Road effects on abundance and fitness of Galápagos lava lizards (Microlophus albemarlensis)

Vehicle collisions with wildlife have the potential to negatively impact species everywhere roads divide natural habitats; this is especially true in areas where roads are a recent addition to the landscape (e.g., in the last decade) and/or where expansion of a road network is underway. This study addresses the impact of traffic fatalities on lava lizards, Microlophus albemarlensis, on the island of Santa Cruz, Galápagos. The main road bisecting the island north to south was added to the island beginning in 1974 but not fully paved until 2000. We assessed impacts occurring due to traffic and vehicle speeds on the island. This study adds impacts to lizard populations to those conducted on birds on Santa Cruz, providing a means to create multi-species recommendations. To quantify impacts to lizard populations, we assessed lizards on randomly chosen transects perpendicular to the road. We used Poisson regression to analyze those data and found a 30% increase in lizard abundance per 100 m distance from the road across vegetation zones. We compared incidence of prior tail loss of road-killed lizards and live animals to comment on additional energetic costs of occupying near-road territories. Tail condition could not be assessed in some road-killed lizards; among those that we could assess, 29% showed evidence of prior tail loss. That rate declined to apparent baseline conditions of only 1% beyond 200 m from the road. By traveling the length of the 40-km road, we identified hot spots for fatalities of both lizards and birds to provide necessary information for developing management and remediation strategies. We offer guidance on Best Management Practices, such as testing overpasses, fencing and underpasses, which might reduce vehicle impacts to lizards from drivers on the current road. This information is essential because of a planned increase in the Santa Cruz road network in areas where lava lizards are most abundant.     

Heavy Metal Contamination and Distribution in the Urban Environment of Guangzhou, SE China

Ever-increasing heavy metal accumulation in the urban environment of Guangzhou, the largest light industrial production base and one of the most rapidly developing cities in China, poses a serious threat to environment as well as to human health in the region. As a sink or source, urban deposits are good indicators of the level and extent of heavy metal accumulation in the surface environment. The aim of this preliminary study was to examine the distribution of heavy metal contamination in the urban environment of Guangzhou. It was based on a systematic sampling of road dusts and corresponding gully sediments along major roads running mainly through commercial and residential to industrial districts of the city. In addition to road dusts and gully sediments, ceiling dusts from the Pearl River Tunnel were also collected to characterize anthropogenic emissions dominated by traffic-related activities. In general, the level of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn contaminations were more severe on the industrialized side of Guangzhou than on the western side where heavy traffic and industrial activities were limited. The primary determinants of the level of heavy metal contamination and the distribution of this contamination in the urban environment of Guangzhou were the site-specific conditions of its urban setting, particularly the types of industries, the nature of the traffic flow, sample residence times and variations in grain size of the particulate contaminants. This study highlights the complexity of the urban system and indicates that in just such a system individual urban components should be interlinked to assess the long-term environmental and health effects of heavy metal contamination. Among the heavy metals tested – Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn – the level of Zn contamination was the most severe and widespread, and thus requires immediate attention.     

“一带一路”沿线国家台风灾害关联经济损失研究--以2018年“山竹”台风灾害为例

经济全球化背景下,各区域的产业关联强度增加,灾害链也日益复杂,对“一带一路”沿线国家及其部门带来了深远的影响。该文梳理了台风灾害损失传导机制,运用多区域投入产出模型(Multiregional Inputoutput Model,MRIO),以2018年“山竹”台风为例,量化分析“一带一路”沿线20个国家24个部门的关联损失情况。研究认为:①2018年“山竹”台风对我国各部门造成的直接损失约为142.31亿元,间接经济损失达到1272.73亿元;②“山竹”台风灾害对沿线其他国家带来的关联损失为1232.13亿元,其中受影响最严重的是菲律宾;③部门关联损失最大的是制造业,其间接损失是直接损失的60倍。     

“一带一路”绿色发展的战略实施框架

本研究认为推进实施绿色化"一带一路"战略是我国与沿线各国深化经济合作,展示负责任大国形象,规避环境风险,促进顺利实现"五通"的根本要求。同时,我国实施绿色化"一带一路"战略还面临着对外投资的环境管控制度不健全,"一带一路"沿线不少国家和地区生态环境脆弱,环境管理基础弱,以及沿线各国和地区发展阶段及环保诉求不同,区域合作平台与机制不完善等内外因素带来的挑战。本文结合我国实施"一带一路"战略的国际、国内形势研判,提出了推进"一带一路"绿色发展的战略框架,建议加快推进四项重点工作,包括强化绿色发展规划顶层设计,健全风险规制机制,构建对外投资行为调控机制,形成有效的"共通"保障机制。