幸福是一种感觉

有一位旅行家来到了一个山青水秀的小山村。他看见绕山而流的小河边,坐着一个头戴草帽、衣衫简朴的青年正在夕阳下钓鱼,于是便走过去和他攀谈:“你住在这个村子吗?”“是的,我家祖祖辈辈就在这里,靠捕鱼养家。”“你年纪很轻,就没想过出去闯闯吗?”“为什么?”“挣大钱呀!”“挣大钱干什么呢?”“挣了大钱就可以享受了。你可以在空气新鲜、景色优美的乡间盖一幢别墅,高兴时还可以在河边钓钓鱼。这可是城里的有钱人向往的悠闲生活啊!”“那,我现在不是已经住在空气好的乡下钓鱼了吗?”     

什么是绿色食品

<正> 据北京食品报报道,农业部把开发绿色食品作为“八五”期间的拳头产品,并严格确定了三个必备标准。一是产品原料产地具有良好的生态环境。二是原料作物的生长过程及水、肥、土条件必须符合一定的无公害控制标准,并接受农业部农垦司环境保护监测中心的监督。三是产品的生产、加工及包装、储运过程应符合中华人民共和国食品卫生法的要求,最终产品需由国家食品卫生标准检测合格才准子出售。     

什么是有机食品

有机食品是指根据有机农业生产和食品加工标准而生产、加工出来的经过有机农业认证组织颁发给证书的供人们食用的一切产品。包括粮食、油料、蔬菜、肉类、饮料、酒类、水果、糕点、奶类和禽蛋类等等。有机农业生产和食品加工有一个国际基本标准。这个标准由国际有机农业运动联合会制定。标准最根本的是在生产过程中不使用人工合成的化学农药、化肥、人工合成     

垃圾是什么

正垃圾,这个名词,很容易让人想到废弃、无用、肮脏、污染等各种负面词汇,它们因此而成为我们生活的破坏者。所以,从古代到现代,从农村到城市,我们始终都在以不同的方式界定和处理垃圾。因为,我们要重建我们的环境秩序。然而,纵观我们与垃圾之间的战事,似乎不得不承认,我们始终未能获得成功——未能在垃圾的产生与消灭之间,找到一个完美的处置方式和理想的处理速     

什么是白色污染

人们随意抛弃在自然界中的白色废旧塑料包装制品（袋、薄膜、农膜、餐盒、饮料瓶、包装填充物等）,飘挂在树上,散落在路边、草坪、街头、水面、农田及住地周围等处的这种随处可见的污染环境现象,称为“白色污染”。产生“白色污染”的原因塑料的使用仅有近百年历史。近年来,在我国许多地方,人们已丢掉了使用菜篮子、布袋子的良好习惯,无论采购什么物品都少不了使用塑料袋,一次性餐盒及各种商品包装多使用塑料制品,且随用随扔,重复使用率极低。据抽样调查,仅北京市8个城近郊区塑料袋年用量约23亿个,人均每日一个：一次性塑料快餐…     

什么是可持续性

什么是可持续性王杨译“现在很少有人认识到：环保不是一个技术问题而是一个社会问题。国际社会正在失去伦理和文化的根源,取而代之的却是“随用随弃”的消费观念,甚至是生活方式。因此,环保必须成为并被看作人类的大事”（克劳德·马丁博士,世界自然基金会（ＷＷＦ）...     

什么是保护环境

镜头1：每当曙光初露，来自祖国各地的人汇集于天安门前。庄严的升旗仪式开始了，看着威武雄壮的仪仗队，听着雄壮的国歌，人们无比自豪，大家都十分肃穆，眼里闪着泪光，爱国之情澎湃激荡。升旗仪式结束了，人们散去的时候，地上散落着矿泉水瓶、报纸，还有食品袋和果皮……这时，早有准备的工作人员拿着黑色的大编织袋紧张地收拾着满怀爱国激情离去的人们留下的各种垃圾，因为他们除了照片什么都没有带走。镜头2：在承德金山岭长城，这里不是八达岭长城，来的游客少得多，却仍是垃圾成山。“英国威廉”环保组织的成员们手拿塑料袋、纸叉子…     

什么是富营养化

富营养化指的是一种氮、磷等植物的营养物质含量过多所引起的水污染现象。当过量营养物质进入湖泊、水库、海湾等缓流水体后,水生生物特别是藻类将大量繁殖,使水中溶解氧含量急剧变化,以致影响到鱼类等的生存。在自然条件下湖泊会从贫营养湖过渡为富营养湖,进而演变为沼泽和陆地。不过这是一种极为缓慢的过程。但由于人类的活动,将大量工业     

什么是公害

公害是指由于人类活动引起的环境污染与破坏对公众的生命、健康、财产的安全和生活环境的舒适性等造成的危害。公害在英美法系国家是与私害相对而言的。也就是对他人可行使或可享受的权益造成妨碍的行为;如果只影响到个别人（3人以下）,并只侵害专属其所有的权益,就称为私害：如果其行为影响到3人以上并侵害其作为公众成员而享有的权益,     

关在那不遥远的地方

我不能不凝视她。就像凝视最后一个春天,就像凝视转瞬即逝的流星,就像凝视天际唯一的一朵云彩,我如此绝望而深情地凝视着她。在那云卷云舒、花开花落的地方,在那爬满绿色藤蔓的地方,在那无处不洋溢着阳光的地方,在那神秘美丽的伊甸园,我,便是那棵见证亚当与夏娃爱情的生命树。     

Testing a GIS Model of Habitat Suitability for a Declining Grassland Bird

Demand for information that can be used to manage loggerhead shrikes has recently increased because of concern over declining populations and loss of open, non-forested habitat. A previously-developed habitat model was modified to predict shrike habitat quality on Fort Riley Military Reservation (FRMR) in Kansas. Shrike habitat suitability indices were calculated based on the amount of potential and usable foraging habitat, and the number of potential nesting sites within a specified area. Interpretation of high quality digital photographs was used to delineate land cover classes, hedgerows and tree counts. These data were entered into a geographic information system (GIS) as individual data sets. The shrike habitat model was then employed to produce a GIS database predicting low, moderate, and high quality shrike habitat throughout the Reservation. Model results indicated that 67% of the Reservation was suitable habitat for loggerhead shrikes. Although over 80% of FRMR was mapped as grassland, the presence of few to several isolated trees or hedgerows was identified as a key factor in modeling habitat suitability. The accuracy of the GIS model was 82% in predicting suitable (moderate and high quality) loggerhead shrike habitat using an independent set of 66 recent shrike observations. The number of potential nesting sites and percent cover of usable foraging habitat were significantly related to habitat suitability of the sites occupied by shrikes.     

Road Traffic and Nearby Grassland Bird Patterns in a Suburbanizing Landscape

An extensive road system with rapidly increasing traffic produces diverse ecological effects that cover a large land area. Our objective was to evaluate the effect of roads with different traffic volumes on surrounding avian distributions, and its importance relative to other variables. Grassland bird data (5 years) for 84 open patches in an outer suburban/rural landscape near Boston were analyzed relative to: distance from roads with 3000–8000 to >30,000 vehicles/day; open-habitat patch size; area of quality microhabitat within a patch; adjacent land use; and distance to other open patches. Grassland bird presence and regular breeding correlated significantly with both distance from road and habitat patch size. Distance to nearest other open patch, irrespective of size, was not significant. Similarly, except for one species, adjacent land use, in this case built area, was not significant. A light traffic volume of 3000–8000 vehicles/day (local collector street here) had no significant effect on grassland bird distribution. For moderate traffic of 8000–15,000 (through street), there was no effect on bird presence although regular breeding was reduced for 400 m from a road. For heavier traffic of 15,000–30,000 (two-lane highway), both bird presence and breeding were decreased for 700 m. For a heavy traffic volume of ≥30,000 vehicles/day (multilane highway), bird presence and breeding were reduced for 1200 m from a road. The results suggest that avian studies and long-term surveys near busy roads may be strongly affected by traffic volume or changes in volume. We conclude that road ecology, especially the effects extending outward >100 m from roads with traffic, is a sine qua non for effective land-use and transportation policy.     

Bird distributions relative to remotely sensed habitats in Great Britain: towards a framework for national modelling

This paper develops a comprehensive and objective picture of bird distributions relative to habitats across Britain. Bird species presence/absence data from an extensive field survey and habitat data from the remotely sensed UK Land Cover Map 2000 were analysed in 36,920 tetrads (2 kmx2 km) across Britain (a 65% sample of Britain's c. 240,000 km2). Cluster analysis linked birds to generalised landscapes based on distinctive habitat assemblages. Maps of the clusters showed strong regional patterns associated with the habitat assemblages. Cluster centroid coordinates for each bird species and each habitat were combined across clusters to derive individualised bird-habitat preference indices and examine the importance of individual habitats for each bird species. Even rare species and scarce habitats showed successful linkages. Results were assessed against published accounts of bird-habitat relations. Objective corroboration strongly supported the associations. Relatively scarce coastal and wetland habitats proved particularly important for many birds. However, extensive arable farmland and woodland habitats were also favoured by many species, despite reported declines in bird numbers in these habitats. The fact that habitat-specialists do not or cannot move habitat is perhaps a reason for declining numbers where habitats have become unsuitable. This study showed that there are unifying principles determining bird-habitat relations which apply and can be quantified at the national scale, and which corroborate and complement the cumulative knowledge of many and varied surveys and ecological studies. This 'generality' suggests that we may be able, reliably and objectively, to integrate and scale up such disparate studies to the national scale, using this generalised framework. It also suggests the potential for a landscape ecology approach to bird-habitat analyses. Such developments will be important steps in building models to develop and test the sustainable management of landscapes for birds.     

Non-linear autoregressive neural network approach for inside air temperature prediction of a pillar cooler

The volcanic plate made pillar cooler system is designed for outdoor spaces as a heat exchanging medium and reduces the outcoming air temperature which flows through the exhaust port. This paper proposes the use of artificial neural networks (ANNs) to predict inside air temperature of a pillar cooler. For this purpose, at first, three statistically significant factors (outside temperature, airing and watering) influencing the inside air temperature of the pillar cooler are identified as input parameters for predicting the output (inside air temperature) and then an ANN was employed to predict the output. In addition, 70%, 15% and 15% data was chosen from a previously obtained data set during the field trial of the pillar cooler for training, testing and validation, respectively, and then an ANN was employed to predict inside air temperature. The training (0.99918), testing (0.99799) and validation errors (0.99432) obtained from the model indicate that the artificial neural network model (NARX) may be used to predict inside air temperature of pillar cooler. This study reveals that, an ANN approach can be used successfully for predicting the performance of pillar cooler.     

Comparison of selected nutrients and bacteria from common contiguous soils inside and outside swine lagoon effluent spray fields after long-term use

Swine (Sus scofa domestica) lagoon effluent is a valuable resource. In the U.S. Mid-South it is applied from April to September to fertilize grass hay in spray-irrigated fields. Lagoon levels of nutrients and bacteria, and soil levels of nutrients have been documented, but little was known of effluent bacterial levels in soil. The present study examined levels of selected effluent bacteria and nutrients in soils inside and outside spray fields after >15 yr of effluent irrigation. Samples were collected February to March 2009 from contiguous soils spanning adjacent irrigated and nonirrigated areas. Separate soil cores for bacterial and nutrient tests were collected in pairs <10 cm apart. Five cores each were collected at 15-m intervals and combined, respectively, to comprise inside and outside samples from each of 20 soils (four each from five farms/spray fields). Analyses of data combined across all soils showed higher pH and Mehlich-3-extracrable (M3-) P, Mg, K, Na, Cu, and Zn inside than outside spray fields, while total N, total C, M3-Ca, and M3-Mn did not differ. Bacterial levels were higher inside than outside spray fields for heterotrophic plate counts, thermotolerant coliforms, Staphylococcus spp., and Clostridium perfringens, but levels of Escherichia coli and Enterococcus spp. were not different. Cultural presence/absence tests for three pathogens (Listeria spp., Campylobacter spp., and Salmonella spp.) detected only Listeria spp., which did not differ inside (23% positive samples) and outside (28% positive). Molecular tests detected all three pathogens at low levels that were not different inside and outside. We found no evidence of cumulative buildup of Campylobacter spp., Listeria spp., or Salmonela s. in spray field soils.     

Development of a Bird Integrity Index: Measuring Avian Response to Disturbance in the Blue Mountains of Oregon, USA

The Bird Integrity Index (BII) presented here uses bird assemblage information to assess human impacts to 28 stream reaches in the Blue Mountains of eastern Oregon. Eighty-one candidate metrics were extracted from bird survey data for testing. The metrics represented aspects of bird taxonomic richness, tolerance or intolerance to human disturbance, dietary preferences, foraging techniques, and nesting strategies that were expected to be positively or negatively affected by human activities in the region. To evaluate the responsiveness of each metric, it was plotted against an index of reach and watershed disturbance that included attributes of land use/land cover, road density, riparian cover, mining impacts, and percent area in clearcut and partial-cut logging. Nine of the 81 candidate bird metrics remained after eliminating unresponsive and highly correlated metrics. Individual metric scores ranged from 0 to 10, and BII scores varied between 0 and 100. BII scores varied from 78.6 for a minimally disturbed, reference stream reach to 30.4 for the most highly disturbed stream reach. The BII responded clearly to varying riparian conditions and to the cumulative effects of disturbances, such as logging, grazing, and mining, which are common in the mountains of eastern Oregon. This BII for eastern Oregon was compared to an earlier BII developed for the agricultural and urban disturbance regime of the Willamette Valley in western Oregon. The BII presented here was sensitive enough to distinguish differences in condition among stream riparian zones with disturbances that were not as obvious or irreversible as those in the agricultural/urban conditions of western Oregon.     

Trace metal leaching through a soil-grassland system after sewage sludge application

To determine whether sludge applications to soil would lead in the short term to toxicity to plants and trace metal leaching to ground water, we studied the fate of some trace and major elements in a brown soil-meadow system just after repeated sewage sludge applications. The main pathways were quantified over a 37-mo period with undisturbed monolith lysimeters including two controls, four lysimeters treated with 3 x 100 m3 ha-1, and four with 3 x 400 m3 ha-1 of sewage sludge. In drainage waters the effect was limited in time and, in the case of NO3-N and Cl, delayed by 1 to 4 mo and lasted several months before returning to background conditions. Nickel and Cu concentrations in solution increased also after sludge application and had not return to background conditions after 20 mo. Trace metal concentrations did not reach toxic levels in herbage and N, Cu, Cd, and Zn concentrations were correlated with the first sludge input only. Calculated over a 37-mo period, total element output was significantly increased for Ca, NO3-N, and Ni only, because of the time-dependent response to sludge application and high variability between replicates. Output was maximal for Cd, with 1.5% of total input for the 100 m3 ha-1 treatment. Particulate matter in drainage water accounted for an average of 20% of trace metal leaching. The main long-term risk was the rapid increase in trace metal concentrations in the topsoil, which may eventually lead to toxic levels in herbage.     

Soil nitrate nitrogen dynamics after biosolids application in a tobosagrass desert grassland

Dormant-season application of biosolids increases desert grass production more than growing season application in the first growing season after application. Differential patterns of NO3-N (plant available N) release following seasonal biosolids application may explain this response. Experiments were conducted to determine soil nitrate nitrogen dynamics following application of biosolids during two seasons in a tobosagrass [Hilaria mutica (Buckl.) Benth.] Chihuahuan Desert grassland. Biosolids were applied either in the dormant (early April) or growing (early July) season at 0, 18, or 34 dry Mg ha(-1). A polyester-nylon mulch was also applied to serve as a control that approximated the same physical effects on the soil surface as the biosolids but without any chemical effects. Supplemental irrigation was applied to half of the plots. Soil NO3-N was measured at two depths (0-5 and 5-15 cm) underneath biosolids (or mulch) and in interspace positions relative to surface location of biosolids (or mulch). Dormant-season biosolids application significantly increased soil NO3-N during the first growing season, and also increased soil NO3-N throughout the first growing season compared to growing-season biosolids application in a year of higher-than-average spring precipitation. In a year of lower-than-average spring precipitation, season of application did not affect soil NO3-N. Soil NO3-N was higher at both biosolids rates for both seasons of application than in the control treatment. Biosolids increased soil NO3-N compared to the inert mulch. Irrigation did not significantly affect soil NO3-N. Soil NO3-N was not significantly different underneath biosolids and in interspace positions. Surface soil NO3-N was higher during the first year of biosolids application, and subsurface soil NO3-N increased during the second year. Results showed that biosolids rate and season of application affected soil NO3-N measured during the growing season. Under dry spring-normal summer precipitation conditions, season of application did not affect soil NO3-N; in contrast, dormant season application increased soil NO3-N more than growing season application under wet spring-dry summer conditions.     

Mapping residual pyrite after a mine spill using non co-located spatiotemporal observations

Monitoring of soil chemical properties for pollution assessment generally requires destructive soil sampling and results in spatiotemporal datasets where data from different sampling dates are non co-located. The objective of this study was to assess the spatial distribution of residual pyrite sludge at a reclaimed site, using temporally non co-located data on pH; soil oxidizable fraction (SOF); and EDTA-extractable Fe, Zn, and Cu from six different sampling dates over a period of 2 yr. During this period spatially averaged pH and Zn concentrations ranged, respectively, from 4.4 to 6.6 and from 60 to 140 mg kg(-1), with minimum pH values of below 2.7. The data were merged into a single dataset for each chemical property after applying a normal score (ns) transform. Normal score pH was significantly negatively correlated with the ns metal concentrations. A principal component analysis (PCA) showed that normal score pH, Zn, and Fe were associated with the residual contamination, while ns Cu, SOF, and elevation were related with historic contamination. The spatial dependence between the properties was found to be scale-dependent. The best ns estimates were produced by ordinary kriging with an anisotopic variogram model, for the properties related with Principal Component (PC) I, while those associated with PC II were best estimated using simple kriging with varying local means. A classified ns pH map showed that 33% of the study area reached at least once values of below 4 during the 2-yr period. This part of the area should be excluded to ensure successful revegetation.     

Hydrological properties of a clay loam soil after long-term cattle manure application

Limited information exists on the effect of long-term application of beef cattle (Bos taurus) manure on soil hydrological properties in the Great Plains region of North America. A site on a clay loam soil (Typic Haploboroll) was used to examine the effect of manure addition on selected soil hydrological properties in 1997 and 1998. The manure was annually applied in the fall for 24 yr at one, two, and three times the recommended rates (in 1973) under dryland (0, 30, 60, and 90 Mg ha(-1) wet basis) and irrigation (0, 60, 120, and 180 Mg ha(-1)). Manure significantly (P < or = 0.05) increased soil water retention (0-5 and 10-15 cm) by 5 to 48% compared with the control at most potentials between 0 and -1500 kPa. Field soil water content (0-5 and 10-15 cm) was increased by 10 to 22% in the summers of 1997 and 1998. Manure increased ponded infiltration by more than 200% at 90 Mg ha(-1) under dryland (1998) and at rates > or = 120 Mg ha(-1) under irrigation (1997). Field-saturated hydraulic conductivity (Kfs) of surface soil (1-cm depth) was significantly increased by 76 to 128% under dryland (1998) and irrigation (1997), as were number of pores > 1120 microm in diameter (37-128% increase). In contrast, manure rate had little or no effect on unsaturated hydraulic conductivity [K(psi)] values (-0.3, -0.5, -0.7, and -1.0 kPa) in 1997 and 1998. Overall, soil hydrological parameters generally had a neutral or positive response to 24 yr of annual manure addition.