Unusually high levels of extrapair paternity in a duetting songbird with long-term pair bonds

Previous studies suggest that extrapair young are very rare or absent in socially monogamous avian species that produce vocal duets. These results are generally consistent with functional hypotheses suggesting that duets may signal commitment between partners, or aid males as a paternity guard to ensure genetic as well as social monogamy. Additionally, species that exhibit social monogamy with the same partner across multiple breeding seasons tend to exhibit low levels of extrapair paternity, so duetting species that mate for life may be particularly likely to exhibit genetic monogamy. This study examined the social and genetic mating systems of California towhees (Pipilo crissalis), a duetting species thought to have life-long pair bonds. Observation of a color-banded population confirmed that California towhees exhibit long-term social monogamy. Known social families were genotyped at four microsatellite loci with high allelic diversity. Unexpectedly, paternity exclusion indicated that at least 13 of 31 (42%) nests contained extrapair young. All chicks exhibited maternal alleles, but 21 of 81 (26%) young were not the offspring of social fathers. Thus, in contrast to previous work, this study documents high frequencies of extrapair young among socially monogamous duetting birds with long-term pair bonds.     

The Coachella Valley Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan: A Decade of Delays

This article describes the history of the Coachella Valley Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan (CVMSHCP), in the Riverside County region of Southern California. When this collaborative biodiversity conservation planning process began, in 1994, local participants and supporters had numerous factors working in their favor. Yet, as of April 2007, nearly 13 years had passed without an approved plan. This is a common problem. Many multiple species habitat conservation plans now take more than a decade to complete, and the long duration of these processes often results in negative consequences. The CVMSHCP process became bogged down—despite strong scientific input and many political advantages—due to problematic relationships between the Plan’s local supporters, its municipal signatory parties, and officials from the state and federal wildlife agencies, particularly the regional office of the US Fish and Wildlife Service. This case study demonstrates the crucial importance of institutional structures and relationships, process management, and timeliness in habitat conservation planning. We conclude by offering several related recommendations for future HCP processes.     

南方山区生态环境观测成果与展望

20世纪80年代以来,中国科学院南方山区综合考察队和中国科学院千烟洲红壤丘陵综合开发试验站(简称千烟洲站)的历代科研工作者从自然资源综合科学考察到农业科技攻关示范,再到应用基础理论研究,一步一个台阶,不仅为红壤丘陵区的生态恢复和生态经济可持续发展作出了突出贡献,而且在南方红壤丘陵区典型生态系统的物质循环过程、机理及其对全球变化的响应和适应机制方面取得了新的进展。论文以千烟洲站的发展为主线,对南方山区生态环境观测成果与发展进行简单评述。     

江西定南县离子型稀土尾矿周边水体氮污染状况与分布特征

为探究"稀土王国"江西省赣南地区离子型稀土矿对周边水体环境的影响,以离子型稀土矿分布密集区定南县濂江月子河流域和龙迳河龙头流域为研究对象,综合分析研究区特征污染物ρ（NH₄+-N）空间分布特征,采用相关性分析和主成分分析揭示其主要污染来源及影响因素.结果表明:①离子型稀土矿停产整顿半年后,濂江月子河流域和龙迳河龙头流域ρ（NH₄+-N）超过1.00和2.00 mg/L的采样点分别达72%和68%;pH范围为2.95~7.66,平均值分别为6.23和5.53,水体总体上偏酸性;ρ（TN）、ρ（NH₄+-N）、EC与ρ（NO₃--N）变异系数较大,均介于0.80~1.50之间.②相关性分析结果显示,ρ（NH₄+-N）与ρ（TN）、EC均呈极显著正相关（P < 0.01）;ρ（NH₄+-N）与pH呈显著负相关（P < 0.05）.③流经稀土尾矿区的水体中ρ（NH₄+-N）随距离增加呈现明显的空间梯度分布特征,即距稀土矿区边界200 m处水体中ρ（NH₄+-N）最高（12.20~200.00 mg/L）,其次为1.15 km内（3.69~11.80 mg/L）及3.5 km以上水体（0.80~1.51 mg/L）,矿区周边未受到采矿活动影响的水体中ρ（NH₄+-N）最低（0.03~0.15 mg/L）.④PCA结果表明,2条河流的主要环境影响因子为ρ（TN）、ρ（NH₄+-N）、pH和EC,主要受到周边稀土矿山尾矿的强烈影响.研究显示,离子型稀土矿原位浸矿开采停产半年后,重点小流域水体中ρ（NH₄+-N）高概率超标的现状仍然存在,受稀土开采活动影响较大.建议进一步开展重点小流域NH₄+-N剩余"库容"精算和矿山周边地表水定期监测.      

乌鞘岭南、北坡降水稳定同位素特征及水汽来源对比

为了揭示季风边缘区降水中稳定同位素特征及水汽来源,利用2016年10月至2017年10月采集的97个降水样品,采用相关分析和HYSPLIT模型,对乌鞘岭南、北坡降水稳定同位素的特征、大气水线方程、温度和降水量效应、水汽来源进行了对比分析.结果表明,南坡大气降水线的斜率与截距低于全球大气水线(GMWL)和北坡大气降水线;南、北坡的同位素温度效应和季节效应明显,但北坡的温度效应比南坡更为明显;除北坡夏季和南坡降水量小于5 mm时降水稳定同位素表现出微弱的降水量效应,南、北坡其它季节或其它降水量级均无明显的降水量效应;来自西北和北方的水汽占90%以上,北坡受季风水汽影响极少,南坡夏季会受到东南季风影响,局地水汽再循环对乌鞘岭南、北坡水汽也有贡献.本研究可提高对高寒山区降水同位素演化的认知,为寒旱区同位素水文学的进一步研究奠定基础.     

我国典型南方城市臭氧污染特征

分析了我国典型南方城市的臭氧污染特征,选取我国4个有代表性的南方重点城市武汉、宁波、中山和南宁的2013—2015年监测数据,使用EXCEL、ORIGIN和MATLAB等统计软件开展研究,结果表明:我国南方典型城市的臭氧质量浓度分布有明显时间变化特征,超标时间跨度大,部分南方城市与氮氧化物存在较明显负相关性,相关系数高于-0.6;受城市所在不同地理位置、气象因素、大气扩散条件及可能的不同本地排放污染源构成等因素影响,4个城市的近3年臭氧浓度月均值、超标情况和年内峰值均存在一定差异和分组相似性;与部分气象因素也表现出显著相关性。     

曝气生物净化塘处理农村生活污水效果——以豫南地区商城县为例

为了提高农村生活污水治理效果的稳定性,同时考虑农村水生态景观建设需求,将具有强大调节能力的稳定塘技术、适合低浓度有机污水处理的接触氧化法和浅水湖泊草型清水稳态理论相结合,提出曝气生物净化塘工艺,应用于豫南地区商城县11个乡镇街区的农村生活污水处理,并选择其中4个典型案例运行1年的效果进行总结。结果表明:受乡镇街区的合流制排水系统、豫南地区多雨的气候特点及住户利用化粪池污水浇灌菜园习惯的影响,商城县各乡镇街区生活污水污染物浓度低且存在较大的波动性;曝气生物净化塘水力停留时间长,污水可在塘中完全混合,并形成适宜低污染物浓度净化的菌-草共生清水稳态系统,使净化后出水化学需氧量(COD_Cr)、氨氮(NH₃-N)、总氮(TN)、总磷(TP)指标均达到DB41/1820—2019《农村生活污水处理设施水污染物排放标准》一级标准,且出水COD_Cr、NH₃-N指标达到GB 3838—2002《地表水环境质量标准》Ⅳ类及以上水质标准。曝气生物净化塘适合低污染水平的农村生活污水的治理,且能形成清水型农村水生态景观。     

苏南地区的可持续发展问题初探

江苏省南部地区是我国经济相对发达的区域,其基本特点是人口较多、资源利用程度相对充分、环境压力相对较大,在发展中需要转变经济增长方式,合理利用资源和保护环境.实现可持续发展。     

USING GROUND WATER BASINS AS STORAGE FACILITIES IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA1

ABSTRACT: Southern California, now in its fifth consecutive year of drought, has always relied heavily on imported water from the Owens Valley, the State Water Project, and the Colorado River. For various reasons, these sources are now decreasing and water suppliers are being forced to look for new sources. One possible alternative is to store water obtained during peak supply periods for use during dry periods in ground water storage basins. The Santa Ana River Basin in Orange County has already been developed, and is being used to provide water to 25 cities in Orange County. The San Juan Basin, also in Orange County, is being studied as a possible future storage basin. This paper examines some of the positive and negative aspects of developing and using ground water storage basins in Southern California.     

从标准化建设后评估看基层环境监测站的发展

以江阴市环境监测站标准化建设后评估工作为例,介绍了近年来苏南地区县级环境监测站的发展状况,指出了影响基层环境监测站发展的一些问题,并就相关对策进行探讨。