Cumulative effect assessment in Canada: a regional framework for aquatic ecosystems

Sustainable development of the aquatic environment depends upon routine and defensible cumulative effects assessment (CEA). CEA is the process of predicting the consequences of development relative to an assessment of existing environmental quality. Theoretically, it provides an on-going mechanism to evaluate if levels of development exceed the environment's assimilative capacity; i.e., its ability to sustain itself. In practice, the link between CEA and sustainable development has not been realized because CEA concepts and methods have developed along two dichotomous tracks. One track views CEA as an extension of the environmental assessment (EA) process for project developments. Under this track, stressor-based (S-B) methods have been developed where the emphasis is on local, project-related stressors, their link with aquatic indicators, and the potential for environmental effects through stressor-indicator interactions. S-B methods focus on the proposed development and prediction of project-related effects. They lack a mechanism to quantify existing aquatic quality especially at scales broader than an isolated development. This limitation results in the prediction of potential effects relative to a poorly defined baseline state. The other track views CEA as a broader, regional assessment tool where effects-based (E-B) methods specialize in quantification of existing aquatic effects over broad spatial scales. However, the predictive capabilities of E-B methods are limited because they are retrospective, i.e., the stressor causing the effect is identified after the effect has been measured. When used in isolation, S-B and E-B methods do not address CEA in the context necessary for sustainable development. However, if the strengths of these approaches were integrated into a holistic framework for CEA, an operational mechanism would exist to better monitor and assess sustainable development of our aquatic resources. This paper reviews the existing conceptual basis of CEA in Canada including existing methodologies, limitations and strengths. A conceptual framework for integrating project-based and regional-based CEA is presented.     

Macroinvertebrate Regionalisation for use in the Management of Aquatic Ecosystems in Victoria, Australia

The development of a broader, more holistic approach to aquaticecosystem management has been called for in recent years. Physical and chemical objectives alone are no longer consideredsufficient for the protection of aquatic ecosystems and shouldbe supplemented with biological objectives. The ubiquitousand sedentary nature of macroinvertebrates, combined with theirmeasurable response to environmental conditions, favour their use as important indicators in environmental policies. To establish biological objectives, there is a need for a regionalframework to limit the variability between ecosystems. Past studies have demonstrated that an a posteriori regionalisationapproach may be more useful than an a priori approach in explaining single component (e.g. macroinvertebrates) patternsacross ecosystems. This is particularly important as aquaticresource management agencies often focus on one or twocomponents of the ecosystem to assess environmental health. This study uses an a posteriori method to delineate and describebiological regions based on edge and riffle macroinvertebrate data. The regionalisation will provide a framework for settingbiological objectives, based on the range of reference conditionsmeasured within each separate region. The objectives will includeregional checklists for taxa and biotic indices. Predictive modelling in the style of RIVPACS or AUSRIVAS will also be usedwithin each region to develop objectives, incorporating local, regional and systematic features as predictor variables.     

Integrating disciplinary research into an interdisciplinary framework: A case study in sustainability research

The complexity of today’s research problems increasingly demands that scientists move beyond the confines of their own discipline. In this special issue, the basics of a transdisciplinary framework are established and problems analyzed in a specific discipline are successfully integrated in this transdisciplinary network. The intent has been to go beyond only statements about the importance of enabling early stage researchers to work across disciplinary boundaries, and to show that important discoveries are being made at the intersection of disciplines. Embedding various research projects in a more global framework can meet the demands of an interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary approach (especially for early stage researchers) and contribute significantly to sustainable research.     

基于耦合模型的安徽经济与环境协调发展分析

构建了经济发展与生态环境评价指标体系，选用耦合协调度模型计算2010—2019年安徽省不同区域经济发展与生态环境的耦合协调度，并采用灰色关联度法计算评价指标与耦合协调度的关联系数。研究结果表明：全省经济发展与生态环境的耦合协调度整体呈改善趋势，耦合协调度集中分布在0.393~0.765，基本处于良好协调或低水平协调阶段。全省不同区域的生态环境指数均大于经济发展指数。省会城市、沿江江南地区耦合协调度高于江淮之间和淮河以北地区。工业"三废"排放量、环境质量、环境污染治理力度是影响经济发展与生态环境耦合协调度的重要因素，建议通过改善这些方面进一步提升经济与环境的耦合协调度水平。     

滨州沿海湿地生物多样性保护探讨

重点研究了该区域海洋生物多样性、淡水生物多样性、陆生和海岛等高等植物多样性、陆栖动物多样性与特点。分析了其破坏现状及原因，提出了生物多样性保护对策和可持续利用途径。     

Planning Tools for Developing Comprehensive Regional Monitoring Programs

We present a planning framework that structures thelarge amount of interrelated information involved indeveloping regional monitoring programs. By regionalwe mean programs that recognize the importance ofprocesses that occur on larger geographic scales andthat cut across more than one ecosystem component. Theframework helps visualize functional relationshipsamong qualitative ingredients such as public concernsand more concrete details such as individual dataelements. It portrays the flow of information amongthe components of a regional program and ties eachaspect of the program to management decision-makingneeds. This makes it easier, during the planningprocess, to ensure that monitoring will actuallyproduce useful information. Further, the frameworksnovel, graphically oriented, and readily accessibleformat makes key information equally available to thewide range of participants (regulators, scientists,managers, public) whose input and support arenecessary for program success.     

石油化工工业区区域废水中COD_（Cr）和COD_（Mn）的相关性研究

连续同时监测天津市大港石化发展规划区区域废水中的ＣＯＤＣｒ和ＣＯＤＭｎ，并考查其线性相关性后得出ＣＯＤＣｒ＝４．９６ＣＯＤＭｎ＋１１６．３，相关系数为０．７５０。该回归方程适用于类似石油化工工业区区域废水中ＣＯＤＣｒ和ＣＯＤＭｎ间的换算     

加强建设 量化管理 推进环境监测事业持续发展

介绍了南京市环境监测中心站近年来在拓展监测能力,提升监测现代化水平,优化资源配置,加强队伍建设,强化制度建设,实施目标管理等方面采取的举措,指出在我国环境保护发生历史性转变的关键时期,环境监测站应在社会、经济、环境的协调发展中,充分发挥为管理服务的前瞻性、监测信息上报的及时性及实施环境决策的支持性作用,积极推进环境监测事业持续发展.     

城市人居环境的协调发展度研究——以上海市青浦区为例

城市人居环境的可持续发展体系是一个由人口、社会、资源、环境与经济5个子系统构成的开放巨系统。通过提出综合衡量系统“协调性”和“发展水平”的“协调发展度”模型，研究人居环境复合系统内5个子系统之间协调发展度情况。并运用灰色预测理论构建GM（1，N）动态模型，预测未来几年各子系统之间协调发展的状况。     

野生灵长类资源的旅游开发与保护关系探讨

以安徽黄山旅游开发利用野生短尾猴资源实践为基础，探讨了旅游开发与保护的辩证关系，提出了灵长类动物旅游开发中应注意的问题和采取的措施。