Critical environmental indicators: performance indices and assessment models for sustainable rural development planning

Sustainable development planning must be based on environmental and biophysical baseline indices that effectively define comparative development potential and environmental constraints. As such, indices must define the comparative advantage of the natural resource base and measure the fundamental capacity to sustain production rates of natural resource goods and services used to create societal well being. Complex biophysical and socioeconomic characteristics affect the identification and selection of sustainable development strategies. When derived from effective baseline indicators, indices may be used to define the spatial and temporal distribution of economically viable production opportunities and may be expressed in derived indices that realistically describe basic production opportunities and guide the selection of feasible, long-term development strategies. Specifically, representative indices are critical in the identification of development goals and realistic objectives and can be used to evaluate, select and implement sustainable development strategies and plans. It is stressed that the relevancy and effectiveness of public policies depend on the identification of representative evaluation models and baseline indices to define development strategies that are both environmentally sustainable and economically viable. In this context, the role of baseline indicators that define natural resource production capacities is discussed. This includes potential resource uses, derived benefits and their economic and environmental impacts. Key thematic indicators are suggested that may be especially useful in identifying development alternatives and impacts. This suggested that clearly defined environmental pollution limits or impact standards be used to define public risk tolerance limits and carrying capacity constraints. It is argued that these measures may be more effective in directing policy choices than economic valuation of non market goods and services that represent environmental externalities associated with resource exploitation options and economic development strategies. To this end, examples of thematic indicators and derived indices are introduced that may prove effective in resource assessment, economic evaluation and strategic development planning.     

Use of Scale Invariance in Evaluating Judgement Indicators

Indicators are used to draw conclusions about ecological endpoints when these endpoints cannot be measured directly. In many cases, inferences about an endpoint are only possible because assumptions have been made about the relationship between indicator and endpoint; we refer to such indicators as judgement indicators. The validity of inferences made using a judgement indicator can be gauged by examining the known or assumed form of the general relationship between indicator and endpoint. The rules for this kind of inference are a consequence of scale invariance, which originates from measurement theory. For simple indicators comprised of a single indicator measurement, the inferences allowed – equivalence, rank, equality of intervals, and equality of ratios – depend on whether the data are nominal, ordinal, interval, or ratio scaled. For composite indicators containing two or more simple indicators, inferences are also affected by the mathematical form of combination; e.g., whether the terms are summed or multiplied. Standardizing simple or composite indicators can allow inferences about the relative importance of observations, based on the natural range of occurrence. Scale invariance is a particularly important consideration in landscape assessments, since these often make use of judgement indicators.     

大气臭氧污染的生物学指标监测评价

臭氧是具有很大危害性的大气污染物之一,近150年来大气对流层中的臭氧质量浓度已经增加了36%,在今后50～100年内还将以每年0.5%-2%的速度继续升高。植物对大气污染物的敏感性是由多种因素相互作用而成的复杂综合性状。以不同质量浓度（分别为0.0、1.0、2.0、3.0、4.0、5.0 mg·L-1）臭氧（O3）胁迫下的不同类型植物为例,观察植物在不同时间（2、4、6、8 h）的外观伤害症状和细胞膜透性与O3质量浓度的相关性。试验结果表明：不同植物对O3的敏感度不同,蔬菜对臭氧相对较敏感;低质量浓度长时间和高质量浓度短时间的作用条件下,植物的受害症状基本相同,典型症状表现为叶片上散布细密点状斑,斑点的颜色呈白色、黄色、棕褐色,也有褪绿斑;植物细胞膜透性数据即电导率直接反映植物受损程度。综合植物外观症状指标与生理生化指标建立了相对定量化的大气质量生物学指标评价模式,即划分为轻微（0-0.2）、轻度（0.2-0.4）、中度（0.4-0.6）、高度（0.6-0.8）、严重（0.8-1.0）5个受害等级,以定量的判断O3气体对植物的伤害。     

O_3-BAC组合工艺深度净化MBR出水的中试研究

采用臭氧-生物活性炭（O3-BAC）组合工艺对某工业园区再生水厂MBR出水进行了深度净化的中试研究,主要考察了组合工艺各节点对常规指标的处理效果。结果表明,臭氧投加量约3 mg/L（H2O）、臭氧接触塔接触时间为30min、活性炭滤池空床接触时间（BECT）为15 min时,O3-BAC组合工艺能有效去除水中色度、浊度,平均色度和浊度分别从21度和7.8 NTU降至3度和2.0 NTU以下;组合工艺对UV254、高锰酸盐指数的平均去除率分别约为39%和35%;对NH4＋-N有一定的去除,去除率为58%～77%;组合工艺对粪大肠菌群去除效果显著,平均去除率在95%以上。O3-BAC组合工艺是一种有效工业园区再生水深度净化技术。     

Monitoring Australian Rangeland Sites Using Landscape Function Indicators and Ground- and Remote-Based Techniques

If the goal for managing rangelands is to achieve a balance between production and conservation, then monitoring is essential to detect change and apply corrective action. In some range-land areas of northern Australia, monitoring has detected a tilt in the production-conservation balance towards excessive production. How big is this imbalance? Can it shift back? Robust monitoring is needed to answer these questions. The aim is to know what to monitor, and where. For example, to detect changes caused by livestock on rangeland forage production and soil erosion, indicators linking grazing disturbances to landscape function are needed, that is, indicators that signal how well landscapes are capturing, concentrating, and utilizing scarce water, nutrient, and organic resources. Studies in Australia and the USA document that simple vegetation and soil patch attributes can be measured as indicators of the 'state of health' of landscape function. For example, field and remote sensing-based grazing studies in Australia document that landscapes with a high cover of perennial plant patches function effectively to capture runoff water and nutrients in sediments, whereas landscapes with a low cover of these patches do not — they are dysfunctional — as indicated by large patches of bare soil. Aerial videography is proving to be a robust technique for measuring indicators of landscape function such as small patches of vegetation and the extent of bare soil. These indicators typically have a sigmoidal response to grazing impacts. We illustrate that if these indicators are measured on monitoring sites established near the sigmoidal 'point of inflection’ then small changes in these indicators can be detected.     

噬菌体MS2作为水中肠道病毒指示生物的特征及其影响因素

噬菌体MS2作为潜在的水中肠道病毒指示生物,已逐渐成为回用水微生物学安全评价指标的主要研究方向之一。在此,阐述噬菌体MS2作为水中肠道病毒指示生物的主要特征,并介绍噬菌体MS2作为水中肠道病毒指示生物应用的影响因素。     

酸雨与镧对大豆幼苗生长的复合伤害效应研究

为探索酸雨与稀土镧对大豆幼苗生长的复合影响及其内在机制,以重要油粮作物大豆(Glycine max)为材料,研究在模拟酸雨pH分别为3.0、3.5、4.5与稀土镧La(Ⅲ)浓度分别为60、100和300mg·L-1处理下大豆幼苗生长及光合作用的变化.结果表明,相对单一酸雨与镧处理,酸雨与La(Ⅲ)复合处理组中大豆幼苗的生长受抑制程度增大,两者呈协同效应,且pH越低,La(Ⅲ)浓度越高,抑制效应越明显.光合参数的变化规律与生长指标近同,相同处理组各光合参数的降幅不一致,其中最大荧光(Fv/Fm)和叶绿素含量(Chl)的降幅范围分别为9.53%～22.75%和9.14%～24.53%,较净光合速率Pn(22.78%～84.7%)、希尔(Hill)反应速率(15.52%～73.38%)和Mg2+-ATPase活性(14.51%～71.54%)小,表明各光合参数对2个胁迫因子的敏感程度存在差异.进一步相关性分析发现,Pn变化主要受Hill反应速率与Mg2+-ATPase活性的影响,而Chl、Fv/Fm次之.表明酸雨与La(Ⅲ)对植物光合过程各环节的作用机制不同,光合作用受阻是影响植物生长的重要因素之一.     

辽河流域河流栖息地评价指标与评价方法研究

建立了由底质、栖息地复杂性、速度-深度结合特性、堤岸稳定性、河道变化、河水水量状况、植被多样性、水质状况、人类活动强度和河岸土地利用类型所构成的河流栖息地评价指标体系,确定了各指标的等级划分以及栖息地综合指数的计算方法.结合2005年辽河流域河流生态调查结果,对流域内所调查的28个河段的栖息地质量状况进行了具体评价,并进一步分析了河道栖息地综合指数与河流理化因子、底栖生物以及小流域土地利用状况的相关关系.结果表明:①辽河流域28个河段的栖息地质量状况差异显著,其中10个河段达到了较好等级以上,6个仅为中等水平,12个河段为较差等级以下;②栖息地质量与理化因子、底栖生物指标具有显著相关性,表明栖息地质量是影响水质与生物状况的重要因素;③小流域的人类未利用土地比例与栖息地质量显著相关,表明小流域土地利用程度对栖息地环境质量影响较大,是恢复与保护河流栖息地质量的重要条件.