The presence of females modulates the expression of a carotenoid-based sexual signal

Several environmental factors have been shown to shape the pattern of investment of carotenoids into the expression of sexual signals. Surprisingly, the impact of the social environment has been neglected. If a carotenoid-based sexual trait is used by females to choose a mate or by males to assess the quality of potential competitors for mates, males, in the presence of females, should upregulate expression of the trait. We tested this hypothesis in male zebra finches that were housed either with females or in a male-only social environment. Additionally, to investigate whether the social modulation of the expression of a sexual trait depends on the physiological need of carotenoids, we challenged half of the males with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS). We found that the social environment modulated the expression of bill color, with males kept in the presence of females harboring a redder bill at the end of the 3 weeks that the experiment lasted. Males injected with LPS showed duller bill color regardless of the presence of females, and social interactions with females result in upregulated bill color similarly for phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and LPS males. Thus, social environment and immune activation had an additive effect on the expression of bill color. The effect of social environment on plasma carotenoids was less clear. Indeed, a first replicate of the entire experiment showed that both immune challenge and social context affected bill color, with a negative effect of immune challenge and a positive effect of the presence of females on circulating carotenoids. However, a second replicate of the experiment showed only a negative effect of the immune challenge. These results, therefore, suggest that the social environment can affect the expression of carotenoid-based sexual traits under both benign and carotenoid-demanding conditions. Whatever the signaling function of bill color (female mate choice or male–male competition for mates), the observed flexibility may be adaptive because the expression of the signal can be modulated depending on the expected rewards or costs associated with the presence or absence of females. Nevertheless, the mechanisms underlying such an effect are still unknown.     

An Index of Risk as a Measure of Biodiversity Conservation Achieved through Land Reform

Abstract:  We measured the net progress of land reform in achieving a national policy goal for biodiversity conservation in the context of ongoing clearing of native vegetation and additions of land to a highly nonrepresentative (residual) reserve network, interior South Island, New Zealand. We used systematic conservation-planning approaches to develop a spatially explicit index of risk of biodiversity loss (RBL). The index incorporated information from national data sets that describe New Zealand's remaining indigenous land cover, legal protection, and land environments and modeled risk to biodiversity on the basis of stated assumptions about the effects of past habitat loss and legal protection. The index identified irreplaceable and vulnerable native habitats in lowland environments as the most at risk of biodiversity loss, and risk was correlated with the density of threatened plant records. To measure achievement, we used changes in the index that reflected gains made and opportunity costs incurred by legal protection and privatization. Application of the index to measure the difference made by land reform showed it had caused a net increase in the risk of biodiversity loss because most land vulnerable to habitat modification and rich in threatened plant species was privatized and land at least risk of biodiversity loss was protected. The application revealed that new high-elevation reserves did little to mitigate biodiversity decline, that privatization of low-elevation land further jeopardized the most vulnerable biodiversity in lowland native habitats, and that outcomes of land reform for biodiversity deteriorated over time. Further development of robust achievement measures is needed to encourage more accountable biodiversity conservation decisions.     

Establishing a measurement,reporting, and verification system for climate finance in post-Paris agreement period

The measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) of climate finance was originated from discussions under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It has been one of the key issues of global climate negotiations since 2009 and will continue to be of significant importance in addressing climate change and strengthening international trust. This paper analyses the concept, the objective, and the progress of the MRV of climate finance based on reviews of the latest literature and think-tank reports regarding climate finance regime and MRV. Following the analysis, challenges faced with the MRV of climate finance are illustrated. This paper presents that the comparability of climate finance data needs to be improved due to the variety of methodologies used for disaggregating climate finance. In addition, the integrality of the MRV system of climate finance has been impaired by the lack of feedback mechanism from the recipients to the contributors in reporting system. Furthermore, although accounting system of climate finance has been developing and improving, it remains incapacity in providing accurate data on disbursed climate finance. Responding to the above challenges, this paper proposes the key tasks in establishing a comprehensive MRV system for climate finance at international level. The tasks involve developing a measurement system with consistent data basis and accounting basis, a reporting system with more detailed guidance and standardized formats, as well as a verification mechanism balancing top-down and bottom-up review processes. In the last section, this paper concludes that the establishment of an improved MRV of climate finance requires concerted cooperation and negotiations between developed and developing country Parties under the UNFCCC. As one of the few developing country donors to the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), China is suggested to clarify its propositions as a developing country in aspects such as concept, coverage, and architecture of climate finance and MRV system, and gain bargaining power in improving operating and technical rules of international climate finance regime.     

Applications of Explicitly Incorporated/Post‐Processing Measurement Uncertainty in Watershed Modeling

In the field of watershed modeling, the impact of measurement uncertainty (MU) on calibration results indicates the potential issue of inaccurate model predictions. It is important to note that MU refers to the uncertainty in measured data such as flow and nutrient values that are used to evaluate model outputs. The calculation of error statistics assuming measured data are deterministic may not be appropriate as has been frequently stated in literature. Although MU can affect model calibration results, it is rarely incorporated in modeling practice. MU can be incorporated in two schemes: explicitly incorporated (MU‐EI) during model calibration and post‐processed (MU‐PP) after calibration is completed. In this study, both schemes are implemented in a case study of the Arroyo Colorado Watershed, Texas. Unexpectedly, no substantial differences were observed between each scheme for flow predictions. Although MU did not cause dramatic differences in most sediment and NH₄‐N predictions, error statistics were affected in cases with MU greater than 50%, especially for sediment and NH₄‐N. Therefore, it is concluded that MU may not exert a significant impact on model predictions until certain threshold is reached. This study demonstrates that high levels of uncertainty in measured calibration/validation data significantly affect parameter estimation, especially in the auto‐calibration process.     

PM_(2.5)手工标准方法与自动监测法比对分析

选取金华、衢州、温州、丽水、宁波、杭州6个城市开展PM2.5手工标准方法和自动监测法比对实验,并用相关性和相对偏差两个指标对比对结果进行分析和评价。结果表明:(1)2013年6个采样城市采集的PM2.5手工和自动监测值均具有较好的相关性(相关系数均在0.95以上),截距均在-0.010~0.010mg/m3,但斜率相差较大(衢州和丽水在0.90以上;金华、温州和杭州在0.85~0.90;宁波在0.80以下)。(2)2013年6个城市采集的PM2.5手工和自动监测值的相对偏差为-34.2%~36.5%;PM2.5手工和自动监测值相对偏差在±15%范围内的数据占总数据量的82.6%;负偏差数据占总数据量的80.0%。(3)PM2.5手工标准方法和自动监测法的比对差异与地域、季节和PM2.5浓度等条件有关。总体上,不同地区PM2.5手工与自动监测值相对偏差绝对值(︱RD︱)年平均值为衢州丽水金华宁波温州杭州;春季PM2.5手工与自动监测值︱RD︱平均值高于夏季,秋季高于冬季;各采样城市PM2.5手工和自动监测值︱RD︱平均值在高质量浓度(PM2.5手工监测值(ρ1)0.150mg/m3)下最小,中质量浓度(0.050≤ρ1≤0.150mg/m3)下最大,低质量浓度(ρ10.050mg/m3)下介于两者之间。     

石化废水挥发性有机物逸散量的估算方法

总结了实测法、物料衡算法、模型法、排放系数法、工程估算法等国内外石化废水挥发性有机物(VOCs)逸散量估算方法的主要特点及适用范围。应用排放系数法和实测法估算国内某石化厂废水收集处理系统VOCs逸散量为354.26 t/a。根据估算方法的实际应用研究,建议物料衡算法中废水油相VOCs逸散可结合油相敞口面积和油相性质,提供废水油相的排放系数;应用Water 9软件估算含油膜废水设施逸散量时,应单独估算油膜VOCs逸散量;建议排放系数法中废水收集系统排水口、检查井未密闭VOCs排放系数均确定为0.032 kg/h(每个逸散源),废水处理系统油水分离器、气浮装置按进水中石油类浓度的大小,分别提供VOCs排放系数。     

空气中超细颗粒物检测方法的研究进展

颗粒物的健康损害效应已得到广泛的关注。尤其近年来,国内外学者们针对PM2.5等大颗粒开展了大量的人群流行病学和毒理学研究,健康损害效应的因果关系得到基本确认。然而比PM2.5粒径更小但数量更多的超细颗粒物(UFPs),其暴露特征及对健康影响的贡献值尚不清楚,缺乏统一的检测方法及策略是影响其健康评估的关键因素。因此,本文根据国内外文献,综述了目前超细颗粒物的检测方法、仪器及策略,总结了超细颗粒物评价方法的影响因素及其存在的不足,为超细颗粒物检测方法的进一步研究提供建议和帮助。     

Impact of soil management practices on yield,fruit quality,and antioxidant contents of pepper at four stages of fruit development

Peppers, a significant component of the human diet in many regions of the world, provide vitamins A (β-carotene) and C, and are also a source of many other antioxidants such as capsaicin, dihydrocapsaicin, and phenols. Enhancing the concentration of antioxidants in plants grown in soil amended with recycled waste has not been completely investigated. Changes in pepper antioxidant content in relation to soil amendments and fruit development were investigated. The main objectives of this investigation were to: (i) quantify concentrations of capsaicin, dihydrocapsaicin, β-carotene, ascorbic acid, phenols, and soluble sugars in the fruits of Capsicum annuum L. (cv. Xcatic) grown under four soil management practices: yard waste (YW), sewage sludge (SS), chicken manure (CM), and no-much (NM) bare soil and (ii) monitor antioxidant concentrations in fruits of plants grown under these practices and during fruit ripening from green into red mature fruits. Total marketable pepper yield was increased by 34% and 15% in SS and CM treatments, respectively, compared to NM bare soil; whereas, the number of culls (fruits that fail to meet the requirements of foregoing grades) was lower in YW compared to SS and CM treatments. Regardless of fruit color, pepper fruits from YW amended soil contained the greatest concentrations of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin. When different colored pepper fruits (green, yellow, orange, and red) were analyzed, orange and red contained the greatest β-carotene and sugar contents; whereas, green fruits contained the greatest concentrations of total phenols and ascorbic acid.