生态补偿对大熊猫栖息地周边农户生态足迹的影响

大熊猫栖息地正面临破碎化和人类活动干扰的威胁,如何减少这些威胁成为保护大熊猫这一生态旗舰物种的关键.通过实施生态补偿项目,充分考虑当地弱势群体生存和发展的权利,帮助其进行生计替代和能源替代,以减小生态系统所承受的压力.以120个项目农户作为研究对象,利用生态足迹方法,探讨了生态补偿项目对生活在关键生态区域内农村人口的影响.结果表明,在各种生态生产性土地中,农户对林地和草地生态占用最大,能源替代可以大幅降低农户的薪柴消耗水平,从而降低农户对林地的生态占用.通过调整农户的牲畜养殖模式,减小了放牧对草地资源的压力和对草地的生态占用.农户人均生态足迹由2005年的2.7346hm2减小至2007年的1.6325 hm2,对周边环境的压力降低,有利于保护和恢复珍稀野生动植物栖息地.     

A Carbon Footprint of High‐Speed Railways in China: A Case Study of the Beijing‐Shanghai Line

A carbon footprint (CF) assessment of Chinese high‐speed railways (HSRs) can help guide further development of the world's longest HSR network. In this research, a hybrid economic input‐output and life cycle assessment (EIO‐LCA) method was applied to estimate the CF of the Beijing‐Shanghai HSR line. Specific CFs were analyzed of different subsystems of the line, different stages of production, and three calculation scopes. Results showed that the annual CF of the Beijing‐Shanghai HSR is increasing, whereas the per‐passenger CF constantly declined between 2011 and 2014. Scope 1 emissions account for an average of 4% of the total annual CF, Scope 2 contribute 71%, and Scope 3 comprise 25%. Among the different stages, operation contributes the largest (71%), followed by construction (20%) and maintenance (9%). In the construction stage, the bridges have the largest CF, followed by trains, and then rails. A trade‐off exists between the increase in carbon emissions due to construction of bridges and the reduction in operation emissions affected by leveling changes in terrain. The Beijing‐Shanghai HSR line has a relatively higher per‐passenger CF than eight other HSR lines, which is largely due to China's coal‐based carbon‐intensive energy mix of electricity generation, high proportion of bridges, higher operating speed, and heavier train body. In the future, cleaner electricity supply options, more efficient raw material production, and improvement of trains are keys to reducing the CF of Chinese HSRs.     

Wherever I may roam—Human activity alters movements of red deer (Cervus elaphus) and elk (Cervus canadensis) across two continents

Human activity and associated landscape modifications alter the movements of animals with consequences for populations and ecosystems worldwide. Species performing long-distance movements are thought to be particularly sensitive to human impact. Despite the increasing anthropogenic pressure, it remains challenging to understand and predict animals' responses to human activity. Here we address this knowledge gap using 1206 Global Positioning System movement trajectories of 815 individuals from 14 red deer (Cervus elaphus) and 14 elk (Cervus canadensis) populations spanning wide environmental gradients, namely the latitudinal range from the Alps to Scandinavia in Europe, and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem in North America. We measured individual-level movements relative to the environmental context, or movement expression, using the standardized metric Intensity of Use, reflecting both the directionality and extent of movements. We expected movement expression to be affected by resource (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, NDVI) predictability and topography, but those factors to be superseded by human impact. Red deer and elk movement expression varied along a continuum, from highly segmented trajectories over relatively small areas (high intensity of use), to directed transitions through restricted corridors (low intensity of use). Human activity (Human Footprint Index, HFI) was the strongest driver of movement expression, with a steep increase in Intensity of Use as HFI increased, but only until a threshold was reached. After exceeding this level of impact, the Intensity of Use remained unchanged. These results indicate the overall sensitivity of Cervus movement expression to human activity and suggest a limitation of plastic responses under high human pressure, despite the species also occurring in human-dominated landscapes. Our work represents the first comparison of metric-based movement expression across widely distributed populations of a deer genus, contributing to the understanding and prediction of animals' responses to human activity.     

Implications of corn prices on water footprints of bioethanol

Previously reported water footprints (WFPs) of corn ethanol have been estimated based on the assumption that corn ethanol feedstock could be supplied by the same states where the corn is grown. However, ethanol conversion facilities may choose out-of-state feedstock suppliers depending on the total price of feedstock they have to pay including both the corn price and transportation costs. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the WFPs and total water use (TWU) of corn ethanol considering an optimal allocation of corn with heterogeneous corn feedstock prices across states. The results show that the WFPs of corn ethanol are less than 100 l of water per liter of ethanol (Lw/Le) for all ethanol-producing states based on both the 2008 corn price and transportation costs for rail and truck. Results also reveal that WFPs are very sensitive to the market price of corn and that additional greenhouse gas emissions due to corn trade between states are not significant.     

陕北农田作物生产碳源/汇及碳足迹空间特征

农作物生产过程既是碳源,也是碳汇。研究作物生产过程中碳吸收、碳排放特征对区域农业碳减排具有重要意义。以陕北区域为例,采用高分辨率遥感数据,结合GEE遥感云平台和随机森林算法,获取了作物种植分布信息,并建立碳吸收排放测算模型,分析了陕北地区2021年农田作物的碳源/汇效应、碳足迹及其空间分布格局。结果表明:①陕北种植的粮食作物主要为玉米、稻谷、薯类、豆类,经济作物主要为蔬菜、苹果、枣树,这七类作物集中分布在延安南部河谷区域和榆林西北部区域。②除枣类外,陕北地区其余作物的碳吸收量均高于碳排放量,以碳汇功能为主,其中,玉米和苹果分别对该地区碳吸收、碳排放的贡献率最高,碳吸收、排放量分别达到了189.74×10⁴ t和11.41×10⁴ t,苹果、薯类和枣类碳足迹较高,分别达到了9.92×10⁴ hm²、8.77×10⁴ hm²和21.65×10⁴ hm²,其余作物碳足迹处于0.26-1.49×10⁴ hm²之间。③从空间上看,研究区单位面积农田碳吸收量呈现西北高、南部低的分布格局,而碳排放量、碳足迹分布正好相反,南部高、西北低。④研究区可通过培育高产品种、优化施肥量、控制农膜农药用量、调整作物种植结构等措施,提高作物固碳效应,促进农业生产碳减排。     

The Location and Protection Status of Earth’s Diminishing Marine Wilderness

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