Performance of IUCN proxies for generation length

One of the criteria used by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to assess threat status is the rate of decline in abundance over 3 generations or 10 years, whichever is longer. The traditional method for calculating generation length (T) uses age‐specific survival and fecundity, but these data are rarely available. Consequently, proxies that require less information are often used, which introduces potential biases. The IUCN recommends 2 proxies based on adult mortality rate, = α + 1/d, and reproductive life span, = α + z^*RL, where α is age at first reproduction, d is adult mortality rate, RL is reproductive life span, and z is a coefficient derived from data for comparable species. We used published life tables for 78 animal and plant populations to evaluate precision and bias of these proxies by comparing and with true generation length. Mean error rates in estimating T were 31% for and 20% for , but error rates for were 16% when we subtracted 1 year ( ), as suggested by theory; also provided largely unbiased estimates regardless of the true generation length. Performance of depends on compilation of detailed data for comparable species, but our results suggest taxonomy is not a reliable indicator of comparability. All 3 proxies depend heavily on a reliable estimate of age at first reproduction, as we illustrated with 2 test species. The relatively large mean errors for all proxies emphasized the importance of collecting the detailed life‐history information necessary to calculate true generation length. Unfortunately, publication of such data is less common than it was decades ago. We identified generic patterns of age‐specific change in vital rates that can be used to predict expected patterns of bias from applying .     

Using environmental heterogeneity to plan for sea‐level rise

Environmental heterogeneity is increasingly being used to select conservation areas that will provide for future biodiversity under a variety of climate scenarios. This approach, termed conserving nature's stage (CNS), assumes environmental features respond to climate change more slowly than biological communities, but will CNS be effective if the stage were to change as rapidly as the climate? We tested the effectiveness of using CNS to select sites in salt marshes for conservation in coastal Georgia (U.S.A.), where environmental features will change rapidly as sea level rises. We calculated species diversity based on distributions of 7 bird species with a variety of niches in Georgia salt marshes. Environmental heterogeneity was assessed across six landscape gradients (e.g., elevation, salinity, and patch area). We used 2 approaches to select sites with high environmental heterogeneity: site complementarity (environmental diversity [ED]) and local environmental heterogeneity (environmental richness [ER]). Sites selected based on ER predicted present‐day species diversity better than randomly selected sites (up to an 8.1% improvement), were resilient to areal loss from SLR (1.0% average areal loss by 2050 compared with 0.9% loss of randomly selected sites), and provided habitat to a threatened species (0.63 average occupancy compared with 0.6 average occupancy of randomly selected sites). Sites selected based on ED predicted species diversity no better or worse than random and were not resilient to SLR (2.9% average areal loss by 2050). Despite the discrepancy between the 2 approaches, CNS is a viable strategy for conservation site selection in salt marshes because the ER approach was successful. It has potential for application in other coastal areas where SLR will affect environmental features, but its performance may depend on the magnitude of geological changes caused by SLR. Our results indicate that conservation planners that had heretofore excluded low‐lying coasts from CNS planning could include coastal ecosystems in regional conservation strategies.     

Applying network theory to prioritize multispecies habitat networks that are robust to climate and land‐use change

Designing connected landscapes is among the most widespread strategies for achieving biodiversity conservation targets. The challenge lies in simultaneously satisfying the connectivity needs of multiple species at multiple spatial scales under uncertain climate and land‐use change. To evaluate the contribution of remnant habitat fragments to the connectivity of regional habitat networks, we developed a method to integrate uncertainty in climate and land‐use change projections with the latest developments in network‐connectivity research and spatial, multipurpose conservation prioritization. We used land‐use change simulations to explore robustness of species’ habitat networks to alternative development scenarios. We applied our method to 14 vertebrate focal species of periurban Montreal, Canada. Accounting for connectivity in spatial prioritization strongly modified conservation priorities and the modified priorities were robust to uncertain climate change. Setting conservation priorities based on habitat quality and connectivity maintained a large proportion of the region's connectivity, despite anticipated habitat loss due to climate and land‐use change. The application of connectivity criteria alongside habitat‐quality criteria for protected‐area design was efficient with respect to the amount of area that needs protection and did not necessarily amplify trade‐offs among conservation criteria. Our approach and results are being applied in and around Montreal and are well suited to the design of ecological networks and green infrastructure for the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services in other regions, in particular regions around large cities, where connectivity is critically low.     

Defending the scientific integrity of conservation‐policy processes

Government agencies faced with politically controversial decisions often discount or ignore scientific information, whether from agency staff or nongovernmental scientists. Recent developments in scientific integrity (the ability to perform, use, communicate, and publish science free from censorship or political interference) in Canada, Australia, and the United States demonstrate a similar trajectory. A perceived increase in scientific‐integrity abuses provokes concerted pressure by the scientific community, leading to efforts to improve scientific‐integrity protections under a new administration. However, protections are often inconsistently applied and are at risk of reversal under administrations publicly hostile to evidence‐based policy. We compared recent challenges to scientific integrity to determine what aspects of scientific input into conservation policy are most at risk of political distortion and what can be done to strengthen safeguards against such abuses. To ensure the integrity of outbound communications from government scientists to the public, we suggest governments strengthen scientific integrity policies, include scientists’ right to speak freely in collective‐bargaining agreements, guarantee public access to scientific information, and strengthen agency culture supporting scientific integrity. To ensure the transparency and integrity with which information from nongovernmental scientists (e.g., submitted comments or formal policy reviews) informs the policy process, we suggest governments broaden the scope of independent reviews, ensure greater diversity of expert input and transparency regarding conflicts of interest, require a substantive response to input from agencies, and engage proactively with scientific societies. For their part, scientists and scientific societies have a responsibility to engage with the public to affirm that science is a crucial resource for developing evidence‐based policy and regulations in the public interest.     

中国典型河湖水体铅的水生生物安全基准与生态风险评价

采用物种敏感度排序法(SSR)对我国铅的淡水水生生物安全基准进行推导,并以太湖为例进行了流域水生生物安全基准推导。对于难以获得的本土生物毒性数据,开展了相应的毒性试验。获得了我国国家与太湖流域铅的水生生物安全基准值,基准最大浓度(CMC)分别为63.92、104.26μg·L-1,基准连续浓度(CCC)分别为1.21、4.06μg·L-1。同时,对我国主要河流以及太湖流域进行了铅的生态风险评价,联合概率曲线法显示影响5%水生生物种类的概率分别为66.22%和43.19%,熵值法则显示中国主要河流存在较大的铅暴露风险,因此,我国铅的潜在生态风险较大,主要河流与太湖流域存在铅污染问题。     

温度和储存基质对储存后厌氧颗粒污泥特性的影响

温度和储存基质是颗粒污泥储存过程中的重要控制因子.本文选取某IC反应器内典型厌氧颗粒污泥(AGS)为对象,研究了温度和储存基质对储存后AGS理化性质、结构特征和菌群结构的影响.结果显示,常温(20℃)和添加基质可减缓储存过程中AGS粒径下降,维持形状稳定.中温(35℃)利于削减储存液中积累的酪氨酸、色氨酸等芳香性氨基酸,但会增加难降解腐殖酸类物质积累.中温条件适于短期储存(1.5个月)过程中维持颗粒污泥结构稳定,而常温适于长期储存(3个月).不同条件储存后,污泥中的优势菌群在门水平和属水平相似,分别为Chloroflexi、Bacteriodetes、Euryarchaeota、Hyd24-12和Anaerolinea、Bacteroidales、T78、Methanobacterium、Methanosaeta.但功能菌群受温度影响变化显著,常温条件下产甲烷菌群相对丰度下降至2.70%~3.00%,而发酵菌群丰度提高至65.90%~67.40%.中温和基质对污泥菌群结构影响较小.综合而言,常温利于维持AGS理化性能和结构稳定,中温利于维持菌群活性和结构稳定,基质添加利于增强AGS的综合性能,但效果不显著.     

过氧化钙去除水中糖皮质激素的响应面分析

结合响应面方法Box-Behnken实验设计,对过氧化钙降解代表性糖皮质激素曲安奈德过程中的影响因素（过氧化钙投加量、溶液初始pH值、反应时间、糖皮质激素初始浓度）进行了探讨与分析,并对反应条件进行了优化.得出最优反应条件为：过氧化钙投加量4g/L;溶液初始pH值5.7,反应时间15.7min,初始TA浓度为0.06mmol/L.最优条件下模型预测的目标物降解率（88.6%）和实验得出的降解率（82.8%）数值接近,说明此响应面模型能够较准确预测过氧化钙对糖皮质激素的去除效果,并用电子顺磁共振仪对过氧化钙降解有机物过程中的作用自由基进行了检测.研究结果对过氧化钙技术去除有机污染物的发展有一定的参考价值.     

都昌县多宝砂山物种多样性研究及保护初探

对鄱阳湖都昌县多宝砂山地区土地风沙化过程中物种多样性的变化特征进行了分析,依据植物种在各类型风沙化土地的出现频率与不同风沙化阶段各生活型植物种的组成,探讨了风沙化过程中植物种的绝灭与定居特点.物种多样性指数分析表明:风沙化过程是物种多样性衰减的过程,风沙化首先导致特有种的绝灭,其次为稀有种.从植物的生活型来看,多年生草本与乔木类植物受风沙化影响最大,而灌木类植物可存活于风沙化过程的各个阶段,在风沙化过程中植物种的绝灭速率大于定居速率.最后,针对造成多宝砂山生物多样性衰减的原因,提出了治理对策,即在控制人类行为干扰的同时,要加强对固定沙丘的管理与保护.      

2003～2005年大亚湾水螅水母类生态研究

根据2003年12月-2005年5月对大亚湾纬度22．563°以北海域进行的7个航次海域生态环境监测资料,对大亚湾水螅水母类的种类组成及优势种、数量分布、区系特征等作了探讨,结果表明:本次调查,大亚湾共出现水螅水母类40种,其中大洋性种有6种,其总N／O值为5．67,表明本海区水螅水母类的近岸性较强;四叶小舌水母(Liriope tetraphylla)是第一优势种,占水螅水母丰度的27．59％;大亚湾海域水螅水母类,其动物地理区划属印度-西太平洋区印-马亚区。     

成渝地区典型中小城市VOCs污染特征、臭氧生成潜势及来源分析

为了解成渝地区中小城市VOCs污染特征及其来源,选取该区域典型代表城市-遂宁市为研究对象,利用2019年不同时间不同功能区106种VOCs离线观测数据,研究了该市VOCs污染水平和时空特征,分析了VOCs主要成分及其对臭氧的影响,并进行了源解析。结果显示：(1)遂宁市大气中VOCs平均体积分数为39.4×10^-9,8月的浓度较高,其空间排序为工业区>城郊区≈文教区。(2)OVOCs和烷烃是VOCs主要组分,占比达73.4%,且不受时间和空间限制;工业区不同组分浓度均高于城郊区和文教区,城郊区和文教区的同组分占比相差较小;丙酮和乙烷是VOCs中体积分数最大的物种,占总体积分数的37.8%。(3)VOCs组分对OFP贡献率顺序为烯烃>芳香烃>OVOCs>烷烃>炔烃>卤代烃>有机硫,前4类组分对OFP贡献率达97.6%,烯烃对OFP贡献率不仅每日最大,而且还呈现“城郊区>文教区>工业区”空间分布态势;异戊二烯、乙烯是OFP最大的物种,在不同功能区其OFP均高于其他物种,是遂宁市臭氧防治关注重点。(4)VOCs排放源及...