基于多源数据的“安全公正空间”在大通湖流域环境管理中的应用

如何在确保生态系统安全的同时有效地开发和利用资源、保障人类福祉是当前面临的挑战。近年来兴起的“安全公正空间”(Safe and Just Operating Space, SJOS)理论框架为人类可持续发展提供了有效的评估方法, 即充分利用自然资源来提高人类社会福祉的同时确保环境生态安全。研究以长江中下游地区大通湖流域为例, 根据流域内的社会经济数据、环境监测数据和湖泊沉积记录, 从社会基础和环境系统两个方面构建该流域的SJOS框架, 并利用环境库兹涅兹曲线来揭示总体环境变化特征。结果表明: 流域内淡水利用、空气质量、水质均突破环境上限, 处于危险的状态, 此外流域内无贫困和产业创新两个社会基础维度的完成度相对较低。环境库兹涅兹曲线揭示了大通湖流域内社会-生态系统大致分为初始阶段(1950s—1980s)、严重退化阶段(1980s—2000s)和逐步改善(2000s后)三个阶段。研究为维持区域可持续发展提供了重要的参考信息, 同时也为区域SJOS框架的构建提供了一种有效的方法。     

中国生态功能保护区归一化植被指数动态及气候因子驱动

为揭示生态功能保护区归一化植被指数(NDVI)与气候因子相关性, 为今后该区域植被动态监测提供有用的信息, 该研究基于2000-2015年MODIS NDVI数据和逐月格点降水与气温数据, 采用生态功能保护区和像元两种空间尺度, 应用线性倾向分析、偏相关分析、复相关分析等方法研究了46个生态功能保护区NDVI变化及其与气候因子的关系, 在此基础上基于相关系数显著性水平对生态功能保护区NDVI动态进行了气候因子驱动分区。主要结果: (1)生态功能保护区NDVI总体呈增加趋势, 其增率加权平均值为0.045·a^-1。像元分析表明, NDVI显著增加的区域主要分布在中部和东北部。(2)生态功能保护区NDVI与降水的偏相关系数在-0.30-0.72之间, 在32个分区呈正相关关系。NDVI与气温的偏相关性在-0.36-0.92之间, 在39个分区呈正相关关系。像元分析表明, 50.6%的像元NDVI与降水呈显著正偏相关关系, 主要分布在东北及西北地区。64.6%的像元NDVI与气温呈显著正偏相关关系, 主要分布在东北及青藏高原北缘地区。(3)气温-降水强驱动型是主要驱动类型, 占总面积的38.7%; 气温驱动型为次要驱动类型, 占27.3%; 非气候因子驱动型占17.6%。以上结果表明, 生态功能保护区NDVI与气温、降水气候因子改变具有显著相关性, 气候因子驱动的地区共占82.4%。研究气候变暖背景下生态功能保护区NDVI变化及其对气候因子的响应, 对于认识该区植被动态变化规律具有重要作用。     

The dendroclimatic value of oak stable isotopes

Tree-ring stable oxygen and carbon isotope ratios (δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C) are an important archive for climate reconstructions. However, it remains unclear whether the polyvinyl acetate emulsion, often used for the preservation and fixation of wood samples, influences δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C signals. Further uncertainties are associated with the possible effects of geographical origin and cambial age of historical samples. Here, we present annually-resolved and absolutely-dated δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C measurements of 21 living oaks (Quercus robur and Q. petraea) from the Czech Republic. We find that the δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C signals in the extracted alpha-cellulose are not affected by polyvinyl acetate treatment. Covering the entire 20^th century and reaching until 2018 CE, our dataset reveals spatial and temporal coherency within and between the individual δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C chronologies of different oak species, sample locations, and tree ages. Highly significant (p < 0.01) Pearson’s correlation coefficients of the site-specific δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O chronologies range from 0.48–0.77 and 0.36–0.56, respectively. The isotopic inter-series correlations of Q. robur and Q. petraea from the same site are 0.75 and 0.43 for the mean δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values, respectively. Significant (p < 0.01) correlations of 0.49 and 0.84 are found for δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O, respectively, when all measurements from all sampling locations and tree ages are included. Our study shows that non-pooled oak δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C measurements from both species, different locations, and diverse tree ages can be combined into robust isotopic chronologies for climate reconstructions.     

Competition and overlap of Oryzaephilus surinamensis and Plodia interpunctella populations under condition of stored date fruits

Plodia interpunctella and Oryzaephilus surinamensis are found in food storehouses including dates and palm storages. The current study aimed to determine competition and overlap potentials of the two pests of date fruits. Time series models were used to study two species populations and logistic growth model to estimate the effect of density of the species. The results revealed the environmental capacities of O. surinamensis and P. interpunctella were 433 and 1610 (maximum number per 20 g), respectively, and the population growth rates (r) were 1.2 and 1.3, respectively. Ecological balances of the two species were close to each other from the first to the third week. The population of O. surinamensis decreased in the fourth week of the competition. The highest population balance of the two species was in the 14th week. The potential of exploitable ecological niches (e_ij) and the amount of non-exploited ecological niches by any species (z_ij) for O. surinamensis was higher than for P. interpunctella from the 8th week untill the end of sampling period. The overlap of ecological niches in the two species (D) ranged from 0.94 to 1, indicating a complete overlap of temporal activity in the two populations on date palm. The current results of this study can be used by integrated pest management specialists. Information over the effects of species competition on population dynamics and their coexistence can be used to predict population status and to adopt simple pest control methods.     

Assessing the Environmental Impact of Water Consumption by Energy Crops Grown in Spain

The environmental impact of the water consumption of four typical crop rotations grown in Spain, including energy crops, was analyzed and compared against Spanish agricultural and natural reference situations. The life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology was used for the assessment of the potential environmental impact of blue water (withdrawal from water bodies) and green water (uptake of soil moisture) consumption. The latter has so far been disregarded in LCA. To account for green water, two approaches have been applied: the first accounts for the difference in green water demand of the crops and a reference situation. The second is a green water scarcity index, which measures the fraction of the soil‐water plant consumption to the available green water. Our results show that, if the aim is to minimize the environmental impacts of water consumption, the energy crop rotations assessed in this study were most suitable in basins in the northeast of Spain. In contrast, the energy crops grown in basins in the southeast of Spain were associated with the greatest environmental impacts. Further research into the integration of quantitative green water assessment in LCA is crucial in studies of systems with a high dependence on green water resources.     

A Systems Approach to Sustainable Technical Product Design

Many existing methods for sustainable technical product design focus on environmental efficiency while lacking a framework for a holistic, sustainable design approach that includes combined social, technical, economic, and environmental aspects in the whole product life cycle, and that provides guidance on a technical product development level. This research proposes a framework for sustainable technical product design in the case of skis. We developed a ski under the Grown brand, benchmarked according to social, environmental, economic, and technical targets, following an initial sustainability assessment, and delivered the first environmental life cycle assessment (ELCA) and the first social life cycle assessment (SLCA) of skis. The framework applies a virtual development process as a combination of ELCA to calculate the environmental footprint as carbon equivalents of all materials and processes and a technical computer‐aided design (CAD) and computer‐aided engineering (CAE) simulation and virtual optimization using parameter studies for the nearly prototype‐free development of the benchmarked skis. The feedback loops between life cycle assessment (LCA) and virtual simulation led to the elimination of highly energy intensive materials, to the pioneering use of basalt fibers in skis, to the optimization of the use of natural materials using protective coatings from natural resins, and to the optimization of the production process. From an environmental perspective, a minimum 32% reduction in carbon equivalent emissions of materials in relation to other comparably performing skis has been achieved, as well as a pioneering step forward toward transparent communication of the environmental performance by the individual, comparable, and first published ski carbon footprint per volume unit.     

Azione della Cinetina sulla Degradazione della Clorofilla in Foglie di Orzo Irradiate

Abstract

The effects of kinetin on chlorophyll breakdown in irradiated barley leaves. — Kinetin is shown to inhibit the breakdown of chlorophyll in isolated barley leaves. Moreover the kinetin is shown to inhibit, even if with lower effect, the chlorophyll breakdown in irradiated barley leaves. This possible correlation of these observations, with kinetin promoted protein synthesis is suggested.     

The SER primer and climate change

The SER Primer on Ecological Restoration provides a succinct introduction to, and overview of, the rapidly growing field of ecological restoration. The Primer was issued initially in 2002 by the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) and reissued verbatim 2 years later in a more attractive format ( http://www.ser.org/resources;resources-detail-view/ser-international-primer-on-ecological-restoration ). A SER committee recently began deliberations to update the Primer, and much discussion is underway. As two of the Primer's principal authors, we were invited to share our views on how the Primer can be advantageously revised in the light of any changes or new insights since 2002. In particular, we were asked how the Primer might be modified to reflect the ways that ecological restoration address conservation issues raised by climate change and other rapid environmental shifts and global changes. We also touch on questions relating to the benefits of ecological restoration to human society, as this is an area where the Primer needs sharper focus. We have structured the following in a ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ format to highlight issues raised in the recent literature and to focus attention on other issues that merit consideration in the Primer revision process.