Community-based natural resource management in northeast India has a long history. Indigenous knowledge and adaptation are the collective information, with improvement from generation to generation. The expectation is...Community-based natural resource management in northeast India has a long history. Indigenous knowledge and adaptation are the collective information, with improvement from generation to generation. The expectation is that under community control, local expertise on biodiversity will play a significant role in natural resource management through traditional practices. This paper discusses the characteristics and application of the traditional ecological knowledge of aboriginal peoples in northeast India and its role in natural resource management. Examples are provided in two different eco-cultural landscapes, i.e., Demazong (the Buddhist eco-cultural landscape in Sikkim Himalaya) and the Apatani eco-cultural landscape in Arunachal Pradesh, which illustrate the utility value of traditional ecological knowledge in sustainable natural resource management. Both eco-cultural landscapes are indeed very complex and highly evolved systems with high levels of economic and ecological efficiencies. The paper concludes that traditional ecological knowledge systems and institutions could serve as entry points into the sustainable utilization and management of natural resources. This could be achieved through the exploration of the cultural practices of the local people and integrating useful aspects into the modern natural resource management expertise. With rapidly depleting biodiversity in the developing tropic regions, there is a greater utilization today than ever before of the value of respecting the "Sacred" as a tool towards better conservation of natural resources.展开更多
Based on the theories of business ecosystem and national innovation system, this paper proposes a concept of industrial ecosystem. Differ from ecologists and environmentalists who regard industrial ecosystem as the na...Based on the theories of business ecosystem and national innovation system, this paper proposes a concept of industrial ecosystem. Differ from ecologists and environmentalists who regard industrial ecosystem as the natural ecosystems in which material, energy and information circulates, this paper defines industrial ecosystem as a set of factors that are vital to the development of a certain industry and their interrelationship. The industrial ecosystem consists of three sub-systems that are innovation ecosystem, production ecosystem, and application ecosystem, and subsidiary factors that include factor supply, infrastructure, socio-cultural environment, international environment and policy system. The industrial ecosystem is characterized by interdependencies, complex interactions, self-recovery and co-evolution. The development of an industry is' the result of the reaction of the whole industrial ecosystem; therefore, the competition in strategic emerging industries among countries is in essence the competition in industrial ecosystems. Those countries which are able to take the lead in setting up complete industrial ecosystem will occupy advantage in developing strategic emerging industries. Cultivating and developing strategic emerging industries requires promoting the development and coordination of the whole ecosystem.展开更多
Whether it is necessary to reduce nitrogen(N) and/or phosphorus(P) input to mitigate lake eutrophication is controversial. The controversy stems mainly from differences in time and space in previous studies that suppo...Whether it is necessary to reduce nitrogen(N) and/or phosphorus(P) input to mitigate lake eutrophication is controversial. The controversy stems mainly from differences in time and space in previous studies that support the contrasting ideas. To test the response of phytoplankton to various combinations of nutrient control strategies in mesocosms and the possibility of reflecting the conditions in natural ecosystems with short-term experiments, a 9-month experiment was carried out in eight 800-L tanks with four nutrient level combinations(+N+P,-N+P, +N-P, and-N-P), with an 18-month whole-ecosystem experiment in eight ~800-m^2 ponds as the reference. Phytoplankton abundance was determined by P not N, regardless of the initial TN/TP level, which was in contrast to the nutrient limitation predicted by the N/P theory. Net natural N inputs were calculated to be 4.9, 6.8, 1.5, and 3.0 g in treatments +N+P,-N+P, +N-P, and-N-P, respectively, suggesting that N deficiency and P addition may promote natural N inputs to support phytoplankton development. However, the compensation process was slow, as suggested by an observed increase in TN after 3 weeks in-N+P and 2 months in-N-P in the tank experiment, and after 3 months in-N?+P and ~3 months in-N-P in our pond experiment. Obviously, such a slow process cannot be simulated in short-term experiments. The natural N inputs cannot be explained by planktonic N-fixation because N-fixing cyanobacteria were scarce, which was probably because there was a limited pool of species in the tanks. Therefore, based on our results we argue that extrapolating short-term, small-scale experiments to large natural ecosystems does not give reliable, accurate results.展开更多
Nowadays human society enters the 21st century, with the rapid economic and technological development, people's material and spiritual requirements has got great satisfaction. However, natural environmental damage br...Nowadays human society enters the 21st century, with the rapid economic and technological development, people's material and spiritual requirements has got great satisfaction. However, natural environmental damage brought by us is also accelerating. Natural disasters happen frequently, including ecological degradation and deterioration, energy resources crisis, greenhouse effect, earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes etc. The global crisis has once again waken-up call to mankind. How to properly solve these crises had become a common and urgent responsibility of mankind. This paper will mainly discuss and seek some new potential methods in solving energy crisis and environmental problems from the perspective of automotive and architecture design. As an architect, how to avoid light pollution and reduce heat absorption of roof, increasing heat reflectance of roof are becoming their main and urgent responsibilities. On the other hand, reducing greenhouse effect, researching and developing new low-carbon, low-emission fuel sources are also becoming automotive designers' obligations. Living in harmony with nature & earth is becoming the common human themes of the 21 st century.展开更多
Original ecotourism resources mainly refer to natural and human original ecotourism resources, and it's of fragility, rarity and irreversibility. As a valuable historic heritage and hnportant tourism resources, it pl...Original ecotourism resources mainly refer to natural and human original ecotourism resources, and it's of fragility, rarity and irreversibility. As a valuable historic heritage and hnportant tourism resources, it plays a significant role in developing tourism and economy in such areas as the underdeveloped areas, the mountain areas and mimority areas. The tourism resources in the western mountain areas of Guangxi owe ,superiorities and characteristics 'o their original ecology, Yet, western Guangxi is an ethnic region with fragile karst eco-environment, so it is specialto exploit the tourism resources. The paper defines original eeotourism and analyses the specialties and advantages of the original ecotourism resources as well as thefrailty of the ecotourism resources of the region. The ways of thinking are put forward for safe preservation and sustainable development of the original ecotourism resources, i.e. carrying out measures for the multi-grade protection of heritage resources, setting up a ethnic eco-museum/ ethnic culture eco-park and a gene pool of ethnic cultures, etc.展开更多
Natural features such as mountain ranges, steep slopes and vegetation prevent human movement from one habitat to another. They prevent the ecological harm from natural phenomenon like erosion and landslide. Forests de...Natural features such as mountain ranges, steep slopes and vegetation prevent human movement from one habitat to another. They prevent the ecological harm from natural phenomenon like erosion and landslide. Forests destruction has brought about deterioration of ecological environment such as increasing soil and water losses. RS (Remote Sensing) and GIS (Geographic Information System) technology have enhanced the eco-environment assessment procedure using eco-environment quality index tool. This paper presents results of the research on the investigation of the potentials of different landscapes on the complex ecosystem of Makeng Village in Fuj Jan Province to act as natural barrier to eco-environmental vulnerability. Vulnerability factors analysed were soil erosion, vegetation cover, land use types, slope and elevation. To see how one factor acts as natural barrier eco-environment stressors, factor maps were overlaid in pairs using ArcGIS 9.2 software and the matrix statistics exported for analysis in Microsoft Excel. The results showed steep slopes naturally limit human activities, growth of big trees and increase soil erosion. Flat and gentle slopes are less vulnerable to erosion. Elevation is among natural barriers to human activities. Human activities decrease with increasing elevation, hence making the eco-environment naturally stable/undisturbed. In this study, eco-vulnerability to erosion decreases with increasing vegetation cover.展开更多
Universality of low-carbon eco- city planning measures, Government regulation, as an important planning means to guide urban development urban; it is an allocation mechanism for land and space resource. Low-carbon eco...Universality of low-carbon eco- city planning measures, Government regulation, as an important planning means to guide urban development urban; it is an allocation mechanism for land and space resource. Low-carbon eco- city planning is especially important for China as it is in a state of rapid economic growth, urbanization acceleration, carbon emissions increase, ecological environment deterioration and intensifying economic transformation. During the process of low-carbon eco-city planning, we must consider the whole range of temporal and spatial distribution of the city and grasp the overall coordination system of time and space. We should regard it as a system of the entire biosphere and regulate urban according to true features of ecosystems, that is in a basically a three-dimensional, integrative compound patterns. We need consider the natural ecological system factors, technological physics factors, economic assets factors, social and cultural factors as well as various humanitarian factors among the urban system structure; consider the impact of the internal and external urban environmental systems; make them interact and influence each other and restrict each other through the planning of the urban system material flow, energy flow, information flow and capital flow; insists the evaluation basic of the healthy development of urbanization and the of exercise macro -control on the dynamic representation" of the city development, the "qualityrepresentatiou" ofthecity' s connotation and the air representation" of the city state in order to overcome the " urban disease " by development, to reduce the " urban disease " by planning, to treat the " urban disease " by management. Only by bringing the design and control into the scope of long-term planning and governing can we effectively monitor and guide the development and construction of low-carbon eco- towns.展开更多
Language study is closely related to the ecological literature and cultural studies. The predicament of modern ecological literature and cultural theory is that there no linguistic theory to rely on. Biolinguistics em...Language study is closely related to the ecological literature and cultural studies. The predicament of modern ecological literature and cultural theory is that there no linguistic theory to rely on. Biolinguistics emphasize the two-way interaction between language and environment, regard language as the intermediate link between nature and culture. It combines the "environment" of language with nature and social psychology. Thus this theory studies beyond such one-way determinism of traditional linguistics as "the world constructed language" or "language of the construction of the world," concerning the relationship between language and the world. It also goes beyond the dualism of "naturatness" of language and "agreement" of the issue to become the real eco-dialectical linguistic theory with rich "argument" . This theory can help people better understand the relationship between text and the world, nature and culture, natural ecology and social spiritual ecology. Therefore it is a basic theory of modern literature, cultural studies, as well as one of the most leading and challenging issue for the study of ecological poetic and culture abroad.展开更多
With the deepening of climate change research, more attention has been paid to vulnerability to climate change. Compared with water resources, forests and other natural ecosystems, agriculture is more vulnerable to cl...With the deepening of climate change research, more attention has been paid to vulnerability to climate change. Compared with water resources, forests and other natural ecosystems, agriculture is more vulnerable to climate change, thereby scientifically assessing agricultural vulnerability to climate change is of great significance to the formulation of rational and effective adaptation strategies. In this paper, the authors give a comprehensive review of the research from the perspective of the definition of climate change vulnerability and agricultural vulnerability to climate change, research topics, and evaluation methodologies. Existing problems in current research, including scenario application, methods, and uncertainties, are analyzed, and meanwhile, a vision of the direction for future research in assessment of agricultural vulnerability is also presented.展开更多
The proliferation of urban development with concentration in population and human-environment interaction has intensified around urban environments. This has resulted in the degradation of urban environments, overuse ...The proliferation of urban development with concentration in population and human-environment interaction has intensified around urban environments. This has resulted in the degradation of urban environments, overuse of natural resources and widespread pollution of ecosystems, The patterns of design initiatives continue to follow unsustainable path with impacts on stream ecosystems. Accordingly, the paper adopts geospatial information systems and sustainability principles for the identification and sequential mapping of stressors impeding natural systems in Southern Mississippi. The results not only reveal that the study area experienced some significant changes in its watershed environments, but the stream habitat ecosystem remains under stress. The recommendations for mitigating the problems range from policy considerations to the adoption of ecosystem approach.展开更多
Suburbanization in large cities is an important phenomenon in the process of urbanization development in China in recent decades,which plays a very important role in promoting city development,whereas some side effect...Suburbanization in large cities is an important phenomenon in the process of urbanization development in China in recent decades,which plays a very important role in promoting city development,whereas some side effects on the eco-environment appeared at the same time.This paper,taking Xi'an City in China as a case study site,analyzed the features of population suburbanization and industry suburbanization and pointed out the impacts of suburbanization on urban eco-environment.Based on the research,suggestions of countermeasures for urban planning and municipal management of Xi'an City in protecting urban eco-environment and conserving natural ecology were put forward in the end.展开更多
In the U.S.Southwest,global climate change,acting in concert with extant stressors such as urbanization and over-allocation of water resources,is changing ecosystems in measureable and sometimes dramatic ways.Twenty-f...In the U.S.Southwest,global climate change,acting in concert with extant stressors such as urbanization and over-allocation of water resources,is changing ecosystems in measureable and sometimes dramatic ways.Twenty-first century projections indicate accelerating climate change and cascading ecological consequences.Effects observed to date include large-scale forest dieback,large and severe wildfires,and changes in the flow regimes of rivers and streams with attendant changes to riparian and aquatic ecosystems.Rising temperatures and changing precipitation patterns are pushing ecosystems across physiological and ecological thresholds,causing widespread mortality and,in some cases,major changes in composition,structure and function.These changes have prompted action by the conservation community to reduce the adverse effects of climate change.The Southwest Climate Change Initiative(SWCCI),a project led by The Nature Conservancy,works with local stakeholders in affected landscapes,reduces adverse impacts on ecological and social systems using scientific knowledge and practical tools.The Initiative has learned through practical experience that: 1) managers must embrace change and manage for resilience rather than resistance;2) strong local science-management partnerships are critical to effective adaptation planning and implementation;3) planners and managers must broaden the scope and accelerate the pace of conservation activities if ecosystem services are to be sustained;4) adaptation often does not require radically new or different management practices,rather,conservationists already have many of the tools they need;and 5) rapid documentation and widespread communication of methods and findings can build rapidly regional capacity for climate change adaptation.Our experience suggests that adaptation efforts can be effective if they are focused at the local scale;employ learning networks;and engage in ecosystem-based adaptation:the sustainable management,conservation and restoration of ecosystems so that they continue to provide the services that allow people to thrive in changing environments.展开更多
Microbial oceanography is an emerging discipline resulted from the interaction,cross-fertilization and integration of life science and ocean science.Microbial oceanography integrates the principles of marine microbiol...Microbial oceanography is an emerging discipline resulted from the interaction,cross-fertilization and integration of life science and ocean science.Microbial oceanography integrates the principles of marine microbiology,microbial ecology and oceanography to study the role of microorganisms in the biogeochemical dynamics of natural marine ecosystems.The application of genomics tools to study marine microbes is resulting in rapid advancements in microbial oceanography that has important implications in global carbon cycle,climate change,and ecosystem function.Here we review the application of genomics and metagenomics in microbial oceanography and suggest future directions in microbial oceanography research.展开更多
Spatial variation is a ubiquitous feature of natural ecosystems, especially in arid regions, and is often present at various scales in these regions. To determine the scale dependence of the heterogeneity of soil chem...Spatial variation is a ubiquitous feature of natural ecosystems, especially in arid regions, and is often present at various scales in these regions. To determine the scale dependence of the heterogeneity of soil chemical properties and the dominant scales(factors) for soil heterogeneity in arid regions, the spatial variability of soil resources was investigated in the Gurbantunggut Desert of Central Asia at the scales of 10-3, 10-2, 10-1, 100, 101, 102, 103and 104m(from individual plant to population or community to ecosystem). Soil chemical properties including pH, electrical conductivity(EC), organic carbon, total nitrogen, available nitrogen, total phosphorus, and available phosphorus were considered in the investigation. At a scale of 10-1m, which represented the scale of individual plant, significant enrichment of soil resources occurred under shrub canopy and "fertile islands" formed in the desert ecosystem. Soil EC exhibited the largest heterogeneity at this scale, indicating that individual plants exerted a great influence on soil salinity/alkalinity. Soil nutrients exhibited the greatest heterogeneity at a scale of 102m, which represented the scale of sand dune/interdune lowlands(between communities). The main important factors contributing to soil spatial heterogeneity in the Gurbantunggut Desert were individual plants and different topographic characteristics, namely, the appearance of vegetation, especially shrubs or small trees, and existing sand dunes. Soil salinity/alkalinity and soil nutrient status behaved differently in spatial heterogeneity, with an inverse distribution between them at the individual scale.展开更多
文摘Community-based natural resource management in northeast India has a long history. Indigenous knowledge and adaptation are the collective information, with improvement from generation to generation. The expectation is that under community control, local expertise on biodiversity will play a significant role in natural resource management through traditional practices. This paper discusses the characteristics and application of the traditional ecological knowledge of aboriginal peoples in northeast India and its role in natural resource management. Examples are provided in two different eco-cultural landscapes, i.e., Demazong (the Buddhist eco-cultural landscape in Sikkim Himalaya) and the Apatani eco-cultural landscape in Arunachal Pradesh, which illustrate the utility value of traditional ecological knowledge in sustainable natural resource management. Both eco-cultural landscapes are indeed very complex and highly evolved systems with high levels of economic and ecological efficiencies. The paper concludes that traditional ecological knowledge systems and institutions could serve as entry points into the sustainable utilization and management of natural resources. This could be achieved through the exploration of the cultural practices of the local people and integrating useful aspects into the modern natural resource management expertise. With rapidly depleting biodiversity in the developing tropic regions, there is a greater utilization today than ever before of the value of respecting the "Sacred" as a tool towards better conservation of natural resources.
文摘Based on the theories of business ecosystem and national innovation system, this paper proposes a concept of industrial ecosystem. Differ from ecologists and environmentalists who regard industrial ecosystem as the natural ecosystems in which material, energy and information circulates, this paper defines industrial ecosystem as a set of factors that are vital to the development of a certain industry and their interrelationship. The industrial ecosystem consists of three sub-systems that are innovation ecosystem, production ecosystem, and application ecosystem, and subsidiary factors that include factor supply, infrastructure, socio-cultural environment, international environment and policy system. The industrial ecosystem is characterized by interdependencies, complex interactions, self-recovery and co-evolution. The development of an industry is' the result of the reaction of the whole industrial ecosystem; therefore, the competition in strategic emerging industries among countries is in essence the competition in industrial ecosystems. Those countries which are able to take the lead in setting up complete industrial ecosystem will occupy advantage in developing strategic emerging industries. Cultivating and developing strategic emerging industries requires promoting the development and coordination of the whole ecosystem.
基金Supported by the State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology(Nos.2014FB14,2011FBZ14)Science and Technology Support Program of Hubei Province(No.2015BBA225)the Youth Innovation Association of Chinese Academy of Sciences(No.2014312)to WANG Haijun
文摘Whether it is necessary to reduce nitrogen(N) and/or phosphorus(P) input to mitigate lake eutrophication is controversial. The controversy stems mainly from differences in time and space in previous studies that support the contrasting ideas. To test the response of phytoplankton to various combinations of nutrient control strategies in mesocosms and the possibility of reflecting the conditions in natural ecosystems with short-term experiments, a 9-month experiment was carried out in eight 800-L tanks with four nutrient level combinations(+N+P,-N+P, +N-P, and-N-P), with an 18-month whole-ecosystem experiment in eight ~800-m^2 ponds as the reference. Phytoplankton abundance was determined by P not N, regardless of the initial TN/TP level, which was in contrast to the nutrient limitation predicted by the N/P theory. Net natural N inputs were calculated to be 4.9, 6.8, 1.5, and 3.0 g in treatments +N+P,-N+P, +N-P, and-N-P, respectively, suggesting that N deficiency and P addition may promote natural N inputs to support phytoplankton development. However, the compensation process was slow, as suggested by an observed increase in TN after 3 weeks in-N+P and 2 months in-N-P in the tank experiment, and after 3 months in-N?+P and ~3 months in-N-P in our pond experiment. Obviously, such a slow process cannot be simulated in short-term experiments. The natural N inputs cannot be explained by planktonic N-fixation because N-fixing cyanobacteria were scarce, which was probably because there was a limited pool of species in the tanks. Therefore, based on our results we argue that extrapolating short-term, small-scale experiments to large natural ecosystems does not give reliable, accurate results.
文摘Nowadays human society enters the 21st century, with the rapid economic and technological development, people's material and spiritual requirements has got great satisfaction. However, natural environmental damage brought by us is also accelerating. Natural disasters happen frequently, including ecological degradation and deterioration, energy resources crisis, greenhouse effect, earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes etc. The global crisis has once again waken-up call to mankind. How to properly solve these crises had become a common and urgent responsibility of mankind. This paper will mainly discuss and seek some new potential methods in solving energy crisis and environmental problems from the perspective of automotive and architecture design. As an architect, how to avoid light pollution and reduce heat absorption of roof, increasing heat reflectance of roof are becoming their main and urgent responsibilities. On the other hand, reducing greenhouse effect, researching and developing new low-carbon, low-emission fuel sources are also becoming automotive designers' obligations. Living in harmony with nature & earth is becoming the common human themes of the 21 st century.
文摘Original ecotourism resources mainly refer to natural and human original ecotourism resources, and it's of fragility, rarity and irreversibility. As a valuable historic heritage and hnportant tourism resources, it plays a significant role in developing tourism and economy in such areas as the underdeveloped areas, the mountain areas and mimority areas. The tourism resources in the western mountain areas of Guangxi owe ,superiorities and characteristics 'o their original ecology, Yet, western Guangxi is an ethnic region with fragile karst eco-environment, so it is specialto exploit the tourism resources. The paper defines original eeotourism and analyses the specialties and advantages of the original ecotourism resources as well as thefrailty of the ecotourism resources of the region. The ways of thinking are put forward for safe preservation and sustainable development of the original ecotourism resources, i.e. carrying out measures for the multi-grade protection of heritage resources, setting up a ethnic eco-museum/ ethnic culture eco-park and a gene pool of ethnic cultures, etc.
文摘Natural features such as mountain ranges, steep slopes and vegetation prevent human movement from one habitat to another. They prevent the ecological harm from natural phenomenon like erosion and landslide. Forests destruction has brought about deterioration of ecological environment such as increasing soil and water losses. RS (Remote Sensing) and GIS (Geographic Information System) technology have enhanced the eco-environment assessment procedure using eco-environment quality index tool. This paper presents results of the research on the investigation of the potentials of different landscapes on the complex ecosystem of Makeng Village in Fuj Jan Province to act as natural barrier to eco-environmental vulnerability. Vulnerability factors analysed were soil erosion, vegetation cover, land use types, slope and elevation. To see how one factor acts as natural barrier eco-environment stressors, factor maps were overlaid in pairs using ArcGIS 9.2 software and the matrix statistics exported for analysis in Microsoft Excel. The results showed steep slopes naturally limit human activities, growth of big trees and increase soil erosion. Flat and gentle slopes are less vulnerable to erosion. Elevation is among natural barriers to human activities. Human activities decrease with increasing elevation, hence making the eco-environment naturally stable/undisturbed. In this study, eco-vulnerability to erosion decreases with increasing vegetation cover.
文摘Universality of low-carbon eco- city planning measures, Government regulation, as an important planning means to guide urban development urban; it is an allocation mechanism for land and space resource. Low-carbon eco- city planning is especially important for China as it is in a state of rapid economic growth, urbanization acceleration, carbon emissions increase, ecological environment deterioration and intensifying economic transformation. During the process of low-carbon eco-city planning, we must consider the whole range of temporal and spatial distribution of the city and grasp the overall coordination system of time and space. We should regard it as a system of the entire biosphere and regulate urban according to true features of ecosystems, that is in a basically a three-dimensional, integrative compound patterns. We need consider the natural ecological system factors, technological physics factors, economic assets factors, social and cultural factors as well as various humanitarian factors among the urban system structure; consider the impact of the internal and external urban environmental systems; make them interact and influence each other and restrict each other through the planning of the urban system material flow, energy flow, information flow and capital flow; insists the evaluation basic of the healthy development of urbanization and the of exercise macro -control on the dynamic representation" of the city development, the "qualityrepresentatiou" ofthecity' s connotation and the air representation" of the city state in order to overcome the " urban disease " by development, to reduce the " urban disease " by planning, to treat the " urban disease " by management. Only by bringing the design and control into the scope of long-term planning and governing can we effectively monitor and guide the development and construction of low-carbon eco- towns.
文摘Language study is closely related to the ecological literature and cultural studies. The predicament of modern ecological literature and cultural theory is that there no linguistic theory to rely on. Biolinguistics emphasize the two-way interaction between language and environment, regard language as the intermediate link between nature and culture. It combines the "environment" of language with nature and social psychology. Thus this theory studies beyond such one-way determinism of traditional linguistics as "the world constructed language" or "language of the construction of the world," concerning the relationship between language and the world. It also goes beyond the dualism of "naturatness" of language and "agreement" of the issue to become the real eco-dialectical linguistic theory with rich "argument" . This theory can help people better understand the relationship between text and the world, nature and culture, natural ecology and social spiritual ecology. Therefore it is a basic theory of modern literature, cultural studies, as well as one of the most leading and challenging issue for the study of ecological poetic and culture abroad.
基金supported by the China Meteorological Administration(NoGYHY200806008)the China-UK -Swiss ACCC Project
文摘With the deepening of climate change research, more attention has been paid to vulnerability to climate change. Compared with water resources, forests and other natural ecosystems, agriculture is more vulnerable to climate change, thereby scientifically assessing agricultural vulnerability to climate change is of great significance to the formulation of rational and effective adaptation strategies. In this paper, the authors give a comprehensive review of the research from the perspective of the definition of climate change vulnerability and agricultural vulnerability to climate change, research topics, and evaluation methodologies. Existing problems in current research, including scenario application, methods, and uncertainties, are analyzed, and meanwhile, a vision of the direction for future research in assessment of agricultural vulnerability is also presented.
文摘The proliferation of urban development with concentration in population and human-environment interaction has intensified around urban environments. This has resulted in the degradation of urban environments, overuse of natural resources and widespread pollution of ecosystems, The patterns of design initiatives continue to follow unsustainable path with impacts on stream ecosystems. Accordingly, the paper adopts geospatial information systems and sustainability principles for the identification and sequential mapping of stressors impeding natural systems in Southern Mississippi. The results not only reveal that the study area experienced some significant changes in its watershed environments, but the stream habitat ecosystem remains under stress. The recommendations for mitigating the problems range from policy considerations to the adoption of ecosystem approach.
文摘Suburbanization in large cities is an important phenomenon in the process of urbanization development in China in recent decades,which plays a very important role in promoting city development,whereas some side effects on the eco-environment appeared at the same time.This paper,taking Xi'an City in China as a case study site,analyzed the features of population suburbanization and industry suburbanization and pointed out the impacts of suburbanization on urban eco-environment.Based on the research,suggestions of countermeasures for urban planning and municipal management of Xi'an City in protecting urban eco-environment and conserving natural ecology were put forward in the end.
文摘In the U.S.Southwest,global climate change,acting in concert with extant stressors such as urbanization and over-allocation of water resources,is changing ecosystems in measureable and sometimes dramatic ways.Twenty-first century projections indicate accelerating climate change and cascading ecological consequences.Effects observed to date include large-scale forest dieback,large and severe wildfires,and changes in the flow regimes of rivers and streams with attendant changes to riparian and aquatic ecosystems.Rising temperatures and changing precipitation patterns are pushing ecosystems across physiological and ecological thresholds,causing widespread mortality and,in some cases,major changes in composition,structure and function.These changes have prompted action by the conservation community to reduce the adverse effects of climate change.The Southwest Climate Change Initiative(SWCCI),a project led by The Nature Conservancy,works with local stakeholders in affected landscapes,reduces adverse impacts on ecological and social systems using scientific knowledge and practical tools.The Initiative has learned through practical experience that: 1) managers must embrace change and manage for resilience rather than resistance;2) strong local science-management partnerships are critical to effective adaptation planning and implementation;3) planners and managers must broaden the scope and accelerate the pace of conservation activities if ecosystem services are to be sustained;4) adaptation often does not require radically new or different management practices,rather,conservationists already have many of the tools they need;and 5) rapid documentation and widespread communication of methods and findings can build rapidly regional capacity for climate change adaptation.Our experience suggests that adaptation efforts can be effective if they are focused at the local scale;employ learning networks;and engage in ecosystem-based adaptation:the sustainable management,conservation and restoration of ecosystems so that they continue to provide the services that allow people to thrive in changing environments.
文摘Microbial oceanography is an emerging discipline resulted from the interaction,cross-fertilization and integration of life science and ocean science.Microbial oceanography integrates the principles of marine microbiology,microbial ecology and oceanography to study the role of microorganisms in the biogeochemical dynamics of natural marine ecosystems.The application of genomics tools to study marine microbes is resulting in rapid advancements in microbial oceanography that has important implications in global carbon cycle,climate change,and ecosystem function.Here we review the application of genomics and metagenomics in microbial oceanography and suggest future directions in microbial oceanography research.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.41030530 and 31300449)the National Basic Research Program(973 Program)of China(No.2009CB21102)the Western Light Project of Chinese Academy of Sciences(No.XBBS201205)
文摘Spatial variation is a ubiquitous feature of natural ecosystems, especially in arid regions, and is often present at various scales in these regions. To determine the scale dependence of the heterogeneity of soil chemical properties and the dominant scales(factors) for soil heterogeneity in arid regions, the spatial variability of soil resources was investigated in the Gurbantunggut Desert of Central Asia at the scales of 10-3, 10-2, 10-1, 100, 101, 102, 103and 104m(from individual plant to population or community to ecosystem). Soil chemical properties including pH, electrical conductivity(EC), organic carbon, total nitrogen, available nitrogen, total phosphorus, and available phosphorus were considered in the investigation. At a scale of 10-1m, which represented the scale of individual plant, significant enrichment of soil resources occurred under shrub canopy and "fertile islands" formed in the desert ecosystem. Soil EC exhibited the largest heterogeneity at this scale, indicating that individual plants exerted a great influence on soil salinity/alkalinity. Soil nutrients exhibited the greatest heterogeneity at a scale of 102m, which represented the scale of sand dune/interdune lowlands(between communities). The main important factors contributing to soil spatial heterogeneity in the Gurbantunggut Desert were individual plants and different topographic characteristics, namely, the appearance of vegetation, especially shrubs or small trees, and existing sand dunes. Soil salinity/alkalinity and soil nutrient status behaved differently in spatial heterogeneity, with an inverse distribution between them at the individual scale.