The economic benefits and costs of trees in urban forest stewardship: A systematic review

Understanding the benefits provided by urban trees is important to justify investment and improve stewardship. Many studies have attempted to quantify the benefits of trees in monetary terms, though fewer have quantified the associated costs of planting and maintaining them. This systematic review examines the methods used to jointly analyse the costs and benefits of trees in the urban landscape, assesses the relative balance of benefits and costs, and attempts to understand the wide variation in economic values assigned in different studies. The benefits most frequently studied are those related to environmental regulation and property values, and the available data show that these usually outweigh the costs. Aesthetic, amenity, and shading benefits have also been shown to provide significant economic benefits, while benefits in terms of water regulation, carbon reduction and air quality are usually more modest. Variation in benefits and costs among studies is attributed largely to differences in the species composition and age structure of urban tree populations, though methodological differences also play a role. Comparison between studies is made difficult owing to differences in spatiotemporal scope, and in the way urban forest composition and demographic structure were reported. The overwhelming majority of studies concern deciduous trees in Northern America, and much less is known about urban forests in other regions, especially in the tropics. Future work should thus seek to fill these knowledge gaps, and standardise research protocols across cities. In light of ambitious goals in many cities to increase tree cover, ongoing advances in valuation methods need to provide a more comprehensive accounting of benefits and costs, and to better integrate economic assessment into the decision-making process.     

基于遥感指数的草原火后植被恢复研究

草原火是草原生态系统重要的干扰因子，严重影响着系统的结构与功能。基于遥感数据，以2015年“4·16”特大草原火灾为例，利用ENVI和ArcGIS等软件，分别对NDVI和GPP指数及火烧严重度下的植被恢复过程进行定量分析。结果表明，基于NDVI和GPP指数的火后植被恢复过程表现相似，不同年份植被恢复情况存在一定差异。火灾发生当年（2015年）火烧迹地植被恢复状况高于未发生火灾区域，而在火后第1年（2016年）却又稍低于未发生火灾区域，直到火后第2年（2017年），火烧迹地植被基本恢复到火前状态。同时，不同火烧严重度下的植被恢复过程在存在明显差异。草原火灾发生后当年（2015年），中强度火烧下植被恢复最好，其次是轻度，重度表现最差。草原火烧严重度对植被恢复的影响，主要表现在火后第1个植被生长季。在之后的年份里，由于草原更新能力强大，不同火烧严重度对草原植被的影响不明显。本研究可丰富草原火灾及火烧迹地植被恢复等相关研究成果，同时为草原火灾管理和草原生态系统的可持续发展提供科学依据。     

籽用南瓜育种研究进展

南瓜种子含有丰富的营养成分，具有较高的保健价值。我国籽用南瓜产业规模逐年扩大，但目前种质创制和新品种 选育尚有待开展较为系统的研究。本文从籽用南瓜种质资源的鉴定评价和遗传多样性研究、籽用南瓜产量、抗性、种皮颜色、 营养成分等重要农艺性状的遗传定位及调控研究等方面进行综述，同时，对籽用南瓜的研究方向进行展望，以期为籽用南瓜 种质创制和新品种选育提供一定的理论参考。     

Soil protection for a sustainable future: options for a soil monitoring network for Ireland

The increased recognition of the importance of soil is reflected in the UN Post‐2015 Development Agenda with sustainable development goals that directly and indirectly relate to soil quality and protection. Despite a lack of legally binding legislation for soil protection, the European Commission remains committed to the objective of soil protection. However, the achievement of a legally binding framework for soil protection relies on the implementation of a soil monitoring network (SMN) that can detect changes to soil quality over time. As beneficiaries do not pay for the provision of soil information, the options for soil monitoring are limited. The use of existing data sets should be considered first. Using Ireland as an example, this research explored the opportunities for a SMN for Ireland considering three existing national data sets. The options for a SMN are considered in terms of their spatial and stratified distribution, the parameters to be measured and an economic analysis of the options proposed. This research finds that for Ireland, either a 10 or a 16 km² grid interval stratified by land use and drainage class offers the best potential in relation to the spatial distribution of existing data sets to reflect local data at a national level. With existing data, the stratified SIS data using the 16 km² grid offers the best value for money, with baseline costs for analysis, excluding field costs, of between €706 481 and €2.8 million. Acknowledging the impossibility of measuring all parameters with ideal frequency, this study proposes a two‐tier system for optimized monitoring frequency. Parameters must anticipate future policy requirements. Finally, the implementation of a SMN must be accompanied by standardized methods, defined thresholds and action mandates to maintain soil quality within allowable limits.     

An evaluation of the Olsen test as a measure of plant-available phosphorus in grassland soils derived from basalt parent material

Abstract. Anecdotal and circumstantial evidence have suggested that the Olsen test underestimates plant-available phosphorus (P) in basaltic soils in Northern Ireland. Therefore, the ability of this test to predict plant-available P in basaltic (and non-basaltic) soils was investigated by regressing Olsen-P data against herbage P indices calculated from plant tissue test data using the diagnosis and recommendation integrated system. The average Olsen-P concentration for a range of fields situated on basaltic soils was considerably lower than the average Olsen-P concentration for a range of fields situated on non-basaltic soils, and yet mean sward P status, as given by the herbage P indices, was similar for both groups of fields. Herbage P indices were also much better correlated with Olsen-P measurements in non-basaltic soils than in basaltic soils. Furthermore, at low Olsen-P values (≶9mgPL⁻¹) some swards on basaltic soils were genuinely deficient in P, while others were sufficient or even in surplus for this nutrient. The results confirm that Olsen-P is inadequate as a predictor of plant-available P in basaltic soils. It is concluded that an alternative soil test is needed to provide a reliable assessment of plant-available P in basaltic soils, to prevent overuse of fertilizer and manure P and to minimize the amounts of P entering local watercourses.     

Social, economic and cultural perspectives of European inland fisheries: review of the EIFAC symposium on fisheries and society

The contributions presented at the EIFAC Symposium on Fisheries and Society in 2000 are reviewed. There have been considerable advances in many sectors of inland fisheries over the past decade. Nowadays the value of inland fisheries to society is generally better understood and increasingly recognized. However, it was recognized that the allocation of fishery resources and their management could still be made more effective through more extensive application of the recent approaches and techniques discussed during the Symposium and reviewed in the paper.     

Evaluation of two N cycle models for the prediction of N mineralization from grassland soils in the UK

Abstract. The ability of two nitrogen cycle models, of contrasting complexity, to predict N mineralization from a range of grassland soils in the UK, was evaluated. These were NCYCLE, a simple mass balance model of the N cycle in UK grasslands, and CENTURY, a more complex model simulating long-term C, N, P & S dynamics in grassland ecosystems. The models were tested using field measurements of net N mineralization from a range of grassland soils (differing in soil type, history & management practice), obtained over a 2 year period using a soil core incubation technique. This method was considered to measure the total net release of mineral N from the soil organic matter over a specified time, including N which may have been recycled several times. NCYCLE consistently under-estimated mineralization rates at all sites. By contrast, there was some correlation between CENTURY predictions of net N mineralization and field measurements. This may have reflected the different abilities of the two models to simulate N recycling. Neither model, however, was able to predict adequately the effect of cultivation and reseeding on net N mineralization.     

扁穗牛鞭草人工草地中空心莲子草杂草防除效果研究

利用水花生净除莠剂可有效地防除扁穗牛鞭草人工草地中的杂草空心莲子草,平均株防效达26.7%～99.8%,并且在较高防效下药剂对扁穗牛鞭草较为安全。在空心莲子草杂草生长盛期,14%的水花生净乳油以浓度为675ml/hm2～900ml/hm2、各处理对水600ml的防除效果最佳,可达到100%。综合考虑,以525ml/hm2～675ml/hm2的浓度为宜。     

采用现代食品加工技术开发蛋白质食物资源

本文分析了现阶段我国人民的食物结构以及食品加工在开发蛋白质食物开源中的地位和作用，并从五个方面进行了论述。     

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。