藏北高寒草地生态系统服务价值评估

藏北高寒草地是我国重要的畜牧业生产基地和生态安全屏障.然而,高寒草地退化使生态系统服务功能减弱,生态服务价值降低,不仅严重影响了藏北高原畜牧业生产和牧民生活,而且直接威胁到区域生态安全及东亚水资源安全.因此,本研究在综合考虑草地生态系统的地域差异性、空间异质性和区域经济发展水平差异性的基础上,选择了贡献率较高的12项指标,对藏北那曲不同类型和不同退化程度高寒草地的生态服务价值进行评估.结果表明,藏北那曲地区高寒草地生态系统的年总生态服务价值为1199.07亿元,其中,高寒草原、高寒荒漠、高寒荒漠草原和高寒草甸提供的生态服务价值分别占总生态服务价值的62.9%、1.5%、8.0%和28.1%.从退化程度上看,未退化、轻度退化、中度退化和严重退化草地提供的生态服务价值分别占总生态服务价值的54.9%、29.3%、11.0%和4.8%.     

大连市森林生态系统服务功能评估

为客观度量森林生态系统服务功能,依据2003年大连市土地利用图形数据,参照国家林业局发布的《森林生态系统服务功能评估规范》(LY/T1721-2008)标准中的评估方法,基于G IS技术对大连市森林生态系统服务功能及其空间差异性进行定量评价。结果表明:(1)大连市森林生态系统服务功能的经济价值总计为197.91亿元/a,其中涵养水源、保育土壤、固碳释氧、净化大气4种生态服务功能的经济价值比例分别为35.3%、16.7%、43.0%、5.0%;(2)大连市的生态屏障庄河市、普兰店市和瓦房店市具有显著的森林生态系统服务功能,其价值比例分别为32.6%、21.8%和25.8%,而长海县、金州区、旅顺口区、甘井子区、沙河口区、中山区、西岗区森林生态系统服务功能的经济价值比例分别为0.9%、7.8%、5.7%、3.9%、0.2%、0.5%和0.7%。     

Effects of Natural Disasters on Conservation Policies: The Case of the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake,China

Conservation policies are increasing in response to human-induced ecosystem degradation, but little is known about their interplay with natural disasters. Through an analysis of satellite imagery and field data we evaluated the impacts of a devastating earthquake on forest recovery and avoided forest loss estimated to have been obtained by two of the largest conservation programs in the world. Results show that more than 10% of the forests in Wenchuan County, Sichuan province, China were immediately affected by the 2008 earthquake, offsetting some gains in forest cover observed since the enactment of the conservation programs. But without the enactment of these conservation programs, the combined effects of human disturbance and earthquake-induced landslides could have severely reduced the region’s forest cover. The continuation—and enhancement—of incentives for participation in conservation programs will be important for reducing the environmental impacts of the combined effects of human disturbance and natural hazards not only in the study area but also in many disaster-prone regions around the world.     

Conservation value of small reserves

The importance of large reserves has been long maintained in the scientific literature, often leading to dismissal of the conservation potential of small reserves. However, over half the global protected-area inventory is composed of protected areas that are <100 ha, and the median size of added protected area is decreasing. Studies of the conservation value of small reserves and fragments of natural area are relatively uncommon in the literature. We reviewed SCOPUS and WOK for studies on small reserve and fragment contributions to biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services, and fifty-eight taxon-specific studies were included in the review. Small reserves harbored substantial portions (upward of 50%) of regional species diversity for many taxa (birds, plants, amphibians, and small mammals) and even some endemic, specialist bird species. Unfortunately, small reserves and fragments almost always harbored more generalist and exotic species than large reserves. Community composition depended on habitat quality, surrounding land use (agricultural vs. urban), and reserve and fragment size, which presents opportunities for management and improvement. Small reserves also provided ecosystem services, such as pollination and biological pest control, and cultural services, such as recreation and improved human health. Limitations associated with small reserves, such as extinction debt and support of area-sensitive species, necessitate a complement of larger reserves. However, we argue that small reserves can make viable and significant contributions to conservation goals directly as habitat and indirectly by increasing landscape connectivity and quality to the benefit of large reserves. To effectively conserve biodiversity for future generations in landscapes fragmented by human development, small reserves and fragments must be included in conservation planning.     

Mechanisms and impacts of an incentive-based conservation program with evidence from a randomized control trial

Conservation science needs more high-quality impact evaluations, especially ones that explore mechanisms of success or failure. Randomized control trials (RCTs) provide particularly robust evidence of the effectiveness of interventions (although they have been criticized as reductionist and unable to provide insights into mechanisms), but there have been few such experiments investigating conservation at the landscape scale. We explored the impact of Watershared, an incentive-based conservation program in the Bolivian Andes, with one of the few RCTs of landscape-scale conservation in existence. There is strong interest in such incentive-based conservation approaches as some argue they can avoid negative social impacts sometimes associated with protected areas. We focused on social and environmental outcomes based on responses from a household survey in 129 communities randomly allocated to control or treatment (conducted both at the baseline in 2010 and repeated in 2015–2016). We controlled for incomplete program uptake by combining standard RCT analysis with matching methods and investigated mechanisms by exploring intermediate and ultimate outcomes according to the underlying theory of change. Previous analyses, focused on single biophysical outcomes, showed that over its first 5 years Watershared did not slow deforestation or improve water quality at the landscape scale. We found that Watershared influenced some outcomes measured using the survey, but the effects were complex, and some were unexpected. We thus demonstrated how RCTs can provide insights into the pathways of impact, as well as whether an intervention has impact. This paper, one of the first registered reports in conservation science, demonstrates how preregistration can help make complex research designs more transparent, avoid cherry picking, and reduce publication bias.     

Managing Invasive Aquatic Plants in a Changing System: Strategic Consideration of Ecosystem Services

Abstract:  Climate change is projected to increase stress for many coastal plant communities. Along large portions of the North American coast, habitat degradation from anthropogenic changes to the environment already threaten the community structure of tidal marshes and submerged aquatic grass beds. The potential loss of ecological services historically provided by these communities has been a long-standing rationale for aggressive control of invading plants such as Phragmites australis and Hydrilla verticillata . Increasing evidence of ecological services provided by invasive species such as P. australis and H. verticillata suggest that, in the face of increasing stress, it may be prudent to take a more pragmatic approach regarding the effect of these species on coastal ecosystems. The notable resilience of these species to control efforts and their competitive success and comparative vigor in stressed systems and capacity to provide at least some beneficial services combine to suggest some invasive species may have a useful role in managed coastal ecosystems.     

Identifying robust response options to manage environmental change using an Ecosystem Approach: A stress-testing case study for the UK XXX

A diverse range of response options was evaluated in terms of their utility for sustaining ecosystem services in the UK. Robustness of response options was investigated by applying a ‘stress-testing’ method which evaluated expected performance against combined scenarios of socioeconomic and climate change. Based upon stakeholder feedback, a reference scenario representing current trends in climate and socioeconomic drivers (‘business-as-usual’) was used as a dynamic baseline against which to compare results of other scenarios. The robustness of response options was evaluated by their utility in different environmental and social contexts as represented by the scenarios, and linked to their adaptability to adjust to changing conditions. Key findings demonstrate that adaptability becomes increasingly valuable as the magnitude and rate of future change diverges from current trends. Stress-testing also revealed that individual responses in isolation are unlikely to be robust meaning there are advantages from integrating cohesive combinations (bundles) of response options to maximise their individual strengths and compensate for weaknesses. This identifies a role for both top-down and bottom-up responses, including regulation, spatial targeting, incentives and partnership initiatives, and their use in combination through integrated assessment and planning consistent with the adoption of an Ecosystem Approach. Stress-testing approaches can have an important role in future-proofing policy appraisals but important knowledge gaps remain, especially for cultural and supporting ecosystem services. Finally, barriers and enablers to the implementation of more integrated long-term adaptive responses were identified drawing on the ‘4 Is’ (Institutions, Information, Incentives, Identity) conceptual framework. This highlighted the crucial but usually understated role of identity in promoting ownership and uptake of responses.     

基于价值—风险的黄河上游生态功能区生态分区建设

黄河上游地区生态环境脆弱,水土流失和土地退化等生态环境问题不断威胁着生态系统健康与人居环境质量。为探究黄河上游生态功能区生态环境安全状况,本文基于2000年、2010年和2018年的土地利用数据,借助生态系统服务模型、生态风险模型,定量分析了生态系统服务价值和生态风险指数的时空演变规律,并通过Z-score标准化的方法建设了四类生态分区。结果表明：（1）研究期内,各土地利用类型均发生不同程度变化,其中建设用地由于耕地和草地的转入增加最显著,增长面积为118 km²,增长率为46.36%。（2）研究区总体服务价值变化程度较小,生态系统服务以调节服务为主且草地提供价值最高。高服务价值区主要分布于临夏州西南部和卓尼县等植被覆盖度较高的地区。（3）研究区生态风险水平总体偏低,整体呈现“南北两端高、中间低”的分布特征,其中低、较低生态风险区占总面积的76%以上。（4）四类生态分区均发生了较小的变化,表明生态分区处于较为稳定的发展状态。不同生态分区的空间分布连续性差,其中以高生态系统服务价值—高生态风险区（I）最为典型。通过生态系统服务与生态风险（价值—风险）建设生态分区,可为协调区域人地关系与明确未来发展方向提供理论基础。     

渤海石油平台溢油生态环境损害评估系统开发研究

为了准确评估渤海石油平台溢油对生态环境造成的损害,本文对国内外溢油生态损害评估方法进行了梳理,选择出适当的评估方法应用于渤海石油平台溢油生态损害评估中,实现了对海域的环境容量损失、生态服务功能损失和天然渔业损失的评估,最后借助计算机技术完成了生态损害评估的系统开发.模型的运行结果验证了模型的科学性和实用性,能够为有关部...