Geochemical baseline determination and pollution assessment of heavy metals in urban soils of Karachi,Pakistan

Karachi is one of the most populated urban agglomerations in the world. No categorical study has yet discussed the geochemical baseline concentrations of metals in the urban soil of Karachi. The main objectives of this study were to establish geochemical baseline values and to assess the pollution status of different heavy metals. Geochemical baseline concentrations of heavy metals were estimated using the cumulative frequency distribution (CDF) curves. The estimated baseline concentrations of Pb, Cr, Cu, Zn and Fe were 56.23, 12.9, 36.31, 123.03 and 11,776 mg kg⁻¹, respectively. The pollution status of heavy metals in urban soils was evaluated using different quantitative indices (enrichment factor–EF, Geo-accumulation Index–I_geo, and pollution index–PI). Enrichments factors of the selected heavy metals determined by using Fe as a normalizer showed that metal contamination was the product of anthropogenic activities. The urban soils of Karachi were found to have a moderate to moderately severe enrichment with Pb, whereas Cr and Cu has moderate and Zn has minor enrichment. I_geo results indicated moderate soil contamination by Pb at some of the sampling locations. PI for Pb, Cr, Cu and Zn was found in the range of 0.04–3.42, 0.19–1.55, 0.27–2.45 and 0.32–1.57, respectively. Large variations in PI values of Pb revealed that soil in those areas of the city which are influenced by intensive anthropogenic activities have exceptionally high concentrations of Pb. The findings of this study would contribute to the environmental database of the soil of the region and would also facilitate both at the local and the international scales, in a more accurate global environmental monitoring, which will eventually facilitate the development of management and remediation strategies for heavy metal contaminated urban soil.     

Geochemical baseline establishment and ecological risk evaluation of heavy metals in greenhouse soils from Dongtai,China

Currently, heavy metal (HM) contamination in greenhouse soils is a significant concern due to the rapid expansion of greenhouse agriculture. However, it is difficult to accurately assess HM pollution in greenhouse soils in China due to the lack of local geochemical baseline concentrations (GBCs) or corresponding background values. In the present study, the GBCs of HMs in Dongtai, a representative greenhouse area of China, were established from subsoils using cumulative frequency distribution (CFD) curves. The pollution levels of HMs and potential ecological risks were investigated using different quantitative indices, such as geo-accumulation index (I_geo), pollution index (PI), pollution load index (PLI) and ecological risk index (RI), based on these regional GBCs. The total concentrations of six metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) in surface soils were determined and shown to be lower than the concentrations reported in other greenhouse regions of China. The GBCs of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn were 0.059–0.092, 39.20–54.50, 12.52–15.57, 20.63–23.26, 13.43–16.62 and 43.02–52.65 mg kg⁻¹, respectively. Based on this baseline criterion, Cd, Pb and Zn accumulated in the surface soils because they were present at concentrations higher than their baseline values. The soils were moderately polluted by Cd according to the I_geo values, and the PI results indicated that moderate Cd contamination was present in this area. The large variation of I_geo value of Cd revealed that Cd in this area was likely influenced by agricultural activities. The PLI showed that most of the study area was moderately polluted. However, an analysis of the RI showed that the investigated HMs had low ecological risks. Correlation analysis and principle component analysis suggested that the Cd, Pb and Zn in the greenhouse soils mainly originated from anthropogenic sources (agricultural activities, atmospheric deposition etc.), while Cr, Cu, and Ni originated from natural sources. The findings of this study illustrated the necessity of GBC establishment at the local scale to facilitate more accurate HM evaluation of greenhouse soils. It is advisable to pay more attention to Cd, which could cause environmental problems in the greenhouse system.     

利用红外相机公里网格调查钱江源国家公园的兽类及鸟类多样性

2014年5月至2019年4月, 作者采用红外相机技术调查了浙江省钱江源国家公园的兽类及鸟类多样性。将整个国家公园划分为267个1 km × 1 km的调查网格, 每个网格内设置3个固定调查位点, 使用1台红外相机定期在同一网格内的位点之间进行轮换。其中, 古田山片区在5年内共完成14轮次调查, 古田山以外的区域自2018年7月纳入调查范围, 何田、长虹片区完成2次轮换, 齐溪片区完成1次轮换。在253个网格内的741个有效位点上共获得140,413个相机工作日的数据, 采集兽类和鸟类的照片和视频268,833份, 有效探测数74,368次, 鉴定出21种野生兽类, 72种野生鸟类, 5种家畜及家禽。包括国家一级重点保护野生动物2种, 即黑麂(Muntiacus crinifrons)、白颈长尾雉(Syrmaticus ellioti); 国家二级重点保护野生动物17种, 合计占野生物种总数的20.4%。被IUCN物种红色名录评估为易危(VU)的5种, 近危(NT)的4种, 合计占物种总数的9.7%。被中国脊椎动物红色名录评估为濒危(EN)的1种, 易危(VU)的9种, 近危(NT)的10种, 合计占物种总数的21.5%。相对多度指数最高的大中型兽类为小麂(Muntiacus reevesi), 鸟类为白鹇(Lophura nycthemera)。本次调查获得了国家公园内兽类和鸟类的多样性组成、空间分布和相对多度, 为长期科研监测和科学管理提供了基础数据。     

Effect of azoxystrobin and kresoxim‐methyl on rice blast and rice grain yield in China

Sensitivity to azoxystrobin and kresoxim‐methyl of 80 single‐spore isolates of Magnaporthe oryzae was determined. The EC₅₀ values for azoxystrobin and kresoxim‐methyl in inhibiting mycelial growth of the 80 M. oryzae isolates were 0.006–0.056 and 0.024–0.287 µg mL^?1, respectively. The EC₅₀ values for azoxystrobin and kresoxim‐methyl in inhibiting conidial germination of the M. oryzae populations were 0.004–0.051 and 0.012–0.105 µg mL^?1, respectively. There was significant difference in sensitivity to azoxystrobin or kresoxim‐methyl between the tested isolates representing differential sensitivity to carbendazim (MBC) and kitazin P (IBP); however, there was no correlation between this difference in sensitivity to azoxystrobin or kresoxim‐methyl and sensitivity to MBC or IBP, indicating that there was no cross‐resistance between azoxystrobin or kresoxim‐methyl and MBC or IBP. In the protective and curative experiments, kresoxim‐methyl exhibited higher protective and curative activity than azoxystrobin when applied at 150 and 250 µg mL^?1 accordingly, while azoxystrobin exhibited stronger inhibitory activity against M. oryzae isolates than that of kresoxim‐methyl in the in vitro test. The results of field experiments also suggested that both azoxystrobin and kresoxim‐methyl at 187.5 g.a.i. ha^?1 gave over 73% control efficacy in both sites, exhibiting excellent activity against rice blast. Taken together, azoxystrobin and kresoxim‐methyl could be a good substitute for MBC or IBP for controlling rice blast in China, but should be carefully used as they were both at‐risk.     

华南地区瓜类疫霉对甲霜灵的田间抗药性

【目的】了解华南地区瓜类疫霉(Phytophthora melonis)对甲霜灵的田间抗药性。【方法】2007-2010年从广西、广东两省(区)9个市冬瓜和黄瓜产区采集疫病样品,分离纯化瓜类疫霉,分别采用菌落生长速率法和叶盘漂浮法测定瓜类疫霉对甲霜灵的敏感性,并用药剂驯化方法从敏感性菌株诱导瓜类疫霉抗甲霜灵突变体。【结果】从9个市24个样点共分离纯化获得193株瓜类疫霉,抗药性检测结果表明,敏感菌株、中等抗性菌株和抗性菌株分别占测试菌株的29.0%、18.1%和52.8%;不同地区、不同寄主分离的菌株的抗性频率和抗性水平差异较大,来源于广东的菌株抗性频率和抗性水平一般高于来源广西的菌株,分离自黄瓜的菌株高于分离自冬瓜的菌株,大部分样点抗性菌株占据优势群体,个别菌株的抗性指数高达4226.9,叶盘漂浮法测定结果和菌落生长速率法相似;在含药平板上对敏感菌株进行甲霜灵抗性诱导结果表明,从60%的敏感菌株中成功诱导出对甲霜灵抗性稳定的突变体,突变体的抗性水平为敏感性亲本的189-407倍;9株来源于未施用过甲霜灵等苯基酰胺类杀菌剂样点的菌株均为敏感性菌株,其EC50值为0.0429-0.5461μg/mL,将它们EC50的平均值0.3200±0.1617μg/mL确定为华南地区瓜类疫霉对甲霜灵的敏感性基线;对两个样点的监测结果表明,瓜类疫霉抗甲霜灵菌株的频率及抗性指数有逐年增高趋势。【结论】华南广西和广东两省(区)瓜类疫霉对甲霜灵抗性普遍发生,瓜类疫霉对甲霜灵抗药性产生与其和药剂的接触密切相关。瓜类疫霉敏感性基线的建立,可为今后瓜类疫霉抗甲霜灵的评价和进一步监测提供科学依据。     

草原矿区土壤环境损害基线评估判定的应用研究——以内蒙古草原矿区为例

草原生态环境损害评估鉴定中,土壤基线是重要的评价标准。如何确定土壤基线,寻找适宜的基线判定方法,进而判定草原土壤的受损害程度,已成为草原生态系统损害评估鉴定、生态系统保护及修复工作中的关键。基于科学、务实、准确的原则,对内蒙古2个草原矿区土壤的总有机质（TOM）、N、P、K含量进行采样分析,采用历史数据法、参考点位法和统计点位法来判定土壤基线。结果表明,胜利矿区土壤养分均值与参考点位法基线值差异较小,采矿对胜利矿区土壤养分含量未见直接的影响。宝日希勒矿区土壤中TOM含量均值明显低于3种方法得出的基线值,N、K均值与参考点位法基线值相似,P均值位于3种基线值之间。可见采矿对宝日希勒矿区土壤中TOM的含量造成了直接影响,对N、P、K含量未见直接的影响。最适宜该地区的方法取决于样本质量和评估尺度,建议以参考点位法为主,历史数据法和统计点位法作为验证工具,3种方法共同使用。     

Long-term changes in temperate marine fish assemblages are driven by a small subset of species

The species composition of plant and animal assemblages across the globe has changed substantially over the past century. How do the dynamics of individual species cause this change? We classified species into seven unique categories of temporal dynamics based on the ordered sequence of presences and absences that each species contributes to an assemblage time series. We applied this framework to 14,434 species trajectories comprising 280 assemblages of temperate marine fishes surveyed annually for 20 or more years. Although 90% of the assemblages diverged in species composition from the baseline year, this compositional change was largely driven by only 8% of the species' trajectories. Quantifying the reorganization of assemblages based on species shared temporal dynamics should facilitate the task of monitoring and restoring biodiversity. We suggest ways in which our framework could provide informative measures of compositional change, as well as leverage future research on pattern and process in ecological systems.