Land degradation,stocking rates and conservation policies in the communal rangelands of Botswana and Zimbabwe

Communal rangeland management policies in Botswana and Zimbabwe are based on incorrect technical assumptions about the stability of semiarid rangeland, the nature of rangeland degradation, and the benefits of destocking. Consequently, inappropriate policies, stressing the need to destock and stabilise the rangelands, are pursued. Acknowledgement of the great instability but intrinsic resilience of rangeland would encourage the Governments to more favourably regard the opportunistic stocking strategies of the agro-pastoralists of the Communal Areas. However, degradation of rangelands is occurring, although at varying rates. This justifies the promotion of a ‘tracking strategy’, in which livestock densities are encouraged to follow, more closely that at present, variations in rainfall. The establishment of grazing territories controlled by specific ‘communities’ may be a prerequisite for the promotion of the tracking strategy, and for communal rangeland management and improvement. However, the establishment of such territories must take into account social equity, institutional problems and transaction costs, as well as spatial and temporal variation in rangeland resources.     

Calibration of Hargreaves–Samani equation for estimating reference evapotranspiration in semiarid and arid regions

The Penman–Monteith (FAO-56 PM) equation is suggested as the standard method for estimating evapotranspiration (ET₀) by the International Irrigation and Drainage Committee and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). On the other hand, the Hargreaves–Samani (HS) equation is an alternative method compared with the FAO-56 PM equation. In the present study, the original coefficient C of the HS equation is calibrated based on the FAO-56 PM equation for estimating the reference ET₀ from 15 meteorological stations in central Iran (about 170,000 km²) under semiarid and arid conditions. After calibration, the new values for C are ranged from 0.0018 to 0.0037. The mean bias error (MBE), the root mean square error (RMSE), and the ratio of average estimations of ET₀ (R) values for all stations are ranged from 0.12 to 5.38, ?5.35 to 1.15 mm d^?1 and 0.64 to 1.28 for the HS equation and from 0.12 to 2.48, ?2.2 to 0.60 mm d^?1, and 1.00 to 1.05 for the calibrated Hargreaves–Samani equation (CHS), respectively. Results indicate that the average RMSE and MBE values are decreased by 40% and 66%, respectively. Relationships for calibrating the C coefficient on the basis of annual average of daily temperature range (ΔT) and wind speed (V) are proposed, calibrated, and validated. Hence, the CHS equation can be used for ET₀ estimates with acceptable accuracy instead of the FAO-56 PM method.     

The Optimization for Crop Planning and Some Advances for Water-Saving Crop Planning in the Semiarid Loess Plateau of China

The establishment of water-saving crop planning is an inevitable choice of the water-saving agriculture for the water-deficiency region in the arid and semiarid Loess Plateau of China and the world. The water-saving crop planning refers to the planting structure that centres the adjustment of the crop's adaptation to water, the optimization of temporal and spatial layout for crops, the local natural resources, marketing resources, human resources and financial input to enable region or basin with limited water resources to achieve the maximum economic, social and ecological benefits of planting industry under certain technology and economy. After the analysis on the research progress of optimization theory, optimization goals, optimization methods of water-saving cultivation structure and macro-control measures, it is pointed out that the main deficiencies of the current research of water-saving cultivation pattern optimization are lacking of a strong theoretical basis, and the immaturity of optimization technologies. The future crucial research direction will focus on five aspects such as the special optimization theory system, the division methods by studying the watershed unit and using 3S technology, optimization model based on multi-objective evolutionary algorithm, evaluation of rationality and macro-control measures on the basis of the public participation.     

固原县自然条件概况

固原县位于黄土高原西北部,属温带半干旱黄土丘陵森林草原向干草原过渡地区。具有土地辽阔,水热组合多样,天然草场面积大等有利条件。同时具有土地利用不合理,灾害频繁,天然草场退化。森林覆盖率低等不利条件。     

半干旱黄土区沙棘的水分生理生态与形态解剖学特性研究

1986～1997年在半干旱黄土区的陕西吴旗、安塞县和宁夏固原县,对沙棘进行了蒸腾、净初级生产量、土壤水分等生理生态和形态解剖学特性研究。试验结果表明:沙棘每生产lg地上干物质,总耗水量为711～829g,其中蒸腾耗水量为551～654g,该地区荒山植被生产lg地上干物质蒸腾耗水量为343～709g,总耗水量却达2540～4501g。水分利用效率为1.21～1.53g/（m²·mm）,是荒山植被的3.1～6.4倍。沙棘水分利用效率较高,水分生产潜力较大。观察沙棘叶、根具有耐大气干旱、耐高温和水湿的形态解剖学特性,说明沙棘有较强的生态适应性。因而在半干旱黄土区的荒山、荒沟,营造沙棘林,能有效利用水土资源,这是快速治理荒山,提高土地生产力的有效途径之一。     

干旱半干旱地区植被生态用水计算

干旱半干旱地区是生态环境比较脆弱的地区 ,特别是人类不合理开发 ,使生态环境受到严重威胁。为了挽救中国西部干旱半干旱地区已遭破坏的生态环境 ,我国政府提出了“退耕还林”的号召。针对干旱半干旱地区 ,植被生态系统实际用水量以及达到某一目标要求的生态用水量如何计算或合理确定 ,对流域规划、生态建设以及水资源合理配置都有重要意义。先从生态系统的一般意义上来介绍生态用水的概念 ,进而介绍植被生态用水的计算方法 ,并针对“退耕还林”和“植被生态改善与恢复”情况下的生态用水计算问题进行专门介绍。     

Soil management for Alfisols in the semiarid tropics: erosion, enrichment ratios and runoff

Abstract. Continuous cultivation of soils of the semiarid tropics has led to significant land degradation. Soil erosion and nutrient loss caused by high runoff volumes have reduced crop yields and contributed to offsite damage. We compared a number of soil management practices (tillage, mulch and perennial/annual rotational based systems) for their potential to improve crop production and land resource protection in an Alfisol of the semiarid tropics of India. Runoff and soil erosion were monitored and surface soil and sediment were analysed for nitrogen and carbon to determine enrichment ratios. Amelioration of soils with organic additions (farmyard manure, rice straw) or rotating perennial pasture with annual crops increased soil carbon and nitrogen contents and reduced runoff, soil erosion and nutrient loss. Soil erosion totalled less than 7 t ha^–1, but enrichment ratios were often greater than 2 resulting in up to 27 kg N ha^–1 and 178 kg C ha^–1 being lost in sediment. Up to an extra 250 mm of water per year infiltrated the soil with organic additions and was available for crop water use or percolation to groundwater. The results show that there are good opportunities for reducing degradation and increasing productivity on farms.     

半干旱黄土丘陵区沙棘优良品种引种栽培试验研究

1994-2003年在黄土高原半干旱区的陕西吴旗县、安塞县进行中国沙棘优良类型和俄罗斯优良沙棘品种引种试验,采用家系选择法初步筛选出5个中国沙棘生态经济型优良单株,对3个俄罗斯良种沙棘的生长适应性经济性状进行了评价。前者生长迅速、树冠好、根系发达、郁闭快、水土保持效益好,果实较大、单株产量较高、Vc和含油量较高,适于在黄土丘陵区种植;后者经济性状较好,果实大、无刺或少刺,但适应性较中国沙棘差。     

坡度和降雨强度对坡耕地入渗的影响

利用人工模拟降雨对黑龙江西部半干旱区坡耕地不同坡度和不同降雨强度下的土壤水分入渗规律进行了试验研究,采用产流历时和稳定入渗速率二项指标进行分析,发现随着地面坡度的增大,产流历时提前,稳定入渗速率逐渐减小,坡面产流历时与坡度呈对数函数关系,土壤稳渗速率与坡度呈幂函数关系;随着降雨强度的增大,产流历时提前,稳定入渗速率逐渐增大;坡面产流历时与降雨强度呈指数函数关系,土壤稳定入渗速率与降雨强度也呈指数关系。     

半干旱区柠条林利用土壤水分深度和耗水量

植物根系利用土壤水分深度和耗水量是研究植物与土壤水关系的基础.以柠条为对象,采用中子仪,对撂荒地和柠条林地土壤水分进行长期定位观测和分析.结果表明,2002年内,随着时间推移,柠条利用土壤水分深度从播种时的2 cm左右,迅速增加到9月1日的90 cm,10月15日的110 cm,11月1日的170 cm,到11月15日柠条利用土壤水分深度为220 cm;除丰水年(2年生)柠条土壤储水量增加了122.8mm外,随着林龄的增加和降雨量等的变化,植物利用土壤水分的深度和耗水量增加,土壤储水量下降.到2004年生长季末,3年生柠条林地100 cm土层出现土壤干层,5年生柠条林地剖面60-300 cm土层出现土壤干层.此时需要采取措施,控制柠条生长、密度和耗水量,实现土壤水资源的可持续利用.