Search

In recent years, export value-added tax (VAT) refund rebate and export tax (EVRRET) measures have been adopted for energy-intensive products in China. They are proclaimed to be climate policy, yet there is no explicit and unique carbon cost set on export, and the implicit export carbon tax rates vary dramatically across sectors and over different periods. A method is provided to introduce an explicit and unique carbon cost into the current EVRRET. By setting a comparable carbon cost (US$20/tCO2 and US$30/tCO2) for eight major energy-intensive sectors to which the EVRRET is widely applied, it derives the corresponding ad valorem average rate for each sector. The introduction of a carbon cost into export VAT refund rebate policy would not increase the current export VAT refund rebate rate (except for the chemical sector), but would simply define a ceiling. However, the same introduction into the export tax policy would lead to an overall increase in sectoral export tax rates. In terms of competitiveness and World Trade Organisation concerns, the better option for introducing a carbon cost into Chinese exports would be through reforming export VAT refund rebate policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to determine if there are differences in the composition of plant communities between road verges and adjacent areas, and to what extent road and traffic influence the characteristics of vegetation in a desertified steppe area. Sixteen transects perpendicular to the road were set at the southeastern edge of the Tengger Desert, to survey the characteristics of vegetation at different distances from the road. The results indicate that cover and density of the shrubs were lower at the road verges than in the control plots, while no significant differences were observed for species composition. For herbaceous plants, cover, above-ground biomass, species richness and α-diversity were higher at 0–3 m from the road edge than at plots more than 5 m from the edge, while differences in the density between plots at different distances from road edge were not found. β-diversity indices demonstrated that the species turnover rate was low at 0–2 m from the road edge, and that it increased from 2 m to 10 m from the road, after which it was similar among plots. Road verge vegetation was primarily dominated by ruderal species and rhizome grass, and also contained many drought intolerant species. The soils in plots within 2 m of the road edge had higher soil moisture, greater levels of sand, soil organic carbon and total nitrogen, and lower silt content and pH than plots located greater than 10 m from the road edge, indicating that these are important factors influencing the pattern of road verge vegetation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid urbanisation and serious environmental problems have led people worldwide to realise the significance of urban planning and management towards a sustainable environment. Beijing was used as a case study to develop a framework and strategies for sustainable development using ecological principles. At the regional level, Beijing-Tianjin agglomeration and Hebei Province are considered together. At the Beijing administrative level, some important measures are put forward for revision of the Beijing Urban Master Plan. At the Beijing plain level, the future spatial structure of Beijing city and the relationship between settlements, green space and transportation are considered, and three basic development patterns are proposed. At the inner district level, the ecological corridor system is suggested, based on ecosystem services. At the selected area level, a comprehensive strategy and key measures for conservation and renewal of old Beijing city core are provided. Once strategies for Beijing urban development are implemented step-by-step, a vision for future development can be achieved. This paper provides considerations for improvement of urban planning and management in China and other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological footprint (EF) analysis is an effective tool to assess ecosystem appropriation, but weaknesses still exist. In order to estimate a city's ecosystem appropriation, we made two modifications to EF: 1) including different types of freshwater area in the calculating framework; and 2) re-adjusting all equivalent factors in terms of different types of freshwater. The modifications are mainly concerned with changes in the composition of freshwater areas in EF analysis; that is, the proportion of aquaculture freshwater and tap freshwater. An assumption of 25 % of aquaculture freshwater was used to conduct a sensitivity test. It shows that variation of the proportion leads to different equivalent and yield factors for tap freshwater areas. The variations not only change the EF of freshwater but also the total EF. The modified EF calculation served to assess ecosystem appropriation in Jiangyin city in 1998. By comparing the original and the modified EF, it was found that the ecological deficit was larger (2.19 ha per capita) in the modified calculation than in the original (2.16 ha per capita). The original calculation is an underestimate because direct consumption of freshwater was not fully included in its calculating framework. From the modified calculation, the EF for different categories of ecosystems decreased, from fossil energy land, arable land and pasture to built-up areas, which together occupy about 97.58% of the total EF. Fossil energy land occupied 68.55% of the total, while freshwater areas took only 0.62%. The main ecological deficits were from fossil energy land, arable land, pasture and marine areas. Ecological supply is lacking within Jiangyin and relies on ecosystems outside the city to survive. Ecosystem management is indispensable to optimise the efficiency of ecosystem use and to expand the biological capacity of the city. The modified EF could provide a more reasonable instrument in policy-making and implementing sustainable management of freshwater ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban forest is a very important part of urban ecosystems and provides significant ecosystem services. It benefits urban communities environmentally, aesthetically, recreationally and economically. This article reviews the development status, development patterns and influencing factors of urban forest in China. There are four typical development patterns of urban forest in China: the forest city, garden city, ecological economics and forest greenbelt. Social, climatic, economic and other factors influence urban forest development in China. Social factors include government behaviour, laws and regulations, science and technology, education and culture, public awareness and participation, ecological planning and management. Climatic factors include rainfall, temperature and sunlight. Economic factors include urban economic level and funding for urban forest. In future, government, NGOs and the private sector should be considered more in the planning and management of urban forest. The social, climatic and economic factors should be taken into account when improving urban forest management. Research on urban forest from the academic and the management viewpoint should be strengthened. This can improve the development and management of urban forest in China and in other developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the kinds of helping behaviors given and received by Chinese college students and the kinds of explanations offered for these behaviors. It defines helping as one person's bringing about a benefit to another person. It also explores people's perceptions of helping intentions. It describes that to understand how helping intentions are perceived, one must first postulate a typology. The egoistic-altruistic dimension and the dichotomy of intrinsic-extrinsic motives are prevalent in helping and motivation research, but a typology specially devised for perceived helping intentions is missing. Such a typology is attempted in the article through a descriptive analysis of the participants' responses to the question of why help is given. It further informs that a questionnaire survey explored the kinds of helping behaviors given and received by Chinese college students and the kinds of explanations offered for these behaviors. It adds that helping behaviors reported by the Chinese students paralleled those of U.S. college students in McGuire; the behaviors were sorted, according to her typology, into casual, substantial personal, emotional, and emergency helping. Four categories of perceived intentions behind helping behaviors were identified: altruistic, normative, relationship, and exchange.

Urban heat islands (UHI) are a common phenomenon in most cities, and one of the most effective ways to mitigate UHI negative effects is with urban vegetation. This paper uses the mono-window algorithm for retrieving land surface temperature (LST) based on remote-sensing data, and simulates thermal effects in five situations, using different amounts of urban vegetation within the built-up area of Beijing. Our analyses indicated that the computed Near Surface Air Temperature (NSAT) of the current situation (25 July 2005) was 295.86 K at 02:47 which is comparable to the real observed mean NSAT (296 K) at that time. When all urban vegetation was removed, the mean LST and NSAT increased by 1.95 K and 0.92 K compared to the current situation. In addition, the mean NDVI (normalized difference vegetation index) increased to 0.22-0.42, while the mean NSAT decreased to 294.98-293.08 K, which is close to a temperature comfortable to humans (295-293 K) in that area. Our work should provide information for the government of Beijing and the public on the importance of urban vegetation in counteracting effects of UHI during urban land use and management projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aims to estimate the prevalence and risk factors of macrosomia and LGA (large for gestational age) in non-GDM (gestational diabetes mellitus) pregnant women in Fuyang, Anhui Province of China.Methods: A large population-based cohort study was conducted among non-GDM pregnant women aged 18-45 years. Maternal sociodemographic data prior to pregnancy were collected using interviewer-administered standardized questionnaire. Maternal obstetrical delivery records and newborn hospital records were extracted from antenatal care booklets and hospital discharge abstracts. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the predictors of macrosomia and LGA.Results: The incidence of macrosomia and LGA was 9.2 and 15.9%, respectively. Mothers ≥35 years of age (aOR 2.75, 95% CI 1.98, 3.80), male neonates (aOR 1.68, 95% CI 1.51, 1.89), overweight and obese (aOR 1.61, 95% CI 1.34, 1.92 and aOR 3.05, 95% CI 2.05, 4.56, respectively) were associated with increased risk of macrosomia. Compared with the less educated mothers, the educated mothers were more likely to have increased risk of macrosomia. IFA (iron and folic acid) supplements intake during pregnancy was more likely to deliver macrosomia or LGA (aOR1.32, 95% CI 1.08, 1.49 and aOR1.42, 95% CI 1.24, 1.61, respectively) as compared with no IFA supplements intake. SCr (serum creatinine concentration) >80 µmol/L was related to decreased risk of macrosomia (aOR 0.73, 95% CI 0.61, 0.86) and LGA (aOR 0.67, 95% CI 0.59, 0.77) as compared with normal range (44-80 µmol/L).Conclusions: There was a high prevalence of macrosomia and LGA in non-GDM pregnant women in China. Healthcare educations and reasonable body weight are necessary for pregnant women to prevent macrosomia and LGA. Pregnant women should be checked regularly and have the first prenatal visit as soon as possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amylosporus sulcatus sp. nov. is described from Nonggang Nature Reserve, southern China, on the basis of morphological and molecular data. The morphological description and illustrations for the new species are provided. The species is characterized by pileate and stipitate basidiocarps. The pileus surface is obviously concentrically and radiately sulcate and tomentum, and the pore surface is snow white. Phylogenetic analyses based on sequences of the internal transcribed spacer and nuclear large subunit ribosomal DNA confirmed it to be a new species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]