Public perceptions of ecosystem services and preferences for design scenarios of the flooded bank along the Three Gorges Reservoir: Implications for sustainable management of novel ecosystems

The newly formed extensive flooded land associated with the Three Gorges Reservoir hold great potentials to provide ecosystem services (ESs) for surrounding cities and communities. Conflicting values and conventional management strategies may complicate and inhibit broad-scale decision-making for this novel ecosystem. Public attitudes are a crucial influence in the way this process plays out. This study was conducted to assess how the reservoir bank is perceived by the general public of Chongqing Municipality in terms of importance of riparian ESs, and preference for corresponding landscape design styles through photo-questionnaire interviewing. Although Chongqing citizens know little of the “ecosystem services” concept, they do recognise riparian environmental and ecological benefits especially the bank protection and pollution interception functions, while benefits of habitats for wildlife and flood attenuation were of less concern. Recreational values were least appreciated, which is inconsistent with other studies. This may be attributed to a wider, intensive environmental education in various social media in today’s China. But publicity has been dominated by toxic air, water and soil pollution control rather than the benefits of nature conservation and personal contact with nature. In line with recognition of ESs, there is quite strong preference for the forested design scenario and particularly vegetation components across the socio-demographic spectrum. Overall, socio-demographic variables have very low explanatory power for the perceptual responses. Our study also revealed misunderstandings around riparian functions and a gap between public expectations and special abiotic and biotic prerequisites in restoring novel ecosystems. Finally, we discuss the relevance of this research to urban novel ecosystems in general, and implications for raising public awareness, engaging appropriate public values in sustainable design and management of such ecosystems.     

三江源区土壤侵蚀变化及驱动因素分析

采用修正通用土壤流失方程(revised universal soil loss equation, RUSLE)对三江源区1997-2012年的土壤侵蚀模数和土壤侵蚀量进行定量模拟,并对其生态工程实施前、后时空变化特征进行对比分析,采用空间叠加法分析降雨侵蚀力及植被覆盖度对土壤侵蚀状况的影响,利用模型参数控制法对气候变化和生态工程对土壤侵蚀变化的贡献率进行分析。结果表明:1)生态工程实施后,三江源区土壤侵蚀增加的趋势尚未得到遏制,多年平均年土壤侵蚀模数和侵蚀量较工程实施前增加6.5%,但局部地区土壤侵蚀状况有所好转,约占总面积的45%;2)长江流域在工程实施后的土壤侵蚀量与工程实施前基本持衡;黄河流域土壤侵蚀量增加明显,增幅超过45%;澜沧江流域土壤侵蚀量有所下降,降幅为9.8%;3)降水增强导致土壤侵蚀加剧的贡献率达到180%,植被恢复对土壤侵蚀变化的贡献率为-80%。全面遏制三江源区土壤侵蚀增加趋势,仍需持续努力。     

工程造价专业调研思考与启示

工程造价是在建筑工程管理专业基础上发展起来的新兴学科,由于其就业面广、市场需求量大、薪酬高等优势发展迅速。我校于2014年开设工程造价专科专业,在收集大量资料基础上,针对应用型人才培养模式、＂双师＂型教师培养等问题,确定5所办学效果好、特色鲜明的高职院校进行调研。本文在此基础上,总结了我院开设工程造价专业应思考的问题,并提出了几点建议。     

Application of Modern Bamboo Buildings

Bamboo is an environment-friendly natural materials, and modern bamboo structure has been widely applied in various building types abroad. This paper analyzed characteristics of bamboo buildings, introduced research progress and application of overseas bamboo buildings, and proposed that current application of modern bamboo structure in China should focus on disaster-relief buildings, and buildings for both peacetime and post-disaster reconstruction.     

Characterization of Nitrate-Reducing and Amino Acid–Using Bacteria Prominent in Nitrotoxin-Enriched Equine Cecal Populations

Horses can be at risk for nitropoisoning by consuming plants containing 3-nitro-1-propionic acid or 3-nitro-1-propanol and to a lesser extent by plants containing nitrate. Populations of equine cecal microbes enriched for enhanced rates of 3-nitro-1-propionic acid (NPA) or nitrate metabolism were cultured for NPA- or nitrate-metabolizing bacteria on basal enrichment medium or tryptose soy agar supplemented with either 5-mM NPA or nitrate and under H₂:CO₂ (20:80) as the energy source. After 72 hours, separated colonies picked from plates, or roll tubes were cultured in fresh broth medium for 72 hours and then identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Isolates from the NPA-enriched populations were identified as Streptococcus lutetiensis (five strains), Escherichia coli (two strains), and Sporanaerobacter acetigens (one strain). Strains isolated from nitrate-enriched populations were identified as Escherichia coli (one strain) and Wolinella succinogenes (three strains). None of these strains degraded NPA. Enriched populations of equine cecal microbes, the isolated pure strains and the type strain of Denitrobacterium detoxificans, a competent NPA-metabolizing microbe, were examined using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). The DGGE analysis indicated that none of the strains in the enriched population of equine cecal microbes were similar to D. detoxificans. However, we report for the first time the isolation of the anaerobic amino acid–using Sporanaerobacter acetigenes from the equine cecum.     

基于EXCEL的作物灌水率图自动绘制与修正

在灌区的规划设计中,传统作物灌水率图的绘制一般都是手工方法,不仅效率低且修正起来很不方便,而且现有的灌水率图绘制软件一般存在着灌水率计算和灌水率图绘制相互独立、无法实时动态修正等不足.基此,综合利用EXCEL软件强大的数据处理、分析功能以及图形自动绘制功能,将灌水率计算与灌水率图绘制有机结合,从而实现灌水率图的快速绘制和动态调整.这种方法操作方便、简单,值得在工程设计部门推广使用.     

Community structure of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi associated with Robinia pseudoacacia in uncontaminated and heavy metal contaminated soils

The significance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in soil remediation has been widely recognized because of their ability to promote plant growth and increase phytoremediation efficiency in heavy metal (HM) polluted soils by improving plant nutrient absorption and by influencing the fate of the metals in the plant and soil. However, the symbiotic functions of AMF in remediation of polluted soils depend on plant–fungus–soil combinations and are greatly influenced by environmental conditions. To better understand the adaptation of plants and the related mycorrhizae to extreme environmental conditions, AMF colonization, spore density and community structure were analyzed in roots or rhizosphere soils of Robinia pseudoacacia. Mycorrhization was compared between uncontaminated soil and heavy metal contaminated soil from a lead–zinc mining region of northwest China. Samples were analyzed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) screening with AMF-specific primers (NS31 and AM1), and sequencing of rRNA small subunit (SSU). The phylogenetic analysis revealed 28 AMF group types, including six AMF families: Glomeraceae, Claroideoglomeraceae, Diversisporaceae, Acaulosporaceae, Pacisporaceae, and Gigasporaceae. Of all AMF group types, six (21%) were detected based on spore samples alone, four (14%) based on root samples alone, and five (18%) based on samples from root, soil and spore. Glo9 (Rhizophagus intraradices), Glo17 (Funneliformis mosseae) and Acau3 (Acaulospora sp.) were the three most abundant AMF group types in the current study. Soil Pb and Zn concentrations, pH, organic matter content, and phosphorus levels all showed significant correlations with the AMF species compositions in root and soil samples. Overall, the uncontaminated sites had higher species diversity than sites with heavy metal contamination. The study highlights the effects of different soil chemical parameters on AMF colonization, spore density and community structure in contaminated and uncontaminated sites. The tolerant AMF species isolated and identified from this study have potential for application in phytoremediation of heavy metal contaminated areas.     

Bird,weed and interaction effects on yield of irrigated lowland rice

Weeds and grain feeding birds are the two main biological causes of yield losses in irrigated rice in Africa. To quantify the single and combined effect of these biological constraints on rice yields, and to investigate whether weeds attract birds and thereby contribute to increased bird damage, a three-year factorial experiment was set-up in the Senegal River Valley. We tested two management factors (bird and weed management), each with two levels (‘complete’ and ‘absent’), and one crop cycle factor also with two levels (Sahel 202, a medium-cycle and Sahel 108, a short-cycle rice cultivar). Season-long competition from weeds resulted in high but predictable yield losses ranging from 50% to 75%, with lower yield losses for the medium-cycle cultivar Sahel 202 in two of the three seasons. Due to the nature of the pest, season-long exposure to birds resulted in less predictable yield losses ranging from 13% to as high as 94%, with high seasonal variation. In two seasons, much lower bird-inflicted yield losses were observed in the short-cycle cultivar Sahel 108, whereas in one season the medium-cycle cultivar Sahel 202 was much less damaged. When rice was exposed to both weeds and birds, the relative yield losses ranged from 80 to 99%. The yield reducing effect of weeds and birds was never additive. Bird visits to a weedy crop were more frequent compared to a weed-free crop at least in the early rice grain filling stages. This attraction of birds by weeds resulted in an additional yield loss in five of the six cases, ranging from 2 to 62%. Bird-inflicted yield losses in irrigated rice may be reduced by keeping the crop, as much as possible, free from weeds.     

The role of green roofs in mitigating Urban Heat Island effects in the metropolitan area of Adelaide,South Australia

Changing an urban environment and replacing vegetated surfaces with low albedo materials is one of the reasons for increasing temperatures in an urban environment and consequently also one of the key causes of urban heat island effects. In this study, an experimental investigation at the micro-scale and also a numerical simulation at the macro-scale of a typical urban environment in Adelaide were conducted to estimate the potential for mitigating the UHI effect. The results showed that existing low albedo materials such as asphalt, metal roofs and brick pavements contribute to the heat island potential. Also, urban development and a lack of natural vegetation contribute to increased temperatures in cities. The ability of two types of extensive and intensive green roofs to reduce the surrounding micro-climate temperature were monitored. The results showed that they have significant cooling effects in summer time and could behave as an insulation layer to keep buildings warmer in the winter. Furthermore, different scenarios of adding green roofs to the Adelaide urban environment were investigated using the Envi–MET model. The scenario modelling of adding green roofs in a typical urban area in Adelaide, Australia, supported the hypothesis that this can lead to reductions in energy consumption in the Adelaide urban environment. Also an increased use of other water sensitive urban design technologies such as green walls and street trees together with the adoption of high albedo materials is recommended for achieving the optimum efficiency in terms of reducing urban temperatures and mitigating urban heat island effects.