Active Adaptive Management for Conservation

Abstract:  Active adaptive management balances the requirements of management with the need to learn about the system being managed, which leads to better decisions. It is difficult to judge the benefit of management actions that accelerate information gain, relative to the benefit of making the best management decision given what is known at the time. We present a first step in developing methods to optimize management decisions that incorporate both uncertainty and learning via adaptive management. We assumed a manager can allocate effort to discrete units (e.g., areas for revegetation or animals for reintroduction), the outcome can be measured as success or failure (e.g., the revegetation in an area is successful or the animal survives and breeds), and the manager has two possible management options from which to choose. We further assumed that there is an annual budget that may be allocated to one or both of the two options and that the manager must decide on the allocation. We used Bayesian updating of the probability of success of the two options and stochastic dynamic programming to determine the optimal strategy over a specified number of years. The costs, level of certainty about the success of the two options, and the timeframe of management all influenced the optimal allocation of the annual budget. In addition, the choice of management objective had a large influence on the optimal decision. In a case study of Merri Creek, Melbourne, Australia, we applied the approach to determining revegetation strategies. Our approach can be used to determine how best to manage ecological systems in the face of uncertainty.     

Roads and Landscape Pattern in Northern Wisconsin Based on a Comparison of Four Road Data Sources

Abstract:  Roads are important components of landscapes; they fragment habitat, facilitate invasive species spread, alter hydrology, and influence patterns of land use. Previous research on the ecological impacts of roads may have underestimated their effect because currently available sources of road data do not include the full road network. We compared differences in road density and landscape pattern among U.S. Census Bureau TIGER line files, U.S. Geological Survey 1:100,000-scale digital line graphs, and U.S. Geological Survey 1:24,000-scale digital raster graphics in northern Wisconsin to road data derived from 1:40,000-scale digital orthophotos. Road density measured from digital orthophotos (2.82 km/km²) was significantly greater than that of digital raster graphics (1.62 km/km²) and more than double that of digital line graphs (1.21 km/km²) and TIGER (1.27 km/km²) data. The increased road densities in raster graphics and orthophoto data were mainly due to the addition of minor roads. When all roads were used to define patch boundaries, landscape metrics produced with orthophoto data showed significantly greater levels of fragmentation than those based on line or raster graphics. For example, maximum patch size was 1074 ha and total edge was 109 km for line graphs, compared with 686 ha and 211 km for orthophoto data. Roads are missing in commonly used data, primarily because mapping standards systematically exclude minor roads. These standards are not ecologically based and may result in false assumptions about the ecological effects of roads. We recommend that future studies take special consideration of the completeness of road data and consider whether all ecologically relevant roads are included.     

城市绿地系统景观生态规划探讨

从景观生态的角度对城市绿地系统进行规划探讨,能够为绿地系统规划布局提供科学的理论指导。在介绍了对绿地系统规划有重要指导意义的景观生态理论的基础上,以常州市新北区为例,进行实证研究,概括了其绿地现状并指出了其存在一系列问题,进而利用景观生态的基本原理,对本区域的绿地系统进行规划研究。将整个研究地区分成“区域层面、分区层面以及具体规划设计层面”3个尺度层面,并且在每个层面利用景观生态中相关原理分别进行研究,最终形成层次分明、在功能上相互补充、有机联系的绿地系统结构。     

常张高速公路岩石边坡仿原生态植被恢复技术的应用研究

介绍了常张高速公路岩石边坡仿原生态植被恢复技术的施工工艺、新型的生态防护技术与传统的边坡防护相比较,具有投资省、见效快,且能稳定表层边坡,综合造价仅为客土喷播植草的50%～60%,能在短期内使边坡整体环境景观效果与周边协调一致,尤其适宜于对客土喷播植草难以成活的极陡边坡(坡率大于1∶0.75)的生态防护,探索出了一条适合我省实际情况的且成本低、效果好的新的生态防护模式.仿原生态植被恢复技术是常张高速公路生态防护措施的典型代表,对今后我省山区高速公路生态防护建设具有一定的指导意义.     

A very simple yet accurate solution to the thermal explosion problem

A very simple solution to the thermal explosion problem for one-dimensional solids is presented. The solution produces analytical expressions for the criticality condition. Two different solutions are used. One solution gives higher answers than those known from exact solutions and the second solution gives lower answers. This allows bracketing the expected answer with a determined tolerance. The results obtained compare quite favorably with those obtained from known exact numerical solutions. This allows the utilization of the present method for many a practical problem with an acceptable tolerances.     

Use of Airborne Thermal Imagery to Detect and Monitor Inshore Oil Spill Residues During Darkness Hours

/ Trials were conducted using an airborne video system operating in the visible, near-infrared, and thermal wavelengths to detect two known oil spill releases during darkness at a distance of 10 nautical miles from the shore in St. Vincent's Gulf, South Australia. The oil spills consisted of two 20-liter samples released at 2-h intervals, one sample consisted of paraffinic neutral material and the other of automotive diesel oil. A tracking buoy was sent overboard in conjunction with the release of sample 1, and its movement monitored by satellite relay. Both oil residues were overflown by a light aircraft equipped with thermal, visible, and infrared imagers at a period of approximately 1 h after the release of the second oil residue. Trajectories of the oil residue releases were also modeled and the results compared to those obtained by the airborne video and the tracking buoy. Airborne imagery in the thermal wavelengths successfully located and mapped both oil residue samples during nighttime conditions. Results from the trial suggest that the most advantageous technique would be the combined use of the tracking beacon to obtain an approximate location of the oil spill and the airborne imagery to ascertain its extent and characteristics.KEY WORDS: Airborne video; Thermal imagery; Global positioning; Oil-spill monitoring; Tracking beacon     

Filling the Gaps in the Risks vs. Benefits of Mammalian Adult-Cell Cloning: Taking Bernard Rollin's Philosophy Its Next Step

A critique is made of Bernard Rollin's examination of the ethics of cloning adult mammalian cells. The primary concern is less to propound an anticloning or procloning position than to call for full exploration of the ethical complexities before a rush to judgment is made. Indeed, the ethical examination in question rushes toward an ethical position in such a way that does not appear consistent with Rollin's usual methodology. By extending this methodology – which entails full weighing of benefits and costs – it becomes apparent that there are real potential risks to this type of cloning in both animals and humans, besides the possible benefits, and that the scientific, political, philosophical, and broader academic communities should explore these risks and benefits extensively. Rollin's usual methodological call for hesitation before risks would translate into hesitation before the ethical risks of adult mammalian cell cloning instead of his paper's curiously laissez-faire stance.     

辽河三角洲的自然资源与区域开发

辽河三角洲有丰富的地上和地下资源，是农业综合开发和油田建设的重点地区。其区域资源开发以油田、稻田、苇田和虾田开发为核心，在土地利用主要做到全面规划与统筹兼顾；对淡水资源不足的问题要从开源与节流两方面来进行解决；对河口湿地景观生态系统要注意保护，发挥业已建立的自然保护区的功能；对河口湾水产资源更要加强保护与培育。     

Landscape planning and ecology construction of wetland comprehensive protected area system in the Sanjiang Plain

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过程耦合与空间集成：国土空间生态修复的景观生态学认知

新时期国土空间生态修复的核心是整体保护与系统治理,强调生态保护修复与社会经济发展耦合关联的系统性、协同性。景观生态学以景观为研究对象,基于整体综合视角聚焦景观结构与功能演变及其与人类社会相互作用机理,重点关注过程耦合与空间集成。面向国土空间生态修复的战略需求,景观生态学“格局与过程耦合-时空尺度-生态系统服务-景观可持续性”的研究路径能够为国土空间生态修复提供重要学科支撑;依据格局-过程互馈机理识别退化、受损的山水林田湖草生命共同体,基于景观多功能性权衡协调社会-生态需求并确定修复目标,应用生态安全格局优化多层级修复网络体系,建立面向景观可持续性的多尺度级联福祉保障。