Ecological and Economic Services Provided by Birds on Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee Farms

Abstract: Coffee farms can support significant biodiversity, yet intensification of farming practices is degrading agricultural habitats and compromising ecosystem services such as biological pest control. The coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei) is the world's primary coffee pest. Researchers have demonstrated that birds reduce insect abundance on coffee farms but have not documented avian control of the berry borer or quantified avian benefits to crop yield or farm income. We conducted a bird‐exclosure experiment on coffee farms in the Blue Mountains, Jamaica, to measure avian pest control of berry borers, identify potential predator species, associate predator abundance and borer reductions with vegetation complexity, and quantify resulting increases in coffee yield. Coffee plants excluded from foraging birds had significantly higher borer infestation, more borer broods, and greater berry damage than control plants. We identified 17 potential predator species (73% were wintering Neotropical migrants), and 3 primary species composed 67% of migrant detections. Average relative bird abundance and diversity and relative resident predator abundance increased with greater shade‐tree cover. Although migrant predators overall did not respond to vegetation complexity variables, the 3 primary species increased with proximity to noncoffee habitat patches. Lower infestation on control plants was correlated with higher total bird abundance, but not with predator abundance or vegetation complexity. Infestation of fruit was 1–14% lower on control plants, resulting in a greater quantity of saleable fruits that had a market value of US$44–$105/ha in 2005/2006. Landscape heterogeneity in this region may allow mobile predators to provide pest control broadly, despite localized farming intensities. These results provide the first evidence that birds control coffee berry borers and thus increase coffee yield and farm income, a potentially important conservation incentive for producers.     

Stability of a Coal Waste Artificial Reef

The feasibility of using U.K. coal-fired power station waste materials for artificial reef production is being examined. in June, 1989, an experimental artificial reef was constructed in Poole Bay, off the central south coast of the U.K., using three different mixtures of pulverised fuel ash (PFA), flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) gypsum and slurry, stabilized with cement and formed into blocks. Fifty tonnes of 40 × 20 × 20 cm blocks were formed into eight conical reef units replicating three different PFA/gypsum mixtures and one concrete control. the reef structure is 10m below chart datum on a flat sandy sea-bed.

Combustion of coal concentrates the heavy metal content in the resultant ash. the purpose of stabilization of the ash as blocks is twofold: to immobilize heavy metals (or other components) and to provide hard substratum for the attachment of organisms. to examine the effectiveness of this stabilization and hence the environmental compatibility of the block materials, heavy metal (Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Mn, Ni, Zn) content of the blocks has been monitored routinely over two years, to determine leaching rates. Sectional profiles indicate partial replacement of calcium content by magnesium. Associated with this there has also been some redistribution of heavy metals. Only in the case of cadmium has there been a detectable loss from the surface of blocks. Chromium and manganese concentrations appear to have increased. the metal content of the reef epibiota (including ascidians, Ascidia mentula; hydroids, Halecium spp.; bryozoans, Bugula spp. and red algae) growing on the ash blocks has been compared to that of epibiota attached to the concrete controls and surrounding sea-bed. to date no evidence of excess bioaccumulation of metals has been detected.

The physical integrity of the ash reef blocks has been maintained. There is evidence that the blocks are increasing in compressive strength.

An indication of the fishery enhancement potential of the experimental structure is given by the presence of eight commercially fished species (crustaceans and molluscs) including lobsters (Homarus gammarus).     

The Use of Remote Sensing and GIS in the Sustainable Management of Tropical Coastal Ecosystems

The sustainable use and management of important tropical coastal ecosystems (mangrove forests, seagrass beds and coral reefs) cannot be done without understanding the direct and indirect impacts of man. The ecosystem's resilience and recovery capacity following such impacts must be determined. The efficacy of mitigation measures must also be considered. Remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) are excellent tools to use in such studies. This paper reviews the state of the art and application of these tools in tropical coastal zones, and illustrates their relevance in sustainable development. It highlights a selected number of remote sensing case-studies on land cover patterns, population structure and dynamics, and stand characteristics from South-East Asia, Africa and South-America, with a particular emphasis on mangroves. It further shows how remote sensing technology and other scientific tools can be integrated in long-term studies, both retrospective and predictive, in order to anticipate degradation and to take mitigating measures at an early stage. The paper also highlights the guidelines for sustainable management that can result from remote sensing and GIS studies, and identifies existent gaps and research priorities.There is a need for more comprehensive approaches that deal with new remote sensing technologies and analysis in a GIS-environment, and that integrate findings collected over longer periods with the aim of prediction. It is also imperative to collect and integrate data from different disciplines. These are essential in the spirit of sustainable development and management, particularly in developing countries, which are often more vulnerable to environmental degradation.     

潮滩生态特征及开发利用模式——以江苏大丰潮滩研究为例

根据自然地理、海洋动力、生物等特征!本文研究受大河作用的大丰潮滩地貌、沉积过程,讨论老黄河和长江对该潮滩发育的影响和潮滩生物群落空间分布及演变规律。本文评价了大丰潮滩开发利用现状,分析了它们的经济效益和环境效益,提出把目前受到强烈改造、过度利用的模式改变为顺应潮滩自然演变、有步骤合理开发利用潮滩的模式。     

水-苦草-沉积物系统对聚乙烯微塑料的响应

水生态系统中的微塑料对生态安全和环境健康造成严重威胁,受到广泛关注.为了揭示水-苦草-沉积物系统对于微塑料暴露的响应,将苦草暴露于不同质量分数（1%～5%,沉积物湿重质量分数）的聚乙烯微塑料（PE-MPs）中,分别研究了PE-MPs对系统中水质理化指标、沉水植物形态特征、生理性状、抗氧化系统和沉积物中微生物群落结构的影响.结果表明,PE-MPs处理组对于水体理化性质的改变不显著,PE-MPs处理组显著抑制了植株株高、氧化应激指标和抗氧化系统. 1% PE-MPs处理组株高的增长仅为对照组的47.44%,叶绿素a含量为对照组的81.04%,过氧化氢酶（CAT）活性、丙二醛（MDA）含量和过氧化物酶（POD）活性较对照组分别提高了233.70%、 117.82%和61.62%.不同质量分数的PE-MPs对沉积物中的微生物群落结构存在一定的影响.上述结果有助于完善水-沉水植物-沉积物系统中PE-MPs生态风险的评价体系.     

永定河上游流域水生态系统服务价值评估

张家口市是首都的水源涵养区和生态功能支撑区,流经该区域的永定河上游流域发挥着保育水资源的重要作用。为全面认识永定河上游流域水资源生态价值,对流域水生态各项服务功能开展定量评价。以2017年为基准年,综合采用InVEST模型与市场价值法系统评估研究区的水源供给量,以空间和货币的手段直观地表达该地区的水源供给情况;对于空间数据较难获取的地区,采用当量因子法评估水土保持与生物多样性价值;采用分摊法计算水生态旅游价值。结果表明:其总价值量为55.14亿元,约占张家口市各区县平均GDP(81.87亿元)的67.35%。其中,水源供给价值、水力发电价值、水产品生产价值、休闲娱乐价值等直接使用价值为28.64亿元,土壤保持、河流输沙、生物多样性等间接使用价值为26.50亿元,水源供给、休闲娱乐和水土保持功能对研究区域水生态系统价值提升和发展具有重要作用。研究区单位面积的生态价值和经济效益分别为0.35亿元和0.23亿元,生态价值远高于经济效益。本文因地制宜的综合评价方法提升了价值评估的科学性和可靠性,对于基础数据较为缺乏的地区,有一定的参考意义。     

三峡库区(重庆段)生态系统健康评价

生态系统的健康和相对稳定是人类赖以生存与发展的必要条件. 分析了三峡库区(重庆段)生态系统的健康状况,使用3S技术获取基础地理数据,构建基于压力-状态-响应模式的三级指标体系模型,并以AHP法结合专家咨询法选取人口密度、地质灾害易发度等10项指标,进行综合得分计算并分级. 结果表明:①在生态环境调查的基础上,应用GIS空间分析方法进行生态系统健康评价具有可操作性和结果的可靠性;②三峡库区(重庆段)生态系统健康质量表现出2～4级生态系统占主体(82.6%)的特点,生态质量一般,人类社会经济活动对生态系统的健康状况造成较大影响;③生态系统健康质量水平分布表现出明显的区域差异,从行政范围来看,彭水县、巫山县较好,巫溪县、武隆县等次之,云阳市、万州区等则较差. 结合系统聚类分析方法分析三峡库区(重庆段)生态系统健康状况空间分异的成因;并从宏观尺度上提出了对该地区人为活动的不良生态后果予以积极预防和有效调控的综合对策.      

海河流域水生态功能一级二级分区

水生态功能分区是实现流域水环境"分区、分级、分期和分类"管理的基础.通过分析海河流域的陆地和水生态系统特点,确定了一级二级分区的指标体系,一级分区指标包括地貌类型、径流深、年降水量、年蒸发量,反映水资源供给功能的空间格局特征,共划分了6个一级水生态功能区;二级分区利用植被类型和土壤类型的空间异质性,反映流域生态水文过程及水质净化功能的空间格局特征,共划分了16个二级水生态功能区.最后,通过野外调查各个分区的水生态系统结构和生境差异性(水量、水质、河流生境、水生动植物等),对一级和二级分区结果进行了评价.分区结果能够为海河流域的水质目标管理和区域生态环境建设提供支持,分区方法和指标体系也可以为国内其它类似流域的水生态功能分区提供参考.     

中国水土保持生态服务功能价值估算及其空间分布

水土资源是人类赖以生存的重要的物质基础,水土保持作为人类对生态系统干预的有效手段,其生态服务功能价值也受到越来越多的重视。论文选取土壤保持价值和涵养水源价值两项指标,结合遥感数据、气象数据以及地面数据,对原有的基于遥感的水土保持生态服务功能价值估算模型进行改进,以期更好地体现水土保持生态服务功能应有的价值。论文运用改进后的模型估算2001年全国水土保持生态服务功能价值达16 760.55×108元,基本呈自东南向西北递减趋势。