Regional landscape futures to moderate projected climate change: a case study in the agro-pastoral transitional zone of North China

Regional Environmental Change - Pacific Island Countries, despite significant variation in levels of exposure and internal adaptive capacities, are often portrayed homogenously as the world’s...     

Composition of plant communities in natural and technogenically disturbed ecotopes on watersheds of the Yamal Peninsula: Floristic diversity

Specific features in the overgrowing of technogenically disturbed areas with completely destroyed soil and plant cover (a sand pit, a causeway, and an off-road vehicle trail) have been studied in the environs of the Bovanenkovo Oil-Gas Condensate Field. It is shown that the vegetation of natural ecotopes and ecotopes disturbed approximately 20 years ago is characterized by a relatively high similarity in the composition of vascular plants. The total species composition of plant communities (including mosses and lichens) and their structure show a considerable loss of floristic and phytocenotic diversity.     

Managing the urban environment in a developing country: The Ogunpa river channelization scheme in Ibadan City,Nigeria

A disastrous flood in Ibadan City, Nigeria in April 1978 aroused public interest in the Ogunpa river channelization scheme which had earlier been embarked upon by government. A questionnaire survey of 399 residents near the river was designed to examine three issues: (a) the losses sustained and the people's reaction to and perception of the causes of the flood; (b) their perception of the present and future uses of the river; and (c) their perception of the prospects of the channelization scheme.The results show that about 75% of the respondents were affected by the flood; 41% each lost property worth about N2960.00. Yet, many could not hope to move out of the flood zone mainly because of shortage of residential accomodation in the city. The factors given as being responsible for the flood were poor drainage, heavy rains, refuse disposal in the river, shallowness of the river channel and the unplanned layout of streets and buildings. Indeed, the major use of the river has been as a refuse dump, so that it is heavily polluted. Many respondents would like the river to be reclaimed to alleviate some of the socioeconomic problems confronting them. Recreational use of the river was not much considered. Majority of respondents thought the channelization scheme would bring some benefit. But, they are sceptical about its lasting impact unless it is done within the framework of a comprehensive programme of urban land management and protection and the improvement of living conditions in the city.     

Effects of the Anthropogenic Factor on Bats (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) in the Volga Region

Using the example of bats inhabiting the Volga region, the cases in which the anthropogenic factor creates favorable conditions for these animals or significantly reduces their diversity of their fauna are considered. In this context, an opinion concerning the approaches to the conservation of bats is formulated.     

Seeing the wood for the trees: the role of woody resources for the construction of gender specific household cultural artefacts in non-traditional communities in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

There is a growing wealth of data capturing the direct-use values of the environment and recognition of forests and wild resources as representing “the poor manȁ9s overcoat”. This focus has however resulted in an emphasis on the utilitarian values of wild resources for rural livelihoods and has for the most part overlooked their cultural values. In tangent to these developments within the field of anthropology there has been increased attention directed towards the relationship between biodiversity and human diversity over the past decade. This has resulted in the recognition of what the Declaration of Belem calls an ȁ8inextricable linkȁ9 between biological and cultural diversity. The term bio-cultural diversity has been introduced as a concept denoting this link. Consequently there is a need for more elaborate assessments of the various ways in which different groups of people find value in biodiversity. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the cultural significance of wild harvested plant resources for the maintenance of two gender specific cultural artefacts for amaXhosa people in South Africa, to assess the persistence of these practices in rapidly modernizing communities. We demonstrate the endurance of these ancient cultural artefacts in present-day peri-urban communities and suggest that they point to the need for improved understanding of the significance of bio-cultural diversity. The findings of the study should not be interpreted as illustrating stagnation in the traditional past, but rather as pointing at the need for improved understanding of the significance of bio-cultural diversity in a dynamic sense.     

2000～2015年丹江口库区植被覆盖时空变化趋势及其成因分析

基于MODIS NDVI、Landsat遥感影像及气象观测数据,应用趋势分析、偏相关分析和土地利用转移矩阵等方法,阐明了2000~2015年丹江口库区植被覆盖时空变化趋势,并探讨了气候变化和人类活动对库区植被覆盖的影响。结果表明：（1）近16 a来丹江口库区植被覆盖度呈增加的趋势,增速为4.73%/10 a（p < 0.001）;（2）40.94%的区域植被覆盖度增加显著,主要分布在库周丘陵和平原地带;10.04%的区域植被覆盖度减少显著,主要位于西北部伏牛山区及库区建成区周边;49.02%的区域变化不显著;（3）丹江口库区植被覆盖度受气候变化影响不显著,但受人类活动影响较大,其中灌草地和农业用地转变为林地是库区植被覆盖度升高的主要原因,农业用地转变为水体和建设用地是部分区域植被覆盖度降低的重要因素,这些土地利用/覆被变化主要受造林、退耕还林、水库蓄水以及建设活动的驱动;（4）生态建设工程和项目的实施对库区植被覆盖度的稳步增加起到了积极作用。 关键词： 植被覆盖度;变化趋势;土地利用;丹江口库区     

白云岩地区土壤呼吸日变化及其与土壤温湿度的响应关系

为揭示贵州绥阳双河洞国家地质公园白云岩地区表层土壤呼吸作用昼夜变化特征及其影响因素.研究利用土壤呼吸测量系统(SRS-SD2000,ADC,UK),在无降水影响下监测了双河洞国家地质公园岩溶地区灌木林地、竹林、旱地和人工草地4种不同土地利用方式的表层土壤呼吸通量昼夜变化特征,结合土壤温湿度和大气温湿度等环境参数,探究影响土壤呼吸昼夜变化的关键因素.结果 表明:4种不同土地利用方式土壤呼吸速率变化均呈"昼高夜低"的单峰型变化规律,日变化最大值出现在12:00～14:00之间,最低值出现在5:00～7:00之间;各样地土壤呼吸速率和土壤温度均呈现显著的正相关关系(P＜0.001),灌木林地、竹林和旱地土壤呼吸速率与土壤湿度有显著负相关关系(P＜0.001),人工草地土壤呼吸与土壤湿度之间有低度相关性(P＜0.05);气温是影响土壤呼吸速率变化的关键因子,实测数据表明土壤呼吸在达到峰值后不会随着气温的升高而增大;不同样地类型的土壤呼吸速率对土壤温度和湿度的昼夜响应特征存在差异.     

Bioaccumulation and biological effects in the earthworm Eisenia fetida exposed to natural and depleted uranium

The accumulations of both natural (U) and depleted (DU) uranium in the earthworms (Eisenia fetida) were studied to evaluate corresponding biological effects. Concentrations of metals in the experimental soil ranged from 1.86 to 600 mg kg⁻¹. Five biological endpoints: mortality, animals’ weight increasing, lysosomal membrane stability by measuring the neutral red retention time (the NRRT), histological changes and genetic effects (Comet assay) were used to evaluate biological effects in the earthworms after 7 and 28 days of exposure. No effects have been observed in terms of mortality or weight reduction. Cytotoxic and genetic effects were identified at quite low U concentrations. For some of these endpoints, in particular for genetic effects, the dose (U concentration)-effect relationships have been found to be non-linear. The results have also shown a statistically significant higher level of impact on the earthworms exposed to natural U compared to depleted U.     

Managing tricky decentralised competencies: case study of a participatory modelling experiment on land use in the Lake Guiers area in Northern Senegal

We describe an action-research project whose objective was to help stakeholders at different organisational levels achieve sustainable land management by developing mediation models and tools. We chose to test a specific approach called companion modelling in the framework of a multidisciplinary research partnership and a formal local partnership (a ‘users committee’) involving an array of stakeholders at different organisational levels. The study area covers 10,000 km² of agro-pastoral land around Lake Guiers in northern Senegal. We conducted studies to update the knowledge base of the area and organised six field workshops that clearly revealed three important tool functions to support decision-making on land use at different scales, i.e. understanding maps, monitoring and evaluating land tenure, and foreseeing changes in land use. We found that a toolbox approach was the best way to implement the three functions and overcome the constraints faced by the research team and those linked to the timing of the project. Therefore, we produced five simple complementary tools aimed at various users: a farm-level optimisation model (for researchers and technical services), a database for land allocations and a discussion tool to assess the impact of land allocation decisions (for the rural council), a paper atlas (for local players) and a regional land use change simulation model (for regional and national planners). Participants were able to work with paper maps, to interpret computer-generated simulations of land use change and understand the strengths and limitations of each. Self-assessment of the research process emphasised the importance of the context and the critical role played by social capital at both the research and the field level, which, in turn, emphasised the need for major improvements in the design and implementation of a quality process for participatory modelling. It turns out that action-research may be an effective way to undertake sustainability science.     

西南岩溶区生态安全评价研究 ——以广西为例

西南岩溶区是举世公认的典型的生态环境脆弱系统之一,也是我国典型的极贫困代表区域之一.广西处于西南岩溶地区,岩溶面积为9.8×104km2,占广西土地总面积的41%.本文以广西为例,采用生态足迹的理论和方法来测算广西区域生态安全状况,对1990～2003年广西岩溶生态环境的生态足迹、生态承载力、生态盈亏及生态压力指数进行测算分析并提出预测模型.研究结果①广西生态足迹呈不断增加趋势,从1990年的0.601 7 hm2增加到2003年的1.137 8 hm2;②生态承载力呈不断下降趋势,从1990年的0.820 4 hm2减少到2003年的0.653 7 hm2;③生态盈亏从1990年生态盈余的0.218 8 hm2下降到2003年的生态赤字达-0.484 8 hm2,出现严重的生态赤字;④1990～2003年生态足迹压力指数由0.7334增加到1.7406,增长幅度巨大,从临界安全状态到不安全状态.     

Ecological Segregation of Bustards (Otididae) in the North of the Lower Volga Region: Evolutionary and Adaptive Aspects

Based on the concept of an ecological niche, the processes of segregation in the Lower Volga populations of great and little bustards (Otis tarda L. and Tetrax tetrax L). have been studied in the evolutionary and adaptive aspects. The results have shown that segregation of the ecological niches of the two species occurs mainly on a trophic basis, when bird specialization in the use of food resources provides the possibility of changing the nesting biotopes. Some trophic adaptations are temporary and do not modify a species-specific stereotype, whereas other adaptations lead to the development of new forms of behavior and their evolutionary stabilization. Spatial characteristics (biotopic preference, nest location, etc.) complement the identified hierarchical series of parameters characterizing the ecological niches of the species studied. In the Transvolga region of Saratov oblast, the total sizes of great and little bustard populations in the breeding season reach approximately 4100 and 5900 birds, respectively.     

Climate Change Reporting in Great Lakes Region Newspapers: A Comparative Study of the Use of Expert Sources

This study focuses on the use of science sources as experts in news stories about climate change coverage in the Great Lakes region of the US and Canada. We examine, using the hierarchy of influences model, whether the use of scientific sources in climate change coverage may be related to factors such as geographic location, reporting frequency, and authorship, in the prestige press as well as regional and local media. The study found that as many or more non-scientists than scientists are selected as sources regardless of geographic location, reporting frequency, or authorship. However, the study also found that the more stories reporters produce on this topic, the more likely their stories are to use and give prominence to science sources. In addition, the articles included few denier sources, but denier views are more likely to appear in a more prominent location in the articles than supporters when stories are framed as conflict over global warming. These results highlight the need for additional research examining the expertise of climate scientists in news stories to better understand news decision-making in the context of complex scientific reporting.     

Sustaining cultural and biological diversity in rapidly changing communities: the revitalization of the Voladores ritual in northern Veracruz (Mexico)

This paper aims to contribute to the ongoing debate on the protection of cultural and biological diversity, and their interconnectedness. It highlights the importance of understanding the dynamic and complex strategies that cultures are developing to protect their biocultural diversity in the face of the ongoing cultural, economic, and social reductionist transformations occurring worldwide. We analyze Totonac society in the present time, and provide evidence on how cultural revitalization processes are emerging from the grass roots, by focusing on the ceremony of the Voladores, a pre-Hispanic ritual performed by several indigenous groups in Mesoamerica. The preoccupation of Totonac communities to safeguard this millenary tradition fostered a process of dialogue, reinforced local institutions, and catalyzed the development of strategies to preserve a tree species and its habitat.     

Vulnerability, Risk and Adaptation Assessment Methods in the Pacific Islands Region: past approaches, and considerations for the future

Over two decades of vulnerability assessments have shown the Pacific Islands region to be one of the regions most at risk to the adverse consequences of climate change. Pacific Island countries have shown strong leadership in characterising the challenges of climate change, both nationally and for the region as a whole, and in identifying the most appropriate responses. This paper reviews the various Vulnerability, Risk and Adaptation (VRiA) Assessment Methods and Tools that have been used across the Pacific Islands region, with an emphasis on the past two decades. The aim is to identify the approaches that are best suited to the region, and to develop a common understanding and principles that may be relevant and useful to harmonising the assessment of vulnerability and risk, and of adaptation options across the region. Even though assessments undertaken in the Pacific Islands region tend to share the common objective of reducing vulnerabilities and risks, practitioners in the Pacific are using numerous approaches, methods and tools to assess vulnerabilities and identify possible adaptation interventions. No one approach will address all needs and accommodate all capacities. Rather, several successful approaches, methods and tools are identified. The paper also identifies and assesses the approaches, methods and tools that have merit for further use, without or with further improvements. Lessons learned as well as success stories and success factors are documented. These findings are reflected in principles designed to assist harmonisation of approaches to VRiA assessment. These principles, in turn, influence the development of a proposed higher-level framework and approach for VRiA assessments. It accommodates the various approaches, methods and tools commonly used with success in the Pacific.     

The use of ambient air quality modeling to estimate individual and population exposure for human health research: a case study of ozone in the Northern Georgia Region of the United States

Ambient monitors are commonly used to estimate exposure for epidemiological studies, and air quality modeling is infrequently applied. However air quality modeling systems have the potential to alleviate some, although not all, of the limitations of monitoring networks. To investigate this application, exposure estimates were generated for a case study high ozone episode in the Northern Georgia Region of the United States based on measurements and concentration estimates from an air quality modeling system. Hourly estimates for 2268 4-km by 4-km gridcells were generated in a domain that includes only eight ozone monitors. Individual and population-based ozone exposures were estimated using multiple approaches, including area-weighted average of modeled estimates, nearest monitor, and spatial interpolation by inverse distance weighting and kriging. Results based on concentration fields from the air quality modeling system revealed spatial heterogeneity that was obscured by approaches based on the monitoring network. With some techniques, such as spatial interpolation, monitoring data alone was insufficient to estimate exposure for certain areas, especially for rural populations. For locations far from ozone monitors, the estimates from the nearest monitor approach tended to overestimate exposure, compared to modeled estimates. Counties in which one or more monitors were present had statistically higher population density and modeled ozone estimates than did counties without monitors (p-value <0.05). This work demonstrates the use of air quality modeling to generate higher spatial and temporal resolution exposure estimates, and compares the advantages of this approach to traditional methods that use monitoring data alone. The air quality modeling method faces its own limitations, such as the need to thoroughly evaluate concentration estimates and the use of ambient levels rather than personal exposure.