Ecological Networks as Conceptual Frameworks or Operational Tools in Conservation

Abstract:  The establishment of ecological networks (ENs) has been proposed as an ideal way to counteract the increasing fragmentation of natural ecosystems and as a necessary complement to the establishment of protected areas for biodiversity conservation. This conservation tool, which comprises core areas, corridors, and buffer areas, has attracted the attention of several national and European institutions. It is thought that ENs can connect habitat patches and thus enable species to move across unsuitable areas. In Europe, however, ENs are proposed as an oversimplification of complex ecological concepts, and we maintain that they are of limited use for biodiversity conservation for several reasons. The ENs are species specific and operate on species-dependent scales. In addition, the information needed for their implementation is only available for a handful of species. To overcome these limitations, ENs have been proposed on a landscape scale (and for selected "focal" species), but there is no indication that the structural composition of core areas, corridors, and buffer areas could ensure the functional connectivity and improve the viability of more than a few species. The theory behind ENs fails to provide sufficient practical information on how to build them (e.g., width, shape, structure, content). In fact, no EN so far has been validated in practice (ensuring connectivity and increasing overall biodiversity conservation), and there are no signs that validation will be possible in the near future. In view of these limitations, it is difficult to justify spending economic and political resources on building systems that are at best working hypotheses that cannot be evaluated on a practical level.     

Metropolitan Open-Space Protection with Uncertain Site Availability

Abstract:  Urban planners acquire open space to protect natural areas and provide public access to recreation opportunities. Because of limited budgets and dynamic land markets, acquisitions take place sequentially depending on available funds and sites. To address these planning features, we formulated a two-period site selection model with two objectives: maximize the expected number of species represented in protected sites and maximize the expected number of people with access to protected sites. These objectives were both maximized subject to an upper bound on area protected over two periods. The trade-off between species representation and public access was generated by the weighting method of multiobjective programming. Uncertainty was represented with a set of probabilistic scenarios of site availability in a linear-integer formulation. We used data for 27 rare species in 31 candidate sites in western Lake County, near the city of Chicago, to illustrate the model. Each trade-off curve had a concave shape in which species representation dropped at an increasing rate as public accessibility increased, with the trade-off being smaller at higher levels of the area budget. Several sites were included in optimal solutions regardless of objective function weights, and these core sites had high species richness and public access per unit area. The area protected in period one depended on current site availability and on the probabilities of sites being undeveloped and available in the second period. Although the numerical results are specific for our study, the methodology is general and applicable elsewhere.     

Distribution of Poly(β-propiolactone) Aerobic Degrading Microorganisms in Different Environments

The distribution of degading microorganisms of high molecular weight poly(-propiolactone) (PPL), whose individual structural units are similar to those of poly(-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) and poly(€-caprolactone) (PCL), was examined. Despite the fact that PPL is a chemosynthetic polymer, many kinds of PPL-degrading microorganisms were found to be distributed as resident populations widely in natural environments. A total of 77 strains of PPL-degrading microorganisms was isolated. From standard physiological and biochemical tests, at least 41 strains were referred to as Bacillus species. Microbial degradation of fibrous PPL proceeded rapidly in some enrichment cultures but was not as complete as that of PHB. Most of the isolated PPL-degrading microorganisms were determined to be PCL degraders and/or PHB degraders. Therefore, it can be assumed that mostly PPL is recognized by the microorganisms as PHB or another natural substrate of the same type as which PCL is regarded. Microbial degradation of PPL was confirmed by some Bacillus strains from type culture collections. The similarity of microbial degradation between PPL and PCL was found to be very close.     

Impending Recovery of Kirtland's Warbler: Case Study in the Effectiveness of the Endangered Species Act

Dendroica kirtlandii ). This particular recovery program actually began before passage of the federal ESA, when biologists alerted the Michigan Department of Natural Resources of the perilously low population of this bird, which only breeds under jack pine (Pinus banksiana) trees in Michigan. By the time an ESA Recovery Team was formed for this bird in 1975 (the first such team created under the ESA), a legacy of consensus and interagency cooperation was well established. This has led to successful efforts at habitat management and control of its nest parasite, the brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater). While the Kirtland's warbler is not yet recovered, its population is near an all-time high, and its recovery is possible within the next decade. When (and if) this happens, it will be clearly attributable to this successful model of federalism for natural resources management.     

原生动物生物指数的进一步验证及其适用性分析

利用意大利河流TorrenteStirone和Parma的原生动物数据及水质化学数据 ,对作者所建立的原生动物生物指数的适用性进行了验证 ,结果表明 ,所得CPV与化学综合污染指数有显著的相关 ,说明建立的生物指数有广泛的适用性。文中对SPV的使用方法、适用范围、应注意的问题进行了分析和讨论。     

浅析洪湖水生资源的开发与生态保护

洪湖的环境保护不仅对洪湖生物资源的开发利用，而且对洪湖地区的生态农业建设都起着重要作用。通过对洪湖的污染现状分析与防治对策研究，探索建设内陆淡水湖泊生态农业的途径。     

磁性生物炭对水中CIP和OFL的吸附行为和机制

采用化学共沉淀方法将Fe2+/Fe3+和芦苇生物质材料进行复合,然后于873.15 K限氧热解制备出具有磁分离及高吸附性能的磁性生物炭(MBC).利用SEM、BET、FTIR和VSM等对其理化性质进行表征,并考察了MBC对水中环丙沙星(CIP)和氧氟沙星(OFL)的吸附行为和机制.结果表明,MBC表面含有大量的含氧官能团,比表面积和总孔体积分别为254.6 m2·g-1和0.257 cm3·g-1.MBC对CIP和OFL的吸附有很强的p H和温度依赖性.不同p H下,CIP和OFL各形态离子(阳离子、两性离子和阴离子)对吸附的贡献不同.MBC对CIP和OFL的吸附过程为自发、熵增的吸热过程.CIP和OFL在磁性炭上的吸附动力学符合准二级动力学模型,吸附等温线符合Langmuir模型.MBC对CIP和OFL的平衡吸附量分别为27.84 mg·g~(-1)和22.00 mg·g~(-1).孔填充作用、π-π电子供体受体作用、氢键作用、疏水作用和静电作用可能是MBC吸附CIP和OFL的重要机制.     

黄土高原草地土壤水分和物种多样性沿降水梯度的分布格局

研究土壤水分、生物多样性的空间变异性是认识陆地生态系统对降水变化的响应特征及适应机制的有效途径。论文利用黄土高原自东南向西北的天然降水梯度,采用样带研究方法对47个草地0~3 m土壤水分和物种多样性进行测定,系统分析了草地土壤水分和植物物种多样性在降水梯度上（250~550 mm）的空间分异及二者之间的权衡关系。结果表明：降水自东南向西北递减是控制黄土高原草地0~3 m土壤水分和物种多样性空间异质性的关键因素。随降雨减少,土壤水分呈线性递减趋势,其中浅层土壤水分（0~1 m）与年降水量相关系数最大。物种丰富度指数和物种多样性指数随降水减少呈显著的线性递减趋势,物种均匀度指数在降水梯度上没有明显变化。370 mm年均降水量是物种多样性和土壤水分权衡关系的转折点,转折点以上二者存在协同关系,即土壤水分和物种多样性沿降水梯度以相同速率变化。370 mm年均降水量以下,物种多样性和土壤水分的权衡增大,意味着维持物种多样性以消耗土壤水分为代价。     

盐酸羟胺强化Fe(Ⅲ)-EDDS/过硫酸盐处理水溶液中TCE

采用盐酸羟胺（HAH）强化Fe（Ⅲ）-EDDS（乙二胺二琥珀酸）活化过硫酸盐（PS）体系降解水溶液中的三氯乙烯（TCE）.结果表明,Fe（Ⅲ）-EDDS/PS体系中加入HAH能够强化TCE去除效率,TCE降解效率随PS或HAH初始浓度增大而增强,但实验条件下存在最佳投加量.当溶液初始pH值为3~7时,Fe（Ⅲ）-EDDS/PS/HAH降解TCE基本没有影响,但碱性条件会抑制TCE去除,HAH强化工艺能够有效缓解Cl^-（1~100mmol/L）和低浓度HCO₃^-（1~10mmol/L）对TCE降解的抑制作用.与Fe（Ⅲ）-EDDS/PS相似,加入HAH后反应体系中存在SO₄^·-、^·OH和O₂^·-,但降解TCE的主导自由基由^·OH转变为SO₄^·-.     

过氧化钙去除水中糖皮质激素的响应面分析

结合响应面方法Box-Behnken实验设计,对过氧化钙降解代表性糖皮质激素曲安奈德过程中的影响因素（过氧化钙投加量、溶液初始pH值、反应时间、糖皮质激素初始浓度）进行了探讨与分析,并对反应条件进行了优化.得出最优反应条件为：过氧化钙投加量4g/L;溶液初始pH值5.7,反应时间15.7min,初始TA浓度为0.06mmol/L.最优条件下模型预测的目标物降解率（88.6%）和实验得出的降解率（82.8%）数值接近,说明此响应面模型能够较准确预测过氧化钙对糖皮质激素的去除效果,并用电子顺磁共振仪对过氧化钙降解有机物过程中的作用自由基进行了检测.研究结果对过氧化钙技术去除有机污染物的发展有一定的参考价值.