Ancient Polyploidy and Modem Crop Plants

The growing set of fully-sequenced angiosperm genomes highlight the role of polyploidy in angiosperm evolution, and suggest that even the high level of importance we had already attributed to this mechanism was inadequate. Gene loss following whole-genome duplication events has contributed much to the incongruities that we observe in comparative genetic maps, and presumably has also contributed to functional divergence of taxa. Ancient genome duplication has several consequences for levels and patterns of variation in modern plant populations, in particular contributing to the relatively conservative evolution of duplicated genes even at distant locations from one another in the genome. Comparison of gene retention/loss following independent whole-genome duplication events suggests patterns that may be relevant to the survival and productivity of newly-formed polyploids, with numerous implications for crop improvement.     

Conservation in a changing world: <Emphasis Type="Italic">in situ</Emphasis> conservation of the giant maize of Jala

Using survey data from Jala, Mexico, this case-study evaluates in situ maize conservation of the variety ‘Jala’ (Zea mays L.). Though historically ‘Jala’ was the dominant variety grown in the valley of Jala, today less than 20% of farmers grow it on only 5% of the maize area. Younger growers of the ‘Jala’ variety specialize in it, growing relatively large amounts for niche markets. Older, diversified farmers grow small areas for household use and to compete in a local contest. Conservation of the ‘Jala’ variety has been heavily influenced by shifting ideal concepts of maize, as determined by market and consumption demands and by a contest designed to promote in situ conservation. The current move away from nationalized purchasing may favor ‘Jala’s’ continued conservation.     

长城沿线农牧交错带生态环境恢复重建SD模型研究

应用系统动力学理论研究建立了长城沿线农牧交错带生态环境恢复与重建SD模型 ,并应用该模型对该区强化治理型、协调发展型和传统经营型 3种典型治理模式进行仿真研究结果表明 ,强化治理模式为农牧交错带生态环境治理最佳模式 ,可使农林牧协调持续发展 ,土壤侵蚀量减少 76 .1% ,生态环境趋向良性循环。     

Accessing genetic resources: international law establishes multilateral system

The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture is rapidly gathering sufficient ratifications to become international law. Once it enters into force, it will define the rules for access and benefit-sharing associated with most genetic resources of major food crops. This paper explains how the new Multilateral System established by the Treaty will work, and points out a number of ambiguities and problems in the text. Despite these shortcomings, the Treaty provides the international community of researchers, plant breeders, and farmers with an opportunity to foster cooperation and further the conservation and use of plant genetic resources.     

Body size, niche breadth, and ecologically scaled responses to habitat fragmentation: mammalian predators in an agricultural landscape

The ability to make a priori assessments of a species' response to fragmentation, based on its distribution in the landscape, would serve as a valuable conservation and management tool. During 1997-1999, we monitored 717 scent stations to examine seasonal use of forest patches, corridors, and crop fields by coyotes (Canis latrans), domestic cats (Felis catus), foxes (Vulpes vulpes and Urocyon cinereoargenteus), raccoons (Procyon lotor), striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis), opossums (Didelphis virginiana), and long-tailed weasels (Mustela frenata). For each species we developed landscape-based ecologically scaled landscape indices (ELSI), and we modeled species spatial distribution across three spatial scales (landscape-level, element-level, and local habitat-level). Our results suggest that these predators view landscape fragmentation at different spatial scales and demonstrate strong interspecific differences in their response to elements of the landscape. All species except coyotes and domestic cats avoided agricultural fields. In general, predator species that were more mobile (i.e. high ESLI for landscape connectivity; coyotes) were characterized by landscape- and element-based logistic models. In contrast, models including local habitat features generally were most appropriate for less mobile or more stenophagous predators (e.g. long-tailed weasels). Our analysis extends the application of the ESLI concept to species assemblages that do not appear to function as metapopulations, and it highlights the importance of examining spatial scale and species-specific responses to habitat fragmentation. We discuss the relevance of these findings for defining ecological landscapes, understanding predator-prey interactions at multiple spatial scales, and conserving predator and prey populations in fragmented landscapes.     

Lowland rainforest avifauna and human disturbance: persistence of primary forest birds in selectively logged forests and mixed-rural habitats of southern Peninsular Malaysia

We compared the composition and structure of primary forest avifauna among primary forests, selectively logged forests and mixed-rural areas (e.g. villages and agricultural areas) of Peninsular Malaysia. We found that forests that were selectively logged at least 30 years ago contained only 73-75% of the 159 species of extant primary forest birds, with an increased proportion of dominant species. We estimated that only 28-32% of the primary forest species utilized the mixed-rural habitat, and that the number of species that bred in the agricultural landscapes might be even lower. The microhabitat of different species most affected their vulnerability to disturbance. Most small, arboreal frugivores and omnivores, and insectivores that fed from tree trunks, showed greater persistence in the mixed-rural habitat than ground dwelling bird species, which were affected most by disturbance. Resource abundance and variables that were closely related to forest disturbance such as the density of large trees, density of dead trees, canopy cover density and shrub volume influenced the distribution of the primary forest birds. Large primary forest reserves and a revision of short-cycle logging regimes (ca. 30 years) are needed if we are to conserve the lowland rainforest avifauna of Peninsular Malaysia and other parts of Southeast Asia.     

农业机械化发展水平的概率-灰色评估方法及应用

在建立农业机械化发展水平评估指标体系的基础上，结合不确定性理论及灰色系统理论，提出了评估农业机械化发展水平的新方法——概率－灰色评估法。并用该方法对河南省农业机械化发展水平进行了评估分析。     

持续农业、替代农业、中国的生态农业

本文根据我国生态农业的目的意义、基本观点理论和技术工艺方法,对照近来国为外提出的“农业的持续发展”、“持续农业”“立体农业”的实际目的、理论与内容、方法,指出,它们和正在全国推广的中国的生态农业,除了名称不同以外,并没有任何本质上的区别,实际上它们本来就是一个领域的不同说法而已。     

Making modern agriculture sustainable: Fam research network on agroecosystems

All forms of agriculture cause changes in the balances and fluxes of preexisting ecosystems, thereby limiting self-regulatory ecosystem (resiliency) functions. The intensive agriculture of the past, with its strong reduction of landscape structures and vast decoupling of energy and matter cycles, has caused stress and degradation of the production base; massive influence has also been exerted on neighboring compartments. This has resulted in the well known problems of pesticide loads, high phosphate loads to surface waters via over-fertilized soils or erosion as such. To overcome the economic, social and political inadequacies leading to ecological degradation, the demand for sustainable agricultural management needs to be transposed into knowledge-based practical instructions and political regulations on a regional scale. Thus, applied research for a sustainable and ecologically compatible land use aimed at sufficient food production is ever so important. In the FAM, thirty German research institutes have merged to perform research on this topic.     

农业信息化标准体系框架研究

加强农业信息化建设是目前我国改革进程中的重大举措，也是社会热点，加快农业信息化标准体系建设是保证农业信息化顺利进行的重要措施。本文从标准化、标准体系和农业信息化的概念入手，在分析了国内外农业信息化建设的现状后．阐述了标准化和标准体系的结构及其相互关系，提出我国农业信息化标准体系框架的三维空间模型及其分解，为制定农业信息化标准提供了理论基础和参考依据。