Exploring the role of local community perceptions in sustainability measurements

Measuring sustainability is an integral part of decision-making processes in order to promote sustainable development. The present paper focuses on sustainability indicators as these are measured on local level and explores two main issues: firstly, the subjective measurement of indicators focusing especially on social dimensions of sustainability, secondly, the incorporation of local perceptions in sustainability assessments. These two issues are explored in the Asopos River basin in Greece, an area where significant environmental degradation has been observed in the past decades and is also under financial pressure due to the ongoing national recession. A large-scale research study was conducted measuring environmental, economic and social indicators while, at a second stage, a model was developed, estimating new indicators that incorporate local communities’ perceptions on what they considered as important for their area. The results of the study reveal that the most important indicators for the sustainable development of the area, according to locals’ perceptions, are environmental quality as well as quality of life. By contrast, trust in local and central institutions and also local enterprises were not considered as important by locals. These results illustrate the importance of combining global and national scale assessment with locally focused social measurements of sustainability in order to better understand what is important for local communities prior to embarking on public policy planning.     

Contribution of the Kodama and 4S pathways to the dibenzothiophene biodegradation in different coastal wetlands under different C/N ratios

Dibenzothiophene (DBT) degradation mechanisms and the transformation of pathways during the incubation of three types of coastal sediments with C/N ratios ranging from 1 to 9 were investigated. The DBT degradation efficiencies were clearly improved with increasing C/N ratio in reed wetland sediments, tidal wetlands sediments and estuary wetland sediments. The quantitative response relationships between DBT degradation rates and related functional genes demonstrate that the Kodama pathway-related gene groups were dominant factors at low C/N ratios, while the 4S-related gene groups mainly determined the degradation rate when the C/N ratio was up to 5. Network analysis also shows that the pathway shifts from the Kodama pathway to the 4S pathway occurred through changes in the connections between functional genomes and rates. Furthermore, there were competition and collaboration between the Kodama and 4S pathways. The 4S pathway-related bacteria were more active in estuary wetland sediments compared with reed wetland sediments and tidal wetland sediments. The higher degradation efficiency in estuary wetland sediments may indicate the greater participation of the 4S pathway in the DBT biodegradation reaction. And the effects of ring cleavage of Kodama pathway caused more complete metabolizing of DBT.     

Estimating the Carbon Pool in the Phytomass of Larch Forests in Northern Eurasia

A data bank on larch phytomass was compiled on the basis of 60 publications describing the data obtained on 360 plots distributed over the area extending from England to Japan. These data were used for calculating conversion factors, i.e., the ratios of carbon pools in trunks, roots, skeletal branches, foliage, and understory (metric tons per hectare) to standing crop (m³/ha). The systems of recursive equations for estimating both volume-forming indices and conversion factors and combined into a second-level recursion system were calculated for 21 regions and forest formations of Northern Eurasia. The values of organic carbon pool in phytomass fractions were estimated for each region and formation.     

基于地理探测器的中国国家级开发区时空演化过程及其驱动力研究

各种类型的开发区是我国改革开放的“试验田”和经济快速发展的重要空间载体,其空间分布格局一直是国内外关注的热点问题,但对其中长时间尺度的空间演化过程研究相对较少,而后者是理解中国经济空间演化的重要基础。运用最邻近指数、核密度指数和地理探测器等方法,总结了中国国家级开发区空间演化的过程及其驱动力因子。研究的主要结论是：各类国家级开发区的时空演化经历了三个阶段,即起步试点阶段、稳步推进阶段和快速推广阶段;政策上实现了从试点探索到面上推广;空间上呈现出从东部沿海向沿江、沿边以及内陆不断拓展,从东部向中西部推进,从省会城市向地级市递进的特征;开发区的时空演化格局是距离、城市等级、经济实力、开放程度等因素综合作用的结果,其中城市等级、开放程度和经济发展水平是核心影响因子,距离和经济密度是次级影响因子;不同类型的开发区核心驱动因子既存在共同性,同时因为定位、功能不同也具有差异性。     

中国八大综合经济区能源生态效率测度及其驱动因素

为促进能源、经济、社会与生态环境的绿色可持续发展,将经济、社会福利等期望产出与生态环境污染非期望产出纳入能源生态效率测度框架,运用基于Shephard能源距离函数的随机前沿模型,从区域研究视角出发分析中国八大综合经济区能源生态效率演变趋势,并探讨其驱动因素的作用机制.结果显示：样本期内全国能源生态效率均值为0.5839,整体水平偏低,且呈现显著的空间非均衡分布特征.八大综合经济区能源生态效率水平呈现由沿海向内陆逐渐递减的发展态势.南部、东部和北部等沿海经济区能源生态效率均值分别为0.6941、0.6213、0.6087,位居前列;西南、黄河中游、长江中游以及东北等经济区次之,能源生态效率均值分别为0.5803、0.5720、0.5623、0.5537;西北经济区能源生态效率均值为0.5087,位列末位.经济发展水平与能源消费结构的估计系数分别为0.0459、0.0747,对能源生态效率的提高具有抑制作用;产业结构、城镇化水平以及环境规制的估计系数分别为-0.9339、-0.6197、-0.0387,对能源生态效率的提高具有促进作用.     

特殊区域地表水环境背景值表征技术方法研究与应用

选取黑龙江省源头水保护区作为研究对象,根据DEM数据对保护区内随机布设的水质监测点控制单元进行划分并提取单元内的相关指标建立监测点背景特性量化模型,基于量化结果提出地表水环境背景值监测方案,建立背景值数据库.选取研究区自然属性指标与空间属性指标,以空间叠置技术与聚类分析方法对研究区地表水进行背景值分区,最终将黑龙江省分为六大地表水水质背景值地理分区,并计算了各分区地表水环境背景值表征范围.表征范围显示：依据现行标准进行水质评价,保护区内水质背景值已超出Ⅱ类水质标准限值.因此,基于水质背景值研究成果提出了考虑背景值影响下的水环境质量评价方法,并将方法应用于研究区,结果表明方法切实可行且优于单因子评价法.研究成果可为区域制定背景值影响下的水环境评价方法提供科学的数据支撑与理论依据.     

主体功能区视角下的环境污染时空格局及驱动因素——基于广东省121个县域的实证分析

基于县域污染物排放和人口社会经济数据库,运用熵权法构建水气污染综合指数测度广东省水气环境污染状况,在解析2012—2016年水气环境污染时空变化与主体功能区分异特征的基础上,采用空间计量模型考察水气环境污染的驱动因素及其在不同类型主体功能区之间的差异.研究结果表明：① 2012—2016年,广东省水气污染综合指数降幅达到46.93%,处于污染指数高值区间的县域数量大幅减少,并呈现由边缘向核心收缩的空间变化特征;② 4类主体功能区的水气环境污染均有明显改善,但相对而言,城市化地区和农产品主产区仍是广东省水气污染物排放的主要承压区;③人口规模是各类主体功能区水气环境污染的共性驱动因素,此外,城市化地区、农产品主产区和重点生态功能区还分别受到工业化水平、社会固定资产投资和财政收入分权程度的影响.建议从引导城乡居民绿色生活、持续提升清洁生产技术、增加地方财政分权激励机制中的环境效益考核入手强化区域环境污染综合治理.     

毒理学领域的新思维：功能基因组学在毒理学中的应用

功能医学要求应用国际上最先进的检查技术定量检查反应器官功能的各种分子,从而评估器官功能。将功能医学应用到毒理学研究中,必将更早发现环境中有害因素对人体的早期损害,因此它能够将毒理学研究推向一个新高度。