A review of Australian approaches for monitoring,assessing and reporting estuarine condition: I. International context and evaluation criteria

Given the immeasurable value of estuaries and their severe and growing pressures, sound understanding and reporting of estuarine condition is essential for their effective management and sustainable development. In light of this, we aim to provide a timely and comprehensive three-part review of the approaches currently employed for monitoring, assessing and reporting estuarine condition, focussing on Australian systems. Here, in Part 1, we establish the national and international context of our review and define globally-relevant evaluation criteria against which to assess Australian progress. We achieve this by examining effective monitoring, assessment and reporting programs from around the world and characterising ‘best practice’. We then highlight the Australian historical context and consider recent policies, frameworks, guidelines and legislation relating to the monitoring and reporting of estuarine condition nationwide.     

Trends in the small-scale mining of precious minerals in Ghana: a perspective on its environmental impact

Small-scale mining in Ghana is defined to include both the exploitation of mineral deposits (1) using fairly rudimentary implements and/or (2) at low levels of production with minimal capital investment. While the large-scale mining—of particularly gold—has become predominant, small-scale mining, which predates such operations, has continued to be an important economic activity, particularly within the remote and poorer areas of the country. The environmental impacts of such small operations have, however, varied, depending on methods and the scale of operation. The factors that have contributed to aggravating these environmental impacts are economic, technical, legal, and operational in nature. Although mitigation efforts have had a limited impact, it is expected that the measures now being considered for adoption will improve the efficacy of the Government of Ghana’s drive towards improving environmental management in resident small-scale precious metal mining operations.This paper examines the environmental impacts of small-scale mining in Ghana—with particular emphasis on precious minerals and metals extraction—and outlines a series of initiatives for improving environmental performance in the industry.     

三种氯代酚的水生态毒理和水质基准

氯酚化合物主要包括2,4-二氯酚、2,4,6-三氯酚和五氯酚等, 是一类重要的化工产品, 在环境中分布广泛. 氯酚在水体中的生态毒理行为一直是人们关注的焦点. 本文概述了2,4-二氯酚、2,4,6-三氯酚和五氯酚在水环境中的迁移归趋, 在水生生物体内的吸收代谢及其生态毒性和毒理特性. 在此基础上, 对3种氯代酚的水生态基准进行推导讨论, 以期为氯酚类污染物的环境管理、安全评价和污染防治提供基础资料.     

Interaction and independence on methane oxidation of landfill cover soil among three impact factors: water, oxygen and ammonium

To understand the influence patterns and interactions of three important environmental factors, i.e. soil water content, oxygen concentration, and ammonium addition, on methane oxidation, the soils from landfill cover layers were incubated under full factorial parameter settings. In addition to the methane oxidation rate, the quantities and community structures of methanotrophs were analyzed to determine the methane oxidation capacity of the soils. Canonical correspondence analysis was utilized to distinguish the important impact factors. Water content was found to be the most important factor influencing the methane oxidation rate and Type II methanotrophs, and the optimum value was 15% (w/w), which induced methane oxidation rates 10- and 6- times greater than those observed at 5% (w/w) and 20% (w/w), respectively. Ambient oxygen conditions were more suitable for methane oxidation than 3% oxygen. The addition of 100 mg-N·kg_drysoil⁻¹ of ammonium induced different effects on methane oxidation capacity when conducted at low or high water content. With regard to the methanotrophs, Type II was sensitive to the changes of water content, while Type I was influenced by oxygen content. Furthermore, the methanotrophic acidophile, Verrucomicrobia, was detected in soils with a pH of 4.9, which extended their known living environments.     

A review of concepts and criteria for assessing agroecosystem health including a preliminary case study of southern Ontario

The model of agroecosystem health has been advocated as an appealing guideline for agricultural research. Yet, some ambiguity remains in how the concept can be defined and how the general criteria for assessing the health of an agroecosystem at a particular scale can be selected. This paper reviews the literature from various disciplines pertinent to the concept of agroecosystem health. It focuses on assessing the applicability of assorted concepts, norms, and criteria to agroecosystem health assessment, and develops a general definition of agroecosystem health. A classification scheme is proposed which scattered while potentially useful concepts in the literature are discussed, using southern Ontario as a case study to further illustrate the usefulness of the conceptual framework in studying agroecosystem health. Agroecosystem health can be characterized from four different perspectives that are related to agroecosystem structure, function, organization, and dynamics. Given the complexity of agroecosystems, the health of the systems at different scales cannot be fully captured from one perspective only. Criteria, such as resource availability, diversity, and accessibility, are some of the existing concepts capable of depicting the structural state of agroecosystem health. Concepts including productivity, efficiency, and effectiveness appear very useful for assessing the functional performance of agroecosystems. As any agroecosystem interacts actively with its external environments and changes over time, such characteristics are not necessarily captured by structural or functional criteria. Organizational criteria, such as autonomy and self-dependence, are useful to characterize the organizational nature inherent to agroecosystem health. Stability and resilience on the other hand are two appealing concepts capable of revealing the temporal dimension of agroecosystem health. Numerous empirical studies that are used to illustrate how these concepts developed in different disciplines of agricultural research can be potentially employed to facilitate the assessment of agroecosystem health. It is argued that any holistic investigation of the health of an agroecosystem needs to examine biophysical, economic, and human conditions of the system and to evaluate these conditions from perspectives pertinent to system structure, function, organization, and dynamics.     

FPSO泡沫灭火系统的有效性研究

从泡沫灭火剂的选择、种类特性、取样送检要求、兼容性等几方面对FPSD泡沫灭火系统的有效性进行了研究,旨在从泡沫灭火系统的设计、采办、布局、安装、调试、操作及日常维护等整个生产周期出发,确保FPSO泡沫灭火系统的完整、可用和有效,以期为油田的安全开发提供参考。     

三种次生矿物固定A. ferrooxidans的Fe2+氧化及成矿性能比较

氧化亚铁硫杆菌（A.ferrooxidans）介导的生物矿化方法促使可溶性Fe向次生铁矿物转变对酸性矿山废水（AMD）治理具有重要意义.化能自养菌A.ferrooxidans易受水流冲击而流失,常采用固定化方式来提高菌密度,从而保证较高的Fe²⁺氧化和成矿速率以满足实际需要.本研究在相同初始条件下（pH=2.30、Fe²⁺浓度4.48g/L、A.ferrooxidans密度8×10⁶cells/mL）生物合成固定有A.ferrooxidans的施氏矿物、黄钾铁矾和黄铵铁矾,比较矿物溶解前（固定态）和溶解后（游离态）A.ferrooxidans的Fe²⁺氧化性能,并分析各矿物对A.ferrooxidans的固定能力.结果表明,生物成因次生铁矿物干重排序为施氏矿物（0.24g） < 黄铵铁矾（0.35g） < 黄钾铁矾（0.67g）,但矿物固定A.ferrooxidans的能力却依次为施氏矿物 > 黄铵铁矾 > 黄钾铁矾.以游离态A.ferrooxidans的Fe²⁺氧化速率作为参比,推算出本研究所得施氏矿物、黄铵铁矾、黄钾铁矾固定A.ferrooxidans的有效生物量依次为5.33×10⁷~ 5.33×10⁸,5.72×10⁶~5.72×10⁷,6.35×10⁶cells/g（干基）.次生铁矿物载体有效生物量不仅直接影响AMD体系中Fe²⁺氧化速度,也间接决定了总Fe的矿化去除效果.     

Revisiting production and ecosystem services on the farm scale for evaluating land use alternatives

Urbanization pressure increases the demand on remaining open spaces to deliver food and biomass, as well as other ecosystem services, but it is often paired with a reduced capacity to deliver these services. This calls for an integrated and innovative use of the remaining space.However, current spatial planning paradigms are not always adapted to face these new challenges. In many regions, an important aspect of spatial planning in relation to agriculture is still the pragmatic and monofunctional allocation of land use between vocal stakeholders. This is rarely paired with a regional view on the effective or desired quantity of services provided by this open space. Since land use policies increasingly need to strive for resilience on top of diversification of services, assessments of the servicing capacity and sustainability of land uses are needed.This paper presents a framework to assess all ecosystem services (i.e. marketable and non-marketable ES) delivered by conventional as well as innovative land uses. The framework is then used to assess land use strategies at the scale of an unconventional case farm in Flanders, Belgium. The analysis combines spatial and economic analysis of land use alternatives and illustrates some shortcomings of usual ecosystem valuation tools. Our findings illustrate that land use evaluation might be biased against unconventional land management alternatives. The proposed framework provides land planners with a way to assess and arbitrate between land sharing and land sparring options more accurately. The approach can help to optimize land use from the societal perspective, and allows for benchmarking farm-level land use alternatives by comparing the services they deliver.     

Within and surrounding the Morro do Diabo State Park: biological value,conflicts, mitigation and sustainable development alternatives

The Brazilian Atlantic Forest in the State of São Paulo is one of the world most threatened ecosystems, as only 1.8% of its original coverage is left. With a biodiversity that includes endemic species, such as the black lion tamarin (Leontopithecus chrysopygus) a seriously endangered primate, the conservation of forest remnants has become a priority. The non-profit organization Instituto de Pesquisas Ecológicas (Institute for Ecological Research (IPÊ)) has studied the forest in Pontal do Paranapanema and undertaken conservation initiatives such as environmental education, community involvement, habitat restoration and the promotion of policies that protect natural areas while simultaneously empowering people to improve their conditions of living. Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra (MST) a movement of the landless, has pressed local landowners and the government to distribute land for landless families, creating conflicts and diminishing the priority of nature conservation. Through transparent and participatory approaches IPÊ has succeeded in bringing the conservationists and the landless to work together in the planting of trees. Trees protect water, improve the soil and shield the settlers from environmental damages, while they form corridors for wildlife, buffer zones to protect forest fragments and “stepping stones” to propitiate seed dispersal. This innovative approach to conservation is already seen as an example to be followed in other contexts.     

Ecosystem-based adaptation to climate change: what role for policy-makers, society and scientists?

In developing countries where economies and livelihoods depend largely on ecosystem services, policies for adaptation to climate change should take into account the role of these services in increasing the resilience of society. This ecosystem-based approach to adaptation was the focus of an international workshop on “Adaptation to Climate Change: the role of Ecosystem Services” held in November 2008 in Costa Rica. This article presents the key messages from the workshop.     

Bioenergy to mitigate for climate change and meet the needs of society,the economy and the environment

Changes towards environmental improvementsare becoming more politically acceptableglobally, especially in developedcountries. Society is slowly moving towardsseeking more sustainable productionmethods, waste minimisation, reduced airpollution from vehicles, distributed energygeneration, conservation of native forests,and reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG)emissions. Modern biomass, when used tosupply useful bioenergy services, has arole to play in each one of theseenvironmental drivers at both the large andsmall scales.This paper describes recent developments inbiomass supply and the technologies for itsconversion to bioenergy including biofuelsfor transport. It examines the economic,environmental and social benefits andidentifies barriers to bioenergy projectimplementation. Future opportunities forbiomass as a carbon (C) sink, a C offsetand a potential source of renewablehydrogen are discussed.Whether or not a bioenergy project iseconomically viable, as well as being trulyrenewable, sustainable and environmentallysound, is determined mainly by the sourceof biomass. The social benefits from usingbiomass are also valuable, though they areoften not clearly presented when proposingnew bioenergy projects or conductinganalyses of existing plants. Employmentrates per MWh or per GJ exceed those whenusing fossil fuel supplies to provide thesame energy service. `Ownership' bystakeholders and local communities at anearly stage in the development process isthe key to successful project developmentin order to share the benefits. Bioenergyhas a significant global role to play inthe mitigation of atmospheric GHG concentrations.     

“熟人社会”农村与“原子化”农村中的生猪养殖废弃物能源化利用——博弈、仿真与现实检验

以生猪粪便制沼气为例,应用博弈论和仿真方法,探究了“熟人社会”农村和“原子化”农村中养猪户的行为演化规律和稳定策略。进而以规模养猪户微观数据为基础,应用计量经济学研究方法,对博弈和仿真结果进行了检验。研究表明：“地方性共识”引致的隐性激励是维系“熟人社会”农村生猪养殖废弃物能源化利用集体行动的重要机制。而在“原子化”农村中,由于人情机制与礼俗机制的衰弱,“地方性共识”近乎消失殆尽,养猪户倾向于成为严格的机会主义者,从而导致生猪养殖废弃物能源化利用集体行动举步维艰。据此,在强化法律法规、政策方针等正式制度建设的同时,还应推动“地方性共识”建设,以乡村文化振兴助推乡村生态振兴。     

污泥掺烧过程中Cl/S/P/矿物质的热交互作用对Cd迁移转化行为的影响

采用化学热力学平衡分析方法,应用污泥实测数据模拟计算了污泥掺烧过程中Cl/S/P与矿物质的交互作用,重点模拟研究了Cl/S/P/矿物质交互体系对Cd迁移转化的影响.研究结果表明,污泥掺烧过程含Cl、S及P逸出气体以HCl(g)、SO_2(g)及(P_2O_5)_2(g)形式排放.污泥掺烧含有CaO-SiO_2-Al_2O_3体系中,CaO可以抑制S以SO_2(g)释放,而SiO_2及Al_2O_3对SO_2(g)逸出有促进作用,同时CaO及Al_2O_3可以抑制P的挥发.污泥掺烧过程中SiO_2及Al_2O_3对Cd挥发都有一定抑制作用,但CaO及Fe_2O_3对Cd基本无影响;当Cl存在时,Ti O2和SiO_2对Cd吸附作用减弱,并使Al_2O_3吸附剂失效;当S存在时,可导致吸附剂对Cd中毒,而P可导致Al_2O_3吸附剂失效;Cl-S-P耦合体系中,单一矿物质对Cd迁移转化影响主要受Cl和S控制.SiO_2+CaO+Al_2O_3共存体系中,Cl的存在可导致固体吸附剂SiO_2和Al_2O_3失效;S、S+Cl、S+P、S+Cl+P的存在受控元素为S,并且可以抑制Cd的挥发;P、Cl+P的存在对Cd影响受控元素为Cl,可促进Cd挥发.     

Water footprint: methodologies and a case study for assessing the impacts of water use

The methodologies, approaches and indicators for assessing the impacts of freshwater usage are still evolving. The development of the water footprint concept has been an important step in this direction but the existing methodologies mainly assess the quantity of water used rather than the related impacts. Although there is a recognised need to consider the latter, particularly on a life cycle basis, the difficulty is that there are little or no reliable data on water usage in life cycle databases; furthermore, there is no agreed life cycle impact assessment method for estimating impacts related to freshwater use. However, there have been some methodological developments which propose methods for inventory modelling and impact assessment for water use in life cycle assessment. This paper reviews some of these approaches and discusses their strengths and limitations through a case study, which considers the impacts of freshwater consumption from corn-derived ethanol produced in 12 different countries. The results show a huge variation in the results between different methods and demonstrate the need for a standardised methodology for assessing the impacts of water use on a life cycle basis. Specific recommendations for further research in this field have been made accordingly.     

A tradition of change: the dynamic relationship between biodiversity and society in sector Muyuy,Peru

The theme of biodiversity and society provides an opportunity to look beyond skewed environmental ideologies that impel biodiversity researchers to ignore land “tarnished” by humans in search of “pristine” ecosystems. Data reported and analyzed in this paper test and draw conclusions based on a non-partisan stance that recognizes biodiversity as a product of complex natural and anthropogenic interactions. The data in this paper describes this process in the Amazon floodplain of sector Muyuy, Peru. A smallholder tradition of adaptive change in this highly precarious and unstable landscape provides a dynamic foundation upon which biodiversity is produced, managed and conserved. To examine this tradition of appropriate response to change, data was collected on land-cover dynamics using Landsat images and biodiversity inventories and household surveys of resource use technologies and conservation practices were carried out. Through complex agricultural technologies, sector Muyuy smallholders, known as ribereños, use a highly differentiated and dynamic environment to produce a great diversity of crops while creating habitats for endangered and over-exploited species of fish and river turtles, plants, and other species. Ribereños are smallholder farmers, fishermen and forest managers. They are the descendents of several indigenous groups as well as migrants from Europe, Asia and Africa. Most of the rural inhabitants of Peruvian Amazonia are ribereños. In Muyuy, we found that ribereños manage an average of 76 tree species per ha, including tropical cedar and other over-exploited timber species. We conclude that meaningful attempts at biodiversity conservation must begin at the interface between ecological and social processes and incorporate locally developed knowledge and practice.     

A review of Australian approaches for monitoring,assessing and reporting estuarine condition: II. State and Territory programs

In contrast to Europe, the USA and South Africa, Australia has no specific, overarching federal legislation to underpin a nationally-coordinated framework for monitoring, assessing and reporting estuarine condition. This has resulted in a complex mosaic of diverse approaches and governance structures, hindering the ability to make inter-State comparisons. In this second part of a comprehensive three-part review, we present a systematic appraisal of current and impending approaches for measuring and reporting estuarine condition in each of Australia’s States and Territories. A concise summary is provided in each case, supported by extensive appendices containing detailed accounts of relevant monitoring and reporting programs. We synthesise and evaluate this output at the State/Territory level, highlighting areas of improvement and major gaps.     

Occurrence, profiles, and ecotoxicity of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances and their alternatives in global apex predators: A critical review

Certain poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) exhibit significant bioaccumulation/biomagnification behaviors in ecosystems. PFASs, such as perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS) and related precursors, have elicited attention from both public and national regulatory agencies, which has resulted in worldwide restrictions on their production and use. Apex predators occupy the top trophic positions in ecosystems and are most affected by the biomagnification behavior of PFASs. Meanwhile, the long lifespans of apex predators also lead to the high body burden of PFASs. The high body burden of PFASs might be linked to adverse health effects and even pose a potential threat to their reproduction. As seen in previous reviews of PFASs, knowledge is lacking between the current stage of the PFAS body burden and related effects in apex predators. This review summarized PFAS occurrence in global apex predators, including information on the geographic distribution, levels, profiles, and tissue distribution, and discussed the trophic transfer and ecotoxicity of PFASs. In the case where legacy PFASs were restricted under international convention, the occurrence of novel PFASs, such as 6:2 chlorinated polyfluorinated ether sulfonate (6:2 Cl-PFESA) and perfluoroethylcyclohexane sulfonate (PFECHS), in apex predators arose as an emerging issue. Future studies should develop an effective analytical method and focus on the toxicity and trophic transfer behavior of novel PFASs.     

三峡库区堆存垃圾浸出污染物的水质影响模拟

以三峡库区坝前水位135～175m范围的生活垃圾为研究对象,调查分析了其堆存量、空间分布和理化特性;通过污染物溶出动态模拟和放大实验研究,估算了生活垃圾中有机污染物的溶出源强,并运用河流岸边稳态衰减模式计算了不同处置方案对库区水质的影响程度.针对基准方案和135m蓄水期处置方案,分别对库区局部河段水质和干流水质的影响进行了分析比较.结果表明,若采用基准方案,即将淹没区内约600×104t的生活垃圾就地处置,淹没于水中,将会对库区水质安全构成较大的威胁;若采用135m蓄水期处置方案,则水体中CODcr值增加不超过0.03mg·L-1,对库区干流水质的影响较小.     

A review of Australian approaches for monitoring,assessing and reporting estuarine condition: III. Evaluation against international best practice and recommendations for the future

In this final component of a three-part review, we present a national synthesis and evaluation of approaches for monitoring, assessing and reporting estuarine condition across Australia. Progress is evaluated against objective criteria that together provide a model of international best practice. We critically assess the limitations, inconsistencies and gaps that are evident across Australian jurisdictions, and identify common obstacles to future progress. Major strengths and successes are also highlighted, together with specific examples of best practice from around Australia that are transferable to other States and beyond. Significant obstacles to greater national coordination of monitoring and reporting practices include inconsistent spatial scales of management, pluralistic governance structures and the lack of any overarching legislation. Nonetheless, many perceptible advances have been made over the last decade across Australia in estuarine monitoring and health assessment, and there is great potential for further progress. Finally, we provide a list of recommendations to address some of the most pressing limitations and gaps, and support improved future monitoring, assessment and reporting for Australian estuaries.