我国中西部生态脆弱带坡耕地水土流失及坡地梯化

中西部生态脆弱带是我国坡耕地集中分布地区 ,坡耕地水土流失是中西部生态脆弱带水土流失的主要类型 ,坡地梯化是防治坡耕地水土流失和实现坡耕地可持续利用的重要措施 ,国家应加大投资力度开展以坡地梯化为中心的坡耕地综合开发整治工作     

Constraints on foraging success due to resource ecology limit colony productivity in social insects

The benefit of group living is a fundamental question in social evolution. For sociality to evolve, each individual must gain in terms of some fitness component by living in larger groups. However, in social insects, a decrease in per capita success in brood production has been observed in larger groups. While it has been proposed that this decrease could be outweighed by an increase in the predictability of success, a functional basis to this hypothesis has so far never been demonstrated. In this paper, using foraging economics as a functional proxy to colony productivity, we construct a model to explore how number of foragers in the colony interacts with the ecology of resources to influence per capita foraging success and its predictability. The results of the model show that there is no increase in per capita foraging success in larger colonies under most circumstances, though there is an increase in its predictability. We then test the model with empirical data on the foraging behavior of the primitively eusocial wasp, Ropalidia marginata. The consistency between the data and the model suggests that foraging economics could provide a robust functional basis in explaining the relationship between colony size and productivity.     

A botanical importance rating system for estuaries

In many semi-arid areas, estuaries are threatened because of freshwater impoundment. Estuaries are important sites for ecological diversity and, increasingly, for recreation. A system has been developed which rates estuaries according to their botanical importance. A formula allows a single numerical importance score to be calculated. The area cover of each estuarine plant community type (i.e. intertidal salt marsh, submerged macrophytes, reed/sedge swamps and supratidal salt marsh) and its importance in the estuary forms the basis of the score. The ‘ecological condition’ of the plant community and the community richness within the estuary are incorporated into the formula. The formula is effective in determining the botanical importance of estuaries. Further methods to determine the zoological, physical and socio-economic importance of estuaries need to be developed to allow the overall importance of estuaries to be determined.     

Quantifying inconsistencies in old cadastral maps and their impact on land-use reconstructions

ABSTRACT

Old cadastral maps represent a historical reference dataset for long-term land-use reconstructions. This study presents identification of inconsistencies in the nineteenth century Franziscean cadastre, one of the largest sets of old cadastral maps worldwide, by comparing three versions of the maps and written documents created in the same period. We identified all parcels and their land-use in the four sub-sources in six study areas. The overall share of inconsistencies among 5 771 identified parcels is 7.4%, with the biggest share of inconsistency in agroforestry and forestry classes. The most frequent inconsistencies are of ‘Not differentiable land use’ (n = 212) and ‘Different land-use’ categories across the sub-sources (n = 113). We conclude that the frequency of uncertainties in old cadastral maps may limit the validity of historical land-use reconstructions, affecting the eventual restoration and management efforts based on such data. We provide a summary for the use of Franziscean cadastre.     

中原经济区城市资源环境绩效指标体系构建与实证

为了识别城市或“相似群体”最重要的资源环境“短板”问题,以中原经济区31个城市为研究区域,选择水土资源、能源、环境质量和污染物排放及治理水平等4个方面共计33项指标,利用层次分析修正法确定指标权重,采用正向指标极大化、负向指标极小化、适中指标平均化的标准化方法对研究区域内各市资源环境绩效进行测算. 研究表明:①从资源环境绩效角度来看,中原经济区城市可分为“双高”超载型、农业型、“双低”超载型、资源型四大类. ②占中原经济区城市总数2/5的资源型城市,由于过度强调资源产出、忽视环境保护而成为经济区环境问题高发、资源环境矛盾较为突出的集中区域. ③在对4个Ⅰ级指标(资源利用效率、能源利用效率、环境质量指数、污染物排放及治理水平)设定均衡权重情况下,15个城市的能源利用效率居末位,10个城市的资源利用效率居末位,表明中原经济区提高资源环境绩效应率先在能源、资源利用效率领域实现突破. 所构建的资源环境绩效评估指标体系仍有待进一步优化,今后应加大对可再生资源能源利用、农村生态环境特别是农村土地重金属及有机物污染等问题的关注.      

21世纪初华中地区发展的资源环境基础

作为中国21世纪资源开发的重要场所,华中地区资源环境开发利用将对国家社会经济发展起到举足轻重的作用。对华中地区资源本底特征、人地关系演进状态及发展趋势进行了分析,认 为华中地区拥有较好的资源基础,特别是在水土两大资源的结合方面。但是从现状和未来国家高速工业发展看,未来华中地区自然资源承载负荷将面临较以往更为巨大和更为艰难的挑战。一方面,优越的地理位置使华中地区在国家未来经济发展与资源环境协调过程中的重要地位更为突出,另一方面,当地的人口增长和经济发展同样会对有限的资源基础造成越来越大的压力。因此,区域发展政策应当做出相应调整。     

How does economic complexity influence environmental degradation? New insights from African countries

This paper seeks to investigate the effect of economic complexity on environmental degradation in 20 selected African countries over the period 1991–2014. The Feasible Generalized Least Square (FGLS), and Driscoll-Kraay estimators (DK) are used to capture the objectives of the study. The results suggest that economic complexity and economic growth enhance environmental degradation. Also, natural resources rents and globalization improve environmental quality. Furthermore, the findings reject the U-shaped relationship between economic complexity and environmental degradation. In addition, the Dumitrescu-Hurlin panel causality test shows a bidirectional causal relation between economic complexity and environmental degradation. Taking into account the ecological deficit or ecological reserve status of country, it is shown that while the natural resource rents reduce environmental degradation in ecological reserve countries, they increase environmental degradation in ecological deficit countries. The results are robust when an alternative measure of economic complexity is used. Based on these findings, the paper suggests that the governments of African countries should take into account economic complexity when designing their environmental protection policies.     

Bibliometric analysis of ecosystem monitoring-related research in Africa: implications for ecological stewardship and scientific collaboration

Regional ecosystem monitoring is a central form of knowledge sharing and collaboration amongst scientists and decision makers on environmental health, land use change, and science-policy development. Despite the proliferation of such research networks on long-term monitoring on many continents, little has been achieved in Africa. This study aims to assess and examine the spatiotemporal trend and categorical patterns in ecosystem monitoring-related research in Africa for the benefits of conserving biodiversity and sustaining natural resource sectors for well-being and livelihood security, environmental planning, and ecological stewardship. A systematic review was conducted using bibliometric tools. Based on a set of search terms and peer-reviewed publications retrieved from various ecosystem monitoring networks and journal databases, further analysis was conducted using social network approaches, mapping tools, and content analysis. About 1442 scientific publications on ecosystem monitoring and related research were documented from 1987 to 2014 mostly published in English. The number of publication increased progressively since 1992 after the Convention on Biodiversity was signed and this trend peaked till 2008. South African Journal of Science was the most leading journal and Nature the most cited. Internationally coauthored and collaborative articles represented majority of the findings with the United Kingdom at the central position in the research network due to colonial relationships. Regional collaboration amongst countries is limited owing to language barriers and other institutional constraints such as funding and short-term projects. These findings have implication for prioritizing national and regional policies toward biodiversity science and its contribution to human well-being, food security, and global change responses.     

Extreme events and environmental changes: Tracing sedimentary processes in Central Vietnam coastal lagoons

Sediment cores, obtained in 2004–2005 and in 2008 from seven coastal lagoons of Central Vietnam (Lang Co, Nuoc Man, Nuoc Ngot, Thi Nai, O Loan, Thuy Trieu and Dam Nai), were analysed to assess changes in ²¹⁰Pb, porosity, grain size, and depth distributions of selected major and trace elements (Al, As, Ni, and Zn). The aim was to trace sedimentary processes in areas periodically subject to extreme events. The occurrence of lateral sedimentary inhomogeneities has been hypothesised to explain the differences observed at depth for some tracer profiles, whereas topmost levels present evidence that accounts for the loss of a sediment layer (from 2.0 to 7.5 cm thick) between the two samplings. These losses might be attributed to major typhoons that impacted the coasts of Central Vietnam during the study period.