欧盟确定生物多样性保护中长期目标

中国环保网消息欧盟成员国环境部长15日在布鲁塞尔举行会议,确定了欧盟在生物多样性保护方面的中长期目标,即到2020年阻止生物多样性流失,到2050年生物多样性和生态系统功能得到保护、重视和恢复。     

日本国家尺度生物多样性监测概况及其启示

为保护地球生物资源,1992年巴西里约热内卢的联合国环境与发展大会签署《生物多样性公约》,1993年正式生效。公约第7条规定了缔约方有履行识别和监测需要保护的重要的生物多样性组成部分之义务。为此,全方位、多层次的生物多样性监测网络在世界各国家和地区得以建立和开展工作。日本作为《生物多样性公约》的缔约国之一,为履约并保护其国内因经济发展而受到严重威胁的自然环境和自然遗产,整合其20世纪70年代开展的“自然环境保护基础调查”和21世纪2003年开始构建的“重要地域生态系统监测网络”,逐步形成了国家尺度的生物多样性监测体系。根据日本生物多样性中心公布的信息与数据,介绍了日本国家尺度生物多样性监测的两项主要工作,即自然环境保护基础调查和重要地域生态系统监测网络;总结了日本国家生物多样性监测的发展历程和主要特点;提出了加强中国生物多样性监测工作的建议。     

准噶尔盆地西北部引水工程建设运行的生态环境效益评估

准噶尔盆地西北部引水工程的建成和运行,对工程沿线区域土地资源的利用方式产生了深远的影响,也改变了该区域以土地资源为载体的生态系统的结构和生态环境的价值。以Constanza等人对全球各类生态系统单位面积服务价值的测算为依据,根据准噶尔盆地西北部引水工程沿线影响区2000年和2002年LandsatTM卫星影像解译数据,对工程建设和运行的生态环境效益予以估算。结果表明:引水工程的建设运行使工程影响区内生态系统的生态环境效益增加了2657 14×104 (约合22054 26×104元人民币),其中水域及耕地生态系统生态效益的增加是研究区生态效益增加的主要方面。     

塔里木盆地是新疆生物多样性保护的一个关键区域

在陈昌笃关于确定生物多样性保护关键区域的标准和在新疆境内初步提出了５个关键区域的基础上,根据塔里木盆地古老物种和国家珍稀、濒危物种较多、特有现象较发达及柽柳鹰植物十分丰富和分布有世界上面积最大在胡杨林,加之塔里木盆地生态系统极其脆弱、破坏严重等特点和现状,初步认为,塔里木盆地应是新疆生物多样性保护的一个关键区域。     

江苏生物多样性保护的重点领域和政策创新

分析了江苏生物多样性保护现状,解读了省委办公厅、省政府办公厅《关于进一步加强生物多样性保护的实施意见》,主要涵盖完善政策法规、优化空间格局、提升系统稳定性、构建监测评估体系、提升安全管理水平、创新开发利用机制、严格执法监督评估、推动公众参与等8大工作任务,加强生态岛试验区、生态安全缓冲区等10大领域政策创新,整体提升全省生态系统质量。     

重点生物物种保护率试点监测研究

为探索重点生物物种保护率监测方法并实践应用,选取昆山和射阳作为试点县域开展重点生物物种保护率监测研究。结果显示,共监测到重点生物物种87种,其中动物79种,植物8种。受威胁物种39种,其中极危物种5种,濒危物种19种,易危物种15种。重点保护物种79种,其中一级保护野生动植物28种,二级保护野生动植物51种;昆山和射阳的重点生物物种保护率分别为97.73%和100%。提出,为实现重点生物物种保护率监测工作的业务化运行,支撑重点生物物种和生物多样性保护管理,需要不断加强生物多样性观测能力建设,建立生物多样性监测长效机制,完善生物多样性物种信息数据库;各相关部门应统筹协调,整合资源,形成合力,实现重点生物物种、生物多样性和生态系统的监测、管理和保护的协调统一。     

基于“天-空-地”一体化的生态保护红线区监管评价体系构建及应用ADDINCNKISM.UserStyle

科学监管评价生态保护红线区生态环境是合理利用自然资源和充分保护生态环境的基础,对推动国家生态文明建设具有重要意义。该研究基于“天-空-地”一体化获取多源数据,结合GIS和RS空间分析,从生态系统格局和质量、人类活动、环境限制4个方面选取25个指标,构建了生物多样性维护生态保护红线区监管评价体系,并以泰山生态保护红线区为例进行分析研究。结果表明:2000—2015年,研究区生态系统格局、生态系统质量、人类活动状况3个分指数得分及生态环境综合得分均呈现先降后升的趋势,就综合得分而言,2000—2005年、2005—2010年得分降幅分别为18.73%和5.24%,2010年得分最低(41.97分),而2010—2015年得分增幅为81.63%,2015年得分为76.23分,生态环境综合得分评价等级由Ⅱ级升为Ⅰ级。其中城乡居民和工矿用地面积占比、生态系统破碎度和分离度、植被生物量是影响研究区生态环境的关键指标,相关部门应加强对研究区边界处人类活动的监管,并注重生态系统完整性和植被生长状态的保护。该监管评价体系具有较强的实践性、科学性和可操作性,可为生态保护红线区的监管评价提供新思路。     

基于“天-空-地”一体化的生态保护红线区监管评价体系构建及应用

科学监管评价生态保护红线区生态环境是合理利用自然资源和充分保护生态环境的基础,对推动国家生态文明建设具有重要意义。该研究基于"天-空-地"一体化获取多源数据,结合GIS和RS空间分析,从生态系统格局和质量、人类活动、环境限制4个方面选取25个指标,构建了生物多样性维护生态保护红线区监管评价体系,并以泰山生态保护红线区为例进行分析研究。结果表明:2000—2015年,研究区生态系统格局、生态系统质量、人类活动状况3个分指数得分及生态环境综合得分均呈现先降后升的趋势,就综合得分而言,2000—2005年、2005—2010年得分降幅分别为18. 73%和5. 24%,2010年得分最低(41. 97分),而2010—2015年得分增幅为81. 63%,2015年得分为76. 23分,生态环境综合得分评价等级由Ⅱ级升为Ⅰ级。其中城乡居民和工矿用地面积占比、生态系统破碎度和分离度、植被生物量是影响研究区生态环境的关键指标,相关部门应加强对研究区边界处人类活动的监管,并注重生态系统完整性和植被生长状态的保护。该监管评价体系具有较强的实践性、科学性和可操作性,可为生态保护红线区的监管评价提供新思路...     

全球变化下祁连山生态安全屏障的构建与保护

祁连山对于西北地区生态安全具有重要的屏障作用。在全球变化的大背景下,祁连山出现生态系统稳定功能削弱、人地矛盾突出、资源环境压力增大等问题,典型表现为冰川退缩、生物多样性威胁加大、土地退化及水土流失加重导致森林水源涵养力下降和珍稀生物资源减少等。生态系统的不稳定势必会影响了祁连山区域生态安全屏障功能的正常发挥。针对现阶段祁连山存在的一系列问题,提出了加强祁连山生态安全屏障保护与建设的对策建议。     

黄河流域水生生物资源评估及问题诊断

近几十年来,随着全球气候的变化和社会经济的发展,受筑坝建闸、河道断流、水质恶化、酷渔滥捕、人工引种、海水入侵、调水调沙等因素影响,黄河流域水生生物多样性及资源量呈下降趋势。在目前流域内多目标同步推进的要求下,黄河流域生态保护和高质量发展正不断面临新的挑战。通过分析黄河流域水生生物多样性和资源量在时空分布上的演变规律,明确了是水资源短缺、工程建设、水环境恶化等因素的共同作用导致了黄河流域的水生态危机。基于绿色生态、高质量发展的科学管理理念,提出了新时代黄河流域水文-环境-生态协同保护与修复的发展策略,为促进黄河流域水资源保护和生态系统可持续发展提供数据支持与理论参考。     

Recovery assessment of a refined-oil impacted and fire ravaged mangrove ecosystem

An assessment of the diversity and abundance of macrobenthic community in a refined-oil (petrol) impacted and fire-ravaged mangrove ecosystem within the vicinity of a marine receipt terminal facility (Atlas Cove) serving as a distribution and pump station for refined products was carried out. The mangrove ecosystem was subjected to massive petrol spillage from a leaking pipeline and eventual fire outbreak. Following rehabilitation activities, a recovery assessment of the impacted ecosystem was carried out. The field surveys revealed that the petrol leakage and fire outbreak resulted in a near complete destruction of the mangrove ecosystem around the Atlas Cove depot, with macrobenthic species diversity index ranging between 0−0.4, compared to 0.78−0.87 in the control stations. The dominant early arrivals or colonizers of the impacted stations areas were Clibanarius africanus and Callinectes amnicola. Early signs of recovery of the impacted area were observed within about two and a half (2 1/2) to three (3) months, based on diversity and abundance indices respectively. The period of early signs of recovery also coincide with an observed reduction in the total hydrocarbon content (THC) levels in the sediment collected from the impacted stations by about nine folds from 3.67 mg/kg to 0.42 mg/kg within 3 months. Despite the apparent signs of recovery, the need for long-term monitoring of the impacted stations was discussed.     

The effects of grassland degradation on plant diversity,primary productivity,and soil fertility in the alpine region of Asia’s headwaters

A 3-year survey was conducted to explore the relationships among plant composition, productivity, and soil fertility characterizing four different degradation stages of an alpine meadow in the source region of the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, China. Results showed that plant species diversity, productivity, and soil fertility of the top 30-cm soil layer significantly declined with degradation stages of alpine meadow over the study period. The productivity of forbs significantly increased with degradation stages, and the soil potassium stock was not affected by grassland degradation. The vegetation composition gradually shifted from perennial graminoids (grasses and sedges) to annual forbs along the degradation gradient. The abrupt change of response in plant diversity, plant productivity, and soil nutrients was demonstrated after heavy grassland degradation. Moreover, degradation can indicate plant species diversity and productivity through changing soil fertility. However, the clear relationships are difficult to establish. In conclusion, degradation influenced ecosystem function and services, such as plant species diversity, productivity, and soil carbon and nitrogen stocks. Additionally, both plant species diversity and soil nutrients were important predictors in different degradation stages of alpine meadows. To this end, heavy degradation grade was shown to cause shift of plant community in alpine meadow, which provided an important basis for sustaining ecosystem function, manipulating the vegetation composition of the area and restoring the degraded alpine grassland.     

An assessment of restoration success to forests planted for ecosystem restoration in loess plateau, Northwestern China

Using ecosystem attributes identified by the Society of Ecological Restoration International, we assessed three restoration projects in the loess plateau, northwestern China, including planting Larix principis-rupprechtii (LS) and Pinus tabulaeformis (PS) on shrubland, and planting L. principis-rupprechtii on open forest land (LO). The reestablishment of native species in LS and PS was poorer than LO because of the excessive stand density. Species diversity, seedling number, and seedling diversity were significantly higher in LO than in LS and PS. Soil nutrient was also significantly higher in the LO treatment. The vegetation composition, species diversity, and soil nutrient in LO, however, were more similar to these in the reference. Our results indicate that planting L. principis-rupprechtii on open forest land had accelerated the succession of the ecosystem for approximately 30 years. But the poor natural regeneration of L. principis-rupprechtii suggests that post-planting activities in LO are required after timber harvesting or the natural mortality of the L. principis-rupprechtii. Management operation such as selective thinning will be required in LS and PS to promote the true restoration of native species diversity in the future.     

Effects of Clear-Cutting and Plant Competition Control Methods on Carabid (Coleoptera: Carabidae) Assemblages in Northwestern Ontario

Total captures, species richness, diversity, and assemblages of adult carabids (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in a boreal mixed-wood ecosystem study were compared among unharvested, and clear-cut plots untreated or treated with herbicides (Vision® and Release®), mechanical treatments (brush saw and Silvana Selective). Carabids were sampled using unbaited pitfall traps for one growing season 7 and 9 years after clear-cutting, in the second growing season after competition control was applied. A total of 5032 individuals representing 30 species were collected between June 1 and September 25, 1995. Total catches were not affected by the harvest or the conifer release alternatives applied. Species richness and diversity increased following conifer release alternatives. Ten species showed habitat preferences after treatment whereas the remaining 20 species were not significantly affected by treatment.     

Historical changes of sediments and mollusk assemblages in the Gulf of Batabanó (Caribbean Sea) in the twentieth century

The first paleoecological reconstruction of the biogeochemical conditions of the Gulf of Batabanó, Caribbean Sea was performed from (210)Pb-dated sediment cores. Depth profiles of 20 major elements and trace metals, organic compounds, grain size, and mollusk assemblage composition were determined from 9 stations encompassing unconsolidated sediments in the gulf. Spatial heterogeneity was evident for the geochemistry of sediments and for the mollusk assemblage composition. Our reconstruction indicates that pollution is not a critical threat to the ecosystem, although a slight historical increase of lead enrichment factor was detected probably due to long-range atmospheric fallout. Mollusk assemblages were composed by 168 species belonging to 59 families and no temporal trends in the species diversity or assemblage composition were detected, suggesting no depletion of diversity or habitat loss. Other signals of habitat loss such as changes in organic budget or increase of fine sediment fraction were absent or weak. Nitrogen retained in sediments changed by <1% in the century, indicating no historical events of eutrophication or oligotrophication in the gulf. Historical decrease of fine sediment fraction in the eastern sector would be linked to modifications in sedimentation rate, land use, and/or particle transport from the shelf border; this also suggests that both sectors have different sedimentary dynamics. Although, on theoretical grounds, historical fishery may have caused deleterious ecosystem effects by overexploitation of spiny lobster stocks, no evidence of habitat degradation or loss, caused by fisheries, could be detected.     

Valuing biodiversity: reality or mirage?

The objective of this paper was to consider the social value ofbiological diversity and explore if this value could be expressedin terms of a unidimensional metric in money. Economics distinguishes between use-values and non-use-values, which are critically evaluated for valuing biodiversity. It is shown that these utility-based valuations have severe limitations as they treat species in isolation from their ecological contexts. In contrast, ecosystem ecology regards ecosystems as an integratednon-linear and nonconvex system in which ecosystem functions canbe understood as a four-component cycle; exploitation, accumulation of biomass, creative destruction and renewal. Withinsuch a cycle, ecosystems can be seen to have two properties: stability and resilience. A good proxy for resilience is the probability of extinction of species, and social value of biodiversity can be expressed as a partial ordering with thisprobability as an index. This approach is consistent with decision theory, of which social choice is an important component, pioneered by Arrow.     

Environmental influence on coastal phytoplankton and zooplankton diversity: a multivariate statistical model analysis

In a marine ecosystem, the diversity of phytoplankton can influence the diversity of zooplankton, or vice versa, and both can be affected by the environmental factors. In this study, we used principal component analysis (PCA) to identify the major sources of influence on the coastal water near an industrial park, following by construction of structural equation model (SEM) to determine the direct and indirect effect of the factors on phytoplankton and zooplankton diversity. PCA results indicated that the coastal area was mainly affected by riverine discharge (represented by high PC factor loadings of transparency and turbidity) and seasonal change (represented by temperature). SEM further suggested that both riverine discharge and seasonal influences can directly affect phytoplankton diversity, but indirectly affected zooplankton diversity via changes in phytoplankton. Using PCA to determine the sources of influence followed by construction of SEM allowed us to understand the relative importance of the environmental factors, direct or indirect, on phytoplankton and zooplankton diversity. When environmental changes occur, a new SEM could be constructed using the same category of physical and biological data and then compared to the current model to verify whether the environmental changes were the cause of alterations in planktonic communities in the area.     

Spatiotemporal variation of macroinvertebrates in relation to canopy cover and other environmental factors in Eriora River, Niger Delta, Nigeria

Canopy cover is well known to influence the distribution of macroinvertebrates in temperate streams. Very little is known about how this factor influences stream communities in Afrotropical streams. The effects and possible interactions of environmental factors and canopy cover on macroinvertebrate community structure (abundance, richness, and diversity) were examined in four stations in Eriora River, southern Nigeria bimonthly from May to November 2010. The river supported diverse macroinvertebrates in which the upstream sampling stations with dense canopy cover were dominated by Decapoda, Ephemeroptera, Odonata, Gastropoda, Trichoptera, and Coleoptera while Diptera and Coleoptera were the benthic organisms found predominant at downstream stations with less canopy cover. Some caddisfly species such as Agapetus agilis, Trichosetodes species and the stonefly Neoperla species were present upstream and were found to be potential bioindicators for a clean ecosystem. The blood worm Chironomus species and Tabanus sp. were abundant at the downstream of the river and are considered potential bioindicators for an organically degrading ecosystem. Some environmental factors varied temporally with significantly higher macroinvertebrate abundance and richness in May. We found out that canopy cover and environmental factors affected macroinvertebrates abundance, diversity, and richness and that the individual taxon had varying responses to these factors. These results help identify the mechanisms underlying the effects of canopy cover and other environmental factors on Afrotropical stream invertebrate communities.     

Effect of the ecological water conveyance project on environment in the Lower Tarim River, Xinjiang, China

The dynamic response of groundwater level is examined in traverse and lengthways directions. Take the Yinsu section for an example, we have simulated groundwater levels before and after water-conveyance every time and calculated the incidence of groundwater on the both sides of the river. It is noted that the effect keeps growing with the water-delivery times increasing, from 570 m after the first times to 3,334 m after the eighth times. In addition, this paper involves the temporal response of the natural vegetation to water conveyance, vegetation coverage, planted-species number, dominant position and species diversity from 2002 to 2006. The findings indicate that the positive influence of ecological water conveyance project (EWCP) on the ecosystem in the Lower Tarim River is a long-term process. In this paper, we try to calculate water required for recovery of damaged ecosystem by using data available. This project is likely the base of research on water demand and the reference of measures for research on ecological water conveyance effect.     

Can tree species diversity be assessed with Landsat data in a temperate forest?

The diversity of forest trees as an indicator of ecosystem health can be assessed using the spectral characteristics of plant communities through remote sensing data. The objectives of this study were to investigate alpha and beta tree diversity using Landsat data for six dates in the Gönen dam watershed of Turkey. We used richness and the Shannon and Simpson diversity indices to calculate tree alpha diversity. We also represented the relationship between beta diversity and remotely sensed data using species composition similarity and spectral distance similarity of sampling plots via quantile regression. A total of 99 sampling units, each 20 m × 20 m, were selected using geographically stratified random sampling method. Within each plot, the tree species were identified, and all of the trees with a diameter at breast height (dbh) larger than 7 cm were measured. Presence/absence and abundance data (tree species number and tree species basal area) of tree species were used to determine the relationship between richness and the Shannon and Simpson diversity indices, which were computed with ground field data, and spectral variables derived (2 × 2 pixels and 3 × 3 pixels) from Landsat 8 OLI data. The Shannon-Weiner index had the highest correlation. For all six dates, NDVI (normalized difference vegetation index) was the spectral variable most strongly correlated with the Shannon index and the tree diversity variables. The Ratio of green to red (VI) was the spectral variable least correlated with the tree diversity variables and the Shannon basal area. In both beta diversity curves, the slope of the OLS regression was low, while in the upper quantile, it was approximately twice the lower quantiles. The Jaccard index is closed to one with little difference in both two beta diversity approaches. This result is due to increasing the similarity between the sampling plots when they are located close to each other. The intercept differences between two investigated beta diversity were strongly related to the development stage of a number of sampling plots in the tree species basal area method. To obtain beta diversity, the tree basal area method indicates better result than the tree species number method at representing similarity of regions which are located close together. In conclusion, NDVI is helpful for estimating the alpha diversity of trees over large areas when the vegetation is at the maximum growing season. Beta diversity could be obtained with the spectral heterogeneity of Landsat data. Future tree diversity studies using remote sensing data should select data sets when vegetation is at the maximum growing season. Also, forest tree diversity investigations can be identified by using higher-resolution remote sensing data such as ESA Sentinel 2 data which is freely available since June 2015.