Temporal trends in agricultural water use and the relationships to hydroclimatic factors in the High Plains aquifer region

The High Plains aquifer (HPA) is the primary water source for agricultural irrigation in the US Great Plains. The water levels in many locations of the aquifer have declined steadily over the past several decades because the rate of water withdrawals exceeds recharge, which has been a serious concern to the water resources management in the region. We evaluated temporal trends and variations in agricultural water use and hydroclimatic variables including precipitation, air temperature, reference evapotranspiration, runoff, groundwater level, and terrestrial water storage across the HPA region for different periods from 1985 to 2020 at the grid, county, or region scale. The results showed that water withdrawals decreased from 21.3 km³/year in 1985 to 18.2 km³/year in 2015, while irrigated croplands increased from 71,928 km² in 1985 to 78,464 km² in 2015 in the entire HPA. The hydroclimatic time-series showed wetting trends in most of the northern HPA, but drying and warming trends in the southern region from 1985 to 2020. The groundwater level time-series indicated flat trends in the north, but significant declining in the central and southern HPA. Trends in irrigation water withdrawals and irrigation area across the HPA were controlled by the advancement of irrigation systems and technologies and the management of sustainable water use, but also were affected by dynamical changes in the hydroclimatic conditions.     

典型地区农用地污染调查及风险管控标准探讨

针对《土壤污染风险管控标准——农用地土壤污染风险管控标准》(GB 15618—2018),提出以土壤中全量浓度筛选值和管控值作为衡量农用地土壤污染风险管控的标准,对湖南省部分稻田农用地土壤及点对点稻米样品中镉、铅、砷、汞的总量和有效态浓度及稻米中含量进行监测,根据重金属总量浓度分为低风险、中风险、高风险3组。结果显示:(1)土壤及稻米中镉含量基本为随着风险级别的升高而增加,铅、砷在土壤和稻米中含量无规律性结果,汞监测结果均为未检出。(2)低风险组稻米镉超标率为12. 0%,高风险组稻米镉达标率为33. 3%,表明利用总量浓度对农用地土壤潜在风险进行分组存在一定的局限性。(3)依据4种重金属在土壤中总量及稻米(早稻)中含量情况,对风险级别进行调整并综合判断:有58个样品为低风险组,占样品总数的68. 2%,超标率为零;有15个样品为中风险组,占样品总数的17. 7%,超标率为80. 0%;有12个样品为高风险组,占样品总数的14. 1%,超标率为100. 0%。调整后评价结果与上述标准的划分目标更接近,能够提高上述标准的准确性和实用性。     

Prevalence of alcohol among nonfatally injured road accident casualties in two level III trauma centers in northern Ghana

Background: Alcohol use is pervasive among motorists on the road in Ghana; however, we do not know the extent to which this behavior is implicated in road accidents in this country.

Objectives: The main objective of this research was to establish the prevalence of alcohol in the blood of nonfatally injured casualties in the emergency departments (EDs) in northern Ghana.

Method: Participants were injured road traffic crash victims, namely, pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, and drivers seeking treatment at an ED. The study sites were 2 level III trauma centers located in Wa and Bolgatanga. Participants were screened for alcohol followed by breath tests for positive participants using breathalyzers.

Results: Two hundred and sixty-two accident victims visited EDs, 58% of whom were in Wa. Among the victims, 41% were hospitalized and 57% experienced slight injuries. The vast majority (76%) of the casualties were motorcyclists, 13% were pedestrians, 8% were cyclists, and 2% were drivers. Casualties who had detectable alcohol in their blood were predominantly vulnerable road users. In all, 34% of participants had detectable blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) and the mean BAC for all casualties who tested positive and could give definitive BACs was 0.2265 (226 mg/dl). The prevalence of alcohol use was 53% among cyclists, 34% among motorcyclists, 21% among pedestrians, and 17% among drivers. Male casualties were more likely to test positive for alcohol than females. In addition, the prevalence of alcohol was significantly higher among injured casualties in Bolgatanga compared to Wa.

Conclusion: There was a high prevalence of alcohol use among nonfatally injured casualties in northern Ghana and injury severity increased with BAC. AUDIT screening in the hospital, alcohol consumption guideline, road safety education with an emphasis on minimizing or eliminating alcohol consumption, and enhanced enforcement of the BAC limit among motorists are recommended.     

基于Landsat 8遥感数据的天津市地表温度反演

以Landsat 8遥感数据为数据源,进行天津市地表温度反演研究。首先采用单通道算法反演地表温度,并利用均值标准差法进行温度分级。然后建立不同温度等级面积比例的估算模型。再通过随机样点,从不同温度等级和土地覆盖类型2个角度,分别建立并比较不同类样点的地表温度与各指数的拟合模型。结果表明:次高温区域面积比例与人口密度、人均GDP都具有较高的决定系数;地表温度与NDVI、BAEM的二元线性回归决定系数高于地表温度与单一指数的决定系数;将样点分类后,低温点与MNDBI的决定系数高于其他温度等级样点,水域和植被样点与各种指数的决定系数高于其他地物类型样点。     

A climate-change vulnerability and adaptation assessment for Brazil's protected areas

Brazil hosts the largest expanse of tropical ecosystems within protected areas (PAs), which shelter biodiversity and support traditional human populations. We assessed the vulnerability to climate change of 993 terrestrial and coastal-marine Brazilian PAs by combining indicators of climatic-change hazard with indicators of PA resilience (size, native vegetation cover, and probability of climate-driven vegetation transition). This combination of indicators allows the identification of broad climate-change adaptation pathways. Seventeen PAs (20,611 km²) were highly vulnerable and located mainly in the Atlantic Forest (7 PAs), Cerrado (6), and the Amazon (4). Two hundred fifty-eight PAs (756,569 km²), located primarily in Amazonia, had a medium vulnerability. In the Amazon and western Cerrado, the projected severe climatic change and probability of climate-driven vegetation transition drove vulnerability up, despite the generally good conservation status of PAs. Over 80% of PAs of high or moderate vulnerability are managed by indigenous populations. Hence, besides the potential risks to biodiversity, the traditional knowledge and livelihoods of the people inhabiting these PAs may be threatened. In at least 870 PAs, primarily in the Atlantic Forest and Amazon, adaptation could happen with little or no intervention due to low climate-change hazard, high resilience status, or both. At least 20 PAs in the Atlantic Forest, Cerrado, and Amazonia should be targeted for stronger interventions (e.g., improvement of ecological connectivity), given their low resilience status. Despite being a first attempt to link vulnerability and adaptation in Brazilian PAs, we suggest that some of the PAs identified as highly or moderately vulnerable should be prioritized for testing potential adaptation strategies in the near future.     

Spatial and Seasonal Response of Municipal Water Use to Weather across the Contiguous U.S.

Weather variability has the potential to influence municipal water use, particularly in dry regions such as the western United States (U.S.). Outdoor water use can account for more than half of annual household water use and may be particularly responsive to weather, but little is known about how the expected magnitude of these responses varies across the U.S. This nationwide study identified the response of municipal water use to monthly weather (i.e., temperature, precipitation, evapotranspiration [ET]) using monthly water deliveries for 229 cities in the contiguous U.S. Using city‐specific multiple regression and region‐specific models with city fixed effects, we investigated what portion of the variability in municipal water use was explained by weather across cities, and also estimated responses to weather across seasons and climate regions. Our findings indicated municipal water use was generally well‐explained by weather, with median adjusted R² ranging from 63% to 95% across climate regions. Weather was more predictive of water use in dry climates compared to wet, and temperature had more explanatory power than precipitation or ET. In response to a 1°C increase in monthly maximum temperature, municipal water use was shown to increase by 3.2% and 3.9% in dry cities in winter and summer, respectively, with smaller changes in wet cities. Quantifying these responses allows urban water managers to plan for weather‐driven variability in water use.     

农地整治权属调整中农户认知对行为响应的作用机制--基于改进TPB及多群组SEM

农地整治权属调整是实现农业规模化和现代化的重要手段,而农户有效参与是推动权属调整的内在动力,研究农地整治权属调整中农户认知对其行为响应的作用机制,有助于高效引导农户参与权属调整,并为制定农地整治权属调整的政策提供科学依据。基于改进计划行为理论和湖北省11个县(市、区)1044份农户抽样调查数据,采用多群组结构方程模型探究了农地整治权属调整中不同类型农户认知对其行为响应的作用机制。结果表明:农地整治权属调整中农户行为逻辑符合改进计划行为理论,农户的行为态度、主观规范、知觉行为控制交互影响行为意愿,进而转换为行为响应,政府支持在行为意愿和行为响应之间起到部分中介作用。总体上,农户行为响应是"自发性""诱发性"和"约束性"三重行动逻辑的结合,且"自发性"占主导地位。多群组结构方程估计结果表明,纯农型与兼业Ⅰ型农户的行为响应受到"自发性""诱发性"和"约束性"三重影响,兼业Ⅱ型农户受到"自发性"和"诱发性"双重影响,非农型农户仅受到"诱发性"单一影响。因此,为引导农户积极参与农地整治权属调整,应该分别针对各类农户相应地提高其参与的"自发性"和"诱发性",降低"约束性",充分发挥农村社会经济组织的作用,将四种不同类型农户的利益需求统筹考虑,降低权属调整过程中利益协调难度。     

Between Active Seekers and Non-Users: Segments of Science-related Media Usage in Switzerland and Germany

ABSTRACT

Citizens’ attitudes toward science are related to their use of science-related information from various sources. Evidence is scarce regarding citizens’ individual media repertoires for staying informed about science as segmentation studies so far have primarily focused on scientific attitudes. In this paper, we explore audience segments regarding their science-related information behavior and whether such segments are comparable or vary between two countries with similar information environments. Based on two surveys in Switzerland and Germany, we identify national audience segments that differ in their science-related information repertoires, and analyze their sociodemographic characteristics and science-related attitudes. In both countries, we find very comparable information user segments ranging from those who inform themselves frequently about science (“Active Seekers”/“Science Consumers”) to those who hardly get in contact with any information about science and research (“Non-Users”). Those segments which get in contact with information about science frequently show generally more positive attitudes.     

生态缺水条件下流域生态经济系统安全性分析

生态用水和社会经济用水的竞争状况使得研究水资源短缺地区的流域生态经济系统安全状况、有效进行生态缺水条件下流域生态经济系统的调控十分必要.从宏观角度出发,首先分析了流域生态经济系统演化的机制和影响因素,在此基础上,通过建立指标体系,提出了构建流域主要指标为状态变量的生态经济系统演化模型,并利用模型进行系统安全性分析.以潮白河流域为例,构建了人口数量、人均GDP、生态系统指数以及生态用水比例为状态变量的生态经济系统演化模型.模型模拟结果表明,如果不加以调控,该流域将无法提供生态经济系统的安全保障.提出了提高生态用水比例、控制经济增长速度和积极进行生态建设、控制水土流失的对策,为实现潮白河流域的生态经济系统安全保障服务.     

新安江流域土地利用结构对水质的影响

以新安江上游流域为研究区域,用该流域2010年5月TM遥感影像图作为底图,通过实地野外调查获取了新安江流域的土地利用图.运用ArcGIS的水文、空间分析功能,将流域划分为8个子流域,并分析各子流域的土地利用结构.根据2010年1～12月的水质监测数据,分析TN、TP、高锰酸盐指数、NH4+-N、粪大肠菌群的时空变化特征,以及与土地利用结构之间的定量关系.结果表明,TN和NH4+-N有明显的时间变化特征,为枯时期>丰水期>平水期,而其他几种指标没有明显的时间变化.在空间上,整体上呈现出渔梁、浦口污染最为严重.流域内土地利用结构与水质之间的相关关系表现为:耕地、水体、建筑用地起源作用,林地、草地起汇作用.在年度上看,耕地对TN、NH4+-N、高锰酸盐指数影响最大,草地对TP影响最大;不同水期上,枯水期和丰水期,对各指标影响最大的土地利用类型为耕地,在平水期,对TN、TP、粪大肠菌群影响最大的土地利用类型分别为耕地、草地、林地.