Trophic field overlap: A new approach to quantify keystone species

It is a current challenge to better understand the relative importance of species in ecosystems, and the network perspective is able to offer quantitative tools for this. It is plausible to assume, in general, that well-linked species, being key interactors, are also more important for the community. Recently a number of methods have been suggested for quantifying the network position of species in ecological networks (like the topological importance metric, TI). Most of them are based on node centrality indices and it may happen that the two most important species in a food web have very similar interaction structure and they can essentially replace each other if one becomes extinct. For conservation considerations it is a challenge to identify species that are richly connected and, at the same time, have a relatively unique and irreplaceable interaction pattern. We present a new method and illustrate our approach by using the Kuosheng Bay trophic network in Taiwan. The new method is based on the interaction matrix, where the strength of the interaction between nodes i and j depends only on topology. By defining a threshold separating weak and strong interactors, we define the effective range of interactions for each graph node. If the overlaps between pairs of these ranges are quantified, we gain a metric expressing how unique is the interaction pattern of a focal node (TO). The combination of centrality (TI) and uniqueness (TO) is called topological functionality (TF). We compare the nodal importance rank provided by this metric to others based on a variety of centrality measures. The main conclusion is that shrimps seem to have the most unique interaction pattern despite that their structural importance has been underestimated by all conventional centrality indices. Also, our network analysis suggests that fisheries disturb the ecosystem in a more critical network position than the impingement by the local power plant.     

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in various atmospheric environments of Taiwan: their levels, source identification and influence of combustion sources

In this study, ambient air samples from different atmospheric environments were examined for both PBDE and PCDD/F characteristics to verify that combustion is a significant PBDE emission source. The mean ± SD atmospheric PBDE concentrations were 165 ± 65.0 pg Nm⁻³ in the heavy steel complex area and 93.9 ± 24.5 pg Nm⁻³ in the metals complex areas, 4.7 and 2.7 times higher than that (35.3 ± 15.5 pg Nm⁻³) in the urban areas, respectively. The statistically high correlation (r = 0.871, p < 0.001) found between the atmospheric PBDE and PCDD/F concentrations reveals that the combustion sources are the most likely PBDE emission sources. Correspondence analysis shows the atmospheric PBDEs of the heavy steel and metals complex areas are associated with BDE-209, -203, -207, -208, indicative of combustion source contributions. Furthermore, the PBDEs in urban ambient air experience the influence of the evaporative releases of the commercial penta- and octa-BDE mixtures, as well as combustion source emissions. By comparing the PBDE homologues of indoor air, urban ambient air, and stack flue gases of combustion sources, we found that the lighter brominated PBDEs in urban ambient air were contributed by the indoor air, while their highly brominated ones were from the combustion sources, such as vehicles. The developed source identification measure can be used to clarify possible PBDE sources not only for Taiwanese atmosphere but also for other environmental media in other countries associated with various emission sources in the future.     

The market-incentive recycling system for waste packaging containers in Taiwan

This paper presents a new market-incentive (MI) system to recycle waste-packaging containers in Taiwan. Since most used packaging containers have no or insufficient market value, the government imposes a combined product charge and subsidy policy to provide enough economic incentive for recycling various kinds of packaging containers, such as iron, aluminum, paper, glass and plastic. Empirical results show that the new MI approach has stimulated and established the recycling market for waste-packaging containers. The new recycling system has provided 18,356 employment opportunities and generated NT$ 6.97 billion in real-production value and NT$ 3.18 billion in real GDP during the 1998 survey year. Cost-effectiveness analysis constitutes the theoretical foundation of the new scheme, whereas data used to compute empirical product charge are from two sources: marketing surveys of internal conventional costs of solid-waste collection, disposal and recycling in Taiwan, and benefit transfer of external environmental costs in the United States. The new recycling policy designed by the authors provides a reasonable solution for solid-waste management in a country with limited land resources such as Taiwan.     

台湾含金斑岩铜矿床

台湾省主要金属矿产为金和铜 ,本文只介绍斑岩铜矿。为了解台湾斑岩铜矿产出的地质背景 ,本文简要分析了台湾地区的地质概况 ,以及台湾斑岩铜矿与环太平洋带其他同类型铜矿床的对比情况。台湾斑岩铜矿主要产在台湾省东部海岸山脉及临近的小岛上。最大的铜矿床为奇美铜矿 ,已达特大型规模。斑岩铜矿的出现与欧亚、太平洋两大板块碰撞有密切关系。本文较详细地介绍了奇美铜矿床产出的时代、岩石、围岩蚀变及矿体分布特征 ,同时还简要介绍了台湾东海岸的都峦山及兰屿岛斑岩铜矿矿化情况。     

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans pollution in China: sources, environmental levels and potential human health impacts

This review represents an assessment of the pollution status of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) in China (the mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan). During the past decades, seven PCDD/Fs pollution hotspots have been found: (a). Ya-er Lake, Hubei Province, with 'total PCDD/Fs' level reaching 177,427 pg g(-1) (dry weight) in lake sediments; (b). Chinese Schistosomiasis affected areas of Jiangxi Province with 33,660 pg g(-1) in soil; (c). e-waste recycling area of Yangtze River Delta, with 2726 pg g(-1) in paddy soil; (d). e-waste recycling area of Guiyu (eastern part of Guangdong Province), with 967,500 pg g(-1) in mixture of burnt residue and soil (the highest level among all hotspots); (e). Pearl River Delta with 2630 pg g(-1) in coastal sediment. (f). Kwun Tong, Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong with 10,999 pg g(-1) in coastal sediment; and (g). southern Taiwan with 606,000 pg g(-1) in soil near the vicinity of a pentachlorophenol manufacturing factory. The main sources of PCDD/Fs in China were formed from impurities during the production of polychlorophenol, hexachlorobenzene, polychlorinated biphenyls, organic chlorinated pesticide and triclosan. In addition, sources of PCDD/Fs included municipal waste incineration, mineral fuel usage, open burning of electronic waste and crop residues, industrial waste discharge and vehicle exhaust emission. Due to potential human health risks from long-term exposure to PCDD/Fs at these hotspots, body loadings of these contaminants should be monitored.     

中国台湾省学校实验废弃物的管理及启示

学校实验室产生的废弃物种类繁多,如果不经处理就直接排放,会对环境造成潜在威胁,不利于整个社会的可持续发展,因此有必要制订相关政策、法规,规范学校实验废弃物的收集、处理。中国台湾省已出台了一系列较为完备的法律、法规,在学校实验废弃物的管理方面也已形成一整套行之有效的管理制度、措施,对于学校实验废弃物的分类、贮存、清运及回收、申报管制、处理设施等方面的管理措施,内容具体,利于有效执行及监督,可为我们国内学校的相关管理提供借鉴。     

Spatiotemporal Features of Severe Air Pollution in Northern Taiwan (8 pp)

Background, Aims and Scope This research attempted to identify the dominant factors simultaneously affecting the airborne concentrations of five air pollutants with principal component analysis and to determine the meteorologically related parameters that cause severe air-pollution events. According to the definition of subPSI and PSI values through the U.S. EPA, the historical raw data of five criteria air pollutants, SO2, CO, O3, PM10 and NO2, were calculated as daily subPSI values. In addition to the airborne concentrations, this study simultaneous collected the surface meteorological parameters of the Taipei meteorological station, established by the Central Weather Bureau. Methods Principal component analysis was conducted to screen severe air pollution scenarios for five air pollutants: SO2, CO, O3, PM10 and NO2. The concentrations of various air pollutants measured at 17 air-quality stations in northern Taiwan from 1995 to 2001 were transformed into daily subPSI values. The correlation analysis of the five air pollutants and four meteorological parameters (wind speed, temperature, mixing height and ventilation rate) were included in this research. After screening severe air pollution scenarios, this study recognized the synoptic patterns easily causing the severe air-pollution events. Results and Discussion Analytical results showed that the eigenvalues of the first two principal components for SO2, CO, O3, PM10 and NO2 were greater than 1. The first component of five air pollutants explained 64, 64, 67, 76 and 63% of subPSI variance for SO2, CO, O3, PM10 and NO2, respectively. Only the correlation coefficient of NO2 and CO had statistically significant positive values (0.82); other pollutant pairs presented medium (0.4 to 0.7) or low (0 to 0.4) positive values. The correlation coefficients for air pollutants and three meteorological parameters (wind speed, mixing height and ventilation index) were medium or low negative values. In northern Taiwan, spring was most likely induced high concentrations and the component scores of the first component for SO2, CO, PM10 and NO2; summer was the worst season that caused high O3 episodes. Consequently, the analytical results of factor loadings for the first principal component and emission inventory of various sources revealed that mobile sources were dominant factors affecting ambient air quality in northern Taiwan. Conclusion According to the results of principal component analysis for the five air pollutants, the first two of 17 components were cited as major factors and explained 71% of subPSI variance. Based on the inventory of NOx emissions and the isopleth diagram of factor loading for the first component, mobile sources in the southwest Taipei City accounted for the highest factor loading values and emission inventory values. Synoptic analysis and principal component analysis demonstrated that three types of weather patterns (high-pressure recirculation, prefrontal warm sector and the southwesterly wind system) easily caused the severe air-pollution scenarios. In summary, if severe air-pollution days occurred, the average meteorological parameters experienced adverse conditions for diffusing air pollutants; that is, the average values of wind speed, mixing height and ventilation index were lower than 2.1 ms-1, 360 m and 800 m2s-1, respectively. If one of the three synoptic patterns were to occur in combination with adverse meteorological conditions, severe air-pollution events would be developed. Recommendation and Outlook By utilizing synoptic patterns, this work found three weather systems easily caused severe air-pollution events over northern Taiwan. Analytical results showed, respectively, the wind speed and mixing height were less than 2.1 m/s and 360 m during severe air-pollution events.     

农户视角下台湾农业技术在大陆扩散影响因素分析——以广东韶关粤台农业合作试验区兰花种植业为例

以广东韶关粤台农业合作试验区兰花种植业为例,基于农户视角,构建三个维度下7个外因潜在变量,利用问卷调查数据,通过结构方程模型对台湾农业（兰花）技术扩散效果（内因潜在变量）的影响因素进行了分析。结果表明:农户社会网络与主观规范因素、农户对台湾农业的认知因素、台湾农业特点因素、台湾农业技术服务特点因素及基础条件因素等对兰花技术扩散效果具有显著正向影响,相应假设通过检验;农户创业特征及政策环境等两个因素对兰花技术扩散效果的影响不显著,相应假设未通过检验;试验区特殊的地域文化在促进兰花技术扩散的同时,也带来了一些消极影响;试验区应结合当地实际情况,根据兰花技术扩散的影响因素,制定合理的兰花产业发展对策。     

A GIS‐ASSISTED DISTRIBUTED WATERSHED MODEL FOR SIMULATING FLOODING AND INUNDATION1

ABSTRACT: A distributed watershed model combining kinematic wave routing, 1‐D dynamic channel‐flow routing, and 2‐D diffusive overland‐flow routing has been developed to simulate flooding and inundation levels of large watersheds. The study watershed was linked to a GIS database and was divided into an upstream mountainous area and a downstream alluvial plain. A kinematic wave routing was adopted at the mountainous area to compute the discharge flowing into the alluvial plain. A 1‐D dynamic channel routing solving the St. Venant equations by the Preissmann method was performed for the main channel of the alluvial plain, whereas a 2‐D overland‐flow routing solving the diffusion wave equation with the Alternating Direction Explicit scheme was used for floodplains. The above two routings were connected by weir‐link discharge formula. The parameters in the model were calibrated and independently verified by single‐event storms. An example application of flooding/inundation analysis was conducted for the Taichung station and the Woozi depot (Taiwan High Speed Rail). Suggested inundation‐proofing measures ‐ including raising ground surface elevation of the station and depot and building a waterproofing exterior wall and their combination ‐ were investigated. It was concluded that building the waterproofing exterior wall had a strong tendency to decrease peak inundation depth.     

An Evaluation Framework for Scoring Corporate Sustainability Reports in Taiwan

Abstract Recently, an increasing number of Taiwanese companies have engaged in economic, environmental, and social disclosures through sustainability reports to demonstrate social responsibility. However, the quality and the contents of information disclosure have yet to be translated into meaningful and comprehensive reports. This article proposed a framework to evaluate the quality and the contents of the voluntary information disclosure of sustainability reports in Taiwan. The proposed framework is based on the Global Reporting Initiative G3 Guideline, scorecard, and other award scoring systems that were converted into comprehensive scoring systems to evaluate 16 reports published by companies operating in Taiwan. In all, 44 indicators within 18 criteria were recognized through expert questionnaires and the fuzzy Delphi method. The fuzzy analytic hierarchy process was applied to determine the relative weightings of the 18 criteria, after which a multiple-criteria decision-making evaluation framework wa...