Understanding implications of consumer behavior for wildlife farming and sustainable wildlife trade

Unsustainable wildlife trade affects biodiversity and the livelihoods of communities dependent upon those resources. Wildlife farming has been proposed to promote sustainable trade, but characterizing markets and understanding consumer behavior remain neglected but essential steps in the design and evaluation of such operations. We used sea turtle trade in the Cayman Islands, where turtles have been farm raised for human consumption for almost 50 years, as a case study to explore consumer preferences toward wild‐sourced (illegal) and farmed (legal) products and potential conservation implications. Combining methods innovatively (including indirect questioning and choice experiments), we conducted a nationwide trade assessment through in‐person interviews from September to December 2014. Households were randomly selected using disproportionate stratified sampling, and responses were weighted based on district population size. We approached 597 individuals, of which 37 (6.2%) refused to participate. Although 30% of households had consumed turtle in the previous 12 months, the purchase and consumption of wild products was rare (e.g., 64–742 resident households consumed wild turtle meat [i.e., 0.3–3.5% of households] but represented a large threat to wild turtles in the area due to their reduced populations). Differences among groups of consumers were marked, as identified through choice experiments, and price and source of product played important roles in their decisions. Despite the long‐term practice of farming turtles, 13.5% of consumers showed a strong preference for wild products, which demonstrates the limitations of wildlife farming as a single tool for sustainable wildlife trade. By using a combination of indirect questioning, choice experiments, and sales data to investigate demand for wildlife products, we obtained insights about consumer behavior that can be used to develop conservation‐demand‐focused initiatives. Lack of data from long‐term social–ecological assessments hinders the evaluation of and learning from wildlife farming. This information is key to understanding under which conditions different interventions (e.g., bans, wildlife farming, social marketing) are likely to succeed.     

Fishing‐gear restrictions and biomass gains for coral reef fishes in marine protected areas

Considerable empirical evidence supports recovery of reef fish populations with fishery closures. In countries where full exclusion of people from fishing may be perceived as inequitable, fishing‐gear restrictions on nonselective and destructive gears may offer socially relevant management alternatives to build recovery of fish biomass. Even so, few researchers have statistically compared the responses of tropical reef fisheries to alternative management strategies. We tested for the effects of fishery closures and fishing gear restrictions on tropical reef fish biomass at the community and family level. We conducted 1,396 underwater surveys at 617 unique sites across a spatial hierarchy within 22 global marine ecoregions that represented 5 realms. We compared total biomass across local fish assemblages and among 20 families of reef fishes inside marine protected areas (MPAs) with different fishing restrictions: no‐take, hook‐and‐line fishing only, several fishing gears allowed, and sites open to all fishing gears. We included a further category representing remote sites, where fishing pressure is low. As expected, full fishery closures, (i.e., no‐take zones) most benefited community‐ and family‐level fish biomass in comparison with restrictions on fishing gears and openly fished sites. Although biomass responses to fishery closures were highly variable across families, some fishery targets (e.g., Carcharhinidae and Lutjanidae) responded positively to multiple restrictions on fishing gears (i.e., where gears other than hook and line were not permitted). Remoteness also positively affected the response of community‐level fish biomass and many fish families. Our findings provide strong support for the role of fishing restrictions in building recovery of fish biomass and indicate important interactions among fishing‐gear types that affect biomass of a diverse set of reef fish families.     

郑州市土壤与绿色植物中汞的分布特征

汞污染具有生物积累性,因而得到社会广泛关注。研究监测和评估了郑州市城区土壤和绿色植物叶片中汞浓度、分布、污染水平等。研究发现郑州市主城区土壤总汞浓度为0. 150～0. 958 mg/kg,平均浓度为0. 448 mg/kg;郑州市主城区绿色植物叶片总汞浓度为0. 017～0. 249 mg/kg,平均浓度为0. 107 mg/kg;土壤和叶片中汞浓度按功能区排序为交通枢纽区工业区商业区行政区高教区住宅区。采用地累积指数法对郑州市80个土壤样品的汞污染水平进行评估,结果显示60%受到轻度污染,35%受到偏中度污染,5%受到中度污染。研究较为全面地分析了土壤汞污染的现状及浓度,为郑州市土壤汞污染防治提供参考。     

Developing Effective Decision Support for the Application of “Gentle” Remediation Options: The GREENLAND Project

Gentle remediation options (GRO) are risk management strategies/technologies that result in a net gain (or at least no gross reduction) in soil function as well as risk management. They encompass a number of technologies, including the use of plant (phyto‐), fungi (myco‐), and/or bacteria‐based methods, with or without chemical soil additives or amendments, for reducing contaminant transfer to local receptors by in situ stabilization, or extraction, transformation, or degradation of contaminants. Despite offering strong benefits in terms of risk management, deployment costs, and sustainability for a range of site problems, the application of GRO as practical on‐site remedial solutions is still in its relative infancy, particularly for metal(loid)‐contaminated sites. A key barrier to wider adoption of GRO relates to general uncertainties and lack of stakeholder confidence in (and indeed knowledge of) the feasibility or reliability of GRO as practical risk management solutions. The GREENLAND project has therefore developed a simple and transparent decision support framework for promoting the appropriate use of gentle remediation options and encouraging participation of stakeholders, supplemented by a set of specific design aids for use when GRO appear to be a viable option. The framework is presented as a three phased model or Decision Support Tool (DST), in the form of a Microsoft Excel‐based workbook, designed to inform decision‐making and options appraisal during the selection of remedial approaches for contaminated sites. The DST acts as a simple decision support and stakeholder engagement tool for the application of GRO, providing a context for GRO application (particularly where soft end‐use of remediated land is envisaged), quick reference tables (including an economic cost calculator), and supporting information and technical guidance drawing on practical examples of effective GRO application at trace metal(loid) contaminated sites across Europe. This article introduces the decision support framework. ©2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

蒙古冷涡影响下宁夏两次典型冰雹天气对比分析

基于常规气象资料和宁夏中尺度区域数值模式MM5输出结果，应用天气学及诊断分析方法，对2004年6月14日和2005年5月30日发生在宁夏的两次典型冰雹天气过程，从环流背景、影响系统、冰雹落区、大气层结稳定度及动力条件等方面进行了对比分析。结果表明：两次冰雹天气过程均发生在宁夏冰雹易发期夏初季节的午后，是在＂西高东低＂有利于强对流天气发生的环流背景下，受蒙古冷涡影响而形成的。由于环流形势及其演变的不同，使蒙古冷涡移动路径有所差异，造成宁夏不同区域受到冰雹袭击。     

京津冀地区钢铁行业协同减排成本-效益分析

京津冀地区是我国钢铁行业布局最集中的区域,也是大气污染治理的重点区域之一.分析京津冀地区钢铁行业各类治污手段中长期减排的成本-效益,对于选择最经济有效的减排路径、加快推动该地区大气环境质量达标意义重大.基于能源环境、环境分布、人群健康效益评价等模块构建多模型耦合方法,以2015年为基准年,以每5 a为时间节点,设计了京津冀地区钢铁行业规模-结构、规模-技术、规模-末端治理、综合减排4种协同减排情景,计算各情景下2015—2030年京津冀地区钢铁行业主要污染物(SO₂、NO_x、PM₁₀、PM_2.5、CO₂)的减排成本与效益,比较获取治污减排的最优路径方案.结果表明:①基于减排成本计算,规模-末端治理减排情景成本最低,分别为规模-结构、规模-技术减排情景投入的15.18%、23.94%;综合减排情景下治污减排潜力最大,但综合成本最高.②基于环境税效益评价方法、人群健康效益评价方法计算显示,人群健康效益评价方法计算的减排效益高于环境税效益评价方法,表明污染减排的潜在人群健康效益更高;基于两种减排效益方法,4种协同减排情景中综合减排效益分别为10.78×108、76.14×108元,高于规模-结构、规模-技术、规模-末端治理减排情景效益.③基于环境税效益评价方法,4种协同减排情景的效益-成本比表现为规模-末端治理减排情景(0.46) >规模-技术减排情景(0.24) >综合减排情景(0.15) >规模-结构减排情景(0.10);基于人群健康效益评价方法4种协同减排情景的效益-成本比依次为规模-末端治理减排情景(8.35) >综合减排情景(1.07) >规模-结构减排情景(0.57) >规模-技术减排情景(0.65),表明规模-末端治理减排情景的减排路径最优.研究显示,京津冀地区钢铁行业应基于环境质量底线目标要求,综合考虑减排潜力、减排成本与收益,以规模-末端治理为主要途径,选取协同减排的最优路径.      

纳米涂层/铝合金在不同pH值的海水溶液中的腐蚀行为研究

目的评价纳米涂层/铝合金在不同pH值海水溶液中的腐蚀行为。方法通过测试纳米涂层/铝合金试样在不同pH值海水溶液中的EIS值,分析试样阻抗谱图及Bode谱图的演化规律,建立不同EIS图谱的不同电极阻抗模型,并采用ZView软件解析涂层体系不同时期的电化学阻抗谱,获得涂层电阻的变化趋势,及不同pH值海水浸泡的纳米涂层体系腐蚀失效速度。结果随着浸泡时间的增加及pH值的降低,纳米涂层/铝合金体系腐蚀损伤失效速率在浸泡前期整体趋势增大,但中后期由于腐蚀产物逐渐堵塞了涂层的微孔,腐蚀介质向铝合金表面渗透的速率逐渐减小。结论 pH为2.0海水浸泡下的3涂层失效最快,其次是pH为4.0海水浸泡下的2涂层,最后为p H为6.0海水浸泡下的1涂层,该涂层体系应采用等效电路模型C进行拟合。     

南海浮游植物对沙尘和灰霾添加的响应

通过2016年5月~6月在南海3个站位开展的船基围隔培养实验,研究了沙尘和灰霾添加对南海浮游植物生长和群落结构变化的影响.结果发现,沙尘和灰霾添加由于提供了N、P等营养盐,整体上促进了浮游植物的生长,且促进程度与添加量密切相关.通过定量计算营养盐指数和叶绿素a累积浓度,发现培养期间叶绿素a累积浓度与沙尘添加浓度呈显著正相关关系（R²=0.87,P<0.01）;低浓度灰霾添加的作用与沙尘添加类似（R²=0.91,P<0.01）,但当灰霾浓度增大时,叶绿素a累积浓度的增加受到一定程度的抑制,这可能与灰霾中含有较高含量的毒性物质有关.各粒级浮游植物叶绿素a浓度的变化表明,沙尘和低浓度灰霾添加使浮游植物优势种群由超微型向小型和微型转变;在高浓度灰霾添加组,由于营养盐与毒性物质的综合作用,浮游植物粒级结构变化不明显.超微型浮游植物细胞丰度测定结果表明,沙尘对聚球藻、原绿球藻和超微型真核浮游植物均表现出促进作用,高浓度灰霾添加能够抑制聚球藻和超微型真核浮游植物的生长.