Prioritisation of Philippine Island avifaunas for conservation: a new combinatorial measure

Given the ubiquitous fact that resources for preserving whole faunas are limited, prioritisation of areas is called for. The popularity of the complementarity approach for setting priorities derives from their representing the maximum number of species of a taxon with a minimum number of areas, e.g. islands in an archipelago like the Philippines. While the logic of the approach is impeccable, it lacks dynamism. Here a new approach to prioritisation is exemplified with avifaunas in the Philippines. A combinatorial, linear model permits assigning to each island avifauna a priority index that allows ranking of islands in terms of prioritisation. The model is (1) dynamically proactive in that it takes into account the island-specific ongoing and future dieback of the avifaunas at stake; by applying the well-established species-area relationship to the remaining forests as the new islands; (2) it is accountable by operationalising the weighting of its parameters by introducing the new quantity ‘opportunity for choice’; (3) it is combinatorial, being thereby more realistic. The model's results for the six largest Philippine islands were reasonably well validated based on a ranking of island-specific number of endangered endemics. The results lead to assigning the Greater Negros faunal region (Negros, Panay) top priority, similar to more species-rich Greater Luzon and Greater Mindanao, thus substantially changing the ranking of islands derived from the rather static one-parameter complementarity approach.     

Relationships between rainfall characteristics and ephemeral gully erosion in a cultivated catchment in Sicily (Italy)

Recent research has shown a lack of long-term monitoring for detailed analysis of gully erosion response to climate characteristics. Measures carried out from 1995 to 2007 in a wheat-cultivated area in Raddusa (Sicily, Italy), represent one of the longest series of field data on ephemeral gully, EG, erosion. The data set collected in a surface area of almost 80 ha, permits analysis of the influence of rainfall on EG formation and development. Ephemeral gullies formed in the study area were measured on a yearly scale with a Post-Processing Differential GPS for length and with a steel tape for the width and depth of transversal sections. Ephemeral gully formation was observed for 8 years out of 12, which corresponds to a return period of 1.5 years. The measurements show strong temporal variability in EG erosion, in agreement with the rainfall characteristics. The total eroded volumes ranged between 0 and ca. 800 m³ year⁻¹, with a mean of ca. 420 m³ year⁻¹, corresponding to ca. 0.6 kg m⁻² year⁻¹. Ephemeral gully erosion in the study area is directly and mainly controlled by rainfall events. An antecedent rainfall index, the maximum value of 3-days rainfall (H_max3_d), is the rain parameter which best accounts for EG erosion. This index is used here as a simple surrogate for soil water content. An H_max3_d threshold of 51 mm was observed for EG formation. The return period of the H_max3_d threshold is almost the same as the return period for EG formation. Although a mean of seven erosive rain events were recorded in a year, EG formation and development generally occur during a single erosive event, similarly to other semiarid environments. The most critical period is that comprised between October and January, when the soil is wetter and the vegetation cover is scarce. Empirical models for EG eroded volume estimation were obtained using the data set collected at this site. A simple power-type equation is proposed to estimate the eroded volumes using H_max3_d as an independent variable. This equation shows an R² equal to 0.67 and a standard error of estimation of 0.79.     

甘肃草原牧区发展的难点问题剖析

草原牧区可持续发展在甘肃国民经济中占有重要地位。本文认为,甘肃草原牧区仍然存在生态脆弱、环境压力增大,区域性贫困突出、自我发展能力弱小,人地关系紧张、可持续发展的良性互动机制尚未形成,社会化服务网络不健全、基地建设经营管理水平低下等诸多问题和难点制约。尽快彻底破解以上难题,必然成为未来较长时期内甘肃草原牧区可持续发展的重要选择。     

平原河网区排涝计算研究

行洪排涝是平原河网区汛期的重要任务。利用MIKE11模型中的HD模块,以江苏省泗洪县城区水系为实例,建立了一维水动力学模型,并利用产汇流计算确定了模型的边界条件,对20年一遇暴雨条件下的城区河网水量进行了模拟计算。结果表明,在现有的排涝设施条件下,泗洪县城区河网能够满足设计暴雨下的排涝要求。     

Yield potential and drought tolerance of segregating populations of barley in contrasting environments

Summary Using the traditional approach (selection for grain yield) it has been found that F₃ families derived from F₂'s selected under unfavourable conditions were more vigorous in the early stages of growth, taller, earlier in heading and with larger yields than F₃ families derived from F₂'s selected under favourable conditions. A high and negative correlation coefficient was found between the drought susceptibility index and grain yield at the driest site, whereas at the wettest site the correlation coefficients were lower and in some cases positive, indicating the existence of traits which are desirable under drought and undesirable under favourable conditions, or vice versa.Expected responses to selection for grain yield using different selection criteria indicated that selection under stress conditions is expected to be more efficient than selection under favourable conditions when dry areas is the target environment.Expected responses to selection for grain yield using different selection criteria indicated that selection under stress conditions is expected to be more efficient than selection under favourable conditions when dry areas is the target environment.Part of this work was supported by Opec Fund for International Development.     

基于云理论与层次分析法的农村饮用水安全诊断

以广东省东江流域农村饮用水安全现状为研究对象,构建农村饮用水安全诊断指标体系,建立基于云理论的农村饮用水安全单指标评分模型,运用层次分析法对指标因子赋权,对农村饮用水安全作出系统全面的综合诊断。诊断结果表明,东江流域农村大部分县级行政区存在饮用水不安全问题,综合各县级行政区诊断结果,整个东江流域农村饮用水基本安全。     

关于经济发达地区确保口粮安全的思考

文章结合分析我国经济发达地区口粮安全存在的主要问题和困境,从提升耕地质量、推进科技创新、完善扶持政策、拓宽保障渠道等方面提出对策措施。     

推进农业产业化经营是贫困地区农业发展的现实途径

本文阐述了推进农业产为化经营是贫因地区农业发展的意义、基础、方法及途径.     

基于Landsat和MODIS数据融合的农牧区NPP模拟

天山北坡是中国重要的农牧业发展基地,利用遥感数据准确获取植被净初级生产力(Net primary productivity,NPP)的时空信息,对于合理分配农牧业草地资源具有重要意义。由于受到天气影响及卫星传感器受到时间分辨率和空间分辨率的限制,获取既具有中空间分辨率、又具有高时间分辨率的遥感数据比较困难。本文基于中空间分辨率Landsat 8 OLI数据与高时间分辨率MODIS数据,采用遥感数据时空融合STARFM算法,获取中空间分辨率和高时间分辨率序列的遥感数据,以天山北坡中段区域为实验区,结合CASA模型,对区域内植被NPP进行模拟。结果表明,2016年内8个时期,融合后的NDVI数据与对应时刻的Landsat 8 OLI NDVI数据的相关系数不小于0.759,偏差在0.006 2～0.009 4之间,均方根误差在0.074～0.135之间;利用融合数据与CASA模型协同模拟的NPP具有良好的空间细节信息,NPP模拟值与野外实测值决定系数R~2为0.860 1,表明两者具有较好的相关性。本研究为多源遥感影像融合技术与光能利用率模型协同模拟NPP提供了新的思路。