北京市大气PM2.5中四种水溶性阴离子的水平变化比较

了解北京市城区和郊区大气细颗粒物中的四种水溶性阴离子F-、Cl-、SO42-、NO3-的浓度水平,并分析影响其水平高低的因素。使用聚四氟乙烯滤膜分别采集北京市城区和郊区大气中的PM2.5,用纯水提取后采用离子色谱法测定水溶性阴离子质量浓度。采样期间北京市大气PM2.5、F-、Cl-、SO42-和NO3-质量浓度几何均数分别为55.36、0.02、0.46、6.72和1.09μg·m-3,四种水溶性阴离子质量浓度总和占PM2.5质量浓度的19.14%;同一季节(春季)郊区监测点大气PM2.5、SO42-和NO3-质量浓度显著高于城区监测点;城区大气PM2.5与四种水溶性阴离子质量浓度秋季高于春季,但差异无统计学意义;大气PM2.5与Cl-、SO42-和NO3-质量浓度均高度相关。Cl-、SO42-、NO3-是北京市大气PM2.5的重要组成成分。     

北京市大气PM_(2.5)中四种水溶性阴离子的水平变化比较

了解北京市城区和郊区大气细颗粒物中的四种水溶性阴离子F-、Cl-、SO42-、NO3-的浓度水平,并分析影响其水平高低的因素。使用聚四氟乙烯滤膜分别采集北京市城区和郊区大气中的PM2.5,用纯水提取后采用离子色谱法测定水溶性阴离子质量浓度。采样期间北京市大气PM2.5、F-、Cl-、SO42-和NO3-质量浓度几何均数分别为55.36、0.02、0.46、6.72和1.09μg·m-3,四种水溶性阴离子质量浓度总和占PM2.5质量浓度的19.14%;同一季节(春季)郊区监测点大气PM2.5、SO42-和NO3-质量浓度显著高于城区监测点;城区大气PM2.5与四种水溶性阴离子质量浓度秋季高于春季,但差异无统计学意义;大气PM2.5与Cl-、SO42-和NO3-质量浓度均高度相关。Cl-、SO42-、NO3-是北京市大气PM2.5的重要组成成分。     

北京市大气PM_（2.5）中四种水溶性阴离子的水平变化比较

了解北京市城区和郊区大气细颗粒物中的四种水溶性阴离子F-、Cl-、SO42-、NO3-的浓度水平,并分析影响其水平高低的因素。使用聚四氟乙烯滤膜分别采集北京市城区和郊区大气中的PM2.5,用纯水提取后采用离子色谱法测定水溶性阴离子质量浓度。采样期间北京市大气PM2.5、F-、Cl-、SO42-和NO3-质量浓度几何均数分别为55.36、0.02、0.46、6.72和1.09μg·m-3,四种水溶性阴离子质量浓度总和占PM2.5质量浓度的19.14%;同一季节（春季）郊区监测点大气PM2.5、SO42-和NO3-质量浓度显著高于城区监测点;城区大气PM2.5与四种水溶性阴离子质量浓度秋季高于春季,但差异无统计学意义;大气PM2.5与Cl-、SO42-和NO3-质量浓度均高度相关。Cl-、SO42-、NO3-是北京市大气PM2.5的重要组成成分。     

成都市冬季辐射雾生消过程的无机阴离子变化

分别在成都市市区和郊区采集冬季辐射雾雾水样品,pH值范围在4.58—6.39之间,平均值为5.57.离子色谱分析其无机阴离子(SO42-,NO3-,Cl-)浓度水平.结果显示,雾水中的阴离子以SO42-浓度最高(3.11mg.l-1),NO3-(0.20mg.l-1)和Cl-(0.25mg.l-1)相对较低;雾生消过程中市区和郊区雾水样品阴离子的变化规律及分布特征有显著差异.雾水中的阴离子浓度普遍低于此期间的降水.     

无机离子对磷钨酸光催化活性艳橙脱色降解的影响

报道了10种无机离子(NO3-,SO42-,CO32-,PO43-,Cl-,Mg2+,Ca2+,Cu2+,Mn2+和Al3+)对磷钨酸光催化活性艳橙(KGN)溶液反应的影响.研究表明,NO3-,SO42-,CO32-和PO43-对光催化KGN溶液降解有一定的促进作用,但随着NO3-浓度的增大,该促进作用不再增大;SO24-和CO23-在不同浓度下对光催化反应有较强的促进作用,但随着SO42-和CO32-浓度的增长,其促进作用呈降低趋势;当PO34-浓度高于0.15mmol.l-1时,随着PO34-浓度的增大,光催化反应发生抑制,并且随着浓度的增长,抑制作用有增强的趋势;Cl-对光催化脱色反应存在较强的抑制作用,除在0.075mmol.l-1的浓度时,Cl-对反应无明显影响外,其它浓度下都使光催化反应发生抑制,并且随着Cl-浓度的增加,抑制作用明显增强.Mg2+和Ca2+在不同浓度下对磷钨酸光催化KGN反应略微有促进作用;Cu2+对活性艳橙光催化脱色反应影响不显著;而Mn2+和Al3+离子对光催化反应效率存在一定抑制作用.     

西安市春季大气细粒子的质量浓度及其水溶性组分的特征

为了探讨西安市春季大气细粒污染物的污染水平及水溶性组分的特征及来源,2005年3—5月对西安大气PM2.5进行了观测,并应用离子色谱对其中的水溶性组分进行了分析。结果显示,西安市春季大气PM2.5的质量浓度为159.9μg·m-3。分析的11种阴阳离子(Na 、NH4 、K 、Mg2 、Ca2 、F-、Cl-、Br-、NO2-、NO3-和SO42-)质量浓度占PM2.5的30%,表明水溶性组分是大气细粒子的主要组成之一。NH4 、SO42-和NO3-为水溶性离子的主要组分,其平均质量浓度分别为6.6、20.1和7.6μg·m-3,在总水溶性离子中的百分比分别为12.4%、47.4%和16.9%,SO42-和NO3-质量浓度与能见度有较好的负相关性,表明细粒子中二次气溶胶组分对能见度有显著的影响。阴阳离子的平衡和pH值的测定结果显示,西安市大气细粒子污染物为弱酸性。离子间的相关性分析揭示水溶性离子在颗粒物中主要结合方式为(NH4)2SO4、NH4HSO4、NH4NO3、KHSO4和K2SO4。Mg2 和Ca2 的相关性也较好,其摩尔比率为0.07,小于中国北方沙漠和黄土的平均值(0.15),揭示二次扬尘和建筑扬尘等过程对Ca2 的质量浓度影响较大。计算的NO3-/SO42-质量浓度比值的均值为0.38,说明固定排放源(燃煤)对细粒子中水溶性组分的贡献大于移动排放源(机动车)。     

深圳市大气降水化学组成演化特征分析:1980-2004年

为了定量分析大气降水化学组成的长期变化特征, 采用深圳市1980-2004年的大气降水化学资料进行研究, 所有样品都分析了pH、Cl-、F-、SO42-、NO3-、NH4 、Na 、K 、Ca2 和Mg2 等指标.结果表明: (1) 研究时段内, 降水pH随着时间呈逐渐下降趋势,且pH值在大部分年份均低于5.6, 最低值仅为4.49, 从而对环境酸化产生明显的影响;降水pH还具有较大的时空变异性, 南山和宝安区的pH值低于其它四个区;在月度变化上, 夏秋季节的pH值低于春冬季节.(2) SO42-是降水中最主要的阴离子, 占降水中总离子质量的31.34%～38.95%, 且SO42-对降水酸度的贡献随着时间呈下降趋势;NO3-是除SO42-外最重要的酸根离子, 其浓度随着时间呈上升趋势, 从而对降水酸度的贡献逐渐增强.(3) Ca2 是降水中最主要的阳离子, 占降水中总离子质量的14.34%～20.24%.Na 是除Ca2 外最重要的阳离子, 其浓度随着时间呈增加的趋势, NH4 的浓度则随着时间呈现先上升后下降的趋势.(4) 降水化学组成受到人为源的强烈影响, 在研究时段内, 人为源呈现上升的趋势, 地表源呈现先上升后下降的趋势, 海洋源呈现先下降后上升的趋势.(5) 研究区的降水化学组成有明显的季节和区域差异, 春季和冬季离子含量较高, 在夏季较低;南山区、龙岗区降水中离子浓度高于福田区、盐田区、宝安区和罗湖区.     

绵阳市PM2.5中水溶性离子特征及来源分析

为研究绵阳市PM2.5中水溶性离子污染特征及来源,于2018年4月15日-2019年2月28日在绵阳市设置5个采样点位进行样品采集,利用Dionex ICS-2000离子色谱仪分析了9种离子(F-、Cl-、NO3-、SO42-、Na+、NH4+、K+、Mg2+、Ca2+),并通过SPSS进行来源解析.结果 表明,绵阳市ρ(总水溶性离子)年均值为20.8 μg·m-3,在PM2.5中w(总水溶性离子)为46.6％.离子中质量浓度大小顺序依次为:ρ (NO3-)＞ρ(SO42-)＞ρ(NH4+)＞ ρ(Ca2+)＞ ρ(K+)＞ρ(Cl-)＞ ρ(Na+)＞ ρ(Mg2+)＞ ρ(F-),其中SNA(二次离子NO3-、SO42-、NH4+)为水溶性离子主要组成部分,水溶性离子中w(SNA)为86.4％.水溶性离子质量浓度季节变化趋势为:冬季＞秋季＞春季＞夏季,除Mg2+外其余离子质量浓度季节变化趋势与总离子浓度趋势一致,ρ(Mg2+)夏季与春季相当.SNA间具有较好的相关性,表明二次离子来源具有高度相似性,NH4+与SO42-摩尔当量浓度线性拟合斜率大于0.75,表明绵阳市大气环境为富氨状态,二次离子主要以(NH4)2SO4和NH4NO3形式存在.污染天NO2、 w(NO3-)和NOR(氮氧化率)均增大,且污染水平越严重w(NO3-)增幅越大,而w(SO42-)和w(NH4+)基本不变,表明NO3-增加导致PM2.5浓度升高.四季SOR(硫氧化率)和NOR均大于0.1,表明NO3-、SO42-主要来源于气态污染物二次转化,受温度和湿度影响,SOR值夏季最高,NOR值夏季最低冬季最高.SPSS来源解析结果显示绵阳市PM2.5中水溶性离子主要受二次转化、生物质燃烧以及扬尘源影响,三者合计贡献率为82.7％.     

临汾市PM2.5中水溶性离子季节变化特征及来源解析

利用在线监控平台获得临汾市2019年3月1日至2020年2月29日PM2.5的24 h均值及其中8种水溶性离子(NO3-、SO42-、NH4+、Cl-、K+、Na+、Mg2+和Ca2+)的监测数据,分析了PM2.5及水溶性离子浓度的季节变化特征,采用主成分分析法探讨了各种离子的主要来源.结果 表明,在研究期内,临汾市PM2.5年均浓度为57 μg·m-3,季节性特征明显,冬季最高,夏季最低,秋季略高于春季;各离子浓度依次为NO3-＞SO42-＞NH4+＞Cl-＞Ca2+＞Na+＞K+＞Mg2+;全年阴阳离子电荷当量的比值为0.86,大气气溶胶呈碱性;SO42-、NO3-与NH4+是其中的主要水溶性离子,不同季节这3种离子之和占8种离子总量的比例分别为夏季(90.98％)＞秋季(88.98％)＞冬季(87.58％)＞春季(85.68％),存在较强的SO2向SO42-、NO2向NO3-的二次转化过程.PM2.5中水溶性离子的主要来源有工业源、生物质燃烧、机动车尾气以及土壤风沙和建筑扬尘等,不同季节各污染源的贡献有较大差别.     

闽南重点城市春季PM2.5中水溶性无机离子特征研究

对闽南地区重点城市春季 PM2.5中水溶性离子的污染状况进行剖析,分析和探讨了闽南地区同城化进程中重点城市PM2.5中水溶性离子污染的共同点和差异点,以期在当前空气污染日益严重的趋势下为闽南地区的大气污染控制提供依据.于2011年春季3月7—16日在福建省闽南地区重点城市厦门城区与郊区、漳州和泉州城区同步用聚丙烯纤维滤膜采集大气PM2.5样品,滤膜经超声萃取后用离子色谱仪分析样品中F-、Cl-、NO3-、SO42-、Na+、K+、NH4+、Ca2+和Mg2+等9种离子组分的质量浓度.结果表明,(1)闽南地区重点城市春季PM2.5的质量浓度变化具有较好的一致性,PM2.5的平均质量浓度为94.14μg·m-3,二次离子SO42-、NO3-和NH4+的质量浓度变化范围为14.66~66.68μg·m-3,平均质量浓度为32.43μg·m-3,占总水溶性离子的83.30%,主要以(NH4)2SO4和NH4NO3形式存在;与国内其他主要城市相比,闽南地区PM2.5中二次离子浓度水平偏高,二次污染严重.(2)NO3-/SO42-和SOR、NOR值均表明闽南地区固定源污染对水溶性离子的贡献大于流动源,但厦门流动源的贡献占了更高的比重;与国内其它地区相比,闽南地区由于春季潮湿多雨,硝酸盐化速率较高,也是导致二次离子污染水平较高的原因之一.(3)作为滨海地区,闽南地区 PM2.5中水溶性离子的主要贡献者主要来自人为源,而非海盐离子.     

Achieving Open Access to Conservation Science

Conservation science is a crisis discipline in which the results of scientific enquiry must be made available quickly to those implementing management. We assessed the extent to which scientific research published since the year 2000 in 20 conservation science journals is publicly available. Of the 19,207 papers published, 1,667 (8.68%) are freely downloadable from an official repository. Moreover, only 938 papers (4.88%) meet the standard definition of open access in which material can be freely reused providing attribution to the authors is given. This compares poorly with a comparable set of 20 evolutionary biology journals, where 31.93% of papers are freely downloadable and 7.49% are open access. Seventeen of the 20 conservation journals offer an open access option, but fewer than 5% of the papers are available through open access. The cost of accessing the full body of conservation science runs into tens of thousands of dollars per year for institutional subscribers, and many conservation practitioners cannot access pay‐per‐view science through their workplace. However, important initiatives such as Research4Life are making science available to organizations in developing countries. We urge authors of conservation science to pay for open access on a per‐article basis or to choose publication in open access journals, taking care to ensure the license allows reuse for any purpose providing attribution is given. Currently, it would cost $51 million to make all conservation science published since 2000 freely available by paying the open access fees currently levied to authors. Publishers of conservation journals might consider more cost effective models for open access and conservation‐oriented organizations running journals could consider a broader range of options for open access to nonmembers such as sponsorship of open access via membership fees. Obtención de Acceso Abierto a la Ciencia de la Conservación     

Rapid,recurring, structured survey versus bioblitz for generating biodiversity data and analysis with a multispecies abundance model

A bioblitz inexpensively and quickly generates biodiversity data, but bioblitzes are often conducted with haphazard, unreplicated sampling. Results tend to be taxonomically, geographically, or temporally biased, lack metadata, and consist of lists of observed taxa that do not enable further analyses or correction for imperfect detection. A rapid, recurring, structured survey (RRSS) uses a structured sampling design and temporal and spatial replication to survey randomly selected sites on a conservation property. We participated in a loosely structured bioblitz and a subsequent RRSS at Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve in Springville (St. Clair County), Alabama (USA) to compare observed richness derived from the 2 survey approaches. The RRSS data structure enabled us to fit models that accounted for imperfect detection to estimate abundances, occupancy probabilities, and habitat associations. The loosely structured bioblitz data could not be used in such models. We present a new integrated multispecies abundance model that we applied to avian RRSS data. Our model extension enables estimation for the community, employs data augmentation to estimate the number of undetected species, and incorporates covariates. The RRSS generated a more comprehensive and less biased list of observed taxonomic richness than the loosely structured bioblitz (e.g., 73 vs. 45 bird species and 104 vs. 63 insect families from the RRSS vs. loosely structured bioblitz, respectively). Models fit to the RRSS data identified seasonal patterns in avian community composition and allowed for estimation of habitat–occupancy relationships for insect taxa. The RRSS protocol has potential for broad transferability as a standardized, quick, and inexpensive way to inventory biodiversity and estimate ecological parameters while providing an outreach opportunity.     

Compliance with and ecosystem function of biodiversity offsets in North American and European freshwaters

Land-use change via human development is a major driver of biodiversity loss. To reduce these impacts, billions of dollars are spent on biodiversity offsets. However, studies evaluating offset project effectiveness that examine components such as the overall compliance and function of projects remain rare. We reviewed 577 offsetting projects in freshwater ecosystems that included the metrics project size, type of aquatic system (e.g., wetland and creek), offsetting measure (e.g., enhancement, restoration, and creation), and an assessment of the projects’ compliance and functional success. Project information was obtained from scientific and government databases and gray literature. Despite considerable investment in offsetting projects, crucial problems persisted. Although compliance and function were related to each other, a high level of compliance did not guarantee a high degree of function. However, large projects relative to area had better function than small projects. Function improved when projects targeted productivity or specific ecosystem features and when multiple complementary management targets were in place. Restorative measures were more likely to achieve targets than creating entirely new ecosystems. Altogether the relationships we found highlight specific ecological processes that may help improve offsetting outcomes.     

Some polyphagous Homoptera gain protection from their natural enemies by feeding on the toxic plantsSpartium junceum andErythrina corallodendrum (Leguminosae)

Summary Interactions were studied among alkaloid-containing legumes (Erythrina corallodendrum andSpartium junceum) and non-toxic plants (Citrus sinensis, Cucurbita moschata andEuphorbia tirucalli), several polyphagous homopterans,Aphis craccivora (Aphididae),Icerya purchasi, I. aegyptiaca (Margarodidae),Lepidosaphes ulmi (Diaspididae) andPlanococcus citri (Pseudococcidae), and some major natural enemies of these homopterans. Significant reductions in survival due to negative effects of alkaloid containing as compared with non-alkaloidal plants were recorded for the predatorsRodolia cardinalis andChilocorus bipustulatus, but not forCryptolaemus montrouzieri (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae),Chrysoperla carnea (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) andSympherobius sanctus (Neuroptera: Sympherobiidae). The development time of the larvae or pupae ofR. cardinalis, C. carnea andS. sanctus was longer on the toxic plants than on the non-toxic ones. The percentage of parasitism ofA. craccivora collected from the non-alkaloidal plantsVicia palaestina andMelilotus albus was much higher than that onS. junceum. The parasitoid complexes ofA. craccivora differed between both plant groups. The nutritive value of honeydew ofI. purchasi andA. craccivora, as expressed by the life span ofEncyrtus infelix (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) adults, was also investigated. Life spans were significantly longer when the wasps fed on honeydew produced on non-alkaloidal plants (C. sinensis andPittosporum tobira) than on alkaloid containing plants whenI. purchasi — but notA. craccivora — was the producer. It is suggested that the chemical defense ofE. corallodendrum andS. junceum is exploited by polyphagous phytophages to reduce predation. In nature, population growth and density of four of the investigated homopterans are conspicuously high when they developed on the alkaloid containing plant species, and very low on non-alkaloid plants. The efficiency of their natural enemies may be reduced by sequestration of alkaloids (or other toxic plant compounds) or their transfer into excreted honeydew. Therefore it is assumed that a generalist phytophagous homopteran may be protected from its natural enemies, although at different rates of efficiency, if it can safely sequester the host allelochemical when it develops on toxic species within its host range.     

A palaeo-hydrogeological model for arsenic contamination in southern and south-east Asia

An argument is presented in which areas of natural arsenic contamination of modern groundwaters throughout Asia have a common origin. Arsenic originally accumulated in oceanic ferro-manganoan sediments of the eastern Palaeo-Tethys. This was further concentrated through oceanic crustal extinction in what later became the south-east Chinese accreted mineralised terrain. Proto-Himalayan uplift of this area created the palaeo-drainage systems of the Ganges – Brahmaputra, Irrawaddy, Mekong, and Red Rivers, with consequent headwater erosion of arsenic-rich sediments. Their downstream deposition as immature and easily redistributed Neogene sandstones, silts, and iron-rich clays has created secondary and tertiary reservoirs of adsorbed and authigenic arsenic, from which the current arsenic-rich groundwaters have evolved. Considering river basins within the above palaeo-hydrogeological framework provides a basis for assessing the risk of arsenic in groundwater basins of south and south-eastern Asia.     

Sequestration of cucurbitacin analogs by New and Old World chrysomelid leaf beetles in the tribe Luperini

Summary Two South American polyphagous leaf beetles,Diabrotica speciosa andCerotoma arcuata, selectively accumulated the bitter tasting compound 23,24-dihydrocucurbitacin D in their body after ingesting root tissues of cucurbit plants. Similarly, three Asian Cucurbitaceae-feeding specialists in the genusAulacophora were found to sequester the same compound. Cucurbitacin analogs were shown to deter feeding by a bird predator, indicating an allomonal role for these compounds in cucurbitacin-associated chrysomelid leaf beetles both of New and Old Worlds. The strong affinity to cucurbitacins, selective sequestration of the analogs and consequent protection from predators suggested an ecological adaptation mechanism developed in common among these two geographically isolated subtribes in the Luperini.     

Effects of Controlled Fire and Livestock Grazing on Bird Communities in East African Savannas

Abstract: In East Africa fire and grazing by wild and domestic ungulates maintain savannas, and pastoralists historically set fires and herded livestock through the use of temporary corrals called bomas. In recent decades traditional pastoral practices have declined, and this may be affecting biodiversity. We investigated the effects of prescribed fires and bomas on savanna bird communities in East Africa during the first and second dry seasons of the year (respectively before and after the rains that mark the onset of breeding for most birds). We compared abundance, richness, and community composition on 9‐ha burned plots, recently abandoned bomas, and control plots in the undisturbed matrix habitat over a 3‐year period. Generally, recently burned areas and abandoned bomas attracted greater densities of birds and had different community assemblages than the surrounding matrix. The effects of disturbances were influenced by interactions between primary productivity, represented by the normalized difference vegetation index, and time. Bird densities were highest and a greater proportion of species was observed on burned plots in the months following the fires. Drought conditions equalized bird densities across treatments within 1 year, and individuals from a greater proportion of species were more commonly observed on abandoned bomas. Yearly fluctuations in abundance were less pronounced on bomas than on burns, which indicate that although fire may benefit birds in the short term, bomas may have a more‐lasting positive effect and provide resources during droughts. Several Palearctic migrants were attracted to burned plots regardless of rainfall, which indicates continued fire suppression may threaten their already‐declining populations. Most notably, the paucity of birds observed on the controls suggests that the current structure of the matrix developed as a result of fire suppression. Traditional pastoralism appears critical to the maintenance of avian diversity in these savannas.     

Cost‐effective conservation of an endangered frog under uncertainty

How should managers choose among conservation options when resources are scarce and there is uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of actions? Well‐developed tools exist for prioritizing areas for one‐time and binary actions (e.g., protect vs. not protect), but methods for prioritizing incremental or ongoing actions (such as habitat creation and maintenance) remain uncommon. We devised an approach that combines metapopulation viability and cost‐effectiveness analyses to select among alternative conservation actions while accounting for uncertainty. In our study, cost‐effectiveness is the ratio between the benefit of an action and its economic cost, where benefit is the change in metapopulation viability. We applied the approach to the case of the endangered growling grass frog (Litoria raniformis), which is threatened by urban development. We extended a Bayesian model to predict metapopulation viability under 9 urbanization and management scenarios and incorporated the full probability distribution of possible outcomes for each scenario into the cost‐effectiveness analysis. This allowed us to discern between cost‐effective alternatives that were robust to uncertainty and those with a relatively high risk of failure. We found a relatively high risk of extinction following urbanization if the only action was reservation of core habitat; habitat creation actions performed better than enhancement actions; and cost‐effectiveness ranking changed depending on the consideration of uncertainty. Our results suggest that creation and maintenance of wetlands dedicated to L. raniformis is the only cost‐effective action likely to result in a sufficiently low risk of extinction. To our knowledge we are the first study to use Bayesian metapopulation viability analysis to explicitly incorporate parametric and demographic uncertainty into a cost‐effective evaluation of conservation actions. The approach offers guidance to decision makers aiming to achieve cost‐effective conservation under uncertainty.     

What Every Conservation Biologist Should Know about Economic Theory

Abstract: The last century has seen the ascendance of a core economic model, which we will refer to as Walrasian economics. This model is driven by the psychological assumptions that humans act only in a self‐referential and narrowly rational way and that production can be described as a self‐contained circular flow between firms and households. These assumptions have critical implications for the way economics is used to inform conservation biology. Yet the Walrasian model is inconsistent with a large body of empirical evidence about actual human behavior, and it violates a number of basic physical laws. Research in behavioral science and neuroscience shows that humans are uniquely social animals and not self‐centered rational economic beings. Economic production is subject to physical laws including the laws of thermodynamics and mass balance. In addition, some contemporary economic theory, spurred by exciting new research in human behavior and a wealth of data about the negative global impact of the human economy on natural systems, is moving toward a world view that places consumption and production squarely in its behavioral and biophysical context. We argue that abandoning the straightjacket of the Walrasian core is essential to further progress in understanding the complex, coupled interactions between the human economy and the natural world. We call for a new framework for economic theory and policy that is consistent with observed human behavior, recognizes the complex and frequently irreversible interaction between human and natural systems, and directly confronts the cumulative negative effects of the human economy on the Earth's life support systems. Biophysical economics and ecological economics are two emerging economic frameworks in this movement.     

Effects of Coffee Management on Deforestation Rates and Forest Integrity

Knowledge about how forest margins are utilized can be crucial for a general understanding of changes in forest cover, forest structure, and biodiversity across landscapes. We studied forest‐agriculture transitions in southwestern Ethiopia and hypothesized that the presence of coffee (Coffea arabica)decreases deforestation rates because of coffee's importance to local economies and its widespread occurrence in forests and forest margins. Using satellite images and elevation data, we compared changes in forest cover over 37 years (1973–2010) across elevations in 2 forest‐agriculture mosaic landscapes (1100 km² around Bonga and 3000 km² in Goma‐Gera). In the field in the Bonga area, we determined coffee cover and forest structure in 40 forest margins that differed in time since deforestation. Both the absolute and relative deforestation rates were lower at coffee‐growing elevations compared with at higher elevations (?10/20% vs. ?40/50% comparing relative rates at 1800 m asl and 2300–2500 m asl, respectively). Within the coffee‐growing elevation, the proportion of sites with high coffee cover (>20%) was significantly higher in stable margins (42% of sites that had been in the same location for the entire period) than in recently changed margins (0% of sites where expansion of annual crops had changed the margin). Disturbance level and forest structure did not differ between sites with 30% or 3% coffee. However, a growing body of literature on gradients of coffee management in Ethiopia reports coffee's negative effects on abundances of forest‐specialist species. Even if the presence of coffee slows down the conversion of forest to annual‐crop agriculture, there is a risk that an intensification of coffee management will still threaten forest biodiversity, including the genetic diversity of wild coffee. Conservation policy for Ethiopian forests thus needs to develop strategies that acknowledge that forests without coffee production may have higher deforestation risks than forests with coffee production and that forests with coffee production often have lower biodiversity value. Efectos de la Administración Cafetalera sobre las Tasas de Deforestación y la Integridad de los Bosques