Use of Scale Invariance in Evaluating Judgement Indicators

Indicators are used to draw conclusions about ecological endpoints when these endpoints cannot be measured directly. In many cases, inferences about an endpoint are only possible because assumptions have been made about the relationship between indicator and endpoint; we refer to such indicators as judgement indicators. The validity of inferences made using a judgement indicator can be gauged by examining the known or assumed form of the general relationship between indicator and endpoint. The rules for this kind of inference are a consequence of scale invariance, which originates from measurement theory. For simple indicators comprised of a single indicator measurement, the inferences allowed – equivalence, rank, equality of intervals, and equality of ratios – depend on whether the data are nominal, ordinal, interval, or ratio scaled. For composite indicators containing two or more simple indicators, inferences are also affected by the mathematical form of combination; e.g., whether the terms are summed or multiplied. Standardizing simple or composite indicators can allow inferences about the relative importance of observations, based on the natural range of occurrence. Scale invariance is a particularly important consideration in landscape assessments, since these often make use of judgement indicators.     

生态城市的构架理论研究

生态城市的建设是可持续发展战略的一项重要内容。近几年关于生态城市的研究较多,然而生态城市的构架体系至今不明确。文章探讨了生态城市的内涵、特征和指标体系等构架理论,提出了创建生态城市的基本策略,以期推动我国生态城市的建设工作。     

Responses of Physical, Chemical, and Biological Indicators of Water Quality to a Gradient of Agricultural Land Use in the Yakima River Basin, Washington

The condition of 25 stream sites in the Yakima River Basin, Washington, were assessed by the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment Program. Multimetric condition indices were developed and used to rank sites on the basis of physical, chemical, and biological characteristics. These indices showed that sites in the Cascades and Eastern Cascades ecoregions were largely unimpaired. In contrast, all but two sites in the Columbia Basin ecoregion were impaired, some severely. Agriculture (nutrients and pesticides) was the primary factor associated with impairment and all impaired sites were characterized by multiple indicators of impairment. All indices of biological condition (fish, invertebrates, and algae) declined as agricultural intensity increased. The response exhibited by invertebrates and algae suggested a threshold response with conditions declining precipitously at relatively low levels of agricultural intensity and little response at moderate to high levels of agricultural intensity. This pattern of response suggests that the success of mitigation will vary depending upon where on the response curve the mitigation is undertaken. Because the form of the community condition response is critical to effective water-quality management, the National Water-Quality Assessment Program is conducting studies to examine the response of biota to gradients of land-use intensity and the relevance of these responses to water-quality management. These land-use gradient pilot studies will be conducted in several urban areas starting in 1999.     

Efficacy of extracting indices from large‐scale acoustic recordings to monitor biodiversity

Passive acoustic monitoring could be a powerful way to assess biodiversity across large spatial and temporal scales. However, extracting meaningful information from recordings can be prohibitively time consuming. Acoustic indices (i.e., a mathematical summary of acoustic energy) offer a relatively rapid method for processing acoustic data and are increasingly used to characterize biological communities. We examined the relationship between acoustic indices and the diversity and abundance of biological sounds in recordings. We reviewed the acoustic‐index literature and found that over 60 indices have been applied to a range of objectives with varying success. We used 36 of the most indicative indices to develop a predictive model of the diversity of animal sounds in recordings. Acoustic data were collected at 43 sites in temperate terrestrial and tropical marine habitats across the continental United States. For terrestrial recordings, random‐forest models with a suite of acoustic indices as covariates predicted Shannon diversity, richness, and total number of biological sounds with high accuracy (R² ≥ 0.94, mean squared error [MSE] ≤170.2). Among the indices assessed, roughness, acoustic activity, and acoustic richness contributed most to the predictive ability of models. Performance of index models was negatively affected by insect, weather, and anthropogenic sounds. For marine recordings, random‐forest models poorly predicted Shannon diversity, richness, and total number of biological sounds (R² ≤ 0.40, MSE ≥ 195). Our results suggest that using a combination of relevant acoustic indices in a flexible model can accurately predict the diversity of biological sounds in temperate terrestrial acoustic recordings. Thus, acoustic approaches could be an important contribution to biodiversity monitoring in some habitats.     

上海市青浦区景观格局的粒度效应分析

以上海市青浦区为研究区域，基于ETM遥感影像数据和GIS技术，采用优势规则栅格聚合方法，对分类的ETM数据进行了粒度变换。以景观格局分析程序Fragstats3．3为分析工具，从景观类型水平和景观水平上研究了景观格局的空间粒度效应。研究结果表明：（1）不同的景观类型、不同的景观特征指数对粒度响应存在差异：居住景观和道路景观是对粒度响应最敏感的两种景观类型；形状指数、聚集度指数、斑块数量指数对粒度响应的敏感程度较高，多样性指数、均匀度指数、景观面积比例指数、分维数对粒度响应的敏感程度较低；此外，还发现优势景观随着粒度增加面积增大，形状规则的景观对粒度响应敏感程度低。（2）景观指数的粒度响应曲线存在尺度转折点，且多出现在40、60、80、120m，其中第一尺度区域多为20～40m或20～60m。第一尺度域是选择适宜粒度的较好取值范围，所以本研究中所用景观类型图进行景观指数计算的适宜粒度范围为30-40m。（3）研究发现由不同指数表征相同的生态现象可能会出现相反的粒度效应，在一定程度上体现了景观指数量化景观格局的局限性。     

A SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF THE PALMER HYDROLOGIC DROUGHT INDEX1

ABSTRACT: The sensitivity of the Palmer Hydrologic Drought Index to departures from average temperature and precipitation conditions is examined. A time series of zero index values was calculated and then one monthly temperature or precipitation value was perturbed. The resulting time series shows the effects on the index of one anomalous value. Independent series were calculated for temperature anomalies of plus and minus 1, 3, 5, and 10F and for precipitation anomalies of 25, 50, 75, 125, 150, and 200 percent of normal for each calendar month for Colorado, Indiana, Nevada, New York, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Washington, and Wisconsin. Analysis of the time series showed that the period of time required for the index to reflect actual rather than artificial initial conditions could be more than four years. It was also found that the effects of temperature anomalies are insignificant compared to the effects of precipitation anomalies. In some cases, one anomalous precipitation value could result in established wet or dry spells that last for up to two years. Although not examined in detail, the time series suggest that distributions of index values may be asymmetrical and possibly bimodal.     

取代苯胺和苯酚类化合物对大型(Daphnia magna Straus)的定量结构-活性关系研究

研究了３６个取代苯胺和苯酚类化合物对大型溲的急性毒性，应用正辛醇／水分配系数，线性溶解能关系参数和分子连接性指数得出了该类化合物的定量构效关系方程，这些方程可以用来进行该化合物危害性初评。ＬＳＥＲ法得到的ＱＳＡＲ方程拟合效果较好，增大分子体积及偶极性－极化性，均可增大毒性，化合物与蛋白质等生物大分子的氢键键合作用是导致该类化合物毒性高于其基本毒性的原因。     

企业"绿色度"的模糊评价模型与应用

"绿色度"是绿色的程度或与环境友好的程度.分析了企业"绿色度"绩效评价的理论基础,讨论了在众多因素影响下关于企业"绿色度"绩效评价的指标体系;采用专家法确定各因素权重;运用多层模糊综合评价原理进行系统评价.并通过一个化工厂的实例验证了所建立模型与求解方法的正确性与实用性.     

Characterization of aliphatic hydrocarbons in deep subsurface soils near the outskirts of Beijing, China

Thirty-nine deep subsurface soils( 150—180 cm depth) near the outskirts of Beijing were investagated. The concentrations including n-alkanes from C13 to C36, pristane and phytane were in the range of 0.60 to 170.10μg/g, with a median value of 4.26. Carbon preference index values for n-alkanes ranged from 1.08 to 2.98, with a median value of 1.48. The percentage contribution of “wax” nalkanes was in the range of 6.03%--46.22%. A predominance of odd/even carbon n-alkanes and unresolved complex mixtures with different shapes and ranges were frequently observed. Factor analysis reduced the data set into three principal components and confirming contributions from low ( 19.58% ), medium ( 20.49% ) molecular weight species and long-chain n-alkanes (43.41% ), respectively.Molecular biomarkers such as pristane, phytane, hopanes and steranes were detected. Based on the principal component analysis, the concentration profiles and molecular markers, it was found that the aliphatic hydrocarbons were from both biogenic and anthropogenic sources.     

A new method of predicting of gas chromatographic retention indices for polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs)

A new method has been developed to describe the quantitative relationship between molecular structures of PCDFs and their gas chromatographic retention indices on a 30-m fused silica column coated with DB-5 stationary phase. The regression equation is derived with a multiple correlation coefficient greater than 0.9995. The highest residual is 20 index units. The standard deviation is less than 7 index units. Using this regression equation, the retention indices of PCDFs for which data is not available have also been predicted.