People and biodiversity in the 21st century: This article belongs to Ambio’s 50th Anniversary Collection. Theme: Biodiversity conservation

Fifty years have elapsed since the first publication of Ambio. Throughout this period, fundamental changes have occurred in societal attitudes to biodiversity conservation. Ambio has published numerous papers that have aligned with these new approaches. High citations numbers suggest that Ambio papers have had a significant impact on conservation strategies. We review these publications and find that they align well with changed societal perspectives on biodiversity. Ambio papers have called for greater contributions of local and indigenous peoples and for conservation in multi-functional landscapes. The 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity built on these principles. Negotiations are now underway for a post-2020 framework for biodiversity. Ambio papers have argued for a stronger scientific basis for conservation and for the need to adapt to changing conditions and to the rich diversity of societal preferences for conservation. International processes favor simple, generalizable approaches to conservation but we call for recognition of the diversity of ecological and human conditions in which conservation occurs. There is a need to build capacity to support a diversity of conservation approaches that are adapted to changing local conditions and to the priorities of diverse human societies.     

大秦岭生态文明建设的意义与对策

秦岭在中华文明的繁衍和发展过程中发挥了重要作用,被誉为"中华龙脉"。秦岭既是中国南北分界线,也是"天然中药库"和"世界生物基因库",在以建设文明生态环境为主旋律的新时代,秦岭南北麓依然出现了不同程度的无序开发和违章建设别墅等有悖生态文明建设的乱象,如何保护秦岭,协同推进秦岭生态文明建设具有非凡的意义。为此,本文从人类社会发展史和科学史维度上,阐述了生态文明与原始文明、农耕文明和工业文明各阶段在解决的关键问题、文明的标志与内涵、人与自然的关系等方面的本质区别;从生态系统服务功能维度上(水源涵养、环境净化、生物多样性维护、生物固碳与气候调节等),阐明了秦岭生态文明建设的重要意义;从思想、行动和科学三个维度上,指出了秦岭生态文明建设必须提高思想认识,一以贯之习近平生态文明思想,提高政治站位,与党中央保持高度一致,用系统论思想制定科学规划,以水环境、土壤环境、大气环境、植被以及野生珍稀动植物的保护为根本目标,从工业活动、农业活动、资源开发利用、人类日常生活干扰等多个方向协同推进,为中国社会可持续发展提供生态保障。     

宝鸡市麟游县煤矿区周边农田土壤重金属污染安全评价

文章选取麟游县的北马坊煤矿、郭家河煤矿和北王煤矿为研究区域,对其周边的农田土壤进行野外采样和室内分析,测定Zn、Cr、Pb、Cu、Cd、Hg、As 7种重金属的污染状况。结果表明:测定的7种重金属元素的最大值均超过了陕西省土壤背景值和当地的土壤环境背景值。单因子污染指数评价得出,三矿区周边的土壤Hg元素的污染较严重,局部地区已经达到了重度污染;综合污染指数法评价得出,三矿区均达到了中度到重度污染水平,其中北王煤矿污染水平较高;地质累积指数法评价得出,三矿区Hg元素的累积程度属于中度污染到强污染等级,Cd元素次之。因此3矿区周边的耕地土壤已不同程度的受到重金属的污染,相关部门应该采取一定的措施治理该区的土壤。     

The value of open ocean ecosystems: A case study for the Spanish exclusive economic zone

Valuing goods and services from open oceans provides arguments for the ocean's protection and plays an increasingly important role in debates on the use and management of natural resources. This paper identifies and estimates the monetary value of some of the most important goods and services provided by open oceans. The list of goods and services considered includes food production, raw materials, water supply, CO₂ regulation, bioremediation of waste, biomass and biodiversity conservation. Therefore, not only values associated with productive uses are quantified but also values assigned to other biological ecosystem services. This paper constitutes a first attempt in the open ocean literature at evaluating services such as water supply, biomass and biodiversity conservation. To obtain their monetary value, different techniques, some not applied before in this area, have been used depending on the ecosystem service to be evaluated. As a general criterion we use the concept of net value added (revenues obtained from the services less incurred costs). Our methodology is illustrated by estimating the monetary values of goods and services provided by the open ocean ecosystem of Spain as defined by its exclusive economic zone. The total economic value obtained measures the contribution of oceans to overall welfare and it may be an important instrument in managing open ocean ecosystems and developing environmental policies in the future.     

Local Dirt,Global Dreams: Mining investment and land use change in Arizona

A central problematic for researchers working at the interface of economic and environmental change is the development of research designs and methodologies that can satisfactorily link economic processes of global reach (such as direct investment) to environmental change at local and regional scales. This article reviews recent efforts to couple economic and environmental change and finds that relatively little effort has been made to use the direct investment process as a means of linking industrial restructuring to land use change. The article argues that direct investment, when conceptualised as a political-economic process involving the assemblage of a package of rights (to land, water, pollution permits etc), can be an effective vehicle for tracing through the impacts of industrial restructuring on local environments. To develop this analytical approach, an empirical case of mineral investment in the Gila Valley of eastern Arizona is presented. The case study identifies the acquisition of land and water rights as central strategic issues for mineral firms seeking to make investment, and traces through the impact of these acquisition strategies on existing patterns of land ownership and land use.     

旅游干扰下五台山不同植被景观区物种多样性特征

利用双向指示种分析方法(Two-way indicator species analysis,TWINSPAN)和6个物种多样性指数,研究了旅游干扰下五台山不同植被景观区物种多样性的特征.结果表明:1)TWINSPAN将所有样地划分为9类植被景观区,从Ⅰ区到Ⅸ区,随着旅游干扰程度的增加,植被景观大致由乔灌草区向灌草区、草本区和居民区方向变化.2)乔木层物种的丰富度和综合多样性随着旅游干扰的减小而趋于增加,但是其均匀度没有表现出明显的规律性.3)灌木层物种的丰富度和综合多样性也随着旅游干扰的减小而趋于增加,至于其均匀度,则呈现出在中度干扰下值最大,干扰很小的地方次之,在重度干扰下则最小.4)草本层物种的丰富度、均匀度和综合多样性指数均在旅游干扰适度的地方达到了最大值,在旅游干扰很小的地方,各种值则次之,在干扰严重的地方为最小.5)从整个植被层物种多样性的角度看,随着旅游干扰程度的减少,物种丰富度指数、均匀度指数和综合多样性指数均呈现趋于增加的趋势.表4参15     

黄河三角洲生物多样性分析

黄河三角洲是我国东部最年轻的陆地,保存着中国暖温带地区最广阔、最完整、最年轻的湿地生态系统。鉴于已有的研究工作对黄河三角洲地区生物多样性通过黄河与周边地区的联系方面的研究相对薄弱,以现有研究工作为基础,以黄河的廊道作用为主线,并结合2003年9月和2004年10月两次实地地面植被调查,主要对黄河三角洲自然保护区的植物区系组成状况进行统计分析,总结出黄河三角洲地区生物多样性状况、植物区系组成的特点及其与周边地区的相互关系。黄河三角洲地区生物多样性主要表现出如下特点:植被结构简单、覆盖度低、生态系统年轻性特点和湿地生态系统特点明显;植物种类少、常具有抗盐、抗旱特性;旱生、中旱生植物以及与内蒙古共有植物种类多,充分体现了黄河的生物廊道作用;主要保护动物种类多,生物多样性保护意义重大。这些特征既反映了黄河三角洲新生陆地的盐化生境特点,同时也深刻揭示了河流通道对区域生物多样性形成的重要作用。     

寿昌江流域及邻近山区溶岩洞穴大型水生底栖动物

灵栖洞、灵山洞、瑶琳洞为浙江西部山区已开发的著名观光溶岩洞穴群，灵栖洞位于寿昌江流域支流小江溪的源头附近，由灵泉、清风、霭云三洞组成，灵山洞由清虚洞、仙桥洞组成．三洞穴群内大型水生动物隶属2门3纲5目11科．灵栖洞大型水生动物群落主要由放逸短沟蜷和掌指米虾组成，灵山洞主要由硬环棱螺、放逸短沟蜷、格氏短沟蜷及水生昆虫幼体组成，瑶琳洞内主要由锯齿新米虾和扁卷螺组成．灵泉洞洞穴有光带主要分布有掌指米虾和放逸短沟蜷，弱光带主要分布有锯齿新米虾、掌指米虾和硬环棱螺，黑暗带主要分布有锯齿新米虾、掌指米虾和扁卷螺，灵泉洞有光带动物种类的多样性、均匀度指数最高，分别为0．9832和0．6109，黑暗带最低，分别为0．0983和0．1418；优势度在黑暗带最高，其值为0．6250．表3参18     

Trends in biodiversity and habitat quantification tools used for market-based conservation in the United States

Market-based conservation mechanisms are designed to facilitate the mitigation of harm to and conservation of habitats and biodiversity. Their potential is partly hindered, however, by the quantification tools used to assess habitat quality and functionality. Of specific concern are the lack of transparency and standardization in tool development and gaps in tool availability. To address these issues, we collected information via internet and literature searchers and through conversations with tool developers and users on tools used in U.S. conservation mechanisms, such as payments for ecosystem services (PES) and ecolabel programs, conservation banking, and habitat exchanges. We summarized information about tools and explored trends among and within mechanisms based on criteria detailing geographic, ecological, and technical features of tools. We identified 69 tools that assessed at least 34 species and 39 habitat types. Where tools reported pricing, 98% were freely available. More tools were applied to states along the U.S. West Coast than elsewhere, and the level of tool transferability varied markedly among mechanisms. Tools most often incorporated conditions at numerous spatial scales, frequently addressed multiple risks to site viability, and required 1–83 data inputs. Most tools required a moderate or greater level of user skill. Average tool-complexity estimates were similar among all mechanisms except PES programs. Our results illustrate the diversity among tools in their ecological features, data needs, and geographic application, supporting concerns about a lack of standardization. However, consistency among tools in user skill requirements, incorporation of multiple spatial scales, and complexity highlight important commonalities that could serve as a starting point for establishing more standardized tool development and feature-incorporation processes. Greater standardization in tool design may expand market participation and facilitate a needed assessment of the effectiveness of market-based conservation.     

Quantification of pesticide residues on plastic mulching films in typical farmlands of the North China

• Pesticide residuals on mulching film of Shandong, Tianjin and Hebei. • Detected 29 pesticides in soil and 30 in mulching film. • Pesticides on plastic films: 86.4‒22213.2 ng/g and in soil: 9.3‒535.3 ng/g. • Pesticides on plastic films 20 times higher than in soil. Plastic debris as new pollutants attracts much attention in the recent years. The plastic mulching films is one of the most important plastic debirs source in the environment. The aim of this work was to investigate the current status of pesticide residues on the plastic mulching films. Based on the QuEChERS method, multi-residue methods for detection of pesticide residues with gas chromatography tandem mass spectrum (GC-MS) and high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrum (HPLC-MS) were developed for the analysis of the pesticides residues in plastic film and soil samples from Tianjin, Hebei and Shandong. The total concentrations of pesticide residues were in the range of 86.4‒22213.2 ng/g in plastic film debris, which was about 20 times higher than that in soil (9.3‒535.3 ng/g). Residual level of pesticides varied greatly in different samples. The historical usage and recent application of pesticides were the main sources for pesticide residues on plastic films and soil. In short, plastic mulching films could act as a sink for pesticides in farmland and the ubiquitous pesticide residues on plastic films should draw more attention.