Jobs Versus the Environment: An Industry-Level Perspective

The possibility that workers could be adversely affected by increasingly stringent environmental policies has led to claims of a “jobs versus the environment” trade-off by both business and labor leaders. The present research examines this claim at the industry level for four heavily polluting industries: pulp and paper mills, plastic manufacturers, petroleum refiners, and iron and steel mills. Combining a unique plant-level data set with industry-level demand information, we find that increased environmental spending generally does not cause a significant change in employment. Our average across all four industries is a net gain of 1.5 jobs per $1 million in additional environmental spending, with a standard error of 2.2 jobs—an economically and statistically insignificant effect. There are statistically significant and positive effects in two industries, but total number of affected jobs remains quite small. These small positive effects can be linked to labor-using factor shifts and relatively inelastic estimated demand.     

外来鱼类入侵风险评估体系及方法

根据中国外来鱼类的入侵现状,分析了建立外来鱼类入侵风险评估体系的蕈要性、必要性和应用前景.在现状调查、文献分析和专家咨询的基础上,构建了一套包含5个一级指标、12个二级指标、44个三级指标的可定量化的外来鱼类入侵风险评估指标体系,确定了各指标权重,并举例说明了该评估体系的应用.     

A Generic Impact-Scoring System Applied to Alien Mammals in Europe

Abstract: We present a generic scoring system that compares the impact of alien species among members of large taxonomic groups. This scoring can be used to identify the most harmful alien species so that conservation measures to ameliorate their negative effects can be prioritized. For all alien mammals in Europe, we assessed impact reports as completely as possible. Impact was classified as either environmental or economic. We subdivided each of these categories into five subcategories (environmental: impact through competition, predation, hybridization, transmission of disease, and herbivory; economic: impact on agriculture, livestock, forestry, human health, and infrastructure). We assigned all impact reports to one of these 10 categories. All categories had impact scores that ranged from zero (minimal) to five (maximal possible impact at a location). We summed all impact scores for a species to calculate "potential impact" scores. We obtained "actual impact" scores by multiplying potential impact scores by the percentage of area occupied by the respective species in Europe. Finally, we correlated species’ ecological traits with the derived impact scores. Alien mammals from the orders Rodentia, Artiodactyla, and Carnivora caused the highest impact. In particular, the brown rat (Rattus norvegicus), muskrat (Ondathra zibethicus), and sika deer (Cervus nippon) had the highest overall scores. Species with a high potential environmental impact also had a strong potential economic impact. Potential impact also correlated with the distribution of a species in Europe. Ecological flexibility (measured as number of different habitats a species occupies) was strongly related to impact. The scoring system was robust to uncertainty in knowledge of impact and could be adjusted with weight scores to account for specific value systems of particular stakeholder groups (e.g., agronomists or environmentalists). Finally, the scoring system is easily applicable and adaptable to other taxonomic groups.     

Recovery of Endemic Dragonflies after Removal of Invasive Alien Trees

Abstract:  Because dragonflies are very sensitive to alien trees , we assessed their response to large-scale restoration of riparian corridors. We compared three types of disturbance regime—alien invaded , cleared of alien vegetation , and natural vegetation (control)—and recorded data on 22 environmental variables. The most significant variables in determining dragonfly assemblages were percentage of bank cover and tree canopy cover , which indicates the importance of vegetation architecture for these dragonflies. This finding suggests that it is important to restore appropriate marginal vegetation and sunlight conditions. Recovery of dragonfly assemblages after the clearing of alien trees was substantial. Species richness and abundance at restored sites matched those at control sites. Dragonfly assemblage patterns reflected vegetation succession. Thus , initially eurytopic , widespread species were the main beneficiaries of the removal of alien trees , and stenotopic , endemic species appeared after indigenous vegetation recovered over time. Important indicator species were the two national endemics ( Allocnemis leucosticta and Pseudagrion furcigerum ) , which , along with vegetation type , can be used to monitor return of overall integrity of riparian ecology and to make management decisions. Endemic species as a whole responded positively to restoration , which suggests that indigenous vegetation recovery has major benefits for irreplaceable and widespread generalist species .     

Differing Effects of Cattle Grazing on Native and Alien Plants

Abstract:   Habitat managers use cattle grazing to reduce alien plant cover and promote native species in California grasslands and elsewhere in the western United States. We tested the effectiveness of grazing as a restoration method by examining the effects of herbivory on native and alien plants. At Carrizo Plain National Monument, California, we surveyed native and alien species cover in adjacent grazed and ungrazed areas. We also established experimental plots in which plants were clipped or mulch (dead biomass) was removed. In addition, we clipped plants grown in pots and plants in the field that grew with and without competitors. Native species were negatively affected by clipping in 1999, 2000, and 2001, whereas alien species were unaffected. In the experimental field plots, the European annual forb Erodium cicutarium compensated in growth and reproduction following simulated herbivory. In contrast, growth and reproduction of the native perennial bunchgrass Poa secunda were reduced 1 year after clipping. In pots, E. cicutarium overcompensated and grasses undercompensated. In the field, European grasses were unaffected by the removal of competitors. It is unclear by what mechanism E. cicutarium was able to compensate, but the ability may be related to its basal rosette growth form and indeterminately growing inflorescences. The native California grassland community assembled in the absence of grazing herds, whereas invasive European species have been exposed to grazing for centuries. It may be that these invaders have adaptations that better enable them to recover from grazing. In the grassland we studied, the strategy of livestock grazing for restoration is counterproductive. It harms native species and promotes alien plant growth.     

外来物种风险评估指标体系和评估方法

外来物种风险评估是防止外来物种入侵的最有效手段之一。在识别外来物种风险基础上,遵循重要性、系统性、实用性和灵活性原则,建立了由目标层、准则层、指标层和指标层参数构成的外来物种风险评估指标体系。提出了指标量化、权重设置、综合模型建立和风险等级划分的方法。     

外来入侵植物紫茎泽兰对土壤养分的影响

选取云南、四川省3个不同生境作为样地,研究紫茎泽兰入侵对不同生态系统土壤中碱解氮、速效磷、速效钾含量的影响.结果表明,紫茎泽兰入侵造成样地a土壤碱解氮、速效磷、速效钾含量分别显著下降33.9%、44.2%和32.2%;样地b仅土壤速效磷显著下降31.0%;样地c土壤各营养元素未见显著变化.在不同时间,样地a处理组各营养元素含量基本低于对照组,以2005年7月至10月的差异最显著.这说明紫茎泽兰入侵对土壤养分的影响因生境不同而异,且与紫茎泽兰的生长节律有关.     

外来入侵植物紫茎泽兰对昆明地区土壤动物群落的影响

2005年雨季前后的6月至9月,共布设144个样方,采样分析了外来入侵植物紫茎泽兰(Eupatorium adeno-phorum)对云南昆明地区针叶林、阔叶林和草地3种主要生态系统类型地表腐叶层土壤动物群落的影响。研究结果表明,紫茎泽兰入侵后土壤动物类群总数显著减少,其中针叶林减少41.3%,阔叶林减少29.0%,草地减少36.7%;土壤动物群落个体总数下降,其中针叶林减少63.5%,阔叶林减少20.4%,草地减少43.2%。紫茎泽兰入侵影响土壤动物群落多样性和均匀度。6月至8月,在没有紫茎泽兰入侵情况下,针叶林和草地生态系统土壤动物群落多样性、均匀度逐步升高;紫茎泽兰入侵后,由于土壤动物类群数量及部分类群个体数量减少,针叶林和草地土壤动物群落多样性、均匀度有所降低。     

Factors Associated with Alien Plants Transitioning from Casual, to Naturalized, to Invasive

Abstract:  To explain current plant invasions, or predict future ones, more knowledge on which factors increase the probability of alien species becoming naturalized and subsequently invasive is needed. We created a database of the alien plants in seminatural habitats in Ireland that included data on taxonomy, invasive status, invasion history, distribution, and biological and ecological plant characteristics. We used information from this database to determine the importance of these factors in increasing the ability of species to become naturalized and invasive. More specifically, we used two multiple logistic regressions to identify factors that distinguish naturalized from casual alien plant species and invasive from noninvasive, naturalized alien species. Clonal growth, moisture-indicator value, nitrogen-indicator value, native range, and date of first record affected (in order of decreasing importance) the probability of naturalization. Factors that distinguished invasive from noninvasive species were ornamental introduction, hermaphrodite flowers, pollination mode, being invasive elsewhere, onset of flowering season, moisture-indicator value, native range, and date of first record. Incorporation of phylogenetic information had little influence on the results, suggesting that the capacity of alien species to naturalize and become invasive evolved largely independently in several phylogenetic lineages. Whereas some of the variables were important for both transitions, others were only important for naturalization or for invasion. This emphasizes the importance of studying different stages of the invasion process when looking for mechanisms of becoming a successful invasive plant, instead of simply comparing invasive with noninvasive alien species. Our results also suggest that a combination of species traits and other variables is likely to produce the most accurate prediction of invasions.     

Effects of an Alien Ant Invasion on Abundance,Behavior, and Reproductive Success of Endemic Island Birds

Abstract: Biological invaders can reconfigure ecological networks in communities, which changes community structure, composition, and ecosystem function. We investigated whether impacts caused by the introduced yellow crazy ant (Anoplolepis gracilipes), a pantropical invader rapidly expanding its range, extend to higher‐order consumers by comparing counts, behaviors, and nesting success of endemic forest birds in ant‐invaded and uninvaded rainforest on Christmas Island (Indian Ocean). Point counts and direct behavioral observations showed that ant invasion altered abundances and behaviors of the bird species we examined: the Island Thrush (Turdus poliocephalus erythropleurus), Emerald Dove (Chalcophaps indica natalis), and Christmas Island White‐eye (Zosterops natalis). The thrush, which frequents the forest floor, altered its foraging and reproductive behaviors in ant‐invaded forest, where nest‐site location changed, and nest success and juvenile counts were lower. Counts of the dove, which forages exclusively on the forest floor, were 9–14 times lower in ant‐invaded forest. In contrast, counts and foraging success of the white‐eye, a generalist feeder in the understory and canopy, were higher in ant‐invaded forest, where mutualism between the ant and honeydew‐secreting scale insects increased the abundance of scale‐insect prey. These complex outcomes involved the interplay of direct interference by ants and altered resource availability and habitat structure caused indirectly by ant invasion. Ecological meltdown, rapidly unleashed by ant invasion, extended to these endemic forest birds and may affect key ecosystem processes, including seed dispersal.