从基层重建中国多元文化时空观

人们对时间和空间的理解,是文化认同的基础。随着五四以来西方时空观的进入,先进、落后的时间概念,内陆、海洋的空间概念,使得中国原本多样性的文化生态被单一性压倒。传统的、乡村的、西部的、民族的、百姓的文化被看成是愚昧的、低俗的、落后的,现代的、城市的、西方的、美国的文化被看成是高级的、优雅的、先进的。一个国家的文化认同能力,决定了这个国家的团结程度。根植基层、民间、百姓,重建自主的、中国式的时空观念,重建老百姓日常生活中的多元文化,是中华复兴、国人安康的重头。     

爱这土地

我生长在一个四面环山的小城镇里,我打心眼里热爱这片土地,我爱她的文化悠久、爱她的号色优美、爱她满山的绿荫、爱她干净的马路……在我的印象里,我的周围都是干净的、清新的。马路上尽是身着橘色的清洁天使,她们的笠帽下遮不住的是那被烈日常年照射下的“健康色”,在黝黑的健康色下遮不住的是因为满足而绽放的笑容,烈日的余辉遮不住那一抹抹橘色身影,他们是道路的清洁者,是城市的美容师,他们用爱着土地的心感染着周围的人们,所以,他们扫过的地方人们便不再忍心丢下手中的杂物,他们有个美丽的名字——环卫清洁工。     

银蓝色风光

正将自然的风,清洁的风,绿色的风;自然的能源,清洁的能源,绿色的能源;旋转成自然的力,清洁的力,绿色的力。然后呢,自然的电,清洁的电,绿色的电,就诞生了。向北,向北,走在晋北旷阔的土地上,我久久地仰望着这个世界。我看着刺破天空的铁塔银线,也欣然看见了远去归来的两片蓝天。一片是我头顶高悬着的山西北高原的自然的     

田野的诱惑——读夏勒的《最后的熊猫》

说到田野的诱惑,人们首先想到的是无边的草甸,缤纷的花朵;是起伏的麦浪,沉甸甸的谷穗;是感官的享受,心胸的开阔。不过我这里讲的田野却不是这些。我要说的是一种职业,田野工作,以及从事这种职业的人,田野工作者。他们是一些非常有学问,却长年待在野外,从事科学考察和研究的科学家。他们把自己的生命和丰富多彩的大自然相融会,而魅力无穷的大自然也会向他们撩起自己的面纱,揭示自己的神秘。他们是一群令人羡慕的人,他们和大自然的亲密无间,他们和大自然以心灵而不是感官的交流,还有他们亲身经历的那些神奇,都是身居闹市的人们只能一辈子望洋兴叹的。     

海沙漠的寂寞独舞——读周建新的生态文学《斑海豹》

正一个作家的写作资源通常是伴随他一生的心中意象而进行,即使躲进了城市,海仍在周建新的梦里醒着。少年的记忆是顽强的,它缠绕着一个人的灵魂,从生到死。周建新生态文学《斑海豹》的创作依托大海,面向大海,同时也在沉思着大海。它见证着海的历史、海的繁盛、海的丰饶和海的沉落。少年的海,青年的海,中年的海,诗意从瞻望的桅杆上飘下,人的欲望与生     

善待自然

人类本是大自然之子。茂密的森林,肥沃的土地,清澈的河水,湛蓝的天空……不仅养育了人类,给人类以生命的源泉,也给人类的思维插上了理想的翅膀。有了自然的哺育,才有了人类今天的物质繁荣;有了大自然的恩泽,才有了人类高度发展的社会文明。即使在自然环境遭到无情破坏的今天,当黄色的沙土覆盖了充满生机的绿色草原,当荒漠取代了沃野,当多少年来奔腾不息的河流变得污浊、干涸,当蓊郁茂盛的森林被无情地砍伐……伤痕累累的大自然展现在人类面前的仍然是她那宽阔的胸襟、磅礴的气势和秀美山川的至真至善至美。所有这一切,无时无刻不在撞击着人类的心灵,洗涤着人类的灵魂。“本刊特稿”和“名家走笔”栏目刊登的《九寨冲击波》、《穿越林海两题》,展示的正是这种人     

制度变迁视角下对河长制的实施动因分析——以江苏省为例

河长制作为一种综合管理制度,明确了河湖治理的权利和责任,实现了外部性的内化与交易费用的降低,河长制的起源是内生性变化的结果,其制度变迁的过程受制于路径依赖的惯性及其所处的社会环境变化,河湖水质的改善和水治理能力现代化的提升验证了河长制是制度创新的成功实践。中国河湖治理制度的演进符合制度变迁的进程,河长制的实施是历史的必然选择。基于制度变迁理论,以首创河长制的江苏省为例,通过展开江苏省河湖治理政策的演变过程分析河长制的成效和实施动因,进而总结制度变迁理论为河长制变迁提供的启示。     

土壤的性质与环境保护

生活在地球上的人类和其它动植物,无一不是直接的,就是间接的以土壤为其生存的条件,土壤环境的优劣对他们的兴衰起着极为重要的作用。从环境科学来看,土壤在环境中起三种作用:起蓄积物质的“仓库”作用;起迁移、转化和再分配的作用;起净化作用。有害物质在土壤中的行为和这些作用的发挥,受土壤性质的影响和制约,这些性质主要包括:土壤的pH值;土壤的氧化还原电位;土壤胶体数量的多少和它们的性质;土壤有机质的多少和性质。土壤的这些性质,有各自独立的含     

让环保之绿渲染到都市的每个细胞──郑州市绿色系列创建工作纪实

走进郑州市民罗长红的家，一进门映入眼帘的便是一片窗明几净，室内清新的空气中弥漫着淡淡的花香，几株绿色盆栽植物正在撒满阳光的房间里懒洋洋的舒枝展叶。其中，最吸引人们的莫过于无处不在的花朵装饰：茶几上摆放着精美的插花，沙发旁的铁艺花篮中牡丹和杜鹃在怒放，房门的把手上缠绕着五彩缤纷的花带，就连经过室内的暖气管道也被女主人装饰上了绿色的藤萝花。令人称奇的是，这些精致的花朵装饰并非鲜花或市场上出售的塑料绢花，     

环境税对市场的积极作用

环境问题可以说主要是一个经济问题。一方面,环境问题的产生是由于经济的发展,人类从环境中获取的资源超过环境的补给和再生增殖能力,造成了资源的稀缺;这些取得的资源经过人类的生产和消费又以废物的形式排入环境,造成环境质量的下降,资源的匮乏和环境的恶化又反过来制约经济的     

AN APPLICATION RUNOFF MODEL STRATEGY FOR UNGAGED WATERSHEDS1

ABSTRACT: Mathematical models for predicting watershed surface flow responses are available, most of which are elaborate nonlinear numerical surface and channel flow models linked with infiltration models. Such models may be used to make predictions for ungaged areas, assuming an acceptable fitting of the model to the topography and roughness of the real system. For some application purposes, these models are impractical because of their complexity and expensive computer solutions. A procedure is developed that uses a complex model of an ungaged area to derive a simpler parametric nonlinear system model for repetitious simulation with input sequences. The predicted flow outputs are obtained with the simpler model at significant savings of money and time. The procedures for constructing a complex kinematic model of a 40 acre (161,880 m²) reference watershed and deriving the simpler system model are outlined. The results of predictions from both models are compared with a selected set of measured events, all having essentially the same initial conditions. Peak discharges ranged from 3 to 118 ft³/sec (0.085 to 3.34 m³/sec), which includes the largest event of record. The inherent limitations of lumped systems models are demonstrated, including the bias caused by their inability to model infiltration losses after rainfall ceases. Computer costs and times for the models were compared. The derived simple model has a cost advantage when repeated use of a model is required. Such an applications hydrologic model has an engineering tradeoff of reduced accuracy, and lumping bias, but is more economical for certain design purposes.     

Conversion of temperate forests into heaths: Role of ecosystem disturbance and ericaceous plants

Fire and logging in nutrient-poor temperate forests with certain ericaceous understory plants may convert the forests into heaths. The process of disturbance-induced heath formation is documented by using examples ofCalluna in western Europe,Kalmia in Newfoundland, andGaultheria (salal) in coastal British Columbia. In a cool, temperate climate, rapid vegetative growth ofCalluna, Kalmia, and salal following disturbance results in increasing organic accumulation (paludification), nutrient sequestration, soil acidification, and allelochemicals. These are thought to be the main reasons to conifer regeneration failure in disturbed habitats. If continuation in forest is a land-use objective, then temperate forests with an ericaceous understory should not be logged unless effective silvicultural methods are devised to control the ericaceous plants and restore forest regeneration. Preharvest vegetation control may be considered as an option. Failure to control the understory plants may lead to a long-term vegetation shift, from forest to heathland, particularly in nutrient-poor sites. Successful methods of controllingKalmia andGaultheria, however, have yet to be developed. While theKalmia- andGaultheria- dominated heathlands are undesirable in Canada and the Pacific Northwest, a wide range ofCalluna heathlands of western Europe are being conserved as natural and seminatural vegetation.     

Using Paleo Reconstructions to Improve Streamflow Forecast Lead Time in the Western United States

In water stressed regions, water managers are exploring new horizons that would help in long‐range streamflow forecasts. Oceanic‐atmospheric oscillations have been shown to influence streamflow variability. In this study, long‐lead time streamflow forecasts are made using a multiclass kernel‐based data‐driven support vector machine (SVM) model. The extended streamflow records based on tree ring reconstructions were used to provide a longer time series data. Reconstructed data were used from 1658 to 1952 and the instrumental record was used from 1953 to 2007. Reconstructions for oceanic‐atmospheric oscillations included the El Niño‐Southern Oscillation, Pacific Decadal Oscillation, Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, and North Atlantic Oscillation. Streamflow forecasts using all four oscillations were made with one‐year to five‐year lead times for 21 gages in the western United States. This is the first study that uses both instrumental and reconstructed data of oscillations in SVM model to improve streamflow forecast lead time. SVM model was able to provide “satisfactory” to “very good” forecasts with one‐ to five‐year lead time for the selected gages. The use of all the oscillation indices helped in achieving better predictability compared to using individual oscillations. The SVM modeling results are better when compared with multiple linear regression model forecasts. The findings are statistical in nature and are expected to be useful for long‐term water resources planning and management.     

Urban ecological systems: scientific foundations and a decade of progress

Urban ecological studies, including focus on cities, suburbs, and exurbs, while having deep roots in the early to mid 20th century, have burgeoned in the last several decades. We use the state factor approach to highlight the role of important aspects of climate, substrate, organisms, relief, and time in differentiating urban from non-urban areas, and for determining heterogeneity within spatially extensive metropolitan areas. In addition to reviewing key findings relevant to each state factor, we note the emergence of tentative "urban syndromes" concerning soils, streams, wildlife and plants, and homogenization of certain ecosystem functions, such as soil organic carbon dynamics. We note the utility of the ecosystem approach, the human ecosystem framework, and watersheds as integrative tools to tie information about multiple state factors together. The organismal component of urban complexes includes the social organization of the human population, and we review key modes by which human populations within urban areas are differentiated, and how such differentiation affects environmentally relevant actions. Emerging syntheses in land change science and ecological urban design are also summarized. The multifaceted frameworks and the growing urban knowledge base do however identify some pressing research needs.     

Neighbourhood characteristics and urban gardens in the Toledo metropolitan area: staffing and voluntarism,food production,infrastructure, and sustainability practices

Urban gardens are important sources of sustenance for communities with limited access to food. Hence, this study focuses on food production in gardens in the Toledo metropolitan area in Northwest Ohio. We administered surveys to 150 garden managers from November 2014 to February 2015 in our attempt to better understand how neighbourhood racial composition and poverty levels are related to staffing and voluntarism, food production and distribution, the development of infrastructure, and the adoption of sustainability practices in urban gardens. The results from 30 gardens are presented in this paper. We used Geographic Information Systems to map the gardens and overlay the map with 2010 census data so that we could conduct demographic analyses of the neighbourhoods in which the gardens were located. Though the gardens were small – two acres or less – up to 46 varieties of food were grown in a single garden. Gardens also operated on small budgets. Food from the gardens was gifted or shared with friends, family, and neighbourhood residents. Gardens in predominantly minority neighbourhoods tended to have fewer institutional partners, less garden infrastructure, and had adopted fewer sustainable practices than gardens in predominantly White neighbourhoods. Nonetheless, residents of predominantly minority and high-poverty neighbourhoods participated in garden activities and influenced garden operations. Volunteering and staffing were racialised and gendered.     

Predicting deer-vehicle collisions in an urban area

Collisions with deer and other large animals are increasing, and the resulting economic costs and risks to public safety have made mitigation measures a priority for both city and wildlife managers. We created landscape models to describe and predict deer-vehicle collision (DVCs) within the City of Edmonton, Alberta. Models based on roadside characteristics revealed that DVCs occurred frequently where roadside vegetation was both denser and more diverse, and that DVCs were more likely to occur when the groomed width of roadside right-of-ways was smaller. No DVCs occurred where the width of the vegetation-free or manicured roadside buffer was greater than 40 m. Landscape-based models showed that DVCs were more likely in more heterogeneous landscapes where road densities were lower and speed limits were higher, and where non-forested vegetation such as farmland was in closer proximity to larger tracts of forest. These models can help wildlife and transportation managers to identify locations of high collision frequency for mitigation. Modifying certain landscape and roadside habitats can be an effective way to reduce deer-vehicle collisions.     

BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS AND BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF ESTUARINE/COASTAL POLLUTION1

ABSTRACT: Sustained interest in and concern about the health status of the aquatic environment has resulted in extensive research focused on (1) effects of pollution on survival, growth, and reproduction of resource species at all life stages; (2) diseases of fish and shellfish, as they may be related to pollution and as they may serve as indicators of environmental stress; and (3) contaminant body burdens in fish and shellfish - their effects on the aquatic animals and their potential effects on humans. Effects, lethal and sublethal, of pollutants on life history stages of fish and shellfish have been documented, as have impacts on local stocks in badly degraded habitats, but as yet there has been no adequate quantitative demonstration of effects on entire aquatic species - probably because of the difficulty in sorting out relative effects of the many environmental factors that influence abundance. Sublethal effects, especially those that result in disease, have been examined intensively, and some diseases and disease syndromes have been associated statistically with pollution. Other pollution indicators (biochemical, physiological, genetic, behavioral, and ecological) have also received some attention, as have body burdens of contaminants in aquatic species. Research, especially that conducted during the past decade, has done much to clarify the many pathways and toxic effects of contaminants on aquatic animals, and has also helped to identify mechanisms for survival of fish and shellfish in the presence of environmental changes caused by human activities.     

Biodiversity and biotechnology

The maintenance of biodiversity is urged from many quarters and on grounds ranging from aesthetic considerations to its usefulness, particularly for biotechnology. But regardless of the grounds for preserving biodiversity, writers are generally in agreement that it should be preserved. But, in examining the various references biodiversity, such as species diversity, genetic diversity, and habitat diversity, it is apparent that we cannot aim to preserve biodiversityas such, since there are a number of conflicts in any such undertaking. In preserving one aspect of biodiversity, we damage another aspect. Five arguments which attempt to ground our moral concern for biodiversity are reviewed and critiqued, not only for their consistency but also for their power to move us to action. The final section of the paper shows how conflicts in the values of personal and environmental health can impair ethical action and especially policy formation.An earlier version of this paper was read at the conference on Agriculture, Food, and Human Values: Tradition and Change, Orlando, Florida, October 7–9, 1987.     

Journalists' views of advertiser pressures on agricultural news

All major journalism ethical codes explicitly state that journalists should protect editorial copy from undue influence by outside sources. However, much of the previous research on agricultural information has concentrated on what information various media communicate (gatekeeping studies) or communication's role in increasing innovation adoption (diffusion studies). Few studies have concentrated specifically on organizational and structural constraints that might adversely affect agricultural journalists' ethical standards; those that have, focus largely on farm magazines. A study of newspaper reporters who cover agricultural news found that the most pressing ethical concern is the effect of advertiser (agri-business) pressure on editorial copy, and that their concerns in general parallel those of farm magazine writers and editors. The majority reported being in situations in which they might be exposed to advertiser pressure, including pressures to change or withhold editorial copy. Large minorities suggested that advertising pressures affect the overall environment in which agricultural journalists work, and more than one in ten said they allow advertiser pressures to influence editorial decisions. The newspaper reporters who cover agricultural beats showed slightly more resistance to advertiser pressure than did farm magazine editors in a parallel study.     

Definition Procedures Have Little Effect on Performance of Environmental Classifications of Streams and Rivers

Mapped environmental classifications are defined using various procedures, but there has been little evaluation of the differences in their ability to discriminate variation in independent ecological characteristics. We tested the performance of environmental classifications of the streams and rivers of France that had been defined from the same environmental data using geographic regionalization and numerical classification of individual river valley segments. Test data comprised invertebrate assemblages, water chemistry, and hydrological indexes obtained from sites throughout France. Classification performance was measured by analysis of similarity (ANOSIM). Geometric regions defined by a regular grid and without regard to environmental variables and a posteriori classifications based on clustering the test datasets defined lower and upper bounds of performance for a given number of classes. Differences in classification performances were generally small. The ANOSIM statistics for the a posteriori classifications were around twice that of all environmental classifications, including geometrically defined regions. The hydro-ecoregions performed slightly better for the invertebrate data and the network classification performed slightly better for the chemistry and hydrological data. Our results indicate that environmental classifications that are defined using different procedures can be comparable in terms of their ability to discriminate variation of ecological characteristics and that alleged differences in performance arising from different classification procedures can be small relative to unexplained variation. We conclude that definition procedures might have little effect on the performance of large-scale environmental classifications and decisions over which procedures to use should be based primarily on pragmatic considerations.