Active Adaptive Management for Conservation

Abstract:  Active adaptive management balances the requirements of management with the need to learn about the system being managed, which leads to better decisions. It is difficult to judge the benefit of management actions that accelerate information gain, relative to the benefit of making the best management decision given what is known at the time. We present a first step in developing methods to optimize management decisions that incorporate both uncertainty and learning via adaptive management. We assumed a manager can allocate effort to discrete units (e.g., areas for revegetation or animals for reintroduction), the outcome can be measured as success or failure (e.g., the revegetation in an area is successful or the animal survives and breeds), and the manager has two possible management options from which to choose. We further assumed that there is an annual budget that may be allocated to one or both of the two options and that the manager must decide on the allocation. We used Bayesian updating of the probability of success of the two options and stochastic dynamic programming to determine the optimal strategy over a specified number of years. The costs, level of certainty about the success of the two options, and the timeframe of management all influenced the optimal allocation of the annual budget. In addition, the choice of management objective had a large influence on the optimal decision. In a case study of Merri Creek, Melbourne, Australia, we applied the approach to determining revegetation strategies. Our approach can be used to determine how best to manage ecological systems in the face of uncertainty.     

Incorporating the Effects of Socioeconomic Uncertainty into Priority Setting for Conservation Investment

Abstract:  Uncertainty in the implementation and outcomes of conservation actions that is not accounted for leaves conservation plans vulnerable to potential changes in future conditions. We used a decision-theoretic approach to investigate the effects of two types of investment uncertainty on the optimal allocation of global conservation resources for land acquisition in the Mediterranean Basin. We considered uncertainty about (1) whether investment will continue and (2) whether the acquired biodiversity assets are secure, which we termed transaction uncertainty and performance uncertainty, respectively. We also developed and tested the robustness of different rules of thumb for guiding the allocation of conservation resources when these sources of uncertainty exist. In the presence of uncertainty in future investment ability (transaction uncertainty), the optimal strategy was opportunistic, meaning the investment priority should be to act where uncertainty is highest while investment remains possible. When there was a probability that investments would fail (performance uncertainty), the optimal solution became a complex trade-off between the immediate biodiversity benefits of acting in a region and the perceived longevity of the investment. In general, regions were prioritized for investment when they had the greatest performance certainty, even if an alternative region was highly threatened or had higher biodiversity value. The improved performance of rules of thumb when accounting for uncertainty highlights the importance of explicitly incorporating sources of investment uncertainty and evaluating potential conservation investments in the context of their likely long-term success.     

地面运动转动分量的合成方法

假设近场地面运动由体波产生（忽略面波的影响）,根据弹性半空间的平面谐波理论,提出了利用平动分量加速度记录合成地面转动加速时程的方法。该方法考虑了由于实际介质的不均匀性而产生的地震波频散现象。     

冰对斜体结构作用的二维和三维力学模型分析

通常情况下，作用在斜体结构表面的冰力小于垂直结构，因此斜体结构成为有冰海区海洋结构的优选结构，冰对斜体结构作用力学机制的分析是近些年来国际上研究的热点问题。本文运用简单的二维理论及较为复杂的三维理论，依据辽东湾环境条件，采用计算与作图分析的手段，对摩擦系数、坡角、冰强度及冰厚如何影响作用在斜体结构上的水平冰力进行了讨论，并验证了相应结论     

利益冲突群体的安全人性及其弱点

根据安全人性需求理论对利益冲突群体形成的原因进行了分析,在安全人性理论的基础上揭示了利益冲突群体安全人性的本质。通过统计分析我国近14年发生的群体性事件,得出了我国群体性事件的特点、矛盾主体、原因。运用蝴蝶突变理论对群体性事件发生的原因进行分析,构建了群体性事件发生的过程机理模型,提出了应对群体性事件发生的思路,总结出利益冲突群体安全人性的应用领域。     

Perceived enjoyment,concentration, intention,and speed violation behavior: Using flow theory and theory of planned behavior

Objective: Road accidents are an important public health concern, and speeding is a major contributor. Although flow theory (FLT) is a valid model for understanding behavior, currently the nature of the roles and interplay of FLT constructs within the theory of planned behavior (TPB) framework when attempting to explain the determinants of motivations for intention to speed and speeding behavior of car drivers is not yet known. The study aims to synthesize TPB and FLT in explaining drivers of advanced vehicles intentions to speed and speed violation behaviors and evaluate factors that are critical for explaining intention and behavior.

Method: The hypothesized model was validated using a sample collected from 354 fully licensed drivers of advanced vehicles, involving 278 males and 76 females on 2 occasions separated by a 3-month interval. During the first of the 2 occasions, participants completed questionnaire measures of TPB and FLT variables. Three months later, participants' speed violation behaviors were assessed.

Results: The study observed a significant positive relationship between the constructs. The proposed model accounted for 51 and 45% of the variance in intention to speed and speed violation behavior, respectively. The independent predictors of intention were enjoyment, attitude, and subjective norm. The independent predictors of speed violation behavior were enjoyment, concentration, intention, and perceived behavioral control.

Conclusions: The findings suggest that safety interventions for preventing speed violation behaviors should be aimed at underlying beliefs influencing the speeding behaviors of drivers of advanced vehicles. Furthermore, perceived enjoyment is of equal importance to driver's intention, influencing speed violation behavior.     

活性炭纤维对水中酚类化合物的吸附特性

研究了活性炭纤维(actived carbon fiber,ACF)对模拟废水中苯酚、对氯苯酚、对硝基苯酚的吸附特性.采用扫描电子显微镜(SEM)对ACF的表面结构进行了表征.通过静态吸附试验,采用吸附热力学探讨了ACF对苯酚、对氯苯酚、对硝基苯酚模拟废水的机制,计算了有关的热力学函数.结果表明,ACF对它们的吸附速率很快,在酸性条件下吸附效果较好,相同条件下,去除率是苯酚(87%)<对氯苯酚(96%)<对硝基苯酚(99%).ACF对这3种物质的吸附都是自发的放热反应,属于物理吸附.吸附等温线能用Dubinin-Radushkevieh方程较好地拟合.     

自我决定理论在环境教育中的应用

自我决定理论指在自我决定的意义上说,行为是主观上自主选择、自主决定的,而不是迫于某种内在需要或外在力量的压力。自我决定动机区分了促进内部动机的社会环境,分别涉及三种不同的心理需要：胜任、自主和关系。三个基本的需要缺一不可,也就是说只有在三个基本心理需要都得到满足时,自我决定动机和自我决定行为才能产生。教师在环境教育课程中运用自我决定理论培养学生环境动机,可采用三种教学策略：获取学校其他教师、行政人员、家长和社会的支持;选择学生感兴趣的,具有挑战性的问题;采用合作学习与探究学习的方式。     

气象灾害系统组成及评估理论体系探讨

结合国内外相关领域的研究情况,对气象灾害、孕灾环境、致灾因子和承灾体等重要概念下了较明确的定义,介绍了孕灾环境危险度这一度量孕灾环境灾害风险的概念,并对承灾体脆弱性、致灾因子强度等用以评估气象灾害的重要参数进行了初步研究,指出灾情是成灾后气象灾害系统的综合状态.最后建立了较完整的气象灾害评估理论体系.     

流域水电开发环境影响后评价实践与思考

环境影响后评价必将是未来环境影响评价领导另一新的研究课题,而目前尚未出台相关规范导则。本文根据流域环境影响后评价的工作实践,明确提出开展流域梯级水电开发环境影响后评价的理论框架和评价思路,供国内重点流域梯级水电开发开展环境影响后评价提供经验和参考。