Positive feedback fishery: Population consequences of ‘crab-tiling’ on the green crab Carcinus maenas

Collection of marine invertebrates for use as fishing bait is a substantial activity in many parts of the world, often with unknown ecological consequences. As new fisheries develop, it is critical for environmental managers to have high quality ecological information regarding the potential impacts, in order to develop sound management strategies. Crab-tiling is a largely unregulated and un-researched fishery, which operates commercially in the south-west UK. The target species is the green crab Carcinus maenas. Those crabs which are pre-ecdysis and have a carapace width greater than 40 mm are collected to be sold to recreational anglers as bait. Collection involves laying artificial structures on intertidal sandflats and mudflats in estuaries. Crabs use these structures as refugia and are collected during low tide. However, the effect that this fishery has on populations of C. maenas is not known. The impact of crab-tiling on C. maenas population structure was determined by sampling crabs from tiled estuaries and non-tiled estuaries using baited drop-nets. A spatially and temporarily replicated, balanced design was used to compare crab abundance, sizes and sex ratios between estuaries. Typically, fisheries are associated with a reduction in the abundance of the target species. Crab-tiling, however, significantly increased C. maenas abundance. This was thought to be a result of the extra habitat in tiled estuaries, which probably provides protection from natural predators, such as birds and fish. Although crabs were more abundant in tiled estuaries than non-tiled estuaries, the overall percentage of reproductively active crabs in non-tiled estuaries was greater than in tiled estuaries. As with most exploited fisheries stocks, crabs in exploited (tiled) estuaries tended to be smaller, with a modal carapace width of 20–29 mm rather than 30–39 mm in non-tiled estuaries. The sex ratio of crabs however; was not significantly different between tiled and non-tiled estuaries. These results illustrate the potential to manage fished populations using habitat provision to mitigate the effects of fishing pressure.     

面向地下空间规划建设的三维辅助决策平台研究与实现

基于为地下空间规划建设提供科学决策的目的,本文提出了基于三维仿真技术的地下空间规划建设辅助决策平台建设的思路,构建了三维辅助决策平台的整体框架,借助正元三维GIS平台Genius World,实现了对基础地理、城市地质、地下空间设施数据的一体化存储管理和三维可视化集成表达.同时,根据实际业务需求,研究并实现了集地上地下...     

基于GIS的城镇建设用地发展适宜性评价——以常州市金坛区为例

为更加深入地了解村镇尺度城镇建设用地发展适宜性情况,提高土地利用综合效益,本文以常州市金坛区遥感影像数据和土地利用现状数据为基础,采用层次分析法和GIS空间分析技术,选择自然、区位、生态和土地转换适宜度四大类10个指标,建立了适用于平原地区的具有区域代表性的城镇建设用地发展适宜性评价指标体系,分析了金坛区城镇发展适宜区分布与空间自相关特征。研究结果能为城市规划、土地规划等提供依据,尤其在城镇建设用地发展布局上具有重要的现实意义。     

天津市滨海新区芦苇湿地恢复适宜性评价

利用综合评价模型,结合地理信息系统技术的空间分析功能,以土地利用、土壤类型、坡度、降雨量和人类干扰活动作为评价因子,对天津滨海新区芦苇湿地恢复进行了适宜性评价。结果表明,较适宜开展湿地恢复的比例为21.46%,一般适宜比例为21.87%,不适宜比例占56.68%,其中较适宜湿地恢复的区域集中分布在北大港湿地自然保护区周边、独流减河下游、北塘入海口以及沿海滩涂,海河流域两侧也有零星分布。在适宜性评价基础上,对未来芦苇湿地恢复与建设的重点区域进行了成效预评估,芦苇对TC、TN、TP的年吸收通量约为1.3935×104、0.0258×104、0.0017×104t,能有效地减少入海排污压力和污染物对近岸海域环境质量的影响。研究结论可为天津湿地治理与生态恢复、土地利用结构调整、景观优化等提供理论依据和科学参考。     

基于城市规划的城市地下空间开发适宜性评价探讨

随着城市化进程的持续推进,城市地下空间开发利用的重要性日益凸显。但各城市地下空间资源开发存在盲目性,未能与城市规划要求充分对接,亟须构建面向城市地下空间开发的适宜性评价体系。本文阐述了城市规划与地下空间开发间的关系,提出在城市规划指导下进行地下空间开发的重要性。针对不同的城市类型,需要采取针对性的探测技术,评价地质、环境、资源和技术经济等方面,并根据评价结果划分开发适宜性等级。研究认为,在城市规划指导下,运用开发适宜性评价体系,可以实现地下空间的有序可持续利用。     

四川盆地东部再生稻高温伏旱区腋芽萌发期气象适宜度

以四川盆地东部再生稻高温伏旱区为研究区,基于气象条件对腋芽萌发期再生稻生长发育的影响机理,采用结构方程模型探明了腋芽萌发的影响因素、影响路径及影响强度。进一步结合隶属函数和层次分析法,构建了再生稻腋芽萌发气象适宜度模型,并分析了1981—2021年研究区腋芽萌发期气象影响因素及气象适宜度的变化特征。结果表明：气温、空气湿度、降水是四川盆地东部再生稻高温伏旱区腋芽萌发的关键影响因素,基于以上因素的气象适宜度模型能较好地评价再生稻腋芽萌发期的气象影响。1981—2021年研究区气温适宜度、空气湿度适宜度及综合气象适宜度均呈下降趋势,降水适宜度没有表现出明显的变化趋势。气温适宜度、空气湿度适宜度及综合气象适宜度总体呈“西高东低”的空间分布特征,降水适宜度则表现为“东西高、中部低”。1981—2021年研究区气温上升趋势与空气湿度下降趋势显著,导致致害高温（日平均气温≥32℃）积温和致害低湿（日平均相对湿度≤65％）日数明显增加,这是再生稻腋芽萌发期气象适宜度总体呈下降趋势的诱因。     

福建省南安市废弃矿山土地利用适宜性评价

通过对福建省南安市废弃矿山及周边环境进行野外实地调查,以资源环境承载能力和国土空间开发适宜性评价(简称"双评价")成果为基础,根据矿山开发占地类型对废弃矿山土地进行分类。挖损的土地根据"木桶原理"判别出短板因子并建立评价模型,压占的土地根据周边环境以"宜农则农、宜林则林、宜园则园、宜建则建"的原则再利用,分别评价南安市废弃矿山土地农业发展和城镇建设的适宜方向。评价结果表明:南安市宜作为城镇建设的废弃矿山图斑有513处,可利用土地面积14.95 km2;宜作为农业发展的废弃矿山图斑有451处,可利用土地面积15.17 km2,后期可根据政府规划投入使用。     

Predicting suitable habitat for the cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa (Scleractinia)

Ecological-niche factor analysis (ENFA) was applied to the reef framework-forming cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa. The environmental tolerances of this species were assessed using readily available oceanographic data, including physical, chemical, and biological variables. L. pertusa was found at mean depths of 468 and 480 m on the regional and global scales and occupied a niche that included higher than average current speed and productivity, supporting the theory that their limited food supply is locally enhanced by currents. Most records occurred in areas with a salinity of 35, mean temperatures of 6.2–6.7  °C and dissolved oxygen levels of 6.0–6.2 ml l⁻¹. The majority of records were found in areas that were saturated with aragonite but had low concentration of nutrients (silicate, phosphate, and nitrate). Suitable habitat for L. pertusa was predicted using ENFA on a global and a regional scale that incorporated the north-east Atlantic Ocean. Regional prediction was reliable due to numerous presence points throughout the area, whereas global prediction was less reliable due to the paucity of presence data outside of the north-east Atlantic. However, the species niche was supported at each spatial scale. Predicted maps at the global scale reinforced the general consensus that the North Atlantic Ocean is a key region in the worldwide distribution of L. pertusa. Predictive modelling is an approach that can be applied to cold-water coral species to locate areas of suitable habitat for further study. It may also prove a useful tool to assist spatial planning of offshore marine protected areas. However, issues with eco-geographical datasets, including their coarse resolution and limited geographical coverage, currently restrict the scope of this approach.     

Rare species, habitat diversity and functional redundancy in marine benthos

Macro-ecological theories relating species richness, abundance, range size, biological traits and environmental tolerance have rarely been tested in marine soft-sediments, despite the spatial extent of these habitats and the inherent richness of resident communities. This study examines the contribution of rare species to marine soft-sediment communities from New Zealand, focussing on the relationships of range size with abundance, environment, habitat diversity and life history traits. 54% of the 351 species sampled exhibited restricted ranges (found at ≤ 2 sites). In contrast to many terrestrial systems, we observed only a weak positive relationship between abundance and frequency of occurrence. Restricted-range species were not randomly distributed, with their distribution related to habitat characteristics, suggesting an important link between habitat diversity and rarity. They exhibited a similar range of traits to the total observed species pool, suggesting that they are not only important to biodiversity but could play a role in stability. Restricted range species were generally not small and this, together with the number of different biological traits represented, suggests that rare species are important to the functioning of marine systems. Thus, our results highlight the importance of considering rare species in habitat-based approaches to conservation.     

A global map to aid the identification and screening of critical habitat for marine industries

Marine industries face a number of risks that necessitate careful analysis prior to making decisions on the siting of operations and facilities. An important emerging regulatory framework on environmental sustainability for business operations is the International Finance Corporation’s Performance Standard 6 (IFC PS6). Within PS6, identification of biodiversity significance is articulated through the concept of “Critical Habitat”, a definition developed by the IFC and detailed through criteria aligned with those that support internationally accepted biodiversity designations. No publicly available tools have been developed in either the marine or terrestrial realm to assess the likelihood of sites or operations being located within PS6-defined Critical Habitat. This paper presents a starting point towards filling this gap in the form of a preliminary global map that classifies more than 13 million km² of marine and coastal areas of importance for biodiversity (protected areas, Key Biodiversity Areas [KBA], sea turtle nesting sites, cold- and warm-water corals, seamounts, seagrass beds, mangroves, saltmarshes, hydrothermal vents and cold seeps) based on their overlap with Critical Habitat criteria, as defined by IFC. In total, 5798×10³ km² (1.6%) of the analysis area (global ocean plus coastal land strip) were classed as Likely Critical Habitat, and 7526×10³ km² (2.1%) as Potential Critical Habitat; the remainder (96.3%) were Unclassified. The latter was primarily due to the paucity of biodiversity data in marine areas beyond national jurisdiction and/or in deep waters, and the comparatively fewer protected areas and KBAs in these regions. Globally, protected areas constituted 65.9% of the combined Likely and Potential Critical Habitat extent, and KBAs 29.3%, not accounting for the overlap between these two features. Relative Critical Habitat extent in Exclusive Economic Zones varied dramatically between countries. This work is likely to be of particular use for industries operating in the marine and coastal realms as an early screening aid prior to in situ Critical Habitat assessment; to financial institutions making investment decisions; and to those wishing to implement good practice policies relevant to biodiversity management. Supplementary material (available online) includes other global datasets considered, documentation and justification of biodiversity feature classification, detail of IFC PS6 criteria/scenarios, and coverage calculations.