Willingness to pay towards a public good: how does a refund option affect stated values?

Mandatory taxes and/or voluntary contributions are commonly adopted as the payment vehicle when eliciting willingness to pay (WTP) in environmental valuation studies. While mandatory taxes may arouse negative feelings, voluntary contributions may lead to strategic behaviour (over bidding) or free riding (under bidding). In this paper, we explore an alternative payment vehicle which avoids the draconian undertones associated with taxes and may be more incentive compatible than a voluntary contribution – a tax that incorporates a refund option. The template for such a payment vehicle is the value added tax charged to tourists in Ireland, but which can be reclaimed on exiting the country. In the context of raising public funds to support the conservation of rural countryside landscape, a comparison is made between the elicited WTP via a mandatory tax and that elicited via the alternative payment method incorporating a refund option. While we observe similar participation rates between the two payment methods, the refund option reveals a higher stated WTP.     

Ensemble Modeling of the Baltic Sea Ecosystem to Provide Scenarios for Management

We present a multi-model ensemble study for the Baltic Sea, and investigate the combined impact of changing climate, external nutrient supply, and fisheries on the marine ecosystem. The applied regional climate system model contains state-of-the-art component models for the atmosphere, sea ice, ocean, land surface, terrestrial and marine biogeochemistry, and marine food-web. Time-dependent scenario simulations for the period 1960–2100 are performed and uncertainties of future projections are estimated. In addition, reconstructions since 1850 are carried out to evaluate the models sensitivity to external stressors on long time scales. Information from scenario simulations are used to support decision-makers and stakeholders and to raise awareness of climate change, environmental problems, and possible abatement strategies among the general public using geovisualization. It is concluded that the study results are relevant for the Baltic Sea Action Plan of the Helsinki Commission.     

钻井废水的生物强化处理简

从受钻井废水污染的土壤样品中筛选菌株进行生物处理实验,确定7株菌进行菌剂配伍。通过正交实验剔除可能有抑制作用的菌株,并确定菌剂各组成菌株的最佳配比,制成复合微生物菌剂。考察5种添加物对菌剂的影响,结果显示,当硫酸铵的添加量为20 mg/L时降解率为60%,高于其他添加物。生物强化实验结果显示,投加菌剂的反应器对钻井废水的平均降解率为42%,比未投加菌剂的对照实验的平均降解率（16%）高,而且耐冲击负荷性和降解性能稳定性优于对照实验。     

四川省农村固体废物的处理现状、特性与农民环保意识分析

鉴于四川省重要的生态屏障功能和多样的地形气候条件,随机选择该地区10个自然村,通过问卷调查、采样测试等方法,对农村固体废物的处理现状、特性与农民环保意识进行调研,以期为农村典型污染物的管理与处理提供一定的理论支撑和技术指导。调研表明:四川省农村生活垃圾统一清运率相对较高,生活垃圾与塑料薄膜以焚烧为主;人畜粪便主要用作肥料,作物秸秆主要用于生活燃料,绝大部分灰渣均还田,大部分生活污水直接排放,这些处理方式导致了地表水、固体废物和大气的复合型污染。调查村生活垃圾产生量平均值为227g/(人·d),主要组分包括厨余、灰土、纸类、橡胶,生活垃圾平均容重、含水率、灰分、可燃物、低位热值分别为129kg/m3、43.42%、28.22%、28.36%和6 048kJ/kg。农村群众对生活垃圾特性的认知不高,参与环境管理的意愿和对典型污染物处理的支付意愿相对较弱;四川省农村生活垃圾和生活污水处理宜充分利用户用沼气池和中小型沼气工程,采取分散和自行处理为主、集中处理为辅的模式。     

生态景观质量的游客感知及支付意愿评价——以福友休闲农场为例

在近年来国内休闲农业快速发展的背景下,由于缺乏对其非使用价值的正确认识和判断,出现了高速增长与效果欠佳的矛盾,如何科学评价休闲农场开发的非使用价值,对于该产业发展具有重要意义。条件价值评估方法(CVM)是国内外评估非使用价值和支付意愿较为成熟的方法,但尚未用于对具有"三产融合"和"三生一体"特性的休闲农场的评估,本研究以福建开发较为成熟的长泰福友休闲农场为研究取样点,采用该方法探究游客对休闲农场生态景观质量的感知水平及支付意愿。结果表明:游客对福友休闲农场生态保护价值支付意愿的下限为18.26元,支付上限为23.10元,游客对福友休闲农场生态景观保护的支付意愿为96.45万元/年;提供便捷的支付渠道和公开资金的使用途径能有效提升游客购买生态景观保护价值的支付意愿;农场空气的好坏、农场的生态体验设计、农场的田园功能分区在主题设计、耕作体验形式、内容等方面的创新程度对游客生态保护的支付意愿影响较大;对于大部分拥有一定农场阅历但对农业多功能性认识不足的游客,在便捷的支付手段和珍稀植物品种的吸引下,更倾向于形成较低水平的生态保护价值支付意愿,而那些文化素质较高,特别是拥有农场、生态相关领域研究背景,对于农场生态功能性、体验养生内容拥有一定认知的游客,则愿意在更高的价格水平支付农场的生态保护价值。     

不同退耕年限下菜子湖湿地土壤活性铝形态特征

选取菜子湖区不同退耕年限(3、5、7、9、11和21 a)湿地、以仍耕油菜地和原始湿地土壤为研究对照,分析了土壤全铝和活性铝形态组分特征,探讨退耕还湖后湿地土壤铝元素组分特征变化及其生态效应。结果表明,研究区土壤全铝含量和活性铝含量分别在16.78~57.05 g/kg和1 699.94~3 823.49 mg/kg之间,其中活性铝总量占全铝含量的6.70%~11.84%。退耕还湖3~11a期间,土壤全铝、活性铝总量及5种形态活性铝总体均随退耕年限延长而增加;退耕11~21 a期间均下降。不同形态活性铝中,可溶性铝Al S含量最低,而酸溶无机铝和腐殖酸铝Al-HA含量较高,分别占活性铝总量的42%~53%和39%~50%,左右着活性铝总量的变化。分析讨论表明退耕后湿地植被和水文条件的改变导致土壤粘粒,有效磷和有机质的变化,进而影响退耕后土壤活性铝组分特征。其中0~5 cm土壤毒性较强的交换性铝Al3+和羟基铝Al(OH)2+、含量均在退耕3~9 a期间逐渐增加,占活性铝总量的比例也有所增加,该退耕期湿地土壤存在一定的铝毒生态风险。     

流域环境系统演化概念模型:山-河-湖-海互动及对全球变化的敏感响应--以长江为例

流域是一个复杂的环境系统。长江流域环境研究表明,山-河-湖-海互动是流域环境系统变化的实质,同时也是流域对全球变化响应最敏感、最直接的体现。地貌过程变化,水、沙等物理通量变化,C、P、N等化学通量变化是系统内各子系统之间联系的纽带,也是流域环境系统中最活跃的因子。以山-河-湖-海互动为核心的流域环境系统模型,主要包括：山、河、湖、海各系统之间的能量流与物质流的输入、迁移和输出理论,系统演化平衡理论和系统自组织、自反馈理论。     

乌鲁木齐市煤改气工程对采暖期 SO2和 NO2浓度变化的影响分析

通过对乌鲁木齐市2011-2013年采暖期SO2、NO2、PM10的年均浓度、月均浓度、日均浓度的变化比较,分析了乌鲁木齐市煤改气工程实施前后大气环境发生的变化趋势,论证了乌鲁木齐市煤改气工程对城市大气环境的改善作用,为该工程今后的推广与发展得到了可靠的实践依据。     

敏感地图在美国石油泄漏环境应急管理中的应用

阐述了美国敏感地图项目的设计理念、地图集数据结构与产品组成,分别讨论了其在敏感资源保护策略的设计与制定、区域环境分析和污染风险评价,以及污染源管理等领域的应用。提出将敏感地图应用于我国海洋、河流、湖泊的生态环境评价、事故响应预案编制、事故责任与损失评估,为提升环境保护水平提供科学的借鉴平台。     

The Avoidance Responses of Daphnia magna to the Exposure of Organophosphorus Pesticides in an On-Line Biomonitoring System

In this study, avoidance behavior of the freshwater cladoceran Daphnia magna Straus was used as indicator to assess the early stress of accidental organophosphorus pesticide (OP) contamination. The movement behavior was detected by a multi-species biomonitoring system. There was obvious concentration–response relationship between the OP stress and the behavioral response even at sublethal exposure. A rising OP stress resulted in a significant decrease of response time to escape (RTE; p<0.05). In comparison of different OPs, it was found that there was a power regression between RTE and the toxic unit of OPs. Therefore, the avoidance behavior of D. magna was a sensitive indicator of sublethal OP stress, and the power relationship could be used to predict the early warning thresholds of more OPs in the on-line biomonitoring system.