The role of digital data entry in participatory environmental monitoring

Many argue that monitoring conducted exclusively by scientists is insufficient to address ongoing environmental challenges. One solution entails the use of mobile digital devices in participatory monitoring (PM) programs. But how digital data entry affects programs with varying levels of stakeholder participation, from nonscientists collecting field data to nonscientists administering every step of a monitoring program, remains unclear. We reviewed the successes, in terms of management interventions and sustainability, of 107 monitoring programs described in the literature (hereafter programs) and compared these with case studies from our PM experiences in Australia, Canada, Ethiopia, Ghana, Greenland, and Vietnam (hereafter cases). Our literature review showed that participatory programs were less likely to use digital devices, and 2 of our 3 more participatory cases were also slow to adopt digital data entry. Programs that were participatory and used digital devices were more likely to report management actions, which was consistent with cases in Ethiopia, Greenland, and Australia. Programs engaging volunteers were more frequently reported as ongoing, but those involving digital data entry were less often sustained when data collectors were volunteers. For the Vietnamese and Canadian cases, sustainability was undermined by a mismatch in stakeholder objectives. In the Ghanaian case, complex field protocols diminished monitoring sustainability. Innovative technologies attract interest, but the foundation of effective participatory adaptive monitoring depends more on collaboratively defined questions, objectives, conceptual models, and monitoring approaches. When this foundation is built through effective partnerships, digital data entry can enable the collection of more data of higher quality. Without this foundation, or when implemented ineffectively or unnecessarily, digital data entry can be an additional expense that distracts from core monitoring objectives and undermines project sustainability. The appropriate role of digital data entry in PM likely depends more on the context in which it is used and less on the technology itself.     

Ambio’s legacy on monitoring,impact, and management of acid rain: This article belongs to Ambio’s 50th Anniversary Collection. Theme: Acidification

Early studies published in Ambio showed large-scale acidification of lakes in southern Sweden and Norway from acid rain. These studies were important for delimiting various scientific issues and thus for eventually contributing to legislation, which reduced emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides and helped to mitigate this major environmental problem. Long-term studies and monitoring in Sweden and Norway and at Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire helped guide this legislation in Europe and in the USA.     

Hydromorphological and socio-cultural assessment of urban rivers to promote nature-based solutions in Jarabacoa,Dominican Republic

In Latin America and the Caribbean, river restoration projects are increasing, but many lack strategic planning and monitoring. We tested the applicability of a rapid visual social–ecological stream assessment method for restoration planning, complemented by a citizen survey on perceptions and uses of blue and green infrastructure. We applied the method at three urban streams in Jarabacoa (Dominican Republic) to identify and prioritize preferred areas for nature-based solutions. The method provides spatially explicit information for strategic river restoration planning, and its efficiency makes it suitable for use in data-poor contexts. It identifies well-preserved, moderately altered, and critically impaired areas regarding their hydromorphological and socio-cultural conditions, as well as demands on green and blue infrastructure. The transferability of the method can be improved by defining reference states for assessing the hydromorphology of tropical rivers, refining socio-cultural parameters to better address river services and widespread urban challenges, and balancing trade-offs between ecological and social restoration goals.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13280-021-01565-3.     

常规施肥条件下农田不同途径氮素损失的原位研究:以长江中下游地区夏玉米季为例

为了解农田常规施肥条件下的不同途径氮素损失特征,本文通过田间原位试验同步研究了长江中下游地区夏玉米生长季氮肥施用后的农田N2O排放、NH3挥发、氮渗漏和地表径流的变化.结果表明,在复合肥为基肥,尿素为追肥,基追肥氮素水平均为150 kg·hm-2的条件下,整个玉米生长季N2O排放系数为3.3%,NH3挥发损失率为10.2%,氮渗漏和地表径流损失率分别为11.2%和5.1%.此外,基肥施用以氮素渗漏损失为主,而追肥氮素损失以氨挥发和渗漏为主,表明不同途径化肥氮素损失主要受氮肥品种影响,玉米季追肥可改用低氨挥发氮肥品种以减少氮素损失.     

三峡库区消落带土壤邻苯二甲酸二丁酯静态释放特征

为了解特大型水库消落带优先有机污染物迁移转化规律,以邻苯二甲酸二丁酯(DBP)为代表性优先污染物,采用静态淹水法研究了土壤中DBP浓度、上覆水离子强度、有机质含量等因素对三峡库区消落带土壤中DBP静态释放规律的影响.结果表明,消落带土壤中DBP在淹水前期由土壤向上覆水中迁移释放,该过程分为短暂但是释放速率较快的快速释放阶段和释放时间较长但释放速率较慢的慢速释放阶段,此过程可以很好地用二室一级动力模型拟合.随着土壤中添加的DBP浓度的增大,DBP向上覆水快速释放速率加快,而快速释放比例则减小;慢释放速率和慢速释放比例则正好相反.随着上覆水离子强度的增加,快速释放比例增加,使DBP向上覆水释放量增加.上覆水高浓度的DBP在淹水初期会抑制土壤DBP的释放而且使DBP释放达到最大值的时间延迟.上覆水添加腐殖酸后,快速释放速率、慢速释放速率和快速释放比例均增大,从而使DBP向上覆水的释放量也增加.     

某钢铁企业颗粒物无组织排放核算与监测对比分析

以济南东部老工业区一家大型钢铁企业为例,通过前期调研和排放系数核算出颗粒物(TSP)排放总量,再运用公式计算出厂区周边不同距离颗粒物(TSP)的落地浓度。将该落地浓度与厂区周边颗粒物(TSP)的监测值进行对比分析,充分印证了连续点源扩散的高斯模式的准确性和可行性。随着气流经过该厂区,对比上下风向监测点位颗粒物(TSP)浓度迅速升高(增大1.04倍),下风向颗粒物(TSP)浓度超出二级标准1.32倍;颗粒物(TSP)的落地浓度在厂区不同距离上的浓度变化明显,从0.1到10 km其落地浓度稀释了约3 500倍,距离>4 km时,无组织排放的颗粒物(TSP)对周围空气质量直接影响有限。     

进水有机负荷对三级生物滴滤池脱氮除磷的影响

试验采用三级(好氧/兼氧/好氧)多层组合填料生物滴滤池处理模拟生活污水,探索强化脱氮除磷工艺。考察了在相同水力负荷和布水周期下,改变进水有机负荷对COD、NH_4~+-N、TN和TP去除率的影响,并用扫描电镜和X射线衍射(XRD)对填料进行辅助分析。研究结果表明,三级串联生物滴滤池的组合相比传统的单级或两级生物滴滤池反应器处理效果更好。第1级和第2级生物滴滤池去除COD、NH_4~+-N和TN效果较好,贡献率合计分别为93.0%、91.2%和91.4%。第1级和第3级生物滴滤池除磷效果较好,贡献率合计91.4%。有机负荷为0.328~0.392 kg/(m~3·d)时,系统总体去除效果最好。     

北京市潮白河再生水补水河段水质时空变异

城市河道是城市再生水利用的主要载体,而人工湿地是城市再生水河道补水前主要的水质净化方式.为了解再生水补水与人工湿地对再生水补水段水质的影响,选取北京市潮白河再生水补水河段作为研究对象,利用聚类分析、判别分析及因子分析等方法对不同季节水体的水质情况进行分析.结果表明:研究区内水体氮磷污染严重,其中TN污染表现为NO₃--N、NO₂--N和NH₄+-N的混合型污染.聚类分析结果表明,水质在季节尺度上表现为丰水期（6-9月）和枯水期（2月、3月、5月和12月）两大类;在空间尺度上受再生水补水和湿地净化的影响表现为显著的空间差异性.判别分析结果表明,再生水补给对河道水质的影响无显著季节差异,湿地净化功能在丰水期和枯水期差异较大且丰水期湿地的净化效果最为明显.因子分析结果表明,再生水作为城市河道的补充水源,一方面对河道中的F-、Chl-a等起到稀释作用,另一方面使得水体中的N、P及离子含量增加;丰水期湿地的净化作用使水体中氮磷等有机营养物质含量及ρ（TDS）等显著降低.      

喀斯特常绿与落叶阔叶混交林过去50年来的碳循环模拟

通过对Forest-DNDC模型的植被和土壤参数本地化校准,以气象插值数据为输入,模拟了贵州省普定县高原型喀斯特次生常绿与落叶阔叶混交林1965~2014年的土壤、植被和生态系统碳循环特征。结果表明,与冷模拟和实测值相比,参数本地化校准后的模型能更准确地模拟春、秋、冬3个季节的土壤呼吸动态,而模拟的夏季土壤呼吸偏小;但统计检验指出,参数修订后的Forest-DNDC模型能够较好地模拟喀斯特森林土壤呼吸,降低了模拟误差,可用于喀斯特常绿与落叶阔叶混交林碳动态的模拟。进一步分析发现,1965~2014年喀斯特森林的碳通量除模拟早期的前3~4年急剧增加之外,随后总初级生产力(GPP)保持相对稳定,植物呼吸(Rplant)和生态系统呼吸(R_(ecosystem))随着森林发育而增加,土壤呼吸(R_(soil))减少,植被净初级生产力(NPP)呈迅速减小趋势;净生态系统碳交换量(NEE)亦较迅速下降,在2013年达到最低值-0.17 t C/ha,喀斯特森林由碳汇变为弱碳源。相关分析表明,年均温度和年降水对喀斯特常绿与落叶阔叶混交林的GPP和R_(soil)没有显著影响,但却显著影响NPP、R_(plant)、R_(ecosystem)和NEE。     

中国低中放近地表处置场环境评价方法研究

放射性废物的处置是对其管理的最终步骤.放射性废物处置的基本安全目标是保护人类和环境免受电离辐射的有害影响.开展处置场环境影响评价可以量化它对人体健康和环境潜在影响.通过与IAEA近十几年的最新研究成果相比较,分析了中国低中放近地表处置场现行评价方法的不足,提出了改进方式,并对中国近地表处置场环境影响评价技术研究下一步应开展的工作进行了探讨.