Evaluating Local Benefits from Conservation in Nepal’s Annapurna Conservation Area

Protected areas are integral to the global effort to conserve biodiversity, and, over the past two decades, protected area managers have begun to recognize that conservation objectives are next to impossible to achieve without considering the needs and concerns of local communities. Incentive-based programs (IBPs) have become a favored approach to protected area management, geared at fostering local stewardship by delivering benefits tied to conservation to local people. Effective IBPs require benefits to accrue to and be recognized by those experiencing the greatest consequences as a result of the protected area, and those likely to continue extractive activities if their livelihood needs are compromised. This research examines dispersal of IBP benefits, as perceived by local residents in Nepal's Annapurna Conservation Area. Results reported here are based on questionnaire interviews with 188 households conducted between September and December 2004. Results indicate that local residents primarily identify benefits from social development activities, provisions for resource extraction, and economic opportunities. Overall, benefits have been dispersed equally to households in villages on and off the main tourist route, and regardless of a household's participation in tourism. However, benefits are not effectively targeted to poorer residents, those highly dependent on natural resources, and those experiencing the most crop damage and livestock loss from protected wildlife. This article provides several suggestions for improving the delivery of conservation incentives.     

Soil contamination of heavy metals in the Katedan Industrial Development Area, Hyderabad, India

Studies on quantitative soil contamination due to heavy metals were carried out in Katedan Industrial Development Area (KIDA), south of Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India under the Indo-Norwegian Institutional Cooperation Programme. The study area falls under a semi-arid type of climate and consists of granites and pegmatite of igneous origin belonging to the Archaean age. There are about 300 industries dealing with dyeing, edible oil production, battery manufacturing, metal plating, chemicals, etc. Most of the industries discharge their untreated effluents either on open land or into ditches. Solid waste from industries is randomly dumped along roads and open grounds. Soil samples were collected throughout the industrial area and from downstream residential areas and were analysed by X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer for fourteen trace metals and ten major oxides. The analytical data shows very high concentrations of lead, chromium, nickel, zinc, arsenic and cadmium through out the industrial area. The random dumping of hazardous waste in the industrial area could be the main cause of the soil contamination spreading by rainwater and wind. In the residential areas the local dumping is expected to be the main source as it is difficult to foresee that rain and wind can transport the contaminants from the industrial area. If emission to air by the smokestacks is significant, this may contribute to considerable spreading of contaminants like As, Cd and Pb throughout the area. A comparison of the results with the Canadian Soil Quality Guidelines (SQGL) show that most of the industrial area is heavily contaminated by As, Pb and Zn and local areas by Cr, Cu and Ni. The residential area is also contaminated by As and some small areas by Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn. The Cd contamination is detected over large area but it is not exceeding the SQGL value. Natural background values of As and Cr exceed the SQGL values and contribute significantly to the contamination in the residential area. However, the availability is considerably less than anthropogenic contaminants and must therefore be assessed differently. The pre- and post-monsoon sampling over two hydrological cycles in 2002 and 2003 indicate that the As, Cd and Pb contaminants are more mobile and may expect to reach the groundwater. The other contaminants seem to be much more stable. The contamination is especially serious in the industrial area as it is housing a large permanent residing population. The study not only aims at determining the natural background levels of trace elements as a guide for future pollution monitoring but also focuses on the pollution vulnerability of the watershed. A plan of action for remediation is recommended.     

青藏高原生态屏障区近十年生态环境变化及生态保护对策研究

从生态保护与管理的角度出发,综合分析了青藏高原生态屏障区近十年生态系统结构、服务功能、生态胁迫等生态环境变化特征,并提出生态保护对策与建议。结果表明,2000年－2010年屏障区生态系统结构稳定,其中城镇和湿地面积增加明显;生态系统服务功能整体上升,其中屏障区北部区域改善明显;生态胁迫以人口、GDP、载畜量等人类胁迫为主,自然胁迫整体较低;未来应继续加强基本草原保护,实施生态修复工程,不断提高屏障区的重要生态功能。     

三峡库区汛期极端降水非均匀性特征

利用极端降水量集中度和集中期讨论三峡库区汛期极端降水量的非均匀性分布特征。结果表明: 三峡库区极端降水量空间分布表现为西南部和东北部地区相对较少，中部、东南部相对较多。库区汛期极端降水集中度和集中期的空间差异不大，集中程度总体较差，东北部和西部地区极端降水相对集中，中部相对分散。库区极端降水主要集中在6月底和7月上中旬，东北部和西部偏西地区集中期相对较晚，中部地区集中期相对较早。库区汛期极端降水量的分配状况与同期极端降水量存在较好的关系，即极端降水量越少，则极端降水量越集中、集中期越早；反之极端降水量越多，则极端降水量越分散、集中期越晚，尤其是在库区东北部地区最为显著。三峡库区蓄水后极端降水集中程度在空间上一致性较好，表现为蓄水后更为分散；极端降水量和集中期则在空间上差异显著，大致表现为蓄水后东北部极端降水增加并延迟；西南部极端降水减少并提前     

三峡工程建设前后库区城镇发展与环境变化

利用卫星遥感监测，分析三峡工程建设前后库区城镇发展类型、时空过程，揭示库区城镇变化的驱动力，探索了城镇扩展与人口城镇化关系，研究城镇环境变化特征。三峡库区城镇规模发展不均衡，库尾城市规模庞大，库中、东部区县级城市规模较小，而乡镇的比例占城镇面积24%；在过去15 a中，建城区规模扩大172%，高于全国省会城市发展水平72%；三峡库区城镇规模扩大的同时，东西城镇规模差距逐步缩小，三峡工程建设起着重要的推动作用；城镇发展以侵占了优质耕地资源为代价，耕地占城镇变化83%；城镇用地变化与人口城市化发展不平衡，城镇空间发展快于人口城镇化过程，城镇对农村人口的吸引力不及全国省会城市平均水平，在2007年城市化率低于全国水平13%，差距进一步扩大；城市空间结构发展模式受地形和土地资源的限制，城市分维数和坡度分别增加12%和104°，城市向潜山区扩展或搬迁的同时，城市空间的完整性下降     

北京山区主体功能区协调发展的区域背景分析

主体功能区划主要在于解决区域问题，用科学发展观协调区域发展。本文从区域发展的整体性出发，用空间发展的相互作用理论分析了北京山区各主体功能区协调发展的区域背景。     

基于ESDA的京津冀地区草地变化空间分异

论文以县域为基本研究空间单元,借助GIS软件与Geoda空间统计分析软件,利用ESDA方法,对京津冀地区县域草地资源数量变化的总体与局域空间差异进行了分析。结果表明:①1980-2000年京津冀地区草地动态变化系数的Global Moran’s I为0.184 4,α = 0.05时呈显著的空间正相关,草地变化呈现出较明显的空间集聚特征;②时段Ⅰ(1980-1995年)到时段Ⅱ(1995-2000年)的全局Moran指数有所增加,表明草地变化在空间分布上集聚的趋势在增强;③各县域Local Moran’s I的Grid图反映了京津冀地区草地变化在局域空间上的均质性,尤其是高值区域与低值区域的集聚特征十分显著;④LISA集聚4种类型中,正相关的"H-H"类型区、"L-L"类型区占主体部分,二者约占总数的70%以上,其中,在时段Ⅱ,"H-H"关联的县域主要聚集在西北部山区,而中部的平原区域则表现出明显的"L-L"关联特征。     

基于分解模型与VEC模型的沈阳经济区经济与环境时空关系研究

选择GDP、工业废水排放量、工业废气排放量、工业废物产生量4个指标,从横向的空间作用关系及纵向的时间作用关系对沈阳经济区经济增长与环境演化关系进行了动态综合分析.对于空间作用关系,采用完全分解模型,利用沈阳经济区内8个城市的面板数据,将经济与环境关系分解为经济规模效应、空间结构效应和技术效应,判定了由于经济增长造成的工业废物排放的增减变化而带来的区域环境压力扰动程度.对于时间作用关系,选择协整与向量误差修正模型(VEC),依次对指标序列进行了单位根检验、VAR估计、Johansen协整检验及向量自回归的VEC修正,进而对沈阳经济区经济与环境指标前期与当期作用关系进行了长期修正与短期校正.结果表明:对于工业废物排放,技术效应发挥了最突出的减量作用,经济效应的增量效应凸显,而空间结构效应的作用不明显;GDP与工业废水排放量、工业废气排放量、工业废物产生量之间的作用关系均经历了由波动到平稳的过程,但在研究期内GDP与工业废水排放之间的稳定性相对较弱,保持GDP与工业废气排放、工业废物产生各自的均衡关系,对各变量的优化有促进作用,而保持GDP与工业废水排放的均衡关系,则对各变量的优化有抑制作用.     

三峡库区典型退耕还林模式土壤养分流失控制

选择三峡库区典型退耕还林模式,包括园地(茶园)及林地(板栗)与原有坡耕地对照,观测并分析其土壤养分(氮磷)输出途径及数量情况,以评估实施退耕还林工程对流域土壤养分输出的影响.结果表明:1退耕后土壤养分氮磷年流失量(包括随泥沙和地表径流流失的量)减少;总氮(TN)年输出量从大到小依次为坡耕地(2 444.27 g·hm-2)茶园地(998.70g·hm-2)板栗林地(532.61 g·hm-2);总磷(TP)为坡耕地(1 690.48 g·hm-2)茶园地(488.06 g·hm-2)板栗林地(129.00 g·hm-2);与坡耕地比较,退耕还林模式(园地、林地)总氮、总磷年输出载荷分别减少了68.68%和81.75%.2茶园地、板栗林地与坡耕地相比,土壤养分速效态氮流失量明显减少,硝态氮(NO-3-N)输出总量依次为坡耕地(113.79g·hm-2)茶园地(73.75 g·hm-2)板栗林地(56.06 g·hm-2);铵态氮(NH+4-N)养分输出次序为茶园最大(69.34 g·hm-2),坡耕地次之(52.45 g·hm-2),板栗林地最小(47.23 g·hm-2).3硝态氮、铵态氮主要通过地表径流输出,所占总量比例分别为91.4%和92.2%;总氮和总磷主要通过泥沙输出,所占总量比例分别为86.6%和98.4%.通过退耕还林等措施,该地区地表径流以及土壤侵蚀输出明显减少,土壤养分流失得到有效控制.     

不同情景模式下雄安新区的水资源利用效率和节水潜力分析

雄安新区是千年大计、国家大事,水资源短缺与水体污染成为制约其发展的主要问题。从水资源利用效率及节水潜力视角出发,以深圳发展历程为标杆,结合情景分析与方向性距离函数等模型,展示到2035年不同情景的雄安水资源利用效率及节水潜力发展图景和路径。研究表明：从利用效率看,在基准、起步、建成情景下雄安呈现出由低效率区到较高效率区再到高效率区的变化态势。从节水潜力看,效率改善空间减小、技术落差比增加等表明雄安节水潜力得到充分挖掘。杜绝污水直排、积极发展污水处理技术、优化新区产业结构等是促使水资源利用效率提高的有效手段,是雄安实现绿色生态发展的重要保障。