Vegetation,Wildlife, and Livestock Responses to Planned Grazing Management in an African Pastoral Landscape

Rangelands are vital for wildlife conservation and socio‐economic well‐being, but many face widespread degradation because in part of poor grazing management practices. Planned grazing management, typically involving time‐controlled rotational livestock grazing, is widely touted as a tool for promoting sustainable rangelands. However, real‐world assessments of its efficacy have been lacking in communal pastoral landscapes globally, and especially in Africa. We performed landscape‐scale assessment of the effects of planned grazing on selected vegetation, wildlife, and cattle attributes across wide‐ranging communally managed pastoral rangelands in northern Kenya. We found that planned grazing enhanced vegetation condition through a 17% increase in normalized difference vegetation index, 45–234% increases in herbaceous vegetation foliar cover, species richness and diversity, and a 70% reduction in plant basal gap. In addition, planned grazing increased the presence (44%) and species richness (53%) of wild ungulates and improved cattle weight gain (>71%) during dry periods when cattle were in relatively poor condition. These changes occurred relatively rapidly (within 5 years) and despite grazing incursion incidents and higher livestock stocking rates in planned grazing areas. These results demonstrate, for the first time in Africa, the positive effects of planned grazing implementation in communal pastoral rangelands. These improvements can have broad implications for biodiversity conservation and pastoral livelihoods. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Exotic species,fisheries and conservation of freshwater biodiversity in tropical Asia: the case of the Sepik River,Papua New Guinea

1. Development of effective conservation strategies for freshwater biodiversity must take account of the trade‐off between species preservation and human use of ecosystem goods and services. The latter cannot be prevented, and attempts to manage ecosystems that focus solely on maximizing biodiversity will fail. 2. A compromise position of management for ecosystem functioning and human livelihoods — rather than preservation of every species — will provide a better basis for biodiversity conservation. This has implications for the management of exotic species. 3. There are some situations, in lentic habitats in Sri Lanka, for example, where the establishment of exotics has increased fishery yields without apparent detriment to native biodiversity. The Sepik River in Papua New Guinea provides another illustration of potential compromises between human livelihoods and biodiversity conservation. 4. The Sepik supports a relatively unproductive fishery. Two fish stocking projects (in 1987–93 and 1993–97), representing a partnership between the Papua New Guinea Government and the United Nations (UNDP/FAO), led to the introduction of a suite of exotic fish into the Sepik. Species were selected on the basis of their potential to occupy niches not filled by native fish. Unfortunately, the outcomes of these introductions are poorly documented, although there is preliminary evidence both of increased human use of exotic fish as well as declines of some native species associated with the spread of exotics. 5. Better understanding of the results of the Sepik fish introductions is important, because the pressures of burgeoning human populations in most of tropical Asia make it impossible to preserve near‐pristine environments such as the Sepik. While attempts to conserve natural or near‐natural systems must remain a priority, there is a need to develop strategies for the management of damaged or degraded ecosystems, which may contain exotics, with the aim of maintaining ecosystem functioning and, if possible, maximizing the persistence of native biodiversity. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

宁夏生态移民可持续生计问题研究

依据可持续生计分析框架,利用宁夏已搬迁生态移民的实地调查数据,对移民农户的生计资本现状进行研究。结果表明：生态移民存在物质资本积累缺乏、人力资本薄弱、金融资本不足等问题。为了促进移民可持续生计的获得和发展,提出增加移民的物质资本和金融资本,重点着眼于以人力资本为主线的可持续发展能力培育的对策建议。     

劳务移民可持续生计问题研究--以宁夏为例

“十二五”期间宁夏将对34.6万人实施多种模式相结合的生态移民搬迁安置.以宁夏石嘴山劳务移民为研究对象,通过可持续生计框架研究,从自然资本、人力资本、物质资本、金融资本和社会资本5个方面进行移民的可持续生计调查.结果表明：石嘴山劳务移民主要存在受教育程度低、技能水平不高、金融资本和社会资本储备不足等问题,并提出相应的解决对策.     

Small‐scale cattle raising in East Java,Indonesia: A pathway out of poverty?

Despite its small area and intensively cropped landscape, East Java accounts for 30% of Indonesia's cattle population. About two million households draw on family labour to raise cattle in backyard sheds and small enclosures, largely for cash income. In this paper, we examine the opportunity for such small‐scale producers to benefit from Indonesia's economic transformation, given the rising urban demand for beef. The paper reports on a study in two contrasting sites in East Java – irrigated lowlands and rainfed uplands – to explore the constraints facing small‐scale cattle producers in these environments, the means by which they have adapted to these constraints (especially by going beyond the farm household to access feed supplies) and possible means to enhance their production systems and incomes. The findings suggest that such cattle production systems can provide a viable source of livelihood, even for resource‐poor households; hence, appropriately adapted cattle improvement programmes are a sensible component of a pro‐poor development strategy.     

退耕还林政策对农户生计的影响研究——基于对北京市延庆县的实地走访

以北京市延庆县为个案对退耕还林的推行给农户生计带来的影响进行了分析,分析表明很多人一致认为的观点是浮于表面的,延庆县农户的生计模式并没有得到成功地转换.在退耕还林政策下,农户的生活并不如想象中那般得到很大改善,而且农民在心理上对退耕还林有一定的抵触情绪.     

耕地流转胁迫下农户生计多元化选择与可持续性水平——基于重庆市合川区188户的调查数据

农户生计资源重组是在耕地流转胁迫下对经济机会的反馈响应。基于重庆市合川区川柠柠檬示范园188户耕地流转农户及其394块流转耕地地块的调查数据,分析了流转农户劳动力特征和流转耕地的数量、质量及耕作半径特征,进而剖析耕地流转后农户多元化生计选择策略,并基于可持续生计框架,从生计资本、生计策略和生计成果3方面构建农户生计可持续性评价指标体系,采用自然资本、物质资本、人力资本、金融资本、社会资本、生计多样化指数、收入多样化指数、非农化水平及家庭纯收入指标,对农户生计可持续性水平进行评价。结果表明：1）耕地流转致使农户自然资本严重减少,家庭生计结构由农业主导型向非农主导型转变,生计种类显著增加,趋于多元化。2）耕地流转后,农户生计资本总指数增加,且农户生计资本属性间及各类型农户间的增长率存在分异。耕地流转导致5大资本失调,生计资本耦合协调度降低。3）不同类型农户生计可持续水平在流转后得到不同程度的提升,提升强度从大到小表现为非农主导型农户>农业主导型农户>非农型农户>纯农型农户。总之,农户在家庭承包耕地流转的内部冲击下,生计资本得以重组,致使农户生计的分化与转型,而多元化生计有助于农户生计的可持续发展。     

山区生态保护对当地社区居民生计影响的研究进展及展望

山区生态保护和农村扶贫是发展中国家重要的政策,山区生态保护对当地社区居民生计的影响是乡村地理学和生态保护学关注的焦点。基于国内外相关文献,本研究从生态保护对当地社区居民生计资本的影响、生态保护对当地社区居民生计策略的影响和生态保护对当地社区居民生计结果的影响等方面对国内外生态保护对社区居民生计的影响进行系统归纳总结。依据目前研究和实践现状,提出生态补偿对社区居民可持续生计的影响过程与机制是未来需要关注的重点问题,应深入探索生态保护区社区居民可持续生计的研究,强化新技术方法在社区居民可持续生计研究中的运用。     

Energy crops,livelihoods, and legal deforestation: A case study at Phu Wiang National Park,Thailand

Thailand aims to increase the use of renewable and alternative energy by 25% of total consumption under the Alternative Energy Development Plan (AEDP 2012–2021) by 2021, which include outputs from energy crops. This initiative is likely to put pressure on land resources, especially near parks and protected areas. Our study examined energy crop plantations, farmer responses to the AEDP, and community roles in forest protection in four villages adjacent to Phu Wiang National Park, Thailand in 2014. The majority of respondents (80%, n = 50) used their land for rice cultivation, but many villagers increased plantings of sugarcane (54%) and cassava (20%) because of high market demand for energy crops. Only a few examples of agricultural expansion into the national park were observed. Nevertheless, encroachment is likely to occur at this and other national parks as a result of government incentives to plant energy crops and the limited availability of agricultural land. Reliance on community-based management strategies may not be powerful enough for villagers to withstand the pressures of modernization, materialism, and other socioeconomic influences, possibly negating the effect of sustainability. Striking an equitable balance between government policies, community development, and forest protection will be a challenge for resource managers.     

云南腾冲傈僳族社区林地林木资源流转研究

集体林权制度改革为集体林地林木的合理流转奠定了产权基础,也加快了云南少数民族山区林地林木流转的步伐。然而改革后的少数民族山区由于缺乏相关的经验和能力,在林木资源流转中面临诸多问题。对腾冲傈僳族社区林地林木流转状况的研究得出,只有规范流转管理,形成健全的林地流转市场和合理的流转价格体系;完善流转的监督和管理组织并建立流转的激励机制等,才能引导当地的林地林木资源进行合理流转,才能使当地少数民族从森林经营中真正获益。