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This paper gave a definition of ecological industry chain of renewal resources, and according to this definition designed the ecological industry chain of paper making industry of China; presented a basic principle of designing and ecological industry chain of renewal resources and five necessary conditions to establish an ecological industry chain of renewal resources, i.e. imitating the ecological closed-circuit system, increasing stock of renewal resources, getting benefits from resource productivity, developing long-run social demand and engaging in systematic innovation. It was found that the ecological industry chain of paper making industry was a representative example of ecological industry chain of renewal resources. The ecological industry chain of paper making industry solved three difficult constrain problems and offered an effective way to change the paper making industry of China from pollution industry into ecological industry.
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A number of authors have attempted to defend ecologic (aggregate) studies by claiming that the goal of those studies is estimation of ecologic (contextual or group-level) effects rather than individual-level effects. Critics of these attempts point out that ecologic effect estimates are inevitably used as estimates of individual effects, despite disclaimers. A more subtle problem is that ecologic variation in the distribution of individual effects can bias ecologic estimates of contextual effects. The conditions leading to this bias are plausible and perhaps even common in studies of ecosocial factors and health outcomes because social context is not randomized across typical analysis units (administrative regions). By definition, ecologic data contain only marginal observations on the joint distribution of individually defined confounders and outcomes, and so identify neither contextual nor individual-level effects. While ecologic studies can still be useful given appropriate caveats, their problems are better addressed by multilevel study designs, which obtain and use individual as well as group-level data. Nonetheless, such studies often share certain special problems with ecologic studies, including problems due to inappropriate aggregation and problems due to temporal changes in covariate distributions.
Ecological risk assessment (EcoRA) generally suffers from limited application of ecological knowledge in the definition and characterization of real-world sites. Not surprisingly, most remediation decisions, which follow, have little or no relationship to the valued ecological resources of the site or the broader region. The practice has evolved to favor engineering-based mitigation strategies, which eliminate excess chemical concentrations at sites, or otherwise break exposure pathways, but which may not be ecologically beneficial. The heavy emphasis of EcoRA on toxicity threshold levels tends to focus dollars on clean up of small areas or volumes with high concentrations. Moreover, intrusive remediation technologies often render an area uninhabitable to the very species that were to be protected. Infusion of ecological knowledge into EcoRA has been difficult. Most professional ecologists choose not to venture into the messy applied fields, leaving their impressive knowledge untapped. Moreover, narrowly defined responsibilities within government circles can limit cooperation and coordination. The realization that land use activities often have greater adverse consequences to wildlife than do chemicals provides an opportunity to change attitudes and practices. We are developing procedures that incorporate landscape features into the environmental management process. Specifically, we are using an iterative approach to: a) identify scenarios where habitat value is important in EcoRAs; b) guide selection of appropriate assessment species, i) keyed to wildlife distribution ranges; ii) keyed to a database of habitat suitability models; iii) cross-linked with the EPA exposure handbook species; iv) referenced to wildlife distributions (e.g., breeding bird survey); c) define data collection needs for reconnaissance-, screening-, and definitive-level characterization of habitat quality for potential assessment species; d) generate spatially explicit descriptions of habitat quality for various assessment species; and e) allocate exposure estimates using both habitat quality and spatial variations in chemical concentration. These refinements in theEcoRA process are expected to improve risk estimates and provide valuable information to be used instructuring risk management options. The approach can guide the planning process so that an assessment considers the most relevant species of the area and defines the relevant parameters to be measured. In risk characterization, these data are used to calculate more realistic exposure assessments. In guiding remediation, the approach logically considers a wider range of land management options than are considered at most sites today. For example, habitat enhancement can be used to draw animals away from contaminated zones. Contaminated localities that also have poor-quality habitat may be allowed to go through a slower, less costly bioremediation process until the risk level is lowered to acceptable levels. And direct comparisons of lost resources stemming from destructive remediation options can be assessed instead of merely focusing on the lowering of contaminant concentrations. This paper presents the conceptual foundation for incorporating landscape ecology into the risk assessment process.
An evolving science of ecological forecasting is beginning to emerge, and could have an increasingly important role in policy-making and management of natural resources and environment. The progress in computer science, quantitative analysis and ecological theory, together with the application of new high technology, will increase our ability to forecast ecosystem change. The authors introduced the connotation of ecological forecasting, relevant research advances, and some typical examples. Ecological forecasting is an important frontier in ecology, and also, would be an important direction for future ecological study.
The objectives of this paper were to study the association between the prevalence of uncontrolled hypertension (PUHT) and stroke mortality at the ecological level, in nine geographical areas of Catalonia (Spain); to develop an ecological regression model and to assess its ability to predict crude stroke mortality rate (CMR) from the PUHT. The regression equation obtained for the population older than 25 yrs was CSMR x 10(3) = 0.67035 + 4.94752 PUTH x 10(-2). The ecological risk ratio was 8.38 and the ecological attributable proportion 71.1%. The CSMR estimation obtained by applying the model in a concrete case was close to that observed. The results support an ecological association between the studied variables. The ecological model can be useful in the assessment of observed changes in health problems and risk factor levels in the community. It could also be used in the evaluation of intervention programmes.
In this paper, an ecological model is proposed to predict the effects of heavy metals on aquatic ecosystems. The bioavailable concentration of metals and a concept of toxicity strength (TS) are combined. The integrated ecological model relates the transport, distribution and speciation of heavy metals and their toxicity, and the effect of environmental variability on metal toxicity. It also emphasizes the link between physical and chemical processes of heavy metals in rivers and ecological effects. Based on the data obtained from research in the CERP project (Co-operative Ecological Research Project), the ecological impact of heavy metals on the aquatic ecosystem of the Le An River (polluted by heavy metals from a copper mine) was predicted. The results show that the estimated values of toxicity strength for surface water are in agreement with the percentage inhibition for the test organism (P. phosphoreum) and that the predicted ecological effect of polluted sediment is consistent with natural variability in aquatic ecosystems.
Farms working under ecological conditions are as well as conventional farms a part of agriculture. Ecological farming is a response to the special requirements and ideas of consumers regarding environmental and nature related issues in primary agricultural production. Its products should be clearly defined so that they can be differentiated from conventional products. The limits of ecological livestock farming are set among others by comparably higher production costs, special management requirements, specific conditions from retailers in respect of quality and quantity and a limited demand. To further popularize ecological agriculture, the various individual interests must be focused and common strategies must be developed. To successfully claim market shares, the ecologically produced commodities must have a permanent advantage compared to conventional products-this will not be easy to achieve.
The necessity of the study of technogenic stimuli effects on humans resulting in ecological pathology and ecological nosology is emphasized. Clinicomorphological aspects of latent health disturbances, their structural basis (ecological pathology), i.e. qualitative and quantitative spectrum of initial alterations in the subcellular structures and cells are considered. The examples of ecological diseases produced by specific chemical stimuli are presented. It is suggested to name ecological diseases with terms at the basis of which are etiological stimuli. As illustration statistical data are provided (clinical and pathological) on the role of occupational xenobiotics in the onset of coronary heart disease at young age and its sequelae.
The Jebel Qatrani sequence found in the Fayum region of Egypt samples the richest Paleogene mammalian fauna of Africa, including some of the earliest anthropoid primates. The paleoecology of the Fayum has been interpreted as either a woodland bushland or a lowland evergreen tropical forest, although the issue of changing ecological conditions through time has never been investigated. The Fayum fossils can be grouped into four successive and stratigraphically distinct faunal assemblages. Each of these mammalian assemblages is compared with modern mammal communities. Six communities from modern African forest habitats and six communities from woodland bushland habitats are used to produce typical models of ecological diversity. An ecological spectrum for each modern community is generated by assigning mammal species to categories of taxonomic, diet, and body size diversity. Modern forest communities have a higher diversity of rodents and primates, a high diversity of frugivores, low diversity of grazers, and show a steep gradient in body size distribution from a high diversity of small species towards a low diversity of large species. Woodland-bushland communities have a higher diversity of ungulates and carnivores, a low diversity of frugivores but a high diversity of grazers, and a more even body size distribution. Diversity spectra from the four successive Fayum fossil assemblages are compared with the models derived from the modern mammal communities. The Fayum assemblages show similarities to modern forest habitats in patterns of diet diversity and to modern woodland bushland habitats in body size diversity. More detailed analyses of taxonomic diversity suggest that the lowermost assemblages were different in ecological structure from modern habitats, while the uppermost assemblage shows strong resemblances to modern humid tropical forests.
Cognitive psychology is the study of how information, from the senses and from memory, is used in the production of behavior. Investigation of the specifics of behavioral adaptation has already led some behavioral ecologists into the domain of animal cognition. I make several arguments for the benefits and the necessity of a sophisticated assessment by ecologists of the cognitive aspects of behavioral adaptation. First, because cognition typically serves to produce adaptive behavior, cognitive structure and function should reflect ecological demands; studies of cognition in ecological contexts are opportunities to understand adaptation. Furthermore, constraints on cognitive properties may help determine how behavior meets the environment. Studies of spatial memory in food-caching corvids exemplify how cognitive aspects of behavior may both reflect and determine specifics of adaptation. Second, many models in behavioral ecology assume certain cognitive abilities, such as timing or counting. Cognitive theory and methodology should be used to determine whether animals possess these abilities. I have provided examples. Third, consideration of cognitive function can lead to original ideas about the details of behavioral adaptation. Without a thorough integration of cognitive psychology with behavioral ecology, our understanding of the relation between behavior and selective pressures will be compromised.
PURPOSE: To identify cognitive factors and personal characteristics related to the integration of the ecological approach in the everyday practice of health promotion practitioners. DESIGN: Sociodemographic, cognitive, and behavior data were collected using a cross-sectional mail survey. SETTING: Information was collected from regional public health organizations (n = 129) in the 10 Canadian provinces. SUBJECTS: Health promotion practitioners involved in tobacco-control programming for youth (n = 524) comprised of 81% women with a mean age of 39 years. MEASURES: Attempts to integrate ecological strategies (i.e., interpersonal, organizational, and policy change) into tobacco-control practice were based on three self-report items. Six scales assessed knowledge, values, and normative beliefs about the ecological approach as well as perceived need for, effectiveness of, and competency regarding using the ecological approach. RESULTS: The survey response rate was 80%. Stepwise discriminant analyses revealed four predictors (p < .001) contributing to the function solution concerning practitioner attempts to target the interpersonal environment: perceived competency, training discipline, years doing health promotion, and gender. Three predictors (p < .001) contributed to each of the function solutions concerning practitioner attempts to target the organizational environment (perceived competency, perceived effectiveness, and normative beliefs) and practitioner attempts at policy change (perceived competency, knowledge, and normative beliefs). CONCLUSIONS: Tobacco-control practitioners who perceive themselves as having the skills to develop and/or implement interventions targeting a person's environment are more likely to target the environment for change.
The fundamental principles of the ecologic monitoring in the antropogenic ecosystems are dealt with. Analyzed are the structure and function of the agroecologic systems, and, on the basis of the particular aspects established a concept is developed of the ecologic control at autoecologic and biocoenologic level. An analysis is likewise made of the ecologic sequelae resulting from the chemical war launched by the American aggressors in Vietnam and the specific trends therefrom in the substantiation of the ecologic monitoring. Stated is the necessity of profound investigations to establish the bioaccumulation of dioxine, a poisonous agent which was contained in herbicides and defoliants used in the war, and which was distinguished by exclusively high toxicity, producing teratogenic and cancerogenic effects and possessing high resistance in the environment.
Adopted an ecological framework to view mutual-help groups, and illustrated its usefulness by examining aspects of the social ecology of "fit" among 163 members of Compassionate Friends (bereaved parents; CF), Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and Overeaters Anonymous (OA) groups. Concerning person-group fit, personal Spirituality was positively related to (a) Providing Support, and to (b) Group Satisfaction for members of a group whose helping ecology emphasized "reliance on a higher power" (OA). (Contrary to prediction, the relationship with Group Satisfaction was also manifest for members of MS). Furthermore, OA members reported higher levels of Spirituality than CF members. Concerning helping mechanism-focal problem fit, Friendship Development was positively related to Group Satisfaction only for individuals with a focal problem characterized by high levels of social network disruption (MS). In addition, Time in Group was inversely related to Depression for members of life stress (CF) and medical disorder (MS) groups, but not for members of a "behavioral control" type group (OA). The implications of the ecological perspective for future research are discussed.
Ecological monitoring and its associated research programs have often provided answers to various environmental management issues. In the face of changing environmental conditions, ecological monitoring provides decision-makers with reliable information as they grapple with maintaining a sustainable economy and healthy environment. The Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Network (EMAN) is a national ecological monitoring network consisting of (1) about 100 case study sites across the country characterized by long-term multi-disciplinary environmental work conducted by a multitude of agencies (142 partners and counting); (2) a variety of less comprehensive yet more extensive monitoring sites; (3) a network where core monitoring variables of ecosystem change are measured; and (4) geo-referenced environmental observations. Environment Canada is the co-ordinating partner for the network through the EMAN Co-ordinating Office. EMAN's mission is to focus a scientifically-sound, policy-relevant ecosystem monitoring and research network based on (a) stabilizing a network of case-study sites operated by a variety of partners, and (b) developing a number of cooperative dispersed monitoring initiatives in order to deliver unique and needed goods and services. These goods and services include: (1) an efficient and cost-effective early warning system which detects, describes and reports on changes in Canadian ecosystems at a national or ecozone scale; and (2) cross-disciplinary and cross-jurisdictional assessments of ecosystem status, trends and processes. The early warning system and assessments of ecosystem status, trends and processes provide Environment Canada and partner organizations with timely information that facilitates increasingly adaptive policies and priority setting. Canadians are also informed of changes and trends occurring in Canadian ecosystems and, as a result, are better able to make decisions related to conservation and sustainability.
Population history and current demographic and ecological factors determine the amount of genetic variation within and the degree of differentiation among populations. Differences in the life history and ecology of codistributed species may lead to differences in hierarchical population genetic structure. Here, we compare patterns of genetic diversity and structure of two species of spiny rats in the genus Proechimys from the Rio Jurui of western Amazonian Brazil. Based on the ecological and life-history differences between the two species, we make predictions as to how they might differ in patterns of genetic diversity and structure. We use mitochondrial sequence data from the cytochrome b gene to test these predictions. Although both species maintain nearly the same number of mitochondrial haplotypes across the sampled range, they differ in levels of genetic diversity and geographic structure. Patterns of gene flow are also different between the two species with average M-values of nearly three in P. steerei and less than one in P. simonsi. Our initial predictions are largely upheld by the genetic data and where conflicting hypotheses arise, we suggest further studies that may allow us to distinguish among evolutionary scenarios. Separating the effects of history and ongoing demography on patterns of genetic diversity is challenging. Combining genetic analyses with field studies remains essential to disentangling these complex processes.
On the basis of age adjusted rates of mortality from all diseases and from diseases of the circulatory system in female and male populations living in ecological hazard areas and in ecologically "clean" area, the distributions of the rate values were assessed. In the regions under consideration, urban and rural regions were distinguished. The goodness of fit of the empirical distribution to the normal one was assessed using the following statistical parameters: arithmetic mean, mode, median, standard deviation, coefficient of variation, coefficient of asymmetry, difference between the third and the first quartiles, as well as the Chi2 and lambda-Kolmogorow-Smirnow tests, maximum difference between cumulative distribution functions and standard deviation of differences between empirical and theoretical frequencies. A differentiation in the mean values of age adjusted rates of mortality from both groups of diseases in ecological hazard areas and in "clean" area was indicated particularly in urban female and male populations.