战略环境评价的国际研究动向

战略环境评价是国际上近年来的研究热点,但就目前来看还没有对其形成统一的认识和理解。以近年来相关研究的文章和案例为基础,总结并阐述了国际上战略环境评价研究的3个明显的动向:以决策为目标的战略环境评价,以传统环境影响评价为基础的战略环境评价和与可持续发展战略结合的战略环境评价。     

Longitudinal analysis of bioaccumulative contaminants in freshwater fishes

The National Contaminant Biomonitoring Program (NCBP) was initiated in 1967 as a component of the National Pesticide Monitoring program. It consists of periodic collection of freshwater fish and other samples and the analysis of the concentrations of persistent environmental contaminants in these samples. For the analysis, the common approach has been to apply the mixed two-way ANOVA model to combined data. A main disadvantage of this method is that it cannot give a detailed temporal trend of the concentrations since the data are grouped. In this paper, we present an alternative approach that performs a longitudinal analysis of the information using random effects models. In the new approach, no grouping is needed and the data are treated as samples from continuous stochastic processes, which seems more appropriate than ANOVA for the problem.     

大气污染防治行动对哈尔滨常规大气污染物的影响

自2013年我国实施《大气污染防治行动计划》以来,我国大气中常规污染物的浓度逐年降低,环境空气质量得到了显著改善.哈尔滨市2014年以来,也陆续实施了《清洁空气行动计划》、《大气污染防治专项行动计划（2016─2018）》和《打赢蓝天保卫战三年行动计划》.本文基于哈尔滨市2015—2019年6种常规大气污染物在国控站点的浓度数据,对其污染特征和年际变化规律进行了深入研究.结果表明,PM_2.5、PM₁₀、SO₂、NO₂和CO的浓度呈现显著下降的趋势,而O₃的浓度却呈现上升的趋势.相关性分析表明大部分污染物与温度、湿度、降雨和风速均具有显著的相关性,反映了气象参数对于大气中常规污染物浓度的影响.谐波回归模型的结果表明,污染物的浓度具有明显的季节变化趋势和年际变化趋势,PM_2.5、PM₁₀、SO₂、NO₂和CO的半衰期分别为5.05±0.310、7.81±0.640、6.32±0.312、6.58±0.297和8.13±0.442年,O₃的倍增期为10.0±1.02年.结合哈尔滨近几年实施的大气污染防治行动计划,表明大气污染源的有效控制是常规大气污染物浓度持续下降的主要原因.     

降水与农业种植变化对黄河流域径流影响研究

黄河是我国西北、华北地区重要水源,了解其径流变化特征及成因有着重要意义。论文基于趋势性分析、广义可加模型（GAMLSS）等方法,采用黄河流域近60 a来流量、降水、主要农业种植面积及大型水库资料等数据,通过细化农业小麦生长期与玉米和大豆生长期以及假定不同降水情景,在季节尺度上深入分析了1960—2005年黄河流域气候、农业种植面积等变化对径流的影响。研究结果表明：1）黄河流域5个水文站点小麦生长期与玉米和大豆生长期径流变异点均发生于20世纪80年代中后期和90年代初期,且除花园口站小麦生长期间径流有少部分呈上升趋势外,黄河流域径流整体呈下降趋势,其中,唐乃亥、兰州的小麦生长期、玉米和大豆生长期及龙门、花园口的玉米和大豆生长期趋势均达到了0.05的显著性水平,呈显著下降趋势;2）对比两种降水假设状态,暴雨年的径流始终高于小雨年的径流,因此,降水仍是影响径流的主要因子之一,而农业种植面积变化对径流的影响程度,不仅与降水量的多少有关,还与流量分位数的大小有关,对于唐乃亥站小麦生长期的暴雨年时期,增加农作物种植面积,在低流量分位数时可以增加径流,而在高于0.75分位数时会减小径流,小雨年时期规律相反。该研究结果对变化环境下黄河流域水资源管理与优化配置具有一定理论与现实意义。     

挥发性有机废气生物处理技术研究进展

随着现代工业的快速发展,带来的挥发性有机废气(VOCs)排放到大气中,逐渐增加的VOCs已成为当今关注的重要环境问题之一。生物净化VOCs具有易操作、维护方便、净化效率高、运行费用低、安全性高、无二次污染等优点而备受世界各国的广泛关注。VOCs废气生物处理技术原理是将有机污染物在微生物作用下转换为无害或者低害的物质,而微生物则起到了至关重要的作用。综述了生物滤池、生物滴滤、生物洗涤3种净化工艺的原理和研究进展,将3种反应器优缺点进行了对比;最后论述了该技术当前存在问题及发展趋势。     

Antipoaching standards in onshore hydrocarbon concessions drawn from a Central African case study

Unsustainable hunting outside protected areas is threatening tropical biodiversity worldwide and requires conservationists to engage increasingly in antipoaching activities. Following the example of ecocertified logging companies, we argue that other extractive industries managing large concessions should engage in antipoaching activities as part of their environmental management plans. Onshore hydrocarbon concessions should also adopt antipoaching protocols as a standard because they represent a biodiversity threat comparable to logging. We examined the spatiotemporal patterns of small‐ and large‐mammal poaching in an onshore oil concession in Gabon, Central Africa, with a Bayesian occupancy model based on signs of poaching collected from 2010 to 2015 on antipoaching patrols. Patrol locations were initially determined based on local intelligence and past patrol successes (adaptive management) and subsequently with a systematic sampling of the concession. We generated maps of poaching probability in the concession and determined the temporal trends of this threat over 5 years. The spatiotemporal patterns of large‐ and small‐mammal poaching differed throughout the concession, and likely these groups will need different management strategies. By elucidating the relationship between site‐specific sampling effort and detection probability, the Bayesian method allowed us to set goals for future antipoaching patrols. Our results indicate that a combination of systematic sampling and adaptive management data is necessary to infer spatiotemporal patterns with the statistical method we used. On the basis of our case study, we recommend hydrocarbon companies interested in implementing efficient antipoaching activities in their onshore concessions to lay the foundation of long‐needed industry standards by: adequately measuring antipoaching effort; mixing adaptive management and balanced sampling; setting goals for antipoaching effort; pairing patrols with large‐mammal monitoring; supporting antipoaching patrols across the landscape; restricting access to their concessions; performing random searches for bushmeat and mammal products at points of entry; controlling urban and agricultural expansion; supporting bushmeat alternatives; and supporting land‐use planning.     

Considering connections between Hollywood and biodiversity conservation

Cinema offers a substantial opportunity to share messages with a wide audience. However, there is little research or evidence about the potential benefits and risks of cinema for conservation. Given their global reach, cinematic representations could be important in raising awareness of conservation issues and species of concern, as well as encouraging greater audience engagement due to their heightened emotional impact on viewers. Yet there are also risks associated with increased exposure, including heightened visitor pressure to environmentally sensitive areas or changes to consumer demand for endangered species. Conservationists can better understand and engage with the film industry by studying the impact of movies on audience awareness and behavior, identifying measurable impacts on conservation outcomes, and engaging directly with the movie industry, for example, in an advisory capacity. This improved understanding and engagement can harness the industry's potential to enhance the positive impacts of movies featuring species, sites, and issues of conservation concern and to mitigate any negative effects. A robust evidence base for evaluating and planning these engagements, and for informing related policy and management decisions, needs to be built.     

Loss of Large Predatory Sharks from the Mediterranean Sea

Abstract:  Evidence for severe declines in large predatory fishes is increasing around the world. Because of its long history of intense fishing, the Mediterranean Sea offers a unique perspective on fish population declines over historical timescales. We used a diverse set of records dating back to the early 19th and mid 20th century to reconstruct long-term population trends of large predatory sharks in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea. We compiled 9 time series of abundance indices from commercial and recreational fishery landings, scientific surveys, and sighting records. Generalized linear models were used to extract instantaneous rates of change from each data set, and a meta-analysis was conducted to compare population trends. Only 5 of the 20 species we considered had sufficient records for analysis. Hammerhead ( Sphyrna spp.), blue ( Prionace glauca ), mackerel ( Isurus oxyrinchus and Lamna nasus ), and thresher sharks ( Alopias vulpinus ) declined between 96 and 99.99% relative to their former abundance. According to World Conservation Union (IUCN) criteria, these species would be considered critically endangered. So far, the lack of quantitative population assessments has impeded shark conservation in the Mediterranean Sea. Our study fills this critical information gap, suggesting that current levels of exploitation put large sharks at risk of extinction in the Mediterranean Sea. Possible ecosystem effects of these losses involve a disruption of top-down control and a release of midlevel consumers.     

Effects of stewardship on protected area effectiveness for coastal birds

Evaluation of protected area effectiveness is critical for conservation of biodiversity. Protected areas that prioritize biodiversity conservation are, optimally, located and managed in ways that support relatively large and stable or increasing wildlife populations. Yet evaluating conservation efficacy remains a challenging endeavor. We used an extensive community science data set, eBird, to evaluate the efficacy of protected areas for birds across the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic coasts of the United States. We modeled trends (2007–2018) for 12 vulnerable waterbirds that use coastal areas during breeding or wintering. We compared two types of protected areas—sites where conservation organizations implemented active stewardship or management or both to reduce human disturbance (hereafter stewardship sites) and local, state, federal, and private protected areas managed to maintain natural land cover (hereafter protected areas)—as well as unprotected areas. We evaluated differences in trends between stewardship, protected, and unprotected areas across the Gulf and Atlantic coasts as a whole. Similar to a background sample, stewardship was known to occur at stewardship sites, but unknown at protected and unprotected areas. Four of 12 target species—Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger), Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis), Least Tern (Sternula antillarum), and Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus)—had more positive trends (two to 34 times greater) at stewardship sites than protected areas. Furthermore, five target species showed more positive trends at sites with stewardship programs than unprotected sites during at least one season, whereas seven species showed more positive trends at protected than unprotected areas. No species had more negative trends at stewardship sites than unprotected areas, and two species had more negative trends at protected than unprotected areas. Anthropogenic disturbance is a serious threat to coastal birds, and our findings demonstrate that stewardship to reduce its negative impacts helps ensure conservation of vulnerable waterbirds.     

Predictors of specialist avifaunal decline in coastal marshes

Coastal marshes are one of the world's most productive ecosystems. Consequently, they have been heavily used by humans for centuries, resulting in ecosystem loss. Direct human modifications such as road crossings and ditches and climatic stressors such as sea‐level rise and extreme storm events have the potential to further degrade the quantity and quality of marsh along coastlines. We used an 18‐year marsh‐bird database to generate population trends for 5 avian species (Rallus crepitans, Tringa semipalmata semipalmata, Ammodramus nelsonii subvirgatus, Ammodramus caudacutus, and Ammodramus maritimus) that breed almost exclusively in tidal marshes, and are potentially vulnerable to marsh degradation and loss as a result of anthropogenic change. We generated community and species trends across 3 spatial scales and explored possible drivers of the changes we observed, including marsh ditching, tidal restriction through road crossings, local rates of sea‐level rise, and potential for extreme flooding events. The specialist community showed negative trends in tidally restricted marshes (?2.4% annually from 1998 to 2012) but was stable in unrestricted marshes across the same period. At the species level, we found negative population trends in 3 of the 5 specialist species, ranging from ?4.2% to 9.0% annually. We suggest that tidal restriction may accelerate degradation of tidal marsh resilience to sea‐level rise by limiting sediment supply necessary for marsh accretion, resulting in specialist habitat loss in tidally restricted marshes. Based on our findings, we predict a collapse of the global population of Saltmarsh Sparrows (A. caudacutus) within the next 50 years and suggest that immediate conservation action is needed to prevent extinction of this species. We also suggest mitigation actions to restore sediment supply to coastal marshes to help sustain this ecosystem into the future.