Developing shared qualitative models for complex systems

Understanding complex systems is essential to ensure their conservation and effective management. Models commonly support understanding of complex ecological systems and, by extension, their conservation. Modeling, however, is largely a social process constrained by individuals’ mental models (i.e., a small-scale internal model of how a part of the world works based on knowledge, experience, values, beliefs, and assumptions) and system complexity. To account for both system complexity and the diversity of knowledge of complex systems, we devised a novel way to develop a shared qualitative complex system model. We disaggregated a system (carbonate coral reefs) into smaller subsystem modules that each represented a functioning unit, about which an individual is likely to have more comprehensive knowledge. This modular approach allowed us to elicit an individual mental model of a defined subsystem for which the individuals had a higher level of confidence in their knowledge of the relationships between variables. The challenge then was to bring these subsystem models together to form a complete, shared model of the entire system, which we attempted through 4 phases: develop the system framework and subsystem modules; develop the individual mental model elicitation methods; elicit the mental models; and identify and isolate differences for exploration and identify similarities to cocreate a shared qualitative model. The shared qualitative model provides opportunities to develop a quantitative model to understand and predict complex system change.     

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.     

Multi-stakeholder collaboration in community post-disaster reconstruction: case study from the Longmen Shan Fault area in China

While multi-stakeholder collaboration is critical for effective community post-disaster reconstruction (CPDR), it is often very difficult in practice. The Longmen Shan Fault active seismic zone in China has experienced several recent earthquakes with the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake and 2013 Lushan earthquake, both of which caused extensive and widespread damage to many communities, presenting unprecedented challenges for post-disaster reconstruction. This paper develops a multi-cycle field research method that involves three interconnected cycles: internet research, field visits, and extensive surveys: to examine multi-stakeholder collaboration for the CPDR following the Wenchuan earthquake. It was found that there were 12 types of active stakeholders engaged across four main areas: infrastructure rebuilding, psychological recovery, socio-economic rehabilitation, and ecological restoration. Specifically, local community participation and effective collaboration between the community and the external stakeholders were found to be the most crucial elements for successful reconstruction. Multi-stage field research after the Lushan earthquake verified that CPDR was effective and that multi-stakeholder collaboration had improved from the lessons learnt from the Wenchuan earthquake reconstruction experience. Some advantages and limitations of this research are also given.     

中国生态环境科技创新体系建设研究

分析国内外生态环境科技创新的发展现状，相比较国外以市场机制为导向、以企业为创新主体、政府通过政策和管辖支撑创新的体系特征，我国已形成四大类环境类科创载体，但尚未形成成熟有效的技术成果产业化机制以及市场与政策协同促进科技创新的发展模式。本文根据生态环境科技创新的强政策驱动性、技术验证放大周期长以及集成性强的特点，重点通过环境技术研发、技术成果转化、技术放大与赋能、产业拓展与推广四个方面阐述了生态环境科技创新体系建设的主要环节：环境技术的研发由以科研机构为主的传统自发性研发、企业迭代性研发和联合应用型研发组成；技术成果的转化经历挖掘发现、技术识别与判断、知识产权评估评价后进入已成立的企业或新设公司，在这一过程中，成果转化专业队伍起着至关重要的作用；技术放大与赋能旨在为有创新技术的企业提供科技创新政策、二次研发中试验证、首台套工程案例、投融资等资源的对接，以协助初创企业成长；产业的拓展与推广则通过为解决环境问题形成集成方案、孵化平台为企业背书和产业政策匹配等方式助力企业长期发展。最后从加强专业化创新平台、技术评估体系、成果转化人才培养体系建设以及疏通投融资渠道等方面对中国未来生态环境科技创新发展提出相关建议。     

微塑料与污染物相互作用的研究进展

微塑料广泛存在于环境中,其比表面积大、吸附性强,可吸附环境中的重金属、有机物、微生物等污染物,并改变它们在环境中的归趋;同时,这些污染物也会影响微塑料的性质及其在环境中的吸附、迁移、降解等行为,进而对生态环境产生潜在风险.开展微塑料与污染物的相互作用研究是进行微塑料环境风险评价的基础.当前相关研究多集中于微塑料的分布及其对不同污染物的吸附作用等方面,而污染物对微塑料性质的影响研究及吸附后它们性质变化的研究相对较少.据此本文总结了微塑料在环境中的分布情况;以吸附为例,梳理了相互作用过程的影响因素和机理;综述了微塑料与污染物相互作用的研究现状;最后基于此展望日后的研究方向,以期对未来微塑料的相关研究提供参考和帮助.     

3S技术在地震研究领域应用的研究进展

随着3S(RS、GIS、GPS)技术的快速发展,其在地震领域上的应用已引起国内外研究机构和学者的广泛关注。以Web of Science核心数据集为文献源,检索2000-2019年3S技术应用于地震领域的文献,利用Citespace可视化分析软件进行文献分析,通过探究研究主题及研究热点的演变趋势,总结分析了当前研究前沿。研究结果表明,3S技术应用于地震领域涉及到了多个交叉学科及方向,体现出地震领域的研究具有广泛性和综合性的特点;通过聚类分析,发现可划分为8个知识群组,形成了以"地震案例"与"板块运动"为主的两条演化路径;关键词分析表明"合成孔径雷达应用"、"模型反演","滑动分布研究"成为近几年的研究热点,并趋向于多样化的趋势发展。     

铅低累积玉米品种的筛选研究

通过田间实验,研究了在高浓度Pb （2000mg/kg）胁迫下,25个玉米品种生长、产量变化及根、茎叶和籽粒Pb含量的差异。结果表明：在同一污染条件下,25个玉米品种生长对Pb的响应存在显著差异;不同品种根、茎叶和籽粒对Pb吸收、累积及分配能力存在显著差异,分配规律为：根＞茎叶＞籽粒;通过聚类分析获得对Pb耐性较高的品种6个、籽粒Pb低积累的品种6个;综合分析,最终筛选出寻单7号为Pb低累积品种。     

氟化铵制备氟化钙最优条件研究

试验采用氟化铵与石灰石粉、石灰乳反应制取氟化钙,研究了反应温度、物料浓度、物料过量系数等各主要参数变化对氟化钙结晶、过滤速度、氟收率及其含量的影响,摸索出最优反应条件。     

装备研制项目可靠性风险预警技术研究

目的研究装备研制项目可靠性风险预警技术及应用。方法从可靠性风险预警技术对装备研制项目整体质量的影响度出发,对装备研制项目可靠性风险进行特征归类,分析现有装备研制项目可靠性风险预警流程的局限性。结果提出了装备研制项目可靠性风险预警机构的组织管理和权限建议,引入风险阈值理论优化了装备研制项目险预警流程,并给出优化流程中不同风险分析子集的模型应用情景。结论研究提出的装备研制项目可靠性风险预警体系框架和分析模型,可为可靠性风险预警实践提供理论支撑。     

加速腐蚀环境下LD2CS铝合金腐蚀损伤分析方法

目的研究LD2CS铝合金腐蚀损伤数据的分析方法。方法针对LD2CS铝合金腐蚀坑深度值,采用最小二乘支持向量机、BP人工神经网络和求和自回归移动平均等3种模型进行回归和预测分析。对比总结各种模型在小样本递增时间序列下的应用特点。结果对于LD2CS铝合金腐蚀坑深度值预测,最小二乘支持向量机在回归和预测上都有较高的精度。结论最小二乘支持向量机模型最适合LD2CS铝合金的腐蚀坑深度值预测。