Ecological plasticity of nest-building behavior of the redwing (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Turdus iliacus</Emphasis> L.) in Karelia according to individual marking data

The placement of 1918 redwing nests has been analyzed, including 214 nests of 90 marked females (2–8 known nests per female). A high level of intraspecific and individual variation in utilization of different types of nest supports is described. It is shown that redwings choose nest sites without regard to previous experience (either positive or negative) or to the placement of their parent nest. Under conditions of the northern taiga, such behavior provides for significant reduction of chick mortality by the end of the season. This is con- firmed by comparison with the song thrush (T. philomelos), which nests mainly on spruce trees.     

Mortality and recruitment of mountain birch (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Betula pubescens</Emphasis> ssp. <Emphasis Type="Italic">czerepanovii</Emphasis>) in the impact zone of a copper-nickel smelter in the period of significant reduction of emissions: The results of 15-year monitoring

Long-term monitoring of mountain birch populations (1992–2006) was performed in 14 test plots located at distances of 1 to 63 km from the copper-nickel smelter in Monchegorsk (Murmansk oblast) and differing in the degree of disturbance. In the period from 1999 to 2006, atmospheric emissions of sulfur dioxide and heavy metals amounted to only one-third of those between 1992 and 1998, but birch mortality in heavily polluted areas (with nickel concentrations in leaves exceeding 160 mg/kg) remained at the same level, being absent (as previously) in less polluted areas. Throughout the observation period, birch recruitment was observed only in areas where nickel concentrations in the leaves were below 160 mg/kg; i.e., this concentration proved to be the threshold with respect to both mortality and recruitment of mountain birch. The course of demographic processes in its populations has remained unchanged after the reduction of emissions, confirming the hypothesis of the “inertial“ effect of industrial emissions on ecosystems. In some areas of industrial barrens, mountain birch may perish completely within the next decade.     

Emerging dynamics of environmental governance in northern post-productivist regions

The northern, resource-dependent regions of Canada have long faced distinctive social, economic, and environmental challenges and vulnerabilities. However, these regions and communities increasingly find themselves in a transitional and post-productivist context – the implications of which are largely unclear. Therefore, research is needed to identify the current and emerging challenges facing such regions and how environmental governance and planning must adjust to meet these challenges. We utilise the case study of the Northeast Superior region of Ontario to identify and analyse the dynamics developing in post-productivist, resource-dependent regions and what the implications may be for environmental governance. Several key themes and issues that emerged include an increasingly pluralistic context, new regionalism and north–south tensions, First Nation initiatives and power imbalances, and northern identities which are tied to ideas of historical resource-dependence, remoteness, and intimate and complex links to the landscape, all of which inform environmental governance and sustainability debates. As a result, the Northeast Superior case provides insight into these ongoing dynamics which encompass individuals, government, industry, organisations, and the landscape, with the resultant lessons being transferable to initiatives in other northern, remote, and circumpolar regions.     

DOMESTIC WASTEWATER TREATMENT BY PEATLANDS IN A NORTHERN CLIMATE: A WATER QUALITY STUDY1

ABSTRACT: The use of peatlands as the main form of wastewater treatment in a northern climate was studied for the James Bay Energy Society. The Fontanges campsite (70° 17′ 30″ W; 54° 34′ 00″ N) was chosen as the study site. In less than 1.5 km from the point of discharge BOD₅, COD, total hardness, inorganic carbon, orthophosphates, total phosphorus, ammonia and total nitrogen were reduced by at least 90 percent. The peatland treatment system studied is divided into four components, each having a specific function. The first part combines the action of microorganisms and adsorption on peat, thus reducing the organic content while increasing the inorganic constituents. The second part uses peat to adsorb the inorganic elements already present in the wastewater and those produced in the first part of the system. The third component acts as an aerator, increasing the dissolved oxygen and decreasing the BOD₅ levels of the water. The fourth part removes most of the remaining nutrients, thus acting like a tertiary treatment. Overall, peatlands seemed to be effective in treating domestic settled wastewater in a cold climate.     

Critical engagement,activist/academic subjectivities and organic agri-food research in Uganda

This paper provides a reflexive account of engagement in activist/academic organic agri-food research in Uganda. I argue that critical engagement across the third space – between and across activist and academic subjectivities – enables a re-thinking of the subjectivities of activist/academics and research participants and the place of research in social change and theory building. I demonstrate some of the multiple ways of enacting activism within the academy by reflecting on my critical engagement with the Katuulo Organic Pineapple Cooperative in Uganda, whose members grow certified organic pineapples for sale on the international market. While there is a growing interest in critical activist research, its agenda is also constrained by the corporatist turn in universities. As such, the subjectivities, methods and theory building of activist/academics in agri-food (and other) research represents part of the resistance to normalised ways of doing and being in contemporary neo-liberal universities.     

北方地区受污染河湖水体潜流湿地净化技术研究与工程应用

结合实验研究和工程应用实践,在湿地填料选择、水力负荷变化、植物特性、结构优化、越冬运行等方面,对我国北方地区潜流人工湿地设计、建设、运行管理中的关键技术问题开展了系统、深入研究.结果表明:石灰石、粗砂等脱氮除磷综合效果较好,且取材方便、价格便宜,应是人工湿地主选填料,钢渣、褐铁矿除磷效果良好、沸石的氨氮吸附能力强,可作为辅助材料;湿地植物对水质净化贡献约为5%～15%,其地上部分的生物量移除贡献不足5%,湿地植物对系统水力负荷维持、冬季保温、生态景观等还具有较大贡献;以植物保温为主,结合冰下取水、水位管理等可实现北方地区潜流湿地冬季正常运行;优化提出了竖向复合流湿地结构,具有节约用地、硝化-反硝化作用效果显著、抗淤堵等特点.研究成果已在工程实践中得到成功应用,对人工湿地在我国北方地区的推广应用具有重要借鉴意义.     

秦岭中段北坡不同海拔土壤中细菌群落的分布特征及区域差异比较

为深入理解土壤细菌群落沿海拔梯度的分布特征,以秦岭山脉中段的朱雀国家森林公园朱雀山北坡（简称“朱雀北坡”）与太白山自然保护区太白山北坡（简称“太白山北坡”）为研究区域,海拔梯度上每隔400 m设置采样点,通过高通量测序研究土壤细菌群落的海拔变化规律及其关键影响因素.结果表明:研究区域内,随海拔升高,土壤pH趋于降低（太白山北坡不明显）,w（TC）、w（TN）、w（TOC）均显著升高,w（TP）也趋于升高（朱雀北坡不明显）.两个区域土壤细菌中相对丰度最高的均为变形菌门和酸杆菌门,朱雀北坡随海拔梯度变化显著的细菌主要包括变形菌门、硝化螺旋菌门、浮霉状菌门、酸杆菌门、放线菌门,其中,硝化螺旋菌门相对丰度与海拔呈正相关,放线菌门相对丰度与海拔呈负相关;太白山北坡随海拔梯度变化显著的细菌主要包括放线菌门、疣微菌门、浮霉状菌门、绿弯菌门,其中,放线菌门相对丰度与海拔呈负相关,其余三者相对丰度与海拔呈正相关.两个区域土壤细菌多样性指数（如Shannon-Wiener指数、Chao1指数、observed-species指数、PD_whole_tree指数等）沿海拔梯度均无明显变化规律,但太白山北坡数值整体上高于朱雀北坡.典范对应分析（canonical correlation analysis,CCA）结果显示,影响朱雀北坡和太白山北坡土壤细菌群落结构的主要因素均为pH和w（TOC）.研究显示,不同海拔梯度也是导致秦岭中段北坡土壤细菌群落差异的重要因素.      

陕北矿区典型河流多环芳烃的赋存特征、来源及毒性风险分析

为研究陕北矿区内典型河流窟野河水体中多环芳烃(PAHs)的赋存水平、空间分布、来源和生态风险,采用高效液相色谱-二极管阵列检测器串联荧光检测器法,对研究区水体中59个采样点的16种PAHs进行了定量检测分析.结果表明,窟野河水体中■范围为50.06～278.16 ng·L^-1,平均值为128.22 ng·L^-1;单体浓度范围为0～121.22 ng·L^-1,其中■的检出浓度最高,平均值为36.58 ng·L^-1,其次是苯并[a]蒽和菲;各单体检出率均在70%以上,12种单体的检出率为100%; 59个采样点中4环PAHs的相对丰度较大,占比范围为38.59%～70.85%;各采样点间浓度差异显著,浓度高值点主要集中在矿业活动工业区和人口密集区;与国内外其它河流相比,窟野河水体中PAHs浓度处于中等水平.运用正定矩阵因子分解法(PMF),结合特征比值法,对PAHs的来源种类与来源贡献进行了定量分析,表明窟野河中上游工业区水体中PAHs主要来源于焦化和石油类物质排放(34.67%)、煤炭燃烧(30.62...     

我国大兴安岭北部鱼类资源现状

根据１９９０－１９９４年调查结果表明,我国大兴岭北部现有淡水鱼类计７目５亚目１４科,１４亚科４７属６８种,其中经济鱼类２２种。与８０年代初期相比,有８目２亚目１０科２亚科２９属３３种鱼类未采集到标本,经济鱼类资源少了１７种。