Trace Element Concentrations and Bioindicator Responses in Tree Swallows from Northwestern Minnesota

Extremely high concentrations of cadmium (3.5 μg/g dry wgt.) and elevated concentrations of chromium (>10 μg/g dry wgt.) and mercury (1.6 μg/g dry wgt.) were reported in waterbird tissues at Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge in northwestern Minnesota in 1994. Tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) were studied during 1998–2001 at three drainages into the Refuge, two pools on the Refuge, and at a nearby reference location to document whether high levels of contaminants were still present, and if so to quantify the source and severity of the contamination. Trace elements were measured in tree swallow eggs, livers, and diet. Reproductive success and bioindicator responses were monitored. In 2000, water was drawn down on Agassiz Pool, one of the main pools on the Refuge. This presented an opportunity to evaluate the response of trace element concentrations in the diet and tissues of tree swallows after reflooding. High concentrations of trace elements were not detected in swallow tissues, nor were there differences among locations. Less than 20% of swallow samples had detectable concentrations of cadmium or chromium. Mercury concentrations were low and averaged <0.25 μg/g dry wgt. in swallow tissues. Trace elements, including mercury, did not increase in tree swallows following the 2000 drawdown at Agassiz Pool. Hatching success and survival of nestlings to 12 days-of-age for tree swallows on the Refuge were similar to the national average and consistent with background trace element concentrations. Bioindicator measurements were within the normal ranges as well.     

Application of Decision Analysis to Forest Road Deactivation in Unstable Terrain

Resource managers require objective methodologies to optimize decisions related to forest road deactivation and other aspects of road management, especially in steep terrain, where road-related slope failures inflict extensive environmental damage. Decision analysis represents a systematic framework that clearly identifies real options and critical decision points. This framework links current decisions with expected future outcomes and provides advantages such as a common currency to systematically explore the liability consequences of limited budget expenditures to road deactivation and other road-related activities. Furthermore, the decision framework prevents the analysis from becoming hopelessly entangled by the vast number of possibilities generated by the alternative occurrences, magnitudes, and consequences of landslide/debris flow events and provides the information required for the first step of an adaptive management process. Here, a structured analysis of potential environmental risks for a road deactivation project in coastal British Columbia, Canada is presented. The application of decision analysis generates a ranking of the expected benefits of proposed deactivation activities on various road sections. The ranking distinguishes between road sections that offer high expected benefit from those that offer moderate to low expected benefit. Seventeen of 171, 100–m road segments accounted for 18% of the cumulative cost and 98% of the cumulative expected net benefits from road deactivation. Furthermore, the cost of deactivating a section of road is related to the expected benefit from such deactivation, thus providing the basis for more effective resource allocation and budgeting decisions.     

毕节地区各土类水土保持树种的Fuzzy评价

根据毕节地区16个主要造林树种的生态生物学特性,结合本区气候和土壤生态条件,运用 Fuzzy 二级评价模型,对各土类水土保持树种的适宜程度进行了综合评价。     

黄荆自然保护区植物区系的初步研究

黄荆自然保护区地处四川盆地与云贵高原的过渡地带,地带性植被为亚热带偏湿性常绿阔叶林,有种子植物165科745属1521种,其中裸子植物9科19属24种,被子植物156科726属1497种.该区特殊的自然条件和复杂的地质构造,使其成为多种植物地理成分的汇集地,并成为我国乃至全世界亚热带(同纬度)地区保存较好的常绿阔叶林植被群落,具有极高的研究价值和生态价值.根据近年来的科学考察,认为黄荆自然保护区植物区系的种类丰富、珍稀特有植物较多、起源古老、区系成分复杂,显示出多方植物交汇的特点.     

基于能值-生命力指数的城市生态系统健康集对分析

综合考虑城市的生命体特征及物质能量代谢层面因素,依托城市生命力指数框架,结合能值指标,构建城市能值-生命力指数,以全面反映城市生态系统健康状况.引入集对分析这种不确定理论与方法,比较城市生态系统相对健康状况.采用基于集对分析的城市能值-生命力指数综合评价模型及信息熵权重,比较北京、上海、武汉、广州等16个城市的生态系统相对健康状况,结果表明,厦门、青岛、杭州、上海、北京健康水平相对较高,而乌鲁木齐、成都、哈尔滨健康水平相对较低,其他城市则为中等水平.     

滑坡灾害危险性评价模型比较

通过对庆元地区滑坡灾害的详细研究，比较讨论了单变量评价、决策树评价与逻辑回归法等3种滑坡危险性评价模型在实际应用中的效果。单变量模型最为简单，计算方便，得到的结果也具有较高的准确性，当收集到的滑坡因素越多，对滑坡发育的刻画越精确，则最终评价结果也越可信；决策树算法能迅速从大量样本中归纳出一般规则，并具有较高的精度，但其结果也受到训练样本数量大小和样本维数即参与评价的因素集数量的影响；逻辑回归模型具有计算方法简单、评价结果物理意义明确等突出优点，但需要有大量样本数据的支持才能取得较好的效果。     

TREE RING RECONSTRUCTIONS OF STREAMFLOW FOR THREE CANADIAN PRAIRIE RIVERS1

ABSTRACT: Information regarding long term hydrological variability is critical for the effective management of surface water resources. In the Canadian Prairie region, growing dependence on major river systems for irrigation and other consumptive uses has resulted in an increasing vulnerability to hydrological drought and growing interprovincial tension. This study presents the first dendrochronological records of streamflow for Canadian Prairie rivers. We present 1,113‐year, 522‐year, and 325‐year reconstructions of total water year (October to September) streamflow for the North Saskatchewan, South Saskatchewan, and Saskatchewan Rivers, respectively. The reconstructions indicate relatively high flows during the 20th Century and provide evidence of past prolonged droughts. Low flows during the 1840s correspond with aridity that extended over much of the western United States. Similarly, an exceptional period of prolonged low flow conditions, approximately 900 A.D. to 1300 A.D., is coincident with evidence of sustained drought across central and western North America. The 16th Century megadrought of the western United States and Mexico, however, does not appear to have had a major impact on the Canadian rivers. The dendrohydrological records illustrate the risks involved if future water policy and infrastructure development in the Canadian Prairies are based solely on records of streamflow variability over the historical record.     

桫椤群落内主要乔木种群的种间联结性

在相邻格子抽样调查的基础上,采用X^2检验、联结系数（Ac)和种间共出现百分率（Pc)等指标,分析了福建省永定桫椤群落内主要乔木种群的种间联结性。结果表明：除少数种对外,绝大多数种群间的联结性不显著,在联结性显著的种对中,下述7个种对之间有较高的正联结性：朴树－野鸦椿、青冈－黄瑞木、青冈－油柿、翻白叶树－拉氏栲、黄瑞木－油柿、 青冈－香叶树和Song木－盐肤木,就桫椤群落而言,桫椤与猴欢喜、水团花之间有一定的正联结,与广东润楠、黄瑞木、柳叶山 茶、朴树和野鸦椿有较紧密的负联结。图3参11     

Co-Partnership in Forest Management: The Gwira-Banso Joint Forest Management Project in Ghana

The involvement of local communities, as well as the private sector and the government in forest management is now an important principle of tropical forestry policy and practice and a major component of most international forestry aid programmes. This paper present an analysis on the Joint Forest Management Project initiated by two timber companies (Ghana Primewood Products Ltd and Dalhoff Larsen & Horneman) in collaboration with local people in Gwira-Banso of Ghana. Conditions required for enhancing responsibility for and commitment to local forest management, and for an effective local participatory process were also analysed. The study began with the premise that incentives and good communication will enhance participation in joint forest management.The assumption was valid and the results from the survey showed that five broad issues prioritised by respondents to be essential for co-partnership in forest management are communication, financial support, tree planting, multiple land use and benefit sharing. The Project enjoys a great deal of support from the local community, but a number of factors make the continued support of local people a challenging task, including questions of immediate livelihood sources and tenure arrangements. Although this participatory forest management has been implemented over a relatively short period, there is evidence that government and private sectors can successfully involve local people in sustainable management of the forests.     

福美胂在苹果树上的残留

调查了两个果园１５～２０年树龄的苹果树在连续用福美胂喷涂７～１０年后树根、树皮、枝条、叶片、果实和土壤的砷含量，并和未使用福美胂的果树含量做了比较。结果表明，果实中有砷积累，但未超过食品卫生标准。使用福美胂的树皮、技条、叶片中砷含量比未使用福美胂的高儿倍～十几倍，树皮和短梢叶含量最高。枝条和叶片与树皮的砷含量有密切正相关。土壤表层虽有轻度积累，但不会对土壤生态环境有太大影响。