Genetic-diversity assessed by microsatellites in tropical maize populations submitted to a high-intensity reciprocal recurrent selection

BR-105 and BR-106 are important tropical maize populations, which were submitted to a high-intensity reciprocal recurrent selection, generating the IG-3 and IG-4synthetics. Using 30-microsatellite loci,we measured and compared the genetic diversity of these populations and their synthetics. The populations did not differ significantly regarding the amount of genetic diversity. As a consequence of selection, genetic variability losses, in terms of mean number of alleles per locus,proportion of polymorphic loci, and gene diversity did occur and were greater in the synthetic IG-3 than IG-4. In the synthetics, the number of loci in adherence to Hardy-Weinberg proportions was superior to that observed in the populations. The Wright's mean fixation index was higher than the mean value expected for outcrossing species (5%) indicating as light excess of homozygotic individuals in both populations. The genetic distances confirmed the favourable effects of one cycle of recurrent selection, as the synthetics became more isolated in comparison to the original populations. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Influencing the global through understanding the local: Harold Brookfield's contribution to international organisations' biodiversity policy

Abstract: This article focuses on a significant paradigm shift in the approaches to biodiversity conservation in the developing countries that has affected important international organisations, including the Global Environment Facility (GEF). This paradigm shift marks a movement beyond protected areas to production landscapes. It is argued that one particular project, People, Land Management and Environmental Change (PLEC), developed under the leadership of Harold Brookfield has contributed significantly to the shift. The project was instrumental in introducing the term ‘agrodiversity’ that encompasses biological diversity as well as the management diversity found in smallholder agricultural systems at all levels. The article describes the evolution of PLEC into a major international collaborative project funded through the GEF. It highlights the project's main achievements and its influence on the policy‐making in the GEF relying on the findings of independent evaluations.     

Plant‐frugivore interactions in an intact tropical forest in north‐east Thailand

Fleshy‐fruited plants in tropical forests largely rely on vertebrate frugivores to disperse their seeds. Although this plant–animal interaction is typically considered a diffuse mutualism, it is fundamental as it provides the template on which tropical forest communities are structured. We applied a mutualistic network approach to investigate the relationship between small‐fruited fleshy plant species and the fruit‐eating bird community in an intact evergreen forest in northeast Thailand. A minimum of 53 bird species consumed fruits of 136 plant species. Plant‐avian frugivore networks were highly asymmetrical, with observed networks filling 30% of all potential links. Whereas some of the missing links in the present study might be due to undersampling, forbidden links can be attributed to size constraints, accessibility and phenological uncoupling, and although the majority of missing links were unknown (58.2%), many were probably due to a given bird species being either rare or only a very occasional fruit eater. The most common frugivores were bulbuls, barbets and fairy‐bluebirds, which were responsible for the majority of fruit removal from small fleshy fruited species in our system. Migratory birds seemed to be a minor component of the plant‐frugivore networks, accounting for only 3% of feeding visits to fruiting trees; they filled 2% of the overall potential networks. The majority of interactions were generalized unspecific; however, Saurauia roxburghii Wall. appeared to be dependent on flowerpeckers for dispersal, while Thick‐billed Pigeons were only seen to eat figs.     

几种热带果树在闽东南园林应用探讨

大多数木本常绿热带果树在闽东南适应性良好,有较高的经济开发价值和园林应用前景。针对目前闽东南水果品种不丰富和应用于园林绿化材料单调、配置单一的现状。在介绍几种新、优热带果树资源的基础上,探讨热带果树的开发前景和提出把热带果树应用于城市园林绿化建设的新思路,以丰富植物多样性和园林景观。     

热带山地雨林生态系统水文化学循环规律的研究

根据５ａ定位观测，对尖峰岭热带山地雨林更新林生态系统的水文化学循环规律的数据分析表明，年均降雨量为２６６８．３ｍｍ，其中总径流量占４６．７％，蒸散量５３．３％，冠层截留量１４．０％。Ｎ、Ｐ、Ｋ、Ｃａ、Ｍｇ的年均降雨输入量为７８．４ｋｇ／（ｈｍ２·ａ），总径流输出５６．７ｋｇ／（ｈｍ２·ａ），净积累２１．６ｋｇ／（ｈｍ２·ａ）；Ｓｉ、有机Ｃ、Ａｌ、Ｍｎ的年均降雨输入量为２５．０ｋｇ／（ｈｍ２·ａ），总径流输出为１１２．３ｋｇ／（ｈｍ２·ａ），净损失８７．３ｋｇ／（ｈｍ２·ａ），更新林系统仅处于更新进展过程中，同时证实了冠层对降水化学的淋溶效应，净淋溶系数达４．１１；提出了降雨、林内净降雨、总径流的各水化学物含量与其相应水量的回归模式     

Agroforestry in the management of sloping lands in Asia and the Pacific

Steeply sloping lands are widespread in the tropics. An estimated 500 million people practice subsistence agriculture in these marginal areas. Continued population growth has led to the intensified cultivation of large areas of the sloping lands, exacerbating the problem of soil erosion. Although research shows that alley cropping and other contour agroforestry systems can stabilize the sloping lands, these systems have not been widely adopted by farmers. The Framework for Evaluating Sustainable Land Management (FESLM) has been tested in sloping land areas in the Philippines. Sustainable land management must be productive, stable, viable, and acceptable to farmers, while protecting soil and water resources. Farms on which contour hedgerow intercropping has been adopted meet the multifaceted requirements of FESLM, whereas the farmers' current practice does not. Appropriate land management measures for particular locations depend on a complex suite of social, economic, and biophysical factors, and need to be developed in participation with farmers. The role of agroforestry in sustainable management of sloping lands is the subject of networks coordinated by the International Board for Soil Research and Management (IBSRAM) in seven countries in Asia (ASIALAND) and four countries in the Pacific (PACIFICLAND). We review selected outcomes from a wealth of network data. From these results the following conclusions about the sustainability of various agroforestry systems for sloping lands can be drawn: • In the Pacific, soil loss from sloping lands due to water erosion under farmers' current practices is episodic, unpredictable, and possibly not severe; • Agroforestry systems that utilize legume shrubs, fruit trees, coffee (Coffea spp.) or rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) provide useful economic returns, but are not an essential component in terms of soil protection because grass or pineapple (Ananas comosus) planted on the contour are equally effective in reducing erosion; • Agricultural intensification will lead to nutrient mining, reduction of aboveground biomass, declining yields, and less soil protection unless external sources of nutrients are used; • nitrogen can be effectively supplied using legumes; • Cash derived from hedgerow trees and/or shrubs may providean incentive for their adoption by farmers, as well as funds to purchase external inputs such as fertilizers; • Labor may be a major constraint to the adoption of complex agroforestry systems. We also discuss the information management systems required to effectively manage and utilize the extensive sets of experimental and indigenous data being accumulated. We believe such information systems can facilitate technology transfer across and between regions, and improve the efficiency of research into agroforestry and other land-management approaches. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

主要热带相思在华南地区的生长及适应性探讨

热带相思为多用途树种，多数种类在华南热带、南亚热带地区的不同类型土壤上表现出较强的适应性，马占相思、厚荚相思等3－4年生幼林年平均生长量高2－4m，胸径3－4cm。但热带相思的发展，往往受到低温的制约，其栽培北界一般可到20℃等温线，局部地区可至18℃而以年积温＞7000℃，极端最低平均温5℃以上为其适生范围。栽培热带相思易达到较高社会效益和经济效益。在农用林业、改良土壤、固氮等方面都能起到良好的作用，不少树种其木材可用作建筑、家具、单板等，木材基本密度460－620kg/m^3，如作为造纸原料，具有广阔的前景。     

中东欧前社会主义国家森林私有化概况与发展趋势

概括介绍了中东欧前社会主义国家林权私有化的现状、面临的种种挑战和发展趋势。     

Mass propagation method from the cutting of three dipterocarp species

We developed a vegetative propagation system for mass-producing three dipterocarps species,Shorea selanica Bl.,Shorea leprosula Mig., andShorea platyclados Sloot. This system uses fog evaporative cooling inside a greenhouse to reduce the leaf-to-air vapor pressure deficit (leaf-to-air VPD) inside the propagator, even under high irradiance conditions. This cooling method has no negative influence on medium conditions such as overwetting. A plastic tent propagator combined with this cooling method was used for vegetative propagation experiments. In mass-production experiments, the annual rooting percentages from the cuttings were low in the first 2 years (1997–1998) due to operational problems of the tent propagator (S. selanica, 48–51%;S. leprosula, 56–59%;S. platyclados: 50–63%). A hard cover propagator improved the rooting percentages in the mass-production experiments in 1999 because it made operations easier (S. selanica, 70%;S. leprosula, 77%;S. platyclados, 77%). This system, which uses a combination of fog evaporative cooling and a hard plastic propagator, should be useful for the mass propagation of these dipterocarp planting stocks. This study was carried out under a joint project of the Ministry of Forestry, Indonesia and Komatsu Ltd. The project was supported by Research Association for Reforestation of Tropical Forest (RETROF) organized by Japanese Forestry Agency.     

海南岛热带森林生物多样性研究进展

生物多样性是生态学研究中一个重要的领域,海南岛热带林有很高的生物多样性。阐述海南岛热带林生物多样性的意义和研究进展,介绍海南岛热带林物种多样性、遗传多样性、生态系统多样性和景观多样性特点,结合生物多样性锐减的现状提出了相应的保护建议。