Large scale parameter study of an individual-based model of clonal plant with volunteer computing

Understanding clonal strategies (i.e. the ability of plants to reproduce vegetatively) is particularly important to explain species persistence. A clonal individual may be considered as a network of interconnected ramets that colonizes space. Resources in this network can be shared and/or stored. We developed an individual-based model (IBM) to simulate the growth of an individual clonal plant. Typically a realistic IBM requires a large set of parameters to adequately represent the complexity of the clonal plant growth. Simulations in the literature are often limited to small subsets of the parameter space and are guided by the a priori knowledge and with heuristic aims of the researcher. The aim of this paper was to demonstrate the benefit of volunteer computing in computational ecology to systematically browse the parameter space and analyze the simulation results in order to draw rigorous conclusions. To be specific, we simulated clonal plant growth using nine growth rules related to the metabolic process, plant architecture, resource sharing and storage and nineteen input parameters. We chose 2-4 values per input parameter which corresponded to 20 millions of combinations tested through volunteer computing. We used three criteria to evaluate plant performance: plant total resource, ramet production and maximum length of one branch. The 1% top-performing plants were sorted according to these criteria. Plant total resource and ramet production were correlated while considering the top-performing plants. The maximum length of one branch was independent from the other two performance traits. We detected two processes promoting at least one of the plant performance traits: (i) a relatively high metabolic gain (high photosynthetic activity and low production cost for new growth units), a low resource storage and long integration distance for resource sharing; (ii) short spacer lengths and the predominance of elongation of existing branches over branching. Interactive effects between parameter values were demonstrated for more than half of the input parameters. Best performance was reached for plants with slightly different combinations of values for these parameters (i.e. different strategies) rather than a single one (i.e. unique strategy). This modeling approach with volunteer computing enabled us to proceed to large-scale virtual experiments which provided a new quality of insight into ecological processes linked with clonal plant growth.     

游客食物浪费行为驱动因素及监测评估

游客食物浪费是中国食物浪费的“重灾区”,给旅游地和区域可持续发展带来严峻挑战。本文运用文献分析法,探讨了游客食物浪费行为驱动因素及监测评估技术。结果表明：（1）消费性与文化性、复杂性与冲动性、必然性与象征性、习惯性与探奇性是游客食物消费行为的主要特征。（2）全球化、工业化、城镇化、传统文化及政策的推动作用,旅游企业运营管理及上下游产业链利益主体的促进作用,游客食物消费的情境性及年龄、收入等因素的引致作用是驱动游客食物浪费行为的重要因素。（3）游客食物浪费量的测度方法有食物日记法、直接测量法、质量平衡法、废物成分分析法、调查统计方法和树形结构模型,其行为评估主要运用问卷、访谈等定性分析,监控方式有采购和库存表、车载车辆称重设备、食品垃圾自动跟踪系统专利技术、智能菜单等。研究结论对推动《中华人民共和国反食品浪费法》的落地实施、提高相关部门减少游客食物浪费决策的精准性具有借鉴和参考价值。     

Use of recycled products in UK construction industry: An empirical investigation into critical impediments and strategies for improvement

Construction industry consumes about half of all material resources taken from nature, and generates a large portion of waste to landfill. A way of tackling negative environmental impacts impending from continuous material extraction and waste generation is the use of recycled materials for construction projects. However, the use of recycled materials is yet to become a commonplace in construction industry. This study evaluates the factors hampering the use of recycled products in UK construction industry as well as strategies that could be adopted to enhance its use in the industry. In order to identify the impediments and critical strategies, a two-fold methodical approach was used. An unstructured interview preceded a quantitative questionnaire survey which was used to elicit broader industry practitioners’ opinion.The study shows that designers rarely specify recycled products. This is due to lack of adequate information about quality and market availability of the products, negative perception from clients, and unexpectedly high cost of the products, despite its perceived low quality. The study suggests that a number of strategies could be adopted to promote the use of the products. These include allocation of points to the use of recycled products in sustainable design appraisal tools, governments legislative measures, improved collaboration between designers, contractors and materials suppliers, contractors involvement at earlier stage of design, improved education of the professionals about the products, and the use of tax break to influence the cost of the products. The findings of this study would therefore help policy makers, manufacturers and construction professionals to identify the factors hampering the use of recycled products for construction projects as well as the strategies that could be adopted in order to create market for the products.     

中国“厕所革命”的现状、问题及其对策思考

"厕所革命"是涉及厕所污染物的收集、贮存、运输、处理、处置、利用等过程的生态链工程,强调物质、能量系统、污染物处理、污水回用的闭路循环,已成为我国乡村振兴、旅游发展、智能化产业战略的重要组成部分;目前,全世界范围内厕所卫生状况不容乐观,特别是一些农村地区和欠发达地区。在充分研究国内外"厕所革命"现状的基础上,结合我国国情以及未来发展规划,深入分析目前我国卫生厕所所面临的各种问题和挑战,并提出相对应的对策。     

Grazing effects on sustainable semiarid rangeiands in Patagonia: The state and dynamics of the soil seed bank

The composition of the germinable seed bank was studied in four vegetation states of the Festuca pallescens grasslands in semiarid Patagonia during four years. The aim of this study was to test whether above-ground vegetation states resulting from grazing exclusion or different combinations of grazing and topography are reflected in different states of the germinable seed bank. The size of the total and dicot germinable seed bank was positively related to the total cover in each state. Dicots dominated all germinable seed bank states. Carex patagonica increased its cover as well as its germinable seed bank under grazing disturbance. Grazing did not reduce the germinable seed bank of perennial grasses in uplands where the grazing pressure is lower as compared with slopes. In slopes the germinable seed bank of perennial grasses was significantly reduced by grazing. A reduction of the length of the grazing period in late spring increases the germinable seed bank of perennial grasses both in upland and slope. These results are interpreted in the frame of a model of management techniques where grazing exclusion during late spring and late summer increases the seed bank of the perennial grasses and promotes their establishment in uplands. The artificial addition of seeds of perennial grasses and the manipulation of the soil surface in order to increase "safe sites" appear as management alternatives that deserve further evaluation to improve plant reestablishment in slopes.     

热带亚热带土壤氮素反硝化研究进展

热带亚热带独特的土壤性质可能使得反硝化机理有别于温带土壤.文章综述了热带亚热带地区土壤氮素生物反硝化的研究进展,试图更好地了解该地区土壤反硝化在全球氮（N）循环以及在全球环境变化和生态系统响应互作中的角色.热带亚热带土壤反硝化强度普遍较温带地区弱,且随着土地利用方式和耕作管理措施的不同而呈现较大的时空变异性.影响土壤水分状况和土壤碳（C）、N 转化特性和速率的因素即为区域和农田尺度上的反硝化影响因素.湿润型热带亚热带土壤由于含有丰富的氧化物而致使土壤氧化还原势较高,这也是导致该地区土壤反硝化势较温带地区较低的关键土壤因素之-.然而土壤pH 值不是该地区土壤反硝化势较低的主要限制因素.有机C 矿化过程较土壤全氮含量和土壤C/N 比在决定湿润型亚热带土壤反硝化势方面更为重要.愈来愈多的证据表明热带亚热带土壤反硝化的生态环境效应不同于温带地区,热带亚热带地区土壤反硝化对全球变暖的贡献应综合考虑其对其它温室气体（如CH4,CO2）排放和氮沉降的影响.热带亚热带土壤生态系统具有-些防止土壤氮素反硝化损失的机制和保氮策略.然而,热带亚热带生态系统对全球变化的响应机制及其生物地球化学调控机制仍然不清楚,这些研究对于反硝化和其它同时发生的氮转化过程模型的精确构建至关重要.     

厦门市氮素流动与水环境负荷演变特征

人类活动造成大量氮素在城市生态系统中聚集,从而对水环境质量造成不利影响.作为一个复合生态系统,城市各系统对水环境的影响呈现不同的变化特征及趋势.本研究以厦门市为例,构建了城市氮流动模型,计算了水环境氮负荷,并通过情景分析的方法探讨了减缓城市水环境氮污染的策略.结果表明,1995—2015年厦门市水环境总氮负荷呈现上升-下降-上升式波动变化,总量介于8800～11100 t之间,主要受地表水氮负荷影响显著,而地下水变化相对稳定.在城市化进程中,城市各系统对水环境产生了不同程度的影响,农作物生产系统、污水处理系统及大气氮沉降是水环境氮污染的主要排放源,年均贡献率达69.0%.农作物生产系统和污水处理系统变化较显著,前者对水环境氮负荷的贡献率从1995年的22.3%下降到2015年的7.0%,后者由1995年的9.7%逐渐上升到2015年的40.7%.情景分析可知,提高城市废物、废水的资源化和综合化利用效率是减少城市水环境氮污染的重要途径.     

祁连山北麓生态移民的生计风险与应对策略选择——以武威市为例

生计风险作为移民社会整合的标尺,已成为研究生态移民生计及可持续发展的重要视角。以祁连山北麓的武威市为例,利用Binary Logistic模型分析了移民生计风险对其应对策略的影响机制,以期为制定有效的生计风险防范体系提供科学支撑。结果表明：（1）武威市生态移民的生计类型以非农户为主,纯农户比例不足10%,生计多样化指数仅为1.74且存在显著的区域差异。（2）67.44%的移民面临着多重风险,以经济风险为主,生活开支大、新分棚圈耕地质量差、返贫是主要的风险要素。（3）应对策略主要为向亲朋借钱、银行贷款、外出打工和减少开支,后顾生计则多选择扩大养殖、长期打工和维持现状,不同县区移民的策略选择略有不同。（4）政策、福利和经济风险会显著影响移民对“向银行贷款”“减少开支”及“外出打工”等应对策略的选择,而后顾生计的选择更多受制于生计资本储量,而政策及经济风险的影响较低。移民户的类型对策略选择影响显著,非农型兼业户更倾向于选择“向银行贷款”和“扩大养殖”。     

Climate Changea Impacts and Adaptation Strategies in Kenya

To determine the climate changes that are due to natural variability and those due to human activities is quite challenging, just like delineating the impacts. Moreover, it is equally difficult to asce...     

Economics-Oriented Discourse Strategies in Environmental Advocacy

Scholars and practitioners are engaging in a fierce debate over the implications of using market-based discourse in communicating environmental problems and solutions. However, there has been less attention to exactly who is using such economic discourse and how it is combined with other discourses. Prior researchers have proposed tripartite frameworks for categorizing discursive strategies around pro-economic, anti-economic, and non-economic metaphors, which are here applied to eight U.S. environmental advocacy organizations’ press releases. An original text-analytic dictionary of pro-economic, anti-economic, and non-economic discourse is used to distinguish between the proposed discourse strategies. This analysis indicates that economics-oriented discourse strategies are more complex and varied than previously suggested. A more nuanced framework is proposed.