Environmental Contaminants in Blood, Hair, and Tissues of Ocelots from the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas, 1986–1997

The ocelot (Felis pardalis) isan endangered neotropical cat distributed within asmall range in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV), inTexas, U.S.A. Studies of the impacts of environmentalcontaminants in wild cats are few. Approximately onefourth of the estimated population (about 100) ofocelots in the LRGV was sampled to evaluate theimpacts of chlorinated pesticides, polychlorinatedbiphenyls, and trace elements on the population. Hairwas collected from 32 ocelots trapped between 1986–1992,and blood was collected from 20 ocelots trappedbetween 1993–1997. A few blood samples were obtainedfrom individuals recaptured two or three times. Tissue samples from 4 road-killed ocelots were alsoanalyzed. DDE, PCBs, and Hg were some of the mostcommon contaminants detected in hair and blood. MeanHg levels in hair ranged from 0.5 to 1.25 g g^-1 dw,Se from 1.5 to 3.48 g g^-1 dw, and Pb from 0.56 to26.8 g g^-1 dw. Mean DDE concentrations in plasma ranged from 0.005 g g^-1 ww to 0.153 g g^-1 ww, and PCBs ranged from 0.006 g g^-1 ww to 0.092 g g^-1 ww. Mean Hg levels in red blood cells rangedfrom 0.056 g g^-1 dw to 0.25 g g^-1 dw. Concentrations of DDE, PCBs, or Hg, did not increasesignificantly with age, although the highestconcentrations of DDE and Hg were found in olderanimals. Overall, concentrations of DDE, PCBs, and Hgwere low and at levels that currently do not pose anythreat to health or survival of the ocelot. This isfurther supported by good reproduction of the ocelotin the LRGV, where adult females averaged about 1.5kittens/litter. Thus, it seems that the current majorthreat to recovery of the ocelot in the LRGV may behabitat loss, although potential impacts of newgeneration pesticides, such as organophosphorus andcarbamate insecticides need further study.     

Ecohydrological impact–assessment modeling: an example for terrestrial ecosystems in Noord-Holland, the Netherlands

In the Netherlands the increasing demand for ecohydrological models on a regional (provincial) scale has resulted in the development of an empirical statistical impact–assessment model for semi-natural terrestrial herbaceous ecosystems. This model, called ITORS, describes the relationship between plant species and site factors such as soil, groundwater and management. The model, developed for the region of Noord-Holland, is applied to support provincial policy on soil and water management. The empirical statistical approach required the collection of a large set of field data, describing the biotic and environmental variation of a variety of semi-natural terrestrial ecosystems in Noord-Holland. These data were used to calculate species response models with help of logistic regression, resulting in significant models for 130 out of 144 species. Significant species response models were incorporated in the computer program ITORS. With help of ITORS the effect of various management scenarios can be easily evaluated, which is demonstrated by an example. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

濮阳市VOCs污染特征及其臭氧生成潜势分析

以京津冀及周边"2+26"城市之一濮阳为例,对环境空气VOCs的污染特征及其臭氧生成潜势进行分析。研究表明:濮阳市的臭氧生成对VOCs浓度比较敏感,VOCs各组分的平均浓度表现为含氧有机物烷烃芳香烃烯烃炔烃,乙烯和丙酮是浓度水平最高的2种物质,对VOCs浓度贡献分别为11. 3%和10. 5%; VOCs各组分的臭氧生成潜势量表现为含氧有机物芳香烃烯烃烷烃炔烃。OFP排名前三位的是乙醛、乙烯和甲苯,其对臭氧生成的贡献量超过了总量的三分之一;制定关键物质选取原则,筛选出濮阳市VOCs的关键种类; VOCs及其关键种类与气温和风向存在一定的相关关系;濮阳市VOCs关键种类的污染主要来源于化石燃料燃烧、石油化工生产和溶剂涂料挥发等工业生产和机动车尾气排放等。     

A comparison of fixed-site and non-fixed-site approaches for species protection

The efficacy of simultaneously advancing two distinct conceptual designs (referred to here as fixed-site and non-fixed-site) for species conservation and protection is addressed. In the literature, numerous models can be found that typically stem from a particular design, but rarely are comparisons made between approaches. This paper presents a more integrated optimization framework that models landowner behavior and species viabilities at a landscape scale. Regional demand for resource extraction is used as the economic driver, a variant of simulated annealing is used to solve the model under different species protection approaches, and a detailed species population simulator is utilized to measure biological responses. When directly comparing the outcomes of different species protection strategies from a case study in Oregon (USA), it was found that neither approach was universally superior in terms of financial value or degree of protection for two late seral forest dependent species.     

Restoring the Great Basin Desert, U.S.A.: Integrating Science, Management, and People

The Great Basin Desert lies between the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the west and the Rocky Mountains to the east. Nearly 60% of the area’s deserts and mountains (roughly 30 million ha) are managed by the U. S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Land Management. This area is characterized by low annual precipitation, diverse desert plant communities, and local economies that depend on the products (livestock grazing, recreation, mining, etc.) produced by these lands. The ecological and economic stability of the Great Basin is increasingly at risk due to the expansion of fire-prone invasive species and increase in wildfires. To stem this loss of productivity and diversity in the Great Basin, the BLM initiated the “Great Basin Restoration Initiative” in 1999 after nearly 0.7 million ha of the Great Basin burned in wildfires. The objective of the Great Basin Restoration Initiative is to restore plant community diversity and structure by improving resiliency to disturbance and resistance to invasive species over the long-term. To accomplish this objective, a strategic plan has been developed that emphasizes local participation and reliance on appropriate science to ensure that restoration is accomplished in an economical and ecologically appropriate manner. If restoration in the Great Basin is not successful, desertification and the associated loss of economic stability and ecological integrity will continue to threaten the sustainability of natural resources and people in the Great Basin.     

Preliminary investigation of submerged aquatic vegetation mapping using hyperspectral remote sensing

The use of airborne hyperspectral remote sensing imagery for automated mapping of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) in the tidal Potomac River was investigated for near to real-time resource assessment and monitoring. Airborne hyperspectral imagery and field spectrometer measurements were obtained in October of 2000. A spectral library database containing selected ground-based and airborne sensor spectra was developed for use in image processing. The spectral library is used to automate the processing of hyperspectral imagery for potential real-time material identification and mapping. Field based spectra were compared to the airborne imagery using the database to identify and map two species of SAV (Myriophyllum spicatum and Vallisneria americana). Overall accuracy of the vegetation maps derived from hyperspectral imagery was determined by comparison to a product that combined aerial photography and field based sampling at the end of the SAV growing season. The algorithms and databases developed in this study will be useful with the current and forthcoming space-based hyperspectral remote sensing systems.     

Pt颗粒负载对CeO2臭氧催化氧化甲苯的增强作用

通过铂颗粒吸附法制备得到Pt/CeO₂催化剂应用于臭氧催化氧化甲苯反应,研究了Pt颗粒负载对CeO₂臭氧催化氧化甲苯的增强作用.采用氢气程序升温还原（H₂-TPR）、氧气程序升温脱附（O₂-TPD）、X射线光电子能谱（XPS）和拉曼光谱（Raman）等手段对催化剂进行表征,结果显示,CeO₂负载Pt颗粒后,Pt与CeO₂存在相互作用,提高了CeO₂上氧空位的含量.臭氧分解实验证实了Pt/CeO₂催化剂具有更好的臭氧分解性能.臭氧催化氧化甲苯评价结果表明,Pt/CeO₂具有比CeO₂更优异的催化性能,在80 ℃时甲苯降解率、CO₂产率和臭氧分解率分别达到92.3%、92.1%和99.9%.原位拉曼进一步研究了臭氧分解生成的氧物种种类及含量,以及甲苯存在时氧物种的变化,结果表明,臭氧在氧空位上分解产生的过氧物种较为稳定,是氧化甲苯的重要活性物质.因此,Pt颗粒负载在CeO₂上能增强臭氧在催化剂上分解,并形成更多过氧物种,最终提升臭氧催化氧化甲苯的性能.     

Methylated and thiolated arsenic species for environmental and health research——A review on synthesis and characterization

Hundreds of millions of people around the world are exposed to elevated concentrations of inorganic and organic arsenic compounds, increasing the risk of a wide range of health effects. Studies of the environmental fate and human health effects of arsenic require authentic arsenic compounds. We summarize here the synthesis and characterization of more than a dozen methylated and thiolated arsenic compounds that are not commercially available. We discuss the methods of synthesis for the following14 trivalent(Ⅲ) and pentavalent() arsenic compounds: monomethylarsonous acid(MMA~Ⅲ), dicysteinylmethyldithioarsenite(MMA~Ⅲ(Cys)_2), monomethylarsonic acid(MMA~Ⅴ),monomethylmonothioarsonic acid(MMMTAⅤ) or monothio-MMA~Ⅴ, monomethyldithioarsonic acid(MMDTA~Ⅴ) or dithio-MMA~Ⅴ, monomethyltrithioarsonate(MMTTA~Ⅴ) or trithio-MMA~Ⅴ,dimethylarsinous acid(DMA~Ⅲ), dimethylarsino-glutathione(DMA~Ⅲ(SG)), dimethylarsinic acid(DMA~Ⅴ), dimethylmonothioarsinic acid(DMMTA~Ⅴ) or monothio-DMAⅤ, dimethyldithioarsinic acid(DMDTA~Ⅴ) or dithio-DMA~Ⅴ, trimethylarsine oxide(TMAO~Ⅴ), arsenobetaine(AsB), and an arsenicin-A model compound. We have reviewed and compared the available methods,synthesized the arsenic compounds in our laboratories, and provided characterization information. On the basis of reaction yield, ease of synthesis and purification of product, safety considerations, and our experience, we recommend a method for the synthesis of each of these arsenic compounds.     

Current and future effectiveness of the Natura 2000 network for protecting plant species in Sardinia: a nice and complex strategy in its raw state?

Sardinia hosts 186 endemic plant species and represents an important centre for Mediterranean biodiversity. In view of the threats facing its flora, 27 terrestrial vascular plants have been listed in international regulations and 124 sites designated for species and habitat conservation. This study analyses gaps in the Natura 2000 network and the current and future distribution of four representative plants. Each plant population was georeferenced and the effectiveness of the Natura 2000 network was compared according to conservation status and distribution. Future species distributions were modelled by considering current climatic conditions and future scenarios. In apparent discordance with other results, we found that the Natura 2000 network represents most plant species well. This research shows a forward-looking survey on the regional effectiveness of protection measures which led us to confirm the need to enhance the current state of the Natura 2000 network by implementing local legislation and regulations.     

Anthropogenic areas as incidental substitutes for original habitat

One speaks of ecological substitutes when an introduced species performs, to some extent, the ecosystem function of an extirpated native species. We suggest that a similar case exists for habitats. Species evolve within ecosystems, but habitats can be destroyed or modified by natural and human‐made causes. Sometimes habitat alteration forces animals to move to or remain in a suboptimal habitat type. In that case, the habitat is considered a refuge, and the species is called a refugee. Typically refugee species have lower population growth rates than in their original habitats. Human action may lead to the unintended generation of artificial or semiartificial habitat types that functionally resemble the essential features of the original habitat and thus allow a population growth rate of the same magnitude or higher than in the original habitat. We call such areas substitution habitats and define them as human‐made habitats within the focal species range that by chance are partial substitutes for the species’ original habitat. We call species occupying a substitution habitat adopted species. These are 2 new terms in conservation biology. Examples of substitution habitats are dams for European otters, wheat and rice fields for many steppeland and aquatic birds, and urban areas for storks, falcons, and swifts. Although substitution habitats can bring about increased resilience against the agents of global change, the conservation of original habitat types remains a conservation priority.