长江上游的水环境问题与对策

本文论述了长江上游是长江流域生态环境危机的关键地区,每年排入的工业污水和生活污水达38亿m~3,水污染十分严重。该地区水源涵养林遭受破坏、水土流失严重、自然灾害频繁、生态环境恶化的形势十分严峻,森林植被的破坏是造成这种危机的主要原因。文章提出了营造上游水源涵养林、控制水土流失、治理工业污染和流域统一管理的防治措施。     

祁连山生态保护与综合治理规划获批可有效保护和恢复祁连山地区生态环境

中国环境报报道《祁连山生态保护与综合治理规划(2012—2020)》日前得到国家发改委正式批复。这一项目的实施,可有效保护和恢复祁连山地区生态环境,维护这一地区生态系统的稳定,同时极大改善区域内农牧民的生产生活条件。祁连山地处青藏高原东北边缘,南北跨越青海、甘肃两省。长期以来,由于受大气环境变化和人为因素影响,出现了祁连山冰川萎缩、雪线上升、天然植被退化、荒漠化和水土流失加重、出山径流量减少等严重生态问题,不仅影响周边地区经济社会可持续发展,而且对我国西部地区生态安全构成严重威胁。     

新疆复合类型植被生态系统效益评估——以阿克苏地区为例

植被生态系统在整个生态环境体系中的作用至关重要。综合运用机会成本和生态服务价值当量等方法评估新疆阿克苏地区五类植被的生态服务功能价值,测算得2013年总价值为6222.58亿元。结果表明,草地植被是构成研究区生态服务功能的核心价值,之后依次为湿地植被、林地植被、农田植被和荒漠植被,这与面积及功能发挥的物质量和价值当量有重要联系;土壤保育、气候调节和涵养水源功能对当地环境改善作用明显;特定服务功能在各植被类型中占比存在差异。环境资源货币化、充分保护和发挥植被生态系统的服务功能将是南疆社会经济可持续发展的关键。     

祁连山森林灌丛植被及其保护与可持续利用

祁连山是我国陆地生物多样性关键地区之一.本文分析和讨论了该区主要森林、灌丛植被类型及其重要特征.即区系组成受青藏高原及其毗邻地区的影响;具有一定的水平区域分异和垂直变化;其分布表现有明显的坡向性及山地森林性质;具有人类活动的明显痕迹.祁连山独特的地理位置,地形地貌特征及森林、灌丛植被的重要作用,为可持续利用该地区的森林、灌丛资源和保护生物多样性以及改善区域生态环境均具有重要意义.     

不同植被恢复模式对红原沙化草地土壤理化性质的影响

草地沙化是川西北地区生态环境恶化的显著问题之一,红原县是川西北草地沙化的代表。土壤理化性质在沙化治理过程中变化显著,能表征治沙效果的好坏。通过研究草本红景天、灌木(沙棘)、灌草结合红柳和沙棘及燕麦草混植三种植被恢复模式恢复一年对土壤理化性质的影响,分析了不同的植被类型对沙化草地的恢复效果,为进一步优化沙化草地植被恢复的群落结构,提高植被恢复的有效性提供理论依据。结果表明:草本植物、灌木及灌草结合三种植被修复模式均能明显增加土壤孔隙度、含水量、p H、有机质、含氮量、含磷量和含钾量,降低土壤容重,以增加土壤肥力,其中灌草结合的植被恢复模式对土壤修复的效果最好。     

基于RS和GIS的赛里木湖流域景观格局动态研究

基于RS和GIS的技术方法,运用景观格局指数对赛里木湖流域近25a来的景观格局变化综合分析。结果表明:1986-2010年,赛里木湖流域疏林地、灌木林地和中覆盖度草地面积增加,有林地、高覆盖度草地面积减小。整体上,景观斑块总数增加,景观破碎化指数、景观类型形状指数和景观多样性指数升高,均匀度指数有所减少。由此可以看出,该区域内由于自然或人为因素干扰所导致的景观斑块类型逐渐变得复杂,景观遭到破坏,土地利用向着多样化和非均匀化的方向发展,景观斑块分布变得很不均匀。     

请留下最后一片原始森林——立即禁止砍伐新疆残存山地原始林的建议

干旱区的山地是平原区河流的水源聚积地,而山地森林更是水源的涵养林,对保证和供给山下绿洲资源水源有重要调节作用,山地森林还在保持水土、生物多样性保护、旅游、文化、教育等多方面有重要生态作用。其生态经济价值是其本身木材价值的许多倍。但过去我们对森林的生态价值认识不足,林业部门只把它当资源进行过度砍伐,以获取直接经济效益,新疆天山及阿尔泰山水源涵养林自50年代以来能砍的几乎全部砍完,仅剩两条山脉西端小面积残存未砍伐的原始森林。为了子孙后代,为了环保工程,应立即停伐。     

生态系统水源涵养功能的重要性评价——以皖西大别山森林为例

皖西大别山区是大别山重点生态功能区的核心组成部分,也是淠史杭灌区的主要水源地,分布其间的梅山、响洪甸、佛子岭、磨子潭、白莲崖、龙河口等6座大型水库是灌区的主要水源。水源地森林生态系统水源涵养功能对维系灌区水源的稳定供给与水库的水质和安全运行具有重要意义,采用水量平衡方程计算了森林生态系统水源涵养量,进行了重要性分级评价,依据评价结果提出了水源涵养林布局调整建议。     

高寒玛曲草地资源承载力与畜牧业转型研究

高寒牧区玛曲是黄河上游重要的水源涵养湿地,也是生态脆弱区.人口的持续增长,造成了草场的严重超载过牧,草场生态环境的恶化影响到湿地的水源涵养能力和当地草地畜牧业的发展.通过青海、内蒙古两个典型牧区为参照区,对比分析了2001-2009年间玛曲天然草场的相对资源承载力.结果表明,玛曲天然草场整体上呈超载状态,草场人口压力较大.在此基础上,探讨了传统畜牧业的转型途径,为牧民的生计和草原的可持续利用提供参考依据.     

马边草地资源及其利用

1985年7—8月,我们与乐山市马边彝族自治县畜牧局对马边县草地资源进行了调查,基本调查了该县的草地类型、面积、等级与载畜现状。调查期间共设置群落样地190余个,测产样方650个;并根据地形、气候带及植被特征,将全县草地划分为7类、16组、49型,采集植物标本136科、399属、630种。     

四姑娘山国家级自然保护区岷江冷杉枯落物及土壤的持水能力研究

通过对四姑娘山国家级自然保护区岷江冷杉林地表土壤和林下枯落物的实验分析,得出四姑娘山自然保护区岷江冷杉林0～40cm深度的土壤层最大贮水量为1694.8 t/hm2,林下枯落物最大持水量为233 t/hm2。四姑娘山自然保护区岷江冷杉林土壤及枯落物持水的最大值为1927.8 t/hm2。     

生态修复技术在水库水土保持中的应用

水土保持对维持良好的水库水生态环境具有重要的影响.生态修复技术作为一种新的水土保持措施,可实现受损水库生态环境的修复.围绕水库消落带、水库涵养林、库区耕地和水库水环境等方面来研究生态修复技术在水库水土保持中的应用情况.     

Barriers to Water Conservation in the Rio Grande Basin1

Abstract: The Rio Grande basin shares problems faced by many arid regions of the world: growing and competing demands for water and river flows and uses that are vulnerable to drought and climate change. In recent years legislation, administrative action, and other measures have emerged to encourage private investment in efficient agricultural water use. Nevertheless, several institutional barriers discourage irrigators from investing in water conservation measures. This article examines barriers to agricultural water conservation in the Rio Grande basin and identifies challenges and opportunities for promoting it. Several barriers to water conservation are identified: clouded titles, water transfer restrictions, illusory water savings, insecure rights to conserved water, shared carry‐over storage, interstate compacts, conservation attitudes, land tenure arrangements, and an uncertain duty of water. Based on data on water use and crop production costs, price is found to be a major factor influencing water conservation. A low water price discourages water conservation even if other institutions promote it. A high price of water encourages conservation even in the presence of other discouraging factors. In conclusion, water‐conserving policies can be more effectively implemented where water institutions and programs are designed to be compatible with water’s underlying economic scarcity.     

Impacts of changes in land use and fragmentation patterns on Atlantic coastal forests in northern Spain

Changes in forested landscapes may have important consequences for ecosystem services and biodiversity conservation. In northern Spain, major changes in land use occurred during the second half of the 20th century, but their impacts on forests have not been quantified. We evaluated the dynamics of landscape and forest distribution patterns between 1957 and 2003 in Fragas do Eume Natural Park (northwestern Spain). We used orthoimages and a set of standard landscape metrics to determine transitions between land cover classes and to examine forest distribution patterns. Eucalypt plantations showed the greatest increase in area (197%) over time. Furthermore, transitions to eucalypt plantations were found in all major land cover classes. Forest showed a net decline of 20% in total area and represented 30% of the landscape area in 2003. Forest losses were mainly due to eucalypt plantations and the building of a water reservoir, while forest gains were due to increases in shrubland, meadows and cultivated fields which had been recolonised. Forest patch size and core area decreased, and edge length increased over time. In turn, increases were obtained in mean distance between forest patches, and in adjacency to eucalypt plantations and to a water reservoir. These results suggest an increase in forest fragmentation from 1957 to 2003, as well as a change in the nature of the habitat surrounding forest patches. This study shows that land use changes, mostly from eucalypt plantation intensification, negatively affected forested habitats, although some regeneration was ongoing through ecological succession from land abandonment.     

Water management in the highlands of India

Conclusions In addition to this natural water-holding capacity of completely forested mountains, development for conservation of water should insure man-made mountain water storage systems, consisting of tanks, ponds, small dams and reservoirs, and artificial lakes at varying altitudes in the Himalayas. An elaborate system of canals would be needed to carry clean water for drinking and cultivation. Alternatively, adjacent highland lakes may be linked up by canals provided with wiers and sluice gates, to carry water to all levels.     

Education and advice contribute to increased density of broadleaved conservation trees, but not saplings, in young forest in Sweden

The effectiveness of different conservation policies is debated, but the policies are rarely evaluated quantitatively. A voluntary or 'soft' policy based mainly on education provides information about ecosystems and effects of land use, to encourage conservation action. Swedish forestry relies mainly on soft policy, with substantial resources for education and advice to more than 200,000 forest owners, while legal regulation is weak. Increased retention of broadleaved trees at clear-cutting, with environmental benefits in the conifer-dominated forestry, is important in the policy. We used the Swedish National Forest Inventory to analyse this policy for young forests in southern Sweden. Between 1983-1987 and 1998-2002 the policy had no positive effect on saplings (1.3m tall to 4.9 cm dbh) of birch, oak, beech and other species that mostly decreased in density, due to planting of conifers and browsing by ungulates. However, broadleaved conservation trees (>or=15 cm dbh) increased in density, e.g. to about one oak and six birches per ha in young coniferous forest in 1998-2002. The relative increase in density was higher for large (>or=20 cm dbh) than for small trees (15-20 cm dbh). The density of conservation trees was higher on forestland of high than of low productivity. Thus, the soft conservation policy did not influence regeneration of saplings in this type of forestry system, but large broadleaved trees were increasingly saved at 'clear-cuttings'. Advice and educational programmes probably contributed to this result. A continued increase in conservation trees at harvest may require economical support to forest owners.     

Observation and simulation of net primary productivity in Qilian Mountain, western China

We modeled net primary productivity (NPP) at high spatial resolution using an advanced spaceborne thermal emission and reflection radiometer (ASTER) image of a Qilian Mountain study area using the boreal ecosystem productivity simulator (BEPS). Two key driving variables of the model, leaf area index (LAI) and land cover type, were derived from ASTER and moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) data. Other spatially explicit inputs included daily meteorological data (radiation, precipitation, temperature, humidity), available soil water holding capacity (AWC), and forest biomass. NPP was estimated for coniferous forests and other land cover types in the study area. The result showed that NPP of coniferous forests in the study area was about 4.4 tCha(-1)y(-1). The correlation coefficient between the modeled NPP and ground measurements was 0.84, with a mean relative error of about 13.9%.     

Changes in Determinants of Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Popa Mountain Park, Central Myanmar

Implementing effective conservation requires an understanding of factors affecting deforestation and forest degradation. Previous studies have investigated factors affecting deforestation, while few studies have examined the determinants of both of deforestation and forest degradation for more than one period. To address this gap, this study examined factors influencing deforestation and forest degradation during 1989–2000 and 2000–2005 in the Popa Mountain Park, Myanmar. We applied multinomial logistic regression (MNL) using land cover maps derived from Landsat images as the dependent variables as well as spatial and biophysical factors as the independent variables. The MNL models revealed influences of the determinants on deforestation and forest degradation changes over time. For example, during 1989–2000, deforestation from closed forest was positively correlated to the distance from the park boundary and was negatively correlated with distance from villages, roads, the park circular road, slope, western aspect and elevation. On the other hand, during 2000–2005, deforestation of closed forest was positively correlated with distance from villages, roads, the park circular road, slope and western aspect, and negatively correlated with distance from the park boundary and elevation. Similar scenarios were observed for the deforestation of open forest and forest degradation of closed forest. The study also found most of the determinants influenced deforestation and forest degradation differently. The changes in determinants of deforestation and forest degradation over time might be attributable to the general decrease in resource availability and to the effect of conservation measures conducted by the park.     

Multiple Determinants of Anuran Richness and Occurrence in an Agricultural Region in South-Eastern Brazil

In agricultural landscapes, studies that identify factors driving species richness and occupancy are important because they can guide farmers to use conservation practices that minimize species loss. In this context, anurans are threatened by habitat loss because they depend on the characteristics of both local water bodies and adjacent landscapes. We used a model selection approach to evaluate the influence of local and landscape variables in determining anuran species richness and occurrence in 40 freshwater bodies in a heavily deforested region of semideciduous Atlantic Forest in southeastern Brazil. Our aim was to develop recommendations for conservation of anuran communities in rural areas. Pond hydroperiod and area were the most important variables for explaining anuran species richness and occupancy, with greatest species richness being found in water bodies with intermediate hydroperiod and area. Other important variables that reflected individual species occupancies were the number of vegetation types and pond isolation. In addition, recent studies evidenced that water bodies near forest fragments have higher anuran abundance or diversity. In conclusion, we suggest the maintenance of semi-permanent ponds, isolated from large rivers or reservoirs and near forest fragments, as an effective strategy to conserve anuran fauna in agricultural landscapes of southeastern Brazil. Brazilian government requires the maintenance of forests as legal reserve in each farm, and farmers need to maintain ponds as drinking water for cattle or crop irrigation. For this reason, the guidelines suggested in the present study can be easily adopted, without additional costs to rural productivity.     

Rainfall and Spring Discharge Patterns in Two Small Drainage Catchments in the Western Himalayan Mountains, India

Relationship between rainfall and spring discharge study is important to understand hydrological behaviour of springs and water resources management. In the Himalayan mountains springs are the freshwater sources for household consumption. We studied six springs of different recharge area characteristics in two micro-watersheds in western Himalayan mountains in India. Based on the recharge area geology these springs were divided into fracture/joint (FR/JT) and fracture/joint/colluvium (FR/JT/COLL). We found a strong positive relationship between rainfall and spring discharge. Peak spring discharge coincided with peak rainfall in two FR/JT/COLL springs, which was delayed by about one month in FR/JT springs. Mean annual discharge was about two times greater for FR/JT/COLL springs than the FR/JT springs (6.47 vs. 3.94 liter per minute). But spring discharge per 1000 L of rainfall in spring recharge area for FR/JT springs was about 2.3 times greater than the FR/JT/COLL springs (49 vs. 21 liter per minute). In the FR/JT springs, rainfall in spring recharge area and spring discharge were weakly related (r=0.174), while they were strongly related in FR/JT/COLL springs (r=0.595). In the former category of springs decline in discharge was gradual, while it was rapid in the latter category of springs. Therefore, with regard to sustained supply of water for household consumption FR/JT springs can be considered more suitable. Land use and land cover such as moderately grazed pasture, abandoned agricultural terraces and few trees but dense growth of bushes and oak forest in the spring recharge area were found conducive for spring discharge and may be promoted for long-term water resource conservation in this region.