A diagnostic for collaborative monitoring in forest landscape restoration

Monitoring is crucial to meet the goals of the major global forest landscape restoration (FLR) initiatives that are underway. If members of the global FLR community are going to learn from one another, a multi‐scalar, multi‐site monitoring approach is needed to generate information that can provide the basis for social learning and adaptive management, both of which are essential processes for FLR. This requires reframing and expanding the perspective of monitoring so that compliance monitoring is just one component of a multidimensional approach where collaborative monitoring and compliance‐oriented monitoring are complementary. However, FLR planners and implementers often lack experience in applying collaborative approaches in multi‐stakeholder settings, and there are few tools that show how to implement FLR or to engage in collaborative monitoring in FLR. Through a literature review, we identified the factors that contribute to successful collaborative monitoring in FLR and synthesized them into a diagnostic that was vetted by 20 global experts. The result is a checklist of 42 core success factors to be assessed at local, subnational, and national levels at different stages in the planning and implementation of FLR. The tool has practical application by providing guidance on best practices: specifically, how to start collaborative monitoring, and more generally, how to plan, prepare for, and evaluate FLR activities. This diagnostic complements other diagnostics, such as those used to identify FLR sites, as it can identify preexisting strengths and weaknesses in new initiatives, or pinpoint problems with ongoing implementation. The diagnostic explicitly addresses issues of scale, including multiple sites, governance levels, and changes over time.     

Integrating multi-scale data to model the relationship between food resources, waterbird distribution and human activities in freshwater systems: preliminary findings and potential uses

Understanding and predicting the likely consequences of anthropogenic disturbance on species and ecosystems is a major prerequisite of achieving the sustainable use of natural resources. It is also a key element in the management of sites with statutory designation. During planning and decision-making processes involving potential disturbance issues, land managers and responsible authorities are often required to take account of the needs and views of a diversity of site user groups. The effects and impacts of disturbance can occur over a range of spatial and temporal scales, and research into these consequences must address this problem. This paper provides (1) an overview of the field and analytical methodologies contributing to the development of an integrated method for collecting multi-scale bird, resource and disturbance data in freshwater systems, and (2) an overview of the drivers and need for such data in sustainable resource management. Whilst the results of the bird–habitat–disturbance modelling arising from these data will be published elsewhere, the types of information that will be generated are illustrated and their potential use within planning and decision-making processes discussed.     

Ectopic CNS projections guide peripheral neuron axons along novel pathways in leech embryos

Previous studies have indicated that the formation of stereotyped segmental nerves in leech embryos depends on the interactions between CNS projections and ingrowing afferents from peripheral neurons. Especially, CNS-ablation experiments have suggested that CNS-derived guidance cues are required for the correct navigation of several groups of peripheral sensory neurons. In order to directly test this hypothesis we have performed transplantations of CNS ganglia into ectopic sites in segments from which the resident ganglia have been removed. We find that the transplanted ganglia extend numerous axons distributed roughly equally in all directions. When these CNS projections reach and make contact with peripheral sensory axons they are used as guides for peripheral neurons to grow toward and into the ectopic ganglia even when this means following novel pathways that cross the midline and/or segmental boundaries. The peripheral sensory axons turn and grow toward the ectopic ganglia only when in physical contact with CNS axons, suggesting that diffusible chemoattractants are not a factor. These results demonstrate that the guidance cues provided by ectopic CNS projections are both necessary and sufficient to steer peripheral sensory neuron axons into the CNS.     

Integrating scientific guidance into marine spatial planning

Marine spatial planning (MSP), whereby areas of the ocean are zoned for different uses, has great potential to reduce or eliminate conflicts between competing management goals, but only if strategically applied. The recent literature overwhelmingly agrees that including stakeholders in these planning processes is critical to success; but, given the countless alternative ways even simple spatial regulations can be configured, how likely is it that a stakeholder-driven process will generate plans that deliver on the promise of MSP? Here, we use a spatially explicit, dynamic bioeconomic model to show that stakeholder-generated plans are doomed to fail in the absence of strong scientific guidance. While strategically placed spatial regulations can improve outcomes remarkably, the vast majority of possible plans fail to achieve this potential. Surprisingly, existing scientific rules of thumb do little to improve outcomes. Here, we develop an alternative approach in which models are used to identify efficient plans, which are then modified by stakeholders. Even if stakeholders alter these initial proposals considerably, results hugely outperform plans guided by scientific rules of thumb. Our results underscore the importance of spatially explicit dynamic models for the management of marine resources and illustrate how such models can be harmoniously integrated into a stakeholder-driven MSP process.     

Adapting systematic conservation planning for climate change

With the high rate of ecosystem change, effective systematic conservation planning must account for ongoing and imminent threats to biodiversity to ensure its persistence. Accordingly, guidance on appropriate conservation actions in the face of climate change has been accumulating. We review this guidance and bring together the key recommendations needed to successfully account for climate change impacts, relevant to the scale at which natural resource management is carried out. We discuss how the traditional conservation tools of protection and restoration need to be adjusted to be effective in the face of climate change. We highlight the conservation innovations such as moveable and temporary reserves, and Targeted Gene Flow. We build on recent work to provide critical advice for considering climate change in conservation planning. In particular, we discuss how stating explicit objectives related to climate change adaptation, quantifying uncertainty, and exploring trade-offs will better place conservation plans to meet objectives for multiple goals such as protection of species, ecosystems, geophysical diversity and ecological processes.     

Authors have rights too.

Without publication research can be of little value. When researchers approach publication there is ample published guidance for them on what their obligations are, and there are well known style guides within each scientific discipline including, in medicine, the Vancouver style. This article gives a series of anonymous examples to suggest that the impact of similar guides for editors has been patchy and to make some suggestions for better communication.     

导入JCI标准提升医疗影像设备管理系统

引进JCI认证标准（Joint Commission Intemational国际医疗卫生机构认证联合委员会）,使医疗影像设备管理从结构导向到结果导向转变。当今传统的管理评审标准：结构、过程、结果这一程序来讲,最关注的是结构,如设备的故障率、检查病人次数、单机收入等,但JCI的理念认为应该关心的是结果,是安全、质量、整体绩效,这是一个从结构为中心的导向转为以结果为中心、以病人为中心的导向。对任何可能产生的风险都要提前考虑预警,更具前瞻性。学习这一国际先进医院管理体系,改进医疗影像设备管理系统,抓好医疗影像设备的管理,提升医院医疗服务质量。让医疗影像设备在医疗工作中充分发挥作用,提高社会效益和经济效益。     

What are the policy priorities for sustaining ecological processes? A case study from Victoria,Australia

Summary Developments in ecological theory indicate that ecological processes have major implications for sustaining biodiversity and the provision of ecosystem services. Consequently, conservation actions that focus solely on particular species, vegetation communities, habitats or sites (‘assets’) are unlikely to be effective over the long term unless the ecological processes that support them continue to function. Efforts to sustain biodiversity must embrace both ‘assets’ and ‘process‐oriented’ approaches. Existing knowledge about ecological processes, incomplete though it is, has not been adequately considered in government decision making. It is, therefore, necessary to consider how to build consideration of ecological processes into legislative and institutional frameworks, policy and planning processes, and on‐ground environmental management. Drawing on insights from interviews, a facilitated workshop, and a literature review, this paper identifies a suite of policy priorities and associated reforms which should assist in ensuring that ecological processes are given more attention in policy‐making processes. It is concluded that a multi‐pronged approach is required, because there are no ‘silver bullets’ for sustaining ecological processes.     

The ecosystem functioning dimension in conservation: insights from remote sensing

An important goal of conservation biology is the maintenance of ecosystem processes. Incorporating quantitative measurements of ecosystem functions into conservation practice is important given that it provides not only proxies for biodiversity patterns, but also new tools and criteria for management. In the satellite era, the translation of spectral information into ecosystem functional variables expands and complements the more traditional use of satellite imagery in conservation biology. Remote sensing scientists have generated accurate techniques to quantify ecosystem processes and properties of key importance for conservation planning such as primary production, ecosystem carbon gains, surface temperature, albedo, evapotranspiration, and precipitation use efficiency; however, these techniques are still unfamiliar to conservation biologists. In this article, we identify specific fields where a remotely-sensed characterization of ecosystem functioning may aid conservation science and practice. Such fields include the management and monitoring of species and populations of conservation concern; the assessment of ecosystem representativeness and singularity; the use of protected areas as reference sites to assess global change effects; the implementation of monitoring and warning systems to guide adaptive management; the direct evaluation of supporting ecosystem services; and the planning and monitoring of ecological restorations. The approaches presented here illustrate feasible ways to incorporate the ecosystem functioning dimension into conservation through the use of satellite-derived information.     

Observer variation in field assessments of vegetation condition: Implications for biodiversity conservation

Summary   Uncertainty in assessments of vegetation condition that are used to inform land management and planning decisions for biodiversity conservation in Australia may lead to unexpected outcomes, including loss of biodiversity. This study investigates observer error in field estimates of vegetation attributes, one component of uncertainty in assessments of vegetation condition. Ten observers conducted vegetation condition assessments using two assessment protocols (BioMetric and Habitat Hectares) on 20 sites in a grassy woodland community. Observers' estimates varied substantially across multiple scoring categories for all vegetation attributes on almost all sites. Across all sites, the average coefficient of variation in total vegetation condition scores was 15–18% for both protocols, with a maximum of 60%. The primary cause of variation in total vegetation condition scores was random error in raw estimates of vegetation attributes, although sensitivity of some highly weighted attributes to error exacerbated variation in some cases. Observers generally agreed on the total scores and ranks of highly degraded (pasture) sites, but were less consistent on other sites. Rank correlations between pairs of observers were stronger for Habitat Hectares, suggesting BioMetric may be slightly more sensitive to observer error. It is recommended that: (i) research is undertaken into methods for reducing observer error; (ii) review is made of the sensitivity of index scoring structures to observer error; (iii) field observers estimate uncertainty around point estimates of vegetation condition; and, (iv) decision-makers explicitly incorporate uncertainty into the decision-making processes and aim for outcomes that are robust to this uncertainty.     

Dynamic Disturbance Processes Create Dynamic Lek Site Selection in a Prairie Grouse

It is well understood that landscape processes can affect habitat selection patterns, movements, and species persistence. These selection patterns may be altered or even eliminated as a result of changes in disturbance regimes and a concomitant management focus on uniform, moderate disturbance across landscapes. To assess how restored landscape heterogeneity influences habitat selection patterns, we examined 21 years (1991, 1993–2012) of Greater Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido) lek location data in tallgrass prairie with restored fire and grazing processes. Our study took place at The Nature Conservancy’s Tallgrass Prairie Preserve located at the southern extent of Flint Hills in northeastern Oklahoma. We specifically addressed stability of lek locations in the context of the fire-grazing interaction, and the environmental factors influencing lek locations. We found that lek locations were dynamic in a landscape with interacting fire and grazing. While previous conservation efforts have treated leks as stable with high site fidelity in static landscapes, a majority of lek locations in our study (i.e., 65%) moved by nearly one kilometer on an annual basis in this dynamic setting. Lek sites were in elevated areas with low tree cover and low road density. Additionally, lek site selection was influenced by an interaction of fire and patch edge, indicating that in recently burned patches, leks were located near patch edges. These results suggest that dynamic and interactive processes such as fire and grazing that restore heterogeneity to grasslands do influence habitat selection patterns in prairie grouse, a phenomenon that is likely to apply throughout the Greater Prairie-Chicken’s distribution when dynamic processes are restored. As conservation moves toward restoring dynamic historic disturbance patterns, it will be important that siting and planning of anthropogenic structures (e.g., wind energy, oil and gas) and management plans not view lek locations as static points, but rather as sites that shift around the landscape in response to shifting vegetation structure. Acknowledging shifting lek locations in these landscapes will help ensure conservation efforts are successful by targeting the appropriate areas for protection and management.     

Incremental sampling methodology for petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated soils: volume estimates and remediation strategies

Current environmental assessments for petroleum hydrocarbon (PHC) contaminated sites are dependent on discrete soil sampling to estimate the degree and extent of contamination, leading to unreliable and non-reproducible results. Incremental sampling methodology (ISM) involves collecting and combining samples within a targeted area and holds promise for being a cost-effective, representative, and reproducible sampling strategy for contaminated site characterization. We hypothesized that traditional Phase II Environmental Site Assessments (ESA) discrete and ISM sampling protocols were not mutually exclusive, and the two approaches can be used to formulate a responsible land management strategy. Results gathered through ISM were compared to those from Phase II ESA for two PHC contaminated sites in Canada. Both methods indicated the sites were impacted with PHC beyond Saskatchewan Tier I guidance, however, the delineation of the PHC plume differed by as much as 75% for the heavier hydrocarbons. The Phase II ESA methods had higher incidences of false positive results and an overestimation of contamination at depth. A laboratory experiment confirmed that ISM does not “dilute” the samples as to cause underestimation, whereby the hydrocarbon concentrations for a single combined sample was equivalent to the mean of 30 discrete samples. Based on our results, sites should undergo risk assessment based on the estimates of the Phase II ESA results using vapor phase logs to estimate contaminant extent. If exposure pathways cannot be eliminated through the risk assessment process, remediation planning based on the ISM results is justified given the demonstrated cost-effectiveness, representativeness, and reproducibility.     

Environmental consideration in a coastal engineering project the Delta Project in the south-western Netherlands

Summary In 1958 the Delta Plan was laid down in an Act of Parliament. By changing the attitudes the goals are partly radically changed. The Delta Works will finally (1985) result in an area including almost all kinds of aquatic habitats: fresh-, brackish- and saltwater lakes, some eutrophic and some mesotrophic estuaries, with and without a saline gradient. By segregation of the basins by dams and by integrative possibilities with management tools like sluices, canals and even a storm surge barrier, a scale of management possibilities is realized. Choices have to be prepared and executed. Since 1971 the Delta Project is guided by professional environmentalist, who are fully engaged to the organization. In this paper the first experiences are presented. A problem analysis is given of the environmental problems cohering with the project. It concludes with the main environmental problems in this delta. The research strategy describes that there was no planned research in schemes initially. The research was started based on questions arising from all the schemes and finally from a basin analysis. Then the ordening of question took place by the formulation of research projects, which were ordened to themes. In the advice strategy the technique of advice, policy analysis, is discussed. Then the contents of advices are described. This includes the conclusion of shortage of knowledge about ecological relations, the system approach; the formulation of boundary conditions and peoples interest in functionalities. Management guidelines are derived from the boundary conditions, the reappraisals of functions and the positively evaluated internal processes. The main tasks of environmental guidance are described. At last the basin strategy is described. This part starts with the concept physical planning procedures, the need for special treatments for large basins. The concept management is described, as well as the integration of the management plans and physical planning. This part ends with a few proposals.     

Stopover habitats of spring migrating surf scoters in southeast Alaska

Habitat conditions and nutrient reserve levels during spring migration have been suggested as important factors affecting population declines in waterfowl, emphasizing the need to identify key sites used during spring and understand habitat features and resource availability at stopover sites. We used satellite telemetry to identify stopover sites used by surf scoters migrating through southeast Alaska during spring. We then contrasted habitat features of these sites to those of random sites to determine habitat attributes corresponding to use by migrating scoters. We identified 14 stopover sites based on use by satellite tagged surf scoters from several wintering sites. We identified Lynn Canal as a particularly important stopover site for surf scoters originating throughout the Pacific winter range; approximately half of tagged coastally migrating surf scoters used this site, many for extended periods. Stopover sites were farther from the mainland coast and closer to herring spawn sites than random sites, whereas physical shoreline habitat attributes were generally poor predictors of site use. The geography and resource availability within southeast Alaska provides unique and potentially critical stopover habitat for spring migrating surf scoters. Our work identifies specific sites and habitat resources that deserve conservation and management consideration. Aggregations of birds are vulnerable to human activity impacts such as contaminant spills and resource management decisions. This information is of value to agencies and organizations responsible for emergency response planning, herring fisheries management, and bird and ecosystem conservation. © 2010 The Wildlife Society     

景观生态学在海岸带地区的研究进展

海岸带是景观生态学研究的重要领域,并且取得了长足的发展。系统剖析景观生态学在海岸带陆地土地利用变化的景观格局分析与优化、滨海湿地景观格局破碎化及其生态效应、海岛开发和保护的景观规划与设计、近岸海域空间开发的景观格局分析与评价、海洋环境过程与空间格局的相互作用关系等领域研究取得的成绩及其存在的主要问题。在此基础上,结合我国生态文明建设要求,探讨了景观生态学在海洋生态文明建设中的研究尺度匹配、格局-过程耦合理论引导、景观格局指数量化考核方面的学科优势。景观生态学可以在围填海平面设计与规划研究、海岸带生态修复与景观建设、海洋保护区选划与管理、海岛开发与保护、海陆统筹下的海岸带综合管理等方面开拓应用发展领域,助力海洋生态文明建设,承担建设海洋强国、美丽海洋的新使命。同时也为景观生态学在近岸海洋资源环境中的应用、近岸海洋景观生态学的发展梳理框架与思路。     

A functional-structural model for radiata pine (Pinus radiata) focusing on tree architecture and wood quality

Backgrounds and Aims

Functional–structural models are interesting tools to relate environmental and management conditions with forest growth. Their three-dimensional images can reveal important characteristics of wood used for industrial products. Like virtual laboratories, they can be used to evaluate relationships among species, sites and management, and to support silvicultural design and decision processes. Our aim was to develop a functional–structural model for radiata pine (Pinus radiata) given its economic importance in many countries.

Methods

The plant model uses the L-system language. The structure of the model is based on operational units, which obey particular rules, and execute photosynthesis, respiration and morphogenesis, according to their particular characteristics. Plant allometry is adhered to so that harmonic growth and plant development are achieved. Environmental signals for morphogenesis are used. Dynamic turnover guides the normal evolution of the tree. Monthly steps allow for detailed information of wood characteristics. The model is independent of traditional forest inventory relationships and is conceived as a mechanistic model. For model parameterization, three databases which generated new information relating to P. radiata were analysed and incorporated.

Key Results

Simulations under different and contrasting environmental and management conditions were run and statistically tested. The model was validated against forest inventory data for the same sites and times and against true crown architectural data. The performance of the model for 6-year-old trees was encouraging. Total height, diameter and lengths of growth units were adequately estimated. Branch diameters were slightly overestimated. Wood density values were not satisfactory, but the cyclical pattern and increase of growth rings were reasonably well modelled.

Conclusions

The model was able to reproduce the development and growth of the species based on mechanistic formulations. It may be valuable in assessing stand behaviour under different environmental and management conditions, assisting in decision-making with regard to management, and as a research tool to formulate hypothesis regarding forest tree growth and development.     

Comparing alternative systematic conservation planning strategies against a politically driven conservation plan

Decisions regarding the level of detail included in conservation planning and the importance given to feasibility considerations can greatly influence management in terms of total area required, achievement of conservation targets and costs. This work had two main objectives: (1) to compare priority sites proposed by the Chilean commission for the environment in a politically driven process to the results of alternative systematic conservation planning scenarios; and (2) to compare the efficacy of systematic conservation planning based on different types of conservation targets (forest types and bird species) and minimum area thresholds. To address these issues, we used vegetation cover as well as field data on forest birds in central Chile. Bird species distributions were modeled using a variety of climatic and environmental layers, allowing for the integration of environmental heterogeneity into the planning process. We then ran several conservation planning scenarios considering conservation targets based on vegetation types alone, birds alone, or a combination of vegetation and birds. Collectively these results show that conservation planning results differ significantly when considering birds or vegetation types, and that minimum area requirements for each conservation feature has a great influence on the final results. Moreover, important conservation sites are not represented in the current government plan, and these sites are related to the small representation of rare vegetation types. This study suggests that using appropriate minimum area requirements can greatly affect the results of a conservation planning exercise and therefore represents a key knowledge gap in the region.     

Comprehensive criteria for biodiversity evaluation in conservation planning

In this paper we present the results of a multi-criteria decision analysis used to identify a comprehensive set of criteria for assigning biodiversity value to sites for conservation planning. For effective conservation management, biodiversity value needs to be a composite of biotic and abiotic factors. However, in the reserve design literature, conservation value is assigned with a limited set of metrics usually based on comprehensiveness, representativeness and persistence which may be insufficient at fully capturing biodiversity value. A group of conservation specialists in California, USA, used a multi-criteria decision making framework to elucidate and weight criteria for scoring biodiversity value at sites. A formal model for consensus and negotiation was applied to aggregate individuals’ criteria weights across all group members. The group identified ecological condition, followed by biotic composition as the most important contributors to site conservation value. Long- and short-term threats causing fragmentation and degradation are also important criteria to consider. Key criteria are identified for which further data collection would serve the greatest purpose in prioritizing sites and the role of prioritization criteria in the larger context of systematic conservation planning is discussed. With the recognition that biodiversity value plays an important role in conservation decisions, the criteria presented here represents a comprehensive suite of factors to consider when assigning biodiversity value to sites for conservation planning. These can serve as an encompassing list which other groups can customize for the purpose of biodiversity evaluation for alternative conservation planning contexts.     

上海外高桥保税区可持续发展的生态环境规划研究

以可持续发展理论和生态规划理论为指导,应用环境监测、遥感分析和GIS等方法评价了上海外高桥保税区大气、水体、土壤、噪声、绿化等生态环境质量现状和发展趋势,从生态环境建设的指标体系、环境保护规划和管理、绿地系统规划等方面提出了对策措施。     

功能约束条件下的钱江源国家公园体制试点区游憩利用适宜性评价研究

国家公园功能分区根据生态系统和文化资源的保护要求划定不同的区域,并通过对区域内活动开展的范围和强度进行管控,实现生态保护、游憩利用等目标。从功能约束条件出发,以钱江源国家公园体制试点区(简称"钱江源国家公园")为例,采用德尔菲法和层次分析法,选取自然游憩资源、景观美景度、人文游憩资源、游憩利用能力、生态环境承载力、社会条件等6个因子构建了国家公园游憩利用适宜性评价体系。运用GIS空间分析工具对其进行单因子分级评价和综合评价,定量评估了钱江源国家公园游憩利用的适宜性,并将其适宜性从低到高依次划分为I—IV的4个等级。结果表明,钱江源国家公园游憩利用适宜性4个等级的面积呈"橄榄"型分布格局。在游憩利用适宜性分析结果及国家公园功能分区管理要求的基础上,本文进一步将钱江源国家公园游憩利用划分为6大游憩利用类型,并提出不同游憩利用类型的主导服务功能与管理措施。研究结果可为国家公园功能分区管理和游憩利用提供规划与管理指导。