A comparative approach to assess drivers of success in mammalian conservation recovery programs

The outcomes of species recovery programs have been mixed; high‐profile population recoveries contrast with species‐level extinctions. Each conservation intervention has its own challenges, but to inform more effective management it is imperative to assess whether correlates of wider recovery program success or failure can be identified. To contribute to evidence‐based improvement of future conservation strategies, we conducted a global quantitative analysis of 48 mammalian recovery programs. We reviewed available scientific literature and conducted semistructured interviews with conservation professionals involved in different recovery programs to investigate ecological, management, and political factors associated with population recoveries or declines. Identifying and removing threats was significantly associated with increasing population trend and decreasing conservation dependence, emphasizing that populations are likely to continue to be compromised in the absence of effective threat mitigation and supporting the need for threat monitoring and adaptive management in response to new and potential threats. Lack of habitat and small population size were cited as limiting factors in 56% and 42% of recovery programs, respectively, and both were statistically associated with increased longer term dependence on conservation intervention, demonstrating the importance of increasing population numbers quickly and restoring and protecting habitat. Poor stakeholder coordination and management were also regularly cited by respondents as key weaknesses in recovery programs, indicating the importance of effective leadership and shared goals and management plans. Project outcomes were not influenced by biological or ecological variables such as body mass or habitat, which suggests that these insights into correlates of conservation success and failure are likely to be generalizable across mammals.     

Using perceptions as evidence to improve conservation and environmental management

The conservation community is increasingly focusing on the monitoring and evaluation of management, governance, ecological, and social considerations as part of a broader move toward adaptive management and evidence‐based conservation. Evidence is any information that can be used to come to a conclusion and support a judgment or, in this case, to make decisions that will improve conservation policies, actions, and outcomes. Perceptions are one type of information that is often dismissed as anecdotal by those arguing for evidence‐based conservation. In this paper, I clarify the contributions of research on perceptions of conservation to improving adaptive and evidence‐based conservation. Studies of the perceptions of local people can provide important insights into observations, understandings and interpretations of the social impacts, and ecological outcomes of conservation; the legitimacy of conservation governance; and the social acceptability of environmental management. Perceptions of these factors contribute to positive or negative local evaluations of conservation initiatives. It is positive perceptions, not just objective scientific evidence of effectiveness, that ultimately ensure the support of local constituents thus enabling the long‐term success of conservation. Research on perceptions can inform courses of action to improve conservation and governance at scales ranging from individual initiatives to national and international policies. Better incorporation of evidence from across the social and natural sciences and integration of a plurality of methods into monitoring and evaluation will provide a more complete picture on which to base conservation decisions and environmental management.     

Analysis of factors that influence hazardous material transportation accidents based on Bayesian networks: A case study in China

In this study, we applied Bayesian networks to prioritize the factors that influence hazardous material (Hazmat) transportation accidents. The Bayesian network structure was built based on expert knowledge using Dempster-Shafer evidence theory, and the structure was modified based on a test for conditional independence. We collected and analyzed 94 cases of Chinese Hazmat transportation accidents to compute the posterior probability of each factor using the expectation-maximization learning algorithm. We found that the three most influential factors in Hazmat transportation accidents were human factors, the transport vehicle and facilities, and packing and loading of the Hazmat. These findings provide an empirically supported theoretical basis for Hazmat transportation corporations to take corrective and preventative measures to reduce the risk of accidents.     

基于循证安全管理的行为安全管理模式研究

为解决传统行为安全管理实践中存在的决策信息匮乏、管理结构固化的问题,寻求行为安全管理的新模式。首先,探讨传统模式中各环节存在的缺陷;其次,引入循证安全管理新方法,确定循证视角下的行为安全管理的4个基本要素及3个实施步骤,在此基础上构建循证行为安全管理新模式,划分并定义5级行为安全管理环节;对新模式的特点及要求做扼要阐述,最后以某生产加工企业为例对新模式进行简单应用说明。     

考虑心理阈值的突发事件多部门应急决策动态调整方法

针对多部门协同参与应急决策并执行应急方案的情形,提出一种考虑心理阈值的多部门应急决策动态调整方法。首先,将各部门的心理参照点作为识别框架,合成各部门心理参照点的基本概率分配,得到部门协同心理参照点;然后,引入心理阈值区间量化描述决策部门的心理行为,并结合部门协同心理参照点,得到不同情景关于经济损失和人员伤亡的满意度,进而合成情景属性满意度,计算各备选方案的总体满意度,并对方案排序择优;最后,通过案例分析验证本文提出方法的有效性和适用性。     

证据理论在港口航行环境安全组合评价中的应用

为解决不同方法用于港口航行环境的安全评价产生的结果不一致问题,利用证据理论善于发挥各评价方法的特性映射机理不同的长处,整合和协调相关证据的信息,获得最接近事实的评价结果。以中国沿海10个港口的航行环境安全程度为例,应用证据理论,把主成分分析法、因子分析法、逼近理想解排序法(Topsis)、模糊理论及灰色理论5种方法所得评价结果,作为支持航行安全的证据进行组合处理。所得结果经相关性检验并与原文献中众数理论组合评价结果作比较,其结果一致性较高。船长们认为基于证据理论的组合评价结果更符合实际,确认该方法可以在同类研究中普遍应用。     

A multidisciplinary weight of evidence approach for classifying polluted sediments: Integrating sediment chemistry, bioavailability, biomarkers responses and bioassays

Evaluation of chemical bioavailability and onset of biological alterations is fundamental to assess the hazard of environmental pollutants, particularly when associated to sediments which need to be removed. In the present work, five sediment samples were collected from the Venice Lagoon and data from sediment chemistry were integrated with those of bioaccumulation of chemicals in European eel (Anguilla anguilla) exposed under laboratory conditions, responses of a wide battery of biomarkers, and standardized ecotoxicological bioassays. The overall results were elaborated within a recently developed, software-assisted weight of evidence (WOE) model which provides synthetic indices for each of considered line of evidence (LOE), before a general evaluation of sediment hazard. Levels of chemicals in sediments were not particularly elevated when compared to sediment quality guidelines of Venice Protocol. On the other hand, bioavailability was evident in some samples for Cd, Cu, Zn and, especially, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The ecotoxicological approach provided further evidence on the biological and potentially harmful effects due to released contaminants, and oxidative-mediated responses appeared of primary importance in modulating sublethal responses and the onset of cellular alterations. Biomarkers variations were sensitive, and more evident variations included significant changes of cytochrome P450 biotransformation pathway, antioxidant responses, onset of oxidative damages, lysosomal membrane stability and genotoxic effects. The results obtained from the battery of bioassays indicated that responses measured at organism level were in general accordance but less marked compared to the onset of sublethal changes measured through biomarkers. Overall this study revealed differences when comparing evaluations obtained from different LOEs, confirming the importance of considering synergistic effects between chemicals in complex mixtures. Compared to a qualitative pass-fail approach toward normative values, the proposed WOE model allowed a quantitative characterization of sediment hazard and a better discrimination of on the basis of various types of chemical and biological data.     

运用证据权重与确定性系数合成模型进行钉螺-环境因子的空间关系研究

钉螺是血吸虫唯一中间宿主,研究钉螺与孳生环境因子的空间关系对采取有效的查螺、灭螺措施有重要的科学和社会价值。以鄱阳湖恒湖农场茶叶港草洲为研究对象,应用证据权重法与确定性系数法合成模型研究植物南荻、苔草、藜蒿、土壤温度、土壤湿度、导电率、海拔高程7个证据因子与"钉螺出现与否"的空间关系。结果表明:研究区内一定范围内高程的增加易于钉螺孳生;钉螺在湿度相对较大(大于0.35%(m~3/m~3))的环境中分布较少;苔草丰度过大(高于4 368 cm~3/m2)过小(低于1 457 cm~3/m2)都不利于钉螺孳生;钉螺较易孳生在南荻丰度较大(高于2 745 cm~3/m2)的区域;电导率较高(高于0.07 m S/cm)区域钉螺较少;土壤温度在16~20℃范围利于钉螺孳生。在模型预测结果图中,占研究区总面积13.7%的极高易发区的较小范围内预测到82%的钉螺空间分布,评价曲线的曲线下面积高达88.7%,说明模型的预测成功率很高,表明该模型适合研究区域钉螺孳生与其影响因子之间的空间关系。     

D-S证据理论在油库安全评价中的应用

油库系统复杂,各指标因素之间具有不确定性.证据理论具有数据融合、处理不确定因素等特点,已广泛用于专家决策、人工智能、目标识别等领域. 提出将该理论应用于油库安全评价中,应用该理论来处理因素之间的不确定性问题;运用证据融合准则研究多系统、多因素对评价对象的共同作用.实例表明,D-S证据理论是一种科学的安全评价方法,具有可行性与实用性.     

基于证据的熔融金属作业Safety Case方法

为定量表征熔融金属作业安全状态,采用Safety Case,GSN方法,对熔融金属作业影响因素、生产周期、作业区段等进行安全性分析,构建1种基于证据的熔融金属作业Safety Case方法框架;在此基础上,基于证据理论,构建安全论证数学模型,提出熔融金属作业Safety Case方法。最后,以某熔融金属作业系统为实例,对其安全状态进行论证,得出该熔融金属作业系统安全状态量值及安全状态。结果表明该方法在熔融金属作业安全论证方面具有一定的可行性与有效性,可为熔融金属作业安全论证提供思路与方法。