Changing Drivers of Deforestation and New Opportunities for Conservation

Abstract: Over the past 50 years, human agents of deforestation have changed in ways that have potentially important implications for conservation efforts. We characterized these changes through a meta‐analysis of case studies of land‐cover change in the tropics. From the 1960s to the 1980s, small‐scale farmers, with state assistance, deforested large areas of tropical forest in Southeast Asia and Latin America. As globalization and urbanization increased during the 1980s, the agents of deforestation changed in two important parts of the tropical biome, the lowland rainforests in Brazil and Indonesia. Well‐capitalized ranchers, farmers, and loggers producing for consumers in distant markets became more prominent in these places and this globalization weakened the historically strong relationship between local population growth and forest cover. At the same time, forests have begun to regrow in some tropical uplands. These changing circumstances, we believe, suggest two new and differing strategies for biodiversity conservation in the tropics, one focused on conserving uplands and the other on promoting environmental stewardship in lowlands and other areas conducive to industrial agriculture.     

Current Status of Marine Protected Areas in Latin America and the Caribbean

Abstract: Marine protected areas (MPAs), including no‐take marine reserves (MRs), play an important role in the conservation of marine biodiversity. We document the status of MPAs and MRs in Latin America and the Caribbean, where little has been reported on the scope of such protection. Our survey of protected area databases, published and unpublished literature, and Internet searches yielded information from 30 countries and 12 overseas territories. At present more than 700 MPAs have been established, covering more than 300,000 km² or 1.5% of the coastal and shelf waters. We report on the status of 3 categories of protection: MPAs (limited take throughout the area), MRs (no‐take throughout the area), and mixed‐use (a limited‐take MPA that contains an MR). The majority of protected areas in Latin America and the Caribbean are MPAs, which allow some or extensive extractive activities throughout the designated area. These 571 sites cover 51,505 km² or 0.3% of coastal and shelf waters. There are 98 MRs covering 16,862 km² or 0.1% of the coastal and shelf waters. Mixed‐use MPAs are the fewest in number (87), but cover the largest area (236,853 km², 1.2%). Across Latin America and the Caribbean, many biogeographic provinces are underrepresented in these protected areas. Large coastal regions remain unprotected, in particular, the southern Pacific and southern Atlantic coasts of South America. Our analysis reveals multiple opportunities to strengthen marine conservation in Latin America and the Caribbean by improving implementation, management, and enforcement of existing MPAs; adding new MPAs and MRs strategically to enhance connectivity and sustainability of existing protection; and establishing new networks of MPAs and MRs or combinations thereof to enhance protection where little currently exists.     

Applying the Declining Population Paradigm: Diagnosing Causes of Poor Reproduction in the Marbled Murrelet

Abstract:  We identified six approaches to diagnosing causes of population declines and illustrate the use of the most general one ("multiple competing hypotheses") to determine which of three candidate limiting factors—food availability, nesting site availability, and nest predation—were responsible for the exceptionally poor reproduction of Marbled Murrelets (  Brachyramphus marmoratus ) in central California. We predicted how six attributes of murrelet demography, behavior, and physiology should be affected by the candidate limiting factors and tested predictions with field data collected over 2 years. The average proportion of breeders, as estimated with radiotelemetry, was low (0.31) and varied significantly between years: 0.11 in 2000 and 0.50 in 2001. Murrelets spent significantly more time foraging in 2000 than in 2001, suggesting that low food availability limited breeding in 2000. In 2001, 50% of radio-marked murrelets nested and 67% of females were in breeding condition, suggesting that enough nest sites existed for much of the population to breed. However, rates of nest failure and nest predation were high (0.84 and 0.67–0.81, respectively) and few young were produced, even when a relatively high proportion of murrelets bred. Thus, we suggest that reproduction of Marbled Murrelets in central California is limited by food availability in some years and by nest predation in others, but apparently is not limited by availability of nesting sites. The multiple-competing-hypotheses approach provides a rigorous framework for identifying causes of population declines because it integrates multiple types of data sets and can incorporate elements of other commonly used approaches.     

从山东省部分行业看工业节水潜力

本文采用万元产值取水量和水重复利用率作为节水指标,通过对山东省主要工业行业用水节水现状进行调查研究,阐述了各行业节水水平和节水经验,分析并预测了节水潜力,总结提出了各行业应采取的主要节水措施和建议。     

Planning for Biodiversity: the Role of Ecological Impact Assessment

Abstract:  Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is the process of identifying potential environmental effects of proposed development and the required mitigation measures. It is one of the most widely used planning tools today, but its ability to promote biodiversity conservation is largely unexplored. We studied the ecological component of the Israeli EIA system by reviewing a representative sample of 52 environmental impact statements (EISs) produced since 1995 and their corresponding guidelines issued by the Ministry of the Environment. Quality of both EISs and guidelines was determined using a simple scoring approach. Lack of quantitative data, meaningful analyses, and ecosystem perspective was apparent throughout. Many EISs failed to perform field surveys and their qualitative nature hampered meaningful impact prediction. Most EISs concentrated on aesthetic mitigation measures and did not assess their feasibility and likely success. Most of these flaws reflect poor standards rather than true scientific limitations. Guideline quality scores were the most important factor determining the quality of EISs; second was the involvement of an ecological consultant in preparing the EIS. We found a decreasing trend of EIS quality scores over time. Improvements in EIA procedures, particularly in ecological guidelines and the incorporation of ecological consultation, are important for upgrading ecological impact assessment so that the potential of EIA to advance biodiversity conservation can be realized.     

调水工程生态补偿的分阶段推进战略

水质安全是调水工程顺利实施的关键,为此调水区背负巨大的调水工程的外部经济成本和社会发展代价,必须通过生态补偿政策进行内部化,然而调水工程涉及的范围广、时间长、利益主体多、资金投入大,难以通过一种手段或者现有某种方式建立长效的生态补偿机制。文章从调水工程生态补偿政策建立的目标、标准、责任分担与利益共享、补偿方式角度分析了生态补偿现状及存在的问题,提出了调水工程生态补偿的分阶段推进战略总体思路与实施构想,重点分析了各阶段生态补偿政策的制定标准和要求,为中线调水工程生态补偿政策制定提供了技术支持。     

地下空间在节能减排中的应用及展望

在能源短缺和环境污染的双重压力下,我国出台多项措施加大节能减排力度。总结概括了地下空间的几种类型,认为盐岩洞穴、废弃矿洞、废弃油井、枯竭油气层等地下空间经过技术改造,可以埋存CO2、固体垃圾、废弃核原料,储存油气,地热利用等,能创造可观的社会价值和环境保护效益,可作为节能减排的一种有效措施。以山东地区为例,调研分析了山东多处地下空间利用现状,给出了地下空间的三种发展方向。     

基于分布式水文模型的武夷山市水文调节服务评估

武夷山是我国生态文明建设的重点示范区,开展水文调节功能服务价值评估是福建省生态安全保障的重要需求.采用流域分布式时变增益水文模型（DTVGM）,在充分考虑流域气象、水文、土地利用类型等信息的基础上,精细化模拟了武夷山流域的水文过程,定量评估了2010年和2015年有植被覆盖和无植被覆盖两种条件下武夷山市及下属各行政区植被生态系统的径流调节量及其价值量.结果表明:①武夷山市2010年和2015年径流调节量分别为5.73×108和5.21×108 m3,折合人民币分别为35.93×108和37.46×108元.②2010年枯水期日均径流调节量相比丰水期下降了0.013×108 m3;2015年枯水期日均径流调节量相比丰水期下降了0.009×108 m3.③星镇村和洋庄乡径流调节价值量明显多于其他行政区,均超过10.48×108元;崇安街道和新丰街道相对较低,均低于1.59×108元;其他几个行政区基本持平,在3.26×108~6.70×108元之间.研究显示,武夷山市区由于植被丰富,林地覆盖面积较大且密度较高,总体水文调节能力较强,但同时也受区域气候条件影响较大,有植被覆盖条件下在应对非极端气候时可以维持较好的径流调节能力,然而在极端特大暴雨事件中,现有植被种类的截留能力还不足以应对短时强降水过程.      

RATIONAL INDUSTRIAL WATER REUSE RATIOS1

ABSTRACT: This work begins by defining rational water use, and then discusses important factors that most strongly influence it. A general model is then developed to enable factories to quantify the ratio of rational industrial water reuse based on the least cost method. The model is established to minimize the cost of water with reference to gross water use and three subsystems ‐ the intake, reuse, and discharge of industrial water. Discharge cost is determined using data from a 1997 survey of 38 factories, and reuse costs are ranked and expressed by a step function. The model is verified using data from a typical semiconductor factory in northern Taiwan's Hsinchu Science Based Industrial Park, whose effective rational water reuse ratio is about 38 percent. A sensitivity analysis shows that improving water reuse technology is the most important factor in determining the rational water reuse ratio, and the price of water is the second most important. When water costs over NT$30 (New Taiwan Dollar, US$1 = NT$34) per cubic meter, increasing reuse becomes significant. The model provides a step towards the scientific management of industrial water.