Animal agency in wildlife conservation and management

Wildlife conservation and management (WCM) practices have been historically drawn from a wide variety of academic fields, yet practitioners have been slow to engage with emerging conversations about animals as complex beings, whose individuality and sociality influence their relationships with humans. We propose an explicit acknowledgement of wild, nonhuman animals as active participants in WCM. We examined 190 studies of WCM interventions and outcomes to highlight 3 common assumptions that underpin many present approaches to WCM: animal behaviors are rigid and homogeneous; wildlife exhibit idealized wild behavior and prefer pristine habitats; and human–wildlife relationships are of marginal or secondary importance relative to nonhuman interactions. We found that these management interventions insufficiently considered animal learning, decision-making, individuality, sociality, and relationships with humans and led to unanticipated detrimental outcomes. To address these shortcomings, we synthesized theoretical advances in animal behavioral sciences, animal geographies, and animal legal theory that may help conservation professionals reconceptualize animals and their relationships with humans. Based on advances in these fields, we constructed the concept of animal agency, which we define as the ability of animals to actively influence conservation and management outcomes through their adaptive, context-specific, and complex behaviors that are predicated on their sentience, individuality, lived experiences, cognition, sociality, and cultures in ways that shape and reshape shared human–wildlife cultures, spaces, and histories. Conservation practices, such as compassionate conservation, convivial conservation, and ecological justice, incorporate facets of animal agency. Animal agency can be incorporated in conservation problem-solving by assessing the ways in which agency contributes to species’ survival and by encouraging more adaptive and collaborative decision-making among human and nonhuman stakeholders.     

ATRAZINE IN SPRING RUNOFF AS RELATED TO ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING EBRASKA, 19921

ABSTRACT: A synoptic sampling of five surface-water sites in central Nebraska was conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey as part of its National Water-Quality Assessment Program during storm runoff in May 1992 to relate transport, yields, and concentrations of atrazine to environmental setting. Atrazine was the most extensively applied pesticide in the study unit. Atrazine transport was related to the size of contributing drainage area, quantity of atrazine applied, amount of precipitation, and volume of stream-flow. Estimated yields and mean concentrations of atrazine were related to the percentage of cropland in a drainage area. The largest estimated yields and mean concentrations of atrazine in surface water were associated from drainage areas with the highest percentage of cropland, and the smallest was associated with the smallest amount of cropland. Atrazine concentrations increased as streamflow increased but decreased at or near the time of peak streamflows, perhaps due to dilution. Atrazine concentrations then increased and remained elevated far into the stream recession. Atrazine is a regulated contaminant in finished public-water supplies. Large concentrations of atrazine could affect the management of public-water supplies because atrazine remains in solution in contrast to many other pesticides that are more easily removed.     

BUILDUP,WASHOFF, AND EVENT MEAN CONCENTRATIONS1

ABSTRACT: Most watershed water quality simulation models require the user to specify pollutant buildup and washoff rate parameters for pollutants, by land use. Buildup and washoff rates are difficult to measure directly, and only limited guidance and few observed data are available from the literature. Many studies, however, report storm event mean concentrations (EMCs). These EMCs must arise as a result of the buildup and washoff processes, but typically represent the net contribution from a variety of pervious and impervious surfaces. This paper explores the relationship between EMCs and buildup/washoff parameters. An assumption of the mathematical form of the buildup/washoff relationship gives an algebraic expression for the EMC consistent with model assumptions. This yields techniques to separate observed EMCs into contributions from different land uses and from pervious and impervious surfaces. Given this relationship, numerical optimization may be used to estimate site specific values of buildup and washoff parameters from observed storm EMCs for use in modeling. Use of this approach helps ensure that model parameters are consistent with observed data, providing a rational starting point for final model calibration. Several site examples demonstrate use of the method.     

ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC DAMAGE CAUSED BY SEDIMENT FROM AGRICULTURAL NONPOINT SOURCES1

Environmental and economic damages caused by agricultural nonpoint source inputs of sediment and associated pollutants are examined. Widespread water quality problems are identified in lakes, rivers, and estuaries in agricultural areas, and billions of dollars of on-site and offsite costs result from this eroded soil every year. Some water bodies have been irretrievably damaged, and expensive rehabilitation programs are needed to remedy in-place water pollution problems if Clean Water Act goals are to be achieved. Unless effective abatement and rehabilitation programs are established, billions of dollars of benefits to future generations will not be realized as more waters become irretrievably damaged, and billions more will continue to be spent by government to treat symptoms of these sediment-related problems.     

工业废盐热处理技术研究进展

随着我国经济快速发展,工业固体废物产量不断增多,特别是化工、制药、印染等行业产生的大量有害工业废盐对人体健康和自然环境安全造成了严重的威胁,同时也制约着企业的快速发展。在总结近年我国工业废盐处理处置方法的基础上,介绍了工业废盐的产量、特征和危害,以及工业废盐处理的常规方法,重点分析了当前工业废盐热处理技术,其中包括传统热处理技术和新型热处理技术。在传统热处理技术中,主要介绍了回转窑焚烧技术、流化床焚烧技术和液体喷射焚烧技术等。在新型热处理技术中,介绍了悬浮炉处理技术、分级碳化技术、熔融盐氧化技术、高温热管技术和微波吸收技术。对比分析了不同热处理技术处理效果和优缺点,系统梳理了我国工业废盐热处理技术的最新发展进程。此外,探讨了工业废盐热处理技术过程中有机污染物的消除机制,包括活性氧的产生机理以及有机污染物消除随温度的变化情况。最后,总结了在热处理过程中废盐所含的非金属元素（主要为N和S等）、重金属元素迁移转化规律,以及二噁英可能造成的二次污染问题。

     

利用标准化法评价污染源

大连石化公司运用标准化法对该厂污染源进行了普查,进而对污染源做出了评价。以二蒸馏装置为例,对总排放口污染源的监测数据进行了标化处理,确定了主要的污染因子及污染源:石油类主要来自减压塔顶分离器;硫化物主要来自减压塔顶油、水分离器和常压塔顶油、水分离器;挥发酚主要来自减压塔顶油、水分离器。     

西南涌污染成因分析及治污策略

西南涌是广东佛山一条重要的纳污河流,其水质长期未能稳定达标。与大部分的城市被污染的内河涌不同,西南涌的主要污染来自于农业生产。本文对西南涌污粢的成因进行了分析。提出了西南涌治污的短期策略和长期策略。     

城市河段污染控制灰色动态规划的应用

本文探讨了含灰数的城市河段污染控制的灰色动态规划的理论与方法。通过分析城市河段污染控制系统的广义不确定性，将灰数表征这些不确定性，建立了描述城市河段水污染控制的灰色动态规划中广义不确定性的灰数运算、灰数大小的比较及灰动态规划的初步理论和求解方法，通过对淮河蚌埠河段有机污染控制实例研究，说明了水污染控制灰色动态规划问题研究意义和求解方法的实用性。     

广州市菜园土和蔬菜中镉含量水平及污染评价

探讨了广州市各区、市菜园土和蔬菜中的重金属Cd污染状况,测定了95份土壤样品以及292份蔬菜样品中的镉含量,并对广州市各区市菜园土中Cd污染程度进行了评价。研究结果表明,不同种类的蔬菜中,叶菜类对重金属Cd的吸收和富集较高,瓜豆类较低。蔬菜中重金属Cd的含量受土壤中Cd含量的影响。与国内其它城市相比,广州市蔬菜地土壤中的Cd平均含量处于较高水平;蔬菜则以海珠、番禺两区Cd含量相对较高,高于其它城市的含量水平。     

POLLUTANT LOADS IN URBAN STORMWATER: REVIEW OF METHODS FOR PLANNING-LEVEL ESTIMATES1

ABSTRACT: A review of methods for planning-level estimates of pollutant loads in urban stormwater focuses on transfer of charac. teristic runoff quality data to unmonitored sites, runoff monitoring, and simulation models. Load estimation by transfer of runoff quality data is the least expensive, but the accuracy of estimates is unknown. Runoff monitoring methods provide best estimates of existing loads, but cannot be used to predict load changes resulting from runoff controls, or other changes of the urban system. Simulation models require extensive calibration for reliable application. Models with optional formulations of pollutant build up, washoff, and transport can be better calibrated and the selection of options should be based on a statistical analysis of calibration data. Calibrated simulation models can be used for evaluation of control alternatives.