Application of ecological theory to determining recovery potential of disturbed lotic ecosystems: Research needs and priorities

This article summarizes the views of aquatic scientists who gathered to assess the ability of stream ecosystem theory to predict recovery from disturbance. Two views of disturbance were evident: a discrete removal of organisms vs an unusual deviation from normal. These were perceived as applying to different scales and/or objectives. Long-term information is required from both points of view to define recovery. Recovery also may be defined in different ways, but it is clear that recovery has both spatial and temporal components, and includes both physical and biological processes. Consensus was very strong that a major role (and challenge) for theory lies in the understanding of spatial aspects, temporal scales, coupling of physics and biology, and the interaction of these features in recovery processes. Some progress is evident in the articles of this volume, but among the topics identified as critical for further theoretical contributions were: homogeneous vs heterogeneous distribution of disturbance, local extent of disturbance relative to a regional context, critical vs noncritical patches (size and location) of disturbance at different spatial scales and temporal frequencies, delineation of reversible and nonreversible processes, and physical and biological constraints on the time frame for recovery. Such concepts need attention across different types of lotic ecosystems. Thus, there was strong consensus that a national monitoring system of representative lotic ecosystems within ecological regions be established. The purpose of this monitoring system would be to acquire long-term data on natural variability, to establish viable indicators of spatial and temporal aspects of recovery, and to develop and test emerging theoretical developments.     

Creating a larger role for environmental psychology: The Reasonable Person Model as an integrative framework

We argue that the environment, broadly construed, has a profound effect on human cognition, action, and well-being. If this is true, then the field of environmental psychology has a far larger potential to aid humanity than is generally realized. We suggest that the field would be more likely to achieve this potential if it viewed environments from the perspective of human informational needs, and focused on environmental/informational patterns that have the potential to make it easier for people to help themselves. Further, achieving such benefits could be greatly enhanced by taking advantage of the many opportunities available for collaborating with researchers in other areas of psychology. The reasonable person model is offered as a perspective that could facilitate moving in these various new directions while taking advantage of the considerable existent knowledge about human–environment interactions that is currently underappreciated.     

The international humanitarian system and the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunamis

The December 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunamis were an exceptional event. So too was the scale of the response, particularly the level of international funding. Unprecedented donations meant that for once, an international emergency response was largely free of financial constraints. This removal of the funding constraint facilitated observation of the capacity and quality of international disaster aid. The Tsunami Evaluation Coalition conducted five independent thematic assessments in 2005-an impact study was planned, but never implemented. The five evaluations were supported by 44 sub-studies. Based on this work, this paper compares international disaster response objectives, principles and standards with actual performance. It reaches conclusions on four salient aspects: funding; capacity and quality; recovery; and ownership. It ends by proposing a fundamental reorientation of international disaster response approaches that would root them in concepts of sustainable disaster risk reduction and recovery, based on local and national ownership of these processes.     

发展中国家气候变化技术需求及技术转移障碍

为促进我国气候变化适用技术向其他发展中国家转移,通过文献分析、问卷调查和专家咨询等方式,对联合国发展中国家气候变化技术需求评估报告进行了分析,确定了发展中国家气候变化技术需求的重点领域和技术、需求特点和技术转移障碍等。研究发现:1在减缓领域,发展中国家技术需求的优先领域为能源和农业,次优先领域为废弃物处理和工业节能,能源领域的优先方向为能源工业、交通和家用节能,农业领域的优先技术为改进作物管理、养殖废弃物管理、家畜饮食配方改良;2在适应领域,优先领域为农业和水资源,次优先领域为海岸带管理、卫生健康,农业领域的优先技术为作物管理、土地管理、农田水利和节水灌溉、高效牧场和牲畜管理,水资源领域的优先技术为雨水收集利用、供水渗漏控制、城市污水处理与回用、气候监测与预警系统、水井技术;3利用科技应对气候变化已成为广大发展中国家的共识,不同类型国家因国情和自然条件不同,其气候变化技术需求也各有侧重,但普遍以成熟适用技术为主,且与本国的优先发展事项紧密关联,同时发展中国家对于能力建设的需求十分强烈;4在技术转移的障碍方面,技术受方的障碍包括资金和市场障碍、能力条件障碍、信息障碍、法律政策障碍、知识产权和技术障碍、传统文化和公众意识障碍,技术供方的障碍(以我国为例)包括资金不足,存在多头管理,信息不对称,机构缺乏走出去的意愿等。最后,提出了我国加强气候变化南南科技合作的政策建议。     

A Hierarchy of Groundwater Management, Land-Use, and Social Needs Integrated for Sustainable Resource Development

The pyramid of human needs developed by Abraham Maslow is based upon the presumption that until a person's lower level needs are fulfilled, higher level needs remain irrelevant. Groundwater and land-use management can likewise utilize such a hierarchy in integrating plans and operations with the needs of the society. Only once a region's population has fulfilled more basic concerns can higher-level groundwater and land-use management needs be effectively achieved. Attaining the ultimate goal of resource sustainability would certainly require considerable public backing, both for financial support and minimizing ambient pollution. For efficient water management to supply a society's water needs for future generations, sustainable groundwater management will require the full support of an educated society. The objective of the authors is to point out how essential it is to integrate operational strategies into regional hierarchies of needs applicable to groundwater management, land-use, and social planning. The situation of groundwater resources in Israel's Sharon Coastal aquifer region is taken as a case in point. Remedial groundwater activities have been undertaken in the management program for this aquifer. But it appears that maximal management efficiency cannot be achieved until the public's basic concerns are satisfactorily addressed and water resources planners reach consensus and a working partnership with the society in question. Operational measures must be clearly shown to benefit the region's population as regards their social, economic, and environmental concerns. This can only be achieved through public education, promoting awareness of the issuesbreak involved.     

应对气候变化关键技术创新差异的时空格局——以“一带一路”沿线国家为例

技术是应对气候变化的重要手段,关键技术创新差异的扩大将不利于各国应对气候变化的协同发展。以技术产出的专利为数据源,运用大数据挖掘工具、泰尔熵指数及空间计量学的方法和理论,分析了"一带一路"沿线国家应对气候变化关键技术创新差异的时空格局演变情况。研究结果表明:(1)沿线国家应对气候变化关键技术创新差异整体上呈现下降态势,并以初期震荡向后期平稳有升过度。(2)按地理位置划分的区域技术创新差异呈现高的空间集聚效应,且强强集聚与弱弱集聚具有一定时期内的稳定性,部分地区面临陷入技术贫困陷阱风险。(3)沿线各国应对气候变化技术创新差异存在趋同俱乐部现象,个别国家随时间推移可能经历不同俱乐部过度。针对这种趋同特征及各国技术需求特点可划分为4种类别:技术转出区、技术转入区、技术扩散区和技术承接区。技术转出区多集中在东欧某些经济发达、能源依存度高的国家。为此,本文提出如下建议:(1)各国根据自身情况制定减排政策的同时,需要国际社会制定与其相适应的差异化且有侧重的援助方案。(2)技术创新强国在涉及应对气候变化技术转移知识产权等事项上应该给予技术需求国让步。同时,技术转移应考虑区域协同及地理邻近的扩散。(3)中国应发挥好南南合作援助基金的作用,加强特定区域内共性技术的帮扶力度,建立与适宜国家间关键技术联合研发与示范机制,树立大国形象。(4)中国应加快沿线战略布局,根据不同区域各国应对气候变化的现状及其技术能力制定差异化的产业和技术转移的政策,加强与沿线国家的技术合作与贸易往来,形成优势互补的产业链。     

The World on a Collision Course and the Need for a New Economy

The first part of the paper is an attempt to demonstrate that what we are going through at the present time is not just an economic-financial crisis, but a crisis of humanity. It seems that for the first time in human history several crises converge to simultaneously reach their maximum level of tension. The dominant economic model is to a great degree responsible for the world’s collision course. Hence a number of myths that sustain the model are listed and analyzed. It is argued that a new economy, coherent with the problematiques of the twenty first century, needs urgently to be devised. The second part proposes the foundations for a new economy based on five fundamental postulates that allow the construction of transdisciplinary, holistic, and systemic visions to adequately understand the interdependence of all the elements that sustain life. It is stressed that it is no longer acceptable that Universities still teach economic theories of the nineteenth century in order to tackle twenty first century problems that have no precedence.     

Phospholipid fatty acid patterns of microbial communities in paddy soil under different fertilizer treatments

The microbial communities under irrigated rice cropping with different fertilizer treatments, including control （CK）, PK, NK, NP, NPK fertilization, were investigated using phospholipid fatty acid （PLFA） profile method. The results of this study revealed that the fertilizer practice had an impact on the community structure of specific microbial groups. The principal components analysis （PCA） showed that proportion of the actinomycete PLFAs （10Me 18：0 and 10Me 16：0） were the lowest in the PK treatment and the highest in the NPK treatment, which means that soil nitrogen status affected the diversity of actinomycetes, whereas nitrogen cycling was related to the actinomycets. Under CK treatment, the ratio of Gram-positive to Gram-negative bacteria was lower compared with that in fertilizer addition treatments, indicating that fertilizer application stimulated Gram-positive bacterial population in paddy soil. The fatty acid 18：2to6,9, which is considered to be predominantly of fungal origin, was at low level in all the treatments. The ratio of cyl9：0 to 18：1 to7, which has been proposed as an indicator of stress conditions, decreased in PK treatment. Changes of soil microbial community under different fertilizer treatments of paddy soil were detected in this study; however, the causes that lead to changes in the microbial community still needs further study.     

Humanitarian information systems and emergencies in the Greater Horn of Africa: logical components and logical linkages

Natural and man-made emergencies are regular occurrences in the Greater Horn of Africa region. The underlying impoverishment of whole populations is increasing, making it more difficult to distinguish between humanitarian crises triggered by shocks and those resulting from chronic poverty. Shocks and hazards can no longer be seen as one-off events that trigger a one-time response. In countries that are both poor and exposed to frequent episodes of debilitating drought or chronic conflict, information needs tend to be different from the straightforward early warning/commodity accounting models of information systems that have proven reliable in past emergencies. This paper describes the interdependent components of a humanitarian information system appropriate for this kind of complex environment, noting the analytical links between the components and operational links to programme and policy. By examining a series of case studies from the Greater Horn region, the paper demonstrates that systems lacking one or more of these components will fail to provide adequate information--and thus incur humanitarian costs. While information always comes with a cost, the price of poor information--or none--is higher. And in situations of chronic vulnerability, in which development interventions are likely to be interspersed with both safety nets and emergency interventions on a recurrent basis, investment in improved information is a good investment from both a humanitarian and a financial viewpoint.