Acid-forming emissions in Alberta,Canada

The sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides emissions from all sources in Alberta, Canada, during 1982 amounted to 488,297 and 353,511 tonnes, respectively. During this year deposition of wet sulphate from all stations in the province, 8 kg ha^–1 yr^–1, compares well with the five-year average (1978–1982) value of 10 kg ha^–1 yr^–1. These measurements are about one-half of the wet sulphate deposition criteria of 20 kg ha^–1 yr^–1 established for protecting the moderately sensitive aquatic ecosystem in eastern Canada. Due to dry, cold, continental climate conditions of Alberta, dry sulphate or sulphur deposition is equally or more important than wet deposition. No effects of the long-range transport of atmospheric pollutants (LRTAP) on the ecosystems in Alberta have been observed to date. Atmospheric deposition target loadings of SO₄ ^–2, NO₃ ^–, and H⁺ for Alberta and western Canadian environmental conditions should be developed to protect the highly sensitive ecosystems. Some future research and monitoring priorities for Alberta and western Canada are outlined.     

Observations of Atmospheric Nitrogen and Phosphorus Deposition During the Period of Algal Bloom Formation in Northern Lake Taihu,China

Cyanobacterial blooms in Lake Taihu occurred at the end of April 2007 and had crucial impacts on the livelihood of millions of people living there. Excessive nutrients may promote bloom formation. Atmospheric nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) deposition appears to play an important role in algal bloom formation. Bulk deposition and rain water samples were collected respectively from May 1 to November 30, 2007, the period of optimal algal growth, to measure the bulk atmospheric deposition rate, wet deposition rate, and dry deposition rate for total nitrogen (TN; i.e., all species of nitrogen), and total phosphorus (TP; i.e., all species of phosphorus), in northern Lake Taihu, China. The trends of the bulk atmospheric deposition rate for TN and the wet deposition rate for TN showed double peaks during the observation period and distinct influence with plum rains and typhoons. Meanwhile, monthly bulk atmospheric deposition rates for TP showed little influence of annual precipitation. However, excessive rain may lead to high atmospheric N and P deposition rates. In bulk deposition samples, the average percentage of total dissolved nitrogen accounting for TN was 91.2% and changed little with time. However, the average percentage of total dissolved phosphorus accounting for TP was 65.6% and changed substantially with time. Annual bulk atmospheric deposition rates of TN and TP during 2007 in Lake Taihu were estimated to be 2,976 and 84 kg km⁻² a⁻¹, respectively. The results showed decreases of 34.4% and 78.7%, respectively, compared to 2002–2003. Annual bulk deposition load of TN for Lake Taihu was estimated at 6,958 t a⁻¹ in 2007 including 4,642 t a⁻¹ of wet deposition, lower than the values obtained in 2002–2003. This may be due to measures taken to save energy and emission control regulations in the Yangtze River Delta. Nevertheless, high atmospheric N and P deposition loads helped support cyanobacterial blooms in northern Lake Taihu during summer and autumn, the period of favorable algal growth.     

Mapping institutional work as a method for local strategy; learning from boom/bust dynamics in the Canadian west

We investigate the potential of mapping institutional work in communities as a method for both analyzing and formulating local development strategy. Twelve Canadian case communities experiencing dramatic ups and downs (‘boom and bust towns’) serve as the empirical base. Analytically, we find that institutional work for strategy takes on very diverse forms, some of them not described in the literature, and further identify a special class of institutional work associated with leadership. Normatively, we demonstrate that mapping institutional work can be a structured process of self-reflection underpinning strategy. For the Canadian case study, we find that lack of local autonomy is often a stumbling block for strategy. More broadly, we conclude that mapping institutional work for strategy works best when governance evolutions are grasped as context, and when strategy itself is understood in its complex, multifaceted nature: a narrative, a way of linking institutions, and an institution in itself.     

Using a geographical information system for monitoring space shuttle launches: Determining cumulative distribution of deposition and an empirical test of a spatial model

Space shuttle launches produce localized hydrochloric acid deposition. The interaction of solid rocket motor exhaust and deluge water released on the pad at the time of launch results in the formation of an exhaust cloud. The spatial pattern and extent of deposition from the launch cloud are predicted by the rocket exhaust effluent diffusion (REED) model. The actual pattern of deposition has been mapped by field surveys for each shuttle launch since 1981. In this paper we use a geographical information system (GIS) to compare model predictions with ground patterns for 49 shuttle launches. We also compile cumulative maps of deposition patterns needed to consider long-term impacts. The direction of launch cloud movement did not differ significantly from model predictions. The REED model overpredicted both the area that received deposition and the maximum distance from the launch pad that deposition occurred. Severe vegetation damage was restricted to near-field deposition areas within 1980 m north of each launch pad. Total area impacted from launches has been 87.0 ha around pad 39A and 52.9 ha around pad 39B. Far-field deposition has caused leaf spotting from acid droplets or aluminum oxide over a wider and more variable area than near-field. A total of 19,397 ha has received deposition, but 63.6% of this area has received deposition only one time and 92.2% not more than three times. GIS techniques provide means to test spatial models and compile information useful for assessing cumulative impacts.     

The Influence of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation on Annual Floods in the Rivers of Western Canada

We analyzed annual peak flow series from 127 naturally flowing or naturalized streamflow gauges across western Canada to examine the impact of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) on annual flood risk, which has been previously unexamined in detail. Using Spearman's rank correlation ρ and permutation tests on quantile‐quantile plots, we show that higher magnitude floods are more likely during the negative phase of the PDO than during the positive phase (shown at 38% of the stations by Spearman's rank correlations and at 51% of the stations according to the permutation tests). Flood frequency analysis (FFA) stratified according to PDO phase suggests that higher magnitude floods may also occur more frequently during the negative PDO phase than during the positive phase. Our results hold throughout much of this region, with the upper Fraser River Basin, the Columbia River Basin, and the North Saskatchewan River Basin particularly subject to this effect. Our results add to other researchers' work questioning the wholesale validity of the key assumption in FFA that the annual peak flow series at a site is independently and identically distributed. Hence, knowledge of large‐scale climate state should be considered prior to the design and construction of infrastructure.     

澳大利亚矿山酸性废水的管理与处理

本文简要介绍了澳大利亚矿山含酸废弃物及酸性废水的管理与处理方法 ,将为我国的矿山环境保护提供借鉴作用。     

海南西部资源环境一体化研究

传统发展模式引发的资源环境问题迫使人类思考去寻求新的可持续的发展模式,资源环境一体化就是适应此背景的新兴发展理念。以海南西部沙地环境资源化与山区资源环境化的发展实践,实证分析了资源环境一体化的发展模式与发展机制。按资源与环境是可相互转化的这一资源环境一体化理论基础,海南西部干旱与多沙的环境可将其作为旅游资源进行开发,而针对山区资源过度利用的现状,则通过实施设立自然保护区、退耕还林、封山育林等措施实行保护性开发,实现山区资源环境化。重视环境与可持续发展思想、资源与环境的同源性与资源时效性、科学发展与技术进步、环境政策的完善与严格、政府与企业推进是促进资源环境一体化的主要推动机制。     

Convergence of Culture, Ecology, and Ethics: Management of Feral Swamp Buffalo in Northern Australia

This paper examines the identity of Asian swamp buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) from different value orientations. Buffalo were introduced into Northern (Top End) Australia in the early nineteenth century. A team of transdisciplinary researchers, including an ethicist, has been engaged in field research on feral buffalo in Arnhem Land over the past three years. Using historical documents, literature review, field observations, interviews with key informants, and interaction with the Indigenous land owners, an understanding of the diverse views on the scientific, cultural, and economic significance of buffalo was obtained. While the diverse stakeholders in buffalo exploitation and management have historically delivered divergent value orientations on the nature of the human–buffalo relationship, we argue that over time there is the possibility of values and ethical convergence. Such convergence is possible via transdisciplinary and transcultural agreement on the value stances that constitute the construction of the being or identity of buffalo in the face of the overwhelming need to manage population density and gross numbers.     

Evaluating the Risk of Potential Acid Sulfate Soils and Habitat Modification for Mosquito Control (Runneling) in Coastal Salt Marshes: Comparing Methods and Managing the Risk

Coastal environments in Australia are under development pressures. Human settlement encroaches on disease vector salt marsh mosquito breeding areas that are underlain by potential acid sulfate soils (PASS). Altering the hydrology by runneling solves the mosquito problem but may lead to acid sulfate problems. Appropriate analytical tools can assess the risk to the environment. The objective of the research was to compare three methods of assessing PASS. The study area was a low-lying intertidal subtropical salt marsh that was being considered for runneling. The results indicated that using field pH and field peroxide pH (and the relationship between these), and also the peroxide oxidation-combined acidity and sulfate (POCAS) test, appeared to overestimate the potential acidity. This was because the source of acidity in the intertidal salt marsh includes a large organic content, which is not a major environmental concern. The chromium-reducible sulfur test, which is not affected by organic content, was found to provide the most appropriate assessment, and is recommended for use in highly organic salt marshes.     

Testing and Improving Temperature Thresholds for Snow and Rain Prediction in the Western United States

The phase of precipitation at the land surface is critical to determine the timing and amount of water available for hydrological and ecological systems. However, there are few techniques to directly observe the precipitation phase and many prediction tools apply a single temperature threshold (e.g., 0°C) to determine phase. In this paper, we asked two questions: (1) what is the accuracy of default and station optimized daily temperature thresholds for predicting precipitation phase and (2) what are the regions and conditions in which typical temperature‐based precipitation phase predictions are most suited. We developed a ground truth dataset of rain vs. snow using an expert decision‐making system based on precipitation, snow depth, and snow water equivalent observations. This dataset was used to evaluate the accuracy of three temperature‐threshold‐based techniques of phase classification. Optimizing the temperature threshold improved the prediction of precipitation phase by 34% compared to using 0°C threshold. Developing a temperature threshold based on station elevation improved the error by 12% compared with using the 0°C temperature threshold. We also found the probability of snow as a function of temperature differed among ecoregions, which suggests a varied response to future climate change. These results highlight a current weakness in our ability to predict the effects of regional warming that could have uneven impacts on water and ecological resources.     

湖南西部民俗旅游资源的开发与保护

湖南西部民俗旅游资源丰富,系统开发和保护民俗旅游资源、有效整合、形成合力、促进旅游业的发展是构筑湖南西部黄金旅游区的基石。分析了民俗、民俗旅游资源与民俗文化的概念和内涵,以及湖南西部民俗旅游资源的结构及其特征,提出了湖南西部民俗旅游开发和保护的原则、模式和措施。     

Environmental strategy and performance in small firms: a resource-based perspective

In spite of the widespread recognition of the important roles that small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) play in most economies, limited research has focused on their impacts on the natural environment and the strategies such enterprises adopt to reduce these impacts. It is usually assumed that SMEs lack the resources to implement proactive environmental strategies that go beyond minimum regulatory compliance. In this study of 108 SMEs in the automotive repair sector in Southern Spain, we found that SMEs undertake a range of environmental strategies from reactive regulatory compliance to proactive pollution prevention and environmental leadership. These strategies are associated with three organizational capabilities: shared vision, stakeholder management, and strategic proactivity, hypothesized based on the unique strategic characteristics of SMEs--shorter lines of communication and closer interaction within the SMEs, the presence of a founder's vision, flexibility in managing external relationships, and an entrepreneurial orientation. We also found that firms with the most proactive practices exhibited a significantly positive financial performance.     

高职《会展服务与管理》课程三元模式的构建

三元模式是高等职业教育改革的一条重要途径。通过把三元模式与《会展服务与管理》课程相结合,具体细化三元模式的实践应用,深化《会展服务与管理》课程三元模式的内涵,重点对高等职业教育《会展服务与管理》课程三元模式的实现途径进行了探讨,包括整合教育资源、独创性的课程设计、采用“双导师”制授课、研究教学活动特点等方面。     

Regional differences in mercury levels in aquatic ecosystems: A discussion of possible causal factors with implications for the Tennessee river system and the Northern Hemisphere

Concern about mercury pollution from atmospheric deposition has risen markedly in the last decade because of high levels of mercury in freshwater fish from relatively pristine waters. Whereas high concentrations have been found principally in Canada, the northern United States, and Scandinavia, they have also recently been observed throughout much of Florida. Recent surveys of the Tennessee River system, however, have found no locations where fish levels exceed EPA guidelines for fish consumption. This paper evaluates a number of factors that may cause certain regions in the northern hemisphere to experience unacceptable fish mercury levels while other regions do not. Relevant regional differences include: (1) Waters of the Tennessee River system are generally nonacidic (pH>6) and well buffered, whereas 16%, 22%, and 40% of the lakes in upper Midwest, Northeast, and Florida, respectively, have acid-neutralizing capacities below 50 μeq/liter. Acidity correlates highly with fish mercury levels in a number of lake surveys, and experimental manipulations of acidity have significantly raised fish mercury levels. (2) The ratio of land area to water surface area in the Tennessee Valley averages about 30, whereas it is 15 in the upper Midwest and 6 in Florida. Low ratios allow mercury in precipitation to be directly deposited to aquatic bodies, without an opportunity for the mercury to be sequestered by terrestrial ecosystems. (3) Stream organic matter concentrations in Florida, the upper Midwest, and Sweden are 2–10 times those in the Tennessee Valley. Mercury binds strongly to organic matter, and organic matter transport in runoff is a major pathway by which mercury enters aquatic ecosystems.     

Home Range Size and Choice of Management Strategy for Lynx in Scandinavia

Annual and seasonal home ranges were calculated for 47 Eurasian lynx in four Scandinavian study sites (two in Sweden and two in Norway). The observed home ranges were the largest reported for the species, with study site averages ranging from 600 to 1400 km² for resident males and from 300 to 800 km² for resident females. When home range sizes were compared to the size of protected areas (national parks and nature reserves) in Scandinavia, it was concluded that very few protected areas contained sufficient forest to provide space for more than a few individuals. As a direct consequence of this, most lynx need to be conserved in the multiuse seminatural forest habitats that cover large areas in Scandinavia. This conservation strategy leads to a number of conflicts with some land uses (sheep and semidomestic reindeer herding, and roe deer hunters), but not all (forestry and moose harvest). Accordingly research must be aimed at understanding the ecology of these conflicts, and finding solutions.     

Integrating the AHP and TOPSIS decision processes for evaluating the optimal collection strategy in reverse logistic for the TPI

This study presents processes to evaluate the optimal collecting strategy (CS) in reverse logistic (RL) for the downstream part of the Taiwan photovoltaic industry (TPI). It combines the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) with the technique for ordering preference by similarity to the ideal solution (TOPSIS). The criteria and sub-criteria were initially established to assess the related benefits, opportunities, costs, and risks (BOCR). AHP was then used to obtain the weightings of the criteria and sub-criteria and TOPSIS was used to rank the optimal collection strategy in terms of its overall evaluation criteria. The AHP and TOPSIS method provides decision makers with a valuable reference for assessing the optimal collection strategy of TPI downstream. The results of the study should provide decision makers in the downstream TPI with academic support and valuable guidance for evaluating their collection program and obtain optimal strategies for administering RL practices.