资源型城市产业结构演变的环境效应研究——以鞍山市为例

产业结构是经济活动与生态环境相互作用的重要纽带,资源型城市产业结构演变的环境影响具有独特的研究价值。选取典型资源型城市-鞍山市为案例,从演变的视角,研究产业结构与环境质量的动态变化特征,并利用典型相关分析的方法探讨二者的相互作用。研究表明,第二产业为主体、黑色金属冶炼及压延工业为主导以及国有制为主要运行环境是鞍山市产业结构的主要特征;鞍山市大多数环境污染物排放量的波动下降趋势明显,但仍维持在较高水平上;产业结构演变的环境效应显著,不同类型的产业对不同污染物的环境影响不同。     

东北典型农区土地利用变化的生态效应研究——以公主岭市为例

在人为活动占优势的景观内,不同土地利用方式和强度产生的生态效应是不同的,并且可以直观地反映在生态系统的结构和组成上。因此,本文利用Landsat TM和MSS遥感数据,以具有相对完整的自然生态过程的小流域作为评价单元,借助GIS空间分析和地统计分析功能,从景观生态学角度提出了景观生态指数来反映LUCC变化所带来的生态效应。研究发现,公主岭市1975—1986年间由于土地利用/土地覆被变化造成的生态风险不断增加,随后逐渐减小,到2000年局部地区又有所回升,这种变化与该地区土地利用类型的变化,特别是耕地、林地和草地的变化趋势呈高度相关,说明该地区土地利用/土地覆被变化对生物多样性及生态安全具有重要影响。     

2000－2010年中国退牧还草工程区生态系统宏观结构和质量及其动态变化

本研究以生态学理论为基础，以空间信息技术为支撑，基于遥感数据、气象数据和地面观测数据，通过多源数据融合、生态模型模拟和尺度转换手段，分析中国退牧还草综合治理工程区2000－2010年生态系统宏观结构和质量的时空分布及变化趋势，探讨生态系统变化的自然和人文驱动机制，为退牧还草工程的生态成效评估提供理论依据。研究结果表明，1）2000－2010年，草地生态系统面积保持平稳，生态系统宏观结构稳定，但局部区域仍存在草地与农田、湿地和荒漠间的相互转化；2）研究区草地退化趋势已得到初步遏制，植被覆盖度略有增长，叶面积指数略呈波动式增加，净初级生产力呈显著上升，草地植被呈现恢复转好态势，生态系统总体质量有所提高，生态环境向良性演变；3）研究区生态状况具有空间差异性，总体转好，局部变差，各亚区整体水平排序为内蒙古东部退化草原治理区＞青藏高原江河源退化草原治理区＞新疆退化草原治理区＞蒙甘宁西部退化草原治理区；4）退牧还草工程的实施有利于草地保护，气候暖湿化促进植被生长与恢复，人类活动干扰局部地区生态系统，三者共同影响研究区总体生态状况。     

Spatial-temporal Patterns of Land-use Change in Typical Transect Area Along China National Highway 106 During 1996-2008

Based on land-use database updated with the survey of 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008, this paper analyzed the land-use changes in the typical transect area along National Highway 106 with the aid of GIS technology and quantitative models. The results showed that arable land had been continuously decreased from 1996 to 2008, with a loss of 65.85× 10^3 hm2 and an average decrement of 5.49×10^3 hm^2 per year, and the loss in northern areas was larger; garden land and woodland were gradually centralized to the predominance area with an increment of 25.73×10^3 hm2 and 22.37×10^3 hm2, respectively; residential and industrial land increased year after year, and the transportation land showed the equalized developing spatial pattern; the increment of construction land and encroachment on arable land in the area were deeply influenced by the national macroscopic land-use policies, the rapid advance of urbanization and the development level of the regional economy. Through this case study, it is suggested that differential land- use policies should be adopted to create good environmental conditions to guarantee food security and to promote the economic development.     

Freezing eliminates efficient colonizers from nematode communities in frost-free temperate soils

Climate change is predicted to increase the frequency of freeze-thaw events in Arctic, sub-Arctic, Boreal, and some temperate regions. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of freeze-thaw events on abundance and composition of the soil community, thereby clarifying whether freeze-thaw events act as a distributing factor on microbes and nematodes. We investigated comparable soils from sites with and without seasonal freezing to determine whether the communities in these soils responded differently to freeze-thaw events and whether freeze tolerance of nematodes is adaptive. In a microcosm experiment we assessed microbe and nematode abundances and nematode community composition. Continuous freezing had a greater effect on both abundance and community composition of soil organisms than successive freeze-thaw cycles. In addition, freezing had clearer effects on the nematode community than on microbial biomass. The previous freezing history of the sampling sites played a role in the changes of the nematode community under freezing exposure. In the soil that had never been exposed to freezing, freezing particularly inhibited members of the nematode community that usually colonize patches of high microbial activity very rapidly and limited their ability to fill their niche as extreme colonizers. This may play a role for the ability of non-freezing adapted nematode communities to spread northwards with climate change.     

Biochar but not earthworms enhances rice growth through increased protein turnover

The aim of this work was to compare the effects of biochar and earthworms on rice growth and to investigate the possible interactions between both. In addition to classic macroscopic variables we also monitored some leaf-level cellular processes involved in protein turnover. Both biochar and earthworms significantly increased shoot biomass production. However, biochar had a higher effect on the number of leaves (+87%) and earthworms on leaf area (+89%). Biochar also significantly increased the leaf turnover. At the cellular level, biochar but not earthworms enhanced protein catabolism by an increase in leaf proteolytic activities. This could be related to the increased expression of three of the six genes tested related to protein catabolism, one serine protease gene OsSP2 (+24%), one aspartic acid protease gene, Oryzasin (+162%) and one cysteine protease gene OsCatB (+257%). Furthermore, biochar also enhanced the expression level of two genes linked to protein anabolism, coding for the small and large subunits of rubisco (+33% and +30%, for rbcS and rbcL, respectively), the most abundant protein in leaves. In conclusion, our data gives evidence that biochar increased rice biomass production through increased leaf protein turnover (both catabolism and anabolism) whereas earthworms also increased rice biomass production but not through changes in the rate of protein turnover. We hypothesize that earthworms increase nitrogen uptake at a low cost for the plant through a simultaneous increase in mineralization rate and root biomass, probably through the release in the soil of plant growth factors. This could allow plants to accumulate more biomass without an increase in nitrogen metabolism at the leaf level, and without having to support the consecutive energy cost that must bear plants in the biochar treatment.     

Bacterial community structure and microbial activity in different soils amended with biogas residues and cattle slurry

Anaerobic digestion of organic materials generates residues of differing chemical composition compared to undigested animal manures, which may affect the soil microbial ecosystem differently when used as fertilizers. This study investigated the effects of two biogas residues (BR-A and BR-B) and cattle slurry (CS) applied at rates corresponding to 70 kg NH₄⁺-N ha⁻¹ on bacterial community structure and microbial activity in three soils of different texture (a sandy, a clay and an organic clay soil). 16S rRNA genes were targeted in PCR reactions and bacterial community profiles visualized using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism. General microbial activity was measured as basal respiration (B-resp), substrate-induced respiration (SIR), specific growth rate (μ_SIR), metabolic quotient (qCO₂) and nitrogen mineralization capacity (NMC). Non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis visualized shifts in bacterial community structure related to microbial functions. There were significant differences in bacterial community structure after 120 days of incubation (+20 °C at 70% of WHC) between non-amended (control) and amended soils, especially in the sandy soil, where CS caused a more pronounced shift than biogas residues. Terminal-restriction fragment (TRF) 307, the predominant peak in CS-amended sandy soil, was identified as possibly Bacillus or Streptococcus. TRF 226, the dominant peak in organic soil amended with BR-B, was classified as Rhodopseudomonas. B-resp significantly increased and SIR decreased in all amendments to organic soil compared with the control, potentially indicating decreased efficiency of heterotrophic microorganisms to convert organic carbon into microbial biomass. This was also reflected in an elevated qCO₂ in the organic soil. The μ_SIR level was higher in the sandy soil amended with BR-A than with BR-B or CS, indicating a shift toward species capable of rapidly utilizing glucose. NMC was significantly elevated in the clay and organic soils amended with BR-A and BR-B and in the sandy soil amended with BR-B and CS. Thus, biogas residues and cattle slurry had different effects on the bacterial community structure and microbial activity in the three soils. However, the effects of biogas residues on microbial activities were comparable in magnitude to those of cattle slurry and the bacterial community structure was less affected. Therefore, we do not see any reason not to recommend using biogas residues as fertilizers based on the results presented.     

Aquaculture Farm Food Safety and Diseases Risk Assessment (AquaFRAM): Development of a spreadsheet tool for salmon farms

Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) is the most significant aquaculture species in Europe, both in terms of production and economic value, with Norway, followed by Scotland and Ireland as the three major European producers. The objective of the present study was to develop a spreadsheet tool for aquaculture farm-food safety and diseases risk assessment (AquaFRAM) for salmon farms in the UK, (and possibly more widely) to encourage farms to assess potential hazards and diseases. AquaFRAM functions primarily as a self-assessment risk ranking and risk-learning tool to determine the potential of farm food safety hazards, diseases and the level of possible risk for contamination and infections. AquaFRAM has been developed using MS Excel software utilising a qualitative risk assessment approach for farmers to evaluate their food safety practices and diseases on their farms. The risk assessment is based on the risk matrix of frequency of likelihood × severity, where the farmers can judge the likelihood of the hazards occurring on their farm based on given examples or scenarios. Grounding of the model, based on severity scoring is predicated on relevant reports in the literature and expert opinion derived from a separate Delphi study. The AquaFRAM Tool has since been tested on 9 salmon companies throughout UK. All of the farms which tried and tested the AquaFRAM Tool reported it being farmer-friendly and practical. It was highlighted that the current tool focused mainly on risk reduction and not risk elimination. However, such farm food safety and diseases risk assessment tool would be helpful, and certainly timely, to further encourage farms to assess potential hazards and diseases. It is also appropriate for educational and training of full-time and seasonal farm workers.     

Topography and land use effects on the spatial variation of soil organic carbon: A case study in a typical small watershed of the black soil region in northeast China

Soil organic carbon is a soil property of central importance for soil quality and the global carbon cycle. Studies specifically aimed at the relationship between the spatial variation of soil organic carbon and environmental factors are few. In this paper, a typical small watershed named Tongshuang in the black soil region of northeast China, which was subjected to drastic erosion before 1980 and was managed subtly after 1980, was chosen as a study area. Classical statistic and geostatistic analysis methods, in combination with a geographic information system (GIS), were used to quantitatively research the spatial variation characteristics of the soil organic carbon and their relation to the topographic factors and land use. The data on the soil organic carbon, topographic factors, and land use were obtained by soil sampling and measurements derived from DEM, remote sensing images, and field investigations, respectively. The classical statistics analysis results indicated that the variability of the soil organic carbon was moderate (C_v = 0.30). The slope position and land use types were the most discriminating factors. The soil organic carbon content was the highest in the grassland and lowest in the coniferous forest (P < 0.01). It increased gradually along the slope position gradients from the interfluve to the toe slope. The geostatistics analysis showed that the soil organic carbon had a strong spatial correlation. The C₀/(C₀ + C) was 0.1608, which was mainly induced by structural factors. The mean soil organic content is 2.27% in this watershed. It is on a very low level in the northern black soil of northeast China. In this small watershed of the eroded black soil region, the present soil and water conservation measures play an important role in controlling the soil loss. However, the soil organic carbon’s restoration is unsatisfactory. Nearly three-quarters of the land has worrisome productivity. How to improve the soil organic carbon content while targeting the soil fertility is a pressing need. Published in Russian in Pochvovedenie, 2008, No. 1, pp. 44–53. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Temporal dynamics of microbial communities on decomposing leaf litter of 10 plant species in relation to decomposition rate

Few empirical studies have examined how microbial communities on decomposing litters change in relation to litter chemistry or how microbial community composition is related to the rate of decomposition. We examined the relationships among microbial community composition, litter chemistry, and decomposition rates in a common garden experiment of the decomposition of leaf litters of 10 plant species. Microbial community composition, as measured by phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA), and 7 litter chemistry variables (%N, C:N, four carbon fractions, and lignin:N) were examined at 1, 2, and 8 months into decomposition. Both microbial and litter chemistry variables were reduced to a single axis each through nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMS) to examine the relationship between microbes, litter chemistry, and decomposition rates. Although microbial communities were separated according initial litter chemistry and lability, individual measures of litter chemistry had limited ability to predict microbial community composition during decomposition. Decomposition rate constants were explained by litter chemistry of initial, 1-, 2- and, 8-month old litters (60–72% of the variance), and by microbial community composition at the 8-month collection date (67%). The results suggest that initial litter chemistry determines the rate of decomposition and microbial community composition early in decomposition while the composition of the microbial community plays a more important role in determining decomposition rate later in decomposition.