A New Open‐Access HUC‐8 Based Downscaled CMIP‐5 Climate Model Forecast Dataset for the Conterminous United States

Watershed‐scale hydrologic simulation models generally require climate data inputs including precipitation and temperature. These climate inputs can be derived from downscaled global climate simulations which have the potential to drive runoff forecasts at the scale of local watersheds. While a simulation designed to drive a local watershed model would ideally be constructed at an appropriate scale, global climate simulations are, by definition, arbitrarily determined large rectangular spatial grids. This paper addresses the technical challenge of making climate simulation model results readily available in the form of downscaled datasets that can be used for watershed scale models. Specifically, we present the development and deployment of a new Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5) based database which has been prepared through a scaling and weighted averaging process for use at the level of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC)‐8 watersheds. The resulting dataset includes 2,106 virtual observation sites (watershed centroids) each with 698 associated time series datasets representing average monthly temperature and precipitation between 1950 and 2099 based on 234 unique climate model simulations. The new dataset is deployed on a HydroServer and distributed using WaterOneFlow web services in the WaterML format. These methods can be adapted for downscaled General Circulation Model (GCM) results for specific drainage areas smaller than HUC‐8. Two example use cases for the dataset also are presented.     

精确三维光谱数据活性关系方法应用于ToxCast数据库中雌激素受体数据分类、验证和特征提取的建模策略

本文利用三维光谱数据活性关系方法(3D-SDAR)对ToxCast数据库中1 528种化合物的雌激素潜能(表示为18分复合高通量筛选生物测定)进行建模。由于缺少170核磁共振(NMR)仿真软件,信息量最大的碳-碳3D-SDAR指纹随着一些指标变量增强,这些指标变量包括来自羰基和酰胺的氧原子、酯基、磺酰、硝基、脂肪族羟基和酚羟基官能团。为了评价本文作者所开发模型的预测性能的真实性,美国环境保护署为研究人员提供了2 008种化合物组成一套盲测。其中,543种化合物有文献可查数据—他们的结合力有助于评估开发模型的外部分类精度：得到预测精度0.62,敏感度0.71,和特异度0.53的结果。与其他建模技术相比,本文作者开发的模型几乎没有简化建模集和预测集之间的性能。3D-SDAR映射技术可以识别拟雌激素活性所必需的结构特征：1) 存在一个酚的OH官能团或环己烯酮,2)与第一苯酚环上的氧距离6 ?到8 ?的第二芳香或酚环,3) 存在一个与苯酚环的几何中心距离大约6 ?的甲基官能团,4)一个靠近(距离几何中心～4?)某个苯酚环的羰基官能团。
精选自Svetoslav H. Slavov, Richard D. Beger. Rigorous 3-dimensional spectral data activity relationship approach modeling strategy for toxcast estrogen receptor data classification, validation, and feature extraction. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry: Volume 36, Issue 3, pages 823–830, July 2017. DOI: 10.1002/etc.3578
详情请见http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/wol1/doi/10.1002/etc.3578/full
     

Applying science to pressing conservation needs for penguins

More than half of the world's 18 penguin species are declining. We, the Steering Committee of the International Union for Conservation of Nature Species Survival Commission Penguin Specialist Group, determined that the penguin species in most critical need of conservation action are African penguin (Spheniscus demersus), Galápagos penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus), and Yellow-eyed penguin (Megadyptes antipodes). Due to small or rapidly declining populations, these species require immediate scientific collaboration and policy intervention. We also used a pairwise-ranking approach to prioritize research and conservation needs for all penguins. Among the 12 cross-taxa research areas we identified, we ranked quantifying population trends, estimating demographic rates, forecasting environmental patterns of change, and improving the knowledge of fisheries interactions as the highest priorities. The highest ranked conservation needs were to enhance marine spatial planning, improve stakeholder engagement, and develop disaster-management and species-specific action plans. We concurred that, to improve the translation of science into effective conservation for penguins, the scientific community and funding bodies must recognize the importance of and support long-term research; research on and conservation of penguins must expand its focus to include the nonbreeding season and juvenile stage; marine reserves must be designed at ecologically appropriate spatial and temporal scales; and communication between scientists and decision makers must be improved with the help of individual scientists and interdisciplinary working groups.     

Prioritizing debt conversion opportunities for marine conservation

Incentivized debt conversion is a financing mechanism that can assist countries with a heavy debt burden to bolster their long-term domestic investment in nature conservation. The Nature Conservancy, an international conservation-based nongovernmental organization, is adapting debt conversions to support marine conservation efforts by small island developing states and coastal countries. Prioritizing debt conversion opportunities according to their potential return on investment can increase the impact and effectiveness of this finance mechanism. We developed guidance on how to do so with a decision-support approach that relies on a novel threat-based adaptation of cost-effectiveness analysis. We constructed scenarios by varying parameters of the approach, including enabling conditions, expected benefits, and threat classifications. Incorporating both abatable and unabatable threats affected priorities across planning scenarios. Similarly, differences in scenario construction resulted in unique solution sets for top priorities. We show how environmental organizations, private entities, and investment banks can adopt structured prioritization frameworks for making decisions about conservation finance investments, such as debt conversions. Our guidance can accommodate a suite of social, ecological, and economic considerations, making the approach broadly applicable to other conservation finance mechanisms or investment strategies that seek to establish a transparent process for return-on-investment decision-making.     

基于GIS的城镇建筑物易损性分析与应用研究

利用城镇地籍数据信息,基于GIS软件进行建筑物易损性和居民安全风险分析与应用研究。通过对某县城中最具代表性的一个街坊建筑物的易损性分析和居民安全风险分析实例应用研究,重点讨论并实现了利用现有数字化地籍图、城镇地籍数据库及土地调查记录等信息;并结合建筑物震害损失评估模型和人员伤亡预测方法,完成不同结构类型的建筑物在不同地震烈度条件下的破坏造成的经济损失评估和人员伤亡程度的预测,对城市防灾减灾进行辅助决策支持与评估。     

论生态指标在生态学和政策之间的桥梁作用

日益严峻的生态与环境问题表明,生态学对实现可持续发展的相关决策的影响力还很有限。从知识生产、传播和应用的角度,系统分析了妨碍生态学服务于政策的因素,指出生态知识传播的形式不当是主要原因之一。生态指标是关于生态系统结构、组成成分或功能方面的可度量的特征,它是生态系统的指示器,也是生态信息的有效传播形式之一。生态指标能够以一种易于公众和决策者理解和交流的方式来提供生态信息,服务于相关生态和环境政策的制定。实际上,只有由生态学家、政策制定者和决策者共同参与开发出来的生态指标才能真正成为生态学和政策的桥梁,才能有助于消除决策者和生态学家之间的隔阂,促进形成科学合理的生态政策。为了让生态学更好地服务于可持续发展的相关决策,还应该将生态指标与社会经济指标结合起来     

美国高产量化学品数据库在筛选优先化学品中的应用

介绍了美国高产量(HPV)化学品数据库的内容、格式和发展情况,以及采用HPV化学品数据筛选优先化学品的程序。HPV化学品数据库主要包括化学品数据、化学品毒性特征描述、优先风险评估以及数据资助方、提交方及测试方的相关信息,支持物质名称或化学文摘社登记号搜索。采用HPV化学品数据可通过自动分类、毒性特征描述和风险优先等级评价三级筛选程序筛选优先化学品。     

创新基金推动中小环保企业的快速发展

概述了自1999-2009年以来,我国第一个用于支持科技型中小企业技术创新的政府专项基金—科技型中小企业技术创新基金,对中小环保企业快速发展的支持和促进作用;提出环保企业应充分利用技术创新基金,推动环保产业更快发展。     

The Challenges of Incorporating Cultural Ecosystem Services into Environmental Assessment

The ecosystem services concept is used to make explicit the diverse benefits ecosystems provide to people, with the goal of improving assessment and, ultimately, decision-making. Alongside material benefits such as natural resources (e.g., clean water, timber), this concept includes—through the ‘cultural’ category of ecosystem services—diverse non-material benefits that people obtain through interactions with ecosystems (e.g., spiritual inspiration, cultural identity, recreation). Despite the longstanding focus of ecosystem services research on measurement, most cultural ecosystem services have defined measurement and inclusion alongside other more ‘material’ services. This gap in measurement of cultural ecosystem services is a product of several perceived problems, some of which are not real problems and some of which can be mitigated or even solved without undue difficulty. Because of the fractured nature of the literature, these problems continue to plague the discussion of cultural services. In this paper we discuss several such problems, which although they have been addressed singly, have not been brought together in a single discussion. There is a need for a single, accessible treatment of the importance and feasibility of integrating cultural ecosystem services alongside others.