Designatable Units for Status Assessment of Endangered Species

Abstract:  Species status assessment and the conservation of biological diversity may require defining units below the species level to portray probabilities of extinction accurately and to help set priorities for conservation efforts. What those units should be has been debated in the scientific literature largely in terms of evolutionarily significant units (ESUs), but this discourse has had little impact on government policy with regard to status assessment. As with species concepts, the variously proposed ESU concepts have not been resolvable into a single approach. The need for a practicable procedure to identify infraspecific entities for status assignment is the motivation behind employing designatable units (DUs). In aid of a policy to prevent elements of biodiversity from becoming extinct or extirpated, DUs are determined during the process of resolving a species' conservation status according to broadly applicable guidelines. The procedure asks whether putative DUs are distinguishable based on a reliably established taxonomy or a well-corroborated phylogeny, compelling evidence of genetic distinction, range disjunction, and/or biogeographic distinction as long as extinction probabilities also differ. The language of the DU approach avoids wording that implies value judgments concerning evolutionary importance or significance. Because species conservation status assessment is not science but, rather, the use of science to further policy, DUs contribute to a precautionary approach to listing whereby status may be assessed even though knowledge of systematic relationships below the species level may be lacking or unresolved. The pragmatic approach of using DUs has been adopted by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada for status assessment of species under the Canadian Species at Risk Act.     

Soft intervention technology as a tool for integrated coastal zone management

After introducing soft defence techniques as an alternative to hard defence techniques, the need is emphasized to consider the coastal area as an integral system. By recalling the main driving factors for coastal management: conflict resolution, resilience and sustainability, we logically arrive at the concepts of ecological engineering and ecotechnology, which are increasingly acknowledged as possible solutions to achieve sustainable use of coastal space as a resource. In this context, we refer to the principles of self design and of ecosystem conservation. In order to deal with real situations we are in need of fundamental ‘tools’ for the application of the soft intervention technology approach. We therefore introduce the concept of physiographic units and develop an initial elaboration for a coastal stretch and for coastal wetlands. The latter deserve more attention because of the already established practices of ecotechnology, at least as far as water and soil quality are concerned, but certainly also concerning morphology, especially in the future. We conclude by briefly discussing how activities undertaken in two research projects currently being conducted under the framework of the Marine Science and Technology Program of the Commission of the European Communities are expected to contribute to the concepts introduced here.     

基于受体模型和控制单元分区的流域污染源解析——以永定河张家口段为例

为识别永定河张家口段水体污染的主要来源并确定流域重点管控行业和优控单元,将受体模型与控制单元分区相结合,建立流域污染源解析方法。结合研究区水系分布、行政区划和数字高程模型(DEM)数据进行控制单元划分,利用聚类分析进行水质和污染源空间特征分析,通过因子分析和绝对主成分-多元线性回归(APCS-MLR)受体模型进行分区污染源识别与贡献率计算。结果表明:永定河张家口段按水质污染程度可分为污染较重的A区(洋河、清水河中下游)和污染较轻的B区(洋河、清水河上游及桑干河);A区受工业点源与面源混合影响,其中工业点源、农业种植贡献率分别为43%、44%;B区主要受面源影响,其中农村生活及旅游、农业种植、畜禽养殖贡献率分别为30%、18%、17%;由污染源空间特征,提出A区的重点管控行业为冶金和食品制造业,B区则为采矿业和食品制造业,确定覆盖阳原县的2、3号,覆盖涿鹿县北部和蔚县北部的5号,覆盖万全区的14号控制单元为面源污染优先防控单元。源解析与控制单元分区相结合的方法可较好地反映水质空间分异特征,提高源解析能力。     

间接蒸发冷却新风机组净化室内PM2.5特性

为有效降低室内PM2.5,指导间接蒸发冷却新风机组的设计选型,推导了新风机组净化效力和净化能效评价指标的数学表达式,并利用自行研制的间接蒸发冷却新风机组,分析了2种过滤器在不同运行工况下净化PM2.5的特性。结果表明,MERV 7+16和MERV 7+13的计数效率均随颗粒物粒径增加而提高,且前者的计数效率高于后者;由于滤材的不同,MERV 7+16的初阻力更小。MERV 7+16的渗透系数更小,其净化效力也要大于MERV 7+13;由于PM10在室内的自然沉降作用更显著,过滤器对PM10的净化效力明显大于PM2.5和PM1。将室内新风负荷作为新风机组能耗的一部分,在对比天津和南宁地区新风机组的净化能效时发现,由于两地区冬季室外温度存在明显差异,导致处于天津地区的新风机组若要在冬季获得同等的洁净空气量,需付出更多的能耗代价。     

四川省眉山市“三线一单”编制案例分析

通过四川省眉山市“三线一单”编制试点工作的开展,探索出适合四川省情、尺度得当、具有可操作性的环境管控单元划分方法和适用技术方法以及生态环境准入清单制定原则,为全省“三线一单”编制工作的顺利推进起到了示范和引领作用。     

在役柴油加氢装置HAZOP分析技术

柴油加氢装置属甲类火灾危险生产装置,为了保障其安全生产,实现事故早期预防,对其进行风险分析和安全评价势在必行.HAZOP分析方法是流程工业广泛使用的一种危险辨识和分析方法,具有较好的系统性和完备性.首先介绍了HAZOP分析方法的由来及应用情况,其次分析了在役装置HAZOP分析的难点,并提出了相应的建议,然后详述了在役装置HAZOP方法的分析流程.最后以中石油某石化公司在役柴油加氢装置为例进行了HAZOP分析,辨识出可能存在的安全隐患和潜在危险,对较高风险提出了必要的安全保护措施和合理的改进建议.结果表明,HAZOP分析是提高在役装置安全性的一种有效手段,其结果为装置安全管理提供了可靠的依据.     

Will unit‐pricing enhance recycling?

Unit pricing is a program in solid waste management that integrates market instruments to encourage households to reduce waste generation and increase recycling. Many studies have shown that unit pricing is effective, especially when the evaluation is based on comparing outcomes before and after implementation. In this paper, we use the so-called difference-in-differences approach to evaluate unit pricing. This approach can provide a less-biased estimation, and can help to examine whether a unit pricing program generates less waste and higher recycling or results in illegal dumping in neighboring regions. Using the fee-per-bag program implemented in Taipei City, Taiwan, as a case study, we found that unit pricing does reduce the amount of garbage but its impact on recycling is not as significant as the current literature suggests. Moreover, the program causes a serious negative externality: more than 60%?of the garbage reduction in the city is due to increased dumping of waste in neighboring regions. As the impact of unit‐pricing on recycling is limited, policy-makers cannot rely solely on this program to enhance recycling in the management of municipal solid waste.     

一种基于斜坡单元的山区城镇地质灾害高危险坡段识别方法

地质灾害高危险坡段的识别对山区城镇防灾减灾具有重要意义.以山西省石楼县城区为例,采用层次分析法对石楼县城区斜坡开展地质灾害危险性评价,初步确定出14处高危险坡段.再利用Geostudio软件对初定的高危险坡段开展稳定性计算,进一步识别高危险坡段范围,最终将11处斜坡段内出现整体不稳定或局部不稳定的坡体定为高危险坡段.经...     

我国大型火电机组FGD未来发展方向探讨

针对大型火电机组FGD未来发展方向,对我国近年来火电厂烟气脱硫标准及FGD技术发展进行了回顾、分析,结论是随着国家环保标准的不断提高,必须为大机组FGD设备裕度考虑一定的空间,火电厂FGD将向多元化发展,湿式烟气脱硫(WFGD)将向BOT模式、规范化和大型化发展.     

县域农田生态环境质量监测数据库的设计与建立

农田生态环境质量监测数据库是农田数据管理和环境质量监测的新方式。文章以绿色食品生产基地的建设为目标，通过监测单元的划分、数据采集和处理的规范化、数据编码、数据表的创建、数据录入、查询和应用分析等关键环节，对建立县域田块尺度生态环境质量数据库的方法和体系作了探讨。