The policy analysis of governing illegal logging: A game theory approach

Illegal logging has attracted worldwide attention, and some measures, such as timber procurement policies and timber regulations, have been taken. However, there are no studies that examine the governance of illegal logging using game theory. This paper applies game theory to analyze the subsidy policy for governing illegal logging as well as the effects of the subsidy on the benefits of suppliers and operators of forest products. The results show that controlling illegal logging has an impact on exporting enterprises, and the effects produced by subsidies and non-subsidies are different for enterprise. Enterprises that receive subsidies will occupy foreign markets and gain additional profits, while enterprises that are not subsidized will exit foreign markets. The amount of subsidies is related to enterprise’s governance cost. The benefit for operators and suppliers depend on the combination of supervision level and forest products’ legality. The critical point of regulation of operators is related to regulatory costs, the additional benefits of weak supervision of suppliers, and penalties for regulatory failure. The critical point for suppliers to select legal raw materials is related to suppliers’ operating costs, gray income, and the degree of punishment.     

Preserve and produce: experience in implementing payments for environmental services in two indigenous communities in the Northern and Southern ranges of Oaxaca,Mexico

Payments for environmental services (PES) are conservation instruments in place in various Latin American countries. They are generally undergoing adjustment and implementation changes, and they are widely implemented in indigenous communities. This article aims to suggest a relevant group of context variables in PES implementation. Characterizing the local context of two indigenous communities located in Oaxaca, Mexico, and analyzing the relationship between the local context and PES implementation and outcomes perceptions.

The work is based on 75 surveys administered to beneficiary families of the instrument in the two localities. The results suggest three conclusions:

The pertinence of the nine focal variables: “Forest cover, Opportunity costs, Livelihoods, Trust and cooperation, Motivations toward conservation, Management practices, Internal organization, Land tenure and Rules for the management and use” to the characterization of the local context. And the relevance of the new focal variable “Presence and experience with Civil Society Organizations”.

The coincidence between the contextual variables and the determinants of the success of conservation instruments.

Finally, the incidence of “Trust and cooperation” and “Internal organization” in the implementation of equitable PES schemes. And the importance of linking sustainable production to PES conservation schemes.     

Disturbance ecology benchmarks for Schima–Castanopsis forests in the central Himalayas

Roughly 2.8 billion people burn wood for basic energy needs, and traditional wood-fuel represents ~55% of global wood harvest. With increasing anthropogenic disturbance of natural forests, the “stability/fragility” paradigm of forest ecology is gradually being replaced by a “disturbance/recovery” paradigm. In order to understand effects of human-induced disturbances on natural forest ecosystems, and to plan for recovery of disturbed forests, appropriate metrics become necessary. Such metrics will aid in assessment and management of forests for carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, ecosystem health, and sustainability of natural resources. Such metrics are especially needed in “wood-fuel hotspots” of the world where over 275 million people live and harvest wood-fuel unsustainably. In this article, I provide metrics of human-induced disturbance in Nepal’s Schima–Castanopsis dominated forests and show relationships of disturbance intensity with forest structure and composition, site productivity potential, natural regeneration, and tree species diversity. Benchmark data were collected from survey of two protected reference forests and compared against three other forests representing a disturbance gradient. The Schima–Castanopsis association is a common dominant forest type in the warm temperate zone of the central Himalayas, and the findings from this study should have wider application.     

Degradation of the urban ecosystem function due to soil sealing: involvement in the heat island phenomenon and hydrologic cycle in the Tokyo metropolitan area

ABSTRACT

We reviewed the role of the soil function of urban green space in mitigating the heat island phenomenon and urban flood damage, which are important issues in the modern urban environment. Urban sprawl has progressed remarkably in the southern part of the Kanto District of Japan, especially since the 1960s. The grassland/bare land area ratio in the center of Tokyo was more than 70% in the 1930s but less than 40% in 1990. On the other hand, the paving area ratio was ~2% in the 1930s but more than 10 times that amount in 1990. Thus, cities, such as Tokyo, in the southern part of the Kanto District have been significantly sealed soil throughout time, and the heat island phenomenon has intensified. Urban green space helps to mitigate the heat island phenomenon based on the water retention and heat dissipation function of plants and unsealed soil. A cool island effect was reported during summer days in urban green spaces in Tokyo. The mitigation of the heat island effect seems to be large, even when conditions, such as the park area, land use, afforestation area ratio, and soil type, differ. Soil sealing and compaction affect urban flooding by hindering the penetration of rainwater and increasing surface runoff. According to a survey in the hilly basin (1 km²) of the western part of Tokyo, the proportion of farm- and forestland decreased due to development. The urban area increased from ~10% in the 1970s to ~60% in the 1980s. As a result, the flood arrival time shortened. Green spaces have a high rainwater permeability. The forest soil structure and presence of O horizons further increase the permeability. By promoting permeability to the underground, it is possible to reduce and delay the water runoff on the land surface. To develop urban green space as green infrastructure, it is necessary to accumulate more information on the current situation and agenda for the future of urban green space.     

倾斜地表下隧道开挖引起的三维地表沉降计算

为研究倾斜地表下隧道开挖引起的地表沉降计算方法,考虑倾斜地表对隧道埋深的影响,建立了倾斜地表下隧道开挖模型和三维情况下单元体开挖计算模型.采用随机介质理论,推导出三维倾斜地表下隧道开挖引起的地表沉降计算公式,并结合工程实例选取监测数据和计算数据对比验证,证明了计算方法的准确性.最后针对地表倾斜角度进行对比分析,表明地表斜面倾角越大,地表不均匀沉降越明显.该倾斜地表沉降计算方法对隧道开挖地表沉降预测有一定的工程价值和指导意义.     

乳业产业系统发展状态测度研究——基于协同论的实证分析

科学测度乳业产业系统发展状态,是提升乳业竞争力和实现乳业可持续发展的内在要求。乳业产业系统具有复杂性和内部交互性,可划分为原料乳供应、乳制品加工、乳制品销售和乳制品消费4个子系统。基于协同理论,采用驰豫系数法,利用2006—2015年中国乳业数据,分析乳业产业系统发展状况和各子系统的有序发展状况,探讨其协调发展水平。结果表明,乳业产业系统协同度最高值仅为0.024,尚未形成良好的发展状态;各子系统有序度水平均处于较低水平,最高值为0.244,其中乳制品加工子系统有序度水平相对较高,但上升缓慢。乳业产业各子系统之间存在着相互作用,乳制品加工与乳制品消费子系统的相互影响最强,而原料乳供应与乳制品销售子系统的相互影响最弱。研究表明,要实现乳业产业系统高效协同发展,需要乳业产业所有子系统的运营状态都提高。因此,提出加强优质奶源基地和优质饲草体系建设;继续实行乳企兼并重组战略、丰富产品结构以深入开发国内外市场、加强乳企品牌建设;加强行业发展成就展示和消费引导等促进乳业可持续发展的政策建议。     

干热河谷区土地利用与生态系统服务价值——以云南省元谋县为例

基于RS和GIS理论和方法,以干热河谷区云南省元谋县为例,对2008年和2016的Landsat遥感影像进行解译,分析土地利用格局演变特征,评估区域生态系统服务静态价值和动态价值,探讨生态系统服务价值变化原因。结果表明:耕地、林地和建设用地面积增长,草地、未利用地和水域面积下降。建设用地转入特征和未利用地转出特征较为明显。2008年和2016年区域生态系统服务总静态价值分别为25.98亿元和26.54亿元,总动态价值分别为9.179亿元和16.004亿元。虽然生态系统服务总动态价值仅为同期总静态价值的35.40%和60.30%,但其增长率为74.01%,明显高于总静态价值变化率(2.27%)。土壤形成与保护的单项生态系统服务静态价值最高,2008年和2016年其值分别为4.91亿元和5.03亿元。农业经济发展、城市扩张和人口增长导致耕地、建设用地的扩张和未利用地的减少,水土保持和生态综合治理促进了林地面积的恢复。支付能力和支付意愿的显著提升极大地促进了生态系统服务总动态价值的增长。因此,应强化区域土地利用的空间调控,继续实施水土保持和退耕还林还草等生态治理工作,以维护干热河谷区生态系统功能,实现区域可持续发展。     

环境类型的差异对弹尾纲多样性的影响

为探讨环境对于弹尾虫种类与数目的影响,选择浙江省仙居县的括苍山自然保护区和神仙居自然风景区,在每个试验点,采集样方,用干漏斗法收集标本并加以鉴定,应用群落多样性、丰富度和均匀度等指数,研究土壤弹尾虫群落多样性特征,了解不同环境类型的差异对土壤弹尾虫群落多样性的影响。结果表明:括苍山自然保护区的物种丰富度和物种多样性,以及群落中各个种的相对密度均要高于神仙居自然风景区。     

陕西关中地区土地生态价值时空动态

为探明土地生态系统服务价值的空间差异性,以关中地区遥感影像、气象气候、土壤植被及地形地貌数据为依据,借助格网插值技术和土壤潜力测算模型获取土壤潜力栅格图,运用土地利用栅格图及生态系统服务价值当量因子加权,生成土地生态系统服务价值栅格图;从而在栅格尺度上揭示土地生态系统服务价值的空间异质性。结果表明:1986—2007年间,关中地区土地生态系统服务价值总量由509.61亿元增加到561.02亿元,增幅约为10.09%,2000—2007年段增速约为1986—2000年段的33.65倍;周边山地和黄土梁峁区生态价值增加,增量最大的为周至县;中部平原区的生态价值量减少,减量最大的是西安市区;研究期内的土地利用结构调整取得了较明显的生态效益。     

关于蟹-稻复合生态系统种养比例问题的探讨

稻田养蟹是一种高效立体生态农业。目前,关于种稻和蟹沟面积最佳比例问题尚无明确定论。就蟹沟面积和种稻面积比例问题展开了讨论,并得出结论,从氮、磷、钾3种元素角度考虑,其比例应分别为26.53%、13.53%和42.37%。但考虑到补充大量外源氮肥时水体分子氨会对蟹造成毒害,建议将蟹沟面积比例控制在26.53%左右。在不施或少施肥料的情况下,蟹代谢废物中的氮、磷完全能够满足水稻生长,只需补充钾肥。