基于生态足迹法的闽三角城市群生态安全评价

生态安全已经成为时下研究的热点问题,而生态足迹法(Ecological Footprint)是评价区域生态安全的重要方法之一。然而,目前鲜有应用改良后的生态足迹方法探讨海湾型城市群生态足迹以及生态安全状态的成果。鉴于此,论文以闽三角城市群为研究区,以NPP数据反映现实生物量,采用"国家公顷"实现产量因子区域化,测算2010—2015年的区域生态足迹、生态承载力、生态赤字以及生态压力指数,评价区域生态安全状态。结果表明:2010—2015年间,闽三角城市群的生态足迹快速增长,其中泉州与漳州增长迅速,而厦门则略有下降;区域总体生态承载力缓慢下降;城市群大部分区域呈现生态赤字且越发严重,其中厦门最为严重,泉州次之,漳州相对较轻;城市群生态压力指数持续增长,生态安全等级升高,与生态赤字情况总体相符,生态安全问题亟需解决。有助于拓展与丰富生态足迹与生态安全研究的视角与案例,并为城市群可持续发展提供科学依据和决策支撑。     

城市雨洪管控需要生态智慧的引领

针对频繁发生的城市洪涝,我国提出了建设海绵城市的策略,然而海绵城市建设能否解决当今城市面临的困境仍然存在许多不确定性。本文从城市雨洪的两面性、城市洪涝灾害形成之根源、城市规划者的责任、生态智慧在城市雨洪管控中的重要性和海绵城市建设等方面做了深入阐述,希望在海绵城市建设中运用生态智慧去实现管控城市洪涝和雨洪资源开发利用的目的。     

Temporal and spatial responses of Chironomidae (Diptera) and other benthic invertebrates to urban stormwater runoff

In a longitudinal study of two streams whose lower reaches received unattenuated urban stormwater runoff, physical disturbance by stormflow was less important than the persistant unidentified chemical impacts of urban stormwater in limiting the distribution of Chironomidae, and Ephemeroptera, Trichoptera and Plecoptera (EPT). A hierarchical spatial analysis showed that chironomid density did not decrease from rural to urban stream reaches. Instead, the taxonomic composition of chironomid assemblages was significantly altered in urban versus rural reaches; chironomid assemblages in urban reaches exhibited higher average pollution tolerance scores. In contrast, the density of EPT was significantly lower in urban reaches. Despite higher values of stormflow tractive force in urban reaches, streambed stability tended to be greater in urban reaches. Modeling of temporal variation in chironomid density showed similar patterns in both rural and urban reaches: chironomid density had a unimodal relationship to rainfall index (RI), with highest densities at intermediate values of RI. Models of EPT density over time in rural reaches showed no significant relation to RI, and temporal variation in EPT density in urban reaches was not predictable. The abundance of fine particulate organic matter, including periphyton (FPOM), on cobbles was greater in urban reaches and showed a much greater degree of temporal variation than in rural reaches. In urban reaches, a negative relation between FPOM and RI indicated the importance of stormflow abrasion. Handling editor: K. Martens     

The urban fire ant paradox: native fire ants persist in an urban refuge while invasive fire ants dominate natural habitats

In contrast to the widespread extirpation of native fire ants (Solenopsis geminata) across southern US following the invasion by imported red fire ants (S. invicta), some residential areas of Austin form unexpected refuges for native fire ants. Ironically, these urban environments provide refuges for the native fire ants while adjacent natural habitats have been overrun by invasive fire ants. Resistance to invasive fire ants in these urban areas occurs mainly in older residential properties constructed prior to the S. invicta invasion, while more recent construction has allowed establishment by S. invicta. The invasive ability of S. invicta is often attributed to escape from parasitoids and efficient dispersal of polygyne multiple queen colonies. Here we also show the importance of landscape parameters in the invasion process, where low levels of disturbance and continuous plant cover in older residential areas form possible barriers to colonization. Dense leaf cover (high NDVI) was also found to be associated with native ant refuges. Long term residential land ownership may have resulted in lower recent disturbance levels and increased plant cover that support refuges of native fire ants.     

Living in the city: resource availability, predation, and bird population dynamics in urban areas

This article explores factors that shape population structure in novel environments that have received scant theoretical attention: cities. Urban bird populations exhibit higher densities and lower diversity. Some work suggests this may result from lower predation pressure and more predictable and abundant resources. These factors may lead to populations with few winners and many losers regarding access to food, body condition, and reproductive success. We explore these hypotheses with an individual-energy-based competition model with two phenotypes of differing foraging ability. We show that low frequency resource fluctuations favor strong competitors and vice versa. We show that low predation skews equilibrium populations in favor of weak competitors and vice versa. Increasing the time between resource pulses can thus shift population structure from weak to strong competitor dominance. Given recent evidence for more constant resource input and lower predation in urban areas, the model helps understand observed urban bird population structure.     

Modelling radiation fluxes in simple and complex environments—application of the RayMan model

The most important meteorological parameter affecting the human energy balance during sunny weather conditions is the mean radiant temperature T_mrt. It considers the uniform temperature of a surrounding surface giving off blackbody radiation, which results in the same energy gain of a human body given the prevailing radiation fluxes. This energy gain usually varies considerably in open space conditions. In this paper, the model ‘RayMan’, used for the calculation of short- and long-wave radiation fluxes on the human body, is presented. The model, which takes complex urban structures into account, is suitable for several applications in urban areas such as urban planning and street design. The final output of the model is, however, the calculated T_mrt, which is required in the human energy balance model, and thus also for the assessment of the urban bioclimate, with the use of thermal indices such as predicted mean vote (PMV), physiologically equivalent temperature (PET) and standard effective temperature (SET*). The model has been developed based on the German VDI-Guidelines 3789, Part II (environmental meteorology, interactions between atmosphere and surfaces; calculation of short- and long-wave radiation) and VDI-3787 (environmental meteorology, methods for the human-biometeorological evaluation of climate and air quality for urban and regional planning. Part I: climate). The validation of the results of the RayMan model agrees with similar results obtained from experimental studies.     

Context-specific territorial behavior in urban birds: no evidence for involvement of testosterone or corticosterone

Testosterone produced by the gonads is a primary mediator of seasonal patterns of territoriality and may directly facilitate territorial behavior during an encounter with a potential intruder. Costs and benefits associated with territoriality can vary as a function of habitat, for example through differences in resource distribution between areas occupied by different individuals. We investigated behaviors in response to simulated territorial intrusions (hereafter territorial behaviors) in urban (Phoenix, Arizona) and nearby desert populations of two Sonoran Desert birds (Curve-billed Thrasher and Abert's Towhee). We also examined the degree to which these behaviors are mediated by testosterone (T) and the adrenal steroid, corticosterone (CORT), which can interact with T in territorial contexts. In both species, urban birds displayed more territorial behaviors than their desert conspecifics, but this difference was not associated with variation in either plasma total or in plasma free (i.e., unbound to binding globulins) T or CORT. In addition, neither plasma T nor plasma CORT changed as a function of duration of the simulated territorial intrusion. Urban Abert's Towhees displayed more territorial behaviors in areas where their population densities were high than in areas of low population densities. Urban Curve-billed Thrashers displayed more territorial behaviors in areas with a high proportion of desert-type vegetation, particularly in areas that differed in vegetation composition from nearby randomly sampled areas, than in areas with a high proportion of exotic or non-desert type vegetation. Associations between territorial behavior and habitat characteristics were not related to plasma T or CORT. Understanding the hormonal processes underlying these associations between behavior and habitat may provide insight into how free-ranging animals assess territorial quality and alter their defensive behavior accordingly.     

Response of wetland plant species to hydrologic conditions

Understanding hydrologic requirements of native and introduced species is critical to sustaining native plant communities in wetlands of disturbed landscapes. We examined plant assemblages, and 31 of the most common species comprising them, from emergent wetlands in an urbanizing area of the Pacific Northwest, USA, in relation to in situ, fine-scale hydrology. Percent cover by plant species was estimated in 2208 1-m² plots across 43 sites, with water depth at time of vegetation sampling measured in 432 plots. Three years of bi-weekly hydrologic data from each of the 43 sites were used to estimate mean surface water level and mean absolute difference (MAD) in surface water level for every plot. Nine assemblages of plant species that co-occur in the field were identified using TWINSPAN. The assemblage richest in native species occurred under intermediate hydrologic conditions and was bracketed by pasture grass dominated assemblages at drier conditions with low water level variability, and Phalaris arundinacea L. assemblages with higher mean water levels and variability. Results suggest minor changes in average water levels (10 cm) or in variability (±2 cm in MAD) could promote a shift from assemblages dominated by natives to those dominated by invasive or alien taxa. Canonical correspondence analysis segregated the species into four groups related to hydrologic gradients. Each species response group was typified by taxa with similar optima for a given environmental variable, with each group related to a characteristic suite of hydrologic conditions. The most common species (P. arundinacea, Juncus effusus L., and Typha latifolia L.), each representing a different response group, exhibited unique responses in occurrence/abundance in relation to water level variability, but were abundant over a wide range of water depth. The realized niches of other species in each response group were more restricted, with peaks in cover confined to narrower ranges of water depth and variability.     

Remotely sensed landscape heterogeneity as a rapid tool for assessing local biodiversity value in a highly modified New Zealand landscape

The widespread conversion of natural habitats to agricultural land has created a need to integrate intensively managed landscapes into conservation management priorities. However, there are no clearly defined methods for assessing the conservation value of managed landscapes at the local scale. We used remotely sensed landscape heterogeneity as a rapid practical tool for the assessment of local biodiversity value within a predominantly agricultural landscape in Canterbury, New Zealand. Bird diversity was highly significantly correlated with landscape heterogeneity, distance from rivers and the Christchurch central business district, altitude and average annual household income, indicating that remotely sensed landscape heterogeneity is a good predictor of local biodiversity patterns. We discuss the advantages and limitations of using geographic information systems to determine local areas of high conservation value.     

Linking ecological and social systems in cities: urban planning in Finland as a case

The loss of urban green space as a result of urbanization threatens the overall biodiversity of urban areas, and prompts us to consider the importance of existing urban nature more carefully. Because urban ecological systems are in intense interaction with human-social systems, it is fruitful to create an interdisciplinary research and planning framework to ensure the maintenance of biodiversity in urban areas. For this purpose, we adapted a suitable theoretical and conceptual scheme for the setting of Finnish urban development, which provides an example of a situation where a lot of nature has so far remained inside and around urban area. The adapted scheme focuses on the land use change as a result of urban land use planning and development, and may provide a way to address the important variables and feedback mechanisms between information flowing from ecological systems and drivers from the social system. Furthermore, we outlined a more specific framework around the Finnish urban detailed planning process in order to study the interactions between these systems further. After addressing ecology-oriented questions of quantity, quality and needs of urban nature, and human-oriented drivers, such as flow and incorporation of information, knowledge, values and institutions, we identified several challenges in integrating the components of ecological and social systems. Creating common conceptual ground for different actors and disciplines, improving communication in the process, matching contradictory values and perceptions, and improving stakeholder participation would be in the best interest of nature and people of urban areas.