Balancing Emotion and Cognition: a Case for Decision Aiding in Conservation Efforts

Abstract: Despite advances in the quality of participatory decision making for conservation, many current efforts still suffer from an inability to bridge the gap between science and policy. Judgment and decision‐making research suggests this gap may result from a person's reliance on affect‐based shortcuts in complex decision contexts. I examined the results from 3 experiments that demonstrate how affect (i.e., the instantaneous reaction one has to a stimulus) influences individual judgments in these contexts and identified techniques from the decision‐aiding literature that help encourage a balance between affect‐based emotion and cognition in complex decision processes. In the first study, subjects displayed a lack of focus on their stated conservation objectives and made decisions that reflected their initial affective impressions. Value‐focused approaches may help individuals incorporate all the decision‐relevant objectives by making the technical and value‐based objectives more salient. In the second study, subjects displayed a lack of focus on statistical risk and again made affect‐based decisions. Trade‐off techniques may help individuals incorporate relevant technical data, even when it conflicts with their initial affective impressions or other value‐based objectives. In the third study, subjects displayed a lack of trust in decision‐making authorities when the decision involved a negatively affect‐rich outcome (i.e., a loss). Identifying shared salient values and increasing procedural fairness may help build social trust in both decision‐making authorities and the decision process.     

Ecosystem mapping for the implementation of the European Biodiversity Strategy at the national level: The case of Italy

Several international initiatives, including the European Biodiversity Strategy to 2020, promote the identification and mapping of ecosystems as basic tools for the conservation of biodiversity and related services. On coarse scales, the spatial representation of ecosystems is usually based on broad land cover categories that largely overlook important ecological and biogeographic features of the biotic communities they are meant to exemplify. This paper presents a nationwide ecosystem mapping approach that promotes a degree of thematic detail, which is more suited than that found in the continental maps to meeting biodiversity conservation targets in Italy. The approach is based on the rationale that current and potential vegetation cover are valuable proxies for outlining ecosystems. The resulting Ecosystem Map of Italy includes 43 types of forest ecosystems instead of the 5 woodland, forest and other wooded land types recognized at the European level. We outline the expected advantages of this enhanced thematic detail for a number of conservation purposes and highlight how the resulting maps may help to meet biodiversity conservation targets at the national level. In particular, we refer to the assessment of conservation status, the definition of restoration priorities, the planning of green infrastructure and the identification of collapse risks for the ecosystems identified. Comprehensively, the definition, characterization and assessment of ecosystem types represent the carrying structure of the recently launched national system of natural capital accounting.     

Mobility and sulfidization of heavy metals in sediments of a shallow eutrophic lake, Lake Taihu, China

The technique of DGT (diffusive gradients in thin films) using three diffusive gel thicknesses was applied to estimate the mobility and bioavailability of heavy metals in sediments and porewater of Lake Taihu, China. The DGT results showed significantly positive correlations between Co, Pb, Cd and Mn, and Ni and Fe concentrations in porewater. Cu and Zn showed a significantly negative correlation with Mn, due to Cu combination with carbonates and Zn derived from agricultural pollution, respectively. The rank order of average concentrations of Co, Ni and Cd at each station was DGT_1.92 > DGT_0.78 > DGT_0.39, suggesting stronger resupply from sediments to porewater when using thicker diffusive gels. Comparing centrifugation and DGT measurements, Co, Ni and Cd are highly labile; Mn and Fe are moderately labile; and Cu, Zn and Pb are slightly labile. The variations of AVS concentrations in sediment cores indicate that metal sulfides in deeper layers are easily diffused into surface sediments.     

自动电位滴定法测定烟气氨法脱硫模拟浆液中氯离子的研究

氯离子含量是氨法脱硫工艺中的一个重要监控指标,用自动电位滴定法测定氨法脱硫浆液中的氯离子。结果表明,实验加入乙醇有利于增大电位突跃幅度;pH值为3~5时实验结果准确;加标回收率为90%~110%;与莫尔法相比,测定结果准确度、精密度更高,且不受灰分颜色干扰;与离子色谱法测定结果准确度、精密度相近,但测定高浓度氯离子电位滴定法更有优势。     

基于模糊AHP模型的飞行评价体系

一种正确有效的飞行训练评估方法是保障飞行训练质量的必要前提和基础,而传统的评估方法多采用单一指标评价法或横向指标比较法,这种方法虽然简单易行,但没有充分考虑到评估体系自身的多样性,不能够真实反映飞行训练状态。本文提出了以模糊综合法为主体,专家评价、层次分析法相结合的综合评价方法,通过构造隶属度矩阵,建立飞行训练评估模型,克服了飞行教员评价的主观性,比较全面、客观的进行综合评估,量化计算过程,为真实、有效的飞行训练奠定基础。     

城市灾害风险等级评估流程的探讨及其实证研究

城市在社会发展的进程中起着主要作用,然而,城市灾害造成的严重后果已经对当今社会的发展构成了严重的阻碍,如何确定城市灾害总体风险等级并提出相应的对策措施亟需探讨。本文在分析城市常见四大类灾害(自然灾害、事故灾害、公共卫生灾害、社会安全灾害)的基础之上,进行城市灾害评估流程的介绍,包括灾害识别、灾害分析、灾害评价、提出对策措施,从而为城市灾害的总体等级的确定奠定初步的理论基础。以青岛市统计局相关资料为依据,对青岛市的城市灾害风险等级进行评估,确定其风险等级并提出相关建议措施。     

卷烟膨胀烟丝生产线冷端CO_2泵装置的优化改进

为解决干冰膨胀烟丝生产线冷端液体工艺泵因机械密封长期超压和气缚现象造成损坏发生CO2泄漏而导致紧急停机抢修的问题,对干冰膨胀线冷端工艺罐系统进行了优化改进。在工艺泵吸口前管路引一根气相平衡管至工艺罐顶部,当泵吸口前管路有CO2液体时,输送管路内气化的CO2气体通过气相平衡管线释放回工艺罐内,不会进入工艺泵体内。应用结果表明,工艺泵内的憋压和气缚现象消失了,机械密封受到保护。改造前机械密封平均一个季度更换一次,改造后机械密封使用5年未损毁,达到保护干冰膨胀线冷端工艺泵机械密封的目的。     

微波诱导热解法制备落叶吸附剂及其工艺优化

采用微波诱导热解法制备低成本落叶吸附剂,以实现落叶的资源化利用.以碘吸附值为响应值,采用响应面分析法研究了微波诱导热解法制备落叶吸附剂的工艺条件.结果表明,热解时间与微波功率之间存在交互作用,当热解功率增加时,可适当缩短热解时间.落叶吸附剂的最佳制备工艺条件为:热解时间4.04 min,微波功率488.72W,氯化锌质量分数27％.落叶吸附剂以微孔吸附为主,BJH孔径分布较窄,孔容最高峰对应的孔径在1.9 nm左右,Langmuir比表面积为769.61 m2/g.     

Framing an independent,integrated and evidence-based evaluation of the state of Australia's biophysical and human environments

A new approach was developed for Australia's 2011 national State of the Environment (SoE) report to integrate the assessment of biophysical and human elements of the environment. A Common Assessment and Reporting Framework (CARF) guided design and implementation, responding to jurisdictional complexity, outstanding natural diversity and ecosystem values, high levels of cultural and heritage diversity, and a paucity of national-scale data. The CARF provided a transparent response to the need for an independent, robust and evidence-based national SoE report. We conclude that this framework will be effective for subsequent national SoE assessments and other integrated national-scale assessments in data-poor regions.     

Simultaneous photocatalytic treatment of Cr(VI), Ni(II) and SDBS in aqueous solutions: Evaluation of removal efficiency and energy consumption

Simultaneous photocatalytic reduction of poisonous Cr(VI) and Ni(II) ions, coupled with photocatalytic oxidation of sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) were studied with a trace amount of commercial titania nanoparticles and by means of a direct-photo-irradiation reactor. The co-presence of metal ions and SDBS causes metal ions reduction as well as SDBS oxidation to enhance and energy efficiency to improve. XRD, XPS and FTIR analysis were used to characterize TiO₂ particles before and after usage with the aim of evaluating the mechanism of reactions. The effect of major operating parameters, pH and temperature, was investigated. Under conditions of [Cr(VI)]₀ = [Ni(II)]₀ = 5 mg/L, [SDBS]₀ = 10 mg/L, [TiO₂] = 40 mg/L, pH 6 and T = 35 °C; the removal efficiencies of 55.4%, 71.2% and 57.2% were obtained, respectively, for Cr(VI) and Ni(II) reduction, as well as for SDBS oxidation, after 110 min operation. The relevant kinetic model jointed with the Arrhenius equation was introduced. Pseudo-first-order reactions are relevant. Energy consumption (electrical and thermal) evaluations revealed that operations at higher temperatures provide significant cost reduction. Meantime, a criterion was proposed for a consistent assessment of this kind of processes.