Urban expansion and its contribution to the regional carbon emissions: Using the model based on the population density distribution

The method is used for calculating regional urban area dynamics and the resulting carbon emissions (from the land-conversion) for the period of 1980 till 2050 for the eight world regions. This approach is based on the fact that the spatial distribution of population density is close to the two-parametric Γ-distribution [Kendall, M.G., Stuart, A., 1958. The Advanced Theory of Statistics, vol. 1.2. Academic Press, New York; Vaughn, R., 1987. Urban Spatial Traffic Patterns, Pion, London]. The developed model provides us with the scenario of urbanisation, based on which the regional and world dynamics of carbon emissions and export from cities, and the annual total urban carbon balance are estimated. According to our estimations, world annual emissions of carbon as a result of urbanisation increase up to 1.25 GtC in 2005 and begin to decrease afterwards. If we compare the emission maximum with the annual emission caused by deforestation, 1.36 GtC per year, then we can say that the role of urbanised territories (UT) in the global carbon balance is of a comparable magnitude. Regarding the world annual export of carbon from UT, we observe its monotonous growth by three times, reaching 505 MtC. The latter, is comparable to the amount of carbon transported by rivers into the ocean (196–537 MtC). The current model shows that urbanisation is inhibited in the interval 2020–2030, and by 2050 the growth of urbanised areas would almost stop. Hence, the total balance, being almost constant until 2000, then starts to decrease at an almost constant rate. By the end of the XXI century, the total carbon balance will be equal to zero, with the exchange flows fully balanced, and may even be negative, with the system beginning to take up carbon from the atmosphere, i.e., becomes a “sink”. The regional dynamics is somewhat more complex, i.e., some regions, like China, Asia and Pacific are being active sources of Carbon through the studied period, while others are changing from source to sink or continue to be neutral in respect the GCC.     

Estimates of species- and ecosystem-level respiration of woody stems along an elevational gradient in the Luquillo Mountains, Puerto Rico

We measured CO₂ efflux from stems of seven subtropical tree species situated along an elevational gradient in the Luquillo Mountains, Puerto Rico and scaled these measurements up to the landscape level based on modeled and empirical relations. The most important determinants of ecosystem stem respiration were species composition and stem temperature. At a species scale, measured CO₂ efflux per unit bole surface area at a given temperature was highest in the early successional species Cecropia schreberiana and lowest in species that inhabit high elevations such as Micropholis garciniifolia and Tabebuia rigida. Carbon dioxide efflux rates followed a diel pattern that lagged approximately 6 h behind changes in sapwood temperatures. At an ecosystem scale, our simulation model indicates a decreasing trend of stem respiration rates with increasing elevation due to shifts in species composition, lower temperatures and reductions in branch surface area. The highest estimated stem respiration rates were present in the lowland tabonuco forest type and the lowest rates were present in the elfin forest type (mean 7.4 and 2.1 Mg C ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹, respectively). There was slight temperature-induced seasonal variation in simulated stem respiration rates at low elevations, with a maximum difference of 19% between the months of February and July. Our results coincide well with those of Odum and Jordan [Odum, H.T., Jordan, C.F., 1970. Metabolism and evapotranspiration of the lower forest in a giant plastic cylinder. In: Odum, H.T., Pigeon, R.F. (Eds.), A Tropical Rain Forest: A Study of Irradiation and Ecology at El Verde, Puerto Rico. U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, Oak Ridge, TN, pp. I165–I189] for the tabonuco forest type and extend their work by presenting estimates and spatial patterns of woody tissue respiration for the entire mountain rather than for a single forested plot.     

Modeling carbon sequestration under zero tillage at the regional scale. I. The effect of soil erosion

Zero tillage is recognized as a potential measure to sequester carbon dioxide in soils and to reduce CO₂ emissions from arable lands. An up-scaling approach of the output of the Environmental Policy Integrated Climate (EPIC) model with the information system SLISYS-BW has been used to estimate the CO₂-mitigation potential in the state of Baden-Württemberg (SW-Germany). The state territory of 35,742 km² is subdivided into eight agro-ecological zones (AEZ), which have been further subdivided into a total of 3976 spatial response units. Annual CO₂-mitigation rates where estimated from the changes in soil organic carbon content comparing 30 years simulations under conventional and zero tillage. Special attention was given to the influence of tillage practices on the losses of organic carbon through soil erosion, and consequently on the calculation of CO₂-mitigation rates. Under conventional tillage, mean carbon losses through erosion in the AEZ were estimated to be up to 0.45 Mg C ha⁻¹ a⁻¹. The apparent CO₂-mitigation rate for the conversion from conventional to zero tillage ranges from 0.08 to 1.82 Mg C ha⁻¹ a⁻¹ in the eight AEZ, if the carbon losses through soil erosion are included in the calculations. However, the higher carbon losses under conventional tillage compared to zero tillage are composed of both, losses through enhanced CO₂ emissions, and losses through intensified soil erosion. The adjusted net CO₂-mitigation rates of zero tillage, subtracting the reduced carbon losses through soil erosion, are between 0.07 and 1.27 Mg C ha⁻¹ a⁻¹ and the estimated net mitigation rate for the entire state amounts to 285 Gg C a⁻¹. This equals to 1045 Gg CO₂-equivalents per year with the cropping patterns in the reference year 2000. The results call attention to the necessity to revise those estimation methods for CO₂-mitigation which are exclusively or predominantly based on the measurements of differential changes in total soil organic carbon without taking into account the tillage effects on carbon losses through soil erosion.     

Modeling the carbon cycle of urban systems

Although more than 80% of carbon dioxide emissions originate in urban areas, the role of human settlements in the biosphere evolution and in global carbon cycling remains largely neglected. Understanding the relationships between the form and pattern of urban development and the carbon cycle is however crucial for estimating future trajectories of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere and can facilitate mitigation of climate change. In this paper I review state-of-the-art in modeling of urban carbon cycle. I start with the properties of urban ecosystems from the ecosystem theory point of view. Then I discuss key elements of an urban system and to which degree they are represented in the existing models. In conclusions I highlight necessity of including biophysical as well as human related carbon fluxes in an urban carbon cycle model and necessity of collecting relevant data.     

甘肃省城镇不同收入水平群体家庭生态足迹计算

生态足迹是测度环境可持续发展的新方法。家庭生态足迹H(ousehold EcologicalFootprint,H EF)是利用生态足迹方法研究家庭消费所产生的环境影响。通过计算不同收入水平群体的家庭生态足迹,比较不同收入水平群体H EF差异,可以进一步揭示各收入水平群体间存在的“生态足迹掠夺”和生态足迹占用公平性。在阐述家庭生态足迹内涵意义及计算方法的基础上,以甘肃省2002年城镇不同收入水平群体为例进行实证研究。通过计算得到甘肃省2002年不同收入群体的家庭生态足迹分别为:最高收入群1.412×106ghm₂,高收入群1.131×106ghm₂,较高收入群1.860×106ghm₂,中等收入1.793×106ghm₂,较低收入群1.536×106ghm₂,低收入群0.724×106ghm₂,最低收入群0.578×106ghm₂,全省平均1.265×106ghm₂;分析经济收入与家庭生态足迹的关系表明,每增加1000元人均可支配收入,将增大0.2ghm₂家庭生态足迹;引入生态足迹掠夺及总生态足迹掠夺,并进一步计算生态足迹不公平系数为0.24,表明收入不同引起的足迹消费的不公平不突出。     

生物活性炭纤维处理微污染源水

在生物活性炭的基础上,以活性炭纤维替代颗粒活性炭,研制了生物活性炭纤维(BACF)新型吸附材料,用于处理水中有机污染物。用扫描电镜观察了微生物在ACF上的固定情况,以水处理常用指标CODMn、UV254及,GC-MS图谱分析考察BACF对于微污染源水的处理效果。研究结果显示BACF技术作为一种新颖的水的深度处理工艺,结合了吸附与生物降解的双重效能,可以有效提高对源水的净化效果,提高出水水质,同时也可以扩大水源水的取水范围,是一项先进的水处理技术。     

基于旅游生态足迹模型的山东省旅游可持续发展评价

以生态足迹理论为基础,将旅游生态足迹引入区域旅游可持续发展评价,阐述了旅游生态足迹的概念,并构建旅游生态足迹模型,用于衡量旅游可持续发展能力。以山东省作为研究对象,对旅游生态足迹模型在大尺度区域旅游业可持续发展定量测度中的运用进行实证研究,计算其2000年-2004年的旅游生态足迹。结果表明：山东省近五年出现了不同程度的旅游生态赤字和生态压力,平均存在0.133 3 hm2/人的旅游生态赤字,旅游生态压力平均值为4.898 3,并呈现出明显的逐年递增趋势,其旅游业处于不可持续发展状态。     

退牧还草前后鄂尔多斯市生物资源产品消费的生态影响

为了明晰退牧还草工程前后生物资源产品消费结构变化对生态环境的影响差异,以内蒙古自治区鄂尔多斯市为例,通过对传统生态足迹计算中的“全球公顷”进行本地化处理,采用“省公顷”生态足迹法分析该地区1995年(退牧还草前)、2012年(退牧还草后)生物资源产品消费特点及其生态影响. 结果表明:与1995年相比,2012年鄂尔多斯市生物资源产品消费结构呈现多元化特征,由以粮食油料和肉蛋奶为主向多种食物种类转变,化石能源的大量使用使薪柴消费量相对减少;与此同时,2012年鄂尔多斯市粮食油料和薪柴消费的生态足迹消耗量均呈降低趋势(降幅分别为53.23%和86.49%),而蔬菜瓜果和肉蛋奶的生态足迹均有所增加(其中蔬菜瓜果增幅达到44.97%). 各种生物资源产品的消费主要是对耕地生态足迹的消耗,粮食油料对耕地生态足迹消耗量的贡献率由1995年的40.17%降至2012年的21.74%,而蔬菜瓜果和部分肉蛋奶的贡献率均有所增加. 2012年鄂尔多斯市生态赤字(2.738 4 hm2/人)低于1995年(3.438 2 hm2/人),生态效率亦明显较高,表明人类活动对自然资源的扰动、占用和对生态环境的影响均有所缓解,并且资源环境利用效率得到显著提升. 但该市生态赤字率仍然很高,伴随着外来人口的迁入,还需548.83×104 hm2的生物生产性土地面积才能满足2012年鄂尔多斯市常住人口对生物资源产品消费生态足迹的总需求. 研究显示,鄂尔多斯市生物资源产品消费结构的多元化转变在一定程度上可有效缓解其所产生的生态压力,生态效率的提高有助于进一步调解人地关系、改善生态环境.      

基于协调度函数的碳排放初始权区域分配模型研究

针对目前碳排放初始权区域分配模型中分配原则、指标体系不一致的问题,提出了碳排放初始权区域分配协调度概念,并确定了公平性原则、效率性原则、可持续发展原则、保障工业生产原则、保护环境原则作为碳排放初始权区域分配的具体原则,构造了基于各个分配原则下的碳排放初始权区域分配协调度子函数,建立了以碳排放初始权分配系统协调度最大为目标的协调度分配模型。将此模型应用到华东电网区域的碳排放初始权分配中,结果表明该模型合理、有效、可行性高,能较好的兼顾各个分配原则。该区域分配模型不依赖分配指标体系,能有效避免分配指标体系混乱问题,所建立的模型可以为碳排放初始权区域分配的研究提供借鉴。     

中国灌区粮食生产水足迹及用水评价

以1998、2005 及2009 年459 个灌区资料为基础,从区域尺度计算粮食生产水足迹,建立粮食生产用水水平综合评价指标I对灌区粮食生产与水资源利用之间的关系进行评价。结果显示:粮食生产水足迹及其组成的区域间差异均较大,大值省区主要分布于东北、华南,小值省区以黄淮海平原为核心集中分布;全国粮食生产水足迹多年均值为1.336 m³/kg,蓝、绿水比例分别为63.7%和35.8%,有35.1%的水足迹损失于粮食生产过程。空间自相关分析表明,粮食生产用水水平综合评价指标I相似的省区在空间上显著地聚集,局部自相关属性为HH和LL的省区超过了20 个,不同年份总体和局部的空间分异特征随时间变化均不明显;省区间粮食生产综合用水水平差异大,I值介于0.079~0.889 之间,变异系数为0.59,黄河中下游省区用水水平较高而东北及西北大部分省区则相反。结合人均粮食占有量与I值在全国的地位,对各省区粮食生产与农业用水发展方向进行了讨论。