Environmental Se–Mo–B Deficiency and its Possible Effects in Jiantou Keshan Disease Area in Shaanxi Province, China

Keshan disease (KD) occurs in a wide geographic belt stretching from the Heilongjiang Province in northeastern China to Yunnan Province in southwestern China, including Huangling County, Shaanxi Province. In order to research relationships between eco-environmental geochemistry and KD pertaining to Se, Mo, B, Zn, Mn, and Cu, this investigation was conducted in the Jiantou KD area in Huangling County, one of the areas in China where the incidence of KD is highest. Environmental samples (rock, soil, plant and childrens hair) were collected from the area. Se in plants is low, ranging from 0.03 to 0.06 µg Se g^–1 in corn, potato and soybean. Se contents in childrens hair are normal or reach the limitation of dangerous level. This study reports 0.18 µg Se g^–1, B <40 µg g^–1, and Mo <1.0 µg g^–1 in aeolian soil, 0.14–0.38 µg Mo g^–1 and 3–8 µg B g^–1 in corn and potato (daily staple food for local human beings in the area). The Jiantou KD area is one where the elements Se, Mo and B are deficient. It is proposed that the deficiency of elements Se, Mo and B may be involved in the pathogenicity of KD with respect to the eco-environmental system because Se, Mo and B are essential micronutrients for plants and human beings. It seems that there is no significant relationship between the Zn–Mn–K–Pb–Ba associations and KD.     

县域农田生态环境质量监测数据库的设计与建立

农田生态环境质量监测数据库是农田数据管理和环境质量监测的新方式。文章以绿色食品生产基地的建设为目标，通过监测单元的划分、数据采集和处理的规范化、数据编码、数据表的创建、数据录入、查询和应用分析等关键环节，对建立县域田块尺度生态环境质量数据库的方法和体系作了探讨。     

高寒草甸土地退化及其恢复重建对土壤碳氮含量的影响

针对我国青藏高原草地大面积退化及由此引发的一系列生态环境问题,从土壤生态功能恢复和区域可持续发展的角度出发,将原生高寒嵩草草甸封育系统作为对照,研究了土地退化对土壤碳氮含量的影响,检验了不同人工重建措施(3个人工种植处理:混播、松耙单播、翻耕单播和1个自然恢复处理)对土壤碳含量的相对影响程度。研究结果如下:原生植被封育处理每平方米土壤平均碳、氮含量分别为7.47kg和0.647kg,而重度退化地碳、氮含量分别为3.67和0.448kg·m-2,可以推算,由于土地退化而造成的土壤(0~20cm层)碳氮丢失量分别为3.80kg·m-2和0.199kg·m-2,即高寒草甸土地退化导致0~20cm土壤层中50.87%的有机碳和30.75%的氮流失,可以看出高寒草甸土壤退化后流失的碳比氮多;混播处理、松耙单播处理、翻耕单播处理和自然恢复处理土壤单位面积有机碳含量分别是原生植被土壤有机碳的70.5%,69.0%,49.0%和80%,单位面积氮含量分别是原生植被土壤全氮的86.9%,88.7%,71.1%和91.7%。但是,与重度退化地相比,除翻耕单播处理外,其它恢复重建措施均能部分恢复系统的碳氮含量,因此,将重度退化地进行自然恢复或松耙混播重建多年生植被可以作为系统固定碳(碳汇)的一个途径。     

生态环境补偿费征收的若干问题及实施效果预测研究

征收生态环境补偿费是解决我国资源保护和生态环境破坏问题的有效手段之一，目前在我国尚未全面展开。根据国外的经验，一项征费工作的展开需要解决理论和实践上的一系列问题，如费率确定、实施管理方法、社会经济和环境效果分析等。本文就生态环境补偿费征收的原则、征收对象、收费标准以及收费效果预测等几个方面进行了探讨，提出了若干措施和意见，可为实践工作所参考。     

环境综合整治是现代化城市管理的必然途径

环境综合整治是我国环保工作的重要政策，杨浦区通过开展环境综合整治定量考核，取得了较好的效果，数据表明区域的环境质量有明显提高，其体会是：环境综合整治要以责任制为龙头，以规划为依据，以“三依靠”为基础，使区域内的环境与经济协调发展，加强环境综合整治已成为各级政府现代化管理城市的重要手段。     

基于土地利用转型视角的“亚喀斯特”区域生态环境效应研究——以黔中部分地区为例

在遥感与GIS的支持下,以1995、2000、2005和2010年的TM影像及2015年的Landsat8 OLI遥感影像为数据源,从土地利用转型的角度,运用区域生态环境质量指数和土地利用转型类型的生态贡献率对亚喀斯特地区的土地利用/覆盖变化过程及生态环境效应进行了定量分析。结果表明,1995~2015年间,亚喀斯特地区土地利用/覆盖变化较为显著,其中生活用地和生态用地面积增加,而生产用地面积减少,主要表现为农业生产用地向城镇、农村生活用地及林地生态用地的转化。计算得到亚喀斯特区域5期的生态环境质量指数分别为0.540 2、0.539 7、0.552 3、0.558 1和0.561 5,生态环境质量总体维持稳定,呈一定的上升趋势。致使亚喀斯特区域生态环境质量改善的主要原因是农业生产用地向林地、草地和水域生态用地的转化;致使生态环境恶化的主要是农业生产用地向城镇、农村生活用地等的转化,但生态环境改善的趋势要大于恶化的趋势。     

基于P-S-R概念模型的生态环境承载力评价指标体系研究——以山东半岛为例

结合山东半岛生态环境现状,根据该区域的社会经济和环境特点,采用压力-状态-响应(P-S-R)概念模型,选取了25项指标构建了其生态环境承载力评价指标体系,运用层次分析法(AHP)确定各指标权重,然后将模糊数学综合评价的理论和方法应用于山东半岛生态环境承载力的评估,对2009及2012年度山东半岛6个城市的生态环境承载力做出评价.评价结果为威海市生态环境承载力为Ⅰ级优,承载力稳中有升,青岛、烟台、日照市为Ⅱ级良,青岛、烟台承载力略升,日照略有下降,潍坊市为Ⅲ级中等,承载力有所下降,东营市由Ⅳ级差变为Ⅲ级中等,承载力明显好转.同时,并对每个城市的生态环境承载力做了分析说明,以期为推进生态文明建设提供科学依据.     

地质公园旅游经济增长与生态环境压力脱钩评价-以嵩山世界地质公园为例

定量评价地质公园旅游经济增长与生态环境压力的脱钩状态和程度对完善新一轮地质公园规划修编、指导地质公园建设管理具有重要的实践价值和理论意义。论文在借鉴已有脱钩理论研究成果的基础上,将脱钩理论引入地质公园这一微观领域,构建了适合地质公园旅游经济增长与生态环境压力脱钩分析的评价指标体系、评价模型和评判标准,以嵩山世界地质公园为例,测算了2004-2012 年旅游经济增长与生态环境压力的脱钩关系和程度,分析了二者的脱钩发展阶段和时间演化趋势,研究结果表明：①从地质公园旅游经济增长的生态环境压力强度及其变化特征看,2004-2012 年嵩山世界地质公园旅游经济增长的生态环境压力指数波动较大,总体呈现先上升后下降的演化趋势,其中,2004-2009 年呈现上升状态,2009-2012 年呈现下降趋势;②从地质公园旅游经济增长与生态环境压力的脱钩状态及其变化趋势看,2004-2012 年8 个时期嵩山世界地质公园旅游经济增长与生态环境压力的脱钩关系主要经历了从相对脱钩Ⅱ→相对脱钩Ⅳ→相对脱钩Ⅳ→耦合Ⅱ→耦合Ⅰ→绝对脱钩→相对脱钩Ⅰ→绝对脱钩的演变轨迹,地质公园旅游发展的可持续性状态表现出“较强→弱→强”的周期性变化;③从脱钩弹性曲线图看,脱钩状态总体呈现出“上升→下降→上升→下降”向右倾斜的“M”型变化,根据曲线波动情况大致可以划分3 个演化阶段：2004-2007 年的相对脱钩阶段,2007-2009 年的耦合阶段,2009-2012 年的绝对脱钩和相对脱钩交替阶段;④研究结果与嵩山世界地质公园的实际情况相吻合,表明所构建的脱钩评价方法为地质公园旅游的可持续发展提供了一种全新的分析与反馈机制。     

A multi-criteria evaluation of organic amendments used to transform an unproductive shrubland into a Mediterranean dehesa

Environmental and health problems associated with the use of digested sewage sludge hinder its application and encourage the introduction of additional treatments such as composting and thermal drying. The aim of this paper is to assess the possibility of using three different types of sewage sludge (digested, composted and thermally dried) to improve soil fertility and enhance the transformation of an unproductive shrub land into a Mediterranean dehesa for grazing purposes and also to reduce wildfire risk. In total, 10t ha(-1) of dry matter of three types of sewage sludge were spread on the soil surface of 4x5m field plots, and then seeded with a mixture of grasses. Effects on soil fertility and plant growth were monitored over 2 years. The results show that all three types of sludge application had a significant effect on vegetation cover, herbaceous biomass (2767.7+/-716.1 and 1735.0+/-299.7kgha(-1) for digested sludge amended and control plots, respectively) and tree growth (0.41+/-0.108cmyear(-1) on amended trees, 14.6% more than control trees). This study proposes the use of multi-criteria analysis to identify the most suitable fertilization alternatives and to assist in the decision-making process of sludge recycling. Because of the high degree of uncertainty and conflicting objectives associated with these decisions, multi-criteria evaluation tools make a valuable contribution to decision-making processes concerning sewage sludge applications. According to multi-criteria results, the composted sludge alternative is the most suitable. This is because all the objectives are achieved: an improvement in the properties and functions of the soil with a positive vegetation response as well as minimal economic cost and risk of toxicity.     

Estimation of the impact of oil palm plantation establishment on greenhouse gas balance

Estimates of emissions indicate that if tropical grassland is rehabilitated by oil palm plantations, carbon fixation in plantation biomass and soil organic matter not only neutralises emissions caused by grassland conversion, but also results in the net removal of about 135 Mg carbon dioxide per hectare from the atmosphere. In contrast, the emission from forest conversion clearly exceeds the potential carbon fixation of oil palm plantings. Forest conversion on mineral soils to promote continued oil palm mono cropping causes a net release of approximately 650 Mg carbon dioxide equivalents per hectare, while the emission from peat forest conversion is even higher due to the decomposition of drained peat and the resulting emission of carbon oxide and nitrous oxide. The conversion of one hectare of forest on peat releases over 1,300 Mg carbon dioxide equivalents during the first 25-year cycle of oil palm growth. Depending on the peat depth, continuous decomposition augments the emission with each additional cycle at a magnitude of 800 Mg carbon dioxide equivalents per hectare. The creation of ‘flexibility mechanisms’ such as the clean development mechanism and emission trading in the Kyoto Protocol could incorporate plantations as carbon sinks in the effort to meet emission targets. Thus, for the oil palm industry, grassland rehabilitation is an option to preserve natural forest, avoid emissions and, if the sequestered carbon becomes tradable, an opportunity to generate additional revenue. Readers should send their comments on this paper to BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.