Empirical and simulated critical loads for nitrogen deposition in California mixed conifer forests

Empirical critical loads (CL) for N deposition were determined from changes in epiphytic lichen communities, elevated NO(3)(-) leaching in streamwater, and reduced fine root biomass in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws.) at sites with varying N deposition. The CL for lichen community impacts of 3.1kg ha(-1) year(-1) is expected to protect all components of the forest ecosystem from the adverse effects of N deposition. Much of the western Sierra Nevada is above the lichen-based CL, showing significant changes in lichen indicator groups. The empirical N deposition threshold and that simulated by the DayCent model for enhanced NO(3)(-)leaching were 17kg N ha(-1) year(-1). DayCent estimated that elevated NO(3)(-) leaching in the San Bernardino Mountains began in the late 1950s. Critical values for litter C:N (34.1), ponderosa pine foliar N (1.1%), and N concentrations (1.0%) in the lichen Letharia vulpina ((L.) Hue) are indicative of CL exceedance.     

Conjoint analysis for environmental evaluation

BACKGROUND, AIM AND SCOPE: Conjoint analysis and the related choice-modelling methods have been used for many years in marketing research to evaluate consumer behaviour and preferences for different kinds of product attributes. Recently, the number of applications in environmental science and management has started to grow. Conjoint analysis is found in many different forms, and the environmental studies evaluated in this review display the same range of methods as in other fields. The key characteristic of all these methods is that trade-offs are evaluated by jointly considering a number of important attributes. MAIN FEATURES: This paper is a review of the literature on environmental applications of conjoint analysis and assesses in which environmental area conjoint analysis has been most successful. The method and the design of the studies are reviewed as well. RESULTS: A total of 84 studies were found, dealing with environmental issues that were evaluated by conjoint analysis. The studies concern agriculture, ecosystem management, energy, environmental evaluation, forestry, land management, pollution, products, recreation, environmental risk analysis and waste management. DISCUSSION: Choice experiments seem to have a comparatively stronger position in environmental studies than elsewhere. Most of the environmental applications are related to natural resource management. This is somewhat surprising, but a number of reports have appeared also on product evaluation, which could be a key application area in the future. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to marketing and transportation, the number of environmental conjoint studies is rather small but increasing, and the method has proven to work effectively in eliciting preferences on environmental issues. In environmental issues, experimenters often use choice experiments, especially concerning ecosystem management and environmental evaluations. When it comes to evaluating preferences concerning agriculture, forestry, energy and products, a more traditional approach of conjoint analysis is favoured. RECOMMENDATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES: Two new areas of application are identified in this review--environmental communication and expert elicitation. Conjoint analysis can thus be developed into a useful instrument for environmental risk analysis and communication, both of which are necessary for an efficient approach to risk governance.     

试论生态文明建设中的环境保护

随着经济的发展,人们越来越清醒地认识到,以污染环境和破坏生态来换取一时经济繁荣的危害日益突出。正是这种清醒,推动人类文明进行着一场深刻的反思和变革,把追求人与自然的和谐相处,推上当今社会发展主旋律的位置,它预示着人类进入一个生态文明的新时代。生态文明是协调发展物质文明的保障者,是与时俱进的精神文明的塑造者,是日益完善的政治文明的体现者。因此,建设生态文明既是实现全面建设小康社会奋斗目标的内在需要,又是深入贯彻落实科学发展观的重要内容;建设生态文明,必须强化政策支撑,增加生态文明建设的内生动力;必须强化执法监督,增加生态文明建设的环保执行力;必须强化生态补偿能力,构建最具活力的绿色发展模式。     

环境保护在学习实践科学发展观活动中的地位与作用——从环境哲学角度看学习实践科学发展观活动

环境保护是科学发展观的题中之意,科学发展观关于环境保护的论述,是党的环境保护理论的精髓。学习实践科学发展观活动,是一个哲学内涵非常丰富的课题,是十分难得的研究环境哲学的大好机遇。试点经验显示了环境保护在学习实践科学发展观活动中的重要作用。他们一方面在科学发展中通过转变发展方式,调整经济结构,解决环境难题;一方面坚持环境保护与经济发展并重,在保护环境中求发展,努力实现环境与经济“双赢”。其共性是,注重治本、注重生态、注重政策。深入学习实践科学发展观,关键在实践,要深入一线,深入调研,融人群众的实践,总结来自一线的新鲜经验。要适应新形势,了解新情况,解决新问题。在学习实践科学发展观活动中,不断提高落实科学发展观,在科学发展中,提高解决环境问题的能力,实现环境与发展、环境与经济的“双赢”。     

西方发达国家转移环境灾害的途径、原因及对策

发达国家的环境问题尤其是灾害问题的改善,在很大程度上是以将国内的致灾因素向发展中国家转移为条件的。发达国家主要通过资源掠夺资源引进、国际投资与国际贸易等途径向发展中国家转嫁各种灾害;世界经济秩序的不平等性、国际贸易与投资理论的不合理性、现行国际法规及规则的不完善性是发达国家转嫁灾害的主要成因;控制灾害的转嫁必须坚持历史责任原则和可持续发展原则两个基本原则,并采取相应对策。     

Optical Resilience of the Paraíba do Sul River (Brazil) during a Toxic Spill of a Wood-Pulping Factory: The Cataguazes Accident

This study investigates the inherent optical properties (IOP) of a Brazilian river during a non-natural, anthropogenically mediated, toxic spill of a wood-pulping factory (the ‘Cataguazes accident’). The results indicated an outstanding transformation in the river water chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) pools. For instance, increases in CDOM absorption coefficients, a _CDOM (λ), which were averaged at specific spectral intervals, , ranged from 58-fold at the UV-B and UV-A ranges to 95-fold at the PAR range. As a result, the water color expressed as CDOM absorption at 440 nm, a _CDOM (440), varied from 4.16 to 365.03 m^-1. For S-coefficient, the variations ranged from ∼1.1 to 5.6-fold, respectively, at the 300–650 nm and UV-B range. The variability of S as a proxy of dissolved chromophores was thus clearly influenced by the spectral range used. Optical proportions were also investigated through the use of and S ratios at the UV-B, UV-A, and PAR ranges and, in the case of , also at the NIR range. This approach also showed clear variations between the water samples, likely reflecting changes in the composition of optically active substances in the river system. As a whole, the findings obtained here indicated that both the quantity and quality of the chromophoric material dissolved in the river water were greatly altered by the toxic spill. The changes in the optical properties of the river water, although extreme and likely with no parallel in the literature, were quite rapid as indicated by the optical resilience of the system. Overall, this study indicates that IOP might be thought, and possibly used, as a metric tool for monitoring the state of waters and aquatic ecosystems.     

Still falling short: protection and partnerships in the Lebanon emergency response

The Israeli–Hezbollah conflict in the summer of 2006, although brief, had a lasting impact on the region and prompted an intense humanitarian response. The conflict raised challenging questions for the United Nations (UN) about how to assist a middle‐income yet extremely vulnerable population in a context where global and local relations are highly politicised. This paper focuses on two key questions that emerged from the humanitarian response. First, how can humanitarian agencies, and particularly the UN, improve the protection of civilians, and was what they did in Lebanon enough? Second, how can humanitarian agencies create partnerships with local actors and still remain true to core humanitarian principles when local actors are fiercely divided along confessional lines and influenced by external actors, and when some, such as Hezbollah, are parties to the conflict? This paper argues that despite the importance of protection and partnerships to the humanitarian response, their role in the UN emergency response still falls short.     

Comparison of China’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Law with the European Union (EU) EIA Directive

In this paper, we first review the development of China’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) system in the past 30 years. Then we compare the framework and operational procedures of China’s new EIA law with those of the EU EIA Directive. We also compare public participation, as well as sanctions and control in the two EIA systems. In addition, we identify where the processes in both EIA systems are similar or different from one another. By comparison, we noted that there are at least three obvious weaknesses in China’s EIA system: (1) the application of new models for EIA legislation; (2) the improvement of EIA guidance and education; and (3) the enhancement of public participation in EIA process. Our study indicates that these three major shortcomings should be overcome and improved in China’s EIA system, when compared with the EU EIA system.     

Bibliography of Environmental Studies in Natural Characteristics and Anthropogenic Influences on the Ganga River

During the second half of the 20th century, the Ganga River ecosystem has been continuously altered by several ongoing anthropogenic processes, accommodating multi-dimensional pressure due to increase of nearly four-fold human population. For solution of any environmental issues of the river, the Earth System Science approach is required to have maximum socio-economic benefits to millions of people living in Indian and Bangladesh. A bibliography containing more than 250 references on environmental studies of the Ganga River was prepared to preserve its ecosystem by providing the baseline support in this regard.     

生态环境监理——天津市大港区的探索

环境保护包括污染防治和生态保护两大方面 ,目前 ,在污染源治理取得明显效果 ,生态环境遭受不同程度破坏的情况下 ,实施生态环境监理势在必行。大港区环保局就生态环境监理开展了探索性的工作。