Gap-Crossing Decisions by the Red Squirrel, a Forest-Dependent Small Mammal

Abstract:  Forest-associated species in fragmented landscapes must traverse potentially inhospitable gaps to move between habitat patches. Although conservation biologists advocate connecting patches with corridors or improving the matrix to make it suitable for movement, little is known about the factors influencing gap-crossing decisions for most species. We investigated gap crossing by the red squirrel ( Tamiasciurus hudsonicus ) in logged landscapes in southeastern Alaska, where the species avoids microhabitats associated with gaps created by clearcutting. We released individuals across clearcuts and determined the routes they took home with tracking spools and radio telemetry. Of 36 adult red squirrels translocated across six clearcuts, 14 crossed clearcuts to reach home. Squirrels were more likely to cross clearcuts if the detour efficiency (distance to home crossing gap divided by distance of forested detour) was low, indicating an ability to compare distances along alternate routes and travel costs or risks in different habitats. No other landscape metrics, such as gap size or crossing distance, predicted crossing behavior. Red squirrels of low body mass were more likely to cross clearcuts, where the probability of encountering conspecifics is low. Distance predicted route choice for squirrels detouring around clearcuts. Indirect evidence suggests that perceived predation risk, energetic costs, or both are higher in clearcuts. Detour efficiency reportedly influences the gap-crossing decisions of some forest-associated birds, but this is the first demonstration of its role in gap-crossing decisions by a mammal.     

公路建设项目声环境后评价方法研究及其应用

通过对公路建设项目声环境后评价的概念和目的的讨论，对声环境后评价的主要内容作了较系统的研究，提出了公路建设项目声环境后评价的方法，重点介绍了声环境后评价的监测与调查和验证分析的方法，并将其应用到深汕西高速公路的环境影响后评价之中。     

Effects of speed-control measures on the safety of unsignalized midblock street crossings in China

Objective: The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different speed-control measures on the safety of unsignalized midblock street crossings.

Methods: In China, it is quite difficult to obtain traffic crash and conflict data for pedestrians using such crossings, mainly due to the lack of traffic data management and organizational issues. In light of this, the proposed method did not rely on such data, but considered vehicle speed, which is a leading contributing factor of pedestrian safety at mid blocks. To evaluate the speed reduction effects at different locations, the research team utilized the following methods in this study: (1) testing speed differences—on the basis of the collected data, statistical analysis is conducted to test the speed differences between upstream and crosswalk, upstream and downstream, and downstream and crosswalk; and (2) mean distribution deviation—this value is calculated by taking the difference in cumulative speed distributions for the two different samples just mentioned. In order to better understand the variation of speed reduction effects at different distances from speed-control facilities, data were collected from six types of speed-control measures with a visual range of 60 m.

Results: The results showed that speed humps, transverse rumble strips, and speed bumps were effective in reducing vehicle speeds. Among them speed humps performed the best, with reductions of 21.1% and 20.0% from upstream location (25.01 km/h) and downstream location (24.66 km/h) to pedestrian crosswalk (19.73 km/h), respectively. By contrast, the speed reduction effects were minimal for stop and yield signs, flashing yellow lights, and crossings without treatment.

Conclusions: Consequently, in order to reduce vehicle speeds and improve pedestrian safety at mid blocks, several speed-control measures such as speed humps, speed bumps, and transverse rumble strips are recommended to be deployed in the vicinity of pedestrian crosswalks.     

爆破振动对地质遗迹影响的PLAXIS模拟分析

杭瑞国家公路凤凰至大兴(湘黔界)K0+500~K5+000段穿越凤凰国家地质公园奇梁洞景区。为分析公路施工期和运营期对奇梁洞地质遗迹影响程度,预测施工过程中爆破震动和项目建成后在车辆荷载作用下对地质遗迹造成的危害,利用有限元软件Plaxis模拟分析公路工程建设对地质遗迹的影响。为工程建设提供奇梁洞地质遗迹保护审批依据,防止建设工程引发地质灾害。     

综合评价指数法在公路建设项目评价中的应用

针对公路建设项目的特点,从选取生态因子入手,采取定量分析手段,研究了公路建设对生态环境和景观的影响程度。结果表明：用8个生态因子进行生态环境影响综合评价,能够反映公路建设对生态环境的综合影响程度,并且具有计算简单和直观的效果。综合来看,定量方法对评价生态和景观受影响的程度效果较好。     

绿化林带对交通噪声的衰减效果

为了研究公路绿化林带的降噪效果,对路侧林带降低实时交通噪声的效果进行定位测量,并将交通噪声人工编辑为不同频率的噪声,在远离交通噪音的林带中进行模拟试验,测定林带对不同频率噪声的衰减效果.结果表明：林带对交通噪声衰减有一定作用,其作用随能见度增大而降低;林带降噪效果随林带宽度增大而增大,可决系数为0.990,但在30m宽度内随林带宽度的增加,噪声的降低速率有所下降;不同林带类型的降噪效果有所不同,所选30m宽林带类型中,国槐纯林的降噪效果最佳可达15.38dB,而杨树、柳树纯林降噪效果较弱,分别为7.25、11.02dB;林带对中低频率噪声的平均衰减作用高于高频率噪声.     

高速公路路面径流沉降过程中重金属去除特性

在对南京机场高速公路令桥段2008年2月~2009年2月15场降雨事件初期路面径流进行自由沉降试验的基础上,考察了自由沉降过程中Cu、Zn、Cd、Pb 4种重金属的去除率随时间的变化特征.同时,重点分析了重金属去除与截留沉速和悬浮固体(SS)去除的关系,并探讨了降雨特征和径流pH值对重金属去除特性的影响.结果表明,沉降开始30min内Cu、Zn、Cd、Pb去除率增长迅速,30min去除率均占2h总去除率的60%以上.Pb的2h平均去除率最高,可达25.62％,Cu、Cd和Zn的2h平均去除率分别为21.20%、19.97%和19.10%.同一重金属的沉降去除率每提高10%,截留沉速范围及上限值减少5倍左右.截留沉速相同时,Pb的去除效果最好,Cd、Cu、Zn的去除效果相差不大.SS与Cu、Zn、Cd、Pb沉降去除率之间的相关性存在差异,Pb多数以颗粒态形式存在,因而SS与Pb沉降去除率相关系数最大,其相关系数为0.8126(p=0.0002）;SS与Cd、Cu、Zn沉降去除率的相关系数分别为0.6871、0.6804、0.7653.路面径流pH值对重金属去除特性的影响显著,与4种重金属沉降去除率均呈正相关,且与Zn、Cd、Pb的相关系数均大于0.5;Zn主要以溶解态形式存在,因而Zn沉降去除率受pH值影响最明显,两者在0.05水平上显著相关(p=0.029).     

Investigating the effectiveness of safety countermeasures at highway-rail at-grade crossings using a competing risk model

Introduction: Highway-rail at-grade crossings (HRGCs) are critical locations where a railway and a roadway intersect with one another. Crashes at those locations often result in fatalities and economic and social damages due to the impacts on both road and rail users. The main purpose of countermeasures at HRGCs is to permit safe and efficient rail and highway operations. Method: Countermeasures at highway-rail grade crossings (HRGCs) considered in this study include all traffic control devices and other warning and barrier devices at or on approaches to crossings. In general, active devices are commonly accepted as more effective countermeasures than passive devices. However, many of the previous effectiveness studies are either at the project level or were conducted without considering the before-improvement condition. This study focuses on the network-level marginal effectiveness of countermeasures on crash rate and severity levels during the 29-year study period from 1990 to 2018 by fully considering before-improvement control levels. A competing risk model (CRM) is able to accommodate the competing nature of crash severities as multiple outcomes from the same event of interest, which is crash occurrence in this study. Subsequently, CRM is used in this study as an integrated one-step estimation approach that investigates both crash frequency and severity likelihood over time. Results: The study findings indicate that adding audible devices to crossings already equipped with gates will result in a considerable annual decline in crash occurrence likelihood (0.25%). The same device installed at crossings already controlled by gates and flashing lights results in less reduction in crash occurrence likelihood of 0.14%. Moreover, adding a stop sign to the active crossing controls of gates, standard flashing lights, and audible devices will lead to a decrease in the probability of crash occurrence and severe crashes (injury and fatal). However, adding stop signs to crossings equipped only with crossbucks will increase the crash occurrence.     

如何有效规避管道交叉点施工风险

采气一厂管辖各类管线6000余km,随着国家和地方基础设施建设不断完善,天然气管道安全范围内的各类施工逐年增多。由于施工队伍水平参差不齐,管线安全范围内的施工对气田已建集输管网构成较大的安全风险。总结了采气一厂近年来在管线交叉施工管理过程中摸索出的各类经验,同时对实施效果进行评价,旨在为同行提供参考和借鉴。     

平交道口冗余控制系统的建模及成本收益分析

将成本收益的分析方法应用在控制系统设计中。采用随机Petri网基于控制过程及系统可靠性对道口控制系统进行建模。在可靠性建模中,基于冗余系统的冷备及热备原理对控制系统的各个部件分别进行描述。基于统计数据确定非冗余控制系统Petri网模型参数。针对冷备及热备的冗余控制系统各部件的系统模型,通过仿真确定冗余系统相对非冗余系统所降低的道口事故率,继而计算出冗余控制的收益。将收益与增加设备的成本进行对比分析,结果表明,控制系统中不同部件的冷备及热备冗余都具有不同的成本收益。