The Decision-Identification Tree: A New NEPA Scoping Tool

decision-based scoping —provides an effective methodology for improving the EIS scoping process. Decision-based scoping, in conjunction with a new tool, the decision-identification tree (DIT), places emphasis on first identifying the potential decisions that may eventually need to be made. The DIT provides a methodology for mapping alternative courses of action as a function of fundamental decision points. Once these decision points have been correctly identified, the range of actions, alternatives, and impacts can be more accurately assessed; this approach can improve the effectiveness of EIS planning, while reducing the risk of future disconnects between the EIS analysis and reaching a final decision. This approach also has applications in other planning disciplines beyond that of the EIS.     

Implementing Municipal Tree Planting: Los Angeles Million-Tree Initiative

Urban forests are increasingly being seen as an important infrastructure that can help cities remediate their environmental impacts. This work reports on the first steps in implementing a million tree program in Los Angeles and the ways such a biogenic—living—infrastructure has been approached. Numbers of studies have been done to quantify the benefits of urban forests, but little has been written on the process of implementing urban tree planting programs. The investigative methods were primarily qualitative, involving interviews, attending meetings and conducting literature reviews. Results indicate that multiple nonprofit and city agency programs are involved in planting and maintaining trees and this has required coordination among groups that here-to-fore were unaccustomed to having to collaborate. The main finding that emerge from this research is that the implementation of such a program in Los Angeles is more complicated than it may seem due to several interacting factors: the need to rely on multiple public and private organizations to put trees into the ground and to maintain them; coordination of these multiple efforts must be centralized, but requires a great deal of time and effort and maybe resisted by some of the partners; funding for planting and long term maintenance must be pieced together from multiple sources; acceptance of trees by residents varies by neighborhood as does tree canopy cover; appropriate nursery supply can be limited; the location of the program within the city administration is determined by who initiates the program.     

古树是佛

<正>写下这个题目时,心里不免一惊:真的,古树参天,佛在身边!诺贝尔文学奖获得者、德国作家赫尔曼·黑塞在《树木》一文中说:"老树是神物。谁能同它们交谈,谁能倾听它们的语言,谁     

RESEARCH: Shrub Propagation Techniques for Biological Control of Invading Tree Species

Cornus stolonifera, Salix petiolaris, and Spiraea alba clones already located within the corridor of an electrical power line. To establish the efficiency of treatments, we examined the statistical differences of growth traits between species and treatments. An analysis of the effects of layering shows, after the first growth season, differences for all growth traits in only one species, Spiraea alba. After the second growth season, we observed the development of new aerial stems. Layering favors horizontal expansion of shrubs over height development. The third year after treatment, the effect of layering is reduced except for Cornus stolonifera, which continuously increases, as shown by the significant progression of the clone issued from the layer even five years after treatments. With the cutting back technique, we expected a distinct vertical growth of the shrubs at the expense of increasing the crown diameter. This technique would be best associated with the rejuvenation of clones, followed by a layering of new shoots to allow a horizontal expansion of the shrubs. Therefore, the formation of a dense shrub community by layering should be considered a valuable approach for the biological control of undesirable trees in powerline rights-of-way.     

树的“幸福”生活

省图书馆在芜湖路上。每次去借书还书,必经芜湖路。跟长江路相比,这条路不算宽。跟宿州路相比,这条路不算长。但这条路很美。它的美,全在路侧的法国梧桐上。     

胡杨泪

保护胡杨林,可以说是2000年大学生绿色营的主题,因此我用了一个带有感情色彩的标题:《胡杨泪》。荒漠中的“骆驼”据历史记载,胡杨林曾广泛分布于地中海沿岸、中东和我国的新疆、甘肃、青海、宁夏、内蒙等地的干旱地区。目前,胡杨林已在广大范围内消退,而塔里木河流域却还保留着世界上最大面积的胡杨林。胡杨林抗热、抗寒、抗风、抗沙、抗碱、抗旱、抗瘠,是中亚腹地荒漠中唯一的乔木,是演化在干旱地区的一种奇特的森林类型。胡杨林系杨柳科杨属,是最古老最原始的树种之一。因为叶片的形状在生长期有不同的变化,所以也叫异叶杨。新疆是典型的…     

Tree seedling establishment in dry tropics: an urgent need of interaction studies

The current anthropogenic activities and climate change are increasingly becoming a growing global concern for dry tropical forests. Worldwide, these ecologically important forests have degraded considerably since the past few decades due to such factors. These factors have harmful consequences on the vegetation structure and diversity especially tree seedlings, which may further aggravate climate change. Generally, the vegetation recovery is very slow and unpredictable in the dry tropics due to complex interaction among tree seedling, site (particularly, soil) and climatic conditions. We inculcated that a better understanding of the behavior of individuals of different tree species at seedling stage in dry forests is of immense importance. It is increasingly being recognized for explaining and managing the future composition of plant communities under changing environmental conditions. In this regard, the multi-factorial interaction studies under various resource–disturbance combinations are needed in dry tropical ecosystems to understand the: (1) impact of relative variability in resources and disturbances on the responses of tree seedlings of native species and (2) how the later relates to distinct functional and life history traits of the individual tree species. Most importantly, such studies would improve our limited understanding of how variation (natural and man-made) in nutrient availability, under the influence of other local environmental factors (such as water, light, grass competition, herbivory, fire, allelopathy and enhanced CO₂ conditions), would affect the dynamics of dry tropical forest community. It may help in the proper management of these forests. Moreover, it may prove helpful in the current climate change scenario, as change in forest community dynamics may have consequences on soil C sequestration and CO₂ efflux at global scale.     

Herbaceous Covers to Control Tree Invasion in Rights-of-Way: Ecological Concepts and Applications

In northeastern America, thousands of kilometers of utility rights-of-way (ROWs) have to be managed to prevent the establishment of a tall vegetation cover that does not comply with safety and maintenance regulations. Recent decades have seen the emergence of ecologically based vegetation control strategies to reduce environmental impacts as well as maintenance costs. One such strategy is to take advantage of competitive herbaceous covers to limit tree invasion. This approach, however, as well as its fundamental underlying principles, has been little scrutinized. In this article, (1) we present the main ecological concepts supporting the use of a herbaceous cover to limit tree invasion, emphasizing naturally forested ecosystems of northeastern America. They include reported evidence of stable plant communities and an overview of potential underlying mechanisms of inhibition. (2) We then review field applications, specifically testing the ability of seeded herbaceous covers to control tree invasion in ROWs. (3) We discuss unresolved issues relevant to management and research. The available evidence suggests that seeding herbaceous covers in ROWs can help control tree invasion, but many issues still limit broad-scale applications. The various interactions that govern plant community dynamics are far from being fully understood, so selecting species still largely depends on an empirical approach. Patterns of resistance to tree invasion must be investigated over a wide range of spatial, historical, and environmental contexts to determine effective management and seeding practices that will lead to broad-scale applications. We suggest establishing communities rather than single dominant species and using as much as possible native species to limit risks of invasion.Published online     

树干输液在大树移栽中的应用

提出和采用树干输液方法提高大树移栽成活率.该方法具有简便、实用、操作容易、能显著提高移栽成活率等优点,介绍了树干输液方法、输液时期和输液剂量以及营养液的研制等内容.     

ENVIRONMENTAL AUDITING: Risk Assessment in the Face of Controversy: Tree Clearing and Salinization in North Queensland

/ Several lines of evidence were followed to assess the risk of salinization after tree clearing in the upper Burdekin River basin in north Queensland. Conceptual, biophysical process-based approaches (pedological interpretation, event tree analysis, one-dimensional water balance modeling, and Boolean spatial analysis) were compared to empirical methods and field evidence. The convergence of all lines of conceptual reasoning to the conclusion that there exists a risk of salinization in north Queensland, consistent with field evidence of naturally occurring waterlogging and salinity, strengthens the argument against tree clearing.     

自流式树干注药制药技术

由农大德力邦科技股份有限公司开发、陕西省环境保护局推荐的树干自流式注药制药技术适用于树木防治病虫害。主要技术内容一、基本原理：自流式树干注药技术是在人体输液原理启示下发明的。使用时在树干适当部位斜向下４５度打一个直径为４～５mm的孔，将注药器顶部削成斜角，刺穿通气孔，将注药器插入树干小洞，在植物蒸腾拉力的作用下，药剂进入植物木质部输导组织，从而使植物通体带药达到预防或控制病虫害的目的。二、技术关键：在植物蒸腾作用下，药剂进入木质部输导组织的自由空间、质外体或其质体，呈双向或单向传导，从而使植物通体…     

Growth of the Decision Tree: Advances in Bottom‐Up Climate Change Risk Management

There has recently been a return in climate change risk management practice to bottom‐up, robustness‐based planning paradigms introduced 40 years ago. The World Bank's decision tree framework (DTF) for “confronting climate uncertainty” is one incarnation of those paradigms. In order to better represent the state of the art in climate change risk assessment and evaluation techniques, this paper proposes: (1) an update to the DTF, replacing its “climate change stress test” with a multidimensional stress test; and (2) the addition of a Bayesian network framework that represents joint probabilistic behavior of uncertain parameters as sensitivity factors to aid in the weighting of scenarios of concern (the combination of conditions under which a water system fails to meet its performance targets). Using the updated DTF, water system planners and project managers would be better able to understand the relative magnitudes of the varied risks they face, and target investments in adaptation measures to best reduce their vulnerabilities to change. Next steps for the DTF include enhancements in: modeling of extreme event risks; coupling of human‐hydrologic systems; integration of surface water and groundwater systems; the generation of tradeoffs between economic, social, and ecological factors; incorporation of water quality considerations; and interactive data visualization.     

Residential Knowledge of Native Tree Species: A Case Study of Residents in Four Southern Ontario Municipalities

Environmental Management - In the past decade, municipalities across North America have increased investment in their urban forests in an effort to maintain and enhance the numerous benefits...     

武进区花卉苗木基地产业生态化建设方案研究

苏南地区的快速城市化在带动地方经济大发展的同时，却给农村环境造成了巨大的压力，如何实现农村环境与经济协调发展是亟待研究的任务。江苏省常州市武进区花卉苗木基地的实践表明，对区域做出科学的生态经济区划，在严格保护基本农田的基础上，充分利用其它类型的土地资源因地制宜地发展花卉苗木生态产业，成为农村生态环境建设的优化途径之一。武进花木基地环境建设包括：(1)优化生态经济区划，将整个基地划分为平原水网和漏湖圩田两个生态经济区；(2)根据各生态经济区的不同特点采取相应的生态产业布局和实施方案；(3)发展具有“水乡、花卉、休闲”特色的生态旅游产业。     

Demographic Analysis of Tree Colonization in a20-Year-Old Right-of-Way

Past tree colonization dynamics of a powerline-right-of-way (ROW) corridor in the Haut-Saint-Laurent region of Quebec was studied based on the present age distribution of its tree populations. This colonization study spans 20 years, from 1977 (ROW clearance) to 1996. The sampled quadrats were classified into six vegetation types. Tree colonization dynamics were interpreted in each type, and three distinct patterns were identified. (1) Communities adapted to acidic conditions were heavily colonized by Acer rubrum, at least for the last 12 years. (2) Communities adapted to mesic or to hydric conditions were more intensely colonized in the period 1985-1987 than in the following 9 years; this past success in tree colonization may have been caused by herbicide treatments, which could have facilitated tree establishment by damaging the herbaceous and shrub vegetation. (3) Cattail, vine-raspberry, and reed-dominated communities contained few tree individuals, with almost all trees establishing between 1979 and 1990; those three vegetation types appear as the most resistant to tree invasion in the ROW studied. This study supports the need for an integrated approach in ROW vegetation management, in which the selection of vegetation treatment methods would depend on the tree colonization dynamics in each vegetation type. Minimizing disturbances inflicted on ROW herbaceous and shrub covers should be the central strategy because disturbances jeopardize natural resistance to future tree invasion, except in communities adapted to acidic conditions where the existing vegetation does not prevent invasion by A. rubrum. Many trees are surviving the successive cutting operations by producing new sprouts each time, particularly in communities adapted to mesic and hydric conditions. In these cases, mechanical cutting should be replaced by a one-time stump-killing operation, to avoid repeated and unsuccessful treatments of the same individuals over time.     

Tree plantations for restoration of degraded lands and greening of India: a case study of tree growers' cooperatives

India has over 100 m ha (million hectares) of village common lands. De jure, these lands are owned by the state but, de facto, they are used in common by villagers. Most of the village commons are degraded and denuded and are almost nonproductive. Several attempts have been made in the recent past to restore them through planting of trees by governmental and non-governmental organizations. Tree Growers' Co-operative Societies (TGCS), as an organisational innovation of relatively recent origin, have proved to be more cost-effective than other forms of organisations engaged in greening the village commons in India. This paper attempts to assess the financial viability of tree plantations carried out by three selected TGCS and to distil lessons of their experience useful for policy purposes. The study revealed that plantations founded by the sample TGCS were financially viable, and that the plantations had transformed the desolate village commons into 'green wealth'. The authors conclude that the TGCS have a high potential as an instrument for promoting the afforestation of India's degraded village common lands and thereby improving village economy and the quality of the environment.     

基于虚拟源二叉树射线跟踪算法的改进

文章基于虚拟源二叉树射线跟踪算法,针对目前射线跟踪技术在遮挡测试和路径有效性检测过程中,由于部分遮挡等相交计算导致效率低的问题,使用新的判据代替求交运算,提高了算法效率。采用文章所提算法模型对某微小区的相关场景进行了仿真,并与基于GO(Geometrical Optics,几何光学原理)/UTD(Uniform Theory of Diffraction,一致性绕射理论)混合理论的三维仿真结果进行了比较,结果表明使用该判据可以提高二维射线跟踪算法的效率。在精度要求不高的情况下,文章所提出的二维射线跟踪算法在计算时间上具有较大的优势。     

环境新闻——樱桃好吃树难栽

专职报道环境新闻记者的出现始于上世纪80年代。上世纪70年代初,人类环境会议召开之时,“环境保护”一词对于大多数中国人来说,还十分陌生。伴随着改革开放的深入,80年代我国经济快速发展和人口的急剧膨胀,环境污染、生态破坏、资源短缺的矛盾开始凸现,人们对于环境问题的认识也趋于理性与科学。因此,1983年,我国把环境保护列为一项基本国策。1989年,国务院召开了第三次全国环保大会,宣布“向环境污染宣战”。