Dynamics and Causation of Environmental Equity, Locally Unwanted Land Uses, and Neighborhood Changes

/ Why are some environmental risks distributed disproportionately in the neighborhoods of the minorities and the poor? A hypothesis was proposed in a recent study that market dynamics contributed to the current environmental inequity. That is, locally unwanted land uses (LULUs) make the host communities home to more poor people and people of color. This hypothesis was allegedly supported by a Houston case study, whereby its author analyzed the postsiting changes of the socioeconomic characteristics of the neighborhoods surrounding solid waste facilities. I argue that such an analysis of postsiting changes alone is insufficient to test the causation hypothesis. Instead, I propose a conceptual framework for analysis of environmental equity dynamics and causation. I suggest that the presiting neighborhood dynamics and the characteristics of control neighborhoods be analyzed as the first test for the causation hypothesis. Furthermore, I present theories of neighborhood change and then examine alternative hypotheses that these theories offer for explaining neighborhood changes and for the roles of LULUs in neighborhood changes. These alternative hypotheses should be examined when analyzing the relationship between LULUs and neighborhood changes in a metropolitan area. Using this framework of analysis, I revisited the Houston case. First, I found no evidence that provided support for the hypothesis that the presence of LULUs made the neighborhoods home to more blacks and poor people, contrary to the conclusion made by the previous study. Second, I examined alternative hypotheses for explaining neighborhood changes-invasion-succession, other push forces, and neighborhood life-cycle; the former two might offer better explanation.KEY WORDS: Environmental equity and justice; Locally unwanted lane uses; Siting; Market dynamics; Invasion-succession; Neighborhood changes     

Ecophysiological indicators of the state of animal populations exposed to damaging factors

Indices of abundance and reproduction rate are considered in some groups of aquatic and terrestrial vertebrates from the zones of technogenic disasters. Upon a critical population decline caused by external destructive factors, such as emissions of acute ecotoxicants, the ecophysiological and behavioral compensatory mechanisms are activated, which provide for restoration of the total population size to the optimum within a short period of time. Environmental pollution with substances disturbing the reproductive function has the gravest consequences for animals. In this case, population size may remain fairly high, and, therefore, the effect of enhanced reproduction as a response to population decline does not take place, which eventually leads to a gradual but irreversible destruction of the population. Pathologies of reproduction should be used as a criterion for assessing the state of animals in the zones of technogenic disasters.Translated from Ekologiya, No. 1, 2005, pp. 32–38.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Shilova, Shatunovskii.     

Paleoecology and dynamics of forest ecosystems in Central Evenkia during the past 2400 years

New data on the composition of surface assemblages of plant macroremains from soil and swamp samples have been obtained in the study of geomorphologically different localities in the middle reaches of the Nizhnyaya Tunguska River. The results of paleocarpological analysis of forest soil sections supported by relevant palynological and geochronological data are presented. Natural changes of the forest cover over the past 2400 years and quantitative characteristics of the paleoclimate during each stage are described.Translated from Ekologiya, No. 1, 2005, pp. 3–10.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Koshkarova, Koshkarov.     

区域排污权交易模型研究

本文在分析了排污权交易研究进展的基础上，指出区域污染权交易比传统的排污权交易意义更大，并提出排污权交易地区交叉补贴的设想：将发达地区的排污权交易所得向欠发达地区转移，以解决欠发达地区产业结构调整乏力以及对发达地区的二次污染和发达地区环境容量资源短缺问题。在不考虑交易成本的假设下，通过建立不同地区排污权交易模型以确定排污权交易总量及其交易价格以及交易所获净增纯收益等。太湖流域由于经济最为发达，环境问题十分突出，是目前我国最适宜率先进行区域排污权交易试点的地区。通过假定太湖流域无锡和常州两市进行排污权交易，并利用两市1991—2000年的环境统计资料等相关资料进行了验证。计算结果表明区域排污权交易不仅具有明显的经济和环境效益，而且也是协调环境区域矛盾的重要手段。因此，不同地区间进行排污权交易在我国具有重要意义，在太湖流域等经济发达地区收效尤其明显。     

湘南地区杂柑天草高接换冠关键技术

天草杂柑的高接换冠的关键技术主要是：注意选择母树并适当修剪；合理采穗和保湿；科学嫁接；嫁接后精心管理．     

关中地区飑线天气的预测及灾害对策探讨

对１９６１～１９９０年发生在陕西省关中地区的飑线天气及其灾害进行了统计分析，并从天气形势背景方面对飑线的发生发展进行了研究和分析，同时就飑线的预测和防灾对策进行了探讨。     

论土地持续利用

在世界上有两种可持续发展思路，一种是西方发达国家的重保护的可持续发展思路；一种是以发展为前提，保护自然资源的可持续发展思路。土地持续利用的思想是在可持续发展的进程中不断发展的。我国要保证土地持续利用，满足未来对食粮和建设的需求，应建立起同土地持续利用相适应的土地持续利用制度和土地持续利用机制     

2006—2018年中国省级以上开发区的空间分布特征变化

以新的国土空间规划语境为背景,基于核密度估计、标准差椭圆法和分类统计对我国2006—2018年省级以上开发区的密度分布特征变化、发展重心轴向的变化和主体功能区视角下的分布变化做了分析。研究表明：该阶段我国省级以上开发区空间分布的东西差距得到一定缓解,仍存在东部连片集聚、西部据点集中的模式差异。开发区分布的总体重心已经向西北方向移动,发展轴向则由原来的南北轴向转向了东南—西北轴向。从主体功能区视角来看,开发区空间分布格局呈现出外围扩散与局部缩减的动态调整。开发区规模的增长主要集中在重点开发区域,缩减主要发生在生态功能区域。这些新变化将为我国国土空间土地利用优化和国土空间管控实践提供重要参考。     

泗顶矿区6种土地利用类型土壤微生物群落结构特征

以广西柳州泗顶铅锌矿区的玉米地、菜地、灌木、尾矿库、森林和柑橘园6种不同利用类型土壤为研究对象,采用高通量测序技术,分析了不同土地利用类型土壤微生物群落结构特征及土壤环境因子对微生物群落结构的影响.结果表明,变形菌门（Proteobacteria）是6种土壤的优势菌门,所占比例为31.34%~53.47%,γ-变形菌纲（Gammaproteobacteria）为优势菌纲.冗余分析表明,在重金属含量最高的灌木区,厚壁菌门（Firmicutes）和拟杆菌门（Bacteroidetes）的丰度与土壤中铅、锌、镉、铜的含量呈现显著正相关;在土壤钠和钾含量较高的玉米地和菜地,浮霉菌门（Planctomycetes）的丰度有所增加,而厚壁菌门和拟杆菌门的丰度则有所下降.在土壤有机质含量较高而总氮、总磷含量较低的柑橘园,酸杆菌门（Acidobacteria）和疣微菌门（Verrucomicrobia）的丰度较高.芽单胞菌门（Gemmatimonadetes）和浮霉菌门的丰度与土壤pH值呈显著正相关.研究结果表明土地利用类型及土壤环境因子对土壤微生物群落结构多样性有显著的影响.