TBT pollution and effects in molluscs at US Virgin Islands,Caribbean Sea

An almost ubiquitous occurrence of imposex and butyltins in the molluscs from US Virgin Islands gives evidence to a widespread contamination with the antifouling agent tributyltin (TBT), which most likely is related to a relatively intense ship traffic. Three different muricid neogastropod species Thais deltoidea, Thais rustica and Purpura patula all seem to have potential as suitable and sensitive bioindicators for assessing levels and effects of TBT pollution in coastal areas including coral reefs in the Caribbean Sea. However, considerable interspecies differences in especially accumulation potential of butyltins were seen in this study. Furthermore, a high accumulation potential of TBT in the edible gastropod West Indian topshell (Cittarium pica) was found, despite that no signs of imposex were observed in this archaeogastropod species.     

Imposex and butyltin contamination off the Oporto Coast (NW Portugal): a possible effect of the discharge of dredged material

Imposex in the gastropod Hinia reticulata, a bioindicator for tributyltin (TBT) contamination, was investigated in locations at different distances from the Oporto harbour-dredged material discharge site. The degree of imposex found was inversely related to the distance to the discharge site, the highest imposex frequency being found closest to the discharge area. However, the levels of imposex found were low when compared with those reported for H. reticulata populations from moderately TBT-contaminated areas. Despite detectable levels of dibutyltin (DBT) and monobutyltin (MBT) in snail tissues (total butyltins ranging from 84 to 410 ng/g Sn dry wt.), TBT was below detection limit in all snail samples collected in open sea.     

Effects of climate change on the distribution of endemic <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ferula xylorhachis</Emphasis> Rech.f. (Apiaceae: Scandiceae) in Iran: Predictions from ecological niche models

Ferula xylorhachis Rech.f. is an endemic plant species belonging to the Apiaceae family and distributed in northeastern Iran. In the present study, we attempted to determine the factors with the greatest effects on the distribution of this species and to determine suitable regions for it based on current and future conditions. The Maximum Entropy method was used in the present study and the results indicated that the Mean Temperature of Wettest Quarter (48.2%), Precipitation of Wettest Quarter (49.1%), and Precipitation of Wettest Month (61.4%) are the most important factors in the current and in two future periods (2040 and 2070). The models suggest that suitable regions for the presence of this species will change over time and that the species will encounter limitations through changes such as moisture reduction. According to the A1B scenario, increases in greenhouse gases such as CO₂ and CH₄ will have direct effects on future precipitation and temperature and these factors will be important in determining species dispersion. Evaluation of important habitat factors using normal ecological methods will help in developing the best conservation programs in the future. Introducing species to new regions will help to protect them from the extinction risk caused by climate change.     

Environmental levels, toxicity and human exposure to tributyltin (TBT)-contaminated marine environment. a review. b_antizar@hotmail.com

Tributyltin (TBT) is a toxic chemical used for various industrial purposes such as slime control in paper mills, disinfection of circulating industrial cooling waters, antifouling agents, and the preservation of wood. Due to its widespread use as an antifouling agent in boat paints, TBT is a common contaminant of marine and freshwater ecosystems exceeding acute and chronic toxicity levels. TBT is the most significant pesticide in marine and freshwaters in Europe and consequently its environmental level, fate, toxicity and human exposure are of current concern. Thus, the European Union has decided to specifically include TBT compounds in its list of priority compounds in water in order to control its fate in natural systems, due to their toxic, persistent, bioaccumulative and endocrine disruptive characteristics. Additionally, the International Maritime Organization has called for a global treaty that bans the application of TBT-based paints starting 1 of January 2003, and total prohibition by 1 of January 2008. This paper reviews the state of the science regarding TBT, with special attention paid to the environmental levels, toxicity, and human exposure. TBT compounds have been detected in a number of environmental samples. In humans, organotin compounds have been detected in blood and in the liver. As for other persistent organic pollutants, dietary intake is most probably the main route of exposure to TBT compounds for the general population. However, data concerning TBT levels in foodstuffs are scarce. It is concluded that investigations on experimental toxicity, dietary intake, potential human health effects and development of new sustainable technologies to remove TBT compounds are clearly necessary.     

Debating ecological justice: implications for critical environmental education

This article will briefly discuss the implications of recognition of ecological justice in relation to environmental education (EE) and education for sustainable development (ESD). It is argued that the present conception of environment taught through EE and ESD negates the subjectivity of non-human species and ignores the ethical imperatives of ecological justice. Evocating environmental ethics, major directions integrating ecological justice into EE and ESD are proposed.     

深圳宝安区土地利用变化的环境影响研究

采用深圳宝安区1996-2004年的土地利用数据及其逐日降雨量资料，应用Costanza关于生态系统服务价值方面的研究成果，对该区域土地利用变化导致的生态服务价值进行了计算；应用SCS模型对该区主要污染物氨氮（NH4-N）、总磷（TP）以及高锰酸盐指数（CODMn）的面源污染负荷的变化进行了定量分析。结果表明：1996～2004年期间，土地利用变化导致区域总体生态服务功能下降了31．36%；氨氮和CODMn的面源污染负荷分别增加了4．12%、5．73%，总磷的面源污染负荷减少了1．64％。进一步对三种土地利用规划供选方案（2004-2020年）的环境影响进行了分析。在不同规划方案下，到2020年，宝安区总体生态服务功能将比2004年下降3．79％、10．97％和30．76％。但其下降速度都将得到明显遏止；氨氮、总磷和CODMn的面源污染负荷也将有较明显的增加，且皆以规划方案1增加最小,方案2居中，方案3增加最大。     

生态足迹在城市规划环境评价中的应用——以苏州市域城镇体系规划为例

以苏州市域城镇体系规划为例,探讨运用生态足迹进行融合型规划环境影响评价的方法,为规划环评较早地介入规划编制过程进行了有益的探索：在规划编制初期,确定规划的生态底限,农业用地、非农建设用地和水域的面积不低于3 728、1 016和2 019 km2;在规划编制过程中,根据现状评价的结果提出耕地是苏州城市发展的限制因子,水资源是优势因子,并估算了规划实施前后苏州市的生态足迹和生态承载力的变化情况。结果表明：规划实施后,苏州市的人均生态赤字有加大的趋势,耕地的赤字是最主要的贡献者,草地和能源用地的生态盈亏无变化,林地的生态赤字将减少,建设用地和水域的生态盈余将增加。依据该结果提出了减缓生态赤字的措施以及调整规划的意见：优化城镇发展空间,提高中心城市的容积率,置换出一定面积的生态用地,降低耕地的生态赤字;发展大运量的轨道交通和水路运输,减少交通能耗和机动车尾气的排放,降低能源用地的生态赤字。     

基于DEA模型的区域生态环境建设绩效评价——以江苏省苏州市为例

选取生态系统服务价值、生态绿当量、人均生态足迹赤字和环境质量综合指数作为区域生态环境质量表征指标,借助DEA模型对区域生态环境建设过程中劳动力投入、资金投入、技术投入和资源投入的绩效进行评价,结果表明:(1)苏州市10年来生态环境建设总体而言绩效良好,DEA有效年份占30%,弱有效年份占20%,无效年份占50%,并且无效年份的效率指数都在0.97以上;(2)导致苏州市最近5年生态环境建设DEA无效的原因主要是乔资源投入不足,生态用地成为区域生态环境建设刚性约束;(3)通过调整生态环境建设要素投入比例,各种生态环境指标值都将有所提高,区域生态环境质量也将显著改善;(4)地区生态环境建设绩效下降还受地区人口数量增加、人均生态占用增长、生态环境累积效应影响.最后从促进区域社会经济与生态环境协调发展的角度提出相关建议.     

近自然绿道建设在我国公路环境保护中的应用

道路是景观生态系统的主要组成部分之一,高密度的公路系统通过改变自然景观特征、干扰生态系统物质与信息交流、诱发水土流失、破坏动植物栖息环境、加快生物入侵对生态系统造成巨大影响。为了提高公路交通建设的科学技术水平,探索资源节约、环境友好的新型公路交通发展模式,通过湖北神宜公路改扩建工程项目的科学总结与理论提升,提出了“近自然绿道”的技术与工程措施。研究表明：围绕“路景相融、自然神宜”的建设目标,坚持“亲近自然、文化传承、科学创新、和谐发展”的公路建设新理念,实践“环境保护、交通安全、经济与社会和谐发展与教育示范”“近自然绿道”的和谐道路建设目标,可以较好地实现公路建设中的环境保护和经济发展双赢的目标,实现社会经济可持续发展     

基于DEA模型的区域生态环境建设绩效评价——以江苏省苏州市为例 

选取生态系统服务价值、生态绿当量、人均生态足迹赤字和环境质量综合指数作为区域生态环境质量表征指标，借助DEA模型对区域生态环境建设过程中劳动力投入、资金投入、技术投入和资源投入的绩效进行评价，结果表明：（1）苏州市10年来生态环境建设总体而言绩效良好，DEA有效年份占30％，弱有效年份占20％，无效年份占50％，并且无效年份的效率指数都在0.97以上；（2）导致苏州市最近5年生态环境建设DEA无效的原因主要是资源投入不足，生态用地成为区域生态环境建设刚性约束；（3）通过调整生态环境建设要素投入比例，各种生态环境指标值都将有所提高，区域生态环境质量也将显著改善；（4）地区生态环境建设绩效下降还受地区人口数量增加、人均生态占用增长、生态环境累积效应影响。最后从促进区域社会经济与生态环境协调发展的角度提出相关建议。     

基于水足迹的流域生态补偿标准模型研究

流域水资源是一种公共物品,其系统的整体性以及资源外部性等特征要求各相关区域应共同承担环境保护.如何衡量各区域水资源开发利用与环保投入的关系,建立合理的生态补偿标准模型,已成为流域管理研究领域普遍关注的问题.本文运用水足迹理论和方法,界定流域水足迹内涵,通过反映流域沿岸各区域水生态服务耗费情况判断分析水生态系统安全状态,提出流域生态补偿标准计量流程及不同情况下的流域生态补偿标准测算模型,从而客观、准确地量化流域生态补偿额度,为管理者正确分析和解决流域各区域间利益冲突提供科学的决策依据与支持.同时本文以碧流河为案例,收集并分析了2002-2006年间碧流河沿岸各行政区水足迹和环保投入情况,理清各区域生态系统状态及相互关系,计算补偿标准,进而验证模型的可行性.     

Ecological economics: themes, approaches, and differences with environmental economics

This article provides a short overview of the main themes of ecological economics (EE). It is argued that EE provides a platform that fosters multidisciplinary environmental research by bringing together the core contributing disciplines – economics and ecology. In addition, EE is regarded as a pluralistic approach to environmental research that can be set opposite to, and has indeed developed as a response to, traditional environmental and resource economics. A comparison of the two fields is presented to clarify the essential differences between them. In addition, specific themes are examined in more detail. These include: sustainable development; the growth debate; international trade; dynamic processes; and behaviour and policy. Electronic Publication     

Community-based scenario planning: a process for vulnerability analysis and adaptation planning to social–ecological change in coastal communities

The current and projected impacts of climate change make understanding the environmental and social vulnerability of coastal communities and the planning of adaptations important international goals and national policy initiatives. Yet, coastal communities are concurrently experiencing numerous other social, political, economic, demographic and environmental changes or stressors that also need to be considered and planned for simultaneously to maintain social and environmental sustainability. There are a number of methods and processes that have been used to study vulnerability and identify adaptive response strategies. This paper describes the stages, methods and results of a modified community-based scenario planning process that was used for vulnerability analysis and adaptation planning within the context of multiple interacting stressors in two coastal fishing communities in Thailand. The four stages of community-based scenario planning included: (1) identifying the problem and purpose of scenario planning; (2) exploring the system and types of change; (3) generating possible future scenarios; and (4) proposing and prioritizing adaptations. Results revealed local perspectives on social and environmental change, participant visions for their local community and the environment, and potential actions that will help communities to adapt to the changes that are occurring. Community-based scenario planning proved to have significant potential as an anticipatory action research process for incorporating multiple stressors into vulnerability analysis and adaptation planning. This paper reflects on the process and outcomes to provide insights and suggest changes for future applications of community-based scenario planning that will lead to more effective learning, innovation and action in communities and related social–ecological systems.     

Towards a general relationship between climate change and biodiversity: an example for plant species in Europe

Climate change is one of the main factors that will affect biodiversity in the future and may even cause species extinctions. We suggest a methodology to derive a general relationship between biodiversity change and global warming. In conjunction with other pressure relationships, our relationship can help to assess the combined effect of different pressures to overall biodiversity change and indicate areas that are most at risk. We use a combination of an integrated environmental model (IMAGE) and climate envelope models for European plant species for several climate change scenarios to estimate changes in mean stable area of species and species turnover. We show that if global temperature increases, then both species turnover will increase, and mean stable area of species will decrease in all biomes. The most dramatic changes will occur in Northern Europe, where more than 35% of the species composition in 2100 will be new for that region, and in Southern Europe, where up to 25% of the species now present will have disappeared under the climatic circumstances forecasted for 2100. In Mediterranean scrubland and natural grassland/steppe systems, arctic and tundra systems species turnover is high, indicating major changes in species composition in these ecosystems. The mean stable area of species decreases mostly in Mediterranean scrubland, grassland/steppe systems and warm mixed forests.     

Conceptualizing Discourses on Ecological City and Its Planning

Abstract

Ecological city (eco-city) and its planning approach are emerging concepts in urban study, urban planning, ecological economics, environmental policy and corporate environmental management. However, opinions remain divided over the connotation and denotation of the term “ecological city”, what key issues ecocity planning can solve, and its specific contents. In this study, we present 10 basic propositions that define the eco-city and clarify its key parameters, thereby providing the basis for discussing the assumptions and principles underlying different approaches to sustainable urban development. We then summarize the concept and principles of an eco-city, and define the main requirements for ecocity planning. We conclude that an eco-city is a city in which the urban population, scale of land use and intensity of human activities are limited to the regional resource and environmental carrying capacity, which does not cause increasing or irreversible damage to the regional ecosystem’s structure, functions and processes.     

农村水环境治理行动的演化博弈分析

新常态下,我国环境承载力已经达到或接近上限,农村水环境也存在着"边治理、边污染"和地方政府监管乏力问题,究其根源是缺乏农村水环境治理的内生机制,在中央政府投入大量精力、财力的同时,其他利益相关主体却存在不同利益诉求和行为导向冲突,因而厘清农村水环境治理行动中的主体博弈关系有助于突破此现实困境,形成良好的行动机制。本文利用演化博弈模型,分析了地方政府、企业和农户三方博弈主体在农村水环境治理行动中的演化过程。研究结果表明,系统演化具有多重复杂情景,在良好的演化情景下,只要农户参与治理的意愿高,地方政府最终将趋向于引导行动,企业也相应选择净化策略,三方实现共同治理,农村水环境质量将得到显著改善;相反地,在不良演化情景下,即使农户愿意参与治理、或企业愿意采取净化策略,都无法得到地方政府的支持和系统中其他主体的响应,系统将锁定于不良状态,最终造成农村水环境治理的"公地悲剧";在一般情景下,通过调节各方策略的参数值,发现只要地方政府和企业联合起来致力于通过一系列引导和扶持策略保障农户从参与农村水环境治理中获得切实利益,可使系统跳出不良状态,形成三方共同治理的良好局面。实例分析结果进一步验证了只要政府和企业联合行动以切实保障农户的利益,就有利于促进农村水环境质量提升。据此提出促进三方共同参与、保障农户利益的农村水环境治理行动对策建议。     

长江生态与环境——现状与挑战

讨论了中国第一大河长江的生态环境现状和面临的问题。随着我国社会经济的快速发展,长江的生态环境出现了一系列问题,流域内水污染治理严重滞后,水污染尚未得到有效控制。长江流域生态环境正面临着前所未有的压力。必须对影响流域生态系统的有关因素,包括水、土、生物及相关资源进行综合管理。处理好长江保护与开发利用的关系,将成为未来20年长江流域面临的重大课题。     

乌东德水库坝前段消落带生态类型划分及生态修复模式初探

采用GIS技术,根据高程、坡度、土壤类型等环境特征,将乌东德水库坝前段消落带分为18种生态类型,并完成了高程图、坡度图和土壤类型图,建立了环境特征和消落带类型的直观联系。然后根据不同的生态类型,提出了4种生态修复模式,并选择了10种植物作为生态修复物种。为其它水库消落带生态修复提供了参考依据。     

海洋环境公益诉讼的制度定位及体系完善

《海洋环境保护法》第89条第2款规定了海洋环境监管部门代表国家排他性提起损害赔偿的诉讼制度,为海洋环境公益提供了特殊的诉讼保护方式。因该项制度设计的粗疏以及关联政策、立法回应不足,造成对该条款规定的理论解释困惑和制度适用障碍,导致提起海洋环境公益诉讼的主体类型受限、海洋环境公益保护诉讼程序衔接不畅、海洋环境监管部门"两种角色"手段配合不当的突出问题,直接限制了环境公益诉讼制度在海洋环境保护领域的功能发挥。破解这一问题的关键在于阐明海洋环境公益保护背后的诉讼法律关系和应用法理,完善海洋环境公益保护诉讼制度体系,实现海洋环境保护的诉权利益调整和诉讼秩序优化。重点是打破现有研究的思维定式,避免将《海洋环境保护法》第89条第2款规定的诉讼类型推演为海洋环境公益诉讼并作为讨论前提,明确该条款规定为带有维护海洋环境公益特点的"准环境公益诉讼",将其与"私益诉讼""国益诉讼""环境公益诉讼"进行合理界分,为海洋环境公益诉讼的发展提供制度空间,理顺各类型诉讼和保护机制之间的关系。在此之下,完善海洋环境监管部门"两种角色"作用发挥的制度设计,保障环境行政手段与诉讼保护手段之间的衔接配合,理顺海洋环境公益保护各类型诉讼提起的顺位与程序,促进各类诉讼手段各归其位,形成与行政保护机制的合力,最终实现对海洋生态环境的整体性保护。     

Projecting current and potential future distribution of the Fire-bellied toad Bombina bombina under climate change in north-eastern Germany

Environmental change is likely to have a strong impact on biodiversity, and many species may shift their distribution in response. In this study, we aimed at projecting the availability of suitable habitat for an endangered amphibian species, the Fire-bellied toad Bombina bombina, in Brandenburg (north-eastern Germany). We modelled a potential habitat distribution map based on (1) a database with 10,581 presence records for Bombina from the years 1990 to 2009, (2) current estimates for ecogeographical variables (EGVs) and (3) the future projection of these EGVs according to the statistical regional model, respectively, the soil and water integrated model, applying the maximum entropy approach (Maxent). By comparing current and potential future distributions, we evaluated the projected change in distribution of suitable habitats and identified the environmental variables most associated with habitat suitability that turned out to be climatic variables related to the hydrological cycle. Under the applied scenario, our results indicate increasing habitat suitability in many areas and an extended range of suitable habitats. However, even if the environmental conditions in Brandenburg may change as predicted, it is questionable whether the Fire-bellied toad will truly benefit, as dispersal abilities of amphibian species are limited and strongly influenced by anthropogenic disturbances, that is, intensive agriculture, habitat destruction and fragmentation. Furthermore, agronomic pressure is likely to increase on productive areas with fertile soils and high water retention capacities, indeed those areas suitable for B. bombina. All these changes may affect temporary pond hydrology as well as the reproductive success and breeding phenology of toads.