Clarifying values,risk perceptions,and attitudes to resolve or avoid social conflicts in invasive species management

Decision makers and researchers recognize the need to effectively confront the social dimensions and conflicts inherent to invasive species research and management. Yet, despite numerous contentious situations that have arisen, no systematic evaluation of the literature has examined the commonalities in the patterns and types of these emergent social issues. Using social and ecological keywords, we reviewed trends in the social dimensions of invasive species research and management and the sources and potential solutions to problems and conflicts that arise around invasive species. We integrated components of cognitive hierarchy theory and risk perceptions theory to provide a conceptual framework to identify, distinguish, and provide understanding of the driving factors underlying disputes associated with invasive species. In the ISI Web of Science database, we found 15,915 peer‐reviewed publications on biological invasions, 124 of which included social dimensions of this phenomenon. Of these 124, 28 studies described specific contentious situations. Social approaches to biological invasions have emerged largely in the last decade and have focused on both environmental social sciences and resource management. Despite being distributed in a range of journals, these 124 articles were concentrated mostly in ecology and conservation‐oriented outlets. We found that conflicts surrounding invasive species arose based largely on differences in value systems and to a lesser extent stakeholder and decision maker's risk perceptions. To confront or avoid such situations, we suggest integrating the plurality of environmental values into invasive species research and management via structured decision making techniques, which enhance effective risk communication that promotes trust and confidence between stakeholders and decision makers. Clarificar los Valores, Percepciones de Riesgo y Actitudes para Resolver o Evitar Conflictos Sociales en el Manejo de Especies Invasoras     

Observed levels and trends of gaseous SO2 and HNO3 at Mt. Waliguan, China: Results from 1997 to 2009

Long-term measurements of SO2 and HNO3,particularly those from the background sites,are rarely reported.We present for the first time the long-term measurements of SO2 and HNO3 at Waliguan(WLG),the only global baseline station in the back-land of the Eurasian Continent.The concentrations of SO2 and HNO3 were observed at WLG from 1997 to 2009.The observed annual mean concentrations of SO2 and HNO3 at WLG were 1.28±0.41 and 0.22±0.19μg/m3,respectively.The HNO3 concentrations were much higher in warmer seasons than in colder seasons,while the SO2 concentrations showed a nearly reversed seasonal pattern.In most months,the concentration of HNO3 was significantly correlated with that of SO2,suggesting that some common factors influence the variations of both gases and the precursors of HNO3 may partially be from the SO2-emitting sources.The SO2 concentration had a very significant(P < 0.0001) decreasing trend(-0.2μg/(m3·yr)) in 1997-2002,but a significant(P < 0.05) increasing trend(+0.06 μg/(m 3 ·yr)) in 2003-2009.The HNO3 concentration showed no statistically significant trend during 1997-2009.While the decrease of SO2 in 1997-2002 agrees with the trend of global SO2 emissions,the increase in 2003-2009 is not consistent with the decreasing trends in many other regions over the world.Trajectory analysis suggests that the airmasses from the northern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and the Takla Makan Desert regions contributed significantly to the increasing trends of SO2 and HNO3 at WLG in 2003-2009,with a rate of +0.13μg/(m3·yr) and +0.007μg/(m3·yr),respectively.     

Interannual fluctuations in acoustic biomass estimates and in landings of small pelagic fish populations in relation to hydrology in the Strait of Sicily

The main results of research work carried out since 1998 with regard to the application of hydro-acoustic technologies for the evaluation of biomass and distribution of small pelagic fish species off the southern coast of Sicily are presented, taking into account information from hydrology and from ecology of the fish populations targeted. The biomass estimates and the population-density charts presented concern the two main species, i.e. sardine Sardina pilchardus (Walbaum, 1792) and anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus (Linnaeus, 1758). Both the sardine and anchovy populations experienced large inter-annual fluctuations, with biomass estimates ranging from 6000 to over 36,000 tonnes (t) (sardine) and from about 7000 to 23,000 t (anchovy). Acoustic estimates are largely consistent with landings recorded in Sciacca (the main fishing port for small pelagic species in the study area) during the year following the evaluation surveys. In addition, trends in sardine and anchovy biomass estimates appears to be negatively correlated with the mean sea surface temperature calculated over the time intervals January-September (sardine) and June-November (anchovy) of the preceding year, which correspond to larval and juvenile growth periods of target species. Observed patterns would suggest the importance of enrichment processes relevant to the survival of early stages, so determining recruitment success and finally higher population sizes.     

Forest-tundra larch forests and climatic trends

Climate-related changes that occurred in the Ary-Mas larch forests (the world’s northernmost forest range) in the last three decades of the 20th century have been analyzed. An analysis of remote-sensing images made by Landsat satellites in 1973 and 2000 has provided evidence for an increase in the closeness of larch forest canopy (by 65%) and the expansion of larch to the tundra (for 3–10 m per year) and to areas relatively poorly protected from wind due to topographic features (elevation, azimuth, and slope). It has also been shown that the radial tree increment correlates with summer temperatures (r = 0.65, τ = 0.39) and the amounts of precipitation in summer (r = ?0.51, τ = 0–41) and winter (r = ?0.70, τ = ?0.48), decreases with an increase in the closeness of forest canopy (r = ?0.52, p > 0.8; τ = ?0.48, p > 0.95), and increases with an increase in the depth of soil thawing (r = 0.63, p > 0.9; τ = 0.46, p > 0.9). The density of undergrowth depends on temperatures in winter (τ = 0.53, p > 0.8) and summer (r = 0.98, p > 0.99, τ = 0.9, p > 0.99) and the date of the onset of the growing period (r = ?0.60, p > 0.99; τ = ?0.4, p > 0.99) and negatively correlates with the amount of precipitation in summer (r = ?0.56, p > 0.99, τ = ?0.38, p > 0.99).     

重金属超积累植物的研究进展

土壤重金属污染是当前面临的一个重大环境问题,而土壤重金属污染的植物修复尤其是超积累植物的应用是治理污染土壤的重要手段之一。文章介绍了重金属超积累植物的概念和作用,详细综述了近年来重金属超积累植物的研究成果,包括其富集特征、种质资源、种属及时空地域分布特点以及其吸收重金属的生物学机理等,并对该研究领域存在的问题及今后的研究方向与应用作了简要的探讨。以期引起人们对该领域的重视,并为国内在超积累植物的相关研究方面提供参考。     

Tree vegetation of the forest-tundra ecotone in the Western Sayan mountains and climatic trends

Parameters of reproduction of the Siberian stone pine (Pinus sibirica), including radial and apical tree increments, the age structure of stands, the amount of young growth, and its distribution along an altitudinal gradient, have been studied in the forest-tundra ecotone of the Western Sayan. The results show that, over the past 30 years, P. sibirica undergrowth has expanded to the mountain tundra belt, the apical and radial tree increments and stand density have increased, and the life form of many P. sibirica plants has changed from prostrate to erect (single-or multistemmed). These changes correlate with the dynamics of summer temperatures and monthly (in May and June) and annual precipitation. The rise of summer temperatures by 1°C promotes the expansion of P. sibirica undergrowth for approximately 150 m up the altitudinal gradient.     

中国战略环境评价（SEA）研究进展及发展趋势

自1990年战略环境评价引入中国以来,SEA在中国已经有了很大发展。中国政府已于2002年颁布了《中华人民共和国环境影响评价法》（以下称“环评法”）,该法中明确规定了对各级政府制定的规划需要进行SEA。通过运用资料调查和文献分析等方法,针对环评法实施后中国SEA实践和学术研究成果进行分析,并探讨中国SEA主要层次一规划环境影响评价的研究现状,总结发展特点;结合中国国情提出中国SEA发展趋势。     

浙江省印染行业环保综合整治对策研究

文章简要分析了浙江省印染行业在全国的地位、浙江省印染行业的特点、存在问题及与发达国家和其它省份的差距。介绍了印染行业的发展趋势和浙江省印染行业发展的优、劣势。分别从规划"十二五"期间的印染行业污染总量控制和节能减排以及顺应印染行业发展趋势的产业升级、清洁生产两方面提出相应的整治对策。并就整治对策的效果提出相应的保障措施。就环保综合整治的进度作出相应的安排。     

“十一五”期间盖州市大气环境质量变化趋势分析

对盖州市＂十一五＂期间大气环境质量进行研究,采用Daniel趋势检验法定量分析该地区大气环境质量的变化规律与发展趋势,探讨污染成因与特征,并提出综合防治措施。     

Evaluation and Trend Analysis of Surface Water Quality in Zhengzhou in 1998–2008

Abstract

Water pollution is one of the major environmental problems, especially in urban areas. Due to rapid urban expansion and industrialization, water pollution in Zhengzhou City, the capital of Henan Province in central China has become a serious problem for its development. In this study, the surface water quality was evaluated using Nemerow Comprehensive Pollution Index (NCPI), and the change trend was calculated using methods of Mann-Kendall test and Sen’s slope estimator, based on the monitoring data from 1998 to 2008. The results show that the NCPI ranged from 3 to 50 in 70% of the monitoring cases, implying that most rivers were seriously polluted. However, this serious polltuon is expected to be gradually improved, as the concentration of water pollutants and NCPI declined significantly in most rivers. Water pollution in reservoirs was much lower than rivers, and the NCPI in the three monitored reservoirs was lower than 3 in most years, and shows a downward trend. Although the surface water quality was gradually improved, great efforts are still needed to enhance the protection and improvement of surface water environment.