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PubMed2003

[Landscape structure and ecological coupling analysis of ecotone on the west Sonnen Plain].

Ecotone is a special zone in the landscape, which is very susceptive to the changes in environmental conditions, and hence, is prone to the disturbance by unfavorable conditions. Human activity has a series of positive and negative effects on it, and greatly changes the geo-chemical process in the ecosystem. In the ecosystem, especially in the ecotone, different systems and regimes are interconnected and inter-determined. For the sustainable development of ecosystem and the protection and rational utilization of resources, it is of great importance to study this internal relationship and to seek rational regulation and control measures. With the ecotone in the west Songnen Plain as an example, and based on the studies of the topography, physiognomy, soil, vegetation, and their geographic distribution in the ecotone., this paper explained the structure of the ecological landscape, and quantitatively analyzed the ecological geo-chemical processes under different landscape conditions. In addition, this paper also tried to make coupling analyses to the ecologic succession and the landscape geo-chemical environment. Under current conditions, the succession of plant communities and the shift of soil landscape geo-chemical conditions in the west Songnen Plain are almost co-instantaneous, and these two factors can inter-determined under certain conditions.

Ecology↗
PubMed2003

[Ecological benefit assessment of urban vegetations by remote sensing and GIS].

As an important part of the urban ecosystem, urban vegetation plays an important role in improving urban environmental quality. The assessment of ecological benefits of urban or regional vegetations can help us more properly plan urban green space pattern, optimize urban vegetation structure, and further strengthen ecological construction. Through the discussion of the relevant researches at home and abroad, it's indicated that remote sensing and GIS could help as better evaluate the ecological effect of urban vegetations. This article introduced the UEA method adopted by AMERICAN FORESTS and CITYgreen software working with ArcView 3.2, as to make the best use of remote sensing and GIS in evaluating urban vegetation ecological effect quantitatively, and to promote sustainable development and ecological construction.

City Planning↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Nocturnal aircraft noise effects.

Noise protection associated with the construction and extension of airports in the Federal Republic of Germany has been regulated by the law for protection against aircraft noise since 1971. This legislation is due for revision because of different aspects. One aspect is the growth of air traffic which has led many airports to the limits of their capacity and in search of new ways of adaptation to the increasing demand for flight services. Another aspect is the increasing concern of the population about noise effects which has to be addressed by better protection against the effects of aircraft noise. The framework conditions of policy in terms of society as a whole, its health and economic environment need to be put into effect by political action. Science can contribute to this goal by performing noise effects research and by providing recommendations to the political body. However, it remains controversial, what measures are necessary or adequate to assure effective protection of the population against aircraft noise. This is particularly true for the protection of rest and sleep at night. The problem of finding a common basis for adequate recommendations is associated with (1) the low number of primary studies, which also exhibited highly variable results and assessments, (2) the handling of acoustic or psycho-acoustic dimensions for quantifying psychological or physiological reactions, and (3) the conception of how far preventive measures have to go to prove effective. With this in mind, the DLR Institute for Aerospace Medicine is conducting a large-scale, multi-stage study for investigating the acute effects of nocturnal aircraft noise on human sleep. This enterprise is implemented in the framework of the HGF/DLR project "Quiet Air Traffic" for developing sustainable assessment criteria for human-specific effects of aircraft noise at night.

Aerospace Medicine↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Bermudagrass management in the southern Piedmont, USA: IX. Trace elements in soil with broiler litter application.

An understanding of the long-term cycling of trace elements in soil with broiler litter fertilization under various forage utilization strategies is needed to develop sustainable agricultural production systems. We evaluated differences in Cu, Mn, Zn, and six other trace elements in response to 5 yr of bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] management varying in fertilization and harvest strategies on a Typic Kanhapludult in Georgia. Chicken (Gallus gallus) broiler litter was a significant source of trace elements that led to 3.4 +/- 0.5 times higher Cu, 2.0 +/- 0.3 times higher Mn, and 2.1 +/- 0.2 times higher Zn in the surface 3 cm of soil than when forage was fertilized inorganically. There were variable effects of broiler litter fertilization on other trace elements, depending upon element, depth of sampling, and forage utilization strategy. Concentrations of all trace elements in soil were below levels considered toxic to plants. Soil at a depth of 0 to 3 cm under grazed paddocks had 33 +/- 5% greater Cd, 18 +/- 1% greater Cr, 53 +/- 24% greater Cu, and 24 +/- 7% greater Zn compared with unharvested and hayed management. Trace elements in soil were unaffected whether forage was unharvested or removed as hay. These results suggest that broiler litter is a significant source of several trace elements and that ruminant processing of forage and subsequent deposition of excreta on the paddock allow these trace elements to accumulate more at the soil surface where they might interact with the high concentration of organic matter.

Agriculture↗
PubMed2004

Ocean pollution from land-based sources: East China Sea, China.

The environment of East China Sea (ECS) has been faced by huge stresses from anthropogenic activities and population growth in the Yangtze River drainage basin and the areas along the coasts. Improper use of natural resources and short-term economic objectives have resulted in severe environmental degradation in a fairly short time frame and the degradation has now reached a level where the health and well being of the coastal populations are threatened. The main pollutants are inorganic nitrogen, phosphate, oil hydrocarbons, organic matters and heavy metals. Nutrients cause eutrophication of the coastal waters and the estuarine area and very often stimulate the occurrence of red tides. The environmental pollution of Yangtze River basin directly impact on the state of the marine environment in the ECS. The ecosystem stability is maintained by a steady water discharge from the river, that mixes with the marine salty water in the estuary, and the sediment loads from the river that balance ocean erosion in the delta and its adjacent coastal area. The large-scale water transfer and dam constructions in the Yangtze River basin will change this basis. For the ECS the challenge is to reverse the negative processes taking place and to restore ecosystem balance. The main challenge is to integrate socioeconomic and environmental decision making in order to promote sustainable development. A better understanding of the driving forces in society that cause these environmental pressures is required in order to overcome these obstacles. International cooperation may be an important contributor to the progress and in particular provide access to financial, technological, scientific and human resource assistance.

Agriculture↗
PubMed2004

Environmental education for all engineers.

Environmental engineering education at universities is a rapidly changing field globally. Traditionally it has resided in the civil engineering program addressing water and wastewater quality, treatment, design and regulatory issues. In recent years environmental engineering has become a much broader field encompassing water, wastewater, soil pollution, air pollution, risk assessment, ecosystems, human health, toxicology, sustainable development, regulatory aspects and much more. The need to introduce environmental engineering/green engineering/pollution prevention/design for the environment concepts to undergraduate engineering students has become recognized to be increasingly important. This need is being driven in part through the US Engineering Accreditation Commission Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology criteria 2000. Thus there has been a major shift in environmental engineering education and it no longer resides only within the civil engineering discipline. This paper focuses on the development of innovative curricula for a brand new engineering program at Rowan University that integrates environmental education for all engineers. A common course known as "engineering clinic" was developed for all engineering students throughout their eight semesters of engineering education. One of the clinic goals is to integrate engineering design and the environment. The program, in its seventh year, indicates successful implementation of environmental education in all four engineering disciplines in their course work and clinics.

Conservation of Natural Resources↗
PubMed2004

Relevance and application of the EU Water Directive in terms of Spain's National Hydrological Plan.

The National Hydrological Plan Act was passed after the publishing of Community Directive 2000/60/EC. Officially, the Act has taken the existence of the Directive into account, but its handling of the regulation of the Ebro transfer ignores fundamental issues of the Directive, in that it does not envisage the principle of cost recovery, does not clearly determine the uses to which the transferred waters will be put, and it is not orientated towards sustainable development. Furthermore, Spanish public contract law is not in line with Community Law, and this may have repercussions in the practical aspect of possible European subsidies for carrying out the transfer.

Conservation of Natural Resources↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Dubrovnik at the crossroads of the traditional hospital and the modern concept of hospice units].

A short reminiscence of medical history in ancient Dubrovnik inspires for sustainable development of health care system and social care for the future. The main goal of the research is to confirm the necessity to establish hospice units in Dubrovnik, within an organized palliative care. Palliative care program offers preservation of the optimal quality of life for patients with advanced disease and very limited prognosis. Out of the total figure of the death-rate in the Dubrovnik area (1996-2001), singled-out were groups of special interest to the palliative care: oncologic patients and geriatric population. According to the results, only 14% of the death-rate in the Dubrovnik area were patients who did not belong to the mentioned groups. Patients who are in the terminal phase of their life and are not hospitalized have a greater need for an organized palliative care, due to the fact that permanent expert medical care is not always available to them. Significant percentage of geriatric population and oncologic patients dies out of Dubrovnik hospital.

Croatia↗
PubMed2004

Dutch analysis for P-recovery from municipal wastewater.

There is a considerable practical interest in phosphorus recovery from water authorities, elementary P-industry, fertilizer industry and regulators in a number of countries. Due to a handful of full-scale plants worldwide, P-recovery can be seen as technically feasible. However, the economic feasibility of P-recovery from sewage can still be judged as dubious. The most important reason for this is that the prices of the techniques (in euro/tonne P) are much higher compared to the prices of phosphate rock. In this paper an analysis is given to recover phosphate from municipal wastewater for the elementary P-industry Thermphos International B.V. and the fertiliser industry Amsterdam Fertilizers B.V. in The Netherlands. Several scenarios are evaluated and the end products of these scenarios are compared to the quality required by both industries. From a Dutch study it became clear that all end products from the final sludge treatment do not provide a good source of secondary phosphate. As a consequence of this, the most preferred possibility for P-recovery is to extract phosphate before sludge goes to the final sludge treatment. Different scenarios can be selected based on the position of P-recovery in the WWTP configuration, the type of P-recovery product, and the precipitation technique. Local conditions will determine which scenario is the most expedient. Because it is more realistic to judge a practical situation instead of theoretical estimations based on literature, some local situations have to be assessed in sufficient detail to gain more feeling for the expenses and possible savings of P-recovery. One important actor that should be involved in the process management around P-recovery, is the national government. Especially, the Government have the responsibility for sustainable development and should have attention for some stimulation of P-recovery in The Netherlands. Water authorities and the P- and fertilizer industry made already some good steps.

Agriculture↗
PubMed2004

[Soil water environment of artificial vegetation in Jinshajiang dry-hot volley].

Jinshajiang dry-hot volley has the characteristics of extremely hot and dry climate due to its specific local climate, where universally exists moisture deficit and the problem of soil water environment of artificial vegetation becomes more serious than other arid and semi-arid areas. The environmental determination in the typical sector of dry-hot volley Yuanmou showed that the existed arboreous forests evidently showed the characteristics of soil drying. Soil was short of moisture for a long term. In November after the rain season was over, soil water content in two-meter-deep soil layer was only 15% (equal to 35% of field capacity). Later on, soil water content continued decreasing and reached the lowest point in May (9%), which was near to wilting moisture of trees (the wilting moisture of surface eroded dry red soil of Yuanmou was 9.0%). As a result, trees grew slowly. As for Radonaea wiscosa shrubbery, its soil water content at the same layer was relatively 42.68% higher than that of arboreous trees. The soil moisture of natural grass slope was evidently better than that of arboreous trees and shrubbery, and was 34.36% and 22.22% higher, respectively. This kind of soil drying problem didn't come into notice in the vegetation restoration of Jinshajiang dry-hot volley, which would greatly restrict the sustainable development of artificial vegetation.

Climate↗
PubMed1992

Exercise blood pressure and echocardiographic abnormalities in genetically comparable populations.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between the systolic blood pressure response to exercise and the echocardiographic dimensions of the left atrium and ventricle in two geographically separate, but genetically comparable, populations. DESIGN AND SETTING: The study was cross-sectional. The settings were two semirural communities, one in Iceland and one in Manitoba. SUBJECTS: Individuals from families where there had been no intermarriage with non-Icelandic individuals were eligible. Of the 200 eligible men in Manitoba and the 150 men in Iceland, 157 and 121 men, respectively, agreed to participate. In the majority of cases, those who chose not to participate stated that work commitments prevented them from taking part. The subjects were aged 25 to 63 years and had blood pressure less than 160/95 mmHg at rest. INTERVENTIONS: Blood pressure was taken at rest and during standardized bicycle ergometry. Left ventricular and atrial echocardiography was performed on a selected number of subjects. MAIN RESULTS: The Canadians of 'pure' Icelandic descent had a higher prevalence of exaggerated exercise systolic blood pressure (ESBP), left atrial enlargement (LAE) and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) than native Icelanders. Given their genetic similarity, it is suggested that the difference between the two groups is due to environmental factors. Within each group, subjects with exaggerated ESBP had a significantly greater left atrial dimension index and left ventricular mass index than subjects without an exaggerated ESBP. The relationship of ESBP with left atrial dimension index and left ventricular mass index was independent of age, body mass index and resting blood pressure. LVH was of the eccentric type and was absent in the majority of cases with LAE; however, LAE was present in nearly all LVH cases. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that an exaggerated ESBP in individuals with resting blood pressure less than 160/95 mmHg is not an innocuous finding it is associated with demonstrable cardiac abnormalities (LAE and LVH). Furthermore, it is proposed that the presence of LAE, with or without LVH, may add to the value of an exaggerated ESBP in identifying individuals at increased risk of developing sustained resting essential hypertension.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

[Comprehensive evaluation and selection of urban eco-engineering virescent trees in Shenyang City].

Urban virescence eco-engineering is the core of urban eco-environmental construction, which can promote urban sustainable development. In urban virescence eco-engineering, the comprehensive evaluation of ecological adapt-ability and ecological effect of urban plants is the scientific basis of rational application and selection of urban garden plants. The ecological effect and integrative functions of urban virescence eco-engineering depend upon the selection and layout of garden plants. Using the methods of garden expert consultation and evaluation, this paper established systematically integrative evaluation and application indices of virescence plants in Shenyang City, from the aspects of ecological adaptability, ecological effect, beautification effect, resistance to plant diseases and insect pests, anti-pollution and economic results. According to garden experts evaluation and location of Shenyang, 200 sorts of virescence trees were evaluated and classified on the basis of the comprehensive evaluation system of virescence trees, and using cold resistance, drought resistance, barren resistance, plant diseases and insect pests resistance, anti-pollution, ornamental quality and ecological effects as the indexes. The results showed that the number of first rank trees was 58, the second was 93, methods of third was 38, and the fourth was 11, ranked by integrative performance.

China↗
PubMed2004

[Regional ecological construction and mission of landscape ecology].

The eco-construction on regional and landscape scale is the one which can be used to specific landscape and intercrossing ecosystem in specific region including performing scientific administration of ecosystem and optimizing environmental function. Recently, the government has taken a series of significant projects into action, such as national forest protection item, partly forest restoration, and adjustment of water, etc. Enforcing regional eco-construction and maintaining the ecology security of the nation have become the strategic requisition. In various regions, different eco-construction should be applied, for example, performing ecological safeguard measure in ecological sensitive zone, accommodating the ecological load in ecological fragile zone, etc., which can control the activities of human being, so that, sustainable development can be reached. Facing opportunity and challenge in the development of landscape ecology, we have some key topics: landscape pattern of ecological security, land use and ecological process, landscape changes under human activity stress, quantitative evaluation of the influence on human being activities, evaluation of zonal ecological security and advance warning of ecological risk, and planning and optimizing of model in landscape eco-construction.

China↗
PubMed2004

[Structure characteristics and health distance assessment of various disturbed communities of Korean pine and broadleaved mixed forest in Changbai Mountains].

Through samples investigation, this paper analyzed and classified the community structures of overcutting original forests, secondary birch forests and larch plantation forest under different disturbances. At the same time, some indexes which can reflect the integrity and stability of stand structure were selected. Health Distance (HD) method, a new idea, was attempted to assess ecosystem health of Korean pine and broadleaved mixed forest in Changbai Mountains. The results showed that the health degree was in order of original broadleaved stand (0.14) < structure switched stand (0.23) < structure reserved stand (0.32) < structure destroyed stand (0.33) < heavy disturbed stand (0. 44) < secondary birch stand (0.53) < larch plantations (0.68). Hopefully, it will be a helpful reference on the restoration of Korean pine and broadleaved mixed forest and on the regional forestry sustainable development.

China↗
PubMed2004

[Features of grassland resources and their classified management in Alatai region of Xinjiang].

Grassland degradation, an important problem in grassland management, has affected the sustainable development of animal husbandry in Alatai region of Xinjiang. Based on the analysis of the community features, ecological service value and multiple functions, and main function of grassland types in the regional development, the classified management for grassland was designed. The results showed that Alatai grassland could be divided into three sectors, i.e., ecological function region, economic function region and mixed function region. The ecological function region made up 164.66 x 10(4) hm2 or 16.73% of total Alatai grassland, and the grassland types included alpine meadow, alpine rangeland, swamp, mountain desert steppe, mountain steppe desert and part of plain desert. For the ecological function region, the main management strategy was to prohibit grazing and cropping. The economic function region of 116.33 x 10(4) hm2 accounted for 11.82% of the total Alatai grassland, the grassland types included mountain meadow, flat meadow and meadow steppe, and the main management strategy to enhance the productivity was agricultural measures, such as fertilization and irrigation. The mixed function region which included mountain steppe, plain desert steppe and most part of plain desert was 703.21 x 10(4) hm2 or 71.45% of total Alatai grassland, and the main management strategy was rotational grazing.

Animal Husbandry↗
PubMed2004

[Function of artificial grassland in restoration of degraded natural grassland and its research advance].

This paper analyzed the degradation actuality of natural grassland, its reasons and corresponding restoration ways. Natural restoration is the easiest way, but it is very slow. The establishment of some artificial grassland is the most effective way to lessen the oppressiveness of natural grassland. The research advances on artificial grassland were summarized, and the ways for promoting the sustainable development of pasturing area were suggested. Considering the high productivity, planting forage maize may be an available attempt in Hunshandak Sandland.

Conservation of Natural Resources↗
PubMed2004

[Soil moisture characteristics of apple-planting subarea in Weibei dry highland, Shaanxi Province].

Based on the data of regional scale and located field measurement, this paper investigated the soil moisture characteristics of the apple-planting subarea in Weibei dry highland, Shanxi Province. The results showed that the soil moisture characteristics in this subarea were affected by precipitation and evapotranspiration. At regional scale, the apple-land evapotranspiration in east Weibei area was the largest, and that in tableland gully and in west Weibei area was the medium and the smallest, respectively. Soil water deficit phenomenon was observed in three type areas. In east Weibei area, the mean water deficit amount was about 390.9 mm, the maximum was 674.6 mm, and the minimum value was 186.3 mm. In tableland gully area, the average and maximum values were 264.4 and 441.2 mm, respectively, and sometimes water surplus occurred. As a whole, soil moisture in west Weibei area was deficit, but the phenomena of water surplus were more prevalent than those in tableland gully area, and the maximum value was 151.8 mm. Soil moisture storage amount existed spatial and temporal variations in 3 different areas. The value of 2 m profile in apple growth season in west Weibei area was the largest, and that in Weibei tableland gully area and in Weibei east area was the medium and the smallest, respectively. The characteristics of soil moisture storage depended mainly on precipitation and its spatial-temporal distribution, as well as its consumed amount by apple trees. Water consumption in east Weibei area was the largest, the second was in gully area, and that in west Weibei area was the smallest. During apple growth season, the water consumption in dry year was less than that in wet year. In dry year, except for available precipitation, a considerable part of water used by apple trees came from deep (exceeded 3 m) soil moisture storage, which resulted in a dried soil layer and would affected the sustainable development of fruit production.

China↗
PubMed2004

[Spatial variability of soil moisture, nutrients, and productivity on slopeland in loessial semiarid region].

For the sustainable development and ecological construction in the loessial semiarid region, it is important to describe the variability of slopeland soil properties and the affecting factors of slopeland productivity. In this study, soil samples were taken from eroded steep slopeland, and leaf area index (LAI) and above-ground biomass (AGB) were measured at the sampling locations. The soil water content (WC) of 2 m depth at 20 cm intervals, and the soil organic matter (OM), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), available nitrogen (AN) and available phosphorus (AP) contents of 0-20 and 20-40 cm soil layers were determined in the laboratory. The results showed that the majority of the properties was normally distributed, and the nutrient contents were higher in 0-20 cm than in 20-40 cm layer, but the variations of soil nutrients were much smaller in 0-20 cm than in 20-40 cm layer. Soil nutrients had a significantly larger variation than soil moisture. Soil nutrient contents in 20-40 cm layer kept increasing from upslope to downslope, while those in 0-20 cm layer varied slightly. Slope topography had more obvious impact on soil organic matter, total nitrogen and available phosphorus than other affecting factors. Soil water and nutrient contents on the shallow gully trough were notably higher than those on the upslope, but above-ground biomass was less than that on the upslope. Though longitudinal slope (35 degrees-45 degrees) was obviously larger than the horizontal one (5 degrees-10 degrees), horizontal slope position had a greater influence on soil nutrients, but much weaker effect on soil moisture than longitudinal direction. There were significant correlations between 0-120 cm soil moisture and 20-40 cm soil nutrients, and among soil nutrients except 0-20 cm soil available phosphorus. Slopeland position had a great impact on soil moisture and nutrients, but soil moisture and/or nutrients had no significant impact on above-ground biomass.

Biomass↗