Anthropogenic influences on heavy metals across marine habitats in the western coast of Venezuela

Concentrations of ten metals were measured in waters and sediments at 14 sites during four sampling periods (1996–1997). These sites include various marine ecosystems that are highly influenced by industry, tourism and river discharges, nine of which are within the Morrocoy National Park. Spatially, metal concentrations in water were homogenous, whereas in sediments their distributions were related to grain size. Maximum concentrations of cadmium (Cd) and mean concentrations of copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) in water were above the guideline values proposed by NOAA, indicating the potential of these metals for producing chronic effects in marine biota. Sheltered sites showed the highest metal concentrations in sediments; with Cd and Zn above these guidelines. Enrichment factors and geo-accumulation indexes suggested that metals in sediments were largely of natural origin except for Pb, Cd and vanadium (V), which were apparently associated with industrial effluents. A disruption of the spatial distribution of metals after heavy rainfall, when exposed sites reached concentrations as high as those in sheltered sites, showed the influence of nearby rivers. The potential increase of such climatic events could represent additional stress for natural protected areas in the Caribbean.     

日本的国土开发对中国西部大开发的启示

本文在评述和总结日本国土开发中所取得的成功经验基础上 ,提出了中国在西部大开发中需要注意的四个问题 :一是要制定明确的开发目标和切实可行的开发方式 ,并通过立法的形式保障开发计划的实施 ;二是有效发挥社会资本和民间资本对西部开发的作用 ;三是加大力度促进西部中小城市的发展 ;四是在西部大开发中处理好资源、环境和灾害等问题。     

Current shortcomings of global mapping and the creation of a new geographical framework for the world

The vast bulk of topographic mapping - the geographical framework used to underpin many activities of the state and of business - has been created and is maintained to national standards. As a consequence, what is available differs greatly from country to country. Yet there is a range of needs for globally-consistent map information. Such needs have long been recognized: the International Map of the World was an attempt to meet them. A multiplicity of factors has constrained the National Mapping Organizations from meeting this aim. However, new technologies have enhanced our capacity to create a geographical framework almost anywhere in the world. Using such technologies, commercial and other non-commercial bodies (e.g. the US military and its counterparts within NATO) have begun to produce wide-area geographical information. This paper describes the nature of the need for global mapping, the players involved and the drivers and obstacles to progress. It proposes a rapid way to enhance the current situation through public/private sector partnerships based on a combination of skills, information assets and resources. If implemented, this could lead to global coverage of a framework derived from 1:25000 scale mapping within about two years.     

Coupling Relationship Analysis on Households′ Production Behaviors and Their Influencing Factors in Nature Reserves:A Structural Equation Model

A households′production behavior directly influences the quality of the environment and determines the successful development of nature reserves.Meanwhile,the households′production behaviors are complicated by interrelated factors,such as protection attitudes,resource endowment,and family wealth.This research evaluated households near the Crested Ibis National Nature Reserve in Shaanxi Province,acquiring data from 436 households around Yang County and Ningshan County in the south slope of Qinling Mountains,China.Based on the collected data,we developed a structural equation model to evaluate the coupling relationships among households′ protection attitudes,production behaviors,resource endowment,and family wealth.The results showed that:1) households with great resource endowment had more negative attitudes,probably due to their greater protection costs;2) the households with higher education levels had worse protection attitudes;3) the households with more family wealth were likely to use fewer fertilizers,pesticides,and firewood;4) the households with more resource endowment showed less production and management behaviors;5) the enhancement of households’ attitudes improved production behaviors to protection the environment,but the effects were not statistically significant.Our results provide a basis for the government’s protection policy making,exploring the effective management measures that are beneficial for both nature reserve management and community development.     

Prediction of china’s submerged coastal areas by sea level rise due to climate change

Based on the simulation with the Ocean-Atmosphere Coupled Model CCSM and Ocean Model POP under the greenhouse gas emission scenario of the IPCC SRES A2 (IPCC, 2001), and on the earth crust subsidence and glacier melting data, the relative sea level change is obtained along the coast of China in the 21st century. Using the SRTM elevation data the submergence of coastal low land is calculated under the extreme water level with a 100-year return period. The total flooding areas are 98.3×10³ and 104.9×10³ km² for 2050 and 2080, respectively. For the three regions most vulnerable to extreme sea level rise, i.e., the coast of Bohai Bay, the Yangtze River Delta together with neighboring Jiangsu Province and northern Zhejiang Province, and the Pearl River Delta, the flooded areas are 5.0×10³, 64.1×10³ and 15.3×10³ km² in 2050 and 5.2×10³, 67.8×10³ and 17.2×10³ km² in 2080, respectively.     

Effect of environmental gradients on the quantity and quality of fallen logs in Tsuga longibracteata forest in Tianbaoyan National Nature Reserve, Fujian province, China

We investigated the quantity and quality 0f fallen l0gs in different Tsuga l0ngibracteata f0rest c0mmunities in the Tianba0yan Nati0nal Nature Reserve. We used redundancy analysis t0 determine the spatial distributi0n 0f fallen l0gs in the different f0rest c0mmunities and t0 analyze the relati0nships am0ng stand structure, t0p0graphic fact0rs and human disturbance. The v0lume, c0vered area, mean l0g length and number 0f fallen l0gs differed significantly am0ng f0rest types （P 〈 0.05）, but mean diameter at breast height sh0wed n0 significant difference （P 〉 0.05）. The l0g v0lume and c0vered area in different f0rest types sh0wed the f0ll0wing trend： T. l0ngibracteata pure f0rest 〈 T. l0ngibracteata ＋ Olig0staehyum scabrifl0rur 〈 T. l0ngibraeteata ＋ hardw00d 〈 Rh0d0dendr0n simiarum ＋ T. l0ngibraeteata 〈 T. l0ngibraeteata ＋ Phyll0stachys heter0cycla pubescens. The spatial distributi0n patterns 0f l0gs quantity and quality indicated that l0g v0lume and c0vered area were str0ngly affected by envir0nmental fact0rs in the f0ll0wing 0rder： human disturbance 〉 elevati0n 〉 sl0pe p0siti0n 〉 b0le height 〉 tree height 〉 sl0pe aspect 〉 density 〉 basal area 〉 sl0pe gradient. The relative c0ntributi0n 0f envir0nmental variables 0n the t0tal variance was t0p0graphy （76%） 〉 disturbance （42%） 〉 stand structure （35%）. T0p0graphy and disturbance c0mbined explained 8.2% 0f the variance. Fallen l0~s auantitv and aualitvwere negatively related t0 elevati0n and sl0pe p0siti0n, and p0sitively ass0ciated t0 human disturbance. The l0g v0lume decreased fr0m n0rthern t0 s0uthern sl0pes. Envir0nmental fact0rs had the highest impact 0n class I （slightly decayed）, and l0west impact 0n class V （highly decayed）.     

A cross-system analysis of sedimentary organic carbon in the mangrove ecosystems of Xuan Thuy National Park, Vietnam

A cross-system analysis of bulk sediment composition, total organic carbon (TOC), atomic C/N ratio, and carbon isotope composition (δ¹³C) in 82 surface sediment samples from natural and planted mangrove forests, bank and bottom of tidal creeks, tidal flat, and the subtidal habitat was conducted to examine the roles of mangroves in sedimentation and organic carbon (OC) accumulation processes, and to characterize sources of sedimentary OC of the mangrove ecosystem of Xuan Thuy National Park, Vietnam. Sediment grain sizes varied widely from 5.4 to 170.2 μm (mean 71.5 μm), with the fine sediment grain size fraction (< 63 μm) ranging from 11 to 99.3% (mean 72.5%). Bulk sediment composition suggested that mangroves play an important role in trapping fine sediments from river outflows and tidal water by the mechanisms of tidal current attenuation by vegetation and the ability of fine roots to bind sediments. The TOC content ranged from 0.08 to 2.18% (mean 0.78%), and was higher within mangrove forests compared to those of banks and bottoms of tidal creeks, tidal flat, and subtidal sediments. The sedimentary δ¹³C ranged from − 27.7 to − 20.4‰ (mean − 24.1‰), and mirrored the trend observed in TOC variation. The TOC and δ¹³C relationship showed that the factors of microbial remineralization and OC sources controlled the TOC pool of mangrove sediments. The comparison of δ¹³C and C/N ratio of sedimentary OC with those of mangrove and marine phytoplankton sources indicated that the sedimentary OC within mangrove forests and the subtidal habitat was mainly composed of mangrove and marine phytoplankton sources, respectively. The application of a simple mixing model showed that the mangrove contribution to sedimentary OC decreased as follows: natural mangrove forest > planted mangrove forest > tidal flat > creek bank > creek bottom > subtidal habitat.     

High connectivity between sea lough populations of a planktonic larval disperser with the adjacent open coast

Several previous studies have reported high levels of genetic differentiation between populations inside European Marine Reserves and their adjacent coastlines for a direct‐developing species. These studies suggest that sea loughs may not represent the most suitable sites for inclusion into Marine Protected Area (MPA) or Marine Reserve networks as they are not well connected to other populations. However, many marine species have pelagic larvae, and the connectivity of populations of such species inside sea loughs with non‐lough populations remains unknown. Here, I investigated the levels of gene flow between populations of the acorn barnacle Semibalanas balanoides inside and outside Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland; this species has a long‐lived pelagic larvae (4–6 weeks). There were no significant differences in the levels of genetic diversity between sea lough and non‐lough populations and no evidence for genetic differentiation between any of the populations examined; the populations appear well mixed and well connected, in contrast to what has been reported for a previous direct‐developing species.     

The Magnuson-Stevens act (1976) and its reauthorizations: Failure or success for the implementation of fishery sustainability and management in the US?

The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (1976), opened a new era of federal fishery management in the United States. It was enacted primarily to establish a system for conserving and managing fisheries in the new 200-mile (EEZ). The US assumed exclusive authority for managing all fisheries within the EEZ, except for highly migratory species such as tunas and billfishes. Within the framework of the Act, eight Regional Fishery Management Councils (Regional Councils) were created, which are responsible for preparing Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) in federal waters under their jurisdiction. Each FMP must meet a series of National Standards (NSs) for conservation and management. The Act was reauthorized in 1996 with the passage of the Sustainable Fisheries Act (SFA), which aimed at fine tuning the fishery regulatory apparatus that was established under the original Act. This "fine tuning" involved increased attention to biological concerns, and removal of ambiguities within it. The Act was reauthorized again in 2007, mainly to provide for more clear directives and regulations to end overfishing. After more than thirty years since the Act was passed into law, the debate among conservationists, commercial and recreational fishery representatives, and politicians on the effectiveness of the Act in achieving its purported goals it still continues. Is the Act delivering on its promises? Do NSs reflect the most important priorities for the US fishery resources, conservation and sustainable exploitation? Do the Regional Councils represent all parties that should be involved in the fisheries resources management? The aim of this paper is to provide a critical analysis to answer these questions. This paper begins with a review of the Act and its background, followed by discussion and analysis of the Act's benefits and flaws. Finally, suggestions for the implementation of its structure and future directions in fishery management strategies are made.     

从风险社会理论视角看全国地震重点监视防御区制度的作用

Earthquake disaster risk,as a typical social disaster risk,is one of the most important risks in modern Chinese society.This study gives definitions of the institution,describes the formation history,the connotations and development and analyzes its role in the control of major social risks caused by earthquakes.Finally,the paper presents recommendations for continuous improvement of this institution under the guidance of risk society theory,and for its application to the government reform and social governance.