Analysis of time-scaling properties in forest-fire sequence observed in Italy

The investigation of the temporal fluctuations in forest fires is an important topic in the context of environmental sciences. Time-scaling scale-invariant methodologies have been used to characterize the temporal properties of forest-fire sequences detected in the Italian territory. Our findings reveal that the fire sequences can be considered as fractal processes with a high degree of time-clusterization of the events. The time-clustering phenomenon is clearly visible from timescales of order of days. Furthermore the fire sequences observed with decreasing latitude tend to be more time-clusterized.     

Ecosystem network analysis indicators are generally robust to parameter uncertainty in a phosphorus model of Lake Sidney Lanier, USA

Understanding how data uncertainty influences ecosystem analysis is critical as we move toward ecosystem-based management. Here, we investigate how 18 Ecological Network Analysis (ENA) indicators that characterize ecosystem growth, development, and condition are affected by uncertainty in an ecosystem model of Lake Sidney Lanier (USA). We applied ENA to 122 plausible parameterizations of the ecosystem developed by Borrett and Osidele (2007, Ecological Modelling 200, 371-387), and then used the coefficient of variation (CV) to compare system indicator variability. We considered Total System Throughput (TST) as a measure of the underlying model uncertainty and tested three hypotheses. First, we hypothesized that non-ratio indicators whose calculation includes the TST would be at least as variable as TST if not more variable. Second, we postulated that indicators calculated as ratios, with TST in the numerator and denominator would tend to be less variable than TST because its influence will cancel. Last, we expected the Average Mutual Information (AMI) to be less variable than TST because it is a bounded function. Our work shows that the 18 indicators grouped into four categories. The first group has significantly larger CVs than the CV for TST. In this group, model uncertainty is amplified rendering these three indicators less useful. The second group of four indicators shows no significant difference in variability with respect to TST. Finally, there are two groups whose CV values are significantly lower than that for TST. The least variable group includes the ratio-based indicators and Average Mutual Information. Due to their low variability, we conclude that these indicators are the most robust to the parameter uncertainty and most useful for ecosystem assessment and comparative ecosystem analysis. In summary, this work suggests that we can be as certain, or more certain, in most of the selected ENA indicators as we are in the parameters of the model analyzed.     

Tradeoffs between forestry resource and conservation values under alternate policy regimes: A spatial analysis of the western Canadian boreal plains

An important element of resource management and conservation is an understanding of the tradeoffs between marketed products, such as timber, and measures of environmental quality, such as biodiversity. In this paper, we develop an integrated economic-ecological spatial optimization model that we then apply to evaluate alternate forest policies on a 560,000 km² study region of managed boreal forest in Alberta and British Columbia, Canada. The integrated model incorporates dynamic forest sector harvesting, current levels of oil and gas sector development, coarse-filter or habitat-based old forest indicators, a set of empirical forest bird abundance models, and statistical models of the natural and current fire regimes. Using our integrated model, economic tradeoff curves, or production possibility frontiers, are developed to illustrate the cost of achieving coarse-filter targets by a set time (50 years) within a 100-year time horizon. We found levels of ecological indicators and economic returns from the timber industry could both be increased if spatial constraints imposed by the current policy environment were relaxed; other factors being equal, this implies current policy should be revised. We explore the production possibility frontier's relationship to the range of natural variation of old forest habitat, and show how this range can be used to guide choices of preferred locations along the frontier. We also show that coarse-filter constraints on the abundance of certain habitat elements are sufficient to satisfy some fine-filter objectives, expressed as the predicted abundances of various species of songbirds.     

武汉市城市绿化树种结构与分布特征分析

针对武汉市城市森林的抽样调查分析表明,城市树木树种构成集聚性明显而多样性相对较差、长势一般;城市扰动因素明显影响了树木的自然生长过程。在所调查的93种植物中,其总体多样性指数为0.727 8;行道绿地为0.187;公园绿地为4.296。结果表明武汉市城市森林的基本格局、树种结构,以及树种分布上均有待于改善。     

徐州市区不同季节大气TSP和PM10中PAHs污染特征及健康风险评估

于2009年2月-8月利用高效液相色谱法对徐州市区冬、春、夏3个季节大气TSP和PM10中16种多环芳烃进行分析,结果表明：大气TSP和PM10中∑PAHs不同季节分布规律均为：冬季〉春季〉夏季;冬季,荧蒽污染浓度最高;春季和夏季苯并（g,h,i）芘浓度最高;不同环数PAHs春季和年均值呈规律均为：6环〉4环〉5环〉3环〉2环;夏季为：6环〉5环〉4环〉3环〉2环;冬季为：4环〉5环〉6环〉3环〉2环;大气TSP中整体苯并（a）芘等效致癌毒性（BEQ）不同季节分布规律为：冬季（4.517ng/m3）〉夏季（1.602ng/m3）〉春季（1.413ng/m3）;PM10中整体BEQ不同季节分布规律为：冬季（3.706ng/m3）〉春季（1.504ng/m3）〉夏季（1.331ng/m3）;采暖期大气颗粒物中PAHs污染对人体健康危害风险相对较高。     

湿地水环境可持续性概念辨析

20世纪60年代以来,随着全球性的生态与资源危机的不断出现,使得人们不得不开始检讨传统的经济发展观,寻求探索新的发展模式。20世纪80年代初期,由联合国环境与发展委员会提出的可持续发展理论,得到了世界各国的普遍认同。然而,从1992年的巴西里约热内卢到2002年的南非约翰内斯堡,可持续发展在这十年间遭遇到理论与实验的双重＂困境＂。2001年,23名世界著名学者在美国《科学》上发表了《可持续性科学》的论文,想用这样一个严格的科学定义来替代意义分歧的可持续发展,避免可持续发展走入歧途。从此,人们越来越频繁地使用＂可持续性＂一词,但怎么实现可持续性则众说不一。学术界对＂可持续性＂和＂可持续发展＂概念的讨论也非常活跃且一直没有间断过。在此,从＂可持续性＂的历史成因出发,分析其在生物学、生态学及环境学等方面的含义,探讨＂可持续性＂一词在湿地水环境这一具体领域的应用,提出＂湿地水环境可持续性＂这一概念,并深入分析其内涵和主要特征,为后续湿地水环境可持续性度量作理论铺垫。     

黄土高原半干旱区覆膜玉米土壤温度的变异特征

黄土高原半干旱丘陵山区受特殊的地理、地形以及水文气象条件的影响,造成农业生产播种难、出苗率低等问题,严重制约着农业的发展,但通过覆膜坐水技术能够起到抗旱保墒、提高地温、改善土壤肥效等作用。以哲单7号玉米ZeamaysL为供试品种,在设置对比试验小区（覆膜与不覆膜）的基础上,通过分析覆膜玉米土壤温度变异特征,描述了覆膜后增温、提墒、增产的过程,研究结果表明：覆膜处理与不覆膜处理相比,增温最明显的时期出现在出苗到拔节阶段,且10cm．和20cm处的温差表现为最大,可增温2．5℃左右,而后期增温减慢,播种后覆膜增温为玉米发芽生长提供了良好的生长环境,大大提高了出苗率,为作物节水增产提供了必要条件。     

晋西黄土区林草复合界面雨后土壤水分空间变异规律研究

利用统计学方法对晋西黄土区林草复合系统界面上雨后表层（0～10 cm）、亚表层（10～20 cm）和20～40 cm土层土壤水分空间变异性进行研究。结果表明：草地、林地以及二者组成的林草界面的土壤水分含量、变异系数差别均不大,土壤水分含量随着深度的增加而减少,但土壤水分变异系数则相反;移动窗口法分析表明,林草界面对表层和亚表层的土壤水分影响范围均为4.0 m;草地土壤质量含水量的变异函数模型可以拟合成高斯模型,林地和林草界面则可以拟合球状模型,草地土壤水分总体空间异质性要大于林地和林草界面,草地土壤水分变异函数的平均变程为10.96 m,林草界面及林地土壤水分的平均变程分别为5.37 m和4.31 m。对于描述界面土壤水分分布情况,克立格制图直观性强,具有良好效果。     

典型电子垃圾拆解区大气中多溴联苯醚（PBDEs）的季节变化特征

电子垃圾污染问题已经引起了人们的广泛关注。研究了一典型电子垃圾拆解区及其上下风向大气中PBDEs的季节变化特征。结果表明,夏季电子垃圾拆解区大气中∑17BDEs总浓度为9930pg·m-3,冬季∑20BDEs的总浓度高达41476pg·m-3;和夏季相比,冬季五溴-联苯醚的百分比降低了16.7%,而十溴-联苯醚升高了10.2%,但是,其组成仍然是五溴-联苯醚为主,十溴-联苯醚次之,八溴-联苯醚最少。上下风向地区大气中PBDEs浓度及其组成成分由于受到电子垃圾拆解、本地生产方式和季节变化的影响也表现出相应的变化形式。     

滇池水体磷的时空变化与藻类生长的关系

水体磷的时空变化与藻类生长的关系对研究水体富营养化具有十分重要的作用。采用GPS定位,对滇池海埂、斗南、罗家村、新街、昆阳等5个代表性位点监测断面水体总磷、可溶性磷及叶绿素a含量进行了为期1年（2003年5月至2004年5月）的动态研究,并在滇池海埂位点进行了日变化试验,全面分析了滇池不同区域、不同层次、不同时期水体总磷和可溶性磷的年变化、日变化及水体氮/磷比对藻类生长的影响。结果表明,滇池水体磷与藻类生长呈现显著的年变化和日变化特征,显示了滇池全湖水体总磷与叶绿素a周年变化呈显著正相关,水体可溶性磷与叶绿素a呈正相关趋势;海埂位点水体总磷与叶绿素a日变化呈显著正相关,水体可溶性磷与叶绿素a日变化呈显著的负相关,水体氮磷比与叶绿素a呈显著正相关。表明水体磷负荷对藻类生长影响呈现显著的水体区域性和水层差异性和季节性,藻类生长主要吸收水体中的可溶性磷,暗示了滇池水体磷是藻类生长的主要限制因子之一。