Ecology of Yuqing County Carbon Sink Calculation and Ecosystem Protection Measures

Based on the remote sensing statistical data of land use of terrestrial ecosystems in Yuqing County, this paper calculates the amount of carbon sinks in the county according to the existing carbon sink carbon density index, compares the amount of different types of carbon sinks, and analyzes their respective carbon sink potential. The results show that the forest carbon sink is the largest, about 2.2 million tons, accounting for 75% of the total carbon sink in the county, showing the great potential of forest vegetation to absorb CO2 through photosynthesis, followed by the carbon sink produced by dry land (cultivated land), about 400,000 tons, accounting for 13% of the total carbon sink in the county; Although the amount of wetland aquatic carbon sink is small, its carbon density is very large, and it has the advantages of short renewal time and fast carbon sink, so it has great potential and can be artificially regulated to increase carbon sink. Based on the above research and analysis, combined with the spirit of the national carbon peak and carbon neutral policy and the natural law of ecosystem development, three measures to protect and increase carbon sinks in terrestrial ecosystems were put forward: (1) continuing to carry out forestry planting and do a good job in forestry protection; (2) stabilizing the surface water area and developing aquatic carbon sinks; (3) Establish a long-term monitoring system to ensure the contribution of carbon sinks, provide support for the protection of ecosystem and the development of carbon sink potential in Yuqing County from two aspects of science and management, and compare the amount of different types of carbon sinks, and analyze their carbon sink potential. On this basis, combined with the spirit of the national carbon peak and carbon neutral policy and the natural law of ecosystem development, three kinds of terrestrial ecosystem carbon sink protection and increase wording were put forward accordingly, which provided support for ecosystem protection and carbon sink potential development in Yuqing County from two aspects of science and management

PRECAUTION AND A DISMAL THEOREM: IMPLICATIONS FOR CLIMATE POLICY AND CLIMATE RESEARCH

We discuss the implication of Weitzman's Dismal Theorem for climate policy and climate research.climate change, uncertainty

Forest Inventories: Discrepancies and Uncertainties

Credits for sequestered carbon augment forests’ already considerable value as natural habitat and as producers of timber and biomass, making their accurate inventory more critical than ever before. This article examines discrepancies in inventories of forest attributes and their sources in four variables: area, timber volume per area, biomass per timber volume, and carbon concentration. Documented discrepancies range up to a multibillion-ton difference in the global stock of carbon in trees. Because the variables are multiplied together to estimate an attribute like carbon stock, more precise measurement of the most certain variable improves accuracy little, and a 10 percent error in biomass per timber levers a discrepancy as much as a mistake in millions of hectares. More precise measurements of, say, accessible stands cannot remedy inaccuracies from biased sampling of regional forests. The discrepancies and uncertainties documented here underscore the obligation to improve monitoring of global forests.forest monitoring, Forest Identity, forest carbon, remote sensing

Technologies for climate change adaptation: agricultural sector

This Guidebook presents a selection of technologies for climate change adaptation in the agricultural sector. A set of twenty two adaptation technologies are showcased that are primarily based on the principals of agroecology, but also include scientific technologies of climate and biological sciences complemented with important sociological and institutional capacity building processes that are required to make adaptation function. The technologies cover monitoring and forecasting the climate, sustainable water use and management, soil management, sustainable crop management, seed conservation, sustainable forest management and sustainable livestock management. Technologies that tend to homogenize the natural environment and agricultural production have low possibilities of success in conditions of environmental stress that are likely to result from climate change. On the other hand, technologies that allow for, and indeed promote, diversity are more likely to provide a strategy which strengthens agricultural production in the face of uncertain future climate change scenarios. In this sense, the twenty two technologies showcased in this Guidebook have been selected because they facilitate the conservation and restoration of diversity while at the same time providing opportunities for increasing agricultural productivity. Many of these technologies are not new to agricultural production practices, but they are implemented based on assessment of current and possible future impacts of climate change in a particular location. Agro-ecology is an approach that encompasses concepts of sustainable production and biodiversity promotion and therefore provides a useful framework for identifying and selecting appropriate adaptation technologies for the agricultural sector. The Guidebook provides a systematic analysis of the most relevant information available on climate change adaptation technologies in the agriculture sector. It has been compiled based on a literature review of key publications, journal articles, and e-platforms, and by drawing on documented experiences sourced from a range of organizations working on projects and programmes concerned with climate change adaptation technologies in the agricultural sector. Its geographic scope is focused on developing countries where high levels of poverty, agricultural production, climate variability and biological diversity currently intersect. Key concepts around climate change adaptation are not universally agreed. It is therefore important to understand local contexts – especially social and cultural norms - when working with national and sub-national stakeholders to make informed decisions about appropriate technology options. Thus, decision-making processes should be participative, facilitated, and consensus-building oriented and should be based on the following key guiding principles: increasing awareness and knowledge, strengthening institutions, protecting natural resources, providing financial assistance and developing context-specific strategies. For decision-making the Community–Based Adaptation framework is proposed for creating inclusive governance that engages a range of stakeholders directly with local or district government and national coordinating bodies, and facilitates participatory planning, monitoring and implementation of adaptation activities. Seven criteria are suggested for the prioritization of adaptation technologies: (i) The extent to which the technology maintains or strengthens biological diversity and is environmentally sustainable; (ii) The extent to which the technology facilitates access to information systems and awareness of climate change information; (iii) Whether the technology support water, carbon and nutrient cycles and enables stable and/or increased productivity; (iv) Income-generating potential, cost-benefit analysis and contribution to improved equity; (v) Respect for cultural diversity and facilitation of inter-cultural exchange; (vi) Potential for integration into regional and national policies and can be scaled-up; (vii) The extent to which the technology builds formal and information institutions and social networks. Finally, recommendations are set out for practitioners and policy makers: • There is an urgent need for improved climate modelling and forecasting which can provide a basis for informed decision-making and the implementation of adaptation strategies. This should include traditional knowledge. • Information is also required to better understand the behaviour of plants, animals, pests and diseases as they react to climate change. • Potential changes in economic and social systems in the future under different climate scenarios should also be investigated so that the implications of adaptation strategy and planning choices are better understood. • It is important to secure effective flows of information through appropriate dissemination channels. This is vital for building adaptive capacity and decision-making processes. • Improved analysis of adaptation technologies is required to show how they can contribute to building adaptive capacity and resilience in the agricultural sector. This information needs to be compiled and disseminated for a range of stakeholders from local to national level. • Relationships between policy makers, researchers and communities should be built so that technologies and planning processes are developed in partnership, responding to producers’ needs and integrating their knowledge

Formalization of the General Model of the Green Economy at the Regional Level

The paper focuses on the study of the problems of the economic and mathematical modeling of the green economy at the regional level. The purpose of the research is the development of economic and mathematical tools for the economic and ecological systems’ modeling at the regional level on the basis of the principles of green economy. The hypothesis of the research is based on the thesis that in the conditions of the exhaustion of natural resources and depletion of natural capital, the technogenic fields, production and consumption waste could be considered as a resource basis for modernization. Such factors’ use leads to the elimination of accumulated environmental damage and substitution of natural resources. The paper describes the approaches to the system modeling problem-solving in order to develop the green economy both in the country and its regions. The urgency of the transition to a green economy is confirmed by the theoretical and practical research on the cyclical development of the socio-eco-economic systems. A number of formalized models and methods for solving the current environmental and economic issues including the economic valuation of accumulated environmental damage, eco-economic assessment of the efficiency of natural resource substitution with resource-substitute are proposed as well as the choice of an optimal set of resources-substitutes taking into account the financial and natural resource constraints. The authors research the typical model of green growth considering the exhaustion of natural resources, technogenic resources deposits involving in economic circulation through the implementation of investment projects on the elimination of accumulated environmental damage. The results could be used in the different regions of Russia for the justification and implementation of investment projects within the framework of the federal target program “Elimination of accumulated environmental damage” in 2015–2026 years.The research has been supported by the Grant of the Russian Foundation for Humanities, Project №14–02–00235а

Assessing and Mapping Forest Landscape Quality in China

Forest landscape plays a critical role in the resource management and recreational planning of forest destinations. An assessment of forest landscape quality (FLQ) could reflect the distribution of landscape resources, hence identifying the hotpots and areas with high visual quality and protection values. The objective of this study is to propose, for the first time, a methodology for assessing FLQ at the national level. Based on China’s forestry inventory database, the paper identified landform patterns and vegetative patterns as determinants (including 12 indicators) to establish an evaluation index system, and further implemented and mapped FLQ using the ArcGIS Engine platform. Results show high mountain ranges and tropical areas in China often have a high-quality forest landscape, while low FLQ scores are found in low mountains and foothills. The distribution of the four FLQ levels indicates most forest areas are featured with mediocre- or low- quality landscape values, and the differences of FLQ among different forest types are obvious. Furthermore, there is a relatively low correlation between the total forest area and the area of high-quality forest landscape. Overall, this study could contribute to enriching the existing assessment system for FLQ and to guiding the planning, policy development, and decision-making for China’s forestry administration