“We cannot let this happen again”: reversing UK flood policy in response to the Somerset Levels floods, 2014

The Multiple Streams Framework offers a theoretical account of how policy proposals move from latent possibilities to becoming favored for implementation. We apply this framework in the context of the policy response to the 2013–2014 flooding of the Somerset Levels and Moors. Stakeholder interviews and analysis of news media coverage evidence the way in which a specific policy option that had fallen out of favor with the national Environment Agency – dredging – came to the fore and was eventually adopted during the period in which the conjunction of problem, policy, and political pressures came to a head. Local political activists mobilized a wider campaign with the help of social media and capitalized on national political sensitivities to successfully promote dredging. What is less clear is the longevity of the policy reversal, given funding constraints.     

Investigation of multiple domino scenarios caused by fragments

A model of multiple domino scenarios and the risk of the domino effect, which is a sequential chain escalating from the primary unit to the last unit, is presented in this paper. The trajectories of fragments from all units, the ground distribution of projectiles, and the risk of the sequential chain of the domino effect were calculated using Monte Carlo simulations. The results showed that the range affected by the fragments from each tank included the other tanks, meaning that fragments from one tank could hit the other tanks and cause multiple accidents, and that the sequential chain of the domino effect could indeed happen. The distributions of ground impacts showed that tank fragments were projected over long distances, up to 1200 m from the source. The spatial distribution of the kinetic energy at ground impact for tank fragments was also obtained. Moreover, the magnitudes of the probabilities of the primary, secondary, third, and fourth accidents in the domino chain were respectively about 10⁻⁷, 10⁻¹¹, 10⁻¹⁵, and 10⁻¹⁹. These results showed that for neighboring domino effect units in the same accident chain, the risk of the most recent domino effect was 10⁴ times that of the following domino effect.     

Soil erosion vulnerability under scenarios of climate land-use changes after the development of a large reservoir in a semi-arid area

Climate and land-use/cover changes (LUCC) influence soil erosion vulnerability in the semi-arid region of Alqueva, threatening the reservoir storage capacity and sustainability of the landscape. Considering the effect of these changes in the future, the purpose of this study was to investigate soil erosion scenarios using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model. A multi-agent system combining Markov cellular automata with multi-criteria evaluation was used to investigate LUCC scenarios according to delineated regional strategies. Forecasting scenarios indicated that the intensive agricultural area as well as the sparse and xerophytic vegetation and rainfall-runoff erosivity would increase, consequently causing the soil erosion to rise from 1.78 Mg ha^?1 to 3.65 Mg ha^?1 by 2100. A backcasting scenario was investigated by considering the application of soil conservation practices that would decrease the soil erosion considerably to an average of 2.27 Mg ha^?1. A decision support system can assist stakeholders in defining restrictive practices and developing conservation plans, contributing to control the reservoir's siltation.     

基于资源环境承载力评价的土地利用功能分区研究

资源环境承载力是可持续发展度量和管理的重要参量和依据,是土地利用功能分区的前提和基础.从资源环境约束系统和保障系统两个维度,应用GIS空间分析和多因素综合评价法,探讨基于资源环境承载力评价的土地利用功能分区研究,并以重庆市渝北区为例进行实证研究.研究结论以期为优化国土空间开发格局和生态文明建设提供科学数据、规划思路和决策依据.     

省级生态保护红线划定实践研究 ——以青岛市为例

在省级及以上禁止开发区、重点生态功能保护区等进行调查分析的基础上,以青岛市为实践区域,与多类规划衔接,划定青岛市省级生态保护红线.青岛市最终划定59处省级生态保护红线区,面积合计1120.65 km2,占国土面积的9.9%.划定的生态保护红线符合确立"三生"空间和落实"多规合一"的要求,有利于改善生态系统服务功能,保障人居环境安全,增强经济社会可持续发展能力,对于青岛市市级生态保护红线的划定和生态安全格局的构建具有非常重要的意义.     

The difference conservation makes to extinction risk of the world's ungulates

Previous studies show that conservation actions have prevented extinctions, recovered populations, and reduced declining trends in global biodiversity. However, all studies to date have substantially underestimated the difference conservation action makes because they failed to account fully for what would have happened in the absence thereof. We undertook a scenario‐based thought experiment to better quantify the effect conservation actions have had on the extinction risk of the world's 235 recognized ungulate species. We did so by comparing species’ observed conservation status in 2008 with their estimated status under counterfactual scenarios in which conservation efforts ceased in 1996. We estimated that without conservation at least 148 species would have deteriorated by one International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List category, including 6 species that now would be listed as extinct or extinct in the wild. The overall decline in the conservation status of ungulates would have been nearly 8 times worse than observed. This trend would have been greater still if not for conservation on private lands. While some species have benefited from highly targeted interventions, such as reintroduction, most benefited collaterally from conservation such as habitat protection. We found that the difference conservation action makes to the conservation status of the world's ungulate species is likely to be higher than previously estimated. Increased, and sustained, investment could help achieve further improvements.     

孑遗植物四合木(Tetraenamongolica)迁地保护中的光合作用日变化特征与生理生态适应性

为了进一步廓清迁地保护条件下孑遗植物四合木（Tetraena mongolica）的光合生理生态适应性,在分析了瞬时光合效率的基础上,应用LI-6400光合作用测定系统测定了迁地保护试验区的四合木以及原生境伴生种白刺（Nitraria tangutorum）的光合作用日变化,并测定了其生长量。结果表明：四合木实生苗的生长南北冠幅大小依次为乌海四合木核心区实生苗（26.48 cm×27.26 cm）>鄂尔多斯实生苗（21.27 cm×21.75 cm）>阿拉善实生苗（19.25 cm×18.27 cm）。在原生境地乌海四合木核心区种植的实生苗与阿拉善实生苗之间的生长量存在显著差异（P≤0.01）,与鄂尔多斯实生苗之间的生长量存在显著差异（P≤0.05）。迁地保护条件下四合木生实生苗植株叶片光合速率Pn日变化均呈“双峰”曲线。不同试验区四合木光合作用日变化（Pn）、蒸腾速率（Tr）、气孔导度（Gs）和胞间 CO2浓度（Ci）均表现出明显的分异。迁地保护四合木条件下原生境地栽培的四合木实生苗的光合速率>鄂尔多斯栽培的四合木实生苗的光合速率>阿拉善栽培的四合木实生苗。鉴此可以作进一步推论,孑遗濒危植物四合木从原生境地西鄂尔多斯核心区（乌海）东移进行迁地保护具有更高的生理生态适应性和生境适宜性。但完成“从种子到种子”进而实现“保存性和代表性”,最终实现四合木迁地保护的“保持性和防止性”,保持其遗传多样性和遗传稳定性,最终成功实现四合木的迁地保护仍有待作进一步探索和深入研究。     

沿海城市多灾种耦合危险性评估的初步研究——以福建泉州为例

如何处理区域内多灾种之间的相互作用关系是当前多灾种综合风险评估研究的热点和难点之一。在梳理沿海城市多灾种之间相互作用关系的基础上,提出一种基于触发关系的多灾种耦合危险性评估方法。首先选取多指标建立单灾种分级方案,计算单灾种初始危险性指数;然后构建基于触发关系的多灾种耦合规则,结合GIS技术进行空间耦合,计算耦合后的危险性指数;最后对耦合后的多灾种危险性的综合进行了探讨。以福建省泉州市为例进行了案例研究,结果表明:该方法在多灾种耦合危险性评估中具有可行性,为后续多脆弱性和多灾种综合风险的研究提供支持,为决策者进行科学风险管理提供依据。     

不同国家基于健康风险的土壤环境基准比较研究与启示

20世纪90年代以来,许多发达国家颁布了基于健康风险的土壤环境标准及基准背景技术文件,为发展中国家启动标准制订和开展基准研究提供了重要的方法学参考.然而,由于各国在环境立法框架、基准推导过程、环境气候特征、土壤类型、人群生活方式与习惯等方面的不同,导致其基准名称、基准功能、保护受体以及基准取值等存在较大的差异.本文在综述基于健康风险的土壤环境基准科学内涵与基本特征的基础上,对不同国家场地土壤环境基准的名称、功能及基准值的差异进行了比较研究,从土地利用类型划分、暴露情景和暴露途径设定、致癌物可接受风险水平选择以及人体暴露参数确定等4个方面,对不同国家制定场地土壤环境基准的关键技术和影响因素进行了总结分析,探讨了借鉴国外经验考虑区域差异制定我国土壤环境基准的对策与方略,并指出了当前我国制定场地土壤环境基准和标准面临的困难和挑战.     

新安江流域土地利用结构对水质的影响

以新安江上游流域为研究区域,用该流域2010年5月TM遥感影像图作为底图,通过实地野外调查获取了新安江流域的土地利用图.运用ArcGIS的水文、空间分析功能,将流域划分为8个子流域,并分析各子流域的土地利用结构.根据2010年1～12月的水质监测数据,分析TN、TP、高锰酸盐指数、NH4+-N、粪大肠菌群的时空变化特征,以及与土地利用结构之间的定量关系.结果表明,TN和NH4+-N有明显的时间变化特征,为枯时期>丰水期>平水期,而其他几种指标没有明显的时间变化.在空间上,整体上呈现出渔梁、浦口污染最为严重.流域内土地利用结构与水质之间的相关关系表现为:耕地、水体、建筑用地起源作用,林地、草地起汇作用.在年度上看,耕地对TN、NH4+-N、高锰酸盐指数影响最大,草地对TP影响最大;不同水期上,枯水期和丰水期,对各指标影响最大的土地利用类型为耕地,在平水期,对TN、TP、粪大肠菌群影响最大的土地利用类型分别为耕地、草地、林地.