Difference among the Growth of GDP and Urbanization of the Provinces and the Cities in West China since the Reform and Opening-up

Since the reform and opening-up, the difference between the development of the west region and the other regions in China is increasing. In addition, the condition of the development of cities in west China needs amelioration. Developing conditions of the west provinces and its cities using economic barometers (e.g. gross domestic product (GDP) and per capita GDP) and urban population datum (e.g. urbanization level and city primary degree) have been analyzed in this article. Five indexes have been chosen to work on the development of the provinces, for example, the contribution degree of the increment in GDP, the contribution degree of the increment of per capita GDP, urbanization level, city primary degree, city primacy ratio. Conclusions are as follows. (1) The growth of the GDP and per capita GDP of the western provinces is in a poor way; moreover, it is not steady going. (2) The comparability among the characteristics of the urbanization level growth of the provinces is at a low level. (3) The urbanization levels of Inner Mongolia province and Sinkiang province are more-sensitive responders to the growth of per capita GDP, whereas those of Guangxi province and Tibet province are less-sensitive responders. (4) The urban population in most of the provinces are highly concentrated, which can be shown by city primary degrees and city primacy ratios. While working on these cities in west China, some earlier zone-organic cities are chosen as sample cities, and these cities are also analyzed using economic barometers and population datum. By analyzing the difference among the cities and comparing the research findings of Professor Zhou and the author, the following conclusions are made: (1) the growth of the GDP and per capita GDP of the cities are mostly not steady going; (2) the middle and big cities are more-sensitive responders to the growth of economy, whereas the small and mega cities are less-sensitive responders; (3) the sizes of southwest cities have a higher speed than those of northwest ones, and furthermore, the differences between them are still increasing.     

On the population ecology of the gray plover in the northern Yamal Peninsula

The demography of the gray plover was studied using color banding at a stationary control plot in the northern Yamal tundra for seven years. Data on the dynamics of nesting density, fertility, breeding success, and site tenacity are presented. Cases of polygyny and the absence of nesting are described. Factors affecting population dynamics are discussed.     

Operational approach to the environmental problems in the developing countries

Environmental problems are basic to overall socio-economic development, including the health status of the population. Unfortunately, the importance of these problems is often neglected, mostly because they are very complex and difficult to manage. The situation in developing countries seems to be even worse as the problems are relatively greater compared with these in the developed countries, while the resources are very limited.An environmental analysis for Surabaya City, the second largest city in Indonesia, has been conducted. A method for environmental analysis and a mathematical model for an integrated environmental program are proposed.     

Some characteristics of plutonium distribution in the atmospheric air and plants in the zone surrounding the Mayak Production Association

The results of long-term studies on plutonium distribution in the atmospheric air and plants in the area surrounding the Mayak Production Association in the years 1976–1995 are summarized. Data are presented on the changes in plutonium concentration in the air overtime at some points located in the survey zone and the impact zone of the industrial enterprise as compared to those in the control region. In addition, data on the changes in air plutonium concentration depending on the season and direction of wind are presented; the ratios between plutonium concentrations in the air and the fallout are analyzed.Translated from Ekologiya, No. 1, 2005, pp. 20–25.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Chudin, Shcherbakova, Maslovskii, Kocheva, Iovlev, Denisenko, Demin, Mamin, Chebotina.     

Morphogenesis of the Procumbent Life Form in Siberian Stone Pine at the Timberline in the Western Sayan Mountains

The morphology and development are described for Siberian stone pine (Pinus sibiricaDu Tour) growing at the timberline in the Western Sayan Mountains. Throughout ontogeny, these plants have a short stem trailing in an approximately horizontal direction. Maximal longevity and viability are characteristic of basal branches, which are able to root and produce vegetative generations. This allows these plants to be classified with the procumbent tree life form, in which the clones of most adaptive genotypes not only survive under extreme environmental conditions, but can also reproduce vegetatively.     

Geographic Variation in the Seasonal Reproductive Strategy of the Mite Varroa jacobsoni in the Honeybee Nest

Variation in the reproduction of Varroa jacobsoni mite was studied in relation to the expansion of the range of its parasitism on the honeybee. Geographic differences in the seasonal dynamics of mite reproduction in the nests of bee families were revealed. Variation in the sex ratio of mites and the factors inhibiting their reproduction at the northern boundary of the honeybee range are considered. The forms of parthenogenetic reproduction in V. jacobsoni are discussed.     

Distribution of 137Cs in the Tree Layer of Forest Ecosystems in the Zone of the Accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant

Trends in ¹³⁷Cs distribution over the parts of coniferous (Pinus sylvestrisL.) and deciduous (Betula pendula Rocht.) trees are described. The trees have been selected in the stationary experimental plots located in southwestern Bryansk oblast, Russian Federation. The distribution of ¹³⁷Cs in the wood along the trunk height is shown to be nonuniform. The effects of ¹³⁷Cs content in the xylem sap on the accumulation of this radionuclide in the leaves and needles are assessed. The factors controlling ¹³⁷Cs accumulation in the components of woody plants are revealed, and their significance is estimated.     

西南地区不同地形降水稳定同位素特征及其水汽来源

为阐明西南地区不同地形对于降水稳定同位素的影响以及各个水汽团在地理上的分界线,选取四川盆地、云贵高原、青藏高原东部及横断山脉3个地区共10个研究点作为本次研究的对象,分析了西南地区大气降水中δD、δ18O的时空变化特征,并初步建立了3个地区大气降水线,探讨了降水稳定同位素与温度、降水量及水汽来源之间的关系,并利用HYSPLIT4.9模型分析追踪冬夏半年降水事件的水汽来源及运移路径。结果表明：西南地区降水稳定同位素存在显著的高程效应;δ18O=-0.0028H-3.93,R=0.89,降水中δ18Ｏ和δＤ值表现出由四川盆地-云贵高原-青藏高原东部与横断山脉地区逐渐贫化的趋势,季节变化规律特征为冬半年整体偏重,而夏半年整体偏轻。同时西南地区除昆明与成都地区外,d值整体上表现出夏低冬高的特征,符合我国季风降水影响区域的特点。3处地区大气降水线（LMWL）与全球大气降水线（GMWL）相比,四川盆地、青藏高原东部及横断山脉地区斜率与截距明显偏小,而云贵高原斜率与截距偏大,其主要与水汽凝结时温度、蒸发条件、水汽来源以及输送方式有关。温度效应和降水量效应在不同地区主导性存在差异,四川盆地地区、云贵高原地区、青藏高原东部以及横断山脉地区整体上不存在温度效应,存在显著降水量效应。西南各地区主导型水汽团也存在差异性,通过对不同地区冬夏季风期间主导型水汽团初步分析,受单一性水汽团影响的区域主要分布于西南部与东北部,而受多种水汽团影响的区域主要分布于西北部与东南部;贵阳-安顺一线处于西太平洋水汽团与孟加拉湾水汽团交界处,成都-卧龙-黄龙一线处于西太平洋水汽团与西风带水汽团的交界处。 关键词： 大气降水;稳定同位素;水汽来源;不同地形;西南地区     

On the sensitivity of a marine dispersion model to parameters describing the transfers of radionuclides between the liquid and solid phases

The sensitivity of a marine dispersion model for non-conservative radionuclides, previously developed and validated for the English Channel, to parameters describing the exchanges between the liquid and solid phases (suspended matter and bottom sediments) has been studied using a Monte Carlo method. A probability distribution is assigned to each parameter. They are sampled to obtain a set of model parameters and a model run is carried out. This process is repeated to obtain a distribution of model outputs. Partial correlation coefficients are calculated to assess the relative influence of each parameter on model output. Errors are also assigned to model results. Three situations are studied: an instantaneous release of radionuclides, a continuous release and the case of a contaminated sediment behaving as a long-term source of radionuclides. Calculations have also been carried out for two radionuclides with different geochemical behaviour: (137)Cs and (239,240)Pu. The results indicate that all parameters are relevant, depending on the phase we are interested in obtaining the result and on the source term (instantaneous, continuous or due to sediments). However, parameters that are, in general, more influential are kinetic rates, mixing depth in the sediment and mean radius of suspended and sediment particles. This suggests that including several particle sizes in future radionuclide dispersion models could lead to an improvement in model results. Differences have also been found with respect to the relevance of some parameters depending on the geochemical behaviour of the radionuclide.     

Public Discourse and the Rhetorical Construction of the Technospecter

Modern technological disasters and their human and environmental consequences often defy the imagination in their immensity and complexity. As such, their rhetorical constructions often lack tangibility and a sense of material reality for those not directly involved. These amorphous constructions are consolidated into a view of technological disaster and threats of disaster in which the rhetorical dimensions are analogous to those of ghosts portrayed in popular literature and film—a view the author terms the “technospecter.” Drawing on the public discourse surrounding a tragic pipeline explosion near Carlsbad, New Mexico, this study identifies the rhetorical dimensions of the technospecter and discusses how the construction of the specter reinforces the meta-narratives that constrain pro-environmental action.     

Population cycles of the bank vole in the range optimum

Patterns of seasonal and long-term dynamics of the size and structure of the bank vole population were studied in the European subtaiga subzone, the optimum of the species range. The dynamics of this population proved to undergo complex fluctuations with cyclic components, which have periods of one year and about three years. The one-year fluctuations of the population size and structure are accounted for by animal adaptation to seasonal changes in environmental factors. The fluctuations with the three-year quasi-period are determined by intrapopulation density-dependent mechanisms.     

东北农牧交错生态脆弱区可持续发展研究

生态脆弱区是经济落后、人民生活较为贫困的地区．是可持续发展领域重点研究地区之一。实现生态脆弱区可持续发展管理的重要基础之一是对其发展现状进行综合测度。以我国典型生态脆弱区-东北农牧交错区为例．运用所建立的指标体系对阜新、通辽、赤峰等典型样点地区的可持续发展现状进行评估．对引致区域可持续发展现状的主要原因进行剖析；对1990年和2002年两个不同时段的可持续发展状态进行对比分析。结果表明资源与环境状况是影响区域可持续发展的关键因子．经济发展是提高可持续发展能力的根本保证．社会、人口、科技子系统对区域可持续发展具有重要作用。基于对上述问题的分析．提出东北农牧交错区可持续发展能力建设的几点对策。     

近50年金沙江各区段年径流量变化及分析

为深入探究不同自然地理条件下金沙江流域的径流特性,将屏山站以上区域分为6个区段,采用线性倾向估计、Spearman秩次相关检验、Mann Kendall检验、有序聚类分析、秩和检验等方法,分析了1960~2015年各区段径流序列,并结合流域的水文要素和人类活动情况讨论了影响径流量变化的因素。结果表明: 近50 a仅直门达以上区段和华弹-屏山区段径流变化在全时段有显著趋势,分别是上升和下降;但在近20 a中下游的石鼓-攀枝花、攀枝花-华弹、华弹-屏山区段均呈现明显的下降趋势。90年代后多个区段经历了突变。分析表明降水是近50 a来径流变化的主要驱动因素;其中石鼓站以上区段和雅砻江流域受降水影响最大。没有充足证据表明持续上升的气温对各区段径流量造成足够的影响。进入21世纪后,以水土保持措施为代表的人类活动是下游攀枝花-华弹、华弹-屏山区段径流减少的重要因素,但主导因素仍为降水。此外,雅砻江流域和华弹-屏山区段内大型水库投运前的初期蓄水对当年径流量有显著影响;蓄水后的水库蒸发及引水工程的损失对径流影响则相对较小。     

Response of the Avifauna to Technogenic Environmental Pollution in the Southern Taiga Zone of the Middle Urals

The results of original studies and published data are used for evaluating the main responses of the avifauna of boreal forests to the combined effect of sulfur dioxide and heavy metals. It is shown that environmental pollution results in the reduction of species richness, biomass, and stability of the nesting bird fauna. In degraded areas, the structure of the bird community changes: (1) typical forest species are replaced by the species of open habitats, and (2) the proportion of species nesting in the upper tree layer decreases, whereas that of ground-nesting species increases.     

Sea-level rise vulnerability in the countries of the Coral Triangle

Sea-level rise is a major threat facing the Coral Triangle countries in the twenty-first century. Assessments of vulnerability and adaptation that consider the interactions among natural and social systems are critical to identifying habitats and communities vulnerable to sea-level rise and for supporting the development of adaptation strategies. This paper presents such an assessment using the DIVA model and identifies vulnerable coastal regions and habitats in Coral Triangle countries at national and sub-national levels (administrative provinces). The following four main sea-level rise impacts are assessed in ecological, social and economic terms over the twenty-first century: (1) coastal wetland change, (2) increased coastal flooding, (3) increased coastal erosion, and (4) saltwater intrusion into estuaries and deltas. The results suggest that sea-level rise will significantly affect coastal regions and habitats in the Coral Triangle countries, but the impacts will differ across the region in terms of people flooded annually, coastal wetland change and loss, and damage and adaptation costs. Indonesia is projected to be most affected by coastal flooding, with nearly 5.9 million people expected to experience flooding annually in 2100 assuming no adaptation. However, if adaptation is considered, this number is significantly reduced. By the end of the century, coastal wetland loss is most significant for Indonesia in terms of total area lost, but the Solomon Islands are projected to experience the greatest relative loss of coastal wetlands. Damage costs associated with sea-level rise are highest in the Philippines (US $6.5 billion/year) and lowest in the Solomon Islands (US $70,000/year). Adaptation is estimated to reduce damage costs significantly, in particular for the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia (between 68 and 99%). These results suggest that the impacts of sea-level rise are likely to be widespread in the region and adaptation measures must be broadly applied.     

Evolution of the regulation of the environmental radiation protection and monitoring in the Russian Federation

The evolution of the Russian Federation legislation and regulation concerning the radiation protection of the population, the environment and the monitoring is presented. The main federal laws--"On the Environmental Protection", "On the Atomic Energy Use", "On the Radiation Safety of Population", etc. as well as standards of radiation safety, sanitary and hygienic norms, international agreements and conventions are briefly summarized. Main directions towards further improvement of the environmental radioprotection regulation in Russia are pointed out.     

The scientific challenge of bridging the gap from the local to the earth system level: lessons from the study of mangroves and people in North Brazil

This article aims to address the challenges of sustainable earth system governance from a multi-scale level perspective. The local to regional system level reviews findings from a social–ecological system approach of a mangrove ecosystem in North Brazil. Seven challenges (Glaser et al. in Mangrove dynamics and management in North Brazil. Ecological studies series. Springer, Berlin, pp 307–388, 2010) that could provide relevant knowledge to society were identified. Their respective justification and recommendations are presented here. Further, these “challenges from the field” are linked and discussed with those challenges on earth system level elaborated by the International Council for Science in 2010. There it was stressed that sustainability problems are increasingly caused by drivers from multiple spatial and institutional levels in a single global human–nature system. The comparison between the global and local to regional challenges shows that most of these are reappearing disregarding the level of analysis, indicating that there is a universal core of global change problems. However, there are gaps visible which hamper the effective connections across the different spatial levels. These pertain to the subjects of knowledge generation and stakeholder inclusion. The final section elaborates on these recognized gaps and their science–policy dimensions. The article closes with the identification of a number of factors which currently impede global sustainability efforts: shortcomings in inter- and transdisciplinary research practice, lack of consistent structures for earth system governance and shortcomings in dealing with upscaling challenges whilst remaining locally relevant. A blueprint for a globally focused but regionally informed social–ecological analysis framework remains to be worked out.     

Radionuclides in the Ecosystem of Lake Tygish in the Zone of the Eastern Ural Radioactive Trace

The radioecological situation in Lake Tygish is described. The lake is situated on the central axis of the Eastern Ural Radioactive Trace (EURT), which was formed after the nuclear accident in the Southern Urals in 1957. The distributions of ⁹⁰Sr and ¹³⁷Cs among the main components of the water body and the results of the measurement of tritium concentration in the water are presented. Mathematical models are described that have made it possible to estimate changes in the concentrations of radionuclides and their amounts accumulated in the water and bottom sediments of the lake during the long period after the accident and to predict the development of the radioecological situation in the lake until 2057. Based on the mathematical models, more accurate data on the initial ecological situation in the lake in the year of the accident have been obtained.     

区域分异视角下进城居民再迁意愿分析

本文利用浙江、河南、四川三省960份已从农村迁移到城镇的居民的入户调查数据,建立二元Logistic回归模型进行验证,分析居民再迁移倾向。研究结果表明:(1)从描述性统计看,69.69%已进城居民不愿再迁,主要是生活原因,而30.31%的居民愿意再迁,主要是经济原因。(2)从三省总样本上看,一是女性较男性有更强的迁移意愿。二是年龄对再次迁移意愿有负向显著影响,年龄越大的进城居民更倾向"安土重迁"。三是家庭类型中三代同堂较单身家庭有更强的迁移意愿,因为养老难、子女教育难。四是手工业工人较村组干部更不愿意迁移,技能优势使其在城里更有保障。五是家庭年总收入对再迁意愿有正向显著影响。六是浙江、四川与河南三地的差异显著,因为三地分属于我国东中西部,社会经济、居民收入和文化观念存在显著差异。(3)从分省比较上看,一是性别、打工年限、家庭类型在浙江省和四川省模型中均有显著影响,但方向相反。二是工作类型在三省都有一定的影响,但存在差异。三是家庭年总收入在河南省不显著,而在四川省和浙江省均是正向显著。四是搬迁到城镇的年数在河南省是正向显著,而在浙江省和四川省是负向显著。五是浙江省和四川省模型都说明对政府越满意,居民越不愿意迁移。基于以上研究结论,本文认为在推进以人为核心的新型城镇化进程中,政府应发挥重要的引导作用,关注已进城居民对经济、生活、教育、社会保障等方面的合理需求,重视不同区域社会经济和文化观念的差异性,健全人口迁移的相关体制,落实各项相关保障政策。     

Biodegradation potential of the genus Rhodococcus

A large number of aromatic compounds and organic nitriles, the two groups of compounds covered in this review, are intermediates, products, by-products or waste products of the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, agriculture and the processing of fossil fuels. The majority of these synthetic substances (xenobiotics) are toxic and their release and accumulation in the environment pose a serious threat to living organisms. Bioremediation using various bacterial strains of the genus Rhodococcus has proved to be a promising option for the clean-up of polluted sites. The large genomes of rhodococci, their redundant and versatile catabolic pathways, their ability to uptake and metabolize hydrophobic compounds, to form biofilms, to persist in adverse conditions and the availability of recently developed tools for genetic engineering in rhodococci make them suitable industrial microorganisms for biotransformations and the biodegradation of many organic compounds. The peripheral and central catabolic pathways in rhodococci are characterized for each type of aromatics (hydrocarbons, phenols, halogenated, nitroaromatic, and heterocyclic compounds) in this review. Pathways involved in the hydrolysis of nitrile pollutants (aliphatic nitriles, benzonitrile analogues) and the corresponding enzymes (nitrilase, nitrile hydratase) are described in detail. Examples of regulatory mechanisms for the expression of the catabolic genes are given. The strains that efficiently degrade the compounds in question are highlighted and examples of their use in biodegradation processes are presented.