Characteristics and factors controlling the development of ephemeral gullies in cultivated catchments of black soil region, Northeast China

Ephemeral gully erosion is an important process in the black soil region, Northeast China and can be responsible for severe damage to agricultural lands. However, little research on gully formation in this area has been published. The study described in this paper attempted to quantify soil losses, the spatial distribution and morphology of the gullies, and the factors that control their development. Ephemeral gullies were measured in spring and summer of 2005 in two small catchments. The critical periods for ephemeral gully formation were late spring and summer in the study area. Mean soil losses due to ephemeral gully erosion were 0.40 and 0.43 kg m⁻² year⁻¹ for only croplands despite low slope gradients, and this loss is above the tolerable erosion rates of 0.20 kg m⁻² year⁻¹. The erosion rates were greater in spring because the topsoil thawed before deeper layers, reducing infiltration into the soil, and the bare vegetation cover provided no barriers to surface flow. In contrast, summer erosion occurred primarily in response to intense rain events. Development of the gullies was promoted by freeze-thaw cycles in spring and was affected by the type of agricultural operations and crops in summer. A linear regression model for the prediction of ephemeral gully length at the catchment level was established using field data, and although it did not successfully predict the length of individual gullies, it explained 55% of the variation in ephemeral gully length.     

Tick control methods used by resource-limited farmers and the effect of ticks on cattle in rural areas of the Eastern Cape Province,South Africa

A survey to document tick control methods used by resource-limited farmers in the control of cattle ticks in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa was conducted by interviewing 59 cattle farmers using structured questionnaires and general conversation. Information collected was on external parasites of cattle, their effects and their control methods. Ticks were reported to be a major problem causing diseases like anaplasmosis (89.8%), babesiosis (55.9%) and ehrlichiosis (16.9%), as well as wounds that predispose to screwworm infestation, tick worry and teat damage to cows troubling farmers in their farming enterprises. The main tick control methods were; acaricides provided by government, however 94.9% of the farmers interviewed were of the opinion that the dip wash is not effective in killing the ticks. As a result, farmers complement the government dipping service with their own initiatives like spraying with conventional acaricides (22%), household disinfectants such as Jeyes fluid (18.6%), used engine oil (10.2%), chickens (5.1%), manual removal (5.1%), and pouricides (1.7%). In addition, some farmers also use plants (6.8%), mainly the leaf of Aloe ferox and the bark of Ptaeroxylon obliquum. The study revealed ticks to be a major problem in the study area.     

农艺措施对紫色水稻土无机磷形态的影响

本文对不同农艺措施下紫色水稻土无机P的形态进行了分级测定,结果表明:有机肥与化肥配合施用,有利于促进P素向有效态转化。不同有机肥处理对土壤P库的贡献大小不一样,其顺序为:猪粪>化肥>对照>绿>蚕豆青;耕作措施对P各形态的有效性影响较大,效果依次为水旱轮作>免耕垄作>常规耕作;土壤中无机P的形态与土壤肥力水平密切相关。     

不同营林措施对马尾松林物种组成及空间结构的短期影响

为揭示常规营林措施对人工马尾松林分物种组成和空间结构的影响,以三峡库区马尾松飞播林为研究对象,按照未采伐、除灌、伐除非马尾松、伐除优势马尾松4种营林措施建立固定监测样地,分析了马尾松林群落的物种组成和数量特征,并运用角尺度、大小比数、混交度3个林分结构参数,研究不同营林措施处理对马尾松林分空间结构的影响。结果表明：不同营林措施对马尾松林物种组成和优势程度存在明显影响,乔木层生物多样性降低,林下灌草层多样性明显提升。除灌对林木空间分布格局未造成显著改变,伐除非马尾松和伐除优势马尾松均提高了林分空间结构的聚集程度,且林木平均聚集程度随着采伐强度增加而增加。不同营林措施对林分整体大小分化程度影响不大,但采伐明显改善了林分的混交程度。单纯调整某个树种或单个层次的结构来开展森林经营,不利于林分空间结构的整体优化,应根据各树种生物学特性以及功能地位来综合确定采伐木和保留木,并采用中度择伐强度更有利于林分结构调整。     

Agroforestry techniques for the rehabilitation of degraded salt-affected lands in India

The development of appropriate technologies for the judicious use of India's 8.11 million ha of salt-affected lands would give increased food, fodder and fuelwood production. A sizeable portion of the salt-affected lands of the Indo-Gangetic plain have been reclaimed through chemical amendments and are being commercially used for arable farming. However, large areas of salt-affected common lands, village and government lands and waste lands near cities, along railway tracks and roads do not have any productive use. Owing to their sparse vegetative cover such lands are vulnerable to further degradation and can be a source of runoff causing floods, especially where cows congregate. Research at the Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Karnal has generated agroforestry techniques which could enable the economic exploitation of such marginal lands. This paper deals with various aspects of these techniques, which have been applied to over 50 000 ha by 1994. Based on eight to ten years of growth and biomass figures, the most salt-tolerant woody species identified were: Prosopis juliflora, Acacia nilotica, Casuarina equisetifolia, Tamarix articulata, Leptochloa fusca (a palatable forage grass which was found to be a promising primary colonizer of salt lands). Agronomic practices for the successful establishment of trees such as planting methods, amendment use, irrigation, spacing and lopping schedules are discussed. A Prosopis juliflora-leptochloa fusca silvipastoral model was found to be excellent for fuelwood and forage production and for the amelioration of high pH soils. This system, when followed for little more than four years, reclaims alkali soils to such an extent that normal agriculture crops such as Trifolium alexandrinum and T. resupinatum can be grown successfully. A ridge-trench system of tree planting was found to be helpful in alkali soils, the in situ rainwater conservation it led to assisting biomass production. Eucalyptus tereticornis, Populus deltoides and Tectona grandis based agroforestry were promising for reclaimed salt-affected lands. The short- and long-term effects of various tree plantations on the physicochemical properties of the soil and on soil-water relations are also discussed. Agroforestry options for the development of salt-affected lands found in various agroclimatic zones of India are explored.     

深松整地作业技术要点

从农艺要求、作业条件、作业时机、深松间隔、深松深度、作业周期、机组选择、作业规程、安全事项、维护保养10个方面,介绍深松整地作业技术的应用要点,为深松整地作业提供理论参考。     

自压喷灌技术在高寒干旱区草地植被恢复的应用浅析

针对高海拔、寒冷和干旱等恶劣气候环境地区草地植被恢复的瓶颈问题,结合可持续发展战略内涵,该研究系统地介绍了高寒干旱区草地自压喷灌技术,采用创新设计,设置围栏、围栏+喷灌、未围栏3个处理的初级生产效益对比分析试验。结果显示,围栏封育+自压喷灌样地植物平均高度比未围栏样地增加了155.77%,比仅围栏样地增加了76.71%;群落盖度比未围栏样地增加了152.69%,比仅围栏样地增加了35.96%;群落生产力比未围栏样地增加了110.00%,比仅围栏样地增加了24.10%。结果表明,自压喷灌技术在水源和地形条件具备的高寒干旱草地恢复中具备一定的示范和推广潜力,为西藏地区因地制宜,科学合理地利用水资源,为该区草地生态畜牧业的可持续发展提供了一条新思路。     

坝上草原退耕地植被不同恢复处理土壤种子库研究

采用野外调查取样和室内实验相结合的方法,研究坝上草原退耕地土壤种子库的物种组成、密度和物种多样性等特征.结果表明:自然恢复、浅耕处理和深耕处理3种不同恢复措施下,土壤种子库物种丰富度(种)大小为浅耕处理(18)>自然恢复(15)>深耕处理(14);自然恢复处理、浅耕处理和深耕处理土壤种子库密度分别为23 949粒·m-2、15746粒·m-2和10600粒·m-2,浅耕处理和深耕处理分别比自然恢复处理减少34.3%和55.7%;不同恢复方式下土壤种子库与地上植被的物种密度的对应关系可用三次曲线来表示.土壤种子库间有较高的相似系数,但随着干扰程度的增加而减少.     

我国草原生态系统退化与恢复研究的进展与启示

草原生态系统是主要的陆地生态系统之一。近几十年来,草原地区生态系统退化现象越来越严重,草原生态系统的演替、退化、诊断、多样性保护等已成为热点研究领域。     

围栏封育在藏北高寒退化草地恢复中的效果研究

通过对西藏安多典型退化草地围栏,研究围栏对植被特征、地下生物量、地下种子库以及多样性等方面的影响。结果表明:经过围栏封育后草地植物高度、盖度、产量均有不同程度的提高。植物多样性有所增加,植被优势种差异较为显著。植物群落地下生物量变化幅度较大,经过围栏草地0～10 cm地下生物量增加明显。土壤种子库测定表明,围栏实验地种子总数明显高于围栏外,且增加的种子数主要分布在0～5 cm的土层中。