Company engagement with supply chains to protect biodiversity and rare,threatened, and endangered species

Future global megatrends project a population increase of 2 billion people between 2019 and 2050 and at least 1–2 billion people added to the global middle class between 2016 and 2030. In addition, 68% of the world's population is projected to be living in urban areas by 2050. With these projected large population increases and shifts, demand for food, water, and energy is projected to grow by approximately 35, 40, and 50%, respectively, between 2010 and 2030. In addition, between 1970 and 2014 there was an estimated 60% reduction in the number of wildlife in the world and an estimated net loss of 2.9 billion birds, or 29%, in North America between 1970 and 2018. Loss of species populations and number of species is interconnected with reduced health of biodiversity and ecosystems. Human activity has been the main catalyst for these substantial declines primarily through impacts on habitats. These losses are accelerating. Since a company's supply chain environmental impacts are often as great or greater than its own direct environmental impacts, it may be prudent for companies to engage with their supply chains to protect and enhance habitats and biodiversity and protect rare, threatened, and endangered species. As one example, companies may have opportunities and strategic reasons to include requirements in their supplier codes of conduct and supplier standards for suppliers to protect biodiversity and rare, threatened, and endangered species, as well as additional requirements to expand or enhance habitats and ecosystems to increase biodiversity. This article follows one pathway that companies could pursue further and with greater speed—to engage with their supply chains to strengthen supplier codes of conduct to protect biodiversity and rare, threatened, and endangered species. The importance of forests, private land, and landscape partnerships is discussed as means to protect much more of the planet's biodiversity and rare, threatened, and endangered species. Lastly, the article identifies examples of opportunities for companies to more formally incorporate biodiversity into their business, supply chain, and sustainability strategies.     

Differing Modes of Biotic Connectivity within Freshwater Ecosystem Mosaics

We describe a collection of aquatic and wetland habitats in an inland landscape, and their occurrence within a terrestrial matrix, as a “freshwater ecosystem mosaic” (FEM). Aquatic and wetland habitats in any FEM can vary widely, from permanently ponded lakes, to ephemerally ponded wetlands, to groundwater‐fed springs, to flowing rivers and streams. The terrestrial matrix can also vary, including in its influence on flows of energy, materials, and organisms among ecosystems. Biota occurring in a specific region are adapted to the unique opportunities and challenges presented by spatial and temporal patterns of habitat types inherent to each FEM. To persist in any given landscape, most species move to recolonize habitats and maintain mixtures of genetic materials. Species also connect habitats through time if they possess needed morphological, physiological, or behavioral traits to persist in a habitat through periods of unfavorable environmental conditions. By examining key spatial and temporal patterns underlying FEMs, and species‐specific adaptations to these patterns, a better understanding of the structural and functional connectivity of a landscape can be obtained. Fully including aquatic, wetland, and terrestrial habitats in FEMs facilitates adoption of the next generation of individual‐based models that integrate the principles of population, community, and ecosystem ecology.     

汉江生态经济带水生态环境问题及对策

汉江生态经济带是国家战略水资源保障区、内河流域保护开发示范区、中西部联动发展试验区、长江流域绿色发展先行区,加快区域经济社会发展对于全国地区协调发展具有重要意义.多年的高强度开发和剧烈的人类活动造成汉江生态经济带水生态环境问题严峻,已成为制约汉江生态经济带迈向高质量发展的瓶颈.通过系统剖析发现,汉江生态经济带存在的主要水生态环境问题包括重要水源地丹江口水库水安全保障不足、汉江中下游水生态受损、汉江部分支流水污染严重等.丹江口水库总体水质良好,但水质保障工作存在部分入库支流污染形势依然严峻、支流库湾水华发生风险加剧、库周及上游面源污染未得到有效控制和消落带管理薄弱等不足.汉江中下游存在硅藻水华频发和鱼类资源量大幅减少等水生态问题,同时中下游部分支流水质不达标,严重影响汉江水质.在此基础上,提出相应对策建议,主要包括切实做好丹江口水库水质安全保障、科学开展基于生态流量保障的生态调度、建立生态环境协同保护机制、完善南水北调中线水源地生态补偿机制、加强生态环境保护科技支撑等.      

土地利用转型背景下的乡村景观格局演变响应——基于草堂溪流域的样带分析

研究山区土地利用转型背景下乡村景观格局演变与转型,对山区现代化农业可持续发展和景观格局优化具有一定的指导意义。以三峡库区草堂溪流域为研究对象,利用ArcGIS 10.2和Fragstats 4.2软件,采用样带梯度分析结合景观格局分析方法,基于地形和社会经济因素,分别在河谷地区和山地丘陵地区设置5条样带,对研究区2000—2018年不同方向样带上景观格局梯度演变和驱动机制进行分析比较。结果表明：（1）景观类型整体变化幅度大致可分为较稳定型、逐年递减型和波动递增型,且景观转型的重点主要体现在耕地收缩、果园扩张和林地恢复性增长。（2）2000—2018年,研究区河谷地区的景观类型逐渐多样化,土地利用集聚,呈现空间集约化;而山地丘陵地区景观类型逐渐单一化,林地恢复。整体上由生产型景观格局转型成生态经济型、生态调节型为主的景观格局。（3）社会经济发展和政府政策导向等因素导致研究区内土地利用发生转型,在土地利用转型背景下的乡村景观格局也发生了相应的转变。研究结果可为类似山区土地资源的合理利用、生态治理和乡村振兴提供借鉴价值。     

透水/不透水格局特征对汇水单元径流污染的影响

深入揭示透水/不透水下垫面格局特征（组成、位置和比例等）对城市地块汇水单元地表径流及污染产生能力的影响,对减轻城市内涝及控制面源污染具有重要意义.利用景观格局指数分析透水/不透水下垫面格局特征与地表径流总量（Q）、溶解态污染物累积负荷（L_d）和颗粒态污染物累积负荷（L_p）之间的关系.结果表明：①表征破碎度的斑块密度（PD）与最大斑块指数（LPI）分别与Q和L_d呈正、负相关,PD与L_d呈显著正相关（r=0.59,P<0.05,以COD计）,LPI与L_d呈显著负相关（r=-0.60,P<0.05,以COD计）;②表征复杂度的景观形状指数（LSI）和平均斑块形状（MSI）分别与Q和L_p呈正、负相关性,LSI与L_p呈显著正相关（r=0.61,P<0.05,以TP计）,MSI与L_p呈极显著负相关（r=-0.62,P<0.01,以TP计）;③表征聚散度的内聚力指数（COHESION）和分散指数（SPLIT）分别与Q和L_d呈负、正相关性,COHESION与L_d呈显著负相关（r=-0.59,P<0.05,以COD计）,SPLIT与L_d呈显著正相关（r=0.6,P<0.05,以COD计）;④在城市小尺度透水面格局规划上,适量减少细小规则斑块的散乱分布,增加较大的不规则斑块或斑块群,对有效调控地表径流及污染有积极影响.通过透水/不透水面的破碎度、复杂度和聚散度与汇水区单元径流产生和污染输出的相关性分析,以期从格局特征（面积、距离和形状等）考虑合理配置LID设施调控径流污染提供新思路.     

基于格网的河西绿洲乡村聚落时空演变及其与水土资源的空间耦合关系

基于1 km×1 km格网,论文综合运用景观指数、分散度、核密度、空间耦合关联等方法,研究河西走廊山丹县1998—2015年乡村聚落景观格局分异及时空演变特征,探讨绿洲乡村聚落与水土资源的空间耦合关系,结果表明：1）乡村聚落用地总面积扩张较快、空间分散化趋势明显,斑块数和斑块密度增大、平均斑块面积减小,乡村聚落景观指数在1998—2008年间相比2008—2015年间变化剧烈,后期逐渐趋于稳定;2）3个年份乡村聚落核密度空间分布格局基本一致,主干道路、渠系等线状地物沿线密集,外围区域稀疏,并以线状地物为中心向外呈阶梯状递减;3）1998—2008年乡村聚落分散度呈增加趋势,2008年后趋于稳定,乡村聚落空间分布由相对集中走向零星分散,聚落“散、空、乱”现象普遍;4）乡村聚落与耕地和渠系空间分布关系密切,存在显著的“耕地指向性”和“渠系指向性”;K指数1998年以“人多地少型”为主,2008和2015年转向“人少地多型”和“人地协调型”;L指数总体表现为“渠系偏多型”和“聚落-渠系协调型”。水土资源是约束和限制绿洲人口和聚落存在和发展的主要因素,人-水-土系统存在着高度的相互依存性和共生性。     

基于土地利用转型视角的“亚喀斯特”区域生态环境效应研究——以黔中部分地区为例

在遥感与GIS的支持下,以1995、2000、2005和2010年的TM影像及2015年的Landsat8 OLI遥感影像为数据源,从土地利用转型的角度,运用区域生态环境质量指数和土地利用转型类型的生态贡献率对亚喀斯特地区的土地利用/覆盖变化过程及生态环境效应进行了定量分析。结果表明,1995~2015年间,亚喀斯特地区土地利用/覆盖变化较为显著,其中生活用地和生态用地面积增加,而生产用地面积减少,主要表现为农业生产用地向城镇、农村生活用地及林地生态用地的转化。计算得到亚喀斯特区域5期的生态环境质量指数分别为0.540 2、0.539 7、0.552 3、0.558 1和0.561 5,生态环境质量总体维持稳定,呈一定的上升趋势。致使亚喀斯特区域生态环境质量改善的主要原因是农业生产用地向林地、草地和水域生态用地的转化;致使生态环境恶化的主要是农业生产用地向城镇、农村生活用地等的转化,但生态环境改善的趋势要大于恶化的趋势。     

Evaluating the Effects of Anthropogenic Stressors on Source‐Sink Dynamics in Pond‐Breeding Amphibians

Although interwetland dispersal is thought to play an important role in regional persistence of pond‐breeding amphibians, few researchers have modeled amphibian metapopulation or source‐sink dynamics. Results of recent modeling studies suggest anthropogenic stressors, such as pollution, can negatively affect density and population viability of amphibians breeding in isolated wetlands. Presumably population declines also result in reduced dispersal to surrounding (often uncontaminated) habitats, potentially affecting dynamics of nearby populations. We used our data on the effects of mercury (Hg) on the American toad ( Bufo americanus) as a case study in modeling the effects of anthropogenic stressors on landscape‐scale amphibian dynamics. We created a structured metapopulation model to investigate regional dynamics of American toads and to evaluate the degree to which detrimental effects of Hg contamination on individual populations can disrupt interpopulation dynamics. Dispersal from typical American toad populations supported nearby populations that would otherwise have been extirpated over long time scales. Through support of such sink populations, dispersal between wetland‐associated subpopulations substantially increased overall productivity of wetland networks, but this effect declined with increasing interwetland distance and decreasing wetland size. Contamination with Hg substantially reduced productivity of wetland‐associated subpopulations and impaired the ability of populations to support nearby sinks within relevant spatial scales. Our results add to the understanding of regional dynamics of pond‐breeding amphibians, the wide‐reaching negative effects of environmental contaminants, and the potential for restoration or remediation of degraded habitats. Evaluación de los Efectos de Estresantes Antropogénicos sobre la Dinámica Fuente‐Vertedero en Anfibios que se Reproducen en Charcas     

A multiscale hierarchical Markov transition matrix model for generating and analyzing thematic raster maps

A model is described for generating hierarchically scaled spatial pattern as represented in a thematic raster map. The model involves a series of Markov transition matrices, one for each level in the scaling hierarchy. In full generality, the model allows the transition matrices to be different at each level, potentially making available a large number of parameters for landscape characterization. The model is self-similar when the transition matrices are all equal. A method is presented for fitting the model to data that take the form of a single-resolution thematic raster map. Explicit analytic solutions are obtained for the fitted parameters. The fitting method is based on a relationship between the hierarchical transitions in the model and spatial transitions at varying distance scales in the data map, a categorical analogy of the geostatistical variogram.     

旅游者对旅游风景区的环境感知研究——以五泉山风景区为例

通过对旅游者旅游资源环境感知调查、态度分析,能了解旅游者对风景区的满意度,对于促进当地旅游业的可持续发展具有极其重要的作用和意义。以五泉山风景区为例,结合实地问卷调查与访谈的方法,研究旅游者对五泉山风景区的环境感知,结果显示:旅游者对五泉山风景区旅游环境总体环境感知一般;对五泉山风景区的自然环境呈正面、积极感知,但是对饮食服务水平、旅游从业者服务态度、文化特色、环境设施等持保留态度;旅游者对在风景区内的环保责任和行为都表现出了积极的态度;旅游者对景区的忠诚度一般;地方政府在环境保护和旅游规划方面应当更有所作为。