Landscape consequences of aggregation rules for functional equivalence in compensatory mitigation programs

Mitigation and offset programs designed to compensate for ecosystem function losses due to development must balance losses from affected ecosystems with gains in restored ecosystems. Aggregation rules applied to ecosystem functions to assess site equivalence are based on implicit assumptions about the substitutability of functions among sites and can profoundly influence the distribution of restored ecosystem functions on the landscape. We investigated the consequences of rules applied to the aggregation of ecosystem functions for wetland offsets in the Beaverhill watershed in Alberta, Canada. We considered the fate of 3 ecosystem functions: hydrology, water purification, and biodiversity. We set up an affect‐and‐offset algorithm to simulate the effect of aggregation rules on ecosystem function for wetland offsets. Cobenefits and trade‐offs among functions and the constraints posed by the quantity and quality of restorable sites resulted in a redistribution of functions between affected and offset wetlands. Hydrology and water purification functions were positively correlated with one another and negatively correlated with biodiversity function. Weighted‐average rules did not replace functions in proportion to their weights. Rules prioritizing biodiversity function led to more monofunctional wetlands and landscapes. The minimum rule, for which the wetland score was equal to the worst performing function, promoted multifunctional wetlands and landscapes. The maximum rule, for which the wetland score was equal to the best performing function, promoted monofunctional wetlands and multifunctional landscapes. Because of implicit trade‐offs among ecosystem functions, no‐net‐loss objectives for multiple functions should be constructed within a landscape context. Based on our results, we suggest criteria for the design of aggregation rules for no net loss of ecosystem functions within a landscape context include the concepts of substitutability, cobenefits and trade‐offs, landscape constraints, heterogeneity, and the precautionary principle.     

Species diversity variation of Cupressus funebris secondary forest in landslide site after 5.12 Wenchuan Earthquake北大核心CSCD

The characteristics of species diversity in Cupressus funebris secondary forest under the effect of geological hazard were explored by selecting the typical landslide surface of Fenghuang Mountain, Leigu Town, Beichuan County, which was derived from the 5.12 Wenchuan earthquake. The results showed that 93 species belonged to 42 families, and 78 genera were found in the landslide area, where the main families were Compositae, Leguminosae, and Gramineae-based. Further, 97 species in the transition area belonged to 39 families and 80 genera, and the main families were Compositae, Gramineae, and Rosaceae-based. In all, 108 species were recorded in the non-landslide area, which belonged to 59 families and 92 genera, the main families of which were Compositae, Rosaceae, and Gramineae-based. Compositae and Gramineae played important roles in the landslide recovery process after earthquake. The Pielou index (JSW) was the highest in the non-landslide area of the herb layer, whereas the richness index (D) was the lowest; the Shannon-Wiener index (H) and Simpson index (H') showed medium values. In the non-landslide area, the D, H, and H' were the highest in the shrub layer, whereas the JSW was the lowest. Further, the species diversity index of the transitional area was higher than that of the landslide area. In the tree layer, the D and H were both the highest and lowest in the landslide area and transition area, respectively. In contrast, the H' and JSW were the highest in the transition area and the lowest in the non-landslide area. The distribution of vegetation was generally consistent with the distribution of soil nutrients in the spatial distribution of surface soil nutrients. The succession of trees in the landslide area was relatively slow and at the initial stage, and the pioneer species were Coriaria nepalensis, Leptopus chinensis, and Arthraxon lanceolatus in this area. Taken together, the findings suggested that the stability of a plant community can be increased by improving the soil and stabilizing the slope. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

洪泽湖湿地生态系统保护与修复关键技术研究

分析了洪泽湖湿地生态系统属性及其在南水北调工程实施后的演变趋势,利用野外实验研究,在生境改变条件下,适用于不同湿地退化状况的人工辅助恢复技术;在实验监测的基础上,对洪泽湖几种典型湿地生态系统的生态功能进行了定量评价,为生态恢复工程的设计提供必要的技术支持。     

滨岸缓冲带在河道生态修复中的应用研究

近年来国外在滨岸缓冲带植被的结构、功能和管理研究方面开展了许多研究,国内也越来越重视相关研究。文章概述了滨岸缓冲带的功能、构建原理和国内外的一些应用情况;重点介绍了上海青浦区华新镇境内东风港滨岸缓冲带示范工程,分析了滨岸缓冲带在河道坡岸生态修复中的应用效果。研究表明,滨岸缓冲带具有改善生物栖息地环境质量、稳定坡岸、修复河道生态环境等功能,适合在各类岸坡的生态修复中广泛运用。     

苏州盛泽湖湿地生态恢复初探

湿地是分布于陆生生态系统和水生生态系统之间具有独特水文、土壤、植被与生物特征的生态系统。盛泽湖是位于苏州相城区东北部的天然浅水湖泊,东临阳澄湖,面积为3.86 km^2。由于当地居民对湖泊进行过度养殖和捕捞、大量的围湖造田和进行农业生产建设、工农业废水和生活污水直接排入水体及湿地附近砖瓦厂的取土等原因引起盛泽湖湿地的生态退化。用生态规划的方法来探讨如何对盛泽湖湿地进行生态恢复,并从环境效益、社会效益和经济效益来分析规划方案实施后的效果。     

塔里木河下游胡杨对输水的生态响应

对塔里木河下游不同离河距离成过熟胡杨和输水后更新胡杨胸径、地径、树高、冠幅、枯枝比以及优势胡杨百分比的调查表明:随离河距离增加(地下水埋深增加),胡杨(大树)枯枝比增加,优势胡杨百分比降低;胸径、树高、冠幅随离河距离增加,增减规律不明显。输水后萌蘖更新胡杨的树高、冠幅和地径均随离河距离增加而降低。以上调查指标确定胡杨输水后恢复等级,离河50~300 m胡杨整体恢复"优",离河300~500 m胡杨恢复"良",离河500~1 050m胡杨恢复"中",离河1 050~1 500 m胡杨对输水响应微弱,整体恢复"差"。胡杨具明显的随离河距离增加恢复等级降低的梯度响应特征,生态输水促进了河畔带胡杨的恢复,水是制约塔里木河下游胡杨生长与恢复的关键因子。     

塔里木河下游输水前后NDVI差异分析

运用统计方法分析塔里木河下游英苏、喀尔达依、阿拉干三断面输水前后归一化植被指数(NDVI)的差异大小并推测河畔植被对输水的响应程度。结果表明:随着输水进行,研究区NDVI与地下水埋深逐渐呈负相关趋势,NDVI增幅随地下水埋深减小逐渐增大;输水前后相同断面NDVI差异极显著,根据输水前后NDVI差值大小确定植被恢复速度为:英苏>喀尔达依>阿拉干;各断面NDVI在输水前没有差异,输水后断面间NDVI差异显著,根据差异大小确定恢复程度顺序为英苏>喀尔达依>阿拉干;以大西海子水库周边NDVI为参照,确定经7年8次生态输水英苏、喀尔达依、阿拉干三断面植被恢复度分别为20.2%、18.4%和8.4%。以上研究表明,研究区植被恢复仍然有限,坚持持续输水很有必要。     

我国海洋灾害经济损失评估模型研究

针对目前我国海洋灾害给海洋环境及造成损害的实际情况，运用环境经济学及系统动力学的理论和方法，并在溢油模型及ＧＩＳ的支持下，首次建立了用一系列密切相关的子模块来评估经济损失的数学模型。它对于促进我国海洋灾害经济损失评估的定量化进程将起到一定的作用。     

Characterizing a Major Urban Stream Restoration Project: Nine Mile Run (Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania, USA)

Urban stream restoration continues to be used as an ecological management tool, despite uncertainty about the long‐term sustainability and resilience of restored systems. Evaluations of restoration success often focus on specific instream indicators, with limited attention to the wider basin or parallel hydrologic and geomorphic process. A comprehensive understanding of urban stream restoration progress is particularly important for comparisons with nonurban sites as urban streams can provide substantial secondary benefits to urban residents. Here, we utilize a wide range of indicators to retrospectively examine the restoration of Nine Mile Run, a multi‐million dollar stream restoration project in eastern Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania, USA). Examination of available continuous hydrological data illustrates the high cost of failures to incorporate the data into planning and adaptive management. For example, persistent extreme flows drive geomorphic degradation threatening to reverse hydrologic connections created by the restoration and impact the improved instream biotic communities. In addition, human activities associated with restoration efforts suggest a positive feedback as the stream restoration has focused effort on the basin beyond the reach. Ultimately, urban stream restoration remains a potentially useful management tool, but continued improvements in post‐project assessment should include examination of a wider range of indicators.     

Creating False Images: Stream Restoration in an Urban Setting

Stream restoration has become a multibillion dollar business with mixed results as to its efficacy. This case study utilizes pre‐ and post‐monitoring data from restoration projects on an urban stream to assess how well stream conditions, publicly stated project goals, and project implementation align. Our research confirms previous studies showing little communication among academic researchers and restoration practitioners as well as provides further evidence that restoration efforts tend to focus on small‐scale, specific sites without considering broader land use patterns. This study advances our understanding of restoration by documenting that although improving ecological conditions is a stated goal for restoration projects, the implemented measures are not always focused on those issues that are the most ecologically salient. What these projects have accomplished is to protect the built environment and promote positive public perception. We argue that these disconnects among publicized goals for restoration, the implemented features, and actual stream conditions may create a false image of what an ecologically stable stream looks like and therefore perpetuate a false sense of optimism about the feasibility of restoring urban streams.