Seasonal warm-water refuge and sanctuary usage by the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) in Kings Bay,Citrus County,Florida

The largest Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) aggregation at a natural warm-water site occurs in Kings Bay, Crystal River, FL. In accordance with the Manatee Recovery Plan, manatee protection areas within Kings Bay have been created by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the State of Florida including a year-round refuge designation and seven Federal manatee sanctuaries during the winter manatee season (15 November–31 March). Over the last 30 years, an increase in manatee counts has been observed in Kings Bay which has prompted the need to review existing manatee protection measures. Aerial survey data collected between 1983 and 2012 were used to examine the seasonal change in manatee distribution within Kings Bay to assess the effectiveness of current sanctuary sizes and locations. Regression analysis suggested a significant change in manatee abundance among the winter seasons (p < 0.05). The average winter manatee counts increased by 4.81 animals per year over the 30-year period. Spatially explicit maps using geographic information system (GIS) analysis revealed a strong correlation between high manatee density and artesian springs in Kings Bay during the winter seasons. Highest abundances were identified at three locations: King Spring, Three Sisters Springs, and Magnolia Springs, which coincide with preexisting sanctuary designations. Additional coverage is advocated to support the overflow of manatees outside of sanctuary boundaries. As density patterns were not uniform across summer periods, a consideration of additional boat speed regulations is recommended.     

Property and Difference in Nature Conservation

Social science research on nature conservation ascribes enclosures and the consequent evictions and dispossession of local people to unequal power relations. It reveals that the monopoly of power by the state configures new relations between local people and their natural resources, and legitimizes land grabbing. In this paper we build on this literature by engaging two questions. The first question relates to how land tenure regimes enable green grabbing and also configure the participation of local people in nature conservation enterprises. Knowing how land tenure regimes structure the involvement of local people in nature conservation is a necessary step toward an inquiry into the relationship between local people and protected areas. In the second question we ask how historical land tenure allocations enable current configurations of power relations in conservation areas. We use the case study of Mapungubwe on the Botswana‐South Africa‐Zimbabwe borderlands to demonstrate that historical land tenure allocations facilitate land alienation and the marginalization of local people in TFCAs.     

A Research Synthesis and Theoretical Model of Relationships Between Factors Influencing Outdoor Domestic Water Consumption

Outdoor domestic water use is often targeted by demand management strategies. However, despite a rich empirical evidence base coming from primary studies, it is still unclear how factors that influence this type of demand interact and which are the most suitable to be addressed by water conservation programs. Based on 423 scientific contributions, we develop a research synthesis combining a variety of techniques to create a theoretical model of the relationships among factors most consistently observed in the literature. The findings uncover a great degree of complexity in terms of interactions between spatial-structural, social-structural, and cultural and psychological factors at different scales. For researchers, the methodology and the outcomes can be useful to better frame existing and future research within the literature on the topic. In practice, the adaptation of the theoretical model to local specificities can facilitate the design of more efficient and integrated demand management strategies.     

Protecting Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (IAHS) by Industrial Integration Development (IID): Practices from China

With Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) increasing in number around the world, their conservation has become a new international research theme. From the perspective of combining theoretical analyses and practical case applications, this study examines the Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (IAHS) conservation pathways and operation mechanisms through industrial integration development (IID). First, the theoretical framework of IID in IAHS sites was constructed according to the requirements of IAHS conservation, which include analyses of the connotation and basic principles of IID, the necessity of IID for IAHS sites, the resource conditions, and the IID pathways. And then based on the theoretical framework, the IID of Longji Terraces in Guangxi, Honghe Hani Rice Terraces System in Yunnan (HHRTS), Aohan Dryland Farming System in Inner Mongolia (ADFS), and Huzhou Mulberry-dyke & Fish-pond System (HMFS) in Zhejiang are analyzed systematically. The main finding is that IID is an effective pathway for IAHS conservation. However, the IID in IAHS sites must stress the ecological and cultural values of the resources; IID should be based on local resource advantages; and IID should attach importance to the combination of different policies and coordination between different stakeholders.     

基于贝叶斯网络的水源涵养服务空间格局优化

以渭河流域关中—天水经济区段（简称“渭河流域关天段”）为研究区,基于贝叶斯网络和水量平衡原理建立了水源涵养服务网络模型;将CA-Marcov模型与贝叶斯网络模型相结合,预测了2050年不同土地利用情景及其水源涵养服务分布概率;提出了关键变量关键状态子集方法,对研究区水源涵养服务空间格局进行优化。结果表明：① 保护情景下,林地面积增长了18.12%,其主要来源为耕地;草地和城市面积增长缓慢,分别增加了0.73%和0.38%;水体和未利用地分别减少了5.08%和0.92%,该情景下的水源涵养量值偏高的概率在3种情景中最大,保护情景的设计对未来的土地利用政策制定具有一定参考价值。② 水源涵养服务的关键影响因子是降水、蒸散发和土地利用,水源涵养量最高状态对应的关键变量关键状态子集是：﹛降水= 1,蒸散发= 2,土地利用= 2﹜,该子集主要分布在年平均降雨量和蒸散发量较大,植被覆盖率高的地区。③ 研究区适宜优化水源涵养的区域主要分布在天水市麦积区南部、宝鸡市陇县西南部和渭滨区南部、咸阳市旬邑县东北部和永寿县西北部,以及铜川市耀州区西部。结合贝叶斯网络模型研究水源涵养服务的优化区域,不仅有助于提升对生态系统水源涵养服务过程的直观认识,而且增加了情景设计和格局优化的合理性。在此基础上提出的关键状态关键因子方法,对研究区水源涵养生态环境建设和政策制定都具有重要的意义。     

Regional differentiation of ecological conservation and its zonal suitability at the county level in China

China’s investments, financial incentives and deductions in terms of ecological conservation are based at the county level. Therefore, the monitoring and assessment of the effects of ecological conservation at the county level is important to provide a scientific basis for the assessment of the ecological and environmental quality at the county scale. This paper quantitatively estimated the dynamics of high-quality ecosystems and vegetation coverage over the past 15 years, and their relationships with the number of ecological conservation programs at the county level were analyzed. Then, the effects of ecological conservation measures on ecological changes at the county level and their regional suitability were assessed and discussed. The results showed that counties with a percentage of high-quality ecosystems greater than 50% were primarily distributed in northeastern China, southern subtropical China and the southeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and those with a percentage lower than 20% were mostly distributed in northwestern China, the southwestern karst region and the North China Plain. In recent decades, ecological conservation has focused on ecologically fragile regions; more than five ecological conservation programs have been implemented in most counties of the Three River Source Region in Qinghai Province, southeastern Tibet, western Sichuan, the Qilian Mountains, southern Xinjiang and other western regions, while only one or zero have been implemented in the eastern coastal area of China. Over the past 15 years, the proportional area of high-quality ecosystems has increased in approximately 53% of counties. The vegetation coverage of counties in the Loess Plateau, Huang-Huai-Hai Plain, Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (Jing-Jin-Ji), Sichuan-Guizhou-Chongqing, and Guangdong-Guangxi provincial-level areas has increased significantly. However, it decreased in northern Xinjiang, central Tibet, central and eastern Inner Mongolia, the Yangtze River Delta and other regions. The relationships between the numbers of ecological conservation programs and the indicators of ecosystem restoration response, such as high-quality ecosystem and vegetation coverage, do not show positive correlations. These results suggest that ecological conservation programs should be planned and implemented according to the distribution patterns of high-quality ecosystems and that restoration measures such as afforestation should follow natural principles and regional differentiation under the background of climate change.     

南北盘江森林生态系统水源涵养功能评价

森林生态系统水源涵养功能是植被层、枯枝落叶层和土壤层对降雨进行再分配的复杂过程。运用综合蓄水能力法,基于森林资源二类调查数据,估算了贵州省南北盘江流域不同类型森林生态系统的林冠层截留降水量、枯落物持水量和土壤蓄水量,分析了流域尺度森林生态系统的水源涵养能力及其时空变化。结果表明：① 南北盘江流域森林涵养水源总量约6.13×10⁸m³,单位面积水源涵养量629.85 t/hm²,森林水源涵养能力空间分布呈现东高西低的趋势;② 不同类型森林来说,阔叶林和灌木林对区域水源涵养总量的贡献率最大,而混交林的单位面积水源涵养量最高;③ 不同林龄比较,幼龄林对区域水源涵养贡献率最高,达45.95%,但其单位面积水源涵养能力最差,过熟林的单位面积水源涵养能力最高;④ 就坡位而言,平地和中坡森林对区域水源涵养总量的贡献率最大,山谷森林单位面积水源涵养能力最高,山脊森林单位面积涵养水源能力最低;⑤ 近35 a来,随着生态工程的实施,森林生态系统水源涵养总能力以1 447.89×10⁴m³/a速度持续提升,单位面积水源涵养量以每年5.33 t/hm²的速度稳步提高。     

特高压工程施工利用高分二号遥感影像进行水土保持远程监测研究

论述了遥感影像中图像正射校正、图像融合和支持向量机等遥感技术在国产高分二号影像中的应用,并展示了其研究成果应用于特高压工程水土保持远程监测效果。在实施中,对特高压工程施工期和试运行期分别进行监测,首先利用图像正射校正、影像融合以及支持向量机分类等遥感技术获取特高压工程水土保持远程监测各个要素面积,即施工期扰动土地总面积,试运行期扰动土地的整治面积、可恢复林草植被面积和林草类植被面积,进而计算水土保持效果评价的3个评价指标,即扰动土地整治率、林草植被恢复率和林草覆盖率。将研究成果应用于锡盟-山东特高压交流输变电施工过程中,实验结果表明,高分二号遥感影像技术能够有效应用于特高压工程水土保持远程监测,为特高压工程水保监督提供了优质低价、可长期持续的一种远程监测方法。     

基于综合指标法的中国生态系统服务保护有效性评价研究

将生态系统服务保护纳入到传统的以保护区为基础的自然保护之中是生态保护研究的新领域。利用综合指标方法,分析了中国从2000-2010年的4种生态系统服务时空变化特征;并对中国的七大生态保护和恢复区域的服务空间保护成效进行评价,提出了国家尺度上的生态系统服务保护优先性分级。主要结论为：① 中国的生态系统服务自西北向东南逐渐增加,显著增加区主要分布在黄土高原地区,显著减少区主要分布在东北及华北地区。黄土高原的生态系统服务提高主要是农田向草地和林地、草地向林地的转换引的;华北地区的降低主要是耕地的减少以及人工用地的增加引起的;东北地区是由于林地向耕地草地、耕地向湿地与人工用地的转换引起的。② 七大生态保护和恢复区的生态系统服务均为增加趋势而且显著增加面积大于减少面积;显著增加面积最大的为三北防护林工程区、最小的为重点生态功能区;显著减少最大为重要生态功能区、最小的为三北防护林工程区。而且,对服务的保护成效在重要生态功能区最高,其次为天然林保护工程区,其余区域均小于全国平均水平。③ 提出的生态系统服务保护优先性等级中,极高级别占到了国土面积的26.18%,保护的生态系统服务量占到全国总量的64.19%,保护成效为全国平均水平的2.47倍。     

Coming to Terms with “Integrated Coastal Management”: Problems of Meaning and Method in a New Arena of Resource Regulation

This paper traces the emergence of coastal management in the late twentieth century and assesses the social and spatial implications of the new Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) philosophy that guides national regulatory programs worldwide. A review of the epistemology of ICM reveals its link to the United Nations marine regulatory regime (the Law of the Sea) and the sustainable development paradigm embraced at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. I suggest that the resulting regulatory regime facilitates the opening of coastal zones worldwide to aggressive state and global capital investment. By promoting the overhaul of existing social and spatial organization in coastal zones and by asserting the primacy of resource access for modern economic interests, ICM may introduce more rather than less social conflict and ecological degradation. To illustrate this dynamic, I examine the case of coral reef management in general, and in the context of the Sri Lankan ICM program.