A transdisciplinary analysis of water problems in the mountainous karst areas of Morocco

Water management and engineering in the karstic High Atlas of Morocco are difficult tasks under the prevailing geological, hydrogeological, geomorphological, vegetational and climatic conditions. It is important to be able to understand and predict the characteristics and availability of water for future water planning in the region under changing climatic and agricultural conditions. An interdisciplinary analysis of problems and adequate hydrological modelling tools developed by geologists, hydrologists and biologists are necessary. The karst areas of the High Atlas Mountains are characterised by impermeable triassic basalt underlying substantial subsurface reservoirs with high potential discharge rates. The karst groundwater aquifers are extensive but largely unknown in dimension, probably with a hierarchical network of groundwater flow paths. It is estimated that approximately 70% of the surface water is directly lost to groundwater. Steep landslide- and debris flow prone slopes exist next to coarse-grained, highly porous river beds. Infrequent, high intensity rainfall or snowmelt causes a particularly high flood risk to these karst areas. In addition, agriculture and land use changes have degraded the karst areas. The most important driving forces for degradation include permanent overgrazing even during droughts and the use of firewood by a continually growing population. Large scale degradation of vegetation has occurred in the oro-mediterranean (mountainous Mediterranean) zone, between 2600 and 3400 m which coincides with the most important zone for karstic groundwater creation. The combination of high amounts of groundwater flow and rapid surface flow due to sparse vegetation has increased the problems of flood flow.     

Neoliberalism and natural resource management: Agri-environmental standards and the governing of farming practices

Private standards and certification schemes are widely acknowledged as playing an increasingly important role in agri-environmental governance. While much of the existing research concludes that these mechanisms consolidate the global extension of neoliberalism – enhancing the power of corporate actors to the detriment of smaller producers – we argue that this overlooks the complex ways in which standards are used by governments and farmers in the governing of farming practices. Focusing specifically on a process standard – Environmental Management Systems (EMS) – promoted by the Australian government as a way of verifying the ‘clean and green’ status of agricultural exports, we examine how one regional group of producers has sought to use EMS standards in practice. Our analysis of a case study in the state of Victoria appears to confirm that EMS was a successful instrument for the extension of neoliberal governance, reinforcing the production of neoliberal subjectivities and practices amongst farmer participants and enabling the government to compensate for gaps in environmental provision. However, it would be a mistake to interpret the development of this EMS scheme as an example of naïve farmers manipulated by the state. In practice, farmers used the opportunities provided by government funding to undertake actions which expressed their own agri-environmental values and practices. Establishment of an EMS and associated eco-label enabled producers to demonstrate and extend their capacity to act as good environmental stewards. Our research highlights how the local application of environmental standards negotiates and shapes, rather than simply contributes to, neoliberal rule.     

Methodology for preliminary assessment of Natech risk in urban areas

Concern for natural hazard-triggered technological disasters (Natech disasters) in densely populated and industrialized areas is growing. Residents living in urban areas subject to high natural hazard risk are often unaware of the potential for secondary disasters such as hazardous materials releases from neighboring industrial facilities, chemical storage warehouses or other establishments housing hazardous materials. Lessons from previous disasters, such as the Natech disaster during the Kocaeli earthquake in Turkey in 1999 call for the need to manage low frequency/high consequence events, particularly in today’s densely populated areas. However, there is little guidance available on how local governments and communities can assess Natech risk. To add to the problem, local governments often do not have the human or economic resources or expertise to carry out detailed risk assessments. In this article, we propose a methodology for preliminary assessment of Natech risk in urban areas. The proposed methodology is intended for use by local government officials in consultation with the public. The methodology considers possible interactions between the various systems in the urban environment: the physical infrastructure (e.g., industrial plants, lifeline systems, critical facilities), the community (e.g., population exposed), the natural environment (e.g., delicate ecosystems, river basins), and the risk and emergency management systems (e.g., structural and nonstructural measures). Factors related to vulnerability and hazard are analyzed and qualitative measures are recommended. Data from hazardous materials releases during the Kocaeli, Turkey earthquake of August 17, 1999 are used as a case study to demonstrate the applicability of the methodology. Limitations of the proposed methodology are discussed as well as future research needs.

中国-俄罗斯原油管道工程(漠河-大庆段)冻土工程地质考察与研究进展

在2005-2007年期间,先后3次对中国-俄罗斯原油管道漠河-大庆段沿线的冻土工程地质条件等进行科学考察,开展了冻土工程地质条件及其在气候变化和人类活动作用下的评价和预测研究.考察研究结果表明:管道沿线多年冻土在各类融区、季节冻土和水系等分隔作用下呈片状或岛状分布,沿线岛状、稀疏岛状及零星岛状占多年冻土区段的40%左右;管道沿线多年冻土随着气候的转暖和人类活动的影响不断退化.地形地貌单元、植被分布、地表水分条件的变化等局部因素对多年冻土的分布和地下冰的赋存产生重要的影响,管道沿线大约分布有50 km左右的沼泽湿地,其表层为腐殖质土及泥炭层,泥炭层下面分布着含土冰层或地下冰,是管道沿线最差的冻土工程地质地段;由于中俄原油管道沿线水系发育多,冻胀丘、冰椎和冰幔等不良冻土现象广泛分布.科学考察的成果为管道沿线冻土工程地质条件评价和预测、管道的稳定性影响分析以及后期的长期检测系统设置等研究奠定坚实的基础,进一步为即将开工的中俄原油管道漠河-大庆段工程的设计、施工提供科学依据.     

浙江省长兴县煤山剖面二叠—三叠系过渡地层中的黑碳记录及其地质意义

首次报道了浙江煤山二叠-三叠系界线地层中黑碳的含量及其碳同住素的变化特征。黑碳含量在26层存在一个明显的峰值,含量高达0．51％。黑碳与总有机碳比值从25层底部开始持续升高,在26层达到最高,稳定在0．40以上。黑碳的碳同位素在24层和25层之间有一个陡然的降低,降低幅度达2‰,在25和26层中则存在一个幅度达3‰的缓慢降低,总降低幅度达5‰。黑碳是动植物和化石燃料燃烧的天然记录,浙江煤山二叠-三叠系界线附近黑碳特征反映了二叠纪末期陆地生态系统发生了突然的衰退,发生了强烈的天然大火。根据事件层大火燃烧的长期性或频繁的特征,以及黑碳同位素大幅度陡然降低和缓慢降低,认为燃烧源除了陆地植被外,还有其他富含轻碳的化石燃料,即大火的燃烧源除了植被外,还可能有煤和甲烷水合物等。浙江煤山剖面的黑碳记录,反映了二叠-三叠纪之交地球陆地环境的剧烈变化,有助于理解和揭示生物大灭绝的过程和原因。     

厦门湾沉积物中有害有毒甲藻休眠孢囊及塔玛亚历山大藻的潜在危害

本工作通过分析厦门湾表层沉积物中的甲藻休眠孢囊，发现了1种有毒塔玛亚历山大藻(Alexandrium tamarense)休眠孢囊，及两种有害甲藻休眠孢囊：锥状斯氏藻(Scrippsiella trochoidea)、具刺膝沟藻(Gonyaulax spinifera)．对塔玛亚历山大藻进行了培养。并初步研究了该藻的毒性及贝类对其毒素的积累．研究结果表明，厦门海域沉积物中的塔玛亚历山犬藻是有毒的．它的较适宜生长环境条件是：水温20～25℃．盐度为25～30，光照度为3000～50001x．塔玛亚历山大藻在每年的4月26日至6月10日、10月11日至11月20日可能会形成有害藻华，危害厦门海域的海洋生物并可能威胁到人类的健康和生命安全．     

The role of marine spatial planning in sea use management: The Belgian case

The expansion of offshore activities and the increasing need to meet international and national commitments to biodiversity conservation have led to an enhanced interest in marine spatial planning (MSP) as a tool for sea use management. Several European countries, on their own initiative or driven by European legislation and policy, have taken global leadership in implementing MSP. This article will discuss the Belgian experiences with MSP. It will give a short historical overview based on legal developments and review the implementation process of a ‘Master Plan’ as a spatial management policy for the Belgian Part of the North Sea. Additionally, this article will reflect on the research that has been done in Belgium to apply a land-use planning approach to the marine environment. The MSP process in Belgium shows that a spatial approach to sea use management is possible despite the lack of a legal zoning framework. However, it concludes that a legal basis for MSP, in addition to the current permit system, would provide a more strategic and integrated framework for ecosystem-based, sea use management.     

厦门海洋生物入侵的危害及管理对策

本文系统地分析了厦门海洋生物入侵的成因、现状、危害及治理方法,认为互花米草和海洋动物沙筛贝是主要的入侵物种,其严重的生态、经济和社会危害不可低估.同时明确防止海洋生物入侵的总体目标,进而提出强化管理的系列对策.     

Management of a shallow temperate estuary to control eutrophication: The effect of hydrodynamics on the system’s nutrient loading

The Mondego estuary, a shallow warm-temperate intertidal system located on the west coast of Portugal, has for some decades been under severe ecological stress, mainly caused by eutrophication. Water circulation in this system was, until 1998, mainly dependent on tides and on the freshwater input of a small tributary artificially controlled by a sluice. After 1998, the sluice opening was effectively minimised to reduce the nutrient loading, and the system hydrodynamics improved due to engineering work in the upstream areas. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of the mitigation measures implemented in 1998. Changes to the hydrodynamics of the system were assessed using precipitation and salinity data in relation to the concentrations of dissolved inorganic nutrients, as well as the linkage between dissolved N:P ratios and the biological parameters (phytoplankton chlorophyll a concentrations, green macroalgal biomass and seagrass biomass). Two distinctive periods were compared, over a ten year period: from January 1993 to January 1997 and from January 1999 until January 2003. The effective reduction in the dissolved N:P atomic ratio from 37.7 to 13.2 after 1998 is a result of lowered ammonia, but not the oxidised forms of nitrogen (nitrate plus nitrite), or increased concentrations of dissolved inorganic phosphorus. Results suggest that the phytoplankton is not nutrient limited, yet maximum and mean biomass of green macroalgae was reduced by one order of magnitude after the mitigation measures. This suggests that besides lowering the water residence time of the system, macroalgal growth became nitrogen limited. In parallel to these changes the seagrass-covered area and biomass of Zostera noltii showed signs of recovery.