Comparison of cavity modification and community involvement as strategies for hornbill conservation in Thailand

We monitored breeding success of hornbills in Thailand for four sympatric species at Khao Yai National Park during 1981-2002 and six species at Budo-Sungai Padi National Park during 1994-2002. Within a 60 km² study area at Khao Yai, the well protected area, use of available cavities ranged from 94% in 1984 to 50% in 1993. Competition for nesting cavities was 40% of cavities available indicating the shortage of suitable cavity. We monitored the cavity condition and modified 48 cavities and, between 1996 and 2000, these contributed annually 23-45% of nestings that were successfully fledged (n = 352). Within the 90 km² at Budo Mountain, with heavy human disturbance, use of available cavities for nesting decreased from 81% in 1997 to 30% by 2001 and of successful fledging from 96% in 1997 to 55% in 1999, but both increased once our involvement with local communities had eradicated poaching and reduced disturbance. Competition for nesting cavities here was 26% of cavities available indicating the effect of poaching. Both strategies were successful in the short term but long-term management of cavities in large forest trees is required at Khao Yai and of forest disturbance at Budo.     

A leakiness index for assessing landscape function using remote sensing

The cover, number, size, shape, spatial arrangement and orientation of vegetation patches are attributes that have been used to indicate how well landscapes function to retain, not ‘leak’, vital system resources such as rainwater and soil. We derived and tested a directional leakiness index (DLI) for this resource retention function. We used simulated landscape maps where resource flows over map surfaces were directional and where landscape patch attributes were known. Although DLI was most strongly related to patch cover, it also logically related to patch number, size, shape, arrangement and orientation. If the direction of resource flow is multi-directional, a variant of DLI, the multi-directional leakiness index (MDLI) can be used. The utility of DLI and MDLI was demonstrated by applying these indices to three Australian savanna landscapes differing in their remotely sensed vegetation patch attributes. These leakiness indices clearly positioned these three landscapes along a function-dysfunction continuum, where dysfunctional landscapes are leaky (poorly retain resources). This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

热带海岸次生林群落主要乔木的种间关联分析

对热带海岸次生林群落主要乔木种群的重要值、方差比率、χ~2统计量和Ochiai(OI)指数等种间联结性指标进行测定,旨在揭示该群落优势种群之间相互作用的内在关联及种对间关联性的内在规律。结果表明:香蒲桃是热带海岸次生林群落的主要建群种;热带海岸次生林群落19个主要种群总体关联性表现为不显著正关联,反映了该群落尚未达到稳定的演替阶段;χ~2检验结果显示该群落优势种群正关联种对与负关联种对数量相当,无关联种对数较少,分别占总对数的42.7%、43.3%和14.0%,显著正关联种对数为1对,极显著和显著负关联种对数为2对;Ochiai(OI)指数显示66对种对的OI值落在[0.6,1],反映出热带海岸次生林主要种对间关联程度较为紧密。综上所述,热带海岸次生林群落优势种群种对间种间关联明显,物种之间存在一定的独立性,整体趋向稳定发展,实践中为加快热带次生林演替的进程,应重点保护正联结性较强的树种。     

我国热区疫霉种的分布、疫病及其防治研究进展

综述了我国热带地区疫霉种类及其引起的植物病害,并总结了疫病的防治措施,最后对疫病防治的新策略进行了展望。     

热带农业科技国际合作项目评价体系初探

从国际科技合作项目的特点出发,探讨提出热带农业科技国际合作项目评价体系的雏形,并对评价体系的项目前评价、项目中评价及项目后评价3个阶段的评价指标加以充实,为热带农业科技国际合作项目的科学、规范管理提供参考依据。     

海南岛甘什岭热带低地雨林植物组成与地理成分

为揭示海南岛甘什岭热带低地雨林区域植物群落特征、性质和规律,以期为进一步分析生物多样性保育与恢复策略及生态服务功能评估等提供科学依据,在海南岛南部甘什岭自然保护区选择典型低地雨林建立1 hm~2固定样地,进行立地因子和植被调查,并研究其物种组成与地理成分。结果表明:维管植物隶属于65科150属213种,种子植物63科148属211种,分别占海南岛和全国种子植物总科、属、种的32.66%、19.29%,13.56%、4.69%和7.65%、0.78%~0.81%;优势科明显,单种科36个,寡种科24个,共占总科数的92.31%;属内种的变化范围为1~6,单种属最多,占总数的76.00%;科和属的分布区类型均以泛热带分布为主,热带性质占绝对优势,这不同于尖峰岭山地雨林热带-亚热带过度性明显的特点;根据种-面积曲线研究表明,甘什岭热带低地雨林最小取样面积为范围在3 600~6 400 m~2之间,其上限高于海南岛霸王岭热带山地雨林的4 000 m~2最小面积;相较于山地雨林,其植物种类较丰富,地理成分更复杂。     

Influence of biomineralization on the physico-mechanical profile of a tropical soil affected by erosive processes

Most of the soils of tropical countries are affected by erosion processes. As a result, much attention has been dedicated to the use of microorganisms to improve the geotechnical properties and stability of soils in the context of “bioengineering”. This work was carried out to analyze the effects of the use of a CaCO₃ precipitating nutrient on native microbiota with the aim of mitigating the erosion processes in a tropical soil profile. We observed that the use of nutrient B4 enabled native bacteria present in the soil to precipitate calcium carbonate, resulting in improvements in the physical, chemical, mineralogical and mechanical properties of the soil, which allowed the mitigation of the erosion processes that characterize the soil profile studied.     

Soil aggregate formation and stability induced by starch and cellulose

Soil aggregate (SA) can be formed and stabilized when soil organic matter (SOM) is decomposed in the soil. However, the relationships between the SA dynamics and SOM with different decomposition rates have not been clarified. Therefore, this study examined the effects of the addition of polysaccharides to soil on SA formation and stability. A Japanese tropical soil was incubated for 99 d at 30 °C in a dark environment following the addition of 0.5% (w/w) starch or cellulose. The decomposition rates of the amendments, and SA formation and stability were evaluated by measuring soil respiration rates, and distribution fractions of soil aggregate sizes and mean weight diameter (MWD) of SA, respectively. The cumulative soil respirations with all treatments rapidly increased until Day 12 of the incubation. The initial slope of the cumulative soil respiration in the soil with starch was significantly higher than that in the soil with cellulose. In either soil with starch or cellulose, the fractions of macro-aggregates (>1000 μm in diameter) significantly increased, respectively, compared with control soil. However, the fractions of meso-aggregates (250–1000 μm) and nano-aggregate (<20 μm) in the soil with starch significantly decreased, while those fractions in the soil with cellulose fluctuated until Day 6. The MWDs reached the maximum on Day 6, indicating the SA formation in the soils with starch or cellulose. The increasing rate of the SA formation in the starch-amended soil was greatly higher than that in the cellulose-amended soil. After Day 6, the MWDs in the soils with either polysaccharide decreased with similar trends with no significant differences between treatments, indicating similar stability of the SA in both treatments. This study showed that the different decomposability of the organic amendments might influence the SA formation differently, but not the SA stability.     

The effect of lime levels on the growth of beans and maize and nodulation of beans in three tropical acid soils

Abstract

A study to investigate the effect of lime on dry matter yield of maize (Zea mays) and beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) and nodulation of beans grown in three tropical acid soils (two humic Nitosols and one humic Andosol) was carried out in a greenhouse. The soils ranged from 4.2 to 5.0 in pH; 1.74 to 4.56 in %C; 21.0 to 32.0 meq/100g in CEC; 5.10 to 8.10 meq/100g in exchange acidity; 0.60 to 3.20 meq/100g in exchangeable (exch.) Al and 0.13 to 0.67 meq/ 100g in exch. Mn.

Exchange acidity and exch. Al decreased with increasing levels of lime in the three soils. Exchangeable Al was reduced to virtually zero at pH 5.5 even in the soils which had appreciable initial amounts. Exchangeable Mn also decreased with increasing levels of lime in the two Nitolsos. Exceptional results, however, were obtained with the Andosol where exch. Mn increased ten‐fold with the first level of lime and then decreased with subsequent levels.

In all the soils, mean dry matter yield of beans and maize, and mean nodule dry weight of beans generally increased significantly with increasing lime levels up to pH value of 6.0. The dry matter yield of beans and maize, and nodule weight of beans, however, decreased progressively with increasing lime levels beyond pH 6.0 value. pH range of 5.5 to 6.0 was considered optimum for the growth of maize and beans, and nodulation of beans in these soils.     

Phosphate adsorption by soils 1. Influence of time and ionic environment on phosphate adsorption

Abstract

The influence of reaction time and ionic environments, on phosphate adsorption were studied using one calcareous soil from India, and one calcareous and two latosols from Hawaii.

Phosphorus adsorption by soils has a initial rapid phase followed by a slow process. For plant nutrition studies, where emphasis is on P concentration of solutions from which plants derive P, isotherms should be constructed using data obtained after near‐equilibration has been attained. This condition does not obtain in a few hours and may require 6 days or more.

Calcium chloride as suspending electrolyte always gave lower phosphate solubility than when KC1 was used as electrolyte. Phosphate retention increased with increasing ionic strength. The necessity for obtaining clear supernatant solutions and the desirability for maintaining reasonable constant equilibrium conditions make 0.01 M CaCl₂ a reasonable choice for constructing P sorption isotherms, even though 0.01 M CaCl₂ is not representative of Ca concentrations in many soil solutions. Saturation extracts of soils investigated here were in the range 0.0002 to 0.005 M Ca.

Adsorption of calcium by highly weathered soils was high suggesting specific adsorption. Calcium adsorption was increased by phosphate additions to a Hydrandept.