AN EVALUATION OF THE 1997 EDWARDS AQUIFER IRRIGATION SUSPENSION1

ABSTRACT: In early 1997, the Texas Edwards Aquifer Authority implemented a pilot Irrigation Suspension Program with the objectives of increasing springflow and providing relief to municipalities during drought. Irrigators were paid an average of $234 per acre to suspend water use, a price higher than regional land rental rates. Auction theory and program implementation details suggest that the program implementation partially caused inflated bids. The Irrigation Suspension Program is also compared to two alternative programs: (1) subsidizing more efficient irrigation technology and (2) buying land. The irrigation suspension is found to be more cost‐effective relative to subsidizing improved irrigation efficiency because it can be put in place only when aquifer levels are low. Land purchase is a cheaper alternative if the bid levels remain at the levels observed.     

RESOLUTION OF ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT ISSUES IN PERMITTING TILE PLATEAU CREEK PIPELINE1

ABSTRACT: This paper describes how a hydrologic model proved to be a valuable tool to help interested parties understand impacts to four threatened and endangered fish species in the Upper Colorado River. In 1994, the Ute Water Conservancy District initiated permitting and design of the Plateau Creek pipeline replacement. The project was considered a major Federal action and therefore subject to the National Environmental Policy Act. Under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) entered the process to develop a Biological Opinion (BO) and determined that the project could potentially impact the endangered fish in the 15‐mile reach of the Colorado River. The Section 7 consultation was directed by a Core Committee comprised of stakeholders in the Upper Colorado River watershed. Hydrologic modeling became the evaluation tool for comparing flow reductions to USFWS target recovery flows and defining make‐up flow requirements to meet those targets. The Colorado River Recovery Implementation Program was designated to provide the make‐up flows. The USFWS released a final BO in December 1997, approving diversions through 2015. An Environmental Impact Statement for the project was completed and the Record of Decision was issued by the Bureau of Land Management in early 1998.     

Evaluation of recycling policies for PET bottles based on multiattribute utility indices

This study focused on waste plastic, especially the polyethylene telephthalate (PET) bottle as representative waste, which has been assigned as goods to be recycled by the Packaging Waste Recycling Law in Japan. We developed a plastic transport model which explained the entire flow of plastic from the production stage to the disposal stage within an the evaluation model of plastic recycle policy based on multiattribute utility theory. This model is designed to be used by local municipal governments in supporting the evaluation of the PET bottle recycling policy. In evaluating the plastics recycling policy, we selected indices relating to economy, ecology, and rate of resource recycling. The results indicate that when the evaluation of the material recycling policy and thermal recycling policy in the model city were characterized in terms of their economic and environmental aspects the thermal recycling policy had the highest utility within our scenario. Received: July 31, 1998 / Accepted: January 26, 1999     

农业资源综合开发生态环境评价

分析了农业资源综合开发生态环境评价与常规环境评价的意义及不同点,提出了农业资源综合开发生态环境评价的主要步骤、指标体 系、评价标准和评价方法。      

金华市奶牛基地的资源利用问题研究

本文论述了奶牛基地发展与红黄壤资源开发利用之间的内在联系。在分析奶牛基地农业资源利用现状基础上,运用灰色系统理论和多元统计的系统聚类分析方法,对影响奶牛基地发展的因素及区域发展对策作了定量分析,并预测奶牛基地发展趋势,提出奶牛生产不同区域的红黄壤资源开发利用的重点,这为合理开发利用红黄壤资源种草养奶牛提供理论和实际参考依据。     

山西省煤炭开采环境损失的经济核算

以环境经济学的经济外部性理论为依据,识别采煤过程中生态环境的外部不经济因素,应用环境价值评价法,对这些不经济因素进行量化和货币化,初步建立了省域煤炭开采环境污染和生态破坏经济损失核算体系.以2003年为基准年,核算了山西省煤炭开采环境污染和生态破坏的经济损失量.结果表明:2003年山西省煤炭开采环境污染与生态破坏造成的损失约为286.746 8×108元,折合每t煤损失63.79元.其中环境污染年损失61.979 4×108元,折合每t煤损失13.78元;生态破坏损失224.767 4×108元,折合每t煤损失50.00元.依据该核算结果,1978─2003年山西省累计采煤约65×108 t,所造成的环境损失约为4　100×108元.      

河西走廊城市化与水资源利用关系的量化研究

基于1985-2003年的统计数据,分析了河西走廊5市以及三大内陆河流域城市化水平与用水总量、用水效益、人均用水水平的定量关系,建立了它们之间关系的数学模型。结果表明,河西走廊城市化水平与用水总量呈对数增长关系,与用水效益呈线性增长关系,与人均用水水平的定量关系则较为复杂。同时,河西走廊短缺的水资源对城市化进程存在明显的约束作用,而且约束强度在水资源最为紧缺的东部地区表现最为明显;中部地区城市化的较快发展是以水资源的巨大消耗为代价的;而西部的疏勒河流域,则是城市化水平和用水效益相对较高的地区,但也是人均用水量相对较高的地区。因此,建立集约的水资源利用体系,缓解水资源对城市化进程的约束,是河西走廊各地区实施城镇化战略和西部大开发战略所面临的共同任务。     

安徽区域水资源可持续利用评价

利用"水桶模型"原理,在分析影响区域水资源可持续利用的各种因素基础上,对建立区域水资源可持续利用指标体系进行初步探讨.在论述构建区域水资源可持续利用指标体系的指导思想、原则后,设计了包含目标层、准则层和指标层3个层次的区域水资源可持续利用评价指标体系框架.并以安徽省三大自然地理区为例,利用主成分分析法和多级灰色关联评价法,结合所建立的指标体系,对区域水资源可持续利用状况进行定量评价.结果表明:江南、江淮地区属可持续发展区,而淮北地区属基本可持续发展区.指出了这3个区域水资源开发利用中的问题,对今后各地区水资源开发利用过程中应注意的不同侧重点提出了相应意见.      

“耕地总量动态平衡”政策驱动下中国的耕地变化及其生态环境效应

土地政策是影响土地利用及生态环境变化的一个重要的驱动因素。论文分析了“耕地总量动态平衡”政策对中国的耕地变化及其生态环境效应的影响,结果表明,“耕地总量动态平衡”政策对中国耕地的数量变化产生了积极作用,主要表现为:非农建设占用耕地的势头总体上得到遏制,全国及各省(市、区)基本实现耕地占补平衡,促进了农地整理工作的开展。但是,该政策对中国耕地的质量变化的影响却相反,在全国实现耕地占补平衡的情况下,耕地的总体生产能力呈下降趋势,同时,对生态环境产生了一定的负面效应。在此基础上,论文提出了重新审视“耕地总量动态平衡”政策的可行性,以“保护和提高耕地综合生产能力”替代“耕地总量动态平衡”以及根据土地资源区域差异采取不同的具体措施等对该政策加以调整的思路。     

从静态的断面分析到动态的过程评价——兼论资源流动的研究内容与方法

论文在简要回顾我国资源科学发展阶段及其特点的基础上,从生态学思想对资源科学研究的影响出发,认为随着经济社会的快速发展,资源开发利用过程及其效应问题将是今后相当长一段时间资源科学研究的重要领域和方向。只有深入研究资源在经济社会系统中的生命周期,才能清楚认识资源与经济、社会、环境的关系机理,才能为国家或区域资源可持续利用提供更加科学的理论依据。据此,提出了资源流动的概念,阐述了资源流动的内涵与研究方法,并以木材资源、玉米资源为例进行了说明。从某种意义上说,我国资源科学仍然处于一种静态的状态研究阶段,研究内容主要包括以资源开发利用为目的的资源认识和资源评价研究,和以协调人-资源关系为目的的人口、资源、环境可持续发展研究。现代资源科学吸收了生态学、特别是生态系统的理论和方法,将资源视为由不同学科、不同区域、不同部门的网式结构和从开发利用到最终消费的链式结构的复合系统,通过资源流动分析,将有助于揭示资源开发利用及其效应的动态过程机制。