LANDSCAPE‐SCALE ANALYSIS AND MANAGEMENT OF CUMULATIVE IMPACTS TO RIPARIAN ECOSYSTEMS: PAST,PRESENT, AND FUTURE1

ABSTRACT: Analyses of cumulative impacts to riparian systems is an important yet elusive goal. Previous analyses have focused on comparing the number of hectares impacted to the number of hectares restored, without addressing the loss of riparian function or the effect of the spatial distribution of impacts. This paper presents an analysis of the spatial distribution of development‐related impacts to riparian ecosystems, that were authorized under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. Impacts on habitat structure, contiguity, and landscape context were evaluated using functional indices scaled to regional reference sites. Impact sites were mapped using GIS and analyzed for spatial associations. Positive spatial autocorrelation (i.e. clustering of impact sites) resulted from the piecemeal approach to impact assessment, which failed to prevent cumulative impacts. Numerous small projects in close proximity have resulted in adverse impacts to entire stream reaches or have fragmented the aquatic resources to a point where overall functional capacity is impaired. Additionally, the ecological functions of unaffected areas have been diminished due to their proximity to degraded areas. A proactive approach to managing cumulative impacts is currently being used in Orange County, California as part of a Corps of Engineers sponsored Special Area Management Plan (SAMP). The SAMP process is evaluating the ecological conditions and physical processes of the study watersheds and attempting to plan future development in a manner that will guard against cumulative impacts.     

水位波动和植被恢复对三峡水库消落带土壤原核微生物群落结构的交互影响

水库消落带是典型的生态脆弱敏感区.水位波动是影响消落带土壤环境的主要因素,植被恢复是消落带土壤保育的重要手段.然而,在水库消落带中,水位波动和植被恢复对土壤微生物群落结构的交互影响尚不清楚.为此,选取三峡水库消落带中不同水位高程的撂荒草地和人工林地为研究对象,利用16S rRNA高通量测序技术探究土壤原核微生物群落组成和多样性,并探讨驱动土壤原核微生物群落结构的主要环境因子.结果表明,消落带的低水位高程中土壤原核微生物α多样性最高,其中163 m高程的Pielou_e指数、Shannon指数和Simpson指数显著高于168 m高程,Chao1指数和Shannon指数显著高于173 m高程.但撂荒草地和人工林地的土壤菌群α多样性并无显著差异.同时,水位波动和植被恢复均对土壤原核微生物的群落组成产生显著影响,不同样地中生物标志物类别具有明显差异.值得注意的是,植被恢复模式差异对土壤原核微生物群落结构的影响强于水位波动.此外,层次分割结果显示土壤pH是三峡水库消落带土壤原核微生物群落结构变化的主要驱动因子.以上结果可深化对水库消落带土壤微生物群落结构的认识,并为水库消落带生态系统的恢复重建提供科学参考.     

三峡水库消落区生态环境保护与调控对策研究

三峡水库建成后,由于水库调度引起库水位周期性的涨落,在库区两岸形成周期性变化的水陆交错区域即消落区。消落区是水、陆生态系统的交错地带,具有生态脆弱性、变化周期性和人类活动频繁性等特点。随着三峡工程逐步投入使用,人类活动对消落区的影响也逐渐增加,并且消落区自身存在生态脆弱性,如果不采取有效措施,它将影响三峡工程的正常运行和整个库区的可持续发展。因此,针对消落区的水、土环境变化特点,分析了消落区土壤与水环境的相互影响,提出了利用生物缓冲带、复合生态、坡地农业、流域生态学、人工湿地及生态河堤等技术来对消落区生态环境进行保护与调控的措施。     

放牧对荒漠草原建群种和优势种生态位的影响

短花针茅荒漠草原建群种为短花针茅（Stipa breviflora）,优势种为无芒隐子草（Cleistogenes songorica）和碱韭（Allium polyrrhizum）,3个种群地上现存量之和可达群落现存量的60%~80%,其数量消长、时空变化及结构的位移均会引起群落的巨大波动。为明确3个植物种群占有空间资源的能力、相互关系及其受放牧影响的变化规律,以内蒙古苏尼特右旗赛汉塔拉镇1999年建立的荒漠草原教学科研基地建群种和优势种为研究对象,于2012年8月在围封区（CK）和自由放牧区（CG）按样带法和样地法进行取样,运用生态位宽度指数、生态位重叠指数及灰色关联度进行数据分析,结果如下。受放牧影响,短花针茅和碱韭主要通过大幅度调节生态位宽度来保证植物种群存活及其在群落中的地位和作用,变化幅度分别为0.429~0.813和0.235~0.828;而无芒隐子草生态位宽度变化不大（为0.556~0.761）,其对放牧影响的耐受性较强。在生态位重叠方面,短花针茅与无芒隐子草受放牧影响后分别与其他两植物种群重叠程度增加,而碱韭植物种群表现相反;生态位重叠程度变化与种对间的竞争能力有关,也与种对间的亲和能力有关,且存在不对称性。     

Desertification in the Sudan: causes,effects and policy options

Desertification is the spread of desert-like conditions in arid and semi-arid conditions. It is a result of pressure from both climatic and human factors. Desertification in the Sudan has been accelerating at a faster rate over the last two decades, leading to marginalization and the loss of arable land. The main factors contributing to desertification include drought, population growth, the spread of extensive agriculture, deforestation, rapid urbanization, the erosion of local political power, the lack of economic institutions and the absence of social institutions which have tended to reduce the capacity of the local people to cope with the resource degradation problem. Initiatives to arrest the desert encroachment must include improved cultivation methods, proper grazing management, reforestation and integration of livestock and crop production systems, coupled with good linkages to light processing industries.

This paper identifies the causal factors of desert encroachment, assesses its impact on the environment and humanity and concludes by recommending specific strategies to control the desert encroachment problem.     

Applicability of Montreal Process Criterion 4 — soil and water conservation — to rangeland sustainability

SUMMARY

Criterion 4 of the Montreal Process addresses the conservation of soil and water resources as a way to assess the sustainability of a nation's forests. For the most part, the indicators under this criterion are relevant to rangelands. The area and percent of rangeland with significant soil erosion apply equally well to both biomes. Percent of streams with flow rates and timing outside its range of historical variation is also equally important, although a measure of proper functioning and condition may provide a better measure of the indicator. The area and percent of rangeland with diminished soil productive capability because of a loss of reduced organic matter or changed physical characteristics can be useful indicators locally and regionally.     

The obtaining of biosphere reserve decrees in Mexico: analysis of three cases

SUMMARY

During eight years, the Biological Research Center of the Northwest promoted the federal decrees to attain legal protection of three key zones for biodiversity conservation in Mexico: La Sierra de La Laguna, El Desierto del Vizcaíno, and E1 Archipiélago Revillagigedo Biosphere Reserves. In this work, we discuss the biological and socioeconomical importance of these three regions, the necessary steps to attain a Presidential decree in Mexico, and the required strategies to promote local and political support for each decree. In a country like Mexico, the promotion of one Presidential decree to declare a zone as a biosphere reserve must successfully address two different goals: the technical and the political. The technical phase can be successfully completed by a research centre or university in 6 to 12 months; while the political phase may or may not be successfully completed. If successful, in our experience, it can be attained with 2 to 96 months of continuous efforts.     

废弃钻井液作为沙漠改良剂的应用研究

油气田开发产生的废弃钻井液具有富含水、有机质和黏粒的特点,是改良沙漠土壤的有用成分,可用来提高沙漠土壤团粒和黏粒数量,提高土壤肥力。探讨了一种既能实现在沙漠、半沙漠草地环境下对废弃钻井液实现环境友好处理,又能提高沙漠土壤保水、保肥和增肥能力的沙漠改良技术。     

Habitat Split as a Cause of Local Population Declines of Amphibians with Aquatic Larvae

Abstract:  Most amphibian species have biphasic life histories and undergo an ontogenetic shift from aquatic to terrestrial habitats. In deforested landscapes, streams and forest fragments are frequently disjunct, jeopardizing the life cycle of forest-associated amphibians with aquatic larvae. We tested the impact of habitat split—defined as human-induced disconnection between habitats used by different life-history stages of a species—on four forest-associated amphibian species in a severely fragmented landscape of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We surveyed amphibians in forest fragments with and without streams (referred to as wet and dry fragments, respectively), including the adjacent grass-field matrix. Our comparison of capture rates in dry fragments and nearby streams in the matrix allowed us to evaluate the number of individuals that engaged in high-risk migrations through nonforested habitats. Adult amphibians moved from dry fragments to matrix streams at the beginning of the rainy season, reproduced, and returned at the end of the breeding period. Juveniles of the year moved to dry fragments along with adults. These risky reproductive migrations through nonforested habitats that expose individuals to dehydration, predation, and other hazards may cause population declines in dry fragments. Indeed, capture rates were significantly lower in dry fragments compared with wet fragments. Declining amphibians would strongly benefit from investments in the conservation and restoration of riparian vegetation and corridors linking breeding and nonbreeding areas.     

Leveraging foodways for health and justice

ABSTRACT

The global industrial food system is increasingly recognised as a source of poor health that deepens social and economic inequity. Health advocates, policy makers, and food activists strive to improve nutrition and food access across racial and ethnic divides; however, given established approaches, they may miss fundamental pathways for improving health and justice comprehensively. While food access and nutrition are often identified as primary concerns for marginalised communities and the reason for food insecurity and food-related illness, critical food justice scholars use a more expansive lens to suggest a democratised food system is needed, and that solutions based solely in access to healthy food can undermine more systemic approaches. Our research extends this analysis, highlighting the importance of endemic food culture (foodways) as a tool for retaining identity, building community, and maintaining health among refugee populations in one community in Salt Lake City, Utah. Further, this work suggests that community engagement and expertise is essential in leveraging foodways such that marginalised communities can effectively resist cheap, unhealthy, and placeless calories.