Coastal Wetland Distributions: Delineating Domains of Macroscale Drivers and Local Feedbacks

Ecosystems - How do multiple stable states influence local and macroscale ecological patterns? Understanding how local feedbacks operate within heterogeneous coastal environments is essential to...     

The Influence of Co-product Handling Methodology on Greenhouse Gas Savings of Biofuels in the European Context

The handling of multi-output systems presents a crucial aspect of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission calculation as well as the certification of biofuels, and finding a robust and applicable method that accounts for distinctive characteristics of and benefits generated by all products is a challenge. In this work, GHG emission savings of 11 biofuel production concepts are assessed and the implications of methodological assumptions are discussed by applying the methodology defined by the Renewable Energy Directive (RED), allocation based on physical parameters, two hybrid approaches, as well as six variants of substitution. GHG emission savings according to RED methodology range from 35 to 57 %. Sugar beet-based ethanol shows highest savings. Results reveal that GHG savings according to the RED methodology present, in sum, a relatively good approximation of emission savings occurring due to substitution effects under given assumptions. An introduction of credits for products that are barely or not considered by the RED methodology due to allocation based on the lower heating value (LHV), i.e. fertilizers and wet feed co-products, reduces the difference between RED results and results based on substitution. If displacement mechanisms are considered by substitution, sugar beet-based ethanol, ethanol production by wet milling of wheat and sunflower biodiesel result in highest emission savings under given assumptions if oil that needs to be supplied due to occurring displacement mechanisms stems from rapeseed. The implementation of a method that supports concepts with high emission saving potential, e.g. allocation based the lower heating value of dry material, could promote emission reductions from biofuel provision.     

设施菜地土壤次生盐渍化分类与分级标准

近三十年来,我国设施蔬菜栽培发展迅速,已成为我国农业中最有活力的新兴产业之一.但在长期的设施蔬菜生产过程中,普遍存在着不合理施肥、养分比例失调、肥效下降和资源浪费严重等问题,致使土壤养分富集,盐分积累现象日趋严重.本文对我国设施菜地土壤次生盐渍化的现状、发生原因及其对作物的危害进行综述和分析,在此基础上制定设施菜地土壤次生盐渍化分类与分级的标准的建议及初步构架,旨在为防治设施菜地土壤次生盐渍化,实现设施菜地土壤的质量调控与可持续利用提供理论指导和科学依据.     

围填海对潍坊北部沿海地区湿地生态系统服务功能损害影响研究

本文以潍坊北部沿海地区为例,利用市场价值法、造林成本法、影子工程法、成本替代法、成果参照法等方法,分别从湿地生态系统提供的食品生产、原料生产、氧气生产、气候调节、水质净化、旅游娱乐和知识扩展服务等7个方面,计算得出了该区域围填海造成的湿地生态系统服务功能价值损失值为1．02×104万元／年,单位面积损失为1．06万元／hm2·年。通过对湿地生态系统服务功能进行科学、全面的分析和评价,为分析围填海工程综合损益提供了科学依据,也为围填海形成后的生态恢复提供了技术参考。     

Microbial Dynamics during Bioremediation of a Crude Oil-Contaminated Coastal Wetland

In 1996, a controlled crude oil application was conducted at a Texas intertidal, coastal wetland to determine the effectiveness of two biostimulation treatments in these sensitive areas. An inorganic nutrient treatment and inorganic nutrient plus a potential electron acceptor (nitrate) treatment were examined. As part of this research, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-degrading, aliphatic-degrading, and total heterotrophic microbial numbers were monitored. Using a randomized, complete block design consisting of 21 plots, microbial data from biostimulation treatment plots were statistically compared to oiled control plots to assess treatment differences. Sediment samples from all plots receiving oil showed exponential increases in the numbers of aliphatic (n-alkane) and PAH-degrading microorganisms. This increase was observed at both 0 to 5 cm and 5 to 10 cm sample depths. Statistical analysis, however, revealed no significant differences in the numbers of aliphatic-degrading or PAH-degrading microorganisms between treatment plots and oiled control plots or between treatments on any sample day. The numbers of PAH- and aliphatic-degrading microorganisms returned to near pre-application levels by the end of the monitoring period. Ratios of hydrocarbon-degrading microbes to total heterotrophs also increased as a result of the oil application and returned to pre-application levels by the end of the monitoring period. Overall, the populations of hydrocarbon-degrading microorganisms illustrated a well-documented response to crude oil. However, the addition of the biostimulation treatments did not significantly increase the numbers of aliphatic-degrading, PAH-degrading, or total heterotrophic microorganisms over populations on control plots.     

Succession of a Southern Appalachian Mountain Wetland Six Years following Hydrologic and Microtopographic Restoration

Microtopography, which is known to play a key role in the structure and function of wetland communities, is receiving increasing attention in wetland restoration projects. One goal of the Tulula Wetlands Mitigation Bank, which was the first large-scale wetland restoration project in the Blue Ridge Province, was to restore the microtopography in a degraded swamp forest–bog complex. This wetland type has become increasingly rare in the southern Appalachians and is characterized by a distinct microtopography of depressions and low ridges. We examined vegetation and soils in depression and ridge plots over a 6-year period, during which the hydrology and microtopography of the floodplain were restored. Our results showed that the flora of the depression and ridge plots differed, with greater coverage by obligate wetland species in the depression plots but greater overall taxonomic richness in the ridge plots. The edaphic characteristics that we measured varied very little during the study period. Creating microtopographic relief during the restoration of this wetland seems to have provided a variety of niches and may have increased the likelihood that the site will succeed back to a swamp forest–bog complex, rather than as a forested terrace of Tulula Creek.     

Consideration of Geography and Wetland Geomorphic Type in the Development of Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Bird Indicators

We examined how geographic distribution of birds and their affinities to three geomorphic wetland types would affect the scale at which we developed indicators based on breeding bird communities for Great Lakes coastal wetlands. We completed 385 breeding bird surveys on 222 wetlands in the US portion of the basin in 2002 and 2003. Analyses showed that wetlands within two ecoprovinces (Laurentian Mixed Forest and Eastern Broadleaf Forest) had different bird communities. Bird communities were also significantly different among five lakes (Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario) and among three wetland types (lacustrine, riverine, barrier-protected). Indicator values illustrated bird species with high affinities for each group (ecoprovince, lake, wetland type). Species with restricted geographic ranges, such as Alder and Willow Flycatchers (Empidonax alnorum and E. traillii), had significant affinities for ecoprovince. Ten bird species had significant affinities for lacustrine wetlands. Analyses on avian guild metrics showed that Lake Ontario wetlands had fewer long-distant migrants and warblers than other lakes. Numbers of short-distant migrants and total individuals in wetlands were higher in the Eastern Broadleaf Forest ecoprovince. Number of flycatchers and wetland obligate birds were not different among provinces, lakes, or wetland type. One potential indicator for wetland condition in Great Lakes wetlands, proportion of obligate wetland birds, responded negatively to proportion of developed land within 1 km of the wetland. We conclude that, although a guild approach to indicator development ameliorates species-specific geographic differences in distribution, individual species responses to disturbance scale will need to be considered in future indicator development with this approach.     

全球温室气体排放概况

全球温室气体排放概况曹志平（中国农业大学资源与环境学院生态系,北京１０００９４）ＩｎｔｒｏｄｕｃｔｉｏｎｏｆＧｌｏｂａｌＥｍｉｓｓｉｏｎｓｏｆＧｒｅｅｎｈｏｕｓｅＧａｓ．ＣａｏＺｈｉｐｉｎｇ（ＣｏｌｅｇｅｏｆＲｅｓｏｕｒｃｅｓａｎｄＥｎｖｉｒｏｎｍ...     

产业园区温室气体排放清单

温室气体排放所导致的全球气候变化是国际社会长期关注的热点问题,它严重限制了人类社会的发展并威胁着人类的生存。产业园区通常集中了一个区域主要的生产要素与生产能力,也代表着特定产业在该区域的发展水平,理应作为发展低碳经济的基础单元和减少温室气体排放的重要控制点,也可以成为解决区域资源、环境问题的突破口。明确了产业园区温室气体排放的系统边界和内部结构,梳理了产业园区全生命周期温室气体排放行为,综合考虑产业园区能源消耗、工业生产、物质材料消耗、仪器设备投入、废弃物处理处置、景观绿化等过程,建立产业园区温室气体排放核算方法,并对案例园区进行了清单分析。结果表明:案例园区整个生命周期的温室气体排放量为1872177 t CO2-eq,其中运行管理阶段占全生命周期排放的比例最高,为95.35%。建设阶段的温室气体排放总量中建筑材料消耗引起的排放占到96.95%,主要集中在建筑工程、内部装修工程和外部装饰工程3个环节。运行管理阶段电力消耗、热力消耗和污水处理过程的排放量占到总量的98.69%。根据核算及分析结果提出了案例园区在建设和运行管理阶段实现温室气体减排的建议。     

Landscape Development and Coastal Wetland Losses in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

The causes of the extensive (0.86%/yr; 288,414 ha/yr) and welldocumented dramatic and accelerating rate of coastal wetlandloss in the northern Gulf of Mexico were investigated by aninterdisciplinary university research team to discern the roleof outer continental shelf development. The landscape changesand potential causal agents are emphasized herein. Natural drivingfactors include sea level rise and geological compaction, whichappear to remain constant this century, and sediment supplyfrom the Mississippi River which has declined by 50%,since the1950s. Man-made influences include hydrologic changes from riverdiversions, flood protection levees, an extensive canal andspoil bank network, belowground fluid withdrawal and accidentaland intentional impoundments. Wetland loss is not simply a geologicalphenomenon. Wetland plants hold sediments together, add to verticalaccretion rates, withstand storm winds and waves, and assistin sediment trapping. Plant physiologic stress is documentedwhere hydrologic changes occur, and much of the wetland losscould be attributed to the effects of soil waterlogging on plants,not to sediment deprivation.     

滨海人工湿地越冬鸟类混合群结构及角色

2013年12月至2014年2月冬季,采用样点法对广西防城港市防城区江山乡新基村虾塘的越冬鸟类混合群行为进行观察研究。鸟类混合群在深水虾塘与浅水虾塘生境持续的平均时间分别为(51.6±33.6)min/群与(31.9±13.3)min/群。平均水深15 cm的深水虾塘与平均水深5 cm的浅水虾塘中均分布有11种鸟类,深水虾塘的主要水鸟为体型中等的鹤鹬(Tringa erythropus)、青脚鹬(T.nebularia)、泽鹬(T.stagnatilis),浅水虾塘的主要水鸟是小型个体的金眶鸻(Charadrius dubius)、青脚滨鹬(Calidris temminckii)。深水虾塘鸟类混合群的平均物种数及个体数分别为(5.48±1.60)种/群和(18.75±11.67)只/群,浅水虾塘鸟类混合群则分别为(3.93±1.14)种/群和(11.65±5.12)只/群。深水虾塘的核心种鹤鹬以及跟随种青脚鹬、泽鹬在浅水虾塘属于加入种;而浅水虾塘的核心种金眶鸻以及跟随种青脚滨鹬在深水虾塘却属于加入种。研究结果表明,不同类型生境的鸟类混合群结构及其核心种和跟随种均存在明显差异。     

Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Electricity Generated from Conventionally Produced Natural Gas

This research provides a systematic review and harmonization of the life cycle assessment (LCA) literature of electricity generated from conventionally produced natural gas. We focus on estimates of greenhouse gases (GHGs) emitted in the life cycle of electricity generation from natural gas‐fired combustion turbine (NGCT) and combined‐cycle (NGCC) systems. The smaller set of LCAs of liquefied natural gas power systems and natural gas plants with carbon capture and storage were also collected, but analyzed to a lesser extent. A meta‐analytical process we term “harmonization” was employed to align several system boundaries and technical performance parameters to better allow for cross‐study comparisons, with the aim of clarifying central tendency and reducing variability in estimates of life cycle GHG emissions. Of over 250 references identified, 42 passed screens for technological relevance and study quality, providing a total of 69 estimates for NGCT and NGCC. Harmonization increased the median estimates in each category as a result of several factors not typically considered in the previous research, including the regular clearing of liquids from a well, and consolidated the interquartile range for NGCC to 420 to 480 grams of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilowatt‐hour (g CO₂‐eq/kWh) and for NGCT to 570 to 750 g CO₂‐eq/kWh, with medians of 450 and 670 CO₂‐eq/kWh, respectively. Harmonization of thermal efficiency had the largest effect in reducing variability; methane leakage rate is likely similarly influential, but was unharmonized in this assessment as a result of the significant current uncertainties in its estimation, an area that is justifiably receiving significant research attention.     

Evaluation and Allocation of Greenhouse Gas Reductions in Industrial Symbiosis

Industrial symbiosis (IS) exchanges have been recognized to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emission, though methods for quantification of GHG emissions in IS exchanges are varied, and no standardized methods are available. This article proposes a practical approach to quantify total and allocated GHG emissions from IS exchanges by integrating the GHG protocol and life cycle assessment. The proposed method expands the system boundaries to include all IS companies, and the functional flow is set to be the sum of the main products. The total impact of a company is allocated to the main product. Three by‐product impact allocation methods of cutoff, avoidance, and 50/50 are proposed, and the total and distributed impacts of the IS systems in an industrial park are theoretically derived. The proposed method was tested to quantify GHG reduction in a real IS exchange developed between Korea Zinc (a zinc smelter) and Hankook Paper (a paper mill company) in the Ulsan Eco‐Industrial Park initiative. The total reduction of GHG emissions in this IS exchange, 60,522 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, was the same in the GHG protocol, whereas GHG distribution between two companies depended on the allocation method. Given that the reduction of GHG emissions from IS exchanges is the product of the collaboration of giving companies and receiving companies, the 50/50 allocation method is best from an equivalent‐responsibility and benefit‐sharing perspective. However, this study suggests a more practical implementation approach based on a flexible and negotiable method of allocating the total GHG reduction between stakeholders.     

Pre-Hispanic Beer in Coastal Peru: Technology and Social Context of Prehistoric Production

The native Andean beer , chicha, played a variety of roles in pre-Hispanic Peruvian societies. Commonly made from maize , chicha was both the everyday beverage and an essential element in ritual and social interactions. Most important, political leaders had to reward corvée labor groups with chicha and food as part of the "hospitable repayment" lords were obligated to provide their subjects. The article describes an archeological investigation of chicha production in a non-elite residential sector at Manchan, the Chimu Empire's (A.D. 900–1470) regional center in the Casma Valley of the Peruvian North Coast. Two issues are considered: the technical process and the social context of chicha- making. In both cases, ethnohistoric and ethnographic data are used to develop archeological correlates for different aspects of the technology and social context of chicha- making. The archeological data indicate that (1) the equipment for chicha- making was generally available, (2) different households episodically produced large quantities of chicha, and (3) this production took place within a self-sufficient household and without extensive state involvement by the Chimu Empire.     

Organic Biogeochemistry of Detrital Flocculent Material (Floc) in a Subtropical, Coastal Wetland

Flocculent materials (floc), in aquatic systems usually consist of a non-consolidated layer of biogenic, detrital material relatively rich in organic matter which represents an important food-web component for invertebrates and fish. Thus, variations in its composition could impact food webs and change faunal structure. Transport, remineralization rates and deposition of floc may also be important factors in soil/sediment formation. In spite of its relevance and sensitivity to external factors, few chemical studies have been carried out on the biogeochemistry of floc material. In this study, we focused on the molecular characterization of the flocculent organic matter (OM), the assessment of its origin and its environmental fate at five stations along a freshwater to marine ecotone, namely the Taylor Slough, Everglades National Park (ENP), Florida. To tackle this issue, suspended, unconsolidated, detrital floc samples, soils/sediments and plants were analyzed for bulk properties, biomarkers and pigments. Both geochemical proxies and biomass-specific biomarkers were used to assess OM sources and transformations. Our results show that the detrital organic matter of the flocculent material is largely regulated by local vegetation inputs, ranging from periphyton, emergent and submerged plants and terrestrial plants such as mangroves, with molecular evidence of different degrees of diagenetic reworking, including fungal activity. Evidence is presented for both hydrodynamic transport of floc materials, and incorporation of floc OM into soils/sediments. However, some molecular parameters showed a decoupling between floc and underlying soil/sediment OM, suggesting that physical transport, incorporation and degradation/remineralization of OM in floc may be controlled by a combination of a variety of complex biogeochemical variables including hydrodynamic transport, hydroperiod characteristics, primary productivity, nutrient availability, and OM quality among others. Further investigations are needed to better understand the ecological role of floc in freshwater and coastal wetlands.     

Hydrologic and Vegetative Removal of Cryptosporidium parvum,Giardia lamblia,and Toxoplasma gondii Surrogate Microspheres in Coastal Wetlands

Constructed wetland systems are used to reduce pollutants and pathogens in wastewater effluent, but comparatively little is known about pathogen transport through natural wetland habitats. Fecal protozoans, including Cryptosporidium parvum, Giardia lamblia, and Toxoplasma gondii, are waterborne pathogens of humans and animals, which are carried by surface waters from land-based sources into coastal waters. This study evaluated key factors of coastal wetlands for the reduction of protozoal parasites in surface waters using settling column and recirculating mesocosm tank experiments. Settling column experiments evaluated the effects of salinity, temperature, and water type (“pure” versus “environmental”) on the vertical settling velocities of C. parvum, G. lamblia, and T. gondii surrogates, with salinity and water type found to significantly affect settling of the parasites. The mesocosm tank experiments evaluated the effects of salinity, flow rate, and vegetation parameters on parasite and surrogate counts, with increased salinity and the presence of vegetation found to be significant factors for removal of parasites in a unidirectional transport wetland system. Overall, this study highlights the importance of water type, salinity, and vegetation parameters for pathogen transport within wetland systems, with implications for wetland management, restoration efforts, and coastal water quality.     

Contribution of Urban Water Supply to Greenhouse Gas Emissions in China

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from energy use in the water sector in China have not received the same attention as emissions from other sectors, but interest in this area is growing. This study uses 2011 data to investigate GHG emissions from electricity use for urban water supply in China. The objective is to measure the climate cobenefit of water conservation, compare China with other areas on a number of emissions indicators, and assist in development of policy that promotes low‐emission water supply. Per capita and per unit GHG emissions for water supplied to urban areas in China in 2011 were 24.5 kilograms carbon dioxide equivalent (kg CO₂‐eq) per capita per year and 0.213 kg CO₂‐eq per cubic meter, respectively. Comparison of provinces within China revealed that GHG emissions for urban water supply as a percentage of total province‐wide emissions from electricity use correlate directly with the rate of leakage and water loss within the water distribution system. This highlights controlling leakage as a possible means of reducing the contribution of urban water supply to GHG emissions. An inverse correlation was established between GHG emissions per unit water and average per capita daily water use, which implies that water demand tends to be higher when per unit emissions are lower. China's high emission factor for electricity generation inflates emissions for urban water supply. Shifting from emissions‐intensive electricity sources is crucial to reducing emissions in the water supply sector.     

Measurement of Greenhouse Gas Flux from Agricultural Soils Using Static Chambers

Measurement of greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes between the soil and the atmosphere, in both managed and unmanaged ecosystems, is critical to understanding the biogeochemical drivers of climate change and to the development and evaluation of GHG mitigation strategies based on modulation of landscape management practices. The static chamber-based method described here is based on trapping gases emitted from the soil surface within a chamber and collecting samples from the chamber headspace at regular intervals for analysis by gas chromatography. Change in gas concentration over time is used to calculate flux. This method can be utilized to measure landscape-based flux of carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane, and to estimate differences between treatments or explore system dynamics over seasons or years. Infrastructure requirements are modest, but a comprehensive experimental design is essential. This method is easily deployed in the field, conforms to established guidelines, and produces data suitable to large-scale GHG emissions studies.     

盐城滨海湿地优势植物碳氮磷生态化学计量高光谱反演

滨海湿地是海陆交界的生态过渡带,是自然界生物多样性最丰富的生态系统之一。湿地植物作为湿地生态系统重要的组成部分,研究其碳、氮、磷生态化学计量特征是了解植物生长状况与适应策略的有效途径。以江苏盐城滨海湿地为研究区,采集互花米草(Spartina alterifora)、芦苇(Phragmites australis)、白茅(Imperata cylindrica)、柽柳(Tamarix chinensis)、盐地碱蓬(Suaeda salsa)共5种优势湿地植物样本及冠层高光谱数据,对植物的碳、氮、磷生态化学计量特征进行高光谱反演研究。结果表示白茅、柽柳与芦苇的最佳反演模型为随机森林(RF)模型,对互花米草反演效果最好的是偏最小二乘(PLSR)模型,而对盐地碱蓬反演精度最高的是BP神经网络(BPNN)模型。研究表明利用高光谱数据可以实现湿地植物碳、氮、磷生态化学计量特征的准确反演,不同模型对于不同湿地植物的反演存在差异,RF模型的反演稳定性最强,是反演湿地植物生态化学计量特征的较优模型。