Beyond selectivity: Are behavioral avoidance and hormesis likely causes of pyrethroid-induced outbreaks of the southern red mite Oligonychus ilicis?

Secondary pest outbreak is a counterintuitive ecological backlash of pesticide use in agriculture that takes place with the increase in abundance of a non-targeted pest species after pesticide application against a targeted pest species. Although the phenomenon was well recognized, its alternative causes are seldom considered. Outbreaks of the southern red mite Oligonychus ilicis are frequently reported in Brazilian coffee farms after the application of pyrethroid insecticides against the coffee leaf miner Leucoptera coffeella. Selectivity favoring the red mite against its main predatory mites is generally assumed as the outbreak cause, but this theory has never been tested. Here, we assessed the toxicity (and thus the selectivity) of deltamethrin against both mite species: the southern red mite and its phytoseid predator Amblyseius herbicolus. Additionally, behavioral avoidance and deltamethrin-induced hormesis were also tested as potential causes of red mite outbreak using free-choice behavioral walking bioassays with the predatory mite and life-table experiments with both mite species, respectively. Lethal toxicity bioassays indicated that the predatory mite was slightly more susceptible than its prey (1.5×), but in more robust demographic bioassays, the predator was three times more tolerant to deltamethrin than its prey, indicating that predator susceptibility to deltamethrin is not a cause of the reported outbreaks. The predator did not exhibit behavioral avoidance to deltamethrin; however insecticide-induced hormesis in the red mite led to its high population increase under low doses, which was not observed for the predatory mite. Therefore, deltamethrin-induced hormesis is a likely cause of the reported red mite outbreaks.     

Setting the most robust effluent level under severe uncertainty: Application of information-gap decision theory to chemical management

Decisions in ecological risk management for chemical substances must be made based on incomplete information due to uncertainties. To protect the ecosystems from the adverse effect of chemicals, a precautionary approach is often taken. The precautionary approach, which is based on conservative assumptions about the risks of chemical substances, can be applied selecting management models and data. This approach can lead to an adequate margin of safety for ecosystems by reducing exposure to harmful substances, either by reducing the use of target chemicals or putting in place strict water quality criteria. However, the reduction of chemical use or effluent concentrations typically entails a financial burden. The cost effectiveness of the precautionary approach may be small. Hence, we need to develop a formulaic methodology in chemical risk management that can sufficiently protect ecosystems in a cost-effective way, even when we do not have sufficient information for chemical management. Information-gap decision theory can provide the formulaic methodology. Information-gap decision theory determines which action is the most robust to uncertainty by guaranteeing an acceptable outcome under the largest degree of uncertainty without requiring information about the extent of parameter uncertainty at the outset. In this paper, we illustrate the application of information-gap decision theory to derive a framework for setting effluent limits of pollutants for point sources under uncertainty. Our application incorporates a cost for reduction in pollutant emission and a cost to wildlife species affected by the pollutant. Our framework enables us to settle upon actions to deal with severe uncertainty in ecological risk management of chemicals.     

基于数据库的污染场地流程管理初步设计

污染场地是工业化发展的产物,中国的污染场地修复与管理尚处于起始阶段,如何实现国家层面对污染场地的有效监管是一个重要课题。在国家污染场地信息管理数据库框架基础上,提出了以流程管理(BPM)架构技术和业务流程引擎技术为基础构建支持跨平台和跨系统的数据采集、处理和分析的BPM运行平台,设定了污染场地管理的主要机构和相应主要角色,还设计了污染场地资料入库和分类评估的管理流程,以期为中国污染场地的计算机化和网络化监管平台建设提供参考和借鉴。     

连片生态浮床对微污染河水的净化效果

选取漕桥河的支流庙尖浜作为实验河段,以睡莲(Nymphaea alba)、菖蒲(Acorus calamus Linn)和水芹(Oenan-the javanica(Blume)DC)作为微污染水体净化的浮床植物,研究连片生态浮床的净化能力随季节的变化和浮床面积对连片生态浮床净化能力的影响。结果显示,秋-冬-春季节内植物的净化能力随季节变化呈"U"型,相应的河水水质的变化呈一个倒置的"U"型;在一定营养负荷和植物正常生长状况下,沿水流方向,氮、磷含量随浮床面积的增加而降低——春季时,随浮床面积增加,菖蒲区对TN的去除率由8.6%增加到26.7%,TP的去除率由17.1%增加到58.2%,水芹区对TN和TP的去除率最高可达22.0%和28.0%。研究表明连片生态浮床是河道水质改善的有效可行的方法之一,可为太湖入湖河流的营养物质控制提供科学依据。     

利用沉水植物生长期收割进行富营养化水体生态管理的实地研究

在以再生水为补水水源的圆明园玉玲珑水域进行沉水植物收割实验,自2011年4—12月间每隔半个月监测一次水质。结果表明,通过在生长期收割沉水植物,玉玲珑水体TP、SRP、TN、NH4+-N、NO3--N和COD的平均浓度可维持在0.1、0.04、0.86、0.1、0.32和18 mg/L左右,水质保持在Ⅲ类至Ⅳ类地表水之间;与之对照的不收割沉水植物的玉玲珑进水口水域,9月沉水植物开始死亡腐烂,TP、SRP、TN、NH4+-N最高分别可达0.5、0.1、2.4和0.60 mg/L;作为对照的另一以挺水植物为主的水域,水质普遍劣于有大量沉水植物生长的水域,TP、SRP、TN、NH4+-N最高分别可达1.2、0.60、6.1和0.61mg/L。圆明园的实地实验表明,沉水植物有很强的净化水质作用,通过生长期收割,能够进一步强化其水质净化作用,可以作为一项对富营养化水体进行生态管理的有效措施进行推广。     

基于WTA的湿地周边农户受偿意愿及影响因素研究

为了实现鄱阳湖湿地生态系统的可持续发展,促进公平合理的湿地保护局面的形成,对鄱阳湖湿地周边农户家庭生产生活的基本情况、生态环境的认知、以及基于禁渔期、保护候鸟和封洲禁牧等保护措施的生态补偿意愿进行了深入调查。结果表明：（1）鄱阳湖周边农户的家庭收入与湿地紧密相关,湖区农户具有一定的湿地生态环境认知和生态保护意识;（2）193份有效问卷中愿意接受补偿的比例高达881%,农户户均生态补偿意愿为3399元/(a·户),由此估算出鄱阳湖湿地生态补偿额约为每年582亿元;（3）Tobit回归模型的计量分析结果表明,农户的受偿意愿受年龄、生态效益的认知及生态保护态度的显著影响,研究认为提高农户的生态保护意识、对湖区农户进行合理的生态补偿是解决湿地保护与可持续发展问题的关键。     

拜耳法赤泥粒径分级预处理的研究

赤泥是从铝土矿中提取氧化铝的过程中产生的工业废渣.分析了拜耳法赤泥的粒径分布,以及主要化学组成和矿物组成在不同粒径赤泥中的变化规律.在此基础上,提出先将赤泥粒径分级预处理,然后根据粗细粒径赤泥的差异分别进行回收利用的思路.研究结果表明,赤泥中粒径大于0.075 mm的粗颗粒以铁、硅、钙为主,实践证明可以通过磁选或重选工...     

退化河流滨岸带生态系统的修复及评价研究进展

退化河流滨岸带生态系统修复及其评价是目前国内外学者研究的热点,也是修复生态学、流域生态学等学科研究的重要内容之一。河流滨岸带生态修复工作的开展必须建立在掌握滨岸带结构及其生态功能的基础上。河流滨岸带生态系统退化成因和驱动机制研究是进行滨岸带生态修复工作的前提;生态系统修复是滨岸带研究的重点和关键,必须遵循自然法则,以修复生态功能为最终目标;河流滨岸带生态系统的修复过程和效果应该建立适宜的评价方法和管理策略来确定。加强河流滨岸带退化机制的理论研究及3S技术的应用,从景观和流域尺度开展滨岸带生态修复的研究和实践工作,着重进行平原河网地区河流滨岸带生态修复的研究和实践工作等将是中国今后相关研究的重点。     

论基于EGIS平台的放射源管理系统的开发

放射源管理系统是一种基于环境地理信息系统平台的资源管理系统,是GIS技术与环境监测技术、环境管理技术、数据库技术等各种环境信息分析和处理技术的集成。系统为环保部门提供了一个功能强大的空间信息服务和管理工具,可以直观、方便地获取放射源的监控、管理等数据信息,为环境管理部门的决策提供依据。     

浅谈对热电企业的环境监督管理

对热电企业的环境监管工作是环保部门的重要职责,根据在对热电企业日常监管中遇到的问题,论述了监管的常用方法,包括监督企业环境管理落实情况、核查企业环保数据真实性及重视群众对企业的监督,并就相关工作展开了具体讨论。