Five scale challenges in Ecuadorian forest and landscape restoration governance

The forest and landscape restoration (FLR) targets set as part of the Bonn Challenge draw attention to the governance arrangements required to translate national FLR targets into local action. To achieve the targets, actors at multiple levels of the governance scale aim to influence relevant processes on the ecological scale. In this article, we focus on the scale challenges relating to the implementation of Ecuador’s restoration targets, by analysing the implementation of the 2014–2017 National Forest Restoration Plan in the montane Chocó Andino and Bosque Seco landscapes. From 54 semi-structured interviews, a document review, and geographical data analysis, we identified two temporal (i, ii) and three spatial scale challenges (iii, iv, v): i) Political cycles mismatch with FLR timelines; ii) Planning horizons mismatch with FLR timelines; iii) National restoration objectives mismatch with decentralised land use planning realities; iv) The governance level of existing FLR efforts mismatches with the level receiving restoration funds; and v) Tensions exist between the spatial dimensions of biodiversity and water-related restoration efforts. The findings highlight that more attention must be given to scale-sensitive governance to make the process in which national FLR targets are translated into local action more effective.     

国外生态修复研究进展评述

研究目的:系统总结国外生态修复研究的重点进展和主流共识,为把握未来生态修复研究的前沿态势提供参考。研究方法:文献研究法。研究结果:按照生态修复的"目标导向—技术方法—成效评价"的框架进行梳理,现有研究在生态修复的对象及尺度、生态学及社会经济文化目标、各类型生态系统及要素的修复技术方法、成效评价维度及指标等方面取得了一定的研究进展,但总体而言,目前生态修复研究存在理论—实践—政策之间知识转移欠缺、生态学与社会经济学科交叉研究不足、全球气候变化背景下的研究缺乏等问题。研究结论:理论—实践—政策耦合研究、生态学—社会经济学科交叉研究、气候变化—生态修复联动研究等可能是未来生态修复领域的重点研究方向。     

基于IPA分析的西安江村沟垃圾填埋场 景观生态修复策略

通过对西安江村沟垃圾填埋场内及周边村民生活生产区共57处土壤进行实测与问卷调查，运用IPA分析方法，从村民景观生态感知角度出发，探讨村民对周边垃圾填埋场实际景观生态感知与期望之间的关系，以及影响村民景观生态感知的重要因素，得出景观生态满意度模型。对影响景观生态感知因素的重要性与满意度进行测量，同时生成IPA表现值与期望值，并以此为依据结合土壤实验结论，运用景观生态恢复技术，对垃圾填埋场的景观生态恢复提出了相关设计策略。     

高校修缮工程审计难题与对策

高校修缮工程审计对于提高修缮工程的质量及学校修缮经费的使用效益有重要的意义。笔者结合工作实践,总结出高校修缮工程审计中的几个常见难点问题,并对解决这些问题提出了自己的看法。     

Impact mitigation or ecological restoration? Examining the environmental sustainability practices of multinational mining companies

This paper examines the environmental sustainability practices of multinational mining companies in addressing their impacts and promoting the sustainable development of local communities in Ghana. Although large-scale mining companies have embraced environmental sustainability, the drivers and the mechanisms for addressing their impacts throughout the mine life cycle is not fully understood because of the limited research in this area. The focus in this study involves an examination of the drivers for environmental sustainability in a weak and non-enabling institutional context and the mechanisms for addressing impacts on biodiversity, water quality and quantity, and ambient climate. The findings show that the environmental sustainability practices of multinational mining companies are determined by regulatory compliance and corporate environmental responsibility based on perceived ethical obligation. Additionally, we find gaps in mine closure planning and rehabilitation because of the limited requirement for biodiversity restoration in the domains of flora repopulation and active fauna reintroduction. This paper provides empirical and theoretical insights for academics and practitioners in industry and policymaking.     

基于底线预警的国土空间生态修复规划实施监督体系研究

国土空间生态修复是推进生态文明建设的重大举措，构建基于底线预警的国土空间生态修复规划实施监督体系是完善国土空间规划“一张图”信息系统的重要组成部分和政策支撑。通过对生态修复规划实施监督体系建设的研究，把握底线控制与监测预警机制，对接国土空间生态修复业务管理各项需求，搭建“五梯度四体系”的生态修复规划动态监测实施监督信息系统，构建以“七个一”为主要内容的生态修复规划底线预警监测评估机制，并与各层级国土空间规划“一张图”实施监督信息系统进行衔接，实现对生态修复规划实施的动态监测和预警。     

Opportunity cost of water allocation to afforestation rather than conservation of natural vegetation in China

Estimation of ecosystem service values is a hot area of research in ecological conservation and economics. However, the costs of these outputs are largely unknown. In this paper, we estimated the opportunity cost of water allocated to afforestation projects through mathematical modeling based on statistical data for all of China to provide support for restoration planning based on a fuller consideration of the true costs. To guide future ecological conservation and environmental policy development, we illustrate a neglected concept (ecosystem service costs) and use this concept to compare the ecological services provided by ecological restoration based on afforestation with those of restoration based on the conservation of natural vegetation using data obtained since 1949 in China. The results showed that afforestation and natural vegetation create annual costs related to use of the available water resources equal to 4800 and 3700 RMB ha⁻¹, respectively, representing a water opportunity cost of 1100 RMB ha⁻¹ for afforestation. This illustrates the rule that “there is no free lunch” for any service, including ecosystem services. Therefore, to support the development of more effective and sustainable environmental restoration policy, it will be necessary to evaluate the associated opportunity costs.     

Climate adaptation in ‘new world’ cultural landscapes: The case of Bay of Fundy agricultural dykelands (Nova Scotia,Canada)

North America has few cultural agricultural landscapes, and often commensurately poor governance arrangements for managing change in such settings. This research uses the Acadian dykelands of Nova Scotia, Canada, as an opportunity to explore the social and governance limits to coastal climate adaptation in ‘new world’ cultural agricultural landscapes, as well as inform local decision-making. Approximately half of Nova Scotia’s coastal wetlands were converted to dykeland in the 1600s, lowering local resilience to the increased frequency and storm severity anticipated with climate change. Today, dykelands protect a diversity of public and private interests, meanings and values, yet are controlled by the agricultural sector, which can no longer afford to maintain them all to 2050 climate projections. We report here on a representative online Q-methodology survey of 183 adult Nova Scotians in the spring of 2015. Respondents sorted 34 statements along a normal distribution about whether they prefer dykeland maintenance or wetland restoration, and under what governance arrangements. Four factors were derived: the dominant discourse was local, female and strongly pro-dykeland, indicating the likelihood for local resistance to dykeland removal on for cultural, recreational and farming reasons. The second factor was supportive of wetland restoration for reasons of efficiency, not wetland affinity, but characterized by those in positions of management power. The two minority viewpoints were less informed about dykelands, characteristic of outsiders, and concerned more with governance. More education is needed about the challenges facing dykelands, the benefits of coastal wetlands, and the management options, but this research shows proposals to change landscape should emphasize flood mitigation over cost-saving. Cultural values and status quo bias are clearly barriers to adaptation planning, even when discussing the removal of man-made structures. The factors were surprisingly polarized, suggesting the forced-normal distribution affects the space available to convey nuanced perspectives. Large p-set Q-method of this kind is likely most useful for characterizing the emergent discourses demographically, and understanding their prevalence; the same discourses had emerged within a much smaller pilot study.     

‘I just hope people can forgive me’: Australian women athletes,apologies and image restoration at the Rio Olympic Games

Prior to the 2016 Olympic Games, Australia’s Chef de Mission Kitty Chiller predicted that the Australian team could win as many as 16 Olympic gold medals. Australia’s Olympic team won a total of eight gold medals and the sports media reacted by suggesting the team had ‘failed’. At the 2016 Olympic Games, three high-profile Australian female athletes apologised to the Australian public for their performances. This study examines these three interconnecting cases and how such behaviour is linked to research that examines sports media and gender (including female agency), ‘image restoration’ and third-wave feminism. Additionally, this work identifies how the culture of third-wave feminism is conceptually troubled by the notion of the ‘female apologetic’ and calls for a re-examination and modification of such a notion.     

农业废弃物在矿山生态恢复中的应用

矿山废弃地多为裸露岩面,需要大量的土壤用于植被的恢复与重建。同时,我国农业废弃物数量巨大且逐年增多,其合理利用与管理也成为一个难题。将矿山生态恢复与农业废弃物有机结合,是寻找矿山生态恢复治理和农业废弃物资源合理利用的新思路。本文阐述了我国矿山废弃地的治理现状、农业废弃物的特点,探讨了可用于矿山生态恢复的农业废弃物的基质类型及其应用前景。