Patterns of plant trait-environment relationships along a forest succession chronosequence

Land-use change due to socioeconomic factors leads to the abandonment of traditional intensive coppice management in large areas of the mountainous landscapes of the Apennines (Italy). In this study we explored the multivariate relationship between plant species traits, stage of forest succession and environmental gradients. We focused on community-level patterns in plant traits of the vegetation of beech forest understory along the regeneration chronosequence initiated after cessation of coppicing. We hypothesized that the correlations between the traits and environmental factors should increase with succession age due to the decreasing role of chance.Landscape-level heterogeneity, i.e. changing elevation, slope, exposition, bedrock and forest stand age was assessed using a stratified random sampling design. Sixty sites were sampled for stand structure and species composition. We focused on 14 plant traits related to persistence, growth and dispersal. The recently developed data-analytical method, Model-Based Recursive Partitioning, was used to disentangle the relationships between patterns of plant traits and environmental gradients.About half (seven) of the studied plant traits showed significant correlations with succession stand age, elevation, inclination, heat index and bedrock. Contrary to the low number of trait-environment correlations in early succession, eight traits showed significant relationships with one or more abiotic factors in older stages of the post-coppice development. Stand age had the highest independent explanatory power, explaining 40% of variance of SLA, more than 17% of variance of short-distance seed dispersal and more than 15% of variance of both long-term connection and extensive perennial root. Among the other abiotic factors, elevation explained 27% of variance of SLA, inclination explained 6-8% of variance of long-term connection, extensive perennial root, thickening and large bud bank.The observed trait-environmental relationship is assumed to be driven by various environmental factors operating at various levels of complexity. While forest succession in relatively homogeneous landscapes might be driven mainly by environmental factors related to forest succession itself and associated abiotic changes (such as changes in light and soil moisture patterns), in heterogeneous landscapes the succession pathways may be structured by landscape-level environmental factors such as inclination. However, in the present study, forest stand age had the highest explanatory power for most of the investigated traits, supporting the assumption of the overall strong impact of succession-driven environmental factors in trait-environment relationships.     

Resource productivity enhancement as means for promoting cleaner production: analysis of co-incineration in cement plants through a life cycle approach

The objective of this paper is to assess the environmental effectiveness of a strategic measure aimed at resource productivity enhancement. The cement industry has been identified as a relevant sector for this global issue, since the related production process enables the use of waste in partial substitution of raw materials and in substitution of traditional fuels. The analysis of the cement production sector in Italy has been here performed, investigating the recovery of energy from waste through co-incineration. In terms of air emissions, the emission performances of cement kilns appear independent from the use of alternative fuels at the percentages usually employed. However, in order to measure the cleanliness of a production system, systematic analysis with global perspective is needed. For this aim, the principles of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) have been used for a case study analysis of an Italian active plant using an amount of recovered plastics as an alternative fuel resource. The improvement on the investigated process has been quantitatively measured as a way for cleaner production, first in terms of gross energy requirement, and then through an environmental performance comparison with a sector benchmark. The analysis has highlighted the benefits on the global environmental balance for the practice of co-incineration in the cement production process.     

基于最小费用距离模型的生态可占用性分析——以广西西江经济带为例

生态可占用性是指从生态学角度出发,生态系统或者生态空间可以被开发利用的程度,是生态系统本身的属性。论文提出生态可占用性的概念和研究目的,并利用最小费用距离模型,分析了广西西江经济带景观单元的可占用性,提出分区方案。研究表明,可占用性低值区、较低值区、中值区、较高值区和高值区分别占区域总面积的12.17%、18.75%、38.55%、28.69%和1.84%。大部分建设用地分布在较高值区内,其余建设用地中,城镇用地主要分布在高值区,而农村居民点和工矿用地则主要分布在中值区。文章认为,研究能够揭示不同类型建设用地的分布规律和区域生态空间布局;虽然受到源的分布、尺度和空间范围等因素的影响,但所得结论对于引导区域开发、构建生态安全格局具有重要指导意义。     

水电开发与规划环评

“十二五”规划纲要提出在做好生态保护和移民安置的前提下积极发展水电,并明确“十二五”期间要开工建设1．2亿千瓦水电的目标,我国需要加强水电开发管理,促进水电健康发展。2009年10月实施的《规划环境影响评价条例》要求在发展规划和决策中考虑环境影响,以实现具有环境相容性的人类活动的目的。在我国各种社会经济建设领域中,水利水电建设是最早开始建设项目环境影响评价和规划环境影响评价的领域之一。本文分析了现行规划环境影响评价制度框架下解决水电开发生态问题的五大难点,认为尚难破解水电规划开发生态难题,在此基础上提出了完善规划环境影响评价机制以解决水电开发中生态环境问题的对策,以期为落实“十二五”规划纲要所提出的在做好生态保护和移民安置的前提下积极发展水电提供决策参考。     

基于DEM的白云山区域三维景观模型的建立和应用

数字高程模型DEM是对地形地貌的一种离散的数字表达,是构建三维模型的基础数据。DEM的一种数据格式GRID通过二维的格网灰度描述地形的起伏,另一种数据格式TIN通过连续三角面模拟地形表面。文章根据DEM对地形高程变化敏感这一特性,选取地形起伏大和地貌类型多样的山地丘陵地区—白云山区域作为研究区,在ARCGIS环境下将二维等高线数据转化为三维地形表面,以TIN为基准高程叠加区域内的矢量图层和遥感影像图,最终构建区域环境的三维景观模型.并以模型为基础,假设区域内的磨刀坑水库在无源淹没的情况下,应用三维分析功能计算水库淹没地形的表面积和体积。     

从大气环境影响角度探讨城市总体规划布局合理性

通过对城市总体规划热源、电源废气排放对城市大气环境影响的定量预测,工业用地其它废气可能对居住用地产生的大气环境影响的定性分析研究,从大气环境影响角度,提出城市规划布局建议。     

城市生活垃圾生命周期分析及处理规划研究

生活垃圾处理规划是城市环境规划重要组成部分,为城市垃圾管理提供行动依据。本文以北京市为例,基于生活垃圾生命周期全过程的环境影响分析和资源化率核算,提出北京市生活垃圾优化处理框架,并纳入垃圾处理规划体系。结果表明规划方案优化了垃圾处理系统,环境影响可降低22％,资源化率可提高60％。     

土地利用规划环境影响跟踪评价分析

文章就环境影响跟踪评价是否适用于土地利用规划的实施进行了分析,并提出了实施评价的具体程序,基于价值模型建立了评价指标体系,采用指标体系法有效简化了评价工作的复杂性。并以扬州市土地利用总体规划(2005-2020)跟踪评价为例,进行了案例研究。通过回顾性评价和预测评价,识别出了主要环境问题以及环境制约因素,并根据规划总目标、阶段目标和环境保护规划、环境功能区划,进一步提出环境保护对策和措施,且对规划目标进行了调整。     

城市环境规划的公定力

行政行为的公定力是行政行为作为国家机关公法行为的内在属性,城市环境规定作为环境规划部门的一种行政行为,当然应该具有公定力。文章重点分析了城市环境规划公定力存在的社会基础:规划瑕疵的不可避免性、规划纠纷的客观必然性和纠纷解决的非合意性;理论基础:"秩序需求说"和城市环境规划公定力对规划相对人、对规划主体及其他行政机关和其他社会组织及公民个人的要求。     

水电开发与规划环评

"十二五"规划纲要提出在做好生态保护和移民安置的前提下积极发展水电,并明确"十二五"期间要开工建设1.2亿千瓦水电的目标,我国需要加强水电开发管理,促进水电健康发展。2009年10月实施的《规划环境影响评价条例》要求在发展规划和决策中考虑环境影响,以实现具有环境相容性的人类活动的目的。在我国各种社会经济建设领域中,水利水电建设是最早开始建设项目环境影响评价和规划环境影响评价的领域之一。本文分析了现行规划环境影响评价制度框架下解决水电开发生态问题的五大难点,认为尚难破解水电规划开发生态难题,在此基础上提出了完善规划环境影响评价机制以解决水电开发中生态环境问题的对策,以期为落实"十二五"规划纲要所提出的在做好生态保护和移民安置的前提下积极发展水电提供决策参考。