From Environmental Ethics to Nature Conservation Policy: Natura 2000 and the Burden of Proof

Natura 2000 is a network of natural sites whose aim is to preserve species and habitats of relevance in the European Union. The policy underlying Natura 2000 has faced widespread opposition from land users and received extensive support from environmentalists. This paper addresses the ethical framework for Natura 2000 and the probable moral assumptions of its main stakeholders. Arguments for and against Natura 2000 were analyzed and classified according to “strong” or “weak” versions of the three main theories of environmental ethics – anthropocentrism, biocentrism, and ecocentrism. Weak (intergenerational) anthropocentrism was found to underlie the Natura 2000 network itself and the positions of environmentalists, while strong (traditional) anthropocentrism pervaded the positions of economic developers. Land users seemed to fall somewhere between weak and strong anthropocentrism. The paper discusses the relation between ethics and different attitudes towards Natura 2000, highlighting some of the implications for the network’s ongoing implementation. It is shown that Natura 2000 achieves a strong reversal of the burden of proof from conservation to economic development and land use change under anthropocentrism. It is argued that the alleged theoretical divide between anthropocentrism and non-anthropocentrism in relation to the burden of proof does not seem to hold in practice. Finally, it is predicted that the weak versions of anthropocentrism, biocentrism, and ecocentrism, are likely to converge extensively in respect to nature conservation policy measures.“Charting the depths of law and policy disputes yield an understanding of ethical differences.” Paul B. Thompson (2002, p. 189).     

RAINGAGE NETWORK DESIGN USING NEXRAD PRECIPITATION ESTIMATES1

ABSTRACT: A general framework is proposed for using precipitation estimates from NEXRAD weather radars in raingage network design. NEXRAD precipitation products are used to represent space time rainfall fields, which can be sampled by hypothetical raingage networks. A stochastic model is used to simulate gage observations based on the areal average precipitation for radar grid cells. The stochastic model accounts for subgrid variability of precipitation within the cell and gage measurement errors. The approach is ideally suited to raingage network design in regions with strong climatic variations in rainfall where conventional methods are sometimes lacking. A case study example involving the estimation of areal average precipitation for catchments in the Catskill Mountains illustrates the approach. The case study shows how the simulation approach can be used to quantify the effects of gage density, basin size, spatial variation of precipitation, and gage measurement error, on network estimates of areal average precipitation. Although the quality of NEXRAD precipitation products imposes limitations on their use in network design, weather radars can provide valuable information for empirical assessment of rain‐gage network estimation errors. Still, the biggest challenge in quantifying estimation errors is understanding subgrid spatial variability. The results from the case study show that the spatial correlation of precipitation at subgrid scales (4 km and less) is difficult to quantify, especially for short sampling durations. Network estimation errors for hourly precipitation are extremely sensitive to the uncertainty in subgrid spatial variability, although for storm total accumulation, they are much less sensitive.     

用ART2神经网络方法进行结构的损伤识别

用ART2神经网络方法对建筑结构的损伤进行了识别 ,实验证明该方法的识别精度高 ,具有自动从环境中学习的能力 ,对未知的损伤 ,ART2网络将能自动地给出新的识别输出 ,即对未知的损伤类型也能够进行识别     

基于遗传神经网络模型的大气环境质量评价方法

设计了用遗传算法训练神经网络权重的新方法，实验结果显示了遗传算法快速学习网络权重和全局搜索的能力，有效地解决了BP算法的局部收敛问题。误差反向传播的遗传——神经网络(GA—BP)模型用于大气环境质量综合评价，具有简便、准确、客观和适应性强等优点。     

DEVELOPMENT OF LARGE SCALE GRIDDED RIVER NETWORKS FROM VECTOR STREAM DATA1

ABSTRACT: The Network Tracing Method (NTM) has been developed to determine gridded coarse river networks for modeling large hydrologic systems. For a coarse resolution grid, the NTM determines the downstream cell of each cell and the distance along the actual meandering flow paths between them. Unlike previously developed methods, the NTM uses fine resolution vector river networks as the source of information of the flow patterns rather than digital elevation models. The main advantage of using vector river networks as input is that they capture the hydrologic terrain features better than topographic data do, particularly in areas of low topographic relief. The NTM was applied to South America with a grid resolution of 1 degree by 1 degree and to the globe with a resolution of 2.815 degrees by 2.8125 degrees. Overall, the method captured the flow patterns well. Generated digital river networks and drainage divides showed minor disagreement with those obtained from existing maps, and most of them were consistent with the resolution of the coarse river network. The majority of estimated basin areas were also close to documented values. River lengths calculated with the NTM, however, were consistently underpredicted.     

建筑网络火灾烟气流动稳定性及其控制分析

将建筑作为一个网络整体考虑,研究分析了火灾烟气流动机理,讨论了火灾烟气的热膨胀效应、烟囱效应及室外风力对建筑网络空气和烟气流动的影响.从质量守恒定律讨论了多层建筑中和面的位置及其影响因素,指出控制多层建筑中和面的方法和途径.通过建筑网络回路能量守恒方程,讨论了烟囱效应对建筑网络风流的影响,建筑网络火灾烟气流动的稳定性及合理的烟气控制措施.     

区域高速公路网络构建对可达性空间格局的影响——以安徽沿江地区为实证 

以安徽沿江为实证，采用加权平均旅行时间指标，分析了高速公路网构建对节点区内联系及区外联系可达性格局的影响，并以此为基础，综合分析了节点总体可达性格局的变动；随后对总体可达性的变动幅度及其相对可达性变动格局进行了探讨。结果表明：安徽沿江高速公路网络的构建显著提高了区域整体可达性，且促进了可达性的均衡化；区内联系可达性、区外联系可达性及总体可达性三者格局特征不同，路网构建所形成的影响也各有差别；东部及北部地区可达性变动幅度小于西南部地区；根据可达性系数的变化幅度及方向，可将节点归为相对可达性下降、相对可达性稳定及相对可达性上升3类。     

宏基因组揭示紫色土中邻苯二甲酸酯去除的微生物学机制

邻苯二甲酸酯具有内分泌干扰特性,在环境中持久存在,其去除机制备受关注.为探究邻苯二甲酸酯在紫色农田土壤中的去除机制、关键微生物及功能基因,以邻苯二甲酸二正丁酯（DBP）和邻苯二甲酸二（2-乙基己基）酯（DEHP）为目标污染物,分别设置含量为0、5、10和20 mg·kg^-1的单一污染土壤,避光培养90 d,利用宏基因组技术探究其去除的微生物生态学机制.结果表明,DBP和DEHP在土壤中的降解动态均符合一级动力学降解模型,半衰期介于17.0~38.2 d之间,5 mg·kg^-1的DBP降解速率最快,依次快于10 mg·kg^-1的DEHP、5 mg·kg^-1的DBP、5 mg·kg^-1的DEHP以及20 mg·kg^-1的DBP和DEHP.第7 d和15 d的土壤样品间细菌群落结构存在显著差异,放线菌门相对丰度随时间不断提升,且与DBP或DEHP半衰期呈反比.物种共现网络分析筛选出变形菌门的Pandoraea属为群落中的关键物种,可以用来指示DBP和DEHP污染程度.KEGG功能注释结果表明,Pandoraea在群落中负责酯键水解、苯甲酸降解、群体感应、ABC转运和双组分系统等功能,可以促进邻苯二甲酸酯上下游降解、细胞通讯和其它降解菌的生长繁殖,以此维持群落结构的稳定.由此可见,紫色土中,DBP和DEHP的去除效率取决于初始含量和自身性质,放线菌门的细菌在降解中扮演重要角色,Pandoraea在促进邻苯二甲酸酯降解和调节降解菌群结构和功能的稳定中均发挥关键作用.     

鄱阳湖湿地细菌群落多样性和可培养细菌功能基因丰度

鄱阳湖湿地中蕴含着丰富的微生物资源,参与并维持着湿地生态系统的物质循环和稳定.为探明鄱阳湖湿地土壤细菌分布规律,分析可培养细菌群落结构和功能特征,采用Illumina MiSeq高通量测序技术分析了鄱阳湖湿地土壤全部细菌（AW）和湿地外围周边土壤全部细菌（AS）群落结构多样性特征;又结合可培养方法和qPCR功能基因芯片技术,分析了湿地可培养细菌（CW）和湿地外围周边土壤可培养细菌（CS）功能基因丰度差异.研究发现鄱阳湖湿地土壤细菌多样性低于湿地外围周边土壤细菌,变形菌门和酸杆菌门是两种土壤环境中共有的细菌优势菌门,放线菌门、厚壁菌门、绿弯菌门和热脱硫杆菌门也是存在于两种土壤中的主要菌门,但相对丰度均差异显著;网络分析显示湿地土壤较周边土壤细菌网络结构更简单.采用可培养方法获得的不同采样点土壤细菌群落多样性差异不明显.但湿地土壤可培养细菌功能基因的拷贝数高于周边土壤,其中参与氮循环的UreC基因和参与碳固定的acsE基因在两种土壤可培养细菌中相对丰度较高.研究结果可为深入挖掘调控、维持湿地土壤养分循环和促进鄱阳湖湿地生态系统功能稳定性的潜在有益微生物提供理论依据.     

城市供水管网抗震可靠性分析与设计优化

考虑管线震害发生的随机性,利用管线在地震作用下反应的二阶矩特征信息,采用带渗漏管网抗震可靠性分析的一次二阶矩方法,以华中地区某市主干供水管网为例,进行了基本烈度条件下的可靠度分析,结果表明,在低、中烈度条件下,供水管网中各节点均处于可靠状态;在高烈度条件下,节点主要处于可靠状态,局部处于严重不可靠、甚至出现断水状态。进一步地,基于微粒群优化算法,以管网年费用折算值为优化目标、管网拓扑结构与管径为优化参数、管网节点可靠度为约束条件,建立了新的供水管网抗震设计优化模型,并将供水管网所在区域的道路信息引入管网优化设计中,提出了管网拓扑的自动生成策略,从而形成了城市供水管网系统智能化抗震设计方法。数值算例表明,基于可靠度的抗震优化设计方法为风险-投资之间的合理均衡提供了理论基础,决策者可以据此选择所期望的最佳方案。