Developing an analytical framework for assessing progress toward ecosystem-based management

Ecosystem-based management (EBM) has become a key instrument of contemporary environmental policy and practice. Given the increasingly important role of EBM, there is an urgent need for improved analytical approaches to assess if and to what extent EBM has been accomplished in any given case. Drawing on the vast literature on EBM, we identify five key ecosystem aspects for assessment. By linking these aspects to four phases of management, we develop an interdisciplinary, analytical framework that enables a high-resolution and systematic assessment of the degree of specificity and integration of ecosystem aspects in an EBM. We then apply the framework to evaluate five coastal EBM initiatives in Sweden, four on the Baltic coast and one on the west coast. Our results demonstrate our framework’s usefulness for in-depth and continuous assessments of processes aiming for EBM, and also provide an empirical basis for inferences about the key challenges for successful EBM.     

Nitrogen fixation by cyanobacteria stimulates production in Baltic food webs

Filamentous, nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria form extensive summer blooms in the Baltic Sea. Their ability to fix dissolved N₂ allows cyanobacteria to circumvent the general summer nitrogen limitation, while also generating a supply of novel bioavailable nitrogen for the food web. However, the fate of the nitrogen fixed by cyanobacteria remains unresolved, as does its importance for secondary production in the Baltic Sea. Here, we synthesize recent experimental and field studies providing strong empirical evidence that cyanobacterial nitrogen is efficiently assimilated and transferred in Baltic food webs via two major pathways: directly by grazing on fresh or decaying cyanobacteria and indirectly through the uptake by other phytoplankton and microbes of bioavailable nitrogen exuded from cyanobacterial cells. This information is an essential step toward guiding nutrient management to minimize noxious blooms without overly reducing secondary production, and ultimately most probably fish production in the Baltic Sea.     

Technology for nature conservation: An industry perspective

Information age technology has the potential to change the game for conservation by continuously monitoring the pulse of the natural world. Whether or not it will depends on the ability of the conservation sector to build a community of practice, come together to define key technology challenges and work with a wide variety of partners to create, implement, and sustain solutions. I describe why these steps are necessary, outline the latest developments in the field and offer actionable ways forward for conservation agencies, universities, funding bodies, professional societies, and technology corporations to come together to realize the revolution that computational technologies can bring for biodiversity conservation.     

Limitations of recreational camera traps for wildlife management and conservation research: A practitioner’s perspective

The availability of affordable ‘recreational’ camera traps has dramatically increased over the last decade. We present survey results which show that many conservation practitioners use cheaper ‘recreational’ units for research rather than more expensive ‘professional’ equipment. We present our perspective of using two popular models of ‘recreational’ camera trap for ecological field-based studies. The models used (for >2 years) presented us with a range of practical problems at all stages of their use including deployment, operation, and data management, which collectively crippled data collection and limited opportunities for quantification of key issues arising. Our experiences demonstrate that prospective users need to have a sufficient understanding of the limitations camera trap technology poses, dimensions we communicate here. While the merits of different camera traps will be study specific, the performance of more expensive ‘professional’ models may prove more cost-effective in the long-term when using camera traps for research.     

电弧流溶胞技术促进污泥厌氧消化

为提高污水厂处理污泥时的厌氧消化速率,利用电弧流溶胞技术处理剩余污泥,研究电弧流溶胞技术对污泥破解预处理效果的影响.实验结果表明,与未经预处理的污泥相比,电弧流溶胞处理能够明显提高污泥厌氧消化效率,增加有机物含量和沼气产量.其中,经处理后的污泥TS、VS剩余量分别降低了8.3%和6.3%,COD增加了11.9%.厌氧系统平均产气量平均增加79.76 L/d,增加率45.82%,甲烷含量增加1.03 L/d,增加率102%.由此说明,电弧流溶胞技术可以提高厌氧消化反应中有机物的去除率,有效促进厌氧消化中污泥的水解过程,显著增加甲烷气体的产生量.在综合考虑运行费用和污泥消化效果的前提下,采取适宜的电弧流强化处理措施有一定的积极意义.     

In situ hydrothermal fabrication of visible light-driven g-C3N4/SrTiO3 composite for photocatalytic degradation of TC

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - A series of g-C3N4/SrTiO3 (CN/SrTiO3) composites with the different mass ratio of g-C3N4 were prepared by facile in situ hydrothermal growth method,...     

2008年黑龙江省环境状况及发展趋势分析

黑龙江省生态环境状况良好,野生动植物栖息和生长的环境逐步改善。主要污染物化学需氧量和二氧化硫排放量继续呈下降趋势。城市空气质量良好,处于全国中上游水平,城市噪声污染较轻。松花江水质稳中趋好,为轻度污染,部分支流水质明显改善,出境水质达标的频率大幅增加。     

六个行业熔铅作业防毒工程技术措施综合评价(第一部分)

在对印刷、铁路车辆、电缆压铅、铅蓄电池、铅盐、铅冶炼这六个行业的熔铅作业以及对铅蓄电池和铅盐生产的铅尘作业中防毒工程技术措施调研的基础上,介绍了它们的基本情况。参照收集的国内外资料,采用定性及定量化的方法,对它们的防毒工程技术措施分别从工艺设备、排风罩类型、净化装置等得出优化选择结论,对还存在的问题进行讨论并提出建议。     

Simultaneous treatment of PVC and oyster-shell wastes by mechanochemical means

This work presents a new process for dechlorinating poly-vinyl chloride (PVC) by the use of oyster-shell waste. The process consists of milling of PVC waste with oyster-shell waste, followed by washing the milled sample with water. The milling of PVC and oyster-shell mixture results in size reduction and rupture in bonds, leading to mechanically induced reactions between the two to form CaCl2 and hydrocarbon with C=C bonds. Washing the milled mixtures with water at room temperature allows complete removal of chlorine from the milled sample. More than 95% of chlorine in PVC was removed when 2h grinding is conducted for the mixture. The present process could offer a potential route to the handling and disposal of oyster-shell and PVC wastes.