上海嘉定区农民新村污水收集处理调查

在对上海嘉定区农民新村污水纳管,污水处理及污水最终排放去向作全面调查的基础上,分析了农民新村污水排放现状.存在的主要问题和发展趋势,并从排水管网基础建设、污水就地处理技术应用、环保部门执法监督和农民环境意识提高等方面,剖析了问题的根源,阐述了解决问题的思路,并得出相应的对策和建议。     

江苏溧水神仙洞的发掘和研究——中华文明史应追溯到万年前

对溧水神仙洞的发掘和进行地质、地貌、孢粉、古脊椎动物与古人类、C14 年代及考古等多学科综合研究结果表明 :该洞是石炭系石灰岩沿层面裂隙经地下水溶蚀而成 ;洞穴堆积物的时代应属全新世早期 ,或新石器时代早期 ,绝对年代距今约为 1.1万年。其中发现的动物群为我国南方晚更新世动物群向现代动物群过渡的类型 ,而代表中 -晚更新世的最后鬣狗与代表新石器时代文化标志的陶片共生 ,为我国第四纪时代的划分 ,或新、旧石器时代文化的划分提供了重要依据。陶片则迄今为止是我国具有完整地层层位记录的最古陶片。它的发现 ,不仅将我国新石器时代文化大大推前 ,更为重写中华古史 ,校正“中华五千年文明”的提法 ,将中华文明追溯到一万年前并重排世界古文明位次增加了依据。同时 ,智人颞骨的发现 ,对长江中、下游古人类的研究 ,也提供了新的资料     

Connecting phosphorus loss from agricultural landscapes to surface water quality

The loss of phosphorous (P) from the landscape is commonly viewed as deleterious for surface water quality. However, the quantities lost and the impact this can have on surface waters depends on numerous mechanisms that occur whilst en route. The aim of this review is to give an outline of these mechanisms and thus how sources of P in the agricultural landscape are connected to the impairment of surface water quality. Processes are dealt with by examining the potential for P loss from the landscape and its availability to aquatic plants during flow overland and subsurface flow and once in streamflow or a lake or reservoir. By examining the connectivity between P loss and the impact on surface water quality, potential mitigation and management of P losses are discussed for various aquatic systems.     

Using land as a control variable in density-dependent bioeconomic models

The bioeconomic analysis of endangered species without consumptive values can be problematic when analysed with density-dependent models that assume a fixed environment size. Most bioeconomic models use harvest as a control variable, yet when modelling non-harvestable species, frequently the only variable under control of conservationists is the quantity of habitat to be made available. The authors explore the implications of this in a model developed to analyse the potential population recovery of New Zealand’s yellow-eyed penguin. The penguin faces severe competition with man for the terrestrial resources required for breeding and has declined in population to perilously low levels. The model was developed to estimate the land use required for recovery and preservation of the species and to compare the results to current tourism-driven conservation efforts. It is demonstrated that land may serve as a useful control variable in bioeconomic models and that such a model may be useful for determining whether sufficient incentives exist to preserve a species. However, the model may generate less useful results for providing a specific estimate of the optimal allocation of land to such a species.     

Socioeconomic Thresholds That Affect Use of Customary Fisheries Management Tools

Abstract:  Customary forms of resource management, such as taboos, have received considerable attention as a potential basis for conservation initiatives in the Indo-Pacific. Yet little is known about how socioeconomic factors influence the ability of communities to use customary management practices and whether socioeconomic transformations within communities will weaken conservation initiatives with a customary foundation. We used a comparative approach to examine how socioeconomic factors may influence whether communities use customary fisheries management in Papua New Guinea. We examined levels of material wealth (modernization), dependence on marine resources, population, and distance to market in 15 coastal communities. We compared these socioeconomic conditions in 5 communities that used a customary method of closing their fishing ground with 10 communities that did not use this type of management. There were apparent threshold levels of dependence on marine resources, modernization, distance to markets (<16.5 km), and population (>600 people) beyond which communities did not use customary fisheries closures. Nevertheless, economic inequality, rather than mean modernization levels seemed to influence the use of closures. Our results suggest that customary management institutions are not resilient to factors such as population growth and economic modernization. If customary management is to be used as a basis for modern conservation initiatives, cross-scale institutional arrangements such as networks and bridging organizations may be required to help filter the impacts of socioeconomic transformations.     

Primary sector and environments in the Aegean Islands,Greece

The development of intensive agriculture in the plains of mainland Greece provides products with lower cost than those obtained from terrace agriculture in the islands. The result is the abandonment of the islands' agriculture followed by collapse of the traditional agropastoral systems of management. When fires and overgrazing follow, desertification becomes a new reality in the islands of the Aegean.     

Review and comparison of wetland impacts and mitigation requirements between New Jersey,USA, Freshwater Wetlands Protection Act and Section 404 of the Clean Water Act

A review of wetland impacts authorized under the New Jersey Freshwater Wetlands Protection Act (FWPA) was conducted based on permitting data compiled for the period 1 July 1988 to 31 December 1993. Data regarding the acreage of wetlands impacted, location of impacts by drainage basin and watershed, and mitigation were analyzed. Wetland impacts authorized and mitigation under New Jersey's program were evaluated and compared with Section 404 information available for New Jersey and other regions of the United States.Under the FWPA, 3003 permits were issued authorizing impacts to 234.76 ha (602.27 acres) of wetlands and waters. Compensatory mitigation requirements for impacts associated with individual permits required the creation of 69.20 ha. (171.00 acres), and restoration of 16.49 ha (40.75 acres) of wetlands. Cumulative impacts by watershed were directly related to levels of development and population growth.The FWPA has resulted in an estimated 67% reduction [44.32 ha (109.47 acres) vs 136.26 ha (336.56 acres)] in annual wetland and water impacts when compared with Section 404 data for New Jersey. For mitigation, the slight increase in wetland acreage over acreage impacted is largely consistent with Section 404 data.Based on this evaluation, the FWPA has succeeded in reducing the level of wetland impacts in New Jersey. However, despite stringent regulation of activities in and around wetlands, New Jersey continues to experience approximately 32 ha (79 acres) of unmitigated wetland impacts annually. Our results suggest that additional efforts focusing on minimizing wetland impacts and increasing wetlands creation are needed to attain a goal of no net loss of freshwater wetlands.     

Long-term climate variability at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant,southeastern New Mexico,USA

The United States Department of Energy is developing the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in southeastern New Mexico for the disposal of transuranic wastes generated by defense programs. Because changes in climate during the next 10,000 years (10 ka) may affect performance of the repository, an understanding of long-term climate variability is essential for evaluating regulatory compliance. Fluctuations in global climate corresponding to glaciation and deglaciation of the northern hemisphere have been regular in both frequency and amplitude for at least 780 ka. Coolest and wettest conditions in the past have occurred at the WIPP during glacial maxima, when the North American ice sheet reached its southern limit roughly 1200 km north of the WIPP and deflected the jet stream southward. Average precipitation in southeastern New Mexico during the last glacial maximum 22-18 ka before present (BP) was approximately twice that of the present. Driest conditions (precipitation approximately 90% of present) occurred 6.5-4.5 ka BP, after the ice sheet had retreated to its present location. Wet periods of unknown duration have occurred since the retreat of the ice sheet, but none have exceeded glacial conditions. Global climate models suggest that anthropogenic climate changes (i.e., warming caused by an increased greenhouse effect) will not result in an increase in precipitation at the WIPP. The climate of the last glacial maximum is therefore suitable for use as a cooler and wetter limit for variability during the next 10 ka.     

MAXIMIZING THE VALUE OF INFORMATION FOR GROUND WATER PROTECTION: THREE TEST CASES1

ABSTRACT: Public awareness of the importance of protecting the nation's water supplies is growing. Recent studies have shown a substantial increase in the perceived value of protecting water supplies for future use. In the Northeast, much of the water supply comes from ground water. This paper examines three test cases, each with different approaches for using geographic information systems (GIS) for ground water protection planning. In Wellfleet, Massachusetts, build-out scenarios were used to support regulatory and land acquisition decisions for siting a public water supply well. In Hadley, Massachusetts, the focus was on a decision support model for septic suitability assessment in support of regulatory efforts and infrastructure expansion. For Cortland County, New York, an interactive graphic user interface was created to facilitate the manipulation and recombination of a large volume of data by county officials to target ground water pollution prevention efforts. As personal computers become more powerful and inexpensive, and GIS data become more readily available, community and county governments are turning to GIS as a tool for developing comprehensive resource protection plans. Once appropriate data are input, a GIS can effectively and efficiently be used to derive outcomes of various land use plans and regulations.     

Disaster policy and nuclear liability: Insights from post-Chernobyl agriculture in the United Kingdom

The recent events at Chernobyl have again brought the issues of nuclear safety to the forefront of the nuclear power debate. Fortunately, our experience with such incidents has been very limited, but it is important to learn as much as possible from such events so as to minimize the cost and effect of any other nuclear incidents, be they small or large. Much of the discussion about the possible effects of nuclear incidents has centered around the human cost in terms of health. While this is undoubtedly of paramount concern, the effect of the release of radiation from Chernobyl on the agricultural resource base in Europe can provide valuable insights on how to reduce the costs associated with the contamination of agricultural areas. This article outlines some of the lessons that can be learned using the livestock-raising industry in northern Wales as an example.