Tracing the geographic origin of traded leopard body parts in the indian subcontinent with DNA‐based assignment tests

Illicit trade in wildlife products is rapidly decimating many species across the globe. Such trade is often underestimated for wide‐ranging species until it is too late for the survival of their remaining populations. Policing this trade could be vastly improved if one could reliably determine geographic origins of illegal wildlife products and identify areas where greater enforcement is needed. Using DNA‐based assignment tests (i.e., samples are assigned to geographic locations), we addressed these factors for leopards (Panthera pardus) on the Indian subcontinent. We created geography‐specific allele frequencies from a genetic reference database of 173 leopards across India to infer geographic origins of DNA samples from 40 seized leopard skins. Sensitivity analyses of samples of known geographic origins and assignments of seized skins demonstrated robust assignments for Indian leopards. We found that confiscated pelts seized in small numbers were not necessarily from local leopards. The geographic footprint of large seizures appeared to be bigger than the cumulative footprint of several smaller seizures, indicating widespread leopard poaching across the subcontinent. Our seized samples had male‐biased sex ratios, especially the large seizures. From multiple seized sample assignments, we identified central India as a poaching hotspot for leopards. The techniques we applied can be used to identify origins of seized illegal wildlife products and trade routes at the subcontinent scale and beyond.     

行人违章过街行为心理成因分析及预测

为深入了解行人在交叉口违章过街行为,调查影响行人在长周期信号控制交叉口违章过街的心理成因,采用计划行为理论(TPB)制作了行人违章过街心理行为问卷。利用此问卷,对上海居民进行过街违章心理研究,得到250个覆盖各年龄层的有效样本。信度效度分析验证了行人违章过街心理行为问卷能够用来解析行人的违章过街心理成因。在对问卷中自述违章过街行为和心理要素的聚类分析筛除明显隐瞒自身违章过街行为的行人后,对心理要素和现实行为违章行为进行判别分析。结果表明:问卷中2个TPB的心理要素:知觉行为控制和行为意向能够用来推测行人的实际违章行为,准确率为73.9%。其中,代表行人对交叉口交通情况和自身时间约束的心理要素知觉行为控制对行人违章行为有关键的影响。     

Understanding the sources and effects of abandoned,lost, and discarded fishing gear on marine turtles in northern Australia

Globally, 6.4 million tons of fishing gear are lost in the oceans annually. This gear (i.e., ghost nets), whether accidently lost, abandoned, or deliberately discarded, threatens marine wildlife as it drifts with prevailing currents and continues to entangle marine organisms indiscriminately. Northern Australia has some of the highest densities of ghost nets in the world, with up to 3 tons washing ashore per kilometer of shoreline annually. This region supports globally significant populations of internationally threatened marine fauna, including 6 of the 7 extant marine turtles. We examined the threat ghost nets pose to marine turtles and assessed whether nets associated with particular fisheries are linked with turtle entanglement by analyzing the capture rates of turtles and potential source fisheries from nearly 9000 nets found on Australia's northern coast. Nets with relatively larger mesh and smaller twine sizes (e.g., pelagic drift nets) had the highest probability of entanglement for marine turtles. Net size was important; larger nets appeared to attract turtles, which further increased their catch rates. Our results point to issues with trawl and drift‐net fisheries, the former due to the large number of nets and fragments found and the latter due to the very high catch rates resulting from the net design. Catch rates for fine‐mesh gill nets can reach as high as 4 turtles/100 m of net length. We estimated that the total number of turtles caught by the 8690 ghost nets we sampled was between 4866 and 14,600, assuming nets drift for 1 year. Ghost nets continue to accumulate on Australia's northern shore due to both legal and illegal fishing; over 13,000 nets have been removed since 2005. This is an important and ongoing transboundary threat to biodiversity in the region that requires attention from the countries surrounding the Arafura and Timor Seas. Entender las Fuentes y Efectos de Equipo de Pesca Abandonado, Perdido y Desechado sobre las Tortugas Marinas del Atlántico Norte     

Measuring and Monitoring Illegal Use of Natural Resources

Abstract: Illegal use of natural resources is a threat to biodiversity globally, but research on illegal activities has methodological challenges. We examined 100 studies that empirically identify targeted resources, techniques used to procure resources illegally, locations of illegal activities, characteristics of typical violators, incentives driving illegal use of resources, magnitude of the problem of illegal use (e.g., quantities used), or frequency of illegal activity. We based our evaluation of the methods used in these studies on their ability to provide these empirical data, relative labor demands, training and technology requirements, and levels of uncontrollable bias. We evaluated eight different methods: law‐enforcement records, indirect observation, self‐reporting, direct observation, direct questioning, randomized response technique (a survey method designed to improve accuracy of responses to sensitive questions), forensics, and modeling. Different situations favored different methods, each with distinct advantages and limitations. Six context‐specific factors—location of resource use (in situ vs. ex situ), budget, technology and training capacity, ease of detection of illegal activity, scope of illegal activity (limited vs. widespread), and researchers’ willingness to accept bias in results—help narrow the choice of methods. Several methodological concerns applied to any study of illegal resource use: regular monitoring can detect trends; modeling can incorporate sampling error and data uncertainties; researchers must manage levels of bias that vary between methods; triangulation of results from multiple methods can improve accuracy. No method is a panacea, but a combination of techniques can help address the lack of data on illegal activity. Researchers empirically compared results from different methods in only four studies, and no one has compared more than two methods simultaneously. Conservation would benefit from more research focused on: methods comparisons that include cost effectiveness, time efficiency, and statistical rigor; unique applications of the eight techniques currently in use; and testing of new methods.     

水行政执法中违法建筑的探究与化解路径

强化水行政执法制度建设,推进河道违建专项整治旨在恢复水生态环境、促进水生态文明建设。河道违法建筑作为一种“顽疾”,破坏水生态环境、影响防洪排涝,存在严重的安全隐患。通过完善涉水法律法规,以河长办与政府部门协调联动执法为主,提升水行政执法人员执法水平与加大法治教育宣传力度为辅,确立司法强制为保障的多元方式,妥善地处理违法建筑,恢复和保护水生态环境。     

Predictive model for areas with illegal landfills using logistic regression

The existence of illegal landfills is an environmental problem in most countries. However, research on this issue is scarce and limited by the availability and quality of data on the subject. Thus, most illegal landfill studies have only been conducted in a partial manner, focusing on geographical aspects or the causes of these landfills (lack of environmental awareness, inadequate waste management systems, and the role of local government). This research analyses a sample of 120 possible areas with illegal landfills in Andalusia using logistic regression in order to obtain a predictive model for the occurrence of these landfills, including both types of variables (geographical and behavioural) jointly. The results confirm that the variables that most influence the occurrence of illegal landfills are spatial (“Industrial Land”, “Plains” and “Rural Land”); whilst the variables that most reduce the likelihood of illegal landfills are those related to certain characteristics of the municipal waste management system and environmental awareness, such as “Availability of Recycling Facilities”, “Punitive Policies”, “Supervision” and “Awareness-raising Campaigns”. The model obtained shows that variables of very different nature and magnitude interact in the occurrence of illegal landfills, each of which contributes a series of features characteristic of its scale. It is advisable, therefore, to perform an analysis using a multi-scale approach in order to gain an overall understanding of the phenomenon.     

中国环境法制建设的进展与任务

总结了中国在环境法制建设所取得的成就，指出经过20多年的努力，中国已基本形成了适应社会主义市场经济体制，具有中国特色的环境法律体系。分析了当前环境法制建设中存在的突出问题及其原因。提出了“十五”期间全国环境法制建设的主要任务及措施。强调要通过加强前期调研，不断提高立法质量；强化环境行政执法，依法严励查处各类环境违法行为，严厉打击环境犯罪；并通过建立有奖举报制度，完善公众参与环境执法的监督机制。     

浅谈危险性分析中应注意的问题

该文简要介绍了危险性分析的常用方法,阐明了进行危险性分析的前提,并运用详细的事例说明危险性分析时应注意辨识经验性违章及进行系统或设备隐蔽功能的分析等几个问题.     

水利工程建设项目安全生产违规行为分析及监管模式优化

为优化水利工程建设项目安全监管模式、提高安全监管效能,选取山东省2020年重点水利工程质量安全监督报告进行统计分析,梳理出项目法人、代建单位、施工单位、监理单位、设计单位的安全生产违规行为共计1289个,以行为安全“2-4”模型为理论依据,对高频不安全行为产生的原因和规律进行研究。结果显示:水利工程建设项目五方参建单位的高频不安全行为中,安全管理体系程序文件不完善及执行过程不佳的组织不安全行为累计649频次,组织成员安全知识、意识、习惯不佳产生的个人不安全行为累计331频次。据此提出可将监管重点放在对参建单位管理体系的建立与运行上进行组织不安全行为控制,进而控制组织成员个人不安全行为,达到事故预防的目的。     

Changing legislative thinking in China to better protect wild animals and human health

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the inadequacy of China's legal protection of wildlife. Long-standing illegal wildlife trade in China and worldwide increases the risk of zoonotic infectious diseases. We sought to improve the understanding of China’ legal system for the protection of wildlife, which has at its core the wildlife protection law, by systematically evaluating the laws and regulations of China's Wildlife Protection Framework. We examined how existing legal documents (e.g., the Wildlife Protection Law 2018) are directly or indirectly related to wildlife conservation. The inherent defects of wildlife protection legislation include a narrow scope of protection, insufficient public participation, and inconsistent enforcement among responsible agencies. Solutions to improve China's Wildlife Protection Law include expanding the legal protection of wildlife, and improving monitoring of wildlife protection. Strengthening legislation will be the basis for effective regulation of the use of wild animals. We advocate the establishment of a sound wildlife protection legal system for resolving conflicts between humans and wild animals and preventing zoonotic disease, such a system will have a profound impact on the sustainable development of China's wildlife resources.