Urban growth and landscape connectivity threats assessment at Saguaro National Park,Arizona, USA

Urban and exurban expansion results in habitat and biodiversity loss globally. We hypothesize that a coupled-model approach could connect urban planning for future cities with landscape ecology to consider wildland habitat connectivity. Our work combines urban growth simulations with models of wildlife corridors to examine how species will be impacted by development to test this hypothesis. We leverage a land use change model (SLEUTH) with structural and functional landscape-connectivity modeling techniques to ascertain the spatial extent and locations of connectivity related threats to a national park in southern Arizona, USA, and describe how protected areas might be impacted by urban expansion. Results of projected growth significantly altered structural connectivity (80%) when compared to current (baseline) corridor conditions. Moreover, projected growth impacted functional connectivity differently amongst species, indicating resilience of some species and near-complete displacement of others. We propose that implementing a geospatial-design-based model will allow for a better understanding of the impacts management decisions have on wildlife populations. The application provides the potential to understand both human and environmental impacts of land-system dynamics, critical for long-term sustainability.     

Integrating disaster risk reduction in national development planning: experience and challenges of Jamaica

It is generally recognised by the disaster risk management and development communities that disasters have a negative impact on development, and indeed can set back development by years. This realisation led to a new paradigm for the management of hazards and their impacts, namely an integrated approach which emphasises disaster risk reduction being incorporated into national development planning. Awareness, however, does not necessarily translate into implementation. ‘Reduce the underlying risk factors’, Priority for Action 4 of The Hyogo Framework for Action 2005–2015, reported the lowest average score for progress of the five priority areas. Challenges to progress, as reported by Governments included inappropriate development practices, high levels of poverty and other factors which increase vulnerability. Various authors have recognised the difficulty of consistently and successfully integrating disaster risk reduction into development planning. This integration is particularly challenging for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) which face high exposure to hazards, vulnerable populations and limited resources, often both human and financial. The efforts of Jamaica, a Caribbean SIDS, at integrating disaster risk reduction into national development, and some factors which proved to be important in making progress are presented here. This retrospective paper is written from the perspective of a participant observer and traces developments in disaster risk management over three decades, 1980–2010. Integration and inclusiveness, use of quantitative methods and application of risk assessments are identified as being important in gaining acceptance for disaster risk reduction.     

国土空间规划体系下的全域环境空间管控研究——以苏州市为例

立足新时期国土空间规划体系强化全域环境空间管控,推动各类环境要素管控分区降尺度与融合化,实现环境污染源头管控与精准落地,是系统应对当前高强度、复合型环境问题的有效途径.构建基于国土空间规划的全覆盖、多层级环境功能分区管控体系,在单要素人为污染物排放量和综合排放强度评价基础上,提出环境功能分区的管控等级集成评价模型,探索分区管理和分级施策的全域环境空间管控途径,并以高度工业化和城市化的苏州市为案例开展应用研究.结果表明：①基于国土空间规划体系的"三区三线"与现行环境要素管控分区的空间耦合性,建立由8个一级分区和21个二级分区构成的环境功能分区管控体系;②按照"三区三线"管控属性和综合排放强度,可进一步将环境功能分区的管控等级由高至低划分为Ⅴ、Ⅳ、Ⅲ、Ⅱ、Ⅰ及○级;③苏州市人为污染物排放量总体偏大,城镇空间内的工矿业生产空间及城乡居住空间、农业空间内的生产养殖空间的综合排放强度较高,主要分布于姑苏、虎丘等中心城区及昆山、常熟等工业集聚区;④苏州市Ⅴ级和Ⅳ级管控区以工矿业生产空间、城乡居住空间和特殊生产空间为主,Ⅲ级管控区以混合空间为主,Ⅱ级以农业种植空间和生产养殖空间为主,Ⅰ级和○级管控区主要包括一般生态空间和生态保护红线.案例应用表明,国土空间规划体系下的全域环境空间管控可操作性强,可实现环境规制精准落实到污染源空间;建议以环境功能分区分级管控体系为基础,将环境空间管控全面融入国土空间规划体系,建立综合施策的环境协同管理机制.     

基于演化博弈的危化品安全监管情景推演研究

针对危化品安全生产监管问题,基于演化博弈理论构建危化品安全监管演化博弈模型,并将危化品事故发生率引入模型,对比分析危化品企业与地方政府监管部门行为策略的演化稳定均衡。在此基础上进行情景推演模拟仿真,研究表明:危化品事故发生率,对危化品企业和地方政府监管部门的策略选择有显著影响,当危化品事故发生概率低于某一临界值时,危化品企业和监管部门都会疏忽安全投入和监管;地方政府承受危化品事故经济损失和信誉损失增大时,危化品安全监管系统演化呈现出周期性波动;引入上级政府惩罚机制情景下,当上级政府惩罚力度高于危化品企业未投入安全生产受到的处罚和地方政府安全监管成本时,其最终都选择安全投入和严格监管策略。研究结论为政府监管危化品安全生产提供新的思路和对策建议。     

基于GIS的危险化学气体泄漏事故应急响应研究

为了研究危险化学气体泄漏事故扩散过程以及受灾人员疏散规划问题。提出以GIS为“连接器”,将危险化学气体的泄漏和扩散过程模拟、气体扩散风险分析和最优疏散方案生成3个过程进行集成,实现泄漏事故的综合应急响应。研究结果显示:方法能针对各类泄漏事故模拟气体的动态扩散过程,并生成受灾人员疏散规划方案,有助于应急处置机构及时决策,进而减少生命财产的损失。     

Five Hundred Years of Hydrological Drought in the Upper Colorado River Basin1

Abstract: This article evaluates drought scenarios of the Upper Colorado River basin (UCRB) considering multiple drought variables for the past 500 years and positions the current drought in terms of the magnitude and frequency. Drought characteristics were developed considering water‐year data of UCRB’s streamflow, and basin‐wide averages of the Palmer Hydrological Drought Index (PHDI) and the Palmer Z Index. Streamflow and drought indices were reconstructed for the last 500 years using a principal component regression model based on tree‐ring data. The reconstructed streamflow showed higher variability as compared with reconstructed PHDI and reconstructed Palmer Z Index. The magnitude and severity of all droughts were obtained for the last 500 years for historical and reconstructed drought variables and ranked accordingly. The frequency of the current drought was obtained by considering two different drought frequency statistical approaches and three different methods of determining the beginning and end of the drought period (annual, 5‐year moving, and ten year moving average). It was concluded that the current drought is the worst in the observed record period (1923‐2004), but 6th to 14th largest in terms of magnitude and 1st to 12th considering severity in the past 500 years. Similarly, the current drought has a return period ranging from 37 to 103 years based on how the drought period was determined. It was concluded that if the 10‐year moving average is used for defining the drought period, the current drought appears less severe in terms of magnitude and severity in the last 500 years compared with the results using 1‐ and 5‐year averages.     

Identifying Conservation Areas on the Basis of Alternative Distribution Data Sets

Abstract:  Distribution data on biodiversity features is a major component of conservation planning that are often inaccurate; thus, the true distribution of each feature is commonly over- or underrepresented. The selection of distribution data sets may therefore lead to variability in the spatial configuration and size of proposed reserve networks and uncertainty regarding the extent to which these networks actually contain the biodiversity features they were identified to protect. Our goals were to investigate the impact on reserve selection of choosing different distribution data sets and to propose novel methods to minimize uncertainty about target attainment within reserves. To do so, we used common prioritization methods (richness mapping, systematic reserve design, and a novel approach that integrates multiple types of distribution data) and three types of data on the distribution of mammals (predicted distribution models, occurrence records, and a novel combination of the two) to simulate the establishment of regional biodiversity reserves for the state of Arizona (U.S.A.). Using the results of these simulations, we explored variability in reserve placement and size as a function of the distribution data set. Spatial overlap of reserve networks identified with only predicted distribution data or only occurrence distribution data never exceeded 16%. In pairwise comparisons between reserves created with all three types of distribution data, overlap never achieved 50%. The reserve size required to meet conservation targets also varied with the type of distribution data used and the conservation goal; the largest reserve system was 10 times the smallest. Our results highlight the impact of employing different types of distribution data and identify novel tools for application to existing distribution data sets that can minimize uncertainty about target attainment.     

生态风景林理论在城市道路景观规划设计中的运用

城市生态风景林是城市森林的重要组成部分,在对城市生态风景林的理论进展和相关概念辨析的基础上,结合城市道路绿化现状和道路生态风景林的特征,创新性地提出以生态风景林理论指导城市道路景观规划设计,并以合肥方兴大道生态风景林规划设计为例,着重论述城市道路生态风景林规划设计的方法、理念和内容。     

NEWS

Abstract

Co-integration theory has been employed in this paper and Granger causes are found between urbanization rate and GDP, between capital stock and GDP. Scenario analysis of GDP is performed using the GDP model established in the paper. The energy consumptions in Germany, Japan and other developed countries are analyzed and compared with the energy consumption in China. Environmental friendly scenario of energy demand and CO₂ emissions for sustainable China has been formed based on the results of comparison. Under environmental friendly scenario, the primary energy consumption will be 4.31 billion ton coal equivalence (tce) and CO₂ emissions will be 1.854 billion t-c in 2050; energy per capital will be 3.06 tce that is 1.8 times of energy consumed in 2005 in China and 51% of consumed energy per capital in Japan in 2003. In 2050, the energy requirement of unit GDP will be 20% lower than that of Germany in 2003, but will be still 37% higher than that in Japan in 2003. It is certain that to fulfill the environmental friendly Scenario of energy demand and CO₂ emissions is a difficult task and it needs long term efforts of the whole society, not only in production sectors but also in service and household sectors.     

水污染控制规划与GIS

在水污染控制规划中,总量控制是新手段,概率模型是新方法,ＧＩＳ是新工具。利用上述新手段,新方法和新工具,系统地介绍了水污染控制规划,初步探索了基于ＧＩＳ的水污染控制规划的实施途径。