Assessment of the Sustainability of Bushmeat Hunting Based on Dynamic Bioeconomic Models

Abstract:  Open-access hunting is a dynamic system in which individual hunters respond to changes in system variables such as costs of hunting and prices obtained for their catch. Sustainability indices used by conservationists ignore these human processes and focus only on the biological sustainability of current offtake levels. This focus implicitly assumes that offtake is constant, says little about the actual sustainability of the system, and fails to provide any basis for predicting the impact of most feasible management interventions. A bioeconomic approach overcomes these limitations by explicitly integrating both the biological and human components of the system. We present a graphical representation of a simple bioeconomic model of bushmeat hunting and use it to demonstrate the importance of considering system dynamics when assessing sustainability. Our results show that commonly used static sustainability indices are often misleading. The best method to assess hunting sustainability is situation dependent, but characterizing supply and demand curves, even crudely, has greater potential than current approaches to provide robust predictions in the medium term.     

归州河西沿江高切坡变形破坏及稳定性分析

为了掌握归州河以西沿江公路由于升级改造、工程开挖而产生的大量公路高切坡发育分布特征,总结其变形破坏模式,进而对其稳定性进行分析。在野外实地宏观调查、测量的基础上,通过数据处理,运用赤平投影法对调查区高切坡稳定性进行区划,其中不稳定切坡长约3.8km,占比39.6%,多发育在侏罗系遂宁组(J3s)和聂家山组(J1n)中,主要变形破坏模式为滑移型、倾倒型和剥落型,并根据其破坏模式的差异性提出相应防治对策。     

A system dynamics urban water management model for Macau, China

Urban water resources have been facing significant pressure from population growth, urbanization, and climate change. A system dynamics urban water management model was proposed to simulate the dynamic interactions between urban water demands and society, economy, climate, and water conservation. The residents'' water conservation willingness was incorporated in the model and water-saving effects were quantified. The simulation results for Macau showed that population size was the main driving force for urban water demand. The change of temperature and precipitation has obvious effects on the landscape water demand. The water demand output is sensitive to the change in population, per capita demand, and temperature. Increased precipitation will reduce urban water demand and increased economic growth will increase water demand. By implementing integrated water conservation measures and improved water conservation willingness, water demand could be reduced by 17.5%.     

用化学荧光溶氧仪测定生化需氧量(BOD5)研究

文章介绍了化学荧光溶氧仪法测定生化需氧量的测定方法,用该方法测定生化需氧量标准样品,得到的精密度和准确度均较好.通过与传统碘量法进行实际样品比对,用数理统计的方法对两种方法测定结果进行了比较,对于地表水和污水的测定,两种方法的测定结果无显著差异.建立的化学荧光溶氧仪测定BOD5方法精密度和准确度可以满足实际样品的测定.     

The behaviour of suppliers and consumers in mandated markets: the introduction of the ethanol–petrol blend E10 in Germany

In December 2010, the German government increased the maximum ethanol content that can be blended with petrol from 5% to 10%, which facilitated the introduction of the ethanol–petrol blend E10. The revised ethanol–petrol blend was introduced with ambitions towards decarbonizing the transport sector as well as to support energy security and rural development. While usually supportive of actions aimed to combat climate change, the great majority of German motorists have refused to buy E10. The lacking demand for E10 is the empirical phenomenon addressed by this study. How did the fuel suppliers comply with the policy provisions? Which actors made attempts to influence the motorists’ demand for the new ethanol–petrol blend? Which actor was assigned the responsibility for the problems that occurred upon the rollout of the new fuel type? These research questions guide this study, which concentrates on the behaviour of transport fuel suppliers and consumers in mandated markets, that is, markets created by policy provisions.     

Assessment of Future Drought Conditions in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

Impacts of climate change on the severity and intensity of future droughts can be evaluated based on precipitation and temperature projections, multiple hydrological models, simulated hydrometeorological variables, and various drought indices. The objective of this study was to assess climate change impacts on future drought conditions and water resources in the Chesapeake Bay (CB) watershed. In this study, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and the Variable Infiltration Capacity model were used to simulate a Modified Palmer Drought Severity Index (MPDSI), a Standardized Soil Moisture index (SSI), a Multivariate Standardized Drought Index (MSDI), along with Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) climate models for both historical and future periods (f1: 2020‐2049, f2: 2050‐2079). The results of the SSI suggested that there was a general increase in agricultural droughts in the entire CB watershed because of increases in surface and groundwater flow and evapotranspiration. However, MPDSI and MSDI showed an overall decrease in projected drought occurrences due to the increases in precipitation in the future. The results of this study suggest that it is crucial to use multiple modeling approaches with specific drought indices that combine the effects of both precipitation and temperature changes.     

Sewage fluxes and seasonal dynamics of physicochemical characteristics of the Bhagirathi-Hooghly River from the lower stretch of River Ganges,India

ABSTRACT

To understand the temporal variations of the physicochemical characteristics of the Bhagirathi-Hooghly River (BHR), three locations representing three districts of West Bengal were selected. The material fluxes from 34 drains during pre-monsoon season was quantified. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that no significant spatial variations were observed for the physicochemical parameters, whereas seasonal variations were significant. The mean discharge was found to be highest (247.2?×?10³?m³?d^?1) in the midstream drains. Highest mean concentrations of dissolved oxygen (DO) (7.35?mg?L^?1) and nitrate (0.81?mg?L ^?1) were observed during the post-monsoon season followed by the monsoon and pre-monsoon. According to the BIS, WHO and the European standard of water quality (pH, 6.5–8.5; Nitrate, 0–2.5?mg?L^?1;DO, ≥5?mg?L^?1), the results of the respective parameters revealed the BHR system is maintained at high to good water quality, meaning that the BHR system is slightly altered from its pristine environment. The mean concentrations of biological and chemical oxygen demands were found to be high during the monsoon season, revealing that a large quantity of refractory organic matter is transported to the eastern Bay of Bengal from the Ganges.     

陕北红碱淖湖泊变化和生态需水初步研究

红碱淖位于陕北风沙区,是我国沙漠中最大的淡水湖,对当地生态环境保护具有重要作用。论文通过对陕北红碱淖湖泊的考察和调研,调查分析了湖泊近年来的变化趋势和流域的生态环境现状。在流域水资源开发利用分析和耗水计算基础上,初步定量评价了湖泊变化的主要影响因素。计算结果表明,红碱淖近年的萎缩主要是由于当地气候持续干旱的影响,目前该湖泊仍处于负均衡状态。根据湖泊对于当地生态环境的重要性,确定了湖泊保护的最小目标和适宜目标,根据水量平衡计算,确定了最小和适宜的生态需水量。通过对流域社会经济用水和生态建设用水研究,提出了湖泊保护的对策建议。     

Sustainability in water resources management: changes in meaning and perception

The meaning of sustainability in water resources management has changed through the time. Initially, meeting water demand was the dominant concern. While later quality issues became more important followed by wider water reuse, today sustainability must include a whole range of aspects (e.g., energy, pollution, persistent chemicals) on various spatial and time scales. New approaches to define sustainability metrics are needed that include three essential elements: the sphere of sustainability, its time horizon and its metric.     

Price perceptions in water demand

Economists advocate for using the price mechanism to manage water scarcity, but complex nonlinear rate structures prevalent in markets for municipal water obscure price signals. We conduct a randomized field experiment that jointly elicits knowledge about the cost of water and examines the impact of improved information on demand by linking a survey to water billing records. Half of our sample of 30,000 single family homeowners are randomly sent an invitation to a survey that asks questions about the water bill and the costs of water-use activities (e.g. the cost of taking a shower), and subsequently provides personalized accurate information. Results show that consumers have poor information about the marginal price of water and overestimate the costs of using water. Respondents are relatively better informed about their total bill and water consumption. In aggregate, respondents increase water use in response to the survey, potentially due to learning that water is cheaper than they previously thought. Increased consumption is concentrated among low users who are more likely to over-estimate the costs of using water.