An ecological approach to biosystem thermodynamics

The general attributes of ecosystems are examined and a naturally occurring reference ecosystem is established, comparable with the isolated system of classical thermodynamics. Such an autonomous system with a stable, periodic input of energy is shown to assume certain structural characteristics that have an identifiable thermodynamic basis. Individual species tend to assume a state of least dissipation; this is most clearly evident in the dominant species (the species with the best integration of energy acquisition and conservation). It is concluded that ecosystem structure results from the antagonistic interaction of two nearly equal forces. These forces have their origin in the Principle of Most Action (least dissipation or least entropy production) and the universal Principle of Least Action. Most action is contingent on the equipartitioning of the energy available, through uniform interaction of similar individuals. The trend to Least action is contingent on increased dissipation attained through increasing diversity and increasing complexity. These principles exhibit a basic asymmetry. Given the operation of these opposing principles over evolutionary time, it is argued that ecosystems originated in the vicinity of thermodynamic equilibrium through the resonant amplification of reversible fluctuations. On account of the basic asymmetry the system was able to evolve away from thermodynamic equilibrium provided that it remained within the vicinity of ergodynamic equilibrium (equilibrium maintained by internal work, where the opposing forces are equal and opposite).At the highest level of generalization there appear to be three principles operating: i) maximum association of free-energy and materials; ii) energy conservation (deceleration of the energy flow) through symmetric interaction and increased homogeneity; and iii) the principle of least action which induces acceleration of the energy flow through asymmetrical interaction. The opposition and asymmetry of the two forces give rise to natural selection and evolution.     

Brazilian vegetation on maps

The development and current status of mapping the vegetation of Brazil is discussed. This includes the manner of portraying the vegetation on maps, especially with regard to physiognomy and structure, the floristic composition and ecological relations. A slow beginning has given way to a rapid though uneven development. Recent government efforts tend to correct this.     

Analysis of over-consumption of natural resources and the ecological trade deficit in China based on ecological footprints

China has experienced unprecedented economic development in recent years and is now facing severe challenges caused by the over-consumption of resources and by ecological and environmental degradation. To assess the influence of resource exploitation and ecological trade, we have developed an index of excessive resource consumption based on the concepts of ecological deficit and ecological over-shoot, and we have used the ecological trade deficit to assess the pressure created by the export and import of resources and products. Our analysis indicated that China's consumption footprint surpassed its biocapacity in 1983, leading to an ecological deficit, and the production footprint surpassed its biocapacity in 1986, leading to an ecological over-shoot, as the over-consumption of natural resources grew. By 2010, 3.6 times the current area of bioproductive land was needed to provide sufficient resources to meet the consumption. China has been encouraging the development of exporting enterprises by implementing a series of financial and tax incentives, which have stimulated the economy in the short-term but have gradually increased the ecological trade deficit since 2000.     

Phytoplankton of rhithral rivers: Its origin,diversity and possible use for quality-assessment

While phytoplankton studies on large potamal rivers have increased in number in recent years, upper river sections have received considerably less attention. However, in order to better understand processes that govern the development of dominance of euplanktonic elements in the lower river sections, detailed studies of the upstream areas are necessary. We studied the composition, diversity and recruitment of the planktonic algal communities in the River Sajó and in its main tributary River Hernád, two characteristic rhithral river systems in Central Europe. Results revealed that diatoms are dominant elements of the phytoplankton in the upper river segments both in terms of taxa richness, and relative abundance. We found that composition of the phytoplankton showed the closest resemblance to that of benthic communities of soft substrates, highlighting the key role of riverbed characteristics in river phytoplankton recruitment. The occurrence of euplanktonic elements was not restricted to human impacted river segments, these taxa also occurred in pristine headwaters. Accordingly, planktonic algae potentially colonise small headwater streams naturally, although their dominance is expected to occur only at downstream reaches following impounded river segments. Diatom metrics used in ecological state assessment were calculated for the rithroplankton. These metrics fell in the range of values calculated for diatom flora on the hard substrates. However, the potential use of rithroplankton for quality assessment might be limited, because the high variability of index values at site level would result in misclassification of the ecological status.     

Habitat ecological integrity and environmental impact assessment of anthropic activities: A GIS-based fuzzy logic model for sites of high biodiversity conservation interest

In literature, an effective method enabling the classification, based on a single indicator, of habitats that need a priority protection intervention has not been identified yet. Moreover, the excessive number of landscape metrics, used to quantify integrity of habitats, can cause confusion, often providing redundant and inconsistent results.The aim of this work is to develop a method for evaluating the ecological vulnerability of the habitats in sites of high biodiversity conservation interest. In the first phase, we selected and analyzed, by using principal component analysis (PCA) and fuzzy logic, the landscape metrics, in order to obtain the map of the intrinsic ecological vulnerability index. In the second step, the result of this intrinsic vulnerability was connected, through another fuzzy model, to anthropogenic impacts, obtaining the integrated ecological vulnerability index. We developed specific spatial indicators (landscape metrics), which can examine the mutual position and morphology of the habitats present, along with indicators of human pressure, related to the type and intensity of use of the anthropic territory, with reference to the habitat itself as well as to the areas immediately adjacent. The developed fuzzy models are innovative, compared to the current ecological studies, and examine landscape metrics as well as the impact of human activities.The case study is the “Val Basento-Ferrandina Scalo” Site of Community Importance, Ferrandina-SCI (Basilicata Region, Southern Italy). The results allowed us to build a rank of the habitats based on their intrinsic and integrated ecological vulnerability. Moreover, the results show that, in the Ferrandina-SCI, the most important source of concern is not human activities, but rather the inherent risk of ecological fragility caused by geographical and landscape features of the different patches of habitats themselves.This model aims to be a tool for decision support in sustainable landscape management. It is easy to use and to apply on other regions, although it should always be accompanied by a sensitivity analysis to reduce the subjectivity.     

Restorative and regenerative: Exploring the concepts in the circular economy

The most recognized definition of the circular economy is that it is a restorative and regenerative economy. Despite the wide use and importance attributed to the concepts of “restoration” and “regeneration,” they are rarely defined or explained in the circular economy literature. In this context, this study critically examines the two terms, while providing guidance on their future utilization and development. Specifically, the study investigates the origin of the concepts, their adoption in frameworks that anticipated the idea of the circular economy, and their connotations in the circular economy literature. The examination supports the need for clear and distinct definitions, combined with precision in usage. From a review of the literature, restoration is a better‐defined concept than regeneration, although it needs conceptual re‐enforcement relative to the biological/ecological aspects of the circular economy. This study suggests looking in the direction of restoration ecology, a well‐established branch of ecological research. Conversely, regeneration is a symbolic/evocative term with little practical application in the context of circular systems except in the case of certain agricultural practices. Until new conceptual developments intervene, regeneration does not seem to be applicable to the economy as a whole and because of this, might be abandoned as a guiding principle of the circular economy. Unlike regeneration, restoration can be considered a core principle because it has widespread application and can be a point of reference for circular applications. This does not preclude the possibility that other concepts may be needed to augment restoration.     

中国植被分类系统修订方案

为了推动《中国植被志》研编工作, 该文回顾了中国植被分类系统的发展过程和主要阶段性成果, 提出了作为《中国植被志》研编技术框架组成部分的中国植被分类系统修订方案, 对各植被型组及各植被型进行了简单定义和描述, 并针对中国植被分类系统若干问题, 特别就中国植被分类系统总体框架、混交林的界定以及土壤在植被分类中的重要性等问题进行了讨论。1960年侯学煜在《中国的植被》中首次提出了中国植被分类的原则和系统, 1980年出版的《中国植被》制定了分类等级和划分依据等更加完善的系统, 之后《中国植被及其地理格局——中华人民共和国1:1 000 000植被图说明书》和《中国植物区系与植被地理》以及很多省区的植被专著对该系统进行过修订。2017年宋永昌在《植被生态学》中提出了一个分类等级单位调整的方案。本次提出的中国植被分类系统修订方案基本沿用《中国植被》的植被分类原则、分类单位及系统, 采用“植物群落学-生态学”分类原则, 主要以植物群落特征及其与环境的关系作为分类依据, 包含三级主要分类单位, 即植被型(高级单位)、群系(中级单位)和群丛(低级单位); 在三个主要分类单位之上分别增加辅助单位植被型组、群系组和群丛组, 在植被型和群系之下主要根据群落的生态差异和实际需要可再增加植被亚型或亚群系。修订方案包含了森林、灌丛、草本植被(草地)、荒漠、高山冻原与稀疏植被、沼泽与水生植被(湿地)、农业植被、城市植被和无植被地段9个植被型组, 划分为48个植被型(含30个自然植被型、12个农业植被型、5个城市植被型和无植被地段)。自然植被中有23个植被型进一步划分出了81个植被亚型。     

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。     

《国家重点保护野生植物名录》调整的必要性、原则和程序

我国是世界上植物多样性最丰富的国家之一, 1999年发布的《国家重点保护野生植物名录》(下称《名录》(第一批))明确了国家重点保护野生植物的范围, 为依法强化保护、规范无序开发利用、提高公众保护意识奠定了基础。20多年来, 我国野生植物多样性保护形势发生了很大变化, 需要对《名录》进行调整。2018年, 国家林业和草原局、农业农村部启动《名录》调整工作, 物种的遴选遵循了5条基本原则和4条补充性原则, 这些原则主要涉及中国珍稀濒危物种, 具有重要经济、文化、科研、生态等价值物种的入选以及部分物种的排除。经国务院批准, 2021年9月7日, 国家林业和草原局、农业农村部发布了调整后的《名录》, 包括真菌类、藻类、苔藓、石松类和蕨类植物、裸子植物和被子植物, 共计约1,101种(455种和40类)野生植物列入其中。本文简要介绍了《名录》调整的必要性、原则和程序及调整后的情况。