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.     

Dynamics of growth and seed production in the Siberian stone pine: The level and pattern of variation in characters

A statistical analysis of interannual variation in a set of vegetative and generative characters over 13 years has been performed to characterize the growth and seed production dynamics of the Siberian stone pine (Pinus sibirica Du Tour) in the southeast of the forest zone in western Siberia. The results have shown that the range of fluctuations in most of vegetative characters is ordinary and their distribution is close to normal. The range of fluctuations in many generative characters is enormous (from 0 to +∞), and the distribution of their values is usually skewed, with low values being recorded several times more frequently than high values. Most variable are the proportion of abortive cones and other characters that are determined mainly in the spring of the pollination year. These characters account for a very high level of variation in the total seed production.     

江汉平原粮食开发必须走优质高产高效的道路

分析江汉平原粮食生产的优势与问题,运用商品经济的观念,提出改革开放新形势下加快江汉平原粮食开发的设想,即依托市场,按照价值规律,科学地调整种植业比例和粮食种类结构,发展优质品种,扩大优化模式及采用高新技术等,通过优质、高产、高效,促进江汉平原粮食生产的发展。     

生态系统服务功能及其价值核算

生态系统服务功能是指生态系统服务与生态系统功能的综合，指生态系统与生态过程所形成及所维持的人类赖以生存的自然环境条件与效用，生态系统服务功能对于人类生存发展具有重要的价值，应该在社会经济体系中得以体现，本文探讨了生态系统服务功能的类型，价值核算方法与理论及其应用研究在完善国民经济核算体系、促进可持续发展等方面的重要意义，并对今后发展进行了展望。     

项目决策阶段清洁生产分析方法的研究

企业在建设项目决策时就应该按照清洁生产的原则，从源头控制污染。提出了在项目决策中，应从产品选择、工艺路线选择、主要设备选型和节能降耗4个方面进行清洁生产的分析方法，通过此分析方法的应用，可以避免项目决策中的环境失误和降低企业的环境风险。     

Geochemical characteristics of surficial sediments in a tropical estuary, south-west India

Geochemical characteristics of surficial sediments in the Panangad region of Cochin estuary, the largest brackish-water humid ecosystem in the south-west coast of India, were analysed. Temporal variations in nutrient stoichiometry, seasonal characteristics of redox elements Fe and S, and the phosphorus geochemistry were employed for the purpose. The stoichiometric analysis pointed towards autochthonous origin of organic matter, possibility of nitrogen limitation, and allochthonous modification of redox conditions. Seasonal variations were not statistically significant for all the geochemical parameters, whereas significant spatial variations were observed with lower values at sandy stations, suggesting that the texture of the sediments is the main factor influencing the sediment geochemistry. Significant inter-relations between the geochemical parameters also suggest a common control mechanism. Based on these geochemical characteristics, the study region can be effectively categorized into two distinct zones, viz. (1) erosion and transportation and (2) deposition zones.     

Deep chlorophyll maximum distribution in the central Tyrrhenian Sea described by a towed undulating vehicle

The towed undulating vehicle (TUV), named SARAGO, was used for two fine-scale surveys between the Italian and the Sardinian coasts during the Astraea 2 cruise (6-7 and 26-27 September 1995), studying the deep chlorophyll maximum distribution. SARAGO sections identify a sub-surface doming with higher chlorophyll a and primary production concentrations in the upwelling area of a cyclonic gyre region, detected by sea-surface temperature images. In the first section, the cyclone presents a double doming, in density and salinity, with shallower and concentrated patches of chlorophyll a for about 2 miles. Twenty days later, the second section shows that the gyre changes shape and extension, showing a single doming with higher primary production and chlorophyll a concentrations, distributed over a large area of about 40 nautical miles. SARAGO allows analysis of this high-variability phenomenon (cyclonic gyre) and allows concentrated patches (2 nm) to be identified, thus proving the importance of TUVs in the study of mesoscale processes.     

废塑料再生过程废水中微塑料去除模拟试验

微塑料是一种存在于不同环境介质中的新兴污染物,主要来源于废弃塑料制品,其存在污染范围广、潜在环境污染大的问题.废塑料再生企业生产废水中微塑料浓度远高于其他类型废水,对其生产废水中的微塑料进行处理具有重要的环境意义.模拟废塑料再生过程的生产废水并进行微塑料去除的絮凝沉淀试验,研究絮凝剂投加量、pH、水力快速搅拌条件的单因素和正交试验对废水中微塑料去除率及其各因素作用的影响.结果表明:①当PAC (聚合氯化铝)投加量为10 mL,PAM (聚丙烯酰胺)投加量为7 mL,pH为9,水力快速搅拌条件为100 r/min下维持40 s再200 r/min下维持40 s时,微塑料的总去除率最高,达91%.②PAC投加量是影响微塑料去除效果的主要因素,其次是pH.③微塑料的去除率与其本身的密度有关,密度大的ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene,丙烯腈-丁二烯-苯乙烯)去除率最高,密度小的PE (polyethylene,聚乙烯)去除率最低.④不同粒径区间的微塑料去除率区别较大,粒径小(0.1~0.25 mm)的微塑料去除效果最好.研究显示,通过控制PAC和PAM的投加量、pH和水力搅拌速率等条件,能够有效将废水中的微塑料通过絮凝沉淀的方法去除,从而达到净化含微塑料生产废水的目的.      

长江流域2000—2015年生态系统质量及服务变化特征

分析生态系统质量与服务现状及变化特征,有助于准确了解流域生态系统状况与趋势,为流域生态保护与修复的高效管理提供参考依据.采用相对生物量密度与相对植被覆盖度指数以及生态系统服务（土壤保持、防风固沙、洪水调蓄、粮食生产）评估模型,评估2000—2015年长江流域生态系统质量及服务变化特征.结果表明:①2000—2015年,长江流域森林、灌丛以及草地生态系统质量提升显著,56.56%的森林、45.65%的灌丛以及19.26%的草地生态系统质量得到不同程度的提高.②研究期间,长江流域粮食生产、洪水调蓄、土壤保持、防风固沙均呈显著上升趋势,其中粮食生产能力增加13.7%,洪水调蓄功能提升10.1%,土壤保持服务提高19.5%,防风固沙总量增加30.0%.③长江流域生态系统质量不高,处于低与差质量等级的生态系统面积比例在25%~35%之间;受不同类型的自然和人类活动影响,长江流域生态系统质量与服务均存在局部退化现象.研究显示,在生态质量与服务评估的基础上,分区域、分类型实施不同的生态系统保护与恢复途径,是今后长江流域加强生态系统管理的重要途径.      

基于生态系统服务供需关系的广西县域国土生态修复空间分区

国土生态修复是我国土地整治战略发展的需求,其空间分区与管控是实施国土整治与生态修复差别化建设的前提条件。以广西各县市为研究单元,在测算和分析生态系统服务供给量和需求量基础上,利用象限匹配法、双变量局部空间自相关和供需协调度来定量分析生态系统服务供需匹配关系、空间聚集程度和协调关联性,进而探讨和划分广西国土生态修复的空间分区及其管控措施与建议。研究表明：（1）广西各县市生态系统服务供给和需求差异明显。环绕广西的四周山林地和重点生态功能区县生态系统服务供给量较高,大中城市区则较低。生态系统服务需求量自东南向西北逐渐减少。（2）广西生态系统服务供需空间匹配呈现高供高需型、低供高需型、低供低需型、高供低需型四种类型,供需局部空间自相关以高-低或低-高的空间聚集为主,且生态系统服务供需协调度平均值为0.531,处于一般均衡。（3）结合生态系统服务供需匹配四类特征和广西地理环境条件,将广西各县域划分为10个分区,并针对各分区提出差异化整治措施和建议。总体上,生态系统服务高供高需型的区域应以保育为主、培育为辅,防止过度开发;高供低需型的区域以保护为主,提高管理水平;低供高需型的区域应以综合改良为主,提高土地效益;低供低需型的区域应以国土生态重构或重建为主,侧重恢复生态系统。