Exploring the risks and benefits of flexibility in biodiversity offset location in a case study of migratory shorebirds

Biodiversity offsets aim to counterbalance the residual impacts of development on species and ecosystems. Guidance documents explicitly recommend that biodiversity offset actions be located close to the location of impact because of higher potential for similar ecological conditions, but allowing greater spatial flexibility has been proposed. We examined the circumstances under which offsets distant from the impact location could be more likely to achieve no net loss or provide better ecological outcomes than offsets close to the impact area. We applied a graphical model for migratory shorebirds in the East Asian–Australasian Flyway as a case study to explore the problems that arise when incorporating spatial flexibility into offset planning. Spatially flexible offsets may alleviate impacts more effectively than local offsets; however, the risks involved can be substantial. For our case study, there were inadequate data to make robust conclusions about the effectiveness and equivalence of distant habitat-based offsets for migratory shorebirds. Decisions around offset placement should be driven by the potential to achieve equivalent ecological outcomes; however, when considering more distant offsets, there is a need to evaluate the likely increased risks alongside the potential benefits. Although spatially flexible offsets have the potential to provide more cost-effective biodiversity outcomes and more cobenefits, our case study showed the difficulty of demonstrating these benefits in practice and the potential risks that need to be considered to ensure effective offset placement.     

青藏高原林地土壤的氮转化特征及其影响因素分析:以祁连山和藏东南地区为例

矿化和硝化过程是森林生态系统氮素循环的重要组成部分,对生态系统功能的维持与土壤环境质量有着重要影响.净矿化和净硝化速率是评价土壤氮素供应能力和氮损失风险的常用指标.为探究青藏高原林地土壤氮转化特征及其影响因素,以气候差异较大的祁连山和藏东南地区作为研究对象,采集了 327个林地土壤样本,通过样本处理及室内培养试验,分析...     

The boiling liquid expanding vapour explosion

The boiling liquid expanding vapour explosion (BLEVE) has existed for a long time and for most of this time it has been cloaked in mystery. Several theories have been put forward to explain this very energetic event but none have been proven. This paper describes a series of tests that have recently been conducted to study this phenomenon.

The study involved ASME code automotive propane tanks with nominal capacities of 400 litres. The tanks were exposed to a combination of pool and/or torch fires. These fire conditions led to thermal ruptures, and in some cases these ruptures resulted in BLEVEs. The variables in the tests were the pressure-relief valve setting, the tank wall thickness, and the fire condition.

In total, 30 tests have been conducted, of which 22 resulted in thermal ruptures. Of those tanks that ruptured, 11 resulted in what we call BLEVEs. In this paper, we have defined a BLEVE as the explosive release of expanding vapour and boiling liquid following a catastrophic tank failure. Non-BLEVEs involved tanks that ruptured but which only resulted in a prolonged jet release.

The objective of this study was to investigate why certain tank ruptures lead to a BLEVE rather than a more benign jet-type release. Data are presented to show how wall temperature, wall thickness, liquid temperature and fill level contribute to the BLEVE process.     

土壤碳淋溶流失研究进展

土壤碳的淋溶流失是指在水的作用下土壤中的碳沿着水文路径转移到水环境的过程。尽管这些流失量有限,却对陆地碳平衡核算具有重要影响。本文在总结了土壤碳淋溶流失研究的重要性、近年来相关领域取得的进展的基础上,指出已有研究的不足有:对土壤无机碳(SIC)的淋溶流失研究薄弱、缺乏野外实地观测、对土地利用变化影响土壤碳淋溶流失的过程与机制认识不足等。今后除了加强以上几个方面的研究外,还要综合利用同位素示踪和在线仪器观测等各种手段,开展"陆地-水生系统连续体"内多界面碳交换的综合研究。     

套管损伤磁记忆检测信号定量研究

在油气生产过程中,井下套管损伤会造成井况恶化,致使正常井转变为套损井。为了防止套损井的出现和安全事故的发生,有必要对套管进行早期损伤检测。采用金属磁记忆检测技术,开展了实验研究。实验中,通过对套管内壁环切,将套管壁厚设计为等值递增和不等值递增两种形式;根据实验数据,对磁记忆检测信号梯度值、信号梯度波峰值及信号梯度峰宽值等特征参量与壁厚、壁厚变化量的定量关系进行拟合。结果表明:磁记忆检测信号梯度值、信号梯度波峰值及信号梯度峰宽值等特征参量,可以很好的表征套管壁厚的变化情况;信号梯度值与套管壁厚呈线性递增关系;信号梯度波峰值和信号梯度峰宽值均与套管壁厚变化量呈线性递增关系。该试验结果有助于完善磁记忆检测技术的定量化研究和利用磁记忆原理检测套管损伤的评价体系。     

受限空间瓦斯爆炸冲击波压力信号小波包去噪研究

由于受限空间瓦斯爆炸冲击波压力信号具有突变性和瞬态非平稳性特点,采用小波包分析进行去噪处理。选取典型的Daubechies小波包系和Symlets小波包系各小波包基对信号的重构均方根误差,并计算了原始信号与重构信号的相关系数,确定Sym8为处理瓦斯爆炸冲击波压力信号的最佳小波包基。去噪结果显示:小波包分析在降低噪声的同时,仍然保留信号突变部分的信息,能尽可能不失真得重现有效信号,受限空间瓦斯爆炸冲击波压力信号小波包去噪能够得到更可靠地结果。     

环境污染和生态破坏经济损失的估算模型

应用江苏省1988—2002年时序数据,建立环境污染与生态破坏经济损失的宏观估算模型,对影响环境污染与生态破坏的限制因子进行定量分析评价。     

Effects of different endogenous fungi on the mass loss and nutrient content of leaf litter of Cunninghamia lanceolata北大核心CSCD

To explore the role of endophytic fungi in the decomposition of litter, the endophytic fungi Penicillium sp. strain CG2 (A), Fusarium flavum strain AY13 (B), and Talaromyces strain AJ14 (C) of Cunninghamia lanceolata were added to experimental pots in different forms (mycelium, sterilized fermentation broth, single fungus, and mixed fungi), and a control treatment (CK) was set up (no fungi added). At 10, 30, 60, 90, and 120 days after litter decomposition, a study on the decomposition dynamics of C. lanceolata litter under different treatments was performed. The results showed that the rate of leaf mass loss was the highest in the sterilized fermentation broth treatment A after 120 days, and that there was a significant difference (P < 0.05) between the mycelium treatment AC and the control treatment after 60 days (23.97% higher than the control group). On day 60, the litter carbon content from the mycelium treatment A was significantly different from that of the control (P < 0.05), showing a 16.74% lower value, whereas the litter carbon content of the mycelium treatment B was 21.13% lower than that of the control after 90 days. The nitrogen content of the litters of most mycelium and sterilized fermentation broth treatments was increased compared to that of the control group; there was significant difference (P < 0.05) between the sterilized fermentation broth treatment A and the control (P < 0.05), with a 17.05% higher value than that of the control. Similar to nitrogen, the litter phosphorus content also increased; there was a statistically significant difference between the mycelium treatment A and the control group, with treatment A showing a 46.67% higher value than the control group. The potassium content was 28% lower than that of the control group under the sterilized fermentation broth treatment C, a result that was significantly different from that of the control group (P < 0.05). After treatment for 90 days, the ratio of carbon to nitrogen was the lowest under the treatments with the mycelium A and the mycelium B, with values 25.54% and 25.11% lower than that of the control group, respectively, and a statistically significant difference from that of the control group (P < 0.05). The ratio of carbon to phosphorus was the lowest under the treatment with mycelium A after 60 days, and the result was significantly different from that of the control (P < 0.05), with a 43.05% lower value than the control. Thus, the three endophytic fungi had different effects on the mass loss rate and nutrient content of the litter. The Penicillium sp. strain CG2 (A) had statistically significant effects on the mass loss and nutrient content of leaf litter, which was within the range of fungi fertilizer reference values for the breeding of C. lanceolata. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

An Integrated Monte Carlo Methodology for the calibration of water quality models

This paper proposes an Integrated Monte Carlo Methodology (IMCM) to solve the parameter estimation problem in water quality models. The methodology is based on Bayesian approach and Markov Chain Monte Carlo techniques and it operates by means of four modules: Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC), Moving Feasible Ranges (MFR), Statistical Analysis of the Joint Posterior Distribution (SAD) and Uncertainty Propagation Analysis (UPA). The main innovation of the new proposal lies in the combination of MCMC and MFR modules which provides the joint posterior distribution of the calibrated parameters following the classical Bayesian approach. While MCMC module, based on Shuffled Complex Evolution Metropolis (SCEM-UA) algorithm, is specially designed to sample complex joint posterior shapes within certain parameter ranges, the MFR readjusts these ranges until the coverage of the feasible parameter space is guaranteed. Once the joint posterior distribution is properly defined, the SAD provides the parameter statistics and the UPA performs an analysis of the uncertainty propagation through the model. The possibilities of the new proposal have been tested on the basis of a simple model featuring different activated sludge batch experiments. IMCM has been implemented in Matlab and it is prepared to be easily connected to any software package.     

Determination of Heat Loss from the Feet and Insulation of the Footwear

This study compared the methods of determining footwear insulation on human participants and a thermal foot model. Another purpose was to find the minimal number of measurement points on the human foot that is needed for insulation calculation. A bare foot was tested at 3 ambient temperatures on 6 participants. Three types of footwear were tested on 2 participants. The mean insulation for a bare foot obtained on the participant and model were similar. The insulation of warm footwear measured by the 2 methods was also similar. For thin footwear the insulation values from the participants were higher than those from the thermal model. The differences could be related to undefined physiological factors. Two points on the foot can be enough to measure the insulation of footwear on human participants (r = .98). However, due to the big individual differences of humans, and good repeatability and simplicity of thermal foot method, the latter should be preferred for testing.