Shoreline development and degradation of coastal fish reproduction habitats

Coastal development has severely affected habitats and biodiversity during the last century, but quantitative estimates of the impacts are usually lacking. We utilize predictive habitat modeling and mapping of human pressures to estimate the cumulative long-term effects of coastal development in relation to fish habitats. Based on aerial photographs since the 1960s, shoreline development rates were estimated in the Stockholm archipelago in the Baltic Sea. By combining shoreline development rates with spatial predictions of fish reproduction habitats, we estimated annual habitat degradation rates for three of the most common coastal fish species, northern pike (Esox lucius), Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis) and roach (Rutilus rutilus). The results showed that shoreline constructions were concentrated to the reproduction habitats of these species. The estimated degradation rates, where a degraded habitat was defined as having ≥3 constructions per 100 m shoreline, were on average 0.5 % of available habitats per year and about 1 % in areas close to larger population centers. Approximately 40 % of available habitats were already degraded in 2005. These results provide an example of how many small construction projects over time may have a vast impact on coastal fish populations.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s13280-014-0522-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

金沙江流域（云南段）典型露天矿区开采条件生态适宜性评价

露天采矿产生的水土流失、次生地质灾害等生态负效应强度受矿山所处的地理环境控制。金沙江流域露天矿区众多，地形复杂，采矿后产生的生态负效应易受脆弱的地理环境放大，因此对流域内露天矿区进行开采条件的生态适宜性评价，对保护环境具有重要意义。采用RS、GIS等空间技术，在ArcGIS环境下建立了金沙江流域（云南段）露天矿区的空间数据库，以其中的10个典型露天矿区为研究对象，在对比分析了这些露天矿区的地理环境后，选取了地貌、海拔、坡度、植被覆盖度、植被类型及流域位置等作为评价指标，对典型露天矿区进行开采条件的生态适宜性评价。评价方法涉及专家打分、灰色关联法等。研究得出流域内10个典型露天矿的空间分布特征及开采条件的生态适宜性。研究成果为流域内露天矿区资源的合理开发利用及生态保护提供一定的科学依据     

The impact of coastal flooding on conservation areas: A study of the Clyde Estuary, Scotland

This study examines the impact of flooding on land of high conservation value located along part of the southern shoreline of the River Clyde Estuary in western Scotland. This paper hypothesizes that, over the next 50 years, the frequency and extent of coastal flooding will increase due to the gradual effect of global warming and the consequent rise in sea-level and increase in storminess. It is argued that because of the great cost of constructing new flood defence systems it will not be possible to protect all land areas to an equal extent from flooding. A means of ranking different land use will be necessary so that society can make a rational judgement concerning which sections of coastline will be worth protecting. This study provides a methodology that combines an objective ranking of conservation areas using non-economic indicators with a GIS model of flood potential, and permits accurate forecasts of flood losses to conservation areas of different ecological value. The conservation case study used in this paper proposes the use of an ecological weighting value based on five ecological variables each of 10 categories. Tables and maps identify the sites that have been highlighted as consisting of the most ‘valuable’ conservation sites. The methodology makes extensive use of geographical information systems (GIS) to model the predicted areas of flooding and to calculate conservation weighting values of the land areas.     

Analysis of landscape pattern: towards a ‘top down’ indicator for evaluation of landuse

Landscapes as highly complex systems are subject to many different assessment procedures despite the fact that their development is not really predictable. Every synthetic model of landscape functioning will probably fail in demonstrating the landscape behaviour due to the decreasing precision and relevance of its output with increasing complexity. Two approaches are presented here which use deductive methods to describe landscape behaviour as indicated by its spatial structure. The one is a correlative concept which is characterized by all the advantages and disadvantages of statistical regression methods. It is strongly dependent on data quality. In the second study an expert knowledge system is developed. Fuzzy set theory is applied to transfer rules of landscape ecological experience to image parameters derived from satellite data. Both approaches are compared regarding the problems faced in the work during implication. Theoretical restrictions and the applicability in landscape assessment is discussed.     

岷江上游植被生境适应性空间分异格局的间隙度分析

了解岷江上游不同植被生境适宜性类型在整体和局部上的空间分异格局对植被生境管理和修复具有非常重要的意义。基于岷江上游4类植被生境适宜性类型空间分布图借助分形和贝叶斯理论,建立间隙度指数模型和多水平贝叶斯模型,实现定量表征不同植被生境适宜性类型在整体和局部空间上的聚簇和分异程度。结果表明:1)汶川在Ⅰ~Ⅳ类、Ⅲ类和Ⅳ类生境适宜性下的间隙度指数最大,其对应的空间分异尺度为3 000 m(即为30倍网格边长,网格边长为100 m)、2 900 m、2 800 m,而松潘在Ⅰ类和Ⅱ类型下的间隙度指数最大,其空间分异尺度为3 000 m、2 700 m。2)Ⅰ~Ⅳ类、Ⅰ类和Ⅱ类生境适宜性分别在汶川、松潘和理县的间隙度维数最大,空间格局聚簇性较小,进一步证明空间分异尺度较大,而Ⅲ类和Ⅳ类生境适宜性在茂县的间隙度维数最大。岷江上游植被生境空间分异格局的间隙度分析,可以为研究生境空间格局及其生境管理尺寸在整体和局部上的差异提供必备的条件和依据。     

南京地域人口发展功能分区

在GIS技术支持下，以南京市137个乡镇（街道）为基本评价单元，从人居环境约束性和适宜性两方面出发，探讨市域尺度上人口发展功能分区的研究思路、指标体系构建及研究方法。强调让人居环境适宜性好、资源环境承载力高、社会经济发展能力强的地区吸纳更多的人口；而人居环境约束性高、资源环境承载力有限、生态环境脆弱的地区承担更多的农业生产和生态服务功能，限制人口规模的扩大，以此协调人口发展与资源环境、社会经济之间的关系。在综合评价南京市人居环境约束性和适宜性分区基础上，依据二维判别矩阵，将南京市域划分为人口集聚区、人口稳定区、人口培育区、人口疏散区、人口限制区等五大类型区，并针对不同类型区域提出了相应的保障措施，以此为市域人口合理布局提供依据.     

Persistent pollutants and the patchiness of urban green areas as drivers of genetic richness in the epiphytic moss Leptodon smithii

We determined genetic variation and metal and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentrations in Leptodon smithii moss collected in holm oak stands at cities, outskirts and remote areas of Campania and Tuscany（Italy） to investigate if anthropogenic pressure（pollutant emissions and land use change） affects moss genetic richness. In both regions, metal and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentrations reflected the trend urban 〉 outskirts 〉 remote areas, excepting Tuscany remote site. In both regions,the moss gene diversity increased from urban to remote areas. The findings suggest the extent and the fragmentation of urban green areas, as drivers of moss genetic richness.     

Modeling resource selection using polytomous logistic regression and kernel density estimates

Wildlife resource selection studies typically compare used to available resources; selection or avoidance occurs when use is disproportionately greater or less than availability. Comparing used to available resources is problematic because results are often greatly influenced by what is considered available to the animal. Moreover, placing relocation points within resource units is often difficult due to radiotelemetry and mapping errors. Given these problems, we suggest that an animal’s resource use be summarized at the scale of the home range (i.e., the spatial distribution of all point locations of an animal) rather than by individual points that are considered used or available. To account for differences in use-intensity throughout an animal’s home range, we model resource selection using kernel density estimates and polytomous logistic regression. We present a case study of elk (Cervus elaphus) resource selection in South Dakota to illustrate the procedure. There are several advantages of our proposed approach. First, resource availability goes undefined by the investigator, which is a difficult and often arbitrary decision. Instead, the technique compares the intensity of animal use throughout the home range. This technique also avoids problems with classifying locations rigidly as used or unused. Second, location coordinates do not need to be placed within mapped resource units, which is problematic given mapping and telemetry error. Finally, resource use is considered at an appropriate scale for management because most wildlife resource decisions are made at the level of the patch. Despite the advantages of this use-intensity procedure, future research should address spatial autocorrelation and develop spatial models for ordered categorical variables.     

When Has an Abandoned Field Become a Semi-Natural Grassland or Heathland?

This study presents a meta-analysis of a collective dataset describing the succession from abandoned fields to semi-natural grassland and heathland vegetation over the past century. The study objectives were to develop a method for statistical discrimination between abandoned fields and semi-natural habitats and to analyze the probability that an abandoned field had developed into a semi-natural habitat. A statistical classification model was developed, based on lists of vascular plants from 2059 plots from Danish semi-natural grasslands and heathlands, and abandoned fields of varying age. This model was shown to discriminate effectively between abandoned fields and semi-natural habitats, and it was found to be potentially useful for the detection of abandoned fields approaching semi-natural vegetation. We suggest that the model may help clarify restoration targets and assess biological condition in formerly cultivated areas. Statistical modeling revealed that succession age, period of abandonment and succession trajectory had significant effects on the probability that abandoned fields reached the semi-natural phase. Our study indicates that restoration projects targeting grassland and heathland should take local species pools and soil fertility into account. Nomenclature: Species names follow Flora Europaea (Tutin and others 1964–1993).     

Investigating habitat value to inform contaminant remediation options: case study

Habitat valuation methods were implemented to support remedial decisions for aquatic and terrestrial contaminated sites at the East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP) on the US Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Reservation in Oak Ridge, TN, USA. The habitat valuation was undertaken for six contaminated sites: Contractor's Spoil Area, K-901-N Disposal Area, K-770 Scrapyard, K-1007-P1 pond, K-901 pond, and the Mitchell Branch stream. Four of these sites are within the industrial use area of ETTP and two are in the Black Oak Ridge Conservation Easement. These sites represent terrestrial and aquatic habitat for vertebrates, terrestrial habitat for plants, and aquatic habitat for benthic invertebrates. Current and potential future, no-action (no remediation) scenarios were evaluated primarily using existing information. Valuation metrics and scoring criteria were developed in a companion paper, this volume. The habitat valuation consists of extensive narratives, as well as scores for aspects of site use value, site rarity, and use value added from spatial context. Metrics for habitat value were expressed with respect to different spatial scales, depending on data availability. There was significant variation in habitat value among the six sites, among measures for different taxa at a single site, between measures of use and rarity at a single site, and among measures for particular taxa at a single site with respect to different spatial scales. Most sites had aspects of low, medium, and high habitat value. Few high scores for current use value were given. These include: wetland plant communities at all aquatic sites, Lepomid sunfish and waterbirds at 1007-P1 pond, and Lepomid sunfish and amphibians at K-901 pond. Aquatic sites create a high-value ecological corridor for waterbirds, and the Contractor's Spoil Area and possibly the K-901-N Disposal Site have areas that are part of a strong terrestrial ecological corridor. The only example of recent observations of rare species at these sites is the gray bat observed at the K-1007-P1 pond. Some aspects of habitat value are expected to improve under no-action scenarios at a few of the sites. Methods are applicable to other contaminated sites where sufficient ecological data are available for the site and region.