Valuing Ecosystem Services in Terms of Ecological Risks and Returns

Abstract: The economic valuation of ecosystem services is a key policy tool in stemming losses of biological diversity. It is proposed that the loss of ecosystem function and the biological resources within ecosystems is due in part to the failure of markets to recognize the benefits humans derive from ecosystems. Placing monetary values on ecosystem services is often suggested as a necessary step in correcting such market failures. We consider the effects of valuing different types of ecosystem services within an economic framework. We argue that provisioning and regulating ecosystem services are generally produced and consumed in ways that make them amenable to economic valuation. The values associated with cultural ecosystem services lie outside the domain of economic valuation, but their worth may be expressed through noneconomic, deliberative forms of valuation. We argue that supporting ecosystem services are not of direct value and that the losses of such services can be expressed in terms of the effects of their loss on the risk to the provision of the directly valued ecosystem services they support. We propose a heuristic framework that considers the relations between ecological risks and returns in the provision of ecosystem services. The proposed ecosystem‐service valuation framework, which allows the expression of the value of all types of ecosystem services, calls for a shift from static, purely monetary valuation toward the consideration of trade‐offs between the current flow of benefits from ecosystems and the ability of those ecosystems to provide future flows.     

The value of flexibility in conservation financing

Land‐acquisition strategies employed by conservation organizations vary in their flexibility. Conservation‐planning theory largely fails to reflect this by presenting models that are either extremely inflexible—parcel acquisitions are irreversible and budgets are fixed—or extremely flexible—previously acquired parcels can readily be sold. This latter approach, the selling of protected areas, is infeasible or problematic in many situations. We considered the value to conservation organizations of increasing the flexibility of their land‐acquisition strategies through their approach to financing deals. Specifically, we modeled 2 acquisition‐financing methods commonly used by conservation organizations: borrowing and budget carry‐over. Using simulated data, we compared results from these models with those from an inflexible fixed‐budget model and an extremely flexible selling model in which previous acquisitions could be sold to fund new acquisitions. We then examined 3 case studies of how conservation organizations use borrowing and budget carry‐over in practice. Model comparisons showed that borrowing and budget carry‐over always returned considerably higher rewards than the fixed‐budget model. How they performed relative to the selling model depended on the relative conservation value of past acquisitions. Both the models and case studies showed that incorporating flexibility through borrowing or budget carry‐over gives conservation organizations the ability to purchase parcels of higher conservation value than when budgets are fixed without the problems associated with the selling of protected areas.     

关于影响易损性分析结果的区域因素研究——以福建为例

以福建省震害快速评估系统为依托,以分析处理现场实际调查数据为基础,提出了主要影响易损性分析结果的四个区域因素及其影响指数值、区域综合指数值,提供了各分区的划分依据、各分区影响指数值的评定标准以及区域综合指数值的计算方法,为合理应用不同地区之间的易损性矩阵或易损性曲线提供了参考依据。     

金属矿山安全经济效益研究

金属矿山企业在为国民经济发展做出重大贡献的同时,安全工作的作用更加突出,安全事故频繁发生,会直接影响企业的经济效益和社会效益。从人的生命经济价值出发,通过对人身伤亡赔偿费用的确定,分析人身伤亡赔偿与安全效益之间的经济关系,论证了提高职工的人身伤亡赔偿,可以给企业带来经济效益,为企业制定安全措施方案提供可靠的依据。     

湖泊水体悬浮物中痕量砷的测定方法

重金属在悬浮物和水相中的分配是水体重金属形态研究的重要组成部分,对于追踪水体中重金属元素的来源、迁移转化规律以及重金属生态与健康效应具有重要意义.水中砷元素以其极强的毒性严重危害人类的健康,已越来越引起政府和社会的广泛关注.然而,目前关于痕量悬浮物中砷测定的前处理过程及室内分析的方法与质量控制的叙述不够详尽,有必要对此做深入的研究.本文针对悬浮物较少的水域,选用7个滇池水样,采用不同滤膜、不同预处理方法、不同消解用酸及消解时间,测定并比较砷空白值,试图通过改变实验条件降低空白值,探索前处理的最佳条件及步骤.结果表明,对于悬浮物较少的湖泊水域,采用预称重的醋酸纤维膜过滤水样、载有颗粒物的滤膜冷冻干燥、HNO3-HCl O4加热共消解36 h,消解上清液用氢化物发生原子荧光光度计测定砷空白值低于悬浮物一个数量级以上,膜空白砷相对标准偏差为2.80%~11.38%,膜空白加标回收率为83%~103%;与滇池5个实际样品验证误差范围0.27%~6.92%.此方法可以可靠地获得悬浮物中的砷含量,在砷含量较低的水体悬浮物测定方面具有优势.     

中国二氧化硫污染的“稳健性”影响因素——基于空间面板数据EBA模型的实证分析

改革开放以来,中国的经济发展取得了举世瞩目的成就.然而,随着经济的快速增长,环境污染问题也日益凸显.本文采用2000—2012年中国30个省际的面板数据,利用环境库兹涅茨曲线(EKC)理论检验二氧化硫(SO2)污染与经济增长的关系及其空间溢出效应,进而引入极值边界模型(EBA模型)实证检验SO2污染的"稳健性"影响因素.结果表明:我国各省域SO2污染与经济增长存在EKC曲线假设的倒"U"型关系,并具有空间溢出效应;第二产业就业人口比重、出口占GDP的比重、能源效率、化石能源比重、工业污染治理完成投资与SO2排放量呈正向"稳健性"关系,产业结构升级与SO2排放量呈负向"稳健性"关系.最后根据实证结论提出相应的政策建议,为政府制定相应的SO2减排政策提供经验证据和决策参考.     

流域突发污染事件的生态服务价值损失评估方法研究

生态系统服务价值损失评估是流域突发水污染事件生态损害定量、污染事故责任认定的重要依据.针对流域突发污染事件损失定量问题,基于生态系统服务价值理论,构建了包含不同主导服务偏好的生态系统服务价值损失指标评估方法,提出了受损服务识别、评估指标筛选、损失价值核算三步评估程序,并以浙江省某河段苯酚泄漏事件造成的流域生态系统服务损失为例进行实际测算,结合实例以1-9标度层次分析法(AHP)验证了该方法偏好系数计算方法的可靠性.结果表明,本方法与AHP法的水体生态系统服务损失评估额相对偏差为2.5％,单项指标损失额排序相同,并且在保证评估结果可靠性的前提下更具易操作性优势.     

ALOHA在突发性大气污染事故中的应用

以天津市某化工厂液氨罐泄漏为背景,在氨泄漏后果分析的基础上,用ALOHA(有害大气区域定位)模拟软件对事故影响范围进行模拟,得到可能事故场景下的氨气扩散区域、闪火可燃区域和蒸气云爆炸超压影响区域,以及射火和BLEVE火球热辐射影响.结果表明,液氨爆炸和火灾事故中BLEVE事故造成的危害范围最大,其次是蒸气云、闪火,最后是射火.液氨泄漏扩散事故影响范围可达几千米,应针对不同伤害区域采取不同方式和不同程度的救援措施.     

西南技术工程研究所, 重庆 400039

目的建立敦煌地区温度、相对湿度和日温差的年极值拟合模型。方法根据当地气象站台温度和相对湿度日记时值数据,连续统计若干年的三要素年极值,采用极大似然法建立各要素年极值的Gumbel模型,同时讨论值域有界类气象因素极值再现期的定义域。结果给出了敦煌地区温度、相对湿度和日温差年极值的Gumbel模型参数。结论敦煌地区各气象因素Gumbel模型位置参数和尺度参数,温度极大值分别为35.193,1.072℃,温度极小值分别为-20.085,1.945℃,相对湿度极大值为95.254%,2.471%,相对湿度极小值为5.837%,1.505%,日温差极大值为20.676,0.777℃,日温差极小值为1.398,0.593℃;相对湿度极大值、相对湿度极小值和日温差极小值的再现期定义域分别为6.3,47和10年。     

空气资源评估方法及其在城市环境总体规划中的应用

从空气污染气候学的角度,提出了空气资源禀赋的概念、评估方法、等级划分及分区管控的理念.同时,以宜昌城市环境总体规划为例,利用MM5耦合CALMET模式对大气环境系统进行解析,计算了宜昌市域范围高时空分辨率(1 km×1 km)通风系数A值分布,并作为空气资源禀赋等级分区的依据.在此基础上,将空气资源分区的结果与地理信息系统相结合,给出其空间分布,强化了分区管控政策的空间落地.评估结果表明,宜昌地区空气资源禀赋等级共分为4级,A值在8以上的空气资源禀赋充裕的地区,约占市域面积的30.3%;较好和一般的地区,A值分别在5~8和3~5之间,约占34.1%和34.8%;A值在1~3之间空气资源禀赋稀少的地区,仅占0.8%.本研究提出的空气资源禀赋分区方法具有较强的合理性,预期在城市中长期发展过程中的产业布局与分级调控中具有较好的应用前景.