A framework for allocating conservation resources among multiple threats and actions

Land managers decide how to allocate resources among multiple threats that can be addressed through multiple possible actions. Additionally, these actions vary in feasibility, effectiveness, and cost. We sought to provide a way to optimize resource allocation to address multiple threats when multiple management options are available, including mutually exclusive options. Formulating the decision as a combinatorial optimization problem, our framework takes as inputs the expected impact and cost of each threat for each action (including do nothing) and for each overall budget identifies the optimal action to take for each threat. We compared the optimal solution to an easy to calculate greedy algorithm approximation and a variety of plausible ranking schemes. We applied the framework to management of multiple introduced plant species in Australian alpine areas. We developed a model of invasion to predict the expected impact in 50 years for each species-action combination that accounted for each species’ current invasion state (absent, localized, widespread); arrival probability; spread rate; impact, if present, of each species; and management effectiveness of each species-action combination. We found that the recommended action for a threat changed with budget; there was no single optimal management action for each species; and considering more than one candidate action can substantially increase the management plan's overall efficiency. The approximate solution (solution ranked by marginal cost-effectiveness) performed well when the budget matched the cost of the prioritized actions, indicating that this approach would be effective if the budget was set as part of the prioritization process. The ranking schemes varied in performance, and achieving a close to optimal solution was not guaranteed. Global sensitivity analysis revealed a threat's expected impact and, to a lesser extent, management effectiveness were the most influential parameters, emphasizing the need to focus research and monitoring efforts on their quantification.     

Motivated to disengage: The ethical consequences of goal commitment and moral disengagement in goal setting

A growing literature has suggested that high performance goals can have unintended consequences within organizations as employees engage in unethical behavior to achieve outcomes associated with goal attainment. Extending research on the dark side of goal setting, we suggest that high performance goals not only create a desire to achieve a particular outcome but also alter moral reasoning processes related to goal attainment. Integrating goal-setting theory with motivated moral reasoning, we hypothesize an indirect effect of high performance goals on unethical behavior via state moral disengagement. We also examine goal commitment—which tends to amplify the relationship between high goals and performance—as a key boundary condition associated with this indirect effect. We build this conditional indirect effect model across three studies conducted in the field and the laboratory. Our results provide new insight into both when and why high goals can facilitate moral disengagement and unethical behavior within organizations.     

Research priorities for conservation and natural resource management in Oceania's small‐island developing states

For conservation science to effectively inform management, research must focus on creating the scientific knowledge required to solve conservation problems. We identified research questions that, if answered, would increase the effectiveness of conservation and natural resource management practice and policy in Oceania's small‐island developing states. We asked conservation professionals from academia, governmental, and nongovernmental organizations across the region to propose such questions and then identify which were of high priority in an online survey. We compared the high‐priority questions with research questions identified globally and for other regions. Of 270 questions proposed by respondents, 38 were considered high priority, including: What are the highest priority areas for conservation in the face of increasing resource demand and climate change? How should marine protected areas be networked to account for connectivity and climate change? What are the most effective fisheries management policies that contribute to sustainable coral reef fisheries? High‐priority questions related to the particular challenges of undertaking conservation on small‐island developing states and the need for a research agenda that is responsive to the sociocultural context of Oceania. Research priorities for Oceania relative to elsewhere were broadly similar but differed in specific issues relevant to particular conservation contexts. These differences emphasize the importance of involving local practitioners in the identification of research priorities. Priorities were reasonably well aligned among sectoral groups. Only a few questions were widely considered answered, which may indicate a smaller‐than‐expected knowledge‐action gap. We believe these questions can be used to strengthen research collaborations between scientists and practitioners working to further conservation and natural resource management in this region.     

Priority areas for conservation of and research focused on terrestrial vertebrates

Effective conservation policies require comprehensive knowledge of biodiversity. However, knowledge shortfalls still remain, hindering possibilities to improve decision making and built such policies. During the last 2 decades, conservationists have made great efforts to allocate resources as efficiently as possible but have rarely considered the idea that if research investments are also strategically allocated, it would likely fill knowledge gaps while simultaneously improving conservation actions. Therefore, prioritizing areas where both conservation and research actions could be conducted becomes a critical endeavor that can further maximize return on investment. We used Zonation, a conservation planning tool and geographical distributions of amphibians, birds, mammals, and reptiles to suggest and compare priority areas for conservation and research of terrestrial vertebrates worldwide. We also evaluated the degree of human disturbance in both types of priority areas by describing the value of the human footprint index within such areas. The spatial concordance between priority conservation and research areas was low: 0.36% of the world's land area. In these areas, we found it would be possible to protect almost half of the currently threatened species and to gather information on nearly 42% of data-deficient (DD) species. We also found that 6199 protected areas worldwide are located in such places, although only 35% of them have strict conservation purposes. Areas of consensus between conservation and research areas represent an opportunity for simultaneously conserving and acquiring knowledge of threatened and DD species of vertebrates. Although the picture is not the most encouraging, joint conservation and research efforts are possible and should be fostered to save vertebrate species from our own ignorance and extinction.     

青海省扎日根结扎群火山岩形成时代及构造背景分析

青海扎日根结扎群火山岩中基性岩以贫硅、钾,高钛、钙,中性岩类以低硅、中钾、钛、钙,酸性岩类以高硅、钾,中钛,低钙为特征.根据Fe*/MgO-TiO2图解上显示出本区火山岩绝大多数火山岩落在岛弧区.微量元素中Th/Nb=0.9>0.11,Nb/Zr>0.04显示出其构造背景为陆-陆碰撞形成的岛弧区.扎日根结扎群火山岩时代Rb-Sr同位素等时线给出的年龄为231±28 Ma 和225±8 Ma,属晚三叠世.另外Sr同位素的初始比值ISr=0.70522±0.00023,小于0.719,表明岩浆(原始)来源于上地幔,并且在上升的过程中受到地壳的混染.     

中国遗传资源优先保护等级评价标准的构建

确定科学合理的生物遗传资源优先保护等级,是当前保护生物学研究的一个核心问题。文章通过分析国内外遗传资源优先保护等级评价研究进展,针对遗传资源的特点,对遗传资源与物种关系、遗传资源多样性、境外种群影响、遗传资源价值、潜在利用价值、人工繁育技术、特有情况等方面进行了探讨并提出相应建议,初步确定了遗传资源优先保护等级的评价标准,以期能为生物遗传资源的有效保护和科学管理提供参考依据。     

面向突发事件智能建筑管理系统的集成结构

为了实现面向突发事件的智能建筑管理系统(IBMS),提出了智能建筑突发事件的抽象模型、基本运算操作及优先权分配机制,并根据突发事件监控和管理的目标,提出了IBMS的"分布式虚拟应急中心"集成结构.     

基于BDD考虑共因失效的接触网系统可靠性分析

为分析共因失效对高速铁路接触网系统的影响，将二元决策图(Binary Decision Diagram，BDD)与共因失效理论引入到接触网系统可靠性分析中。利用逻辑相邻优先组合法(Logic Neighbor Priority Connect，LNPC)将高速铁路接触网系统的故障树模型转化为BDD模型并求取其可靠度表达式，利用隐式方法对考虑了共因失效的接触网系统可靠度进行计算，利用MATLAB绘制考虑共因失效和不考虑共因失效情况下接触网系统可靠度变化曲线。研究结果表明:提出的分析方法适用于接触网系统的可靠性分析，为接触网系统的可靠性分析提供了一定的理论依据。     

企业低碳制造战略分类研究:以水泥企业为例

随着气候变化加剧,低碳发展已成为政府和学者关注的重要议题。降低工业碳排放成为实现我国经济可持续发展的当务之急。低碳制造战略是工业企业实现战略转型、应对碳排放约束和提升市场竞争力的可行策略之一,但企业低碳制造战略的研究正处于起步阶段,还缺乏低碳制造战略类型的认识。为此,本文在拓展企业制造战略竞争优先权结构要素的基础上,增加能源利用率和单位产品二氧化碳排放量为竞争优先权结构要素,构建低碳制造战略竞争优先权分类指标,由此探索企业低碳制造战略类型。本文以国内22个省(自治区、直辖市)所辖的137家水泥企业为研究对象,运用聚类分析方法,识别企业低碳制造战略的类型,结果表明:企业低碳制造战略可划分为三种类型,分别是设计者、看守者和低碳践行者。研究结果不仅有助于深入了解水泥企业低碳制造战略特点,为我国水泥企业低碳制造战略制定和实施提供决策依据,而且其理论成果也可推广至其他高耗能产业,创新引导企业有效实施基于产品全生命周期的企业低碳制造战略。     

Using empirical models of species colonization under multiple threatening processes to identify complementary threat‐mitigation strategies

Approaches to prioritize conservation actions are gaining popularity. However, limited empirical evidence exists on which species might benefit most from threat mitigation and on what combination of threats, if mitigated simultaneously, would result in the best outcomes for biodiversity. We devised a way to prioritize threat mitigation at a regional scale with empirical evidence based on predicted changes to population dynamics—information that is lacking in most threat‐management prioritization frameworks that rely on expert elicitation. We used dynamic occupancy models to investigate the effects of multiple threats (tree cover, grazing, and presence of an hyperaggressive competitor, the Noisy Miner (Manorina melanocephala) on bird‐population dynamics in an endangered woodland community in southeastern Australia. The 3 threatening processes had different effects on different species. We used predicted patch‐colonization probabilities to estimate the benefit to each species of removing one or more threats. We then determined the complementary set of threat‐mitigation strategies that maximized colonization of all species while ensuring that redundant actions with little benefit were avoided. The single action that resulted in the highest colonization was increasing tree cover, which increased patch colonization by 5% and 11% on average across all species and for declining species, respectively. Combining Noisy Miner control with increasing tree cover increased species colonization by 10% and 19% on average for all species and for declining species respectively, and was a higher priority than changing grazing regimes. Guidance for prioritizing threat mitigation is critical in the face of cumulative threatening processes. By incorporating population dynamics in prioritization of threat management, our approach helps ensure funding is not wasted on ineffective management programs that target the wrong threats or species.