How good is GLASOD?

The Global Assessment of Soil Degradation (GLASOD) has been the most influential global appraisal of land quality in terms of environmental policy. However, its expert judgments were never tested for their consistency and could not be reproduced at unvisited sites, while the relationship between the GLASOD assessments of land degradation and the social and economic impact of that degradation remains unclear. Yet, other methodologies that could respond to urgent calls for an updated assessment of the global environmental quality are not operational or, at best, in progress. Therefore, we evaluate the reliability and social relevance of the GLASOD approach and assess its candidacy for new global environmental assessments. The study concentrates on the African continent, capitalizing on new GIS data to delineate and define the characteristics of GLASOD map units. Consistency is tested by comparing expert judgments on soil degradation hazard for similar combinations of biophysical conditions and land use. Reproducibility is evaluated by estimating an ordered logit model that relates the qualitative land degradation classes to easily available information on explanatory variables, the results of which can be used to assess the land degradation at unvisited sites. Finally, a cross-sectional analysis investigates the relation between GLASOD assessments and crop production data at sub-national scale and its association with the prevalence of malnutrition. The GLASOD assessments prove to be only moderately consistent and hardly reproducible, while the counter-intuitive trend with crop production reveals the complexity of the production-degradation relationship. It appears that increasing prevalence of malnutrition coincides with poor agro-productive conditions and highly degraded land. The GLASOD approach can be improved by resolving the differences in conceptualization among experts and by defining the boundaries of the ordered classes in the same units as independent, quantitative land degradation data.     

Human Dimensions of Forest Disturbance by Insects: An International Synthesis

Ecological disturbances of forests by insects have a complex array of associated human dimensions presenting complications for natural resource decision making and relationships between stakeholders and managers. This article discusses the human context of forest disturbances by insects by reviewing four cases of bark beetle forest disturbance from British Columbia in Canada, Bavarian Forest National Park in Germany, the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska, and the north central region of Colorado. Findings and lessons learned from these studies are outlined along with their implications for managing forest disturbances by insects in general. Conclusions focus on the need to assess the broad array of impacts and risks perceived by local residents and the capacity for local action and involvement in managing forest disturbances. Communication and interaction between resource managers and local stakeholders can facilitate the identification of management priorities and potentially reduce some of the risks associated with forest disturbances by insects.     

油田固体废物的毒性试验研究

通过对某油田3个区域井场的废弃钻井液和取自集输站及注水站的油泥(砂)等两种固体废物进行急性生物毒性试验和浸出毒性试验,试验结果表明:该油田的废弃钻井液急性生物毒性相对较大,油泥(砂)不具有急性生物毒性;这两种固体废物均不具有浸出毒性和腐蚀性。     

Acid sulfate soils and human health—A Millennium Ecosystem Assessment

Acid sulfate soils have been described as the “nastiest soils on earth” because of their strong acidity, increased mobility of potentially toxic elements and limited bioavailability of nutrients. They only cover a small area of the world's total problem soils, but often have significant adverse effects on agriculture, aquaculture and the environment on a local scale. Their location often coincides with high population density areas along the coasts of many developing countries. As a result, their negative impacts on ecosystems can have serious implications to those least equipped for coping with the low crop yields and reduced water quality that can result from acid sulfate soil disturbance. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment called on by the United Nations in 2000 emphasised the importance of ecosystems for human health and well-being. These include the service they provide as sources of food and water, through the control of pollution and disease, as well as for the cultural services ecosystems provide. While the problems related to agriculture, aquaculture and the environment have been the focus of many acid sulfate soil management efforts, the connection to human health has largely been ignored. This paper presents the potential health issues of acid sulfate soils, in relation to the ecosystem services identified in the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. It is recognised that significant implications on food security and livelihood can result, as well as on community cohesiveness and the spread of vector-borne disease. However, the connection between these outcomes and acid sulfate soils is often not obvious and it is therefore argued that the impact of such soils on human well-being needs to be recognised in order to raise awareness among the public and decision makers, to in turn facilitate proper management and avoid potential human ill-health.     

河流筑坝拦截的水环境响应——来自地球化学的视角

大规模筑坝拦截是当前世界河流普遍面临的共同趋势,"蓄水河流"在物理、化学及生物等多层次上区别于天然河流和湖泊,改变了河流水文、河流物质转化和输送通量以及河流生态环境.因此,认识和了解水库建成后河流一水库体系水环境演化的关键过程是评价水坝的水环境影响的基础.广泛综述国内外最近的一些涉及水库效应的研究成果,并结合作者对乌江流域梯级水库的初步研究,从蓄水河流水文情势改变、生源要素(磷和硅为例)形态和通量变化、温室气体释放、水生生态系统演替几个方面进行分析.认为,水能开发的巨大经济效益和面临的潜在生态风险之间的平衡关系需要进一步详尽的分析研究.     

生态岛建设过程中环境类指标构建研究——以崇明岛为例

提出了将压力 状态 响应（PSR）模型与系统分析法理论集成起来构建生态岛建设过程中环境类指标的方法和步骤。指标构建过程分为4个步骤：（1）首先利用已有生态区域（岛）相关环境类指标确定备选指标集;（2）利用PSR模型对指标逻辑关系进行分析筛选;（3）以2010年为近期目标年,利用系统分析法确定指标核心要素,得到二次筛选指标;（4）以2030年为远期目标年,以综合性和动态性为依据确定最终指标。以上海市崇明岛为例,确定水、气、土为核心考核要素,构建了基于崇明生态岛建设过程的近期及远期目标的环境类考核指标体系。指标评价结果表明,崇明生态岛建设过程中环境类综合指数为72,其中环境压力指数、环境质量指数、环境保护指数分别为85、80和51,与崇明岛实际较为吻合。部分研究结果已在崇明岛生态建设过程中得到实际应用。     

Effects of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid formulation on medulla spinalis of Poecilia reticulata: A histopathological study

This study investigated the possible effects of a commonly used foliar herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) formulation on medulla spinalis of lebistes. Fish were exposed to 2,4-D (15, 30, 45 mg L⁻¹), behavioral changes were monitored. Fish were fixed, histopathological examination was carried out on sections taken from the upper parts of the fish body. Histopathology showed increase in neuronal loss, swelling indicating formation of intracellular edema, vacuolization noticed as the formation of vacuoles within or adjacent to cells, deformation in the Nissl granules, pyknosis and gliosis in medulla spinalis. Behavioral changes were decreased general activity, grouping, shortness in breath, sudden rotations and jumping, loss of equilibrium and colour. In conclusion, this commercial formulation of 2,4-D is considerably neurotoxic to lebistes. Fish constitute the last link in the chain of the feeding cycle in aquatic eco-system, number of studies investigating acute and chronic neurotoxicity of various herbicides in fish should be increased.     

大型活动生物恐怖应急处置研究与系统开发

针对非传统安全威胁的现状及其应急处置中的主要问题,以典型的非传统安全事件-大型活动举办过程中生物恐怖事件为背景,通过比较分析,给出了生物恐怖的定义;从大型活动生物恐怖应急指挥与处置的角度,通过应急处置业务流程分析,提出了大型活动生物恐怖事件应急处置的系统框架;根据系统框架和处置功能分析,基于三维GIS和AJAX技术开发了大型活动生物恐怖应急处置原型系统,对复杂的应急处置体系进行了分层模块化和可视化,可为应急救援部门制定更为详细的救援方案和应急决策提供技术参考。