Sacred sites as habitats of culturally important plant species in an Indian megacity

Cultural ecosystem services related to urban green spaces contribute significantly to liveable cities. While previous studies highlight the intersection of cultural ecosystem services with societal values, spiritual or religious values associated with urban nature have received less attention. In India, as in other parts of the world, sacred sites are known for their biological richness, but analyses from urban sacred sites are largely missing. Based on a stratified random sampling approach, we analysed the cultivated and wild plant species assemblages of 69 sacred sites in the megacity of Bengaluru, India, in relation to biological and cultural features, and parameters related to the urban matrix and type of sacred sites (temple vs. katte). Unlike other urban studies, we found a dominance of native species in the cultivated and spontaneous species pools (121 species in total), with Ficus religiosa and Azadirachta indica as most frequently planted species. Culturally relevant species prevailed in the species pool (89%), with overlaps between religious (36%), medicinal (50%) and ornamental (62%) plants; only 11% of species were weeds. Urban matrix parameters (age of development, housing density) and size and type of sacred sites were related to differences in species assemblages. We identified key species for different classes of age and housing density, and for types of sacred sites. Our study demonstrates that urban sacred sites have an important potential in harbouring both native and culturally significant species that can support urban livelihoods in developing countries by a range of cultural and provisioning ecosystem services, including medicinal uses. As such sites are conserved by communities for spiritual or cultural beliefs, local biodiversity can be enhanced, e.g. by adapting management practices through community participation. This would strengthen the important contribution of sacred sites within the green infrastructure of rapidly growing megacities.     

智慧图书馆微观知识生态系统运行机理研究

伴随多元化时代的来临,用户的知识需求日益多元化、专业化,对图书馆服务提出了新的挑战。对智慧图书馆微观知识生态系统运行机理的研究,能够为新型知识服务提供理论基础,保障知识资源进行有效的优化整合,实现服务升级。文章在简要分析智慧图书馆微观知识生态系统四大要素的基础上,着重从社会发展、技术进步,知识富集、优化调整和需求驱动、服务升级三方面探讨其形成动因,重点分析智慧图书馆微观知识生态系统的生命周期,最后从合作、循环和保障三方面探讨其运行机理。     

Soil quality assessments in integrated crop–livestock–forest systems: A review

Integrated crop–livestock–forest is a promising strategy to improve soil quality. It comprises four different integrated farming systems: crop–livestock, crop–forest, forest–livestock and crop–livestock–forest. This work systematically reviewed studies about integrated crop–livestock–forest systems and soil quality. A total of 92 papers were retrieved from the Web of Science—Clarivate Analytics platform, and the following information was analysed: publication year, institution, region of the studied site, type of integrated system, soil type, tillage system, maximum soil depth and the soil quality indicators assessed. Most studies were published in the second half of the 2010s. Brazil is a prominent focus of research about soil quality and integrated crop–livestock–forest systems, with significant contribution from its central and southern regions. The Embrapa was the main publishing institution, present in over one‐third of the studies. Crop–livestock was the most common integrated system, Ferralsols was the most common soil group, and most of the studied soils were clayey. No tillage was the main tillage system. Most studies focused on the topsoil, assessing physical and/or chemical soil quality indicators. More emphasis on biological indicators of soil quality is required, as well as assessments integrating biological, physical and chemical indicators of soil quality. Future works should compare different integrated systems, including assessments deeper in the soil profile, especially in systems with the forest component, and also in sandy and silty soils. Soil quality indicators that have been rarely used should be further tested. Novel indicators should be added to better understand the promotion of soil quality by integrated crop–livestock–forest systems.     

Getting cosy in freshwater: Assumed to be brackish pike are not so brackish after all

Pike (Esox lucius) occupy coastal streams and rivers of the Baltic Sea, where they attain large sizes (>5 kg). These large sizes are perhaps due to the fact that they can tolerate relatively high salinities and can thus forage in the nearby more productive brackish environments. In an attempt to quantify the extent to which pike utilise brackish environments, and to provide some insight into the underlying causes for brackish water migrations, we tagged 30 pike from a western Baltic river with acoustic transmitters and were able to track 21 individuals for 1 year. Based on experienced from local anglers, this population was assumed to be brackish in nature, where individuals underwent freshwater migrations to spawn. Our findings however suggest that the smallest and most active individuals make short exits into brackish waters and do so on rare occasions. Our results further indicate that neither sex nor size is related to activity level. We suggest that these patterns reflect two distinct behaviours—active and passive—and that large pike can be supported by the food availability in the river, without the need to venture into coastal zones, thus defying the conventional view that Baltic pike are all brackish in nature.     

基于GIS与RS的北方防沙屏障带生态系统格局演变

研究北方防沙屏障带生态系统格局演变特征,对加强屏障带建设、改善生态环境具有重要意义。以北方防沙屏障带为研究区,根据2005、2010、2015年MODIS遥感影像,将北方防沙屏障带生态系统类型划分为森林、草地、湿地、农田、城镇、荒漠和裸地7类。采用空间统计、转移矩阵、景观指数分析法、PNTIL模型等方法,对北方防沙屏障带2005—2015年生态系统类型时空演变特征进行分析。结果表明,2005—2015年北方防沙屏障带生态系统整体呈稳定状态;从分屏障带看,内蒙古防沙屏障带荒漠面积明显减少,塔里木防沙屏障带森林面积迅速增加,而河西走廊防沙屏障带草地面积明显增加;从正/逆转换方向来看,屏障带内农田、城镇、荒漠及裸地生态系统正向转换率高于逆向转换率。10年间,在景观水平上,北方防沙屏障带斑块数量、斑块密度呈减少趋势;在类型水平上荒漠景观整体呈现破碎化萎缩的趋势特征,森林、草地向形状简单化的方向发展。研究表明,2005—2015年,北方防沙屏障带生态总体向好,治沙效果明显,但局部仍面临较大压力。     

西藏山南地区草地资源及其合理利用

由于对西藏山南地区草原状况缺乏全面认识，未能合理利用，出现了草原退化等一系列问题。为了合理开发利用草地资源，通过调查提出：调整畜群结构，推行草场有偿承包责任制，开展季节性畜牧业，建立草地农业生态系统等建议。     

中国西部草地生态系统可持续发展的探讨

针对在西部大开发战略背景下中国西部草地生态系统的可持续发展问题,从可持续发展研究的背景出发,参阅国内外对可持续发展的理解和研究,在对中国西部草地生态系统的特点、利用情况、存在问题进行分析的基础上,参照可持续发展思想、千年生态系统综合评估思想和社会经济理论,提出实现中国西部草地生态系统可持续发展就是要处理好西部草地自然资源和生态环境子系统、经济发展子系统、科技文化子系统、人口子系统、草地资源利用子系统和草地管理子系统之间的关系,解决好系统相悖的问题,促进各个子系统耦合,使西部草地生态系统全面协调可持续发展。     

暴发高致病禽流感疫区鸟类禽流感的血清学调查

本研究应用血凝抑制试验(H I),2004年初H 5亚型禽流感在中国内地发生前后,于湖北、广西二疫区市县的生态系中,自健康的鹰、鸽子、野鸭和鹌鹑中采集了54份血清,对其进行了血清学检测,并将获得的血清学检测数据进行了统计学分析。分析结果显示,在总共采集的54份血清样品中,抗H 6亚型禽流感病毒(H 6)抗体、抗H 9亚型禽流感病毒(H 9)抗体、抗H 5亚型禽流感病毒(H 5)抗体阳性率分别为64.8%、75.9%、29.6%。推断,这一时期,H 6亚型禽流感病毒(H 6)、H 9亚型禽流感病毒(H 9)和H 5亚型禽流感病毒(H 5)共循环于该生态系中,其中H 9、H 6亚型禽流感病毒长期、稳定循环于该生态系中,为该生态系禽流感主要流行血清型。血凝抑制试验检测结果发现,H 5亚型禽流感病毒抗体滴度较低,最高仅为640×,其阳性率为29.6%,推断其可能为新近传入的病毒或新近重组变异出现的新病毒,可能为与该次禽流感暴发相关的新病毒,这一推断还有待于通过对病毒基因序列的分析而做进一步验证。     

Construction and Development of the Dagangshan Forest Ecosystem Research Station

Established by the former Ministry of Forestry in 1986, Dagangshan Forest Ecosystem Research Station is one of the 14 national key sites in the field of ecosystem research. In this paper, the basic situation of Dagangshan Forest Ecosystem Station is described, including geographic location, natural conditions, biological resources, research conditions, instruments, achievement, prospects etc.     

上黄村草地生态系统能流和物流的初步研究

上黄村草地土壤生态系统能量投入主要是动力投入,无营养物质投入。人工草地能量产出占总能量产出的50％以上,而面积仅占总面积的20％～52％；草地能量投入具有起伏性,产出具有波动性。草地土壤生态系统营养物质移出是草地土壤肥力退化的根本原因,无营养物质投入的人工草地更加剧了营养物质的迁出及土壤肥力的退化。