Planning for Biodiversity: the Role of Ecological Impact Assessment

Abstract:  Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is the process of identifying potential environmental effects of proposed development and the required mitigation measures. It is one of the most widely used planning tools today, but its ability to promote biodiversity conservation is largely unexplored. We studied the ecological component of the Israeli EIA system by reviewing a representative sample of 52 environmental impact statements (EISs) produced since 1995 and their corresponding guidelines issued by the Ministry of the Environment. Quality of both EISs and guidelines was determined using a simple scoring approach. Lack of quantitative data, meaningful analyses, and ecosystem perspective was apparent throughout. Many EISs failed to perform field surveys and their qualitative nature hampered meaningful impact prediction. Most EISs concentrated on aesthetic mitigation measures and did not assess their feasibility and likely success. Most of these flaws reflect poor standards rather than true scientific limitations. Guideline quality scores were the most important factor determining the quality of EISs; second was the involvement of an ecological consultant in preparing the EIS. We found a decreasing trend of EIS quality scores over time. Improvements in EIA procedures, particularly in ecological guidelines and the incorporation of ecological consultation, are important for upgrading ecological impact assessment so that the potential of EIA to advance biodiversity conservation can be realized.     

经度、纬度及时差设置对AERMOD预测结果的影响

为了验证经度、纬度和时差参数对AERMOD模式预测结果是否有影响,假设在某气象条件下存在一个点源,利用AERMOD模式计算该点源排放的污染物的浓度分布.保持气象条件和污染源参数不变,仅改变点源所在地的经度、纬度或时差,重新利用AERMOD模式进行了预测,比较预测结果的差异.结果表明,经度、纬度和时差参数对白天时段行星边界层参数的计算值有影响,受影响的参数包括地表热通量、摩擦速度、Monin-Obukhov长度、对流速度尺度、温度尺度和混合高度.经度、纬度和时差的不同取值对AERMOD计算出的污染物小时平均浓度最大值和浓度分布影响明显.根据AERMOD公式的描述和能量变化得出,经度、纬度和时差的改变引起了项目所在地白天太阳高度角的变化,进而改变了地表热通量.地表热通量的改变,造成了行星边界层参数的变化,最终影响了浓度分布的计算值.     

福建省林权改革环境影响农户调查研究—以三明市和永安市为例

福建是全国第一个开展林权制度改革的省份。本文通过在福建省三明市和永安市实地调研的基础上,探讨福建省森林资源经营的改变对环境的影响。研究发现,林区的绝大部分林农对林权改革持满意的态度,认为林权改革前后对环境的影响有变化。数据分析显示,林改后,对林业的投入对于森林旅游的影响成正比;家庭年均收入对空气质量的影响成负相关。研究建议,继续加大对林业的投入,科学编制森林经营规划和经营方案,促进生态环境改善和林农的增收。     

废弃电路板湿法破碎能耗试验研究

采用Design-Expert 7.1软件对废弃电路板湿法冲击式破碎机能耗试验进行了方案设计和结果分析;拟合出了能耗与试验影响因素之间的定量关系模型,给出了能耗的残差分布以及不同操作变量之间的等高线和三维响应关系;利用Design-Expert 7.1对电路板破碎能耗试验的条件进行了优化,获得了最佳的操作指标。     

大气环境防护距离确定方法的改进

文章分析了大气环境防护距离的确定现状与存在的问题,针对模式估算可能产生的误差,对现行的大气环境防护距离确定方法提出了改进意见,并阐述了改进方法的可行性。     

川渝地区甲醛柱浓度时空变化及其影响因子的相关性分析

基于Aura-OMI HCHO数据,研究川渝地区2009—2017年甲醛柱浓度变化及影响因素.结果表明:9年间川渝地区甲醛浓度变化总体较为平稳,与全国其他地区相比,浓度均值较低.年变化中,四川省甲醛浓度整体高于重庆市,川渝两地的年均最高值分别出现在2011年和2012年,且2015年重庆出现最大下降速率.整个研究区在最高值变化中,1月、2月及11月出现极高值.9年间甲醛浓度整体先上升后下降,浓度等级二级一级三级其他级别,绝对高值集中分布在康定和雅安交界一带,季节变化呈现春季秋季夏季冬季的规律,与全国其他地区夏季最高有所不同.稳定性方面,研究区中部偏西波动较大,东西两部较为稳定,康定和雅安交界处为高波动区,川西西部、川东平行岭谷和重庆为低波动区,其他地区为中等波动区.地形、气候和风向等自然因素的综合作用对甲醛浓度值的大小及空间分布贡献极大,自然地理条件尤其与极端高值高且集中的特点关系密切.社会经济因素中,生产总值增长速度和能源消费总量增长率与四川省和重庆市两地的甲醛浓度变化正相关关系较强,木材加工及草制品业与之负相关关系较强,而纺织业、化学原料和化学品制造业、石油和核燃料加工业只与四川省甲醛浓度有较强的负相关性,重庆相对较弱.     

基于气囊缓冲的某火箭炮着陆冲击分析

目的减小火箭弹着陆冲击加速度。方法基于LS-DYNA瞬态动力学分析软件和冲击动力学理论,采用有限元软件HYPERMESH建立火箭炮-气囊系统有限元模型,采用显式动力学方法对火箭炮-气囊系统的着陆冲击缓冲过程进行仿真。分析火箭炮在正常着陆工况下,火箭弹的着陆冲击响应,得出空投装备速度、加速度变化曲线,以及气囊的体积、压力曲线。结果在正常着陆工况下,火箭弹横向加速度的最大值为122 m/s2,小于安全的横向加速度;火箭弹纵向加速度的最大值为48.3 m/s2,小于安全的纵向加速度;火箭弹的最大轴向力为2640 N,小于安全闭锁力。结论在火箭炮着陆冲击过程中,气囊缓冲装置吸收了大部分冲击能量,起到了良好的缓冲作用,火箭弹的冲击加速度、闭锁力均在安全范围内。采用显式动力学方法对火箭炮的着陆冲击过程进行分析是可行的。     

气候变化和人类活动对东部沿海地区NDVI变化的影响分析

植被是陆地生态系统的重要组成部分,特别是在人类活动密集地区,良好的植被覆盖对于维持区域生态环境稳定、增进居民生活福祉和促进社会经济可持续发展意义重大.基于归一化植被指数(NDVI)、气温、降水和太阳辐射数据,采用趋势分析、偏相关分析和残差分析等方法,探究了1982～2019年中国东部沿海地区NDVI时空变化特征及其与气候因子的关系,评估了气候因素和人类活动等非气候因素对NDVI变化的影响.结果表明：(1)1982～2019年研究区NDVI变化趋势具有明显区域性、阶段性和季节性差异,就区域平均而言,2000年以前(第一阶段)的生长季NDVI比2001年以后(第二阶段)增加更快,而两阶段春季NDVI增加速率均为各季节最快;(2)同一阶段NDVI与各气候因子的关系在不同季节存在差异,而同一季节NDVI的主要气候控制因子在不同阶段也不一致,并且NDVI与气候因子的关系具有很大空间差异.总体上,1982～2019年研究区生长季NDVI的增加与气温的持续上升关系紧密,第二阶段降水和太阳辐射的增加也产生了积极作用;(3)相比于人类活动等非气候因素的影响,气候变化对近38年来研究区生长季NDVI变化的...     

Proposal of Indicators to Assess Urban Sustainability in Brazil

The research related here focuses on municipal situations where problems of sustainability may be defined and tackled on the basis of bottom-up management procedures with the participation of organized society. The aim is to build management models that may be implemented with reasonable administrative effort and cost. Implementation pursues the target of approaching a sustainable situation in the municipality. Environmental parameters for an ideal municipality with undefined geographical location are presented. For each parameter, a set of indicators is developed that can measure the prospect of sustainability. The indicators are defined in terms of numbers or literal concepts according to the possibility of measurement. Examples of management models are presented, which are able to approach the situation defined as sustainable by the indicators. The basic management tool is the learning curve of targeted communities, which is experimentally developed and applied. The indicators are grouped according to their range of applicability.     

PROFILE: Integrating Sustainability and Environmental Impact Assessment

/ Environmental impact assessment (EIA) has been identified as an important instrument for facilitating sustainability. However, to do so requires the integration of sustainability into EIA theory and practice. The sustainability concept is a valid and important environmental management perspective. However, many issues and obstacles need to be addressed further if the concept is to be translated into practical strategies. Sustainability can potentially infuse EIA with a clearer sense of direction, an ethical foundation, a mechanism for establishing priorities and assessing choices, and a means of linking EIA to other environmental management instruments. Conceptually, EIA and sustainability can be integrated, but frameworks should be refined, adpated to context, and linked to related initiatives. Sustainability should be explicitly incorporated into EIA legislation, guidelines, and institutional arrangements. An experimental approach to testing, assessing, and sharing experiences is suggested.A framework is first presented that defines and characterizes the sustainability concept. A further framework is then described for integrating sustainability into EIA at the conceptual level. The integration of sustainability and EIA at the regulatory level is next addressed through an overview of sustainability initiatives in EIA requirements in Canada. The Canadian examples include many promising initiatives but these and other experiences will need to be monitored, shared, and integrated into comprehensive environmental management strategies. Finally, means of incorporating sustainability into each activity in the EIA planning process are identified.KEY WORDS: Sustainability; Environmental impact assessment