Shifting cultivation, forest fallow, and externalities in ecosystem services: Evidence from the Eastern Amazon

This study examines the value of fallow ecosystem services in shifting cultivation, including hydrological externalities that may affect other farms. Using farm-level survey data from the Brazilian Amazon, I estimate a production function to assess the value of forest fallow and test whether it provides local externalities to agricultural production. Soil quality controls, instrumental variables, and spatial econometric approaches help address endogeneity issues. I use GIS data on external forest cover at the farm level and model the hydrological externality as an upstream-to-downstream process. The estimated parameters indicate that fallow contributes significantly to productivity both on farm and downstream. In addition, most farms allocate sufficient land to fallow, accounting for both the value of hydrological spillovers and the opportunity cost of land left out of cultivation. These results suggest that farming communities may have some self-interest in preserving forest cover locally—a finding that may bolster policy efforts aimed at conserving tropical forests for their global public goods.     

Assessment of wetland ecosystem health in Lower Songkhram,Thailand

A study was conducted to assess the ecosystem health of Lower Songkhram wetland in Thailand, using a newly developed wetland ecosystem health index (WEHI) based on analysis of field survey and secondary data of the most dominant physical, environmental and socio-economic factors extracted by principal components analysis (PCA). The most influential physical, environmental and socio-economic factors identified were rainfall and awareness and participation of the local community, which had positive effects, whereas soil electrical conductivity (EC), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and urban development had negative effects. Based on the results, 9 of the 40 land units of the study area were in very good or good health, 11 in reasonable health, while 20 were found to be in poor or even very poor condition. These findings will be useful for decision-makers in planning and executing an effective and holistic strategy to prevent further wetland degradation.     

Discounting in the presence of scarce ecosystem services

The discount rate for cost-benefit analysis has to take account of future scarcity of ecosystem services in consumption and production. Previous literature focuses on the first aspect and shows the importance of the relative price effect, for given growth rates of consumption and ecosystem services. This paper focuses on intermediate ecosystem services in production and shows that for limited substitutability and a low growth rate of these ecosystem services, the growth rate of consumption, and thus the discount rate, declines towards a low value. Using a Ramsey growth model, the paper distinguishes three cases. If ecosystem services can be easily substituted, the discount rate converges to the usual value in the long term. Secondly, if ecosystem services can be easily substituted in production but not in consumption, the relative price effect is important. Finally, and most interestingly, if ecosystem services cannot be easily substituted in production, the discount rate declines towards a low value and the relative price effect is less important. Another part of the previous literature has shown that a declining discount rate is the result of introducing several forms of uncertainty, but this paper reaches that conclusion from an endogenous effect on the growth rate of the economy.     

Mapping cumulative impacts of mining on sediment retention ecosystem service in an Australian mining region

Mining development can potentially lead to cumulative impacts on ecosystems and their services across a range of scales. Site-specific environmental impact assessments are commonly assessed for mining projects; however, large-scale cumulative impacts of multiple mines that aggregate and interact in resources regions have had little attention in the literature and there are few examples where regional-scale mining impacts have been assessed on ecosystem services. The objective of this study is to quantify regional-scale cumulative impacts of mining on sediment retention ecosystem services. We apply the sediment delivery ratio model of Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs to calculate and map the sediment retention and export using a synthetic catchment model and a real case study under different mining scenarios in an Australian mining region. Two impact indices were created to quantify the cumulative impacts associated with a single mine and the interactions between multiple mines. The indices clarified the magnitude of impacts and the positive/negative impacts associated with regional-scale sediment retention and export. We found cumulative impacts associated with multiple mines’ interaction occurred but the influence of these interactions was relatively weak. This research demonstrated the potential for utilising ecosystem services modelling for the quantitative assessment of the cumulative impacts. Such research provide decision-makers and planners with a tool for sustainable regional and landscape planning that balances the needs of mining and the provision of ecosystem services.     

广东鹤山林-果-草-鱼复合生态系统生态服务功能价值评估

鹤山丘陵地“林-果-草-鱼”复合农林生态系统是1986年建立在退化丘陵地,利用物质与能量循环流动等生态学原理,进行构建和恢复而成功的实例,本文采用物质量和价值量相结合的评价方法,首次选取复合农林业系统进行评价,首次对广东鹤山林-果-草-鱼复合农林生态系统的生态服务功能进行价值评估。结果表明,广东鹤山林-果-草-鱼复合生态系统总体指标显著优越,其服务价值功能达2397.9783万元,在维持大气平衡、固土保肥、涵养水源等方面具有重要的作用。其间接生态服务功能价值远远大于直接生态服务功能价值,比值约为31∶1。而维持大气平衡服务价值是鹤山林-果-草-鱼复合生态系统的主要部分,占总体服务价值的96.626%,而木材生产等直接经济价值仅占总价值的3.135%。由此,直接经济价值并不是其服务价值的主要部分,应充分发挥鹤山林-果-草-鱼复合生态系统的其他生态服务功能,加强对间接生态服务功能价值的理解和保护,从长远策划和开发土地来达到长远而合理的利益收获。     

Characterization of airborne particulate matter in Thessaloniki,Greece

A receptor modeling approach has been applied to identify and apportion sources of airborne particulate matter in Thessaloniki, Greece. The absolute principal component analysis source apportionment technique used, provided quantitative information regarding both source particle characteristics and impacts. The analysis identified four major sources of heavy metals within total suspended particles (TSP) in the centre of the city: oil burning, pyrometallurgical non‐ferrous metal processes, motor vehicles and soil resuspension. Their contributions to TSP estimated by regression on absolute principal component scores (APCS) were 12%, 8%, 5% and 4%, respectively. A similar analysis conducted for a sampling site close to the industrial area identified five major sources: oil burning, industrial Cr source, soil resuspension, pyrometallurgical non‐ferrous metal processes and motor vehicles with contributions 20%, 15%, 9%, 8% and 4%, respectively.     

土地利用/覆被变化对土地生态系统有机碳库的影响——以吉林省通榆县为例

土地利用/覆被变化对陆地碳循环影响显著.文章基于实地采集的土壤、植物样品的测试数据和1989、2004两年8月陆地卫星TM遥感影像数据,采用生态系统类型法分析吉林省通榆县1989-2004年耕地、林地、草地、盐碱地、沙地等11 种地类之间土地利用变化对土地生态系统有机碳库的影响.计算结果表明1989-2004年通榆县土地生态系统有机碳库共损失了3.18 TgC(1Tg=106t),年均损失约为0.265 Tgc.其中,湿地、草地有机碳库分别损失5.54 TgC和3.71 TgC,盐碱地面积的增加导致有机碳库损失4.75 TgC.林地面积增加和沙地面积减少分别使有机碳库增加了4.58 TgC和3.75 TgC.研究区总体上为一个碳失汇,草地退化、湿地萎缩、土地沙化和盐碱化造成了有机碳库的碳损失,而植树造林、草地植被的恢复和重建等活动则可以显著增加土壤有机碳储量.该研究对于评估自然环境与人为活动影响下,特别是大规模土地整治与生态修复对土壤有机碳的增汇潜力和固碳效应的影响具有重要的理论意义和应用价值.     

The utility of earth observation technologies in understanding impacts of land reform in the eastern region of Zimbabwe

Land tenure and land policies influence the spatial variations of land use/cover (LULC) at any given time or place. Thus, it is important to evaluate the role of land tenure policies on land cover changes. In this study, we evaluate the utility of Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) images in understanding the impacts of the 2000 fast track land reform (FTLR) policy on LULC in the eastern region, Zimbabwe. Landsat images for the year 1995, 2000, 2005 and 2011 were classified using traditional image classification techniques (i.e. the maximum likelihood (ML) classifier) in a geographic information system (GIS) environment. Results indicate that forested areas drastically decreased by approx. 30% between the year 2000 and 2005 (during and after the FTLR), while croplands marginally increased by (approx. 30%) the results further showed that slight increase in bare lands (degraded lands) and disturbed lands. The observed LULC changes after FTLR were mostly induced by human activities resulting from changes in land tenure. Overall, the findings of this study underscores the importance of remotely sensed data in assessing the impact of FTLR on forest resources for purposes of informed and sustainable forest management.     

Community-scale analysis of the farmland abandonment occurrence process in the mountain region of Ladakh,India

Farmland abandonment has been a significant issue in mountain regions. Thus, many studies have attempted to uncover its driving factors. Most existing studies take a large- or meso-scale view of mountain regions, and there are a few studies that provide community-level analysis. Therefore, it is unclear how ecological and sociopolitical factors are actually combined to influence farmland abandonment at a community level. Thus, we conducted a field survey in the mountain village of Ladakh, northern India, beginning in 2009 and tried to understand the farmland abandonment occurrence process from the viewpoint of traditional altitudinal models of land use. Using data collected during the survey, a relationship between altitude and farmland abandonment was established. However, this relationship was complex, combining traditional forms of land use system in the village. The altitudinal model of land use was very common in mountain regions; thus, discussions of current land use issues should be based on an understanding of such traditional altitudinal systems.     

贵州喀斯特地区不同土地利用方式土壤CO_2体积分数变化及影响因素

为了解不同土地利用方式对土壤剖面CO2体积分数的影响,采用气相色谱法对贵州喀斯特地区土壤不同深度空气CO2体积分数进行观测。结果表明：不同土地利用对土壤平均CO2体积分数影响较大,其次序为：次生林（0.35%±0.06%）〉草地（0.34%±0.05%）〉人工林（0.27%±0.03%）〉农田（0.16%±0.03%）。次生林、草地与农田之间土壤CO2体积分数差异性显著,而人工林与农田之间无显著性差异。不同土地利用方式土壤剖面CO2体积分数的时空变化特征比较一致：从春季到夏季逐渐增加而从秋季到冬季又逐渐降低,与该区域的温度和降雨量变化趋势一致。同时随着土壤剖面深度增加CO2体积分数逐渐增大,但在土层12 cm处有突然降低现象（农田除外）。不同土地利用方式土壤空气CO2体积分数变化与大气、土壤温度密切相关（r=0.602~0.886,P〈0.05）,土壤温度升高会导致土壤CO2体积分数上升。土壤湿度虽然也在一定程度上影响了剖面CO2体积分数,但相关性分析表明二者之间并不显著（r=0.105~0.393,P〉0.05）,说明在贵州喀斯特地区,土壤温度对土壤空气CO2体积分数的影响大于土壤湿度。     

Social enquiry and the measurement of natural phenomena: the degradation of irrigation water in the Argolid Plain,Greece

Attempts to formulate appropriate policies for the management of agricultural systems are constrained by the limitations of acquiring information about changes in the natural system across space and through time. The adoption of natural science techniques to measure the transformation of natural phenomena requires considerable investment in time and expertise and may not always be capable of providing information about change in a way that meets the adaptive requirements of planning and policy. A more flexible approach to data collection will require the acceptance of less precise and more general physical data as the basis for understanding changes in complex agricultural systems. This raises interesting questions about the adoption of social enquiry techniques to provide information about changing natural phenomena. The progressive deterioration of water resources, as a result of intensive agricultural activity in the Argolid Plain of Greece, will be considered and the problems of measuring the extent of that degradation, and the processes leading to it, will be discussed.     

晋西黄土区林草复合界面雨后土壤水分空间变异规律研究

利用统计学方法对晋西黄土区林草复合系统界面上雨后表层（0～10 cm）、亚表层（10～20 cm）和20～40 cm土层土壤水分空间变异性进行研究。结果表明：草地、林地以及二者组成的林草界面的土壤水分含量、变异系数差别均不大,土壤水分含量随着深度的增加而减少,但土壤水分变异系数则相反;移动窗口法分析表明,林草界面对表层和亚表层的土壤水分影响范围均为4.0 m;草地土壤质量含水量的变异函数模型可以拟合成高斯模型,林地和林草界面则可以拟合球状模型,草地土壤水分总体空间异质性要大于林地和林草界面,草地土壤水分变异函数的平均变程为10.96 m,林草界面及林地土壤水分的平均变程分别为5.37 m和4.31 m。对于描述界面土壤水分分布情况,克立格制图直观性强,具有良好效果。     

贵州草海湿地农田渠系水质空间分异特征及影响分析

为了解草海湿地农田渠系水质现状、空间分异特征及影响因素,于2011年秋季对草海湿地进行大空间尺度的采样,分析了氮磷等理化指标,采用单因子污染指数法和营养状态指数法分别对农田渠系水质和湖泊营养状态进行评价.结果表明,草海湿地农田渠系水质污染严重,多数水质为V类或劣V类,总氮和溶解氧是水体中的主要污染因子;上游水质劣于下游,尤其是上游靠近县城区域的水质最差;多等级排水渠系对氮磷具有一定的截留作用,干渠V级水质好于低级渠系水质;不同的土地利用方式对水质的影响不同,城镇用地>集中式村落>农田;草海湿地水体上、中、下游营养水平分别为中度富营养、轻度富营养和中营养,外源污染物的累积和湖泊营养水平的提高导致其沼泽化,而流域不合理的土地利用结构加剧了沼泽化的进程.     

基于土地利用的喀斯特地区生态系统服务功能价值评估——以贵州省为例

为探讨喀斯特地区生态系统服务功能价值特征,对贵州省生态系统服务功能价值进行评估,结果表明生态系统服务功能价值在2005、2010、2020年分别为1 610.43亿、2 357.86亿、4 328.89亿元.贵州省各类生态系统服务功能单价顺序为湿地>水体>森林>草地>农田>荒漠,其中湿地生态系统是荒漠生态系统服务功能价值的149.31倍.2005～2020年贵州省生态服务功能价值结构和土地利用结构以森林生态系统占绝对优势,各类型生态系统服务功能价值顺序为森林>农田>草地>水体>荒漠>湿地,各类型生态系统面积大小顺序为森林>农田>荒漠>草地>水体>湿地.2005、2010、2020年贵州省单位面积生态系统服务功能价值分别为9 142、13 385、24 573元/hm2.根据至2020年的土地利用规划,贵州省生态系统服务功能将持续增加.     

Identifying 120 years of decline in ecosystem structure and maturity of Great South Bay, New York using the Ecopath modelling approach

Mass balanced models yield valuable information regarding ecological function and delivery of ecosystem services, but often rely on data collected well before many species were reduced to fractions of their original abundance. Lagoonal systems, such as Great South Bay (GSB), NY, sit on the interface of terrestrial and marine ecosystems and are prone to anthropogenic stressors but proximity to land also makes the presence of data regarding historic populations and structure more likely. To quantify over a century of ecosystem change, Ecopath models were developed for GSB at each of four time periods where commercial and scientific data exist: 1880s, 1930s, 1980s and 2000s. The results indicated that the GSB has experienced a decline in ecosystem maturity, loss of top keystone predators, a decline in connectivity to the ocean though the reduction of migratory species and increasing dominance of low trophic level organisms. These changes undermine the delivery of ecosystem services, increase conflicts over limited resources and suggest that present day restoration targets fail to recognize appropriate baselines. We discuss the role of stochastic events, which result in state changes that could be defined as regime shifts, and ecosystem connectivity to the long-term stability of lagoonal systems.     

Quantifying forest fragmentation spatial process in the developing State of Selangor,peninsular Malaysia

Forest fragmentation has several phases; thus, the ecological significance of each phase during a particular period of time must be interpreted. To interpret, this study quantifies the magnitude of forest loss and the changes in the temporal pattern of fragmentation in the State of Selangor, peninsular Malaysia. Using the decision tree model of land transformation, five phases of forest fragmentation were identified: perforation, dissection, dissipation, shrinkage and attrition. This analysis showed that the magnitude of forest loss was the highest during the dissipation phase. The patchiness analysis showed that dissipation contributes to the highest environmental uncertainty found for the forest patches. This study can be considered a first step in the exploration of the properties and the behavioural pattern shown by the spatial process of forest fragmentation.     

Difference in the net value of ecological services between natural and artificial forests in China

Land degradation is a global problem that seriously threatens human society. However, in China and elsewhere, ecological restoration still largely relies on a traditional approach that focuses only on ecological factors and ignores socioeconomic factors. To improve the effectiveness of ecological restoration and maximize its economic and ecological benefits, a more efficient approach is needed that provides support for policy development and land management and thereby promotes environmental conservation. We devised a framework for assessing the value of ecosystem services that remain after subtracting costs, such as the opportunity costs, costs of forest protection, and costs for the people who are affected by the program; that is, the net value of ecosystem services (NVES). To understand the difference between the value of a resource and the net value of the ecosystem service it provides, we used data on VES, timber sales, and afforestation costs from China's massive national afforestation programs to calculate the net value of forest ecosystem services in China. Accounting for the abovementioned costs revealed an NVES of ¥6.1 × 10¹² for forests in 2014, which was 35.9% less than the value calculated without accounting for costs. As a result, the NVES associated with afforestation was 55.9% less than the NVES of natural forests. In some regions, NVES was negative because of the huge costs of human-made plantations, high evapotranspiration rates (thus, high water opportunity costs), and low forest survival rates. To maximize the ecological benefits of conservation, it is necessary to account for as many costs as possible so that management decisions can be based on NVES, thereby helping managers choose projects that maximize both economic and ecological benefits.     

Sorption of the natural endocrine disruptors,oestrone and 17 beta-oestradiol in the aquatic environment

Adsorption of hydrophobic contaminants at the particle/water interface is one of the key processes controlling their fate in the aquatic environment. The sorption of the natural female hormones oestrone and 17-oestradiol has been studied under simulated riverine conditions. Both the kinetics and the effects of varying fundamental environmental parameters (e.g. sediment properties) on the thermodynamic equilibrium partition coefficient (K _p) have been studied in continuous and batch sorption experiments, respectively. Results showed that the sorption of oestrone and 17-oestradiol by sediment was relatively slow, reaching equilibrium in 50 days. In addition, relatively small adsorption of both oestrone and 17-oestradiol onto the sediment was observed, with K _p values between 200 and 250 mL g^–1. The comparable K _p values of the two compounds reflect their structural similarity. It can be concluded that the two endocrine disruptors, oestrone and 17-oestradiol remain primarily in association with the aqueous phase.     

吉林西部土地利用/覆被时空变化驱动力分析

针对吉林两部土地利用/覆被情况,基于TM影像,借助人机交互解译方法,结合1:10万地形图获得1986年、1996年、2000年和2004年的4期土地利用/覆被变化(LUCC)矢量数据.利用土地利用动态度模型、土地利用转移矩阵.全面揭示研究区15年的LUCC时空变化特征,结果表明.盐碱地扩张,湿地、水域萎缩和草地退化已经成为吉林西部生态环境恶化的突出表现.结合研究区的实际情况选取总人口数、农业人口数、粮食总产置等12个指标作为LUCC:变化的丰十会经济驱动因子,借助多元线性回归模型,建立主要土地利用类型的驱动力模型.结果表明吉林西部土地利用变化的最主要社会经济因子是农业人口数、农民人均纯收入、农业生产技术(农业机械总动力、化肥施用量)和农村用电量,同时提出相应的生态环境保护和社会经济措施.