TBT pollution and effects in molluscs at US Virgin Islands,Caribbean Sea

An almost ubiquitous occurrence of imposex and butyltins in the molluscs from US Virgin Islands gives evidence to a widespread contamination with the antifouling agent tributyltin (TBT), which most likely is related to a relatively intense ship traffic. Three different muricid neogastropod species Thais deltoidea, Thais rustica and Purpura patula all seem to have potential as suitable and sensitive bioindicators for assessing levels and effects of TBT pollution in coastal areas including coral reefs in the Caribbean Sea. However, considerable interspecies differences in especially accumulation potential of butyltins were seen in this study. Furthermore, a high accumulation potential of TBT in the edible gastropod West Indian topshell (Cittarium pica) was found, despite that no signs of imposex were observed in this archaeogastropod species.     

Imposex and butyltin contamination off the Oporto Coast (NW Portugal): a possible effect of the discharge of dredged material

Imposex in the gastropod Hinia reticulata, a bioindicator for tributyltin (TBT) contamination, was investigated in locations at different distances from the Oporto harbour-dredged material discharge site. The degree of imposex found was inversely related to the distance to the discharge site, the highest imposex frequency being found closest to the discharge area. However, the levels of imposex found were low when compared with those reported for H. reticulata populations from moderately TBT-contaminated areas. Despite detectable levels of dibutyltin (DBT) and monobutyltin (MBT) in snail tissues (total butyltins ranging from 84 to 410 ng/g Sn dry wt.), TBT was below detection limit in all snail samples collected in open sea.     

Effects of climate change on the distribution of endemic <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ferula xylorhachis</Emphasis> Rech.f. (Apiaceae: Scandiceae) in Iran: Predictions from ecological niche models

Ferula xylorhachis Rech.f. is an endemic plant species belonging to the Apiaceae family and distributed in northeastern Iran. In the present study, we attempted to determine the factors with the greatest effects on the distribution of this species and to determine suitable regions for it based on current and future conditions. The Maximum Entropy method was used in the present study and the results indicated that the Mean Temperature of Wettest Quarter (48.2%), Precipitation of Wettest Quarter (49.1%), and Precipitation of Wettest Month (61.4%) are the most important factors in the current and in two future periods (2040 and 2070). The models suggest that suitable regions for the presence of this species will change over time and that the species will encounter limitations through changes such as moisture reduction. According to the A1B scenario, increases in greenhouse gases such as CO₂ and CH₄ will have direct effects on future precipitation and temperature and these factors will be important in determining species dispersion. Evaluation of important habitat factors using normal ecological methods will help in developing the best conservation programs in the future. Introducing species to new regions will help to protect them from the extinction risk caused by climate change.     

Environmental levels, toxicity and human exposure to tributyltin (TBT)-contaminated marine environment. a review. b_antizar@hotmail.com

Tributyltin (TBT) is a toxic chemical used for various industrial purposes such as slime control in paper mills, disinfection of circulating industrial cooling waters, antifouling agents, and the preservation of wood. Due to its widespread use as an antifouling agent in boat paints, TBT is a common contaminant of marine and freshwater ecosystems exceeding acute and chronic toxicity levels. TBT is the most significant pesticide in marine and freshwaters in Europe and consequently its environmental level, fate, toxicity and human exposure are of current concern. Thus, the European Union has decided to specifically include TBT compounds in its list of priority compounds in water in order to control its fate in natural systems, due to their toxic, persistent, bioaccumulative and endocrine disruptive characteristics. Additionally, the International Maritime Organization has called for a global treaty that bans the application of TBT-based paints starting 1 of January 2003, and total prohibition by 1 of January 2008. This paper reviews the state of the science regarding TBT, with special attention paid to the environmental levels, toxicity, and human exposure. TBT compounds have been detected in a number of environmental samples. In humans, organotin compounds have been detected in blood and in the liver. As for other persistent organic pollutants, dietary intake is most probably the main route of exposure to TBT compounds for the general population. However, data concerning TBT levels in foodstuffs are scarce. It is concluded that investigations on experimental toxicity, dietary intake, potential human health effects and development of new sustainable technologies to remove TBT compounds are clearly necessary.     

基于水足迹的流域生态补偿标准模型研究

流域水资源是一种公共物品,其系统的整体性以及资源外部性等特征要求各相关区域应共同承担环境保护.如何衡量各区域水资源开发利用与环保投入的关系,建立合理的生态补偿标准模型,已成为流域管理研究领域普遍关注的问题.本文运用水足迹理论和方法,界定流域水足迹内涵,通过反映流域沿岸各区域水生态服务耗费情况判断分析水生态系统安全状态,提出流域生态补偿标准计量流程及不同情况下的流域生态补偿标准测算模型,从而客观、准确地量化流域生态补偿额度,为管理者正确分析和解决流域各区域间利益冲突提供科学的决策依据与支持.同时本文以碧流河为案例,收集并分析了2002-2006年间碧流河沿岸各行政区水足迹和环保投入情况,理清各区域生态系统状态及相互关系,计算补偿标准,进而验证模型的可行性.     

Debating ecological justice: implications for critical environmental education

This article will briefly discuss the implications of recognition of ecological justice in relation to environmental education (EE) and education for sustainable development (ESD). It is argued that the present conception of environment taught through EE and ESD negates the subjectivity of non-human species and ignores the ethical imperatives of ecological justice. Evocating environmental ethics, major directions integrating ecological justice into EE and ESD are proposed.     

南水北调工程及其生态安全：优先研究领域

南水北调工程的实施将大幅度增加黄河上游径流量，并同时减少长江尤其是其上游及汉江下游的径流量，从而导致两条主要河流及其支流的水环境改变。中线工程从汉江上游丹江口水库调水，库区上游90 000余km2内的非点源污染和1 300万人口的生活污水处理设施的缺乏对水质将产生重大影响;调水引起水文节律的改变从而对东线沿途的湖泊生态系统产生重大影响;黄淮海平原受水区可利用水量的增加也可能导致该地区的盐渍化。介绍了南水北调工程并讨论了其必要性，提出了工程对生物迁移的影响、水环境及水生态安全、水资源保护的流域生态系统管理和西部退化生态系统的恢复和重建等优先研究领域，并提出结合“中国生态系统研究网络”、“生态环境国家野外科学观测研究站”的建设和长期监测来保障工程生态安全的策略。     

三峡库区森林植被恢复与可持续经营研究

系统的野外调查数据和历史资料分析结果表明,三峡库区森林植被在空间上发展不均匀,无明显垂直分带,且分布分散,人为干扰严重。目前,在70多个植被类型中,森林类型占25个,江岸两侧海拔800 m以下地区森林已经很少。森林类型中,马尾松、柏木林的分布面积最大,并在许多疏林中成为主要树种,主要是飞播或人工种植。库区大于25°的坡耕地占耕地面积的17.5％。库区薪炭林仅能满足农村用能总需求量的10.78％。不合理的土地利用方式和对森林的不合理砍伐导致脆弱的土壤系统和森林生态系统的严重退化、生产力下降和严重的水土流失。库区土壤年侵蚀量达到2.9亿t。三峡工程建设和移民安置对库区森林生态系统的压力和影响将是长期的。调查结果同时表明,库区植物生物多样性丰富,植物种类在5 032种以上,而且乡土树种多。分析认为,只要抓住三峡工程建设的契机,紧密结合国家天然林保护和退耕还林工程建设,充分利用良好的生物学基础,科学地封山育林,分带逐步恢复,同时,因地制宜,退耕还林,发展森林能源,建设多目标复合和多种模式并存的林业经营体系,发展经济,就能从根本上改善森林经营环境,实现森林恢复,形成合理布局的水库森林防护系统,促进三峡库区生态环境建设和可持续发展。     

Comparing different environmental variables in predictive models of bird distribution

The response variable (often the presence of a species) in predictive habitat models relies on a set of environmental predictors. Among all known environmental predictors, vegetation has the most effect on species abundance and on their habitat preferences, due to the wide range of necessary resources that it provides for the survival of bird species. However, other predictors, in turn, affect bird distribution, and some-times they play a more important role in habitat selection, depending on the natural history and ecological needs of the bird species. In this regard, different analyses have been conducted to predict the distribution, and define habitat suitability (such as discriminant function analysis, General Linear Models, and ANOVA). In this study, all three analytical designs were used to investigate the relationship of seven bird species to the major environmental gradients in the study area, to find out the significance of each of these factors on habitat selection. GIS has been used to prepare spatial distributional data, and to overlay and calculate different aspects of the environmental factors. The results suggest that potential individual habitat patches play a small role compared to the landscape (entire corresponding habitat patches), when considering vegetation. The influence of built-up areas is significant for all the species, and the proximity to the sea shore is very significant for at least one of the species, however, it is not neutral for all other species.     

基于DEA模型的区域生态环境建设绩效评价——以江苏省苏州市为例

选取生态系统服务价值、生态绿当量、人均生态足迹赤字和环境质量综合指数作为区域生态环境质量表征指标,借助DEA模型对区域生态环境建设过程中劳动力投入、资金投入、技术投入和资源投入的绩效进行评价,结果表明:(1)苏州市10年来生态环境建设总体而言绩效良好,DEA有效年份占30%,弱有效年份占20%,无效年份占50%,并且无效年份的效率指数都在0.97以上;(2)导致苏州市最近5年生态环境建设DEA无效的原因主要是乔资源投入不足,生态用地成为区域生态环境建设刚性约束;(3)通过调整生态环境建设要素投入比例,各种生态环境指标值都将有所提高,区域生态环境质量也将显著改善;(4)地区生态环境建设绩效下降还受地区人口数量增加、人均生态占用增长、生态环境累积效应影响.最后从促进区域社会经济与生态环境协调发展的角度提出相关建议.     

基于DEA模型的区域生态环境建设绩效评价——以江苏省苏州市为例 

选取生态系统服务价值、生态绿当量、人均生态足迹赤字和环境质量综合指数作为区域生态环境质量表征指标，借助DEA模型对区域生态环境建设过程中劳动力投入、资金投入、技术投入和资源投入的绩效进行评价，结果表明：（1）苏州市10年来生态环境建设总体而言绩效良好，DEA有效年份占30％，弱有效年份占20％，无效年份占50％，并且无效年份的效率指数都在0.97以上；（2）导致苏州市最近5年生态环境建设DEA无效的原因主要是资源投入不足，生态用地成为区域生态环境建设刚性约束；（3）通过调整生态环境建设要素投入比例，各种生态环境指标值都将有所提高，区域生态环境质量也将显著改善；（4）地区生态环境建设绩效下降还受地区人口数量增加、人均生态占用增长、生态环境累积效应影响。最后从促进区域社会经济与生态环境协调发展的角度提出相关建议。     

Towards a general relationship between climate change and biodiversity: an example for plant species in Europe

Climate change is one of the main factors that will affect biodiversity in the future and may even cause species extinctions. We suggest a methodology to derive a general relationship between biodiversity change and global warming. In conjunction with other pressure relationships, our relationship can help to assess the combined effect of different pressures to overall biodiversity change and indicate areas that are most at risk. We use a combination of an integrated environmental model (IMAGE) and climate envelope models for European plant species for several climate change scenarios to estimate changes in mean stable area of species and species turnover. We show that if global temperature increases, then both species turnover will increase, and mean stable area of species will decrease in all biomes. The most dramatic changes will occur in Northern Europe, where more than 35% of the species composition in 2100 will be new for that region, and in Southern Europe, where up to 25% of the species now present will have disappeared under the climatic circumstances forecasted for 2100. In Mediterranean scrubland and natural grassland/steppe systems, arctic and tundra systems species turnover is high, indicating major changes in species composition in these ecosystems. The mean stable area of species decreases mostly in Mediterranean scrubland, grassland/steppe systems and warm mixed forests.     

Ecological economics: themes, approaches, and differences with environmental economics

This article provides a short overview of the main themes of ecological economics (EE). It is argued that EE provides a platform that fosters multidisciplinary environmental research by bringing together the core contributing disciplines – economics and ecology. In addition, EE is regarded as a pluralistic approach to environmental research that can be set opposite to, and has indeed developed as a response to, traditional environmental and resource economics. A comparison of the two fields is presented to clarify the essential differences between them. In addition, specific themes are examined in more detail. These include: sustainable development; the growth debate; international trade; dynamic processes; and behaviour and policy. Electronic Publication     

Community-based scenario planning: a process for vulnerability analysis and adaptation planning to social–ecological change in coastal communities

The current and projected impacts of climate change make understanding the environmental and social vulnerability of coastal communities and the planning of adaptations important international goals and national policy initiatives. Yet, coastal communities are concurrently experiencing numerous other social, political, economic, demographic and environmental changes or stressors that also need to be considered and planned for simultaneously to maintain social and environmental sustainability. There are a number of methods and processes that have been used to study vulnerability and identify adaptive response strategies. This paper describes the stages, methods and results of a modified community-based scenario planning process that was used for vulnerability analysis and adaptation planning within the context of multiple interacting stressors in two coastal fishing communities in Thailand. The four stages of community-based scenario planning included: (1) identifying the problem and purpose of scenario planning; (2) exploring the system and types of change; (3) generating possible future scenarios; and (4) proposing and prioritizing adaptations. Results revealed local perspectives on social and environmental change, participant visions for their local community and the environment, and potential actions that will help communities to adapt to the changes that are occurring. Community-based scenario planning proved to have significant potential as an anticipatory action research process for incorporating multiple stressors into vulnerability analysis and adaptation planning. This paper reflects on the process and outcomes to provide insights and suggest changes for future applications of community-based scenario planning that will lead to more effective learning, innovation and action in communities and related social–ecological systems.     

Conceptualizing Discourses on Ecological City and Its Planning

Abstract

Ecological city (eco-city) and its planning approach are emerging concepts in urban study, urban planning, ecological economics, environmental policy and corporate environmental management. However, opinions remain divided over the connotation and denotation of the term “ecological city”, what key issues ecocity planning can solve, and its specific contents. In this study, we present 10 basic propositions that define the eco-city and clarify its key parameters, thereby providing the basis for discussing the assumptions and principles underlying different approaches to sustainable urban development. We then summarize the concept and principles of an eco-city, and define the main requirements for ecocity planning. We conclude that an eco-city is a city in which the urban population, scale of land use and intensity of human activities are limited to the regional resource and environmental carrying capacity, which does not cause increasing or irreversible damage to the regional ecosystem’s structure, functions and processes.     

A review of the ecological effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF)

ObjectiveThis article presents a systematic review of published scientific studies on the potential ecological effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) in the range of 10 MHz to 3.6 GHz (from amplitude modulation, AM, to lower band microwave, MW, EMF).MethodsPublications in English were searched in ISI Web of Knowledge and Scholar Google with no restriction on publication date. Five species groups were identified: birds, insects, other vertebrates, other organisms, and plants. Not only clear ecological articles, such as field studies, were taken into consideration, but also biological articles on laboratory studies investigating the effects of RF-EMF with biological endpoints such as fertility, reproduction, behaviour and development, which have a clear ecological significance, were also included.ResultsInformation was collected from 113 studies from original peer-reviewed publications or from relevant existing reviews. A limited amount of ecological field studies was identified. The majority of the studies were conducted in a laboratory setting on birds (embryos or eggs), small rodents and plants. In 65% of the studies, ecological effects of RF-EMF (50% of the animal studies and about 75% of the plant studies) were found both at high as well as at low dosages. No clear dose–effect relationship could be discerned. Studies finding an effect applied higher durations of exposure and focused more on the GSM frequency ranges.ConclusionsIn about two third of the reviewed studies ecological effects of RF-EMF was reported at high as well as at low dosages. The very low dosages are compatible with real field situations, and could be found under environmental conditions. However, a lack of standardisation and a limited number of observations limit the possibility of generalising results from an organism to an ecosystem level. We propose in future studies to conduct more repetitions of observations and explicitly use the available standards for reporting RF-EMF relevant physical parameters in both laboratory and field studies.     

基于能值分析的价值型水资源资产负债表编制

水资源在社会经济发展中的重要性逐渐显著,强化水资源综合管理是当今世界各国实现水资源可持续利用的重要途径。目前针对水资源资产负债表的基本表式、相关概念、核算方法还存在一定争议,研制水资源资产负债表,实物核算是基础,价值核算是目标。水资源价值化方法是水资源资产负债表编制的关键和难点,这一问题一直制约水资源的价值认同及其纳入国民经济核算的可行性和准确性。按照水资源负债表核算基本原理,遵循"水资源资产-水资源负债=水资源资产净值"编制思路,构建反映经济社会用水导致的水资源过度消耗、水环境损害以及生态用水挤占的水资源资产负债表。在水资源实物量资产负债表编制的基础上,根据水文循环和水资源自身特性,通过能值分析方法,把水资源多用途转换成同一标准的能值进行定量化价值研究,从而在一定程度上改进或弥补水资源价值测算方法存在的判断标准差异的不足,尝试在一张表中实现水量和水质统一核算,从水资源、水环境、水生态三方面阐明经济体对环境体产生的水资源价值量债权关系。结果表明:成都市2015年水资源耗减量不存在负债,但水环境损害和水生态用水挤占分别存在1.52亿元和1.15亿元负债,这为水资源有偿使用和水生态保护和补偿提供了依据,为真正实现编制价值型水资源资产负债表提供了新的思路和方法。     

基于选择实验法的三峡屏障区居民生态补偿支付意愿研究

三峡屏障区环保整治中利益相关者对生态补偿政策的反应情形,是有效构筑长江中上游生态屏障的内生动力。基于该区域重点移民县中608名居民的调查数据,运用选择实验法,分析了该区域特有主体(原住民和水库移民)对植被覆盖率、水土流失、水体质量、生物多样性、旅游景观等环保属性及其组合方案的接受与支付意愿。研究表明:经济条件不同的原住民与移民均具有较强的生态意识,但迫于发展的压力未能有效地转化为环保行为;两类群体在库区生态修复中更重视植被改善与水源涵养(104.93元),而对可持续发展所需的物种保护和旅游景观(30.88元)关注较少;移民与原住民愿意支付的最佳方案为优先恢复植被并进行水土保持(方案5),但前者(392.97元)的支付水平是后者(128.02元)的3倍;后靠安置的移民从屏障区中未能获得足够的生态资源支持,再次进行生态移民可能比单一的生态补偿更有效率。     

区域排污权交易模型研究

本文在分析了排污权交易研究进展的基础上，指出区域污染权交易比传统的排污权交易意义更大，并提出排污权交易地区交叉补贴的设想：将发达地区的排污权交易所得向欠发达地区转移，以解决欠发达地区产业结构调整乏力以及对发达地区的二次污染和发达地区环境容量资源短缺问题。在不考虑交易成本的假设下，通过建立不同地区排污权交易模型以确定排污权交易总量及其交易价格以及交易所获净增纯收益等。太湖流域由于经济最为发达，环境问题十分突出，是目前我国最适宜率先进行区域排污权交易试点的地区。通过假定太湖流域无锡和常州两市进行排污权交易，并利用两市1991—2000年的环境统计资料等相关资料进行了验证。计算结果表明区域排污权交易不仅具有明显的经济和环境效益，而且也是协调环境区域矛盾的重要手段。因此，不同地区间进行排污权交易在我国具有重要意义，在太湖流域等经济发达地区收效尤其明显。