石油化学工人的细胞遗传学研究——Ⅰ.染色体畸变的检测

对石油化工企业工人(180人)及非石化企业对照人群(180人)进行染色体畸变的检测,结果表明:(1)石化地区居民染色体畸变频率略高于非石化地区居民,但无显著性差异。(2)石化企业中,炼油厂污水处理车间和塑料厂污水处理车间工人的染色体畸变各项指标和对照组比较(除塑料厂污水处理车间工人的染色体畸变一项指标外)或与其它4个车间(苯酚丙酮、催化裂化、乙二醇和丁二烯)比较,都有显著或极显著的升高。4个车间分别和对照组比较,没有显著升高。(3)染色体畸变频率有季节变化,春秋季明显高于冬季和夏季。(4)对照个体中,不同性别、不同年龄组及吸烟与否,对染色体畸变的各项指标均无显著性差异。但在石化企业不同年龄工人染色体畸变率的比较中,大于或等于40岁的工人组,明显高于30岁以下各组。     

Egg marking pheromones of anarchistic worker honeybees (Apis mellifera)

In honeybees, worker policing via egg eating enforces functionalworker sterility in colonies with a queen and brood. It is thoughtthat queens mark their eggs with a chemical signal, indicatingthat their eggs are queen-laid. Worker-laid eggs lack this signaland are, therefore, eaten by policing workers. Anarchistic workerhoneybees have been hypothesized to circumvent worker policingby mimicking the queen egg-marking signal. We investigated thisphenomenon by relating chemical profiles of workers and theireggs to egg acceptability. We found that the ability of someworkers (anarchistic workers in queenright colonies and deviantworkers from a queenless colony) to lay more acceptable eggsis due to them producing significant amounts of queen-like estersfrom their Dufour's gland. These esters appear to be transferredto eggs during laying and increase egg survival. However, theseesters cannot be the normal queen egg-marking signal, as theyare generally absent from queen-laid eggs and only increasethe short-term persistence of worker-laid eggs, because only7–30% of anarchistic worker-laid eggs persisted to hatchingversus 91–92% of queen-laid eggs. All workers can producesome esters, but only workers that greatly increase their esterproduction lay more acceptable eggs. The production of estersappears to be a flexible response, as anarchistic workers rearedin queenless colonies did not increase their ester production,while some deviant workers in queenless colonies did increasetheir ester production.     

The importance of pre-thicket conifer plantations for nesting Hen Harriers Circus cyaneus in Ireland

Hen Harriers Circus cyaneus are threatened across much of their range and their conservation requires appropriate habitat management. The locations of 148 Hen Harrier nests found in the Republic of Ireland during national breeding surveys in 2000 and 2005 were used to assess nest-site selection. The distribution of these nests was compared to distributions of randomly located points to investigate selection at the scale of the nest-site and landscape. The main nesting habitats selected were pre-thicket stage of first and, particularly, second rotation plantations, mostly of exotic conifers. There was no evidence that the area of post-closure plantations negatively affected Hen Harrier nest distribution. There was a positive correlation across study areas between changes in numbers of Hen Harrier nests between 2000 and 2005 and changes in the area of pre-thicket second rotation plantations over the same period. The overall effect of plantation forests on breeding Hen Harriers in Ireland therefore appears to be positive. However, this study did not consider the effects of plantation habitats on breeding success. Improved grassland was strongly avoided as a nesting habitat. Furthermore, after controlling for the influence of nesting habitat on nest location, landscapes with a high percentage cover of improved grassland were also avoided. Further agricultural intensification of grassland in areas where Hen Harriers breed is likely to have a negative impact on this species. These results are required for the development of management strategies for the conservation of this species.     

Height, weight and earnings among coalminers in India

This paper analyses earning/wage differentials by height among coalmine workers in India. Our findings suggest that workers of above average height earn 9-17% more than their shorter counterparts and 6-13% more than average reference height. The results suggest that long-term investments in health human capital might ensure increase of labour productivity and thereby earnings, particularly in underdeveloped economies.     

Micropropagation of common ash (Fraxinus excelsior)

Embryos extracted from dried seeds of common ash (Fraxinus excelsior), were germinated on growth regulator-free culture medium. Cotyledonary nodes from these seedlings were placed onto Murashige and Skoog, Woody Plant or Driver and Kuniyuki culture media with 22.2 or 44.4 M benzyladenine, on which they developed into shoot cultures following the outgrowth of axillary buds. With Murashige and Skoog medium, cultures often died. With Woody Plant Medium, survival of the cultures was considerably improved, but large amounts of callus were produced at the cut ends of the explants, and new axillary shoots had long internodes and small leaves. With Driver and Kuniyuki medium, both survival and callus formation were much improved, and the shoots produced were of high quality. Proliferation of axillary shoots was obtained from both shoot tip and nodal explants placed onto Driver and Kuniyuki medium with 22.2 M benzyladenine. Adventitious root formation was best with shoots inserted into half-strength Woody Plant Medium containing 2.45, 4.9 or 9.8 M indolebutyric acid. All of the rooted plantlets tested have successfully established in soil.     

Land use changes could modify future negative effects of climate change on old‐growth forest indicator species

Aim

Climate change is expected to have major impacts on terrestrial biodiversity at all ecosystem levels, including reductions in species‐level distribution and abundance. We aim to test the extent to which land use management, such as setting‐aside forest from production, could reduce climate‐induced biodiversity impacts for specialist species over large geographical gradients.

Location

Sweden.

Methods

We applied ensembles of species distribution models based on citizen science data for six species of red‐listed old‐forest indicator fungi confined to spruce dead wood. We tested the effect on species habitat suitabilities of alternative climate change scenarios and varying amounts of forest set‐aside from production over the coming century.

Results

With 3.6% of forest area set‐aside from production and assuming no climate change, overall habitat suitabilities for all six species were projected to increase in response to maturing spruce in set‐aside forest. However, overall habitat suitabilities for all six species were projected to decline under climate change scenario RCP4.5 (intermediate–low emissions), with even greater declines projected under RCP 8.5 (high emissions). Increasing the amount of forest set‐aside to 16% resulted in significant increases in overall habitat suitability, with one species showing an increase. A further increase to 32% forest set‐aside resulted in considerably more positive trends, with three of six species increasing.

Main conclusions

There is interspecific variation in the importance of future macroclimate and resource availability on species occurrence. However, large‐scale conservation measures, such as increasing resource availability through setting aside forest from production, could reduce future negative effects from climate change, and early investment in conservation is likely to reduce the future negative impacts of climate change on specialist species.     

北京浅山区香山特色小镇规划设计探索

香山小镇位于北京浅山区军庄镇,面对旅游、经济发展的压力和脆弱生态环境保育的课题,本案设计突出生态优先、绿色经济和文化共赢的可持续发展策略,把浅山区视为一个生命系统,从区域层面建立有指导性的生态保护导则,提升区域水资源管理、林相修复和栖息地复建的长远效益,推动有机果园和绿色旅游的发展;在设计过程中高度结合现状,设计结合自然,设计结合策划,修复基于保护。景观设计同步整合生态保护和策划、建设的要求,积极发掘民间工艺并创造性地应用于景观设计,发动当地居民的主动参与,塑造有温度、有记忆、有传承、亲切宜人的浅山特色生态小镇。