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.     

Effects of Desertification Caused by Lithophaga lithophaga (Mollusca) Fishery on Littoral Fish Assemblages along Rocky Coasts of Southeastern Italy

Abstract:  We surveyed shallow, rocky reefs in southwestern Apulia (Mediterranean Sea) to assess the effects on coastal fish assemblages of the date mussel (  Lithophaga lithophaga ) fishery, an illegal practice that strips the rocky reef bare. We visually sampled fish four times over 15 months at three locations, one affected by date-mussel fishery and two controls. The fish assemblage at the affected location differed significantly from those at the control locations over all sampling times. Herbivorous fishes, sparids, and labrids (genus Symphodus ) contributed most to the differences between the affected location and controls. Lower densities of Symphodus spp. were observed at the affected location, whereas detritivorous fishes were recorded exclusively at control sites. Small serranids and sparids showed temporal trends that differed between the affected location and the control locations. Our results suggest that the date-mussel fishery affects fish assemblages chiefly through reduction of arborescent macroalgae (contributing to habitat complexity and primary production) and emphasize the need for more effective policing against this destructive practice.     

长三角背景点夏季大气PM2.5中水溶性无机离子污染特征及来源解析

为研究长三角背景点夏季PM_2.5污染特征,于2018年5月30日—8月15日在上海市崇明岛对PM_2.5样品进行昼夜采集,并对其中水溶性无机离子(Cl-、NO₃-、SO₄2-、Na+、NH₄+、K+、Mg2+、Ca2+)进行了分析.运用PSCF(潜在源贡献)方法判别污染物排放源区,并结合PCA(主成分分析)和PMF(正交矩阵因子)源解析探究PM_2.5来源.结果表明:①观测期间崇明岛ρ(PM_2.5)平均值为(33±21)μg/m3,低于GB 3095—2012《环境空气质量标准》一级标准限值(35 μg/m3),但在部分时段存在显著超标现象,ρ(PM_2.5)最高值在120 μg/m3以上.②水溶性无机离子质量浓度平均值为(14±9.3)μg/m3,占PM_2.5的42.4%,其中SNA(SO₄2-、NO₃-、NH₄+三者统称)为主要离子,占水溶性离子总质量浓度的85.7%.③n(NH₄+)/n(SO₄2-)(NH₄+与SO₄2-的摩尔浓度比)显示,清洁期〔ρ(PM_2.5) < 15 μg/m3〕呈贫铵状态,过渡期〔15≤ρ(PM_2.5)≤35 μg/m3〕和污染期〔ρ(PM_2.5)>35 μg/m3〕均呈富铵状态;过渡期SNA主要以NH₄HSO₄和NH₄NO₃形式存在,而污染期则主要以(NH₄)₂SO₄和NH₄NO₃形式存在.④通过对两次典型污染事件进行离子相关性分析和PSCF分析发现,E1污染事件(5月30日—6月8日)为局地生物质燃烧型污染事件,E2污染事件(7月23日—8月1日)为区域传输污染事件.源解析结果进一步表明,两次典型污染事件期间气态污染物的二次转化对PM_2.5的贡献最显著,贡献率分别为62.8%和59.8%;其次是生物质燃烧,其贡献率分别为32.5%和20.1%;E2污染事件期间海盐源对崇明岛PM_2.5贡献率较高(16.6%),远超过E1污染事件期间对PM_2.5的贡献率(2.7%).研究显示,区域输送对崇明岛PM_2.5有显著贡献,二次颗粒物累积是崇明岛PM_2.5超标的主要原因.      

Bioindicator organisms: Heavy metal pollution evaluation in the Ionian Sea (Mediterranean Sea—Italy)

Trace metal concentrations of mercury, cadmium, lead and chromium in Patella caerulea, and Mullus barbatus were investigated to provide information on pollution of Ionian Sea, since these metals have the highest toxic potential. High chromium levels (0.47–0.97 g g^–1 ww) were registered in limpet samples collected from two station near the Gulf of Taranto, while elevated concentration of mercury (0.31–1.50 g g^–1 ww) were found in mullet specimens from Sicily. The metal concentrations recorded at the clean stations may be considered as useful background levels to which to refer for comparison within the Mediterranean area. On the contrary, the high levels of chromium and mercury found respectively in the areas near the Gulf of Taranto and at Capo Passero being of concern in terms of environmental health need frequent monitoring.     

渤海海冰Modis影像中"伪海冰像元"消除方法的探讨

"伪海冰像元"对渤海海冰范围分布信息的提取产生影响,消除伪海冰像元需要得到一些传感器、大气状况等参数,但往往很难全部得到满足.本文研究了在不知道传感器、大气状况等参数的条件下,通过对数字影像进行实验分析,提取传感器、大气状况引起的脉冲响应函数,并利用该函数结合频域逆滤波和维纳滤波器求解消除非理想脉冲响应的反卷积函数,在空域利用反卷积函数对图像进行逆处理的"伪海冰像元"消除方法.试验结果表明,该方法能够达到降低"伪海冰像元"与其邻域海水像元之间分离度的目的,从而较好的在渤海海区Modis影像中实现分离出"伪海冰像元"的效果.     

陆架浅海沉积物-海水界面溶质通量的计算方法及其应用

陆架浅海沉积物—海水界面上的溶解态生源物质通量的准确估算是海洋生态系统动力学研究中的关键性问题之一。由于底栖生物活动以及海流、海浪及潮波与海底地形地物相互作用的影响 ,使得该通量的准确估算十分困难。本文综合分析讨论了近年来提出的各种计算该类通量的物理模型及参数的确定方法 ,并结合在中国黄、东海等陆架浅海水层—底栖生态动力学耦合模型研究的需要 ,比较深入地讨论了应用过程中应该考虑的几个问题     

中国近海沉积物在生源要素循环中的功能

中国近海沉积物中生源要素的含量与其粒度、河流输入等诸多因素有关。一般沉积物粒度由粗到细 ,有机质含量由低到高 ,OC ,N ,P的含量递增 ,S和Si含量递减。沉积物的生物地球化学环境涉及到Eh ,pH ,温度 ,OC含量 ,Fe3 /Fe2 值 ,水动力条件 ,沉积物的颗粒大小和间隙水的S体系 ,以及生物扰动等因素 ,它们影响着沉积物中生源要素的早期成岩过程和循环。一般而言 ,中国近海沉积物—海水界面S2 -,HS-,H4SiO4,PO43 -,NH4 的扩散通量是从沉积物向上覆水 ,而SO42 -,HCO3 -,NO3 -,NO2 -的扩散通量从上覆水向沉积物中扩散。生物扰动对沉积物—海水界面生源要素的循环起重要作用。     

辽东湾海冰晶体结构及其内部叶绿素的初步研究

本文介绍了１９９６年冬季首次辽东湾生态环境调查中的海洋背景条件。扼要地阐述了辽东湾海冰一般概况，分析辽东湾冰样晶体结构、存储条件及其与冰内和冰下海水叶绿素之间的关系。辽东湾冰内叶绿素符合其它结冰海区的一般规律。根据辽东湾冰层底部实测盐度变化规律阐明海冰对冰下海水营养盐的贡献。最后对深入开展结冰海区生态环境调查工作的技术、侧重点和意义做了讨论。     

探讨影响赤潮的物理因子及其预报

通过多年对广东沿海港湾赤潮发生机理的探讨 ,归纳出引发赤潮的主要物理因子 ,并深入研究潮汐变化与赤潮形成的关系。作者认为在沿海一些半封闭的海湾 ,在月赤纬偏小期间发生大潮易引发赤潮。大亚湾澳头水域 4～ 5月份大潮后多呈现不正规全日潮 ,易出现赤潮生物高峰期 ,较明显的赤潮从发生至消退的全过程往往跨越一个潮水期。根据实践经验总结 ,作者提出利用潮汐变化规律对大亚湾澳头水域 2 0 0 1年 5月份可能出现的赤潮初始阶段作尝试性预测 ,并在赤潮初始阶段通过对水域的浮游生物优势种和当地天气的变化趋势加强观测、研究 ,希望能对赤潮暴发作出较准确的预报。     

广西近岸海域沉积物环境质量现状与评价

根据广西近岸海域海洋沉积物环境质量现状调查监测,分析了沉积物中Hg、Cd、Pb、Cu、Cr、As、有机碳、硫化物、石油类的含量;通过对2003和2004年监测数据进行适当的数理统计处理,采用单因子评价方法对广西近岸海域海洋沉积物评价、分析,为广西海洋环境管理提供一定的科学依据。