Sacred sites as habitats of culturally important plant species in an Indian megacity

Cultural ecosystem services related to urban green spaces contribute significantly to liveable cities. While previous studies highlight the intersection of cultural ecosystem services with societal values, spiritual or religious values associated with urban nature have received less attention. In India, as in other parts of the world, sacred sites are known for their biological richness, but analyses from urban sacred sites are largely missing. Based on a stratified random sampling approach, we analysed the cultivated and wild plant species assemblages of 69 sacred sites in the megacity of Bengaluru, India, in relation to biological and cultural features, and parameters related to the urban matrix and type of sacred sites (temple vs. katte). Unlike other urban studies, we found a dominance of native species in the cultivated and spontaneous species pools (121 species in total), with Ficus religiosa and Azadirachta indica as most frequently planted species. Culturally relevant species prevailed in the species pool (89%), with overlaps between religious (36%), medicinal (50%) and ornamental (62%) plants; only 11% of species were weeds. Urban matrix parameters (age of development, housing density) and size and type of sacred sites were related to differences in species assemblages. We identified key species for different classes of age and housing density, and for types of sacred sites. Our study demonstrates that urban sacred sites have an important potential in harbouring both native and culturally significant species that can support urban livelihoods in developing countries by a range of cultural and provisioning ecosystem services, including medicinal uses. As such sites are conserved by communities for spiritual or cultural beliefs, local biodiversity can be enhanced, e.g. by adapting management practices through community participation. This would strengthen the important contribution of sacred sites within the green infrastructure of rapidly growing megacities.     

智慧图书馆微观知识生态系统运行机理研究

伴随多元化时代的来临,用户的知识需求日益多元化、专业化,对图书馆服务提出了新的挑战。对智慧图书馆微观知识生态系统运行机理的研究,能够为新型知识服务提供理论基础,保障知识资源进行有效的优化整合,实现服务升级。文章在简要分析智慧图书馆微观知识生态系统四大要素的基础上,着重从社会发展、技术进步,知识富集、优化调整和需求驱动、服务升级三方面探讨其形成动因,重点分析智慧图书馆微观知识生态系统的生命周期,最后从合作、循环和保障三方面探讨其运行机理。     

Soil quality assessments in integrated crop–livestock–forest systems: A review

Integrated crop–livestock–forest is a promising strategy to improve soil quality. It comprises four different integrated farming systems: crop–livestock, crop–forest, forest–livestock and crop–livestock–forest. This work systematically reviewed studies about integrated crop–livestock–forest systems and soil quality. A total of 92 papers were retrieved from the Web of Science—Clarivate Analytics platform, and the following information was analysed: publication year, institution, region of the studied site, type of integrated system, soil type, tillage system, maximum soil depth and the soil quality indicators assessed. Most studies were published in the second half of the 2010s. Brazil is a prominent focus of research about soil quality and integrated crop–livestock–forest systems, with significant contribution from its central and southern regions. The Embrapa was the main publishing institution, present in over one‐third of the studies. Crop–livestock was the most common integrated system, Ferralsols was the most common soil group, and most of the studied soils were clayey. No tillage was the main tillage system. Most studies focused on the topsoil, assessing physical and/or chemical soil quality indicators. More emphasis on biological indicators of soil quality is required, as well as assessments integrating biological, physical and chemical indicators of soil quality. Future works should compare different integrated systems, including assessments deeper in the soil profile, especially in systems with the forest component, and also in sandy and silty soils. Soil quality indicators that have been rarely used should be further tested. Novel indicators should be added to better understand the promotion of soil quality by integrated crop–livestock–forest systems.     

Getting cosy in freshwater: Assumed to be brackish pike are not so brackish after all

Pike (Esox lucius) occupy coastal streams and rivers of the Baltic Sea, where they attain large sizes (>5 kg). These large sizes are perhaps due to the fact that they can tolerate relatively high salinities and can thus forage in the nearby more productive brackish environments. In an attempt to quantify the extent to which pike utilise brackish environments, and to provide some insight into the underlying causes for brackish water migrations, we tagged 30 pike from a western Baltic river with acoustic transmitters and were able to track 21 individuals for 1 year. Based on experienced from local anglers, this population was assumed to be brackish in nature, where individuals underwent freshwater migrations to spawn. Our findings however suggest that the smallest and most active individuals make short exits into brackish waters and do so on rare occasions. Our results further indicate that neither sex nor size is related to activity level. We suggest that these patterns reflect two distinct behaviours—active and passive—and that large pike can be supported by the food availability in the river, without the need to venture into coastal zones, thus defying the conventional view that Baltic pike are all brackish in nature.     

西藏山南地区草地资源及其合理利用

由于对西藏山南地区草原状况缺乏全面认识，未能合理利用，出现了草原退化等一系列问题。为了合理开发利用草地资源，通过调查提出：调整畜群结构，推行草场有偿承包责任制，开展季节性畜牧业，建立草地农业生态系统等建议。     

不同放牧强度对滩羊生产性能影响的研究

为寻找适宜宁夏盐池县草地的放牧强度,于2003年5-11月在该县四墩子试点设5个处理(0.45、0.60、1.75、1.05和1.50只/hm2)进行轮牧,轮牧周期为42 d,共放牧154 d。结果表明:1)滩羊采食量随放牧强度的加重而降低。同一放牧强度下,随放牧时间推移,采食量先逐渐增大而后下降。2)在试验期内,不同放牧强度下,滩羊体重随时间推移总体上都呈增加趋势。在10月2日之后体重开始出现分化。与放牧强度重的处理相比,放牧强度轻的处理日增重峰值较高,持续时间较长。3)滩羊个体增重与放牧强度之间存在着强的负相关;单位草地面积(1 hm2)增重与放牧强度之间呈强的正相关,初步可以确定在该类草地上放牧强度应在0.75只/hm2左右。4)随着放牧强度的加重,饲料报酬先增大后减小。在同一放牧强度下,饲料报酬随时间的推移先升高后降低。5)当放牧强度超过0.75只/hm2以后,滩羊出现了空怀、产羔率降低和推迟怀孕的现象。6)综合考虑各研究指标,该类草地放牧强度以不应超过0.75只/hm2为宜。     

高产奶牛福利

近20年，荷斯坦牛成为优势奶牛品种，营养改善促使奶牛产奶量大幅度增加，工厂化管理致使奶牛运动量减少、生产性疾病频发，奶牛康乐受到严重威胁，因此，改善高产奶牛福利的呼声高涨。本文以生产性疾患为中心，从规模化生产、遗传改良、畜舍环境等角度讨论了高产奶牛的福利问题。     

Analysis of the Impact of Alfalfa Forage Production under Summer Water-Limiting Circumstances on Productivity, Agricultural and Growers Returns and Plant Stand

The trade-off between summer water conservation from alfalfa production and the effects on plant growth, agricultural crop value, and grower returns in the low desert area (Imperial, Palo Verde, Parker and Yuma Valleys of California and Arizona) was analysed using an experimental plot in the Palo Verde Valley. The purpose was to provide a basis for evaluating water conservation decisions and policies. Four summer dry-down periods (withdrawing water for a predetermined period) of 0 days (control), 35 days, 70 days, and 105 days were analysed. Our results show that whereas the various dry-down periods would provide water conservation ranging from 254 to 944 million m³, the region would experience agricultural income decline by US $16 to US $73 million. For growers, benefits of dry-down would be effective only if the water price exceeds US $0.045 m⁻³ in California and US $0.036 m⁻³ in Arizona. Also dry-down would have possible adverse effects in the following areas including declines in plant stand density, long-term productivity, service industry sales, employment and biological benefits of soil fertility and organic matter that is attributed by the alfalfa plant in which case agriculture's and growers monetary losses could increase.     

Construction and Development of the Dagangshan Forest Ecosystem Research Station

Established by the former Ministry of Forestry in 1986, Dagangshan Forest Ecosystem Research Station is one of the 14 national key sites in the field of ecosystem research. In this paper, the basic situation of Dagangshan Forest Ecosystem Station is described, including geographic location, natural conditions, biological resources, research conditions, instruments, achievement, prospects etc.     

农业土地规模经营的理论探讨

实现农业土地规模经营,有利于生产力有效运转并取得最佳的规模效益。其适度性受各种因素的影响,具有区域性和动态性。规模经营与劳动生产率有着密切的关系,应该在确保提高土地生产率的基础上来提高劳动生产和土地规模经营的效益。土地适当集中、土地经营主体的总人数尽量精简和劳动组合的优化是优化土地经营规模的三个相互制约的因素。要采取积极的措施逐步实现土地的规模经营。对现有土地经营形式要做具体分析,其调整应从有利于生产力发展出发,在尊重群众意愿的基础上稳步进行。