Plant communities in relation to flooding and soil contamination in a lowland Rhine River floodplain

Using canonical correspondence analysis (CCA), relationships were investigated between plant species composition and flooding characteristics, heavy metal contamination and soil properties in a lowland floodplain of the Rhine River. Floodplain elevation and yearly average flooding duration turned out to be more important for explaining variation in plant species composition than soil heavy metal contamination. Nevertheless, plant species richness and diversity showed a significant decrease with the level of contamination. As single heavy metal concentrations seemed mostly too low for causing phytotoxic effects in plants, this trend is possibly explained by additive effects of multiple contaminants or by the concomitant influences of contamination and non-chemical stressors like flooding. These results suggest that impacts of soil contamination on plants in floodplains could be larger than expected from mere soil concentrations. In general, these findings emphasize the relevance of analyzing effects of toxic substances in concert with the effects of other relevant stressors.     

射阳县黄沙港流域面源污染现状及防治对策

针对农村面源污染日渐突出的问题,以农村饮用水源地黄沙港为例分析了农村面源污染的现状和成因,并从乡镇规划、生活污水处理工艺选择、畜禽水产业污染治理、农药化肥的施用、农业废弃物利用技术等方面提出防治措施。     

不同收入来源对甘肃省城乡收入差距的影响研究

收入由多个来源部分组成,城乡收入差距的变化是收入来源各部分变动的综合反映,透过收入来源的角度可以清晰地判断城乡收入差距产生的根源.本文运用泰尔指数及其分解方法,对2003-2008年甘肃省城乡收入差距大小及其在总区域收入差距中的贡献变化趋势进行测度,并利用要素分解法实证分析了不同收入来源对城乡收入差距的影响,以此揭示甘肃省城乡收入差距产生的原因.研究发现,城乡收入差距在总区域收入差距中的贡献是递增变化的,已经成为影响甘肃省居民收入差距的重要因素;工资性收入是目前拉大城乡收入差距最为重要的原因,而家庭经营性收入则起着缩小差距的作用,转移性收入和财产性收入在总收入中所占比例很小,但转移性收入对城乡收入差距的贡献却不容轻视.基于研究结果,提出了增加农民非农收入、推进农业产业化进程和完善城乡间收入再分配制度等政策建议,以期为欠发达地区缩小城乡收入差距带来一些启示.     

Point‐Nonpoint Trading – Can It Work?1

Ribaudo, Marc O. and Jessica Gottlieb, 2011. Point‐Nonpoint Trading – Can It Work? Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 47(1):5‐14. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752‐1688.2010.00454.x Abstract: Water quality trading between point and nonpoint sources is of great interest as an alternative to strict command and control regulations on point sources for achieving water quality goals. The expectation is that trading will reduce the costs of water quality protection, and may speed compliance. The United States Environmental Protection Agency has issued guidance to the States on developing point‐nonpoint trading programs, and United States Department of Agriculture is encouraging farmer participation. However, existing point‐nonpoint trading programs have resulted in very few trades. Supply side and demand side impediments seem to be preventing trades from occurring in most trading programs. These include uncertainty over the number of discharge allowances different management practices can produce, high transactions costs of identifying trading partners, baseline requirements that eliminate low‐cost credits, the reluctance of point sources to trade with unfamiliar agents, and the perception of some farmers that entering contracts with regulated point sources leads to greater scrutiny and potential future regulation. Many of these problems can be addressed through research and program design.     

Environmental conditions enhance toxicant effects in larvae of the ground beetle Pterostichus oblongopunctatus (Coleoptera: Carabidae)

The wide geographical distribution of ground beetles Pterostichus oblongopunctatus makes them very likely to be exposed to several environmental stressors at the same time. These could include both climatic stress and exposure to chemicals. Our previous studies demonstrated that the combined effect of nickel (Ni) and chlorpyrifos (CHP) was temperature (T)-dependent in adult P. oblongopunctatus. Frequently the different developmental stages of an organism are differently sensitive to single stressors, and for a number of reasons, such as differences in exposure routes, their interactions may also take different forms. Because of this, we studied the effects of the same factors on the beetle larvae. The results showed that all factors, as well as their interactions, influenced larvae survival. The synergistic effect of Ni and CPF was temperature-dependent and the effect of Ni × T interaction on the proportion of emerged imagines indicated stronger toxicity of Ni at 25 °C than at 10 °C.     

Inner City regeneration: perspectives on the G.E.A.R. Project

Government responses to the problems of the inner city currently focus on comprehensive programmes of positive discrimination. The first and most extensive is the G.E.A.R. project in Glasgow. Regular monitoring of the effectiveness of such large‐scale initiatives is essential. If the physical and social aims of such policies are to be realised, assessments must utilise both objective and subjective indicators.     

Do mountain log skinks (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudemoia entrecasteauxii</Emphasis>) modify their behaviour in the presence of two predators?

Prey often adopt antipredator strategies to reduce the likelihood of predation. In the presence of predators, prey may use antipredator strategies that are effective against a single predator (specific) or that are effective against several predators (nonspecific). Most studies have been confined to single predator environments although prey are often faced with multiple predators. When more than one predator is present, specific antipredator behaviours can conflict and avoidance of one predator may increase vulnerability to another. To test how prey cope with this dilemma, I recorded the behaviours of lizards responding to the nonlethal cues of a bird and snake presented singly and simultaneously. Lizards use specific and conflicting antipredator tactics when confronted with each predator, as evidenced by refuge use. However, when both predators were present, lizards refuge use was the same as in the predator-free environment, indicating that they abandoned refuge use as a primary mechanism for predator avoidance. In the presence of both predators, they reduced their overall movement and time spent thermoregulating. This shift in behaviour may represent a compromise to minimize overall risk, following a change in predator exposure. This provides evidence of plasticity in lizard antipredator behaviour and shows that prey responses to two predators cannot be accurately predicted from what is observed when only one predator is present.Communicated by W. Cooper     

Predicting mass rapid transit noise levels on an elevated station

This study developed a noise prediction model for elevated mass rapid transit (MRT) platforms. Relevant physical and operational parameters (e.g. cruise speed, acceleration and deceleration rates for trains, building fa?ade setbacks and so on) were collected from the Bangkok mass transit system (BTS), the first elevated MRT system operated in Bangkok, Thailand. The equivalent continuous sound pressure levels (L(Aeq)) were collected from both sides of the MRT stations at the center of each platform. The relevant parameters were collected on both platforms and ground level, on both sides of MRT stations. These parameters were statistically tested to determine their correlation with MRT noise. The final model was built from highly correlated parameters using multiple regression analysis with a stepwise regression technique. Statistical evaluation showed a high degree of goodness-of-fit test for the model to the observed data. Therefore, it can be efficiently used for the projection of MRT noise in the affected areas.     

Development of a Methodology for Selecting Criteria and Indicators of Sustainable Forest Management: A Case Study on Participatory Assessment

This paper describes an application of multiple criteria analysis (MCA) in assessing criteria and indicators adapted for a particular forest management unit. The methods include: ranking, rating, and pairwise comparisons. These methods were used in a participatory decision-making environment where a team representing various stakeholders and professionals used their expert opinions and judgements in assessing different criteria and indicators (C&I) on the one hand, and how suitable and applicable they are to a forest management unit on the other. A forest concession located in Kalimantan, Indonesia, was used as the site for the case study. Results from the study show that the multicriteria methods are effective tools that can be used as structured decision aids to evaluate, prioritize, and select sets of C&I for a particular forest management unit. Ranking and rating approaches can be used as a screening tool to develop an initial list of C&I. Pairwise comparison, on the other hand, can be used as a finer filter to further reduce the list. In addition to using these three MCA methods, the study also examines two commonly used group decision-making techniques, the Delphi method and the nominal group technique. Feedback received from the participants indicates that the methods are transparent, easy to implement, and provide a convenient environment for participatory decision-making.     

煤矿危险源辨识与多层评价分级研究

根据煤炭系统生产的复杂特点,提出了采用系统科学的方法,对煤炭生产进行系统的单元划分,采用安全系统科学辨识的方法对危险源进行辨识.在此基础上,提出利用层次分析法和模糊动态评判的方法对危险源进行初次分级,根据危险源的耦合特性,提出二次动态分级的方法,对初次分级进行调整,确定危险源科学、合理的级别,并提出了进一步现实性评价的建议.