Breeding Distributions of North American Bird Species Moving North as a Result of Climate Change

Abstract:  Geographic changes in species distributions toward traditionally cooler climes is one hypothesized indicator of recent global climate change. We examined distribution data on 56 bird species. If global warming is affecting species distributions across the temperate northern hemisphere, these data should show the same northward range expansions of birds that have been reported for Great Britain. Because a northward shift of distributions might be due to multidirectional range expansions for multiple species, we also examined the possibility that birds with northern distributions may be expanding their ranges southward. There was no southward expansion of birds with a northern distribution, indicating that there is no evidence of overall range expansion of insectivorous and granivorous birds in North America. As predicted, the northern limit of birds with a southern distribution showed a significant shift northward (2.35 km/year). This northward shift is similar to that observed in previous work conducted in Great Britain: the widespread nature of this shift in species distributions over two distinct geographical regions and its coincidence with a period of global warming suggests a connection with global climate change.     

沈阳市北部地区风沙危害及防治对策

荒漠化是当今世界严重的环境与社会经济问题。沈阳市北部康平、法库两县均被列为国家防沙、治沙重点县。本文阐述了康平、法库两县风沙危害现状及发展趋势 ,提出了风沙危害的防治对策。     

Palaeorunoff estimations achieved from palaeoclimatic information for the southwest part of the North China Plain: an attempt to apply a climatological approach to palaeohydrology

Palaeoclimatic scenario projecting annual temperature and annual precipitation is firstly formalized with data available and speculations for the southwest part of the North China Plain (35- 37°N, 115-119°E) during the last 25000 years. Then, with three regression equations relating annual runoff to annual precipitation and derived with data of modern hydrological and meteorological records, values of annual runoff are calculated in terms of the corresponding values of annual precipitation from this palaeoclimatic scenario for this region during this temporal interval. These results indicate that runoff is the most during 8000-3000a B.P. and the least during 25000-12000 a B. P.; runoff occurring during 12000-8000 a B.P. and during 3000-0 a B.P. is less than the one occurring during 8000-3000 a B.P. and more than the one occurring during 25000-12000 a B. P.; and the runoff occurring during 25000-12000 a B. P., 12000-8000 a B. P., and 3000-0 a B.P. is respectively 43, 46 and 66 percent of the one occurring during 8000-3000 a B.P. Values of bankfull discharge for palaeochannels of the Yellow River flowing in this region during the same interval are calculated from available estimates of slope of stream-bed of these palaeochannels with a regression equation relating bankfull discharge to slope of stream-bed and ratios of bankfull-discharge are further calculated from these values for different groups of palaeochannel formed during different time spans embraced in this interval. To conduct a cross-check, these values and ratios of bankfull-discharge are compared to the corresponding values and ratios of runoff occurring during roughly the same time spans. The same direction and similar relative magnitude of changes of the surface water occurring in this region during the last 25000 years are indicated by these comparisons.     

北黄海北部海域潮余流的模拟研究

基于二维水动力模型,在仅考虑潮流作用条件下,通过计算欧拉余流和拉格朗日余流并结合粒子追踪方法研究了辽宁大连—朝鲜龙渊郡连线北侧的北黄海北部海域的潮余流结构和粒子运移的趋势。结果表明:欧拉余流和拉格朗日余流流速整体较小,呈现由南向北的流向,但在獐子岛及长山群岛的附近岛屿和朝鲜半岛沿岸的海域欧拉余流和拉格朗日余流流速较大。对比粒子追踪计算的结果与欧拉余流和拉格朗日余流的结果表明,流向与粒子运移路径基本一致。该海湾的余流及粒子运动规律特点对辽东半岛东岸及朝鲜半岛西侧海域的排污及污染控制有重要的借鉴意义。     

Seasonal variation and sources of derivatized phenols in atmospheric fine particulate matter in North China Plain

Qualitative and quantitative analyses of derivatized phenols in Beijing and in Xinglong were performed from 2016 to 2017 using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.The results showed substantially more severe pollution in Beijing.Of the 14 compounds detected,the total average concentration was 100 ng/m~3 in Beijing,compared with 11.6 ng/m~3 in Xinglong.More specifically,concentration of nitro-aromatic compounds(NACs)(81.9 ng/m~3 in Beijing and 8.49 ng/m3 in Xinglong) was the highest,followed by aromatic acids(14.6 ng/m~3 in Beijing and 2.42 ng/m~3 in Xinglong) and aromatic aldehydes(3.62 ng/m~3 in Beijing and 0.681 ng/m~3 in Xinglong).In terms of seasonal variation,the highest concentrations were found for 4-nitrocatechol in winter in Beijing(79.1±63.9 ng/m~3) and 4-nitrophenol in winter in Xinglong(9.72±8.94 ng/m~3).The analysis also revealed diurnal variations across different seasons.Most compounds presented higher concentrations at night in winter because of the decreased boundary layer height and increased heating intensity.While some presented higher levels during the day,which attributed to the photo-oxidation process for summer and more biomass burning activities for autumn.Higher concentrations appeared in winter and autumn than in spring and summer,which resulted from more coal combustions and adverse meteorological conditions.The significant correlations among NACs indicated similar sources of pollution.Higher correlations presented within each subgroup than those between the subgroups.Good correlations between levoglucosan and nitrophenols,nitrocatechols,nitro salicylic acids,with correlation coefficients(r) of 0.66,0.69 and 0.69,respectively,indicating an important role of biomass burning among primary sources.     

2013年1月华北地区重霾污染过程SO2和NOx的CMAQ源同化模拟研究

以2006年中国地区的INTEX-B排放清单为基础,采用CMAQ模式污染源同化方法,反演更新了2013年1月重霾污染过程华北地区的SO₂和NO_x排放源;应用WRF-CMAQ模式以及2006年INTEX-B初始排放源和2013年1月改进的排放源,分别模拟了1月9-15日和28-31日两次持续重霾污染过程的SO₂和NO₂浓度,并与华北地区47个环境监测站点实测值进行对比,重点分析了基于初始源和同化反演源的模拟效果及其改进原因;本文亦采用2012年清华大学编制的东亚地区MEIC排放清单评估了SO₂和NO_x同化反演源的合理性.分析结果表明:①CMAQ模式污染源同化方法可适用于重霾污染过程,即采用同化反演源模拟的SO₂、NO₂浓度时空变化特征与实测值较一致,而且可反映SO₂、NO_x排放源强的动态变化特征;②基于同化反演源的SO₂、NO₂浓度模拟效果明显优于2006年INTEX-B排放源,其时间变化趋势与实测值较一致,而且可模拟重霾污染过程SO₂、NO₂浓度的峰值;③采用反演源模拟的SO₂、NO₂浓度空间区分布特征与实测值较一致,而且可较好反映重污染区的极值分布特征;④经污染源同化改进后SO₂、NO₂模拟浓度与实测值的相关系数有所提高,误差明显减小;SO₂的改进效果略优于NO₂,这与污染源对两种污染物浓度的影响差异有关;⑤初始源中SO₂、NO_x排放源的空间分布和强度与2012年清华大学编制的排放源强差异较大,而同化反演源的空间分布和强度均接近于上述2012年排放源,较好反映出重点地区的高污染源分布特征.本文研究结果将为改进重霾污染过程的空气质量预报、减小自下而上建立的排放源清单不确定性、评估SO₂、NO_x等排放源的影响效应以及不同气象条件下区域排放源的动态调控等提供新技术途径和研究思路.     

Judging adaptive management practices of U.S. agencies

All U.S. federal agencies administering environmental laws purport to practice adaptive management (AM), but little is known about how they actually implement this conservation tool. A gap between the theory and practice of AM is revealed in judicial decisions reviewing agency adaptive management plans. We analyzed all U.S. federal court opinions published through 1 January 2015 to identify the agency AM practices courts found most deficient. The shortcomings included lack of clear objectives and processes, monitoring thresholds, and defined actions triggered by thresholds. This trio of agency shortcuts around critical, iterative steps characterizes what we call AM‐lite. Passive AM differs from active AM in its relative lack of management interventions through experimental strategies. In contrast, AM‐lite is a distinctive form of passive AM that fails to provide for the iterative steps necessary to learn from management. Courts have developed a sophisticated understanding of AM and often offer instructive rather than merely critical opinions. The role of the judiciary is limited by agency discretion under U.S. administrative law. But courts have overturned some agency AM‐lite practices and insisted on more rigorous analyses to ensure that the promised benefits of structured learning and fine‐tuned management have a reasonable likelihood of occurring. Nonetheless, there remains a mismatch in U.S. administrative law between the flexibility demanded by adaptive management and the legal objectives of transparency, public participation, and finality.     

Effectiveness of terrestrial protected areas for conservation of lake fish communities

Freshwater protected areas are rare even though freshwater ecosystems are among the most imperiled in the world. Conservation actions within terrestrial protected areas (TPAs) such as development or resource extraction regulations may spill over to benefit freshwater ecosystems within their boundaries. Using data from 175 lakes across Ontario, Canada, we compared common indicators of fish‐assemblage status (i.e., species richness, Shannon diversity index, catch per unit effort, and normalized‐length size spectrum slopes) to evaluate whether TPAs benefit lake fish assemblages. Nearest neighbor cluster analysis was used to generate pairs of lakes: inside versus outside, inside versus bordering, and bordering versus outside TPAs based on lake characteristics. The diversity and abundance indicators did not differ significantly across comparisons, but normalized‐length size spectrum slopes (NLSS) were significantly steeper in lakes outside parks. The latter indicated assemblage differences (greater abundances of small‐bodied species) and less‐efficient energy transfer through the trophic levels of assemblages outside parks. Although not significantly different, pollution‐ and turbidity‐tolerant species were more abundant outside parks, whereas 3 of the 4 pollution‐intolerant species were more abundant within parks. Twenty‐one percent of the difference in slopes was related to higher total dissolved solids concentrations and angling pressure. Our results support the hypothesis that TPAs benefit lake fish assemblages and suggest that NLSS slopes are informative indicators for aquatic protected area evaluations because they represent compositional and functional aspects of communities.     

Importance of the National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska for Aquatic Birds

We used data from aerial surveys (1992–2010) of >100,000 km² and ground surveys (1998–2004) of >150 km² to estimate the density and abundance of birds on the North Slope of Alaska (U.S.A.). In the ground surveys, we used double sampling to estimate detection ratios. We used the aerial survey data to compare densities of birds and Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus), the major nest predator of birds, on the North Slope, in Prudhoe Bay, and in nearby areas. We partitioned the Prudhoe Bay oil field into 2 × 2 km plots and determined the relation between density of aquatic birds and density of roads, buildings, and other infrastructure in these plots. Abundance and density (birds per square kilometer) of 3 groups of aquatic birds—waterfowl, loons, and grebes; shorebirds; and gulls, terns, and jaegers—were highest in the National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska (NPRA) and lowest in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Six other major wetlands occur in the Arctic regions of Canada and Russia, but the largest population of aquatic birds was in the NPRA. Aquatic birds were concentrated in the northern part of the NPRA. For example, an area that covered 18% of the NPRA included 53% of its aquatic birds. The aerial surveys showed that bird density was not lower and fox density was not higher in Prudhoe Bay than in surrounding areas. Density of infrastructure did not significantly affect bird density for any group of species. Our results establish that the NPRA is one of the most important areas for aquatic birds in the Arctic. Our results and those of others also indicate that oil production, as practiced in Prudhoe Bay, does not necessarily lead to substantial declines in bird density or productivity in or near the developed areas. Prioridades para la Conservación de Aves en el Norte de Alaska