A systematic survey of the integration of animal behavior into conservation

The role of behavioral ecology in improving wildlife conservation and management has been the subject of much recent debate. We sought to answer 2 foundational questions about the current use of behavioral knowledge in conservation: To what extent is behavioral knowledge used in wildlife conservation and management, and how does the use of animal behavior differ among conservation fields in both frequency and types of use? We searched the literature for intersections between key fields of animal behavior and conservation and created a systematic heat map (i.e., graphical representation of data where values are represented as colors) to visualize relative efforts. Some behaviors, such as dispersal and foraging, were commonly considered (mean [SE] of 1147.38 [353.11] and 439.44 [108.85] papers per cell, respectively). In contrast, other behaviors, such as learning, social, and antipredatory behaviors were rarely considered (mean [SE] of 33.88 [7.62], 44.81 [10.65], and 22.69 [6.37] papers per cell, respectively). In many cases, awareness of the importance of behavior did not translate into applicable management tools. Our results challenge previous suggestions that there is little association between the fields of behavioral ecology and conservation and reveals tremendous variation in the use of different behaviors in conservation. We recommend that researchers focus on examining underutilized intersections of behavior and conservation themes for which preliminary work shows a potential for improving conservation and management, translating behavioral theory into applicable and testable predictions, and creating systematic reviews to summarize the behavioral evidence within the behavior‐conservation intersections for which many studies exist.     

Efficiency and environmental impacts of electricity restructuring on coal-fired power plants

We investigate the efficiency and environmental impacts of electricity market restructuring by examining changes in fuel efficiency, cost of coal purchases, and utilization among coal-fired power plants based on a panel data set from 1991 to 2005. Our study focuses exclusively on coal-fired power plants and uses panel data covering several years after implementation of restructuring. The estimation compares how investor-owned (IOs) plants in states with restructuring changed their behavior relative to IOs in states without. Our analysis finds that restructuring led to: (1) a 1.4 percent improvement in fuel efficiency, (2) an 8 percent decrease in unit cost of heat input, and (3) a lower capacity factor even after adjusting for cross-plant generation re-allocation due to cost reductions. The estimates imply that restructuring has led to nearly 15 percent savings in operating expenses and up to 7.5 percent emissions reduction among these plants.     

A simple individual model for simulating weight gain dynamics in response to intake rate and daily behavior

It is often necessary to estimate the weight that an individual may be capable of gaining depending on its degree of activity. A simple individual-based model was developed for studying the dynamics of weight in terms of daily behavior and ingestion rate. It was based on the balance between the individual's energy intake and the cost of its daily activities. Costs depend on the weight of the individual and the photoperiod, as well as on the time spent on each activity. Different combinations of ingestion rate, individual's weight, photoperiod length, and time assigned to different activities were used for simulating the weight dynamics, taking the species Rhea americana as a study case. Estimations of energetic costs of the activities were obtained from specialized literature. Using different photoperiods and individual behaviors, the model yields field metabolic rate (FMR) values in agreement with those obtained from direct measurements for other omnivorous bird species.     

安全认知观念的研究与决策分析

通过分析当前石油石化企业发生的事故数据,发现由于人为因素造成的事故时有发生,给企业安全生产造成重大影响。为了深入了解造成事故发生的人为因素产生根源,笔者通过多种方式获取资料,利用系统论研究方法,得出了企业员工和管理者普遍存在的安全认知观念。在此基础上,提出员工和管理者之间推荐的共同安全认知观念,从观念上让员工和管理者对不安全行为形成一致的认知,并在减少员工不安全行为、规范员工的安全行为方面给出了行之有效的解决方法,即在企业推行行为安全管理工具-HSE观察卡。应用结果表明,通过推行HSE观察卡,可有效提高企业员工在现场作业活动中的安全作业意识,从而避免或减少由于人的不安全行为造成事故发生率,提升了企业安全生产水平。     

火灾疏散中羊群效应的理论探析与模拟研究

将羊群效应这个社会行为学概念引申到火灾安全科学领域,运用信息阶梯式传播的社会心理学理论,解释紧急疏散中可能存在的羊群效应。以＂信息传播＂和＂情感传染＂的视角,分析了羊群效应的形成过程、机理和特征,同时指出羊群效应的两种随机性。以某大型阅览室为例,运用计算机数值模拟和虚拟现实技术,设置多种有羊群行为的疏散场景,测试羊群效应及两种随机性对疏散的影响。结论表明：非理性的羊群效应显著增加了必须疏散时间,降低了群体疏散效率和人员疏散可靠性,增大了疏散失败和拥挤踩踏的风险。建议火灾风险评价、应急预案制定和疏散设计应考虑羊群行为等极端情况下对疏散出口个数、疏散出口宽度、疏散距离、疏散路线、疏散方式的影响。     

Motivating energy conservation in the workplace: An evaluation of the use of group-level feedback and peer education

Research suggests that curbing consumer demand for energy through behavioral interventions is an essential component of efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, particularly in the short-term. Behavior within organizational settings poses a particular challenge to those wishing to promote energy conservation because employees typically have no direct financial incentive to reduce energy use and rarely have access to information regarding their level of consumption. Two relatively simple and easy-to-implement interventions were evaluated in a workplace setting during the fall of 2008. The first involved group-level feedback presented monthly to employees via e-mail. The second used peer educators to disseminate information and to encourage colleagues to reduce energy use. Both interventions were compared to an information-only control designed to educate employees about how and why to conserve energy. Results indicated that feedback and peer education resulted in a 7% and 4% reduction in energy use, respectively. Buildings that received the control increased energy use by 4%. The effect of peer education was limited by implementation failures in two buildings. The utility of these interventions will be discussed in terms of their overall potential for reducing energy use, as well as the feasibility of their being implemented in future organizational settings.     

Building a model of commitment to the natural environment to predict ecological behavior and willingness to sacrifice

We examined the connection between individuals’ relationships with the natural environment and their environmental behaviors with a focus on commitment to the environment, defined as psychological attachment and long-term orientation to the natural world. Commitment is theorized to emerge from structural interdependence with the environment and to lead to pro-environmental behaviors. Close relationships research has identified three key antecedents to commitment (satisfaction, alternatives, and investments). We developed environment-specific measures of these constructs, and factor analysis verified three distinct factors. A path analysis revealed that satisfaction with the environment and investments in the environment, but not alternatives to the environment, predicted commitment to the environment. Moreover, commitment mediated the effects of satisfaction and investments on general ecological behavior and willingness to sacrifice for the environment. In regression analyses, commitment predicted general ecological behavior and willingness to sacrifice for the environment, even when controlling for ecological worldview, inclusion of nature in the self, connectedness to nature, and environmental identity. Individuals who are satisfied with and invested in the natural world are likely to be committed to the environment and act with the well-being of the environment in mind.     

辽宁省房地产业市场结构与价格行为的实证分析

从产业组织理论的角度对辽宁省房地产市场的市场结构进行了分析,得出辽宁省房地产市场处于完全竞争类型,且市场集中度有下降趋势.虽然城镇居民和农村居民的可支配收入年均增长率大于房价年均增长率,但房价增长对城镇居民的影响并不明显,而对农村居民的影响较明显,尤其是那些从农村出来准备定居城市的"准城市"居民.应用价格蛛网模型推导出辽宁省房地产市场在房价为3114.3元/m2时,该市场处于出清状态.基于当前的房价,辽宁省房地产市场有一定的泡沫.     

煤矿职工安全心理重要性分析

为了预防或控制煤矿事故中人为因素的影响,通过对煤矿生产活动的特点介绍,分析了煤矿生产活动对煤矿职工心理的影响和煤矿职工的主要安全心理问题,阐述了煤矿职工安全心理在煤矿生产活动中的重要性,为避免或减少煤矿职工出现不安全心理及不安全行为提供依据.     

大型活动中人群的应急行为研究综述

为完善对大型活动的应急处理能力,预防应急事件发生,研究人群在应急状况下的行为反应及疏散中的行为决策。从应急管理和救援的角度,对国内外现有文献进行梳理,分析大型活动背景下人群的应急行为和疏散时间、应急疏散模型、应急逃生的调查实证、交通及人流行为特征和组织与疏散方案等方面的研究现状,指出当前国内外大多数文献较多地侧重于利用计算机模拟火灾环境以研究单一建筑体中人的应急疏散行为,行为调查以事后调查为主,对火灾环境之外的其他突发应急事件及个体行为特征的研究等较少。同时,基于试验性研究的应急心理反应对于行为的影响研究,以及群体信任和他人行为对于行为决策的影响等可以作为未来研究的重要方向。