Effects of payments for ecosystem services on wildlife habitat recovery

Conflicts between local people's livelihoods and conservation have led to many unsuccessful conservation efforts and have stimulated debates on policies that might simultaneously promote sustainable management of protected areas and improve the living conditions of local people. Many government‐sponsored payments‐for‐ecosystem‐services (PES) schemes have been implemented around the world. However, few empirical assessments of their effectiveness have been conducted, and even fewer assessments have directly measured their effects on ecosystem services. We conducted an empirical and spatially explicit assessment of the conservation effectiveness of one of the world's largest PES programs through the use of a long‐term empirical data set, a satellite‐based habitat model, and spatial autoregressive analyses on direct measures of change in an ecosystem service (i.e., the provision of wildlife species habitat). Giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) habitat improved in Wolong Nature Reserve of China after the implementation of the Natural Forest Conservation Program. The improvement was more pronounced in areas monitored by local residents than those monitored by the local government, but only when a higher payment was provided. Our results suggest that the effectiveness of a PES program depends on who receives the payment and on whether the payment provides sufficient incentives. As engagement of local residents has not been incorporated in many conservation strategies elsewhere in China or around the world, our results also suggest that using an incentive‐based strategy as a complement to command‐and‐control, community‐ and norm‐based strategies may help achieve greater conservation effectiveness and provide a potential solution for the park versus people conflict.     

Inorganic elemental concentrations in birch bolete mushroom (Leccinum scabrum) and top soil: contamination profiles,bioconcentation and annual variations

Abstract

Analysis of inorganic and organic contaminants in foodstuffs aids in understanding the human exposure to these compounds via consumption. In this study, an edible mushroom species (Leccinum scabrum) and top soil samples were analysed for essential and toxic substances including phosphorus and inorganic elements over a period of three fruiting seasons. Analysis of silver (Ag), aluminium (Al), barium (Ba), calcium (Ca), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), mercury (Hg), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), sodium (Na), nickel (Ni), phosphorus (P), lead (Pb), rubidium (Rb), strontium (Sr) and zinc (Zn) in mushrooms and topsoil were performed using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) with ultrasonic cross flow nebulizer. Total mercury was determined by cold-vapour atomic absorption spectroscopy (CV-AAS). The results exhibited wide variation in concentrations of metals between soil and mushroom (cap and stipes) during three fruiting seasons. Positive bioconcentration factors (BFCs) indicate on bioaccumulation of several metals including, Cd, Cu, Hg, K, Mg, Na, P, Rb and Zn in caps and stipes of fruitbodies of this mushroom, while other metals such as Al, Ba, Ca, Co, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Sr were not exhibiting significant positive BFCs. Over a period studied, the caps were characterised by different (p?<?0.05) concentrations of Al, Co, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, P, Pb and Sr. Contamination profiles, temporal fluctuations, BCFs should be taken into consideration when assessing the nutritional value of this mushroom.     

Ambio’s legacy on monitoring,impact, and management of acid rain: This article belongs to Ambio’s 50th Anniversary Collection. Theme: Acidification

Early studies published in Ambio showed large-scale acidification of lakes in southern Sweden and Norway from acid rain. These studies were important for delimiting various scientific issues and thus for eventually contributing to legislation, which reduced emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides and helped to mitigate this major environmental problem. Long-term studies and monitoring in Sweden and Norway and at Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire helped guide this legislation in Europe and in the USA.     

人为干扰对小兴安岭森林湿地土壤碳组分和酶活性的影响

以小兴安岭落叶林沼泽湿地为研究对象,对比研究皆伐地、火烧地和落叶松湿地土壤碳组分和酶活性.结果表明:(1)3种湿地类型土壤SOC含量表现为对照地显著高于皆伐地和火烧地(p0.05),在0~10 cm土层中皆伐地与对照地相比降低了58.38%,火烧地与对照地相比降低了61.96%.皆伐地与火烧地在不同土层的土壤中SOC含量差异不显著(p0.05);DOC含量对照地显著高于皆伐地和火烧地(p0.05).在0~10cm土层中火烧地DOC含量是皆伐地的1.99倍,两者差异不显著(p0.05);不同干扰方式对土壤MBC含量影响的差异主要表现在0~10 cm的土层土壤,对照地分别比皆伐地和火烧地高23.13%和95.79%(p0.05).在不同的土层中皆伐地MBC含量均大于火烧地,与SOC含量的变化趋势一致.(2)与对照地相比,皆伐地与火烧地0~10 cm土层的土壤蔗糖酶活性分别降低了45.59%和36.76%,脲酶活性显著降低了18.22%和55.69%(p0.05),蛋白酶活性降低了19.65%和17.34%,淀粉酶活性降低了6.29%和10.69%.土壤碳组分和酶活性在垂直方向上均表现为随着土层深度增加而减小.皆伐和火烧造成森林湿地土壤碳组分和酶活性降低.     

喀斯特常绿与落叶阔叶混交林过去50年来的碳循环模拟

通过对Forest-DNDC模型的植被和土壤参数本地化校准,以气象插值数据为输入,模拟了贵州省普定县高原型喀斯特次生常绿与落叶阔叶混交林1965~2014年的土壤、植被和生态系统碳循环特征。结果表明,与冷模拟和实测值相比,参数本地化校准后的模型能更准确地模拟春、秋、冬3个季节的土壤呼吸动态,而模拟的夏季土壤呼吸偏小;但统计检验指出,参数修订后的Forest-DNDC模型能够较好地模拟喀斯特森林土壤呼吸,降低了模拟误差,可用于喀斯特常绿与落叶阔叶混交林碳动态的模拟。进一步分析发现,1965~2014年喀斯特森林的碳通量除模拟早期的前3~4年急剧增加之外,随后总初级生产力(GPP)保持相对稳定,植物呼吸(Rplant)和生态系统呼吸(R_(ecosystem))随着森林发育而增加,土壤呼吸(R_(soil))减少,植被净初级生产力(NPP)呈迅速减小趋势;净生态系统碳交换量(NEE)亦较迅速下降,在2013年达到最低值-0.17 t C/ha,喀斯特森林由碳汇变为弱碳源。相关分析表明,年均温度和年降水对喀斯特常绿与落叶阔叶混交林的GPP和R_(soil)没有显著影响,但却显著影响NPP、R_(plant)、R_(ecosystem)和NEE。     

区域森林火灾危害程度评价指标构建

为弥补用发生次数和受害森林面积评价森林火灾危害程度的不足,在拟定了林火次数比率、森林燃烧率、森林受害面积比率、每起森林火灾平均受害面积、森林火灾发生次数变异系数、受害森林面积变异系数6个指标的基础上,利用权重法确定了综合指标。结果表明,单一指标可以从某个方面评价森林火灾危害程度,综合指标则能更好地评价某个区域森林火灾的危害程度,更便于区域间的比较和评价。     

森林碳汇功能的研究进展

因全球温室效应和气候变化影响,以及森林对CO2的固定作用,使林业碳汇得到了世界各国的广泛支持和发展。文章主要围绕森林植被碳汇、土壤碳汇研究现状,森林碳汇功能的不确定性以及森林管理与碳汇的关系4个方面对国内外森林碳汇的研究进展简要综述,为森林碳汇的科学研究提供基础。     

沾益县花山煤化工园区防护林建设探究

介绍了花山煤化工园区基本情况,从花山特殊的生态功能区,防护林建设产生的生态效益、社会效益、经济效益,防护林建设改变当地小气候,发挥多功能防护作用等方面阐述了建设沾益县花山煤化工园区防护林的必要性,并对其防护林的建设提出建议。     

基于DRASTIC的丽水市地下水防污性能评价

地下水防污性能反映地下水系统遭受污染的可能性,可以为土地利用规划、地下水资源保护规划、地下水水质监测等提供科学依据。此论文结合丽水市的水文地质条件,对DRASTIC评价模型进行了改善,建立了符合丽水市的DRAMTIC评价模型。该模型由大气降雨入渗补给量、地下水埋深、包气带介质、水力传导系数、含水层厚度、地下水开采强度、地形坡度等7个因子组成,以乡镇单元等为界线划分不规则评价单元,评分体系由单因子区域分布规律确定,采用主成分—因子分析法分析各因子的权重体系;利用差分法对各因子加权叠加的综合指数进行等级划分,应用GIS技术得到丽水市地下水防污性能评价图。该模型的评价结果客观科学,能有效的为规划部门及地下水资源管理部门服务。     

自然灾害脆弱性研究进展

自然灾害风险研究是当今国际社会、学术界普遍关注的热点问题。本文在回顾国内外自然灾害脆弱性研究发展的基础上,阐述了自然灾害脆弱性的基本内涵,通过对国内外自然灾害脆弱性研究尺度、评价模型、评估方法等方面进行对比,指出国内自然灾害脆弱性研究存在的问题。同时指出未来自然灾害脆弱性研究的发展趋势应加强对人-地耦合系统的脆弱性研究,以及对其内在形成机制和发生演变规律的研究。自然灾害脆弱性研究是涉及多学科、多领域的复杂研究课题,并且呈现出多学科交融的趋势,需要综合考虑自然和社会双重因素的影响。