Climate change and transdisciplinary science: Problematizing the integration imperative

In this article we critically examine the ‘integration imperative’ in transdisciplinary environmental science and build on social constructivist and political theories to suggest alternative approaches of knowledge co-production in transdisciplinary settings. Our argument builds upon a body of literature in social studies of science to cull insights about knowledge co-production, social learning, and the ecology of team science, particularly as it relates to climate change adaptation. Couched in this transdisciplinary literature, we demonstrate, is the assumption that integration necessarily can and should be a regulative ideal. We critique this assumption by examining the ‘messy’ politics of achieving consensus among radically different, and sometimes irreconcilable, ways of knowing. We argue that the integration imperative conceals the friction, antagonism, and power inherent in knowledge co-production, which in turn can exclude innovative and experimental ways of understanding and adapting to climate change. By way of conclusion, the final section explores three alternative models of knowledge co-production – triangulation, the multiple evidence-based approach, and scenario building – and illustrates their application in the context of transdisciplinary research in climate change adaptation in the arctic, focusing on alternative means of cross-boundary engagement with indigenous ways of knowing.     

Chitosan/albumin/CaCO3 as mimics for membrane bioreactor fouling: genesis of structural mineralized-EPS-building blocks and cake layer compressibility

Membrane bioreactor biofouling is usually described as an extracellular matrix in which biopolymers, inorganic salts and active microbes co-exist. For that reason, biomineralization (BM) models can be useful to describe the spatial organization and environmental constraints within the referred scenario. BM arguments were utilized as background in order to (1) evaluate CaCO₃ influence on flux decline; pore blocking and cake layer properties (resistance, permeability and compressibility) in a wide range of Chitosan/Bovine serum albumin (BSA) mixtures during step-pressure runs and, (2) perform membrane autopsies in order to explore the genesis of mineralized extracellular building blocks (MEBB) during cake layer build up. Using low molecular weight chitosan (LC) and BSA, 2 L of 5 LC/BSA mixtures (0.25-1.85 ratio) were pumped to an external ultra filtration (UF) membrane (23.5 cm², hydrophobic, piezoelectric, 100 kDa as molecular weight cut-off). Eight different pressure steps (40 ± 7 to 540 ± 21 kPa) were applied. Each pressure step was held for 900 s. CaCO₃ was added to LC/BSA mixtures at 0.5, 1.5 and 3 mM in order to create MEBB during the filtration tests. Membrane autopsies were performed after the filtration tests using thermo gravimetric, scanning microscopy and specific membrane mass (mg cm⁻²) analyses. Biopolymer-CaCO₃ step-pressure filtration created compressible cake layers (with inner voids). The formation of an internal skeleton of MEBB may contribute to irreversible fouling consolidation. A hypothesis for MEBB genesis and development was set forth.     

建筑火灾烟气中CO迁移规律的FDS模拟

以T型"侧间-走廊"典型建筑火灾为模拟对象,分析烟气在走廊中的水平和垂直流动特征,并对火源房门高低、走廊端头启闭和多房门启闭等场景使用火灾模拟软件(FDS)进行了模拟和远距离房间CO浓度的迁移规律的分析。结果表明:烟气从火源房间经拱腹溢出在走廊中形成受限空间的顶棚射流;门檐高度决定了CO能够在走廊中的迁移量;烟气在走廊远距离封闭端头形成上部的热烟气层,中部回流层和下层的补气层;其中中部烟气回流层的高低、流速和CO浓度是影响临近非火源房间CO浓度的重要因素。走廊启闭和多房门火灾场景的模拟结果也进一步证明了CO的迁移规律。     

黑龙江省森林碳汇市场构建的可行性设计

随着全球森林碳汇市场市场份额扩大,黑龙江省凭借资源和区位等内在优势,森林碳汇市场发展前景可观。基于市场原则和组织框架的构建设想,依据市场定位和产品开发,对黑龙江省森林碳汇市场发展的可行性分阶段设计,提出适合的保障机制,为黑龙江省森林碳汇市场运行提供理论参考和现实依据。     

城市街谷与上游阻挡建筑最不利间距的研究

采用数值模拟的方法,研究了街谷内上风建筑与上游阻挡建筑的间距（D）,即上游建筑间距,对街谷内空气流动特性和气态污染物分布规律的影响.模拟结果表明,街谷内迎风区的气流速度基本不随D的变化而变化,而背风区和中心区的气流速度随着D的增加呈现先减小后增大的趋势,并在D=90m时,气流速度达到最小值.相应地,在D=90m时街谷内污染物浓度最高,表明D存在最不利值,在城市规划中应尽可能避免该间距.当D大于90m时,D越大,污染物浓度越低,而D小于90m时,D越小,污染物浓度也越低,可以同时实现节约用地和减小交通污染的目的.     

Community-Based Environmental Management in Atlantic Canada: The Impacts and Spheres of Influence of the Atlantic Coastal Action Program

The Atlantic Coastal Action Program (ACAP) is a unique, community-based program initiated by Environment Canada in 1991 to help Atlantic Canadians restore and sustain watersheds and adjacent coastal areas. ACAP is the eastem-most Environment Canada Ecosystem Initiative. The ACAP family is currently made up of 14 ecosystem-based organizations in the four Atlantic provinces. Each one of these non-profit organizations operates independently, but is formally linked under the umbrella of ACAP to represent a force stronger than the individual parts. In Environment Canada's experience, the program consistently demonstrates the value of a community-based approach and produces results on an ecosystem basis. This paper will examine some of the impacts of ACAP in terms of economics, credible community science, and environmental results which most often align with Environment Canada's objectives. It will explore the influences of the community-based approach to environmental management on multiple scales (local, regional, etc.). Through examples, the paper will demonstrate the effectiveness of ACAP in influencing some of the policies, programs and attitudes of various levels of government and industry in the region, as well as describe how the community-based model has been exported internationally. The paper will conclude with a discussion on a planned path forward for ACAP.     

Ecological scenarios analyzed and evaluated by a shallow lake model

We applied the complex ecosystem model EMMO, which was adopted to the shallow lake Müggelsee (Germany), in order to evaluate a large set of ecological scenarios. By means of EMMO, 33 scenarios and 17 indicators were defined to characterize their effects on the lake ecosystem. The indicators were based on model outputs of EMMO and can be separated into biological indicators, such as chlorophyll-a and cyanobacteria, and hydro-chemical indicators, such as phosphorus. The question to be solved was, what is the ranking of the scenarios based on their characterization by these 17 indicators? And how can we handle high quantities of complex data within evaluation procedures? The scenario evaluation was performed by partial order theory which, however, did not provide a clear result. By subsequently applying the hierarchical cluster analysis (complete linkage) it was possible to reduce the data matrix to indicator and scenario representatives. Even though this step implies losses of information, it simplifies the application of partial order theory and the post processing by METEOR. METEOR is derived from partial order theory and allows the stepwise aggregation of indicators, which subsequently leads to a distinct and clear decision. In the final evaluation result the best scenario was the one which defines a minimum nutrient input and no phosphorus release from the sediment while the worst scenario is characterized by a maximum nutrient input and extensive phosphorus release from the sediment. The reasonable and comprehensive results show that the combination of partial order, cluster analysis and METEOR can handle big amounts of data in a very clear and transparent way, and therefore is ideal in the context of complex ecosystem models, like that we applied.     

西北地区水资源—生态可持续发展的若干问题探讨

基于对西北地区大开发的关键性难题与一些违背自然规律的不良倾向的讨论 ,认为大开发的实施需要在系统科学思维的基础上综合考虑资源—环境—经济的协调发展。近年来 ,许多科学家从各种角度揭示了我国西北乃至北半球中纬度地区持续干旱的发展规律 ,对干旱化趋势与水盐失衡的分析表明 ,西北地区气候干旱化将长期存在 ,生态将继续退化 ,这种趋势是人力不可抗拒的。人为活动尤其是水资源的开发利用 ,对土壤生态的影响是非常明显的 ,应该在严格控制水资源利用总量的前提下 ,调整用水格局 ,发展节水经济 ,科学确定社会经济用水和生态用水的比例 ,保证必须的生态用水 ,大力发展生态植被。指出在分析西北生态环境问题时过于强调人为活动而忽视自然因素作用的倾向 ,讨论了水库兴修、灌溉、土地利用与改良、深层水利用、水环境脆弱性等水资源—生态建设与可持续发展中的若干关键性问题     

面向突发事件智能建筑管理系统的集成结构

为了实现面向突发事件的智能建筑管理系统(IBMS),提出了智能建筑突发事件的抽象模型、基本运算操作及优先权分配机制,并根据突发事件监控和管理的目标,提出了IBMS的"分布式虚拟应急中心"集成结构.     

居住区地下车库噪声在建筑群间的传播和影响模拟计算

针对城市居住区2种典型的建筑布局,结合随机点声源模型,对居住区内地下车库噪声影响进行了分析计算.通过实测值和预测值的比较,该预测模型精度较好.运用该模型预测规划与新建的居住区地下车库的噪声的影响,可为城市小区建设规划中有效控制噪声污染提供科学依据.