Tree-rings,a key ecological indicator of environment and climate change

Due to wide spatial distribution, high annual resolution, calendar-exact dating, and high climate sensitivity, tree-rings play an important role in reconstructing past environment and climate change over the past millennium at regional, hemispheric or even global scales, so tree-rings can help us to better understand climate behaviour and its mechanisms in the past and then predict variation trends for the future. In this paper, we will review latest advances in tree-ring-based climate reconstructions in China and their applications in modelling past local/regional climate change, capturing historical climatic extreme events, as well as analyzing their link to large-scale climate patterns.     

Spatial metrics for detecting ecosystem degradation in the ridge-slough patterned landscape

Indicators of landscape condition should be selected based on their sensitivity to environmental changes and their capacity to provide early warning detection of those changes. We assessed the performance of a suite of spatial-pattern metrics selected to quantify the condition of the ridge-slough landscape in the Everglades (South Florida, USA). Spatial pattern metrics (n = 14) that describe landscape composition, geometry and hydrologic connectivity were enumerated from vegetation maps of twenty-five 2 × 2 km primary sampling units (PSUs) that span a gradient of hydrologic and ecological condition across the greater Everglades ecosystem. Metrics were assessed in comparison with field measurements from each PSU of landscape condition obtained from regional surveys of soil elevation, which have previously been shown to capture dramatic differences between conserved and degraded locations. Elevation-based measures of landscape condition included soil elevation bi-modality (BI_SE), a binary measure of landscape condition, and also the standard deviation of soil elevation (SD_SE), a continuous measure of condition. Metric performance was assessed based on the strength (sensitivity) and shape (leading vs. lagging) of the relationship between spatial pattern metrics and these elevation-based measures. We observed significant logistic regression slopes with BI_SE for only 4 metrics (slough width, ridge density, directional connectivity index – DCI, and least flow cost – LFC). More significant relationships (n = 8 metrics) were observed with SD_SE, with the strongest associations for slough density, mean ridge width, and the average length of straight flow, as well as for a suite of hydrologic connectivity metrics (DCI, LFC and landscape discharge competence – LDC). Leading vs. lagging performance, inferred from the curvature of the association obtained from the exponent of fitted power functions, suggest that only DCI was a leading metric of the loss of soil elevation variation; most metrics were indeterminate, though some were clearly lagging. Our findings support the contention that soil elevation changes from altered peat accretion dynamics precede changes in landscape pattern, and offer insights that will enable efficient monitoring of the ridge-slough landscape as part of the ongoing Everglades restoration effort.     

Evaluation of environmentally conscious manufacturing programs using a three-hybrid multi-criteria decision analysis method

Environmental management, being an important component in strategies for achieving sustainable development of processes and products, has emerged as a proactive approach in majority of the manufacturing organizations. From the strategic perspective environmentally conscious manufacturing (ECM) programs lead to better environmental management practice. The objective of the current paper is to present an integrated and holistic framework to evaluate ECM programs. This framework combines three multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) methods to consider eight major environmentally conscious manufacturing indicators (ECMI) in order to identify the efficiency of each ECM program. First the interdependence relationship among the ECMIs is established using decision-making trail and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL). Then a range of weightage (i.e. upper and lower bounds) is created for each ECMI using analytic network process (ANP) to include managerial preferences. Finally, this range of weightage for each indicator is applied to perform restricted multiplier data envelopment analysis (RMDEA). Results show that the technical efficiency of the inefficient ECM programs for integrated RMDEA, on average, is calculated as 53.2% whereas traditional input oriented DEA provides the same score as 72.3%. This clearly indicates that integrated RMDEA is better than the input oriented DEA because same level of output could be produced with lesser resources if the ECM programs perform on the frontier. Hence, the advantage of this methodology is that the managerial preferences are successfully implemented through this newly developed hybrid methodology that will help to reduce less resource consumption and lead to better environmental policy.     

Ecological indicators to capture the effects of fishing on biodiversity and conservation status of marine ecosystems

IndiSeas (“Indicators for the Seas”) is a collaborative international working group that was established in 2005 to evaluate the status of exploited marine ecosystems using a suite of indicators in a comparative framework. An initial shortlist of seven ecological indicators was selected to quantify the effects of fishing on the broader ecosystem using several criteria (i.e., ecological meaning, sensitivity to fishing, data availability, management objectives and public awareness). The suite comprised: (i) the inverse coefficient of variation of total biomass of surveyed species, (ii) mean fish length in the surveyed community, (iii) mean maximum life span of surveyed fish species, (iv) proportion of predatory fish in the surveyed community, (v) proportion of under and moderately exploited stocks, (vi) total biomass of surveyed species, and (vii) mean trophic level of the landed catch. In line with the Nagoya Strategic Plan of the Convention on Biological Diversity (2011–2020), we extended this suite to emphasize the broader biodiversity and conservation risks in exploited marine ecosystems. We selected a subset of indicators from a list of empirically based candidate biodiversity indicators initially established based on ecological significance to complement the original IndiSeas indicators. The additional selected indicators were: (viii) mean intrinsic vulnerability index of the fish landed catch, (ix) proportion of non-declining exploited species in the surveyed community, (x) catch-based marine trophic index, and (xi) mean trophic level of the surveyed community. Despite the lack of data in some ecosystems, we also selected (xii) mean trophic level of the modelled community, and (xiii) proportion of discards in the fishery as extra indicators. These additional indicators were examined, along with the initial set of IndiSeas ecological indicators, to evaluate whether adding new biodiversity indicators provided useful additional information to refine our understanding of the status evaluation of 29 exploited marine ecosystems. We used state and trend analyses, and we performed correlation, redundancy and multivariate tests. Existing developments in ecosystem-based fisheries management have largely focused on exploited species. Our study, using mostly fisheries independent survey-based indicators, highlights that biodiversity and conservation-based indicators are complementary to ecological indicators of fishing pressure. Thus, they should be used to provide additional information to evaluate the overall impact of fishing on exploited marine ecosystems.     

Features and influencing factors of carbon emissions indicators in the perspective of residential consumption: Evidence from Beijing,China

This research establishes a residential indirect carbon emissions model through input–output structure decomposition analysis (IO-SDA) and LMDI, analyses the influencing factors affecting urban and rural residential carbon emissions indicators in Beijing through input–output tables from 2000 to 2010, and calculates the direct carbon emissions from residential consumption. As the results suggest, the total carbon emissions from residential consumption in Beijing showed volatility. Growing rural and urban differences in direct emissions, and for indirect emissions, mean that urban greatly exceeds rural in this regard. Rising per capita GDP and population, as well as intermediate demand and sectoral emissions intensity change induce growth in indirect emissions in both urban and rural settings: of which, per capita GDP contributes the most. Declining energy intensity contributes the most to emission reductions, followed by residential consumption rates, the rural to urban consumption ratio and consumption structure effects are much smaller.     

Biotic and abiotic determinants of the formation of ant mosaics in primary Neotropical rainforests

1. Ants are widespread in tropical rainforests, including in the canopy where territorially dominant arboreal species represent the main part of the arthropod biomass. 2. By mapping the territories of dominant arboreal ant species and using a null model analysis and a pairwise approach this study was able to show the presence of an ant mosaic on the upper canopy of a primary Neotropical rainforest (c. 1 ha sampled; 157 tall trees from 28 families). Although Neotropical rainforest canopies are frequently irregular, with tree crowns at different heights breaking the continuity of the territories of dominant ants, the latter are preserved via underground galleries or trails laid on the ground. 3. The distribution of the trees influences the structure of the ant mosaic, something related to the attractiveness of tree taxa for certain arboreal ant species rather than others. 4. Small‐scale natural disturbances, most likely strong winds in the area studied (presence of canopy gaps), play a role by favouring the presence of two ant species typical of secondary formations: Camponotus femoratus and Crematogaster levior, which live in parabiosis (i.e. share territories and nests but lodge in different cavities) and build conspicuous ant gardens. In addition, pioneer Cecropia myrmecophytic trees were recorded.     

Selecting agri-environmental indicators for monitoring and assessment of environmental management in the example of landscape parks in Poland

The objective of this article is to assess the condition of and hazards to the natural environment in selected landscape parks in Poland with respect to the impact of agricultural management using the DPSIR method. Our proposed set of indicators, based on generally available and applicable data, shows at the local scale, in a simple way, the condition of functioning of the balance between the natural environment and agricultural management and it assesses the level of repair works in the context of the records of the environmental protection program. The highest negative impact of agricultural management in the areas studied is noticed in the soil environment as well as the contexts of biodiversity and landscape. On the other hand, the lowest influence of agricultural economy was noted in the cases of the atmosphere and hydrosphere. The results of the aggregated indicators also showed lower or higher dependencies between the coverage and the use of the area in landscape parks and the condition of particular elements of the environment and the landscape.     

GIS-based integrated evaluation of environmentally sensitive areas (ESAs) for land use planning in Langkawi,Malaysia

Extensive economic growth, tourism activities and over-exploitation of resources have become the common causes of environmental degradation in Langkawi. The sudden development leap resulting from UNESCO's recognition of Langkawi Archipelago as a Global Geopark in 2007, leads to continuous conflicts between enhancing environmental protection and meeting tourism and development needs. Environmental sensitivity evaluation is a basis upon which the concept of environmentally sensitive areas (ESAs) can be practised in order to protect the environment, regulate development activities and promote sustainable land use planning. This study embarks on evaluating and classifying environmental sensitivity as well as comparing different ESA approaches applicable for land use planning in Langkawi. A GIS-based integrated evaluation model was performed on two assessment sets (Set A and Set B) using a standard grading system and weights determined with analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method. Of these sets, the former consists of selected indicators from the Malaysian integrated ESA instrument while the latter are derived from previous eco-environmental studies conducted in China. The projected final ESA maps of Langkawi indicate spatial distribution of four environmental sensitivity classes. More highly and moderately sensitive areas are observed in Set A, accounting for 339.15 km² or 72.24% of the total land area compared to Set B with only 259.04 km² or 55.18% respectively. The results also reveal large proportion of low sensitivity areas in Set A, covering areas of 117.42 km² (25.01%). In contrast, more areas with non-sensitivity are widely distributed in Set B, occupying areas of 123.02 km² (26.20%). Taking into consideration the natural and cultural characteristics of the islands, it is suggested that Set A is a better approach to portray current environmental concerns and to coordinate future land use planning as well as fits Langkawi's aspiration in becoming a sustainable, world-class Global Geopark. This study provides beneficial information and opportunity for reasonable rearrangement of zoning and development guidelines and strategies within sensitivity areas. It promotes effective utilization of the natural resources, minimizes negative tourism impacts and adequately highlights ecosystem functions to prosper local socio-economic growth. It also represents an early step for the design of universal ESA instruments to regulate local development activities and promote sustainable land use planning in vulnerable areas at global levels.