The challenge of implementing the European network of protected areas Natura 2000

Established under the European Union (EU) Birds and Habitats Directives, Natura 2000 is one of the largest international networks of protected areas. With the spatial designation of sites by the EU member states almost finalized, the biggest challenge still lying ahead is the appropriate management of the sites. To evaluate the cross‐scale functioning of Natura 2000 implementation, we analyzed 242 questionnaires completed by conservation scientists involved in the implementation of Natura 2000 in 24 EU member states. Respondents identified 7 key drivers of the quality of Natura 2000 implementation. Ordered in decreasing evaluation score, these drivers included: network design, use of external resources, legal frame, scientific input, procedural frame, social input, and national or local policy. Overall, conservation scientists were moderately satisfied with the implementation of Natura 2000. Tree modeling revealed that poor application of results of environmental impact assessments (EIA) was considered a major constraint. The main strengths of the network included the substantial increase of scientific knowledge of the sites, the contribution of nongovernmental organizations, the adequate network design in terms of area and representativeness, and the adequacy of the EU legal frame. The main weaknesses of Natura 2000 were the lack of political will from local and national governments toward effective implementation; the negative attitude of local stakeholders; the lack of background knowledge of local stakeholders, which prevented well‐informed policy decisions; and the understaffing of Natura 2000 management authorities. Top suggestions to improve Natura 2000 implementation were increase public awareness, provide environmental education to local communities, involve high‐quality conservation experts, strengthen quality control of EIA studies, and establish a specific Natura 2000 fund. El Reto de Implementar la Red Europea de Áreas Protegidas Natura 2000     

Improving Environmental and Social Targeting through Adaptive Management in Mexico's Payments for Hydrological Services Program

Natural resource managers are often expected to achieve both environmental protection and economic development even when there are fundamental trade‐offs between these goals. Adaptive management provides a theoretical structure for program administrators to balance social priorities in the presence of trade‐offs and to improve conservation targeting. We used the case of Mexico's federal Payments for Hydrological Services program (PSAH) to illustrate the importance of adaptive management for improving program targeting. We documented adaptive elements of PSAH and corresponding changes in program eligibility and selection criteria. To evaluate whether these changes resulted in enrollment of lands of high environmental and social priority, we compared the environmental and social characteristics of the areas enrolled in the program with the characteristics of all forested areas in Mexico, all areas eligible for the program, and all areas submitted for application to the program. The program successfully enrolled areas of both high ecological and social priority, and over time, adaptive changes in the program's criteria for eligibility and selection led to increased enrollment of land scoring high on both dimensions. Three factors facilitated adaptive management in Mexico and are likely to be generally important for conservation managers: a supportive political environment, including financial backing and encouragement to experiment from the federal government; availability of relatively good social and environmental data; and active participation in the review process by stakeholders and outside evaluators. Mejorando los Objetivos Ambiental y Social Mediante el Manejo Adaptativo en el Programa de Pagos por Servicios Hidrológicos en México     

Fire Management,Managed Relocation,and Land Conservation Options for Long‐Lived Obligate Seeding Plants under Global Changes in Climate,Urbanization, and Fire Regime

Most species face multiple anthropogenic disruptions. Few studies have quantified the cumulative influence of multiple threats on species of conservation concern, and far fewer have quantified the potential relative value of multiple conservation interventions in light of these threats. We linked spatial distribution and population viability models to explore conservation interventions under projected climate change, urbanization, and changes in fire regime on a long‐lived obligate seeding plant species sensitive to high fire frequencies, a dominant plant functional type in many fire‐prone ecosystems, including the biodiversity hotspots of Mediterranean‐type ecosystems. First, we investigated the relative risk of population decline for plant populations in landscapes with and without land protection under an existing habitat conservation plan. Second, we modeled the effectiveness of relocating both seedlings and seeds from a large patch with predicted declines in habitat area to 2 unoccupied recipient patches with increasing habitat area under 2 projected climate change scenarios. Finally, we modeled 8 fire return intervals (FRIs) approximating the outcomes of different management strategies that effectively control fire frequency. Invariably, long‐lived obligate seeding populations remained viable only when FRIs were maintained at or above a minimum level. Land conservation and seedling relocation efforts lessened the impact of climate change and land‐use change on obligate seeding populations to differing degrees depending on the climate change scenario, but neither of these efforts was as generally effective as frequent translocation of seeds. While none of the modeled strategies fully compensated for the effects of land‐use and climate change, an integrative approach managing multiple threats may diminish population declines for species in complex landscapes. Conservation plans designed to mitigate the impacts of a single threat are likely to fail if additional threats are ignored. Manejo de Incendios, Reubicación Administrada y Opciones de Conservación de Suelo para Plantas de Vida Larga con Sembrado Obligado bajo los Cambios Globales en el Clima, la Urbanización y el Régimen de Incendios     

GROUND WATER QUALITY IMPLICATIONS OF SOIL CONSERVATION MEASURES: AN ECONOMIC PERSPECTWE1

ABSTRACT: An evaluation of the intermedia movement of pesticides applied under various land management systems already in place, or to be implemented, under the Conservation Reserve and Conservation Compliance programs is presented. The simulation modeling approach followed in this analysis consists of a mathematical programming model and leaching/surface runoff, Pesticide Root Zone Model (PRZM) models. Special care was taken to ensure that the physical model was sensitive to the chemical characteristics of individual pesticides and the important physical changes brought about by different agricultural practices. Results show that, although these programs as now planned, increase farm income and achieve soil conservation goals, they may adversely affect ground water quality. Also, depending on soil and location characteristics, there are tradeoffs between surface and ground water quality implications. Hence, if these programs are to address water quality problems, the recommended practices must be evaluated for their impact on water quality, particularly in potentially vulnerable areas.     

Transboundary conservation: An ecoregional approach to protect neotropical migratory birds in South America

Future conservation efforts will need to transcend geopolitical boundaries in efforts to protect entire landscapes and ecosystems. Neotropical migratory birds are as a group a useful conservation tool for linking diverse landscapes and people due to their dependence on multiple habitats, sensitivity to habitat changes, and universal public appeal. The conservation of neotropical migrants can therefore function as a powerful hemispheric umbrella for ecosystem protection. Efforts to protect neotropical migratory birds on their nonbreeding grounds have traditionally been focused on Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. To assess the importance of South America to neotropical migrants, an ecoregional classification system was used to determine species distributions in the Andean/Southern Cone Region (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, and Venezuela). The occurrence of migrants in protected areas that are part of The Nature Conservancy's Parks in Peril program was also assessed. Of the 406 neotropical migrant species, nearly one third (132) occur as regular nonbreeding residents in the region and for almost half of these species (53), South America is their main nonbreeding ground. All Parks in Peril sites were found to harbor neotropical migrants. Forty-eight species (36%) have declining longterm North American Breeding Bird Survey population trends and/or high Partners in Flight concern scores and thus are of significant conservation concern. Most importantly, 29 species (22%) of conservation concern use South America as their primary nonbreeding ground, indicating a need for focused conservation action. The nature of the ecoregional approach used in this endeavor makes future prioritization of ecoregions and conservation strategies for neotropical migrants across national boundaries possible. The ability to link diverse landscapes using a common element such as migratory birds allows for unique transboundary partnerships and opportunities for habitat conservation, which support the goal of the Conservancy's new Migratory Bird Initiative.     

长江洪水与生态建设

１９９８年长江流域的特大洪水带来了重大的灾难并引起全国人民的关注。文章试图对洪水的原因进行分析。１９９８年的洪水是多种因素造成的,其中既有自然因素,又有由于人类的不合理的活动,诸如滥伐森林、过牧、围湖造田等造成的。文章对生态重建提出了一系列建议,包括要对流域的土地利用和土地覆被进行综合考察和评价；在流域可持续发展的总体框架下制定生态恢复计划；生态重建工作包括对上游地区森林的严格保护,封山育林,建立防护林体系,发展非木质产业,在高海拔、干旱河谷和不宜造林的地方发展畜牧业等     

包装装备跌落撞击缓冲特性分析

目的 获得尺寸和质量最小的缓冲结构.方法 基于能量守恒原理,建立包装装备缓冲结构撞击环境缓冲特性理论分析的数学模型,获得正撞和侧撞工况下缓冲结构尺寸和防护效果的变化关系.研究采用新型泡沫填充蜂窝材料的缓冲结构设计,优选泡沫填充蜂窝材料参数.建立缓冲结构撞击环境的物质点法计算模型,开展高速撞击的数值仿真.分析包装装备在撞击环境下的吸能效果,获得被保护产品的速度变化曲线.结果 在不同撞击姿态的撞击环境下,缓冲结构尺寸随撞击能量的增大而增大,缓冲材料密度减小和平台应力增大可减小缓冲结构尺寸.优选密度为600 kg/m3的泡沫填充蜂窝材料,可使得缓冲结构尺寸和质量最小,相比于传统木材,可降低质量约49％.物质点数值计算分析验证了该缓冲结构可将高速撞击速度降低到目标低速撞击水平.结论 采用泡沫铝填充蜂窝吸能材料的缓冲结构,满足撞击环境缓冲防护的安全性需求,可大幅降低整体质量.     

民勤土地荒漠化的成因分析及治理措施研究

自2001年以来温总理先后有六次对石羊河流域的治理和民勤县土地荒漠化问题作出过重要批示.在2005年召开的全国人代会上,又同与会的甘肃代表共商治理对策,并再次强调指出:"决不能让民勤成为第二个罗布泊"."罗布泊"已成为生态灾难的代名词,我们不能坐视这个代名词在民勤重演.本文分析了民勤荒漠化的成因,并提出从源头、上、下游三管齐下综合治理石羊河流域的思路以及相应措施.     

浅谈我国及内蒙古自治区城市水环境污染对策现状和水资源保护利用

本文在阐述我国及内蒙古自治区的城市水环境污染现状的基础上， 分析了存在的原因， 并提出了相关的水环境污染防治、水资源保护利用对策。     

关于区域生物多样性保护研究的若干问题

区域生物多样性保护研究是一项基础性很强的应用研究,应为保护行动计划提供有理论依据的可操作性的保护措施和技术。在生态系统多样性、物种多样性和基因多样性的三个层次上,以物种多样性保护为核心,即以保护和调控生态系统的多样性,来保护与发展物种的多样性,并由此保护和保存生物遗传基因的多样性。同时,它也是一项社会性很强的实际研究,需要通过对代表性地区或优先重点地区的具体研究来实现。本文还提出了应研究的内容、应提交的成果和综述了需要在研究中思考、探讨和验证的理论问题,为区域生物多样性保护的研究提供了可参考的技术路线。