Selenium deficiency as a consequence of human activity and its correction

Problems of sustainable development in connection with the change of biogeochemical cycle of selenium and overcoming its deficiency in Russia, Serbia, Belarus and other countries are reported. The history of the biological role of selenium as an essential trace element is discussed. A special program of «Overcoming of selenium deficiency» has been developed by researches of Russia, Serbia and Belarus in view of high morbidity rates for cardiovascular, tumor and endemic diseases affecting the population of both the above and some other countries, including children, prevalence of selenium deficiency among livestock species and aggravation of the environmental situation as a result of man-made processes.     

生物多样性模型的理论分析

本文首先概括了50年代以来公开发表的27个生物多样性模型和有关专家对其中大多数模型的批评。在此基础上,以使用最广泛的Shannon模型为例,剖析了大多数生物多样性模型不能被成功应用于实践研究的根源所在;以基于分维几何学的物种多样性模型为例,从理论上分析了这种综合生物多样性模型的完备性。并以位于中国东北样带(NECT)东部的温带针阔叶混交林地区的8个样地作为案例,对比分析了Shannon模型大样本要求的局限性和基于分维几何学的综合生物多样性模型的实用性。     

钒的生物效应及其环境地球化学行为

微量元素与人体健康间的关系,近年来日益受到重视。钒是动物和人体所必需的微量元素。适量有益。过量则有毒。钒的毒性大小取决于钒的总量、钒的赋存价态和赋存形态。本文综述了近年来国内外科研工作者在钒的生物效应、环境中钒的来源及环境介质中钒的赋存状况等方面所做的工作。     

Use of biological traits for interpreting functional relationships in large rivers

Altogether 64 predominantly biological traits were coded for more than 600 macroinvertebrate species from European rivers. The main question was: Are biological traits able to reflect “biological functionality” in large rivers and if so, is it possible to deduce an assessment system based on functionality? Analysis of the raw trait structure of all species indicates that these traits are not completely independent from their higher systematic units. To avoid mis-interpretations when judging from mixtures of habitats (β-biocoenosis) we used for our investigations only sample series from -biocoenosis, pre-tested by a mathematical criterion of homogeneity. Within -biocoenosis, traits are shown to be able to compensate for drastic changes with respect to species number and species composition along a river continuum, demonstrating their functional quality. Long-term changes in the trait and species structures of German waterways were studied using multivariate methods, based on an analysis of 142 sampling series. A shift from traits typical for K-strategists to traits typical for r-strategists was detected to be the main background variable. The rK-strategy is regarded as a true functional character of species. We calculated the relative positions of all trait-coded species on this rK-scale, and plotted the functional diversity of our samples against the structural diversity of the species from several river systems. Rivers extremely dominated by r-strategists show a deficit in functional diversity. Rivers dominated by K-strategists also show deficits, possibly in concordance with modern ecological theories such as the intermediate disturbance theory. The quantitative proportions of extreme r- to K-Strategists in -biocoenosis can be used as a general disturbance measure.     

Inter-trading permanent emissions credits and rented temporary carbon emissions offsets: some issues and alternatives

Permit trading among polluting parties is now firmly established as a policy tool in a range of environmental policy areas. The Kyoto Protocol accepts the principle that sequestration of carbon in the terrestrial biosphere can be used to offset emissions of carbon from fossil fuel combustion and outlines mechanisms. Although the lack of guaranteed permanence of biological offsets is often viewed as a defect, this paper argues that the absence of guaranteed permanence need not be a fundamental problem. We view carbon emissions as a liability issue. One purpose of an emissions credit system is to provide the emitter with a means to satisfy the carbon liability associated with her firm’s (or country’s) release of carbon into the atmosphere. We have developed and here expand on a rental approach, in which sequestered carbon is explicitly treated as temporary: the emitter temporarily satisfies his liability by temporarily “parking” his liability, for a fee, in a terrestrial carbon reservoir, or “sink,” such as a forest or agricultural soil. Finally, the paper relates the value of permanent and temporary sequestration and argues that both instruments are tradable and have a high degree of substitutability that allows them to interact in markets.     

珠江口红树群落钙的累积和循环研究

在测定珠江口红树群落生物量和生产力的基础上，进一步测定红树群落各组分的钙含量，计算群落钙的贮量、年存留量、年归还量、年吸收量、周转期和富集经，以了解珠江口红树群落钙元素的累积和循环状况。结果表明，珠江口5个红树群落钙的贮存总量为197－640．1kg/hm^2，平均为382．4kg/hm^2。年存留量为20．3－58．6kg/hm^2．a，平均为39．3kg/hm^2．a；年归还量为24．1－75．5kg/hm^2．a，平均为44．9kg/hm^2．a；年吸收量为44．4－134．1kg/hm^2．a，平均为84．2kg/hm^2．a；周转期为7－10a，平均8a；存留率为43．7％－52．7％，平均46．7％，归还率为47．3％－56．3％，平均53．3％。乔木型红权群群落有较高的存留率和较低的归还率。     

微塑料与水中污染物的联合作用研究进展

微塑料(直径<5mm的塑料)因其吸附、迁移性能和生物毒性成为目前研究的热点。微塑料进入水体后,会与水中的持久性污染物和重金属进行相互作用,与它们单独作用于生物的毒性效应不同。本文从微塑料对污染物的富集、迁移以及微塑料与污染物的联合毒性效应方面,对微塑料与污染物的联合作用进行了总结。环境中的微塑料能通过吸附作用富集水中有机污染物和金属离子,该过程主要受微塑料自身性质、塑料的老化程度、污染物的空间分布和其他环境条件的影响。污染物能以微塑料为载体在环境和生物体间迁移,包括空间上的转移和生物体内的转移。微塑料与污染物联合作用于生物体时,会通过增加摄入浓度、加剧组织损伤和降低机体抗性等方式增强污染物对生物体的毒性效应,或者通过降低污染物接触浓度、污染物或共污染物的生物可利用性减缓污染物对生物体的毒性效应。未来应对微塑料的吸附行为、相互作用机制以及评价方法、生物积累和慢性毒性进行探究。     

Agonistic interactions and dominance establishment in three crayfish species non-native to Europe

Ecosystems increasingly face concurrent invasions by multiple species, but knowledge about relationships among invasive species is under studied. We examined agonistic encounters among signal crayfish Pacifastacus leniusculus, marbled crayfish Procambarus virginalis, and the common yabby Cherax destructor, none native to Europe, to assess the influence of aggression on their success in a sympatric environment. In interspecific interactions, similar-sized signal crayfish were significantly more likely to initiate aggressive encounters and won significantly more fights against similar-sized opponents. The marbled crayfish was the least aggressive and least successful in agonistic interactions. The mean number of fights, fight duration, and number and duration of low and high intensity fights varied significantly between intra- and inter-specific interactions, tending to be more pronounced in conspecific encounters. We concluded that crayfish species differ in fighting strategies employed during intra- and inter-specific interactions. Of the species evaluated, the signal crayfish shows the highest potential to establish dominance. However, factors such as growth rate, reproductive potential, ecosystem variables, and temperature of habitat may alter the competitiveness of an invader.     

车由岛附近海域营养盐分布特征

由于车由岛周海域水比较浅，上下层混合得比较充分，营养盐的垂直分布较均匀，但在水平方向上差别较大。各种营养盐受生物活动、降雨和陆地经流的影响，有明显的季节变化。活性磷、硝酸盐和亚硝酸盐的浓度在冬季最高，春季最低；氨氮和活性硅的浓度则相反，夏季最高，秋季最低。     

Evaluation of Monod kinetic parameters in the subsurface using moment analysis: Theory and numerical testing

The spatial moments of a contaminant plume undergoing bio-attenuation are coupled to the moments of microbial populations effecting that attenuation. In this paper, a scalable inverse method is developed for estimating field-scale Monod parameters such as the maximum microbial growth rate (μ^max), the contaminant half saturation coefficient (K_s), and the contaminant yield coefficient (Y_s). The method uses spatial moments that characterize the distribution of dissolved contaminant and active microbial biomass in the aquifer. A finite element model is used to generate hypothetical field-scale data to test the method under both homogeneous and heterogeneous aquifer conditions. Two general cases are examined. In the first, Monod parameters are estimated where it is assumed a microbial population comprised of a single bacterial species is attenuating one contaminant (e.g., an electron donor and an electron acceptor). In a second case, contaminant attenuation is attributed to a microbial consortium comprised of two microbial species, and Monod parameters for both species are estimated. Results indicate the inverse method is only slightly sensitive to aquifer heterogeneity and that estimation errors decrease as the sampling time interval decreases with respect to the groundwater travel time between sample locations. Optimum conditions for applying the scalable inverse method in both space and time are investigated under both homogeneous and heterogeneous aquifer conditions.