Determinants of male mating success in the red bishop (Euplectes orix)

We studied sexual selection in the red bishop, Euplectes orix, a colonial, polygynous weaverbird widely distributed over sub-Saharan Africa. Male reproductive success measured in terms of the number of nests accepted by females and the number of eggs and nestlings in all the nests on a male's territory varied considerably. The standardized variance (variance/mean²) in male reproductive success ranged from 0.505 to 1.737 in different years, indicating a high potential for sexual selection in this species. An analysis of genetic parentage for 432 nestlings by non-radioactive, multilocus DNA fingerprinting confirmed that male reproductive success (number of young sired on the territory) in this species can be reliably estimated by the measures introduced above. In all 4 study years there was a strong positive correlation between male mating success and the total number of nests that males built in their territories. The number of nests built can be partitioned into the number of weeks a male held a territory and his nest-building performance. Both factors exert a significant positive effect on male mating success and in combination explained between 53.3 and 86.3% of the variation in male reproductive success. Male morphological characters were found to be of no importance. Males that established a territory in the following season built more nests and held their territories for longer than males that did not establish a territory in the following season, suggesting that these measures might be indicators of male condition and quality. Male nest-building performance (number of nests built per week) seems to be unrelated to male condition or quality. Received: 8 January 1999 / Received in revised form: 7 June 1999 / Accepted: 13 June 1999     

Variance in female quality, operational sex ratio and male mate choice in a bushcricket

Male bushcrickets, Kawanaphila nartee, exercise mate choice when nutrients are limited. Male mate choice is associated with a female-biased operational sex ratio (OSR) that arises from an increased relative paternal investment under nutrient limitation. However, increased male choosiness could be attributable to the fact that females vary more in fecundity, and consequently in mate quality, when nutrient limited. Our objective was to experimentally partition the influences of OSR (male or female bias) and variance in mate quality (high or low) and to assess their relative influence on the intensity of mate choice by male bushcrickets. Female quality was manipulated by controlled feeding regimes that directly affected female fecundity. We found that males and females engaged in sexual interactions sooner under a male-biased than a female-biased OSR. Males were more likely to reject females on their first encounter when variance in female quality was high. However, the effect of quality variance on the total number of rejections during a 4-h observation period was dependent on the perceived OSR. A male's prior experience of variance in female quality did not influence male choosiness. Our observed rates of mate rejection conformed well with those predicted from recent theoretical models of sexual differences in choosiness. In conclusion, our results show that the opportunity for selection via male mate choice is influenced by an interaction between OSR and the variance in mate quality that arises within nutrient-limited populations of females. Received: 5 January 1998 / Accepted after revision: 25 October 1998     

推广固硫型煤改善城市空气环境质量

本文论述了固硫型煤在燃煤锅炉尤其是小型茶炉,洗浴炉及采暖炉上具有能消烟,除尘,脱硫 性。目前推广固型改善城市空气环境质量是经济,简便,易于,有效的实用措施。     

长江下游重点江段水质污染及对鱼类的毒性影响

通过对长江下游安庆、南京、镇江、南通４江段水质污染及其对鱼类毒性影响的调查监测可发现,长江下游江段主航道水质较好,符合国家地面水Ⅱ类水质标准．但近岸带水质由于受污染带的影响,水质污染较严重,其主要污染物为石油类和挥发酚等．上述这些污染物质对鱼类具有一定的毒性影响,其不但可引起鱼类的急性中毒,而且可诱发鱼类产生微核,并对鼠伤寒沙门氏菌ＴＡ９８菌株表现出一定的致突变性．同时在上述几个江段鱼体内可检出较高的蓄积性污染物的残留量．研究结果显示,长江下游江段正在遭受沿江诸多工业废水的污染,尤其是污染带的作用,并且这种污染对区域性渔业有一定的影响     

Main particulate matter components in Saxony (Germany)

Aerosol filter samples have been collected nearby the industrialised basin of Leipzig in Saxony (Germany) at the research station Melpitz of the Institut für Troposphärenforschung e.V. (IfT). Time series (1992–1998) and a three year comparison (1995–1997) of two different aerosol filter sampling systems, the Sierra-Andersen-PM 10 high volume sampler (daily sample, PM 10 inlet) and the Rupprecht and Patashnik Co. Inc. Model Partisol 2000 (weekly sample, PM 10 and PM 2.5 inlet) are presented and discussed. The comparison of the different sampling systems and strategies yields small differences between the daily and weekly samples for mass and different ions, which may be influenced by sampling duration and flow rates. A general trend of change in aerosol composition was observed: Soot and Sulphate concentrations decreased whereas Nitrate and Ammonium concentrations increased. During summers the mass of coarse particles is higher than in other seasons. One reason could be found in the occurence of longer periods of dry ground surfaces enabling reemission of crustal and biological material. The time series have been integrated in a longer historical aerosol mass trend for Saxony and do show a good agreement. Since 1990 a significant downward trend in gravimetric mass concentration was found.     

New indicator approaches for effective urban air quality management

Measurements of urban air quality at monitoring stations in developed countries have frequently involved the criteria gaseous pollutants, particulates, hazardous air pollutants, perceived air quality and relevant meteorological conditions. Large numbers of indicators have therefore been established to quantify emissions, concentrations and environmental and human health impacts of each of these groups of substances. To simplify the data for management, several indicators have been grouped together to form urban air quality indices but the weightings of individual variables is contentious. In industrialising and developing countries, data may be limited and traditional air pollutant indicators cannot often be constructed. The emphasis therefore has to be placed on the development of policy-relevant indicators, such as Response Indicators that reflect different policy principles for regulating air pollutant emissions. Indices that quantify the air quality management capabilities and capacities at the city level provide further useful decision-relevant tools. Four sets of indices, namely, 1. air quality measurement capacity, 2. data assessment and availability, 3. emissions estimates, and 4. management enabling capabilities, and a composite index to evaluate air quality management capability, were constructed and applied to 80 cities. The indices revealed that management capability varied widely between the cities. In some of the cities, existing national knowledge on urban air quality could have been more effectively used for management. It was concluded that for effective urban air quality management, a greater emphasis should be given, not just to monitoring and data capture programmes, but to the development of indicators and indices that empower decision-makers to initiate management response strategies. Over-reliance on restricted, predetermined sets of traditional air quality indicators should be avoided.     

人工湿地系统用于地表水水质改善的效能及特征

在北京官厅水库附近建立潜流人工湿地(总面积:3×20m×2m),芦苇、蒲草混合种植,研究其在不同季节条件下对地表水的处理效能及特征,分析了进水浓度、水力负荷、温度对污染物去除率的影响.结果表明,系统对地表水有较好的处理效果,COD_Mn和NH₄⁺-N的出水浓度与进水浓度的回归关系遵从线性关系;系统对TN、TP的去除率分别为20%～60%和30%～45%;污染物的去除率随温度的降低而降低,随水力负荷率的增加而降低;COD_Mn、NH₄⁺-N和TN的去除率与其进水浓度呈正相关,而TP去除率与其进水浓度呈负相关.并研究建立了潜流湿地冬季运行管理措施.     

江苏海岸湿地水质污染特征与海陆一体化调控

2000年江苏海岸湿地人海河流河口淡水监测断面有30％的水质处于劣Ⅴ类,满足Ⅲ类水质的仅占10％;近岸海域海水监测断面有50％的水质处于Ⅳ标准。人类扰动的频率与强度的日益加大是水质污染的主要原因,而河流携带大量污染物是水质污染的主要途径。江苏海岸湿地水质污染防治的关键在于流域海陆水环境系统的一体化调控,侧重点是调控技术路线和水质污染控制层次的设计。环境管理控制区划的方案是：横向上由陆向海划分为上游流域、近岸陆域、海岸湿地和离岸海域4个环境控制带;纵向上自北向南以水系汇流特征、行政区划特征、海域特点划分为Ⅳ类环境功能区及若干亚区。     

沙尘天气对北京市空气质量的影响及其预测预报

概述了北京市沙尘天气的分类、特征、判别方法,总结了2000—2002年沙尘天气对北京市空气质量的影响情况,提出了沙尘天气影响空气质量的短期(1～2d)预报方法。利用该方法预报了2002年4次主要沙尘天气过程,预报结果都比较准确。研究发现沙尘天气年际变化主要是受气候条件年际变化影响,提出根据气候条件年际变化预测来进行沙尘天气年际变化预测的初步方法。      

污水回用中的循环浓缩水质模型与污水回用率

污水回用中因循环浓缩,存在着水质变差问题．探索其变化规律,定量确定运行参数,做到既节水又保证回用水质合格、稳定,具有重要理论和实用意义．通过数学归纳法推导出一个循环浓缩水质数学模型和计算杂用水质和污水回用率的公式．应用该模型,以厕所污水回用为例,就污水水质、污染物去除率、处理水质和杂用水质标准对杂用水质、污水回用率的影响进行讨论．结果表明,在符合城市杂用水水质标准的前提条件下,分别按生化需氧量、浊度、氨氮及色度等水质指标计算得出的污水回用率是65．3％,82．9％,57．5％和37％．在厕所污水回用中,色度为水回用率的限制指标．由于色度指标的限制,经计算水循环厕所的污水回用率一般不宜超过40％。