纤维素酶降解秸秆特性及其基因工程研究进展

能源短缺和环境污染问题是人们关注的焦点。秸秆类生物质以其资源丰富、无污染及可再生等特性使其在解决能源危机方面具有极大应用前景。对秸秆类生物质通过纤维素酶的水解转化为可发酵性的糖,再结合发酵技术可进一步生产乙醇、氢气等能源物质,是一条成熟的能源化技术路线。其关键是秸秆生物质的预处理与高效的糖苷水解酶获得。将从对秸秆类生物质的预处理、纤维素酶的作用机理研究和纤维素酶基因工程3个方面对当前的研究进展进行综述与分析。这对于促进秸秆类生物质能源化应用具有指导意义。     

GIS 在生态学中的应用研究进展

地理信息系统(Geographic Information System, GIS)作为一个能够准确、及时、动态的获取生态资源现状的计算机软件, 对生态资源的保护与可持续发展具有重要的意义。研究表明GIS 在动植物的分布及动态监测、栖息地质量评估、保护区的建立与管理和水生态环境保护等方面得到广泛应用, 解决了许多由于各种自然因素或人文因素所导致的很难解决的问题, 大大提高了生态学数据统计和应用的效率。     

利用木质纤维素生产丁醇的研究进展

随着化石燃料的逐年减少,以生物质为原料的生物能源研究近年来成为能源领域的研究热点,充分利用可再生生物质为发展经济的生物燃料生产工艺提供了一个极好的机会。与燃料乙醇和生物柴油相比,生物丁醇更具有优越性,以可再生木质纤维素生物质为原料进行发酵生产丁醇在近年来被广泛的研究。对于利用可再生生物质为原料生产丁醇,需要解决原料的选择、产品收率低、抑制物对生产菌株毒性等问题。本文对以木质纤维素生物质为原料进行生物丁醇发酵过程中的原料预处理、抑制物对丁醇生产菌的影响,以及水解液的脱毒和耐抑制物菌株的选育等方面进行综述,并对以木质纤维素生产燃料丁醇所面临的机遇与问题进行了简要评述。     

寡糖类能源植物菊芋及其综合利用研究进展

菊芋作为我国最具发展前景的非粮寡糖类能源植物之一,具有宜于边际地生长、生物质产量高、抗逆性强、易转化等优点。综合国内外菊芋研究现状,以菊芋生物质原料生产为核心,从能源植物分类、菊芋生长特性、种质资源、遗传改良、丰产栽培、采后贮藏、生物燃料研发等方面对其研究现状进行了详细阐述,并展望了菊芋在生物质原料生产方面的未来研究趋势和重点,为我国寡糖类能源植物的长远发展和科学研究提供参考。     

生物能源固态发酵应用的研究进展

生物能源是改善我国能源结构、实现经济可持续发展的重要途径,其产业化技术的突破将加快以生物质能源替代化石能源的步伐。高能耗、水耗以及大量有机废水等问题严重限制了传统液体发酵的发展前景。近年来对固态发酵原理和应用的研究使得清洁、节能的固态发酵已然成为发酵工业的关注热点。从固态发酵的原理和应用现状方面着重介绍其在生物能源领域中应用的研究进展。     

昆虫与生物质能源利用:一个新的交叉学科前沿

昆虫与生物质能源利用密切相关。这些昆虫包括白蚁类、甲虫类、树蜂类、食叶类水生昆虫、衣鱼类、大蚊类等。它们能在树木、枯枝以及落叶上生活,并具有了相当可观的降解和转化木质纤维素的能力,是自然界中协助进行碳循环的一类重要节肢动物。近几年来,这些昆虫独特的肠道消化能力以及它们的生物质催化转化系统已引起了科学家和研究人员的极大兴趣,希望能通过发现新的降解木质纤维素的酶及酶系统、掌握相关的这些酶的表达和其功能控制基因、并能解开昆虫肠道的消化及其相关机制的谜;更高效的降解和转化植物细胞壁中的碳水化合物并用来生产不同种类的生物能源或生物基材料。目前,对这类昆虫高效降解木质纤维素能力的认识和相关降解机制的研究已发展成为一个与生物质能源应用密切相关的新兴研究领域,成为新的交叉学科前沿。本文将简要讨论这类昆虫消化木质纤维素的几种不同作用机制、共生微生物与昆虫所产生的不同木质纤维素酶以及相互间的协同作用的基础上,还探讨了当前第二代生物质能源研究与开发中所面临的主要挑战、消化木质纤维素类昆虫,特别是白蚁所处的独特地位、潜在的科学和应用价值,以及今后的主要研究方向。     

土壤生物质炭环境行为与环境效应

生物质炭具有高度稳定性和较强的吸附性能,可从气候、地质等多方面对环境产生影响,在全球气候变化、碳生物地球化学循环以及环境系统中发挥着非常重要的作用,长期以来成为国内外大气科学、地质学和环境科学领域研究的热点.作为土壤腐殖质中高度芳香化结构组分的可能来源,生物质炭对增加土壤碳库贮量、提高土壤肥力以及维持土壤生态系统平衡意义重大.本文重点概述了生物质炭特性、生物质炭生物与非生物氧化机理、生物质炭对全球气候变化的影响以及土壤生物质炭环境效应等方面的国内外研究进展,并对今后生物质炭在土壤生态系统中的环境行为和环境效应研究进行了简要的展望.     

海藻生物质能源转化研究现状

随着全球化石能源的日益枯竭,寻求可替代传统化石能源的可再生生物质能源刻不容缓,海藻生物质资源越来越受到人们的关注。综述了近年海藻生物质能源转化的研究进展,详细介绍了可替代石油燃料的生物柴油技术,以及利用海藻生物质转化为具有高附加值化学品的研究现状,以期为海藻生物质能源的开发利用提供参考。     

GIS在野生动物空间分布格局研究中的应用

地理信息系统(GIS)在绘制动物分布图、确定物种丰富度、预测动物的空间分布格局、建立物种分布数据库等方面都有极大的应用价值。本文介绍了GIS技术在野生动物空间分布格局研究中的应用,并探讨了今后GIS技术在野生动物生态学领域的应用前景。     

麻风树生理生态学研究

麻风树是一种具有多种用途的灌木,因其种子富含的油脂可以转变为生物柴油,所以成为一种很有潜力的生物质能源作物。麻风树的研究最先开始在其药用价值上,随着世界能源物资的逐渐短缺,人们开始四处搜寻可替代能源,麻风树种子油的优良特性,引起世界各国的高度关注,对麻风树各方面的研究也越来越多。就现有文献报道看来,研究主要集中在种质资源遗传多样性评价,组织培养方面,对种子油的研究也有一些报道。但这些研究还不够全面透彻,因此本文就麻风树的自然分布环境状态、受环境影响的生物学特性、栽培及技术措施的应用、受环境因素影响的遗传多样性变化以及生理生化变化等方面的研究进行了总结。对目前科学研究及产业发展方面所存在的问题及解决方法提出了建议。     

LCA of a biorefinery concept producing bioethanol,bioenergy, and chemicals from switchgrass

Background, aim, and scope  

The availability of fossil resources is predicted to decrease in the near future: they are a non-renewable source, they cause environmental concerns, and they are subjected to price instability. Utilization of biomass as raw material in a biorefinery is a promising alternative to fossil resources for production of energy carriers and chemicals, as well as for mitigating climate change and enhancing energy security. This paper focuses on a biorefinery concept which produces bioethanol, bioenergy, and biochemicals from switchgrass, a lignocellulosic crop. Results are compared with a fossil reference system producing the same products/services from fossil sources.     

Geographical information system parallelization for spatial big data processing: a review

With the increasing interest in large-scale, high-resolution and real-time geographic information system (GIS) applications and spatial big data processing, traditional GIS is not efficient enough to handle the required loads due to limited computational capabilities.Various attempts have been made to adopt high performance computation techniques from different applications, such as designs of advanced architectures, strategies of data partition and direct parallelization method of spatial analysis algorithm, to address such challenges. This paper surveys the current state of parallel GIS with respect to parallel GIS architectures, parallel processing strategies, and relevant topics. We present the general evolution of the GIS architecture which includes main two parallel GIS architectures based on high performance computing cluster and Hadoop cluster. Then we summarize the current spatial data partition strategies, key methods to realize parallel GIS in the view of data decomposition and progress of the special parallel GIS algorithms. We use the parallel processing of GRASS as a case study. We also identify key problems and future potential research directions of parallel GIS.     

Comparative life cycle assessment of uses of rice husk for energy purposes

Purpose  

Recently, the Thai government has been advancing the expanded use of biomass as an alternative source of energy substituting it for the fossil fuels that have been shown to be harmful to the environment. Rice husk, one of the main sources of biomass in Thailand, has already been used as an energy source in many different applications and has been successful in reducing the consumption of fossil fuels. At present (2011), the main use of rice husk in Thailand is as fuel to generate electricity. However, rice husk can potentially be used to produce other forms of energy such as cellulosic ethanol. This paper compares the environmental performance of the current main use of rice husk for energy purposes in the Thai context, i.e., for electricity generation with the prospective use, i.e., for cellulosic ethanol production. The results from this study will identify the more environmentally friendly option for use of rice husk for energy purposes.     

Using an Ecosystem Modeling Approach to Explore Possible Ecosystem Impacts of Fishing in the Beibu Gulf,Northern South China Sea

Using the Ecopath with Ecosim software, a trophic structure model of the Beibu Gulf was constructed to explore the energy flows and provide a snapshot of the ecosystem operations. Input data were mainly from the trawl survey data collected from October 1998 to September 1999 and related literatures. The impacts of various fishing pressure on the biomass were examined by simulation at different fishing mortality rates. The model consists of 20 functional groups (boxes), each representing organisms with a similar role in the food web, and only covers the major trophic flows in the Beibu Gulf ecosystem. It was found that the food web of the Beibu Gulf was dominated by the primary producers path, and phytoplankton was the primary producer mostly used as a food source. The fractional trophic levels ranged from 1.0 to 4.02, and the marine mammals occupied the highest trophic level. Using network analysis, the ecosystem network was mapped into a linear food chain, and six discrete trophic levels were found with a mean transfer efficiency of 11.2%. The Finn cycling index was 9.73%. The path length was 1.821. The omnivory index was 0.197. The ecosystem had some degree of instability due to exploitation and other human activities, according to Odum’s theory of ecosystem development. A 10-year simulation was performed for each fishery scenario. The fishing mortality rate was found to have a strong impact on the biomass. By keeping the fishing mortality rate at the current level for all fishing sectors, scenario 1 had a drastic decrease in the large fish groups. The biomass of the small and medium pelagic fish would increase to some extent. The biomass of the small and low trophic level species, jellyfish, prawns and benthic crustaceans would be stable. The total biomass of the fishery resources would have a 10% decrease from the current biomass after 10 years. In contrast, the reduced fishing mortality rate induced the recovery of biomass (scenarios 2–4). In scenario 2, the biomass of the large demersal fish and the large pelagic fish would increase to over 16 times and 10 times, respectively, of their current level. In scenario 4, the biomass of the large pelagic fish would increase to over 3 times of its current level. The total biomass of the fish groups, especially the high trophic level groups, would become significantly higher after 10 years, which illustrates the contribution on biomass recovery by relaxing the fishing pressure. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. Author contributions: Xiaoping Jia designed research; Zuozhi Chen and Yongsong Qiu performed research; Zuozhi Chen, Yongsong Qiu, and Shannan Xu analyzed data; and Zuozhi Chen and Shannan Xu wrote the article.     

A spatiotemporal assessment of field residues of rice,maize, and wheat at provincial and county levels in China

China has a huge resource potential for biomass‐based renewable energy development, but the resources of field residues are still not effectively used. Rice, maize, and wheat made up 89% of staple crop production in China in 2009. A comprehensive assessment of field residues of these three crops is necessary for the development of biomass‐based industries. This research was based on multiyear county‐level data of crop production, area and yield, as well as the crop phenology information from agrometeorological stations. Spatial and temporal analyses were conducted to quantify the spatial patterns, seasonal variations, and temporal trends of the three major field residues. The mean amount of field residue of rice, maize, and wheat was 470.8 Mt/year from 2002 to 2009. Rice residue topped the field residues at 188.5 Mt/year, followed by maize (152.6 Mt/year) and wheat (129.8 Mt/year). The resource supply of field residues varied temporally throughout the season, where peak months are May, June, September, and October. The resources of all three field residues increased from 2002 to 2009, topped by maize residues at a rate of 10.0 Mt/year. Spatially, high production counties had the fast growth rate and a strong positive spatial autocorrelation. The results showed that the intersection area of East and South Central regions has a spatially concentrated residue density and a stable supply for 5 months. The region can be considered as a suitable region for bioenergy development. A better understanding of spatial and temporal distribution of crop residues could facilitate strategic and tactical bioenergy planning.     

An integrated assessment of the potential of agricultural and forestry residues for energy production in China

Biomass has been widely recognized as an important energy source with high potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while minimizing environmental pollution. In this study, we employ the Global Change Assessment Model to estimate the potential of agricultural and forestry residue biomass for energy production in China. Potential availability of residue biomass as an energy source was analyzed for the 21st century under different climate policy scenarios. Currently, the amount of total annual residue biomass, averaged over 2003–2007, is around 15 519 PJ in China, consisting of 10 818 PJ from agriculture residues (70%) and 4701 PJ forestry residues (30%). We estimate that 12 693 PJ of the total biomass is available for energy production, with 66% derived from agricultural residue and 34% from forestry residue. Most of the available residue is from south central China (3347 PJ), east China (2862 PJ) and south‐west China (2229 PJ), which combined exceeds 66% of the total national biomass. Under the reference scenario without carbon tax, the potential availability of residue biomass for energy production is projected to be 3380 PJ by 2050 and 4108 PJ by 2095, respectively. When carbon tax is imposed, biomass availability increases substantially. For the CCS 450 ppm scenario, availability of biomass increases to 9002 PJ (2050) and 11 524 PJ (2095), respectively. For the 450 ppm scenario without CCS, 9183 (2050) and 11 150 PJ (2095) residue biomass, respectively, is projected to be available. Moreover, the implementation of CCS will have a little impact on the supply of residue biomass after 2035. Our results suggest that residue biomass has the potential to be an important component in China's sustainable energy production portfolio. As a low carbon emission energy source, climate change policies that involve carbon tariff and CCS technology promote the use of residue biomass for energy production in a low carbon‐constrained world.     

Microalgae potential as a biogas source: current status,restraints and future trends

In recent years, the world energy demands have had a recurrent increase. For this reason the alternative to the fossil fuel resources are trend topics in investigation. Microalgae have been extensively studied as a source of biofuels and as one of the most promising alternatives in this new framework. One of the possibilities of obtaining renewable energy from microalgae is biogas production using anaerobic digestion process. This process is considered a significant component for biofuels and waste management, since represent an opportunity for energy generation using different wastewater products; also, the economic viability of microalgae liquid biofuel production could be improved. However, the anaerobic digestion of microalgae biomass is still not optimized because of the numerous technical limitations such as the microalgae characteristics, low carbon:nitrogen ratio, ammonia toxicity and even salinity. The present review summarizes and compares information concerning to anaerobic digestion of microalgal biomass and future directions for research. Besides, specific operational factors and potential inhibitory parameters of the process are analyzed and compared. Additionally, the paper covers the state or art concerning in methane production enhancement from algal biomass.     

Assessing the cultivation potential of the energy crop Miscanthus × giganteus for Germany

The European Union in general and Germany in particular want to lead the way to substantially expand renewable energies for power production. Considering the extremely ambitious objectives of the German Federal Government, a strong, nationwide increase in cultivating energy crops can be anticipated. However, the expansion of biomass production, which is already in progress, has led to several environmental and ecological objections. Aside from competing for land, for food and feed production, the expansion of monocultures for biomass and biofuel production with a concentration on maize (Zea mays) and rapeseed (Brassica napus) can be problematic for biodiversity conservation. To face these challenges, the provision and cultivation of additional crop species and cultivars for biomass production would help to avoid these problems. The designated energy crop Miscanthus × giganteus represents an alternative species for extended biomass production. This giant grass is characterized by a broad range of possible applications and a high potential in producing and providing biomass in a sustainable way. In our study, we conducted a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based analysis of the cultivation potential of M. giganteus in Germany. As a result, we generated digital maps that display preferential regions for the cultivation of M. giganteus where a high productivity and quality of biomass is expected. Combining different climate- and soil-dependent scenarios, a total acreage potential of 4 million ha is predicted for Germany.     

An integrative modeling framework to evaluate the productivity and sustainability of biofuel crop production systems

The potential expansion of biofuel production raises food, energy, and environmental challenges that require careful assessment of the impact of biofuel production on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, soil erosion, nutrient loading, and water quality. In this study, we describe a spatially explicit integrative modeling framework (SEIMF) to understand and quantify the environmental impacts of different biomass cropping systems. This SEIMF consists of three major components: (1) a geographic information system (GIS)‐based data analysis system to define spatial modeling units with resolution of 56 m to address spatial variability, (2) the biophysical and biogeochemical model Environmental Policy Integrated Climate (EPIC) applied in a spatially‐explicit way to predict biomass yield, GHG emissions, and other environmental impacts of different biofuel crops production systems, and (3) an evolutionary multiobjective optimization algorithm for exploring the trade‐offs between biofuel energy production and unintended ecosystem‐service responses. Simple examples illustrate the major functions of the SEIMF when applied to a nine‐county Regional Intensive Modeling Area (RIMA) in SW Michigan to (1) simulate biofuel crop production, (2) compare impacts of management practices and local ecosystem settings, and (3) optimize the spatial configuration of different biofuel production systems by balancing energy production and other ecosystem‐service variables. Potential applications of the SEIMF to support life cycle analysis and provide information on biodiversity evaluation and marginal‐land identification are also discussed. The SEIMF developed in this study is expected to provide a useful tool for scientists and decision makers to understand sustainability issues associated with the production of biofuels at local, regional, and national scales.     

Detrital diversity influences estuarine ecosystem performance

Global losses of seagrasses and mangroves, eutrophication‐driven increases in ephemeral algae, and macrophyte invasions have impacted estuarine detrital resources. To understand the implications of these changes on benthic ecosystem processes, we tested the hypotheses that detrital source richness, mix identity, and biomass influence benthic primary production, metabolism, and nutrient fluxes. On an estuarine muddy sandflat, we manipulated the availability of eight detrital sources, including mangrove, seagrass, and invasive and native algal species that have undergone substantial changes in distribution. Mixes of these detrital sources were randomly assigned to one of 12 treatments and dried detrital material was added to seventy‐two 0.25 m² plots (n = 6 plots). The treatments included combinations of either two or four detrital sources and high (60 g) or low (40 g) levels of enrichments. After 2 months, the dark, light, and net uptake of NH₄⁺, dissolved inorganic nitrogen, and the dark efflux of dissolved organic nitrogen were each significantly influenced by the identity of detrital mixes, rather than detrital source richness or biomass. However, gross and net primary productivity, average oxygen flux, and net NO_X and dissolved inorganic phosphorous fluxes were significantly greater in treatments with low than with high detrital source richness. These results demonstrate that changes in detrital source richness and mix identity may be important drivers of estuarine ecosystem performance. Continued impacts to estuarine macrophytes may, therefore, further alter detritus‐fueled productivity and processes in estuaries. Specific tests that address predicted future changes to detrital resources are required to determine the consequences of this significant environmental problem.