Value to wildlife of urban-agricultural parks: a case study from Rome urban area

Urban-agricultural parks could have some advantages to wildlife because of less intensive agricultural procedures, absence of hunting pressure, and reduced human disturbance. In this study, the breeding and wintering bird communities and the small mammal community in an urban-agricultural park of Rome were compared to those of a close urban park and a close agricultural area just outside the city. The aim was to assess the best destination and management of wildlife in natural areas at the urban–rural interface. Richness and diversity of bird communities were higher in the urban-agricultural park. Due to habitat features and probably human disturbances, but not to urbanization, predation, and competition factors, the urban park drastically reduces the abundance of decreasing open-land bird species. Abundance of these species was not significantly different in the urban-agricultural park and in the agricultural area. In the urban-agricultural and urban park, bird and mammal pest species were more abundant than they were in the agricultural area. Regarding decreasing abundance of small mammal species, no significant difference among the study areas was observed. Urban-agricultural park is a better choice than urban park for wildlife. Thus, a higher number of preserved urban natural areas should be devoted to urban-agricultural parks. However, to increase the abundance of open-land species and in general wildlife, a less intensive management of cultivated and pasture patches is necessary.     

区域人均基本农田需求面积测算模型及应用——以江苏省为例

为估计一定区域内基本农田保护面积,论文在探讨基本农田涵义的基础上,提出了区域人均基本农田需求面积的计算模型。该模型综合考虑了城乡居民对农产品的消费、复种指数、粮食作物播种面积比例、单产水平以及城市化水平等因素。以江苏省为例,计算1985-2004年江苏省城乡居民人均粮食消耗总当量。在此基础上,计算1985-2004年江苏省人均基本农田需求面积以及估计2005-2020年江苏省人均基本农田需求面积。结果表明,1985-2004年之间,江苏省人均基本农田需求面积平均值为0.054hm₂,考虑在外饮食情况时,该值为0.059hm₂;2005-2020年之间江苏省人均基本农田需求面积平均值为0.057hm₂。     

长江白鱀豚的保护

白鱀豚是我国特有的珍稀淡水哺乳动物,仅分布于长江中下游,目前长江白鱀豚的种群数量仅约200头,濒临灭绝。造成白鱀豚濒危的主要威胁来自长江鱼类资源的减少、有害渔具的广泛使用、航运事业的发展、河道的大规模整治、水电工程的建设、水体污染以及白鱀豚自身的生理特征。通过我们多年的研究,提出了建立半自然白鱀豚保护区、人工饲养下白鱀豚的繁殖,和建立长江白鱀豚自然保护区等三大措施。在各级政府和科研部门的共同努力下,三项措施正在落实,为保护白鱀豚创造了良好的条件,但面临的困难还很多,任务十分艰巨,我们希望开展广泛的国际合作,为保护白鱀豚共同努力。     

三峡库区坡耕地利用与水土保持种植制

三峡库区耕地资源十分有限,且坡耕地占有相当大的比重,陡坡地多,在不良的耕作方式下肥力低下,水土流失十分严重在分析三峡库区自然条件与坡耕地资源特点的基础上,讨论了坡耕地种植制度与土壤侵蚀的关系,提出通过合理搭配作物种类进行多熟制间套作,一年生农作物与多年生经饲作物间作及农作物与木本植物等高间作等手段来建立坡耕地水土保持种植制,从而达到减轻土 蚀之目的。     

吉林省玉米农田保护性耕作的环境影响评价

以吉林省玉米农田4种保护性耕作为例,应用生命周期评价方法(Life Cycle Assessment,LCA)系统综合地评价吉林省玉米农田不同保护性耕作模式对环境的潜在影响。结果表明,四种保护性耕作模式的能源消耗、温室气体排放、环境酸化和富营养化的潜在环境影响分别平均比传统耕作模式减少14.62%、82.82%、15.37%和15.28%,主要由氮肥的生产及施用引起;水体毒性、土壤毒性及人体毒性则分别比传统耕作高7.40%、6.42%和7.38%,主要由农药的施用引起。综合各种环境影响类型,尽管4种保护性耕作模式较传统耕作模式能显著减缓全球变暖,但对其他环境类型的改变不明显,其中水体毒性为该种植系统中最主要的环境影响类型,富营养化次之。     

Impact of a Community‐Based Payment for Environmental Services Intervention on Forest Use in Menabe,Madagascar

Abstract: Despite the growing interest in conservation approaches that include payments for environmental services (PES), few evaluations of the influence of such interventions on behaviors of individuals have been conducted. We used self‐reported changes in six legal and illegal forest‐use behaviors to investigate the way in which a PES for biodiversity conservation intervention in Menabe, Madagascar, influenced behavior. Individuals (n =864) from eight intervention communities and five control communities answered questions on their forest‐use behaviors before and after the intervention began, as well as on their reasons for changing and their attitudes to various institutions. The payments had little impact on individuals’ reported decisions to change behaviors, but it had a strong impact on individuals’ attitudes. Payments appeared to legitimize monitoring of behaviors by the implementing nongovernmental organization (NGO), but did not act as a behavioral driver in their own right. Although there were no clear differences between changes in behaviors in the intervention and control communities, the intervention did influence motivations for change. Fear of local forest associations and the implementing NGO were strong motivators for changing behavior in communities with the PES intervention, whereas fear of the national government was the main reason given for change in control communities. Behavioral changes were most stable where fear of local organizations motivated the change. Our results highlight the interactions between different incentives people face when making behavioral decisions and the importance of considering the full range of incentives when designing community‐based PES interventions.     

Factors influencing property selection for conservation revolving funds

Finding sustainable ways to increase the amount of private land protected for biodiversity is challenging for many conservation organizations. In some countries, organizations use revolving‐fund programs, whereby land is purchased and then sold to conservation‐minded owners under condition they enter into a conservation covenant or easement. The sale proceeds are used to purchase, protect, and sell additional properties, incrementally increasing the amount of protected private land. Because the effectiveness of this approach relies on selecting appropriate properties, we explored factors currently considered by practitioners and how these are integrated into decision making. We conducted exploratory, semistructured interviews with managers from each of the 5 major revolving funds in Australia. Responses indicated although conservation factors are important, financial and social factors are also highly influential. A major determinant was whether the property could be resold within a reasonable period at a price that replenishes the fund. To facilitate resale, often selected properties include the potential for the construction of a dwelling. Practitioners face with clear trade‐offs between conservation, financial, amenity, and other factors in selecting properties and 3 main challenges: recovering the costs of acquisition, protection, and resale; reselling the property; and meeting conservation goals. Our findings suggest the complexity of these decisions may constrain revolving‐fund effectiveness. Drawing from participant responses, we identified potential strategies to mitigate these risks, such as providing adequate recreational space without jeopardizing ecological assets. We suggest managers could benefit from a shared‐learning and adaptive approach to property selection given the commonalities between programs. Understanding how practitioners deal with complex decisions in the implementation of revolving funds helps identify future research to improve the performance of this conservation tool.     

青海湖地区生物多样性的空间特征与GAP分析

根据实地考察与有关资料,建立了青海湖环湖地区生态环境信息系统,在此基础上,提出了青海湖地区的生态系统分类,将青海湖环湖地区生态系统分为湖区及湖周水漫滩生态系统、草原生态系统、荒漠生态系统、高寒灌丛生态系统、高寒草甸生态系统、高寒荒漠生态系统、人工生态系统等。利用地理信息系统技术分析了青海湖地区的生物多样性空间特征,通过生物多样性保护的代表性、特有性、濒危性、敏感性原则与已经建立的青海湖国家级自然保护区进行叠加,进行ＧＡＰ分析,发现代表性的生态系统和普氏原羚等国家级保护动物的最适宜的生境没有包括在保护区内。然后,提出了青海湖自然保护区的分区方案及青海湖生物多样性的保护对策     

农村沼气在北方农业源减排中的应用浅析

农村沼气作为一种特殊的清洁能源,在沈阳市农村节能减排、应对气候变化和发展低碳经济、促进新农村建设方面发挥了巨大的作用。本文通过对沼气工程在北方地区应用的阐述,力图推动北方农村沼气在农业源减排工作中的应用。