A Practical Tool to Identify Water Bodies with Potential for Mosquito Habitatunder Mangrove Canopy: Large-scale Airborne Scanning in the Thermal Band 8–13 μm

We address the practical issue of using thermal image data without adjustment or calibration for projects which do not require actual temperatures per se. Large scale airborne scanning in the thermal band at 8.5–13 μm was obtained for a mangrove and salt marsh in subtropical eastern Australia. For open sites, the raw image values were strongly positively correlated with ground level temperatures. For sites under mangrove canopy cover, image values indicated temperatures 2–4°C lower than those measured on the ground. The raw image was useful in identifying water bodies under canopy and has the potential for locating channel lines of deeper water. This could facilitate modification to increase flushing in the system, thereby reducing mosquito larval survival.     

Biodiversity and concentration of airborne fungi in a hospital environment

The biodiversity and concentration of airborne fungi were monitored over a period of 6 months in a special-care unit of a hospital. Air sampling was performed in a corridor that was also accessible to visitors and in an adjacent bone-marrow transplantation (BMT) unit using an air sampler and two isolation media. Altogether, 98 fungal species could be identified, among them Aspergillus fumigatus and A. terreus as well as 48 other species reported as potential pathogens. The average contamination values of the corridor air ranged from 124 to 485 cfu m⁻³. Neither the degree of fungal air contamination nor the species composition inside the special care unit differed from those found in the corridor. By means of data obtained with a light-activated sensor, a possible influence of human activities on diurnal changes of fungal propagule concentration was shown. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

基于激光雷达数据的森林表层土壤机质空间格局反演

森林土壤是陆地生态系统的主要碳库,其有机质含量是估算碳储量的基础数据,也是评价土壤碳汇功能的重要指标.利用2009年8月采集的凉水自然保护区激光雷达(LiDAR)数据和55块固定样地土壤有机质含量数据,结合偏最小二乘算法,反演森林表层土壤有机质的空间格局,提取并筛选出与土壤有机质分布相关的变量,分析并确定变量(强度、点数、高程、坡度和坡向)值与土壤有机质含量的相关关系,建立土壤有机质含量的预测模型并检验.结果表明:研究区域表层土壤有机质含量与强度、点数和高程3变量呈极显著相关(r分别为0.765、0.423和0.475);基于此3变量的预测模型对研究区域表层土壤有机质含量的预测结果可靠(精度83.3％,R2=0.725,RMSE=1.955).研究区林缘和郁闭度较小林分的表层土壤有机质含量＜100 g·kg-1;大部分区域表层土壤有机质含量为I00～ 150 g·kg-1,少部分区域为150 ～318.4 g· kg-1.     

云南西双版纳试验站大气真菌群落的调查

采用撞击法对热带雨林西双版纳大气试验站不同试验场地类型（试验场、试验棚、试验库）按干季和雨季共4次采集大气真菌,用统计学法计算出不同试验场地干季和雨季的真菌数量,采用真菌形态学方法,结合ITS1-5.8S-TIS2或26S rDNA D1/D2区序列分析法鉴定到种,并用SPSS和R软件初步探讨大气真菌与环境因素的关系。结果表明云南西双版纳试验站大气真菌浓度为2 200-4 300cfu/m ³;从西双版纳大气试验站分离得到776株真菌鉴定为34属52个种,优势种群为尖孢枝孢菌Cladosporiumoxysporum、变红镰孢菌Fusariumincarnatum、歧皱青霉菌Penicilliumsteckii、Aspergillusminisclerotigenes、Leptosphaerulinachartarum、Clonostachysepichloe和Paraconiothyriumestuarinum;大气环境中真菌多样性较丰富,真菌群落和浓度随季节性变化;3个试验场地不同季节之间真菌的群落结构差异大,影响大气真菌群落结构的重要环境因素是降雨量和气压。     

石家庄市空气花粉散布规律及与气候因子的关系

石家庄市2007—2009连续两年空气花粉分析表明:受植物花期影响,春季以木本植物花粉为主,夏、秋季以草本植物花粉为主,不同类型花粉通量存在一定年际差异。松属、杨属、胡桃属等当地花粉含量占花粉组合的80.0%以上,桦木属、栎属、虎榛子属等区域花粉含量低于20.0%,显示空气花粉能较好地反映周围植被,但也受区域植被的影响。依据空气花粉通量变化规律,石家庄市主要空气花粉类型通量从高到低排在前5位的依次为:胡桃属、悬铃木属、蒿属、杨属、藜科,均为高致敏类型,花粉过敏症患者在其花期或通量较高时期应早作防范。空气花粉百分含量与气候因子之间的(CCA)分析结果显示,其主要受风速与水汽压影响;不同季节主要花粉类型通量与气候因子的相关分析表明:春季和秋季空气花粉通量主要受气温和水汽压的影响,夏季主要受相对湿度和水汽压的影响,冬季与气候因子相关较弱。     

Role of receptor binding specificity in influenza A virus transmission and pathogenesis

The recent emergence of a novel avian A/H7N9 influenza virus in poultry and humans in China, as well as laboratory studies on adaptation and transmission of avian A/H5N1 influenza viruses, has shed new light on influenza virus adaptation to mammals. One of the biological traits required for animal influenza viruses to cross the species barrier that received considerable attention in animal model studies, in vitro assays, and structural analyses is receptor binding specificity. Sialylated glycans present on the apical surface of host cells can function as receptors for the influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA) protein. Avian and human influenza viruses typically have a different sialic acid (SA)‐binding preference and only few amino acid changes in the HA protein can cause a switch from avian to human receptor specificity. Recent experiments using glycan arrays, virus histochemistry, animal models, and structural analyses of HA have added a wealth of knowledge on receptor binding specificity. Here, we review recent data on the interaction between influenza virus HA and SA receptors of the host, and the impact on virus host range, pathogenesis, and transmission. Remaining challenges and future research priorities are also discussed.     

Moose (Alces alces) reacts to high summer temperatures by utilizing thermal shelters in boreal forests – an analysis based on airborne laser scanning of the canopy structure at moose locations

The adaptation of different species to warming temperatures has been increasingly studied. Moose (Alces alces) is the largest of the ungulate species occupying the northern latitudes across the globe, and in Finland it is the most important game species. It is very well adapted to severe cold temperatures, but has a relatively low tolerance to warm temperatures. Previous studies have documented changes in habitat use by moose due to high temperatures. In many of these studies, the used areas have been classified according to how much thermal cover they were assumed to offer based on satellite/aerial imagery data. Here, we identified the vegetation structure in the areas used by moose under different thermal conditions. For this purpose, we used airborne laser scanning (ALS) data extracted from the locations of GPS‐collared moose. This provided us with detailed information about the relationships between moose and the structure of forests it uses in different thermal conditions and we were therefore able to determine and differentiate between the canopy structures at locations occupied by moose during different thermal conditions. We also discovered a threshold beyond which moose behaviour began to change significantly: as day temperatures began to reach 20 °C and higher, the search for areas with higher and denser canopies during daytime became evident. The difference was clear when compared to habitat use at lower temperatures, and was so strong that it provides supporting evidence to previous studies, suggesting that moose are able to modify their behaviour to cope with high temperatures, but also that the species is likely to be affected by warming climate.     

Antibiotic resistance genes in multidrug-resistant Enterococcus spp. and Streptococcus spp. recovered from the indoor air of a large-scale swine-feeding operation

AIMS: In this study, multidrug-resistant bacteria previously recovered from the indoor air of a large-scale swine-feeding operation were tested for the presence of five macrolide, lincosamide and streptogramin (MLS) resistance genes and five tetracycline (tet) resistance genes. METHODS AND RESULTS: Enterococcus spp. (n = 16) and Streptococcus spp. (n =16) were analysed using DNA-DNA hybridization, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and oligoprobing of PCR products. All isolates carried multiple MLS resistance genes, while 50% of the Enterococcus spp. and 44% of the Streptococcus spp. also carried multiple tet resistance genes. All Enterococcus spp. carried erm(A) and erm(B), 69% carried erm(F), 44% carried mef(A), 75% carried tet(M), 69% carried tet(L) and 19% carried tet(K). All Streptococcus spp. carried erm(B), 94% carried erm(F), 75% carried erm(A), 38% carried mef(A), 50% carried tet(M), 81% carried tet(L) and 13% carried tet(K). CONCLUSIONS: Multidrug resistance among airborne bacteria recovered from a swine operation is encoded by multiple MLS and tet resistance genes. These are the first data regarding resistance gene carriage among airborne bacteria from swine-feeding operations. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The high prevalence of multiple resistance genes reported here suggests that airborne Gram-positive bacteria from swine operations may be important contributors to environmental reservoirs of resistance genes.     

面向生态系统评估的多源数据融合体系

基于生态系统服务功能的生态系统评估是识别生态环境问题、开展生态系统恢复和生物多样性保护、建立生态补偿机制的重要基础,也是保障国家生态安全、推进生态文明建设的重要环节。生态系统评估涉及生态系统多个方面,需要多要素、多类型、多尺度的生态系统观测数据作为支撑。地面观测数据和遥感数据是生态系统评估的两大数据源,但是其在使用时常存在观测标准不一、观测要素不全面、时间连续性不足、尺度不匹配等问题,给生态系统评估增加了极大的不确定性。如何融合不同尺度的观测数据量化生态系统服务功能是实现生态系统准确评估的关键。为此,从观测尺度出发,阐述了地面观测数据、近地面遥感数据、机载遥感数据和卫星遥感数据的特点及其在问题,并综述了这几类数据源进行融合的常用方法,并以生产力、固碳能力、生物多样性几个关键生态参数为例介绍了“基于多源数据融合的生态系统评估技术及其应用研究”项目的多源数据融合体系。最后,总结面向生态系统评估的多源数据融合体系,并指出了该研究的未来发展方向。