Toward Reversal of Eutrophic Conditions in a Subtropical Estuary: Water Quality and Seagrass Response to Nitrogen Loading Reductions in Tampa Bay, Florida, USA

Coastal waters have been significantly influenced by increased inputs of nutrients that have accompanied population growth in adjacent drainage basins. In Tampa Bay, Florida, USA, the population has quadrupled since 1950. By the late 1970s, eutrophic conditions including phytoplankton and macroalgal blooms and seagrass losses were evident. The focus of improving Tampa Bay is centered on obtaining sufficient water quality necessary for restoring seagrass habitat, estimated to have been 16,400 ha in 1950 but reduced to 8800 ha by 1982. To address these problems, targets for nutrient load reductions along with seagrass restoration goals were developed and actions were implemented to reach adopted targets. Empirical regression models were developed to determine relationships between chlorophyll a concentrations and light attenuation adequate for sustainable seagrass growth. Additional empirical relationships between nitrogen loading and chlorophyll a concentrations were developed to determine how Tampa Bay responds to changes in loads. Data show that when nitrogen load reduction and chlorophyll a targets are met, seagrass cover increases. After nitrogen load reductions and maintenance of chlorophyll a at target levels, seagrass acreage has increased 25% since 1982, although more than 5000 ha of seagrass still require recovery. The cooperation of scientists, managers, and decision makers participating in the Tampa Bay Estuary Program’s Nitrogen Management Strategy allows the Tampa Bay estuary to continue to show progress towards reversing many of the problems that once plagued its waters. These results also highlight the importance of a multi-entity watershed management process in maintaining progress towards science-based natural resource goals.     

Policy Windows, Policy Change, and Organizational Learning: Watersheds in the Evolution of Watershed Management

Employing in-depth, elite interviews, this empirical research contributes to understanding the dynamics among policy windows, policy change, and organizational learning. First, although much of the research on agenda setting—how issues attract enough attention that action is taken to address them—has been conducted at the national scale, this work explores the subnational, regional scale. With decentralization, regional-scale environmental decision-making has become increasingly important. Second, this research highlights the role of policy windows and instances of related organizational learning identified by natural resources managers. Having practitioners identify focusing events contrasts with the more typical approach of the researcher identifying a particular focusing event or events to investigate. A focusing event is a sudden, exceptional experience that, because of how it leads to harm or exposes the prospect for great devastation, is perceived as the impetus for policy change.     

Costa Rican Environmental Service Payments: The Use of a Financial Instrument in Participatory Forest Management

The core element of the Costa Rican forestry policy is a financial instrument called the environmental service payment. This instrument rewards forest owners for the environmental services (the mitigation of greenhouse gases, the protection of watersheds and scenic beauty, and the development of biodiversity) their forests provide. In this article, the experiences with this new instrument are analyzed by focusing on the way interests are represented and access is granted, the openness of information exchange, whether social learning occurred, and whether decision-making authority is shared. The analysis is based on a survey conducted in the Huetar Norte Region and on in-depth interviews with the major stakeholders. The Costa Rican case indicates that financial instruments can be used to share responsibilities and that stakeholders can successfully cooperate on forest issues. It also shows that such a participatory approach is only promising if certain cultural, economic, organizational, and political conditions are met.     

Applying Integrated Urban Water Management Concepts: A Review of Australian Experience

This article explores recent Australian experiences in the application of the concept of integrated urban water management (IUWM) to land development sites through the review of 15 case studies. It discusses lUWM’s emergence and comments on the success or otherwise of Australian experience in its application. The understanding of IUWM is maturing within the Australian water industry, an occurrence that has been facilitated by demonstration sites such as those reviewed. Successes include the translation of IUWM concepts into well-functioning operational urban developments, significant reductions in the impact of the urban developments on the total water cycle, and the increasing acceptance of the concept within the water and land development industries. However, there is still room for greater integration of the water supply, stormwater, and wastewater components of the urban water cycle, improved dissemination of knowledge, enhancement of skills in both public and private organisations, and monitoring the performance of systems and technologies.     

西藏农村能源消费及环境影响研究

西藏农村人口现有220多万,占全区总人口80％以上,农村经济落后,城乡差距很大。西藏农村能源资源主要有水力、地热、太阳能、风力、林木和畜粪等,煤炭、石油、天然气等高热值的优质能源很少。在这种经济发展水平及能源资源基础条件下,农村能源消费中高热值的现代能源比重很低,主要以生物质能如薪柴、牛粪、草皮等为主。这种低水平的能源消费结构已经对西藏脆弱的生态环境造成了巨大的破坏,西藏未来的能源发展战略迫切需要改变农村目前的消费结构,应发展太阳能、风能、农村小水电及输入高热值的化石能源替代目前生物质能的消费,减少因能源消费对西藏生态环境的破坏。     

生活垃圾焚烧飞灰在饰面砖中资源化应用技术

分析了飞灰的性质,利用飞灰、红泥及缸砂研制饰面砖,研究了飞灰对饰面砖性能及微观结构的影响,并对其安全性进行了评价。结果表明:飞灰主要化学成分是CaO、SiO2、Al2O3,构成SiO2-Al22O3-金属氧化物体系,可用作饰面砖的原材料;当飞灰掺加量为20%时,饰面砖表现出良好的性能:抗压强度19·2MPa,吸水率7·2%,表观质量达到一等品要求;与飞灰相比,饰面砖中重金属浸出能力大大降低:As、Pb、Ni、Cr、Cu、Hg、Cd水平振荡浸出毒性未检测出,Zn的水平振荡浸出值下降到飞灰中的0·014倍,Hg、Cd有效浸出毒性未检测出,As、Pb、Ni、Cr、Cu、Zn的有效浸出毒性分别下降到飞灰中的0·056、0·001、0·067、0·058、0·056、0·029倍。     

水环境退化经济损失的计量方法及其应用

水环境退化较难以市场价格方式体现,是绿色GDP核算的一大难点.分析了影响水环境退化的社会经济因素、自然因素,在此基础上,构建了水环境退化的计量模型,并将社会经济发展的阶段性特征、水资源供需矛盾、降水补给变异特征和水质状况纳入模型中,采用不同参数进行描述,以保证模型的逻辑完备性和计算的简洁性.在湖州市绿色GDP核算过程中,采用该模型分别计算各县区2001-2004年水环境退化的经济损失.这些损失与当地水资源供需矛盾、水污染状况、社会经济发展等因素变化状况相符,准确反映了湖州市水环境退化的实际状况.结果表明,水环境退化的经济损失,除水污染程度外,还受到社会经济因素和降水补给等自然因素的影响.      

城市餐厨垃圾处置闭路循环体系的构建探讨--以上海市为例

随着我国城市社会经济的发展,城市餐厨垃圾的产生量持续增长,其安全回收和处置日益引起公众和社会的关注。以上海市为例,分析了上海城市餐厨垃圾产生以及回收处置的现状,探讨了城市餐厨垃圾处置闭路循环体系的建立,为国内其他城市餐厨垃圾的管理提供参考。     

基于结构方程模型的环境风险接受度影响因素分析

随着社会经济的发展和城市化进程的推进,我国环境风险事故频发。与此同时,公众对于美好环境的需求日益提升,公众与专家和政府之间的风险判断差异是不同规模的群体性事件发生的主要诱因。为识别公众环境风险接受度的影响因素,本研究基于结构方程模型分析了11种环境风险的客观风险水平和公众感知到的风险影响度、场域了解度、政府信任度、社会经济水平等因素对公众风险接受度的影响。研究结果显示,社会经济水平、风险影响度、场域了解度、政府信任度均直接影响公众的风险接受度;客观风险水平则通过风险影响度的中介作用间接影响风险接受度。因此,为在经济发展过程中降低公众风险感知偏差对生产生活的影响,我国除了通过更严格的风险管控手段降低风险事故发生概率和影响范围外,还需要通过信息公开、公众参与和生态科普等方式增强公众对风险场域的了解度和对政府的信任度以提升风险接受能力。     

环境规制对城市生态技术扩散效率的影响研究

生态技术扩散是长江经济带生态文明建设的必要环节,也是企业履行环保责任的有效措施。本文以长江经济带110个地级及以上城市为研究对象,采用非径向方向距离函数对城市工业企业生态技术扩散效率进行测算,分别从整体和区域异质性角度实证分析环境规制对城市工业企业生态技术扩散效率的影响及内在机理。结果表明：长江经济带城市环境规制与生态技术扩散效率存在倒“U”形关系,环境规制对生态技术扩散效率还存在多重影响路径,外商直接投资和工业集聚在影响路径中分别起着中介作用,且外商直接投资和工业集聚的链式中介显著。在异质性分析中,发现环境规制、外商直接投资、工业集聚和生态技术扩散效率之间的关系因区域位置不同而存在差异性。为此,依据研究结论及环境规制实施现状提出相应的政策建议,实现长江经济带经济永续绿色发展目标。