Paradise Threatened: Land Use and Erosion on St. John, US Virgin Islands

2 /yr, respectively. Geomorphic evidence indicates that plantation agriculture during the 18th and 19th centuries did not cause severe erosion. Since about 1950 there has been rapid growth in roads and development due to increasing tourism and second-home development. Our field investigations identified the approximately 50 km of unpaved roads as the primary source of anthropogenic sediment. Field measurements of the road network in two catchments led to the development of a vector-based GIS model to predict road surface erosion and sediment delivery. We estimate that road erosion has caused at least a fourfold increase in island-wide sediment yields and that current sedimentation rates are unprecedented. Paving the dirt roads and implementing standard sediment control practices can greatly reduce current sediment yields and possible adverse effects on the marine ecosystems surrounding St. John.     

Analysis of Roadside Inhalable Particulate Matter (PM10) in Major Korean Cities

A data analysis of three major Korean cities was conducted to assess roadside inhalable particulate matter 10 μm or smaller in aerodynamic diameter (PM₁₀), including temporal and meteorological variations, over a recent period of 4 to 6 years. The yearly roadside PM₁₀ concentrations presented a well-defined increasing trend or no trend depending on the roadside monitoring station. Most mean values exceeded or approximated the Korean standard of 70 μg/m³ per year for PM₁₀. A representative roadside diurnal trend was characterized by a distinct morning maximum. In most cases, the Sunday roadside concentrations were similar to or somewhat lower than the weekday concentrations, and the PM₁₀ concentrations presented a well-defined seasonal variation, with the maximum concentration in March. The monthly maximum concentrations observed in March were most likely attributable to Asian dust storms. In two metropolitan cities (Seoul and Busan), the frequency of days with roadside PM₁₀ concentrations exceeding the standard of 150μg/m³ per 24 h was much lower for the roadside monitoring stations than for the residential monitoring station, whereas in the third city (Daegu), this result was reversed. Interestingly, the average maximum concentrations observed for the roadside sites in Seoul and Busan during March were higher than those for the residential sites, suggesting that the roadside concentrations responded more to the dust storms than the residential areas. The relationship between the pollutant concentrations and five important meteorological parameters (solar radiation, wind speed, air temperature, relative humidity, and precipitation) showed that the number and type of meteorological variables included in the equations varied according to the monitoring station or season. Finally, the current results confirmed that attention should be given to the PM₁₀ exposure of residents living near roadways.     

Threats to intact tropical peatlands and opportunities for their conservation

Large, intact areas of tropical peatland are highly threatened at a global scale by the expansion of commercial agriculture and other forms of economic development. Conserving peatlands on a landscape scale, with their hydrology intact, is of international conservation importance to preserve their distinctive biodiversity and ecosystem services and maintain their resilience to future environmental change. We explored threats to and opportunities for conserving remaining intact tropical peatlands; thus, we excluded peatlands of Indonesia and Malaysia, where extensive deforestation, drainage, and conversion to plantations means conservation in this region can protect only small fragments of the original ecosystem. We focused on a case study, the Pastaza‐Marañón Foreland Basin (PMFB) in Peru, which is among the largest known intact tropical peatland landscapes in the world and is representative of peatland vulnerability. Maintenance of the hydrological conditions critical for carbon storage and ecosystem function of peatlands is, in the PMFB, primarily threatened by expansion of commercial agriculture linked to new transport infrastructure that is facilitating access to remote areas. There remain opportunities in the PMFB and elsewhere to develop alternative, more sustainable land‐use practices. Although some of the peatlands in the PMFB fall within existing legally protected areas, this protection does not include the most carbon‐dense (domed pole forest) areas. New carbon‐based conservation instruments (e.g., REDD+, Green Climate Fund), developing markets for sustainable peatland products, transferring land title to local communities, and expanding protected areas offer pathways to increased protection for intact tropical peatlands in Amazonia and elsewhere, such as those in New Guinea and Central Africa which remain, for the moment, broadly beyond the frontier of commercial development.     

Using a Bayesian network to clarify areas requiring research in a host–pathogen system

Bayesian network analyses can be used to interactively change the strength of effect of variables in a model to explore complex relationships in new ways. In doing so, they allow one to identify influential nodes that are not well studied empirically so that future research can be prioritized. We identified relationships in host and pathogen biology to examine disease‐driven declines of amphibians associated with amphibian chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis). We constructed a Bayesian network consisting of behavioral, genetic, physiological, and environmental variables that influence disease and used them to predict host population trends. We varied the impacts of specific variables in the model to reveal factors with the most influence on host population trend. The behavior of the nodes (the way in which the variables probabilistically responded to changes in states of the parents, which are the nodes or variables that directly influenced them in the graphical model) was consistent with published results. The frog population had a 49% probability of decline when all states were set at their original values, and this probability increased when body temperatures were cold, the immune system was not suppressing infection, and the ambient environment was conducive to growth of B. dendrobatidis. These findings suggest the construction of our model reflected the complex relationships characteristic of host–pathogen interactions. Changes to climatic variables alone did not strongly influence the probability of population decline, which suggests that climate interacts with other factors such as the capacity of the frog immune system to suppress disease. Changes to the adaptive immune system and disease reservoirs had a large effect on the population trend, but there was little empirical information available for model construction. Our model inputs can be used as a base to examine other systems, and our results show that such analyses are useful tools for reviewing existing literature, identifying links poorly supported by evidence, and understanding complexities in emerging infectious‐disease systems.     

论泥炭纤维素碳同位素组成作为东亚季风强度变化代用指标的可行性:吉林3个临近发育的泥炭地泥炭剖面的横向比对

降雨量通常与东亚季风强度成正比,而植物纤维素碳同位素组成又与降雨量成反比,因此泥炭纤维素碳同位素比值通常作为东亚季风强度变化的代用指标。由于季风影响的广泛性和区域性,临近发育的泥炭地植物纤维素碳同位素序列应该高度相关。为了验证这种假设,我们系统比较了吉林3处泥炭地3个泥炭剖面苔草纤维素2000年来的碳同位素序列。14 C时标控制的3个序列不呈现有意义的相关关系。不同时段,如过去500年、1000年、1500年和2000年来序列的长期趋势也不相关,序列中包含的周期完全不同。这些事实说明3处剖面苔草纤维素碳同位素比值记录的是当地性的而不是区域性的气候或环境信号,将泥炭纤维素碳同位素比值作为东亚季风强度变化的代用指标的合理性值得怀疑。     

Exposure Programme on Atmospheric Corrosion Effects of Acidifying Pollutants in Tropical and Subtropical Climates

Many national exposure programmes have been performed in tropical and subtropical climates during the last 50 years. However, ambitious programmes involving more than a few countries are scarce. In this paper a recently formed network of test sites is described involving 12 test sites in Asia (India, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and China including Hong Kong) and four test sites in Africa (South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe). This effort is part of the 2001–2004 Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) funded Programme on Regional Air Pollution in Developing Countries (RAPIDC). Corrosion attack after one (2002–2003) year of exposure (carbon steel, zinc, copper, limestone and paint coated steel) are presented together with environmental data (SO₂, NO₂, HNO₃, O₃, particles, amount and pH of precipitation, temperature and relative humidity) for all the test sites. The obtained corrosion values are substantially higher than expected for limestone, higher than expected for carbon steel and lower than expected for zinc compared to values calculated using the best available dose–response functions.     

中国热带近百年气候波动与自然灾害

20世纪，中国热带气温呈波动上升趋势。在气温波动过程中有2个冷期和2个暖期。最暖的时期为80年代后，这与全球变化相一致，但是昆明最暖的时期为40年代。气候型大多为暖湿同期，这与全国其它区域的状况不同。自然灾害有加剧的趋势：台风次数增多，多台风年洪水多发，旱灾和冷害次数增多，广州曾降微雪，海口和崖县曾见霜，昆明曾有4年强降雪。     

2010年广州亚运会期间灰霾天气分析

使用广州地区气象资料,重点研究了 2010 年广州亚运会期间的灰霾天气特征. 结果发现,2010 年 11 月广州出现灰霾天气 5 d,较近年平均水平明显偏少,但 2008—2010 年的污染气象条件分析表明,2010 年的扩散条件较 2008 和 2009 年均较差,说明 2010 年广州亚运会前期的各项减排措施取得了明显成效. 作为对照,自 20 世纪 80 年代初开始,广州地区的能见度急剧恶化并导致灰霾天数增加,每年 10 月至次年 4 月的旱季灰霾天数较多,改革开放以来,每年 11 月份的灰霾天气大幅增加,并于 1994 和1999 年分别出现了最多的17 d. 2000 年以后,11 月份灰霾天气最多为 12 d,出现在 2005 年; 最少为 3 d,分别出现在 2002 和 2003 年. 广州市空气质量逐年恶化的趋势不容乐观,珠江三角洲复合型新型空气污染日趋严重的态势非常严峻; 且区域性特征明显,治理难度加大; 广州周边的佛山、清远、东莞、江门的灰霾天气都比广州多,对广州治理灰霾天气形成了压力. 因而 2010 年 11 月灰霾天气的明显减少,更说明区域联动、机动车单双号限行、重点工业污染源调控、严控垃圾秸秆焚烧等减排措施效果明显.     

The environmental impact of industrialization in East Asia and strategies toward sustainable development

The East Asian economy has been growing fast in recent years, and environmental stresses are building up rapidly. Transboundary air pollution, water shortages, drinking water contamination, freshwater and marine pollution, deforestation, climatic disasters, and other environmental problems are becoming serious threats to the well-being of people in this densely populated region. The ESI (environmental sustainability index) reported by the World Economic Forum in 2005 is a good indicator of the environmental status of the region; most East Asian countries ranked at the bottom. East Asia is not moving toward a sustainable society, and the environment will not sustain the current rate of economic development for long. The traditional culture of East Asia used to be sustainable, so we can learn much from our traditions. Land use should be planned from an ecological point of view so as to best preserve the land’s productivity and stability. There should be definite goals as to where and how much to preserve the three important ecological bases: forests, coastal wetlands and agricultural farms. The forest is the base for the terrestrial ecosystem, including flood control, water resources, and climate; the coastal wetland is the base for the marine ecosystem; farmland is the base for producing food. Within these defined goals, limits should be set on how much land can be utilized for activities like urban development, manufacturing, and recreation. Limits on the pollution load resulting from such activities should be set so as not to irreversibly damage the environment. Economic development should be planned to allow the use of energy and resources only after satisfying these constraints.