Toward reassessing data‐deficient species

One in 6 species (13,465 species) on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List is classified as data deficient due to lack of information on their taxonomy, population status, or impact of threats. Despite the chance that many are at high risk of extinction, data‐deficient species are typically excluded from global and local conservation priorities, as well as funding schemes. The number of data‐deficient species will greatly increase as the IUCN Red List becomes more inclusive of poorly known and speciose groups. A strategic approach is urgently needed to enhance the conservation value of data‐deficient assessments. To develop this, we reviewed 2879 data‐deficient assessments in 6 animal groups and identified 8 main justifications for assigning data‐deficient status (type series, few records, old records, uncertain provenance, uncertain population status or distribution, uncertain threats, taxonomic uncertainty, and new species). Assigning a consistent set of justification tags (i.e., consistent assignment to assessment justifications) to species classified as data deficient is a simple way to achieve more strategic assessments. Such tags would clarify the causes of data deficiency; facilitate the prediction of extinction risk; facilitate comparisons of data deficiency among taxonomic groups; and help prioritize species for reassessment. With renewed efforts, it could be straightforward to prevent thousands of data‐deficient species slipping unnoticed toward extinction.     

高压输电系统对通信局(站)危险影响中地电流系数的确定

高压输电系统发生接地短路故障时,会产生一个地电位升,对通信局(站)会危险影响,为了计算这个危险影响的大小,首先能够准确的计算出高压输电系统的地电流系数。本文论述了高压输电系统对通信局(站)危险影响中地电流系数的确定,介绍了地电流系数的定义,并分析了不同危险情况下地电流系数的计算。     

Conservation implications of physiological carry‐over effects in bats recovering from white‐nose syndrome

Although it is well documented that infectious diseases can pose threats to biodiversity, the potential long‐term consequences of pathogen exposure on individual fitness and its effects on population viability have rarely been studied. We tested the hypothesis that pathogen exposure causes physiological carry‐over effects with a pathogen that is uniquely suited to this question because the infection period is specific and time limited. The fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans causes white‐nose syndrome (WNS) in hibernating bats, which either die due to the infection while hibernating or recover following emergence from hibernation. The fungus infects all exposed individuals in an overwintering site simultaneously, and bats that survive infection during hibernation clear the pathogen within a few weeks following emergence. We quantified chronic stress during the active season, when bats are not infected, by measuring cortisol in bat claws. Free‐ranging Myotis lucifugus who survived previous exposure to P. destructans had significantly higher levels of claw cortisol than naïve individuals. Thus, cryptic physiological carry‐over effects of pathogen exposure may persist in asymptomatic, recovered individuals. If these effects result in reduced survival or reproductive success, they could also affect population viability and even act as a third stream in the extinction vortex. For example, significant increases in chronic stress, such as those indicated here, are correlated with reduced reproductive success in a number of species. Future research should directly explore the link between pathogen exposure and the viability of apparently recovered populations to improve understanding of the true impacts of infectious diseases on threatened populations.     

Use of historical and contemporary distribution of mammals in China to inform conservation

A systematic understanding of dynamic animal extinction trajectories for different regions in a nation like China is critically important to developing practical conservation strategies. We explored historical and contemporary changes in terrestrial mammalian diversity to determine how diversity in each of the 5 regions in China has changed over time and to examine the conservation potential of these regions. We used records from databases on Pleistocene mammalian fossils and historical distribution records (1175–2020) for Primates (as a case study) to reconstruct evolutionary and historical distribution trajectories of the 11 orders of terrestrial mammals and to predict their prospective survival based on the national conservation strategy applied. The results indicated that since the Pleistocene, 4–5 mammalian orders have been lost in the northeast, 3 in central China, 2 along the coast, and 1 in the northwest. In the southwest, all 11 orders were maintained. Contemporarily, the coast and southwest had the highest and second-highest species densities. The southwest region and southeastern sections of the northwest region were the most historically and contemporarily diverse areas, which suggests that they should be the first priority for protected area (PA) designation. The central and coastal areas should be secondarily prioritized. In these 2 regions, conservation should focus on human coexistence with nature. Less attention should be paid to the PA in the northeast and western northwest because in these areas ecosystems are depauperate and the climate is harsh. Conservation in these areas should focus principally on avoiding further human encroachment on natural areas. Article impact statement: Historical and contemporary patterns of extinction can be a basis for mammalian conservation strategies.     

The Ethics of Reviving Long Extinct Species

There now appears to be a plausible pathway for reviving species that have been extinct for several decades, centuries, or even millennia. I conducted an ethical analysis of de‐extinction of long extinct species. I assessed several possible ethical considerations in favor of pursuing de‐extinction: that it is a matter of justice; that it would reestablish lost value; that it would create new value; and that society needs it as a conservation last resort. I also assessed several possible ethical arguments against pursuing de‐extinction: that it is unnatural; that it could cause animal suffering; that it could be ecologically problematic or detrimental to human health; and that it is hubristic. There are reasons in favor of reviving long extinct species, and it can be ethically acceptable to do so. However, the reasons in favor of pursuing de‐extinction do not have to do with its usefulness in species conservation; rather, they concern the status of revived species as scientific and technological achievements, and it would be ethically problematic to promote de‐extinction as a significant conservation strategy, because it does not prevent species extinctions, does not address the causes of extinction, and could be detrimental to some species conservation efforts. Moreover, humanity does not have a responsibility or obligation to pursue de‐extinction of long extinct species, and reviving them does not address any urgent problem. Therefore, legitimate ecological, political, animal welfare, legal, or human health concerns associated with a de‐extinction (and reintroduction) must be thoroughly addressed for it to be ethically acceptable. La Ética de Revivir Especies Extintas Hace Mucho Tiempo Sandler     

Quantifying population declines based on presence‐only records for red‐list assessments

Accurate trend estimates are necessary for understanding which species are declining and which are most in need of conservation action. Imperfect species detection may result in unreliable trend estimates because this may lead to the overestimation of declines. Because many management decisions are based on population trend estimates, such biases could have severe consequences for conservation policy. We used an occupancy‐modeling framework to estimate detectability and calculate nationwide population trends for 14 Swiss amphibian species both accounting for and ignoring imperfect detection. Through the application of International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List criteria to the different trend estimates, we assessed whether ignoring imperfect detection could affect conservation policy. Imperfect detection occurred for all species and detection varied substantially among species, which led to the overestimation of population declines when detectability was ignored. Consequently, accounting for imperfect detection lowered the red‐list risk category for 5 of the 14 species assessed. We demonstrate that failing to consider species detectability can have serious consequences for species management and that occupancy modeling provides a flexible framework to account for observation bias and improve assessments of conservation status. A problem inherent to most historical records is that they contain presence‐only data from which only relative declines can be estimated. A move toward the routine recording of nonobservation and absence data is essential if conservation practitioners are to move beyond this toward accurate population trend estimation.     

南京北郊春季气溶胶吸湿性分析

大气气溶胶的吸湿性对气溶胶粒子的谱分布、云凝结核形成、气候强迫、人体健康等均有重要的影响.利用吸湿性串联差分迁移率分析仪(HTDMA)在2014年4月16日~5月21日对南京北郊的大气气溶胶吸湿特性进行观测.30~230 nm气溶胶粒子在90%相对湿度下的吸湿增长观测结果表明,气溶胶粒子的吸湿增长因子平均概率分布函数(GF-PDF)呈现明显的双峰分布,即一个占主导地位的强吸湿模态,和一个相对较小但仍很明显的弱吸湿模态.对吸湿性的日夜对比分析发现,整体上白天的气溶胶粒子吸湿性大于夜间气溶胶粒子,白天强吸湿模态的粒子数目比例高于夜间,夜间气溶胶粒子的外混合程度更高.利用HYSPLIT模式对气溶胶来源分析结果表明,观测期间南京北郊主要受到3类气团的影响.其中西北大陆气团背景下爱根核模态粒子在经过大陆的长距离输送过程后,老化程度较高,吸湿性也更强.而对于积聚模态粒子,则为来自东方气团的粒子吸湿性更强,强吸湿模态粒子数目比例也较高.局地气团背景下气溶胶粒子在各粒径段都具有较高的强吸湿比例.     

南京北郊秋冬季相对湿度及气溶胶理化特性对大气能见度的影响

为了解南京北郊秋冬季相对湿度与气溶胶理化特性对大气能见度的影响,利用2012年秋冬季气象要素资料、颗粒物浓度及其主要成分和气溶胶粒子谱分布等观测数据,分析了南京北郊大气能见度与气象要素、颗粒物污染之间的关系.结果表明,南京北郊秋冬季节平均大气能见度仅为4.76 km.颗粒物浓度与能见度存在一定的负相关关系,尤其细粒子对能见度的影响更为显著.随细粒子质量浓度和相对湿度(RH)的增大,低能见度出现的频率呈现上升趋势.能见度从5~10 km衰减到5km时,PM10和PM2.1质量浓度分别增加了7.56%和37.64%;其中SO2-4和NO-3质量浓度均有显著增加.气溶胶粒子数浓度对能见度的影响与相对湿度有关,粒径0.5~2μm的气溶胶数浓度随RH增加增长缓慢,而2~10μm范围内的粒子数浓度随RH增加而减小;结合气溶胶表面积浓度与能见度进行相关性分析,表明0.5~2μm的细粒子及相对湿度是导致南京北郊秋冬季大气能见度下降的主要因素.     

南宁市一次污染过程大气颗粒物理化特性及来源

利用颗粒物粒径谱仪和单颗粒气溶胶质谱仪等,对南宁市2016年12月5~11日大气污染过程进行实时监测,分析颗粒物粒径分布特征、化学组分及其污染来源.结果表明,观测期间南宁市20 nm~10μm颗粒物数浓度粒径主要集中在23~395 nm之间,主峰值出现在100 nm左右.期间有3次新粒子生成现象,下午14:00~18:00有30 nm左右新粒子开始生成,晚20:00~次日06:00碰并长大到40~110 nm左右,3次新粒子生成过程受机动车尾气一次排放的污染影响.对污染期间细颗粒物化学成分在线溯源分析发现,污染期间有大量的二次反应颗粒物生成,判定颗粒物来源主要有生物质燃烧源、扬尘源和燃煤源,其中,远距离传输对生物质燃烧源有贡献.     

供水管网铁释放的影响因素相对重要性分析

供水管网的铁释放问题近年来日益受到关注.影响供水管网铁释放的因素众多,本研究选取了pH、溶解氧(DO)、碱度(Alk)、硬度、氯离子(Cl~-)、硫酸根(SO_4~(2-))、温度(T)和水力停留时间(HRT)这8个影响因素,利用逐步回归和偏相关分析,建立了铁释放的非线性幂指数模型,并用标准化回归系数和偏相关系数比较了这些因素的相对重要性.结果表明,铁释放模型拟合效果良好;用标准化回归系数衡量影响因素相对重要性时,SO_4~(2-)、HRT、Cl~-和T是相对重要的因素,相对重要性排序为SO_4~(2-)≈HRTCl~-T;用偏相关系数衡量时,HRT、SO_4~(2-)、Alk、Cl~-和T是相对重要的因素,排序为HRTSO_4~(2-)AlkCl~-T.综合两种系数的分析结果,HRT、SO_4~(2-)和Cl~-是本研究条件下相对重要的因素,T和Alk的相对重要性视实际情况变动.