Ingredients in sustainably managing water in semi-arid environments

The lessons learned from CALFED indicate that ingredients important in the long-term resolution of water management issues may not result in short-term “solutions”. The value of this special issue lies in its identification of ingredients that stimulate re-framing of issues, adapting to new knowledge and innovative decisions. But sustainable water management also requires the political patience to sustain those processes as a means of perpetuating the long-term decision-making necessary to anticipate and/or respond to an ever-changing environment.     

Land management in rural Burkina Faso: the role of socio‐cultural and institutional factors

Farmers in the Sahel have been acknowledged for reclaiming degraded lands and improving food security by ingeniously modifying traditional agroforestry, water, and soil management practices. Despite the advantages offered by this range of farming techniques, their adoption rate is influenced by several factors. Using multivariate probit models and a correlation coefficient, this article examines the factors influencing the adoption of five land management practices based on 220 household and 40 farm surveys in four adjacent rural communities in southern Burkina Faso. The model results indicate that household labor force, education of household head, land tenure security, livestock holding, and membership in farmers’ groups influence the adoption of zaï practice, composting, improved fallow, stone bunds, and live hedges. However, two of the surveyed factors ‐ number of farms and visit by agricultural extension staff during the 12 months prior to the survey ‐ were not significant. Furthermore, a significant correlation was found between different land management practices, e.g., the decision to practice zaï is significantly linked to that of live hedges and composting. Zaï practice and stone bunds are considered labor intensive, which explains their significant correlations with household labor force at the 1% and 5% levels of significance, respectively.     

Validity of Performance Criteria and a Tentative Model for Regulatory Use in Compensatory Wetland Mitigation Permitting

The purpose of this paper is to develop the principles for a manageable and practical set of performance criteria that will reasonably assure no net loss in a situation in which it cannot be absolutely assured. To this end, the performance criteria proposed for 116 compensatory wetland projects on file with the Army Corps of Engineers in San Francisco, between 1988 and 1995, were examined. The trends discerned in the project proposals were analyzed and evaluated in light of the current state of wetland science. Specific suggestions for the development of uniform criteria in each of four major wetland types—riparian, perennial tidal, perennial nontidal, and seasonal—are discussed, and a system of regulation tying qualitative assessment with quantitative requirements is outlined as a reasonable solution to the enforcement of the no-net-loss policy.     

苏南五市秋冬季PM2.5化学组成特征和空间差异

于2020年9月至2021年2月在苏南五市(南京、苏州、无锡、常州和镇江)收集PM_2.5滤膜样品,分析了各样品中的水溶性无机离子和碳质组分.结果表明,苏南五市PM_2.5各组分中ρ(NO₃^-)均为最高[(9.54±10.1)～(12.1±11.3)μg·m^-3],比其它目标组分高约2倍以上.由于受更多道路扬尘和燃煤源的影响,常州市PM_2.5中Ca²⁺、Cl^-、OC和EC的浓度平均值高于其它4个城市.将所有目标组分浓度相加得到重构PM_2.5(r PM_2.5)浓度,发现各城市r PM_2.5浓度均由二次无机离子(NH₄⁺、NO₃^-和SO₄^2-,SNA)主导,占比高达(59.2%±11.1%)～(70.8%±9.72%),且r ...     

川南城市群冬季大气细颗粒物中金属元素特征及其来源解析

为探究川南城市群（自贡、泸州、内江和宜宾）冬季大气重污染过程中PM_2.5 中金属元素的浓度特征和来源,在2018年12月30日至2019年1月14日,使用膜采样方法对PM_2.5 中的金属元素进行测定,并运用富集因子法（EF）和正定矩阵因子分解法（PMF）对金属元素来源进行解析.同时采用自贡市在2015年同期金属元素观测数据,探究自贡市在“大气十条”实施中期与实施结束后的金属元素污染与富集程度变化情况.结果表明:①不同城市细颗粒物中各金属元素浓度与占比差异不大,4个城市中浓度与占比较高的元素呈现相似性,Al、Sb和Fe元素占比位于前列.从自贡市不同观测期对比来看,除Tl外各元素浓度均有变化.②富集因子计算结果表明,城市群中Cr（自贡与宜宾）、Ni、Cu、As、Se、Ag、Cd、Sb、Tl和Pb元素的富集程度较高.自贡市不同观测期的元素富集程度对比显示,除Cu元素外,2018年冬季观测期各元素富集程度均有减小趋势.③PMF源解析结果表明,各城市中金属元素主要来源为扬尘源、燃煤源、工业源与交通源,同时各污染源之间存在混合贡献.各城市主要污染源贡献不同,自贡以交通扬尘源与混合源为主;泸州以工业源为主;内江市各污染源贡献占比相近;而宜宾市则以交通源为主导.     

The spatial nexus between population growth and land degradation in a dry Mediterranean region: a rapidly changing pattern?

A better understanding of the spatial linkage between the distribution of land vulnerable to degradation and long-term population growth may contribute to sustainable land management of dry regions. Such a nexus has received increasing attention among politicians and local stakeholders, as its complex outcomes depend on mutual interactions between socioeconomic and biophysical factors. This is particularly true in southern Europe, where important processes of land degradation (LD) have been observed in recent years. This paper analyses population growth (1871–2007) in southern Italy and questions its relationship with the level of land vulnerable to degradation. Results indicate that vulnerable lands were more likely associated with areas where population growth has determined environmental pressures on coastal areas and the neighbouring lowlands during 1950–1980. This pattern consolidated the socioeconomic polarisation between core and peripheral areas. Since the 1980s, however, southern Italy has experienced a phase of polycentric development, possibly determining a ‘decoupling’ between population density and land vulnerability to degradation. Population increased in moderately vulnerable areas but decreased in highly vulnerable areas. The policy implications of these results are discussed.     

Managing a protected marine area for the conservation of critically endangered vaquita (Phocoena sinus Norris, 1958) in the Upper Gulf of California

We analysed fisheries trends in the northern region of the Gulf of California, within the Biosphere Reserve of the Upper Gulf of California and Colorado Delta River and the Vaquita Refuge Area, and suggest measures to protect the vaquita, Phocoena sinus. We compiled and analysed catch reports of artisanal fishermen in the three fishing communities of the Upper Gulf of California (San Felipe in the State of Baja California, and Golfo de Santa Clara and Puerto Peñasco in the State of Sonora) from 1995 to 2007. This information was categorised with respect to geographic information systems, and all fishing sites within two marine protected areas in the region were identified. In addition, from a survey based on direct interviews with artisanal fishermen in each of the three ports, we identified that 23% of fishermen will continue fishing despite on-going fishing buy-out programmes in the region. We suggest several specific courses of action to decrease the fishing impact on this critically endangered cetacean. However, given the critical situation of this critically endangered species, it is very uncertain whether enforcing a no-take zone within the biosphere reserve and the Vaquita Refuge Area, or even a wider fishing moratorium, will be enough to save this endangered species from extinction.     

南疆近60a来寒潮气候特征及其对农业生产的影响

寒潮是我区主要灾害性天气之一,南疆植被稀少,温差大,强冷空气南下,容易形成寒潮。论文利用南疆5地(州)1949-2008年间的寒潮发生频次、 持续时间及其造成的受灾农田面积、 死亡牲畜、 经济损失数据资料,对南疆寒潮空间分布、 年际变化、 季节变化、 形成原因及其对农业生产影响进行深入分析。分析得出:①近60 a来,南疆寒潮发生频次山区多于平原、 北部多于南部,而寒潮过程降温幅度天山南麓绿洲带大于北部山区;对地(州)而言,巴州发生频次最多,受灾最严重,阿克苏次于巴州,克州与和田寒潮频次与受灾最少,喀什居中。②近60 a来,寒潮发生频次年际变化幅度较大,总体上呈现略有减少趋势,特别是1999年来频次明显减少;每年9月至翌年5月是寒潮活动期,以5月和4月发生频次最高,极端最大降温以4-5月和9-10月居多。③在气候变暖背景下,虽寒潮频次总体上呈略有减少趋势,但由于4-5月寒潮较多,而且小麦返青拔节,棉花出苗蕾铃,果树生芽开花,其抗寒能力下降,遇到明显降温,就会发生冻害,加上绿洲种植面积扩大,社会经济发展,承载体单位面积的受灾成本提高,使南疆寒潮低温冻害灾害呈显著增多趋势。     

Reach‐Scale Geomorphic and Biological Effects of Localized Streambank Armoring

Armoring of streambanks is a common management response to perceived threats to adjacent infrastructure from flooding or erosion. Despite their pervasiveness, effects of reach‐scale bank armoring have received less attention than those of channelization or watershed‐scale hydromodification. In this study, we explored mechanistic ecosystem responses to armoring by comparing conditions upstream, within, and downstream of six stream reaches with bank armoring in Southern California. Assessments were based on four common stream‐channel assessment methods: (1) traditional geomorphic measures, (2) the California Rapid Assessment Method for wetlands, (3) bioassessment with benthic macroinvertebrates, and (4) bioassessment with stream algae. Although physical responses varied among stream types (mountain, transitional, and lowland), armored segments generally had lower slopes, more and deeper pools and fewer riffles, and increased sediment deposition. Several armored segments exhibited channel incision and bank toe failure. All classes of biological indicators showed subtle, mechanistic responses to physical changes. However, extreme heterogeneity among sites, the presence of catchment‐scale disturbances, and low sample size made it difficult to ascribe observed patterns solely to channel armoring. The data suggest that species‐level or functional group‐level metrics may be more sensitive tools than integrative indices of biotic integrity to local‐scale effects.     

乌鞘岭南、北坡降水稳定同位素特征及水汽来源对比

为了揭示季风边缘区降水中稳定同位素特征及水汽来源,利用2016年10月至2017年10月采集的97个降水样品,采用相关分析和HYSPLIT模型,对乌鞘岭南、北坡降水稳定同位素的特征、大气水线方程、温度和降水量效应、水汽来源进行了对比分析.结果表明,南坡大气降水线的斜率与截距低于全球大气水线(GMWL)和北坡大气降水线;南、北坡的同位素温度效应和季节效应明显,但北坡的温度效应比南坡更为明显;除北坡夏季和南坡降水量小于5 mm时降水稳定同位素表现出微弱的降水量效应,南、北坡其它季节或其它降水量级均无明显的降水量效应;来自西北和北方的水汽占90%以上,北坡受季风水汽影响极少,南坡夏季会受到东南季风影响,局地水汽再循环对乌鞘岭南、北坡水汽也有贡献.本研究可提高对高寒山区降水同位素演化的认知,为寒旱区同位素水文学的进一步研究奠定基础.