Assessing Well-Being in Forest Dependent Communities

Summary

This paper presents a new approach to the conceptualization and assessment of well-being in forest-dependent communities. Studies of well-being in agrarian communities, boomtowns (communities undergoing rapid growth), and forest-dependent communities are examined to highlight common themes in natural resource-dependent community studies. Social indicators are discussed and a summary of weaknesses presented. The county, a commonly used unit of analysis, is rejected in favor of a more socially relevant unit. This new approach to well-being in forest communities begins with definitions of the terms community and forest dependence. The work of Amartya Sen, whose conceptualization of well-being focuses on the real opportunities people have and their achievements in light of their opportunities, forms the foundation of the new approach proposed here. Sen's conceptualization is broadened by focusing on the community and acknowledging the importance of a sense of place. Methodologically, this new approach adds to the evaluation of social indicators an assessment of community capacity that consists of three components: physical, human, and social capital. It also involves evaluating how residents draw on and develop these aspects of their community to meet local needs and create opportunities. This results in a well-being assessment that includes static as well as dynamic measures of how communities respond to and create opportunities to improve local well-being.     

Tracking change in a human‐dominated landscape: developing conservation guidelines using freshwater fish

• 1. To conserve biodiversity in a human‐dominated landscape, a science‐based inventory and monitoring plan is needed that quantifies existing resources, isolates drivers that maintain natural communities, determines harmful stressors, and links ecological drivers and human stressors. A tactical approach is proposed for conservation planning using freshwater fish at the Cape Cod National Seashore.
• 2. Freshwater fish are well studied and occur across environmental gradients. The lentic systems at the national park are relatively pristine yet are enveloped by a region of high population density. Using fish community data, three steps were taken for tracking anthropogenic impacts in a human dominated landscape. First, fish and potential drivers were sampled intensively along a gradient to determine which fish metrics reflect natural communities and which abiotic and biotic factors structure them. Second, emerging and existing regional human threats were identified. Third, these human threats were linked to the potential drivers that maintain natural communities to identify the most informative metrics to monitor and track change.
• 3. Fish communities, water quality, habitat, and food resources were sampled concurrently in 18 ponds in 1999 and 2000. Three common fish species explained 98% of variation in numbers across systems. Based on ecological relationships, pH, depth, vegetation, prey, and community complexity were determined to maintain biodiversity of freshwater fish communities.
• 4. The primary human threats here included: development‐related, land‐use changes; non‐point source pollution; eutrophication from septic systems; and introduced species that are a byproduct of high human visitation. These are common threats in many rapidly urbanized areas and are likely to have relevance to many sites.
• 5. To track the impact of emerging threats to freshwater ponds related to increased human population, monitoring changes in water quality, vegetated habitat, fish diversity, and trophic interactions are recommended.

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

东省不同地区玉米内生真菌的群落组成和多样性分析

为探究山东省玉米内生真菌的资源分布、群落组成及多样性，采用叶片组织分离法对山东省52个市县的玉米内生真菌进行分离纯化，通过内转录间隔区（internal transcribed spacer，ITS）序列分析技术进行内生真菌的种属鉴定，并分析内生真菌的群落组成和多样性。结果表明，共分离到857株内生真菌，隶属25个属，其中链格孢属Alternaria的菌株数量最多，为583株，占总菌株数的68.03%，其次为镰刀菌属Fusarium有71株，占总菌株数的8.28%；大部分地区的优势属为链格孢属，少数地区的优势属为镰刀菌属、炭疽菌属Colletotrichum和弯孢属Curvularia。不同地区的内生真菌定殖率变化很大，在12.50%~100.00%之间，平均定殖率为76.15%；陵城的多样性指数和均匀度指数最高，分别为1.74和0.97；莱芜的丰富度指数最高为2.22。山东省玉米内生真菌可以分为5个类群，其中黄河流域地区内生真菌定殖率相对较高。表明山东省玉米内生真菌种类丰富，不同地区间多样性水平存在差异。     

Repeated physical disturbances and the stability of sub‐tropical coral communities in Hong Kong,China

• 1. This paper reports on the dynamics of the coral community structure at A Ma Wan (AMW) and A Ye Wan (AYW) in Tung Ping Chau, Hong Kong, focusing on data collected before and after the summer typhoon seasons in 1997 to 1999. This period (1999) experienced the highest frequency of severe tropical cyclones to hit Hong Kong with one cyclone being the strongest to hit in the last 23 years (1984 to 2006).
• 2. This is part of a long‐term monitoring programme of subtropical coral communities that has been set up in AMW since May 1997 and AYW since May 1998 with nine fixed position 40 m long transects and 0.5 m × 0.5 m permanent quadrats laid at 5 m intervals along each transect. A total of 45 scleractinian coral species from 21 genera (12 families) was recorded, with 40 species in AMW and 32 species in AYW recorded at the beginning of the study.
• 3. Multidimensional scaling ordinations showed distinct spatial variations in the coral communities within and between sites. These variations were probably a result of the differential effects of the repeated cyclone impacts on the communities. Cyphastrea serailia, Goniopora lobata, Montipora peltiformis and Pavona decussata were the dominant species most strongly affected by cyclone impacts at AMW, experiencing a 6.2–16.2% loss of mean area cover during the study period. Some dominant species (e.g. P. decussata) in AYW also experienced a 6.5–14.3% loss of mean area cover within the same period.
• 4. Overall, these coral community structures appeared relatively stable and resistant to repeated physical disturbances. However, they may have low resilience towards more severe disturbances in the future. Preserving the resilience of coral communities/species in Tung Ping Chau should be one of the main goals of coral conservation strategies for the island.

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

黄淮海地区稻茬小麦田杂草组成及群落特征

为明确黄淮海地区稻茬小麦田杂草组成及群落特征,采用倒置W型九点取样法对黄淮海地区稻茬小麦田杂草进行了调查,并进行了区域聚类分析。调查结果表明:从杂草种类来看,黄淮海地区稻茬小麦田杂草共有49种,隶属于17科45属,其中禾本科、菊科、十字花科和石竹科种类最多,分别有10、8、7和6种;从杂草优势度来看,优势杂草有7种,分别为看麦娘Alopecurus aequalis、硬草Sclerochloa kengiana、猪殃殃Galium aparine、牛繁缕Malachium aquaticum、稻槎菜Lapsana apogonoides、荠菜Capsella bursa-pastoris、日本看麦娘A. japonicus,区域性优势杂草有6种,分别为野老鹳草Geranium carolinianum、碎米芥Cardamine hirsuta、大巢菜Vicia gigantea、通泉草Mazus japonicus、菵草Beckmannia syzigachne、委陵菜Potentilla chinensis,这13种杂草是构成黄淮海地区稻茬小麦田的主要杂草,此外还分布有一般性杂草36种;从杂草区域分布来看,江苏省北部稻麦轮作区小麦田物种丰富度最高,有40种,明显高于其它稻麦轮作区小麦田,香农指数和均匀度指数也以该区域最高,分别为2.63和0.71,辛普森指数则以山东省临沂库灌稻麦区最高,为0.27。聚类分析结果表明,黄淮海地区稻茬小麦田杂草群落可以划分为4组,河南省南部稻麦轮作区和山东省临沂库灌稻麦轮作区杂草群落结构相似构成1组,河南省北部沿黄稻麦轮作区和山东省沿黄稻麦轮作区杂草群落结构相似构成1组;江苏省北部稻麦轮作区和山东省济宁滨湖稻麦轮作区各自单独成组。     

“Do Not Let the Grange Die!” Michigan Grangers' Struggle for Continued Relevance in the Twenty-First Century

ABSTRACT

The Grange was founded during a time when farmers were the majority of the population and secrecy was a means of survival. More than one hundred thirty-five years later, those characteristics are still strongly associated with it. Yet there is a growing consciousness among many members that the Grange has to become better at promoting itself among nontraditional constituencies-or it will die. This article explores the Grange experiences of five members. All have been profoundly affected by their membership. All are struggling with the need to reconcile loyalty to tradition with the need to change and adapt. In sharing their thoughts and feelings, the study has the opportunity to consider what the Grange's past was, what its present is, and what its future may become.     

基于Meta分析研究毛竹入侵致土壤pH提升及养分和微生物群落结构的变化

诸多研究发现毛竹入侵周围林分提高土壤pH，但未见统计性描述报道。为此，本研究将通过大数据分析证实此现象的普遍性以及探究伴随的土壤养分和微生物变化。本研究收录包含毛竹入侵有关土壤pH变化的42篇文献总计101组数据，采用整合分析方法（Meta-analysis）进行深入探讨。在研究土壤养分变化时，本文还结合了团队采集的12个毛竹入侵带的样地数据总计92个样品18组数据进行分析。结果表明，在所有的数据组中，84.9%的土壤在经过毛竹入侵后其pH有不同幅度的提升，说明毛竹入侵周围林分普遍提高土壤pH；土壤pH增加幅度随入侵阶段、毛竹纯林时间增加而增加，随土层深度增加而降低；入侵针叶林致土壤pH增加的幅度高于阔叶林。入侵的毛竹纯林与原生林相比，总体上显著降低（P<0.05）了土壤全氮（-15.9%）、硝态氮（-21.7%）、全碳（-2.0%），却增加（P<0.05）了土壤有效磷（+54.9%）、铵态氮（+14.7%）和碱解氮（+8.2%）。对27篇包含微生物数据的文献进行整合分析，结果表明毛竹入侵改变了微生物群落结构，增加（P<0.05）了放线菌门相对丰度（+25.86%），而降低（P<0.05）了酸杆菌门（-15.49%）、浮霉菌门（-26.66%）、拟杆菌门（-22.58%）的相对丰度。本研究通过Meta分析证明毛竹入侵周围林分提高土壤pH为普遍自然现象，结合土壤硝态氮和铵态氮指标的变化推测了导致土壤pH提升的可能机制，毛竹入侵提高了土壤细菌和真菌多样性，表明入侵对土壤微生物具有正反馈效应。     

古尔班通古特沙漠南缘脊椎动物群落的摄食集团及其生态适应

本文依据实地观测资料，探讨了古尔班通古特沙漠南缘区脊椎动物群落各摄食集团的动种构成及其随物候期食物资料变化所产生的相应分化和转换，揭示出该区域脊椎动物食集团具有不稳定的特征，分析得出，少数生态适应性强的物种摄食量集团的分化是维系沙质荒漠生态系统完整性的重要生态过程，它介研究脊椎动物群落营养结构动态的关键摄食集团。     

Bacterial community structure and microbial activity in different soils amended with biogas residues and cattle slurry

Anaerobic digestion of organic materials generates residues of differing chemical composition compared to undigested animal manures, which may affect the soil microbial ecosystem differently when used as fertilizers. This study investigated the effects of two biogas residues (BR-A and BR-B) and cattle slurry (CS) applied at rates corresponding to 70 kg NH₄⁺-N ha⁻¹ on bacterial community structure and microbial activity in three soils of different texture (a sandy, a clay and an organic clay soil). 16S rRNA genes were targeted in PCR reactions and bacterial community profiles visualized using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism. General microbial activity was measured as basal respiration (B-resp), substrate-induced respiration (SIR), specific growth rate (μ_SIR), metabolic quotient (qCO₂) and nitrogen mineralization capacity (NMC). Non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis visualized shifts in bacterial community structure related to microbial functions. There were significant differences in bacterial community structure after 120 days of incubation (+20 °C at 70% of WHC) between non-amended (control) and amended soils, especially in the sandy soil, where CS caused a more pronounced shift than biogas residues. Terminal-restriction fragment (TRF) 307, the predominant peak in CS-amended sandy soil, was identified as possibly Bacillus or Streptococcus. TRF 226, the dominant peak in organic soil amended with BR-B, was classified as Rhodopseudomonas. B-resp significantly increased and SIR decreased in all amendments to organic soil compared with the control, potentially indicating decreased efficiency of heterotrophic microorganisms to convert organic carbon into microbial biomass. This was also reflected in an elevated qCO₂ in the organic soil. The μ_SIR level was higher in the sandy soil amended with BR-A than with BR-B or CS, indicating a shift toward species capable of rapidly utilizing glucose. NMC was significantly elevated in the clay and organic soils amended with BR-A and BR-B and in the sandy soil amended with BR-B and CS. Thus, biogas residues and cattle slurry had different effects on the bacterial community structure and microbial activity in the three soils. However, the effects of biogas residues on microbial activities were comparable in magnitude to those of cattle slurry and the bacterial community structure was less affected. Therefore, we do not see any reason not to recommend using biogas residues as fertilizers based on the results presented.     

高职院校图书馆参与城市社区文化建设的实践与探索

文章论述了城市社区文化建设的内涵与存在的问题,高职院校图书馆参与者城市社区文化建设的必要性,以及在城市社区文化建设中如何积极有效利用高职院校图书馆的文献信息资源等优势,为城市社区文化建设服务的内容与措施。