Environmental equity and the distribution of toxic release inventory and other environmentally undesirable sites in metropolitan New York City

We study the question of environmental equity via generalized linear modeling for the metropolitan New York City region and ask whether, after accounting for socioeconomic status, particular racial/ethnic populations bear a disproportionate burden of hosting environmentally undesirable sites. Our data consist of population demographics for 2216 census tracts linked to 354 environmentally undesirable facilities, including toxic release inventory sites, hazardous waste treatment, storage, and disposal facilities, and other common urban problem sites such as landfills, incinerators, bus garages and sewage treatment plants. Using generalized linear and additive modeling techniques, we find that racial/ethnic demographics, in particular the Hispanic percentage of a tract's population, are significantly associated with the presence of potentially environmentally adverse sites. This leads us to the conclusion that, over the whole metropolitan New York City area, the Hispanic population is proximate to more sites than other populations. At the same time, we find that both Hispanics and African-Americans are more proximate to these sites in the Bronx and Queens. However, we also find indications that Hispanics and African-Americans are less likely to be proximate to the sites in Manhattan. We establish an empirical relationship that warrants additional study in order to establish the causes for the population distribution and whether a basis for a claim of discrimination exists.     

2003～2011年四川省各市(州)农业水足迹时空变化与驱动力研究

运用水足迹理论和计算方法,系统分析了四川省各市(州)2003~2011年农业水足迹的时空动态变化趋势与农业水资源利用效益,并采用灰色关联度法分析其驱动力因素。研究结果表明:(1)四川省各市(州)农业水足迹和人均农业水足迹均呈增加的趋势变化,成都市、南充市、达州市农业水足迹较大,2011年农业水足迹分别达82.44×108,45.56×108,41.02×108 m3。人均农业水足迹各市(州)差距不大,其中成都市和攀枝花市略高。(2)农业水资源利用效益方面显示:四川省各市(州)农业水足迹净贸易量均为正值,属于农业水资源净输出地。2006、2009、2010和2011年农业水资源匮乏度较高,成都市水资源紧缺度最高,2005~2010年均在200%以上。(3)驱动因素方面显示:耕地复种指数和人口总数是农业水足迹变化的关键驱动因素,关联度分别是0.643 3和0.632 5。建议提高水资源利用效益,适当控制高耗水农产品生产规模,合理配置水资源,实现空间和季节用水的协调性。     

Demographic Connectivity for Ursid Populations at Wildlife Crossing Structures in Banff National Park

Wildlife crossing structures are one solution to mitigating the fragmentation of wildlife populations caused by roads, but their effectiveness in providing connectivity has only been superficially evaluated. Hundreds of grizzly (Ursus arctos) and black bear (Ursus americanus) passages through under and overpasses have been recorded in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada. However, the ability of crossing structures to allow individual and population‐level movements across road networks remains unknown. In April 2006, we initiated a 3‐year investigation into whether crossing structures provide demographic connectivity for grizzly and black bears in Banff National Park. We collected hair with multiple noninvasive methods to obtain genetic samples from grizzly and black bears around the Bow Valley. Our objectives were to determine the number of male and female grizzly and black bears that use crossing structures; examine spatial and temporal patterns of crossings; and estimate the proportions of grizzly and black bear populations in the Bow Valley that use crossing structures. Fifteen grizzly (7 female, 8 male) and 17 black bears (8 female, 9 male) used wildlife crossing structures. The number of individuals detected at wildlife crossing structures was highly correlated with the number of passages in space and time. Grizzly bears used open crossing structures (e.g., overpasses) more often than constricted crossings (e.g., culverts). Peak use of crossing structures for both bear species occurred in July, when high rates of foraging activity coincide with mating season. We compared the number of bears that used crossings with estimates of population abundance from a related study and determined that substantial percentages of grizzly (15.0% in 2006, 19.8% in 2008) and black bear (17.6% in 2006, 11.0% in 2008) populations used crossing structures. On the basis of our results, we concluded wildlife crossing structures provide demographic connectivity for bear populations in Banff National Park. Conectividad Demográfica para Poblaciones de Úrsidos en Estructuras para Cruce de Vida Silvestre en el Parque Nacional Banff     

Humble Opinions on the Relationship between the Percentage of Urban Residents in an Urban Region and the Economic Status in This Region in China

It is a fact that in U.S. the immigration between rural areas and city areas is free, but in China this type of immigration is restricted by HUKOU system （Hukou, namely the household registration system, was designed to control rural-urban in China）. All of those national policies in city areas are much better than those in rural areas, so those corresponding differences bring about great discrepancy of the economic status （mainly including GDP per person and income per resident） between rural and city areas in the same urban region, especially in different urban re- gions because the percentage of urban residents in those urban regions is in-equable. The present paper mainly researches the topic of relationship between the percentage of urban residents and the economic status in an urban region in China, including the relationship between the economic and the political functions of a settlement in China during the process of urbanization.     

THE EFFECTS OF AGE AND WATER FLUCTUATIONS ON FISH POPULATIONS1

ABSTRACT Two lakes having similar soil types were studied to determine the effects of age and water fluctuations on plankton, benthos and fish populations. Bluff Lake is an older man-made lake which is drawn down in the mid-summer. Oktibbeha County Lake is a young lake and the water levels are maintained. Chemistry data from the two lakes indicate that their chemical properties are very similar. Neither lake would be considered very fertile. Net plankton populations in Bluff Lake and Oktibbeha County Lake were comparable when analyzed on a number of organisms per liter basis. Fluctuations of water levels did not seem to have an effect on the net plankton populations. The benthic population in Bluff Lake is slightly higher than that found in Oktibbeha County Lake. This is true for both numbers and weight per square meter. The species composition of benthic organisms in the two lakes were similar. Based on one-acre samples from each lake, Bluff Lake has a more balanced fish population than does Oktibbeha County Lake. Neither, however, seems to support populations of game fish in which a high percentage of these are in the available or harvestable range. Both lakes contain high populations of gizzard shad.     

Intra-specific variations of two Leymus chinensis divergence populations in Songnen Plain, Northeast China

ＩｎｔｒｏｄｕｃｔｉｏｎＴｈｅｉｎｔｒａ ａｎｄｉｎｔｅｒ ｓｐｅｃｉｆｉｃｖａｒｉａｔｉｏｎｓｏｆｐｌａｎｔｐｏｐｕｌａｔｉｏｎｓｈａｖｅｂｅｅｎｗｅｌｌｄｏｃｕｍｅｎｔｅｄｆｏｒｍａｎｙｐｌａｎｔｐｏｐｕｌａｔｉｏｎｓ (Ｂａｓｓｏｗ ,1 997;Ｃａｌｌａｗａｙ ,1 994;Ｄｅｌｐｈ ,1 993;Ｆｏｒｄ ,1 981 ;Ｊｏｎｅｓ,1 999;Ｍｏｎｓｏｎ ,1 989;Ｐａｖｏｎｅ ,1 985;Ｖａｖｒｅ,1 997) .Ｈｏｗｅｖｅｒ,ｍｏｓｔｏｆｔｈｅｓｔｕｄｉｅｓｆｏｃｕｓｅｄｏｎｉｎｔｅｒ ｓｐｅｃｉｆｉｃｖａｒｉａｔｉｏｎｓｉｎｍａｌ…     

不同相伴阴离子对镉污染红壤微生物区系及群落功能多样性的影响

通过外加醋酸镉和氯化镉的室内培养试验研究了不同相伴阴离子对镉污染红壤中微生物区系及群落功能多样性的影响 .结果表明 :在相同镉浓度下相伴OAc-对镉污染红壤的细菌、放线菌和真菌数量及微生物群落功能多样性的抑制作用大于相伴Cl-.统计分析显示 ,在供试红壤中OAc-与Cl-对其微生物区系及微生物群落代谢剖面 (AWCD值 )、Shannon指数的影响均达到显著差异 (P <0 0 5 ) ,且在红砂土上表现更为明显 .外加醋酸钾和氯化钾的培养试验结果表明 ,阳离子为钾时 ,相伴OAc-与Cl-对红壤微生物区系结构及群落功能多样性没有产生明显抑制作用 ,相伴OAc-甚至存在一定的刺激作用 .可见 ,相伴OAc-对镉污染红壤微生物的毒害作用大于相伴Cl-,其原因并非是阴离子本身的毒性效应 ,而镉的生物有效性变化可能是不同相伴阴离子镉盐导致毒性差异的原因之一 .     

BACTERIAL POPULATIONS OF AQUATIC SYSTEMS RECEIVING DIFFERENT TYPES OF STRESS1

ABSTRACT: Bacterial populations in a fast flowing stream receiving chemical wastes and in a slower flowing pond receiving a thermal addition 3–5°C above ambient temperature were compared with populations in a nonpolluted converging stream and an adjacent unheated pond. Parameters measured were total aerobic heterotrophic bacteria, bacterial diversity, percent chromagens of the total bacterial populations, and water temperature. Analyses of monthly samples plated on dilute Standard Plate Count Agar indicated that chemical additives to the waste stream significantly decreased the percent of chromagenic bacteria, and that thermal stress significantly altered total counts and bacterial diversity in the flowing pond. The effects of potential pollutants on these aquatic systems were assessed and are discussed on the basis of results obtained over a 16-month period.