步氏巨猿犬齿与前臼齿咬合关系的观察

步氏巨猿的上犬齿与下第一前臼齿的咬合关系有两种主要类型:一是相似于“猿类”的,另一相似于“人类”的。前者为雄性个体所具有,后者为雌性个体所具有。另有少数个体的则是中间类型。上犬齿与下第一前臼齿的咬合特征的分类学上的意义是可疑的。至少就绝大部分雄性步氏巨猿个体来说,很难认为其犬齿是参与臼齿的功能。步氏巨猿下第一前臼齿之所以呈双尖类型,与其犬齿并无直接的关系。     

青海湖裸鲤自然产卵场的生境特征及无人机遥测判别——以泉吉河为例

自然产卵场是维持物种延续最关键的栖息地,青海湖裸鲤（Gymnocypris przewalskii）的自然繁殖栖息地状况和生境特征尚缺乏详细的定量研究。以青海湖入湖河流泉吉河为例,在平水期采用现场调查和无人机遥测的方法对青海湖裸鲤的自然产卵场分布及生境状况进行调查,确定其产卵场生境特征参数,建立基于无人机遥测识别产卵场的方法并进行复核验证。结果表明：泉吉河河道形态可分为弯曲型、分汊型和顺直型等三种典型河型,青海湖裸鲤自然产卵场主要分布在弯曲型和分汊型河道中,分汊型河道几乎100%都有产卵场分布,弯曲型河道有70%为产卵场;产卵场河道平均长度（135.13±61.13） m,平均宽度（30.01±17.51） m,平均曲折度1.09±0.07;平均面积（4586.6±4201.61） m²;产卵场常位于缓水浅滩处,平均水深（0.19±0.10） m （范围：0.03-0.44m）,平均流速（0.24±0.20） m/s （范围：0.01-0.81m/s）,河床质为含有沙粒的卵石（粒径：163-256mm）底质。河道形态、沙洲分布、水深特征等特征参数可作为无人机遥测识别产卵场的判断条件,并实现验证成功。研究结果可为开展整个流域的青海湖裸鲤自然产卵场现状评估及保护对策制定提供技术支撑。     

船舶噪声对鲈鱼和大黄鱼血浆皮质醇水平的影响

在实验室条件下研究了模拟船舶噪声对养殖鲈鱼、大黄鱼血液中皮质醇分泌量的影响。结果表明,噪声刺激鲈鱼和大黄鱼后,鱼类血液中皮质醇含量先上升、后下降,后逐渐恢复原有水平或维持在较高的水平。鲈鱼血液中皮质醇水平在155dB的胁迫条件下于刺激1h左右达峰值,为112.23ng/mL,大黄鱼血液皮质醇水平峰值出现在刺激后20min-1h,值为17.18ng/mL。鲈鱼血液中皮质醇水平(CL155,CL138)受重复噪声刺激后随时间(T)回归方程:CL155=33.507e0.2425T(r=0.8939,P0.01);CL138=36.187e0.1862T(r=0.8002,P0.01),大黄鱼血液中皮质醇水平(CH155,CH138)受间歇噪声刺激后随时间(T)回归方程为:CH155=3.1208e0.2535T(r=0.8833,P0.01);CH138=2.8369e0.1706T(r=0.8064,P0.01)。鲈鱼(CL)、大黄鱼(CH)血液中皮质醇水平与噪声源强(S)的回归方程为:CL=33.05154e0.2461S,r=0.9563;CH=3.9706e0.2401S,r=0.9114。     

基于无人机的冬小麦拔节期表层土壤有机质含量遥感反演

快速监测大面积分布的盐渍化麦田土壤有机质含量,可为推进盐渍土改良和促进碳循环研究提供数据支撑。通过野外采样与获取无人机遥感影像,分别基于裸土和植被情况,采用多元线性回归(MLR)、偏最小二乘回归(PLSR)和支持向量机回归(SVR)3种方法,建立区域有机质含量遥感模型,并进行检验和对比,确定最优的土壤有机质含量反演模型;最后基于最优模型进行研究区表层土壤有机质的反演,并与插值结果进行比较。结果表明: 经5×5的中值滤波处理后的光谱与土壤表层有机质对应最优;3种模型中,SVR模型的预测精度最高,PLSR次之,MLR效果最差。对比两种变量的建模效果,基于植被的SVR建模效果最好,其建模决定系数(R²)、均方根误差(RMSE)分别为0.89、0.20,验证R²、RMSE分别为0.82、0.24;基于裸土的建模效果不理想,最优的也是SVR模型,其建模R²、RMSE分别为0.63、0.26,验证R²、RMSE分别为0.61、0.25。根据最优模型反演得到该区域有机质含量为17.51～22.53 g·kg^-1,平均值为19.51 g·kg^-1,与实地调查结果较为一致;插值结果与反演结果相比,精度受到限制。综上,基于无人机多光谱可以对盐渍土冬小麦拔节期土壤有机质含量进行快速、大范围精准估测。     

新一代遥感技术助力生态系统生态学研究

随着气候变化和人类活动的加剧, 生态系统正处于剧烈变化中, 生态学家需要从更大的时空尺度去理解生态系统过程和变化规律, 应对全球变化带来的威胁和挑战。传统地面调查方法主要获取的是样方尺度、离散的数据, 难以满足大尺度生态系统研究对数据时空连续性的要求。相比于传统地面调查方法, 遥感技术具有实时获取、重复监测以及多时空尺度的特点, 弥补了传统地面调查方法空间观测尺度有限的缺点。遥感通过分析电磁波信息从而识别地物属性和特征, 反演生态系统组成、能量流动和物质循环过程中的关键要素, 已逐渐成为生态学研究中必不可少的数据来源。近年来, 随着激光雷达、日光诱导叶绿素荧光等新型遥感技术以及无人机、背包等近地面遥感平台的发展, 个人化、定制化的近地面遥感观测逐渐成熟, 新一代遥感技术正在推动遥感信息“二维向三维”的转变, 为传统样地观测与卫星遥感之间搭建了尺度推绎桥梁, 这也给生态系统生态学带来了新的机遇, 推动生态系统生态学向多尺度、多过程、多学科、多途径发展。因此, 该文从生态系统生态学角度出发, 重点关注陆地生态系统中生物组分, 并分别从生态系统类型、结构、功能和生物多样性等方面, 结合作者在实际研究工作中的主要成果和该领域国际前沿动态, 阐述遥感技术在生态系统生态学中的研究现状并指出我国生态系统遥感监测领域发展方向及亟待解决的问题。     

Southern right whales show no behavioral response to low noise levels from a nearby unmanned aerial vehicle

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are increasingly used for wildlife research and monitoring, but little information exists on their potential effect on marine mammals. We assessed the effects of a UAV on the behavior of southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) in Australia. Focal follows of ten right whale mother-calf pairs were conducted using a theodolite. Control data were recorded for 30 min, and then a DJI Inspire 1 Pro was flown above the whales for 10 min at 5 m altitude. Potential changes to horizontal behavior (swim speed and turning angle) and surfacing pattern (interbreath intervals) were investigated by comparing mother-calf behavior before and during UAV approaches. Changes in respiration rate were used to quantify energetic effects. We also explored acoustic cue perceptibility of the UAV at 5, 10, and 30 m altitude, by measuring the received UAV underwater noise level on whales equipped with acoustic tags (DTAGs). The received noise levels were 86.0 ± 3.9 dB re 1 μPa, while the measured ambient noise was 80.7 ± 7.3 dB re 1 μPa in the same frequency band (100–1,500 Hz). No behavioral response to the UAV was observed. This provides support for UAVs as a noninvasive tool to study baleen whale behavior and ecophysiology.     

Enhanced adhesion and chemoattraction of zoospores of the fouling alga enteromorpha to some foul‐release silicone elastomers

Significantly higher numbers of zoospores of the fouling, green alga Enteromorpha adhered to silicone elastomers cured by dibutyltin dilaurate (DBTDL) than to identical polymers cured by dibutyltin diacetate (DBTDA). Enhanced zoospore adhesion was shown to be due to the presence of DBTDL and the effect was concentration‐dependent. Further experiments revealed that enhanced zoospore adhesion also occurred to glass coverslips coated with lauric acid (C₁₂) and other saturated fatty acids. The possibility that fatty acids may act as chemical cues (chemoattractants), guiding motile zoospores to the substratum for settlement in the natural environment is discussed. Settlement of other fouling organisms to DBTDL‐cured silicone elastomers is currently being investigated.     

Regulating Autonomous Ships—Concepts,Challenges and Precedents

Abstract

The article seeks to contribute to the development of a conceptual framework for the ongoing regulatory discussions on autonomous ships at the International Maritime Organization (IMO). It elaborates on the distinction between the level of autonomy and the level of manning and highlights the sliding scale that features in both. Certain building blocks that are needed for regulating autonomous ships are identified, followed by an assessment of how key existing IMO rules deal with the challenges and an analysis of available precedents. The conclusion is that the on-going exercise is unique, almost without precedent, and that the work that has just started at IMO, so far at least, fails to address the most important—and complex—regulatory challenges.     

A Comparison of Ship-Recycling Legislation Between Chinese Law and the 2009 Hong Kong Convention

This article discusses the Chinese legal framework in relation to ship recycling and suggests that the various legislation, standards, and opinions provide disorderly and nosystematic regulation. A uniform law specifically regulating the ship-recycling industry should be adopted by China, with a single competent authority empowered to supervise ship-recycling activities, that will effectively implement the 2009 Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships.     

Effective aerial monitoring of cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms is dependent on understanding cellular migration

Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CHABs) degrade water quality and may produce toxins. The distribution of CHABs can change rapidly due to variations in population dynamics and environmental conditions. Biological and ecological aspects of CHABs were studied in order to better understand CHABs dynamics. Field experiments were conducted near Hartington, Ontario, Canada in ponds dominated by Microcystis aeruginosa and CHABs floating experiments were conducted at Lake Taihu during the summers of 2015 and 2016. Single colonies composed of hundreds to thousands of cells with an average median of 0.2–0.5 mm in diameter were the basic form assumed by the Microcystis, and this remained the same throughout the growing season. Thorough mixing of the water column followed by calm conditions resulted in over 90% of the cyanobacteria floating after 1 h. Multiple colonies floated on the water surface in four types of assemblages: aggregates, ribbons, patches, and mats. It is the mats that are conventionally considered the blooming stage of cyanobacteria.Presence of CHABs on open water surfaces also depends on environmental influences such as direct and indirect wind effects. For example, field tests revealed that the surface coverage of CHABs can be reduced to half within an hour at wind speeds of 0.5 m/s.Because our findings indicated that blooming involves surface display of cyanobacteria essentially presenting as a two-dimensional plane under defined conditions, the use of surface imagery to quantify CHABs was justified. This is particularly important in light of the fact that traditional detection methods do not provide accurate distribution information. Nor do they portray CHABs events in a real-time manner due to limitations in on-demand surveillance and delays between sample time and analyzed results. Therefore, a new CHAB detection method using small unmanned aerial systems with consumer-grade cameras was developed at a maximum detection altitude of 80 m. When cyanobacteria were floating on the surface, CHABs detection through RGB band cameras and spectral enhancement techniques was efficient and accurate. Small unmanned aerial systems were capable of providing coverage up to 1 km² per mission and the short intervals between sampling and results (approx. 2 h) allowed for the rapid analysis of data and for implementing follow-up monitoring or treatments. This method is very cost-effective at an estimate of as low as $100 CAD per mission with an average cyanobacterial detection accuracy of 86%. Thus, it is a good candidate method to fill the urgent need for CHABs detection, providing cost effective, rapid, and accurate information to improve risk management at a local level as well as to help quickly allocate resources for purposes of mitigation.