The global greenhouse effect

The global warming caused by emissions of CO₂ and trace gases is expected to cause shifts in climatic zones and rainfall patterns, and possibly thermal expansion of oceans. There are likely to be impacts on global agriculture and the food security of low-income countries, as well as disruptions to major ecosystem complexes such as forests. Rising sea levels will threaten low-lying regions, coastal zones and islands. Policy-makers will therefore have to consider the relative costs and benefits of 'doing nothing', preventive measures and adaptive responses. Economics should play a key and innovative role in this analysis.     

Impact of the earthquake and tsunami of December 26, 2004, on the groundwater regime at Neill Island (south Andaman)

The aquifer and groundwater regime has been affected by the earthquake and tsunami of December 26, 2004, particularly on the islands and coastal regions of India. The groundwater regime on many islands of Andaman and Nicobar islands, which is the only source of fresh water on the islands, has been found to be deteriorated. Detailed hydrogeological studies have been carried out at one of the tiny islands of Andaman, namely Neill Island, and results have been compared with prior observations. It has been found that the shell limestone aquifer at a few places has developed cracks due to the earthquake and these openings have allowed quick movement of seawater into the aquifer resulting into deterioration of groundwater quality. In the places where the aquifer is at sea level, the tsunami waves have caused seawater ingress. Most parts of the island which have hard mudstone as a base and where the aquifer lies much above sea level, did not show any change in groundwater regime.     

Selecting islands and shoals for conservation based on biological and aesthetic criteria

Consideration of biological quality has long been an important component of rating areas for conservation. Often these same areas are highly valued by people for aesthetic reasons, creating demands for housing and recreation that may conflict with protection plans for these habitats. Most methods of selecting land for conservation purposes use biological factors alone. For some land areas, analysis of aesthetic qualities is also important in describing the scenic value of undisturbed land. A method for prioritizing small islands and shoals based on both biological and visual quality factors is presented here. The study included 169 undeveloped islands and shoals ⩽0.8 ha in the Thousand Islands Region of the St. Lawrence River, New York. Criteria such as critical habitat for uncommon plant and animal species were considered together with visual quality and incorporated into a rating system that ranked the islands and shoals according to their priority for conservation management and protection from development. Biological factors were determined based on previous research and a field survey. Visual quality was determined by visual diagnostic criteria developed from public responses to photographs of a sample of islands. Variables such as elevation, soil depth, and type of plant community can be used to classify islands into different categories of visual quality but are unsuccessful in classifying islands into categories of overall biological quality.     

The remaining islands with primary rain forest: A global resource

Islands with large tracts of primary rain forest constitute a distinct complex of terrestrial and marine ecosystems with global significance because of high levels of biological richness or, in the case of oceanic islands, the evolutionary distinctiveness of the organisms that they support. The myriad of small habitat units makes these settings particularly prone to fragmentation and thus problematic for the conservation of biological diversity. Most of the remaining examples of islands with primary rain forest are in the Pacific Rim, particularly in Indonesia, and there are threats from intensive timber harvesting, mining, tourism, and dismemberment of traditional convervation systems. Prospects for inventorying, monitoring, and protecting the remaining islands with relatively pristine successional mosaics of humid forest and shallow marine habitats within a framework global monitoring are explored. Recommendations are made for a program of expanded use of the biosphere reserve designation for rain forest islands and adjacent marine areas.     

Caribbean small-island tourism styles and sustainable strategies

This article focuses on developing a sustainable tourism in small Caribbean islands, defined here as those that have populations of fewer than 500,000. Such islands share a very fragile ecology and a high dependence on tourism. They differ in their degree of tourist penetration and visitor density and the related degree of environmental degradation. To explain the link between tourism intensity and ecological vulnerability, the so-called “destination life-cycle model” is presented. This suggests that islands pass through three primary stages of tourist development low-density exploration, rapid growth and consolidation, and high-density maturation involving the substitution of man-made for natural attractions. A broad empirical test of the model is performed through a quantitative examination of the tourism characteristics and visitor densities of a cross section of 23 small Caribbean islands. The three basic stages or tourism styles are identified: low-impact emerging areas, high-density mass-market mature destinations, and rapidly growing intermediate islands in between. Some broad strategies consistent with the systems framework for a sustainable tourism with moderate densitites are briefly explored. An earlier version of this article was presented to Caribbean Conservation Association Conference on Economics and the Environment. Barbados, West Indies, 6–8 November, 1989.     

中国资源驱动型岛屿旅游经济发展分析

从我国沿海岛屿旅游十几年的发展历程来看,各沿海岛屿由于所处的地理位置、历史条件、气候条件及资源与文化丰度差异,决定了其旅游发展水平与发展方式存在明显不同。从旅游发展主要驱动力角度,探讨了那些依托其独特旅游资源开发带动经济发展的岛屿经济发展模式。     

Double-Crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) Nesting Effects on Understory Composition and Diversity on Island Ecosystems in Lake Erie

The context for this study is the management concerns over the severity and extent of the impact of cormorants on island flora in the recent past on Lake Erie islands. Accordingly, this study sought to quantify the nesting colonies' influence on coarse woody litter and how nest densities and litter depth may influence the herbaceous layer, the seed bank composition and viability across the extent of three Lake Erie islands. The data for this study were collected from 2004 to 2008 on East Sister Island and Middle Island using two main strategies. First, herbaceous layer surveys, cormorant nest counts, soil seed bank cores, and litter depth measurements were executed using a plotless-point quarter method to test island-wide impacts from nesting activities (data were also collected on a third island, West Sister Island as a reference for the other two islands). Secondly, a sub-sample of the entire plot set was examined in particularly high nesting density areas for two islands (Middle Island and East Sister Island). Kruskal-Wallis tests indicated that there are subtle changes in the herbaceous diversity (total, native and exotic) and seed bank composition across the islands. The sub sample set of the plots demonstrated that Phalacrocorax auritus nest density does influence litter depth, herbaceous species abundance and diversity. Cormorant nesting pressures are restricted to areas of high nesting pressures and competition. However, there remains a risk to the interior herbaceous layer of the island if the effects of nesting pressures at the edges advance inward from this perimeter.     

An island approach to industrial ecology: towards sustainability in the island context

Many fields of study have employed geophysical islands in experimental design with a great deal of success. An island is a closed and bounded system in many respects and presents a manageable unit of study. The island microcosm has been the basis for significant advances in areas such as evolutionary biology, ecosystem ecology and physical anthropology. The same properties that make islands so useful to scientists present island populations with pressing sustainability challenges of limited resource availability and natural carrying capacity. This paper discusses the characteristics of the island context to show the severity and immediacy of these challenges. Based on this discussion, it is apparent that new approaches are needed to address sustainable development on islands. Island systems and the study of industrial ecology, which examines industry embedded within the finite natural environment, have much to gain from one another in this respect. Several industrial ecology case studies, primarily drawn from research in Puerto Rico, are presented to illustrate the compatibility of islands as a study unit in this field. Industrial ecology presents new solutions to the challenges of sustainable island development, while well‐defined island systems offer a unique opportunity for the approach of industrial ecology.     

关于中国可持续农业问题的研究

农业可持续发展是国家可持续发展的根本保证和优先领域,实现农业可持续发展必须建立可持续农业。本文认为,高科技生态农业是中国可持续农业的唯一战略选择和最终出路。为实现这一战略选择,在继续贯彻实施计划生育和环境保护两个基本国策的同时,必须调整现有的农业结构和资源管理模式,制定可持续利用的资源管理政策,发展以生态农业为基础、以高新农业技术为手段的高科技生态农业。     

Human impacts on Australia's Indian Ocean tropical island ecosystems: A review

Summary The human impact on two tropical island groups in the eastern Indian Ocean — Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands — is described. Both are external territories of the Commonwealth of Australia. The ecological influences of construction, war, coconut plantations, horticulture, mining, the introduction of organisms and tourism are discussed in relation to the islands' geomorphology, hydrology, vegetation, fauna and marine environments.Although there are significant differences in the environment between Christmas Island and Cocos, there are marked parallels in their ecological history. Despite these islands being extremely remote, economic, political and technological changes in the outside world have had substantial effects.There are signs that conservation values in land and resource management on these islands are now being addressed. However, these islands, in common with coral islands and atolls elsewhere, may be on the threshold of a tourism boom, with significant implications for the islands' hydrology as well as their animal and plant communities.Dr Patrick H. Armstrong is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Geography at the University of Western Australia. An early version of this paper was given to the ASEAN Geography Conference, in Brunei, in June 1990.     

Water resources issues of small island developing states

The water resources of most small island developing states (SIDS) are often very limited and require special consideration to ensure that they are developed and managed in a sustainable manner. Many small islands, typically located in the humid tropics, have no surface water resources and rely on limited groundwater resources in the form of thin freshwater lenses. The exposed location of small islands makes them particularly vulnerable to natural disasters such as cyclones, floods and droughts. Pollution from population centres and from agricultural and other activities is an increasing problem. This article provides an overview of the water resources of small islands, and the main problems and issues related to water resources. Some suggested solutions, based on practical experiences, are offered for water resource assessment and monitoring programmes, and water resource development. Water resource policy, planning and management issues are also addressed, and suggested approaches for resolving some of the major water resource problems presented.     

四川省农业环境影响及发展循环经济模式初探

四川省是农业大省,农业可持续发展对其经济发展具有重要意义,四川省的农业对环境的影响源于种植业和养殖业两方面。针对四川省农业的特点,本文提出四川省发展农业循环经济模式的思路及对策。     

我国海岛的旅游资源

我国海疆辽阔、岛屿众多，在６５００多个大小海岛上，既有迷人的山海天象、洁净的海湾沙滩、奇特的山石形胜和丰富的海珍特产等自然风光旅游资源；又有历史古迹、宗教文件、建筑工程和渔乡风情等光辉灿烂的人文景观。海岛旅游资源以其强烈的海洋韵味和海陆兼备的景观特色，及其毗邻沿海开放城市的区位优势，在各类旅游资源中独具风采。     

Water Resources Development in Small Islands Perspectives and Needs*

The paper reviews the special problems of small islands in the field of water resources development. The mode of occurrence of surface and groundwater resources in the smaller Caribbean Islands is described along with the problems which arise from unfavourable hydrological conditions. A brief survey is given of the various types of water supply systems which have been developed to meet the requirements of the resident population and the tourist sector of the islands. Institutional deficiencies are discussed as they relate to the problems being experienced in the management of public water supply agencies and the conservation of water resources.     

新疆农业生态环境现状与绿洲生态农业建设探讨

新疆是以农业生产为支柱产业地处半干旱半荒漠、生态环境比较脆弱的内陆地区。随着农业生产技术的不断更新、农资产品、化学物质的大量使用的工业生产中产生的污染物日益增加,新疆农业生态环境（局部）出现了许多新的问题。本文就新疆农业生态环境现状、发展趋势,及新疆绿洲生态农业建设与农业可持续发展等方面进行了分析探讨。     

荷兰生态（有机）农业对上海农业发展的借鉴

安全高效、资源节约、环境友好型的生态农业生产技术,已成为国际农业领域研究和关注的热点;发展高效生态（有机）农业,以新的强度和效能为长三角和我国现代化农业发展作贡献,是上海社会主义新农村建设的重大战略,是上海现代农业发展的必由之路。荷兰生态（有机）农业发展提供了以下成功经验：以生态学原理指导农业生产,实现生产生态共荣;在农产品生产中应用HACCP理论,加强农业生产的过程控制和质量管理;通过制定良好农业技术规范（Eurep-GAP）,保障农业的可持续发展,保护生态环境。上海发展高效生态（有机）农业的对策建议：加强政策扶持,深化有机农业理论和技术研究,建立和规范与国际接轨的认证体系,以生态学的原理和原则指导农业生产和技术的发展。     

Estimating Current and Future Groundwater Resources of the Maldives

The water resources of the atolls of the Republic of Maldives are under continual threat from climatic and anthropogenic stresses, including land surface pollution, increasing population, drought, and sea‐level rise (SLR). These threats are particularly acute for groundwater resources due to the small land surface area and low elevation of each island. In this study, the groundwater resources, in terms of freshwater lens thickness, total volume of fresh groundwater, and safe yield are estimated for the 52 most populous islands of the Maldives for current conditions and for the year 2030, with the latter accounting for projected SLR and associated shoreline recession. An algebraic model, designed in previous studies to estimate the lens thickness of atoll islands, is expanded in this study to also estimate volume of groundwater. Results indicate that average current lens thickness, groundwater volume, and per capita safe yield are approximately 4.6 m, 1,300 million liters, and 300 l/day, and that these values will decrease by approximately 10, 11, and 34%, respectively, by the year 2030. Based on results, it is demonstrated that groundwater, in terms of quantity, is a viable source of water for the islands of the Maldives both now and in coming decades, particularly for islands with large surface area and low population. Study results can provide water resource managers and government officials with valuable data for consideration in water security measures.     

新疆沙湾县生态农业建设与绿洲农业可持续发展探讨

新疆沙湾县国家级生态农业试点县建设实践证明,建立县级生态农业试点示范区,给新疆绿洲农业可持续发展积累了很好的发展模式和技术措施,是大力发展生态农业,促进农业生产良性循环,做好绿洲农业生态环境保护,合理利用绿洲农业资源,实现新疆绿洲农业可持续发展的最基本和必由之路。     

河北省发展生态农业的模式探讨

发展生态农业是改善农业生态环境、实现农业可持续发展的有效途径。本文根据河北省农业和农村经济的发展水平、农业资源以及环境状况,提出了一些适宜河北省发展的生态农业模式。     

关于农业生态补偿的政策思考

为推动农业生态补偿在我国的实施,从政策的角度分析了实施农业生态补偿的政策背景、农业生态补偿的政策取向,提出应当从解决我国农业和农村突出问题以及我国农业支持政策的转型2个层面来深刻理解实施农业生态补偿的政策价值,农业生态补偿应定位于对农业的生态补偿,以激励农业生产方式的转变为目标,并对具体实施生态补偿中需要重点关注的几个方面提出建议。