Criteria and indicators for a bioenergy production industry identified via stakeholder participation

As bioenergy production expands and new bioenergy-based technologies emerge, there is a growing concern regarding the sustainability of their ecological and socioeconomic impacts. Comprehensive sustainability assessments are needed to address this concern and to assure that the development of the bioenergy industry meets sustainability goals. Most sustainability assessments for bioenergy are expert-driven, broad, and largely motivated by an interest in optimizing international trade in bioenergy. As a result, social and cultural sustainability targets are vague or underdeveloped. In this study, we developed a sustainability assessment for a regional bioenergy production industry in Upper Michigan, using stakeholder participation. Semi-structured interviews and focus group meetings were used to elicit participants’ concerns and opinion. These concerns were translated into sustainability Criteria and Indicators (C&Is), many of which could be supported with available science. Some of the C&Is identified by participants were unique to the region. Sustainability C&Is were broadly categorized into economic (C = 5; I = 22), environmental (C = 6; I = 12), social (C = 3; I = 9), policy and regulations (C = 3; I = 13), and institutional capacity (C = 4; I = 13). While participants could identify indicators for most of the criteria (many of which are also supported by existing literature), further research and validation will be necessary to identify measurable, practical, and bias-free indicators for all criteria.     

Dynamics of the Coordination of Economy-Society and Resource-Environment in Shandong Peninsula,China

Abstract

Shandong Peninsula, as a more developed region in Shandong Province even the east coast of China, is facing challenges from resources and environment pressures. This paper tried to track and assess the coordination status and the dynamic between resource-environment and economy-society systems in Shandong Peninsula during 2001—2008 in order to provide decision support for regional sustainability. An appraisal index system was built including five aspects of harmony degree (A), sustainability degree (B), opening degree (C), stability degree (D) and controllability degree (E). The results showed that: 1) The coordination level of resource-environment and economy-society in Shandong Peninsula has continuously grown, and it has undergone three stages: no coordinated degree (2001–2002), weak coordinated degree (2003–2006) and basically coordinated degree (2007– 2008). 2) Five indexes of criterion hierarchy also increased overall, but each index showed different trends. Harmony degree, sustainability degree and opening degree rose all the time, while stability degree and controllability degree alternately rose and fell. The improvement of controllability degree was the slowest. 3) The aggravating trend of environmental pollution was slowing down. The economic growth was driven by industrial growth and urbanization typically and investment was still the main force to pull the regional economic growth. At the same time, technology and education were becoming more and more important for economic growth. The level of foreign capital utility declined and the geographical advantage of Shandong Peninsula was exerted. Meanwhile some characteristics of knowledge economy were presenting. Water resources become the main constraint factor of fast development in Shandong Peninsula. It is necessary to further strengthen the coordination ability of government on regional sustainable development.     

山东半岛近地面O3浓度时空变化及潜在源区解析

为探究山东半岛在长时间序列上的臭氧（O₃）时空分布特征及潜在来源,在分析山东半岛2005～2020年O₃浓度时空变化的基础上,运用小波分析、熵权法和相关性分析对O₃及其影响因素进行了探讨,并对山东半岛O₃的潜在来源进行研究.结果表明：（1）时间格局上,山东半岛地区近地面臭氧2005～2020年间呈现出“三峰型”趋势,2010年达到最大值[（40.48±7.64）μg·m^-3], 2013年为最小值[（36.63±5.61）μg·m^-3].季节表现为：夏季[（42.49±1.7）μg·m^-3]>春季[（40.65±0.6）μg·m^-3]>秋季[（36.47±0.7）μg·m^-3>冬季[（36.46±0.3）μg·m^-3].（2）空间格局上,2005～2020年山东半岛O₃浓度随着纬度的升高而逐渐升高,呈现出东西部高,中部低的特征,O...     

雷州半岛土壤重金属分布特征及其污染评价

在雷州半岛采集了106个土壤表层样品,分析了其中8种重金属元素(Cu、Pb、Zn、Cr、Ni、Cd、Hg和As)的全量.结果表明,雷州半岛土壤重金属污染由高到低排序为Ni＞Cr＞Hg＞Cu＞Zn＞Cd＞As＞Pb,Zn、Cd、As和Pb质量浓度均没有超标,Hg和Cu质量浓度超标率亦不高,但Ni和Cr平均质量浓度达49.81、87.13 mg/kg,高于国内外其他对照区域,超标率分别为25.47%和24.53%;重金属元素在雷州半岛各土壤利用类型中分布规律不明显,按4种主要土壤利用类型受重金属污染程度大小排序为甘蔗地＞果园土＞水田＞菜地;雷州半岛土壤综合污染指数总平均为0.970,土壤总体上尚清洁,重金属污染处于警戒水平;雷州半岛各区域中,徐闻、雷州两地土壤重金属质量浓度明显高于其他地区,其主要原因是徐闻、雷州两地成土母质主要为玄武岩,造成土壤Cr、Ni及其他重金属背景值较高.     

山东半岛城市群地区空间极化及其影响因素研究

以县（市）作为研究单元,采用综合指数法,分别计算山东半岛城市群1986、2008年经济社会发展综合指数,通过比较各单元经济社会发展综合指数的变化,研究了20世纪80年代以来山东半岛城市群地区空间极化的特点;采用面板数据模型,定量探讨了山东半岛城市群地区空间极化的影响因素。研究表明：山东半岛城市群地区经济活动有明显的经济中心指向、沿海指向,空间发展依然以极化为主,新的发展极已经出现,但分布在区域的边缘地带,带动作用不大;大都市区整体规模加剧膨胀,核心和外围地区出现极化和反极化现象;东部地区出现网络化发展的雏形。原有经济基础、产业结构转换能力和经济全球化水平是改革开放以来山东半岛城市群地区空间极化的主要影响因素     

Concentration of trace elements in feathers of three Antarctic penguins: Geographical and interspecific differences

Antarctica is often considered as one of the last pristine regions, but it could be affected by pollution at global and local scale. Concentrations of Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Cd and Pb were determinated by ICP-MS in feathers (n = 207 individuals) of gentoo, chinstrap and Adélie penguin collected in 8 locations throughout the Antarctic Peninsula (2006-2007). The highest levels of several elements were found in samples from King George Island (8.08, 20.29 and 1.76 μg g⁻¹ dw for Cr, Cu and Pb, respectively) and Deception Island (203.13, 3.26 and 164.26 μg g⁻¹ dw for Al, Mn and Fe, respectively), where probably human activities and large-scale transport of pollutants contribute to increase metal levels. Concentrations of Cr, Mn, Cu, Se or Pb, which are similar to others found in different regions of the world, show that some areas in Antarctica are not utterly pristine.     

Use of Descriptors of Ecosystem Functioning for Monitoring a National Park Network: A Remote Sensing Approach

Baseline assessments and monitoring of protected areas are essential for making management decisions, evaluating the effectiveness of management practices, and tracking the effects of global changes. For these purposes, the analysis of functional attributes of ecosystems (i.e., different aspects of the exchange of matter and energy) has advantages over the traditional use of structural attributes, like a quicker response to disturbances and the fact that they are easily monitored through remote sensing. In this study, we described the spatiotemporal patterns of different aspects of the ecosystem functioning of the Spanish national parks and their response to environmental changes between 1982 and 2006. To do so, we used the NOAA/AVHRR-GIMMS dataset of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), a linear estimator of the fraction of photosynthetic active radiation intercepted by vegetation, which is the main control of carbon gains. Nearly all parks have significantly changed during the last 25 years: The radiation interception has increased, the contrast between the growing and nongrowing seasons has diminished, and the dates of maximum and minimum interception have advanced. Some parks concentrated more changes than others and the degree of change varied depending on their different environmental conditions, management, and conservation histories. Our approach identified reference conditions and temporal changes for different aspects of ecosystem functioning, which can be used for management purposes of protected areas in response to global changes.     

山东半岛城市群人居环境质量综合评价

随着中国城市化的高速发展,"城市病"问题日益突出,城市群作为统筹区域协调发展、建设宜居人居环境的重点地区,其人居环境发展状况备受关注。基于此,本文以山东半岛城市群为例,从人文环境、经济环境、社会环境和生态环境4个方面构建人居环境质量综合评价指标体系,利用人居环境质量计算模型和系统协调度模型,对其人居环境质量进行静态定量化评价和动态综合性评价。研究表明:(1)山东半岛城市群人居环境质量与社会环境的关联性最大,经济实力、基础设施水平时空发展不均衡、地域差异大,是制约山东半岛城市群人居环境发展的突出问题。(2)2000—2014年山东半岛城市群人居环境综合水平呈现良好的上升趋势,且增速较稳,增幅较小;各要素间的协调性均达到了中级协调等级;系统层的评价值除人文环境外,均呈现不同程度的波动式上升态势;领域层的评价值差异明显,发展不均衡。(3)城市群内部各城市人居环境综合质量水平逐步提高,且排名相对稳定;各要素间的协调度等级差异较小,但起伏变化较大;人居环境质量时空分异特征明显,呈现东西高、中间低的格局,内部级别差异显著,可分为较好、一般、较差、差4个等级。在今后的发展中,应针对山东半岛不同城市人居环境问题采取因时因地制宜的协调对策,创造整体最优人居环境。不仅要提高城市群的整体经济水平,提升城市群的短板建设,推动人居环境协调发展,还要符合新常态下城市发展与建设的要求,加快山东半岛城市群的区域创新体系构建,科学引领产业转型升级,优化产业结构,加强山东半岛城市规划研究与实施力度,探索"多规合一"模式。     

山东半岛蓝色经济区海洋生态旅游发展研究

发展海洋生态旅游是实现山东半岛蓝色经济区战略的重要途径之一。在SWOT分析的基础上,指出在山东半岛蓝色经济区发展海洋生态旅游必须明确其动力机制,坚持统筹发展战略,从生态保护、社区参与、区域统筹和产业协同四个方面采取具体的对策。