The seafood market in Portugal: Driving forces and consequences

Portugal has the third highest seafood consumption per capita in the world and current patterns of seafood consumption are linked to how seafood products were embodied in the Portuguese society. The objective of this research is to understand Portuguese seafood consumption's main drivers and its consequences. For that official statistics were analyzed and a literature review on seafood consumption was undertaken. Portuguese seafood consumption is characterized by a wide diversity of species and preparing modes, when compared to other countries in Europe. Cod (salted and dried), does not exist in Portuguese waters but due to several factors, such as politics, religion and tradition, became the main species in Portuguese seafood consumption, representing around 38% of the national seafood demand. Five drivers are suggested to explain why Portuguese eat so much seafood: geography, marine resources, fisheries, social forces and politics; and consequences for the environment, economy and health are discussed. Hence while most dietary recommendations advise an increase in fish consumption is not applicable to Portugal and a more sustainable seafood consumption for the future is advocated.     

Limpets as prey: Lipophrys pholis choice for size

Patellid limpets are key species on rocky shores, structuring intertidal assemblages through their grazing. Their role as prey for fish is, however, often overlooked in studies of intertidal ecosystem functioning. The shanny Lipophrys pholis is a common predator of limpets on rocky shores in Northern Europe and, in this study, we examined the characteristics of its predation on limpets based on prey size. The limpet size range that adult L. pholis (10–12.5 cm) can eat was examined in the laboratory using Patella depressa in 0.2 cm classes, varying between 0.5 cm and 3.0 cm in maximum shell length. There was a limpet size refuge above 1.8 cm, while all smaller sizes were readily consumed by the shanny. The predator attacking behaviour was also examined and found to vary with prey size. Limpets up to 0.8 cm were crushed by the jaw‐constricting force and eaten whole, whereas larger prey were prised from the substratum and the body subsequently separated from the shell. To examine whether there was a L. pholis preference for P. depressa size, a two‐stage laboratory experiment was done using two size classes defined as small (0.7–0.8 cm maximum shell length) and large (1.5–1.6 cm maximum shell length). In the first stage, the predator was given each limpet size class separately. In the second stage, the fish was given a choice between the two classes. Lipophrys pholis was shown to have a preference for the large size class (1.5–1.6 cm). The average number of limpets consumed by the shanny was examined for the duration of one high‐tide typical of the central region of Portugal (≈ 4 h). On average, approximately five limpets (up to an eight limpet maximum) were consumed. The present study shows that L. pholis has a feeding preference based on limpet size, which suggests that the limpet population structure and intra‐ and inter‐specific interactions may be influenced by the shanny predation.     

Seasonal DOC accumulation in the Black Sea: a regional explanation for a general mechanism

During three cruises in the Black Sea, organised in July 1995 and April–May 1997, biological and chemical parameters that can influence the carbon budget were measured in the water column on the NW shelf, particularly in the mixing zone with Danube River waters. We observed in early spring (end of April–May) conditions an important input of freshwater organisms that enhanced the microbial activity in the low salinity range. High bacterial activity regenerates nitrogen in the form of nitrates, but is also responsible for an important consumption of ammonium and phosphate, leading to a high N/P ratio and a strong deficit in phosphorus. The consequence is a limitation of phytoplankton development but also a production of carbohydrates that accumulate all along the salinity gradient. These mechanisms are responsible for a seasonal accumulation of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) that increases from 210 μM in winter to about 280 μM in summer. All this excess DOC disappears during winter, probably degraded by bacterial activity. The degradation of carbon-rich organic matter increases the phosphorus demand by bacteria bringing limitation to phytoplankton primary production.     

Research on Ecosystem Service Consumption in Guilin City

Research on ecosystem service consumption not only helps to reveal the utilization intensity and management level of the ecosystem in Guilin, but it also provides a scientific basis for ecosystem investment, trade, subsidies and taxation by the Guilin government departments. Based on household survey data of urban and rural ecological consumption, the physical quantity accounting method is adopted for multivariate statistical analyses, such as analysis of variance and multiple comparison. This analysis reveals the differences and changes in the consumption level, consumption structure and consumption pattern of the main ecological products in Guilin among the various counties. The results fit into four main themes. (1) The annual per capita consumption of the main ecological products in Guilin varies either extremely significantly or significantly among the counties, but the consumption level of ecological products varies according to the type of products. There are significant or extremely significant differences in the annual per capita consumption of cereals, melons and fruits, pork, poultry, beef and mutton, fresh eggs and milk between urban and rural residents. (2) There are extremely significant differences in the annual per capita consumption of fruits, pork, poultry, beef and mutton, fish, fresh milk and vegetable oil among urban residents in different counties. There are also extremely significant differences in the annual per capita consumption of cereals, pork, poultry and alcohol among rural residents in different counties, and significant differences in the annual per capita consumption of fresh eggs and milk. The consumption level of ecological products by urban and rural resident varies with the type of products. (3) The ecological consumption patterns of all counties in Guilin mainly follow the “cereal + vegetable + fruit + meat” pattern for urban residents and the “cereal + vegetable + meat” pattern for rural residents (except for the rural residents in Pingle, which show the “cereal + vegetable” pattern). The consumption structure of urban residents is better than that of rural residents. (4) There is a large gap between the ecological consumption of urban and rural residents in Guilin and China's recommended standards, except for cereals and meat. The main problems are excessive meat intake, and insufficient intake of dark vegetables, fruits, eggs, milk and fish. Therefore, we should make full use of forestland, grassland, water and other resources in the area, and vigorously develop fishery, fruit and vegetable production and herbivorous animal husbandry to meet people's ecological needs for dark fruits and vegetables, eggs, milk and fish in Guilin City.     

Methods for monitoring tidal flushing in large animal burrows in tropical mangrove swamps

The typically anaerobic nature of mangrove sediments provides significant challenges to the mangrove trees and biota inhabiting them. The burrowing activities and flow of water through the numerous and complex animal burrows perforating the sediments of mangroves have a major influence on the biogeochemistry of the sediments and are important to the enhancement of nutrient and oxygen exchange. Two new methods are presented for monitoring the tidal flushing of Sesarma messa and Alpheus cf macklay burrows in a Rhizophora stylosa mangrove forest – by measuring oxygen content of burrow water and by determining the change in fluorescence of a dye tracer through tidal inundation. A case study using the first of these showed oxygen consumption rates at the burrow wall deep within the burrow were found to be between 210 and 460 μmol O₂ m⁻² h⁻¹. The influx of oxygen during a flood tide was found to be significant and indicated that approximately 40% of the burrow water is flushed during a single tidal event. However, the high consumption rate of oxygen within the burrow resulted in the oxygen concentration remaining at or below one-third of the oxygen content of the flooding tidal water. A test application of the second method, using rhodamine dye as a tracer, indicated that the exchange of water between the burrow and the flooding tide was found to be in the order of 30% of the burrow volume. These new techniques provide a means to further study the nutrient exchange within these burrow systems and verify the initial findings that several tidal inundations are necessary to completely flush the burrows.     

CHEMICAL WEATHERING PROCESSES AND ATMOSPHERIC CO_2 CONSUMPTION OF HUANGHE RIVER AND CHANGJIANG RIVER BASINS

1 INTRODUCTIONThe atmospheric CO2consumed by rock weathering haslong been recognized as providing a major loss of car-bon and decreasing the atmospheric CO2(STALL-ARD and EDMOND, 1981; MEYBECK, 1983).The 0.7×109 -0.8 ×109t of carbon derived from atmo-sp…     

多级次地下水流系统的最小能耗率原理初探

20世纪60年代初期,Tóth基于定水头上边界条件推导出解析解,得出多级次地下水流系统,是水文地质学里程碑式的突破,成功地解决了一系列理论和实际问题。但Tóth解析解存在的缺陷也长期沿袭：单纯重视数学模拟而忽视物理机制;将地形控制地下水位看成是普适性规律;忽视给定水头上边界数学模拟的失真。这些缺陷,尤其是忽视物理机制探究,不仅妨碍Tóth理论自身发展,而且导致地下水流系统理论尚未被国际水文地质界普遍接受。参照河流动力学中应用的最小能耗率原理,类比提出地下水流最小能耗率的表达式。基于已有的通量上边界地下水流模式数值模拟结果,进一步探究物理机制,归纳得出地下水流系统遵循最小能耗率原理的结论。     

中国原油进口风险度以及对国内不同区域的影响分析

1993年中国开始从原油输出国变为原油输入国,到2010年,中国的原油进口依赖度高达53%。原油进口来源国的社会经济稳定性、原油运输线路的安全性影响到中国原油进口的安全性。本文根据ITIRI的综合国际贸易投资风险指数和原油运输线路的安全性,设计了中国从其主要原油进口来源国进口原油的风险指数。然后分析了中国各省级行政区对原油进口消费的依赖度,中国六个大区石化工业和八个石油化工基地对进口原油的依赖程度。从而分析了它们对进口原油风险的敏感度。本研究的结论是:第一,中国重要的原油进口来源国比较集中,且集中在社会经济不十分稳定的国家。第二,原油进口风险对沿海地区经济的影响远高于对内陆地区的影响。第三,沪宁杭、琼粤闽和长江中游石化基地是受原油进口风险影响最大的三个基地。根据这些结论,本文提出两方面建议:第一,建议中国原油进口来源与运输方式尽量多元化,以规避风险。第二,中国原油战略储备基地应考虑对原油进口风险敏感度大的地区。     

我国城乡居民消费差异对CO2的影响分析

采用相关年度数据,利用脉冲响应函数和方差分解技术,详细分析了我国城乡居民消费现状,并探究了我国城乡居民消费差异对CO2排放的影响。结果表明,我国城镇居民的消费结构已由生存型消费向发展享受型转变,但农村居民仍旧停留在以"吃穿用"为主的传统消费阶段,这使得城乡居民消费水平的提高对CO2排放存在巨大差异。据测算,城镇居民消费水平的提高对CO2排放的影响几乎是农村居民消费水平提高对其影响的10倍。鉴于此,我国实现节能减排的目标,不仅需要改变生产方式,更需要转变居民消费理念、调整消费结构、引导居民合理消费,使居民消费行为由高能耗消费向低能耗消费转变。     

Rural and gender studies: A conceptual comparison

The aim of this article is to describe the noticeable similarities in the development of rural research and geography-close gender studies. Both research fields have developed greatly since 1970. Rural research has its roots in geography, while models and theories in gender research emanate from other disciplines. This article primarily treats the development of Nordic research and describes the development and different phases of each research field. The purpose is to draw attention to the parallel routes of development that characterize these fields, although in Swedish research they have not influenced each other much. Rural gender research, an area where the two research fields are interrelated, is the one exception. This focus, mainly developed by feminist geographers, has been largely invisible within the mainstream of both fields and has probably hindered new paths of development. Finally, I describe a route towards the development of a gender research based on the concept of space influenced by both fields of research.