Comparing the impacts of mitigation and non-mitigation on mountain pine beetle populations

Mountain pine beetles, Dendroctonus ponderosae (Hopkins) attack and can ultimately kill individuals and groups of pine trees, specifically lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. ex. Loud var. latifolia Engl.). In British Columbia, beetle attack has increased from 164 000 ha in 1999 to over 13 million ha in 2008. Mitigation efforts can play a key role in addressing the impact beetle infestations can have on the forested landscape. In this research, the impact of mitigation on a mountain pine beetle infestation is examined within a network of 28 research plots where sanitation harvesting was completed (10 mitigated plots) and not completed (18 unmitigated plots). Three forest stand level modelling scenarios which predict the number of attacked trees, based on current infestation within the plots, were utilized to compare the differences between mitigated and non-mitigated plots. In the first scenario in the non-mitigated plots, 125 trees were infested after 10 years, while in the mitigated plots no trees were infested in the same time period. The second scenario indicates the level of mitigation required to suppress beetle infestations where the proportion of mitigated trees was calculated for each plot by counting the residual attack and the number of mitigated trees. The average mitigation rate over all plots of 43% (range 0–100%) is not sufficient to provide control. In the non-mitigated plots, the average population expansion rate was 5 (range of 0–18) which requires a detection accuracy of 74% to reliably detect infestation. The third scenario estimated the length of time required for ongoing detection, monitoring, and mitigation to bring an infestation under control. If mitigation efforts were maintained at the current rate of 43%, the beetle population would not be adequately controlled. However, when aided by continued detection and monitoring of attacked trees, mitigation rates greater than 50% are sufficient to control infestations, especially with persistent implementation, aided by continued detection and monitoring of infested trees.     

阿尼玛卿雪山生态旅游模式研究

阿尼玛卿雪山地区是三江源自然保护区的重要组成部分,旅游资源丰富且独特性强,具有浓郁的藏族民俗风情.通过对该地区生态旅游发展状况、优势和制约因素的研究,提出生态游与体育文化相结合、生态建造、生态营销等构想,是对脆弱生态区域进行生态旅游开发的一种有效尝试,有利于实现生态保护和旅游发展相统一,使该地区旅游走上可持续发展道路.     

重庆大木山木本植物区系及植物资源特点

基于野外调查资料,对位于三峡库区腹心地带的大木山的木本植物区系及资源特点进行研究,以期为该地区生物多样性保护和可持续利用提供依据.野外调查共发现木本植物738种,隶属于86科、288属.其中裸子植物6科、10属、15种,双子叶植物77科、271属、699种,单子叶植物3科、7属、24种.乔木268种,灌木398种,木质藤本72种.科的组成优势现象十分明显,含10种以上的科有26个,包含164属、526种植物,分别占该区木本植物总属数和总种数的56.94%和71.27%,是该区木本植物区系构成的主导成分.木本植物区系成分复杂,属的分布类型有14个,种的分布类型有12个,区系具有明显的过渡性特征.有483个中国特有种分布于该地区,占总种数的65.71%,其中27.12%的物种为华中植物区特有种.13个地区的聚类分析表明大木山与华中植物区和华东植物区关系最为密切.木本植物资源以药用、材用、观赏、食用类为主,古老孑遗植物和珍稀濒危植物丰富.图l表5参35     

井冈山两种典型森林土壤有机碳密度及其影响因素的比较

森林土壤有机碳是土壤有机碳库的重要组成部分,研究森林土壤有机碳及其影响因素对于应对气候变化具有非常重要意义。以井冈山自然保护区两种典型森林类型（常绿阔叶林和人工杉木林）为研究对象,各选取12个样地,对比分析了两种森林土壤有机碳密度的垂直分布特征以及与年均温、年降雨量之间的相关性。结果表明：①常绿阔叶林0-100cm层平均土壤有机碳密度为（25．65±3,27）kg-^2,大于人工杉木林0-100cm层平均土壤有机碳密度为（20．37±3．37）kg·m^2;②常绿阔叶林和人工杉木林土壤有机碳密度均随土壤深度的增加显著减少;③常绿阔叶林与人工杉木林土壤有机碳密度随年均温的变化趋势差异较明显,常绿阔叶林0-100cm层土壤有机碳密度随年均温的上升呈显著增加趋势（P〈0．05）,而人工杉木林随年均温的上升先减小后增加再减小,且变化趋势显著（P〈0．05）;④常绿阔叶林与人工杉木林土壤有机碳密度随年降雨量的变化趋势差异亦明显,常绿阔叶林0-100cm层土壤有机碳密度随年降雨量的增加呈显著减小趋势（P〈O．05）,而人工杉木林随年降雨量的增加先增加后减少再增加,且变化趋势极显著（P〈0．005）;⑤森林土壤有机碳质量分数与土壤容重呈极显著负相关（P〈0．0001）。     

Assessing environmental factors in red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) growth in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA: From conceptual model, envirogram, to simulation model

This study provides a method for assessing a multiplicity of environmental factors in red spruce growth in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) of Southeastern USA. Direct and indirect factors in the annual growth increment are first organized into a schematic input-output envirogram (ARIRS), and this information is then used to construct a simulation model (ARIM). The envirogram represents a structured conceptualization of most environmental factors involved in growth, as developed from relevant literature. This interdisciplinary synthesis distinguishes direct vs. indirect factors in growth and takes account of the systems ecology concept that indirect factors may be as important as or more important than direct ones in regulating growth. The ARIRS envirogram summarizes hierarchically organized, within- and cross-scale, local-to-global interactions, and its construction makes it obvious that growth is influenced by many cross-scale spatiotemporal interactions. More research on genecology is still needed to clarify the role of phenotypic plasticity and adaptive capacity in nutrient cycling, global change, and human disturbance.     

大贵寺国家森林公园野生青檀居群的遗传多样性

利用ISSR分子标记技术对湖北省大贵寺国家森林公园野生青檀（Pteroceltis tatarinowii Maxim．）居群进行遗传多样性分析。用11条ISSR引物对6个青檀居群64个样品进行扩增,扩增片段长度在200bp至3000bp之间,检测到179个位点,其中多态位点165个,多态位点百分率（P）为92．14％。青檀在物种水平上的Nei基因多样性指数（胁）和Shannon信息指数∽分别为0．273和0．423,在居群水平上分别为0．225和0．343,显示出青檀有着较高的遗传多样性。居群间的遗传分化系数（Gsr）为0．192,表明青檀居群间存在着较大的遗传分化;UPGMA聚类分析表明遗传距离与海拔差距有一定的相关性,相邻海拔的青檀居群间遗传距离较近。不同海拔导致的异质生境可能是影响青檀居群遗传分化的主要原因。     

祁连山高山灌丛生物量分配规律及其与环境因子的关系

以祁连山3300~3700m高山灌丛为研究对象,采用标准地、样方收获法以及壕沟挖掘方法,对不同海拔高度灌丛生物量,器官生物量进行调查,并分析灌丛生物量分配规律及其与环境因子的关系。结果表明：（1）祁连山高山灌丛生物量与海拔高度呈现显著的负相关性（y=-37.074x＋142 627,P=0.01,R2=0.589）,随着海拔的升高,灌丛总生物量,地上生物量以及地下生物量均呈现下降的趋势。灌丛根茎比随着海拔的上升先增加后减小,呈倒U型。（2）土壤含水量对地下部分生物量的影响相对于地上部分而言更加明显（R2=0.478）,地下各器官相关性系数依次为粗根生物量（R2=0.981）〉细根生物量（R2=0.661）〉须根生物量（R2=0.375）;土壤容重随着海拔的上升而增加,灌丛总生物量则减少,呈现出灌丛生物量随着海拔的上升而减少的趋势;土壤含水量、土壤容重与土壤温度共同对灌丛生物量起着重要的作用。     

Societal risk assessment of major hazard installations using QuickRisk

QuickRisk is a quantitative risk assessment tool developed at the Health and Safety Laboratory for use in assessing societal risk around onshore major hazard installations to inform land-use planning decisions. It uses release scenario information, parameterised consequence models, weather data, and population data from the National Population Database (NPD).This paper describes enhancements to the NPD methodology to include workplace populations. It describes the novel numerical, graphical and geographical representations of societal risk produced by QuickRisk. F–N data are analysed in terms of scenario FN curves and Delta PLL vs. N curves, where PLL is potential loss of life. The Delta PLL curves could be useful for comparison of FN curves against FN criterion lines or other FN data on a PLL basis. Geographical representations generated from PLL density maps show: the distribution of PLL dominating release scenarios or the percentage of risk contributed by the PLL-dominant release scenario, the maximum number of fatalities associated with the worst-case event, and the associated release scenario. Geographical representations are also generated of the maximum population that would meet a PLL density criterion, and the relative population change that would match a given PLL density criterion.These novel representations of societal risk could be useful for more effective communication between stakeholders on the risk levels in the vicinity of major hazard installations.     

缙云山不同土地利用方式对土壤团聚体微生物量碳氮的影响

于缙云山阳坡同一海拔高度处选择亚热带常绿阔叶林(简称林地)、撂荒地、坡耕地和果园这4种土地利用方式,在0~60 cm的土壤深度内每隔10 cm采集一个土壤样品,测定大团聚体(2 mm)、中间团聚体(0.25~2 mm)、微团聚体(0.053~0.25 mm)以及粉+黏团聚体(0.053 mm)内的微生物生物量碳(MBC)和微生物生物量氮(MBN)含量,以分析缙云山不同土地利用方式对团聚体MBC及MBN的影响.结果表明4种土地利用方式下,各粒径团聚体MBC及MBN含量均随土壤深度的增加而降低.林地开垦为果园和坡耕地后除导致大团聚体MBC和MBN含量升高外,其它粒径团聚体MBC及MBN含量均降低;坡耕地撂荒后,除粉+黏团聚体MBN含量降低外,其它粒径团聚体MBC及MBN含量均增加.采用等质量方法计算了0~60 cm土壤深度内4种土地利用方式下各粒径土壤团聚体MBC和MBN的储量,发现除粉+黏团聚体外,其他粒径团聚体MBC储量均为林地高于果园和坡耕地,撂荒地各粒径团聚体内的MBC储量均高于坡耕地;MBN储量表现为中间团聚体和微团聚体林地高于果园和坡耕地,而撂荒地除粉+黏团聚体外,其他粒径团聚体均高于坡耕地.总体上,林地和撂荒地团聚体MBC储量高于果园和坡耕地,MBN储量高于坡耕地,果园与林地团聚体MBN储量接近,表明林地的垦殖虽然对果园团聚体MBN影响非常小,但却导致了团聚体MBC以及坡耕地MBN的损失,而坡耕地撂荒则有利于团聚体MBC及MBN的恢复和蓄积.在土地利用转变过程中,土壤团聚体MBC的变化方向和变化量与土壤有机碳并不一致,存在很大的差异,因此,土壤团聚体微生物熵并不适于来评价该地土地利用变化对土壤的影响,采用有机碳总量作为表达土地利用变化的敏感性指标可能更好.     

Economic assessment of rewilding versus agri-environmental nature management

Policies aiming at improving biodiversity often consist of costly agri-environmental schemes, i.e. subsidized grazing or mowing of semi-natural areas. However, these practices have widely been found to be insufficient to mitigate biodiversity loss. Rewilding, i.e. restoring natural processes in self-sustaining biodiverse ecosystems, has been proposed as an alternative and is hypothesized to be a more cost-efficient approach to promote biodiversity conservation. Rewilding requires the availability of large natural areas which are not allocated for farming, forestry, and infrastructure to avoid potential conflicts over the use of the area. We perform an ex-ante private cost–benefit analysis of the establishment of four large nature reserves for rewilding in Denmark. We analyse the economic effects of changing from summer grazing in nature areas in combination with cultivated fields and forestry to the establishment of nature reserves in four case areas. We consider two scenarios involving conversion of agriculture and forestry areas into natural areas in combination with either extensive year-round cattle grazing or rewilding with wild large herbivores. In two case areas, it appears possible to establish large nature areas without incurring extra costs. Additionally, rewilding further reduces costs compared to year-round cattle grazing. Two opposing effects were dominant: increased economic rent occurred from the shift from summer grazing to year-round grazing or rewilding, while cessation of agriculture and forestry caused opportunity costs.