Mangroves as indicators of coastal change

In view of the unique biological characteristics of mangroves, it is interesting to assess the extent to which these ecosystems can be used as indicators of coastal change or sea-level rise. From recent studies of mangrove mortality at several locations (including Guiana, Gambia, Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya, India and Bangladesh), it appears that these coastal ecosystems are so specialized that any minor variation in their hydrological or tidal regimes causes noticeable mortality. Each species of mangrove (but particularly those belonging to the genera Rhizophora, Bruguiera, Sonneratia, Heritiera and Nypa) occurs in ecological conditions that approach its limit of tolerance with regard to salinity of the water and soil, as well as the inundation regime. If the duration of daily immersion were to be modified by tectonic, sedimentological or hydrological events, the species either readjusts to the new conditions or succumbs to unsuitable conditions. Consequently, the use of remote sensing data for mangrove ecosystems offers excellent potential as a tool for monitoring coastal change.     

林木抗旱性生理指标及其在干旱区造林中应用研究

<正> 中国干旱半干旱区面积占全国面积的52.5%,半壁河山是以水分胁迫为主导限制因子的特殊生态区。为了提高这一地区的造林质量,选择旱生和抗旱性强的树种造林是主要造林技术之一。对于如何评价和比较林木的抗旱性,传统方法多采用对林木生态环境因子及对林木生     

Characterizing historical and modern fire regimes in Michigan (USA): A landscape ecosystem approach

We studied the relationships of landscape ecosystems to historical and contemporary fire regimes across 4.3 million hectares in northern lower Michigan (USA). Changes in fire regimes were documented by comparing historical fire rotations in different landscape ecosystems to those occurring between 1985 and 2000. Previously published data and a synthesis of the literature were used to identify six forest-replacement fire regime categories with fire rotations ranging from very short (<100 years) to very long (>1,000 years). We derived spatially-explicit estimates of the susceptibility of landscape ecosystems to fire disturbance using Landtype Association maps as initial units of investigation. Each Landtype Association polygon was assigned to a fire regime category based on associations of ecological factors known to influence fire regimes. Spatial statistics were used to interpolate fire points recorded by the General Land Office. Historical fire rotations were determined by calculating the area burned for each category of fire regime and dividing this area by fifteen (years) to estimate area burned per annum. Modern fire rotations were estimated using data on fire location and size obtained from federal and state agencies. Landtype Associations networked into fire regime categories exhibited differences in both historical and modern fire rotations. Historical rotations varied by 23-fold across all fire rotation categories, and modern forest fire rotations by 13-fold. Modern fire rotations were an order of magnitude longer than historical rotations. The magnitude of these changes has important implications for forest health and understanding of ecological processes in most of the fire rotation categories that we identified.This revised version was published online in May 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

干旱区小麦多功能高分子植物生长调节剂增产和品质改善试验研究

以观测记录和拍照方式研究多功能高分子植物生长调节剂对小麦生长和繁殖、品质的影响,分别用土壤含水量为试剂保水指标,小麦生长、结实和产量指标、小麦品质指标以及经济效益指标与对照比较以评定试验效果。结果显示,施用试剂能够提高土壤保水率,有利于小麦的营养和结实生长,使小麦产量提高12.30%。小麦粗蛋白、赖氨酸和湿面筋含量均有显著提升,不利于人体健康的灰分和粗脂肪含量显著降低;经济效益有所提高,仅仅考虑增产就净增产值734.25￣794.85元/hm2。     

宁南旱区苜蓿草地土壤水分消耗规律及粮草轮作土壤水分恢复效应研究

对宁南旱区不同生长年限紫花苜蓿草地土壤水分消耗及粮草轮作水分恢复效应进行了研究。结果表明:(1)随着苜蓿生长年限延长,在1￣6年内苜蓿草地土壤湿度下降迅速,产草量逐年上升,7年后土壤湿度下降趋于平缓,但苜蓿产草量下降迅速,表明苜蓿生长强烈耗水引起深层土壤干燥化,导致苜蓿生长逐渐衰败,苜蓿平均降水生产效率逐年下降;(2)苜蓿草地土壤垂直剖面可分为降水入渗恢复层(0￣200cm)、根系发达枯竭层(200￣500cm)和根系衰老缓耗层(500cm以下)三个层次。随苜蓿生长年限延长,苜蓿剖面的主要土壤干层逐渐上移,并且干层厚度呈现减小趋势;(3)耕翻的苜蓿茬后轮作粮食作物的年份越长,土壤水分恢复越好,实行草粮轮作的苜蓿最迟不超过生长的第10年。     

不同农艺措施对旱地谷子水分利用效率的影响

１９８８￣１９９０年在山西省屯留试点进行了不同农艺措施对旱地谷子水分利用效率影响的研究，结果表明，肥料是影响旱地农田水分利用效率的主要因子，其次是品种、密度和播期。     

Trends in natural resource use and prospects for sustainable resource management in Kenya's Arid and Semiarid Lands

This paper describes the environmental problems facing the development of Kenya's Arid and Semiarid lands (ASAL) today. The problems arise because of a rapidly declining resource base in the ASAL as a result of overexploitation and misuse, following basic land use conflicts. The extent of the overutilization or resource damage is not well known and varies a great deal from one agroecological zone to another and from resource to resource in the ASAL; those most affected include: soil, water, range, forest, livestock and wildlife. As a result of increased population growth in the ASAL, these resources are under stress. This paper argues that many of the environmental problems in the ASAL cannot be solved if the development programme does not address the needs of the people who live in the ASAL. There is a need to shift the objective of ASAL development from a preoccupation with economic growth and the idea that the ASAL should make a contribution to GNP through interregional trade and export to sustainable development that enables the communities in the ASAL to support themselves at as good a standard of living as possible. The last part of this paper outlines a strategy to promote such sustainable development.     

河湖水生态系统服务价值核算研究及应用展望

科学有效地界定河湖水生态系统服务价值评估体系与评估指标,可以促进河湖水生态的可持续发展、合理制定水资源价格、为河湖水生态系统服务价值评估提供参考,同时也为河湖水资源纳入国民经济核算体系提供借鉴,为绿色经济核算提供有力的依据。从河湖水生态系统服务功能、评估体系和评估方法等方面总结了国内外研究进展,分析了现有河湖水生态系统服务体系和评估方法的优缺点。对河湖水生态系统服务评估体系进行了优化,优化后的评估体系包括供给服务、调节服务、文化服务和支持服务4大类以及水资源供给、水质净化、科研教育和固碳能力等19项指标,优化了水资源供给、提供水产品、水质净化、防洪减灾、休闲娱乐、生物多样性保护等6个指标的评估方法。对河湖水生态系统服务价值核算在生态文明建设考核、生态产品价值实现机制、自然资源资产审计以及新时期河湖长制考核实施方面的应用进行了展望。下一步要制订GEP核算技术标准,建设市场化、多元化的生态产品交易体系,将水资源开发、利用及保护情况、水资源管理生态环境效益等指标纳入审计范围,建立以水生态系统为整体、以维护河湖生态系统健康为总目标、以定量评判和可操作性为抓手的新的河湖长制考核体系。     

公海深海底层渔业国际管理进展

以底拖网为代表的深海底层渔业对深海脆弱海洋生态系统的危害受到国际社会的热切关注。2003年以来联合国大会多次通过决议,呼吁各国各自并通过RFMO/As采取行动,根据预防性原则,采用基于生态系统的管理方法,评估深海底层渔业对脆弱海洋生态系统的影响,若评估表明确有重大不利影响,则应采取有效措施限制深海底层渔业以降低这种影响;FAO主要从技术角度制定了《公海深海渔业管理国际指南》,为管理公海深海渔业和保护脆弱海洋生态系统提出了技术标准和管理框架;RFMO承担着具体执行深海底层渔业管理措施和监督管理的责任,在北大西洋、地中海、南太平洋的公海和南极水域,相关RFMO已采取了暂停部分区域底拖网渔业活动、收集数据、评估底拖网对脆弱海洋生态系统的影响等措施,在北太平洋,新成立的北太平洋渔业管理委员会将公海底层渔业管理作为首要目标。环保非政府组织和部分科学家呼吁禁止公海深海底层渔业,但各国对此的立场尚不一致,产业界大多持反对立场。近期来看,尚难以全面禁止公海的深海底层渔业。中国正在发展公海大洋渔业,需对此密切关注,加强跟踪研究以支撑决策,并应发展和使用选择性渔具和对生态环境无害的作业方式,防止对脆弱海洋生态系统产生损害性影响。     

Channels and ditches as the last shelter for freshwater mussels: the case of Margaritifera auricularia and other naiads inhabiting the mid Ebro River Basin,Spain

• 1. Freshwater mussels or naiads are generally considered to thrive in river habitats, provided the ecological conditions are good. The presence of populations of these bivalves in artificial channels and ditches with natural bottoms has only scarcely been reported. The aim of this paper was to present the idea that these ‘channel’ and ‘ditch’ habitats could in fact be a sanctuary for naiads.
• 2. Approximately 80 km of several of these waterways fed by the mid Ebro River were sampled in Spain to monitor their naiad populations. Observations indicate that these habitats harbour substantial colonies of freshwater mussels (including two populations of adult specimens of the endangered species Margaritifera auricularia), much more so than the corresponding river.
• 3. The authors wish to alert conservation authorities and freshwater mussel experts to the extreme fragility and importance of this kind of habitat for the long‐term conservation of these imperilled molluscs.

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.