Coping with changing water resources: The case of the Syr Darya river basin in Central Asia

This paper discusses how climatic-hydrological and socio-political developments will affect water allocation in the Syr Darya river basin and which adaptation measures will be needed to cope with changing water resources. In view of the geo-political complexity, climate-driven changes in water availability are of particular importance in this region. Water shortages during summer will become more frequent as precipitation is expected to further decrease and glacial meltwater releases will decrease in the long-term due to reduced glacier volume. Being the main valve to the entire Syr Darya river system, the Toktogul reservoir in Kyrgyzstan could take over, at least partly, the role of glaciers as seasonal water redistributors, thus allowing the generation of energy in winter – benefiting upstream countries – and irrigation for large-scale agriculture in summer – benefiting downstream countries. To date, however, there is no regional consensus on a balanced reservoir management, which currently favours irrigation according to past Soviet priorities. Moreover, the perception of water as a ‘national concern’ in Central Asia discourages efforts towards cooperation between states at the regional level. So far, climate change adaptation has focused on technical rather than institutional solutions. We suggest that policy-relevant adaptation measures should include consistent data collection and dissemination, cross-sectoral collaboration, promotion of national responsibility and initiative, and agreeing on a regional strategy.     

Ecosystem health assessment of urban rivers and lakes-Case study of "the six lakes" in Beijing,China

The assessment of the ecosystem health of urban rivers and lakes is the scientific basis for their management and ecological restoration. This study developed a three-level indicator system for its assessment. The results indicated that: Zhonghai and Nanhai are in the state of transition from unhealthy to critical state and all the other lakes are in unhealthy states. Water environmental quality, structure and function of the aquatic ecosystem, and the structure of waterfront areas were the constraints. Nanhai was ranked as poor and the others were all ranked as very poor. However, the ecological environment of Zhonghai and Nanhai were better than the others, the sums of the degree of membership to the healthy state and critical state were all close to 0.6. and the restorations of these lakes were moderate. The sums of the degree of membership to the healthy state and critical state of the other lakes were under 0.3, as it was difficult to restore these lakes. Some suggestions on scientific management and ecological restoration of the six lakes were proposed: ①To control non-point pollution and to improve the water quality of six lakes and the water entering into these lakes; ②To improve the hydrological conditions of six lakes; ③To rehabilitate the aquatic ecosystem and waterfront areas. __________ Translated from Acta Ecologica Sinica, 2005, 25(11): 3019–3027[译自: 生态学报]     

战略环境影响评价中公众参与方法研究与案例分析

公众参与有效性是衡量战略环境影响评价质量的一个重要指标,它对于提高环境管理水平具有重要的意义。本文在对比项目环境影响评价的基础上,系统阐述了战略环境影响评价公众参与的内容、对象、方式、时机、实施主体、数据处理及信息反馈,初步建立了战略环境影响评价公众参与的方法与体系,并结合典型案例进行了战略环境影响评价公众参与的过程分析。     

Water environmental planning and management at the watershed scale: A case study of Lake Qilu, China

Water environmental planning and management has become essential for guiding the water pollution control activities. Past water pollution control activities have been site specific, with little thought on water quality standard reaching at the watershed scale. Based on the watershed approach, a seven-step methodological framework for water environmental planning and management was developed. The framework was applied to water environmental planning and management of the Lake Qilu watershed in Yunnan Province, China. Results show that the reduction amount of total nitrogen (TN) under the plan is 1,205 tons per year so that the target of environmental capacity can be reached in 2020. Compared with traditional methods, the framework has its prevalence and could be generalized to analogous watersheds.     

Litter decomposition and nitrogen release in a sloping Mediterranean subtropical agroecosystem on the coast of Granada (SE, Spain): Effects of floristic and topographic alteration on the slope

On the coast of Granada (SE, Spain), an economically important area for subtropical fruit cultivation, the crops are grown on orchard terraces. Also, high amounts of fertilizers, often excessive, are used in this type of intensive agriculture. However, each year significant fractions of nutrients taken up by the trees return to the soil by fallen leaves. Using a litter-bag technique, we assessed the decomposition rates and N-release in various types of litter. Our main purpose was to compare two different agroecosystem scenarios: (1) an unaltered slope consisting mainly of a mixture of herbaceous plants (Papaver rhoeas, Convolvulus sp., Malva sylvestris, Reseda phyteuma, Anacyclus sp., Sinapis arvensis, Medicago sp.) among spontaneous perennial woody shrubs (Genista umbellata, Olea europaea, Lavandula officinalis, Phlomis purpurea, Retama sphaerocarpa), and (2) an altered slope cultivated with subtropical trees on terraces: loquat (Eriobotrya japonica), mango (Mangifera indica), avocado (Persea americana), and cherimoya (Annona cherimola), with groundcover plantings of aromatic, medicinal, and melliferous plants (AMMPs) on the taluses of the terraces, which are usually used for erosion control: Lavandula dentata, Thymus mastichina, Satureja obovata, Rosmarinus officinalis, Anthyllis cytisoides. In the leaves from the subtropical crops, we found the highest decomposition rates in cherimoya and the lowest in mango (1.30 and 0.64 years⁻¹, respectively). Leaves from mango and loquat registered initial peaks of N immobilization and later N-release, which was highest in cherimoya and avocado leaves (71.2 and 56.8% of the initial remaining N). In the spontaneous woody shrubs, O. europaea and G. umbellata were the slowest in decomposing (1.18 and 1.01 years⁻¹, respectively) contrary to L. officinalis, which decomposed fastest (2.22 years⁻¹). Only L. officinalis and P. purpurea registered a net N-release at the end of the study. The AMMPs showed different decomposition patterns: L. dentata registered the highest decomposition rates and Rosmarinus the lowest (1.9 and 1.1 years⁻¹, respectively). T. mastichina, L. dentata, and S. obovata had the highest N-release, whereas R. officinalis and A. cytisoides showed N immobilization (183 and 122% of the initial N). Knowledge of the dynamics of nutrient release and litter decomposition will be useful for predicting nutrient availability and nutrient cycles in these types of agroecosystems where subtropical orchards are grown on terraces.     

The concept of sustainable islands: cleaner production, industrial ecology and the network paradigm as preconditions for regional sustainable development

This paper introduces a bottom-up approach towards sustainability which is called the Island approach. The basic assumption of ‘Islands of Sustainability’ is that development towards sustainability can be introduced starting from small sustainable regions. An Island is an area where sustainability is reached locally. Key points to create a sustainable region are communication activities, such as exchange of matter, energy, information, culture, capital and persons within the regional network and with the environment. One of the main theses is that sustainability is linked to the complexity of the regional network. The intensity, the speed and the comprehensive of internal and external interactions, as well as the connectedness of the regional network, have to be changed in order to reach local sustainability.Relations between different approaches such as the Cleaner Production approach, the Industrial Ecology approach and the Island approach are investigated. It is assumed that a combination of these approaches will lead to sustainability, which might not be the case with one approach in isolation. All concepts are based on the new Network Paradigm, which is a reduction of the holistic world view. Cooperation on different hierarchical levels, from the interfirm level up to the interregional level, becomes an important part of behaviour. Networks, such as information networks or matter-flow networks, are introduced and become most important with regard to sustainability.     

The short term agronomic impact of raising canal water levels in grassland areas: A case study in the Belgian polders

This study tested the hypothesis that raising canal water levels with 30 cm beyond the growing season in intensively managed lowland grassland (2.4-3.7 m above sea level) in Belgium decreases the agronomic value of pastures The study ran 3 years before and 3 years after the water elevation. Using five pairs of plots inside and outside the wetted perimeter, it was not possible to demonstrate significant impacts of the elevated water level on dry matter yield, forage quality, botanical composition, and penetration resistance of the top soil layer of the grassland. In an ex situ lysimeter experiment, simulating the effect of a water level in canals up to 50 cm beneath the surface of the pastures indicated a significant decrease of the penetration resistance of the top soil layer.Results are discussed and confronted with the difficulties of field research addressing the elevation of water levels.     

Issues and challenges for forest-based carbon-offset projects: A case study of the Noel Kempff climate action project in Bolivia

The Noel Kempff Climate Action Project in Bolivia, nowin its third year, is breaking ground to establishcredible and verifiable methods to quantify greenhousegas (GHG) benefits of land-use change and forestry (LUCF)projects. Developed under the United Nations FrameworkConvention Climate Change (FCCC) Activities ImplementedJointly pilot phase, the project conserves naturalforests that would otherwise have been subjected tocontinued logging and future agricultural conversion.Carbon (C) monitoring began with a C inventory of theproject area in 1997. The total amount of C in theproject area was 118 Tg (Tg = 10¹²g) ± 4%(95% confidence interval). Periodic monitoring ofrelevant C pools (occurring in 1999 and every 5 yrthereafter) occurs over the 30-year life of theproject to establish the difference between thewith-project and projected without-project scenarios. Permanent sample plots were established both insidethe project area to monitor changes in C pools overtime and in a proxy logging concession near theproject area to determine changes in C pools inforests that have been impacted by logging. Ground-based monitoring is complemented by datacollection on forest industry trends and land-usechange patterns. Remote sensing was used to developa vegetation stratification map of the area, and workis ongoing to investigate the potential application ofdual-camera aerial videography to improve theefficiency of monitoring over time.     

森林凋落物研究现状及我国西南喀斯特地区研究展望

近几十年来,我国西南喀斯特地区生态环境退化严重,石漠化面积迅速扩大,林地覆盖率急剧下降,成为制约我国西部大开发生态建设中不可回避的重要科学问题,严重影响了西南地区社会、经济的可持续发展。喀斯特地区土层薄且侵蚀严重,土壤中的有机碳和营养盐主要来自地表枯枝落叶层的分解及累积。在气候变暖、陆地生态系统土壤温度升高、土壤有机碳急速流失和土壤质量退化的背景下,分析不同林下凋落物量和降解动态以及土壤有机碳库积累差异,揭示西南喀斯特地区不同林地凋落物归还量及其对土壤碳库积累的贡献具有极其重要的意义,将为喀斯特地区林地恢复重建和石漠化遏制工作提供科研依据。     

Estimating realized and potential carbon storage benefits from reforestation and afforestation under climate change: a case study of the Qinghai spruce forests in the Qilian Mountains, northwestern China

Greenhouse gas emission has been scientifically shown to be the primary cause of observed global climate change. The reduction of greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere deserves international attention. Aside from strategies to reduce emissions, increasing carbon (C) storage by forests has become an alternative method to lower carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels. The present study assesses the potential of C storage to decrease gas emission by restoring cleared and disturbed spruce (picea) forests in the Qilian Mountains, northwestern China. We first introduced and tested a new method for live aboveground biomass (AGB) estimation. We then used the method to define the relationship of AGB with topographic wetness index (TWI) and precipitation seasonality for total AGB estimation and quantification of the realized C storage in the live AGB of existing spruce forests. The same strategies were adopted to estimate the total AGB and the related potential C storage in the projected potential spruce forest distribution. A species distribution model was used, and the results showed that the AGB of the Qinghai spruce forests ranged between 2.30 and 4.96 Mg per plot (0.021 ha), i.e., 110 Mg ha^-1 to 236 Mg ha^-1). Actual total AGB was measured at 33 Tg, and C storage was 17.3 Tg in existing spruce forests. Potential total AGB and potential C storage were greater if the cleared and the potential C storage was ~50 Tg.     

Influence of tree species composition,thinning intensity and climate change on carbon sequestration in Mediterranean mountain forests: a case study using the CO2Fix model

Prediction of future forest carbon (C) stocks as influenced by forest management and climate is a crucial issue in the search for strategies to mitigate and adapt to global change. It is hard to quantify the long-term effect of specific forest practices on C stocks due to the high number of processes affected by forest management. This work aims to quantify how forest management impacts C stocks in Mediterranean mountain forests based on 25 combinations of site index, tree species composition and thinning intensity in three different climate scenarios using the CO2Fix v.3.2 model Masera et al. (Ecol Modell 164:177–199, 2003). The study area is an ecotonal zone located in Central Spain, and the tree species are Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and Pyrenean oak (Quercus pyrenaica Willd.). Our results show a strong effect of tree species composition and a negligible effect of thinning intensity. Mixed stands have the highest total stand C stocks: 100 % and 15 % more than pure oak and pine stands respectively, and are here suggested as a feasible and effective mitigation option. Climate change induced a net C loss compared to control scenarios, when reduction in tree growth is taken into account. Mixed stands showed the lowest reduction in forest C stocks due to climate change, indicating that mixed stands are also a valid adaptation strategy. Thus converting from pure to mixed forests would enhance C sequestration under both current and future climate conditions.     

Spatial and temporal analysis of vegetation change in agricultural landscapes: A case study of two brigalow (Acacia harpophylla) landscapes in Queensland, Australia

The majority of landscapes around the world have been modified or transformed by human activities to meet the needs of human societies. The loss of native vegetation for agricultural development affects the sustainability of growing proportion of the world's ecosystems. Factors such as land tenure, roads and agricultural intensification, together with biophysical properties, have been cited as drivers of deforestation. This paper combined analysis of the historical drivers of change with analysis of the trends of deforestation since 1945 in two brigalow landscapes (100,000 ha) in sub-tropical Australia. A selection of these drivers were then applied at a property-level (1000 ha) to test their influence on native vegetation retention. Regression trees were used to identify significant human drivers and biophysical properties, and then a generalised linear modelling approach was used to quantify the effect of these factors on the proportion of remnant native vegetation. Results showed that until the mid-20th century, government policies to intensify settlement did not result in increased agricultural production, but since this time, landscape change has been rapid, and has particularly affected ecosystems on fertile clay soils. Although socio-economic factors were critical in driving deforestation, after 60 years of agricultural intensification by far the most significant explanatory variable determining the proportion of native vegetation retained at a property scale was the suitability of the soil for agriculture. Property size was an important secondary influence. The results were not, by and large, consistent with other studies of landscape change and suggest that generalised principles explaining deforestation may be elusive. Solutions to the problem of over-clearance of native vegetation, therefore, need to be tailored to the specific regional situations encountered.     

类脂分子标志物在海洋有机地球化学中的研究应用

分子标志物是海洋有机地球化学过程研究的一个重要手段,它的开发和应用使得海洋有机地球化学的过程研究成为可能。类脂化合物作为一类最常用的分子标志物,在物质来源、有机质降解、早期 成岩演变、环境污染、古海洋学等诸多方面有着广泛的应用。类脂分子标志物成功地应用在河口、滨海地区和深海海洋中有着物质循环、迁移和埋藏等过程的研究,为海洋有机地球化学过程提供定性或定量的描述。本文简要介绍了类脂分子标志物的特征、开发和利用,并讨论了其优、缺点。     

Community fire use,resource change,and livelihood impacts: The downward spiral in the wetlands of southern Sumatra

Fire is an important community wetland management tool in Indonesia, but its increasing use in the wetlands of southern Sumatra is degrading the landscape and diminishing household incomes and livelihood options. We studied evolving community land and fire use, resource and livelihood impacts on two sites of roughly 250 km² each using satellite image analysis and biological and socio-economic surveys. Uncontrolled fire use expanded over time in relation to sonor or swamp rice cultivation, logging, fishing, grazing, and annual cropping on drained wetlands. As a result, most of the landscape has been subject to repeated fires of varying intensities, more extensive in El Niño years. Direct burning by companies played a smaller transitory role in fire ignition over the two decades. But company activities and other large-scale developments contributed to expanding community fire-based land use by bringing in more people, improving access to remote wetlands or making them more flammable. Widespread, repeated fires have transformed the landscape from mature high swamp forests to uniform stands of fire-resistant Gelam (Melaleuca cajuputi) forests and thickets, open savannas and grasslands. These new types of land cover are also degrading. Local communities have rapidly adapted to the changing resources and new opportunities. Logging and fishing declined in importance, and sonor and harvesting of Gelam expanded. But resource depletion has led to falling incomes and fewer livelihood options. The impacts extend beyond local areas as workers migrate into neighbouring forests to extract resources. Large-scale developments, community fire-based management practices and landscape transformation are spreading from accessible to formerly more remote wetlands.     

Eco-design in innovation driven companies: perception, predictions and the main drivers of integration. The Spanish example

This study attempts to contribute to the scarce knowledge on how eco-design, and to broad extent sustainability, is connected to innovation driven companies. In particular, this cross sectional research verifies i) perception and knowledge of eco-design of the professionals from innovation driven companies in Spain, ii) specific eco-design strategies towards sustainability that innovation driven companies are integrating in their strategic plans and their application in the supply chain and iii) the companies’ future predictions on innovation and eco-design linkage. The methodology of this paper is based on a survey, developed defining measurable proxies for both eco-design and innovation approaches and conducted on 10,000 multidisciplinary professionals from Spanish innovation driven companies. The study shows that sustainability is a cardinal driver for innovation and that responses have specificities regarding company size, activity or respondent position. Innovation and eco-design strategies for the future aim to use materials with a lower environmental impact and to develop new concepts.