Closing the knowledge-action gap in conservation with open science

The knowledge-action gap in conservation science and practice occurs when research outputs do not result in actions to protect or restore biodiversity. Among the diverse and complex reasons for this gap, three barriers are fundamental: knowledge is often unavailable to practitioners and challenging to interpret or difficult to use or both. Problems of availability, interpretability, and useability are solvable with open science practices. We considered the benefits and challenges of three open science practices for use by conservation scientists and practitioners. First, open access publishing makes the scientific literature available to all. Second, open materials (detailed methods, data, code, and software) increase the transparency and use of research findings. Third, open education resources allow conservation scientists and practitioners to acquire the skills needed to use research outputs. The long-term adoption of open science practices would help researchers and practitioners achieve conservation goals more quickly and efficiently and reduce inequities in information sharing. However, short-term costs for individual researchers (insufficient institutional incentives to engage in open science and knowledge mobilization) remain a challenge. We caution against a passive approach to sharing that simply involves making information available. We advocate a proactive stance toward transparency, communication, collaboration, and capacity building that involves seeking out and engaging with potential users to maximize the environmental and societal impact of conservation science.     

Fabricating data: how substituting values for nondetects can ruin results, and what can be done about it

The most commonly used method in environmental chemistry to deal with values below detection limits is to substitute a fraction of the detection limit for each nondetect. Two decades of research has shown that this fabrication of values produces poor estimates of statistics, and commonly obscures patterns and trends in the data. Papers using substitution may conclude that significant differences, correlations, and regression relationships do not exist, when in fact they do. The reverse may also be true. Fortunately, good alternative methods for dealing with nondetects already exist, and are summarized here with references to original sources. Substituting values for nondetects should be used rarely, and should generally be considered unacceptable in scientific research. There are better ways.     

Delineating high-density areas in spatial Poisson fields from strip-transect sampling using indicator geostatistics: application to unexploded ordnance removal

An approach for delineating high anomaly density areas within a mixture of two or more spatial Poisson fields based on limited sample data collected along strip transects was developed. All sampled anomalies were transformed to anomaly count data and indicator kriging was used to estimate the probability of exceeding a threshold value derived from the cdf of the background homogeneous Poisson field. The threshold value was determined so that the delineation of high-density areas was optimized. Additionally, a low-pass filter was applied to the transect data to enhance such segmentation. Example calculations were completed using a controlled military model site, in which accurate delineation of clusters of unexploded ordnance (UXO) was required for site cleanup.     

多源数据融合的城市区域型消防风险分布特征研究 ——以太原都市圈所在区域为例

分析区域消防风险的空间演化特征,针对性建立并调整消防站点,可预见性地降低消防风险.以太原都市圈所在区域作为研究对象,将遥感数据、POI兴趣点数据经标准化处理后融入GIS-GANP模型中,识别城市区域间特异性消防风险因子,探讨区域消防风险系数及空间分布特征,并多角度分析消防站点规划趋势.结果表明:POI数据符合区域融合发...     

Study on Residential Water Use in North China:Analysis of Nationwide Statistical Data and Case Study of Taiyuan City

Residential water use is gradually becoming the focus in China‘s municipal water supply planning and management in recent years. Little is known, however, about the residential water use in modem China due to the transition of economy and enhancement of management on water conservation. In order to better understand the characteristics of residential water use in North China, a model for identifying the determinants of residential water use was established and analyzed by using panel data and cross-section data methodologies. Then Taiyuan city, the capital city of Shanxi Province in Northern China was selected as a case study. Both the analyses and field investigation indicate that the relatively slow increase of residential water use in recent years may result from the implementation of strict laws and regulations on water conservation. And through the investigation,first-hand information about water consumption pattern, water reuse/conservation, people‘s attitude toward water quantity and quality, etc. have been obtained.     

区域二氧化硫控制优化模型研究

传统的区域二氧化硫控制优化都是基于损害函数法和环境标准化法的。本文在分析比较了传统二氧化硫污染控制战略优化中的损害函数法和环境标准化法各自的优点与局限的基础上。建立了基于时间序列决策的整数规划优化模型。这一理论模型更好地描述了控制战略实施的过程。把时间作为模型优化的一个因子。这种基于时间序列的过程充分考虑了货币的时间价值。并能分析这些时间价值对二氧化硫污染控制战略的动态过程影响。本文的模型是更加符合现实的情况。它对于区域二氧化硫控制的中长期决策优化显得更为有效和准确。     

鄱阳湖流域千年旱涝变化特点及R/S分析

为揭示鄱阳湖流域旱涝变化规律,预测未来变化,搜集整理了鄱阳湖流域地方志、奏折等古文献记载的旱涝记录,根据灾害现象、灾害后果、救灾情况等综合研判旱涝等级。对1160~1950s旱涝频次序列进行了变化周期分析。采用了R/S方法分析了年代际旱涝频次的Hurst指数,结合变化周期分析结果,对1950s以后鄱阳湖流域的旱涝频次变化趋势进行预测,采用基于1951~2010年器测降水量的SPI指数进行验证。研究结果表明:1160~1940s鄱阳湖流域及各子流域的干旱、洪涝频次呈波动变化,周期性变化明显,干旱、洪涝的3~6个年代周期段在整个时段内均非常显著,通过了95%的信度检验;鄱阳湖流域及各子流域的年代际干旱频次的Hurst指数普遍在0.7~0.8之间,洪涝在0.8~0.9之间。预测1950s后鄱阳湖流域年代际旱涝频次整体变化将呈阶段性上升趋势,经验证预测结果与实况较为吻合。     

某城市城镇污水处理厂COD排放现状评价分析

基于统计学的方法理论,分析北方某城市11家采用二级处理或二级强化处理工艺的城镇污水处理厂3 a例行监测数据,得到该城市城镇污水处理厂化学需氧量(COD)的排放浓度呈Delta-对数正态分布.在此基础上,借鉴美国水污染物排放限值制订方法,对该城市城镇污水处理厂COD任意一天排放和月均排放情况进行评价分析,得到其任意一天最大值低于《城镇污水处理厂污染物排放标准》(GB 18918-2002)中一级A标准(50 mg·L-1)要求,同时提出了月均排放评价结论,并对相关结论进行了讨论.本研究所探索的方法体系和结论可为相关污染物排放标准的制修订提供参考.     

集合最优插值同化方法在珠三角空气质量模拟中的初步应用

本文旨在探讨集合最优插值(EnOI)同化方法对MM5-STEM空气质量模式污染物浓度预报场的修正能力,先从局地化尺度(L)及经验系数(α)的敏感性试验中获得NO2、SO2和PM10各自的"最优L和α组合",然后对此参数设置下的同化结果进行分析.研究结果显示,EnOI在NO2、SO2及PM10的同化试验中均取得较好的效果,检验站点均方根误差(RMSE)的平均下降比例分别可达33%、32%和42%,RMSE值下降的站点占检验站点总数的比例分别为86%、84%和91%.表明该方法能够有效地应用在珠三角空气质量模拟中,产生与实际更为接近的污染物浓度预报场.     

巢湖地区无监测资料小流域面源磷污染输出负荷时空特征

在来自工业和城镇生活污水的点源污染得到有效控制的状况下,面源磷污染正逐步成为湖泊和河流富营养化的主导因子.在缺少监测资料的流域,移植处于同纬度和具有相同自然条件的流域的模型参数,是开展SWAT模型模拟的有效方法.因此,本文以巢湖地区的柘皋河小流域为例,通过移植率定好的模型参数,运用SWAT模型分析研究区面源磷污染输出负荷的时间变化和空间分布特征.结果表明,1980—2012年面源磷污染负荷围绕着平均值上下波动,不同水平年的磷污染负荷有较大差异,其中,1996—2012年的面源磷污染的年负荷大于1980—1995年的磷污染年负荷.两个时期内不同月份的总磷负荷均有显著性差异,其中,6—8月的磷污染负荷较大.两个时期的面源磷负荷的空间分布存在一定的差异,1996—2012年单位面积的面源磷负荷明显大于1980—1995年的单位面积面源磷负荷,其中,面源磷负荷的增加主要集中在水田区域.土地利用类型的变化和化肥的大量使用是导致研究区面源磷污染负荷增加的主要因素.