Developing a Monitoring Protocol for Visitor-Created Informal Trails in Yosemite National Park,USA

Informal trails created or perpetuated by visitors is a management challenge in many protected natural areas such as Yosemite National Park. This is a significant issue as informal trail networks penetrate and proliferate into protected landscapes and habitats, threatening ecological integrity, aesthetics, and visitor experiences. In order to develop effective strategies for addressing this problem under an adaptive management framework, indicators must be developed and monitoring protocol must be established to gather timely and relevant data about the condition, extent, and distribution of these undesired trail segments. This article illustrates a process of developing and evaluating informal trail indicators for meadows in Yosemite Valley. Indicator measures developed in past research were reviewed to identify their appropriateness for the current application. Information gaps in existing indicator measures were addressed by creating two new indices to quantify the degree of informal trailing based on its land fragmentation effects. The selected indicator measures were applied to monitoring data collected between 2006 and 2008. The selected measures and indices were evaluated for their ability to characterize informal trail impacts at site and landscape scales. Results demonstrate the utility of indicator measures in capturing different characteristics of the informal trail problem, though several metrics are strongly related to each other. The two fragmentation indices were able to depict fragmentation without being too sensitive to changes in one constituent parameter. This study points to the need for a multiparameter approach to informal trail monitoring and integration with other monitoring data. Implications for monitoring programs and research are discussed.     

Perceived Effects of Setting Attributes on Visitor Experiences in Wilderness: Variation with Situational Context and Visitor Characteristics

Understanding how setting attributes influence the nature of the visitor experience is crucial to effective recreation management. Highly influential attributes are useful indicators to monitor within a planning framework, such as Limits of Acceptable Change. This study sought to identify the setting attributes perceived to have the most profound effect on the ability to have “a real wilderness experience” and to assess the degree to which attribute importance varied with situational context and visitor characteristics. To this end, exiting hikers were surveyed at moderate and very high use trailheads in Alpine Lakes Wilderness, WA (USA), and Three Sisters Wilderness, OR (USA). They were asked about the degree to which encountering varying levels of different setting attributes would add to or detract from their experience. Attributes with the largest range of effect on experience, based on evaluations of different levels, were considered most important. The most influential attributes were litter and several types of campsite interaction—people walking through camp and number of other groups camping close by. The perceived importance of setting attributes did not vary much between wilderness locations with substantially different use levels, suggesting that conclusions are robust and generalizable across wilderness areas. There also was little difference in the perceptions of day and overnight visitors. In contrast, we found substantial variation in the perceived importance of setting attributes with variation in wilderness experience, knowledge, attachment, and motivation. Our results validate the emphasis of many wilderness management plans on indicators of social interaction, such as number of encounters.     

Informal Emptying Business in Mandalay: Its Reasons and Financial Impacts

Environmental Management - Globally, 2.8 billion people use on-site sanitation facilities, which need regular emptying of accumulated fecal sludge. Illegal dumping from informal emptying...     

植物化感作用及其在农业生产中的应用

植物化感作用是植物间传递信息的一种方式,植物体产生生物活性物质能在生物体之间传递信息并导致生物体相互作用,这种作用包括促进和抑制作用。植物化感作用是一个崭新的研究领域。本文介绍了植物化感作用的概念、化感物质的种类、释放途径和作用机制,着重介绍了植物之间、植物与昆虫之间的化感作用,论述了植物化感作用在农业生产中的应用途径和应用前景。     

The Influence of Place Attachment and Experience Use History on Perceived Depreciative Visitor Behavior and Crowding in an Urban National Park

Research on recreational place attachment suggests that place identity, or the emotional/symbolic ties people have to places, and place dependence, which describes a functional attachment to a specific place, influence the perception of social and environmental site conditions. Recent research, however, has found that place attachment is not always a predictor of such perceptions. This study investigated the influence of place attachment and experience use history on the perception of depreciative visitor behavior, recreation impacts and crowding in an urban national park. In 2006, 605 on-site visitors to the heavily-used Viennese part of the Danube Floodplains National Park were asked about past experience, place attachment, perceptions of depreciative visitor behavior, crowding, changes in visitor numbers during the past ten years, and recreation impacts on wildlife. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the two dimensions of place attachment. Linear regression analyses found that place identity and place dependence were related to some perceived depreciative visitor behaviors and visitor number changes but not to crowding, while experience use history additionally related to perceived crowding. Visitors with higher place attachment and past experience were more sensitive to social and environmental site conditions. Management implications of the findings are discussed.     

新疆生产建设兵团农八师土地利用状况与可持续利用对策

自20世纪50年代以来，随着农八师垦区土地利用面积的扩大，土地利用程度与效益亦不断提高，同时也出现了一些不可忽视的问题。本文根据有关资料和实地调查，论述了土地利用的动态变化与特点，分析了土地利用存在的问题，提出了土地可持续利用的对策。     

新疆土地资源的开发利用及对环境的影响

新疆土地面积占国土面积1/6，幅员辽阔的地域决定了土地资源自然类型和可利用类型的多样性，近几十年来，新疆土地的开发仍是以农业土地开发为主，其包括开荒扩大耕地面积和广度开发和集约化生产提高单位产量的深度开发，随着西部大开发战略逐渐实施，新疆城市规模不断扩大，工业加速发展，用地需求与日俱增，本文在总结以往的土地开发利用对环境产生的利与弊基础上，为未来土地利用提出了一些趋利避害的建议。     

休宁县野生木质藤本植物种质资源及园林用途研究

野外考察和文献调查分析表明,安徽省休宁县野生木质藤本植物资源丰富、种类繁多,累计有25科48属132种(含种以下等级),其中主要有葡萄科、蔷薇科、猕猴桃科、毛茛科、卫矛科、豆科等6个科.对藤本植物的观赏特性及园林用途进行了较详细的阐述.     

Controlling tailwater sediment and phosphorus concentrations with polyacrylamide in the Imperial Valley, California

External loading of phosphorus (P) from agricultural surface discharge (tailwater) is the main cause of excessive algae growth and the eutrophication of the Salton Sea, California. Continuous polyacrylamide (PAM) applications to agricultural irrigation water inflows were evaluated as a means of reducing sediment and P in tailwater. Zero (control) and 1 mg L(-1) PAM (PAM1) treatments were compared at 17 Imperial Valley field sites. Five and 10 mg L(-1) PAM treatments (PAM5, PAM10) were conducted at one site. The particulate phosphorus (Pp) fraction was determined as the difference between total phosphorus (Pt) and the soluble phosphorus (Ps) fraction. We observed 73, 82, and 98% turbidity reduction with PAM1, PAM5, and PAM10 treatments. Although eight field sites had control tailwater sediment concentrations above the New River total maximum daily loads (TMDL), all but one were made compliant during their paired PAM1 treatments. While PAM1 and PAM10 reduced tail water Pp by 31 and 78%, none of the treatments tested reduced Ps. This may have been caused by high irrigation water Na concentrations which would reduce Ca adsorption and Ca-phosphate bridging on the PAM. The PAM1 treatments resulted in <0.5 mg L(-1) drain water polyacrylamide concentrations 1.6 km downstream of PAM addition, while PAM5 and PAM10 treatments produced > 2 mg L(-1) drain water polyacrylamide concentrations. We concluded that, although PAM practically eliminates Imperial Valley tailwater sediment loads, it does not effectively reduce tailwater Ps, the P fraction most responsible for the eutrophication of the Salton Sea.     

汶川地震极重灾区地形起伏度特征及其与生态环境受损关联分析

采用DEM数据对汶川地震极重灾区地形起伏度特征分析,海拔高度和地形起伏度总体上是南西高,北东低。5km×5km单元地形起伏度〉1000m的区域面积占27．98％。0．5km×0．5km单元〉100m的区域面积占50．63％。在8．0级主震和6．4级余震震中之间典型区段剖面0．5km间隔分析中,南西段起伏度大于北东段,南西段起伏度〉200m区段占全段14．84％,北东段仅占6．64％。地震导致生态环境受损程度的差异与地形起伏度的差异在空间分布上有一定的重合,具有高起伏度的南西段生态系统破坏面积占总破坏面积的88．55％,新增水土流失面积占新增总面积的70．99％。地震灾区地形起伏度是生态环境遭受严重破坏致灾关联因素之一。     

Land Use,Geology, Enrichment,and Stream Biota in the Eastern Ridge and Valley Ecoregion: Implications for Nutrient Criteria Development1

Abstract: The eastern panhandle region of West Virginia is entirely within the Appalachian Ridge and Valley ecoregion. It is underlain by limestone in the eastern part and by shale and sandstone in the western part. Agricultural and urban development has affected the condition of the streams of this region. We examined samples from 165 stations in the Ridge and Valley, collected from 1998 to 2004. Land use, geological characteristics, physical and chemical parameters, and algal and macroinvertebrate assemblages were used to identify potential stressors that affect streams in the region. Our analyses indicated that both human land uses and ecoregional differences led to elevated nutrient concentrations in streams of the study areas. Multiple regression analyses indicated that both agricultural and urban land use in the watershed were associated with high nutrient concentrations (NO₂₊₃, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus) in streams. These elevated nutrient concentrations have led to increased algal biomass, increased trophic state, and degradation of macroinvertebrate community in the streams. Values of the West Virginia Stream Condition Index, as well as several other benthic macroinvertebrate metrics, decreased with increased nutrient concentrations and conductivity, especially in the limestone region. When regional differences were partitioned out in the analysis, nutrient concentrations became the strongest stressor in the limestone region while conductivity exhibited less of an effect on macroinvertebrate metrics. Meanwhile, periphyton diagnostic metrics also responded to increased nutrient concentrations, suggesting nutrients could be a cause of biological degradation in the Eastern Ridge and Valley region. Multiple approaches and multiple lines of evidence (reference approach and stressor‐response approach) were applied to develop nutrient benchmarks for different geological regions in the study watershed.     

青海省贵德盆地地热资源赋存条件及开发利用前景分析

文章在系统分析贵德盆地地热资源赋存条件的基础上,依不同热储层段热储特征进行较系统的开发利用前景分析。认为构造活动是热源背景、沉积背景条件是热储基础,易开发、水质好、水量大、温度高具备较大的开发利用前景。     

Linking dissolved and particulate phosphorus export in rivers draining California's Central Valley with anthropogenic sources at the regional scale

Pollution of water resources by phosphorus (P) is a critical issue in regions with agricultural and urban development. In this study, we estimated P inputs from agricultural and urban sources in 24 catchments draining to the Central Valley in California and compared them with measured river P export to investigate hydrologic and anthropogenic factors affecting regional P retention and export. Using spatially explicit information on fertilizer use, livestock population, agricultural production, and human population, we calculated that net surface balances for anthropogenic P ranged from -12 to 648 kg P km yr in the early 2000s. Inorganic P fertilizer and manure P comprised the largest fraction of total input for all but two catchments. From 2000 to 2003, a median of 7% (range, -287 to 88%) of net annual anthropogenic P input was exported as total P (TP). Yields (kg P km yr) of dissolved inorganic P (DIP), dissolved organic P, particulate P, and TP were not significantly related to catchment-level, per area anthropogenic P input. However, there were significant relationships between mean annual P concentrations and P input from inorganic fertilizers and manure due to the concentration of agricultural land near catchment mouths and regional variation in runoff. Catchment-level P fertilizer and manure inputs explained 4 to 23% more variance in mean annual DIP and TP concentrations than percent of catchment area in agriculture. This study suggests that spatially explicit estimates of anthropogenic P input can help identify sources of multiple forms of P exported in rivers at management-relevant spatial scales.     

2010年上海世博会垃圾组分的预测

为了便于2010年上海世博会期间生活垃圾的处理与处置,选择了和世博园区垃圾性质相近似的南京路步行街为参照区,进行垃圾组分的调研,预测模拟世博园区垃圾的组成与性质。研究结果表明：南京路步行街垃圾中食物垃圾占50％左右,塑料和纸张占45％左右,而一般的城市生活垃圾中塑料和纸张只占20％～30％左右,可见对于类似的垃圾资源化程度非常高。因此对于世博园垃圾进行分选,实现各组分垃圾的分流,可以更好地实现垃圾的资源化、减量化。     

Modelling land use change with generalized linear models--a multi-model analysis of change between 1860 and 2000 in Gallatin Valley, Montana

This paper develops an approach to modelling land use change that links model selection and multi-model inference with empirical models and GIS. Land use change is frequently studied, and understanding gained, through a process of modelling that is an empirical analysis of documented changes in land cover or land use patterns. The approach here is based on analysis and comparison of multiple models of land use patterns using model selection and multi-model inference. The approach is illustrated with a case study of rural housing as it has developed for part of Gallatin County, Montana, USA. A GIS contains the location of rural housing on a yearly basis from 1860 to 2000. The database also documents a variety of environmental and socio-economic conditions. A general model of settlement development describes the evolution of drivers of land use change and their impacts in the region. This model is used to develop a series of different models reflecting drivers of change at different periods in the history of the study area. These period specific models represent a series of multiple working hypotheses describing (a) the effects of spatial variables as a representation of social, economic and environmental drivers of land use change, and (b) temporal changes in the effects of the spatial variables as the drivers of change evolve over time. Logistic regression is used to calibrate and interpret these models and the models are then compared and evaluated with model selection techniques. Results show that different models are 'best' for the different periods. The different models for different periods demonstrate that models are not invariant over time which presents challenges for validation and testing of empirical models. The research demonstrates (i) model selection as a mechanism for rating among many plausible models that describe land cover or land use patterns, (ii) inference from a set of models rather than from a single model, (iii) that models can be developed based on hypothesised relationships based on consideration of underlying and proximate causes of change, and (iv) that models are not invariant over time.     

Spatial Patterns of Macrobenthic Communities in Shallow-Water Tidal Embayments and Their Association with Environmental Factors

This study examines the distribution, composition, and structure of benthic communities in nine shallow-water semienclosed embayments on Cape Cod, southeastern Massachusetts. The spatial patterns were used to associate benthic characteristics with local environmental factors. Field data from multiple years were collected to measure macrofaunal abundance, community composition, and environmental characteristics. Multivariate statistics were used to analyze the spatial variations of species composition and the abundance of benthic macrofauna. Canonical ordination, specifically redundancy analysis, was used to determine the relative importance of the environmental factors (nutrients and habitat factors) being studied. The analyses demonstrate that the benthic communities in the shallow tidal embayments are clearly clustered in association with the local environments. Species composition and community structure of the benthic macrofauna are significantly correlated with water column parameters, especially with phytoplankton biomass, total nitrogen, and dissolved oxygen.     

Spatiotemporal Variation of Karst Ecosystem Service Values and Its Correlation with Environmental Factors in Northwest Guangxi,China

In this investigation we analyzed the spatiotemporal variation of ecosystem service values (ESVs) and its correlation with numerous environmental factors (EFs) for the karst region of Northwest Guangxi, China, from 1985 to 2005 using remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS) and statistical techniques. The results indicate that historically ESVs for this karst region decreased from 1985 (109.652 billion Yuan) to 1990 (88.789 billion Yuan) and then increased at the turn of the twenty-first century. However, the ESVs in both 2000 (103.384 billion Yuan) and 2005 (106.257 billion Yuan) never achieved the level recorded in 1985. The total of nutrient cycling, organic production and gas regulation combined were 72.69, 64.57, 70.18 and 72.10% of ESVs in 1985, 1990, 2000 and 2005, respectively. In contrast, the ESVs of water conservation, soil reservation, recreation and culture were determined to be relatively low contributing only 17.44, 23.82, 19.26 and 24.76% of total ESVs, respectively, during these four years. With regards to the spatial distribution of ESVs, larger values were recorded in the west and smaller ones recorded in the east. The most significant factors that were deemed to influence ESVs are annual rainfall, per capita cropland, slope and vegetation coverage. Annual rainfall and slope exert a negative force, whereas per capita cropland and vegetation coverage exert a positive force on ESVs. The results of the study would suggest that ecosystem conditions of this important karst region have been improved as the result of the implementation of rocky desertification control policies.     

上海市青浦区PM10污染状况及其与气象要素的关系

利用2006-2010年上海市青浦区PM10和同期地面气象要素的监测资料,定量分析PM10的季节变化规律以及PM10与降雨量、大气湿度和风速之间的关系。分析结果表明:PM10浓度在夏季处于低值,冬季处于高值;5mm/d以上的降雨对PM10有显著的清除作用,且春夏季降雨的清除作用大于秋冬季节。PM10浓度与大气湿度基本呈负相关关系。风速在一定范围内有利于PM10的扩散但不至造成扬尘,春夏季节的适宜风速是1.5～3.5m/s,冬季的适宜风速是1.5～2.5m/s。