Trophic state, ecosystem efficiency and biodiversity of transitional aquatic ecosystems: analysis of environmental quality based on different benthic indicators

Estuaries and coastal lagoons are characterized by a strong spatial and temporal variability of physicochemical characteristics and productivity patterns. In these environments, the magnitude and direction of the ecological responses to inorganic nutrient increase (i.e. eutrophication) are difficult to predict. In the framework of the project, New Indicators of Trophic state and environmental quality of marine coastal ecosystems and transitional environments (NITIDA), we analysed benthic indicators of trophic state, ecosystem efficiency, and environmental quality in four different transitional environments. The trophic state of the sediments was assessed in terms of quantity and bioavailability of sediment organic C pools; ecosystem efficiency was determined in terms of the prokaryote efficiency in exploiting enzymatycally degraded organic C; environmental quality was determined in terms of meiofaunal diversity. Here, we provide a synopsis of the results obtained and a meta-analysis of the scores assessments obtained using the different ecological indicators of environmental quality and demonstrate that trophic state, ecosystem efficiency, and biodiversity in transitional ecosystems are closely linked. We conclude that the assessment of the environmental quality of transitional ecosystems should be based upon a battery of trophic state indicators and 'sensors' of ecosystem functioning, efficiency, and quality.     

Forest Monitoring in Urbanized Areas

Long-term stationary investigations in permanent plots have been performed in forests of different types growing in Greater Moscow. Their results have made it possible to reveal the trends essential to the dynamics of these forests and make a prognosis of their condition in the near future. Moreover, they suggest that it is necessary to review some long-standing concepts concerning the processes of forest formation, relationships between the main forest species, etc.     

Two methods to define and compute visual buffer strips in a forested environment

Several approaches can be used to define and construct visual buffer strips around proposed new facility sites in a forested environment. A visual buffer strip of a given value, defines a region around an object within which the probability of an unblocked view of all or portions of it by an observer are less than the buffer strip probability value. Two primary approaches are used to define visual buffer strips that take into account the size of the vegetative elements and their individual effects on visibility. Several variations and combinations of the approaches are possible. One approach defines a visual buffer strip based on the average probability of a clear view of points along the object by an observer; the other approach is based on the visibility of the feature as a whole. The computation and construction of visual buffer strips based on these two concepts are presented. Comparisons of the two approaches for specific feature shapes are also described.     

MULTICRITERIA EVALUATION IN A POLICY ANALYSIS OF A RHINE ESTUARY1

ABSTRACT: As part of a major project to provide the Rhine delta protection from North Sea floods, the Dutch installed sluices at Haringvliet in the late 1960s and converted the Haringvliet-Hollandsch Diep-Biesbosch (HHB) estuary into a tidally-damped, fresh-water system. Two decades later, the Dutch Rijkswaterstaat commissioned a study of alternative policies for managing the sluices and removing contaminated bottom sediments, including policies which would at least partially restore estuarine conditions to the HHB. This paper describes the public policy analysis comprising that study, focusing on the role played by formal mullicriteria evaluation (MCE), including the Analytic Hierarchy Process. Through the tasks of value-tree structuring, impact measurement, and criterion prioritization, the MCE influenced the entire structure of the analysis, became an integral part of it, and, despite initial skepticism among the participants about the utility of multicriteria analysis, was subsequently accepted and viewed favorably by the majority of them.     

Monitoring the growth of tourism — related employment at the local level: the application of a Census‐based,non‐survey method in Yorkshire and Humberside, 1981–1987

The growing political and public profile of tourism has led to the need for local estimates of its economic impact and importance, especially the number of jobs involved. In particular there is a need to produce spatially and temporally disaggregated estimates of visitor numbers, visitor spending and tourism‐related employment. This paper outlines and uses an indirect non‐survey method for estimating the tourism‐related workforce in local areas proposed by Roger Vaughan. The method is applied to recently published 1987 Census of Employment data for Yorkshire and Humberside.     

城市内河环境综合整治工程环境影响评价探讨

以南宁市竹排冲环境综合整治工程为例,探讨此类建设项目中施工扬尘、噪声、固废物处置及水土流失、底泥疏浚与处置的环境影响评价要点;针对项目施工期的环境影响和营运期对河流生态系统的影响,提出切实可行的环保措施和建议。     

试论环境监测站机构设置对监测工作的影响

本文根据我国环境监测系统的工作特点,评述了目前各级环境监测站机构设置的主要形式,剖析了不同的机构设置在促进工作开展、提高工作质量和效率等方面发挥的作用和存在的不足,提出了合理设置业务科室的前提和条件.     

建设项目环境影响经济评价方法研究

对建设项目进行环境影响经济评价的类型划分基础上，提出了环境影响经济评价指标体系，环境影响评价的“有无对比法”和“增量评价法”以及实例，并就评价方法运用的进一步研究，如评价参数的选取、评价结果的处理等提出了建议。     

塑料制革工艺废气的有机污染及其对环境的影响

塑料制革业生产过程中产生的主要污染物是苯、甲苯、二甲苯和丙酮等, 由于强度不大,在一般大气扩散条件下可以满足环境质量标准的要求,但仍会对环境产生一定影响,必须引起重视.     

最简化空气环境影响预测模式的实践

有风时空气环境影响的最简化预测模式,遵循高斯方程,过程的推导严密而具有科学性,适用于高架点源下风向地面污染最大浓度及距离的确定,计算方法删繁就简,预测结果较为准确,对三级环境评价中的空气环境影响预测具有广泛的实践意义。