Incentive-Based Conservation Programs in Developing Countries: A Review of Some Key Issues and Suggestions for Improvements

Biodiversity conservation in developing countries has been a challenge because of the combination of rising human populations, rapid technological advances, severe social hardships, and extreme poverty. To address the social, economic, and ecological limitations of people-free parks and reserves, incentives have been incorporated into conservation programs in the hopes of making conservation meaningful to local people. However, such incentive-based programs have been implemented with little consideration for their ability to fulfill promises of greater protection of biodiversity. Evaluations of incentive-based conservation programs indicate that the approach continually falls short of the rhetoric. This article provides an overview of the problems associated with incentive-based conservation approaches in developing countries. It argues that existing incentive-based programs (IBPs) have yet to realize that benefits vary greatly at different “community” scales and that a holistic conceptualization of a community is essential to incorporate the complexities of a heterogeneous community when designing and implementing the IBPs. The spatial complexities involved in correctly identifying the beneficiaries in a community and the short-term focus of IBPs are two major challenges for sustaining conservation efforts. The article suggests improvements in three key areas: accurate identification of “target” beneficiaries, greater inclusion of marginal communities, and efforts to enhance community aptitudes.     

基于ESDA的京津冀地区草地变化空间分异

论文以县域为基本研究空间单元,借助GIS软件与Geoda空间统计分析软件,利用ESDA方法,对京津冀地区县域草地资源数量变化的总体与局域空间差异进行了分析。结果表明:①1980-2000年京津冀地区草地动态变化系数的Global Moran’s I为0.184 4,α = 0.05时呈显著的空间正相关,草地变化呈现出较明显的空间集聚特征;②时段Ⅰ(1980-1995年)到时段Ⅱ(1995-2000年)的全局Moran指数有所增加,表明草地变化在空间分布上集聚的趋势在增强;③各县域Local Moran’s I的Grid图反映了京津冀地区草地变化在局域空间上的均质性,尤其是高值区域与低值区域的集聚特征十分显著;④LISA集聚4种类型中,正相关的"H-H"类型区、"L-L"类型区占主体部分,二者约占总数的70%以上,其中,在时段Ⅱ,"H-H"关联的县域主要聚集在西北部山区,而中部的平原区域则表现出明显的"L-L"关联特征。     

基于分解模型与VEC模型的沈阳经济区经济与环境时空关系研究

选择GDP、工业废水排放量、工业废气排放量、工业废物产生量4个指标,从横向的空间作用关系及纵向的时间作用关系对沈阳经济区经济增长与环境演化关系进行了动态综合分析.对于空间作用关系,采用完全分解模型,利用沈阳经济区内8个城市的面板数据,将经济与环境关系分解为经济规模效应、空间结构效应和技术效应,判定了由于经济增长造成的工业废物排放的增减变化而带来的区域环境压力扰动程度.对于时间作用关系,选择协整与向量误差修正模型(VEC),依次对指标序列进行了单位根检验、VAR估计、Johansen协整检验及向量自回归的VEC修正,进而对沈阳经济区经济与环境指标前期与当期作用关系进行了长期修正与短期校正.结果表明:对于工业废物排放,技术效应发挥了最突出的减量作用,经济效应的增量效应凸显,而空间结构效应的作用不明显;GDP与工业废水排放量、工业废气排放量、工业废物产生量之间的作用关系均经历了由波动到平稳的过程,但在研究期内GDP与工业废水排放之间的稳定性相对较弱,保持GDP与工业废气排放、工业废物产生各自的均衡关系,对各变量的优化有促进作用,而保持GDP与工业废水排放的均衡关系,则对各变量的优化有抑制作用.     

三峡库区典型退耕还林模式土壤养分流失控制

选择三峡库区典型退耕还林模式,包括园地(茶园)及林地(板栗)与原有坡耕地对照,观测并分析其土壤养分(氮磷)输出途径及数量情况,以评估实施退耕还林工程对流域土壤养分输出的影响.结果表明:1退耕后土壤养分氮磷年流失量(包括随泥沙和地表径流流失的量)减少;总氮(TN)年输出量从大到小依次为坡耕地(2 444.27 g·hm-2)茶园地(998.70g·hm-2)板栗林地(532.61 g·hm-2);总磷(TP)为坡耕地(1 690.48 g·hm-2)茶园地(488.06 g·hm-2)板栗林地(129.00 g·hm-2);与坡耕地比较,退耕还林模式(园地、林地)总氮、总磷年输出载荷分别减少了68.68%和81.75%.2茶园地、板栗林地与坡耕地相比,土壤养分速效态氮流失量明显减少,硝态氮(NO-3-N)输出总量依次为坡耕地(113.79g·hm-2)茶园地(73.75 g·hm-2)板栗林地(56.06 g·hm-2);铵态氮(NH+4-N)养分输出次序为茶园最大(69.34 g·hm-2),坡耕地次之(52.45 g·hm-2),板栗林地最小(47.23 g·hm-2).3硝态氮、铵态氮主要通过地表径流输出,所占总量比例分别为91.4%和92.2%;总氮和总磷主要通过泥沙输出,所占总量比例分别为86.6%和98.4%.通过退耕还林等措施,该地区地表径流以及土壤侵蚀输出明显减少,土壤养分流失得到有效控制.     

不同情景模式下雄安新区的水资源利用效率和节水潜力分析

雄安新区是千年大计、国家大事,水资源短缺与水体污染成为制约其发展的主要问题。从水资源利用效率及节水潜力视角出发,以深圳发展历程为标杆,结合情景分析与方向性距离函数等模型,展示到2035年不同情景的雄安水资源利用效率及节水潜力发展图景和路径。研究表明：从利用效率看,在基准、起步、建成情景下雄安呈现出由低效率区到较高效率区再到高效率区的变化态势。从节水潜力看,效率改善空间减小、技术落差比增加等表明雄安节水潜力得到充分挖掘。杜绝污水直排、积极发展污水处理技术、优化新区产业结构等是促使水资源利用效率提高的有效手段,是雄安实现绿色生态发展的重要保障。     

动态膜压法测定江、污混合水体中有机物含量的探讨

用双驱动动态膜压仪测定江、污混合水中有机物含量。通过测定白龙港污水和长江水混合后的膜压和滞回环面积，用它们与相应的经典法CODCr作图，获得了滞回环面积和CODCr之间良好地线性关系，表明用动态膜压法可快速测定混合水中的有机物含量，不须加任何试剂，不会产生二次污染。同时，对实验结果进行了初步的机理探讨。     

三峡库区泥沙对不同初始浓度硅藻生长影响

三峡库区含沙量大，库区蓄水后，泥沙沉降对水环境的影响不容忽视。为了探讨含沙水体对藻类生长的影响，丰富和深化富营养化的研究内容和相关理论，在适宜硅藻生长的光照、水温、营养盐等条件下，通过泥沙对不同初始浓度硅藻的生长影响试验研究。结果表明：适量的泥沙含量对硅藻生长有利。含沙量分别为0．0和0．2kg／m^3的两种初始硅藻浓度水样中，叶绿素a浓度峰值都远远高于试验初始硅藻叶绿素a量，明显高于该组其它4个含沙水样。     

Effectiveness of Management Interventions to Control Invasion by Rhododendron ponticum

Rhododendron ponticum is an invasive species in many countries, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium, and France. It poses a serious threat to native flora and fauna, as it is capable of altering entire seminatural communities through its vigorous spread. Control is essential if the conservation value of some communities, such as oak woodland and lowland heath, are to be successfully maintained. Commonly used interventions are herbicide application, herbicide application postcut, and cutting (manual or mechanical) alone. Various techniques have been developed to apply these interventions, but often retreatment of the area is required, increasing the cost of control. Here, we evaluate the effectiveness of some commonly used interventions for R. ponticum control using a systematic review methodology. Eleven studies provided data for statistical analysis. Meta-analyses of captured data show that postcut application of the herbicide Glyphosate or applying the herbicides Metsulfuron-methyl or Imazapyr (no cut) can effectively reduce a R. ponticum stand. There is insufficient available experimental evidence for effectiveness of any other intervention. The systematic review process has demonstrated the lack of replicated studies with controls or long-term monitoring and increases the call for more rigorous monitoring of all conservation management interventions. The quality of experimental evidence of the effectiveness of some interventions contrasts with the acceptance of their use through dissemination of experience. The collection and objective review of experience will require active collaboration of organizations concerned with R. ponticum control.     

Enhanced recycling through a materials tax

This article attempts to evaluate whether an appropriate consumption-based tax is likely to be successful in reducing demand for certain exhaustible resources, thereby curtailing their rate of depletion and increasing the demand for, and utilization of, secondary materials. The nature of such a tax and anticipated effects (including environmental impact) of its imposition on certain primary materials are considered, concentrating here on one metal, aluminium. The study concludes that a tax based on the exhaustible resources and energy used in the production of a good is likely to create more savings for fossil fuels than for other exhaustible resources.