Policy relevance of three integrated assessment tools—A comparison with specific reference to agricultural policies

The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), a system of market support instruments, direct income transfers, and rural development measures, has been put through an ongoing reform process in recent decades. This paper introduces three policy impact assessment tools (SIAT, SEAMLESS-IF, MEA-Scope tool) and analyses how these tools have responded to a number of challenges for integrated assessment modelling as reported in the international literature. Significant progress has been made with regard to modelling linkages whereas other challenges, particularly those related to issues of scale and uncertainty management, require further efforts. It is also analysed which CAP instruments are represented and what kinds of effects can be analysed at different scales. Market instruments and direct payments are comparatively well represented, while the ability to model rural development measures is mostly beyond the scope of these tools. Because each tool has found a different solution for coping with the common challenges of integrated assessment modelling, the choice of one of the tools for a particular application depends strongly on the policy questions being asked. The SIAT provides the big picture via its ability to represent broad changes in policy instruments with EU-wide cross-sector impacts. The most comprehensive analysis of agricultural policy instruments can be obtained with SEAMLESS-IF. The MEA-Scope tool complements the other two approaches with detailed regional profiles.     

How humans shape wolf behavior in Banff and Kootenay National Parks, Canada

This paper describes the conceptualization and implementation of an agent-based model to investigate how varying levels of human presence could affect elements of wolf behavior, including highway crossings; use of areas in proximity to roads and trails; size of home ranges; activities, such as hunting, patrolling, resting, and feeding pups; and survival of individuals in Banff and Kootenay National Parks, Canada. The model consists of a wolf module as the primary component with five packs represented as cognitive agents, and grizzly bear, elk, and human modules that represent dynamic components of the environment. A set of environmental data layers was used to develop a friction model that serves as a base map representing the landscape over which wolves moved. A decision model was built to simulate the sequence of wolf activities. The model was implemented in a Java Programming Language using RePast, an agent-based modeling library. Six months of wolf activities were simulated from April 16 to October 15 (i.e., a season coherent with regard to known wolf behaviors), and calibrated with GPS data from wolf radiocollars (n = 15) deployed from 2002 to 2004. Results showed that the simulated trajectories of wolf movements were correlated with the observed trajectories (Spearman's rho 0.566, P < 0.001); other critical behaviors, such as time spent at the den and not traveling were also correlated. The simulations revealed that wolf movements and behaviors were noticeably affected by the intensity of human presence. The packs’ home ranges shrank and wolves crossed highways less frequently with increased human presence. In an extreme example, a wolf pack whose home range is traversed by a high-traffic-volume highway was extirpated due to inability to hunt successfully under a scenario wherein human presence levels were increased 10-fold. The modeling prototype developed in this study may serve as a tool to test hypotheses about human effects on wolves and on other mammals, and guide decision-makers in designing management strategies that minimize impacts on wolves and on other species functionally related to wolves in the ecosystem.     

我国低碳城市建设水平及潜能比较

面对国际发展低碳经济大趋势和世界各国低碳发展指标的强力约束,研究探讨了低碳城市建设的概念和关联性因素,包括：经济增长、产业结构、能源结构、能源效率、交通体系、消费方式、碳汇发展和制度创新等。尝试构建了低碳城市建设水平测度指标体系并比较分析了我国一些主要城市低碳发展水平和潜能,以期加快我国低碳城市建设,促使我国从传统经济发展方式向低碳经济发展方式转型。     

辽宁省农用地质量空间分布格局及影响因素研究

采用GIS技术、地统计学分析和景观生态学方法对辽宁省农用地质量的空间分布规律及其多样性、均匀度、集中度、优势度等进行研究,结果表明：辽宁省农用地质量的区域分异明显,等别表现出由辽西低山丘陵区和辽东山地丘陵区向中部平原区的递增规律。探讨农用地质量空间格局的影响因素,发现农用地自然质量空间分布格局主要受到地带性因素与大尺度的非地带性因素的控制,农用地利用质量和经济质量空间分布格局受到人类活动的影响显著。     

区域农田生态系统生产力的时空格局及其影响因子研究——以山东省为例

在统计数据的基础上,以山东省为例,利用模型量化了农田生态系统净初级生产力（NPP）,并研究了农田生态系统NPP的时空格局及其影响因素。研究发现,2000—2006年间,山东省农田生态系统NPP在时间序列上整体呈上升的趋势,由2000年的476.5g·m-2·a-1（以C计）上升到2006年的544.2g·m-2·a-1（以C计）。空间格局中以鲁东、鲁中和鲁南较高,鲁西南和鲁北较低。各地市中以枣庄最高,为691g·m-2·a-1（以C计）;东营最低,约424.4g·m-2·a-1（以C计）。另外,莱芜、临沂及菏泽等地也相对偏低。通过对影响农田生态系统NPP的自然因子和人为因子分别进行主成分分析发现：气候因子中对山东省农田生态系统NPP贡献最大的为降水;人为因子中以农膜的贡献最大,其次为农药、机械、化肥,而劳动力的贡献则随着科技的发展而降低,人口密度的过大对农田生态系统生产力具有较大的负面影响。     

西藏生态整体性水平测度

为了探讨资源-环境双重约束下地处我国生态环境脆弱区的西藏的生态整体性特征,利用生态环境质量指数和生态现代化指数（EMI）对地处我国西南边陲的西藏地区的生态现代化水平进行了分析。结果表明：全球生态现代化水平在区域之间存在比较明显的空间分异。2004年西藏生态现代化指数为50,在全国排名为3位,较2000年的排名16位有了明显的提高。生态进步指数、经济生态化指数好于其他4个少数民族地区,但社会生态化指数落后于其他4个少数民族地区,人均SO2排放与新疆、广西相同,但高于内蒙古和宁夏;1980—2007年西藏现代化程度虽然有所提升,但远低于世界平均水平和中等发达国家以及我国平均水平和其他4个少数民族地区;1996—2007年西藏区域环境水平呈＂W＂型变动态势。资源转化率和水污染指数呈＂N＂型不稳定变动,生态保护指数和环境治理指数呈剧烈变动,生态脆弱性和环境支持系统的不稳定性没有明显改观。因此,西藏应立足地缘和资源优势,充分考虑西藏生态地域、生态系统服务功能、生态资产、生态敏感性以及人类活动对生态环境胁迫等要素的综合影响,依据青藏高原高寒生态大区和高寒草甸生态区、青藏高原高山草原、高寒草甸生态地区生态区划,发展人工设计生态方案的生态重建途径。建立严格的生态补偿制度,逐步提升生态现代化水平。     

我国煤矿安全生产事故的致灾因素分析

煤矿安全不仅关系到广大煤矿工人的生命财产安全、煤炭的安全开采,还关系到煤炭企业的和谐稳定.煤矿安全工作是党和政府管理社会、为人民服务的基本任务,是全面落实科学发展观、建设和谐社会的重要组成部分.首先对我国煤矿安全形势进行了分析,随后介绍了事故致因理论的发展,结合我国煤矿事故的特点运用现代事故致因理论对一起煤矿事故进行了分析,最后得出提高煤矿安全监管的措施.     

Organizational Factors Affecting Safety Implementation in Food Companies in Thailand

Thai food industry employs a massive number of skilled and unskilled workers. This may result in an industry with high incidences and accident rates. To improve safety and reduce the accident figures, this paper investigates factors influencing safety implementation in small, medium, and large food companies in Thailand. Five factors, i.e., management commitment, stakeholders’ role, safety information and communication, supportive environment, and risk, are found important in helping to improve safety implementation. The statistical analyses also reveal that small, medium, and large food companies hold similar opinions on the risk factor, but bear different perceptions on the other 4 factors. It is also found that to improve safety implementation, the perceptions of safety goals, communication, feedback, safety resources, and supervision should be aligned in small, medium, and large companies.     

地震应急避难需求的系统动力学研究

为定量研究地震应急避难人群的规模及变化规律,建立需求分析的系统动力学模型。该模型包括建筑物倒塌,断水和电梯停运3种因素造成的需求。参考汶川地震中板房建设速度和电梯修复速度,以及日本关于地震断水率的研究成果,建立非线性模型拟合各需求的变化规律。采用Vensim软件建立系统动力学模型,分析各需求的综合变化规律。采用上海市徐汇区的数据进行案例演算,并与其他研究方法对比分析仿真误差。仿真结果表明:建筑物损坏对人群数量的影响很大,但是灾后1个月内断水的影响最大;相对于工程技术因素,人因对需求有重要的影响。     

The impact of implementation of the requirements of Standard No. OHSAS 18001:2007 to reduce the number of injuries at work and financial costs in the Republic of Croatia

This article contains the results of research into the impact of implementation of the requirements mentioned in Standard No. OHSAS 18001:2007 to reduce the number of injuries at work and the financial costs incurred in this way. The study was conducted on a determined sample by a written questionnaire survey method in the Republic of Croatia. The objective of the empirical research is to determine the impact of implementation of the requirements of Standard No. OHSAS 18001:2007 to reduce the number of injuries at work and financial costs in Croatia in business organizations that implement these requirements. To provide a broader picture, the research included the collection and analysis of data on the impact of the Standard No. OHSAS 18001:2007 on accidents and fatalities at work. Research findings are based on the analysis of performed statistical data where correlation and regression analysis has been applied.