Divorce in common murres (Uria aalge): relationship to parental quality

Behavioral precursors of 12 divorces were examined in 30 color-banded pairs of common murres (Uria aalge) over six breeding seasons. Common murres are long-lived seabirds that typically return each year to the same mate and nest site in dense colonies. At least one parent is present continuously from egg lay to chick fledging. Murres, therefore, have considerable opportunities to compare their mates parental behavior with that of several familiar neighbors. Previous reproductive success was lower for divorcing birds than for reuniting pairs. As predicted by the better option hypothesis, there were clear choosers (seven females and five males) that initiated divorce by moving to a new birds site or by courting a new partner at their current site. Choosers improved their reproductive success after the divorce, whereas their previous partners, the victims did not. Yearly divorce rates (average 8.2% per year) were significantly correlated with yearly mortality rates. Divorces appear to be opportunistic: pairs divorced after varying numbers of reproductive failures with the immediate precursor usually being the disappearance (death) of a murre from a successful neighboring site. In contrast to the delays experienced by victims, choosers formed new pairs quickly and laid their eggs no later than reuniting pairs. Prior to the divorce, victims fed their chicks less often than choosers, and some engaged in other behaviors that compromised egg or chick survival. These observations suggest that deficiencies in parental behavior were precursors to the divorce. This report is one of the first cases where reproductive failure of divorcing pairs has been linked to deficits in the parental behavior of the subsequent divorce victim.Communicated by C. Brown     

Market responses to hurricanes

This paper uses one of the strongest hurricanes to hit the US, Andrew in 1992, to define a quasi-random experiment that permits estimation of the responses of housing values to information about new hurricanes. Lee County, Florida did not experience damage from Andrew. The storm was a “near-miss.” We hypothesize that Andrew conveyed risk information to homeowners in the county. A difference-in-differences (DND) framework identifies the effect of this information on property values in areas likely to experience significant storm damage. The DND findings indicate at least a 19 percent decline in property values.     

农药杀螟硫磷酶促降解的研究

从长期受农药杀螟硫磷污染的土壤中分离到一株高效降解菌株,研究了其最适产酶条件:培养温度为30℃,培养液起始pH为7.0,培养时间为30 h.从该降解菌中提取的粗酶液在pH 7.5和30℃时显示最大的降解活性,其米氏常数Km为2.92×10-4mol/L,最大降解速率为2 422.79 nmolm in-1mg-1.图7参15     

松嫩草原黄墩蚁〔Lasisus flavus (Fabricius)〕对土壤理化性质的影响

黄墩蚁是松嫩草原土壤动物优势类群中唯一的大型土壤动物,是研究羊草草原分解者亚系统中大型土壤动物功能及作用机理的理想对象.本文研究了黄墩蚁筑巢活动对土壤物理和化学性质的影响,结果表明,黄墩蚁的筑巢活动改变了土壤颗粒的粒径分布,土壤的孔隙度增加,也明显阻止了盐分的上泛,同时增加了土壤中有机质、速效氮和速效磷的含量.受土壤理化性质改变的影响,蚁丘周围的植被组成、密度、生物量等群落特征指标也发生了较大变化.研究表明,由黄墩蚁活动引起的草原微生境的改变有利于羊草的生长和繁殖,黄墩蚁加速了羊草 虎尾草群落向羊草群落的演替,因此可以断定黄墩蚁是松嫩草原生态系统中的一个重要的干扰因子,可以利用它们这种生态作用加速退化草原的修复和重建.同时,黄墩蚁主要分布于羊草较多的生境中,对周围环境差异反应敏感,也可以作为羊草草原退化的指示物种之一.图3表2参15     

Ontogenetic habitat shift and risk of cannibalism in the common chameleon (Chamaeleo chamaeleon)

Ontogenetic habitat shifts have been documented in numerous fish and amphibians and in some reptiles. Intraspecific competition together with differential predation, prey size, social interactions, size-related thermal requirements, and morphological constraints on movement are often implicated in this ontogenetic habitat separation. In the current study, we combined field observation with experiments in seminatural arenas to test various hypotheses regarding the ontogenetic habitat shift that we have documented in the common chameleon. Juveniles (mean, 1 g) occupied low grasses and the adults (mean, 35 g) were found on bushes and trees. Overlap in habitat use between these two age classes was minimal. Our field experiments showed that juveniles actively avoid the presence of adults by concealment or flight. Adults readily attacked and consumed juveniles, regardless of their own mass. These results suggest that the risk of cannibalism towards juveniles is an important selective force behind the ontogenetic habitat shift observed in the common chameleon and may be important in other species too.     

糯小麦回交改良群体中Wx基因的遗传和品质效应

在基因型鉴定的基础上,利用糯小麦杂交后代BC5F2代回交改良群体研究了各基因缺失对降低直链淀粉含量的效果和各基因合成直链淀粉的能力,以及直链淀粉含量与农艺性状、品质性状、淀粉糊化特性等的相关性。研究发现,在Wx基因的所有8种基因型之间,直链淀粉含量差异显著;研究单缺失基因型发现,对直链淀粉含量减少效应最大的是Wx-B1b,减少效应最小的是Wx-A1b,而Wx-B1b和Wx-D1b没有显著差异;研究双缺失基因型发现,Wx基因合成直链淀粉的能力以Wx-B1a最高,Wx-A1a最低,而Wx-B1a和Wx-D1a差异很小.直链淀粉含量与株高、穗长、小穗数、穗粒数、千粒重等农艺性状相关不显著,表明淀粉品质育种可以与高产育种实现有机结合.直链淀粉含量与SDS-沉降值呈显著负相关(r=-0.726),说明直链淀粉含量降低在一定程度上有利于提高小麦营养与加工品质.全糯类型的淀粉糊化特性与其他类型显著不同,具有最高的峰值粘度和稀懈值,最低的低谷粘度、最终粘度、反弹值、峰值时间、糊化温度、起始糊化温度,表明糯小麦淀粉在食品和工业上具有特殊用途;稀懈值与直链淀粉含量呈极显著负相关(r=-0.969),其它粘度参数与直链淀粉含量呈显著正相关(最终粘度r=0.797,低谷粘度r=0.910、反弹值r=0.954、峰值时间r=0.970、糊化温度r=0.962、起始糊化温度r=0.932).表5参37     

Rethinking Community-Based Conservation

Abstract:  Community-based conservation (CBC) is based on the idea that if conservation and development could be simultaneously achieved, then the interests of both could be served. It has been controversial because community development objectives are not necessarily consistent with conservation objectives in a given case. I examined CBC from two angles. First, CBC can be seen in the context of paradigm shifts in ecology and applied ecology. I identified three conceptual shifts—toward a systems view, toward the inclusion of humans in the ecosystem, and toward participatory approaches to ecosystem management—that are interrelated and pertain to an understanding of ecosystems as complex adaptive systems in which humans are an integral part. Second, I investigated the feasibility of CBC, as informed by a number of emerging interdisciplinary fields that have been pursuing various aspects of coupled systems of humans and nature. These fields—common property, traditional ecological knowledge, environmental ethics, political ecology, and environmental history—provide insights for CBC. They may contribute to the development of an interdisciplinary conservation science with a more sophisticated understanding of social-ecological interactions. The lessons from these fields include the importance of cross-scale conservation, adaptive comanagement, the question of incentives and multiple stakeholders, the use of traditional ecological knowledge, and development of a cross-cultural conservation ethic.     

Soil Lead at Elementary Public Schools: Comparison Between School Properties and Residential Neighbourhoods of New Orleans

Soil studies, conducted in Maryland, Minnesota and Louisiana, have described the urban pattern of lead contamination. They have shown that the highest amounts of lead cluster within the interior of the largest cities. The results of the New Orleans urban patterns of distribution of soil lead provided the basis for further study. The hypothesis was tested that elementary school properties have the same pattern of soil lead contamination as their neighbouring residential communities. Thirty New Orleans Public Elementary Schools were selected for this study. Surface samples (2.5cm or 1 inch depth) were collected from playgrounds and next to entrances of each school. Results showed that soil lead on school properties follows the same relative contamination patterns (pvalue10^–5) as soil lead on residential properties of neighbouring communities. Schools however, have significantly lower lead contamination than the neighbouring residential properties. Innercity school properties present a higher risk of soil lead exposure than mid and outercity schools. Soils next to innercity school entrances showed the highest lead, with 18.5% having concentrations over 400gg^–1. Systematic landscaping around the school entrances would significantly reduce the hazard from lead dust contaminated soils.     

锅炉温控炉拱的设计及燃烧技术性能

论述了将小型链条炉排工业锅炉的炉拱设计成在运行中可以全量调节的结构,以适应燃用多种煤种的需要,并减少与固定拱操作有关的意外伤亡事故。这项技术有创新性,适用性和推广价值