Broadening the narratives of ecosystem services: Assessing the perceived services from nature and services to nature

Ecosystem services are often conceptualised as a unidirectional flow of services from nature (S_fN) to societies, neglecting services provided by societies to nature (S_tN). Using respondents from four Ga/Dangme communities in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana, this study sought to develop a scale for measuring the dimensions of perceived S_tN and S_fN, assess the interactional effects between them and determine the changes they have undergone over time. Results showed that from 1987 to 2018, the services provided by the Ga/Dangme to nature were predominantly restoring services (through nature-rejuvenating activities like planting and pruning) and protecting services (via safeguarding measures such as taboos and prohibitions) while they received provisioning (food, water, fuel) and cultural services (which satisfy non-material needs including identity and spirituality) from nature. The study found a symbiotic relationship between S_tN and S_fN as provisioning services had a positive interactional effect on cultural and restoring services and a negative effect on protecting services. Cultural services, as well, positively influenced protecting and restoring services. The main determinants of S_tN and S_fN were the level of vegetation cover, the land cover type and the belief that nature is an abode for numinous beings. The effects of the socio-demographic characteristics of respondents on S_tN and S_fN and were marginal. We recommend that to ensure environmental sustainability, environmentalists should concentrate on cultural services that improve restoring and protecting services. Thus, traditional beliefs need to be contextualised and organised for transfer to younger generations through cultural channels.     

Rearing jewel wasps Mormoniella vitripennis (Walker) and their use in teaching biology

Jewel wasps are parasitic on the pupae of house-flies and blow-flies. They are easy and cheap to rear in a teaching laboratory, in large numbers, and little time is needed for the maintenance of a culture. They are especially useful in genetics and in the observation of animal behaviour. The teacher can arrange for students to see feeding, courtship, and egg-laying, for example, many times and at times chosen by the observer.     

Valuation of Nature in Conservation and Restoration

Valuation of nature is an important aspect of nature conservation and restoration. Understanding valuation in a broad sense may contribute to conservation strategies since it may lead to better support from society. In this article we propose a model of valuation with respect to conservation and restoration of nature. According to the model, valuation of nature can be characterized by a “valuation approach,” consisting of ecological, ethical and aesthetic perspectives. Such an approach includes scientific and normative aspects and leads to a particular claim of conservation. In this paper we discuss different perspectives, and accordingly, we sketch three main types of these valuation approaches. Political and policy issues with respect to nature conservation and restoration are considered in terms of this model.     

广东车八岭国家级自然保护区种子植物区系研究

车八岭国家级自然保护区种子植物区系种类丰富,含１６１科６４５属１３４５种（包括种下等级）,并有相当数量的古老种类和１４种珍稀濒危重点保护植物。壳斗科Ｆａｇａｃｅａｅ、樟科Ｌａｕｒａｃｅａｅ、茶科Ｔｈｅａｃｅａｅ、木兰科Ｍａｇｎｏｌｉａｃｅａｅ以及杜英科Ｅｌａｅｏｃａｒｐａｃｅａｅ、安息香科Ｓｔｙｒａｃａｃｅａｅ、全缕梅科Ｈａｍａｍｅｌｉｄａｃｅａｅ等是该区系的主要表征科,构成了其各森林类型的主要树种组成。种子植物区系成分较为复杂,主要表现在科地理成分的广泛性和属地理成分的多样性,而以热带—亚热带成分占明显的优势,热带及温带区系成分均有相当的影响,各类成分交错渗透,叠置分布。本文对车八岭国家级自然保护区植物区系的归属,广东与云南植物区系的关系等争议问题展开了讨论,认为车八岭自然保护区植物区系是中亚热带向南亚热带过渡的区系类型,为华南植物亚区的组成部分,隶属于古热带植物区。广东与云南植物区系关系密切,极可能具有同一起源（华夏植物区系）,宜划入同一植物亚区。     

HUMAN NATURE AND ENHANCEMENT

Appeals to the idea of human nature are frequent in the voluminous literature on the ethics of enhancing human beings through biotechnology. Two chief concerns about the impact of enhancements on human nature have been voiced. The first is that enhancement may alter or destroy human nature. The second is that if enhancement alters or destroys human nature, this will undercut our ability to ascertain the good because, for us, the good is determined by our nature. The first concern assumes that altering or destroying human nature is in itself a bad thing. The second concern assumes that human nature provides a standard without which we cannot make coherent, defensible judgments about what is good.
I will argue (1) that there is nothing wrong, per se, with altering or destroying human nature, because, on a plausible understanding of what human nature is, it contains bad as well as good characteristics and there is no reason to believe that eliminating some of the bad would so imperil the good as to make the elimination of the bad impermissible, and (2) that altering or destroying human nature need not result in the loss of our ability to make judgments about the good, because we possess a conception of the good by which we can and do evaluate human nature. I will argue that appeals to human nature tend to obscure rather than illuminate the debate over the ethics of enhancement and can be eliminated in favor of more cogent considerations.     

拉丁美洲风景园林实践全景概览

介绍拉丁美洲风景园林的沿革,总结不同历史时期建筑和风景园林设计对自然景观的干预,展现拉丁美洲的自然向人工环境演变的过程：首先是前哥伦布时期保留的古文明宇宙观与自然的关系;其次是欧洲帝国殖民时期对主要的城市以及风景园林带来的影响;最后,描绘了20世纪初的现代风景园林师对场所的重视和文化识别性特征的探索,并向读者介绍了数位具有代表性的拉丁美洲风景园林设计师。     

江西省自然保护区发展布局空缺分析

通过专家咨询、数量标准化、主观赋权等方法,对江西省96个县(市、区)的高等动植物种类、珍稀物种种类、天然林面积和蓄积、天然湿地面积、已建自然保护区面积等进行评分,计算96个县(市、区)的物种多样性、天然林资源、天然湿地等自然资源的综合评分值和自然保护区建设的空缺评分值,并借助GIS技术分析了江西省自然保护区空间布局特点及存在的主要问题,研究提出了自然保护区空间规划布局建议,为江西省自然保护区中远期发展规划提供科学依据。     

In pursuit of ecotourism

Ecotourism is expected, by the tourism industry and academics, to grow rapidly over the next 20 years. Much has been written about ecotourism, often with missionary zeal, but there is little consensus about its definition. It is argued here that conservationists and protected area managers should adopt a definition of ecotourism which contributes to the maintenance of biodiversity and an appropriate definition is suggested.Ecotourism is not merely an alternative to mass tourism, nor is it the only alternative. The literature on nature tourism and the environmental impacts of the industry dates back to the late 1970s. Tourism is now the world's largest industry and it has an increasing impact on protected areas. Our understanding of these mechanisms, their ecological impacts and our capacity to manage tourism in protected areas lags behind the growth of tourism to protected areas.A rapid growth in nature tourism and tourism to protected areas has coincided with a shift in protected area management strategies towards integrated development. Tourism is one means available to protected area managers seeking to increase the economic value of a protected area and to offer sustainable opportunities for economic development to local people.This paper argues that potentially conflicting commercial, protected area and development interests all contribute to the emergence of ecotourism and have been doing so for many years. Ecotourism needs to be tightly defined if it is to benefit conservation. Protected area managers should consider how they can take control of nature tourism to the parks they manage and convert it into ecotourism for the benefit of conservation and the livelihoods of local people.     

A Red Data Book of Empidid Flies of Flanders (northern Belgium) (Diptera, Empididae S.l.): Constraints and Possible Use in Nature Conservation

To enable use of Empididae s.l. (Diptera) as a tool in nature conservation, a Red Data Book of this taxonomical group was generated for Flanders, Belgium. All distribution data on species in Belgium between 1887 and 1999 were gathered from collections as well as personal sampling efforts by the first two authors. This resulted in about 21,000 records of Empididae, Hybotidae, Microphoridae and Atelestidae with 16,119 records for Flanders (northern Belgium) and 4776 for Wallony (southern Belgium). All species were assigned to Red Data Book categories which are based on a combination of a rarity and a trend criterion. Rarity is expressed as the proportion of the total number of UTM 5km squares sampled in which the species have been found since 1981. The trend criterion is interpreted as the change of the species rarity between 1887–1980 and 1981–1999. A comparable number of UTM 5km squares was investigated during the two time periods. A total of 259 species were recorded in Flanders. Twenty-seven or 10% of them are considered as 'extinct in Flanders', 10 (4%) as 'critically endangered', 12 (5%) as 'endangered', 11 (4%) as 'vulnerable', 99 species (38%) as 'susceptible' or 'rare', 65 species (25%) as 'safe' or 'at low risk' and 34 species (13%) are assigned to the category 'data deficient' due to taxonomic problems or a lack of ecological data. Only one of the common species shows a recent decrease of more than 50% and is classified as 'nearly threatened'. Current threats in most species are related to the alteration or destruction of their favoured habitats. The results are discussed in the light of recent criticism of the use of Red Data Books in nature conservation.     

野生动物致害补偿问题探析

近年来野生动物致害事件频繁发生,《野生动物保护法》对救济问题作了原则性规定,但从实施情况来看,存在着补偿主体不明确、标准不明确等问题.要解决这些问题,首先要正确界定致害“补偿”的性质.在此基础上提出构建我国野生动物致害生态补偿的设想,对缓解日益激化的人与野生动物的矛盾有重要的意义.     

中国红树林生态系统保护空缺分析

红树林作为海岸带重要的生态系统类型,具有维持海岸生物多样性、防风固岸、促淤造陆等重要的生态功能,在气候变化和快速城市化背景下认识红树林受保护状况具有重要意义。以基于遥感解译的红树林分类数据为基础,通过空缺分析,分析了我国红树林的就地保护状况,结果显示我国分布的红树林总面积为264 km~2(尚不含我国港、澳、台的统计数据),其中61.4%在自然保护区内受到保护。从红树林分布的主要省份来看,在海南省分布的红树林面积较少但保护比例高,广西和广东省分布的红树林面积大但受保护面积比例相对较低。在3种红树林类型中,红树-木果楝林和红海榄-木榄林分布面积较小,但受保护的面积都在90%以上,秋茄-桐花树-白骨壤林分布的面积最大,但受保护的面积为52.6%。研究提出自然保护区外红树林分布的关键区域,并建议通过划定生态保护红线等方式来进行保护。     

Spatial Analysis of Twaite Shad,Alosa fallax (Lacepède, 1803), in the Southern North Sea: Application of Non‐Linear Geostatistics as a Tool to Search for Special Areas of Conservation

This study aims to evaluate the suitability of non‐linear geostatistics and indicator kriging (IK) as a tool in environmental impact assessment and nature conservation, in particular to search for potential Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) for the endangered fish species twaite shad, Alosa fallax (Lacepède , 1803) within the German Exclusive Economical Zone (EEZ) of the North Sea. To analyse the spatial distribution of this fish species, data on standardised biomass index (catch per unit effort, c.p.u.e., kg × 30 min^–1) from 1996 to 2001 were used, regarding the third and fourth quarters of each year, respectively. Thereby we assume that the spatial distribution can be described as a time‐invariant process. This assumption is supported by information on annual sampling effort, allocation of hauls and spatial distribution of the positive catches. All indicator variograms obtained for different c.p.u.e. cut‐off values displayed distinct spatial structures, clearly indicating that the indicator variables were spatially autocorrelated. Gaussian models were fitted by least‐squares methods and were evaluated with a goodness‐of‐fit statistic. Subsequently, IK was employed to estimate the probability of exceeding the c.p.u.e. cut‐off values for the twaite shad in the investigation area. These were highest in the Weser‐ and Elbe‐estuary, probably because of migrations of twaite shad to and from estuaries at the time of investigation due to spawning, while within the German EEZ of the North Sea no such areas with increased probabilities could be discerned. Thus, although available data did not allow to identify and implement any SAC in the German EEZ, the methods employed here can be regarded as a promising management tool in biological conservation issues. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Disasta: Rethinking the Notion of Disaster in the Wake of Cyclone Pam

ABSTRACT

Tongoa was one of the worst-hit islands in Vanuatu when it was struck on 13 March 2015 by Cyclone Pam, the most severe climatic event recorded in the South Pacific for several decades. Nearly all of the buildings on Tongoa were damaged by winds and flooding. However, exceptional this cyclone might have been, such disruptive events are frequent and widespread on Tongoa Island: landslides, volcanic eruptions, cyclones and droughts all contribute to shaping the universe of its inhabitants. This paper seeks to understand the category of disasta or ‘disaster’ and how it is constituted in the context of Tongoa Island, where there is no vernacular word to express the concept of catastrophe. Disasta is a subjective Bislama term, varying with circumstances, the impact of the phenomenon and the cultural and social identity of the group affected. Is there a threshold with which to measure and define disasters? Reflections from the perspective of an anthropology of nature and an anthropology of disaster reveal how considerations around the notion of catastrophe are closely intertwined with the relationships between people and their environment.     

广东省古兜山自然保护区生态旅游开发的多尺度影响

从微观和中观尺度探讨了广东省古兜山自然保护区生态旅游开发对区内植物生态和景观生态的影响问题。结果表明:(1)10个样地的植物生态影响度指数有3个为一般级,5个为较严重级,1个为严重级,1个属极严重级。全区平均植物生态影响度指数呈较严重级。这表明旅游开发已给保护区的植物带来了较大的负面影响;(2)旅游开发与活动对植物生态的影响在游径两侧和景点、服务点周围2~4m范围内较显著,4~6m范围有一定程度影响,但6m以外的区域影响较小。处于多条通道交叉处的三角区,近通道的植物生态影响度指数值较中央区的影响值大,影响曲线呈双峰型;(3)不同景观类型的植物受旅游影响的强度和范围不一样。影响强度的变化总趋势为:山地草甸>山地灌丛>森林景观,常绿针阔叶混交林>常绿阔叶林>沟谷雨林,人工林>天然林;(4)植物生态影响指标间的相关分析表明从旅游活动对保护区植物的负面影响来看,阴生种数量、乔灌幼苗量、凋落层厚度、物种多样性指数4个指标具有较好的表征作用,草本层盖度表征作用不太好;(5)景观生态指标值和影响度指数显示旅游工程建设和森林工程对景观破坏影响较大,主要表现在林木间伐、修路及建筑选址、配色、数量控制等方面;(6)从景观生态影响水平看,常绿针阔叶混交林和季风常绿阔叶林受到的影响较大;就景观生态受影响难易程度而言,服务区南侧、喃呒山等地是区内景观生态敏感地带,服务区、喃呒庙、瓶身阁等旅游景点或设施具有较强的景观醒目度;(7)多指标定量化评价指数具有较好的环境预警作用,能为保护区生态旅游管理者提供有用的环境生态信息,以便及时做出科学决策。     

喀纳斯自然保护区6种藓类植物的解剖学研究

应用石蜡切片技术及扫描电镜方法,对喀纳斯自然保护区生长的6种藓类植物茎、叶的内部结构及其表面的角质层纹饰、疣、孔等进行比较研究,结果表明:垂枝藓(Rhytidium rugosum(Hedw.)Kindb.)叶背、腹面表皮细胞外壁均有细疣状突起,而纵列相邻细胞的壁表面角质层纹饰长,成束状平行排列;山羽藓(Abietinella abietina(hedw.)fleisch.)茎的中轴不明显,中肋背部具棘刺状突起的疣,叶背、腹面的疣倒向凹陷的细胞壁,呈遮盖状;直叶珠藓(Bartramia ithphyllaBrid.)叶背、腹面表皮细胞外壁具泡状隆起,孔不凹陷,孔口被角质层纹饰所遮盖;沼泽皱蒴藓(Aulacomnium palustre(Hedw.)Schwagr.)叶背面的粗疣由凹陷细胞壁中突出,角质层纹饰呈带状,叶腹面孔大,并多在细胞壁相交处呈张开状;塔藓(Hylocommium splendens(Hedw.)B.S.G.)叶背部粗疣呈宽刺状,叶背、腹面粗疣高,上端倒向凹陷的细胞壁;角齿藓(Ceratodon purpureus(hedw.)Brid.)叶背、腹面细胞凹陷不规则,相邻细胞壁厚,具密集的细疣。     

Group differences in the heritability of items and test scores

It is important to understand potential sources of group differences in the heritability of intelligence test scores. On the basis of a basic item response model we argue that heritabilities which are based on dichotomous item scores normally do not generalize from one sample to the next. If groups differ in mean ability, the functioning of items at different ability levels may result in group differences in the heritability of items, even when these items function equivalently across groups and the heritability of the underlying ability is equal across groups. We illustrate this graphically, by computer simulation, and by focusing on several problems associated with a recent study by Rushton et al. who argued that the heritability estimates of items of Raven''s Progressive Matrices test in North-American twin samples generalized to other population groups, and hence that the population group differences on this test of general mental ability (or intelligence) had a substantial genetic component. Our results show that item heritabilities are strongly dependent on the group on which the heritabilities were based. Rushton et al.''s results were artefactual and do not speak to the nature of population group differences in intelligence test performance.     

Is gardening a useful metaphor for conservation and restoration? History and controversy

As the wilderness metaphor has decreased in utility due to widespread human‐driven environmental change, conservationists and restorationists have struggled to find new ways to inspire nature conservation. Some have suggested gardening as a new metaphor, but many are wary of its implications, particularly for animals viewed as threats or pests. Others, however, point out positive attributes for the metaphor including its focus on stewardship of nature which allows for positive human agency in ecosystems. We argue a gardening metaphor may also allow increased flexibility in approaches to biodiversity conservation, in part by allowing goals to be fit to communities and their specific cultural contexts. Wild gardening would seek to preserve global biodiversity while acknowledging the pivotal role humans now play in that process. Here we review the use of the garden metaphor over the last 25 years and discuss what wild gardening might mean for restoration. Consistent with a long history of environmental thought, we suggest such a metaphor will work best if it is coupled with a civic/stewardship ethic and a good dose of humility on the part of all gardeners.