Quantifying the impact of vegetation-based metrics on species persistence when choosing offsets for habitat destruction

Developers are often required by law to offset environmental impacts through targeted conservation actions. Most offset policies specify metrics for calculating offset requirements, usually by assessing vegetation condition. Despite widespread use, there is little evidence to support the effectiveness of vegetation-based metrics for ensuring biodiversity persistence. We compared long-term impacts of biodiversity offsetting based on area only; vegetation condition only; area × habitat suitability; and condition × habitat suitability in development and restoration simulations for the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia. We simulated development and subsequent offsetting through restoration within a virtual landscape, linking simulations to population viability models for 3 species. Habitat gains did not ensure species persistence. No net loss was achieved when performance of offsetting was assessed in terms of amount of habitat restored, but not when outcomes were assessed in terms of persistence. Maintenance of persistence occurred more often when impacts were avoided, giving further support to better enforce the avoidance stage of the mitigation hierarchy. When development affected areas of high habitat quality for species, persistence could not be guaranteed. Therefore, species must be more explicitly accounted for in offsets, rather than just vegetation or habitat alone. Declines due to a failure to account directly for species population dynamics and connectivity overshadowed the benefits delivered by producing large areas of high-quality habitat. Our modeling framework showed that the benefits delivered by offsets are species specific and that simple vegetation-based metrics can give misguided impressions on how well biodiversity offsets achieve no net loss.     

Tolerance of calluna vulgaris and peatland plant communities to sulphuric acid deposition

Critical loads offer a unique way of evaluating impacts of acid deposition by quantifying environmental sensitivity. The critical loads of acidity for UK peat soils have been based upon an arbitrary reduction in pH of 0.2 units. This chemical shift needs to be better related to adverse effects on sensitive biological receptors. It is known that effective precipitation pH equates closely to soil solution pH, and the latter is directly linkable to biotic effects of pH change. On continuation of a long-term experiment assessing impacts of simulated acid rain on peat microcosms in a realistic outdoor environment, Calluna vulgaris continued to flourish at acid deposition loads well above the existing critical load. Calluna plants were harvested and analysed, and acid deposition treatments to the microcosms continued to allow natural vegetation to regenerate. A diverse mixture of moorland plants and bryophytes established at acidity treatments well above the existing critical load, and only a very high acid load resulted in no natural regeneration. A critical effective rain pH value of 3.6 is suggested as a basis for setting critical loads. At this pH, Calluna grows well, and a healthy diverse vegetation community re-establishes when harvested. It is suggested that the peat critical load should be set at the acid load that, at any specific site, would result in a mean effective precipitation pH of 3.6.     

生物质气化洗焦废水的预处理和微生物降解

为了对生物质气化洗焦废水进行深度处理,达到废水排放标准,采用物理过滤和微生物降解相结合的方法,对洗焦废水的原液进行处理。实验结果表明,用木屑、颗粒活性碳、微生物降解的连续步骤处理生物质气化洗焦废水,可达到理想的生物质气化洗焦废水COD的去除效果。     

The challenges of sustainability in mining regions: The coal mining region of Santa Catarina, Brazil

Throughout history, mining communities have invariably found themselves striving for a good quality of life and a long‐term future. In the 21st century, problems of maintaining the economic vitality of mining regions are now compounded by concerns about the biophysical integrity of the local environment. In regions of the world where the economic viability of the resource is marginal and achieving a reasonable quality of life is a daily struggle, sustainable mining may seem to be a dubious prospect at best. Yet the twin imperatives of global political forces and burgeoning environmental concerns are requiring industry, governments and other interests to re‐conceptualize the way in which mining takes place in communities. Although mining itself may not be seen as an industry that contributes to the achievement of environmental objectives, it could — with careful planning — be used as a tool to foster a more sustainable and healthier community. This argument is considered in the context of the coal mining region of Santa Catarina, Brazil.     

六种有机物在亚/超临界水中氧化的反应动力学研究

为了给超临界水氧化设备工业化应用提供指导思路,本文设计制作了一套连续化的超临界水氧化仿工业化装置(压力为24MPa,H2O2过氧量倍数为3倍),选取甲基红、靛红、苯磺酸、对氨基苯磺酸、对二甲氨基苯甲醛、2,4-二硝基苯肼6种芳香烃化合物进行了从亚临界过渡到超临界状态下的水氧化试验,并以总有机碳(TOC)为表征研究了6种化合物的去除效果,以幂指数方程描述了6种化合物从亚临界到超临界的反应动力学参数。结果表明:6种有机物在亚临界至超临界点时间段内,反应物TOC的浓度随时间的变化呈现良好的线性下降趋势,且在亚临界状态下,足够的反应停留时间就能取得较好的TOC去除效果,而在超临界状态下,反应过程十分迅速,在较短的反应时间内也会取得较好的TOC去除效果,但随着反应时间的增加,在几分钟之内,TOC的去除率随时间的变化还是较为明显;6种有机物的反应活化能介于26.2～54.341kJ/mol之间,表明不同结构化合物SCWO反应的温度升高效应不同。     

Fenton氧化法处理有机污染物的降解规律探讨

为了预测新生或缺乏试验数据的含有机污染物废水的治理效果,本文通过试验对Fenton氧化法降解芳烃类、卤代物、杂环类等28种有机污染物的规律进行了研究。结果表明:在Fenton反应初始阶段,氧化反应剧烈,反应过程基本符合一级动力学方程,但随着时间的延长,反应趋于平缓;28种有机污染物色度平均去除率(Rcolor)为80.8±30.3%,TOC平均去除率(RTOC)为39.8±30.3%,约为色度平均去除率的0.44倍;以色度为表征的一级反应动力学常数(Kcolor)均大于对应的以TOC为表征的一级反应动力学常数(KTOC),且色度去除效率更高;Fenton氧化法对不同有机污染物的去除效果有显著差异,分子结构对称性强、水溶性较差的有机污染物如偶氮苯、蒽醌等的降解效果相对较差,而苯酚、苯胺等水溶性较好的有机污染物的降解效果相对较好,表明水溶性是影响有机污染物降解效果的重要因素。     

太湖湖滨带春季悬浮物沉降特征与水体营养盐响应

为研究湖滨带悬浮物沉降过程中水体营养盐时空分布状况,在太湖西岸湖滨带典型区域进行原位沉降实验,计算了沉降量和沉降通量,并对沉降过程中TP、TN、NH+4-N、NO-3-N测定分析.结果表明,太湖西岸湖滨带沉降通量表现为人工芦苇区近岸无植被区自然芦苇区远岸无植被区,平均沉降通量分别为(1 383.40±925.60)、(1 208.67±743.50)、(278.72±142.53)、(245.58±154.25)g·(m2·d)-1,沉降第6 d以后沉降量稳定上升,沉降速率大于分解速率;经过持续15 d野外沉降实验观测,沉降过程中近岸带的TP含量是远岸带的2~3倍,且沉积物捕获器内NH+4-N和NO-3-N含量出现显著的差异(P0.01);沉降量与水体TN和NH+4-N含量呈显著相关(P0.01,n=42),表明沉降量的增加会导致上覆水体TN与NH+4-N含量增加;TN与NH+4-N相关系数为0.84,显示沉降量的增加可能加速氮素不同形态间相互转化,这一现象在当前太湖湖泛治理中应当予以重视.     

湿热沿海海上风电机组环境适应性测试评价分析

海上风资源丰富,同时存在高温、高湿、盐雾、台风等恶劣环境因素。本文对福建沿海地区某海上风电机组进行为期一年的环境适应性测试,分别从温湿度监测、海盐粒子浓度监测、大气腐蚀等级测试、电器设备腐蚀环境监测及结构件防腐措施现场测试这几个方面进行评价分析,为服役于湿热沿海的风电机组在设计、制造、运行和维护方面提供一定的参考。     

Mapping the public first-aid training landscape: a scoping review

While the public can play a vital role in saving lives during emergencies, intervention is only effective if people have the skills, confidence, and willingness to help. This review employs a five-stage framework to systematically analyse first aid and emergency helping literature from 22 countries (predominately in Asia, Australia, Europe, and the United States). The review covers 54 articles that investigate public first-aid knowledge and uptake of first-aid training (40); public confidence in first-aid skills and willingness to help during an emergency (21); and barriers to or enablers of learning first aid and delivering first aid in an emergency (25). The findings identify high levels of perceived knowledge, confidence, and willingness to help, supporting the contention that the public can play a vital role during an emergency. However, the findings also point to low uptake levels, low tested skill-specific knowledge, and barriers to learning first aid and helping, indicating that the first-aid training landscape is in need of improvement.     

Influence of soil properties and aging on the toxicity of copper on compost worm and barley

Influence of soil properties and aging on Cu partitioning and toxicity was assessed on 10 artificial soils constituted using a statistical design considering pH (5.5 and 7.5), organic matter (1-30% [w/w]), and clay content (5-35% [w/w]). Total Cu as well as water-, CaCl2-, and diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA)-extracted Cu fractions were determined for each soil mixture. Ecotoxic effect was assessed by determining growth inhibition of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and compost worm (Eisenia fetida) mortality. Analyses were repeated after a 16-wk aging period of the soils at pH 7.5 (8 x 2-wk wetting and drying cycle). Results indicated that pH was the main factor controlling Cu partitioning, ahead of organic matter and clay content. Calcium chloride (0.5 M)-extracted Cu fractions showed the best correlation with toxic responses (r = 0.55-0.66; p < 0.05), while total and DTPA-extracted Cu concentrations could not explain differences in toxicity. Direct regressions between toxicity and soil properties (pH, organic matter, and clay content) provided better explanation of variance: r2= 0.50 (p = 0.00006) for compost worm mortality, r2= 0.77 (p < 0.00001) for barley shoot inhibition, and r2= 0.92 (p < 0.00001) for barley root inhibition. Copper toxicity was mainly influenced by pH and, to a lesser extent, by organic matter and clay content. Aging in organic soils revealed a slight reduction in ecotoxicity while an increase was observed in soils with low organic matter content. Further investigation using longer aging periods would be necessary to assess the significance of this observation.