Sedimentary record of hydrophobic organic compounds in relation to regional economic development: A study of Taihu Lake, East China

Sediment cores taken from Taihu Lake, East China were analyzed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polybrominated biphenyl ethers (PBDEs). The results showed a general sharp increase of HCH, DDT, PAH and PBDE concentrations in the surface layers, corresponding to a sedimentation time of 1980 and 1990 onward in the Meiliang Bay and Xukou Bay, respectively. The source of PAHs has largely transferred from petrogenic to pyrogenic origin, and good relationships were observed between sediment PAH concentrations and the regional gross domestic product. The sharp increase of DDTs in recent years may be related to the mobilization and migration of these chemicals from surface soil to lake sediment, as a result of enhanced soil run-off due to large scale land transform, as well as the contribution of current usage of dicofol and DDT-containing anti-fouling paints.     

Delving into the “Institutional Black Box”: Revealing the Attributes of Sustainable Urban Water Management Regimes1

van de Meene, Susan J. and Rebekah R. Brown, 2009. Delving into the “Institutional Black Box”: Revealing the Attributes of Sustainable Urban Water Management Regimes. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 45(6):1448‐1464. Abstract: This paper is based on the proposition that the transition to sustainable urban water management has been hampered by the lack of insight into attributes of a sustainable urban water regime. Significant progress has been made in developing technical solutions to advance urban water practice, however it is the co‐evolution of the socio‐institutional and technical systems that enable a system‐wide transition. A systematic analysis of 81 empirical studies across a range of practice areas was undertaken to construct a schema of the sustainable urban water regime attributes. Attributes were identified and analyzed using a framework of nested management regime spheres: the administrative and regulatory system, inter‐organizational, intra‐organizational, and human resources spheres. The regime is likely to involve significant stakeholder involvement, collaborative inter‐organizational relationships, flexible and adaptive organizational cultures, and motivated and engaging employees. Comparison of the constructed sustainable and traditional regime attributes reveals that to realize sustainable urban water management in practice a substantial shift in governance is required. This difference emphasizes the critical need for explicitly supported strategies targeted at developing each management regime sphere to further enable change toward sustainable urban water management.     

松属植物地质历史及生物地理演变

松属(Pinus L.)约113种,是松科现代属中最原始的类群。松属植物种类丰富且研究领域广泛,对其已经积累的资料数据进行系统梳理总结十分必要。本文通过总结国内外松属大化石资料,结合分子系统发育、地质背景和地理隔离事件讨论了其地史分布及植物地理学意义;该属化石在早白垩世至全新世地层中均有记录。化石证据表明松属很可能在早白垩世(之前)起源于西欧地区,从这一起源地通过北大西洋陆桥扩散到北美洲东部,而东亚的类群可能是从北美洲西部经过白令陆桥散布的。在晚白垩世分化出双维管束松亚属Subgenus Pinus L.及单维管束松亚属Subgenus Strobus (D.Don) Lemmon,前者更接近祖先类群。古新世由于全球显著增温以及白垩纪末期大灭绝等地质事件的影响使松属数量急剧减少,在晚始新世至中新世时期随着气温转凉转冷再次分化扩散,中新世达到其发展高峰且分布面貌与现代类群近似。松属多样性时空历史可能和新生代气候变迁及晚新生代构造运动塑造的山地隆升等环境变化紧密相关。     

中国改革开放40年生态环境保护的历史变革——从“三废”治理走向生态文明建设

中国改革开放的40年也是生态环境保护管理体制不断改革和飞跃的40年。自1972年开展生态环境保护工作起,围绕着解决不同发展阶段突出环境问题的需要,每10年左右实现一次环境管理体制改革"大跨跃",不断改革、创新和发展了具有中国特色的生态环境保护治理体系与模式。坚持在发展中解决环境问题,以改善生态环境质量为核心,逐步构建了符合不同发展阶段特征的生态环境保护管理体系,包括完备的生态环境规划政策体系、完善的生态环境治理体系、完整的生态环境保护法律体系。在新时代中国特色社会主义建设过程中,应瞄准建设美丽中国的战略目标,立足中国、放眼世界,坚持绿色发展,做好顶层设计,构建生态环境管理体系新格局,共建清洁美丽世界。     

西南地区全新世气候变化概述

本文较为系统地分析了西南地区石笋、泥炭和湖泊沉积物等自然记录恢复古气候的其本原理,概述了西南地区全新世(近万年来)气候变化研究的主要进展。鉴于西南地区古气候研究的现状,未来应着重加强三个方面的研究:1)加强石笋、泥炭和湖泊沉积物等代用指标记录气候变化的机理研究,建立更为有效的古气候定量/半定量重建方法;2)加强高分辨率、多指标的综合对比研究,揭示重大气候变化事件(如8.2 ka事件4、.2 ka事件和小冰期等)的性质及其对西南地区生态环境的影响;3)加强不同区域气候变化的对比研究,为揭示气候变化驱动力和合理预测西南未来可能出现的气候变化提供科学基础。     

中国北方农牧交错带气候变化特点及未来趋势——基于观测和模拟资料的综合分析

中国北方农牧交错带是中国生态文明建设的一个重点地区。准确评估其气候变化趋势对于该区域可持续发展至关重要。本文的研究目的是在揭示1971-2015年气候变化特征的基础上,分析区域2006-2050年气候变化趋势。为此,本文综合观测和模拟数据分析了区域1971-2015年的历史气候变化以及2006-2050年的未来气候变化。研究发现：1971-2015年,中国北方农牧交错带气候变化呈暖干化趋势,年均气温的增长速率为0.39 ℃/10 a,年降水量的变化速率为-4.60 mm/10 a。2006-2050年,区域气候变化将呈暖湿化趋势,区域总体年均气温的增长速率为0.20~0.50 ℃/10 a,年降水量的变化速率为1.49~15.59 mm/10 a。同时,如果不有效控制温室气体排放,区域气候系统的不稳定性将加剧。2006-2050年,随着温室气体排放浓度的不断增加,区域增温速率从0.25 ℃/10 a增长至0.48 ℃/10 a,降水变化速率从3.97 mm/10 a增长至14.58 mm/10 a。因此,需要高度重视中国北方农牧交错带气候变化的减缓和适应问题,以促进该区域的可持续发展。     

光记录相纸由湿度引起的量算误差

光记录相纸在不同的湿度下其宽度变化达 4 2 % ,而由此引起的误差将大大超过资料质量评比条例所规定的量标误差值 ,给数据处理带来影响。本文通过实验 ,得出了在不同湿度下的误差值 ,并提出解决该问题的一些办法与建议。     

Mercury Contamination of Biota from Acadia National Park, Maine: A Review

We reviewed literature reporting both total and methylmercury from biota from Acadia National Park, Maine, USA. Our review of existing data indicates that 1) mercury contamination is widespread throughout the Park’s various aquatic ecosystems; 2) mercury pollution likely represents a moderate to high risk to biota inhabiting the Park; and 3) biota at all trophic levels possess elevated concentrations of both total and methylmercury. Watershed fire history and the resulting post-fire forest succession patterns are an important landscape attribute governing mercury cycling at Acadia National Park. Therefore, park service personnel should consider these factors when planning and implementing Hg biomonitoring efforts. Additional baseline funding from the National Park Service for Hg research and biomonitoring will likely be required in order to further evaluate the spatial and temporal patterns of mercury contamination in the park’s biota. An erratum to this article can be found at     

Agency and structure: a grounded theory approach to explain land-use change in the Mindo and western foothills of Pichincha,Ecuador

ABSTRACT

Although life and land decisions are individual, driven by perceptions of reality, they reflect broader social processes. This research aims to understand relevant land-use change processes and the context within which land-use change occurs in the study area. For this, we employ grounded theory techniques and procedures to analyze narratives and life history interviews. Based on these narratives, we re-construct past land-use changes. Additionally, we identify structural conditions that drive change, several dimensions of change, including cultural-cognitive dimensions, and future discourses. The identified structural conditions motivate changes in concepts, actions, and practices, in land-use, and institutions, eventually leading to generational changes. Further research is needed to examine how the so-called structural conditions producing change varies in different settings and contexts. These findings can provide insight into certain patterns and knowledge that may contribute to community planning, policy design, and the conception of sustainable solutions with more grounded knowledge.     

旅游交通碳排放研究进展与启示

采用克氏文献综述五步法,从碳排放概念、测算方法以及研究内容三个方面对相关文献进行了梳理和分析,研究发现:①碳排放概念内涵可指CO_2-e的排放,也可特指CO_2;②旅游交通碳排放的测算包括"自上而下"和"自下而上"两种思路,具体的测算方法一般采用碳排放指数法;③旅游交通碳排放研究内容主要包括认识研究、测算及特征研究、碳减排研究三个方面。文章认为,旅游交通碳排放具有四个方面的特殊性:比重大、测算难度高、跨区域性明显以及涉及部门多。然而,以往研究中仍存在两个问题值得关注:一是各类交通方式的碳排放系数的使用具有一定的局限性;二是我国交通统计数据不能直接用于区域旅游交通碳排放的研究。鉴于此,结合旅游交通与交通碳排放的宏观研究视角与内容。认为未来旅游交通碳排放研究应该在以下三个方面得到加强:研究方法上,应加强对各国家、区域的标准化数据的研究,如碳排放系数;研究尺度上,应凸显不同空间尺度对象研究中的尺度效应,包括国家尺度、市级尺度、景区尺度等;研究内容上,应完善旅游交通碳排放的系统研究,丰富相关研究内容,在碳源选择、测算的不确定性、影响因素、区域碳减排责任分配、碳减排措施、游客交通体验与行为、减排政策等方面需进一步加强。