Policy measures to address bird interactions with power lines – a comparative case study of four countries

Bird mortality caused by electric power lines has been an issue in several countries for more than three decades now. Despite serious efforts by conservationists, government agencies and utility companies assisted by increasing biological and technological knowledge, only a minority of countries has made significant progress in mitigation. In the present article I argue that the policy aspects, which have not been so widely researched so far, have considerable effects on the efficiency of mitigation measures. The problem management methods of four countries—Hungary, Slovakia, South Africa and the USA—are discussed in detail to reveal success criteria. The role of contextual factors, stances and relations of different actors, plus actions and tools applied in the solution process, are demonstrated together with the resulting outcomes. To help strategic planning, I review favourable solution methods (volunteer agreements, legislative steps, mixed solutions, etc.) used in different country-specific contexts, and point out probable consequences of the strategy chosen.     

Systems ecological accounting for wastewater treatment engineering: Method,indicator and application

Wastewater treatment facility is vital for sustainable urban development. In the course of removing contaminants and discharging ready-for-reuse water, wastewater treatment consumes resources and triggers environmental emission during its lifetime. A comprehensive framework to analyze the embodied ecological elements as natural resources and environmental emissions of wastewater treatment is presented in this work. The systems method as a combination of process and input–output analyses is applied and a set of indicators are accordingly devised. Two representative ecological elements, i.e., greenhouse gases emissions and solar emergy of alternative wastewater treatment systems, i.e., a traditional activated sludge wastewater treatment plant and a constructed wetland have been taken into consideration. For each ecological element, five indicators have been calculated and compared to assess the impact on climate change and resources utilizing style of the case systems. The framework raised in this paper is fully supportive for optimal decision-making among different wastewater treatment technologies, and could be transplanted to be applied to systems ecological accounting for other production systems.     

Extent and ecological consequences of hunting in Central African rainforests in the twenty-first century

Humans have hunted wildlife in Central Africa for millennia. Today, however, many species are being rapidly extirpated and sanctuaries for wildlife are dwindling. Almost all Central Africa''s forests are now accessible to hunters. Drastic declines of large mammals have been caused in the past 20 years by the commercial trade for meat or ivory. We review a growing body of empirical data which shows that trophic webs are significantly disrupted in the region, with knock-on effects for other ecological functions, including seed dispersal and forest regeneration. Plausible scenarios for land-use change indicate that increasing extraction pressure on Central African forests is likely to usher in new worker populations and to intensify the hunting impacts and trophic cascade disruption already in progress, unless serious efforts are made for hunting regulation. The profound ecological changes initiated by hunting will not mitigate and may even exacerbate the predicted effects of climate change for the region. We hypothesize that, in the near future, the trophic changes brought about by hunting will have a larger and more rapid impact on Central African rainforest structure and function than the direct impacts of climate change on the vegetation. Immediate hunting regulation is vital for the survival of the Central African rainforest ecosystem.     

退化高寒草甸关键生态属性对多途径恢复措施的响应特征

高寒草甸是青藏高原的主体植被类型，但退化态势较为严峻，严重威胁青藏高原生态屏障的战略地位。退化高寒草甸的复健是世界性难题，治理效果也因退化状态、恢复措施及气候环境而异。以春季休牧、秋季休牧、畜群结构优化、减畜轮牧、围栏封育及翻耕改建等典型多途径恢复措施下的退化高寒草甸为对象，系统探讨主要生态要素和生态功能的响应特征及潜在过程。结果表明，典型恢复措施下退化高寒草甸的植被生产力、土壤有机碳密度及土壤饱和持水量等生态要素都得到一定程度的提升，而恢复效果与实施年限及恢复措施密切相关。围栏封育和翻耕改建下土壤有机碳密度及饱和持水量随恢复年限均表现为对数饱和型的响应特征，退化高寒草甸固碳持水功能的基本恢复年限约为6—10年。春季休牧、秋季休牧、畜群结构优化、减畜轮牧、围栏封育等放牧管理恢复措施应适用于轻度退化至重度退化的高寒草甸，而翻耕改建则是极度退化高寒草甸的适宜治理措施。由于多途径恢复措施的关注目标不同，今后研究应集中在恢复措施的组合优化和综合评价等方面。     

荒漠灌丛土壤动物分布及其生态功能

在干旱、半干旱荒漠生态系统中,灌丛作为一种重要的植被类型,其独特的形态和生理适应特性能够有效促进退化生态系统结构与功能的恢复。土壤动物是荒漠生态系统中不可或缺的重要组成部分,对促进灌丛"肥岛"演变具有重要的生态作用,有利于灌丛生态功能的发挥及退化生态系统的恢复。近年来,国内外学者对荒漠灌丛微生境土壤动物的研究逐步深入,取得大量的研究成果。在此基础上,首先综述荒漠灌丛微生境土壤动物群落分布和生态功能,总结灌丛与土壤动物分布间作用关系的数学模型,针对荒漠灌丛土壤动物研究中存在的问题提出了未来可能的研究方向和建议。     

Regional ecological risk assessment using a relative risk model: A case study of the Darwin Harbour,Darwin, Australia

There are many proposed and ongoing commercial, industrial, and residential developments within the Darwin Harbour catchment in Northern Australia, to accommodate the projected population growth over the next 20 years. Hence, it is necessary to ensure the balance between these developments and ecosystem conservation. We evaluated ecological risk for the Darwin Harbour using a relative risk model (RRM). The catchment was divided into 22 risk regions based on small catchment boundaries and their homogeneity. Through the RRM, we ranked and summed the stressors and habitats within regions. The interaction between stressors and habitats were modeled through exposure and effect filters. The ecological assessment endpoints were maintenance of the mangrove health and the maintenance of water quality. The risk regions—Myrmidon Creek, Blackmore River, Bleesers Creek, and Elizabeth River—showed the highest total relative risk for ecological assets. These risk regions had a high percentage cover of industrial, commercial, and residential areas; diffuse entry points; and climate change effects. Creek A, Sandy Creek, West Arm, and Pioneer Creek were the risk regions with lowest total relative risk scores. The RRM is a robust application that is suitable for a large geographic area where multiple stressors are of concern.     

基于文献计量的城市空间结构与生态环境关联性研究

以Web of Science核心合集中1999-2020年期间发表的城市空间结构与生态环境关联性的文献为研究样本，运用文献计量的方法，主要借助VOSviewer和Citespace软件，厘清该领域研究的主要特征与进展。研究结果表明：城市空间结构与生态环境关联性研究的文献总量上呈现波动上升的趋势，尤其在近五年的波动骤增态势十分显著，成为地理学、城乡规划学、环境与生态学等学科交叉融合研究的重要方向之一；研究内容主要聚焦于城市空间结构与大气环境的关联性机理，具体涉及温室气体排放、空气污染和城市热岛效应，同时水环境、土壤环境以及生物多样性等方面也越来越受到重视而逐步成为研究热点。未来可围绕构建两者关联性框架和评估体系、面向生态环境问题的城市空间结构优化设计、两者发展变化的模拟和预测等核心问题展开研究。