Analysis of the spatio-temporal and semantic aspects of land-cover/use change dynamics 1991–2001 in Albania at national and district levels

In the turmoil of a rapidly changing economy the Albanian government needs accurate and timely information for management of their natural resources and formulation of land-use policies. The transformation of the forestry sector has required major changes in the legal, regulatory and management framework. The World Bank financed Albanian National Forest Inventory project provides an analysis of spatially explicit land-cover/use change dynamics in the period 1991–2001 using the FAO/UNEP Land Cover Classification System for codification of classes, satellite remote sensing and field survey for data collection and elements of the object-oriented geo-database approach to handle changes as an evolution of land-cover/use objects, i.e. polygons, over time to facilitate change dynamics analysis.Analysis results at national level show the trend of natural resources depletion in the form of modifications and conversions that lead to a gradual shift from land-cover/use types with a tree cover to less dense tree covers or even a complete removal of trees. Policy failure (e.g., corruption, lack of law enforcement) is seen as the underlying cause. Another major trend is urbanisation of areas near large urban centres that change urban-rural linkages. Furthermore, after privatisation agricultural areas increased in the hills where environmental effects may be detrimental, while prime agricultural land in the plains is lost to urbanisation.At district level, the local variability of spatially explicit land-cover/use changes shows different types of natural resources depletion. The distribution of changes indicates a regional prevalence, thus a decentralised approach to the natural resources management could be advocated.     

A Fuzzy Logic Approach to Assess Groundwater Pollution Levels Below Agricultural Fields

A fuzzy logic approach has been developed to assess the groundwater pollution levels below agricultural fields. The data collected for Kumluca Plain of Turkey have been utilized to develop the approach. The plain is known with its intensive agricultural activities, which imply excessive application of fertilizers. The characteristics of the soils and underlying groundwater for this plain were monitored during the years 1999 and 2000. Additionally, an extensive field survey related to the types and yields of crops, fertilizer application and irrigation water was carried out. Both the soil and groundwater have exhibited high levels of nitrogen, phosphorus and salinity with considerable spatial and temporal variations. The pollution level of groundwater at several established stations within the plain were assessed using Fuzzy Logic. Water Pollution Index (WPI) values are calculated by Fuzzy Logic utilizing the most significant groundwater pollutants in the area namely nitrite, nitrate and orthophosphate together with the groundwater vulnerability to pollution. The results of the calculated WPI and the monitoring study have yielded good agreement. WPI indicated high to moderate water pollution levels at Kumluca plain depending on factors such as agricultural age, depth to groundwater, soil characteristics and vulnerability of groundwater to pollution. Fuzzy Logic approach has shown to be a practical, simple and useful tool to assess groundwater pollution levels.     

Use of Maryland Biological Stream Survey Data to Determine Effects of Agricultural Riparian Buffers on Measures of Biological Stream Health

This study was undertaken to determine the importance of riparian buffers to stream ecology in agricultural areas. The original Maryland Biological Stream Survey (MBSS) data set was partitioned to represent agricultural sites in Maryland's Coastal Plain and Piedmont regions. ANOVA, multiple linear regression (MLR), and CART regression tree models were developed using riparian and site catchment landscape characteristics. MBSS data were both stratified by physiographic region and analyzed as a combined data set. All models indicated that land management at the site was not the controlling factor for fish IBIs (FIBI) at that site and, hence, using FIBI to evaluate site-scale factors would not be a prudent procedure. Measures of instream habitat and location in the stream network were the dominant explanatory factors for FIBI models. Both CART and MLR models indicated that forest buffers were influential on benthic IBIs (BIBI). Explanatory variables reflected instream conditions, adjacent landscape influence, and chemistry in the Coastal Plains sites, all of which are relatively site specific. However, for Piedmont sites, hydrologic factors were important, in addition to adjacent landscape influence, and chemistry. Both Coastal Plain and Piedmont CART models identified several hydrologic factors, emphasizing the dominant control of hydrology on the physical habitat index (PHI). Riparian buffers were a secondary influence on PHI in the Coastal Plain, but not in the Piedmont. Between 40% and 70% of the variation in FIBI, BIBI, and PHI was explained by the “easily obtainable” variables available from the MBSS data set. While these are empirical results specific to Maryland, the general findings are of use to other locations where the establishment of forest buffers is considered as an aquatic ecosystem restoration measure.     

环境区划若干问题探讨

环境区划的理论基础是社会-经济-自然复合生态系统理论,持续发展论和区域科学理论.其区划的原则包括:①区域环境结构和功能的相近性和差异性;②相关自然区划或经济区划成果继承;③行政单元相对完整;④便于环境管理;⑤区划界面原则.该文还指出环境区划与环境规划的差异,提出需要探讨的若干问题. ·     

工业-环境系统可持续发展定量研究

应用系统论分析了工业－环境系统内部相互作用的特征,建立了工业－环境系统可持续发展的定量判据。对区域工业－环境可持续发展问题进行了定量研究。     

Examining the spatial incongruity between mining sector and beekeeping activities

The seminal work of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services on pollinators, pollination, and food production, informed scientific studies on the understudied impacts of mining on agriculture sub-sectors. This paper assesses the potential impacts of mining activities on beekeeping as an agricultural sub-sector, and the flow-on effects on associated economic values and enterprises to enhance sustainable development. A case study is conducted in the emerging northwest gold mining region of Ghana. The Location Quotient (LQ) and Location Association (La) models are used to explore the economic significance of beekeeping, its spatial links with tree habitats, and mining activities. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) were used to analyze the spatial interactions between concessions, trees, and beekeeping. The paper finds that districts with LQ < 1 in beekeeping also record LQ > 1 in mining, and La < 50 between beekeeping and mining. The findings are useful for stakeholder decision-making toward harnessing and leveraging the prospects of mining on integrated rural and sustainable development.     

Corporations,Consumerism and Culpability: Sustainability in the British Press

Sustainability and sustainable development are prominent themes in international policy-making, corporate PR, news-media and academic scholarship. Its definitions are contested, however sustainability is associated with a three-pillar focus on economic development, environmental conservation and social justice, most recently espoused in the adoption of the UN Sustainable Development Goals in 2015. In spite of its common usage, there is little research about how sustainability is represented and refracted in public discourse in different national contexts. We examine British national press coverage of sustainability and sustainable development in 2015 in a cross-market sample of national newspapers. Our findings show that key international policy events and environmental and social justice frames are peripheral, while neoliberalism and neoliberal environmentalism vis-à-vis the promotion of technocratic solutions, corporate social responsibility and “sustainable” consumerism are the predominant frames through which the British news-media reports sustainability. This holds regardless of newspaper quality and ideological orientation.     

践行“两山”理论 促进农业农村绿色发展

分析、疏理习近平同志关于绿水青山就是金山银山的科学论断及主要内涵,深刻理解这一理念是对农业农村发展观的重大革命,为农业供给侧结构性改革指明了方向。树立和践行绿水青山就是金山银山的新发展理念,发挥其在农业农村绿色发展中的理论支撑作用,在转变农业生产方式和农民生活方式、调整农业产业结构、优化农村产业布局、催生新产业新业态、走“资源节约型、环境友好型”的绿色发展之路、建设美丽宜居乡村等方面具有指导意义。     

基于能值分析的城市生态效率研究——以南京市为例

本文采用能值分析和数据包络分析方法,构建了城市物质代谢生态效率的度量模型,从代谢流量和生态效率两个角度评价了南京市生态经济系统1990～2010年间的可持续发展情况。结果表明：（1）21年来,南京地区的能值产出率和可持续指标不断降低,环境负载率呈持续增长趋势;（2）南京城市系统生态效率总体呈波动上升趋势,1990～2006年间资源生态效率一直低于环境生态效率,2006年后开始有所提升。虽然南京市生态效率有所提高,但未来的发展面临快速增长的环境压力等阻碍。为此,南京应优化进口能值组成,加大可更新资源开发力度,提高不可更新资源利用率,实现废弃物资源化等。     

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。