Arts as a vehicle for community building and post‐disaster development

Use of the arts in international aid is common in an ad hoc form, but it has not been systematically theorised or evaluated. The arts have the potential to be a culturally contextualised and sustainable intervention for adults and children in the aftermath of war or disaster. On the micro level, the arts are a method to enable the retrieval and reprocessing of traumatic memories that are often encoded in images rather than in words. On a macro level, they can help to reconstruct a group narrative of a disaster as well as mobilise people back into control of their lives. This paper researches a long‐term project using arts in Sri Lanka following the civil war and tsunami. A central finding is the need to understand arts within their cultural context, and their usefulness in strengthening the voices and problem‐solving capacities of the victims of the disaster.     

A Guide to Understanding Social Science Research for Natural Scientists

Natural scientists are increasingly interested in social research because they recognize that conservation problems are commonly social problems. Interpreting social research, however, requires at least a basic understanding of the philosophical principles and theoretical assumptions of the discipline, which are embedded in the design of social research. Natural scientists who engage in social science but are unfamiliar with these principles and assumptions can misinterpret their results. We developed a guide to assist natural scientists in understanding the philosophical basis of social science to support the meaningful interpretation of social research outcomes. The 3 fundamental elements of research are ontology, what exists in the human world that researchers can acquire knowledge about; epistemology, how knowledge is created; and philosophical perspective, the philosophical orientation of the researcher that guides her or his action. Many elements of the guide also apply to the natural sciences. Natural scientists can use the guide to assist them in interpreting social science research to determine how the ontological position of the researcher can influence the nature of the research; how the epistemological position can be used to support the legitimacy of different types of knowledge; and how philosophical perspective can shape the researcher's choice of methods and affect interpretation, communication, and application of results. The use of this guide can also support and promote the effective integration of the natural and social sciences to generate more insightful and relevant conservation research outcomes. Una Guía para Entender la Investigación de Ciencias Sociales para las Ciencias Naturales Katie Moon     

Trait‐based prediction of extinction risk of small‐bodied freshwater fishes

Small body size is generally correlated with r‐selected life‐history traits, including early maturation, short‐generation times, and rapid growth rates, that result in high population turnover and a reduced risk of extinction. Unlike other classes of vertebrates, however, small freshwater fishes appear to have an equal or greater risk of extinction than large fishes. We explored whether particular traits explain the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List conservation status of small‐bodied freshwater fishes from 4 temperate river basins: Murray‐Darling, Australia; Danube, Europe; Mississippi‐Missouri, North America; and the Rio Grande, North America. Twenty‐three ecological and life‐history traits were collated for all 171 freshwater fishes of ≤120 mm total length. We used generalized linear mixed‐effects models to assess which combination of the 23 traits best explained whether a species was threatened or not threatened. We used the best models to predict the probability of 29 unclassified species being listed as threatened. With and without controlling for phylogeny at the family level, small body size—among small‐bodied species—was the most influential trait correlated with threatened species listings. The k‐folds cross‐validation demonstrated that body size and a random effect structure that included family predicted the threat status with an accuracy of 78% (SE 0.5). We identified 10 species likely to be threatened that are not listed as such on the IUCN Red List. Small body size is not a trait that provides universal resistance to extinction, particularly for vertebrates inhabiting environments affected by extreme habitat loss and fragmentation. We hypothesize that this is because small‐bodied species have smaller home ranges, lower dispersal capabilities, and heightened ecological specialization relative to larger vertebrates. Trait data and further model development are needed to predict the IUCN conservation status of the over 11,000 unclassified freshwater fishes, especially those under threat from proposed dam construction in the world's most biodiverse river basins.     

When and how to use Q methodology to understand perspectives in conservation research

Understanding human perspectives is critical in a range of conservation contexts, for example, in overcoming conflicts or developing projects that are acceptable to relevant stakeholders. The Q methodology is a unique semiquantitative technique used to explore human perspectives. It has been applied for decades in other disciplines and recently gained traction in conservation. This paper helps researchers assess when Q is useful for a given conservation question and what its use involves. To do so, we explained the steps necessary to conduct a Q study, from the research design to the interpretation of results. We provided recommendations to minimize biases in conducting a Q study, which can affect mostly when designing the study and collecting the data. We conducted a structured literature review of 52 studies to examine in what empirical conservation contexts Q has been used. Most studies were subnational or national cases, but some also address multinational or global questions. We found that Q has been applied to 4 broad types of conservation goals: addressing conflict, devising management alternatives, understanding policy acceptability, and critically reflecting on the values that implicitly influence research and practice. Through these applications, researchers found hidden views, understood opinions in depth and discovered points of consensus that facilitated unlocking difficult disagreements. The Q methodology has a clear procedure but is also flexible, allowing researchers explore long‐term views, or views about items other than statements, such as landscape images. We also found some inconsistencies in applying and, mainly, in reporting Q studies, whereby it was not possible to fully understand how the research was conducted or why some atypical research decisions had been taken in some studies. Accordingly, we suggest a reporting checklist.     

The role of digital data entry in participatory environmental monitoring

Many argue that monitoring conducted exclusively by scientists is insufficient to address ongoing environmental challenges. One solution entails the use of mobile digital devices in participatory monitoring (PM) programs. But how digital data entry affects programs with varying levels of stakeholder participation, from nonscientists collecting field data to nonscientists administering every step of a monitoring program, remains unclear. We reviewed the successes, in terms of management interventions and sustainability, of 107 monitoring programs described in the literature (hereafter programs) and compared these with case studies from our PM experiences in Australia, Canada, Ethiopia, Ghana, Greenland, and Vietnam (hereafter cases). Our literature review showed that participatory programs were less likely to use digital devices, and 2 of our 3 more participatory cases were also slow to adopt digital data entry. Programs that were participatory and used digital devices were more likely to report management actions, which was consistent with cases in Ethiopia, Greenland, and Australia. Programs engaging volunteers were more frequently reported as ongoing, but those involving digital data entry were less often sustained when data collectors were volunteers. For the Vietnamese and Canadian cases, sustainability was undermined by a mismatch in stakeholder objectives. In the Ghanaian case, complex field protocols diminished monitoring sustainability. Innovative technologies attract interest, but the foundation of effective participatory adaptive monitoring depends more on collaboratively defined questions, objectives, conceptual models, and monitoring approaches. When this foundation is built through effective partnerships, digital data entry can enable the collection of more data of higher quality. Without this foundation, or when implemented ineffectively or unnecessarily, digital data entry can be an additional expense that distracts from core monitoring objectives and undermines project sustainability. The appropriate role of digital data entry in PM likely depends more on the context in which it is used and less on the technology itself.     

长江口海域底栖生态环境质量评价——AMBI和M-AMBI法

AMBI(AZTI’s Marine Biotic Index)和M-AMBI(Multivariate-AMBI)指数可以有效地评价河口和近岸海域软底质海洋大型底栖动物群落对人为和自然扰动的响应.本研究根据2009年4月在长江口采集的大型底栖动物资料,首次在长江口海域同时运用栖息密度和生物量计算AMBI(BAMBI)和M-AMBI(M-BAMBI),对其进行底栖生态质量评价.结果表明,长江口底栖生态环境皆受到不同程度的干扰,其中受干扰最严重的区域集中在杭州湾、舟山及长江口门区附近海域,与该海域的陆源排污、富营养化以及大量的海岸工程建设等有密切的关系.单因素方差分析表明,运用栖息密度和生物量计算出的两个指数值,评价结果无明显的差异.与AMBI相比,M-AMBI与本研究生物群落结构参数以及环境因子的匹配度更高,能够更有效地评价长江口底栖生态环境质量.Pearson相关分析和一元线性回归分析表明,M-AMBI与底层水体的富营养化指数之间存在线性显著负相关关系,而与表层水体的呈非线性显著负相关;AMBI与富营养化指数之间却无显著相关关系,说明M-AMBI更适合指示长江口水域的富营养化压力.     

碳排放影响因子与碳足迹文献综述:基于研究方法视角

从研究方法的角度出发,对近年来国内外碳排放影响因子及碳足迹的相关研究进行文献综述。根据碳排放影响因子的研究方法—情景分析法、因素分解法中的指数分解法以及其他计量模型,介绍了国内外关于碳排放影响因子的研究现状,最后对方法进行归类和对比。根据碳足迹研究方法—投入产出法、生命周期评价法、IPCC法以及其他模型,分析了国内外关于碳足迹的研究进展。最后通过总结,对碳排放和碳足迹的未来研究方向进行了展望。     

燃煤烟气同时脱硫脱硝方法的研究进展及分析

近年来,烟气同时脱硫脱硝技术因占地面积小,可同时控制多种污染物而引起广泛的关注,但该技术多数仍停留在实验阶段。文章重点介绍了等离子体法、固相吸附法、溶液吸收法及微生物法等方法研究进展,对各方法的脱硫脱硝特点及功效进行评述,分析其问题与不足,并提出燃煤烟气同时脱硫脱硝方法的研究方向,为同时脱硫脱硝技术的改进提出建议。     

氨氮污染减排技术与政策研究

随着中国经济高速发展,污染物排放量大幅增长,水环境中的氨氮污染问题也已成为水环境治理的关注焦点.文章分别从源头削减和末端治理两个层面介绍了中国工业、农业、城镇生活源氨氮减排的技术的发展,氨氮减排技术为氨氮污染防控工作提供了科学、合理、有效的技术和理论支撑;从政策体制方面介绍了氨氮减排现状和要求,对氨氮减排技术及氨氮减排体制在中国的发展提出了相应的展望,为进一步发展和完善氨氮减排工作提供借鉴和参考.同时,也为未来氨氮污染物排放总量减排会进一步向智能化、精细化发展,氨氮减排技术在减排体制中体现的支撑作用.     

绿色会计视角下能源企业的成本核算优化研究

针对绿色会计视角下能源企业的成本核算优化,介绍了绿色会计视角下能源企业的成本核算,由于能源企业的发展,对环境产生了巨大危害,也导致能源企业由于本身成本过高,这才提出绿色会计,这样才能优化能源企业的成本,可以保证能源企业的可持续发展;同时,也保障了能源企业生态的稳定建设.基于绿色会计视角,探讨了能源企业的绿色成本优化研究,主要包括能源企业坚持绿色会计,确定绿色成本原则,能源企业绿色成本优化条件和能源企业加强绿色会计实践.