RIVPACS models for predicting the expected macroinvertebrate fauna and assessing the ecological quality of rivers

The European Union Water Framework Directive recognises the need for and value of biological monitoring. This paper reviews the modelling approach known as River Invertebrate Prediction and Classification System (RIVPACS for assessing the ecological quality of river sites using macroinvertebrate sampling. The RIVPACS philosophy is to develop statistical relationships between the fauna and the environmental characteristics of a large set of high quality reference sites which can be used to predict the macroinvertebrate fauna to be expected at any site in the absence of pollution or other environmental stress. The observed fauna at new test sites can then be compared with their site-specific expected fauna to derive indices of ecological quality. All methodological decisions in any such model development have implications for the reliability, precision and robustness of any resulting indices for assessing the ecological quality and ecological grade (‘status’) of individual river stretches. The choice of reference sites and environmental predictor variables, the site classification and discrimination methods, the estimation of the expected fauna, and indices for comparing the agreement, or lack of it, between the observed and expected fauna, are all discussed. The indices are assessed on the reference sites and on a separate test set of 340 sites, which are subject to a wide range of types and degrees of impairment.     

A comparative review of coastal conservation policies in France, and England and Wales

In Europe, Britain was relatively early in being aware of the necessity of conserving natural coastal sites, though not as early as The Netherlands. In the 1960s and 1970s, increasing economic and tourist pressures in Europe prompted measures geared to the protection of other coasts in Europe. The promptness of the British reaction was a result of a sensitive public opinion and of powerful private trusts (National Trust with Enterprise Neptune) rather than of a commitment by the Government. In France a specific organization, in part inspired by the British principle, was set up. However, the French system is based much more on a public authority, theConservatoire de l’Espace Littoral et des Rivages Lacustres and on legislation (Coastal Law of 1986). Although very different in the beginning, French and British conservation politics today show many similarities, along with the similarities in the concerns of both countries.     

东南大陆早古生代古地理轮廓

由早中元古代中深变质岩系组成的华南加里东海盆基底及东海、南海古陆。元古代晚期,海盆在拉张环境下继续沉降,于震旦、寒武、奥陶纪期间,沉积了厚近两万米的地槽型火山-砂泥质建造,陆源碎屑主要来自东海、南海古陆,直到中生代晚期古陆才裂陷成海,始成今日的海陆分布格局。     

西昆仑山构造格架与成矿堆积环境

本文在对西昆仑山广布的岩浆岩尤其是花岗岩研究取得的成果基础上 ,结合区域构造、沉积建造等其它地质特征 ,再造了西昆仑山地质构造发展历程 ,进而研究了区内成矿堆积环境及其矿床地质特征。结果表明 ,西昆仑山经历了复杂的地质构造演化 ,是一条由北而南分别由加里东造山带、华力西造山带和燕山早期造山带组成的复合型造山带。区内存在以下 5种主要成矿堆积环境 :洋脊 (蛇绿岩 )成矿堆积环境 (塞浦路斯型含铜黄铁矿矿床 ,豆荚状铬、镍矿床 ) ,被动陆缘成矿堆积环境 (MVT铅锌矿床 ,Sedex型铅铜矿床 ) ,火山弧成矿堆积环境 (斑岩型铜矿床 ,黑矿型铜锌铅矿床 ,矽卡岩型铜铅锌多金属矿床 ) ,弧后盆地成矿堆积环境 (海底火山喷发沉积型铁铜金矿床 ,气液充填型铜金铁矿床 )和同碰撞成矿堆积环境 (伟晶岩型稀有金属矿床 ,伟晶岩型多金属银矿床 )     

Indicator system and evaluation framework for sustainable development

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Ecosystem services for water policy: Insights across Europe

In this research we explored how the concepts and approaches of ecosystem services are currently used in water management in Europe, in the application of River Basin Management Plans (RBMP) developed for the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD). Five case studies have been considered, located in the River Basin Districts of the Po river (Italy), Scotland (United Kingdom), Scheldt river (Belgium), Danube river (Romania), Sado and Mira rivers and Ribeiras do Algarve (Portugal). These cases represent different regional contexts of application of this EU water policy, with specific socio-economic drivers and environmental issues. Each case study has developed an operational framework to analyse ecosystem services in practice together with a group of local stakeholders. In each regional case, we examined how EU water policy and RBMPs are implemented, considered legal and planning instruments from the national to the local scale, and we analysed the use of ecosystem service terms and concepts in the relevant planning instruments. In parallel, we explored the view of local stakeholders and water managers on the topic, collecting their opinion on three major aspects: the usefulness of the concepts and approaches of ecosystem services for WFD river basin management plans, the risks and benefits of their use, and the knowledge needs to put the concepts into practice. The major drawback of the ecosystem service approach seems to be the challenge for practitioners of understanding new concepts and methodologies, while the major advantages are that it highlights all the hidden benefits of a water body in good health and promotes multi-functionality and sustainability in water management. The results of this study provide a picture across Europe of the current use of the concepts of ecosystem services in the RBMP and relevant insight on the opinion of local stakeholders and water managers.     

Indicators for managing biosolids in Ireland

Sustainable development indicators (SDIs) have emerged as a tool to measure progress towards sustainable development for a number of fields. However, no indicator initiative to date has been aimed at biosolids management at local authority, regional or national levels. This paper presents a study where stakeholders involved in the management of biosolids in Ireland participated in the development of SDIs for managing biosolids at the local/regional level. A significant 81% of participating stakeholders find SDIs either 'useful' or 'very useful' as a tool for managing biosolids. A suite of 22 indicators has been developed and arranged according to the driving force-pressure-state-impact-response (DPSIR) indicator framework. The indicators address all the domains of biosolids management namely, production, quality, cost, legislation/regulation, training/research and recycling/disposal. The stakeholder approach is recognition that no effective indicator set can be developed without the input of stakeholders.     

中国粮食安全系统脆弱性评价及其驱动机制分析

从粮食安全系统的视角出发,运用VSD的脆弱性分析框架,从暴露性、敏感性、适应能力三个层面构建了中国粮食安全脆弱性评价指标体系,采用主成分分析方法对1991-2015年中国粮食安全脆弱性的暴露性、敏感性、适应能力进行定量分析,并探究了中国粮食安全脆弱性变化的总体趋势及其驱动因子。研究结果表明：（1）暴露性指数呈现出2阶段下降特征,年均下降0.121;敏感性指数呈现出快速上升和基本稳定的两阶段变化特征;适应能力指数则一直上升,年均提高0.117。（2）1991-2015年粮食安全系统脆弱性指数整体呈现下降趋势,表明中国粮食安水平有了明显提高;其变化过程可划分为1991-1999年、2000-2003年和2004-2015年三个阶段,第一、二阶段粮食安全水平的总体提高是基于“吃饱”水平上的提高,而第三阶段是基于“吃好”水平上的提高。（3）人均GDP、城镇化水平和城乡居民人均可支配收入四个因子共同驱动中国粮食安全脆弱性的变化,2000-2015年的第二阶段四因子对粮食安全脆弱性的驱动作用明显小于1991-1999的第一阶段,且第一驱动因子由第一阶段的农村居民人均可支配收入转变为第二阶段的人均GDP和城镇居民可支配收入。     

区域建设项目的污染物排放总量控制方法框架

针对目前还缺乏可操作的建设项目环境管理实施污染物排放总量控制(以下简称总量控制)的方法,基于郑州市环境保护局在建设项目环境管理实施总量控制方面的多年实践与经验,探讨了对总量已超出区域环境容量的地区如何对建设项目实施总量控制,如何确定区域污染减排和综合整治总量控制目标的确定,如何构建新、老污染源之间良性互动机制以及制定建设项目实施总量控制的政策、制度和管理措施保障,为区域建设项目环境管理实施总量控制提供了理论和方法框架。     

论综合性自然资源立法

综合性自然资源立法是完善我国自然资源法制的最佳方案选择。本文以正确处理自然资源开发、利用、保护和节约之间的关系为基本内容,提出了以实现自然资源的优化配置和可持续利用为目标的综合性自然资源立法的基本原则,并对综合性自然资源立法进行了具体的框架结构设计。