Biomonitoring mit Stadttaubeneiern

Experiences of biological monitoring with feral pigeons over a 12-year period in the cities of Halle, leipzig and Saarbrücken, and in rural areas of the Saarland and Schleswig-Holstein, show how to combine the management of feral pigeon populations with scientific questions. Especially the eggs of feral pigeons are suitable for environmental observation. Their advantage is, to show both concentrations of substances and their effects. In addition, there is almost no alternative in urban ecosystems by the use of other specimens. Requirements on standard operation procedures for sampling and sample treatment are presented. Examples of significant differences in analytical and biometric information between the observed areas and trends over the 12-year monitoring period with the use of pigeon eggs are presented. In specially constructed pigeon houses (pigeonry) with nesting cells, pigeon eggs can permanently be used for long term monitoring studies. At the same time, the possibility for the control and regulation of population health and desity is given.     

Biodiversity of urban soils for sustainable cities

The last century was marked by a high demographic revolution and the fast development of urban environments. Now, more than 50% of the world’s 7.5 billion humans live in cities. This change has often induced the degradation of environmental quality in urban areas. As a consequence, management policies are now fostering the ‘return of nature’ in cities, which, in turn, is requiring a better understanding of the ecology of urban environments. In particular, there is a need for a better knowledge on soil management because soils provide many functions in cities such as urban agriculture. Optimizing the diversity of soil-living organisms is essential to many environmental functions such as water depollution, biochemical cycles, fertility and carbon storage. However, few studies on the biological quality of urban soils have been performed so far. This article reviews actual knowledge on soil biological quality for urban management. The definition of urban soils is discussed, and we present services provided by soils. We also review modern methods and techniques to assess the biological quality of urban soils. Last, we suggest communication means to improve the consideration of soil quality in urban planning policies aimed at sustainable cities.     

An “effluent” charge approach to aircraft noise abatement

This paper is concerned with the control of aircraft noise. Some brief remarks are made on the relationship of aircraft noise problems to the theoretical approaches to externalities. We note in particular that an effluent charge is the most practical way to deal with the problem. A linear programming technique is used to find the bundle of noise-reducing options that minimizes the cost of achieving noise reduction goals, given an upper limit on service reduction. A rate-of-return criterion is imposed on the l.p. solution. Shadow prices are used to generate charges on the airlines. This provides a stimulus for abatement without dictating actual methods. Implicit in the cost parameters are prices of aircraft fuel. We assess the attractiveness of the abatement options with increasing fuel prices. The mechanics of the actual implementation of the charge in the airline industry is examined. We conclude that the institution of a plan such as the one proposed here will provide control of aircraft noise in a socially efficient manner.     

Differences in responses to factorial combinations of temperature and salinity by zoeae from two geographically isolated populations of the mud crab Rhithropanopeus harrisii

Ovigerous mud crabs, Rhithropanopeus harrisii, were collected from the Petaluma River (San Francisco Bay Estuarine System, California, USA) and from Sykes Creek (Indian River Lagoon System, Florida, USA) during the summer of 1984 and during February 1985, respectively. Their zoeae were reared in factorial combinations of temperature (20°, 25° or 30°C) and salinity (2, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, or 30%.). Survival and megalopal dry weight were maximal over a far larger range of temperature-salinity combinations for the Florida population. Absolute values of the two parameters were also greater for this group. Temperature dominated effects on duration of zoeal development in both populations. California zoeae developed more slowly at any of the temperatures tested compared with those from Florida. The pattern of all three indices was markedly different under non-optimal conditions. Putatively adaptive modification of survival, development rate and growth of zoeae is evident in response to prevailing environmental conditions which are, in part, a function of latitudinal position. Even though populations in the Petaluma River, California, are less capable of reaching maximal performance under the prevailing physical regimes than the Florida population, they still can live in habitats where physical conditions exclude competitors and predators.     

果园间种白三叶草对土壤生态及果树生产的影响

针对我国果园长期沿用清耕除草方式所带来的水土流失、土壤肥力下降和果品品质变劣等问题,于1999年在山东省烟台市5个试验点分别设置了由种草样地及其清耕对照样地组成的5组可比样地,对苹果园间种白三叶草(Trifoliumrepens)对土壤生态和果树生产的影响进行定位观测。结果表明:果园种草3a后0—30cm土层有机质含量平均提高3. 3g·kg-1,氮、磷、钾等养分含量有较大提高,尤以表层土壤更明显;土壤含水量得到提高,尤以夏秋多雨季节更明显;种草果园地下5cm处土温夏季比对照平均降低4. 1℃,而冬季升高2. 5℃,使土温的全年变化较为缓和;种草果园果品产量平均增加7. 04%,年产牧草2 130kg·hm-2,每年可增加经济收入5 328元·hm-2。     

Air quality improvement in Los Angeles—perspectives for developing cities

Air quality improvement in Los Angeles can inform air quality policies in developing cities. Emission control efforts, their results, costs and health benefits are briefly summarized. Today's developing cities face new challenges including regional pollution. Air quality issues in Beijing are briefly compared and contrasted with Los Angeles. Opportunities for co-benefits for climate and air quality improvement are identified. Air quality improvement in Los Angeles, California is reviewed with an emphasis on aspects that may inform air quality policy formulation in developing cities. In the mid-twentieth century the air quality in Los Angeles was degraded to an extent comparable to the worst found in developing cities today; ozone exceeded 600 ppb and annual average particulate matter <10 mm reached ~150 mg·m⁻³. Today's air quality is much better due to very effective emission controls; e.g., modern automobiles emit about 1% of the hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide emitted by vehicles of 50 years ago. An overview is given of the emission control efforts in Los Angeles and their impact on ambient concentrations of primary and secondary pollutants; the costs and health benefits of these controls are briefly summarized. Today's developing cities have new challenges that are discussed: the effects of regional pollution transport are much greater in countries with very high population densities; often very large current populations must be supplied with goods and services even while economic development and air quality concerns are addressed; and many of currently developing cities are located in or close to the tropics where photochemical processing of pollution is expected to be more rapid than at higher latitudes. The air quality issues of Beijing are briefly compared and contrasted with those of Los Angeles, and the opportunities for co-benefits for climate and air quality improvement are pointed out.     

生态经济区城市化与生态环境整合动态评价--以雅安市为例

在对雅安市实例评价中,综合考虑了城市化质量、环境和生态3个子系统,最终选取了42个要素指标,建立了3级城市化与生态环境整合评价指标体系;将灰色关联度分析法用于整合动态评价,用层次分析法确定各级指标权重。在参考国家标准值和国内良好特色城市现状值的基础上,结合雅安实际,构造了各项对应指标的目标序列,将其作为该市2007年目标值,计算得到各子系统分指数和整合指数,对其变化趋势和关联性进行了评价分析,发现雅安市正处于强生态弱城市化的勉强协调发展阶段。     

石家庄市室内空气中甲醛、苯系物和TVOC的污染特征

在石家庄市内选取部分新装修装饰的民用住宅进行室内空气采样,对甲醛、苯、甲苯、二甲苯和TVOC分别采用酚试剂分光光度法和气相色谱法进行分析。测定结果表明:新装修装饰后的室内空气中甲醛、苯、甲苯、二甲苯和TVOC存在不同程度的超标现象,其中,甲苯污染相当严重,最大超标倍数为17.7;卧室中甲醛、苯、甲苯、二甲苯和TVOC等污染物的超标率普遍高于客厅,其中卧室甲醛超标率约为客厅的2倍;室内空气中甲醛浓度随着密闭时间的增加持续增加。最后提出一系列相应的防治措施与建议。     

Fuel prices and new vehicle fuel economy—Comparing the United States and Western Europe

Several recent papers have documented an effect of fuel prices on new vehicle fuel economy in the United States. This paper estimates the effect of fuel prices on average new vehicle fuel economy for the eight largest European markets. The analysis spans the years 2002–2007 and uses detailed vehicle registration and specification data to control for policies, consumer preferences, and other potentially confounding factors. We find fuel prices to have a statistically significant effect on average new vehicle fuel economy in Europe. The effect estimated for Europe is much smaller than comparable estimates for the United States.     

土地资源对珠三角地区人口增长的约束分析

改革开放以来，随着经济高速发展，大量外来人口涌入珠三角地区。1979─2012年间，珠三角地区的常住人口从1797.42万人增至5681.70万人。大规模的人口增长使得珠三角地区的资源供给压力增大，特别是土地资源。2010年珠三角地区已开发的建设用地面积为8867 km2，其中深圳、东莞等城市的建设用地规模已经接近其土地资源的适宜开发上限，土地资源对人口增长的约束作用也日趋显著。为了评判珠三角地区土地资源压力对人口增长的影响，利用Malthus模型和Logistic模型分别对该地区9个城市的人口变化进行拟合，结果表明，2组模型对2000年前各城市的人口变化均有较高的拟合精度且拟合结果与实际情况较为相近，主要是由于该地区早期发展阶段的资源压力对人口增长的约束作用较小。2000年以后不同城市的Logistic模型与Malthus模型对人口变化预测呈现出不同的趋势，主要与各城市的土地资源压力密切相关。根据2组模型模拟结果的差异和土地资源的压力，将9个城市分为3组。其中深圳、东莞为第一组，这2个城市的人口增速最快、土地资源压力最大，相应的Malthus模型的估计值分别在2003年、2005年超过了实际人口，且其后估计值与实际值的差距逐渐增大。依据Malthus模型2020年深圳、东莞的人口预测值分别为6469.58万人、2386.81万人，这大大超过了这2个城市的资源环境承载极限。这一结果说明在深圳、东莞的人口高速增长已经不可持续，Malthus模型已不能反映其未来人口的变化趋势。第二组包括广州、佛山、珠海和中山4个城市。这组城市的人口增速相对缓慢，Malthus模型的估计值与实际人口较为接近，但2010年以来这4个城市人口的增长呈放缓趋势，Malthus模型估计值逐渐偏大。第三组城市包括人口增速最慢的江门、惠州和肇庆3个城市。这组城市的人口?     

Adjusting the economy to the new energy realities of the second half of the age of oil

Our research indicates that, due to the depletion of conventional, and hence cheap, crude oil supplies (i.e. peak oil), increasing the supply of oil in the future would require exploiting lower quality resources (i.e. expensive), and thus will most likely occur only at high prices. This situation creates a system of feedbacks where economic growth, which requires more oil, would require high oil prices that will undermine that economic growth. We conclude that the economic growth of the past 40 years is unlikely to continue unless there is some remarkable change in how we manage our economy.     

Patterns of houses and habitat loss from 1937 to 1999 in northern Wisconsin, USA.

Rural America is witnessing widespread housing development, which is to the detriment of the environment. It has been suggested to cluster houses so that their disturbance zones overlap and thus cause less habitat loss than is the case for dispersed development. Clustering houses makes intuitive sense, but few empirical studies have quantified the spatial pattern of houses in real landscapes, assessed changes in their patterns over time, and quantified the resulting habitat loss. We addressed three basic questions: (1) What are the spatial patterns of houses and how do they change over time; (2) How much habitat is lost due to houses, and how is this affected by spatial pattern of houses; and (3) What type of habitat is most affected by housing development. We mapped 27 419 houses from aerial photos for five time periods in 17 townships in northern Wisconsin and calculated the terrestrial land area remaining after buffering each house using 100- and 500-m disturbance zones. The number of houses increased by 353% between 1937 and 1999. Ripley's K test showed that houses were significantly clustered at all time periods and at all scales. Due to the clustering, the rate at which habitat was lost (176% and 55% for 100- and 500-m buffers, respectively) was substantially lower than housing growth rates, and most land area was undisturbed (95% and 61% for 100-m and 500-m buffers, respectively). Houses were strongly clustered within 100 m of lakes. Habitat loss was lowest in wetlands but reached up to 60% in deciduous forests. Our results are encouraging in that clustered development is common in northern Wisconsin, and habitat loss is thus limited. However, the concentration of development along lakeshores causes concern, because these may be critical habitats for many species. Conservation goals can only be met if policies promote clustered development and simultaneously steer development away from sensitive ecosystems.     

Do energy efficiency standards hurt consumers? Evidence from household appliance sales

We build novel welfare-based price indices for major household appliances that leverage changes in same-model prices and how consumers substitute between exiting, continuing and new models. We then evaluate how minimum energy efficiency requirements and changing criteria for Energy Star™ labels affected these indices in the U.S. between 2001 and 2011, a period of time when some appliances experienced standard changes while others did not. We find that prices declined while quality and consumer welfare increased, especially when standards become more stringent. We also find that much of the price index decline can be attributed to standards-induced innovation, or cannibalism, not to inter-manufacturer competition. Our results also add to a growing body of evidence that the Consumer Price Index exaggerates inflation due to inadequate account of quality and substitution to new goods.     

Invertebrate introductions in marine habitats: two species of hydromedusae (Cnidaria) native to the Black Sea,Maeotias inexspectata and Blackfordia virginica,invade San Francisco Bay

The hydrozoans Maeotias inexspectata Ostroumoff, 1896 and Blackfordia virginica Mayer, 1910, believed to be native to the Black Sea (i.e. Sarmatic) and resident in a variety of estuarine habitats worldwide, were found as introduced species in the Petaluma River and Napa River, California, in 1992 and 1993. These rivers are mostly-estuarine tributaries that flow into north San Francisco Bay. Both species appeared to be well-established in this brackishwater habitat. Salinities at the collection sites were about 11 during the summer, rising to nearly 20 in the early autumn and falling to near 0 in the winter. Large numbers of all sizes of both species of medusae were observed and collected, indicating that the hydroid stages of the life cycles of the two are also well-established in these rivers. In the Petaluma River, populations of both species were at maximum in late July, with numbers of individuals declining through August and into September; the Napa River was sampled only in October, and at that time only B. virginica was found. Examination of full guts of M. inexspectata and B. virginica medusae revealed that both species had fed nearly exclusively on small crustaceans, principally barnacle nauplii, copepods and their eggs and nauplii, and crab zoea larvae (M. inexspectata only). All the M. inexspectata medusae were males, indicating that the population has probably developed from the introduction of perhaps only a single male polyp or polyp bud. In spite of its inability to reproduce sexually, this population appears to be maintained by the prodigious ability of the polyp to bud and reproduce asexually, and is fully capable of invading additional low-salinity habitats from its present Petaluma River site. Male and female B. virginica medusae were collected in both the Petaluma River and the Napa River, indicating that B. virginica may have been introduced by either the polyp or medusa stage (or both), but that multiple individuals (of both sexes) must have arrived from another port in one or more invasions. As indicated for M. inexspectata, the B. virginica population will also probably seed new populations in San Francisco Bay and elsewhere. Based on its cnidome as well as the morphology of both medusa and polyp, M. inexspectata has been reclassified by moving it from the family Olindiidae, Limnomedusae, to the family Moerisiidae, Anthomedusae.     

The relationships of urbanization to surface water quality in four lakes of Hanyang,China

By converting rural land into urban land, urbanization impacts on surface water quality, because cities produce more pollutants than farmlands, especially heavy metals. Ways to reduce urbanization impacts on water quality are now being highlighted worldwide. Considering that land use can be a source or sink in pollution runoff, an understanding of the relationship between urbanization and surface water quality, as well as effects of specific land uses on water quality, is crucial. Corresponding management and controlling steps can then be put forward towards non-point source (NPS) pollution control and urban sustainable development. China has experienced rapid urbanization, especially since the 1980s. However, the environmental impacts of this process are not fully investigated. Hanyang, Hubei Province was selected as a typical city to study the impacts of urbanization on lake water quality. Pearson's correlation analysis was performed to elucidate the correlation between different land uses and water quality indicators at both whole lake watershed and small catchment scales. The results indicated that land uses play different roles, either source or sink, in pollution flow processes. Bottomland had a negative and residential land a positive correlation to most water quality indicators, especially heavy metals. These proved to be indicative and crucial land uses in NPS pollution control. Finally, a strategy for regulating urban land uses is proposed for improving surface water quality in cities similar to Hanyang, in southern China.     

An agent-based model for simulating trading of multi-species fisheries quota

Individual transferable quotas (ITQs) are increasingly seen as a way to make fisheries more profitable and halt over-capitalisation. ITQs allocate to users of a resource a share of a total allowable catch (TAC) which they are free to use, lease, or sell. We outline an approach to modelling the effect of an ITQ system in a multi-species, multi-sector fishery and apply it to the Coral Reef Fin Fish Fishery (CRFFF) in Queensland, Australia. An ITQ model, based on the assumption that operators seek to maximize profits, simulates the use of tradeable quota units by operators in the fishery, taking account of the initial quota allocation to operators, seasonal fish prices and individual operator variable costs, their fishing efficiency and experience, and constraints on vessel movements. Rationalization of the fishery is predicted to occur under an ITQ system for the CRFFF, which will lead to reductions in effort, increases in profits, and changes over time in quota prices. The ecological consequences of transferable quota in the multi-species fishery are seen in the catch and discard levels of the less profitable species, even though a TAC was set. This had flow-on effects on biomass. For example, simulations showed that the TAC for the primary target species, coral trout, was used more fully than that for a less valuable target species, red throat emperor, and that this was achieved through increased discarding of red throat emperor. Catches of both coral trout and red throat emperor that were derived from the model were higher than those recently observed in the fishery. The effort predicted by the model, however, closely approximated the actual effort observed in the fishery following implementation of ITQ management.     

欧洲的恶臭污染法规及测试技术进展

欧洲城市中人口密度的增加导致了严重的恶臭污染,几百年来,各种有关恶臭污染的法规相继出台。在过去的30年中,恶臭测试方法有所发展,人们不再轻信环境健康工作者的主观判断,而是将恶臭测试推向定量化的轨道。根据恶臭排放测试,扩散模式以及恶臭标准(以定量恶臭性质的影响研究为基础,确定恶臭污染的可忍受程度),荷兰率先推动了恶臭量化管理趋势。恶臭标准根据各行业的恶臭污染的具体程度制定。嗅觉计测试臭气浓度是一项可靠的技术,目前已经写入欧洲标准(EN13725:2003),将嗅觉计测试法和日本的三点式比较臭袋法进行比较,发现结果具有显著的一致性。嗅辨员的严格筛选也是促成其一致性的关键因素。     

Ni、Zn对三疣梭子蟹幼体发育的慢性毒性(The Chronic Toxicity of Ni and Zn on Larval Development of Portunus trituberculatus)

为研究Ni、Zn对三疣梭子蟹幼体的毒性,进行了浓度为1/4至8倍渔业水质标准的Ni、Zn(Ni为0.05～0.4mg·L-1;Zn为0.1～0.8mg·L-1)对蟹幼体生长发育的毒性影响试验.1)Ni对蟹幼体生长发育的毒性影响:Ni浓度为1～8倍渔业水质标准时,蟹幼体混合存活率极显著低于对照组(p<0.01).Ni浓度为4倍渔业水质标准时,蟹幼体发育至Z4就全部死亡,8倍仅发育至Z2就全部死亡;4倍以上时,各期幼体存活率和阶段存活率均显著低于对照组(p<0.05或p<0.01).4倍以上时,蟹幼体发育的最短和最长时间及平均时间均显著高于对照组(p<0.05或p<0.01).这说明,进行三疣梭子蟹幼体培育,4倍以上Ni浓度为不适浓度,1～2倍为可行浓度,1/2倍以下为适宜浓度.2)Zn对蟹幼体生长发育的毒性影响结果发现,Zn浓度为8倍渔业水质标准时,蟹幼体混合存活率显著低于对照组(p<0.01),4倍以下时没有显著差异(p>0.05).4倍时蟹幼体仅发育至C1就全部死亡,8倍仅发育至Z2就全部死亡;4～8倍时各期幼体存活率和阶段存活率均极显著低于对照组(p<0.01).2倍以上时,蟹幼体发育的最短时间显著高于对照组(p<0.05);4倍以上时,蟹幼体发育的平均时间显著高于对照组(p<0.05).这说明,进行三疣梭子蟹幼体培育,4倍以上Zn浓度为不适浓度,2倍Zn浓度为可行浓度,1倍以下为适宜浓度.     

Air pollution as a cause of sleeplessness: Social media evidence from a panel of Chinese cities

We provide first evidence of a link from daily air pollution exposure to sleep loss in a panel of Chinese cities. We develop a social media-based, city-level metric for sleeplessness, and bolster causal claims by instrumenting for pollution with plausibly exogenous variations in wind patterns. Estimates of effect sizes are substantial and robust. In our preferred specification a one standard deviation increase in AQI causes an 11.6% increase in sleeplessness, and for PM_2.5 is 12.8%. The results sustain qualitatively under OLS estimation but are attenuated. The analysis provides a previously unaccounted for benefit of more stringent air quality regulation. It also offers a candidate mechanism in support of recent research that links daily air quality to diminished workplace productivity, cognitive performance, school absence, traffic accidents, and other detrimental outcomes.     

Air pollution and its control in China

The rapid growth of China’s economy has led to severe air pollution characterized by acid rain, severe pollution in cities, and regional air pollution. High concentrations are found for various pollutants such as sulfur dioxides (SO₂), nitrogen oxides (NO_x), and fine particulates. Great efforts have thus been undertaken for the control of air pollution in the country. This paper discusses the development and application of appropriate technologies for reducing the major pollutants produced by coal and vehicles, and investigates air quality modeling as an important support for policy-making.