LAND-USE AND UPLAND WATER RESOURCES IN BRITAIN - A STRATEGIC LOOK1

ABSTRACT: Recent results from the Institute of Hydrology's hydrometeorological and hydrological studies on water use by forest and grassland confirm earlier predictions of a reduction in water yields following afforestation. This reduction is due primarily to the increased interception losses from forests. This paper shows how the water yield from uplands is related to the relative proportions of land under forest and hill farming, and estimates how water yields will change if a greater proportion of hill land is afforested.     

造林区生态环境监测信息系统的研究

根据林业部与世界银行达成的协议，在我国６０个县市设立世行贷款“国家造林项目”环境监测点，并对监测信息进行科学管理。本研究建立了基本情况库、水土流失监测库、监测结果汇总库、土壤肥力监测库、病虫害监测库等数据库，采用ｆｏｘＰｒｏ２．６ｆｏｒＷｉｎｄｏｗｓ程序设计语言编制监测信息管理系统，该系统由站点分布、数据维护、数据浏览、报表生态、统计分析等功能模块构成。在系统软件编制过程中，采用了图文交互支持的信息管理方式，充分利用通用字段（Ｇｅｎｅｒａｌ）的多媒体信息存储功能，且程序运行时可完全脱离ｆｏｘＰｒｏ的系统环境，在Ｗｉｎｄｏｗｓ平台下独立执行。     

排水造林对小兴安岭沼泽湿地土壤酶活性及氮含量的影响

选取不同排水年限的兴安落叶松人工林湿地(1974,1985,1992,2003年排水)和天然兴安落叶松沼泽湿地,研究排水对小兴安岭沼泽湿地土壤酶活性及氮素含量的影响。结果表明:湿地排水造林后,表层土壤脲酶活性降低47.3%~84.3%;蔗糖酶活性降低49.2%~72.4%。表层土壤NH_3-N降低了6.9%~19.7%;NO_3~--N降低了63.2%~80.3%。在垂直剖面上,排水湿地的NH3-N含量随土层深度增加而增大,天然森林湿地随土层深度增加而减小。排水对土壤表层土壤酶活性及各氮素含量影响显著(P<0.05)。     

林纸一体化项目原料林基地营林风险分析

原料林是林纸一体化项目的基础,在发展过程中,林基地的建设受到多种因素的制约。土地资源紧缺、生态环境影响大、经营管理难度大、生产风险难控、资金需求量多,任何一个环节出现问题,都将阻碍林纸一体化项目的发展进程,威胁到整个项目的生产安全。制浆企业可通过制定切实可行的项目实施计划、优选先进技术和营林方案、密切监控自然风险、拓宽融资渠道、实现投资主体多元化,应对原料林基地的营林风险引起的生产安全问题。     

岷江干旱河谷典型地段整地造林效果评估

长期以来通过整地造林去恢复重建植被已在横断山区干旱河谷广为采用,然而这样的实践是否能有效提高植被覆盖率并改善土壤水源涵养能力仍不清楚.选择岷江干旱河谷3个典型地段,调查了多年(7～16 a)后整地造林地上植被覆盖、土壤物理性质以及目的造林树种岷江柏(Cupressus chengiana S.Y. Hu)的保存、生长与结实状况,以评价干旱河谷乡土树种造林成效及造林后的生态效果.结果表明:(1)岷江柏在栽植多年后仍有大量死亡,保存率明显下降,造林16 a后仅为38%;(2)不同年代栽植的岷江柏在造林后2～6 a即开始旱现直径年生长量下降趋势;(3)造林带内乡土植被总盖度、灌木盖度、草本盖度、地衣苔藓盖度均低于保留带,因此等高线水平沟整地造林措施未能有效促进乡土植被发育;(4)造林带土壤水分物理性质也不如保留带,整地造林也没有有效改善土壤水源涵养能力.综合分析发现,整地造林多年后岷汀柏造林不仅没有达到岷江干旱河谷预期的生态恢复重建效果,甚至有加剧生态退化的趋势.因此认为:(1)规模化整地造林并不是有效的干旱河谷生态恢复和保护措施;(2)尽管岷江柏是乡土树种,但并不是干旱河谷植被恢复的适宜种.图3表3参29     

城市绿化的结构和生态环境功能

分析了城市绿化的形式与现状,讨论了一种新的生态型绿化模式———城市森林.并对城市绿化的乔-灌-草结构型与城市草坪型进行比较,认为前者在生态环境效益方面有较大优越性.从景观角度分析城市森林带来的效益,建议城市绿化要考虑生态服务效能及其养护管理和节约用费.     

环境美学研究

本文论述了环境美学原理的基本原则和主要形式,环境绿化美化,环境美学与植物生态学的关系,以及环境的美学功能。环境美学的基本原则是多样统一、调和对比、对称均衡和韵律节奏。环境美学的主要形式是表现环境外观特征的色彩、线条和形体。环境绿化美化艺术,绿化是基础,美化是主题。环境美学与植物生态学,说明环境与大自然的协调发展,人与自然的和谐统一。环境的美学功能是陶冶人的情操,提高人的思想境界,增进身心健康     

Cost shifting and other perverse incentives in biodiversity offsetting in India

Biodiversity offsetting aims to compensate for development‐induced biodiversity loss through commensurate conservation gains and is gaining traction among governments and businesses. However, cost shifting (i.e., diversion of offset funds to other conservation programs) and other perverse incentives can undermine the effectiveness of biodiversity offsetting. Additionality—the requirement that biodiversity offsets result in conservation outcomes that would not have been achieved otherwise—is fundamental to biodiversity offsetting. Cost shifting and violation of additionality can go hand in hand. India's national offsetting program is a case in point. Recent legislation allows the diversion of offset funds to meet the country's preexisting commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). With such diversions, no additional conservation takes place and development impacts remain uncompensated. Temporary additionality cannot be conceded in light of paucity of funds for preexisting commitments unless there is open acknowledgement that fulfillment of such commitments is contingent on offset funds. Two other examples of perverse incentives related to offsetting in India are the touting of inherently neutral offsetting outcomes as conservation gains, a tactic that breeds false complacency and results in reduced incentive for additional conservation efforts, and the clearing of native vegetation for commercial plantations in the name of compensatory afforestation, a practice that leads to biodiversity decline. The risks accompanying cost shifting and other perverse incentives, if not preempted and addressed, will result in net loss of forest cover in India. We recommend accurate baselines, transparent accounting, and open reporting of offset outcomes to ensure biodiversity offsetting achieves adequate and additional compensation for impacts of development.     

Urban afforestation and infant health: Evidence from MillionTreesNYC

This paper examines the impact of urban afforestation on infant health outcomes by exploiting a quasi-experimental setting where one million new trees were planted in New York City (NYC), but not in counties surrounding NYC over the same time period. Using a near-universal birth record of NYC and surrounding counties over 2004–2015 and employing both the synthetic control method and a difference-in-differences model, we find that an approximately 20% increase in urban forest cover decreased prematurity and low birth weight among mothers in NYC by 2.1 and 0.24 percentage points, respectively, relative to similar mothers outside of NYC. The low birth weight finding is equivalent to getting a mother smoking two cigarettes a day during pregnancy to quit. An internal validity test suggests that changes in the composition of NYC mothers cannot explain the observed effects. Additionally, we find evidence that declines in PM_2.5 concentrations and increases in outdoor walks are potential causal mechanisms. Results suggest that urban afforestation may be able to complement existing policies aimed at improving infant health.     

国外生态城建设中立体绿化的发展动态

介绍了国外为有效改善城市环境质量，积极进行城市立体绿化建设经验，城市立体绿经量现出全球化、多样化、规模化、哗和法制化的立体绿化发展趋势，对我国城市产体绿化建设的发展上人积极推动和借鉴作用。