Diapycnal Mixing in the Thermocline of Lakes: Estimations by Different Methods

In order to evaluate the performance of different methods for estimation of the vertical eddy diffusivity in thermally stratified lakes, two field studies were conducted in Lake Biwa, Japan and Lake Kinneret, Israel. Lake Biwa experienced three typhoons during the campaign while Lake Kinneret experienced high winds in the afternoons. Microstructure profiles were collected by a portable flux profiler (PFP) during calm and disturbed periods. Then, the vertical eddy diffusivity was estimated by three indirect methods. The estimated vertical eddy diffusivities varied more than one order of magnitude, from 4.7× 10⁻⁷ to 7.7× 10⁻⁶ m² s⁻¹. The comparison of results with previous buoyancy flux measurements and scaling arguments showed that the Dillon–Park’s method is not appropriate and Osborn–Cox method performs better than Osborn method in the studied case. Furthermore, the low value of vertical eddy diffusivity within the thermocline suggests that within the thermocline of these lakes, diffusive vertical transport can be neglected.     

Motivations for the Restoration of Ecosystems

Abstract:  The reasons ecosystems should be restored are numerous, disparate, generally understated, and commonly underappreciated. We offer a typology in which these reasons—or motivations—are ordered among five rationales: technocratic, biotic, heuristic, idealistic, and pragmatic. The technocratic rationale encompasses restoration that is conducted by government agencies or other large organizations to satisfy specific institutional missions and mandates. The biotic rationale for restoration is to recover lost aspects of local biodiversity. The heuristic rationale attempts to elicit or demonstrate ecological principles and biotic expressions. The idealistic rationale consists of personal and cultural expressions of concern or atonement for environmental degradation, reengagement with nature, and/or spiritual fulfillment. The pragmatic rationale seeks to recover or repair ecosystems for their capacity to provide a broad array of natural services and products upon which human economies depend and to counteract extremes in climate caused by ecosystem loss. We propose that technocratic restoration, as currently conceived and practiced, is too narrow in scope and should be broadened to include the pragmatic rationale whose overarching importance is just beginning to be recognized. We suggest that technocratic restoration is too authoritarian, that idealistic restoration is overly restricted by lack of administrative strengths, and that a melding of the two approaches would benefit both. Three recent examples are given of restoration that blends the technocratic, idealistic, and pragmatic rationales and demonstrates the potential for a more unified approach. The biotic and heuristic rationales can be satisfied within the contexts of the other rationales.     

Deforestation and Plant Diversity of Madagascar's Littoral Forests

Abstract:  Few studies have attempted to quantify the reduction or document the floristic composition of forests in Madagascar. Thus, we focused specifically on deforestation and plant diversity in Madagascar's eastern littoral community. We used a data set of approximately 13,500 specimen records compiled from both historical and contemporary collections resulting from recent intensive inventory efforts to enumerate total plant species richness and to analyze the degree of endemism within littoral forests. Change in littoral forest cover from original to current extent was estimated using geographical information systems tools, remote sensing data (satellite imagery and low-elevation digital photography), and environmental data layers. Of the original littoral forest only 10.3% remains in the form of small forest parcels, and only 1.5% of these remaining fragments are included within the existing protected-areas network. Additionally, approximately 13% of Madagascar's total native flora has been recorded from these forests that originally occupied <1% of its total land surface, and over 25% of the 1535 plant species known from littoral forests are endemic to this community. Given the ongoing pressure from human settlement along Madagascar's eastern coast, protection of the remaining forest fragments is critical for their survival. Fifteen of the largest intact littoral forest fragments we identified, collectively representing 41.5% of remaining littoral forest, are among priority sites recommended to the government of Madagascar for plant conservation and incorporation into the protected-areas network.     

Adjustment costs from environmental change

The paper is concerned with the case whereby the distribution of a firm's productivity shocks changes without the knowledge of the firm. Over time the firm learns about the nature and extent of the change in the distribution of the shock and adjusts, incurring adjustment costs in the process. The long-run loss in profits (±) due to the shift in the distribution we term the equilibrium response. The transitory loss in profits, incurred while the firm is learning about the distribution shift, is termed the adjustment cost. The theory is then applied to the problem of measuring adjustment costs in the face of imperfectly observed climate change in agriculture. The empirical part of the paper involves estimating a restricted profit function for agricultural land in a five-state region of the Midwest US as a function of prices, land characteristics, actual weather realizations and expected weather. We then simulate the effect of an unobserved climate shock, where learning about the climate shock is by observing the weather and updating prior knowledge using Bayes Rule. We find adjustment costs to climate change are 1.4% of annual land rents.     

Clearing the air: The costs and consequences of higher CAFE standards and increased gasoline taxes

Concerns about energy security and climate change have sparked legislators’ interest in reducing gasoline consumption by increasing corporate average fuel-economy (CAFE) standards. Using an empirically rich simulation model and cost estimates for anticipated fuel-economy technologies, we estimate annual costs of reducing long-run gasoline consumption by 10% via a 3.8 miles per gallon increase in the standards, and the potential cost savings from allowing manufacturers to buy and sell fuel-economy credits. Maximum gasoline savings would be realized only after all existing vehicles were replaced, or 14 years in our model. A gasoline tax would produce greater immediate savings by encouraging people to drive less, and eventually to choose more-fuel-efficient vehicles. We demonstrate the advantage of a tax by comparing the cost of the higher CAFE standards over the first 14 years against the cost of a gasoline tax that would save the same amount of gasoline over that time.     

沂河流域土地利用时空变化图谱特征分析

基于沂河流域1995年、2005年和2015年土地利用空间数据,运用地学信息图谱方法构建1995-2005年和2005-2015年两个时序单元的土地利用转移图谱和涨落势图谱,分析了沂河流域近20年来的土地利用时空变化规律及发展过程。结果表明：（1）1995-2015年,沂河流域土地利用结构以耕地和林地为主,其中耕地和草地减少,林地和建设用地增加是主要变化趋势。（2）土地利用转移图谱以耕地与林地、草地之间的相互转换以及建设用地占用耕地为主,林地、草地转变为耕地主要发生在费县和平邑县中部地势平缓的山前平原,耕地转变为林地、草地则主要分布于研究区北部和西南部土壤侵蚀较为严重的山区,耕地转变为建设用地主要集中在各县市城区周边经济相对发达的区域。两个时序单元中,发生变化的主要图谱单元类型及面积存在显著差异,2005-2015年土地利用发生转换的空间进一步扩张。（3）土地利用涨势图谱中新增耕地面积最大,占新增面积的比例为33.87%;落势图谱中耕地萎缩面积最大,占萎缩面积的比例为51.38%。两个时序单元中,各县市涨落势图谱变化存在明显差异。该研究可为沂河流域土地资源的可持续利用及生态建设提供科学依据。     

Spatial variations of Pb in the vertical zone of the soil-plant system in the Changbai Mountain National Nature Reserve

The characteristics of vertical and horizontal variations of lead element (Pb) in soil-plant system of vertical zone in Changbai Mountain National Nature Reserve(CNNR)were studied.The results showed that Pb concentrations in soils of vertical zone are all above 25mg/kg,and the average Pb concentration of each soil zone negatively correlates its degree of variation,i.e.brown coniferous forest soil zone has the lowest average Pb concentration of four soil zones,and the highest horizontal variation;however,mountain soddy forest soil has the highest average Pb concentration,and the lowest horizontal variation;the average concentration of plant Pb of each plant zone is lower than the worldwide average level of Pb in plant(Clarke),respectively,and plant Pb content order is consistent with soil Pb content order,but their horizontal variations are different from those in soil zones,the variation of mountain tundra forest zone is highest,but Betula ermanii forest zoner the lowest.Vertical variation of plant Pb is obviously higher than that in soils with variation coefficient of 89.76%;the enrichment capability of plant for Pb is depended on the plant types and the different organs of plant;parent material and parent rock,pH values,soil organic matter and soil particle fraction etc.are the main factors influencing variations of Pb contant in soil-plant system of vertical zone in CNNR.     

城市生活垃圾场垂直防渗技术应用与认识

为防止生活垃圾场渗滤液扩散 ,造成二次污染 ,本文着重论述了采用帷幕注浆进行垂直防渗的可行性 ,并结合工程实践 ,对生活垃圾场场址选择、帷幕注浆材料使用以及防渗工程布置作了分析和探讨。     

Why a 100-Year Time Horizon should be used for GlobalWarming Mitigation Calculations

Global warming mitigation calculationsrequire consistent procedures for handlingtime in order to compare `permanent' gainsfrom energy-sector mitigation options with`impermanent' gains from many forest-sectoroptions. A critical part of carbonaccounting methodologies such as thosebased on `ton-years' (the product of thenumber of tons of carbon times the numberof years that each ton is held out of theatmosphere) is definition of a timehorizon, or the time period over whichcarbon impacts and benefits are considered. Here a case is made for using a timehorizon of 100 years. This choice avoidsdistortions created by much longer timehorizons that would lead to decisionsinconsistent with societal behavior inother spheres; it also avoids a rapidincrease in the implied value of time ifhorizons shorter than 100 years are used.Selection of a time horizon affectsdecisions on financial mechanisms andcarbon credit. Simple adaptations canallow a time horizon to be specified andused to calculate mitigation benefits andat the same time reserve a given percentageof weight in decision making forgenerations beyond the end of the timehorizon. The choice of a time horizon willheavily influence whether mitigationoptions such as avoided deforestation areconsidered viable.     

呼和浩特市地表水水质变化趋势分析

对黄河(过境)、大黑河水系及浑河水系十年水质检测结果进行综合分析,揭示其变化趋势,并针对各河流污染断面提出急需解决的问题.