Human health risks of metals and metalloids in muscle tissue of Synodontis zambezensis Peters, 1852 from Flag Boshielo Dam,South Africa

Muscle tissue from 63 Synodontis zambezensis collected bimonthly in 2013 at Flag Boshielo Dam were analysed for metals and metalloids in a desktop human health risk assessment. The Hazard Quotient, based on a weekly meal of 67 g of fish muscle, exceeded the maximum acceptable level of one for lead, cobalt, cadmium, mercury, arsenic and selenium. The concentrations of these elements were higher in 2013 than those recorded in 2009 and 2012 in other fish species from Flag Boshielo Dam and these may pose a long-term health risk if consumed regularly by impoverished rural communities reliant on fish as a source of protein.     

长江经济带生态系统服务供需格局变化与关联性分析

生态系统服务持续供给是人类社会可持续发展的重要基础。随着社会经济发展和人类生活品质的提高,综合考虑生态系统服务供给与人类需求,并纳入自然资源管理实践对我国生态文明建设至关重要。然而,目前的研究大多集中于生态系统服务供给研究,针对跨区域尺度的生态系统服务供需研究仍较薄弱。以我国跨区域的长江经济带为例,采用生态系统服务供给指数(ESPI)和土地开发指数(LDI),定量测度了生态系统服务的供给和需求,构建了生态系统服务供需指数(ESSDI),分析了长江经济带生态系统服务供需格局的时空变化规律及其区域特征,并利用皮尔逊相关系数和回归分析方法,定量探究了长江经济带生态系统服务供需格局的关联性及其区域差异。研究结果表明:(1)2015年长江经济带的生态系统服务供需格局区域差异明显,总体上呈现西部盈余东部超载的供需格局,其中生态系统服务供需格局状况较好和状况好的区域面积比例较高,占长江经济带总面积的69.45%。(2)长江经济带生态系统服务供需格局空间失衡现象较为突出,长江经济带55.36%的GDP和31.41%的人口均集中在7%生态系统服务供需状况差的区域。2000—2015年期间,长江经济带实施了系列生态保护与修复工程,生态系统服务供需状况趋向变好,生态系统服务供需状况好的县域增加了43个,供需状况差的县域减少了58个;长江经济带上游和中游地区生态系统服务供需状况比下游地区提升幅度大。(3)长江经济带生态系统服务供给和需求整体上呈现负相关。生态系统服务的供需关系存在区域差异。在经济快速增长和土地集约开发的下游地区,生态系统服务供需负相关关系斜率较大。随着ESPI的变化,下游LDI的变化幅度大于欠发达的上游和中游地区。研究结果可为长江经济带生态系统管理和政策制定提供参考。     

长江经济带森林生态安全评价及时空演变研究

由于森林生态系统的安全关系到人类的生存与发展,因此本文以长江经济带1107个区县为研究对象,运用熵权法、ArcGIS和GeoDA软件、重心分析模型、空间相关分析来分析长江经济带森林生态安全指数（ESI）,结论如下：（1）森林状态指数中,权重最高的指标为森林火灾受灾率,其次为森林有害生物成灾率和林地面积比率;在森林压力指数中,权重最高的指标为政府林业投入强度,其次为年度造林比例和自然保护区占比。（2）从全域来看,森林ESI值长江上游 > 中游 > 下游,长江南岸高于北岸。长江经济带森林ESI值总体水平较低,但在2000-2015年间总体呈上升趋势。从各省看,云南省森林ESI值最高,上海市森林ESI值最低。在此15年间,湖南省森林ESI值提高幅度最大（19.77%）,江苏省提高幅度最小（0.76%）。（3）各支流流域森林ESI值排序：赣江 > 沅江 > 金沙江 > 乌江 > 湘江 > 汉江 > 嘉陵江 > 岷江。从2000-2015年,八大流域的森林ESI值总体呈上升趋势,其中湘江流域增长幅度最大（20.87%）,而金沙江流域增长幅度最小（3.6%）。（4）森林ESI值的重心先后经历了在从南往西、从西往东北和从东北往南等过程。（5）长江经济带森林ESI值有较为显著的集聚性,森林ESI值High-High集聚区域主要分布在四川省和云南省,Low-Low集聚区县主要分布在上海、江苏和安徽,其次在湖北江汉平原、四川成都平原较为集中。（6）基于以上分析,本文建议：①应注重森林火灾、病虫害防治、林业投资、植树造林等工作。②从全域看,生态修复的重点应放在长江下游。从支流流域来看,岷江、嘉陵江和汉江流域应重点加强森林修复工作。③应在上海、江苏、安徽等Low-Low集聚区域加强植树造林和退耕还林的力度,而在四川、云南、江西和浙江等High-High集聚区域适当发展木材加工和林下种植等产业。     

甘肃白龙江流域提灯藓科植物研究

对采自甘肃白龙江流域的180余份提灯藓科植物标本进行了分类研究,共鉴定出该科植物4属22种,其中瘤柄匍灯藓、大叶毛灯藓、细枝毛灯藓、具丝毛灯藓为甘肃省新记录种。同时,依据标本编制了白龙江流域提灯藓科植物的分属、分种检索表,列出了各个种的生境和分布,并对其区系成份进行了分析。     

Mapping habitat indices across river networks using spatial statistical modelling of River Habitat Survey data

Freshwater ecosystems are declining faster than their terrestrial and marine counterparts because of physical pressures on habitats. European legislation requires member states to achieve ecological targets through the effective management of freshwater habitats. Maps of habitats across river networks would help diagnose environmental problems and plan for the delivery of improvement work. Existing habitat mapping methods are generally time consuming, require experts and are expensive to implement. Surveys based on sampling are cheaper but provide patchy representations of habitat distribution. In this study, we present a method for mapping habitat indices across networks using semi-quantitative data and a geostatistical technique called regression kriging. The method consists of the derivation of habitat indices using multivariate statistical techniques that are regressed on map-based covariates such as altitude, slope and geology. Regression kriging combines the Generalised Least Squares (GLS) regression technique with a spatial analysis of model residuals. Predictions from the GLS model are ‘corrected’ using weighted averages of model residuals following an analysis of spatial correlation. The method was applied to channel substrate data from the River Habitat Survey in Great Britain. A Channel Substrate Index (CSI) was derived using Correspondence Analysis and predicted using regression kriging. The model explained 74% of the main sample variability and 64% in a test sample. The model was applied to the English and Welsh river network and a map of CSI was produced. The proposed approach demonstrates how existing national monitoring data and geostatistical techniques can be used to produce continuous maps of habitat indices at the national scale.     

岷江上游典型时期景观格局变化及驱动力初步分析

岷江上游地区是我国一个重要的大尺度、复合型生态过渡带,也是一个生态系统脆弱区,研究其景观格局的变化,对于构筑我国的生态格局安全具有十分重要的意义．本研究利用岷江上游地区1986、1995、2000年3个时期的TM影像,分析了3个时期的景观特征以及变化．结果表明,岷江上游整体景观水平以草地景观为基质、森林景观以及其他景观类型作为斑块镶嵌其中．森林景观面积经历了从1986～1995年的上升,而后到2000年的下降过程;草地景观高盖度草面积不断减少;同时,森林景观和草地景观斑块总数一直增加,破碎化趋势明显．岷江上游景观格局变化的驱动因子主要是日益增加的人口数量而导致的人为干扰,包括对土地利用方式与利用强度的改变、森林资源的掠夺性开采、草地资源的过度放牧以及气候、土壤等自然因素的变化．     

Determination of species-area relationships and minimum sampling area for the shrub communities in the arid valley in the upper reach of the Minjiang River, China

The minimum sampling areas (MSAs) for the shrub communities in the arid valley in the upper reach of the Minjiang River, China, were studied by fitting community species-area relationships using 3 types of equations. The MSAs were determined at the proportional factor (ρ) 0.6, 0.7, 0.8 and 0.9. The proportional factors represent the proportion of the number of species within a sampling plot in the total number of species. The MSAs of the shrub communities at different elevations and on different slope faces for ρ = 0.6, 0.7 and 0.8 were all around 100 m². Hence, the MSAs could be set to be 100 m² (10 m × 10 m) at 60%–80% precision levels. For ρ = 0.9, that is, for a 90% precision level, the MSAs were less than 200 m² (10 m × 20 m). The MSAs and species richness increased gradually with the rising elevation. At the elevation below 2000 m, the MSAs and species richness on the north-facing slope were larger than those on the south-facing slope. However, at the elevation around 2200 m, there was no difference amongst different facing slopes. For the shrub communities in the arid valley in the upper reach of the Minjiang River, the species-area curves by fitting the first two equations are better than that by fitting the third equation.     

Effect of great-horned owl trapping on chick survival in piping plovers

We studied the effect of great-horned owl (Bubo virginianus) removal on piping plover (Charadrius melodus) hatchling survival on Missouri River sandbars (2008–2009). Owl removal increased daily survival of piping plover chicks in 2008 (β = 2.03, 95% CI: 0.04–4.02), but this effect decreased with increasing age of the chick (β = −0.42, 95% CI: −0.81 to −0.03). Results for 2009 were similar in direction but not significant. Survival was higher in 2008 than in 2009, regardless of owl capture, indicating that even if owl capture consistently were effective at increasing survival, overall survival resulting from trapping may vary annually. Owl trapping was a successful means to raise chick survival on the Missouri River in ≥1 year and could be used at other sites experiencing depressed chick survival due to avian predators. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.     

Mosquito vectors of the 1998-1999 outbreak of Rift Valley Fever and other arboviruses (Bagaza, Sanar, Wesselsbron and West Nile) in Mauritania and Senegal

Following an outbreak of Rift Valley fever (RVF) in south-eastern Mauritania during 1998, entomological investigations were conducted for 2 years in the affected parts of Senegal and Mauritania, spanning the Sénégal River basin. A total of 92 787 mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae), belonging to 10 genera and 41 species, were captured in light traps. In Senegal, Culex poicilipes (41%) and Mansonia uniformis (39%) were the most abundant species caught, whereas Aedes vexans (77%) and Cx. poicilipes (15%) predominated in Mauritania. RVF virus was isolated from 63 pools of Cx. poicilipes: 36 from Senegal in 1998 and 27 from Mauritania in 1999. These results are the first field evidence of Cx. poicilipes naturally infected with RVFV, and the first isolations of this virus from mosquitoes in Mauritania - the main West African epidemic and epizootic area. Additional arbovirus isolates comprised 25 strains of Bagaza (BAG) from Aedes fowleri, Culex neavei and Cx. poicilipes; 67 Sanar (ArD 66707) from Cx. poicilipes; 51 Wesselsbron (WSL) from Ae. vexans and 30 strains of West Nile (WN) from Ma. uniformis, showing differential specific virus-vector associations in the circulation activity of these five arboviruses.