Fatal pedestrian crashes on interstates and other freeways in the United States

Introduction: More than 800 pedestrians die annually in crashes on interstates and other freeways in the United States, but few studies have examined their characteristics. Method: Data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System on pedestrians fatally injured during 2015–2017 were analyzed. Chi-square tests compared characteristics of pedestrians killed on interstates and other freeways with those that died on other roads, and across crash types among freeway deaths. Land use characteristics of locations where pedestrians were killed while crossing freeways in a large state (California) were identified using Google Earth. Results: A larger proportion of pedestrians killed on freeways died on dark and unlit roads (48% vs. 32%), were male (78% vs. 68%), or were ages 20–44 (55% vs. 32%) compared with pedestrians killed on other roads. Crossing (42%) was the most common crash type among pedestrian deaths on freeways, followed by disabled-vehicle-related crashes (18%). Pedestrians who died while crossing more often had blood alcohol concentrations ≥ 0.08 g/dL (40%) than those in disabled-vehicle-related (22%) or other crashes (34%). Deaths in crossing crashes were more likely than other freeway deaths to occur on urban roads (81%), at speed limits ≤50 mph (13%), or between 18:00 and 23:59 (49%), and 58% of crossing crashes analyzed for land use were located between residential and other (e.g., commercial, recreational) uses. Over a third (37%) of deaths in disabled-vehicle-related crashes occurred at speed limits ≥70 mph. Conclusions: A surprising proportion of pedestrian deaths occur on controlled-access roads not designed for walking. Countermeasures for these crashes need to be implemented to see meaningful reductions in pedestrian fatalities overall. Practical applications: Improving roadway and vehicle lighting, requiring reflective warning devices for marking disabled vehicles, constructing pedestrian overpasses and underpasses in areas frequently crossed, and promoting alternative means of traveling between residential and commercial areas could help.     

Assessing the Effectiveness of Winter Cover Crops for Controlling Agricultural Nutrient Losses

A nutrient loss reduction strategy is necessary to guide the efforts of improving water quality downstream of an agricultural watershed. In this study, the effectiveness of two winter cover crops, namely cereal rye and annual ryegrass, is explored as a loss reduction strategy in a watershed that ultimately drains into a water supply reservoir. Using a coupled optimization-watershed model, optimal placements of the cover crops were identified that would result in the tradeoffs between nitrate-N losses reduction and adoption levels. Analysis of the 10%, 25%, 50%, and 75% adoption levels extracted from the optimal tradeoffs showed that the cover crop placements would provide annual nitrate-N loss reductions of 3.0%–3.7%, 7.8%–8.8%, 15%–17.5%, and 20.9%–24.3%, respectively. In addition, for the same adoption levels (i.e., 10%–75%), sediment (1.8%–17.7%), and total phosphorus losses (0.8%–8.6%) could be achieved. Results also indicate that implementing each cover crop on all croplands of the watershed could cause annual water yield reduction of at least 4.8%, with greater than 28% in the months of October and November. This could potentially be detrimental to the storage volume of the downstream reservoir, especially in drought years, if cover crops are adopted in most of the reservoir's drainage area. Evaluating water yield impacts, particularly in periods of low flows, is thus critical if cover crops are to be considered as best management practices in water supply watersheds.     

Spatial interactions in habitat conservation: Evidence from prairie pothole easements

We examine the role of spatial interactions in conservation easements placed on prairie pothole habitat in western Canada. One of the goals of the conservation easement program we study is to protect contiguous habitat. We identify endogenous spatial interactions among conservation easements and government protected land, independent of spatially correlated landscape features and local economic shocks that influence easement enrollment. We present evidence that easements increase the likelihood of subsequent easements on neighboring land. Government-protected land appears to have little effect on the location of conservation easements. These results imply that conservation agencies have leveraged past conservation investment to enroll more contiguous habitat in permanent easements through a combination of targeting and positive social interactions among neighboring landowners.     

基于RS和GIS的都江堰市热岛效应研究

随着人类社会的发展,城市的规模也不断扩张。持续加速的城市化对城市气候及环境产生了深远的影响。本次研究采用遥感与GIS相结合的方法来分析都江堰市城市热环境的时空变化。根据1994和2007年两个时相的LandSatTM影像提取了研究区的土地覆盖、亮温信息和植被覆盖信息。通过统计分析和空间分析对这13年来都江堰的热岛时空变化及其与土地覆盖和植被覆盖变化的关系进行了深入研究。分析结果表明,城市热岛与城区的空间分布之间存在明显的一致性,与植被覆盖有较强的负相关关系。     

县域土地利用规划生态环境影响评价研究——以陇县为例

以生态服务价值理论为指导,从土地利用变化动态度、生态系统服务总价值和生态价值敏感度3个方面评价陇县土地利用总体规划(2006～2020年)对区域生态环境的影响。结果表明,林地、耕地在规划期内生态系统服务价值都呈增长趋势,区域生态系统服务总价值增加了30700万元。     

Effect of land management on soil microbial N supply to crop N uptake in a dry tropical cropland in Tanzania

In Sub-Saharan Africa, conservation of available soil N during early crop growth, when N loss by leaching generally occurs, is important to improve crop productivity. In a dry tropical cropland in Tanzania, we assessed the potential role of soil microbes as a temporal N sink-source to conserve the available soil N until later crop growth, which generally requires substantial crop N uptake. We evaluated the effect of land management [i.e., no input, plant residue application before planting (P plot) with or without fertilizer application, fertilizer application alone, and non-cultivated plots] on the relationship between soil N pool [microbial biomass N (MBN) and inorganic N] and crop N uptake throughout the ∼120-d crop growth period in two consecutive years. In the P plot, MBN clearly increased (∼14.6-29.6 kg N ha⁻¹) early in the crop growth period in both years because of immobilization of potentially leachable N, and it conserved a larger soil N pool (∼10.5-21.2 kg N ha⁻¹) than in the control plot. Especially in one year in which N leaching was critical, increased MBN maintained a larger soil N pool in the P plot throughout the experimental period, and a delay of increased MB C:N ratio and a substantial decrease in MBN was observed, indicating better soil microbial N supply for crop N uptake during later crop growth. Therefore, plant residue application before planting should enhance the role of soil microbes as a temporal N sink-source, leading to the conservation of potentially leachable N until later phase of crop growth, especially in years in which N leaching is relatively severe. Although further studies are necessary, our results suggest that plant residue application before planting is a promising option to achieve better N synchronization.     

呼伦贝尔草原植被覆盖时空动态变化监测定量方法研究

开展植被动态监测与评价,是评估生态保护措施、环境管理政策和全球变化研究的重要基础。论文以呼伦贝尔草原为例,基于1998—2008年间SPOT_VGT NDVI旬数据,通过分析生长期间的植被年均NDVI值、年NDVI最大值、年NDVI最小值、季节性动态性与物候的变化状况及其趋势,反映研究区植被覆盖空间特征,监测植被覆盖动态变化情况。结果表明:研究区植被覆盖区域特征为:以林地为主的区域草地-耕地-林地过渡区以耕地为主的区域以草地为主的区域;11 a来,研究区植被覆盖呈减弱趋势,植被覆盖最佳期提前,以林地为主的区域、草地-耕地-林地过渡区和以耕地为主的区域植被覆盖季节性动态变化较小,植被覆盖稳定性较强,而以草地为主的地区植被覆盖最小值日期推后,其季节性动态变化较大,生态环境稳定性较差。     

Groundwater conditions under a reconstructed prairie chronosequence

Chronosequences are useful to evaluate long-term changes in ecosystem services but assessing groundwater quality changes using this approach has rarely been done. In this study, groundwater level and quality comparisons were made in a watershed-scale reconstructed prairie chronosequence that extended back in time approximately 13 years at the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge (NSNWR) near Prairie City, Iowa. Our objectives were to determine whether groundwater conditions varied significantly across the chronosequence and quantify the rate of nitrate concentration reduction when row crop fields are replaced by prairie. We installed 19 groundwater wells at upland locations selected to provide similar soil type, landscape position and slope. Water samples were collected on five occasions in 2006 and 2007 and analyzed for field parameters, anions and NO₃-N, NH₄-N and PO₄-P. Significant groundwater changes were primarily associated with groundwater levels, and groundwater nitrate and chloride concentrations. The groundwater was deeper under the older prairie plantings but fluctuated similarly among all well sites. Groundwater nitrate and chloride concentrations decreased 0.58 and 0.52 mg/l per year over the 13-year chronosequence, respectively. Results are seen to provide some guidance to land managers regarding possible nitrate concentration reductions achievable from converting cropland to perennial land cover in similar geomorphic settings.     

钼矿区污灌菜地土壤重金属污染的生态风险预警评价

通过对钼矿区地下水进行重金属含量分析,发现地下水已受重金属污染。该受污染地下水为矿区菜地唯一灌溉用水。本文研究钼矿区污灌菜地土壤的重金属污染现状及生态风险。选取矿区、尾矿区、选矿区周边菜地的土壤样本60个,用HNO3-HF-HClO4处理后,采用等离子体发射光谱仪（ICP-AKS）测定土壤样品中Pb、As、Hg、Cr、Cd、Zn、Cu、Ni的全量,采用生态风险指数进行生态风险预警评价。结果表明：矿区、尾矿区、选矿区周边受污染菜地尾矿区农田土壤的生态风险指数（IER）分别为59．42、80．60、154．83,其预警类型均为重警;污染程度为矿区菜地〈尾矿区菜地〈选矿区菜地。     

高速公路对沿途土地利用及景观格局的影响——以内蒙古省道103线蒲滩木刀口到城壕段为例

利用2002年和2006年公路建设前后的两期遥感数据,分析了公路对沿线土地利用和景观格局的影响。结果表明：公路建设使公路用地面积增加了4.10km^2,主要由侵占农业用地和沙地所导致;居民区、森林面积分别增加了1.12km^2和0.08km^2,其余土地利用类型面积有所减少;道路、居民区和森林的景观破碎化指数增加,农田、草地、灌木、沙地和水域下降;景观多样性指数增加,景观优势度降低。