Visitor management and ecological integrity: one example of an integrated management approach using Decision Analysis

In this paper we argue in favour of using a decision analysis framework for more integrated decision-making when managing protected areas. Such an approach will enable agencies to balance between the frequently conflicting goals of visitor management and ecological integrity. We present a case study from the West Coast Trail in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, BC, Canada, in which we use a hybrid of ELECTRE and AHP to establish a ranking of several management options. We conclude by suggesting that such a more formal framework constitutes a more objective decision support tool, assists in framing relevant management questions and tradeoffs, and at the same time provides guidance for data collection.     

生态风险评价研究进展

20多年来,生态风险评价研究经历了从环境风险到生态风险到区域生态风险评价的发展历程,风险源由单一风险源扩展到多风险源,风险受体由单一受体发展到多受体,评价范围由局地扩展到区域景观水平.区域生态风险评价就是大尺度上研究复杂环境背景下包含多风险源、多风险受体的综合风险研究.目前,区域生态风险评价的理论框架已经搭建起来,统计方法多采用相对评价法.区域生态风险评价未来的发展方向为继续加强实验和野外调查,进一步减小不确定性,逐步解决尺度推移问题.区域生态风险评价必须与经济、社会、文化相结合,才能充分发挥它在管理决策中的作用.     

Effects of a participatory approach,with systematic impact matrix analysis in herd health planning in organic dairy cattle herds

The animal health and welfare status in European organic dairy production does not in all aspects meet the organic principles and consumers’ expectations and needs to be improved. To achieve this, tailored herd health planning, targeted to the specific situation of individual farms could be of use. The aim of this study was to apply herd health planning in a structured participatory approach, with impact matrix analysis, not previously used in this context, in European organic dairy farms and to assess changes in animal health and welfare. Herd health planning farm visits were conducted on 122 organic dairy farms in France, Germany and Sweden. The farmer, the herd veterinarian and/or an advisor took part in the farm discussions. The researcher served as facilitator. Baseline data on the animal health status of the individual farm, collected from national milk recording schemes, were presented as an input for the discussion. Thereafter a systematic impact matrix analysis was performed. This was to capture the complexity of individual farms with the aim to identify the farm-specific factors that could have a strong impact on animal health. The participants (i.e. farmer, veterinarian and advisor) jointly identified areas in need of improvement, taking the health status and the interconnected farm system components into account, and appropriate actions were jointly identified. The researcher took minutes during the discussions, and these were shared with the participants. No intervention was made by the researcher, and further actions were left with the participants. The number of actions per farm ranged from 0 to 22. The change in mortality, metabolic diseases, reproductive performance and udder health was assessed at two time points, and potential determinators of the change were evaluated with linear regression models. A significant association was seen between change in udder health, as measured by the somatic cell count, and country. At the first follow-up, a significant association was also found between change in the proportion of prolonged calving interval and the farmers’ desire to improve reproductive health as well as with an increase in herd size, but this was not seen at the second follow-up. The degree of implementation of the actions was good (median 67%, lower quartile 40%, upper quartile 83%). To conclude, the degree of implementation was quite high, improvement of animal health could not be linked to the herd health planning approach. However, the approach was highly appreciated by the participants and deserves further study.     

Comprehensive evaluation of multiple cropping systems on upland red soil

According to the principles and methods of ecology and system engineering, we set up an evaluation indicator system for multi-component and multiple cropping systems, evaluated the comprehensive benefits of multi-component and multiple cropping systems using grey relation clustering analysis and screened out the optimized model based on research done in the upland red soil in Jiangxi Agricultural University from 1984 to 2004. The results show that the grey relation degree of “cabbage/potato/maize — sesame” was the highest among 23 multi-component and multiple cropping systems and was clustered into the optimized system. This indicates that “cabbage/potato/maize — sesame” can bring the best social, economic and ecological benefits, increase product yield and farmers’ income and promote sustainable development of agricultural production. Therefore, it is suitable for promotion on upland red soil. The grey relation degree of “canola/Chinese milk vetch/maize/mung bean/maize” was second, which is suitable for implementation at the city outskirts. In conclusion, these two planting patterns are expected to play important roles in the reconstruction of the planting structure and optimization of the planting patterns on upland red soil. __________ Translated from Acta Ecologica Sinica, 2006, 26(8): 2532–2539 [译自: 生态学报]     

森林经营决策支持系统的设计与实现及在采伐中的应用

我国传统的森林经营方式比较落后,数字化水平不高,决策过程比较盲目.在地理信息系统平台中集成森林动态模型,建立森林经营决策支持系统,可以充分发挥地理信息系统的可视化、空间分析以及模型模拟预测功能,加强处理森林在较大时空尺度上的动态变化的能力.本文设计并实现了森林生长率模型、景观采伐模型和矩阵模型,开发了森林经营决策支持系统,回答森林采伐经营中“采多少,采哪里,怎么采”的三个主要问题,在长白山区的露水河林业局和三岔子林业局进行应用,为提高我国森林可持续经营管理的数字化水平提供了技术支持.     

籼粳稻杂交衍生RIL系的苗期抗旱性评价

为鉴定籼粳稻杂交衍生系的苗期抗旱性,以课题组自育的高代抗逆品系ZD15为母本、籼稻品种IR29为父本,以及杂交衍生的重组自交系群体120份为试验材料,利用PEG-6000对各材料苗期进行干旱胁迫处理,测定根长、根冠比、地上部鲜重、地下部鲜重、地上部干重和地下部干重;利用PEG-6000对各材料芽期进行干旱胁迫处理,测定芽鞘长和芽长。采用主成分分析和隶属函数法对各材料的抗旱性进行综合评价,根据综合抗旱D值可将122份材料分成3类,D值在0.201～0.400之间的有33份,属于不抗旱材料;D值在0.401～0.600之间的有79份,属于中等抗旱材料;D值在0.601～0.800之间的有10份,属于抗旱材料。利用D值进行逐步回归分析,结果表明根长、根冠比、地上部鲜重、地下部鲜重、地上部干重、地下部干重、芽鞘长和芽长8个性状均可作为水稻苗期抗旱性的评价指标。本研究筛选出的抗旱材料,可作为育种中间材料进一步培育,或作为育种资源加以利用,以丰富本区水稻育种的资源库。     

基于综合评价法的洞庭湖区绿地生态网络构建

绿地生态网络对于改善区域生态空间破碎化、生物多样性降低、生态系统服务供需不平衡及保障区域生态安全具有重要意义。本研究以洞庭湖区为例,在3S技术支持下,从生态系统服务功能、潜在生物多样性、形态空间格局的角度综合评价和识别生态源地及计算栅格单元的基本生态阻力;利用夜间灯光指数修正基本生态阻力;运用最小累积阻力模型识别生态廊道;构建加权评价模型,对源地的聚合度、离散度及廊道的生态连接贡献度进行评价;利用结构特征指数对综合网络、“源-汇”潜在网络及规划网络进行对比分析和评价。结果表明: 源地空间分布不均衡,林地、灌丛与水域三者面积之和占源地总面积的95.9%,位于研究区中部的洞庭湖湿地生态风险较高;源地离生态网络系统中心位置越近及到其他源地的平均最小累积阻力越小,聚合及离散的优势越强;高生态质量源地周围的中、高生态质量源地分布越密集,其聚合度、离散度越高;廊道离高生态质量的源地越近,表现为生态连接贡献度越大;林地、灌丛,尤其是河道在自然生态系统与人类社会系统之间起着非常重要的生态连接作用;“源-汇”规划绿道对“源-汇”潜在生态廊道形成了良好补充,与“源-汇”潜在网络相比,综合网络的α、β、γ、ρ指数分别提高123.1%、25.8%、26.2%、74.6%;与“源-汇”规划网络相比,α、β、γ、ρ指数分别提高了190.0%、31.1%、32.5%、114.6%。本研究结果能为洞庭湖区绿地生态网络构建、国土空间规划提供参考。     

基于不同决策树的面向对象林区遥感影像分类比较

面向地理对象影像分析技术(GEOBIA)是影像分辨率越来越高的背景下的产物.如何提高高分辨率影像分类精度和分类效率是影像处理的重要议题之一.本研究对QuickBird影像多尺度分割后的对象进行分类,分析了C5.0、C4.5、CART决策树算法在林区面向对象分类中的效率,并与kNN算法的分类精度进行比较.利用eCognition软件对遥感影像进行多尺度分割,分析得到最佳尺度为90和40.在90尺度下分离出植被和非植被后,在40尺度下提取不同类别植被的光谱、纹理、形状等共21个特征,并利用C5.0、C4.5、CART决策树算法分别对其进行知识挖掘,自动建立分类规则.最后利用建立的分类规则分别对植被区域进行分类,并比较分析其精度.结果表明: 基于决策树的分类精度均高于传统的kNN法.其中,C5.0方法的精度最高,其总体分类精度为90.0%,Kappa系数0.87.决策树算法能有效提高林区树种分类精度,且C5.0决策树的Boosting算法对该分类效果具有最明显的提升.