Fire Mosaics and Reptile Conservation in a Fire‐Prone Region

Fire influences the distribution of fauna in terrestrial biomes throughout the world. Use of fire to achieve a mosaic of vegetation in different stages of succession after burning (i.e., patch‐mosaic burning) is a dominant conservation practice in many regions. Despite this, knowledge of how the spatial attributes of vegetation mosaics created by fire affect fauna is extremely scarce, and it is unclear what kind of mosaic land managers should aim to achieve. We selected 28 landscapes (each 12.6 km²) that varied in the spatial extent and diversity of vegetation succession after fire in a 104,000 km² area in the semiarid region of southeastern Australia. We surveyed for reptiles at 280 sites nested within the 28 landscapes. The landscape‐level occurrence of 9 of the 22 species modeled was associated with the spatial extent of vegetation age classes created by fire. Biogeographic context and the extent of a vegetation type influenced 7 and 4 species, respectively. No species were associated with the diversity of vegetation ages within a landscape. Negative relations between reptile occurrence and both extent of recently burned vegetation (≤10 years postfire, n = 6) and long unburned vegetation (>35 years postfire, n = 4) suggested that a coarse‐grained mosaic of areas (e.g. >1000 ha) of midsuccessional vegetation (11–35 years postfire) may support the fire‐sensitive reptile species we modeled. This age class coincides with a peak in spinifex cover, a keystone structure for reptiles in semiarid and arid Australia. Maintaining over the long term a coarse‐grained mosaic of large areas of midsuccessional vegetation in mallee ecosystems will need to be balanced against the short‐term negative effects of large fires on many reptile species and a documented preference by species from other taxonomic groups, particularly birds, for older vegetation. Mosaicos de Fuego y la Conservación de Reptiles en una Región Propensa al Fuego     

Poaching Risks in Community‐Based Natural Resource Management

Poaching can disrupt wildlife‐management efforts in community‐based natural resource management systems. Monitoring, estimating, and acquiring data on poaching is difficult. We used local‐stakeholder knowledge and poaching records to rank and map the risk of poaching incidents in 2 areas where natural resources are managed by community members in Caprivi, Namibia. We mapped local stakeholder perceptions of the risk of poaching, risk of wildlife damage to livelihoods, and wildlife distribution and compared these maps with spatially explicit records of poaching events. Recorded poaching events and stakeholder perceptions of where poaching occurred were not spatially correlated. However, the locations of documented poaching events were spatially correlated with areas that stakeholders perceived wildlife as a threat to their livelihoods. This result suggests poaching occurred in response to wildlife damage occurred. Local stakeholders thought that wildlife populations were at high risk of being poached and that poaching occurred where there was abundant wildlife. These findings suggest stakeholders were concerned about wildlife resources in their community and indicate a need for integrated and continued monitoring of poaching activities and further interventions at the wildlife‐agricultural interface. Involving stakeholders in the assessment of poaching risks promotes their participation in local conservation efforts, a central tenet of community‐based management. We considered stakeholders poaching informants, rather than suspects, and our technique was spatially explicit. Different strategies to reduce poaching are likely needed in different areas. For example, interventions that reduce human‐wildlife conflict may be required in residential areas, and increased and targeted patrolling may be required in more remote areas. Stakeholder‐generated maps of human‐wildlife interactions may be a valuable enforcement and intervention support tool. Riesgos de Cacería Furtiva en el Manejo de Recursos Naturales Basado en Comunidades     

Pah characteristics in ambient air within a steel industrial complex

Ambient air samples at ten sites in an iron and steel industrial complex were collected from June to December for analyzing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Sixteen species of PAH components in air samples were identified. The results indicate that both gaseous phase and particle‐bound PAHs at the top of the cokemaking plants are unusually high. The profiles of particle‐bound PAHs indicate that the predominant species at the top of, the coke oven batteries are those of high molecular weight components. The major components of particle‐bound PAHs at sampling sites near the fenceline, however, include the medium molecular weight components. The PAH profiles of air samples within the industrial complex show a strong similarity to those of cokemaking plant samples. The concentrations and the specific content of benzo(a)pyrene in the iron and steel industrial complex are higher than those values measured in urban area, petrochemical industry park, and open‐air burning area.     

长株潭地区经济增长与工业污染变迁的实证研究

根据长株潭地区1990~2006年经济与工业污染数据,分析了经济发展与环境污染的相互关系,建立了二者之间的计量模型。研究表明：作为一个重化工业城市群,长株潭自20世纪90年代以来,在经济高速发展的情况下,其环境恶化程度逐步得到局部控制。其中,长沙市部分环境指标与人均GDP演替轨迹呈现显著的环境库兹涅茨曲线特征;而株洲市和湘潭市工业污染排放量与人均GDP呈“U”形特征,即随着经济的增长,环境污染先是有一定程度的缓解,但随即有较大幅度的反弹。为了进一步促进长株潭地区经济与环境的协调发展,三地政府一方面应采取措施加快产业结构调整和优化工业布局,另一方面,还应尝试实施\"排污权交易\"和\"受益者支付\"原则等积极的环保管理手段和政策。     

苯并芘和邻苯二甲酸二(2-乙基己基)酯复合暴露对稀有鮈鲫的内分泌干扰效应研究

为评价典型有机污染物共存情况下对长江上游三峡库区特有珍稀鱼类的环境风险,以稀有鮈鲫(Gobiocypris rarus)为对象,研究了多环芳烃和酞酸酯的代表物苯并芘(BaP)和邻苯二甲酸二(2-乙基己基)酯(DEHP)单独及复合暴露而引起的内分泌干扰效应。将成年稀有鮈鲫暴露于不同浓度的BaP(0.1、1μg·L~(-1))、DEHP(10、100μg·L~(-1))和BaP+DEHP((0.1+10)、(1+100)μg·L~(-1))中28 d后,测定了体质系数、性激素含量、下丘脑-垂体-性腺(HPG)轴和肝脏中与生殖相关基因的表达。结果表明:在雌鱼中,单独BaP或DEHP暴露对鱼体性激素含量、基因表达量无显著影响; BaP和DEHP复合暴露时,高浓度组睾酮(T)含量升高但雌二醇(E2)含量下降,fsh、vtg、 cyp17和17β-hsd基因表达量上调,cyp19a则下调,表现出协同毒性。因而雌鱼中性激素水平的改变可能与类固醇合成相关基因表达量的改变有关。而无论在单独暴露或是复合暴露情况下,对雄鱼体内性激素无显著影响。以上检测到的激素或基因表达量的改变主要发生在高剂量的复合暴露组中,而长江上游三峡库区水体中多环芳烃和酞酸酯含量低于暴露的最低浓度,因此推测,库区存在的多环芳烃和酞酸酯同时作用时不会对三峡库区上游水体中的鱼类产生生殖内分泌干扰效应。     

壳聚糖改性红壤去除铜绿微囊藻

研究了聚合氯化铝铁和壳聚糖改性对高岭土、海泡石和红壤去除水中铜绿微囊藻效果的影响。结果表明,壳聚糖改性的红壤对铜绿微囊藻的去除效果最好,其生成絮体密实度大,抗扰动能力强。当改性红壤的投加量为50 mg/L时,叶绿素a和铜绿微囊藻去除率分别达到98.0%、95.1%。该絮凝剂适应性好,在pH为3.0~6.0的范围内对铜绿微囊藻均可取得很好的去除效果,对叶绿素a和浊度的去除率可达90%以上。壳聚糖通过包裹红壤颗粒,借助壳聚糖的粘结架桥和电中和能力,大幅度提高了红壤的絮凝性能。该絮凝剂处理富藻水,具有絮凝效果明显、絮体密实度大、投加量少、绿色环保、经济等优点,在工程上具有较大的实用价值。     

利用人皮肤模型评价杀菌类农药腐蚀/刺激性的研究

建立人皮肤模型检测杀菌类农药的腐蚀/刺激性,探讨体外皮肤模型替代农药的动物皮肤安全性评价实验的可行性和影响因素.使用人皮肤成纤维细胞与鼠尾胶原混合培养模拟真皮层,在真皮层上接种人角化细胞,经气液培养形成表皮层.通过细胞活性和细胞因子测定鉴别化合物的腐蚀/刺激性,并比较体外皮肤模型和动物测试结果的一致性.结果表明,皮肤模型对十种农药的腐蚀性测试中,与动物安全评价测试结果完全一致.在刺激性试验中,细胞因子白介素-1a(IL-1a)作为检测终点提高了体外皮肤模型的灵敏性和准确性,人皮肤模型和动物测试结果的一致性达到80％.研究表明,构建的人皮肤模型在对杀菌类农药腐蚀/刺激性测试中初步表现出较好的性能,作为动物替代方法进行农药品安全性评价具有良好的应用前景.     

高气泡表面积通量浮选柱气浮除藻的研究

湖泊、水库等水源的富营养化,使藻类去除成为饮用水生产的重要任务.本研究采用高气泡表面积通量浮选柱气浮除藻,考察了混凝剂、气泡表面积通量和浮选柱高度等因素的影响.试验表明,高气泡表面积通量浮选柱气浮可高效地去除绿藻、硅藻和蓝藻,叶绿素a和藻类去除率达95%以上,比传统浮选柱气浮和沉降作业有较大幅度提高.与普通气浮柱比较,高气泡表面积通量浮选柱增加了气泡与藻的碰撞几率,防止因大表观充气速率造成的紊流和扰动,使气泡/藻结合体有相对静态的浮升环境,避免了气泡/藻结合体在浮升过程中的脱落,实现对藻类的迅速捕集和转移.     

生物滴滤器处理味精厂挥发性恶臭废气的试验研究

报道了采用以沸石为填料的生物滴滤器净化处理味精厂内挥发性恶臭废气的试验结果。在一定的试验条件下,当高强度恶臭废气的进气量<3.0m3/h时,系统除臭效果显著,这为净化以味精厂内恶臭废气为代表的多组分复杂气体提供了切实可行的新技术,具有很好的市场应用前景。此外,研究表明,在净化氨氮臭气取得良好效果的生物膜基础之上,加入特定菌液能较快地培养出适宜处理味精厂内恶臭废气的微生物种群,且能获得满意的净化效果。