Pollutants and the health of green sea turtles resident to an urbanized estuary in San Diego, CA

Rapid expansion of coastal anthropogenic development means that critical foraging and developmental habitats often occur near highly polluted and urbanized environments. Although coastal contamination is widespread, the impact this has on long-lived vertebrates like the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) is unclear because traditional experimental methods cannot be applied. We coupled minimally invasive sampling techniques with health assessments to quantify contaminant patterns in a population of green turtles resident to San Diego Bay, CA, a highly urbanized and contaminated estuary. Several chemicals were correlated with turtle size, suggesting possible differences in physiological processes or habitat utilization between life stages. With the exception of mercury, higher concentrations of carapace metals as well as 4,4′-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) and γ chlordane in blood plasma relative to other sea turtle studies raises important questions about the chemical risks to turtles resident to San Diego Bay. Mercury concentrations exceeded immune function no-effects thresholds and increased carapace metal loads were correlated with higher levels of multiple health markers. These results indicate immunological and physiological effects studies are needed in this population. Our results give insight into the potential conservation risk contaminants pose to sea turtles inhabiting this contaminated coastal habitat, and highlight the need to better manage and mitigate contaminant exposure in San Diego Bay.     

南京低碳经济定量研究

城市化和工业化产生的碳排放是当今中国影响气候变化的重要因素,经济增长和碳排放之间的关系是当今研究的热点问题.本文研究南京市低碳经济发展的现状、阶段及演化特点,发现30年来,南京市低碳经济发展呈现波动反复的特点,扩张负脱钩3次,较高能源消费的经济增长形式-扩张连接4次,经济发展实现与能源消费较好脱钩的弱负脱钩1次,强脱钩4次,其余为弱脱钩.基于内生经济增长模型Moon-Sonn,建立了南京经济增长预测模型,并探讨了不同发展模式下南京未来50年低碳经济水平及碳排放量演化规律,预测了不同低碳经济水平下南京碳排放量和峰值出现的时间.研究结果显示,按现行经济模式,南京2050-2060年碳总量增加速度逐步减缓,约在2058年左右实现碳总量的负增长.50年内南京市预计为扩张负脱钩和扩张连接,难以实现稳定的离水平低碳经济增长模式;设定最优能源强度参数的模式下,南京迅速实现稳定强脱钩的低碳经济,碳释放量EKC曲线呈现倒U型,2015年左右即达到峰值.综合各种因素,南京近几年将延续模式l的增长模式,在2020年左右实现向模式2转变,其碳释放量约于2028年前后出现峰值.     

江苏沿海城镇化与生态环境协调发展量化分析

城镇化与生态环境之间存在着客观的动态耦合关系,以江苏沿海三市(南通、盐城、连云港)2000-2009年统计数据为基础,分别从人口、经济、空间、社会城镇化和生态环境压力、状态、响应等层面构建了城镇化与生态环境协调发展的综合评价指标体系,利用协调发展模型对其演化趋势进行了量化分析。结果表明:①城镇化指数逐步提高,呈线性增长趋势,进入城镇化快速发展时期;②生态环境指数具有不同的变化特征,表现为波动上升趋势,生态环境质量不断得到改善;③城镇化与生态环境协调发展度指数表现出多样化的等级类型,当城镇化水平发展到一定阶段,生态环境压力也随之增大,同时人们的环境保护意识与逐步增强,两者之间的交互作用逐步走向适应与协调。     

三峡工程建设前后库区城镇发展与环境变化

利用卫星遥感监测,分析三峡工程建设前后库区城镇发展类型、时空过程,揭示库区城镇变化的驱动力,探索了城镇扩展与人口城镇化关系,研究城镇环境变化特征。三峡库区城镇规模发展不均衡,库尾城市规模庞大,库中、东部区县级城市规模较小,而乡镇的比例占城镇面积24%;在过去15 a中,建城区规模扩大172%,高于全国省会城市发展水平72%;三峡库区城镇规模扩大的同时,东西城镇规模差距逐步缩小,三峡工程建设起着重要的推动作用;城镇发展以侵占了优质耕地资源为代价,耕地占城镇变化83%;城镇用地变化与人口城市化发展不平衡,城镇空间发展快于人口城镇化过程,城镇对农村人口的吸引力不及全国省会城市平均水平,在2007年城市化率低于全国水平13%,差距进一步扩大;城市空间结构发展模式受地形和土地资源的限制,城市分维数和坡度分别增加12%和104°,城市向潜山区扩展或搬迁的同时,城市空间的完整性下降     

中国人口集疏格局与形成机制研究

人口集聚和疏散是人口空间分布格局最直观和最集中的体现,基于人口集聚度的中国人口集疏的空间格局和形成机制的研究,有助于准确把握中国人口空间分布的基本脉络,具有重要的学术价值和实践意义。研究采用了人口集聚度分级评价的方法,依据人口集聚度的不同,将各个地区划分为不同等级的人口集聚区,并对其分别讨论。在此基础上,结合中国人口分布格局、自然条件的空间分布格局、人居环境自然适宜性评价结果以及经济发展格局和城市化格局,对中国的人口集疏的空间格局进行了归纳,并进一步对相应的形成机制进行了探讨,得出了我国人口分布的空间不平衡日益加剧,并呈现沿海、沿江、沿线集聚的态势的基本结论,并对我国人口分布集疏格局的形成进行了探讨,提出了自然因素奠定我国人口分布的基本格局,而经济发展不平衡与城市化成为人口集聚的动力的观点。     

Implications of Urbanization for Artisanal Parrotfish Fisheries in the Western Solomon Islands

Abstract: Increasing migration into urbanized centers in the Solomon Islands poses a great threat to adjacent coral reef fisheries because of negative effects on the fisheries and because it further erodes customary management systems. Parrotfish fisheries are of particular importance because the feeding habits of parrotfish (scrape and excavate coral) are thought to be critical to the resilience of coral reefs and to maintaining coral reef health within marine protected areas. We investigated the ecological impact of localized subsistence and artisanal fishing pressure on parrotfish fisheries in Gizo Town, Western Solomon Islands, by analyzing the density and size distribution of parrotfish with an underwater visual census (UVC), recall diary (i.e., interviews with fishers), and creel surveys to independently assess changes in abundance and catch‐per‐unit‐effort (CPUE) over 2 years. We then compared parrotfish data from Gizo Town with equivalent data from sites open to and closed to fishing in Kida and Nusa Hope villages, which have different customary management regimes. Results indicated a gradient of customary management effectiveness. Parrotfish abundance was greater in customary management areas closed to fishing, especially with regard to larger fish sizes, than in areas open to fishing. The decline in parrotfish abundance from 2004 to 2005 in Gizo was roughly the same magnitude as the difference in abundance decline between inside and outside customary management marine reserves. Our results highlight how weak forms of customary management can result in the rapid decline of vulnerable fisheries around urbanized regions, and we present examples in which working customary management systems (Kinda and Nusa Hope) can positively affect the conservation of parrotfish—and reef fisheries in general—in the highly biodiverse Coral Triangle region.     

STREAM-CHANNEL INCISION FOLLOWING DRAINAGE-BASIN URBANIZATION1

ABSTRACT: Urbanization of a drainage basin results in pervasive hydrologic changes that in turn initiate long-term changes in stream channels. Increases in peak discharges and in durations of high flows result in either quasi-equilibrium channel expansion, where cross-section area increases in near-proportion to the discharge increase, or catastrophic channel incision, where changes occur far out of proportion to the discharge increases that initiated them. Field data and hydrologic modeling of rapidly urbanizing basins in King County, Washington, define conditions of flow, topography, geology, and channel roughness that identify streams susceptible to incision. Channel slope and geologic material are particularly critical; thus simple map overlays, nearly irrespective of contributing drainage area, provide a valuable planning tool for identification of susceptible terrain. Where such conditions exist, basal shear stress provides a quantifiable parameter for predicting likely problems, although knickpoints are typical in such settings and confound simple calculation of sediment-transport rates. Where urbanization proceeds in such areas, effective mitigation of the incision hazards requires a degree of stormwater control far in excess of standards typically applied to present development activity.     

城市环境水文问题分析

城市化对水环境污染是一个具有普遍性和严重性的问题.城市水环境污染分为点污染和面污染两类.本文针对城市降雨径流污染(城市面源污染)作了系统分析.其内容包括城市化对降雨径流的影响,城市面污染的积累和暴雨径流的冲刷,以及推求城市暴雨径流污染负荷过程的模拟途径.     

POLLUTANT LOADS IN URBAN STORMWATER: REVIEW OF METHODS FOR PLANNING-LEVEL ESTIMATES1

ABSTRACT: A review of methods for planning-level estimates of pollutant loads in urban stormwater focuses on transfer of charac. teristic runoff quality data to unmonitored sites, runoff monitoring, and simulation models. Load estimation by transfer of runoff quality data is the least expensive, but the accuracy of estimates is unknown. Runoff monitoring methods provide best estimates of existing loads, but cannot be used to predict load changes resulting from runoff controls, or other changes of the urban system. Simulation models require extensive calibration for reliable application. Models with optional formulations of pollutant build up, washoff, and transport can be better calibrated and the selection of options should be based on a statistical analysis of calibration data. Calibrated simulation models can be used for evaluation of control alternatives.     

EFFECTS OF INITIAL ABSTRACTION AND URBANIZATION ON ESTIMATED RUNOFF USING CN TECHNOLOGY1

ABSTRACT: Few studies have been conducted to explore the effects of initial abstraction on estimated direct runoff despite the widespread use of the curve number (CN) method in many hydrologic models to estimate direct runoff. In this study, use of a 5 percent ratio of initial abstraction (I_a) to storage (S) to estimate daily direct runoff with modified CN values for a 5 percent I_a/S value was investigated using the Long‐Term Hydrologic Impact Assessment (L‐THIA) geographic information system (GIS). In addition, the effects on estimated runoff of altering the hydrologic soil group due to urbanization were investigated. The L‐THIA model was applied to the Indiana Little Eagle Creek watershed with 5 percent and 20 percent I_a/S values, considering hydrologic soil group alteration due to urbanization. The results indicate that uses of a 5 percent l_a/S and modified CN values and Hydrologic Soil Group D for urbanized areas in model runs can improve long term direct runoff prediction.