Effectiveness of Scat‐Detection Dogs in Determining Species Presence in a Tropical Savanna Landscape

Abstract: Most protected areas are too small to sustain populations of wide‐ranging mammals; thus, identification and conservation of high‐quality habitat for those animals outside parks is often a high priority, particularly for regions where extensive land conversion is occurring. This is the case in the vicinity of Emas National Park, a small protected area in the Brazilian Cerrado. Over the last 40 years the native vegetation surrounding the park has been converted to agriculture, but the region still supports virtually all of the animals native to the area. We determined the effectiveness of scat‐detection dogs in detecting presence of five species of mammals threatened with extinction by habitat loss: maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus), puma (Puma concolor), jaguar (Panthera onca), giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla), and giant armadillo (Priodontes maximus). The probability of scat detection varied among the five species and among survey quadrats of different size, but was consistent across team, season, and year. The probability of occurrence, determined from the presence of scat, in a randomly selected site within the study area ranged from 0.14 for jaguars, which occur primarily in the forested areas of the park, to 0.91 for maned wolves, the most widely distributed species in our study area. Most occurrences of giant armadillos in the park were in open grasslands, but in the agricultural matrix they tended to occur in riparian woodlands. At least one target species occurred in every survey quadrat, and giant armadillos, jaguars, and maned wolves were more likely to be present in quadrats located inside than outside the park. The effort required for detection of scats was highest for the two felids. We were able to detect the presence for each of five wide‐ranging species inside and outside the park and to assign occurrence probabilities to specific survey sites. Thus, scat dogs provide an effective survey tool for rare species even when accurate detection likelihoods are required. We believe the way we used scat‐detection dogs to determine the presence of species can be applied to the detection of other mammalian species in other ecosystems.     

强制电流阴极保护阳极地床杂散电流干扰特性研究*

为研究杂散电流干扰影响范围及严重程度,通过现场测试典型深井和浅埋阳极地床地表电位梯度,探讨地表电位梯度分布规律,分析阳极地床杂散电流干扰特性。结果表明:深井阳极地床地表电位梯度沿阳极井中心辐射线方向先增大后减小,浅埋阳极地床地表电位梯度沿垂直于阳极体方向呈递减趋势;浅埋阳极地床地表电位梯度峰值和衰减速率均大于深井阳极,但强干扰平均影响半径仅为深井阳极的1/2;从强干扰影响半径看,应优先选用浅埋阳极地床;可通过适当增加井深、对干扰区内金属构筑物排流等方式,缓解深井阳极地床杂散电流干扰影响。研究结果可为强制电流阴极保护阳极地床选型和选址提供理论指导。     

耦合多电极矩阵传感技术在埋地金属腐蚀监测中的应用

目的采用耦合多电极矩阵传感器(CMAS)测量不同状态下的埋地金属腐蚀速率。方法将腐蚀探头插入到含蒸馏水和3.5%模拟海水的饱和土壤中,通过将探头向上提升,测量金属在饱和土壤、水-空气界面、疏松土壤中的腐蚀速率。对两只腐蚀探头分别进行杂散电流干扰、阴极保护处理,一只探头处于自由电位状态,测量三只探头在土壤中的腐蚀速率。结果在含蒸馏水和3.5%模拟海水的饱和土壤中,测量的金属稳态腐蚀速率约为2~15μm/a,金属在含海水饱和土壤中的腐蚀速率并未高于含蒸馏水饱和土壤。在土壤中形成充满水的空间里,水-空气界面附近金属材料的腐蚀速率比饱和土壤中高2个数量级。杂散电流对埋地金属的腐蚀速率影响巨大,与自由状态下的埋地金属相比,受杂散电流干扰的埋地金属腐蚀速率提高2个数量级。在阴极保护电位为-0.9 V的情况下,腐蚀速率约为0.01μm/a,接近CMAS系统检测最低限。结论耦合多电极矩阵传感器(CMAS)能够有效测试埋地金属不同状态下的腐蚀速率。     

杂散电流下新型阻锈剂对混凝土中氯离子扩散的影响

目的探寻混凝土在杂散电流和氯离子耦合作用下的腐蚀规律,研究新型阻锈剂的阻锈性能。方法运用电通量法和RCM法,对20 V杂散电流作用下,混凝土的抗氯离子渗透性能进行表征,设置空白组对照实验,对添加阻锈剂后,混凝土的抗氯离子渗透性能进行效果评价。结果在杂散电流和氯离子的共同作用下,混凝土结构腐蚀的倾向将变大,并且会加速腐蚀反应的进行。混凝土结构在通电48 h后,其电通量高达5778.67 C。与空白组相比,添加阻锈剂混凝土试块的氯离子扩散系数下降45.62%。结论添加4%阻锈剂的混凝土试块有着较好的抵抗氯离子渗透的能力。     

Ecological monitoring of urban groups of stray dogs: An example of the city of petrozavodsk

The results of the census of stray dogs and data on their territorial distribution in the city of Petrozavodsk are reported. The population density of these animals has been found to vary within the urban area, depending mainly on the availability of secluded areas to live in and on population control by municipal services.     

90/10铜镍合金海水管路交流杂散电流腐蚀及控制研究

目的 针对杂散电流导致海水管路快速腐蚀问题,研究50、100 Hz交流杂散电流对海水管路腐蚀的影响,建立交流杂散电流腐蚀控制技术,为船舶海水管路交流杂散电流腐蚀控制提供技术支撑.方法 采用失重法、电化学测试、扫描电镜与能谱分析等方法研究交流杂散电流频率和电压幅值对海水管路交流杂散电流腐蚀的影响规律以及直接排流法对海水管...     

船舶海水管路直流杂散电流仿真研究

目的 针对某型船海水管路杂散电流腐蚀穿孔问题,研究海水管路直流杂散电流密度与直流电气设备机壳绝缘电阻关系,评估海水管路直流杂散电流腐蚀风险,提出直流电气设备机壳绝缘电阻要求,为船舶海水管路杂散电流控制提供技术支撑.方法 根据欧姆定律和腐蚀电化学原理,建立船体与海水管路直流杂散电流腐蚀仿真方法,模拟海水管路直管、弯管以及某船海水管路系统结构,以B10铜镍合金极化曲线为边界条件,开展管壁直流杂散电流密度仿真研究,并根据法拉第定律计算直流杂散电流腐蚀速率.结果 直流电气设备接地产生的直流杂散电流大部分流入船体,仅有少部分流入海水管路,正常情况下,机壳绝缘电阻大于1 M?,直流电气设备接地不会导致海水管路发生杂散电流腐蚀.结论 为避免直流电气设备接地造成海水管路杂散电流腐蚀,DC380 V和DC220 V电气设备机壳绝缘电阻应分别不小于211?和123?.     

埋地阴极保护管线的交流干扰腐蚀

通过阴极保护管道交流腐蚀案例,总结了交流输电线路等交流设施对埋地管道的干扰规律、阴极保护管道交流腐蚀的特征、发生条件及影响因素等.综述了交流电对管道钢材料活化和钝化体系的电极过程和极化行为的主要影响规律;高阴极保护水平对交流腐蚀的协同加速作用.系统阐述了阴极保护条件下管道发生交流腐蚀的机理及评估准则等方面的最新研究进展...     

外加电流阴极保护中深井阳极的布置

针对某输油管道工程,为保障阴极保护效果的同时,减少阴极保护对周边金属构筑物产生直流杂散电流的干扰。结合现有相关标准规范以及阴极保护干扰的产生机理,对深井阳极的布置位置和阴极保护方案进行对比分析。由于该工程输油管道将分输库整体包围,如库外长输管道全部采取外加电流的阴极保护形式,无论阳极井如何布置,阴极保护电流均有可能对分输库内储罐等金属构筑物产生杂散电流干扰,此时阳极井的位置需从施工、维护、保护电流的发散以及投资等方面比选确定。为了实现外输管道得到有效保护,且最大程度减小阴极保护电流对分输库内储罐等金属构筑物的干扰,可采取对由分支点进出库区的成品油管道与干线绝缘,并对该部分管道施加牺牲阳极保护的形式。     

Renal lesions in Greenland sledge dogs ( Canis familiaris ) exposed to a natural dietary cocktail of persistent organic pollutants

Persistent organic pollutants such as Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and dichloro diphenyl trichloroethane (DDT) are known to exert various adverse health effects in wildlife mammals. The impact from dietary intake of minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) blubber high in organohalogen and other chemical contaminants on renal morphology and function was investigated via a controlled study on West Greenland sledge dogs (Canis familiaris). Our results showed significantly higher frequencies of glomerular, tubular, and interstitial lesions in the exposed group. Furthermore, higher urine protein?:?creatinine ratio and plasma urea levels were found in the exposed group, which indicated a negative impact on kidney function via tubular and glomerular dysfunctions. The lesions were similar to those observed in top predator marine species–such as seals and polar bears–and humans exposed via diet to persistent environmental pollutants. The lesions may have impacts on the overall health of these animals. It is reasonable to suggest that chronic exposure to organic pollutants via a country diet of high trophic level marine organisms may have an impact on renal morphology and function in Arctic apex predators in general as well as Inuit people.