity of calcareous grassland specialist plants and whether the response of plant populations to shepherding was limited to species dispersed by animals (zoochory). Specifically, we tested competing dispersal models and source and focal patch properties to explain landscape connectivity with patch‐occupancy data of 31 species. We fitted the same connectivity models to patch occupancy and nuclear microsatellite data for the herb Dianthus carthusianorum (Carthusian pink). For 27 species, patch connectivity was explained by dispersal by rotational shepherding regardless of adaptations to zoochory, whereas population size (16% species) and patch area (0% species) of source patches were not important predictors of patch occupancy in most species. [Correction made after online publication, February 25, 2014: Population size and patch area percentages were mistakenly inverted, and have now been fixed.] Microsite diversity of focal patches significantly increased the model variance explained by patch occupancy in 90% of the species. For D. carthusianorum, patch connectivity through rotational shepherding explained both patch occupancy and population genetic diversity. Our results suggest shepherding provides dispersal for multiple plant species regardless of their dispersal adaptations and thus offers a useful approach to restore plant diversity in fragmented calcareous grasslands. Efectos del Pastoreo Rotacional sobre la Conectividad Genética y Demográfica de Plantas de Pastizales Calcáreos     

The imperiled fish fauna in the Nicaragua Canal zone

Large‐scale infrastructure projects commonly have large effects on the environment. The planned construction of the Nicaragua Canal will irreversibly alter the aquatic environment of Nicaragua in many ways. Two distinct drainage basins (San Juan and Punta Gorda) will be connected and numerous ecosystems will be altered. Considering the project's far‐reaching environmental effects, too few studies on biodiversity have been performed to date. This limits provision of robust environmental impact assessments. We explored the geographic distribution of taxonomic and genetic diversity of freshwater fish species (Poecilia spp., Amatitlania siquia, Hypsophrys nematopus, Brycon guatemalensis, and Roeboides bouchellei) across the Nicaragua Canal zone. We collected population samples in affected areas (San Juan, Punta Gorda, and Escondido drainage basins), investigated species composition of 2 drainage basins and performed genetic analyses (genetic diversity, analysis of molecular variance) based on mitochondrial cytb. Freshwater fish faunas differed substantially between drainage basins (Jaccard similarity = 0.33). Most populations from distinct drainage basins were genetically differentiated. Removing the geographic barrier between these basins will promote biotic homogenization and the loss of unique genetic diversity. We found species in areas where they were not known to exist, including an undescribed, highly distinct clade of live bearing fish (Poecilia). Our results indicate that the Nicaragua Canal likely will have strong impacts on Nicaragua's freshwater biodiversity. However, knowledge about the extent of these impacts is lacking, which highlights the need for more thorough investigations before the environment is altered irreversibly.     

基于最严格水资源管理制度的初始水权分配研究

实行最严格水资源管理制度是2011年中央一号文件明确要求的内容。在分析最严格水资源管理初始水权分配内涵的基础上,首次以水资源管理“三条红线”为准则,构建了包含目标层、准则层、指标层及方案层4个层次结构的初始水权分配指标体系,建立了最严格水资源管理初始水权分配的投影寻踪模型,并采用量子遗传算法优化投影指标函数,以模型计算出的最佳投影值作为初始水权分配的分水比例。最后,以南水北调东线一期工程为例,将本文所建立的模型用来分配该工程净增加供水量的初始调水量。结果表明:该指标体系和模型具有一定的可操作性及有效性。     

巴伊盆地平原区地下水水化学特征及污染源识别

为探明新疆巴伊盆地平原区地下水水化学特征及形成机制并解析污染源,综合运用数理统计、图解法和PCA-APCS-MLR模型等方法,对2022年8月采集的4组泉水样、 20组潜水样和11组承压水样的测试结果进行分析.结果表明,研究区地下水化学类型复杂多样,泉水以HCO₃·SO₄-Na·Ca型地下水为主,潜水以HCO₃·SO₄-Na·Ca型和HCO₃·SO₄-Ca型地下水为主,承压水水化学类型主要为HCO₃·SO₄-Na·Ca型和HCO₃·Cl·SO₄-Na·Ca型;未利用地承压水水化学类型单一(Cl·SO₄-Na·Ca型),耕地及城乡居民用地承压水水化学类型复杂,表明地下水受到人类活动影响;地下水演化过程主要受到水岩相互作用与阳离子交换作用的影响,从泉水至潜水至承压水阳离子交换作用逐渐增强,石膏及硬石膏的风化溶解作用逐渐减弱、岩盐的风化溶解作用逐渐加强;...     

芳香化合物受体报道基因检测环境二噁英污染

以建立环境二噁英类污染物的筛查方法为目的,考察酵母基因报告系统方法在水、土壤和动物血清样品检测中的准确性和灵敏性。利用该系统,对TCDD标准品和已知毒性当量的环境污染二英标准品进行测试,建立和标准化测定的方法;对各种水样、土壤和动物TCDD暴露模型血清样品进行测定。结果显示报道系统能够较为准确地反映标准样品的毒性当量浓度,可检测到TCDD污染物的下限浓度为0.01 ng/L;可疑河涌水的二噁英类TEQ污染水平在可检测范围内,经过治理后污染程度下降;土壤检测到最高污染水平为(23.06±1.75)ng/kg;TCDD模型小鼠血清含量明显高出正常对照组(p<0.05,p<0.01和p<0.01)。结论:实验证明该报道系统可用于多种实际环境污染样品二噁英类TEQ检测,灵敏度可达ng级。由于方法具有简单、快速的特点,特别适合于环境可疑较高二噁英类污染物的快速筛查,在实际中有一定的应用价值。