Comparisons of Mayan forest management, restoration, and conservation

Numerous communities associated with at least five distinct ethnic Mayan groups in southern Mexico and Central America continue to rely upon forested areas as integral components of their agricultural systems. They carefully manage these areas so that forests provide food, raw materials, and animals. Management practices include removing and planting of woody and herbaceous species, apiculture, and seed harvest. Mayan agroforestry systems in geographically and ecologically distinct areas of Mesoamerica were evaluated to better understand traditional agroforestry system components and how indigenous Mayan agroforestry could be a part of regional forest conservation and restoration. Systems were within Mexican land grant areas (ejidos) or on contested land. Although these systems rely upon different woody species and management techniques, common among them are: (1) the use of multi-stage and successional pathways with forest as a part of the larger system, (2) species that are believed by traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) to accelerate forest regeneration - more than 30 tree species are recognized and managed as potential facilitators of forest regeneration and (3) direct human consumption of forest products at all stages of regeneration.     

陕北"一户一田"和"一组一田"耕地细碎化整治模式与绩效评价

耕地细碎化是当前制约中国农业现代化发展的重要因素,如何解决耕地细碎化问题已经成为推动小农户和现代农业有机衔接的必然路径。该研究基于实地农户调研数据和半结构访谈内容,对陕北榆林市榆阳区首创的"一户一田"和"一组一田"2种耕地细碎化整治模式进行系统剖析,并采用双重差分(Difference-in-difference, DID)模型定量分析2种模式的绩效差异。研究发现:1)"一户一田"模式是农民自发的产权重组和分散流转,并与政府支持的土地整治项目叠加与综合;"一组一田"模式是一种"以家庭承包经营为基础、统分收放自如的双层经营体制"创新模式,也是产权改革、统分流转、土地整治与统分经营管理的有机结合。2)"一户一田"和"一组一田"两种模式均能有效解决耕地细碎化问题,显著增加耕地面积,实施后耕地面积增加率分别为6.02%和57.58%;同时也使得农业机械化水平有所提高,显著提升农业生产效率与作物产量,作物产量增加率分别为12.54%和19.87%,"一组一田"提升更为明显。3)2种模式均有利于提高农户收入,"一户一田"主要是通过增加农业种植收入来提高总收入;"一组一田"对农户收入提升更加显著,除增加农业收入外,也通过产业转型增加了务工收入。与"一户一田"模式相比,"一组一田"模式更能够促进集中连片、规模扩大、设施完善、经营现代化的高标准农田建设。为解决耕地细碎化问题,应加强政策引导和支持,挖掘村内能人价值,明晰合作社、分社和农民的责、权、利关系等,促进小农户和现代农业发展有机衔接。     

投影寻踪技术在松嫩平原西部水资源可持续利用中的应用

根据松嫩平原西部水资源复合系统的特征和水资源条件,建立了区域水资源可持续利用评价指标体系。应用投影寻踪技术,采用实码遗传算法优化投影指标函数,将方案多维评价指标值综合为一维投影值,根据投影值的大小实现方案的优选。研究表明,投影寻踪技术可以有效地解决权重的人为干扰,通过优化排序实现对评价结果的定量化表征。     

Environmental persistence of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-<Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-dioxin in soil around hardstand 7 at eglin air force base,Florida

Background and Goal  A number of global events have generated intense scientific scrutiny and public concern of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (dioxin). DIoxins have been associated with a range of adverse health effects. 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is recognized as among the most dangerous of the dioxin compounds, and was a contaminant found In one of the herbicides used for vegetation control during the Vietnam conflict: Agent Orange. As a result of purging spray systems and leaking drums of Agent Orange concentrate, TCDD contamination occurred in the soils surrounding Hardstand 7 at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. This research uses a multimedia model to estimate the TCDD concentrations in surface soil around Hardstand 7 for a 70-year time Interval beginning with observed surface soil concentrations 1984. Methods  Hardstand 7 is a nearly 40-m circular concrete and asphalt aircraft parking area. The hardstand was used as a staging area for spraying equipment used to disseminate herbicide In a test area called C-52A within EAFB. Concentrated herbicide was also stored in 208-L barrels for use with the equipment, and later, for disposal. In 1984, a field investigation characterized the extent of TCDD contamination in surface soils around Hardstand 7 using a radial sampling protocol. The 1984 observed concentrations and locations was used in a multimedia model, CalTOX, as an initial source term concentrations and locations to estimate expected concentrations during the subsequent 70-years. Results  The results indicate that more than 94% of the TCDD observed in surface soils 1984 will remain after a 70-year period. Access restrictions and remediation activities at the site eliminate bar verification of the CalTOX estimates. Conclusions. TCDD is highly persistent in the soil medium and natural attenuation may not produce a significant decrease In soil concentrations. Recommendation  Active remediation actions may be required to prevent exposure to TCDD contamination surface soils. Verifying CalTOX concentration estimates an Important step that should be performed, however, the, model provides an easy to use tool to estimate TCDD surface soil contamination at herbicide storage or dispersion staging sites.     

陆地型长绒棉主要经济性状遗传模式分析

选取两个遗传稳定的陆地型长绒种质系与 3个陆地棉品种按Griffing方法Ⅰ、模式Ⅰ全互交设计配成 5× 5共 2 5个杂交组合。对 9个经济性状进行调查 ,并建立Wr对于Vr的回归方程 ,测验“加性 +显性”模式的符合 ,制Wr对于Vr回归图 ,并估算各遗传参数。结果表明 ,纤维长度、纤维强度、马克隆值、籽棉产量、皮棉产量、单株铃数和单铃重遗传符合Hayman的“加性 +显性”模式 ,非等位基因间相互作用影响不显著。无论图解分析或平均显性度均表明纤维长度、纤维强度、马克隆值F1代为部分显性 ,加性效应方差在这 3个性状总遗传方差中占据相当重要的作用。分析性状中 ,与纤维长度、马克隆值和皮棉产量有关的增效基因 ,既有隐性也有显性 ,位点不同而有差异。纤维长度、纤维强度和马克隆值广义和狭义遗传力均较高。     

Short- and long-term effects of heavy metals on phosphatase activity in soils: An ecological dose-response model approach

Summary The aim of this study was to provide manageable data to help establish permissible limits for the pollution of soil by heavy metals. Therefore the short-and long-term effects of heavy metal pollution on phosphatase activity was studied in five different soil types. The results are presented graphically as logistic dose-response curves. It was possible to construct a curve for sand and silty loam soil but it was more difficult to establish a curve for sandy loam and clay soil and nearly impossible (except for Cu) for peat. The toxicity of the various metals can be compared on the basis of mmol values. In clay soils, for Cd, Cr, Cu, and Zn, the 50% effective ecological dose (ED₅₀) values were comparable (approximately 45 mmol kg^–1), but the ED₁₀ values were very different, at 7.4, 41.4, 15.1, and 0.55, respectively. At the ED₅₀ value, toxicity did not decrease with time and, in sandy soils, was approximately 2.6 mmol kg ^–1 dry soil for Cd, Cu, and Zn. In four out of five soils, the Cd toxicity was higher 1.5 years after the addition of heavy metal salts than after 6 weeks. Toxicity was least in the sandy loam, silty loam, and clay soil, and varied in general between 12 and 88 mmol kg^–1. In setting limits, the criteria selected (no-effect level, ED₁₀ or ED₅₀) determine the concentration and also the toxicity of the sequence. It is suggested that the data presented here could be very useful in helping to set permissible limits for heavy metal soil pollution.     

吉林省西部生态环境脆弱区农业发展模式探讨

研究分析了吉林省西部地区生态环境脆弱特征及其对农业发展的影响,并提出该区生态环保型效益农业发展模式以及农业地域结构规划。     

A Suitable Site for in situ (On-farm) Management of Plant Diversity in Traditional Agroecosystems of Western Himalaya in Uttaranchal State: A Case Study

There is a growing realisation world over that the introduction of modern agriculture has to be supplemented with measures to conserve biodiversity in situ if yield gains are to be stabilized. Hence, there is a growing interest from agricultural development specialists and conservation biologists for understanding the socioeconomic factors determining the conservation of biodiversity in situ. The present study was conducted with the objective of understanding the in situ (on-farm) conservation of agrobiodiversity in traditional agroecosystems taking the Urgam valley in north-western Himalaya of India, as a case study. An inventory was made of traditional crops and wild economic species for subsistence, and the structure of forest resource base, traditional knowledge related to resource management and use. Institutional and scientific challenges for in situ (on-farm) management of crop diversity were studied and are discussed in this paper. Complementarity of in situ (on-farm) conservation with ex situ conservation together with crop improvement in such marginal areas are suggested.     

Irrigation Module and Sowing Date Affect Seed Cotton Yield,Quality, Productivity Indices,and Economics of Cotton in North-western India

ABSTRACT

Delayed sowing and imprecise application of irrigation water to cotton has been the major hurdle in sustaining cotton yield in north-western India. Therefore, studies were initiated to ascertain the impact of heavy or normal level of presowing irrigation (PSI), scheduling time of first postsowing irrigation (POSI) under two sowing dates (SDs) on cotton arranged in a split block design replicated thrice. PSI_h (100 mm) recorded 23.2% higher seed cotton yield over PSI_n (70 mm) owing to better yield attributes and higher stand. First POSI at 4 weeks after sowing (WAS) resulted the highest yield (3072 kg ha^?1), while one at 6 WAS (POSI₆) recorded least due to poor population and reduced yield attributes. Water productivity under POSI₆ was lesser by 29.1%, 25.2%, and 16.2% as compared to POSI₃, POSI₄, and POSI₅, respectively. April sown crop out yielded the May sown cotton crop by 939 kg ha^?1 due to better yield attributes. Nitrogen factor productivity (NFP) among SD remained higher by 23.3% for April as compared to May sowing. PSI_h exhibited better NFP over PSI_n. POSI₆ recorded least NFP by 24.4%, 28.5%, and 16.3% as compared to POSI₃, POSI₄, and POSI₅, respectively and was indicative of relatively poor utilization of N under delayed schedules. Therefore, planting in April after heavy PSI and scheduling first POSI at 4 WAS is best strategy for sustaining cotton yield and maximizing farmer profitability.