Nitrogen cycling of atmosphere-plant-soft system in the typical Calamagrostis angustifolia wetland in the Sanjiang Plain,Northeast China

The nitrogen(N)distribution and cycling of atmosphere-plant-soil system in the typical meadow Calamagrostis angustifolia wetland (TMCW)and marsh meadow Calamagrostis angustifolia wetland(MMCW)in the Sanjiang plain were studied by a compartment model.The results showed that the N wet deposition amount was 0.757 gN/(m~2.a),and total inorganic N(TIN)was the main body (0.640 gN/(m~2.a)).The ammonia volatilization amounts of TMCW and MMCW soils in growing season were 0.635 and 0.687 gN/m~2, and the denitrification gaseous lost amounts were 0.617 and 0.405 gN/m~2,respectively.In plant subsystem,the N was mainly stored in root and litter.Soil organic N was the main N storage of the two plant-soil systems and the proportions of it were 93.98% and 92.16%, respectively.The calculation results of N turnovers among compartments of TMCW and MMCW showed that the uptake amounts of root were 23.02 and 28.18 gN/(m~2.a)and the values of aboveground were 11.31 and 6.08 gN/(m~2.a),the re-translocation amounts from aboveground to root were 5.96 and 2.70 gN/(m~2.a),the translocation amounts from aboveground living body to litter were 5.35 and 3.38 gN/(m~2.a),the translocation amounts from litter to soil were larger than 1.55 and 3.01 gN/(m~2.a),the translocation amounts from root to soil were 14.90 and 13.17 gN/(m~2.a),and the soil(0-15 cm)N net mineralization amounts were 1.94 and 0.55 gN/(m~2.a), respectively.The study of N balance indicated that the two plant-soil systems might be situated in the status of lacking N,and the status might induce the degradation of C.angustifolia wetland.     

Ecological assessment of cities-procedure and a case study

This paper discusses the scientific background and content of the ecological assessment of cities, and takes Boda, a new town in Xinjiang province, China, as a case study.     

西部生态脆弱区矿山不同开采强度下生态系统服务时空变化——以神府矿区为例

以神府矿区为例,选取土地利用、植被覆盖、土壤、气象等生态环境与统计数据指标,利用RS和GIS技术构建生态系统服务遥感测量评估指标体系,评估研究区2005-2015年生态系统服务变化及时空分布特征,进一步探究神府矿区不同开采强度对生态系统服务的影响并进行驱动力分析。研究结果表明：（1）2005年、2010年、2015年研究区的总生态系统服务分别为1.598×10¹⁰元、1.905×10¹⁰元、2.134×10¹⁰元,呈现逐年递增的趋势;（2）生态系统服务功能中水土保持价值比例最大,草地的单位面积生态系统服务价值最高,耕地、草地生态系统为该地区贡献了最多的生态系统服务价值;（3）研究区生态系统服务分布表现为由东北向西南逐渐降低的趋势,不同开采强度下的生态系统服务增长变化较为相似,煤炭开采区域生态系统服务未显著下降,整体较为平稳。对生态系统服务变化的驱动分析表明在近年来相对改善的气候环境与人工修复共同作用下,神府矿区生态系统服务未发生明显的缩减。此类半干旱生态脆弱矿区国土空间生态修复适宜通过主动的“保护性开发”以及“人工诱导+自然修复”为主的方式,避免大范围与高强度的水土扰动型治理,通过适度的人为干预保证与维持区域内生态系统服务的功能。研究成果不但揭示高强度煤矿开采下的生态环境变化,也对西部生态脆弱区环境做了定量评估;同时,为将来的矿区重建提供了重要的依据。     

基于分形理论的矿区生态系统稳定性评价

引入非线性理论对矿区生态系统的稳定性进行研究.通过相空间重构的方法确定各混沌吸引子的关联维数,对矿区生态系统的稳定性进行评价.研究表明:焦作矿区矿产资源保有指数、矿产资源回收指数和矿产资源综合利用指数3个指标的分维值都较小,说明自然资源支持度的脆弱性是造成矿区生态系统不稳定性的主要原因.     

金属尾矿废弃地的生态恢复

尾矿废弃地是一种典型的退化生态系统。本文通过对其生态恢复所面临问题的研究，讨论了尾矿废弃地生态恢复的理论和方法，分析了使用外来物种对于尾矿废弃地这一独特的退化生态系统进行恢复的可能性，并探索了尾矿废弃地生态恢复的评价标准。     

THE MISUSE OF HYDROLOGIC UNIT MAPS FOR EXTRAPOLATION,REPORTING, AND ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT1

ABSTRACT: The use of watersheds to conduct research on land/water relationships has expanded recently to include both extrapolation and reporting of water resource information and ecosystem management. More often than not, hydrologic units (HUs) are used for these purposes, with the implication that hydrologic units are synonymous with watersheds. Whereas true topographic watersheds are areas within which apparent surface water drains to a particular point, generally only 45 percent of all hydrologic units, regardless of their hierarchical level, meet this definition. Because the area contributing to the downstream point in many hydrologic units extends far beyond the unit boundaries, use of the hydrologic unit framework to show regional and national patterns of water quality and other environmental resources can result in incorrect and misleading illustrations. In this paper, the implications of this misuse are demonstrated using four adjacent HUs in central Texas. A more effective way of showing regional patterns in environmental resources is by using data from true watersheds representative of different ecological regions containing particular mosaics of geographical characteristics affecting differences in ecosystems and water quality.     

INTEGRATING HUMANS IN ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT USING MULTI‐CRITERIA DECISION MAKING1

ABSTRACT: The Ecosystem Management (EM) process belongs to the category of Multi‐Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) problems. It requires appropriate decision support systems (DSS) where “all interested people” would be involved in the decision making process. Environmental values critical to EM, such as the biological diversity, health, productivity and sustainability, have to be studied, and play an important role in modeling the ecosystem functions; human values and preferences also influence decision making. Public participation in decision and policy making is one of the elements that differentiate EM from the traditional methods of management. Here, a methodology is presented on how to quantify human preferences in EM decision making. The case study of the National Park of River Nestos Delta and Lakes Vistonida and Ismarida in Greece, presented as an application of this methodology, shows that the direct involvement of the public, the quantification of its preferences and the decision maker's attitude provide a strong tool to the EM decision making process. Public preferences have been given certain weights and three MCDM methods, namely, the Expected Utility Method, Compromise Programming and the Analytic Hierarchy Process, have been used to select alternative management solutions that lead to the best configuration of the ecosystem and are also socially acceptable.     

Quantitative Assessment of the Intertidal Environment of Kuwait I: Integrated Environmental Classification

Quantitative analysis of physical, chemical and biological data of the intertidal zone in Kuwait was undertaken to develop an integrated basis for assessing and protecting this sensitive coastal ecosystem. Cluster analyses were performed to determine the resemblance between the sampling stations based on the sediment composition, the benthic macrofauna and the physico-chemical characteristics of the intertidal sediment/water. Five distinct sub-environments were delineated within the intertidal zone of Kuwait. Each sub-environment was described in terms of number of taxa, mean density of organisms, sediment type, tidal level and dominant organisms. The physico-chemical parameters investigated were found to be unimportant in the distribution of the intertidal benthic macrofauna. On the other hand, sediment type was found to be a major factor in the overall composition of the benthic community. The benthic fauna and related characteristics of the sub-environments could be used as indicators to monitor changes in the intertidal ecosystem and as guides to protection and management of the different coasts. The approach described in this paper could also be adopted elsewhere to provide a sound basis for evaluating environmental impacts and for developing sustainable coastal management.     

SOUND POLICY OR SMOKE AND MIRRORS: DOES ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT MAKE SENSE?1

ABSTRACT: Protection of ecosystems as entities on the landscape has attracted a wide range of support. Ecosystem-based public policies are claimed to be more effective, efficient, and scientifically sound than other approaches to environmental and natural resource policy. The ecosystem concept was never intended to serve as a public policy guide or to determine landscape units for land management purposes. This paper critically examines the use of the ecosystem concept in public policy and land use management and analyzes the proposed rule to manage the National Forest System according to ecosystem management principles. The concept is found to be unsuitable as a basis for guiding environmental and natural resource public policies in general while the proposed rule to manage the national forests according to ecosystem management principles is shown to be incoherent.