Can cost–benefit analysis explain fish distribution patterns?

This review describes some recent theoretical and empirical research into the way fish respond to spatial heterogeneity in their environment, and particularly to patchily distributed resources. The ways in which the need to acquire food interacts with other important requirements such as thermoregulation and predator avoidance to determine space use are considered, as are interactions with other members of the same species, viewed both as shoaling companions and as competitors. Recent developments in ideal free theory are discussed and the extent to which this formulation can explain how fish distribute themselves among feeding patches is examined. The implications of overtly aggressive interactions, in the form of dominance hierarchies and territorial systems, for distribution patterns in the laboratory and in the field are also reviewed. Finally the extent to which cost–benefit analysis can help to explain fish distribution patterns and the relative importance of behavioural processes compared to other determinants of the distribution of fish are considered.     

Economic values and dominant providers of key ecosystem services of wetlands in Beijing,China

This study estimates the economic values of and the dominant contributors to five key ecosystem services of wetlands in Beijing, by using the wetland inventory data in 2014 and economic valuation methods. Results indicate that the 51,434 ha of wetlands in Beijing annually provide 2.07 billion m³ of flood regulation, 944.01 million m³ of water provision, 42,154 tons of chemical oxygen demand (COD) purification, 3.03 PJ of heat absorption, and 9587 ha of habitat. Their economic values are estimated to be 15.89 billion RMB, 1.19 billion RMB, 169 million RMB, 421 million RMB, and 1.08 billion RMB in 2014 (RMB: Chinese currency, US$1 = RMB 6.14), respectively. The total values of five key wetland ecosystem services reach 18.76 billion RMB. In addition, the reservoir and river wetlands in Miyun, Yanqing, Fangshan, Huairou, and Mentougou Districts contribute 78% of key ecosystem services, whereas the urban wetlands in Xicheng, Dongcheng, Haidian, Chaoyang, and Tongzhou Districts more conveniently serve densely local people, hence they should be given particular attentions. In this paper, we develop the valuation methods of wetland ecosystem services, and recommend diversified strategies, regulations, and programs to protect the remaining wetlands in Beijing. This work can also provide a reference for the valuating of wetland ecosystem services for other urban-rural areas.     

House flies delay fungal infection by fevering: at a cost

1. Many ectothermic species have evolved the ability to invoke a ‘behavioural fever’ when infected with a pathogen. The relative costs and benefits of this response, however, have rarely been quantified. 2. The aim of this study was investigate the nature and consequences of behavioural fever in the house fly, Musca domestica L., in response to infection with a possible biocontrol agent, the fungal entomopathogen, Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin. 3. It was found that infected flies preferred higher temperatures and allocated more effort to thermoregulation than uninfected flies. Flies could not overcome infection but the altered thermal behaviour allowed infected flies to extend their survival and to lay more eggs relative to infected flies maintained under constant conditions. However, flies allowed to fever had lower egg viability suggesting a possible cost. 4. Under the present experimental conditions, the putative costs and benefits fever balanced one another resulting in no net change in fitness. Fever did not, therefore, limit the control potential of the fungus. We discuss whether the costs and benefits of behavioural fever might differ in other ecological contexts.     

Estimating the human appropriation of land in Brazil by means of an Input–Output Economic Model and Ecological Footprint analysis

As we confront the current environmental crisis, determining the biophysical base (e.g., materials, energy, land, and water) of nations has become paramount. With advanced economies benefiting from the import of resource-intensive primary goods originating from poorer parts of the world, especially emerging nations, these are dilapidating their natural capital. Brazil is one of such emerging economies, whose mining and farming activities, propping up its export-led economic growth, exert great pressure on the environment. In particular, farming has been shown to have one of the world's greatest environmental impacts, especially as a consequence of land use associated with cattle ranching. Since a nation-wide evaluation of land-use types across the whole sectorial spectrum of the country's economy is still lacking, we used the most recently available Input–Output Economic Model for Brazil and the Ecological Footprint method to identify those economic sectors with the greatest potential for appropriating portions of the natural world.Our results show that: (i) the biggest chunk of Brazil's Ecological Footprint is due to its Carbon Footprint and, in particular, emissions from cattle; (ii) only a few economic sectors exhibit high Ecological Footprint values, chiefly those belonging to livestock farming and energy production based on fossil fuels; (iii) excluding the soybeans and slaughter sectors, export-oriented sectors have below-average Ecological Footprint values; and (iv) the percentage of Brazil's Ecological Footprint due to household consumption (excluding imports) is three times bigger than that attributable to exports, with sectors belonging to livestock farming contributing the most to such disparity.These results underscore that the environmental impact of the Brazilian economy can be drastically reduced by tackling the emission-intensive production processes of a few sectors only and disincentivizing the domestic consumption of a narrow range of products, especially with respect to the livestock segment.     

Field response of mycorrhizal and nonmycorrhizal Medicago sativa var. local in the F1 generation

Seeds were collected from plants of Medicago sativa var. local inoculated with Glomus macrocarpum and G. fasciculatum separately in pot experiments. These seeds were sown in garden soil and the percentage germination, general health and yield of subsequent plants (the F1 generation) were studied. The percentage germination was highest in seeds of G. macrocarpum-inoculated parents followed by those inoculated with G. fasciculatum; seeds of uninoculated parent plants showed the lowest germination. Vegetative yield of the progeny decreased in the order of plants inoculated with G. fasciculatum, with G. macrocarpum, and uninoculated. On the other hand, reproductive yield was highest for plants whose parents were inoculated with G. macrocarpum, followed by G. fascicullatum, and lowest for seeds of uninoculated parent plants.     

长江经济带林地和其他生物质碳储量及碳汇量研究

以全国林业应对气候变化碳汇计量监测体系建设结果数据为基础，应用森林碳库专项调查建立的碳计量模型和参数，结合历次森林资源清查成果等数据，估算了2020年长江经济带林地和其他生物质碳储量和碳汇量。研究表明：（1）2020年长江经济带林地碳储量24543.58 Tg C （其中森林植被碳储量为4372.85Tg C），散生木和四旁树等其他生物质碳储量329.59 Tg C。2020年长江经济带林地碳汇量81.81 Tg C/a （300.26Tg CO₂/a）、散生木和四旁树等其他生物质碳汇量6.60 Tg C/a （24.21 Tg CO₂/a）。无论是林地和其他生物质碳储量、碳汇量、还是森林植被碳储量，乔木林地所占比例最大（69%-85%）；长江经济带11个省市中，云南省最大，上海市最小；林地碳储量中土壤有机质碳库贡献最大（81.46%），林地碳汇量中生物量碳库贡献最大（90.99%）；林地碳汇量中"一直为林地的土地"产生碳汇量贡献最大（71.74%），其中一直为乔木林的土地产生的碳汇量占69.89%；（2）阐述了长江防护林工程、天然林资源保护工程、珠江防护林工程和沿海防护林工程4大重点生态工程对长江经济带碳储量和碳汇量的贡献，长江防护林工程贡献率最大（81%-83%），其次是天然林资源保护工程（32%-38%），珠江防护林工程和沿海防护林工程影响较小。分析了人工造林、中幼林抚育、次生林和低效林改造、退化林修复等生态保护修复措施对长江经济带碳储量和碳汇量的贡献，并提出了碳中和愿景下森林固碳增汇的有效途径。     

Analysis and evaluation of ecosystem resilience: an economic perspective with an application to the Venice lagoon

This paper focuses on the analysis and evaluation of resilience anchored in an economic perspective. Resilience, as well as most of the benefits provided by ecosystems, is not priced on current markets. However, this does not mean that resilience is of no value for humans. On the contrary, the interest of using an economic perspective, and the respective scientific methodology, will be put forward in terms of resilience relevance for ecosystem functioning, and its impact on human welfare. The economic perspective is anchored in an anthropocentric analysis evaluating resilience in terms of provision of natural capital benefits. These in turn are interpreted as insurance against the risk of ecosystem malfunctioning and the consequent interruption of the provision of goods and services to humans. For this analysis, we make use of a conceptual framework that identifies and describes the different value components of resilience. Finally, we present an illustration that discusses the economic analysis of resilience benefits in the context of the Venice Lagoon.     

垂直绿化生态效益研究综述

全球气候变化和城市化背景下城市生态环境问题越发凸显，面对日趋紧张的土地资源现状，垂直绿化建设成为重要的城市绿地补充手段，对改善城市环境具有重要意义。垂直绿化具有多种生态效益，且其效益发挥受到多因素共同影响。如何统筹协调生态效益和影响因素之间的复杂关系，以使其综合生态效益最大化，是当前垂直绿化建设亟待解决的科学问题之一。基于文献综述法归纳了不同生态效益的机制及其关键影响因素，并对多效益和多影响因素进行了综合分析。结果表明，垂直绿化具有缓解城市热岛、建筑节能减排、固碳、净化空气、降噪、截留雨水和支持生物多样性等七种主要生态效益，并受到植被特征、设施结构特征、气象条件、空间格局等多方面因素的共同影响。基于对效益和影响因素的综合分析，进一步提出了两点规划思路：首先，关注环境需求和效益供给的耦合关系能够更加科学合理地指导区域垂直绿化建设布局。其次，关注生态效益间的关系，以区域关键生态环境问题为导向进行效益权衡并结合考虑其影响因素的重要性程度能为规划设计提供有效建议。     

Assessing the utility of conserving evolutionary history

It is often claimed that conserving evolutionary history is more efficient than species‐based approaches for capturing the attributes of biodiversity that benefit people. This claim underpins academic analyses and recommendations about the distribution and prioritization of species and areas for conservation, but evolutionary history is rarely considered in practical conservation activities. One impediment to implementation is that arguments related to the human‐centric benefits of evolutionary history are often vague and the underlying mechanisms poorly explored. Herein we identify the arguments linking the prioritization of evolutionary history with benefits to people, and for each we explicate the purported mechanism, and evaluate its theoretical and empirical support. We find that, even after 25 years of academic research, the strength of evidence linking evolutionary history to human benefits is still fragile. Most – but not all – arguments rely on the assumption that evolutionary history is a useful surrogate for phenotypic diversity. This surrogacy relationship in turn underlies additional arguments, particularly that, by capturing more phenotypic diversity, evolutionary history will preserve greater ecosystem functioning, capture more of the natural variety that humans prefer, and allow the maintenance of future benefits to humans. A surrogate relationship between evolutionary history and phenotypic diversity appears reasonable given theoretical and empirical results, but the strength of this relationship varies greatly. To the extent that evolutionary history captures unmeasured phenotypic diversity, maximizing the representation of evolutionary history should capture variation in species characteristics that are otherwise unknown, supporting some of the existing arguments. However, there is great variation in the strength and availability of evidence for benefits associated with protecting phenotypic diversity. There are many studies finding positive biodiversity–ecosystem functioning relationships, but little work exists on the maintenance of future benefits or the degree to which humans prefer sets of species with high phenotypic diversity or evolutionary history. Although several arguments link the protection of evolutionary history directly with the reduction of extinction rates, and with the production of relatively greater future biodiversity via increased adaptation or diversification, there are few direct tests. Several of these putative benefits have mismatches between the relevant spatial scales for conservation actions and the spatial scales at which benefits to humans are realized. It will be important for future work to fill in some of these gaps through direct tests of the arguments we define here.