Marine risk assessment: linear alkylbenzenesulponates (LAS) in the North Sea

The fate of linear alkylbenzenesulponates (LAS) in estuaries and coastal areas of the North Sea has been characterized with simple environmental models. The predicted concentration range in the estuaries around the North Sea (0.9-9 microg LAS l(-1)) was validated by monitoring data (1-9 microg LAS l(-1)). In offshore sites of the North Sea, it is estimated--and experimentally verified for a few sites--that the LAS concentration is below analytical detection limit (i.e., 0.5 microg LAS l(-1)). The effects of LAS on marine organisms have been reviewed. For short-term acute tests, there was no significant difference (p = 0.83) between the mean LC50 values of freshwater and marine organisms (mainly pelagic species tested, 4.1 and 4.3 mg LAS l(-1), respectively). For longer-term chronic tests, it appeared that the sensitivity (mean no-observed effect concentration (NOEC) value) of marine and freshwater organisms (0.3 and 2.3 mg LAS l(-1), respectively) was significantly different pt-test = 0.007). The predicted no-effect-concentrations (PNEC) were 360 and 31 microg LAS l(-1), for freshwater and marine pelagic communities, respectively. Given that the maximum expected estuarine and marine concentrations are 3 to > 30 times lower than the PNEC, the risk of LAS to pelagic organisms in these environments is judged to be low.     

Tibetan immigrants in India

"This paper documents the current evidence of the state of the Tibetan society in India with special reference to the trends in social transformation, livelihood patterns and cultural adaptation to a geographically alien environment....Three-and-a-half decades of living in India [have] demonstrated how a culture group can survive by carving out ecological niches in ethnically segregated social space and yet adapt to a new cultural environment without losing its identity."     

Biochemical alterations in juvenile carp (Cyprinus carpio) exposed to zinc: glutathione reductase as a target

The aim of this study was to investigate biochemical changes in juvenile carp (Cyprinus carpio) exposed to zinc chloride (10, 30 and 100 microM) for a period of 48 h. Zinc exposure caused a concentration-dependent reduction in glutathione reductase (GR) activity in gills, liver and brain. Gill glutathione S-transferase (GST) was reduced when animals were exposed to the highest concentration of 100 microM zinc. The phosphorylation of p38(MAPK) increased in the brain of fish exposed to zinc 100 microM, while phosphorylation of the extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and c-Jun N-terminal protein kinase 1/2 (JNK1/2) remained unchanged. Expression of proteins HSP60 and HSP70 were not affected by zinc exposure. Considering the significant concentration-dependent inhibition of GR in all tissues analyzed, this enzyme could be a potential biomarker of exposure to zinc, which has to be confirmed.     

基于遥感的冰川信息提取方法研究进展

对冰川监测中常用的遥感卫星、 传感器及冰川信息提取方法等进行了综合评价, 常规方法中普遍认为比值法的精度最高, 新产生的面向对象分类和雷达干涉测量方法虽一定程度上提高了冰川提取精度, 但冰碛物仍是自动识别的难点. 针对表碛覆盖冰川虽发展了一些自动、 半自动的方法, 但这些方法还不够成熟、 不具有通用性. 积雪、 冰碛物和地面验证仍是冰川自动提取存在的重要问题, 发展更先进、 更成熟的方法是冰川研究的重要方向, 未来可以尝试采用粗糙集理论及ICESAT卫星波形提高冰川信息提取的精度.     

我国气候异常直接经济损失预测模型

为加强防灾减灾的预评估,建立了气候异常直接经济损失统计预测模型.模型由时间序列趋势项T(t)、气候异常影响项P(t)和随机波动项S(t)构成,在用统计资料进行模型参数估计的基础上,模拟预测了1989～1999年直接经济损失,模型整体拟合效果良好(R2=O.9847,F=150.45).分别选取不同的SAAO/GDPPI比值,用模型对2000年气候异常直接经济损失进行预测,预测值均比1999年有所增加.模型预测结果显示,增加农业和减灾投入强度SAAO/GDPPI,可以大幅度减少气候异常直接经济损失.     

AN ECOSYSTEM MODEL ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECT OF MINE TAILINGS ON THE EUPHOTIC ZONE OF A PELAGIC ECOSYSTEM

A computer analysis was performed on experimental results obtained when mine tailings were added to seawater. The Mixed Upper-Layer Ecotrophie Simulation (MULES) model was tested by changing the extinction coefficient and the abundance of heterotrophic zooflagellates. Increasing the extinction coefficient resulted in a delay of phytoplankton growth, an increase in zooplankton standing stock and better growth of autotrophic flagellates compared with diatoms. Zooflagellates in the ecosystem influence the growth of zooplankton; secondary production by zooplankton was markedly depressed at low levels of zooflagellates. These results are believed to be of general significance for the diagnosis of suspended sediment effects on planktonic ecosystems.     

产杀虫活性物质海洋放线菌的筛选和初步鉴定

从浙江宁波海域的滩涂泥样中分离到54株海洋放线菌,用卤虫液体测定法进行了杀虫活性菌株的筛选,结果显示多株放线菌具有较高的杀虫活性,菌株XS902,XS904,BL803,BL807对卤虫的ID50高达100以上。同时研究了XS904活性菌株的形态培养特征和生理生化特征,初步鉴定该菌株属于链霉菌属。     

ENCORE: the effect of nutrient enrichment on coral reefs. Synthesis of results and conclusions

Coral reef degradation resulting from nutrient enrichment of coastal waters is of increasing global concern. Although effects of nutrients on coral reef organisms have been demonstrated in the laboratory, there is little direct evidence of nutrient effects on coral reef biota in situ. The ENCORE experiment investigated responses of coral reef organisms and processes to controlled additions of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (N) and/or phosphorus (P) on an offshore reef (One Tree Island) at the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. A multi-disciplinary team assessed a variety of factors focusing on nutrient dynamics and biotic responses. A controlled and replicated experiment was conducted over two years using twelve small patch reefs ponded at low tide by a coral rim. Treatments included three control reefs (no nutrient addition) and three + N reefs (NH4Cl added), three + P reefs (KH2PO4 added), and three + N + P reefs. Nutrients were added as pulses at each low tide (ca twice per day) by remotely operated units. There were two phases of nutrient additions. During the initial, low-loading phase of the experiment nutrient pulses (mean dose = 11.5 microM NH4+; 2.3 microM PO4(-3)) rapidly declined, reaching near-background levels (mean = 0.9 microM NH4+; 0.5 microM PO4(-3)) within 2-3 h. A variety of biotic processes, assessed over a year during this initial nutrient loading phase, were not significantly affected, with the exception of coral reproduction, which was affected in all nutrient treatments. In Acropora longicyathus and A. aspera, fewer successfully developed embryos were formed, and in A. longicyathus fertilization rates and lipid levels decreased. In the second, high-loading, phase of ENCORE an increased nutrient dosage (mean dose = 36.2 microM NH4+; 5.1 microM PO4(-3)) declining to means of 11.3 microM NH4+ and 2.4 microM PO4(-3) at the end of low tide) was used for a further year, and a variety of significant biotic responses occurred. Encrusting algae incorporated virtually none of the added nutrients. Organisms containing endosymbiotic zooxanthellae (corals and giant clams) assimilated dissolved nutrients rapidly and were responsive to added nutrients. Coral mortality, not detected during the initial low-loading phase, became evident with increased nutrient dosage, particularly in Pocillopora damicornis. Nitrogen additions stunted coral growth, and phosphorus additions had a variable effect. Coral calcification rate and linear extension increased in the presence of added phosphorus but skeletal density was reduced, making corals more susceptible to breakage. Settlement of all coral larvae was reduced in nitrogen treatments, yet settlement of larvae from brooded species was enhanced in phosphorus treatments. Recruitment of stomatopods, benthic crustaceans living in coral rubble, was reduced in nitrogen and nitrogen plus phosphorus treatments. Grazing rates and reproductive effort of various fish species were not affected by the nutrient treatments. Microbial nitrogen transformations in sediments were responsive to nutrient loading with nitrogen fixation significantly increased in phosphorus treatments and denitrification increased in all treatments to which nitrogen had been added. Rates of bioerosion and grazing showed no significant effects of added nutrients. ENCORE has shown that reef organisms and processes investigated in situ were impacted by elevated nutrients. Impacts were dependent on dose level, whether nitrogen and/or phosphorus were elevated and were often species-specific. The impacts were generally sub-lethal and subtle and the treated reefs at the end of the experiment were visually similar to control reefs. Rapid nutrient uptake indicates that nutrient concentrations alone are not adequate to assess nutrient condition of reefs. Sensitive and quantifiable biological indicators need to be developed for coral reef ecosystems. The potential bioindicators identified in ENCORE should be tested in future research on coral reef/nutrient interactions. Synergistic and cumulative effects of elevated nutrients and other environmental parameters, comparative studies of intact vs. disturbed reefs, offshore vs. inshore reefs, or the ability of a nutrient-stressed reef to respond to natural disturbances require elucidation. An expanded understanding of coral reef responses to anthropogenic impacts is necessary, particularly regarding the subtle, sub-lethal effects detected in the ENCORE studies.     

混合式三维电磁模拟方法

在地球物理文献中对三维电磁问题讨论过有限的几种数值解。这些数值解是利用积分方程,有限元法或有限差分技术获得的。莱尼斯和乔尼斯(Lines和Jones,1973)以及雷戴等人(Reddy等,1977)分别应用有限差分和有限元技术提出了关于三维大地电磁     

说明预报技术和可预报性的一种图表

1.引言在过去25年中,数值天气预报模式以及观测资料和分析系统的改进已使天气尺度环流的业务预报取得了稳定的改进(Shuman,1978)。但是,众所周知,在运动的尺度不能分辨(或不能观测)情况下,由于初始误差的增长,最终将影响所有尺度的运动,使大气运动的可预报性有一个固有界限。即使“完美(Perfect)”的数值模式也是这样(完美模式是指一种不增加预报误差的模式)。