Response and potential of agroforestry crops under global change

The use of agroforestry crops is a promising tool for reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration through fossil fuel substitution. In particular, plantations characterised by high yields such as short rotation forestry (SRF) are becoming popular worldwide for biomass production and their role acknowledged in the Kyoto Protocol. While their contribution to climate change mitigation is being investigated, the impact of climate change itself on growth and productivity of these plantations needs particular attention, since their management might need to be modified accordingly. Besides the benefits deriving from the establishment of millions of hectares of these plantations, there is a risk of increased release into the atmosphere of volatile organic compounds (VOC) emitted in large amounts by most of the species commonly used. These hydrocarbons are known to play a crucial role in tropospheric ozone formation. This might represent a negative feedback, especially in regions already characterized by elevated ozone level.     

北京市交通道路空气中NOx的污染现状及时空变化规律研究

基于2008年及2009年分4个季节对北京市3种类型道路（开阔型、交叉路口型和峡谷型）空气中的NOx的现场监测结果,分析了3种类型道路空气中NOx的污染现状和时空变化规律及影响因素。实验结果表明,昼间北京市各类型街道空气中NOx浓度呈早晚浓度高、中午浓度低的变化规律,NOx浓度随季节和车流量变化较明显。交通道路空气中NO占NOx的分担率高,且有较好的相关性,而NO2分担率较低,与NOx相关性较差。     

The impact of climate changes on mass events in China

There is an increasing number of “mass events” in mainland China. My study extends the current studies to the context of China and tries to examine the potential impacts of climate changes on human conflicts in China. The results suggest a strong linkage between the deviation of monthly mean temperature from the historical mean and the number of mass events in a province. If the current trend of warming persists, in the next 6–8 decades, the number of mass events in China will increase by over 8.8%.     

我国工业SO2排放趋势及影响因素分析

分析了我国工业SO2排放量的变化趋势，以及其与GDP、工业产值、火电厂发电量等指标的变化关系；利用50个省市1998—2007年的有关数据建立了SO2排放量的影响因素面板数据模型，力求通过定量分析识别影响我国工业SO2排放量的关键因素。研究表明，我国工业SO2排放量与第二产业比重、火力发电比重并无明显关系，而GDP、发电量、一次能源转化效率、SO2去除率存在显著关系，对SO2工业实际排放量起决定作用的是SO2的去除率。     

安徽地区近45年蒸发皿蒸发量变化特征及影响因素初探

利用线性倾向性估计和Mann Kendal检验方法,研究了过去的45年（1963~2007年）安徽地区32个代表站 20 cm 口径蒸发皿蒸发量的变化特征。结果表明：（1）安徽地区蒸发皿蒸发量呈现明显下降趋势（-65.3 mm/10 a，信度001），年蒸发总量在1976年发生突变，1982年显著减少，夏季突变最为明显；（2）32个代表台站中24个台站蒸发皿蒸发量表现为显著下降趋势，仅1个表现为上升趋势（信度005），在空间上减少趋势基本呈现“北多南少”的态势。结合其它气候要素研究发现：气温显著升高，蒸发量明显减少，即安徽地区存在“蒸发悖论”规律，但气温与蒸发量之间相关性不明显；日照，日较差和风速存在显著减少趋势，相关性〖JP+1〗分析表明它们是影响蒸发皿蒸发量减少的最重要因子；低云量，降水量和相对湿度等要素本身没有明显变化趋势但对蒸发皿蒸发量的减少作用也不可忽视。     

Multi-causal and integrated assessment of sustainability: the case of agriculturization in the Argentine Pampas

Assessing the sustainability of complex development processes requires multi-causal and integrated analyses. We develop a system-based methodology, rooted in interdisciplinary discussion and consensus building between 15 experts, to construct a multi-causal diagram which examines the sustainability of the Argentine Pampas′ process of agriculturization. The resulting diagram includes 25 factors and provides a big-picture of the multiple dimensions and interrelations affecting sustainability. According to this examination, the increasing concentration of production and the incorporation of technological innovations, triggered by economic and institutional factors, are the cause of environmental distresses and social changes, whose consequences for sustainability are still highly disputed. Nevertheless, the symptoms of both environmental and social unsustainability are more evident in the case of the extra-Pampean regions than in the Pampas. This suggests that the Pampean agriculture model should not be transferred to these regions without substantial modifications. The experts did not reach consensus on whether the agriculturization process is overall sustainable or unsustainable. Lack of consensus revolved mainly around opposing perspectives regarding the significance of the threats to environmental sustainability. The magnitude of socio-distributive unbalance and loss of rural jobs were also contentious. Yet, the paper shows how the exercise of building a joint causal diagram was undoubtedly helpful for linking piece-meal disciplinary facts, brought in from all fronts, into a comprehensive and coherent picture. Readers should send their comments on this paper to: BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.     

Land Use and Land Cover Change Analysis and Prediction in the Upper Reaches of the Minjiang River,China

Scientists have aimed at exploring land use and land cover change (LUCC) and modeling future landscape pattern in order to improve our understanding of the causes and consequences of these phenomena. This study addresses LUCC in the upper reaches of Minjiang River, China, from 1974 to 2000. Based on remotely sensed images, LUCC and landscape pattern change were assessed using cross-tabulation and landscape metrics. Then, using the CLUE-S model, changes in area of four types of land cover were predicted for two scenarios considering forest polices over the next 20 years. Results showed that forestland decreased from 1974 to 2000 due to continuous deforestation, while grassland and shrubland increased correspondingly. At the same time, the farmland and settlement land increased dramatically. Landscape fragmentation in the study area accompanied these changes. Forestland, grassland, and farmland take opposite trajectories in the two scenarios, as does landscape fragmentation. LUCC has led to ecological consequences, such as biodiversity loss and lowering of ecological carrying capacity.     

徐州市近年来大气硫酸盐化速率的时空变化研究

硫酸盐化速率反映大气中二氧化硫及硫的化合物的污染状况，文章以徐州市区11年大气中硫酸盐化速率监测数据为依据，分析研究了煤烟型城市环境空气中硫酸盐化速率的变化规律及污染状况。结果表明：徐州市硫酸盐化速率变化有明显的时空特征，与环境空气质量也密切相关。提出削减污染源，加快清洁能源推广步伐，完善城市规划，进行产业结构调整是解决徐州市大气污染的有效途径。     

Environmental history: A piece in the puzzle for establishing plans for environmental management

Establishment of plans for environmental planning and management requires that a number of natural and societal factors must be taken into consideration. Insights into the inherent dynamics of nature as well as the role that past human activities have played for establishing the current condition of the landscape and the natural environment in general are essential. Many natural and man-made changes occur over time scales of decades or centuries, and these are difficult to comprehend without a historical perspective. Such a perspective can be obtained using palaeoecological studies, i.e. by geochemical and biological analyses of lake sediment and peat deposits. To illustrate the long-term dynamics of nature and particularly the role of man, we present here five case studies from Sweden concerning pollution, lake acidification, lake eutrophication, biodiversity, and landscape dynamics and conservation – topics of broad interests – and discuss benefits of including a longer time perspective in environmental management.     

Beyond Rio: Sustainable energy scenarios for the 21st century

Reaching the economic, environmental and sustainability objectives of all societies requires overcoming several major energy challenges; it necessitates rapid progress in multiple areas. The scenario pathways presented in this paper describe transformative changes toward these goals, taking a broad view of the four main energy challenges faced by society in the 21st century: providing universal access to modern energy for all; reducing the impacts of energy production on human health and the environment; avoiding dangerous climate change; and enhancing energy security. The overarching objective of the paper is to provide policy guidance on how to facilitate the transformation of the energy system to achieve these multiple energy objectives. Particular focus is given to the required pace of the transformation at both the global and regional levels, and to the types of financial and policy measures that will be needed to ensure a successful transition. Synergies and trade‐offs between the objectives are identified, and co‐benefits quantified. The paper makes an important contribution to the scenario literature by approaching the global transition toward sustainable development in a more integrated, holistic manner than is common in other studies.