Towards a governance of sustainable consumption transitions: how institutional factors influence emerging local food systems in Belgium

System innovations and transitions in the realm of sustainable consumption policies will seldom emerge automatically from the present socio-political and socio-technical contexts. This paper explores a set of perspectives related to the governance of transitions and develops their application to the relatively unexplored governance of sustainable consumption transitions. Empirical material stems from an extensive case study which analyses a food consumption niche in the form of collectively organised local food systems (LFS) in Belgium. More specifically, we analyse and discuss the institutional contexts and socio-political configurations within which the investigated system innovation cases are embedded. The results explore the role of governmental interplay in fostering innovative consumption practices for a transition towards a more sustainable, autonomous, citizen-based, LFS.     

Biofilm responses to marine fish farm wastes

The changes in the biofilm community due to organic matter enrichment, eutrophication and metal contamination derived from fish farming were studied. The biofilm biomass, polysaccharide content, trophic niche and element accumulation were quantified along an environmental gradient of fish farm wastes in two seasons. Biofilm structure and trophic diversity was influenced by seasonality as well as by the fish farm waste load. Fish farming enhanced the accumulation of organic carbon, nutrients, selenium and metals by the biofilm community. The accumulation pattern of these elements was similar regardless of the structure and trophic niche of the community. This suggests that the biofilm communities can be considered a reliable tool for assessing dissolved aquaculture wastes. Due to the ubiquity of biofilms and its wide range of consumers, its role as a sink of dissolved wastes may have important implications for the transfer of aquaculture wastes to higher trophic levels in coastal systems.     

生态活度生态位--理论、方法及其应用

“生态活度生态位（Eco-vigor Niche）”是对生态位概念和理论的发展．它描述区域生态系统中一个占据特定空间位置的复合生态系统单元（或景观斑块）．在与其它单元相互作用过程中所形成的相对地位与作用。在由自然生态活度坐标和社会经济生态活度坐标构成的二维空间中．生态活度生态位可以用二维空间中的矢量表达。该矢量的“长度”意味着,生态系统单元的资源优势程度与提供生态服务的能力;矢量的“方向”则意味着该生态系统单元所具有的．由其社会经济生态活度和自然生态活度相比较而体现出来的属性．反映出该单元在区域复合生态系统中的性质和角色。“生态活度生态位”可以表达区域生态系统内的空间分异特征。反映各生态单元在区域内扮演的角色．判断各单元在区域生态系统中的功能定位．为生态区划、生态规划、土地利用规划等提供依据。     

基于生态位理论的京津冀城市生态文明评价

生态文明评价体系是明确生态文明建设现状、定位生态文明建设存在问题的关键。从城市群视角出发引入生态位理论,界定生态文明位内涵,构建涵盖社会子系统生态位—经济子系统生态位—资源环境子系统生态位共29项指标的城市生态文明评价指标体系,并提出相对生态文明位和生态经济指数的二维模型,测算京津冀城市群6个案例城市在2007—2011年的生态文明建设水平、趋势以及地位。结果显示,2011年北京生态文明水平(相对生态文明位)最高,邢台生态文明水平最低,石家庄、秦皇岛、承德、天津生态文明水平分别排名第2、第3、第4、第5。2007—2011年,北京、承德、邢台生态文明水平呈现波动下降趋势,而秦皇岛、石家庄、天津呈现小幅上升趋势;但生态经济指数测算显示,北京的经济社会发展对于生态资源环境的占用消耗大,承德有较好的经济发展潜力。并基于该二维模型,将京津冀城市生态文明建设分为4种类型:发展失衡型、相对和谐型、高质量发展型、资源环境优势型,分别确定城市生态文明建设重点,为京津冀协同发展提供了指导依据。     

生态位理论及其在城市竞争研究中的作用——以中原城市群为例

城市生态位作为生态学重要理论之一,可用于分析城市群内部不同城市间竞争、演化等现象。以中原城市群9个省辖市为基本单元,运用生态位理论模型,进行多指标的综合加权和聚类分析,得出如下结论:(1)就中原城市群整体而言,城市生态位偏低且呈现明显的层次分异;(2)中原城市群城市生态位空间分异表现复杂。综合城市生态位、自然生态位及人口生态位空间分异并不明显,而经济生态位和社会生态位空间分异却十分显著,其中经济生态位最为显著;(3)中原城市群缺少4个子系统都具有优势特征的城市,只有郑州独具2项优势特征,但其自然生态位较低,自然生态位是郑州城市生态位的限制性因子。     

热污染对陡河水库鱼类及其水环境的影响

研究表明,热污染对水环境影响主要表现在水温的频繁变化、水平和纵向上温差明显以及改变水生物的群落结构.寄生虫感染率增加,冷热冲击对胚胎发育的危害和浮游生物群落变化形成的饵料基础是影响鱼类数量和生长的重要因素,鱼类在群落中的生态位特点则决定着对各种变化的反应结果.     

Keeping the blood flowing—plasminogen activator genes and feeding behavior in vampire bats

The blood feeding vampire bats emerged from New World leaf-nosed bats that fed on fruit and insects. Plasminogen activator, a serine protease that regulates blood coagulation, is known to be expressed in the saliva of Desmodus rotundus (common vampire bat) and is thought to be a key enzyme for the emergence of blood feeding in vampire bats. To better understand the evolution of this biological function, we studied the plasminogen activator (PA) genes from all vampire bat species in light of their feeding transition to bird and subsequently mammalian blood. We include the rare species Diphylla ecaudata and Diaemus youngi, where plasminogen activator had not previously been studied and demonstrate that PA gene duplication observed in Desmodus is not essential to the vampire phenotype, but relates to the emergence of predominant mammalian blood feeding in this species. Plasminogen activator has evolved through gene duplication, domain loss, and sequence evolution leading to change in fibrin-specificity and susceptibility to plasminogen activator inhibitor-1. Before undertaking this study, only the four plasminogen activator isoforms from Desmodus were known. The evolution of vampire bat plasminogen activators can now be linked phylogenetically to the transition in feeding behavior among vampire bat species from bird to mammalian blood. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

甘南高寒退化草地生态位特征及生产力研究

采取样方法,对玛曲县高寒中度退化草地的植物种群群落进行了研究分析,结果表明:以莎草植物(嵩草)为绝对优势种,杂类草(金莲花)为主要伴生种。非优势种垂穗披碱草、甘青青兰生态位宽度较大,分别为0.913和0.911,而绝对优势种嵩草和主要伴生种金莲花的生态位宽度较低,分别为0.906和0.641。生态位相似性比例大于0.50%的种对约占种群总对数的42.29%。生态位重叠值大于0.040的种对,约占种群总对数的20.55%。生态位宽度较大的两个种群,种对相似性比例一般较高,具有较大的生态位重叠(如种对乳白香青和毛茛0.082),而生态位窄的物种相互间生态位重叠比例较小(如种对二裂委陵菜和金莲花0.033)。高生态位宽度与低生态位宽度的种群也可能有较高的重叠值(如种对车前和毛茛0.065),反之则低。杂类草鲜草产量、地上生物量比例最高,依次为100.00 g/(m2.a)、43.37%。     

放牧对荒漠草原建群种和优势种生态位的影响

短花针茅荒漠草原建群种为短花针茅（Stipa breviflora）,优势种为无芒隐子草（Cleistogenes songorica）和碱韭（Allium polyrrhizum）,3个种群地上现存量之和可达群落现存量的60%~80%,其数量消长、时空变化及结构的位移均会引起群落的巨大波动。为明确3个植物种群占有空间资源的能力、相互关系及其受放牧影响的变化规律,以内蒙古苏尼特右旗赛汉塔拉镇1999年建立的荒漠草原教学科研基地建群种和优势种为研究对象,于2012年8月在围封区（CK）和自由放牧区（CG）按样带法和样地法进行取样,运用生态位宽度指数、生态位重叠指数及灰色关联度进行数据分析,结果如下。受放牧影响,短花针茅和碱韭主要通过大幅度调节生态位宽度来保证植物种群存活及其在群落中的地位和作用,变化幅度分别为0.429~0.813和0.235~0.828;而无芒隐子草生态位宽度变化不大（为0.556~0.761）,其对放牧影响的耐受性较强。在生态位重叠方面,短花针茅与无芒隐子草受放牧影响后分别与其他两植物种群重叠程度增加,而碱韭植物种群表现相反;生态位重叠程度变化与种对间的竞争能力有关,也与种对间的亲和能力有关,且存在不对称性。     

基于eDNA技术的渭河浮游动物多样性及关键种生态位特征

环境DNA（eDNA）技术作为水生态系统生物多样性监测的新手段,能够从微观角度对生物群落结构特征进行分析.基于渭河干流eDNA浮游动物OTUs分类信息数据及水环境参数,采用多样性指数、非度量多维尺度分析、聚类分析和关联网络分析等方法,探究了浮游动物的多样性和群落结构变化特征,揭示了关键种的生态位分化及其环境适应性.结果表明,浮游动物群落在物种组成、丰度、多样性和空间异质性方面均存在显著差异（P<0.01）.Chao1指数、ACE指数、Shannon指数和Simpson指数的均值分别为22.25、22.38、2.32和0.68,下游生物多样性明显高于上游.群落中的关键种与其他物种间连接度较高,具有高节点度、中心性和模块化特征.关键种（类）的OTUs生态位宽度B_i变化范围为0.38~0.80,中生态位种类占全部关键种（类）的63%,生态位重叠程度总体较高.水环境要素与浮游动物群落结构和生态位变化密切相关,其中总氮和水温是其主要限制因子,对浮游动物群落结构变化具有重要影响.