Using auction mechanisms to reveal costs for water quality improvements in Great Barrier Reef catchments in Australia

There is increasing interest in the use of market-based instruments such as tenders and trading systems to address water quality issues. While the focus is typically on the improvements in resource allocation that are generated, these instruments also play an important role in addressing issues of asymmetric information. The use of water quality tenders to reveal the opportunity costs of changing agricultural practices can help policy makers to understand the potential costs of misallocating public resources and to design better ways of achieving water quality improvements. This role of water quality tenders to reveal opportunity costs is demonstrated by reporting four pilot applications to improve water quality into the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. The results demonstrate the potential for opportunity costs to vary substantially between agricultural producers, and across industries, catchments and pollutants. The results from these case studies indicate that the most cost-effective water quality improvements may be generated from the horticulture and dairy sectors. In contrast, the opportunity costs of reducing emissions from the cane and grazing industries appear to be higher.     

Management of cruciferous cover crops by mowing for soil and water conservation in southern Spain

In recent years, the use of cover crops in Mediterranean olive orchards has increased due to serious soil erosion problems and surface water contamination by herbicides. In these areas, the annual precipitation regime is strongly seasonal, with dry summers that require killing the cover crop before it competes with the trees for water. Cruciferous species are being introduced as cover crops in southern Spain, and their management by mowing could reduce the use of herbicides. However, the use of mowing as a management system requires an understanding of the phenology of these species to identify the most suitable mowing date to derive the greatest possible soil water content. The aims of this study were the following: (1) to assess the susceptibility of cruciferous species to mowing, their regrowth ability and the persistence of their residues on the soil surface after mowing, and (2) to identify the best mowing date for the cover crops in relation to the soil moisture content in the environmental conditions of southern Spain. For these purposes, the emergence, ground cover, biomass and regrowth after two mowing dates of common mustard (Sinapis alba L. subsp. mairei), rocket (Eruca vesicaria), radish (Raphanus sativus) and Ethiopian mustard (Brassica carinata) were evaluated in field trials during 2001/2002. In addition, during 2002/2003 and 2003/2004, the moisture content of soil sowed with common mustard and rocket cover crops was assessed at different mowing dates and compared with a bare soil control. Common mustard was the most favourable species for management by mowing due to its lack of regrowth after mowing. Early mowing (March 10th) reduced soil moisture due to the regrowth of the cover crop, fast decomposition of cover residues and weed proliferation. Late mowing (April 24th) led to little or no regrowth of the cover crops, large biomass and high persistence of cover residues, which provided effective soil ground cover, avoided the emergence of spring-summer weeds and helped retain soil moisture, reaching a similar water content to bare soil. These results suggest that cruciferous cover crops killed by mowing in late April can be used to replace no-tillage bare soil management systems to reduce the use of herbicides and preserve soil and water quality.     

结缕草根际联合固氮菌的分离及初步鉴定

联合固氮菌在植物根际土壤生长或定植于植物根表细胞,这类细菌可将空气或土壤中的氮素转化为氨态氮供植物直接吸收利用.结合气相色谱仪,利用乙炔还原等方法对结缕草根际联合固氮菌进行了分离和鉴定.结果表明:从结缕草根际土壤中分离获得9株联合固氮菌株,菌株的固氮酶活性相差较大,为67.5～343.7 C2H4nmol/(ml·h)...     

Short- and long-term effects of thinning and prescribed fire on carbon stocks in ponderosa pine stands in northern Arizona

Euro-American logging practices, intensive grazing, and fire suppression have increased the amount of carbon that is stored in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. Ex Laws) forests in the southwestern United States. Current stand conditions leave these forests prone to high-intensity wildfire, which releases a pulse of carbon emissions and shifts carbon storage from live trees to standing dead trees and woody debris. Thinning and prescribed burning are commonly used to reduce the risk of intense wildfire, but also reduce on-site carbon stocks and release carbon to the atmosphere. This study quantified the impact of thinning on the carbon budgets of five ponderosa pine stands in northern Arizona, including the fossil fuels consumed during logging operations. We used the pre- and post-treatment data on carbon stocks and the Fire and Fuels Extension to the Forest Vegetation Simulator (FEE-FVS) to simulate the long-term effects of intense wildfire, thinning, and repeated prescribed burning on stand carbon storage.The mean total pre-treatment carbon stock, including above-ground live and dead trees, below-ground live and dead trees, and surface fuels across five sites was 74.58 Mg C ha⁻¹ and the post-treatment mean was 50.65 Mg C ha⁻¹ in the first post-treatment year. The mean total carbon release from slash burning, fossil fuels, and logs removed was 21.92 Mg C ha⁻¹. FEE-FVS simulations showed that thinning increased the mean canopy base height, decreased the mean crown bulk density, and increased the mean crowning index, and thus reduced the risk of high-intensity wildfire at all sites. Untreated stands that incurred wildfire once within the next 100 years or once within the next 50 years had greater mean net carbon storage after 100 years compared to treated stands that experienced prescribed fire every 10 years or every 20 years. Treated stands released greater amounts of carbon overall due to repeated prescribed fires, slash burning, and 100% of harvested logs being counted as carbon emissions because they were used for short-lived products. However, after 100 years treated stands stored more carbon in live trees and less carbon in dead trees and surface fuels than untreated stands burned by intense wildfire. The long-term net carbon storage of treated stands was similar or greater than untreated wildfire-burned stands only when a distinction was made between carbon stored in live and dead trees, carbon in logs was stored in long-lived products, and energy in logging slash substituted for fossil fuels.     

苏云金杆菌防治杨扇舟蛾试验初报

杨扇舟蛾是近年危害洞庭湖区杨树主要的食叶害虫之一,一年发生6～7代.本文采用生物药剂"林得保"(主要成分苏云金杆菌)粉剂防治杨扇舟蛾.试验表明:"林得保"粉剂在施药3 d后,开始显现明显的药理效果,最终防治率达到了95%以上,是一种在杨树食叶害虫防治上值得推广的无公害生物药剂.其喷粉浓度以药剂:填充剂=1:20的效果最...     

螺纹铣削工艺的选择

总结了在数控加工中心上进行螺纹铣削的一些注意事项,其中包括螺纹铣削刀具的选用及测定、螺纹铣削底径的确定、铣削方式的选择及精度控制等。     

人工催化消雷纳米级碘化银成核率与核化速率的研究

通过20L和1200L云室条件下的检测试验,对微米级和纳米级碘化银的成核率与核化速率进行了统计分析,实验证明纳米级碘化银冻结阂温高且成冰性能好,在人工影响闪电方面是一种较好的消雷催化剂。     

荒漠-绿洲边缘区生态过渡带的土壤颗粒分形特征

通过实地采样和实验室分析,测定了黑河中游荒漠绿洲边缘区生态过渡带的土壤粒级分布、有机碳(SOC)、全氮(TN)、全磷(TP)、速效氮(AN)和速效磷(AP)的含量,并采用1993年杨培岭等提出的用粒径的重量分布代替数量分布的土壤分形模型,计算了土壤颗粒分形维数;最后利用统计分析法,研究了颗粒分形维数与土壤粒级分布及各养分指标的关系.结果表明:从荒漠边缘向绿洲延伸的过渡带,土壤中砂粒含量占绝对优势,粉粒居中,黏粒最少,采样区土壤质地较粗;土壤颗粒分形维数在2.105～2.609之间变动,处于极低水平,与土壤各养分指标具有相似的变化趋势,除靠近绿洲区存在一个"生态裂谷"外,整体呈上升趋势;利用相关分析法得出,土壤颗粒分形维数与砂粒含量呈显著负相关,与黏粉粒及各养分指标均呈显著的正相关;利用回归分析法进行定量分析,砂粒含量每增加1g/kg,颗粒分形维数D降低0.0019个单位;粉粒和黏粒含量每增加1g/kg,颗粒分形维数D分别增加0.002和0,023个单位,对土壤颗粒分形维数变化幅度的影响依次为黏粒>粉粒>砂粒,分形维数对黏粒含量的变化最为敏感.因此,可以将土壤颗粒分形维数作为衡量荒漠-绿洲边缘区土壤养分变化状况的指标之一,用于反映荒漠绿洲区土壤的退化状况.     

Molecular Monitoring of SRB Community Structure and Dynamics in Batch Experiments to Examine the Applicability of in situ Precipitation of Heavy Metals for Groundwater Remediation (15 pp)

Background, Aims and Scope   Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) are known for their capacity to reduce and precipitate heavy metals (HM) as metal sulfides, offering the opportunity to create an in situ reactive zone for the treatment of heavy metal-contaminated groundwater, a process called in situ metal precipitation (ISMP). The applicability of the ISMP technology first has to be investigated at a laboratory scale before going into an on site application. The evaluation and optimization of the ISMP process is facilitated when physical/chemical analysis techniques are combined with molecular tools that specifically monitor the abundance, diversity and dynamics of the indigenous sulfate reducing microbial community. In this study, batch experiments were conducted in order to investigate the feasibility of ISMP as a groundwater remediation strategy for an industrial site contaminated with elevated levels of Zn, Cd, Co and Ni. Methods   The potential of different types of carbon source/ electron donor (lactate, acetate, methanol, ethanol, Hydrogen Release Compound?, molasses) to stimulate the sulfate reduction and metal precipitation activity of the naturally present (or indigenous) SRB community was explored. In addition, the effect of amending vitamin B12 and yeast extract was evaluated. The ISMP process was monitored by combining analytical analyzes of process parameters (SO42-concentration, heavy metal concentrations, pH, Eh) with molecular tools such as SRB subgroup and genus specific PCR, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), and phylogenetic analysis of clone sequences, based on either the 16S rRNA or the dsr (dissimilatory sulfite reductase) gene. Results and Discussion   The efficiency of different carbon-sources to stimulate the ISMP process followed the order HRC 〉 molasses 〉 methanol 〉 lactate 〉 ethanol 〉 acetate. Within 10 weeks, the highest sulfate and metal removal efficiencies ranged from 85% to 99%. Addition of yeast extract boosted the ISMP process, whereas vitamin B12 negligibly affected SRB activity. Analysis of the sulfate reducing population by SRB subgroup and genus specific PCR demonstrated that members of the genus Desulfosporosinus dominated in all batch tests, while 16S rDNA DGGE profiles additionally revealed the presence in the microbial communities of non-sulfate reducing bacteria within the family Clostridium and the -proteobacteria. The dsrB-based DGGE profiles allowed us to assess the diversity and dynamics of the sulfate reducing community and added to a better understanding of the effects of different batch conditions on the ISMP process. Remarkably, all dsrB sequences affiliated with the dsrB gene sequence cluster found in Desulfotomaculum, which received their xenologous dsrB gene from the -proteobacteria. Conclusions   The batch experiments, which aimed at stimulating the activities of the indigenous SRB communities, demonstrated that these communities were present and that their activities could be used to obtain efficient in situ precipitation of the contaminating heavy metals. This opens the possibility to test this concept in the future as an on site demonstration as part of the groundwater strategy for the heavy metal contaminated site. Although batch setups are suitable for preliminary feasibility studies for ISMP, they do not reflect the in situ situation where sulfate and heavy metal and metalloid polluted groundwater are supplied continuously. A sulfate reducing strain JG32A was isolated from whose 16S rRNA gene affiliated with the genus Desulfosporosinus, while its dsrB gene sequence clustered with Desulfotomaculum dsrB gene sequences, which received their xenologous dsr genes from -proteobacteria. Therefore we hypothesize that the batch experiments enrich members of the Desulfosporosinus genus that possess a non-orthologous dsrB gene. Recommendation and Perspective   The next step towards an on site pilot test for ISMP will be the setup of a series of column experiments, with process conditions that are selected based on the above mentioned results. This will allow to define optimal ISMP process conditions and to test its long-term efficacy and sustainability before going into an on site bioremediation application. By applying the described molecular tools together with physical-chemical analyzes, it can be investigated whether the same SRB community is enriched and which type of C-source is most effective in promoting and sustaining its growth and sulfate-reduction activity.