Ecoregions and ecosystem management in China

Ecological regionalization is a base for rational management and sustainable utilization of ecosystems and natural resources. It can provide a scientific basis for constructing healthy ecological environments and making policies of environmental management. In this paper, based on synthetic analysis of the characteristics of the ecology and environments of China, the principles of ecological regionalization are discussed, and indices and nomenclature of ecological regionalization are proposed. The ecoregions on a national scale are divided. The results show that there are 3 domains, 13 ecoregions and 57 ecodistricts. The present scheme can be used as a framework for ecosystem assessment and management. Based on the ecoregions, measurements of management for forest, grassland, agriculture and wetland ecosystems are recommended. The experience and information can be used within and beyond the national scale for land-use planning, biodiversity conservation and ecosystem restoration.     

Assessment of forest vegetation and conservation priorities of communities in part of Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve,West Himalaya. Part I

In most protected areas of the Indian Himalayan region site/habitat characteristics, community diversity and distribution pattern, vegetation composition (richness of native and endemic species), structural patterns, economic importance of forest communities and community priorities have rarely been studied. Therefore, the present study has focused on these in the buffer zone of Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve. Seventy-six woody species (trees: 24; shrubs: 52) and 13 forest communities have been recorded between 2300–3800 m asl. Tree density ranged from 533–1220 ind ha-¹, tree basal area from 14.68-80.28 m²ha-¹ and shrub density from 1490–6695 ind ha-¹. Mean density of trees was significantly lower in temperate forests in comparison to subalpine forests. Richness of trees ranged from 3–18 and shrubs from 5–29. Species diversity (H') of trees ranged from 0.45-2.08 and shrubs from 0.90-3.14. In the temperate zone, species richness and altitude had significant positive correlations whereas in the subalpine zone the two variables were negatively correlated. The native species were high in the area (> 65% species) and in communities (> 70% species), and was highest for the Picea smithiana-Pinus wallichiana mixed community, whereas the maximum numbers of natives and endemic species were recorded in the Pinus wallichiana community. The density and richness of non-natives were found to be significantly lower in comparison to the natives. Economic importance and conservation value of the communities were assessed and communities prioritized. Monitoring of the identified habitats, species, populations and communities, and development of appropriate strategies for their conservation and management are suggested.     

Roles of digital technology in China's sustainable forestry development

China has the fifth largest forest area in the world and any change in China's forestry development will have inevitable impacts on global ecological sustainability. China has undergone excessive logging of natural forests and also made tremendous efforts in afforestation during the past half century. China's forestry is now going through a variety of transitions and several forestry programs have been implemented to drive forestry transitions. The goal of these actions is to protect ecological services of forests and sustain China's forestry development. These forestry programs are spatially sophisticated and cannot be successfully implemented without accurate and transparent forest/forestry information. A variety of digital technologies, including forest modeling, remote sensing, geographic information systems, global positioning systems, and visualization, have been applied in handling diverse information in China's forestry. Digital forestry is not just a theoretical concept in China. Our digital forestry experience in northeast China suggests that digital technology is both usable and useful in China's forestry development. Digital technology is playing an important interactive role in China's top-down forestry administration system. The analog-to-digital transition in technology is expected to lead to the success of forestry programs and forestry transitions in China.     

Ecological processes and sustainability

SUMMARY

Ecology has developed from its position as an obscure science to being at the interface of science and public policy. The impact of mankind can be described in ecological terms relating to population size, energy use and non-renewability. Sustainable development needs to be addressed on the basis of knowledge of ecological processes which maintain the environment in a state of change; the processes need to be conserved, not maintained in any particular state. Recent advances in the understanding of ecological processes are reviewed to highlight the potential contribution of this knowledge to the development of a sustainable policy. At the level of the population the significance of considering the extinction risks in the framework of spatio-temporal dynamics is now established indicating opportunities for planning land use more precisely to sustain biodiversity. Whilst the maintenance of habitats is generally the key to the persistence of biodiversity, they must be viewed as ever-changing mosaics within which cycles of succession, best described by Markovian sets of probabilities, are occurring continually. The extent to which these probabilities are distorted will determine whether the ecosystem returns to the same system or moves to a novel one. At the global level, biogeochemical cycles have a certain flexibility in relation to fluxes and stocks, hence pollution must be defined by relating the flow rate of the substance to this flexibility, which often permits the accommodation of anthropogenic perturbations. Non-sustainable processes can be defined in ecological terms, thus providing functional definitions of a sustainable policy and of sustainable development.     

Identifying forest ecosystem services through socio-ecological bundles: a case study from northern Jordan

This study aims to identify services provided by forest ecosystems based on locals’ perceptions in the northern part of Jordan. By better understanding preferences of locals and by understanding why they value certain services more heavily, policy-makers and planning managers can make more effective decisions regarding development and conservation. Three hundred respondents were interviewed in order to collect information about forest ecosystem services (ES). Data collection was conducted using a structured questionnaire regarding ES provided by three forest types situated in northern Jordan. ES trade-offs and socio-ecological bundles were identified by analyzing respondents’ socioeconomic demographics and preferences of forest ES through multivariate canonical corresponding analysis (CCA). The statistical analysis indicated that the socioeconomic factors and forest type have an effect on social preferences toward ES. Results displayed a clear trade-off between provisioning services and regulating and cultural services. CCA demonstrated that 73% of the variation in ES value is explained by social factors (i.e. education level, income level, and gender), while 26% of perception variation was attributable to categories of ES supplied by each forest ecosystem. These findings imply that involving people in the place-specific management of public forests using the ES approach gives managers a clearer understanding of the benefits people recognize and value, as well as those they either are not aware of or do not value. Such information is useful in forest management and in public outreach. Although direct policy applications are limited by the research’s nature, the paper provides a starting point for incorporating forest users’ voices into policy discussions and management design.     

森林净生态系统生产力及其生物影响因子研究进展

在全球大气二氧化碳浓度上升的背景下,陆地生态系统碳循环及碳汇功能研究得到了广泛的关注,日益成为今后的政治和外交的重大议题之一.净生态系统生产力(net ecosystem production, NEP)是生态系统光合固定的碳与生态系统呼吸损失的碳之间的差值;或者为生态系统净的碳积累速率.NEP 的研究整合生态系统地上和地下部分,把生态系统碳循环的影响因子有机地联系了起来.当NEP为正值时,说明生态系统为碳汇,NEP为负值则表明生态系统为碳源.随着植物和土壤相互联系及其对生态系统过程研究的深入,NEP已经成为生态系统碳循环研究的核心概念之一.以森林NEP为出发点,综述了国内外的最近的 NEP 研究进展,分析了 NEP 研究的科学意义;探讨了植物群落组成/生物多样性、土壤微生物群落、大型/土壤动物和人为的管理或干扰等生物因子对NEP的影响.根据综述研究提出未来研究应在:(1)土壤生物过程、土壤食物网及其与地上部分植物/动物相互作用对NEP的影响;(2)自然林生物多样性的竞争/共存机制与生态系统碳吸存稳定性;(3)人工林固碳潜力和不同植物功能群(灌草层)对生态系统碳动态影响等方面加强,以期为全面认识生物因子对森林生态系统系统固碳现状、机制和潜力提供理论基础.     

森林生态系统土壤呼吸时空异质性及影响因子研究进展

土壤呼吸是全球碳循环的一个重要流通途径,是大气CO2的重要来源之一,是陆地碳循环的重要环节,对温室气体的排放产生直接影响,且关系到科学把握全球变化背景下CO2的排放动态,在全球碳收支中占据重要地位,越来越受到各国学者的广泛关注。在全球变化背景下研究土壤呼吸的时空异质性及其影响因子,可为探索陆地生态系统在碳循环方面的碳源/碳汇功能和揭示“碳失汇之迷”,以及减缓气候变暖等方面提供有力的依据。作为一个复杂的生物学与生态学过程,土壤呼吸受到气候、生物以及非生物等因子的影响而呈现时空异质性,并随着各种干扰因子影响的增强,人为因素的作用亦越来越大,该文阐述了森林生态系统土壤呼吸作用的时空动态变化规律、并探讨了影响土壤呼吸速率的各种影响因子,剖析了导致土壤呼吸时空异质性的影响因子,指出自然因子、生物因子和干扰因子共同驱动着土壤呼吸的时空动态变化。并对森林生态系统土壤呼吸作用的模型模拟方面的研究进展进行了综述。最后讨论了森林土壤呼吸时空异质性研究中存在的相关问题,同时提出了今后土壤呼吸研究中应关注的问题,同时对森林生态系统土壤呼吸时空异质性及影响因子的研究方向进行了展望。     

地下水六价铬运移的仿真及场地修复限值探讨

根据渗流理论,考虑地下水中水头变化的影响,利用COMSOL软件,对六价铬在地下水中的运移进行数值模拟,得到地下水压力水头和六价铬在地下水中的迁移变化规律,为六价铬对地下水的污染研究和预测提供重要的分析数据。并借此计算得出场地地下水的修复指导限值为3.17 mg/kg。     

Ecological state equation

The direct equivalence between ecology and thermodynamics has not been attained despite accepted thermodynamic features of the ecosystem. This article explores the homeomorphism between ecology and statistical mechanics by analysis of ruderal vegetation. In conventional thermostatistical algorithm, the pro-kinetic effect of temperature on molecules was replaced by the anti-kinetic effect of species diversity on biological individuals. The existence of an ecological equivalent of the thermodynamic Boltzmann constant was empirically verified. From the relationship of this constant with biocenological variables, we derived a probable ecological equation of state under stationary and quasi-stationary conditions. This equation of state is homeomorphic with regard to the ideal gas state equation, and it is useful to infer the value of some biocenological parameters whose direct measurement is difficult, as biomass, energy and dispersal. According to these results, ecosystem assessment from conventional thermostatistics is plausible and empirically verifiable. This approach offers useful analytical tools for the conservation and restoration of ecosystems.     

基于自然保护区属性的管理成本分析

从自然保护区的管理成本构成入手,分析了自然保护区属性对不同尺度上管理成本的影响方式,在分类总结自然保护区管理成本的分析方法基础上,提出基于自然保护区属性的管理成本分析流程。该研究结果可为准确掌握自然保护区管理成本规模与构成、科学评估与预测资金投入后的使用效率与保护效果提供支持,并可为揭示自然保护区复合生态系统格局与过程提供新思路。