[Evaluation of ecological-economic-social synergy in urban area of China]. / 中国城市生态与经济社会协同性评估.

To understand the synergetic features of economy, society, and ecology in cities, we established an urban ecological-economic-social synergetic index evaluation system from three aspects (per capita green area, per capita GDP, and life expectancy per capita) and created an urban ecological-economic-social synergetic index eva-luation method. We analyzed the synergetic features by comparing the ecological-economic-social synergetic index and comprehensive function scores of 35 typical cities in China. The differences in ecological-economic-social synergy and function score for different city sizes and administrative divisions were investigated, while the synergy level of cities were classified. The results showed that the average ecological-economic-social synergetic index of 35 cities in China was 28.79, with the highest of 3.83 and the lowest of 63.04 in 2016. The synergetic index, urban econo-mic function, and social function were significantly positively correlated with urban population sizes and economic sizes. There were significant differences in synergetic index among cities with different population sizes, economic sizes, and administrative functions. The urbanization in China was still in the status of functional imbalance. Urban development was conducive to improve cities' function, but did not effectively improve the synergy of ecology, economy, and society. The ecological function of cities significantly affected urban synergy, which indicated that the poor urban ecological function was the main restrictive factor for urban synergy in China.

Linking Dietary Patterns to Environmental Degradation: The Spatiotemporal Analysis of Rural Food Nitrogen Footprints in China.

Background: China has a large emerging economy that illustrates how dietary patterns can affect food-source nitrogen (N) cycling. The indicator of food nitrogen footprint (NF) reflects the amount of reactive nitrogen (Nr) emissions and impacts of these emissions on the environment. It is a result of food production and consumption to satisfy basic dietary demands of a given population. Different from urban food consumption with improved waste treatment, rural food consumption significantly affects the environment from food production to waste disposal. We therefore, performed a nationwide case study to link dietary patterns to environmental degradation based on rural food NF accounting. Methods: The N-Calculator model was adopted to reveal the spatiotemporal characteristics of food NFs per capita, and regional food NFs related to rural diets in China from 2000 to 2019. Then, food-source Nr emissions to regional environment were quantified based on food NF accounting and relevant inventory of regional Nr emissions. Results: (i) The average annual food NF per-capita in rural regions was lower than that of its national counterpart, but exhibited regional differences, mainly attributed to the dietary role of cereals. (ii) There existed significant spatiotemporal characteristics among regional food NFs that were mainly contributed by plant-derived food consumptions (73%). Sichuan, Henan, Shandong, and Hunan exhibited larger regional food NFs, and Beijing, Shanghai, and Tibet showed a growth in NFs, wherein rural diets were dominated by animal-derived food. (iii) Rural diets affected the environment by the pathways of ammonia and nitrous oxide volatilization processes, as well as Nr loss to water, accounting for a 33, 5, and 62% average of food NFs across regions. (iv) Although current rural dietary patterns suggest reliance on cereal and vegetable consumptions, more animal-derived types of food would be consumed as urbanization continues, especially in developed regions, creating a barrier for further reduction in national food NF. Conclusion: The findings of this study highlight the importance of changing dietary patterns to the human health-environment dilemma. Strategies that include improvements in N recycling rates, adjustments in dietary patterns, and reductions in food wastes could mitigate regional N pollution with rural dietary shifts.

[Research progress on the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem services]. / ç”Ÿç‰©å¤šæ ·æ€§ä¸Žç”Ÿæ€ç³»ç»ŸæœåŠ¡å ³ç³»ç ”ç©¶è¿›å±•.

The relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem services is one of the hot topics in ecological research. The ways that the relationship is applied to the development of ecosystem management and policy have gradually gained attention after the Millennium Ecosystem Services Assessment in 2005. However, applying theoretical understanding of the relationship into practical management still faces challenges. Examining recent progresses may help to guide practices and po-licies. We summarized recent progress in researches on the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem services in terms of the impacts of biodiversity on single ecosystem service, ecosystem multifunctionality and trade-offs of ecosystem services, as well as how environmental changes affected these relationships. Moreover, we outlined the application of these relationships in nature reserve management, forest management, degraded ecosystem restoration, and agro-ecosystem improvement. We further analyzed the shortcomings in relationship studies and then emphasized that future research and practice trends are the interaction of different biodiversity components and multiple trophic levels on ecosystem services, the coupling effects of environmental changes on the relationships, and practical approaches to biodiversity for improving ecosystem services.

[Dynamics and spatial pattern prediction of lakes in the northern Tanggula Mountains, Tibet, China]. / è¥¿è—å”åŒ—åœ°åŒºæ¹–æ³ŠåŠ¨æ€åŠç©ºé—´æ ¼å±€é¢„æµ‹.

This study assessed the dynamics of lakes in the north Tanggula Mountains in Tibet (NT area) and predicted the spatial changes. We used object-oriented classification and a spectral-angle vector change detection method to generate ecosystem distribution data for the NT area at five-year interval between 2000 and 2015. Based on this dataset, we measured the spatial pattern of lake dynamics and related geophysical and meteorological factors. A boost regression tree model was used to examine the contribution of these variables to lake area change, which were further used in a GEOMOD model to predict the distribution of lakes in 2030. The results showed that the area of lakes increased by 14.2% between 2000 and 2015, which was one of the main forms of ecosystem change in the NT area. In the study region, the area of 10 lakes out of the total 15 lakes with an area greater than 10 km2 increased and that of another five lakes decreased with a relatively low shrinkage ratio. Both the mean site area and site number of lakes increased, and the percentage of large lake sites increased slightly. Lakes located in areas with high altitude, high slope, low tempe-rature, low precipitation, or near glaciers had a higher probability of size increase. Locales near the current lake sites with low temperature, precipitation, and slope tended to become new parts of extant lakes. Following the trend of the last 15 years, lakes in the NT area would increase by 119 km2 by 2030, with the main form of lake expansion changing from inundation of area around large lakes to area around smaller sites.

An Assessment of the Impact of Urbanization on Soil Erosion in Inner Mongolia.

Inner Mongolia, an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, has experienced severe soil erosion following a period of rapid economic development and urbanization. To investigate how urbanization has influenced the extent of soil erosion in Inner Mongolia, we used urbanization and soil erosion data from 2000 through 2010 to determine the relationship between urbanization and soil erosion patterns. Two empirical equations-the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) and the Revised Wind Erosion Equation (RWEQ)-were used to estimate the intensity of soil erosion, and we performed backward linear regression to model how it changed with greater urbanization. There was an apparent increase in the rate of urbanization and a decrease in the area affected by soil erosion in 2010 compared to the corresponding values for 2000. The urban population stood at 11.32 million in 2010, which represented a 16.47% increase over that in 2000. The area affected by soil erosion in 2000 totaled 704,817 km², yet it had decreased to 674,135 km² by 2010. However, a path of modest urban development (rural-urban mitigation) and reasonable industrial structuring (the development of GDP-2) may partially reduce urbanization's ecological pressure and thus indirectly reduce the threat of soil erosion to human security. Therefore, to better control soil erosion in Inner Mongolia during the process of urbanization, the current model of economic development should be modified to improve the eco-efficiency of urbanization, while also promoting new modes of urbanization that are environmentally sustainable, cost-effective, and conserve limited resources.

[Effects of land use changes on soil water conservation in Hainan Island, China]. / åœŸåœ°åˆ©ç”¨å˜åŒ–å¯¹æµ·å—åœŸå£¤æ°´æºæ¶µå »åŠŸèƒ½çš„å½±å“.

In tropical areas, a large number of natural forests have been transformed into other plantations, which affected the water conservation function of terrestrial ecosystems. In order to clari-fy the effects of land use changes on soil water conservation function, we selected four typical land use types in the central mountainous region of Hainan Island, i.e., natural forests with stand age greater than 100 years (VF), secondary forests with stand age of 10 years (SF), areca plantations with stand age of 12 years (AF) and rubber plantations with stand age of 35 years (RF). The effects of land use change on soil water holding capacity and water conservation (presented by soil water index, SWI) were assessed. The results showed that, compared with VF, the soil water holding capacity index of other land types decreased in the top soil layer (0-10 cm). AF had the lowest soil water holding capacity in all soil layers. Soil water content and maximum water holding capacity were significantly related to canopy density, soil organic matter and soil bulk density, which indicated that canopy density, soil organic matter and compactness were important factors influencing soil water holding capacity. Compared to VF, soil water conservation of SF, AF and RF were reduced by 27.7%, 54.3% and 11.5%, respectively. The change of soil water conservation was inconsistent in different soil layers. Vegetation canopy density, soil organic matter and soil bulk density explained 83.3% of the variance of soil water conservation. It was suggested that land use conversion had significantly altered soil water holding capacity and water conservation function. RF could keep the soil water better than AF in the research area. Increasing soil organic matter and reducing soil compaction would be helpful to improve soil water holding capacity and water conservation function in land management.

Role of New Nature Reserve in Assisting Endangered Species Conservation - Case Study of Giant Pandas in the Northern Qionglai Mountains, China.

The creation of nature reserves is the most direct way to save endangered species populations and their habitat. Development of the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) nature reserve network in China was initiated in the 1960s, though the effort to create new reserves boomed considerably after the year 2000. Given this rapid development of protected areas in panda habitats, and the potential conflicting interests between conservation administrations and local economic development, it is essential to assess the role of new nature reserves in the overall giant panda conservation effort and reserve network. We utilized data from national giant panda surveys conducted in 2000 and 2012 to compare the size, spatial use, and distribution of panda populations, as well as the habitat suitability and connectivity in the Northern Qionglai Mountains between the two survey years. Our results show that although the total giant panda population in the study area did not change remarkably, local changes did occur. Most notably, the population in Wolong Nature Reserve declined by 27.3% (N = 39) and the population in Caopo Nature Reserve increased by 71.4% (N = 29) over the 12-year study period. We also found habitat suitability and availability decreased in both Wolong (12.4%) and Caopo (7.4%), but that the relative density of giant pandas declined (19.2%) and increased (84.6%) at each site, respectively. The distance between centers of high IUA were more distant in 2012 (14.1±1.9km) than that in 2000 (6.1±0.9km; t = -7.4, df = 5, p = 0.001), showing a scattered spatial pattern. Habitat availability decreased by 42% within the corridor between the two reserves, however panda occurrences in the corridor increased 24.6%. Compared to the total number of encounters, the proportion of the corridor increased 45.76%. Our results show the importance and success of the newly established Caopo to the conservation of giant pandas, and how crucial it is to identify and repair reserve corridors. Furthermore, we propose criteria for future nature reserve network management and investment, which is applicable for other endangered species conservation practices.

[Seasonal Dynamics of Airborne Pollens and Its Relationship with Meteorological Factors in Beijing Urban Area].

The seasonal dynamics of airborne pollens and their relationship with meteorological conditions, which are considered to be important factors for appropriate construction of urban green system and reliable prevention of tropic pollinosis, were investigated in Beijing urban area. The airborne pollens were monitored from December 31st 2011 to December 31st 2012 by Burkard volumetric trap, and the data were analyzed. The results revealed that: (1) In 2012 the pollen dispersion period lasted 238 days from March 17 to November 18th, accounting for 65% of the year. There were two peaks of pollen amount in air, which occurred from March to May and from August to October, respectively. In the spring peak, tree pollens such as Oleaceae, Populus and Salix pollens were the dominant, accounting for 53% of the total annual pollens, while in the autumn period, weed pollens such as Compositae, Chenopodiaceae and Amaranthaceae pollens made up about 40% of the annual total value; (2) The highly allergenic weeds pollens dominated in autumn, which caused a high incidence of tropic pollinosis; (3) The airborne pollen amount of Beijing urban area was significantly affected by meteorological condition like the wind speed, temperature, humidity, precipitation and so on; (4) When temperature ranged from OC to 15 degrees C, the pollen amount showed positive relation with temperature; while in the temperature range of 18 degrees C to 30 degrees C, it showed negative relation; (5) The average temperature of spring and autumn season in 2012 was 17 degrees C, and 79% of airborne pollens were detected in these two seasons. This temperature condition was conducive to the pollen dispersion. (6) The pollen amount showed negative relation with relative moisture between 20% and 50% and larger than 70%, while in the moisture range of 50% to 60%, it showed positive relation; (7) The wind speed smaller than 3 m x s(-1) was good to pollen distribution, when it was larger than 4 m x s(-1) or the wind lasted for a long time, the pollen amount in the air would decrease; (8) The pollen release was decreased by the rain. The above results can be helpful to forecast the pollen amount in the air. monitoring; pollen amount

[Greenhouse gas emissions and net carbon sequestration of "Grain for Green" Program in China.] / 中国退耕还林工程温室气体排放与净固碳量.

Based on the estimation of carbon cost from afforestation in project boundary and carbon leakage out of boundary in the construction period of "Grain for Green" Program (GGP) (2000-2010), the annual variance and composition of the carbon cost and carbon leakage, as well as characters of variance of net carbon sequestration were analyzed for GGP and respective program regions. Results showed that the carbon costs in northwest region, southwest region, northeast region, north region and central south and east region were 3.38, 3.64, 1.03, 1.66 and 4.38 Tg C, respectively, totaling 14.09 Tg C. Meanwhile the carbon leakages of the above regions were 21.33, 4.60, 5.50, 1.32 and 3.78 Tg C, respectively, and 36.53 Tg C in total. The composition characters of the carbon costs of the GGP and the respective regions were similar. Carbon emissions from afforestation were the largest carbon cost, and afforestation on converted farmland was the main carbon emission source. Accordingly, among the materials consumed, fertilizer brought about the largest carbon cost, followed by building materials, while carbon emissions from fuels, irrigation, herbicides and pesticides only accounted for about 10% for respective regions. The carbon cost and carbon leakage of the GGP were 50.62 Tg C in total, which counteracted 19.9% of the sequestered carbon in the program. In northwest region, southwest region, northeast region, north region and central south and east region, carbon emissions (including cost and leakage) accounted for 38.9%, 10.4%, 26.1%, 8.9% and 15.5% of the carbon sequestration, respectively. The net carbon sequestration of the GGP was 203.50 Tg C with an annual average of 18.50 Tg C·a-1. The carbon cost and leakage offset a minor part of the carbon sequestration of the GGP. Therefore, the GGP contributed significantly to greenhouse gas mitigation in China as well as global climate warming mitigation. Adopting precision fertilization in economic forest afforestation and supplying alternative livelihoods to farmers in the program could be the potential measures to reduce carbon cost and carbon leakage.

[Ecosystem services valuation of Qinghai Lake].

Qinghai Lake is the largest inland and salt water lake in China, and provides important ecosystem services to beneficiaries. Economic valuation of wetland ecosystem services from Qinghai Lake can reveal the direct contribution of lake ecosystems to beneficiaries using economic data, which can advance the incorporation of wetland protection of Qinghai Lake into economic tradeoffs and decision analyses. In this paper, we established a final ecosystem services valuation system based on the underlying ecological mechanisms and regional socio-economic conditions. We then evaluated the eco-economic value provided by the wetlands at Qinghai Lake to beneficiaries in 2012 using the market value method, replacement cost method, zonal travel cost method, and contingent valuation method. According to the valuation result, the total economic values of the final ecosystem services provided by the wetlands at Qinghai Lake were estimated to be 6749.08 x 10(8) yuan RMB in 2012, among which the value of water storage service and climate regulation service were 4797.57 x 10(8) and 1929.34 x 10(8) yuan RMB, accounting for 71.1% and 28.6% of the total value, respectively. The economic value of the 8 final ecosystem services was ranked from greatest to lowest as: water storage service > climate regulation service > recreation and tourism service > non-use value > oxygen release service > raw material production service > carbon sequestration service > food production service. The evaluation result of this paper reflects the substantial value that the wetlands of Qinghai Lake provide to beneficiaries using monetary values, which has the potential to help increase wetland protection awareness among the public and decision-makers, and inform managers about ways to create ecological compensation incentives. The final ecosystem service evaluation system presented in this paper will offer guidance on separating intermediate services and final services, and establishing monitoring programs for dynamic ecosystem services valuation with the aim of helping improve management outcomes.

[Regional and global estimates of carbon stocks and carbon sequestration capacity in forest ecosystems: A review].

As a dominant part of terrestrial ecosystems, forest ecosystem plays an important role in absorbing atmospheric CO2 and global climate change mitigation. From the aspects of zonal climate and geographical distribution, the present carbon stocks and carbon sequestration capacity of forest ecosystem were comprehensively examined based on the review of the latest literatures. The influences of land use change on forest carbon sequestration were analyzed, and factors that leading to the uncertainty of carbon sequestration assessment in forest ecosystem were also discussed. It was estimated that the current forest carbon stock was in the range of 652 to 927 Pg C and the carbon sequestration capacity was approximately 4.02 Pg C · a(-1). In terms of zonal climate, the carbon stock and carbon sequestration capacity of tropical forest were the maximum, about 471 Pg C and 1.02-1.3 Pg C · a(-1) respectively; then the carbon stock of boreal forest was about 272 Pg C, while its carbon sequestration capacity was the minimum, approximately 0.5 Pg C · a(-1); for temperate forest, the carbon stock was minimal, around 113 to 159 Pg C and its carbon sequestration capacity was 0.8 Pg C · a(-1). From the aspect of geographical distribution, the carbon stock of forest ecosystem in South America was the largest (187.7-290 Pg C), then followed by European (162.6 Pg C), North America (106.7 Pg C), Africa (98.2 Pg C) and Asia (74.5 Pg C), and Oceania (21.7 Pg C). In addition, carbon sequestration capacity of regional forest ecosystem was summed up as listed below: Tropical South America forest was the maximum (1276 Tg C · a(-1)), then were Tropical Africa (753 Tg C · a(-1)), North America (248 Tg C · a(-1)) and European (239 Tg C · a(-1)), and East Asia (98.8-136.5 Tg C · a(-1)) was minimum. To further reduce the uncertainty in the estimations of the carbon stock and carbon sequestration capacity of forest ecosystem, comprehensive application of long-term observation, inventories, remote sensing and modeling method should be required.

[A research overview of methanogens].

Methane is the second most important greenhouse gas in the atmosphere with a concentration (rate by volume) of 1.7 x 10(-6). Approximately 75% of methane in atmosphere comes from the activity of methanogens in the worldwide. The methanogens are anaerobic archaebacteria, according to 16S rRNA and other biochemical taxonomy. The methanogens can use compounds such as acetic acid, hydrogen and CO2 athylamine as substrates for methane production. The biochemical metabolisms of methanogens are greatly affected by natural environment where they live in. This paper will present a general situation of methanogens in term of history, morphology, taxonomy, metabolisms and ecology.

[Carbon metabolic characteristics of airborne microbes in Hangzhou].

Carbon metabolic characteristics in four sampling sites including Yan'an Road Business Street (YRBS), Tianmushan Jiaogong Cross Road (TJCR), Zhejiang Gongshang University Jiaogong Campus (ZJGSUJC) and Breeze-ruffled Lotus at Quyuan Garden (BLQG) in Hangzhou were analyzed using Biolog technology in this study. Results showed that average well color development (AWCD) values were at stationary phase after 240 h cultivation in all four selected sampling sites. Significant differences in sole carbon utilization characterized as AWCD value were found among the four sampling sites, and the highest carbon utilization capacity was observed at YRBS, followed by TJCR and ZJGSUJC, and the lowest at BLQG. The species abundance and diversity of airborne microbes deceased in the order of YRBS, TJCR, ZJGSUJC, and BLQG. In addition, sugar and amino acid utilization capacity of airborne microbes was significantly higher that other carbons sources in all four sampling sites. Significant differences in different sole carbon utilization of airborne microbes in the same sampling site were found. The sugar utilization capacity was the highest, and polymer utilization capacity was the lowest at YRBS. At BLQG, highest sugar and lowest amine utilization capacity was detected. Principal component analysis showed that the contribution of PC1 and PC2 was 43.8% and 23.4%, respectively, in different sampling sites. Significant differences in carbon metabolic characteristics of microbial community in the air were found among YRBS, BLQG and TJCR, and no differences were observed between TJCR and ZJGSUJC.

[Characteristic comparative study of particulate matters in Beijing before and during the Olympics].

Two city ecosystem research stations were selected for continuous monitoring of atmospheric fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentration from June to September 2008, when the Beijing Olympic Games was held. The relationship between meteorological factors, artificial control management measures and PM2.5 dynamic characteristics were analyzed. The results showed that the daily average concentration of PM2.5 at RCEES Station, which is near the 5th North Ring, was 0.067 mg x m(-3) during the study period, and the particle concentration during the Olympic Games was 0.060 mg x m(-3), which was decreased by about 26% compared with the content before the Olympic Games (0.081 mg x m(-3)). As for JX Station located in the 2th South Ring, its daily average concentration of PM2.5 was 0.078 mg x m(-3). Similar to RCEES Station, PM2.5 average content during the Olympic Games (0.069 mg x m(-3)) was 27% lower compared with the content before the Olympic Games (0.095 mg x m(-3)). Two peaks could be found when daily distribution of PM2.5 was displayed, one appeared between 08:00 and 10:00 (the average content for RCEES and JX were 0.068 and 0.089 mg x m(-3), respectively), and the other appeared at 20:00-22:00, which could be attributed to traffic emission and road dust pollution, especially the emission from the growing number of cars in rush hours. Meteorological condition during the whole period was typical in summer in Beijing with both high temperature and humidity. Correlation analysis revealed that the concentrations of PM2.5 had a positive correlation with the air temperature (P < 0.01), while it had no significant relationship with wind speed, relative humidity or precipitation (P > 0.05). Our monitoring results suggested that the artificial air pollution control strategies were effective measures for air pollution control during 2008 Beijing Olympic Game.

[Studies on the size distribution of airborne microbes at home in Beijing].

The effect of airborne microbes on human health not only depends on their compositions (genera and species), but also on their concentrations and sizes. Moreover, there are different mechanisms of airborne microbes of different sizes with different effects on human health. The size distributions and median diameters were investigated in detail with imitated six-stage Andersen sampler in 31 selected family homes with children in Beijing. Results showed that there was similar distribution characteristics of airborne microbes in different home environment, different season, different child's sex, and different apartment's architecture, but different distribution characteristics between airborne bacteria and fungi were observed in family homes in Beijing. In general, although airborne bacteria and fungi were plotted with normal logarithmic distribution, the particle percentage of airborne bacteria increased gradually from stage 1 (> 8.2 microm) to stage 5 (1.0-2.0 microm), and then decreased dramatically in stage 6 (< 1.0 microm), the percentage of airborne fungi increased gradually from stage 1 to stage 4 (2.0-3.5 microm), and then decreased dramatically from stage 4 to stage 6. The size distributions of dominant fungi were different in different fungal genera. Cladosporium, Penicillium and Aspergillus were recorded with normal logarithmic distribution, with the highest percentage detected in stage 4, and Alternaria were observed with skew distribution, with the highest percentage detected in stage 2 (5.0-10.4 microm). Finally, the median diameters of airborne bacteria were larger than those of airborne fungi, and the lowest median diameter of airborne bacteria and fungi was found in winter, while there were no significant variations of airborne bacterial and fungal median diameters in spring, summer and autumn in a year in this study.

Benefits, costs, and livelihood implications of a regional payment for ecosystem service program.

Despite broad interest in using payment for ecosystem services to promote changes in the use of natural capital, there are few expost assessments of impacts of payment for ecosystem services programs on ecosystem service provision, program cost, and changes in livelihoods resulting from program participation. In this paper, we evaluate the Paddy Land-to-Dry Land (PLDL) program in Beijing, China, and associated changes in service providers' livelihood activities. The PLDL is a land use conversion program that aims to protect water quality and quantity for the only surface water reservoir that serves Beijing, China's capital city with nearly 20 million residents. Our analysis integrates hydrologic data with household survey data and shows that the PLDL generates benefits of improved water quantity and quality that exceed the costs of reduced agricultural output. The PLDL has an overall benefit-cost ratio of 1.5, and both downstream beneficiaries and upstream providers gain from the program. Household data show that changes in livelihood activities may offset some of the desired effects of the program through increased expenditures on agricultural fertilizers. Overall, however, reductions in fertilizer leaching from land use change dominate so that the program still has a positive net impact on water quality. This program is a successful example of water users paying upstream landholders to improve water quantity and quality through land use change. Program evaluation also highlights the importance of considering behavioral changes by program participants.

[Effects of different forest restoration approaches on the soil quality in red soil region of Southern China].

In 2008-2009, an investigation was conducted on the effects of three typical forest restoration approaches, i. e., naturally restored secondary forest, artificially restored native species Pinus massoniana plantation (Masson pine plantation), and introduced species Pinus elliottii plantation (slash pine plantation), on the soil quality in red soil region of Southern China. The results showed that the soil moisture content, bulk density, particle composition, and the contents of total carbon (C), total nitrogen (N), total phosphorus (P), organic C, available N, available P, and available potassium (K) in natural secondary forest were all superior to those in artificial plantations. The soil physical, chemical, and microbial properties were integrated into a soil quality index, which was significantly higher (1.20 +/- 0.10) in natural secondary forest than in Masson pine plantation (0.59 +/- 0.03) and slash pine plantation (0.59 +/- 0.06). Our results suggested as compared with the restoration with native species P. massoniana and with introduced P. elliottii, natural restoration could be a better forest restoration approach to improve the soil quality in red soil region of Southern China.

[Ecosystem services supply and consumption and their relationships with human well-being].

Sustainable ecosystem services supply is the basis of regional sustainable development, and human beings can satisfy and improve their well-being through ecosystem services consumption. To understand the relationships between ecosystem services supply and consumption and human well-being is of vital importance for coordinating the relationships between the conservation of ecosystem services and the improvement of human well-being. This paper summarized the diversity, complexity, and regionality of ecosystem services supply, the diversity and indispensability of ecosystem services consumption, and the multi-dimension, regionality, and various evaluation indices of human well-being, analyzed the uncertainty and multi-scale correlations between ecosystem services supply and consumption, and elaborated the feedback and asynchronous relationships between ecosystem services and human well-being. Some further research directions for the relationships between ecosystem services supply and consumption and human well-being were recommended.

[Airborne fungal community composition in indoor environments in Beijing].

Indoor environmental quality has significant effects on human health. It is reported that adults in China spent about 80%-90% of their time in indoor environments, and a number of physically handicapped people such as the elderly and infants stayed in the room even up to 95% of their total time. Moreover, air conditioner in indoor environments becomes more and more important in modern life, and a closed circulatory system can be formed among human body, room and air conditioner in indoor environments with an air conditioner, which can make the microbes such as bacteria, viruses and mold indoors propagate rapidly or abundantly. Therefore, studies on the microbial pollution in the air at places such as mall, classroom, office, and family home have been the research hotspots recently. In the present study, the community composition and concentration variation pattern of airborne fungi were investigated from Nov 2009 to Oct 2010 in 31 family homes with children in Beijing. Results showed that 24 generas of airborne fungi in family homes were identified from 225 isolates. The most common fungi were Penicillium, Cladosporium, Aspergillus, Alternaria and Phoma. The frequency of Penicillium, Cladosporium, Aspergillus, Alternaria and Monilia was much higher than those of other fungal genera in family home, and the frequency of Penicillium was more than 90%. As for the concentration percentage, airborne fungi with most high concentrations were Penicillium, Cladosporium, Aspergillus, No-sporing, and Alternaria, and totally accounted for more than 65.0%. Penicillium contributed to 32.2% of the total airborne fungi in family homes. In the 31 family homes selected, the fungal concentration in the air ranged from 62-3 498 CFU x m(-3), and the mean concentration was 837 CFU x m(-3). Seasonal variation pattern of total fungi, and Cladosporium, Aspergillus, Alternaria concentration was consistent, and the highest fungal concentration was observed in summer, followed by spring and autumn, and the lowest in winter. Concerning the Penicillium concentration, the seasonal variation pattern was different, and higher concentration was observed in spring than summer, autumn and winter. Finally, we also found that higher fungal concentration was detected in families with boys than those with girls, and negative correlation was found between airborne fungal concentration and living area per capita.

[Analysis of first flush effect of typical underlying surface runoff in Beijing urban city].

Rapid increase of the urban impervious underlying surfaces causes a great increase of urban runoff and the accumulation of pollutants on the roof and road surfaces brings many pollutants into the drainage system with the runoff, and it thus becomes a great threat to the urban water environment. To know the runoff pollution process and to build scientific basis for pollutant control, runoff processes from the roof and road surfaces were monitored and analyzed from 2004 to 2006, and the runoff EMC (Event Mean Concentration) was calculated. It was found that two types of runoff were seriously polluted by COD and TN. The COD and TN of roof runoff exceeded the fifth level of the surface water environmental quality standard (GB 3838-2002) by 3.64 and 4.80 times, respectively, and the COD and TN of road runoff exceeded by 3.73 and 1.07 times, respectively. M (V) curve was used to determine the relation between runoff volume and runoff pollution load. Various degrees of the first flush phenomenon were found for TSS, COD, TN and TP in roof runoff. But this phenomenon occurred only for TSS and TP of the road runoff, and on the whole it was not obvious. Properties of the underlying surfaces, rainfall intensity, and pollutant accumulation are all important factors affecting the roof and road runoff pollutant emission characteristics.