Using environmental DNA to assess population‐wide spatiotemporal reserve use

Scientists increasingly rely on protected areas to assist in biodiversity conservation, yet the efficacy of these areas is rarely systematically assessed, often because of underfunding. Still, adaptive management strategies to maximize conservation success often rely on understanding the temporal and spatial dynamism of populations therein. Examination of environmental DNA (eDNA) is a time and cost‐effective way to monitor species’ distribution, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) provides information on organismal abundance. To date, however, such techniques remain underused for population assessments in protected areas. We determined eDNA concentration of the critically endangered Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis) to describe its occurrence, range, and use of the Tian e‐Zhou National Nature Reserve in Hubei, China, across seasons and hydrological depths. Despite the observation that total eDNA concentrations were highest in surface waters in summer, finless porpoise eDNA concentrations were significantly higher in deeper waters than in surface waters in summer. During the breeding season (spring), eDNA signals were site specific and restricted to the core area of the reserve. However, postbreeding eDNA concentrations were widespread across the reserve, encompassing sites previously thought to be unfrequented by the species. Our results suggest spatiotemporal idiosyncrasies in site, depth, and seasonal use of the reserve and a propensity for postbreeding population dispersal. With eDNA and qPCR we were able to assess an entire population's use of a protected area. Illuminating nuances in habitat use via eDNA could be valuable to set pragmatic conservation goals for this, and other, species.     

The narrow-skulled vole (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Microtus gregalis</Emphasis> Pall.) in the dynamics of zonal rodent communities of northern Eurasia

On the basis of abundant fossil and subfossil bone remains, the ecological and faunal role of the narrow-skulled vole in zonal rodent communities of northern Eurasia is analyzed over the period from the Late Pleistocene to the present time. Special attention is given to the correlated dynamics of relative abundance of Microtus gregalis and other rodent species in the course of transition from one zonal type to another and to specific features of this correlation in the southern, middle, and northern parts of the species range. It is shown that distinctive dimensional and morphotypic features of the two currently existing subspecies, Microtus gregalis major Ogn. and M. g. gregalis Pall., are the product of concordant development of the species and environmental conditions in the past 3000–4000 years (transition from the Holocene optimum to the present-day climate and state of the natural environment). Published in Russian in Ekologiya, 2007, Vol. 38, No. 2, pp. 117–123. The article was translated by the authors.     

Mechanisms Providing for Species Coexistence in the Herb-Dwarf Shrub Layer of a Southern Taiga Birch Forest

Individual species coexisting in the herb-dwarf shrub layer of a mature southern taiga birch forest were studied with respect to their limitation by different environmental resources and differences in the time or localization of the intensive utilization of deficient resources. The results made it possible to estimate the significance of different mechanisms of species coexistence in multispecific communities for herbaceous and dwarf shrub species of the forest phytocenosis studied.     

Relationship between the Population Dynamics of the Gypsy Moth (Lymantria dispar L., Lymantriidae: Lepidoptera) and the Genetic Polymorphism of the Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus

The population dynamics of the gypsy moth and the genomic DNA of the nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NPV) pathogenic for this insect were simultaneously studied using nucleic acid molecular hybridization (NAMH). It was demonstrated that population outbreaks of the gypsy moth were accompanied by an increase in its sensitivity to NPV and in the genetic polymorphism of NPV strains circulating in the insect populations. The hybridization activity of the virus strains isolated at the phase of gypsy moth population growth was significantly higher (p < 0.001) than the activity of the strains isolated at the phase of population decrease.     

硝酸纤维素膜光降解水中对硝基苯酚的机制

为研究硝酸纤维素膜(NCM)作为新型污染物降解材料在水处理领域的应用潜力,本文以对硝基苯酚为目标污染物,NCM为活性氧物种来源,考察了溶液p H、光照条件、水体成分等因素对光解的影响及其作用机制.结果表明,NCM光致·OH量子产率为1. 30×10~(-4),是传统光催化材料TiO_2的1. 86倍.纯水中对硝基苯酚的直接光解速率仅为9. 52×10-4min-1,而在NCM存在情况下光解速率达到0. 005 5 min-1.这种促进作用主要是由NCM表面光致·OH引起的,其中UVA对光解起重要作用.水体酸性条件有利于NCM光解对硝基苯酚,在p H=2. 0时,降解率达到90%以上,相应的光解速率为0. 016 5min-1.对硝基苯酚的光解速率随光照强度、膜面积的增大而提高.水体成分对光解影响呈显著差异,NO-3可通过光致·OH的生成促进光解;而可溶性有机质主要通过滤光作用抑制对硝基苯酚的光解.气相色谱-质谱分析中间产物主要有苯酚、对苯二酚、丙二酸和草酸等,由此给出了可能的光解途径.     

Control of exhaled SARS-CoV-2-laden aerosols in the interpersonal breathing microenvironment in a ventilated room with limited space air stability

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) highlights the importance of understanding and controlling the spread of the coronavirus between persons. We experimentally and numerically investigated an advanced engineering and environmental method on controlling the transmission of airborne SARS-CoV-2-laden aerosols in the breathing microenvironment between two persons during interactive breathing process by combining the limited space air stability and a ventilation method. Experiments were carried out in a full-scale ventilated room with different limited space air stability conditions, i.e., stable condition, neutral condition and unstable condition. Two real humans were involved to conducted normal breathing process in the room and the exhaled carbon dioxide was used as the surrogate of infectious airborne SARS-CoV-2-laden aerosols from respiratory activities. A correspondent numerical model was established to visualize the temperature field and contaminated field in the test room. Results show that the performance of a ventilation system on removing infectious airborne SARS-CoV-2-laden aerosols from the interpersonal breathing microenvironment is dependent on the limited space air stability conditions. Appropriate ventilation method should be implemented based on an evaluation of the air condition. It is recommended that total volume ventilation methods are suitable for unstable and neutral conditions and local ventilation methods are preferable for stable conditions. This study provides an insight into the transmission of airborne SARS-CoV-2-laden aerosols between persons in ventilated rooms with different limited space air stability conditions. Useful guidance has been provided to cope with COVID-19 in limited spaces.     

组合措施下政府与企业排污行为演化博弈

为研究排污企业应对不同惩罚和补贴组合措施的行为策略,将演化博弈理论与系统动力学方法结合,构建基于政府与排污企业双方的演化博弈模型.以政府和排污企业双方利益为核心,对其在不同惩罚和补贴措施下的企业行为策略和演化稳定性进行分析.结果显示,在静态惩罚补贴措施下,政府和企业策略行为无法达到演化稳定点,政府静态政策不会对企业合法排污行为产生推动作用.在动态惩罚补贴措施下,动态惩罚和动态补贴措施对推动企业合法排污行为更为有效,政府可根据排污企业行为制定双边动态策略.     

地铁内楼梯口处全尺寸火灾实验与数值模拟

建立了地铁实体模型，开展了地铁火灾实验研究，测量了站台与站厅之间的楼梯处的速度和温度等火灾参数。同时利用火灾动力学模拟程序软件对地铁站台火灾进行了数值模拟，研究了地铁站台和站厅连接楼梯处温度和烟气速度的变化趋势，并与实验结果作了对比分析，验证了数值模拟结果的有效性。研究结果可为有效控制烟气在地铁中的蔓延和组织人员疏散提供技术支持。     

长春南湖底泥疏浚前后水因子分析及动态变化

监测了长春南湖底泥疏浚后的DO、NH4＿N、NO2＿N、NO3＿N、BOD5、CODCr、TN、TP、SS、pH、SD和水温等12项水化学指标。用因子分析方法找出了底泥疏浚前后影响南湖水质的主要因子,分析了底泥疏浚前后南湖水质变化的特征和底泥疏浚对南湖水质的影响,分析结果表明,南湖疏浚前主要污染物是总磷,疏浚后总磷对水质的影响降低,悬浮物作用增大。     

Environmental and economic impact assessment of construction and demolition waste disposal using system dynamics

Construction and demolition wastes (CDW) have increasingly serious problems in environmental, social, and economic realms. There is no coherent framework for utilization of these wastes which are disposed both legally and illegally. This harms the environment, contributes to the increase of energy consumption, and depletes finite landfills resources. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the impacts of two alternatives for the management of CDW, recycling and disposing. The evaluation is carried out through developing a dynamic model with aid STELLA software by conducting the following steps: (1) quantifying the total cost incurred to mitigate the impacts of CDW landfills and uncollected waste on the environment and human health; (2) quantifying the total avoided emissions and saved energy by recycling waste; (3) estimating total external cost saved by recycling waste and; (4) providing a decision support tool that helps in re-thinking about waste disposal. The proposed evaluation methodology allows activating the stringent regulations that restrict waste disposal and developing incentives to encourage constructors to recycle their wastes. The research findings show that recycling CDW leads to significant reductions in emissions, energy use, global warming potential (GWP), and conserves landfills space when compared to disposal of wastes in landfills. Furthermore, the cost of mitigating the impact of disposal is extremely high. Therefore, it is necessary to recycle construction and demolition wastes.