Comparison of Modern and Historical Fish Catches (AD 750–1400) to Inform Goals for Marine Protected Areas and Sustainable Fisheries

Abstract: We tested the unsustainable fishing hypothesis that species in assemblages of fish differ in relative abundance as a function of their size, growth rates, vagility, trophic level, and diet by comparing species composition in historical bone middens, modern fisheries, and areas closed to fishing. Historical data came from one of the earliest and most enduring Swahili coastal settlements (approximately AD 750–1400). Modern data came from fisheries near the archeological site and intensively harvested fishing grounds in southern Kenya. The areas we sampled that were closed to fishing (closures) were small (<28 km²) and permanent. The midden data indicated changes in the fish assemblage that are consistent with a weak expansion of fishing intensity and the unsustainable fishing hypothesis. Fishes represented in the early midden assemblages from AD 750 to 950 had longer life spans, older age at maturity, and longer generation times than fish assemblages after AD 950, when the abundance of species with longer maximum body lengths increased. Changes in fish life histories during the historical period were, however, one‐third smaller than differences between the historical and modern assemblages. Fishes in the modern assemblage had smaller mean body sizes, higher growth and mortality rates, a higher proportion of microinvertivores, omnivores, and herbivores, and higher rates of food consumption, whereas the historical assemblage had a greater proportion of piscivores and macroinvertivores. Differences in fish life histories between modern closures and modern fishing grounds were also small, but the life histories of fishes in modern closures were more similar to those in the midden before AD 950 because they had longer life spans, older age at maturity, and a higher proportion of piscivores and macroinvertivores than the modern fisheries. Modern closures and historical fish assemblages were considerably different, although both contained species with longer life spans.     

Using Cost‐Effective Targeting to Enhance the Efficiency of Conservation Investments in Payments for Ecosystem Services

Abstract: Ecosystem services are being protected and restored worldwide through payments for ecosystem services in which participants are paid to alter their land‐management approaches to benefit the environment. The efficiency of such investments depends on the design of the payment scheme. Land features have been used to measure the environmental benefits of and amount of payment for land enrollment in payment for ecosystem services schemes. Household characteristics of program participants, however, may also be important in the targeting of land for enrollment. We used the characteristics of households participating in China's Grain‐to‐Green program, and features of enrolled land to examine the targeting of land enrollment in that program in Wolong Nature Reserve. We compared levels of environmental benefits that can be obtained through cost‐effective targeting of land enrollment for different types of benefits under different payment schemes. The efficiency of investments in a discriminative payment scheme (payments differ according to opportunity costs, i.e., landholders’ costs of forgoing alternative uses of land) was substantially higher than in a flat payment scheme (same price paid to all participants). Both optimal targeting and suboptimal targeting of land enrollment for environmental benefits achieved substantially more environmental benefits than random selection of land for enrollment. Our results suggest that cost‐effective targeting of land through the use of discriminative conservation payments can substantially improve the efficiency of investments in the Grain‐to‐Green program and other payment for ecosystem services programs.     

黑龙江凉水国家级自然保护区大气氮沉降特征

为了监测黑龙江凉水国家级自然保护区的大气氮沉降水平,在2015年生长季用干湿沉降采集器连续观测了大气氮湿沉降和颗粒物干沉降量,并在非生长季用自制观测桶观测了大气混合氮沉降量.结果表明:(1)该区2015~2016年度大气氮沉降总通量(生长季湿沉降+颗粒物干沉降以及非生长季混合沉降)为12.93 kg·(hm~2·a)~(-1),其中无机氮沉降总通量为8.27kg·(hm~2·a)~(-1),NH_4~+/NO_3~-为1.3;有机氮沉降总通量为4.66 kg·(hm~2·a)~(-1),占全氮比例为36.0%.(2)生长季(湿沉降+颗粒物干沉降)和非生长季(混合沉降)氮沉降总量分别为11.42 kg·hm~(-2)和1.51 kg·hm~(-2),分别占全年氮沉降总通量的88.3%和11.7%.(3)生长季氮湿沉降总量为9.28 kg·hm~(-2),占生长季氮干湿沉降总量的81.3%,且与降水量显著正相关(R2=0.87,P0.001);生长季颗粒物干沉降总量为2.14 kg·hm~(-2),占生长季干湿沉降总量的18.7%.该区氮湿沉降量受降水量影响明显,且在全国属于中等水平,存在一定的环境风险,当地在生活生产过程中应注意环境保护与水质监测.     

A gateway to nature: Teenagers' narratives on smoking marijuana outdoors

Increasingly, many youth are disconnected from the natural world; rather, they inhabit a technological world. Although experiences in nature have long been a source of fascination, little is known about how youth independently access and make sense of nature. We focus on the experiences of youth who chose to use marijuana in nature. A substance such as marijuana is often viewed as a “gateway” leading to “harder” drug use; rarely do we consider how marijuana might be a gateway to positive experiences. Narrative analysis was used to explore how young people, aged 14–18, describe their marijuana use in nature, an important aspect of the culture and context of marijuana use. Youth's constructions of nature are revealed in four narratives in which they situate themselves: freedom in nature, the pleasure of leisure, in awe of the natural world and making meaning of the world. One subnarrative, flowing through space, was also uncovered. The findings point to the importance of these nature experiences for youth who expressed how they were able to be in nature in new ways. Participants articulated their yearning for and ability to establish a connection within their natural world.     

祁连山自然保护区生态承载力分析与评价

以层次分析法和模糊模式识别为基础,建立生态承载力综合评价模型,重点分析祁连山自然保护区森林、草地和农田3种受人类活动干扰最强烈的生态系统的生态承载力和生态荷载,在此基础上进一步分析整个保护区的总体生态承载力和生态荷载。结果显示,祁连山区域生态系统已经受到人类活动的强烈干扰,生态荷载总体处于严重超载状态。但区域生态系统内部各子系统之间以及生态荷载的空间分布存在差异。其中,森林子系统和草地子系统属于严重超载,农田子系统属于中度超载;在总体生态荷载的空间分布上,西北部地区比东南部地区超载更为严重;就各子系统的生态荷载状况而言,森林子系统和草地子系统的超载程度均表现为东南部地区略低于西北部地区,但农田子系统东南部地区超载程度高于西北部地区。     

论我国自然保护地公众参与制度的困境与出路

2019年6月《关于建立以国家公园为主体的自然保护地体系的指导意见》的颁布,指出自然保护地建设应“探索全民共享机制”,突出了公众参与制度的重要意义.在我国自然保护地建设过程中,公众参与制度虽然得到了较为广泛的关注,但仍面临诸多实践困境.通过分析现阶段自然保护地的立法和实践现状,探析公众参与制度在自然保护地建设中的适用路...     

Coastal management research: a personal reflection on the conference outcome

Communication between scientific disciplines related to coastal management is difficult but essential. Different views on the role of science in coastal management were key elements of many discussions at the conference. In this personal impression the author looks back and reflects on the arguments which participants with different scientific back-ground exchanged.     

卧龙自然保护区华西箭竹（Fargesia nitida）生态学特征随海拔梯度的变化

海拔梯度由于包含了温度、水分、光照等环境因子的剧烈变化而成为研究植物的环境适应性及其对全球气候变化响应的理想区域。在卧龙自然保护区沿海拔梯度研究了华西箭竹（Fargesia nitida（Mitford）T.P.Yi）分株的丛结构,比叶面积（SLA）、基径、株高、枝下高、单株地上部生物量及各器官生物量的分配。结果表明：华西箭竹丛结构表现为平均单丛面积和丛密度随着海拔升高呈先增大后降低的趋势,而单丛分株数先减少后增大;华西箭竹分株生长特征除SLA和枝下高线性降低,其他各调查变量随着海拔升高,总体呈先增大后减小的单峰变化趋势,高峰值在2 800 m附近。反映了环境因子随海拔升高的非线性变化。分析认为,高海拔地区的华西箭竹对温度较为敏感,气候变暖将有利于它的生长,因此其分布上限可能会提高。本研究结果拓展和丰富了海拔梯度上植物对异质性环境的适应和响应的规律研究,也可对地震后保护区植被的恢复与重建提供科学参考。     

Problems of sustainable development and ecological indication in radioactively contaminated areas

Lands that have become unusable because of contamination with long-lived artificial radionuclides require special measures aimed at their monitoring and rehabilitation. In such areas, specific processes in the biota are associated with the direct effect of ionizing radiation on some species, secondary changes depending on the ecology of organisms trophically connected with these species, and side effects explained by the regime of isolation established in radiation reserves. The dynamics of floras and faunas in radiation reserves are determined by successional changes in plant communities, migration of radionuclides, and the protective status of these territories.     

Assessment of the state of vegetation and prognosis of its anthropogenic dynamics in specially protected nature areas on the basis of Phytoecological mapping

Methodological approaches to the construction of phytoecological maps are described regarding specially protected nature areas and their specific features. Such maps offer new possibilities for the assessment and analysis of current and predicted states of vegetation.