PCB Levels and Trends Within the Detroit River-Western Lake Erie Basin: A Historical Perspective of Ecosystem Monitoring

An international workshop held in the spring of 2002 convened a group of technical experts to address monitoring, modeling, and management of PCBs within the Detroit River-Western Lake Erie basin. Participants shared and discussed a diverse set of research data bases pertaining to PCB levels within the region, discussed observed changes within different components of the local ecosystem, and identified several primary issues impacting future PCB management strategies. Results presented at the workshop indicate dramatic reductions in PCB contamination levels have been observed in much of study area between the late 1970s and mid-1990s. Estimates of loadings attributable to water and atmospheric sources have generally declined, as have PCB concentrations in herring gull eggs, smelt and walleye. Nevertheless, additional improvements have not been observed during recent years and elevated contamination levels remain a concern within local hot spots, particularly in the lower Detroit River and Trenton Channel. A primary recommendation broadly supported by workshop participants is the need to maintain, support, and coordinate a comprehensive ecosystem monitoring program for the Detroit River-Western Lake Erie basin, one that incorporates both near-field and far-field monitoring elements. Such a program is crucial to provide necessary data in support of understanding ecosystem trends, calculating annual mass loadings to the system, assessing impacts of remediation actions, developing improved modeling frameworks, and formulating cost-effective management strategies for the future.     

Shine a light: Under-ice light and its ecological implications in a changing Arctic Ocean

The Arctic marine ecosystem is shaped by the seasonality of the solar cycle, spanning from 24-h light at the sea surface in summer to 24-h darkness in winter. The amount of light available for under-ice ecosystems is the result of different physical and biological processes that affect its path through atmosphere, snow, sea ice and water. In this article, we review the present state of knowledge of the abiotic (clouds, sea ice, snow, suspended matter) and biotic (sea ice algae and phytoplankton) controls on the underwater light field. We focus on how the available light affects the seasonal cycle of primary production (sympagic and pelagic) and discuss the sensitivity of ecosystems to changes in the light field based on model simulations. Lastly, we discuss predicted future changes in under-ice light as a consequence of climate change and their potential ecological implications, with the aim of providing a guide for future research.     

Implications of Atmospheric Change for Biodiversity of Aquatic Ecosystems in Canada

Overall, the greatest threats to Canadian and global biodiversity are associated with conversions of natural ecosystems to anthropogenic ones, and over-exploitation of biological resources. This circumstance does not, however, trivialize the importance of atmospheric influences. Although scientific understanding of the risks is incomplete, it is nevertheless clear that anthropogenic changes in atmospheric stressors are potentially damaging to biodiversity and other ecological values over medium- and longer-term scales. It is important that greater investments be made in support of longer-term monitoring and research designed to understand the effects of atmospheric and other environmental stressors on the biodiversity and structure and function of Canadian ecosystems.     

A Systems Approach to Biodiversity Conservation Planning

With a recent media-fueled transition from a scientific to a political perspective, biodiversity has become an issue of ethics and ensuing values, beyond its traditional ecological roots. More fundamentally, the traditional perspective of biodiversity is being challenged by the emergence of a post-normal or systems-based approach to science. A systems-based perspective of living systems rests on the central tenets of complexity and uncertainty, and necessitates flexibility, anticipation and adaptation rather than prediction and control in conservation planning and management. What are the implications of this new perspective? This paper examines these challenges in the context of biodiversity conservation planning. The new perspectives of biodiversity are identified and explored, and the emergence of a new ecological context for biodiversity conservation is discussed. From the analysis, the challenges and implications for conservation planning are considered, and a systems-based or post-normal approach to conservation planning and management is proposed. In light of the new perspectives for biodiversity, conservation planning and management approaches should ultimately reflect the essence of living systems: they should be diverse, adaptive, and self-organizing, accepting the ecological realities of change.     

Trends in biodiversity and habitat quantification tools used for market-based conservation in the United States

Market-based conservation mechanisms are designed to facilitate the mitigation of harm to and conservation of habitats and biodiversity. Their potential is partly hindered, however, by the quantification tools used to assess habitat quality and functionality. Of specific concern are the lack of transparency and standardization in tool development and gaps in tool availability. To address these issues, we collected information via internet and literature searchers and through conversations with tool developers and users on tools used in U.S. conservation mechanisms, such as payments for ecosystem services (PES) and ecolabel programs, conservation banking, and habitat exchanges. We summarized information about tools and explored trends among and within mechanisms based on criteria detailing geographic, ecological, and technical features of tools. We identified 69 tools that assessed at least 34 species and 39 habitat types. Where tools reported pricing, 98% were freely available. More tools were applied to states along the U.S. West Coast than elsewhere, and the level of tool transferability varied markedly among mechanisms. Tools most often incorporated conditions at numerous spatial scales, frequently addressed multiple risks to site viability, and required 1–83 data inputs. Most tools required a moderate or greater level of user skill. Average tool-complexity estimates were similar among all mechanisms except PES programs. Our results illustrate the diversity among tools in their ecological features, data needs, and geographic application, supporting concerns about a lack of standardization. However, consistency among tools in user skill requirements, incorporation of multiple spatial scales, and complexity highlight important commonalities that could serve as a starting point for establishing more standardized tool development and feature-incorporation processes. Greater standardization in tool design may expand market participation and facilitate a needed assessment of the effectiveness of market-based conservation.     

城市湿地生态系统的结构特征及现存问题

对我国城市湿地生态系统的结构特征和存在问题进行了综述。目前我国城市湿地生态系统的结构特征表现为面积小、分布不均、空间结构和营养结构简单、稳定性低、脆弱性强,同时其形态结构具有显著的景观美学特征,但受水环境因素的制约性强。目前的主要问题是：湿地面积迅速减少、空间结构脆弱性加剧、环境污染加剧、生物多样性降低、生物入侵严重、生态系统稳定性下降、水土流失与湖泊淤积严重、规划设计不当、人为干预强烈。通过综述,将增加人们对城市湿地生态系统结构的深入认识,为开展科学保护、建设、开发、利用活动和促进城市可持续发展提供依据。     

生态退耕对安塞县土地利用及其生态服务功能的影响

以生态系统服务价值作为衡量区域生态服务功能的指标,对安塞县1998-2006年间生态服务功能的变化进行了分析。根据黄土丘陵沟壑区耕地坡度与水土流失相关关系以及农户调查数据,对安塞县耕地扰动调节、水分调节、水供应、侵蚀控制以及不同坡耕地食物供应能力的生态服务价值指数进行了修正。在此基础上,分析了安塞县退耕还林还草政策对区域生态服务功能变化的影响。结果表明:生态建设措施使得安塞县生态恶化的趋势得到扭转,其生态服务功能在1998-2006年间增加了12%,其中缓坡耕地、中坡耕地和陡坡耕地的退出,对安塞县生态服务功能增强的贡献率分别为25%,48%,27%。文章还对生态建设的监督与投资进行了讨论,认为基于实验的生态系统功能监测与评估技术才是生态系统服务价值评估的基础;生态建设所带来的生态效益的主要获益者是更大空间范围的利益相关者甚至全社会,因此作为社会代表的政府应成为生态建设的主要投资主体。     

Impact of Cloud on Net Ecosystem CO2 Exchange of Alpine Meadow in Tibetan Plateau

Meteorological elements and CO2 fluxes over alpine meadow ecosystem were observed continuously from 2004 to 2005in Damxung Alpine Meadow Flux Station,China Flux Network.Based on the eddy covariance CO2 fluxes and meteorological data obtained,the relationships among the CO2 fluxes,the cloud amount,and the meteorological factors in alpine meadow ecosystem were explored and analyzed.Some conclusions can be drawn from the discussion with previous researches as following:(1)the cloud amount can affect the net ecosystem CO2 exchange(NEE)of alpine meadow on Tibetan Plateau;(2)the soil temperature sensitive to the cloud amount,is a major environmental controlling factor for NEE,and closely relates to the maximum of NEE.In the morning period with large cloud amount,the NEE reaches its maximum when the clearness index ranges from 0.5 to 0.7; yet in the afternoon it comes to the maximum with the index from 0.2 to 0.35.The span of soil temperature covers from 12 to 15℃ as the NEE at its highest;(3)the scatterplots between NEE and photosynthetic available radiation(PAR)was a significant inverse triangle in the clear day,two different kinds of concave curves in the cloudy day,and strongly convergent rectangular hyperbola in the overcast day.These differences were controlled by the changes of light radiation and soil temperature.     

鄱阳湖生态环境保护与资源利用技术模式研究

鄱阳湖是我国第一大淡水湖泊,也是国际重要湿地,在维系长江水量平衡和生态安全方面,发挥着十分重要的作用和功能。近年来,鄱阳湖生态环境受到经济发展和人口增长的威胁,主要表现为：湿地生态系统退化,湖泊生态功能下降,流域生物多样性减少,水生植被萎缩,水污染程度日趋严重。湖区内产业结构和资源利用的不合理也限制了其经济发展。建设鄱阳湖生态经济区发展战略的确立要求江西尽快探索出一条保护生态与发展经济的双赢之路。结合鄱阳湖区生态环境与资源利用现状,通过2 a多的集成研究与示范,已形成了湿地恢复、沙化综合治理、农业污染治理和资源合理利用等十多种技术模式,在保护环境的同时提高了农民收入,为实现鄱阳湖生态经济区建设目标提供了技术支撑.     

Application of Ecological Classification and Predictive Vegetation Modeling to Broad-Level Assessments of Ecosystem Health

The Little Missouri National Grasslands (LMNG) of western North Dakota support the largest permitted cattle grazing use within all lands administered by the USDA, Forest Service, as well as critical habitat for many wildlife species. This fact, coupled with the need to revise current planning direction for range allotments of the LMNG, necessitated that a broad-level characterization of ecosystem integrity and resource conditions be conducted across all lands within the study area (approximately 800,000 hectares) in a rapid and cost-effective manner. The approach taken in this study was based on ecological classifications, which effectively utilized existing field plot data collected for a variety of previous inventory objectives, and their continuous spatial projection across the LMNG by maps of both existing and potential vegetation. These two map themes represent current and reference conditions (existing vs. potential vegetation); their intersection allowed us to assign various ecological status ratings (i.e., ecosystem integrity and resource condition) based on the degree of departure between current and reference conditions. In this paper, we present a brief review of methodologies used in the development of ecological classifications, and also illustrate their application to assessments of rangeland health through selected maps of ecological status ratings for the LMNG.