Scaling up private land conservation to meet recovery goals for grassland birds

Long-term population declines have elevated recovery of grassland avifauna to among the highest conservation priorities in North America. Because most of the Great Plains is privately owned, recovery of grassland bird populations depends on voluntary conservation with strong partnerships between private landowners and resource professionals. Despite large areas enrolled in voluntary practices through U.S. Department of Agriculture's Lesser Prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) Initiative (LPCI), the effectiveness of Farm Bill investments for meeting wildlife conservation goals remains an open question. Our objectives were to evaluate extents to which Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and LPCI-grazing practices influence population densities of grassland birds; estimate relative contributions of practices to regional bird populations; and evaluate percentages of populations conserved relative to vulnerability of species. We designed a large-scale impact-reference study and used the Integrated Monitoring in Bird Conservation Regions program to evaluate bird population targets of the Playa Lakes Joint Venture. We used point transect distance sampling to estimate density and population size for 35 species of grassland birds on private lands enrolled in native or introduced CRP plantings and LPCI-prescribed grazing. Treatment effects indicated CRP plantings increased densities of three grassland obligates vulnerable to habitat loss, and LPCI grazing increased densities of four species requiring heterogeneity in dense, tall-grass structure (α = 0.1). Population estimates in 2016 indicated the practices conserved breeding habitat for 4.5 million birds (90% CI: 4.0–5.1), and increased population sizes of 16 species , totaling 1.8 million birds (CI: 1.4–2.4). Conservation practices on private land benefited the most vulnerable grassland obligate species (AIC_c weight = 0.53). By addressing habitat loss and degradation in agricultural landscapes, conservation on private land provides a solution to declining avifauna of North America and scales up to meet population recovery goals for the most imperiled grassland birds.     

Comparing contaminated property redevelopment for mandatory and Voluntary Cleanup Programs in California

This study uses California data to compare redevelopment for properties subject to mandatory and voluntary cleanup. CalSites are subject to the CERCLA liability approach, while properties in the Voluntary Cleanup Program (VCP) are subject to a risk-based approach (RBA) that allows some contamination to remain for non-residential redevelopment. The expectation is that VCPs will show a greater proportion of industrial redevelopment, which has the least stringent standard, and a smaller proportion of residential redevelopment. The results show an overall trend toward more residential redevelopment of contaminated properties, but consistent with expectations, the trend is weaker for VCP properties than CalSites.     

科技支撑美丽中国建设的进展和展望

自党的十八大提出美丽中国建设目标以来,为发挥好科技支撑作用,国家组织开展了一系列关于资源、生态和环境等领域的科技计划,有效支撑了美丽中国建设的理论探索、生态环境保护修复和生态文明体制建设决策支持等方面的科技需求。本文在梳理过去十年国际及发达国家生态环境领域科技研发布局情况,以及我国相关领域科技研发计划和推进情况的基础上,重点介绍了中国科学院“美丽中国生态文明建设科技工程”战略性先导科技专项（A类）的主要研发内容及取得的阶段进展,并基于现状与期望分析,辨识有关领域科技前沿动态与发展趋势,提出关于下一步科技发展方向的建议,以期为党的二十大之后科技推进美丽中国建设的方向提供参考。     

A management strategy to reduce bacterial pollution in shellfish areas: A case study

The problem of bacterial pollution in shellfishing areas is not uncommon in the coastal regions of the United States. Bacterial contamination from man's activities can effectively reduce our natural shellfish resource areas by forcing their closure because of high potential risk of diseases being spread by shellfish harvested in these areas. Tillamook Bay, a relatively small, enclosed drainage basin of nonurban character, presents an excellent study area for observing this problem. The high population density of animals, raised on a relatively small floodplain area, represents one of the major sources of pollution in the bay. This paper summarizes the history of the agencies involved with the problem and presents the current approach to alleviate bacterial pollution in the bay without unduly penalizing other industries in the Tillamook basin. The paper also presents some of the legal aspects of reducing water pollution in shellfish harvesting areas and the jurisdiction of federal agencies in these matters. Finally, recommendations are given to reduce bacterial output by the major source categories in the basin, and criteria for bay closure to shellfish harvest are developed to protect the public from bacterially contaminated shellfish.     

排污收费实用计算机程序

本文就新执行的“四川省超标排污收费管理办法”中的内容，编制了计算机ｆｏｘｂａｓｅ语言程序，专门用于排污收费工作。该技术全部采用汉字录入，操作方便，不用专门的计算机技术，使操作者一看就懂，一学就会，对强化环境执法，提高环境管理的科学化水平，提高工作效率，意义重大。     

Effects of Antecedent Streamflow and Sample Timing on Trend Assessments of Fish,Invertebrate, and Diatom Communities

Detecting trends in biological attributes is central to many stream monitoring programs; however, understanding how natural variability in environmental factors affects trend results is not well understood. We evaluated the influence of antecedent streamflow and sample timing (covariates) on trend estimates for fish, invertebrate, and diatom taxa richness and biological condition from 2002 to 2012 at 51 sites distributed across the conterminous United States. A combination of linear regression and Kendall‐tau test for trends were used to evaluate covariate influence on trend estimates. Adjusting for covariates changed the magnitude of trend estimates in two‐thirds of cases on average by 21%, most often reducing the estimated magnitude of the trend. Additionally, covariates influenced the interpretation of over one‐third of trend estimates by either strengthening or weakening trends after adjustment. Our findings clearly indicate that antecedent streamflow and sample timing influences trend estimates and subsequent interpretation. Accounting for covariates during trend analysis will enhance stream monitoring programs by providing a better understanding and interpretation of estimated changes in biological endpoints at monitored sites. Failure to account for antecedent streamflow and sample timing may lead to mischaracterization of a trend and/or misunderstanding of potential causes.     

Development of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Total Maximum Daily Load Allocation

Nutrient load allocations and subsequent reductions in total nitrogen and phosphorus have been applied in the Chesapeake watershed since 1992 to reduce hypoxia and to restore living resources. In 2010, sediment allocations were established to augment nutrient allocations supporting the submerged aquatic vegetation resource. From the initial introduction of nutrient allocations in 1992 to the present, the allocations have become more completely applied to all areas and loads in the watershed and have also become more rigorously assessed and tracked. The latest 2010 application of nutrient and sediment allocations were made as part of the Chesapeake Bay total maximum daily load and covered all six states of the Chesapeake watershed. A quantitative allocation process was developed that applied principles of equity and efficiency in the watershed, while achieving all tidal water quality standards through an assessment of equitable levels of effort in reducing nutrients and sediments. The level of effort was determined through application of two key watershed scenarios: one where no action was taken in nutrient control and one where maximum nutrient control efforts were applied. Once the level of effort was determined for different jurisdictions, the overall load reduction was set watershed‐wide to achieve dissolved oxygen water quality standards. Further adjustments were made to the allocation to achieve the James River chlorophyll‐a standard.     

巧借他山石 助我振翅飞——推进国家重大水专项滇池洱海项目的思考

介绍了云南省水专项项目的基本情况,总结了"十一五"的成果及经验,提出了"十二五"的思考和建议。     

Environmental,economic and social costs and benefits of a packaging waste management system: A Portuguese case study

The impact of the management of packaging waste on the environment, economic growth and job creation is analyzed in this paper. This integrated assessment intends to cover a gap in the literature for this type of studies, using the specific case study of the Portuguese packaging waste management system (SIGRE).The net environmental benefits associated with the management of packaging waste, are calculated using the Life Cycle Assessment methodology. The results show that, for the categories studied, the impacts associated to SIGRE's various activities are surpassed by the benefits associated to material and energy recovery, with special focus on recycling. For example, in 2011 SIGRE avoided the emission of 116 kt CO₂ equiv. – the equivalent carbon emission of the electricity consumption of 124.000 households in Portugal.The economic impact of SIGRE is evaluated through Input–Output Analysis. It was found that SIGRE's activities also have a significant economic impact. For example, their added value are ranked amongst the upper third of the economic activities with highest multiplier effect at national level: this means that for each Euro of value added generated within SIGRE, 1.25 additional € are added to the rest of the economy (multiplier effect of 2.25).Regarding the social impacts of SIGRE, the number of direct jobs associated with the system is estimated to be more than two thousand and three hundred workers. Out of these, 83% are connected to the management of municipal waste packaging (selective collection and sorting), 15% are connected to the management of non-municipal packaging waste and only 2% are connected to the Sociedade Ponto Verde (SPV, green dot society in English) – the management entity responsible for SIGRE.In general terms, the results obtained provide quantitative support to the EEA (2011) suggestion that moving up the waste hierarchy – from landfilling to recycling – creates jobs and boosts the economy.     

退耕还林工程驱动下的土地利用变化合理性研究——以云南芒市为例

以滇西南中低山盆谷区的芒市为例,在探讨土地利用变化合理度的概念和内涵并构建土地利用变化合理度的评价指标、测算方法和分级标准体系基础上,定量地分析评价了芒市近8 a来退耕还林工程驱动下各个地类变化的合理度和总体土地利用变化的合理度,为推进山区土地资源的可持续利用和退耕还林工程的科学实施提供基础依据。评价结果表明,全市近8 a所有地类转化的总面积为77 602.80 hm²,转化的合理度(RD值)只有48.98%,属于"中度不合理"级。总体上,芒市近8 a来退耕还林工程驱动下的土地利用变化,既有合理的部分,如部分陡坡耕地的生态退耕、荒山造林和封山育林等,但其不合理性亦非常突出,主要体现在生态退耕地中约96%属于"不该退"的宜耕地。此外,在实施退耕还林工程的同时,却又出现较为突出的毁林开垦现象。这些问题的突出存在,使芒市近8 a土地利用变化的合理性程度很低。