State of seawater intrusion and its adaptive management countermeasures in Longkou City of China

Longkou City is a coastal area,and lacks water resources.The overexploitation of groundwater causes seawater intrusion.At present,seawater intrudes an area of 68 km2.With the decrease of groundwater extraction,the seawater intrusion area has generally declined.The paper expounds the development process of seawater intrusion as well as the corresponding prevention and control measures of using groundwater replenishment and groundwater throttling in Longkou City.In view of the seawater intrusion problem in Longkou City,some adaptive management countermeasures are put forward,which include:Adjusting industrial and agricultural structure,promoting economic and social development to match water resources;improving water usage structure,optimizing the utilization of water resources;advancing the construction of a water-saving society,using water resources efficiently;implementing inter-basin water transfer,using water resources rationally;developing and utilizing unconventional water sources,making full use of water resources;strengthening water infrastructure construction,increasing the development and utilization potential of water resources;carrying out ecological restoration,protecting water resources and ecological environment;improving the management informationalization level,strengthening the capabilities of groundwater monitoring and management;increasing publicity,improving public awareness of participation.

Can science save the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca)? Unifying science and policy in an adaptive management paradigm

The giant panda(Ailuropoda melanoleuca David,1869)is an iconic species for global conservation,yet field research has only recently advanced to the point where adaptive management is possible.Here,we review recent developments in giant panda conservation science and propose a strategic plan for moving panda conservation forward.Because of scientific,funding,political,and logistical hurdles,few endangered species management programs have embraced adaptive management,wherein management decisions are shaped iteratively by targeted scientific research.Specific threats,such as habitat destruction,anthropogenic disturbance and fragmented nonviable populations,need to be addressed simultaneously by researchers,managers and policy-makers working in concert to understand and overcome these obstacles to species recovery.With the backing of the Chinese Govern-ment and the conservation community,the giant panda can become a high-profile test species for this much touted,but rarely implemented,approach to conservation management.

Adaptive resource management for multi-target tracking in co-located MIMO radar based on time-space joint allocation

Compared with the traditional phased array radar, the co-located multiple-input multiple-output(MIMO) radar is able to transmit orthogonal waveforms to form different illuminating modes, providing a larger freedom degree in radar resource management. In order to implement the effective resource management for the co-located MIMO radar in multi-target tracking,this paper proposes a resource management optimization model,where the system resource consumption and the tracking accuracy requirements are considered comprehensively. An adaptive resource management algorithm for the co-located MIMO radar is obtained based on the proposed model, where the sub-array number, sampling period, transmitting energy, beam direction and working mode are adaptively controlled to realize the time-space resource joint allocation. Simulation results demonstrate the superiority of the proposed algorithm. Furthermore, the co-located MIMO radar using the proposed algorithm can satisfy the predetermined tracking accuracy requirements with less comprehensive cost compared with the phased array radar.

An Intelligent Agency Framework to Realize Adaptive System Management

In order to realize the required scalable and adaptive system management, an interactive intelligent agency framework, iSMAcy （intelligent System Management Agency） , is proposed as an integrated solution to realize distributed autonomoas system management. Firstly, it is a multiagent platform that supports inter-agent communication and cooperation. Secondly, the functional agents are based on intentional agent architecture that achieves balance between goal-directed behavior and situated reactive action. An example of applying the iSMAcy system to a network management environment has been described to illustrate and validate the scalable and adaptive management capability of the intelligent agency framework.

Integrated watershed management:evolution,development and emerging trends

Watershed management is an ever-evolving practice involving the management of land, water, biota, and other resources in a defined area for ecological, social, and economic purposes. In this paper, we explore the following questions： How has watershed management evolved？ What new tools are available and how can they be integrated into sustainable watershed management？ To address these questions, we discuss the process of developing integrated watershed management strategies for sustainable manage- ment through the incorporation of adaptive management techniques and traditional ecological knowledge. We address the numerous benefits from integration acrossdisciplines and jurisdictional boundaries, as well as the incorporation of technological advancements, such as remote sensing, GIS, big data, and multi-level social-eco- logical systems analysis, into watershed management strategies. We use three case studies from China, Europe, and Canada to review the success and failure of integrated watershed management in addressing different ecological, social, and economic dilemmas in geographically diverse locations. Although progress has been made in watershed management strategies, there are still numerous issues impeding successful management outcomes; many of which can be remedied through holistic management approaches, incorporation of cutting-edge science and technology, and cross-jurisdictional coordination. We conclude by high- lighting that future watershed management will need to account for climate change impacts by employing techno- logical advancements and holistic, cross-disciplinary approaches to ensure watersheds continue to serve their ecological, social, and economic functions. We present three case studies in this paper as a valuable resource for scientists, resource managers, government agencies, and other stakeholders aiming to improve integrated watershed management strategies and more efficiently and successfully achieve ecological and socio-economic management objectives.

Adaptation Management of Mountain Tourism Service: The Case of the Source Regions of the Yangtze and Yellow River

Mountain areas are often rich in ecological diversity and recreational opportunities. Mountain tourism is thought to be an effective and important means for maintaining and expanding rural economies and, thus, improving the living conditions of rural societies. As mountain tourism service research is a professional field with several disciplines involved, a multi-disciplinary management pIatform is needed and it facilitates participation in sustainable mountain development by diverse stakeholders. With the source regions of the Yangtze and the Yellow River as a case study, this paper presents a conceptual framework for an adaptation management of mountain tourism services according to technical, policy, social and economic dimensions. The framework is based on a vulnerability assessment of mountain ecosystems, and can serve as a reference for the development of tourism service in other mountain areas.

Modelling the potential consequences of adaptive closure management in a penaeid trawl fishery

Spatial management of fishing effort can be used to avoid catching undesirable size classes for target species,and improve yield-per-recruit for the exploited stock.Adaptive closure management has been proposed as a means to more effectively utilise spatial management,however these management provisions often lack quantitative evaluation which constrains the information available to inform decisions.We demonstrate the use of a spatially and size structured population dynamics model to evaluate the potential impact of spatial management on a multijurisdictional fishery for a highly migratory species(eastern king prawn,Penaeus[Melicertus]plebejus).Under current conditions in the fishery,the overall effect of closures on harvest was estimated to be comparatively minor,regardless of assumptions about how effort or fisher behavior are affected by spatial management.Alternative assumptions about the movement patterns of eastern king prawn had little influence on the impact of closures on overall harvest.However,when effort was increased to historic levels similar to those observed when the closures were implemented,a much greater impact on overall harvest was observed.The approach taken and simulation outcomes are discussed in the context of spatial management for both eastern king prawn,and penaeid fisheries more broadly.

Bridging gaps between environmental flows theory and practices in China

In recent decades,a series of policies and practices for environmental flows(e-flows)have been implemented in China,with the sustainable development goal of balancing the utilization and protection of water resources among social,economic,and ecological needs.The aims of this study were to determine the main challenges and issues in e-flows implementation at different scales by analyzing policies and practices for eflows in China,and to propose some recommendations for bridging the gaps between the science and implementation of e-flows.The gaps between the science and implementation of e-flows were found after review of literature,policies,and practices,and it was found that ecological flow was a more widely used term by the government,rather than e-flows,in implementation.The plans and effects of e-flows implementation are discussed in this paper and challenges of e-flows implementation are recognized:(1)limited water resources and uneven spatial and temporal distribution,(2)a weak scientific basis for e-flows implementation,(3)poor operability of e-flows science,and(4)ineffective supervision and guarantee measures.The recommendations are(1)to strengthen the scientific foundation of e-flows,(2)to improve effectiveness in application of e-flows science,and(3)to propose operable and effective supervision and guarantee measures.This paper elaborates the current understanding of e-flows science and provides practical recommendations for implementing e-flows and for improving the effectiveness in e-flows implementation.To bridge the gaps between science and implementation of e-flows and improve the operability of policies in future practices,more scientific research on practices is recommended through adaptive management.

Investing in Strategies to Accelerate Conservation and Measure Impact in the Delaware River Watershed

The Delaware River watershed provides drinking water to over 15 million people, critical habitat for plants and animals, including many threatened and endangered species, and recreational and economic enterprise valued at $10 billion per year in direct wages. Water quality and associated economic, environmental and social values have improved dramatically since the 1950s when the lower portion of the river was declared a dead zone during parts of the summer due to excessive inputs of domestic and industrial waste. The question today is how to ensure that progress continues in the face of persistent and growing threats to water quality. Recognizing the challenges facing the watershed, over 40 of the leading conservation groups in this 13,000 square mile region are pursuing a 10-year strategic initiative focused on water quality through the Delaware River Watershed Initiative, a conservation program advancing a combination of place-based work in watershed protection, restoration, education, collaboration and innovation through collective impact. This paper serves as an invitation for broader strategic involvement to accelerate watershed protection and restoration;it also is a springboard for stakeholders to set an agenda for ensuring that the Delaware River watershed delivers clean water for humans, plants and animals. The paper identifies eight “clusters” of sub-watersheds, constituting approximately 25 percent of the total Delaware Basin, where analysis has shown that investment in water quality could deliver significant returns. Diverse geology, land use, development patterns, population density and en-vironmental stressors are present throughout these sub-watershed clusters. Focusing conservation actions in these places contributes directly to local water quality, and by fostering experimentation and innovation, it also cultivates a wide range of effective approaches for scaling up investment across the Delaware River watershed and beyond. This paper emphasizes five strategies for investing in protection of high quality waters and restoration of impaired waters: 1. protect forested headwaters to maintain high water quality;2. manage agricultural lands to reduce polluted runoff and increase groundwater infiltration;3. implement best practices and new financial incentives to reduce urban stormwater pollution through natural processes;4. increase the evidence base for watershed protection by monitoring trends in water quality and assessing project impacts;5. improve policy and practice through applied research focused on water quality outcomes. These strategies demand place-based work, and the Delawre River Watershed Initiative will focus on advancing these efforts through the cooperation of organizations located in the eight distinct watershed clusters. Proceeding downstream from the headwaters, the eight landscapes are: Pocono Mountains and Kittatinny Ridge;New Jersey Highlands;Upper Lehigh River;Middle Schuylkill River;Schuylkill Highlands;Brandywine and Christina Rivers Upstream;Suburban Philadelphia;and Kirkwood-Cohansey Aquifer (comprising New Jersey’s Bayshore;and Pine Barrens). These clusters bring together many of the most ecologically valuable and significantly impaired areas of the watershed. They are strategically located where strong organizations and critical natural vatues provide measurable opportunities for advancing local water quality while having regional impact. The selection of areas and strategies was based on research and planning undertaken by the Open Space Institute (OSI) and the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University (ANSDU} with support from the William Penn Foundation. Researchers at OSI and ANSDU were joined by the National Fish and Wildlfe Foundation (NFWF) in engaging over 40 organizations working across the eight sub-watershed clusters to develop collaborative plans for implementing and measuring local conservation strategies essential to the long-term health and vibrancy of the region. These implementation plans tackle major threats to water quality and include strategies to track progress and share lessons learned. The plans provide a framework for public agencies and philanthropic funders seeking to pursue targeted watershed protection outcomes supported by monitoring, technical assistance and ongoing communications. Organizations large and small, public and private, are invited to read this paper and consider this program as an opportunity to align investment for greater impact and help ensure a bright future for the Delaware River watershed.

Effective Wildlife Roadkill Mitigation

The effects of wildlife roadkill on native animal populations can be significant and the cost to people of wildlife collisions, through road crash injuries and vehicle damage, can be also significant. An understanding of roadkill causes and patterns is necessary for successful management intervention. How animals perceive, use and cross roads can vary significantly from road to road and also between different sections of the same road. This study sought to better understand the features of roadkill and successful mitigation options for a 93 km section of road in Tasmania＇s northwest. A program of baseline monitoring, analysis and trial sites informed the development of a risk based strategy for mitigating roadkill. The trial mitigation sites experienced a 50% reduction in roadkill compared with the levels prior to implementation of the trials. A number of simple, low maintenance and cost effective mitigation measures were established and offer road managers elsewhere additional options for reducing roadkill on their roads.

Multi-object approach and its appfication to adaptive water management under climate change

This paper addresses issues on adaptive water management under the impact of climate change. Based on a set of comprehensive indicators of water system, a decision making approach of multi-objects is developed and applied to quantify water adaptive man- agement for the demands of water sustainable use, water environmental protection and eco-water requirement under the climate change. For this study in China, two key indicators are proposed, namely （1） the water resources vulnerability （V） that was represented by inte- grated sensitivity （S） and resilience （C） of climate change impact on water resources, and （2） the sustainability of socio-economy and water environment, marked by DD, that is integrated scaler of socio-economic development （EG） based on the amount of GDP and the water en- vironment and relative eco-system quality （LI）. To find a reasonable solution for adaptive water management, a multi-objective decision making model of adaptive water management is further developed and the multi-objective model was transformed into an integrated single optimization model through developing an integrated measure function, called as VDD=DD/V. This approach has been applied to adaptive water resources planning and management for case study of China with new policy, called as the strict management of water resources based on three red line controls, i.e., the control of total water use by the total water re- sources allocation, the control of lower water use efficiency by the water demand manage- ment and the control of the total waste water load by water quality management in the East- ern China Monsoon Region that covers major eight big river basins including Yangtze River, Yellow River, Haihe River and Huaihe River. It is shown that the synthetic representation of water resource vulnerability and socio-economic sustainability by the integrated objective function （VDD） and integrated decision making model are workable and practicable. Adaptive management effect of the criterion compliance rate and water use efficiency are more ap- preciable through new water policy of the three red line controls, which can reduce 21.3% of the water resources vulnerability （V） and increase 18.4% of the sustainability of socio- economy and water environment （DD） for the unfavorable scenario of climate change in2030.

An Intelligent Agent Approach to Adaptive Project Management

This paper presents the initial steps to integrating a distributed discrete event simulation system with a framework for intelligent software agents. The resulting system has a simulation component that is based on the high-level architecture (HLA) and an agent component that implements the belief-desire-intention (BDI) approach to agent modelling. The architecture is connected to a real-time information source. The framework was successfully applied to a real-life monitoring system for a tunnel-boring machine excavation project that helped with forecasting and managing the project timelines in response to the changes in the uncertain excavation environment. This project is presented as a test case and demonstrates encouraging results for integrative modelling of large-scale problems with elements of uncertainty.

Determinants of Adaptation to Climate Change:A Case Study of Rice Farmers in Western Province,Iran

The decisions made by agricultural households to adjust to climate change(CC)in Iran are not well known.This study is intended to investigate the influence of perceptions and socioeconomic,institutional features on farmers’adaptation decisions about CC,which constitute the hypothetical statements of the study.We undertook a survey of 200 farm householders from 31 villages of Ilam Province,situated in the western Iran,as randomly selected.The result discloses that the proposed discriminant model matches the dataset well,with a strong effect size of partial eta-squared(η^(2)=0.38).The analysis further signals that adapters are younger and more welleducated than non-adapters.Adapters are also knowledgeable about CC risks and institutional policy barriers.The adapters have subsidiary work,better access to credit,and have good contacts with expansion agents and specialists.The paper concludes that government authorities should provide farmers with the enriched capabilities and competencies enabling them to adapt to CC.

Native Aquatic Plant Establishment Efforts in a High-Herbivore, Central Texas Reservoir

Maintaining beneficial, native plant structure and diversity while reducing invasive, nuisance species dominance is an important management domain for natural resource managers. One such vegetation component in North American lakes and reservoirs is submerged aquatic vegetation—a valuable aquatic resource which serves as productive habitat for fish, aquatic macroinvertebrates, and other wildlife. Reservoirs in the southern parts of the United States have experienced varying aquatic plant dominance dynamics due to historical water resource management actions, including drawdowns and introduction of herbivorous fish for the purpose of controlling invasive aquatic vegetation. Some of these management options have also been detrimental to native submerged aquatic vegetation. This paper explores an adaptive management research effort by installing herbivore-protected, fenced-pen submerged aquatic vegetation sites in a high-herbivore reservoir to determine effectiveness of protecting habitat and serving as founder colony sources for propagule spread. Four experimental sites with three management treatments each were planted with American eelgrass. Each site utilized one un-fenced treatment and two treatments with varying mesh sizes for protective fencing-pens. Site integrity, species survival and spread, and grazing were documented. One additional site was installed and planted with other native submerged aquatic vegetation species for nominal species performance descriptions. No plants survived unprotected in the high-herbivore system and plants, in general, performed consistently better within the smaller mesh size. These test planting results were ultimately used to inform adaptive management decision making for plant installation and expansion designs for managing reservoirs invested with Hydrilla, considered one of the most serious invasive aquatic plants in the United States.

A Quantitative Description of Complex Adaptive System:The Self-Adaptive Mechanism of the Material Purchasing Management System Towards the Changing Environment

This paper demonstrates a new interpretation of the material purchasing management system(MPMS) from the perspective of complex adaptive systems(CAS).Within the framework of CAS,the authors design the self-adaptive mechanism of the MPMS responding to the changing environment,such as the change of the price,by using risk measurement theory,modern portfolio theory(MPT) and the information of the material's modifying priority.As a bottom-up systems view,CAS focuses on the individual level and studies system's overall complexity by analyzing the mutual competition and adaptation among the individuals.This paper demonstrates a quantitative description of CAS by discussing the MPMS which can be viewed as a kind of CAS,and makes numerical simulations of Daqing oilfield MPMS.Compared to the benchmarks,the authors set the simulations show that the self-adaptive mechanism adapts well to the change of the material's market price.Hence,this paper accomplishes a numerical simulation of CAS's quantitative self-adaptive mechanism responding to the environment's change.

Informing management of rare species with an approach combining scenario modeling and spatially explicit risk assessment

Wildlife managers are tasked with identifying and managing stressors that threaten persistence of populations.We demonstrate an approach to land-use planning that combines scenario modeling and ecological risk assessment to map and quantify risk to population persistence for three rare prairie species in Washington State,USA.Following corroboration of model output,we found that of the management scenarios considered,only a scenario with year-round restrictions on use of off-road vehicles,digging,and camping enforced in all potential habitat reduces risk to the species.Decreased risk is focused primarily in two patches of prairie habitat in our study area,indicating stringent restrictions need not be applied broadly.However,one area is not easily accessed by two of the three species considered,suggesting reintroductions to suitable but inaccessible habitat may play an important role in management of these species.Our analyses suggest changes in land use and management that might improve habitat for rare species,with options for minimizing monetary and social costs.Because the proposed approach relies on hypothetical management scenarios and uses a model flexible in data requirements to provide spatially explicit output,it can be used to inform adaptive management of rare species in diverse land-planning processes and will be especially useful when management decisions must be made under time or cost constraints.

Climate change effects on rangelands and rangeland management:affirming the need for monitoring

Uncertainty as to the extent and magnitude of changes in conditions that might occur due to climate change poses a problem for land and resource managers as they seek to adapt to changes and mitigate effects of climate variability.We illustrate using scenarios of projected future conditions on rangelands in the Northern Great Plains and Desert Southwest of the United States.These two regions are different in the ways climate change is projected to affect the regions.Projection of a longer and warmer growing season in the Northern Great Plains could lead to increased forage production and land productivity.Highly uncertain effects on summer monsoons that primarily control rangeland productivity in the Desert Southwest,combined with the possibility of more intense and/or frequent drought events,could present land managers with challenges stemming from decreased forage production and land productivity.Climate projections,though uncertain,provide land managers with basic insight into future conditions they might encounter.They need more.A focus on vulnerability and resilience,with explicit recognition of interactions between ecological and socio-economic factors,coupled with systematic monitoring and assessment of observable conditions on the land to supplement information based on climate projections,will more effectively provide critical and specific information managers need to adaptively manage rangelands under uncertain climate futures.

A rate-based robust queue management system through multi-loop internal model controller with initial value compensation

An efficient congestion control approach should gain weighted fairness and also robustness against external disturbances.Moreover,variations in the number of active sources cause a network to operate as a switched system in which the initial values affect the transient response.The main contribution of this article is to design a rate-based adaptive robust queue management contemplating the initial value compensation(IVC).The congestion is avoided via Two-Degree-of-Freedom Internal Model Control protocol as a robust procedure.The utilisation factors are designated according to the delay of each source(weighted fairness)in which the sources will use the maximum value of the bottleneck capacity(maximum utilisation).On the other hand,the number of the users is determined adaptively and effects of non-zero initial values are eliminated through a protocol called IVC.Simulation results through Network Simulator 2 and Simulink software confirm the analytical results and the efficacy of the proposed method.

The Role of the Important Agricultural Heritage Systems in the Construction of China’s National Park System and the Optimisation of the Protected Area System

Conservation-compatible development of rural communities is an important part of nature conservation objectives.Understanding the role of agriculture,which is often practiced in or bordering the protected areas in rural China,is critical for managing conservation networks considering that limited spatial areas are available for enclosed protected areas.Important Agricultural Heritage Systems stand out for their multi-functionality,and some of their values are compatible with nature conservation.This paper examined the concept,management objectives and resource management characteristics of the Important Agricultural Heritage Systems(IAHS)by analysing their interactions with national parks in terms of community development.The results reveal that management strategies of dynamic conservation,integrated protection and adaptive management of the IAHS can contribute to those national park management objectives concerning conservation-compatible livelihood.However,the typology of the protected area system,including the traditional agricultural system as a new type,needs further consideration.

Using the movement patterns of reintroduced animals to improve reintroduction success

Despite their importance to conservation, reintroductions are still a risky endeavor and tend to fail, highlighting the need for more efficient post-release monitoring techniques. Reintroduced animals are released into unfamiliar novel environ ments and must explore their surroundings to gain knowledge in order to survive. According to theory, knowledge gain should be followed by subsequent changes to the animal＇s movement behavior, making movement behavior an excellent indicator of reintroduction progress. We aim to conceptually describe a logical process that will enable the inclusion of behavior （in particular, movement behavior） in management decision-making post-reintroductions, and to do so, we provide four basic components that a manager should look for in the behaviors of released animals. The suggested components are release-site fidelity, recurring locations, proximity to other individuals, and individual variation in movement behavior. These components are by no means the only possible ones available to a manager, but they provide an efficient tool to understanding animals＇ decision-making based on ecological theory; namely, the exploration-exploitation trade-off that released animals go through, and which underlies their behavior. We demonstrate our conceptual approach using data from two ungulate species reintroduced in Israel： the Persian fallow deer Dama mesopotamica and the Arabian oryx Oryx leucoryx [Current Zoology 60 （4）： 515-526, 2014] .