昆山市生态系统服务价值变化研究

在Constanza的生态系统服务价值理论的基础上,计算了1994－2002年昆山市生态系统服务价值的变化。建设用地对耕地和水域面积的占用,引起了昆山市的生态系统服务价值逐渐下降： 9年间生态系统服务价值（ESV）总量下降了8.9%,人均占有量（Ave(ESV)）下降了13.0%。各种土地利用方式的生态系统服务价值的弹性系数都小于1。水域面积的变化则对生态系统服务价值变化起到放大作用。耕地面积的变化主要是影响昆山市的粮食安全问题,而水域的变化则在更大程度上影响生态系统服务功能方面。     

Chemical evaluation of Gnetum africana and Telferia occidentalis

A chemical evaluation of Gnetum africana and Telferia occidentalis was carried out in five randomly selected restaurants in Calabar. The results showed that both Gnetum africana and Telferia occidentalis soups have high caloric values and contain adequate levels of essential minerals, vitamins, amino acids, proteins, and fat, which are needed for a variety of cellular functions in humans, and which would reduce the problem of protein energy malnutrition (PEM).     

An approach to evaluation of sustainability for Guangzhou's urban ecosystem

Guangzhou has ambitions to build itself into a world class metropolis by 2010. Sustainable development is the only way to achieve this magnificent goal. Based on the ecological perspective of sustainable development and the principles of ecosystem integrity, this paper develops an approach for evaluation of sustainable development in Guangzhou between 1986 and 1995. A hierarchical evaluation system of four tiers of sustainability indicators was established. Using the method of fuzzy multistage synthetic evaluation, sustainability development level index, QIx, was calculated for the indicators at the B, C, D, and E tiers. Development stages were identified based on these index values. The coordination degree among the economic, social, and natural subsystems was also computed. Further, an overall sustainability index for each year was computed by combining the development level index and the coordination degree. It was found that the urban ecosystem in Guangzhou had generally become more sustainable, in spite of fluctuations in coordination degree. The development level index of the economic subsystem has surpassed that of social and natural subsystems since 1995. Appropriate measures must be taken to ensure coordinated development among the subsystems for the purpose of sustainable development.     

南四湖湿地景观格局变化的生态系统服务价值响应

利用1987-2010年5期卫星遥感影像监测南四湖湿地景观格局变化,并且采用市场比较法、影子工程法、工业制氧成本法、碳税法和价值替代法等多种评估方法对南四湖湿地景观格局变化的生态系统服务功能价值响应进行深入探讨.结果表明,南四湖湿地中大量芦苇、荷田等自然湿地景观转化为养殖水域、水稻田等人工湿地,景观格局趋于破碎化;湖泊湿地景观格局变化对于湿地的供给功能、调节功能、文化功能和支持功能均有影响,其中对供给功能和调节功能影响最大.以2010年不变价计算,南四湖湿地景观格局变化导致2010年湿地生态系统服务功能价值比1987年减少3.06亿元,其中大气成分调节功能价值损失11.7亿元,净化功能价值损失3.77亿元,涵养水源功能损失0.65亿元,物质生产功能价值增加13.06亿元,其他功能价值对湿地景观格局变化的响应不明显.     

Assessment of forest vegetation and conservation priorities of communities in part of Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve,West Himalaya. Part I

In most protected areas of the Indian Himalayan region site/habitat characteristics, community diversity and distribution pattern, vegetation composition (richness of native and endemic species), structural patterns, economic importance of forest communities and community priorities have rarely been studied. Therefore, the present study has focused on these in the buffer zone of Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve. Seventy-six woody species (trees: 24; shrubs: 52) and 13 forest communities have been recorded between 2300–3800 m asl. Tree density ranged from 533–1220 ind ha-¹, tree basal area from 14.68-80.28 m²ha-¹ and shrub density from 1490–6695 ind ha-¹. Mean density of trees was significantly lower in temperate forests in comparison to subalpine forests. Richness of trees ranged from 3–18 and shrubs from 5–29. Species diversity (H') of trees ranged from 0.45-2.08 and shrubs from 0.90-3.14. In the temperate zone, species richness and altitude had significant positive correlations whereas in the subalpine zone the two variables were negatively correlated. The native species were high in the area (> 65% species) and in communities (> 70% species), and was highest for the Picea smithiana-Pinus wallichiana mixed community, whereas the maximum numbers of natives and endemic species were recorded in the Pinus wallichiana community. The density and richness of non-natives were found to be significantly lower in comparison to the natives. Economic importance and conservation value of the communities were assessed and communities prioritized. Monitoring of the identified habitats, species, populations and communities, and development of appropriate strategies for their conservation and management are suggested.     

Capacity building for sustainable development: some Mexican perspectives

A broadly defined scientific Capacity Building (CB) for Sustainable Development (SD) is needed all around the world, and the development of innovative capacities in the developing countries is a priority. For this, first we need to know how this concept is applied in some developing countries. In this paper we present some Mexican experiences in the field of capacity building for sustainable development. The main problems are the monodisciplinary training of the specialists, the absence of a sound policy for promotion, career development and assessment of researchers, as well as of their projects when they are interdisciplinary and development-oriented. The main proposals to solve these problems are the creation of mechanisms that foster and legitimize interdisciplinary work; a decentralized planning process with the specific objective of establishing the needs and orientations on a regional basis; provide resources to long-term projects, and finally, consensus on asking international funding agencies for stronger support for public higher education institutions in developing countries in order to increase and strengthen their capacity for education and research in general, and in the field of SD in particular.     

A regional-scale sustainable development index: the case of Baja California Sur,Mexico

Sustainable development, as a multi-dimensional concept, is difficult to measure. Some efforts using indicators and indices have appeared in recent years, but most were developed on a national scale. Use of sustainability indicators has proven valuable for attaining better management of the environment by minimizing information gaps and maximizing community capabilities in terms of economic, social, environmental, and institutional sustainability dimensions. However, at least in the case of developing countries, the potential exists that national sustainability measures, based on national level indicators, may mask problems in sub-national zones with highly unsustainable conditions. This paper proposes a methodology to evaluate sustainable development at a local level, the use of which could be helpful in comparing different regions within a country or even among different countries. National sustainability indicators should result from a combination (whether additive or proportional) of regional sustainability indicators, as developed in this paper.     

Measuring and assessing indicators of sustainable development for Scotland: a pilot survey

In this paper, we review three broad classes of indicators of sustainable development. These are economic, ecological and sociopolitical indicators. We then report the results of a pilot study which measured five different indicators for Scotland: an approximate environmentally-adjusted Net National Product; the Pearce-Atkinson Measure; Net Primary Production; Appropriated Carrying Capacity; and the Index of Sustainable Economic Welfare. We find that not all indicators point in the same direction, but a majority suggest that Scotland is at best only marginally sustainable. Data limitations, however, suggest a degree of caution in the interpretation of these results.     

Indicators of sustainability as a tool in agricultural development: partitioning scientific and participatory processes

SUMMARY

Sustainable indicators have become popular tools by which policymakers can assess progress towards a more sustainable agriculture. Varying approaches to defining sustainability lead to disagreement about the value of indicators and yet some form of measurement is required so that society can judge the effects of policy. Environmental and social problems and their causes span national boundaries. An international framework for assessing agricultural activities, their effects and the pressures that drive those activities is therefore required. However, a guiding principle of the UN Agenda for Sustainable Development is that global problems require local action. Thus, indicators must provide information for policymakers as well as guidance for farmers and other practitioners. Many indicator programmes currently proposed do not provide this level of guidance as no evaluation as to what level of activity is sustainable has been agreed. A model is presented, to show how scientific and political or participatory approaches may be combined to meet the multiple objectives of involving people, maintaining scientific integrity and providing guidance for policymakers and practitioners alike.     

Book reviews and notices

The aim of sustainable development is to balance social, economic, and environmental needs. In order to justify the decisions they make, stakeholders must quantify the different impacts found in the operations and developments of companies and/or projects throughout their life cycle. However, as some areas are subjective in nature, the quantification process of the different impacts and the assessment of sustainable development performance become arduous tasks of development, validation, and application of scientific and empirical methods with the intrinsic objective of finding an agreement among the involved parties (i.e., stakeholders). Several environmental and sustainability assessment tools, instruments, processes, and methodologies have been developed; rating systems stand out and have gained attention and credibility, as demonstrated by the vast number of certified projects around the world and the widely-known usefulness and advantages of their application. The Wa-Pa-Su project sustainability rating system presents an integrated approach to sustainability assessment by integrating three distinctive areas of knowledge: (1) sustainable development theory and fundamentals supports the ultimate goal of the rating system, which is to contribute to sustainability, with the aim of finding a path to balance social, economic, and environmental needs; (2) continual performance improvement becomes essential due to the duration of the projects, as it is critical to allow organizations or projects to improve performance over time; and (3) multi-criteria decision analysis assists with the assessment process through stakeholder engagement and participation, and the design and implementation of a criteria weighting system.