Long-term dynamics of anthropogenic solonetzicity in soils of the Eastern okrug of Moscow under the impact of deicing salts

The long-term dynamics of the anthropogenic soil solonetzicity under the impact of applied deicing salts were studied in the Eastern administrative okrug (EAO) of Moscow. The composition and amount of the applied agents and distribution patterns of sodium in snowmelt water and in soils of different land-use zones were analyzed. The maps of soil solonetzization in the EAO in 1989, 2005, and 2010 were compiled, and the degree of degradation of the soil cover was evaluated. It was shown that the contrast of the technogenic anomalies in the content of exchangeable sodium and the size of these anomalies in soils of the okrug increase with time. In 21 years, the mean content of exchangeable sodium in the surface soil layer increased from 0.38 to 0.80 cmol(equiv.)/kg, and the degree of solonetzicity (as judged from the exchangeable sodium percentage) increased from 3.1 to 7.2%. In 2005–2010, the rates of sodium accumulation in the soil adsorption complex were twice as high as those in 1989–2005.     

Long-term dynamics of the anthropogenic salinization of soils in Moscow (by the example of the Eastern district)

The long-term (1989–2010) and seasonal dynamics of the anthropogenic salinization of soils related to the use of deicing mixtures in the Eastern Administrative District of Moscow were examined. Data on the chemical composition of deicing mixtures and on the contents of soluble salts in the snowmelt and in the soil profiles of different functional zones were analyzed. The maps of soil salinization were compiled for 1989, 2005, and 2010; on their basis, the resulting map of the degree of soil degradation was developed. The areas with abnormal concentration of salts in the soils expanded during the study period (21 yrs), and the average content of salts in such areas increased by 3.2 times. The maximum total content of salts was found in the spring season in the soils along major highways.     

Anthropogenic transformation of soils in the Pokrovskoe-Streshnevo Park (Moscow) and adjacent residential areas

The diversity of soils within the specially protected natural territory of Pokrovskoe-Streshnevo in Moscow is discussed. The soils of this large park are not affected by the modern construction activities that delete the features inherited from the early stages of the anthropogenic transformation of soils in Moscow. They are characterized by the book-like type of soil memory, which makes it possible to trace several sequences of the anthropogenic soil transformation. The background natural soils-rzhavozems (Chromic Cambisols)—have been transformed into agrogenic soils (agrosols) and postagrogenic soils (postagrosols) under abandoned plowlands, into urbo-soils and urbanozems in the areas of former or modern settlements, and into techno-soils in the areas of active excavation works and engineering reclamation. The change in the character of the land use without the accumulation of osediments on the surface leads to the development of polygenetic soil horizons.     

多元统计分析方法在徐州城区公园绿地土壤肥力评价中的应用

以徐州市三环路内4个城区的公园绿地土壤为研究对象,采用多元统计分析方法计算得出其土壤肥力因子4个主成份：（1）土壤有机质、土壤氮素因子;（2）土壤磷素、土壤钾素因子;（3）土壤黏粒、土壤容重因子;（4）土壤酸碱度（pH值）因子。再借助SPSS11.5统计软件得出土壤肥力指标权重值及其方差极大旋转后主成份因子得分,最后计算其综合评价得分。结果表明：该城区公园绿地土壤肥力质量情况总体上较差,其中九里区土壤综合肥力水平最高,泉山区次之,云龙区和鼓楼区相差不大。     

Transformation of Forest Ecosystems in Moscow Megapolis under Recreational Impacts

Eurasian Soil Science - A comprehensive quantitative assessment of the state of vegetation, soil invertebrate complex, litter horizons, and soddy-podzolic soils (Albic Retisols) in Moscow forest...     

基于不同标准的郑州市农产品产地土壤环境质量评价

以郑州市耕地土壤为例,对其表层重金属Pb、Cr、Cd、Hg、As含量进行了测定分析,按照单因子污染指数法和内梅罗综合污染指数法,分别根据有机农业生产基地环境质量标准、绿色食品产地环境质量标准、无公害食品蔬菜产地环境条件标准进行了评价,同时应用克里格插值方法进行空间特征分析.结果表明,研究区表层土壤重金属变异程度由大到小为:Hg、Cr、Pb、As、Cd;全区土壤环境质量完全满足无公害蔬菜产地环境条件的要求,北部和东南部大部分满足绿色食品产地环境质量的要求,而仅约半数的土壤适宜发展有机农业生产.可为农业生产发展规划和相关管理部门提供科学依据和辅助决策.     

Changes in agrophysical properties of floodplain soils under different anthropogenic loads

Agrophysical properties of alluvial soils were studied in the floodplains of the Oka River and the small rivers of Besputa (the Oka tributary) and Pol’noi Voronezh (the Voronezh tributary). The properties of the soils under different land use types (plowland, hayfield, pasture, and meadow) were compared. The features and degrees of alteration of the properties of the floodplain soils under different uses were determined. The greatest changes in the properties were found for saturated alluvial meadow soils of the Oka River floodplain under plowland. In these areas, strong degradation of the physical status of the soils was noted: compaction of the plow and subplow soil layers, an increase in the content of coarse aggregates and clods, changes in the porespace structure, and a decrease in the soil water permeability. It was shown that the soils of small river floodplains were sensitive to anthropogenic loads. In saturated alluvial soddy soils of the Besputa River floodplain, the soil water permeability decreased because of their compaction under the impact of cattle grazing. Saturated alluvial meadow soils of the Pol’noi Voronezh River floodplain were resistant to anthropogenic loads. Only a tendency towards an increase in the topsoil bulk density was observed under the impact of cattle grazing.     

The influence of recreation on the city forest landscape (based on the example of the Losinyi Ostrov National Park, Moscow)

The recreational load on Losinyi Ostrov amenity forest was estimated. It was shown that an increase in the human impact leads to deterioration of the ecological condition of trees and their growing conditions. The changes in soil properties are complex and observed only in the layer of 0–20 cm. To improve the reliability of conclusions about these changes, it is recommended that their weighted average values be used (which take into account the area occupied by the network of footpaths and soil properties on them). The bulk density, electrical conductivity, and pH_water of soils have a considerable impact on the ecological condition of lime trees.     

宁德市城市公园绿地系统景观格局分析

利用QuickBird高分辨率卫星影像图并结合GIS软件,运用景观生态学的原理和方法,分析了宁德市区公园绿地的景观结构和格局.结果表明:宁德市城市公园绿地斑块的形状指数较小,均低于2.5.从不同公园景观类型的破碎度来看,市区级公园景观破碎化最低,仅为0.006 80,而专类公园、街旁公园斑块破碎化程度处于相对较高水平.各类公园绿地景观的分维数普遍较低,均小于1.25,斑块形状相对规则,绿地景观斑块边界较为简单.这种布局不利于维护城市生物多样性,同时也不利于营造自然化绿地景观.所以,今后宁德市在公园绿地建设中,应重点加大社区公园、街旁绿地公园绿地建设力度,提高广场、社区公园、街旁绿地和带状公园的比例,力求各类斑块配置合理,满足当地居民生活休闲需求和绿地生态功能需求.     

Changes in the properties of solonetzic soil complexes in the dry steppe zone under anthropogenic impacts

Long-term studies of changes in the properties of solonetzic soil complexes of the dry steppe zone under anthropogenic impacts (deep plowing, surface leveling, irrigation, and post-irrigation use) have been performed on the Privolzhskaya sand ridge and the Khvalyn and Ergeni plains. The natural morphology of solonetzic soils was strongly disturbed during their deep ameliorative plowing. At present, the soil cover consists of solonetzic agrozems (Sodic Protosalic Cambisols (Loamic, Aric, Protocalcic)), textural (clay-illuvial) calcareous agrozems (Eutric Cambisols (Loamic, Aric, Protocalcic)), agrosolonetzes (Endocalcaric Luvisols (Loamic, Aric, Cutanic, Protosodic), agrochestnut soils (Eutric Cambisols (Siltic, Aric)), and meadowchestnut soils (Haplic Кastanozems). No features attesting to the restoration of the initial profile of solonetzes have been found. The dynamics of soluble salts and exchangeable sodium differ in the agrosolonetzes and solonetzic agrozems. A rise in pH values takes place in the middle part of the soil profiles on the Khvalyn and Ergeni plains.     

Evaluation of the antioxidant activity of environmental plants: activity of the leaf extracts from seashore plants

The antioxidant activity of the methanolic extracts of the leaves of 39 plant species was examined. These leaves were collected from the plants growing on subtropical seashores. The activity was evaluated by three kinds of assay methods, which included the DPPH radical scavenging assay, linoleic acid oxidation assay, and oxidative cell death assay. Two extracts from Excoecaria agallocha and Terminalia catappa showed remarkably potent activity in all assay systems. The HPLC analysis of the extracts indicated the presence of the same antioxidant and isolation work for the compound identified ellagic acid. The isolated ellagic acid showed strong antioxidant activity in the assay systems used.     

Evaluation of Urban Groundwater Contamination from Sewage Network in Kuwait City

To investigate the possible contamination of groundwater by wastewater leaked from the underground sewage network, water samples from 29 monitoring wells, drilled at strategic locations across Kuwait City and the adjacent residential areas, were analyzed for their inorganic and organic constituents including isotopic composition (oxygen-18 and deuterium) that can be used as tracers for source identification. As a non-conventional method, statistical processing in the form of hierarchical cluster and discriminant function analyses of the inorganic and organic data was used to group the wells according to the degree of possible contamination of groundwater. It was concluded from this analysis that more than half of the wells (17) showed little evidence of such contamination. Sample from only one of the wells suggested high degree of contamination (concentrations of total coliform bacteria (TCB) and fecal coliform bacteria (FCB) >2,000 MPN/100 ml and boron (B) concentration >11 mg/l) whereas another well appeared significantly contaminated (TCB?>?2,000 MPN/100 ml; FCB?>?900 MPN/100 ml; B?>?4 mg/l). Three of the wells were possibly contaminated (1,000?<?TCB?<?2,000 MPN/100 ml; 15?<?FCB?<?500 MPN/100 ml; 3?<?B?<?11.5 mg/l), and the rest of the seven wells were classified as possibly not contaminated (TCB?>?2,400 MPN/100 ml; FCB?<?40 MPN/100 ml; B?<?5 mg/l). The overall conclusion was that the leakage from sewage network was affecting groundwater in localized areas only. Isotope data, available for water samples from eight of the monitoring wells, tended to support the aforesaid conclusions. However, because of the use of bailing as the sampling method and lack of actual leakage surveillance, further studies need to be carried out to strengthen the reliability of these findings.     

Changes in the properties of soils of Moscow forest parks under the impact of high recreation loads

The impact of off-road recreation loads with free moving of visitors across the area of forest parks is considered. This type of recreation loads exerts the most pronounced negative impact in soils. Quantitative estimates of changes in the morphological, physical, chemical, and biological properties of soils in Moscow parks Bitsevskii and Losinyi Ostrov under the impact of high recreation loads are given. Among the studied soil properties, the most significant changes take place in the soil structure, penetration resistance, and electrical conductivity. Quantitative data on the decrease in the number, biomass, and species diversity of soil mesofauna are also given.     

Role of environmental health in managing residues

The early preoccupation of public health agencies with epidemics led to a dominance of the public health movement by medical concepts. Included were a narrow focussing on disease control, and an authoritarian approach. When a broadening public concern with environmental quality became manifest, in the early 1940's, new agencies were created to control ‘pollution’, and efforts were made to involve the citizenry in the decision making process. In the late 1960's, with the ushering in of the age of ecological awareness, it became evident that even these two programs were not enough, and that he who undertakes to control man's health must so manage the total system that man enjoys an optimum habitat, and must do this within the limits of the total biospheric life support system. This new effort is appropriately termed environmental health. The paper sets forth habitat requirements of man in the form of five separate goals and describes the limitations of the biosphere in terms of four modes of failure, and then proceeds to show the general direction that these two sets of constraints will give to future programs of solid waste management.     

Specific features of the ecological functioning of urban soils in Moscow and Moscow oblast

Urban soils (constructozems) were studied in Moscow and several cities (Dubna, Pushchino, and Serebryanye Prudy) of Moscow oblast. The soil sampling from the upper 10-cm-thick layer was performed in the industrial, residential, and recreational functional zones of these cities. The biological (the carbon of the microbial biomass carbon, C_mic and the microbial (basal) respiration, BR) and chemical (pH_water and the contents of C_org, heavy metals, and NPK) indices were determined in the samples. The ratios of BR to C_mic (the microbial respiration quotient, qCO₂) and of C_mic to C_org were calculated. The C_mic varied from 120 to 738 μg C/g soil; the BR, from 0.39 to 1.94 μg CO₂-C/g soil per hour; the C_org, from 2.52 to 5.67%; the qCO₂, from 1.24 to 5.28 μg CO₂-C/mg C_mic/g soil per h; and the C_mic/C_org, from 0.40 to 1.55%. Reliable positive correlations were found between the C_mic and BR, the C_mic and C_mic/C_org, and the C_mic and C_org values (r = 0.75, 0.95, and 0.61, respectively), as well as between the BR and C_mic/C_org values (r = 0.68). The correlation between the C_mic/C_org and qCO₂ values was negative (r = −0.70). The values of C_mic, BR, C_org, and C_mic/C_org were found to correlate with the ammonium nitrogen content. No correlative relationships were revealed between the determined indices and the climatic characteristics. The principal component analysis described 86% of the variances for all the experimental data and clearly subdivided the locations of the studied soil objects. The ANOVA showed that the variances of C_mic, C_org, and BR are controlled by the site location factor by 66, 63, and 35%, respectively. The specificity of the functioning of the anthropogenic soils as compared with their natural analogues was clearly demonstrated. As shown in this study, measurable biological indices might be applied to characterize the ecological, environmental-regulating, and productive functions of soils, including urban soils.     

The response of specific conductance to environmental conditions in the everglades National Park,Florida

The specific conductance of surface delivery waters to the Shark River Slough (Everglades National Park, Florida) has increased significantly since the completion of Levee 29 (L-29) and the S-12 water delivery system in the early 1960's. In order to document the response of specific conductance in the slough to changing environmental conditions, it was monitored continuously for a period of 12 mo at a location in central Shark approximately 17 km south of the water delivery site. In addition, variability in isoconductivity patterns throughout the slough was assessed by conducting biweekly surveys at 97 locations. Specific conductance was found to respond to a variety of natural and manmade environmental changes and proved to be an important management tool serving as an early indicator of potentially broad changes in water quality. Factors important in determining overall isoconductivity patterns in Shark Slough include:

1. the ionic composition of surface delivered to Shark Slough via the S-12 delivery structures.
2. the quantitative relationship between the amount of surface water delivered to the slough and the amount of precipitation falling directly upon the slough.
3. the effects of evapotranspiration and concentration of biological organisms during seasonal periods of extreme drawdown.

     

城市公园生态建设综合效益评价指标体系探析

城市公园作为城市水土保持生态建设的重要部分,对于完善城市功能,改善城市环境,提升城市居民生活质量作用是非常显著的,但如何科学评价城市公园生态建设综合效益是一个急需解决的问题。提出综合效益评价指标体系,对城市公园生态建设综合效益进行评价,并就效益指标的确定方法进行了探讨。