The Value of Using Feasibility Models in Systematic Conservation Planning to Predict Landholder Management Uptake

Understanding the social dimensions of conservation opportunity is crucial for conservation planning in multiple‐use landscapes. However, factors that influence the feasibility of implementing conservation actions, such as the history of landscape management, and landholders’ willingness to engage are often difficult or time consuming to quantify and rarely incorporated into planning. We examined how conservation agencies could reduce costs of acquiring such data by developing predictive models of management feasibility parameterized with social and biophysical factors likely to influence landholders’ decisions to engage in management. To test the utility of our best‐supported model, we developed 4 alternative investment scenarios based on different input data for conservation planning: social data only; biological data only; potential conservation opportunity derived from modeled feasibility that incurs no social data collection costs; and existing conservation opportunity derived from feasibility data that incurred collection costs. Using spatially explicit information on biodiversity values, feasibility, and management costs, we prioritized locations in southwest Australia to control an invasive predator that is detrimental to both agriculture and natural ecosystems: the red fox (Vulpes vulpes). When social data collection costs were moderate to high, the most cost‐effective investment scenario resulted from a predictive model of feasibility. Combining empirical feasibility data with biological data was more cost‐effective for prioritizing management when social data collection costs were low (<4% of the total budget). Calls for more data to inform conservation planning should take into account the costs and benefits of collecting and using social data to ensure that limited funding for conservation is spent in the most cost‐efficient and effective manner.     

Better than their reputation: enhancing the validity of contingent valuation mail survey results through citizen expert groups

Although contingent valuation is the dominant technique for the valuation of public projects, especially in the environmental sector, the high costs of contingent valuation surveys prevent the use of this method for the assessment of relatively small projects. The reason for this cost problem is that typically only contingent valuation studies which are based on face-to-face interviews are accepted as leading to valid results. Particularly in countries with high wages, face-to-face surveys are extremely costly considering that for a valid contingent valuation study a minimum of 1000 completed face-to-face interviews is required. This paper tries a rehabilitation of mail surveys as low-budget substitutes for costly face-to-face surveys. Based on an empirical contingent valuation study in Northern Thailand, it is shown that the validity of mail surveys can be improved significantly if so-called Citizen Expert Groups are employed for a thorough survey design.     

How effective are River Basin Management Plans in reaching the nutrient load reduction targets?

Riverine nutrient loads are among the major causes of eutrophication of the Baltic Sea. This study applied the Soil & Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) in three catchments flowing to the Baltic Sea, namely Vantaanjoki (Finland), Fyrisån (Sweden), and Słupia (Poland), to simulate the effectiveness of nutrient control measures included in the EU’s Water Framework Directive River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs). Moreover, we identified similar, coastal, middle-sized catchments to which conclusions from this study could be applicable. The first modelling scenario based on extrapolation of the existing trends affected the modelled nutrient loads by less than 5%. In the second scenario, measures included in RBMPs showed variable effectiveness, ranging from negligible for Słupia to 28% total P load reduction in Vantaanjoki. Adding spatially targeted measures to RBMPs (third scenario) would considerably improve their effectiveness in all three catchments for both total N and P, suggesting a need to adopt targeting more widely in the Baltic Sea countries.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s13280-020-01393-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Nitrogen fixation estimates for the Baltic Sea indicate high rates for the previously overlooked Bothnian Sea

Dense blooms of diazotrophic filamentous cyanobacteria are formed every summer in the Baltic Sea. We estimated their contribution to nitrogen fixation by combining two decades of cyanobacterial biovolume monitoring data with recently measured genera-specific nitrogen fixation rates. In the Bothnian Sea, estimated nitrogen fixation rates were 80 kt N year⁻¹, which has doubled during recent decades and now exceeds external loading from rivers and atmospheric deposition of 69 kt year⁻¹. The estimated contribution to the Baltic Proper was 399 kt N year⁻¹, which agrees well with previous estimates using other approaches and is greater than the external input of 374 kt N year⁻¹. Our approach can potentially be applied to continuously estimate nitrogen loads via nitrogen fixation. Those estimates are crucial for ecosystem adaptive management since internal nitrogen loading may counteract the positive effects of decreased external nutrient loading.     

青岛近海及黄渤海大气气溶胶中不同形态氮磷质量浓度及组成特征

于2016年6~7月采集了青岛近岸以及黄渤海大气气溶胶样品,并于8月6~15日连续采集了青岛近岸气溶胶昼夜样品,分别测定了不同形态的氮磷(溶解无机氮、溶解无机磷、溶解态总氮、溶解态总磷、总氮和总磷)质量浓度,并分析了气溶胶中这些不同形态氮磷的组成特征.结果表明,青岛近岸大气气溶胶中不同形态氮磷的浓度明显高于同时期黄渤海气溶胶中氮磷浓度.青岛近岸气溶胶总氮中溶解态占比为56%,溶解态与不溶态差别不大;黄渤海气溶胶总氮中溶解态为主要部分,所占比例达72%.青岛以及黄渤海气溶胶中,无机氮是溶解态总氮的主要贡献者,分别占溶解总氮的67%和75%.青岛以及黄渤海气溶胶总磷中,溶解态与不溶态磷的贡献相近,溶解态分别占总磷的49%和58%;气溶胶溶解总磷中无机磷的贡献略高于有机磷,青岛以及黄渤海占比分别为56%和59%.气团来源对青岛以及黄渤海气溶胶中不同形态氮磷的浓度和组成特征有一定程度的影响,南方气团来源气溶胶中溶解无机氮(DIN)、溶解有机氮(DON)、总氮(TN)、溶解无机磷(DIP)和溶解有机磷(DOP)的浓度均高于北方和海上气团来源.青岛近岸气溶胶中溶解有机氮浓度昼夜差别不大,而溶解无机氮和总氮浓度则白天相对较高.白天和夜间气溶胶总氮中溶解态氮占主要部分,所占比例达到79%,且无昼夜变化;无机氮是溶解总氮的主要贡献者,且晚上无机氮所占比例(61%)较白天(70%)略有降低.青岛近岸气溶胶中的溶解无机磷和有机磷昼夜浓度差别不大,而总磷浓度则白天明显高于晚上.昼夜气溶胶样品中不溶态磷是总磷的主要组成部分,占比分别为83%、62%,夜间气溶胶中溶解态磷的贡献远高于白天;不论昼夜,无机磷均是溶解总磷的主要部分,所占比例在71%~77%.     

华北地区乡村站点(曲周)夏季PM2.5中二次无机组分的生成机制与来源解析

利用大气PM2.5水溶性组分及其气态前体物在线测量系统(GAC-IC)于2014年6月9日~7月11日对华北地区乡村站点曲周大气PM2.5中水溶性组分及其气态前体物进行了在线测量,分析了PM2.5中水溶性组分与气态前体物日变化规律及其相互作用,探讨了当地细颗粒物的气粒转化机制并分析了其来源.结果表明夏季曲周大气PM2.5中水溶性无机离子与相关气态前体物的浓度呈现明显的日变化规律.观测期间,PM2.5中SO2-4、NH+4和NO-3的平均浓度分别是26.28、18.08和16.36μg·m-3,是PM2.5中最主要的水溶性无机离子,约占PM2.5质量浓度的76.23%;气态前体物中,NH3浓度明显偏高、平均值为44.85μg·m-3,主要来源于当地的农业活动排放;硫氧化率(SOR)和氮氧化率(NOR)平均值分别是0.60和0.30,表现出明显的二次污染特征.经相关性分析发现:曲周大气PM2.5中NH+4与NO-3、SO2-4有良好的相关性,且表现为富氨状态,NH+4以(NH4)2SO4形式存在,NO-3的生成主要受HNO3的限制.对NH4NO3平衡进行研究发现:与夜间相反,白天曲周大气环境不利于NH4NO3生成和保持.结果也表明,二次转化是曲周夏季细颗粒物的主要来源,堆肥与农田释放的NH3是导致高浓度二次无机颗粒物(SNA)的重要因素.     

分子生物学技术在水处理中的应用研究进展

利用现代分子生物学技术对微生物进行分析和研究,以解决传统微生物分析成本高、速度慢、准确度较低和灵敏度较差等缺点。介绍分子生物学技术在水处理中的应用现状,并对未来发展方向提出建议。目前分子生物学技术在供水工程中主要用于水中细菌、病毒、原生动物、蠕虫等病原微生物的快速检测以及管网微生物种群的分析,在污水处理中主要用于脱氮除磷过程菌群数量和空间分布的剖析、污泥膨胀成因分析以及监测微生物种群多样性来优化处理工艺。分子生物学技术的深入研究将进一步促进水行业的发展。     

煤制烯烃废水处理与回用技术解析

针对煤制烯烃项目废水的来源及水质特点,从生化处理技术与回用处理技术方面阐述了煤制烯烃废水处理现状及存在问题,展望了煤制烯烃废水处理与回用技术未来发展方向,指出了新型脱氮工艺、膜集成工艺及分质结晶技术在煤制烯烃废水处理中的可行性,为煤化工废水处理与资源化利用提供理论参考。     

加强土壤污染防治资金和工程项目管理的建议

文章首先分析了中央财政土壤污染防治专项资金的性质,结合资金管理办法进一步阐明了资金使用范围、资金分配方式、绩效导向和信息公开要求。分析了部分省份开展的土壤污染防治工程项目、资金管理制度建设的现状和获得2016年第一批土壤污染防治专项资金支持项目的情况,对比指出了在支持重点、支持方式上的不同特点。基于主要问题,从加强土壤污染防治项目储备库建设、开展项目与资金规范管理的制度建设、明确不同对象的组织管理职责、重视咨询服务队伍和专家队伍建设等四个方面,阐述了加强土壤污染防治项目组织和资金管理的建议,为相关环境管理部门提供决策参考。     

航空装备外场级平均修复时间评估研究

目的探索航空装备部队使用保障阶段维修性指标评估的实施方法。方法构建航空装备外场级平均修复时间评估指标体系,包括评估条件界定、统计准则确定、数据处理方法、评估流程、使用表格等,并结合具体机型进行评价应用。结果该机型飞机整机的累计修复时间为138.5 h,平均修复时间Mct=2.17 h,满足不大于3 h指标要求。结论评估方法系统科学,可为各类装备开展相关维修性评估工作提供方法支持和工程借鉴。