A field experiment characterizing variable detection rates during plant surveys

Surveys aimed at finding threatened and invasive species can be challenging due to individual rarity and low and variable individual detection rates. Detection rate in plant surveys typically varies due to differences among observers, among the individual plants being surveyed (targets), and across background environments. Interactions among these 3 components may occur but are rarely estimated due to limited replication and control during data collection. We conducted an experiment to investigate sources of variation in detection of 2 Pilosella species that are invasive and sparsely distributed in the Alpine National Park, Australia. These species are superficially similar in appearance to other yellow-flowered plants occurring in this landscape. We controlled the presence and color of flowers on target Pilosella plants and controlled their placement in plots, which were selected for their variation in cover of non-target yellow flowers and dominant vegetation type. Observers mimicked Pilosella surveys in the plots and reported 1 categorical and 4 quantitative indicators of their survey experience level. We applied survival analysis to detection data to model the influence of both controlled and uncontrolled variables on detection rate. Orange- and yellow-flowering Pilosella in grass- and heath-dominated vegetation were detected at a higher rate than nonflowering Pilosella. However, this detection gain diminished as the cover of other co-occurring yellow-flowering species increased. Recent experience with Pilosella surveys improved detection rate. Detection experiments are a direct and accessible means of understanding detection processes and interpreting survey data for threatened and invasive species. Our detection findings have been used for survey planning and can inform progress toward eradication. Interaction of target and background characteristics determined detection rate, which enhanced predictions in the Pilosella eradication program and demonstrated the difficulty of transferring detection findings into untested environments.     

苏州储备地块土壤污染防治项目监理模式的实践与探讨

阐述了我国土壤污染防治项目监理现状,以苏州储备地块为例,分析了其土壤污染防治项目以环境监理为主,以工程监理为辅,由环境检测单位提供独立监测服务的监理模式的实践特点,以及环境监理、工程监理和环境监测各环节的实施要点。在此基础上,提出了在土壤污染防治项目实施过程中落实监理全覆盖,夯实监理的安全监管责任,以及将环境监理与工程监理有机结合,形成一套有针对性的行业监理规范等建议。     

Does the risk of encountering lions influence African herbivore behaviour at waterholes?

A central question in the study of predator–prey relationships is to what extent prey behaviour is determined by avoidance of predators. Here, we test whether the long-term risk of encountering lions and the presence of lions in the vicinity influence the behaviour of large African herbivores at waterholes through avoidance of high-risk areas, increases in group size, changes in temporal niche or changes in the time spent in waterhole areas. In Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe, we monitored waterholes to study the behaviour of nine herbivore species under different risks of encountering lions. We radio-collared 26 lions in the study area which provided the opportunity to monitor whether lions were present during observation sessions and to map longer-term seasonal landscapes of risk of encountering lions. Our results show that the preferred prey species for lions (buffalo, kudu and giraffe) avoided risky waterholes. Group size increased as encounter risk increased for only two species (wildebeest and zebra), but this effect was not strong. Interestingly, buffalo avoided the hours of the day which are dangerous when the long-term and short-term risks of encountering lions were high, and all species showed avoidance of waterhole use at night times when lions were in the vicinity. This illustrates well how prey can make temporal adjustments to avoid dangerous periods coinciding with predator hunting. Additionally, many herbivores spent more time accessing water to drink when the long- and short-term risks of encountering lions were high, and they showed longer potential drinking time when the long-term risk of encountering lions was high, suggesting higher levels of vigilance. This study illustrates the diversity of behavioural adjustments to the risk of encountering a predator and how prey respond differently to temporal variations in this risk.     

Conservation planning for successional landscapes

The systematic conservation planning literature invariably assumes that the biodiversity features being preserved in sites do not change through time. We develop a conservation planning framework for ecosystems where disturbance events and succession drive vegetation dynamics. The framework incorporates three key attributes of disturbance theory: heterogeneity in disturbance rates, spatial correlation between disturbance events and different impacts of disturbance. In our conservation problem we wish to maximise the chance that we represent a certain number of successional types given a cap on the number of sites we can conserve. Correlation between disturbance events dramatically complicates the problem of choosing the optimal suite of sites. However, in our problem we discover that spatial correlation in disturbances affects the optimal reserve network very little. The reason is twofold: (i) through our probabilistic framework we focus on the long-term effectiveness of reserve networks and (ii) in the dynamics considered in our model the state of a site is not only affected by the most recent (correlated) disturbance event but also by the site's long-term stochastic history which blurs the impact of spatial correlation. If successional states are the conservation target rather than individual species then, conserving a site can only contribute to meeting one target. However, given that correlation of disturbance events may be ignored, we show that if the number of candidate reserves is sufficiently large the statistical dependence of different conservation targets may be ignored, too. We conclude that the computational complexity of reserve selection methods for dynamic ecosystems can be much simpler than they first appear.     

国家科技发展规划与中国的资源科学

国家先后编制了七次科技发展规划,资源科学研究也从最初的自然资源综合考察发展成了一门综合性交叉学科。其中以《1956-1967年科学技术发展远景规划》和《1978-1985年全国科学技术发展规划纲要》,对资源科学的形成与发展影响最大。前者推动了中国自然资源综合考察事业的形成与发展,后者促进了中国资源科学考察事业的发展与壮大,进而推动了资源科学的形成与发展。全文在回顾与展望国家科技发展规划与中国资源科学发展的基础上,提出了新世纪初期国家中长期科学技术发展规划有关资源科学发展的3条建议。     

新发展阶段我国企业水信息披露评价研究

推动绿色发展,促进人与自然和谐共生是我国社会主义建设新时期的重点方向与方略。绿水青山就是金山银山,水信息披露作为治理企业水污染的首要环节、重要手段,在国内还未充分引起企业与有关部门的重视。本文通过构建中国上市公司水信息披露指标体系,弥补了我国多年来在水信息披露评价体系中的不足。基于该指标体系,结合三维度打分法、层次分析法和内容分析法,本研究人工搜集整理既往企业水信息并从披露整体情况、披露水平以及披露内容三个方面分析了我国上市企业水信息披露现状。结果表明,现阶段我国企业水信息披露还存在披露程度低、披露差异明显、披露内容可靠性不强等问题,其根源来自政府政策滞后、社会面监督不充分、企业战略缺失等因素。为此,本文从健全水信息披露框架、完善法律制度、落实法律监督、建立新闻发布制度、引导金融机构参与等方面为推动企业水信息披露提供建议。     

《土地利用现状分类》国家标准的解读

2007年8月,我国新的土地利用分类系统(《土地利用现状分类)》首次作为国家标准颁布,标志我国土地利用研究的深入和土地管理水平的提高。为促进其更好地实施应用,论文对该标准进行了全面解读。在介绍《土地利用现状分类》国家标准主要内容的基础上,将新的分类标准与原有的《土地分类(试行)》标准进行了比较分析,指出了新的分类在土地利用类型的归并、调整等方面的改进之处及存在的问题,提出了新旧分类系统过渡和衔接的建议,为下一步国家制订新标准的实施细则提供了依据。     

景观生态学原理在自然保护区规划中的应用

本文运用景观生态学的有关理论指导自然保护区的规划建设,按照一定的规划原则对自然保护区的本底与基质、斑块、廊道以及景观格局进行规划设计。     

黑龙江省大气边界层不同高度风速变化

利用黑龙江省1961—2010 年哈尔滨、嫩江、齐齐哈尔、伊春4 个气象站探空和地面风速资料,分析了边界层内不同高度风速的气候学特征和时间变化趋势,获得以下结论:①黑龙江省边界层内不同高度年平均风速随高度增加而增大,10 m到300 m风速垂直递增率最大;风速在年内具有明显的季节性特征,各高度都是春季最大,近地面层冬季风速最小,其余高度夏季风速最小。②1961—2010 年,近地面10 m高度平均风速1970 年代最大,其后各年代风速逐渐减小,2000 年代风速最小;300、600、900 m高度,平均风速1980 年代最大,从1980 年代到2000 年代逐渐减小,300 m高度平均风速最小出现在1960 年代,600 m和900m最小出现在1970 年代。③1961—2010 年,近地面10 m高度平均风速呈明显减弱趋势,递减率为0.162 m/(s·10 a),递减趋势主要发生在1970 年代以后,但300、600 和900 m高度平均风速变化均不显著。④黑龙江省近地面风速变化趋势可能主要与观测环境改变和城市化等非自然因素影响有关,上层的风速变化则主要受大尺度大气环流变化的影响。     

周至国家级自然保护区综合评价体系研究

根据周至国家级自然保护区的实际情况，从3个准则、24个基层指标因子出发，运用定性和定量相结合的德尔菲法、模糊数学法以及层次分析相结合的综合方法进行评价。其中，运用对称贴近度进行各个指标因子排序比较；运用非对称贴近度评价出生态质量、有效管理质量、社会经济价值分别处于较好、较差、较好水平，同时得出周至自然保护区综合水平较好。