Relict communities and populations of petrophilous plant species in northern regions of Sverdlovsk oblast and problems in their conservation

An inventory of rock vegetation has been taken in river valleys on the eastern slope of the southern part of the Northern Urals and the northern part of the Middle Urals. New habitats of some rare plant species, relict communities of forest-steppe species at the northern limit of their distribution, and ultrasmall populations of petrophilous species growing in isolation for a long time have been revealed. In studies on a group of similar specially protected areas (e.g., within river valleys), it is proposed to identify key sites distinguished by the highest species richness of vegetation     

金融节能、金融发展对碳排放变化的影响研究

本文将金融节能与金融发展同时引入传统LMDI分解模型,并融合脱钩弹性指数,分析了两者对碳排放变化的影响机理。在此基础上,本文还检验了1997—2015年中国29个省区金融节能与金融发展的碳排放效应。研究发现:首先,尽管1997—2015年中国碳排放规模的扩张趋势较为明显,短期来看,这一演变仍然大体经历了三个阶段,即碳排放增量持续扩张期、碳排放增量波动下降期以及碳排放增量平稳期。其次,不仅金融节能、金融发展以及经济增长是在短期和长期诱发中国碳排放变化的三个最主要因素,而且前两者对中国碳排放变化的影响还大于后者。再次,金融节能对中国碳排放变化的短期和长期作用方向始终与金融发展对中国碳排放变化的短期和长期作用方向相反。最后,金融节能和金融发展与中国碳排放变化之间在短期内基本维持弱脱钩或强负脱钩两种状态,而在长期呈现强负脱钩状态,通过分解这些脱钩弹性状态的诱因,不仅直接影响和交互影响的作用方向始终相反,而且两者还分别在金融节能与中国碳排放脱钩弹性变动以及金融发展与中国碳排放脱钩弹性变动中发挥截然相反的作用。     

从对抗走向和谐:论人与自然关系的重构--从生态哲学看和谐社会的建构

人与自然的对抗主要表现为四个方面：人类征服、改造甚至掠夺自然；自然又加倍报复人类；人类与动物争夺生存环境；人类与动物相互伤害。要实现人与自然从对抗走向和谐。必须树立人与自然和谐相处的自然观。改变传统的经济发展观。以及树立科学文明的消费观等等。     

Measuring the effectiveness of landscape approaches to conservation and development

Landscape approaches attempt to achieve balance amongst multiple goals over long time periods and to adapt to changing conditions. We review project reports and the literature on integrated landscape approaches, and found a lack of documented studies of their long-term effectiveness. The combination of multiple and potentially changing goals presents problems for the conventional measures of impact. We propose more critical use of theories of change and measures of process and progress to complement the conventional impact assessments. Theories of change make the links between project deliverables, outputs, outcomes, and impacts explicit, and allow a full exploration of the landscape context. Landscape approaches are long-term engagements, but short-term process metrics are needed to confirm that progress is being made in negotiation of goals, meaningful stakeholder engagement, existence of connections to policy processes, and effectiveness of governance. Long-term impact metrics are needed to assess progress on achieving landscapes that deliver multiple societal benefits, including conservation, production, and livelihood benefits. Generic criteria for process are proposed, but impact metrics will be highly situation specific and must be derived from an effective process and a credible theory of change.     

Successful and sustainable governance of the lower Yellow River,China: A floodplain utilization approach for balancing ecological conservation and development

Environment, Development and Sustainability - A novel model has been proposed for the methodical development and safe utilization of the lower Yellow River floodplain to provide flood control with...     

Assessment of the state of vegetation and prognosis of its anthropogenic dynamics in specially protected nature areas on the basis of Phytoecological mapping

Methodological approaches to the construction of phytoecological maps are described regarding specially protected nature areas and their specific features. Such maps offer new possibilities for the assessment and analysis of current and predicted states of vegetation.     

The boundary between European and Asian freshwater ichthyofaunas in the Arctic part of the Polar Urals

The spatial distribution of ichthyofauna in water bodies of the northern Polar Urals is reviewed. Four lake types are distinguished according to the species composition of fishes. The faunistic ranking of water bodies has been performed. The zoogeographic boundary between the ranges of the European and Siberian ichthyofaunas in the freshwater part of the Arctic has been determined.     

Social contrasts and land use conflicts in the context of sustainable development and management needs: a case study from an estuarine area at northeastern Brazil

This paper discusses the misuses of estuaries in Northeast of Brazil and the social contrasts there found. The several kinds of impacts promoted by capitalist enterprises in one side and by traditional population, who uses estuary areas at another side, are in complete disagreement with the ethic of sustainable development. Our intention is to demonstrate how these aspects occur in the River Paraíba do Norte estuary, in the State of Paraíba. Observing the conditions of infrastructure besides the multiple ways to handle along with the extension of the estuary, we could recognize 59 focus of conflict between the incorrect use and sustainable mode. Most of the uses concern to traditional artisan fishing, slums and recreational marinas, reflecting the great social contrast between rich and poor people settled in area studied. Ecological and social implications of these conflicting uses are discussed and measures to improve the situation are suggested.     

Harvesting heat energy from asphalt pavements: development of and comparison between numerical models and experiment

The use of flowing water in embedded pipes to harvest heat energy from asphalt pavements and thereby reducing its temperature and the urban heat island effect has been proposed. A successful use of such an approach would require a complete understanding of the effect and the interaction of various mechanisms such as conduction, convection and radiation and factors such as solar radiation, diameter of pipe and rate of flow. A large-scale experiment was conducted to understand such effects, and numerical modelling was conducted for prediction of temperature. The experiment was modelled using finite element method, and a good match was obtained between predicted and experimentally obtained results. Effects of pipe diameter and flow rate were also analysed. This model could be used in future for selection of appropriate levels of critical variables and hence successful implementation of this concept to sustainable pavements.     

人与自然和谐是构建和谐社会的物质基础

在剖析和谐社会及人与自然和谐基本内涵的基础上。通过分析资源短缺、生态破坏和环境污染对社会和谐的破坏作用。阐明了人与自然和谐是构建和谐社会的基本前提；通过分析加强环境保护、合理开发利用资源可以促进民主法治和公平正义。促使社会充满活力、安定有序。促进经济繁荣和持续发展。阐明了以人与自然和谐推进和谐社会的构建。进而全面论述了人与自然和谐是构建和谐社会的物质基础。     

成本倒逼:政府机构节能管理新思路

从政府机构节能的紧迫性出发。基于“企业化政府”理论和政府机构节能管理工作存在的问题。分析了将“成本倒逼法”引入政府机构节能管理工作的理论依据和现实基础。论证“成本倒遇法”在政府机构节能管理工作中的实际应用。     

Rural women and agrotourism in the context of sustainable rural development: A case study from Turkey

As in many developing countries also in Turkey, agriculture is on the center of rural development and rural women are on the center of agriculture. Although they are main part as a major labor force at every stage of agricultural activity and undertake responsibilities such as domestic task and childcare, women do not profit from social and economic benefits proportionate to the responsibilities they have undertaken. Agrotourism is an alternative activity in the rural development process, which combines agriculture and tourism, improves natural resources, contributes the rural area socially and economically. The aim of this study is to examine the participation conditions of rural women to the agrotourism activities, which is considered as an option in the context of sustainable rural development, and to identify the possible social and economic implications of agrotourism on the rural women’s life, after determining the situation and importance of rural women in the agricultural activity. This research was carried out in three villages of Kalecik district of Ankara and data gathered from group meetings and surveys.     

Rural women and agrotourism in the context of sustainable rural development: A case study from Turkey

As in many developing countries also in Turkey, agriculture is on the center of rural development and rural women are on the center of agriculture. Although they are main part as a major labor force at every stage of agricultural activity and undertake responsibilities such as domestic task and childcare, women do not profit from social and economic benefits proportionate to the responsibilities they have undertaken.Agrotourism is an alternative activity in the rural development process, which combines agriculture and tourism, improves natural resources, contributes the rural area socially and economically.The aim of this study is to examine the participation conditions of rural women to the agrotourism activities, which is considered as an option in the context of sustainable rural development, and to identify the possible social and economic implications of agrotourism on the rural womens life, after determining the situation and importance of rural women in the agricultural activity. This research was carried out in three villages of Kalecik district of Ankara and data gathered from group meetings and surveys.Readers should send their comments on this paper to: BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.     

Legitimacy,access, and the gridlock of tiger conservation: lessons from Melghat and the history of central India

Though tiger conservationists almost ubiquitously acknowledge the necessity of landscape approaches and the involvement of local people for effective tiger conservation, reconciling these two needs presents certain challenges for practitioners. Seeking to address both local exigencies and conservation goals, state-sponsored ecodevelopment initiatives have become commonly associated with Project Tiger reserves in India. However, in this essay I argue that by focusing on the proximate sources of tension between tiger conservation and local people (i.e., human–tiger conflict, habitat degradation, and prey depletion), these programs have reinforced the ultimate causes of such tension: the structural inequalities that exists between local people and state organizations. By linking the historical literature with my own fieldwork in the Melghat Tiger Reserve of the Central Indian Highlands, I show how the current structure of ecodevelopment largely mirrors that of colonial forestry by attempting to enforce natural resource property rights in a way that privileges the state and delegitimizes local relational mechanisms of access to natural resources. In doing so, ecodevelopment reflects the political structure that facilitated the rise of conflicts between tigers and people and reinforces the “gridlock of tiger conservation” (Rastogi et al. 2012). With this political ecology perspective, I advocate solidarity between conservation practitioners, local people, and state organizations in addressing these structural problems to further conservation efforts. Emphasizing co-management’s ability to accommodate multi-scalar forms of authority, I end by offering three lessons for conservation from Melghat’s experience with colonial forestry and ecodevelopment.     

Social representations of socioenvironmental dynamics in extractive ecosystems and conservation practices with sustainable development: a bibliometric analysis

Environment, Development and Sustainability - Social representations necessarily originate from the interaction between individuals and groups in a social setting through communication and shared...     

经济发展与环境污染脱钩理论及EKC假说的关系——兼论中国地级城市的脱钩划分

脱钩理论与EKC假说,两者都描述了经济发展与环境污染之间的动态关系,其中,脱钩理论揭示了经济发展与环境压力是否同步变化的关联,而EKC假说先于脱钩理论出现,并阐述了环境污染随着经济发展水平呈现出的非线性关系。本研究基于脱钩理论与EKC假说的理论内涵,首先通过数理模型的推导,得到了二者的内在联系,并运用一阶差分GMM方法对此进行实证检验。基于数理分析和一阶差分GMM估计的实证结果显示,脱钩理论与EKC假说均呈现出先上升后下降的倒"U"型曲线特征,且相对脱钩与绝对脱钩的临界点正好对应于EKC的拐点。其次,结合二者的关联,本研究将人均GDP水平加入脱钩类型的判定标准,在传统脱钩状态分类的基础上,以EKC拐点处所对应的人均GDP水平,以及数值为0.8的脱钩弹性系数为两条分界线,进一步将城市的经济发展与环境污染脱钩关系类型划分为6种形态,分别为"高收入未脱钩"、"低收入未脱钩"、"低收入相对脱钩"、"高收入相对脱钩"、"低收入绝对脱钩"和"高收入绝对脱钩"。最后,本研究将理论部分所做的推导以及脱钩的象限划分应用于实际的城市脱钩案例研究中,并依据一阶差分GMM的回归结果,将中国271个地级城市的经济发展与污染排放的脱钩状态进行了归类。对2004—2013年中国271个地级城市的经验分析表明,近50%的城市尚处于"低收入未脱钩"和"低收入相对脱钩"状态,意味着中国地级城市发展不平衡,且城市内部的脱钩发展与经济发展不匹配问题突出,这些城市在未来的绿色脱钩建设过程中将长期面临着"保增长"和"促脱钩"的双重任务。     

Mapping interactions between the sustainable development goals: lessons learned and ways forward

Pursuing integrated research and decision-making to advance action on the sustainable development goals (SDGs) fundamentally depends on understanding interactions between the SDGs, both negative ones (“trade-offs”) and positive ones (“co-benefits”). This quest, triggered by the 2030 Agenda, has however pointed to a gap in current research and policy analysis regarding how to think systematically about interactions across the SDGs. This paper synthesizes experiences and insights from the application of a new conceptual framework for mapping and assessing SDG interactions using a defined typology and characterization approach. Drawing on results from a major international research study applied to the SDGs on health, energy and the ocean, it analyses how interactions depend on key factors such as geographical context, resource endowments, time horizon and governance. The paper discusses the future potential, barriers and opportunities for applying the approach in scientific research, in policy making and in bridging the two through a global SDG Interactions Knowledge Platform as a key mechanism for assembling, systematizing and aggregating knowledge on interactions.     

Anaerobic digestion and community development: A case study from Hainan province,China

Connections and relationships between conservation practices and community development in relation to rural sustainability have received considerable attention in recent years, especially in developing countries. Among many sound practices around the world, anaerobic digestion (AD) technology has long been encouraged as an alternative source of energy, while contributing to resource conservation and economic development initiatives in developing rural areas. Guided by the theme of sustainable development, the study examined the current applications of AD technology in Meiwan Xincun Village (MWXCV) in Hainan Province, China. Employing a self-administered questionnaire survey, face-to-face interviews and on-site observation, the study explored the diffusion process, current operation and local impacts of AD practice. The study identifies that leadership, education, technical support and local economy are key factors affecting the diffusion of AD, and governmental financial incentives are significantly effective measures to make the technology economically viable for local residents. The technology was found to fit into the rural livelihood system of the village, with considerable environmental and socio-economic benefits. Guided by the leaders of the village, the local residents generally accept and support the practice and are willing to contribute to introducing the technology in and out of the village. Suggestions regarding the utilization and diffusion of AD elsewhere are presented to enhance the potential capacity of the practice to generate benefits across rural Hainan.     

A system view of solvent selection in the pharmaceutical industry: towards a sustainable choice

This paper presents a review of approaches that may be useful for the selection of solvents in the early stages of process development for the synthesis of active pharmaceutical ingredients. Characteristics of the methodologies and their applicability in early stages are explored. Early stages of development are recognised as ideal for detecting benefits and issues regarding the use of solvents. The ??system?? concept is introduced for the evaluation and selection of solvents in pharmaceutical processes; this concept does not yet seem to be widely utilised within the fine chemicals and pharmaceutical industries. System analysis is considered an important tool for viewing solvent selection from a holistic perspective. Hence, approaches suitable for the early stages of development and considering a holistic perspective might deliver more sustainable processes. The evolution of the synthesis of Ibuprofen API is used to illustrate this concept.