Effects of Amazonian flying rivers on frog biodiversity and populations in the Atlantic rainforest

Given the speed at which humans are changing the climate, species with high degrees of endemism may not have time to avoid extinction through adaptation. We investigated through teleconnection analysis the origin of rainfall that determines the phylogenetic diversity of rainforest frogs and the effects of microclimate differences in shaping the morphological traits of isolated populations (which contribute to greater phylogenetic diversity and speciation). We also investigated through teleconnection analysis how deforestation in Amazonia can affect ecosystem services that are fundamental to maintaining the climate of the Atlantic rainforest biodiversity hotspot. Seasonal winds known as flying rivers carry water vapor from Amazonia to the Atlantic Forest, and the breaking of this ecosystem service could lead Atlantic Forest species to population decline and extinction in the short term. Our results suggest that the selection of morphological traits that shape Atlantic Forest frog diversity and their population dynamics are influenced by the Amazonian flying rivers. Our results also suggest that the increases of temperature anomalies in the Atlantic Ocean due to global warming and in the Amazon forest due to deforestation are already breaking this cycle and threaten the biodiversity of the Atlantic Forest hotspot.     

Spatial cost–benefit analysis of blue restoration and factors driving net benefits globally

Marine coastal ecosystems, commonly referred to as blue ecosystems, provide valuable services to society but are under increasing threat worldwide due to a variety of drivers, including eutrophication, development, land-use change, land reclamation, and climate change. Ecological restoration is sometimes necessary to facilitate recovery in coastal ecosystems. Blue restoration (i.e., in marine coastal systems) is a developing field, and projects to date have been small scale and expensive, leading to the perception that restoration may not be economically viable. We conducted a global cost–benefit analysis to determine the net benefits of restoring coral reef, mangrove, saltmarsh, and seagrass ecosystems, where the benefit is defined as the monetary value of ecosystem services. We estimated costs from published restoration case studies and used an adjusted-value-transfer method to assign benefit values to these case studies. Benefit values were estimated as the monetary value provided by ecosystem services of the restored habitats. Benefits outweighed costs (i.e., there were positive net benefits) for restoration of all blue ecosystems. Mean benefit:cost ratios for ecosystem restoration were eight to 10 times higher than prior studies of coral reef and seagrass restoration, most likely due to the more recent lower cost estimates we used. Among ecosystems, saltmarsh had the greatest net benefits followed by mangrove; coral reef and seagrass ecosystems had lower net benefits. In general, restoration in nations with middle incomes had higher (eight times higher in coral reefs and 40 times higher in mangroves) net benefits than those with high incomes. Within an ecosystem type, net benefit varied with restoration technique (coral reef and saltmarsh), ecosystem service produced (mangrove and saltmarsh), and project duration (seagrass). These results challenge the perceptions of the low economic viability of blue restoration and should encourage further targeted investment in this field.     

Factors influencing perceptions of aquatic ecosystems

While factors influencing perceptions of drinking water have been well studied, those of aquatic ecosystems have been to lesser extent. We conducted a review to improve awareness of these factors. Environmental factors found to influence public perceptions of aquatic ecosystems were presence/absence of water plants and algae, presence/absence of floating debris, the odor, movement (for flowing waters) and clarity/turbidity of the water, and the type, condition, setting, naturalness, and overall aesthetic appeal of the ecosystem. Sociocultural factors found to influence public perceptions of aquatic ecosystems included age, education, gender, and place-based knowledge. We provide perspectives of how managers can better meet the diverse social demands placed on aquatic ecosystems. The importance and benefits of considering these perspectives may be especially beneficial where significant multi-generational and culturally relevant place-based knowledge exist.     

Seat belt use in the ambulance patient compartment by emergency medical services professionals is low regardless of patient presence,seating position,or patient acuity

Background: Inconsistent use of seat belts in an ambulance may increase the risk of injury for emergency medical services (EMS) professionals and their patients. Our objectives were to: (1) describe the prevalence of seat belt usage based on patient acuity and seat location, and (2) assess the association between EMS-related characteristics and consistent use of a seat belt. Methods: We administered a cross-sectional electronic questionnaire to a random sample of 20,000 nationally-certified EMS professionals, measuring seat belt use in each seating location of an ambulance during transport of stable, critical, or no patients. We included practicing, non-military, emergency medical technicians or higher who reported working in ambulances. We used multivariable logistic regression models to estimate the odds of consistent (≥50% of the time) use of seat belts for the rear-facing jump seat and right-sided crew bench during transport of stable and critical patients. Results: A total of 1431 respondents were included in the analysis. Patient compartment seat belt use varied with the highest use in forward-facing seats when no patient was being transported (59.8%) and lowest use in the left-side “CPR” seat with a critical patient (9.4%). Only 40.2% of respondents reported an agency policy regarding seat belt use while riding in the patient compartment. In all multivariable logistic regression models, advanced life support level certification and fewer years of experience were associated with decreased odds of consistent seat belt use. An agency seat belt policy was strongly associated with increased odds of seat belt use in the patient compartment. Conclusions: Seat belt use was low and varied by seating location and patient acuity in the patient compartment of an ambulance. Practical Applications: EMS organizations should consider primary prevention approaches of provider education, improved ambulance designs, enactment and enforcement of policies to improve seat belt compliance and provider safety.     

A new baseline model for estimating willingness to pay from discrete choice models

We show a substantive problem exists with the widely-used ratio of coefficients approach to calculating willingness to pay (WTP) from discrete choice models. The correctly calculated standard error for WTP using this approach is shown to be undefined. This occurs because the cost parameter's standard error implies some possibility the true parameter value is arbitrarily close to zero. We propose a simple yet elegant way to overcome this problem by reparameterizing the (negative) cost variable's coefficient using an exponential transformation to enforce the theoretically correct positive coefficient. With it the confidence interval for WTP is now finite and well behaved.     

松花江流域水生态环境质量评价研究

采用生物完整性指数(IBI)法评价松花江流域的水生态环境质量。对25个候选生物参数进行敏感度分析、Pearson相关性分析,最终筛选出由总分类单元数、EPT分类单元数、EPT密度、敏感种分类单元比例、敏感物种数量、Hilsenhoff生物指数(HBI)6个核心参数构成的IBI评价指标。采用95%分位数法建立了IBI评价标准,将IBI评价结果划分为5个等级:大于35.84为优,26.88~35.84为良好,17.92~26.88为一般,8.96~17.92为较差,小于8.96为很差。结果表明,建立的IBI评价方法适用于松花江流域水生态环境质量评价,松花江流域各位点30.0%生物状况为优和良好,23.3%为一般;46.7%为较差和很差,说明流域内近一半区域的水生态质量存在不同程度的受损。流域生境质量主要处于一般-良好的状态;水质处于轻度污染。     

基于生态系统服务供需的雄安新区生态安全格局构建

生态安全格局构建是保障区域生态安全的关键。沿用“源地识别—阻力面构建—廊道提取”的生态安全格局构建模式，选取粮食供给、产水量、土壤保持、固碳释氧和生境维持5项生态系统服务供给指标，以及人口密度、地均GDP和土地利用程度3项生态系统服务需求指标，综合生态系统服务供需2方面识别重要生态源地，利用夜间灯光强度进行基本阻力面修正，采用最小累积阻力模型进行生态廊道提取，构建出雄安新区生态安全格局。研究表明:新区生态源地总面积约48433 km2，占新区土地总面积的313%，主要分布于新区西北部旱地和东南部水域；新区生态阻力系数空间分布较为破碎，大部分区域阻力值较低，间或分布高阻力值；新区生态廊道总长度18586 km，呈“Y”字型沿建设用地和水系分布，所处地类主要为旱地。基于生态系统服务供需的生态安全格局构建可为新区规划建设提供参考和借鉴。     

向家坝水生态系统保护及修复思路分析

伴随着时代的迅速发展,我国的整体经济水平获得了迅速的提升,但随之也带来了相当严重的环境污染问题。在这样的状况下,人们加大了对环境保护及生态系统修复的重视度。而在当前的生态系统当中,水生态系统与人们的生活最为密切,因而需要着重给予相应的关注。本文主要以向家坝水生态系统为基础,分析了水生态系统的保护及修复思路,并提出了相应的实践建议。     

南黄海东部海域浮游生态系统要素季节变化的模拟研究

利用海洋生态系统动力学垂直一维物理-生物耦合模式模拟研究了南黄海东部海域浮游生态系统要素垂直分布的季节变化.物理亚模型为一维POM模式(Princeton Ocean Model),基于文献结果对垂直混合系数Kh和Km进行了调整;生态亚模型为ERSEM模式(European Regional Sea Ecosystem Model),主要考虑浮游植物、浮游动物、细菌、底栖碎屑和营养盐(氮、磷、硅)等状态变量.模拟结果表明,浮游植物出现一年双峰的态势和夏季次表层叶绿素最大值的现象,春、秋季水华期间,表层叶绿素峰值分别为3.25 mg/m3和0.71 mg/m3.浮游动物和细菌在春季水华后表层出现峰值,分别为143.6 mg C/m3和23.55 mg C/m3.硝酸盐、磷酸盐和硅酸盐的垂直分布均在5-11月呈现表层浓度低、底层浓度高的分布.通过计算碳通量可以看出,在春、夏季,浮游植物对无机碳的摄取量分别为58.944 g C·m-2·quarter-1和68.276 g C·m-2·quarter-1,高于细菌对非生命有机碳的摄取.在冬季,细菌对非生命有机碳的摄取超过浮游植物对无机碳的摄取量.浮游动物在冬季主要摄食细菌,占71%;春、夏季主要摄食浮游植物,可达67.5%.浮游植物对碳的释放主要是以DOC的形式,约占90%.     

吉林西部农田生态系统氮平衡及其水环境影响研究

针对吉林省西部地区农田生态系统特点,以1997—2011年统计数据为基础,建立了基于物质守恒原理的氮平衡模型,估算了该地区农田生态系统的氮收支情况,并分析了其对水环境的影响.结果表明:近15年该区氮输入量平均值为56.98×104t·a-1,其中化肥输入氮占总氮的79.59%;氮输出量平均值为42.60×104t·a-1,以作物收获输出为主;氮平衡量变化范围为10.17×104~21.91×104t·a-1,均值为14.38×104t·a-1;氮平衡模型的各项呈增长趋势,受农业生产情况差异的影响,年际间时序变化较大,县市间空间分布差异明显.吉林西部农田生态系统氮平衡表现为盈余状态,氮素的盈余主要受氮肥施用和作物收获影响,农田生态系统氮素的持续盈余并累积对水环境构成一定程度的威胁,借助该区水环境监测数据进行综合分析,受盈余氮素的影响,该区地表水和地下水水质均体现出不同程度的氮超标.