Evaluation Methods and Research Trends for Ecological Carrying Capacity

With the intensive research into global coupling relationships, ecological carrying capacity (ECC), seen as the crucial link between natural ecosystems and human systems, has gradually become an important tool for interdisciplinary research in ecology, resources science and environmental science, as well as for research on regional sustainable development. However, ECC research remains immature and lacks a complete theoretical system, as a result of many limiting factors and different space-time conditions. At present, Chinese and foreign studies focus on methods to evaluate ECC while neglecting to identify the internal driving mechanisms of ECC. In this article, based on the development and conceptualization of ECC, we introduce three evaluation methods for ECC: ecological footprint (EF), human appropriation of net primary production (HANPP) and ecosystem services consumption (ESC). Furthermore, we illuminate research focuses and developmental directions for ECC with respect to driving mechanisms, threshold, comprehensive evaluation systems and coupling dynamic model of multi ecological factors, in order to provide a reference for future ECC research.     

The Impact of Spatial Heterogeneity on Ecosystem Service Value in a Case Study in Liuyang River Basin,China

In previous studies the value of ecosystem services was evaluated microscopically by ecological indicators such as soil properties, biomass, carbon storage, oxygen release, water quality, and others. In this paper, the spatial heterogeneity of ecosystem services in Liuyang River basin was studied from the perspective of Geographic Information System (GIS) based spatial relationships by using a combination of geographic data and spatial analysis technologies. The Liuyang River basin was divided into grids with a resolution of 1km×1km. The weights of factors that affect the value of ecosystem services (such as topography, geological disasters, roads, scenic spots, vegetation coverage, and plant net primary productivity) were evaluated using the entropy method and analytic hierarchy process (AHP) in order to investigate the influence of natural and social factors on the value of ecosystem services in a quantitative manner. The results demonstrate that the value of ecosystem services is mainly affected by vegetation coverage, plant net primary productivity, and road network density. The value of ecosystem services grows with the increase in either vegetation coverage, plant net primary productivity, or road network density. Different types of land play different roles in ecosystem services. Cultivated land, grassland, and water each have significant supply and regulating functions while forest has significant regulating and supporting functions. The value of ecosystem services of cultivated land and water that are closely related to human activity is significantly influenced by spatial heterogeneity. In contrast, the effect of spatial heterogeneity on the value of ecosystem services of forest land and grassland that are located in mountains and hills, far away from the human accumulation zone, is insignificant.     

人地系统耦合框架下的生态系统服务

生态系统服务是连接自然环境与人类福祉的桥梁,是人地系统耦合研究的核心内容。本文在构建生态系统服务与人地系统耦合研究框架的基础上,系统梳理了生态系统服务评估、生态系统服务权衡、生态系统服务影响因素、生态系统服务供给流动与需求等研究前沿,提出了未来生态系统服务研究的重点领域。主要研究结论认为：①国际生态系统服务模型发展迅速,SAORES模型是中国生态系统服务模型优化与参数本地化的突出代表;②生态系统服务权衡具有相对复杂的时空尺度,权衡分析的前提是辨析不同尺度生态系统结构—过程—功能—服务的作用机制;③自然因素是生态系统服务时空分布的基础,土地利用能改变生态系统结构、功能与生态系统服务变化,社会经济因素会导致生态系统服务权衡的差异;④为明晰生态系统服务供给与需求耦合关系,需进一步识别生态系统服务流的运移路径;⑤未来生态系统服务研究需加强生态系统服务对全球变化的响应特征和机制分析、面向可持续发展目标的生态系统服务供给流动与需求研究、生态系统服务的动态评价集成与优化、生态系统服务与人地系统耦合、生态系统服务与大数据集成等。     

敦煌湖泊湿地生态系统地表辐射平衡特征

利用2013年干旱环境背景下敦煌湖泊湿地生态系统的辐射数据,分析了该地区的辐射变化特征。结果表明：不同的天气背景,各辐射分量的日变化过程差异较大,晴天变化曲线呈平滑的单峰型,多云天气平滑度不如晴天,阴天、雨天和沙尘天气呈现了不规则的多峰型变化;各季辐射通量的日变化都呈单峰型,但收入量差异较大,极值出现的时间也不相同。向下短波辐射、向上和向下长波辐射、净辐射月总量的变化表现出明显的季节性,夏季 > 春季 > 秋季 > 冬季,向上短波辐射的月总量的季节变化不太明显。各辐射分量日平均值具有明显的季节性,夏、春季较大,秋、冬季较小,最大值出现在6月或7月,最小值出现在12月或1月。生长季的地表反照率要低于非生长季,各季日平均反照率都是早晚高,中午低,呈"U"型。     

Trade-offs and Synergies of Ecosystem Services in Karst Area of China Driven by Grain-for-Green Program

As an important means regulating the relationship between human and natural ecosystem,ecological restoration program plays a key role in restoring ecosystem functions.The Grain-for-Green Program(GFGP,One of the world’s most ambitious ecosystem conservation set-aside programs aims to transfer farmland on steep slopes to forestland or grassland to increase vegetation coverage)has been widely implemented from 1999 to 2015 and exerted significant influence on land use and ecosystem services(ESs).In this study,three ecological models(In VEST,RUSLE,and CASA)were used to accurately calculate the three key types of ESs,water yield(WY),soil conservation(SC),and net primary production(NPP)in Karst area of southwestern China from 1982 to 2015.The impact of GFGP on ESs and trade-offs was analyzed.It provides practical guidance in carrying out ecological regulation in Karst area of China under global climate change.Results showed that ESs and trade-offs had changed dramatically driven by GFGP.In detail,temporally,SC and NPP exhibited an increasing trend,while WY exhibited a decreasing trend.Spatially,SC basically decreased from west to east;NPP basically increased from north to south;WY basically increased from west to east;NPP and SC,SC and WY developed in the direction of trade-offs driven by the GFGP,while NPP and WY developed in the direction of synergy.Therefore,future ecosystem management and restoration policy-making should consider trade-offs of ESs so as to achieve sustainable provision of ESs.     

夜间灯光数据支持下西藏人类活动强度变化对生态系统调节服务的影响

西藏自治区特殊的高寒生态系统对人类活动具有高度敏感性,定量评估系列政策实施下西藏生态系统调节服务对人类活动强度变化的响应有助于西藏生态政策和空间规划的调整完善。本研究基于西藏1980年和2015年土地利用现状数据及1992—2013年DMSP/OLS夜间灯光指数数据,借助GIS空间分析功能分析了居民点用地和夜间灯光强度的变化;并结合生态系统调节服务空间数据,利用相关分析对居民点用地和夜间灯光变化所反映的人类活动强度变化对西藏生态系统水土保持和防风固沙服务的影响进行研究。结果表明：① 1980—2015年,西藏新增居民点用地212.06 km²,减少居民点用地44.99 km²,其中,新增居民点用地中62%为城镇用地,减少的居民点用地中95.88%为农村居民点;居民点用地变化主要发生在藏南河谷区;② 自治区内居民点用地扩张一定程度上直接导致夜间灯光强度增加,“一江两河”流域土地整治工程和农牧民安居工程等促进了当地人类活动强度增加,区内部分乡镇因进城务工和易地扶贫搬迁造成了当地人类活动强度的下降;③ 西藏2015年防风固沙服务较1990年有整体增强趋势,水土保持服务除藏东高山峡谷区外均有大幅度退化趋势;④ 对居民点用地进行的还林、还草整治工程等人类活动有利于促进生态系统防风固沙服务的恢复;人类活动强度的增加极易导致水土保持服务的退化,“一江两河”流域体现最为明显。研究能为西藏国土空间规划和生态政策的制定和调整提供参考。     

基于遥感影像与GIS的宝兴县生态服务功能评估

基于地面调查数据与遥感影像提取生态系统类型,充分利用气象数据、地形地貌数据、土壤类型数据等相关地理数据,针对宝兴县的实际情况,应用生态系统服务和交易综合评估模型,评估其生态系统的生物多样性维持等服务功能状况及空间分布特征,并结合现状对生态系统服务功能进行计算与评估分析。研究成果及数据可以为宝兴和相似地区的生态系统科学管理、保护和决策提供参考。     

Temporal variability of sedimentation rates and mobile fauna inside and outside a gorgonian garden

Paramuricea clavata (Cnidaria, Octocorallia) is an important ecosystem engineer of coralligenous assemblages increasingly threatened by anthropogenic activities and climate changes. As climate warming is predicted to continue in the coming years it is important to hypothesize future scenarios. Here we tested the influence of gorgonian colonies on sedimentation rates and vagile fauna trends, comparing sediments collected by traps inside and outside a gorgonian garden, in a coralligenous community of the Western Ligurian Sea, at 32 m depth, over a period of 1 year. The results indicated that sea fans created a sort of homeostatic effect on the surrounding habitat. We found evidence that where gorgonian colonies were present, the monthly fluctuations of sediments rate were lower than outside a garden. Gorgonian colonies also influenced the distribution of the associated vagile fauna; these organisms were generally more abundant inside than outside the garden. The data collected in this work appear to confirm the role of P. clavata as an ecosystem engineer, affecting biomass and variability of the surrounding habitat at both spatial and temporal scales.     

海洋生态系统动力学模型的稳定性和Hopf分岔研究

海洋生态系统动力学模型的可预测性是模型应用的重要限制因子之一,而模型稳定性则是模型可预测性的前提。本文提出了一个基于降维理论的方法,用于研究质量守恒的营养盐-浮游植物-浮游动物-碎屑(NPZD)这类海洋生态系统动力学模型的稳定性和Hopf分岔。研究结果显示,NPZD模型的非奇异平衡点是稳定的,而当模型参数在临界值附近变动时可能会发生Hopf分岔。同时,本文采用数值模拟的方法对该理论分析结果进行了实例验证。本文提出的基于降维理论的方法能够从理论上有效分析质量守恒系统的稳定性问题和Hopf分岔。     

Spatial characterisation of the Benguela ecosystem for ecosystem-based management

The three countries of the Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem (BCLME), namely Angola, Namibia and South Africa, have committed to implementing ecosystem-based management (EBM) including an ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF) in the region, to put in practice the principles of sustainable development in ocean-related matters. There is also recognition of the need for marine spatial planning (MSP) as a process for informing EBM with regard to the allocation and siting of ocean uses so that ecosystem health is ensured and trade-offs between ecosystem services are appropriately dealt with. Marine spatial planning is both an integrated and an area-based process, and this paper produces a spatial characterisation of the BCLME for achieving a common basis for MSP in the region, focusing on the oceanography, biology and fisheries. Recognising spatial variation in physical driving forces, primary and secondary production, trophic structures and species richness, four different subsystems are characterised: (1) north of the Angola–Benguela Front, (2) from the Angola–Benguela Front to Lüderitz, (3) from Lüderitz to Cape Agulhas, and (4) from Cape Agulhas to Port Alfred on the south-east coast of South Africa. Research and monitoring requirements of relevance for MSP and EBM in the region are identified, focusing on understanding variability and change, including with regard to the boundary areas identified for the system. To this end, 14 cross-shelf monitoring transects are proposed (including seven that are already being monitored) to estimate fluxes of biota, energy and materials within and between the subsystems. The usefulness of models for understanding ecosystem variability and changes is recognised and the need for fine-scale resolution of both sampling and modelling for adequate MSP as input to EBM for the often-conflicting interests of conserving biodiversity, and managing fisheries, recreation, offshore oil and gas exploration and exploitation, offshore mining and shipping routes, is emphasised.