A Rapid Method for Assessing the Environmental Performance of Commercial Farms in the Pampas of Argentina

The generation of reliable updated information is critical to support the harmonization of socio-economic and environmental issues in a context of sustainable development. The agro-environmental assessment and management of agricultural systems often relies on indicators that are necessary to make sound decisions. This work aims to provide an approach to (a) assess the environmental performance of commercial farms in the Pampas of Argentina, and (b) propose a methodological framework to calculate environmental indicators that can rapidly be applied to practical farming. 120 commercial farms scattered across the Pampas were analyzed in this study during 2002 and 2003. Eleven basic indicators were identified and calculation methods described. Such indicators were fossil energy (FE) use, FE use efficiency, nitrogen (N) balance, phosphorus (P) balance, N contamination risk, P contamination risk, pesticide contamination risk, soil erosion risk, habitat intervention, changes in soil carbon stock, and balance of greenhouse gases. A model named Agro-Eco-Index was developed on a Microsoft-Excel support to incorporate on-farm collected data and facilitate the calculation of indicators by users. Different procedures were applied to validate the model and present the results to the users. Regression models (based on linear and non-linear models) were used to validate the comparative performance of the study farms across the Pampas. An environmental dashboard was provided to represent in a graphical way the behavior of farms. The method provides a tool to discriminate environmentally friendly farms from those that do not pay enough attention to environmental issues. Our procedure might be useful for implementing an ecological certification system to reward a good environmental behavior in society (e.g., through tax benefits) and generate a commercial advantage (e.g., through the allocation of green labels) for committed farmers.     

Changes Of Hydrological Environment And Their Influences On Coastal Wetlands InThe Southern Laizhou Bay, China

The structure and function of the coastal wetland ecosystem in the southern Laizhou Bay have been changed greatly and influenced by regional hydrological changes. The coastal wetlands have degraded significantly during the latest 30 years due to successive drought, decreasing of runoff, pollution, underground saline water intrusion, and aggravating marine disasters such as storm tides and sea level rising. Most archaic lakes have vanished, while artificial wetlands have been extending since natural coastal wetlands replaced by salt areas and ponds of shrimps and crabs. The pollution of sediments in inter-tidal wetlands and the pollution of water quality in sub-tidal wetlands are getting worse and therefore “red tides” happen more often than before. The biodiversity in the study area has been decreased. Further studies are still needed to protect the degraded coastal wetlands in the area.     

生态足迹理论对生态城市建设的启示

介绍了生态足迹理论基本概念和计算模型,并运用该模型,对上海市生态足迹进行了计算和分析。在此基础上探讨了生态足迹理论对生态城市建设的启示,提出应在不降低人们生活水平的前提下,减少生态足迹,提高城市的可持续发展能力。     

城市环境地球化学调查研究方法综述

总结了城市环境地球化学调查的技术路线,论述了城市环境地球化学解释的思路和方法,提出了城市环境地球化学调查研究的重点问题及研究方向,为开展城市环境调查和评价工作提供了有参考价值的研究线索。     

重庆长江广阳岛生态修复设计与实践探索

广阳岛的生态修复设计以"长江风景眼,重庆生态岛"为价值追求,聚焦"生态"和"风景".生态修复设计围绕"摸清本底、自然恢复、生态修复、增加生物多样性"四个核心方面展开,通过运用土壤改良技术、海绵理水技术和生态疏田技术等生态修复技术提升生态修复科技内涵,使生态修复后的广阳岛以生态为魂、以风景为象.一期按照四种模式完成生态修...     

环境规制对城市生态技术扩散效率的影响研究

生态技术扩散是长江经济带生态文明建设的必要环节,也是企业履行环保责任的有效措施。本文以长江经济带110个地级及以上城市为研究对象,采用非径向方向距离函数对城市工业企业生态技术扩散效率进行测算,分别从整体和区域异质性角度实证分析环境规制对城市工业企业生态技术扩散效率的影响及内在机理。结果表明：长江经济带城市环境规制与生态技术扩散效率存在倒“U”形关系,环境规制对生态技术扩散效率还存在多重影响路径,外商直接投资和工业集聚在影响路径中分别起着中介作用,且外商直接投资和工业集聚的链式中介显著。在异质性分析中,发现环境规制、外商直接投资、工业集聚和生态技术扩散效率之间的关系因区域位置不同而存在差异性。为此,依据研究结论及环境规制实施现状提出相应的政策建议,实现长江经济带经济永续绿色发展目标。     

基于双指标多等级的土壤重金属生态风险评价

采用土壤中重金属的全量和有效态双重指标,建立基于多等级综合评估的土壤中重金属生态风险评价模型,将联合概率曲线法引入土壤评价模型,分析重金属暴露浓度与毒性数据的概率分布,考察重金属对土壤生物的毒害程度,从而确定土壤中重金属对于生态系统的风险。建立从简单到复杂的多等级综合评价方法,表征重金属的污染等级、浓度效应、多种重金属污染物的协同效应、不同重金属的毒性效应和土壤对不同重金属污染物的敏感性。选择典型地区采集有代表性的土壤样品,测定不同重金属的总量和有效态,验证评价模型的实用性和评价分级的合理性。旨在解决土壤重金属风险评价的方法学问题,为土壤环境质量管理提供支持。     

遥感技术在水生态环境管理的应用与前景

随着遥感数据源的不断丰富,遥感技术不断提高,可以解决越来越多的水环境问题。指出了当前水生态环境管理方面的主要需求,结合目前遥感技术的发展,对国内外的水环境遥感研究进展进行综述。以湖泊富营养化监测与评估、核电站温排水遥感监测及城市黑臭水体遥感监测为案例,具体阐述遥感在水环境管理中的应用方法及成效。未来水生态环境管理发展趋势将以水污染防治为主向水污染防治和水生态修复与保护并重发展。基于此趋势,提出遥感在水生态修复的应用潜力,利于更多地方部门积极有效应用遥感技术,解决水生态环境问题。     

城市地区重建湿地的生态过程研究

研究了湿地重建过程中植物、土壤和水质的动态变化特征.湿地重建2 a后植物种类增加了11种,芦苇、菖蒲和香蒲3种植物的高度、生物量在第2个生长季明显高于第1个生长季节,植物生物量分别增加到原来的13、1.5和1.4倍.湿地种植区土壤有机质总体上是降低的,土壤全氮含量从1?500　mg/kg降低到850　mg/kg（p＜0.01）,土壤全磷在试验期间略有增加.对重建湿地12种水质指标分析表明,夏季湿地出口源水溶解氧高于进口源水,出口源水总氮、叶绿素a、藻类计数3种水质指标均低于进口源水,说明重建湿地水质在夏季出口源水优于进口源水,水质得到改善.研究表明,湿地植物群落重建成功,生物多样性增加,重建湿地在改善和保持源水水质方面发挥了一定的作用.     

南海重点海洋倾倒区表层沉积物富集特征及其潜在生态风险评价

根据2005南海三个重点海洋倾倒区,即九澳岛重点海洋倾倒区、黄茅岛重点海洋倾倒区、汕头重点海洋倾倒区的监测,分析其表层沉积物重金属的监测资料,采用富集系数法和Hakanson潜在生态危害系数法对其富集度和潜在生态危害程度进行了分析和评价.结果表明:在三个倾倒区表层沉积物所监测的重金属中,Cu和Pb元素的富集度相对最高,Hg和Cd元素的富集度较低,从空间上看,潜在生态危害系数评价结果显示,南海三个重点海洋倾倒区表层沉积物中的重金属对海洋生态系统的潜在生态危害非常轻微,均属于轻微潜在生态危害范畴,其中轻微潜在生态危害程度相对较重的是Cd和Hg元素,Cu和Pb元素的轻微生态危害程度较轻.