A Concentric Analysis of the Impact of Urbanization on the Threatened European Tree Frog in an Agricultural Landscape

Abstract:  Pond-breeding amphibians are affected by site-specific factors and regional and landscape-scale patterns of land use. Recent anthropogenic landscape modifications (drainage, agriculture intensification, larger road networks, and increased traffic) affect species by reducing the suitable habitat area and fragmenting remaining populations. Using a robust concentric approach based on permutation tests, we evaluated the impact of recent landscape changes on the presence of the endangered European tree frog ( Hyla arborea ) in wetlands. We analyzed the frequency of 1 traffic and 14 land-use indices at 20 circular ranges (from 100-m up to 2-km radii) around 76 ponds identified in western Switzerland. Urban areas and road surfaces had a strong adverse effect on tree frog presence even at relatively great distances (from 100 m up to 1 km). When traffic measurements were considered instead of road surfaces, the effect increased, suggesting a negative impact due to a vehicle-induced effect. Altogether, our results indicate that urbanization and traffic must be taken into account when pond creation is an option in conservation management plans, as is the case for the European tree frog in western Switzerland. We conclude that our easy-to-use and robust concentric method of analysis can successfully assist managers in identifying potential sites for pond creation, where probability of the presence of tree frogs is maximized.     

Detection and delineation of critical areas using echelons and spatial scan statistics with synoptic cellular data

Geographical surveillance for hotspot detection and delineation has become an important area of investigation both in geospatial ecosystem health and in geospatial public health. In order to find critical areas based on synoptic cellular data, geospatial ecosystem health investigations apply recently discovered echelon tools. In order to find elevated rate areas based on synoptic cellular data, geospatial public health investigations apply recently discovered spatial scan statistic tools. The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize a joint role for these together in the spirit of a cross-disciplinary cross-fertilization to accomplish more effective and efficient geographical surveillance for hotspot detection and delineation, and early warning system.     

论制约21世纪城市园林绿化发展的因素

改革开放以来，我国城市园林绿化事业虽然取得了长足进展，但仍面临着人多地少、资金严重缺乏的窘境，本文分析了产业这些问题的症结，提出了相应的对策与建议。     

大气甲醛卫生检验方法的分析条件

对《居住区大气中甲醛卫生检验标准方法分光光度法》(GB／T16129-1995)中实验条件进行了实验研究，研究表明进口和天津显色剂的灵敏度有差别，但对测定结果无影响；最佳显色时间为2-8min；样品在0℃～4℃条件下保存4d对测定无影响。     

天津城市热岛效应演变特征研究

城市热岛效应对城市生态环境影响极大,城市热岛及其环境效应的研究有利于城市合理规划和可持续发展。本文利用天津市1964—2003年城郊气温,1993年6月15日和2001年5月12日不同时间陆地卫星遥感资料分析了天津市热岛演变特征,结果显示天津城市发展对热岛效应影响明显,随年代以0.11℃/10a速率加强;2002年最强为1.2℃,是60年代末的2倍。7月份的热岛强度增强趋势明显;用平均气温分析热岛强度变化趋势表明:热岛强度在秋季最强春季最小,分别为0.16℃/10a和0.06℃/10a。平均最高气温差在四季中均有微弱上升趋势,平均为0.06℃/10a;平均最低气温差在秋季和冬季上升幅度最大,分别为0.16℃/10a和0.12℃/10a。不同年代遥感亮温场也表明天津城市化对热岛空间分布的影响。热岛分布基本与建成区一致,热岛中还包括许多大小不同、形状各异、强度有别的小热岛群;而且随着城市的发展,热场范围呈扩大趋势。最后对热岛变化规律的成因进行了初步分析。     

Viability Analysis of Reef Fish Populations Based on Limited Demographic Information

Abstract:  Marine protected areas (MPAs) that allow some degree of artisanal fishing have been proposed to control the overexploitation of marine resources while allowing extraction by local communities. Nevertheless, the management of MPAs is often impaired by the absence of data on the status of their resources. We devised a method to estimate population growth rates with the type of data that are usually available for reef fishes. We used 7 years of spatially explicit abundance data on the leopard grouper ( Mycteroperca rosacea ) in an MPA in the Gulf of California, Mexico, to construct a matrix population model that incorporated the effects of El Niño/La Niña Southern Oscillation on population dynamics. An environmental model that estimated different demographic estimates for El Niño and La Niña periods performed better than a single-environment model, and a single-habitat model performed better than a model that considered different depths as different habitats. Our results suggest that the population of the leopard grouper off the main island of the MPA is not viable under present conditions. Although the impact of fishing on leopard grouper populations in the MPA has not yet been established, fishing should be closed as a precautionary measure at this island if a priority of the MPA is to ensure the sustainability of its fish populations.     

Lag Effects in the Impacts of Mass Coral Bleaching on Coral Reef Fish, Fisheries, and Ecosystems

Abstract:  Recent episodes of coral bleaching have led to wide-scale loss of reef corals and raised concerns over the effectiveness of existing conservation and management efforts. The 1998 bleaching event was most severe in the western Indian Ocean, where coral declined by up to 90% in some locations. Using fisheries-independent data, we assessed the long-term impacts of this event on fishery target species in the Seychelles, the overall size structure of the fish assemblage, and the effectiveness of two marine protected areas (MPAs) in protecting fish communities. The biomass of fished species above the size retained in fish traps changed little between 1994 and 2005, indicating no current effect on fishery yields. Biomass remained higher in MPAs, indicating they were effective in protecting fish stocks. Nevertheless, the size structure of the fish communities, as described with size-spectra analysis, changed in both fished areas and MPAs, with a decline in smaller fish (<30 cm) and an increase in larger fish (>45 cm). We believe this represents a time-lag response to a reduction in reef structural complexity brought about because fishes are being lost through natural mortality and fishing, and are not being replaced by juveniles. This effect is expected to be greater in terms of fisheries productivity and, because congruent patterns are observed for herbivores, suggests that MPAs do not offer coral reefs long-term resilience to bleaching events. Corallivores and planktivores declined strikingly in abundance, particularly in MPAs, and this decline was associated with a similar pattern of decline in their preferred corals. We suggest that climate-mediated disturbances, such as coral bleaching, be at the fore of conservation planning for coral reefs.     

广州城市道路雨水径流的水质特征

城市道路雨水径流中富含交通活动所产生的大量石油类、悬浮固体和重金属等污染物,能够对受纳水体的水质造成明显的破坏并影响水生生态。对广州市内道路某路段发生的七场路面雨水径流进行了降雨量、径流量的同步监测和径流样品的水质分析,结果表明,广州城市道路雨水径流中营养盐的含量较低,但COD值较高,且可生化性差,石油类和重金属的含量也较高。其中石油类、COD、悬浮固体和重金属Pb的污染水平虽然与国内其他城市的研究结果在同一范围,但都高于国外发达国家的研究结果,反映出我国在道路路面环境维护和管理上与国外的差距。对照我国地表水环境质量标准,广州城市道路雨水径流中的石油类、COD、悬浮固体和Pb等指标都大大超过III类标准,表明道路径流若不经处理直接排放进入地表水体,可能对受纳水体主要是珠江的水质造成严重影响。     

Collaborating to Conserve Large Mammals in Southeast Asia

Abstract:  Depressed mammal densities characterize the interior of many Southeast Asian protected areas, and are the result of commercial and subsistence hunting. Local people are part of this problem but can participate in solutions through improved partnerships that incorporate local knowledge into problem diagnosis. The process of involving local people helps build a constituency that is more aware of its role (positive and negative) in a protected area and generates site-specific conservation assessments for management planning. We illustrate the practical details of initiating such a partnership through our work in a Thai wildlife sanctuary. Many protected areas in Southeast Asia present similar opportunities. In local workshops, village woodsmen were led through ranking exercises to develop a spatially explicit picture of 20-year trends in the abundance of 31 mammal species and to compare species-specific causes for declines. Within five taxonomic groups, leaf monkeys (primates), porcupines (rodents), tigers (large carnivores), civets (small carnivores), and elephants (ungulates) had declined most severely (37–74%). Commercial hunting contributed heavily to extensive population declines for most species, and subsistence hunting was locally significant for some small carnivores, leaf monkeys, and deer. Workshops thus clarified which species were at highest risk of local extinction, where the most threatened populations were, and causes for these patterns. Most important, they advanced a shared problem definition, thereby unlocking opportunities for collaboration. As a result, local people and sanctuary managers have increased communication, initiated joint monitoring and patrolling, and established wildlife recovery zones. Using local knowledge has limitations, but the process of engaging local people promotes collaborative action that large mammals in Southeast Asia need.