The implications of new information and communication technologies for sustainability

This paper discusses the relationship of new information and communication technologies (ICTs) and sustainable development. It deconstructs popular myths about a sustainable information society. One myth is that telework has reduced the need to travel and hence environmental pollution. The reality is that teleworkers make up only a small share of the total workforce, telework can generate new social relationships and hence the need for more travelling, work-related travel produces only a small amount of the total carbon dioxide emissions, and that the total distance travelled per employee is constantly rising. Another myth is that information economy is weightless and dematerialized which reduces environmental impacts. The energy and resource intensities of the ICT sector are indeed lower than the one of the total economy. The ICT sector also emits less CO₂ than the total economy. But the ICT sector constitutes only a small portion of the total value added and fossil fuel combustion is still the dominant activity of modern industrial economies. Some stakeholders argue that virtual products allow resource, energy, and transport savings. But burning digital music on compact discs and DVDs, printing digital articles and books, etc. results in rebound effects that cause new material and energy impacts, computers have a low life span of 2–3 years, reusable and upgradeable computers and computer equipment are hardly used and might not be as profitable as non-reusable ones, computers are consuming much energy. Alternatives such as energy consumption labels on ICTs and green ICTs that consume less energy contradict dominant economic interests. A sustainable information society is a society that makes use of ICTs and knowledge for fostering a good life for all human beings of current and future generations by strengthening biological diversity, technological usability, economic wealth for all, political participation of all, and cultural wisdom. Achieving a sustainable information society costs, it demands a conscious reduction of profits by not investing in the future of capital, but the future of humans, society, and nature.     

3S技术在古日格斯台自然保护区研究中的应用

利用"3S"技术对古日格斯台自然保护区植被类型的空间分布进行了分析,绘制了古日格斯台自然保护区植被图,讨论了其生态多样性和脆弱性,以此作为植被监测与管理的依据,进而对古日格斯台自然保护区的植被进行有效的保护.     

石首麋鹿国家级自然保护区多媒体演示系统的研究

本文利用计算机多媒体技术 ,研制出石首麋鹿国家级自然保护区多媒体演示系统。该系统以 WINDOWS98窗口环境为平台 ,融图、文、声、像、数据库、动画等多种媒体于一体 ,将先进的图像处理技术、声音处理技术、文字处理技术、视频处理技术、以及三维动画技术集成到计算机中 ,可使原本单调的静态材料变成有声有色的动态画面 ,全方位展示该保护区的历史、现状与未来     

罗布泊野骆驼自然保护区的建设及生物多样性保护

新疆罗布泊野骆驼自然保护区位于我国西部极旱荒漠带 ,以保护世界濒危物种———野双峰驼为主要对象 ,同时也保护当地特有的地貌、盐泉、丝绸之路遗迹及其他珍稀动植物物种 ,面积 7 8× 10 4km2 。该保护区在世界生物多样性保护中有重大作用。由于周边地区经济的发展 ,对该保护区的影响逐渐扩大 ,威胁到野生动植物的生存安全 ,急需加强宣传、建卡、检查、巡护等保护管理措施 ,同时需要提高周边贫困社区人民生活水平 ,强化管制非法采矿业     

黄荆自然保护区植物区系的初步研究

黄荆自然保护区地处四川盆地与云贵高原的过渡地带,地带性植被为亚热带偏湿性常绿阔叶林,有种子植物165科745属1521种,其中裸子植物9科19属24种,被子植物156科726属1497种.该区特殊的自然条件和复杂的地质构造,使其成为多种植物地理成分的汇集地,并成为我国乃至全世界亚热带(同纬度)地区保存较好的常绿阔叶林植被群落,具有极高的研究价值和生态价值.根据近年来的科学考察,认为黄荆自然保护区植物区系的种类丰富、珍稀特有植物较多、起源古老、区系成分复杂,显示出多方植物交汇的特点.     

Assessment of Soil Erodibility Indices for Conservation Reserve Program Lands in Southwestern Kansas Using Satellite Imagery and GIS Techniques

The soil erodibility index (EI) of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands, which was the major criterion for CRP enrollment, was assessed for six counties in southwestern Kansas using USGS seamless digital elevation model data and Geographical Informational System techniques. The proportion of land areas with EI values of 8 or lower was less than 1% of the entire study area and most of the land areas (72.5%) were concentrated on EI values between 8 and 24. Although land acreage with EI values of 24 or higher decreased dramatically, the proportion of CRP lands to the other land-use types did not change much from low to high EI levels. The soil EI and physical soil characteristics of the CRP lands were compared to those of other land-use types. In general, the mean EI values of the land-use types were strongly correlated with physical soil properties, including organic matter content, clay content, available water capacity, permeability, and texture. CRP lands were compared in detail with cropland in terms of their soil characteristics to infer the pivotal cause of the land transformation. Although there was no significant statistical difference in EI between cropland and CRP soils, soil texture, soil family, and permeability were statistically different between the two. Statistical analyses of these three variables showed that CRP soils had coarser texture and higher permeability on average than cropland soils, indicating that CRP lands in the study area are drier than cropland soils. Therefore, soil moisture characteristics, not necessarily soil erosion potential, might have been the key factor for CRP enrollment in the study area.     

Relationship Between Tourism Development and Vegetated Landscapes in Luya Mountain Nature Reserve, Shanxi, China

The relationship between tourism development and vegetated landscapes is analyzed for the Luya Mountain Nature Reserve (LMNR), Shanxi, China, in this study. Indices such as Sensitive Level (SL), Landscape Importance Value (LIV), information index of biodiversity (H’), Shade-tolerant Species Proportion (SSP), and Tourism Influencing Index (TII) are used to characterize vegetated landscapes, the impact of tourism, and their relationship. Their relationship is studied by Two-Way Indicator Species Analysis (TWINSPAN) and Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA). TWINSPAN gives correct and rapid partition to the classification, and DCA ordination shows the changing tendency of all vegetation types based on tourism development. These results reflect the ecological relationship between tourism development and vegetated landscapes. In Luya Mountain Nature Reserve, most plant communities are in good or medium condition, which shows that these vegetated landscapes can support more tourism. However, the occurrence of the bad condition shows that there is a severe contradiction between tourism development and vegetated landscapes.     

长江口中华鲟保护区及临近水域大型底栖动物研究

根据2004年5月、8月、11月和2005年2月(Ⅰ年度)及2005年8月、11月和2006年2月、5月(Ⅱ年度)共2个水文年对T长江口中华鲟保护区水域(30°15′～31°45′N、121°30′～122°15′E)15个取样站8个航次的采泥样品和阿氏网样品,对底内动物和底上动物的种类组成、生物量、栖息密度、重要种的优势度、群落多样性和结构及时间空间动态变化进行分析.结果表明,底内动物共出现15种,种类组成贫乏,优势种变化明显,底内动物生物量和栖息密度平均值分别为1.44 g/m2和11.33个/m2,生物量和栖息密度总体呈现下降趋势,物种多样性指数低并有下降趋势,群落结构极不稳定;底上动物底栖动物59种,组成有明显季节和年度变化,底内动物生物量和栖息密度平均值分别为15.58 ×10-2g/m2和6.81×10-2个/m2;底上动物生物量和栖息密度略呈现下降趋势,优势种的种类及优势度年际有较大变化,种类数和生物量北支高于南支.底内动物2个年度生物量平均值季节变化为夏季＞春季＞秋季＞冬季,底上动物2个年度生物量平均值季节变化为春季＞冬季＞秋季＞夏季,底内动物与底上动物的季节变化具有一定的不平衡性.     

水生野生动物自然保护区河流生态系统服务功能价值评价——以长江湖北宜昌中华鲟自然保护区为例

论文根据长江湖北宜昌中华鲟自然保护区的特点,尝试对保护区所在江段河流生态系统服务价值建立了评价体系,主要对该保护区河流生态系统服务价值中的直接使用价值和间接使用价值进行了评估。结果表明:保护区生态功能服务年总价值为59 920×104元,以间接使用价值为主要体现,占总价值的66.4%。间接价值中以珍稀水生野生动物(中华鲟、胭脂鱼)的保护价值最高,为27 290×104元/年,占总价值的45.54%,远远超过了其科研价值(410×104元/年)。表明保护区的建立对珍稀水生野生动物保护及其特有生境的保存、产卵栖息地保留方面具有重要意义,但政府应加强科研投入。     

卧龙降水稳定同位素与季风活动的关系

2003-07～2004-07在四川卧龙自然保护区对逐次降水事件进行采样,分析了降水的稳定同位素特征及其与降水量、气温和风向风速等气象参数的关系.结果表明.4～8月降水的过量氘(d-excess)值为(8.4±7.4)‰,降水由东亚季风带来的大洋水汽主导;9～10月降水的d-excess值为(-7.4±12.5)‰,降水由南亚季风带来的经过强烈分馏作用的大洋水汽主导;11月～次年3月降水的d-excess值为(12.5±12.1)‰,降水由本地蒸发水汽以及西风环流带来的内陆蒸发水汽主导.季风期降水的δD和δ18O具降水量效应(r分别为-0.389、-0.380,P＜0.05),次一级是气温影响(P≤0.10).季风期降水的δD、δ18O与南风指数呈显著负相关(r分别为-0.354、-0.390,P＜0.05),表明降水中的稳定同位素比率对水汽来源与运输过程指示性很强,特别是南亚季风的暴发带来了稳定同位素比率和d-excess值都极低的降水.