Forest Area in Costa Rica: A Comparative Study of Tropical Forest Cover Estimates over Time

Forest area figures, at a given point in time and for a given region of interest, differ considerably, affecting the calculation of deforestation rates and thus confuse the political and scientific discussion on the state and change of the resource forest. This article discusses the variation of published forest cover figures, using Costa Rica as an example. A list of published figures on the forest cover of Costa Rica from 1940 onwards is analyzed. Reasons for the differences are hypothesized and discussed. These differences are mainly in the definition of forest and forest classes included, in the type of the studies conducted (mapping and/or sampling), in the precision of the estimates, and in the information sources used. It is concluded that part of the problem is inherent in the nature of the resource `forest'. Quality and completeness of the presentation of the forest cover estimates are a clue to their correct understanding and interpretation. The latter point being especially relevant, as forest cover data have both a technical-scientific and a political meaning and are used as relevant arguments in many discussions. In the example of Costa Rica, a general downward trend is observed up to about 1985/1990, whereas after that forest area figures are on the average at a markedly higher level. Some hypotheses for this change in the trend are discussed.     

锅炉房工艺设计中确定煤场面积的一种方法

本文以管理科学的库存理论为基础，以提高经济效益为目的，提出了一种全新的锅炉房煤场面积确定方法。     

Review of LCA studies of solid waste management systems – Part II: Methodological guidance for a better practice

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is increasingly used in waste management to identify strategies that prevent or minimise negative impacts on ecosystems, human health or natural resources. However, the quality of the provided support to decision- and policy-makers is strongly dependent on a proper conduct of the LCA. How has LCA been applied until now? Are there any inconsistencies in the past practice? To answer these questions, we draw on a critical review of 222 published LCA studies of solid waste management systems. We analyse the past practice against the ISO standard requirements and the ILCD Handbook guidelines for each major step within the goal definition, scope definition, inventory analysis, impact assessment, and interpretation phases of the methodology. Results show that malpractices exist in several aspects of the LCA with large differences across studies. Examples are a frequent neglect of the goal definition, a frequent lack of transparency and precision in the definition of the scope of the study, e.g. an unclear delimitation of the system boundaries, a truncated impact coverage, difficulties in capturing influential local specificities such as representative waste compositions into the inventory, and a frequent lack of essential sensitivity and uncertainty analyses. Many of these aspects are important for the reliability of the results. For each of them, we therefore provide detailed recommendations to practitioners of waste management LCAs.     

论“安全”及“安全性”的概念

对当前有关安全概念的多种定义均存在内涵或外延不准确的问题进行研讨;将与安全问题相关的客观事物区分为"可遭受损害事物"和"可导致损害事物",并分别对应于"安全"概念和"安全性"概念;在明确所涉及对象事物的基础上,对安全概念与安全性概念准确把握各自的内涵和外延,分别给出用"属加种差"方式描述的定义。笔者认为:安全是"具有特定功能或属性的事物,在内部和外部因素及其相互作用下,足以保持其正常的、完好的状态,而免遭非期望损害的现象";安全性是"某事物在一定的条件下和一定的时间内,导致其他事物或其自身发生非期望损害的能力"。     

航空安全文化的研究进展

结合国内外对航空安全文化定量和定性的研究结果,定义了航空安全文化,并阐述航空安全文化的内涵,介绍国内外航空安全文化研究的进展情况,指出了国内外航空安全文化研究的差距,进而给出我国航空安全文化的研究方向。目的在于使以后的研究越来越关注实证角度,为从人为因素角度加强航空安全提供可靠、可信的数据支持,提高飞行绩效,创造安全飞行周期新记录,最终提高航空公司的经济及社会效益。     

连续型空间故障树中因素重要度分布的定义与认知

为了解工作环境条件因素对系统故障概率的影响的特征,同时丰富连续型空间故障树(CSFT)的理论框架,提出因素重要度分布的概念。因素重要度分布从经典故障树的概率重要度发展而来,目的是研究系统所处环境因素变化导致系统可靠性变化的程度。给出元件和系统的因素重要度分布概念、公式及所需基础数据,并分析因素重要度分布的正负分布特点。使用该概念研究元件X1和系统T的因素t重要度分布和因素c重要度分布。结果表明:在不同环境中,对于因素t或c变化影响元件或系统的故障概率变化程度是不同的。因素重要度分布有效地表达了t和c对元件或系统的故障概率影响特征。     

Whose lawn is it anyway? Redefining problems and the implementation of municipal stormwater policies

Research of problem definitions typically centres on agenda setting and formulation with less attention given to implementation. In recognition of this gap, this analysis examines the relationship between issue definition, issue redefinition and policy implementation by reviewing two municipal stormwater plans. The results suggest that in larger issue contexts replete with ambiguity and uncertainty, problem definitions are often “tweaked” and adapted during the implementation process. In short, street-level bureaucrats craft “genetically related” but idiosyncratic problem definitions – that fit their own policy-making context. In the case of stormwater, “solutions”; are best described as dynamic policies built upon the values associated with technical expertise, public participation and environmental sustainability.     

基于内容分析法的河流健康内涵及表征

运用内容分析法对近10~15年中外文献中有影响力的36个河流健康概念进行分析,经过样本选取、指标提取、量化处理等过程提炼出最频繁出现的能代表其内涵的6个标准,即：维持结构完整性、自然生态功能发挥、满足人类社会合理需求、处于良好状态、河流管理工具和目标、建立河流基准状态。基于此,对河流健康概念进行了重新架构：河流健康是指河流生态系统特定的良好状况,可以作为河流基准状态以及河流管理的目标,在这一状态下,河流生态系统能够维持其生态系统结构完整性,充分发挥其自然生态功能,并满足人类社会合理需求,提供相应的社会服务功能。通过对30个有关河流健康表征指标及评价方法的文献进行分析,识别生物指标、水质参数、形态结构、河床底质、水文条件以及河岸带状况等是目前使用最广泛的6个指标,指出河流健康的表征指标及评价标准应根据区域特征、人类活动影响以及功能定位而有所差异。     

公共资源与最优产权选择

公共资源是指在产权界定过程中，资源所有者被迫放弃或者没有进行产权界定的资源部分,而产权界定本质上是划分公共资源归属权的过程。根据组织对公共资源控制权的性质，将其分为两类——组织间公共资源和组织内公共资源，并据此将产权界定、生产和交易纳入同一个分析框架中。通过分析，认为随着公共资源范围的变化，不同产权形成一个相互联系和转化的系列，即从资源非稀缺条件下的纯公共产权到资源全为废弃物的纯公共产权系列；不可交易的所有权是产权系列中的特殊形式，私人产权和俱乐部产权是这一系列中的过渡形式；组织内和组织间的均衡博弈结构决定最优产权的具体选择形式。     

关于《湿地公约》中"湿地"定义的汉译

湿地公约文本使用的英语是英国英语，其使用的词汇与美国英语有微妙的区别，湿地国际(中国)官方文本对《湿地公约》中湿地定义的汉译不确切。文章讨论了英国英语和美国英语中与湿地有关的几个词语在含义上的差别，重译并解剖了几个典型的湿地定义。