Developing shared qualitative models for complex systems

Understanding complex systems is essential to ensure their conservation and effective management. Models commonly support understanding of complex ecological systems and, by extension, their conservation. Modeling, however, is largely a social process constrained by individuals’ mental models (i.e., a small-scale internal model of how a part of the world works based on knowledge, experience, values, beliefs, and assumptions) and system complexity. To account for both system complexity and the diversity of knowledge of complex systems, we devised a novel way to develop a shared qualitative complex system model. We disaggregated a system (carbonate coral reefs) into smaller subsystem modules that each represented a functioning unit, about which an individual is likely to have more comprehensive knowledge. This modular approach allowed us to elicit an individual mental model of a defined subsystem for which the individuals had a higher level of confidence in their knowledge of the relationships between variables. The challenge then was to bring these subsystem models together to form a complete, shared model of the entire system, which we attempted through 4 phases: develop the system framework and subsystem modules; develop the individual mental model elicitation methods; elicit the mental models; and identify and isolate differences for exploration and identify similarities to cocreate a shared qualitative model. The shared qualitative model provides opportunities to develop a quantitative model to understand and predict complex system change.     

城市污泥堆肥用作草坪基质研究进展

针对城市污泥堆肥特点,阐述了国内外城市污泥堆肥用作草坪基质的研究现状。总结了污泥堆肥用于草坪生产存在的问题,并认为研究重点应放在污泥堆肥混合基质的组成、水肥管理技术、草种的筛选、规范堆肥生产和草坪质量综合评价标准及可能存在的环境问题等方面。另外,需要加大高新技术的投入促进产业化,以便为污泥堆肥用作草坪基质提供确实的理论指导和技术支持。     

近十年我国人机工程学应用研究进展

借助维普《中文科技期刊数据库》,按照不同的学科门类、发表的年限以及人机工程学的研究内容,对1994～2003年国内近4000种主要刊物上发表的有关人机工程学应用研究方面的论文进行全面检索和统计,在此基础上分析我国人机工程应用研究的进展情况。     

Restrictions and options: A heuristic tool to integrate knowledge for strategies towards a sustainable development

SUMMARY

This article presents the heuristic ‘Restrictions and Options’ that was created in an interdisciplinary research team to identify restricting and supporting factors regarding sustainable ways of actions for different institutional and individual actors in the need-field of nutrition. The heuristic format is first presented on a general level. Then it is combined with two different approaches: first, with a systemic constructivist approach to organization theory, and second, with the ipsative theory of action (psychology). Its abilities are illustrated by examples from two research projects.

The heuristic tool was developed to help identify relevant factors that restrict or support sustainable development in two empirical settings and also could be used to compare the findings. Combining the two approaches remains for future research.     

土壤种子库研究方法评述

土壤种子库（soil seed bank,SSB）是指存在于土壤表面和土壤中的全部存活种子的总和。开展对土壤种子库的研究,对于分析了解过去地上植被植物群落和预示未来植被发展方向具有重要的指导意义,而对于土壤种子库研究方法的探讨则是开展土壤种子库基础实验研究的基础和支撑。本文从土壤种子库的取样时间、取样方法、取样大小和数量、鉴定方法四个方面归纳了土壤种子库的研究方法,理论分析了同位素应用于土壤种子库中种子年龄结构测定的可行性,以及植冠种子库的研究方法,并探讨了提高土壤种子库中种子萌发率的新方法。综合分析来看：（1）土壤种子库的取样时间、取样方法、取样大小和数量、鉴定方法是土壤种子库研究方法需要关注的四大关键问题,对土壤种子库的实验结果具有显著的直接影响。不同的取样时间代表的土壤种子库的内容和意义不同,取样方法、大小和数量则应根据研究区和研究内容来确定,鉴定方法也应根据具体实验区研究的物种数来考量;（2）理论上在利用同位素来测定土壤种子库中种子年龄结构是可行的,但若想广泛应用于实验中仍需进一步的深入研究;（3）目前对植冠种子库的研究方法也仅仅局限于直接计数法和间接计数法,对植冠种子库的研究方法的探讨则急需加强;（4）同时总结和提出了4种提高土壤种子库中种子萌发率的方法,未来在利用种子萌发法时,应加强注意和应用这4种方法来测定土壤种子库。     

Multi-stakeholder collaboration in community post-disaster reconstruction: case study from the Longmen Shan Fault area in China

While multi-stakeholder collaboration is critical for effective community post-disaster reconstruction (CPDR), it is often very difficult in practice. The Longmen Shan Fault active seismic zone in China has experienced several recent earthquakes with the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake and 2013 Lushan earthquake, both of which caused extensive and widespread damage to many communities, presenting unprecedented challenges for post-disaster reconstruction. This paper develops a multi-cycle field research method that involves three interconnected cycles: internet research, field visits, and extensive surveys: to examine multi-stakeholder collaboration for the CPDR following the Wenchuan earthquake. It was found that there were 12 types of active stakeholders engaged across four main areas: infrastructure rebuilding, psychological recovery, socio-economic rehabilitation, and ecological restoration. Specifically, local community participation and effective collaboration between the community and the external stakeholders were found to be the most crucial elements for successful reconstruction. Multi-stage field research after the Lushan earthquake verified that CPDR was effective and that multi-stakeholder collaboration had improved from the lessons learnt from the Wenchuan earthquake reconstruction experience. Some advantages and limitations of this research are also given.     

Business recovery: an assessment framework

This paper presents a Business Recovery Assessment Framework (BRAF) to help researchers and practitioners design robust, repeatable, and comparable studies of business recovery in various post‐disruption contexts. Studies assessing business recovery without adequately considering the research aims, recovery definitions, and indicators can produce misleading findings. The BRAF is composed of a series of steps that guide the decisions that researchers need to make to ensure: (i) that recovery is indeed being measured; (ii) that the indicators of recovery that are selected align with the objectives of the study and the definition of recovery; and, where necessary, (iii) that appropriate comparative control variables are in place. The paper draws on a large dataset of business surveys collected following the earthquakes in Canterbury, New Zealand, on 4 September 2010 and 22 February 2011 to demonstrate the varied conclusions that different recovery indicators can produce and to justify the need for a systematic approach to business recovery assessments.     

高校安全文化建设现状及对策研究——以L大学为例

为了改善L大学安全状况,提高L大学安全文化建设水平,采用文献对比分析法研究高校安全文化定义及其理论实质,从狭义的角度提出高校安全文化是高校管理的一系列安全理念,具体化为32条高校安全文化核心元素。以L大学为研究样本,定性分析其安全文化建设内容;编制高校安全文化定量测量量表,对其安全文化建设水平进行定量测量。评价结果表明L大学安全文化建设存在缺欠,提出了实用性对策措施和建议。     

国际土壤质量研究热点与趋势——基于大数据的Citespace可视化分析

论文利用文献计量学方法定量分析了土壤质量研究领域的科学文献,结果显示国际土壤质量研究热点从有机质及其组分对管理措施的响应、微生物指标敏感性、土壤质量定义到土壤质量评价方法、评价指标和框架的完善,在农业生产和环境保护中的应用性不断加强。目前,土壤质量的监测及其对土壤修复、全球气候变化的响应是未来研究热点。主要研究趋势有：1）发展中国家将在土壤质量研究领域中发挥重要作用;2）土壤质量对土壤修复、全球气候变化的响应以及应对措施成为未来的研究重点;3）可持续发展仍然是土壤质量研究的主题,不同国家及地区应根据自身特点进行土壤质量评价、监测、修复研究,制定法律,保障土壤管理的规范化和可持续化。     

黄河流域生态补偿研究进展与展望

黄河流域是我国重要的生态功能区,在全国经济社会发展格局中具有重要作用。生态补偿作为保护流域生态环境、促进人与自然和谐的重要手段,在推动黄河流域高质量发展过程中具有重要作用。本文从流域区段、评价方法、影响效应、优化思路、保障机制等方面对黄河流域生态补偿的理论和实践成果进行了综述,同时提出加强多学科协同攻关、构建具有区域特征的生态补偿模式、加快建立以海定陆的生态补偿机制、注重生态损害形成机制和程度评估、加强构建多元化生态补偿保障体系等未来研究中需要深化和完善的几点建议,以期为中国经济高质量发展阶段黄河流域生态补偿的理论与实践研究提供启示和借鉴。