Change in avian functional fingerprints of a Neotropical montane forest over 100 years as an indicator of ecosystem integrity

Ecologically relevant traits of organisms in an assemblage determine an ecosystem's functional fingerprint (i.e., the shape, size, and position of multidimensional trait space). Quantifying changes in functional fingerprints can therefore provide information about the effects of diversity loss or gain through time on ecosystem condition and is a promising approach to monitoring ecological integrity. This, however, is seldom possible owing to limitations in historical surveys and a lack of data on organismal traits, particularly in diverse tropical regions. Using data from detailed bird surveys from 4 periods across more than a century, and morphological and ecological traits of 233 species, we quantified changes in the avian functional fingerprint of a tropical montane forest in the Andes of Colombia. We found that 78% of the variation in functional space, regardless of period, was described by 3 major axes summarizing body size, dispersal ability (indexed by wing shape), and habitat breadth. Changes in species composition significantly altered the functional fingerprint of the assemblage and functional richness and dispersion decreased 35–60%. Owing to species extirpations and to novel additions to the assemblage, functional space decreased over time, but at least 11% of its volume in the 2010s extended to areas of functional space that were unoccupied in the 1910s. The assemblage now includes fewer large-sized species, more species with greater dispersal ability, and fewer habitat specialists. Extirpated species had high functional uniqueness and distinctiveness, resulting in large reductions in functional richness and dispersion after their loss, which implies important consequences for ecosystem integrity. Conservation efforts aimed at maintaining ecosystem function must move beyond seeking to sustain species numbers to designing complementary strategies for the maintenance of ecological function by identifying and conserving species with traits conferring high vulnerability such as large body size, poor dispersal ability, and greater habitat specialization. Article impact statement: Changes in functional fingerprints provide a means to quantify the integrity of ecological assemblages affected by diversity loss or gain.     

Traditional agriculture in transition: examining the impacts of agricultural modernization on smallholder farming in Ghana under the new Green Revolution

Following the renewed effort at achieving a new green revolution for Africa, emphasis has been placed on modernizing smallholder agriculture through the deployment of improved inputs especially mechanized technologies. In Ghana, the government has in the last decade emphasized the provision of subsidized mechanized ploughing services to farmers alongside a rapidly growing private sector tractor service market. While mechanized technology adoption rates have increased rapidly, the deployment of these technologies has been without critical analysis of the impacts on production patterns and local agrarian systems. This paper examines the distributional impacts of agriculture mechanization on cropping patterns and farm sizes of smallholder farmers in northern Ghana using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) techniques, and semi-structured interviews with smallholder farmers (n=60). Specifically, comparative analysis of the field sizes and cropping patterns of participant farmers prior to and after the adoption of mechanized technologies was conducted. In-depth interviews were used to contextualize the experiences of smallholder farmers toward understanding how mechanization may be impacting traditional agriculture. Our findings reveal a mechanization paradox in which farm sizes are expanding, while cropping patterns are shifting away from traditional staple crops (pearl millet and sorghum bicolor) to market-oriented crops (maize, rice and groundnuts). This transition we argue, has adverse implications on the cultural dimension of food security, the organization of social life, and climate change adaptation. We recommend a retooling of the current agricultural policy focus to ensure context sensitivity for a more robust battle against food insecurity.     

我国人口资源与食物问题

人口增多,耕地减少,部分地区供水不足,是我国人口与资源矛盾的基本格局。由于人口的压力,对资源实行超强度的利用,使较大范围的地区生态环境恶化,严重威胁农业生产,并成为许多地区多灾、低产、贫困的根本原因,较低的食物人均占有水平,将继续成为中国国民经济发展和人民生活水平提高的严重限制因素。增加食物,必须挖掘资源的潜力,开源与节流相结合,以内涵挖潜为主。首先是要立足现有的耕地,致力于提高单产;同时,合理开发水域、山地、草地等资源,广辟食物来源,提高非耕地资源的生产力,提高林牧渔业的发展水平。耕地应以深度开发为主,走资源节约型(节地、节水、节时、节能)的集约化道路。     

基于土壤重金属特征的绿色食品产地环境评价——以重庆(江津)现代农业园区为例

以重庆市江津区现代农业园区内4种农用地类型的653个表层土样为研究对象,测定土壤重金属元素含量.依据绿色食品产地环境相关标准,采用重金属污染指数法对标准中所涉及的Cu、Cr、Cd、Hg、As和Pb共6种重金属元素开展土壤环境质量评价和潜在生态风险评价,并结合用地类型确定绿色农产品生产的适宜性土壤分区.结果表明：除元素Cu、Cr和As外,其他元素的平均含量均高于重庆市土壤背景值;除元素As和Hg外,其他元素的平均含量均高于我国土壤背景值.土壤重金属元素Cu、Cr、Cd、Hg、As和Pb的平均浓度均达到《绿色食品产地环境质量》标准要求,但Cd污染已处于安全警戒线内,应高度警惕和严格监管园区内该元素的污染.水田、旱地和果园的土壤环境均以尚清洁为主,其他园地的土壤环境以轻度污染水平为主.部分水田存在一定程度的Pb污染（轻度）、Hg污染（中度）和Cd污染（中度）,旱地存在一定程度的Hg污染（中度）和Cd污染（中度）,果园和其他园地的土壤存在一定程度的Cd的轻、中度污染.全区符合《绿色食品产地环境质量》标准要求的土壤面积为12.47km²,占农用地总面积的63.64%,旱地、果园、水田和其他园地中符合该标准的面积分别占各自总面积的84.83%、68.07%、56.51%和42.09%.4种用地类型的土壤环境生态风险水平均以低等为主,共占研究区总面积的74.70%.Cd和Hg在园区表层土壤重金属生态风险评估中占有较大的贡献率,应列为优先控制污染元素并对其生态效应开展进一步研究.     

不同基质生物炭对厌氧处理餐厨垃圾效能及微生态的影响

探究了剩余污泥（SS）、餐厨垃圾（FW）、玉米芯（CC）、甘蔗渣（BG）4种不同基质生物炭对厌氧生物处理餐厨垃圾效能的影响,对厌氧污泥的关键酶活性、微生物群落分布以及代谢途径等微生态进行了分析.结果表明,厌氧反应器分别加入4种生物炭后,COD平均去除率分别提高了29.49%、23.16%、29.42%、40.32%;傅里叶红外分析表明,投加SS生物炭组出水中羟基、酰胺基以及C-O-C伸缩振动峰减弱.4个厌氧反应器中厌氧污泥的乙酸激酶活性分别为0.40,0.42,0.96,0.98 μmol/g,表明投加CC与BG生物炭促进了餐厨垃圾的厌氧水解酸化过程;厌氧污泥胞外聚合物的蛋白质/多糖之比分别为0.415、0.56、1.89、2.8,投加CC、BG生物炭提高了污泥的稳定性.4个厌氧反应器中拟杆菌门、变形菌门、厚壁菌门为主要菌群,投加BG生物炭促进了变形菌门与厚壁菌门的生长;对于古细菌而言,甲烷杆菌属与甲烷丝菌属为优势种群,SS组的甲烷杆菌属丰度最高（53.48%）,而BG组中甲烷丝菌属丰度最高（42.72%）.KEGG功能分析表明古菌及细菌均以碳水化合物代谢、氨基酸代谢为主;而投加BG与SS生物炭后,微生物膜运输水平得到了提高.     

天津市河流生态完整性评价

对河流生态健康状况进行评价,可为河流治理和生态修复提供依据.基于2018年8—9月天津市河流现场调查获取的物理、化学和生物群落指标（浮游动物、浮游植物、底栖动物、鱼类、水生大型植物、陆生植物）数据,构建包含物理完整性、化学完整性和生物完整性在内的河流IEI（index of ecological integrity,生态完整性指数）评价体系,对天津市河流生态健康状况进行评价.根据生物栖息地评分和水质状况确定参照点位,采用标准化方法筛选候选指标,应用层次分析法计算三部分指标权重,最终得出天津市河流生态健康评价结果.结果表明:①IEI评价结果显示,天津市河流生态健康状况等级为“健康”的样点占18.8%,“较好”的样点占28.1%,“一般”的样点占40.6%,“较差”的样点占6.3%,“差”的样点占6.3%,天津市河流生态健康状况整体处于“一般”水平.②相关性分析表明,ρ（NH₄+-N）和ρ（COD_Mn）超标是造成天津市水质达不到功能区标准的主要原因,同时也是影响河流生态健康的主要因素.研究显示,IEI评价法能够较为敏感地响应研究区面临的环境压力,适用于评价研究区河流生态健康.      

油气田在役管道高后果区识别与完整性评价方法

根据油气管道建设与管理的相关标准与规范或导则,针对目前油气田在役管道,明确了其高后果区识别的划分及其在不同标准中的差异以及识别的原则和时间间隔,分别介绍了在管道的相关数据采集的基础上开展地质灾害和第三方破坏造成的管道风险评价方法,管道内外腐蚀的直接评价以及包括剩余强度、剩余寿命和材料在内的管道适用性评价方法,同时给出了这些评价工作所涉及到的相关内容项,对油田管道的完整性管理具有重要的指导作用和应用价值。     

Extractive Spectrofluorometric Determination of Quinalphos Using Fluorescein in Environmental Samples

A simple, sensitive, convenient and low cost spectrofluorometric technique for determination of quinalphos is described. Quinalphos is decomposed with sodium ethoxide. Resultant sodium diethyl thiophosphate (Na-DETP) is extracted with a cationic fluorescein as ion pair complex into 1-chloro-2-nitrobenzene. The fluorescence of the ion pair, fluorescein-DETP is measured at 530 nm after excitation at 490 nm. This technique is applicable for the determination of quinalphos in water, food grains and vegetable samples up to ng level with Amberlite XAD-4.     

Mulberry-silkworm food chain--a templet to assess heavy metal mobility in terrestrial ecosystems

Assessment of the food chain mobility of heavy metals inthe natural ecosystem receives more attention nowadays. Inthe present study, mulberry-silkworm food chain has beenfocused as a templet to assess the biomobility of heavymetals in soil-higher plant-insect hierarchy. Both in thecase of Cd and Cu treatments, higher mobility wasobserved in the level-1 (soil–root) followed by level-3(leaf–larva), level-4 (larvae–faecal) and level-2(root–leaf). Consequently, roots accumulated more amountsof Cd and Cu, with a limited transport to the leaves.Among the two metals (Cd and Cu) tested, in the plant,the transfer potential of Cd exceeds that of Cu. Whereasin the case of leaf–larval transfer, Cu precedes overCd. Accumulation of Cd and Cu in all the levels (1–4)tested showed a concentration dependent increase, except inthe level 4 (larva–faecal) of Cd treatment where adeclining trend was noticed.     

linking various aspects of atmospheric change through a systems analysis of food

Although interdisciplinary collaboration to address a singleenvironmental problem is more common than in the past, all toooften the significant atmospheric problems of our day such asstratospheric ozone depletion, acidic deposition or climaticchange are addressed on a single issue basis. Systems analysis isa way of looking at a problem in a holistic, integrated fashionthrough including as many as practicable of the importantcomponents, and the linkages among them. Systems analysisoften begins with a conceptual model which, even if lackingquantification, is a useful means of changing ones thinking to amulti-issue approach. If possible, conceptual models areoperationalized by quantification (using the best availablescientific knowledge) of the stocks and flows of the relevantcomponents of the problem, and the processes that are involved.In this paper, a systems approach to food production is used tolink various atmospheric issues such as regional acidification andclimatic change. A spreadsheet model of food demand andproduction in various world regions examined the possible effectof atmospheric change on how much food we can grow, andwhether or not we may be able to meet the increased demand inthe year 2025. Using relatively modest changes in factors ofagricultural production, the spreadsheet model calculated globalshortfalls by the year 2025 of the order of 10 to 20% in someimportant agricultural crops, despite the improvements in cropproduction factors that are envisaged by the Food andAgricultural Organization from now until the year 2010, and thatwere extrapolated in this paper to 2025. The model alsocalculated that climatic change in combination with eithertropospheric ozone or increased UV-B radiation caused bydepletion of the stratospheric ozone layer may in general makethe situation worse than in the case of climatic change alone.Given the large uncertainties in the input data, the results in thispaper should not be viewed as predictions but rather as anexample of taking a relatively simple systems approach to foodproduction using a spreadsheet model, and calculating the effectsthat various aspects of atmospheric change might have upon it.Therefore, it is extremely important to know the effects uponcrop production factors of climatic change, tropospheric ozoneand increased UV-B radiation not only as individual issues, butalso of their combined effect since it is probable that in manyregions they will occur in combination.