Statistical and Frequency-Amplitude Characteristics of Ultraweak Emissions of the Loach Eggs and Embryos under the Normal Conditions and during Their Optic Interactions. 1. Characteristics of Ultraweak Emission in Normal Development and the Optic Role of Egg Envelopes

Ultraweak emissions of groups comprising several dozens of unfertilized and fertilized loach eggs, embryos, larvae, and their egg envelopes were measured on a photomultiplier tube. The envelopes absorbed the light from external sources but readily gave it back in the absence of embryos. We carried out statistical and frequency-amplitude analyses of ultraweak emissions and studied the autocorrelation structure of their frequency spectra. The frequencies of signals with different intensity underwent regular changes during development. Cascades of short-term (1 ms) flashes timed (during cleavage) to furrowing were a characteristic element of ultraweak emission. The Fourier spectra of developing embryos had pronounced frequency-amplitude peaks and higher, than in unfertilized eggs and inanimate samples, mutual correlation during successive time intervals. Stage-specific translational symmetry of the frequency spectra of ultraweak emissions was demonstrated, which suggests the presence in groups of embryos of a coordinated system of harmonic oscillators. The latter underwent regular changes during development. The measurement of ultraweak emissions represents a unique non-invasive method of analysis of these oscillators.     

Statistical and Frequency-Amplitude Characteristics of Ultraweak Emissions of the Loach Eggs and Embryos under the Normal Conditions and upon Their Optic Interactions. 2. Changes in Characteristics of Ultraweak Emissions upon Optic Interaction of Groups of Embryos of Different Ages

We compared the characteristics of ultraweak emissions from groups of loach embryos of different ages in the presence or absence of optic interaction. The percentage of zero values of emission gradually increased during the first hour of optic interaction. The number and height of rare big pulses estimated by the value of kurtosis increased in parallel. In addition, the correlation between the Fourier spectra of optically interacting samples decreased at a higher rate than in the absence of optical contact. Just after the 1-hour optic interaction was terminated, the number of high pulses decreased in a younger interacting group and increased in the older one and the farther away the partner groups were in developmental stages, the more pronounced these differences were. Measurements of the Fourier spectra after long-term (12–22-hour) optic interactions have shown that an exchange of autocorrelation characteristics of the spectra took place among the samples: the sums of autocorrelation coefficients were inverted in the vast majority of cases, often with an overshoot or, at least, were smoothed over with reference to the control samples. We conclude that the previously described effects of optic interactions between groups of loach embryos of different ages could be due to changes in the frequency spectra of their ultraweak emissions.     

Hybrid Input‐Output Life Cycle Assessment of First‐ and Second‐Generation Ethanol Production Technologies in Brazil

A hybrid approach combining life cycle assessment and input‐output analysis was used to demonstrate the economic and environmental benefits of current and future improvements in agricultural and industrial technologies for ethanol production in Brazilian biorefineries. In this article, three main scenarios were evaluated: first‐generation ethanol production with the average current technology; the improved current technology; and the integration of improved first‐ and second‐generation ethanol production. For the improved first‐generation scenario, a US$1 million increase in ethanol demand can give rise to US$2.5 million of total economic activity in the Brazilian economy when direct and indirect purchases of inputs are considered. This value is slightly higher than the economic activity (US$1.8 million) for an energy equivalent amount of gasoline. The integration of first‐ and second‐generation technologies significantly reduces the total greenhouse gas emissions of ethanol production: 14.6 versus 86.4 grams of carbon dioxide equivalent per megajoule (g CO₂‐eq/MJ) for gasoline. Moreover, emissions of ethanol can be negative (–10.5 g CO₂‐eq/MJ) when the system boundary is expanded to account for surplus bioelectricity by displacement of natural gas thermal electricity generation considering electricity produced in first‐generation optimized biorefineries.     

长期定位施肥下黑土碳排放特征及其碳库组分与酶活性变化

黑土作为承担我国粮食安全与生态安全的重要土壤资源,其碳排放特征与碳库组分变化一直是生态学领域研究的热点。施肥是影响黑土有机碳输入、输出的重要因素,而这需要长时间尺度的探究。为明确长期不同施肥下的土壤碳排放特征及其影响机制,以始于1990年的国家土壤肥力与肥料效益监测网站黑土监测基地-公主岭为研究平台,选取不施肥(CK)、单施氮磷钾肥(NPK)、无机肥配施低量有机肥(NPKM1)、1.5倍的无机肥配施低量有机肥(1.5(NPKM1))、无机肥配施高量有机肥(NPKM2)和无机肥配施秸秆(NPKS)6个处理,探讨了长期不同施肥下土壤碳排放量(CO2-C)与土壤碳库组分包括水溶性有机碳(DOC)、微生物量碳(MBC)、颗粒有机碳(POC)、易氧化有机碳(ROC)及其β-葡萄糖苷酶(BG)、木聚糖酶(BXYL)、纤维素酶(CBH)和乙酰基β-葡萄糖胺酶(NAG)等酶活性变化。结果表明:与CK相比,各施肥处理均可以显著增加黑土土壤碳排放量(P0.05),其中,NPK处理土壤碳排放量约为2633.33 kg/hm~2,显著高出CK处理37.36%;长期有机无机配施(NPKM1、1.5(NPKM1)、NPKM2)显著增加土壤碳排放量71.81%—88.51%,效果最为明显;NPKS显著增加土壤碳排放量56.32%,并且三种长期有机无机配施措施碳排放差异不显著。相对CK处理,有机无机配施的DOC、MBC、POC、ROC均有显著增加(P0.05),各指标分别高出CK处理16.07%—56.34%、128.84%—185.77%、284.15%—497.45%和841.03%—1145.94%,其中1.5(NPKM1)处理效果最好。同时,有机无机配施相对CK处理的NAG、BG、BXYL和CBH活性分别提高了313.22%—452.65%、129.45%—250.74%、159.08%—273.32%和72.21%—193.53%,且以1.5(NPKM1)处理的效果最好。土壤碳排放量与土壤酶活性、土壤活性碳库组分之间的相关性分析结果表明,长期不同施肥措施的土壤碳排放量不但与土壤ROC、DOC、POC、MBC含量呈极显著相关(P0.001),也与土壤BG、NAG、CBH、BXYL酶活性呈极显著相关(P0.001),说明施肥可以通过改变土壤各活性碳库组分含量与土壤微生物活性影响土壤碳排放量。     

Indirect carbon dioxide emissions from producing bioenergy from forest harvest residues

Forest harvest residues are important raw materials for bioenergy in regions practicing forestry. Removing these residues from a harvest site reduces the carbon stock of the forest compared with conventional stem‐only harvest because less litter in left on the site. The indirect carbon dioxide (CO₂) emission from producing bioenergy occur when carbon in the logging residues is emitted into the atmosphere at once through combustion, instead of being released little by little as a result of decomposition at the harvest sites. In this study (1) we introduce an approach to calculate this indirect emission from using logging residues for bioenergy production, and (2) estimate this emission at a typical target of harvest residue removal, i.e. boreal Norway spruce forest in Finland. The removal of stumps caused a larger indirect emission per unit of energy produced than the removal of branches because of a lower decomposition rate of the stumps. The indirect emission per unit of energy produced decreased with time since starting to collect the harvest residues as a result of decomposition at older harvest sites. During the 100 years of conducting this practice, the indirect emission from average‐sized branches (diameter 2 cm) decreased from 340 to 70 kg CO₂ eq. MWh^?1 and that from stumps (diameter 26 cm) from 340 to 160 kg CO₂ eq. MWh^?1. These emissions are an order of magnitude larger than the other emissions (collecting, transporting, etc.) from the bioenergy production chain. When the bioenergy production was started, the total emissions were comparable to fossil fuels. The practice had to be carried out for 22 (stumps) or four (branches) years until the total emissions dropped below the emissions of natural gas. Our results emphasize the importance of accounting for land‐use‐related indirect emissions to correctly estimate the efficiency of bioenergy in reducing CO₂ emission into the atmosphere.     

Can we produce carbon and climate neutral forest bioenergy?

Harvesting branches, stumps and unmercantable tops, in addition to stem wood, decreases the carbon input to the soil and consequently reduces the forest carbon stock. We examine the changes in the forest carbon cycle that would compensate for this carbon loss over a rotation period and lead to carbon neutral forest residue bioenergy systems. In addition, we analyse the potential climate impact of these carbon neutral systems. In a boreal forest, the carbon loss was compensated for with a 10% increase in tree growth or a postponing of final felling for 20 years from 90 to 110 years in one forest rotation period. However, these changes in carbon sequestration did not prevent soil carbon loss. To recover soil carbon stock, a 38% increase in tree growth or a 21% decrease in the decomposition rate of the remaining organic matter was needed. All the forest residue bioenergy scenarios studied had a warming impact on climate for at least 62 years. Nevertheless, the increases in the carbon sequestration from forest growth or reduction in the decomposition rate of the remaining organic matter resulted in a 50% smaller warming impact of forest bioenergy use or even a cooling climate impact in the long term. The study shows that carbon neutral forest residue bioenergy systems have warming climate impacts. Minimization of the forest carbon loss improves the climate impact of forest bioenergy.     

Methane emissions reduce the radiative cooling effect of a subtropical estuarine mangrove wetland by half

The role of coastal mangrove wetlands in sequestering atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) and mitigating climate change has received increasing attention in recent years. While recent studies have shown that methane (CH₄) emissions can potentially offset the carbon burial rates in low‐salinity coastal wetlands, there is hitherto a paucity of direct and year‐round measurements of ecosystem‐scale CH₄ flux (F_CH4) from mangrove ecosystems. In this study, we examined the temporal variations and biophysical drivers of ecosystem‐scale F_CH4 in a subtropical estuarine mangrove wetland based on 3 years of eddy covariance measurements. Our results showed that daily mangrove F_CH4 reached a peak of over 0.1 g CH₄‐C m^?2 day^?1 during the summertime owing to a combination of high temperature and low salinity, while the wintertime F_CH4 was negligible. In this mangrove, the mean annual CH₄ emission was 11.7 ± 0.4 g CH₄‐C m^–2 year^?1 while the annual net ecosystem CO₂ exchange ranged between ?891 and ?690 g CO₂‐C m^?2 year^?1, indicating a net cooling effect on climate over decadal to centurial timescales. Meanwhile, we showed that mangrove F_CH4 could offset the negative radiative forcing caused by CO₂ uptake by 52% and 24% over a time horizon of 20 and 100 years, respectively, based on the corresponding sustained‐flux global warming potentials. Moreover, we found that 87% and 69% of the total variance of daily F_CH4 could be explained by the random forest machine learning algorithm and traditional linear regression model, respectively, with soil temperature and salinity being the most dominant controls. This study was the first of its kind to characterize ecosystem‐scale F_CH4 in a mangrove wetland with long‐term eddy covariance measurements. Our findings implied that future environmental changes such as climate warming and increasing river discharge might increase CH₄ emissions and hence reduce the net radiative cooling effect of estuarine mangrove forests.     

Life cycle assessment of forest biomass energy feedstock in the Northeast United States

Life cycle assessment (LCA) was combined with primary data from nine forest harvesting operations in New York, Maine, Massachusetts, and Vermont, from 2013 to 2019 where forest biomass (FB) for bioenergy was one of several products. The objective was to conduct a data‐driven study of greenhouse gas emissions associated with FB feedstock harvesting operations in the Northeast United States. Deterministic and stochastic LCA models were built to simulate the current FB bioenergy feedstock supply chain in the Northeast US with a cradle‐to‐gate scope (forest harvest through roadside loading) and a functional unit of 1.0 Mg of green FB feedstock at a 50% moisture content. Baseline LCA, sensitivity analysis, and uncertainty analyses were conducted for three different FB feedstock types—dirty chips, clean chips, and grindings—enabling an empirically driven investigation of differences between feedstock types, individual harvesting process contributions, and literature comparisons. The baseline LCA average impacts were lower for grindings (4.57 kg CO_2eq/Mg) and dirty chips (7.16 kg CO_2eq/Mg) than for clean chips (23.99 kg CO_2eq/Mg) under economic allocation, but impacts were of similar magnitude under mass allocation, ranging from 24.42 to 27.89 kg CO_2eq/Mg. Uncertainty analysis showed a wider range of probable results under mass allocation compared to economic allocation. Sensitivity analysis revealed the impact of variations in the production masses and total economic values of primary products of forest harvests on the LCA results due to allocation of supply chain emissions. The high variability in fuel use between logging contractors also had a distinct influence on LCA results. The results of this study can aid decision‐makers in energy policy and guide emissions reductions efforts while informing future LCAs that expand the system boundary to regional FB energy pathways, including electricity generation, transportation fuels, pellets for heat, and combined heat and power.     

京津冀地区污染物排放与城市化过程的耦合关系

我国快速的城市化发展不仅带来了经济的迅速发展和人口的大量聚集,同时也对资源和环境产生了巨大的影响。在城市化进程较为快速的城市群地区,城市化带来的生态环境胁迫尤为突出。以典型污染物为指标,定量研究了京津冀地区13个城市在2000年、2005年、2010年的工业和生活污染物的排放总量、人均排放量、排放效率、排放强度的时空特征,研究了经济发展与污染物排放的定量响应模式,以探讨污染物排放与城市化的耦合关系。研究发现:(1)京津冀地区的污染物排放空间分异特征显著,其中北京的生活污水、生活COD等污染物排放总量为地区内最高,唐山、天津、石家庄等城市的工业污染物排放高于其它城市。(2)北京、天津工业污染物的排放效率较高,人均排放量、排放强度低于其它城市。(3)2000—2010年间,京津冀地区的生活污水、工业废气、工业固废排放显著增加(P0.05),而其它生活和工业污染物排放量、排放效率和排放强度等呈显著下降趋势(P0.05)。(4)京津冀地区的工业废水、工业和生活SO2、生活烟尘、工业固废和工业废气等污染物的排放量与经济发展存在环境库兹涅兹曲线特征(R20.5,P0.05)。定量揭示了京津冀地区污染物排放的时空分布特征及其与城市化发展的关系,可为城市群区域污染物排放的管理及环境保护政策的制定提供科学参考。