Ecosystem services in coupled social–ecological systems: Closing the cycle of service provision and societal feedback

Both the ‘cascade model’ of ecosystem service provision and the Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response framework individually contribute to the understanding of human–nature interactions in social–ecological systems (SES). Yet, as several points of criticism show, they are limited analytical tools when it comes to reproducing complex cause–effect relationships in such systems. However, in this paper, we point out that by merging the two models, they can mutually enhance their comprehensiveness and overcome their individual conceptual deficits. Therefore we closed a cycle of ecosystem service provision and societal feedback by rethinking and reassembling the core elements of both models. That way, we established a causal sequence apt to describe the causes of change to SES, their effects and their consequences. Finally, to illustrate its functioning we exemplified and discussed our approach based on a case study conducted in the Alpujarra de la Sierra in southern Spain.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s13280-015-0651-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

ECONOMIC EVALUATION OF AESTHETIC AMENITIES: A CASE STUDY OF RIVER VIEW1

ABSTRACT: Presence of a river in an urban setting may contribute positively to an aesthetically pleasing environment. Such aesthetic effects are not typically linked to specific economic activities and occur, for example, when residents are exposed to a river-view. Qualities enhancing the aesthetic value of the river include the presence of parks, trails, and vegetation along the riverbanks. The value of aesthetic amenities provided by the South Saskatchewan to the City of Saskatoon residents was estimated in this study using non-market methods. The implicit price of the river view was estimated using the Hedonic Price Model, whereas value through willingness to pay for property taxes or higher rents were also estimated using actual market data. The total annual value of the river to the City of Saskatoon through addition of aesthetic amenities was estimated at $1.2 million in 1989 dollars.     

工贸行业安全生产预警指数数学模型构建

通过对《冶金等工贸行业安全生产标准化基本规范评分细则》的仔细解读,将安全预警指标分解成13个一级指标和38个二级指标,对应指标给以相应的经过归一化处理后的权重。针对这十三个安全预警指标建立了数学量化模型,给出了计算方法和安全预警指数的状态划分。结合GM(1,1)灰色预测理论和等维新息模型,构建适合工贸企业的预测模型,对未来的安全生产预警指数作出预测,帮助工贸企业实时掌握安全生产动态,做到科学合理决策。     

新型转式垃圾焚烧过程中脱氯脱硫机理的研究

为了探讨有机垃圾焚烧过程钙基添加剂对HCl,SO_x生成特性的影响,分别在自行设计的中空水冷转式垃圾焚烧炉和固定床加热炉中进行了一系列的实验,研究结果表明新型转式焚烧炉具有强化传热传质特性,能提高HCl、SO_x的脱除率,可抑制有害气体的生成;同时也研究了 HCl,SO₂气体同时存在时,钙基添加剂对脱氯脱硫效率的影响规律。     

潜流湿地对典型选控性有机污染物去除的预测

建立潜流湿地有机污染物迁移转化模型,采用多孔介质模型描述潜流湿地的水力特性,并引入Monod方程相耦合,实现对湿地系统内部流场及水质浓度的同时模拟。通过实验,校核模型参数,并验证模型。结果表明,该模型能较好模拟潜流湿地中有机污染物的去除效果;计算条件下,在不同基质填料的潜流湿地中都会出现滞水区和快速通道,影响水力效率与污染物去除效果;预测了不同填料系统中7种典型选控性有机污染物的去除效果,其处理效率:苯胺苯酚二甲苯甲苯苯硝基苯氯苯,可通过优选填料提高吸附量和延长停留时间来提高选控性有机物的处理效果。     

大同矿区煤的导热系数灰色关联分析及预测

为分析煤质指标及密度对导热系数的影响作用,选取了山西大同矿区的不同煤质煤样,进行导热系数测定实验,应用灰色系统理论对导热系数与影响因素进行灰色关联分析,建立导热系数与主要影响因素的GM(1,4)灰色预测模型,进行导热系数预测。结果表明:固定碳、密度和水分是影响煤导热系数的主要因素;根据得出的主要影响因素建立的GM(1,4)预测模型平均相对误差为4.5%,预测精度较高,能够用于导热系数的预测。     

Use of Substitute Species in Conservation Biology

Abstract:  In conservation biology, researchers often want to study the reasons why an endangered population is faring poorly but are unable to study it directly for logistical or political reasons. Instead they study a species that substitutes for the one of concern in the hope that it will cast light on the conservation problem. Here we outline the assumptions underlying this approach. Substitutes can be different populations or species and may be chosen because they are similar biologically to the target or representatives of a constellation of species of which the target is one. They also may be used to develop a predictive model to which the conservation target can be related. For substitutes to be appropriate, they should share the same key ecological or behavioral traits that make the target sensitive to environmental disturbance and the relationship between population vital rates and level of disturbance should match that of the target. These conditions are unlikely to pertain in most circumstances and the use of substitute species to predict endangered populations' responses to disturbance is questionable.     

道路交通事故的影响因素研究——基于结构方程模型的实证研究

使用Amos建立了31个省市道路交通事故的结构方程,SEM道路交通结构模型选用了潜变量交通事故、人口素质、经济因子和车辆道路,每个潜变量包含三至五个指标观察变量,所有数据均通过信度检验。SEM道路交通结构模型采用bootstrap Stine p估计加以修正卡方值,通过了适配性检验和显著性检验,并拟合好全部路径系数、潜变量因子得分权重等,以此可计算得31个省市道路交通事故得分和排名,实证结果与31个省市道路交通事故实际情况相符,最后根据分析得出了影响道路交通事故的因素,并有针对性地提出了相关政策建议。     

曝气生物滤池去除有机物与反应常数及膜厚的关系

推导了BAF前置反硝化工艺简化动力学模型,揭示了BAF去除有机物与反应速率常数与膜厚的关系。同时以生物膜中活性物质与非活性物质增长生物数学模型体系为基础,从理论上推导了BAF最佳膜厚的范围。