Anthropogenically disturbed potentially toxic elements in roadside topsoils of a suburban region of Bishkek,Central Asia

The ecological environment in Central Asia is vulnerable to pressure from human activity due to the physical geography and climatic fragility of this region. A set of indicators suitable for the future assessment of this pressure needs to be proposed. Thirty‐six topsoil samples (0–5 cm) were collected from roadsides in a suburban region of Bishkek, the capital of the Kyrgyz Republic in Central Asia, and a risk assessment of anthropogenically disturbed potentially toxic elements (PTEs) was systematically conducted with classic statistical methods. The results of detrended correspondence analysis and principal component analysis clearly showed that topsoil samples with high contents of PTEs (Pb, Zn and Cu) were strongly affected by traffic within a distance threshold of 200 m and that anthropogenic effects decreased significantly with increasing distance from the highway. The enrichment factor and anthropogenic contribution for Pb were the highest among the three PTEs, with average values of 2.0% and 47.4%, respectively, suggesting enrichment. However, the results of the human health risk assessment also indicated that noncarcinogenic risks did not occur for any of the anthropogenic PTEs. The reported method provides a new systematic pathway to reveal anthropogenic influences on the geochemical composition of soil. The conclusions of this work will be highly valuable as important guidelines for agriculture, and the results of the PTE contents will provide a scientific basis for soil collection in future studies.     

Performance of CERES-Rice and CERES-Wheat models in rice–wheat systems: A review

Rice–wheat (RW) systems are critical to food security and livelihoods of rural and urban poor in south Asia and China, and to regional economies in southeast Australia. The sustainability of RW systems in south Asia is, however, threatened by yield stagnation or decline, and declining partial factor productivity, soil organic C and water availability. Crop models potentially offer a means to readily explore management options to increase yield, and to determine trade-off between yield, resource-use efficiency and environmental outcomes. This paper reviews the performance of CERES-Rice and CERES-Wheat in Asia and Australia in relation to their potential application towards increasing resource use efficiency and yield of RW systems.

The performance of the models was evaluated using simulated and observed data on anthesis and maturity dates, in-season LAI and growth, final grain yield and its components, and soil water and N balances from published studies across Asia and Australia, and then by computing the statistical parameters for the major characters. Over the four data sets examined for anthesis and six for maturity dates, CERES-Rice predicted those dates fairly well (normalised RMSE = 4–5%; D-index = 0.94–0.95), but over the 11 sets for grain and 4 for biomass yield, the predictions were more variable (normalised RMSE = 23% for both; D-index 0.90 and 0.76, for grain and biomass, respectively). Model performance was poorer under conditions of low N, water deficit, and low temperatures during the reproductive stages. Over the three data sets examined, CERES-Wheat predicted the anthesis and maturity dates quite well (normalised RMSE = 4–5%; D-index = 0.94–0.99), and over eight sets for grain and two sets for biomass yield the model predicted them also reasonably well (RMSE = 13–16%; D-index = 0.86–0.97). Only one study evaluated the DSSAT RW sequence model with fairly satisfactory predictions of rice and wheat yields over 20 years with adequate N, but not the long-term change in soil organic C and N. Predictions of in-season LAI and crop growth, and soil and water processes were quite limited to investigate the robustness of model processes.

Application of models to evaluate options to increase water and N use efficiency requires the ability to perform well at the margin where deficit stress begins. While both models generally perform satisfactorily under water and N non-limiting conditions, the little evidence available suggests that they do not perform well under resource-limiting situations. We recommend that the models’ key processes under the water and N limiting conditions be further evaluated urgently. The DSSAT sequence model also needs to be further evaluated against observations for a range of locations and management using data from long-term experiments in RW systems.     

Visits to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation from South Asia and the Middle East, 1946–1990: An indicator of changing international programs and politics

International study programs have contributed to the diffusion of modern irrigation technologies, approaches, and problems. But the patterns and processes of international travel have received little attention to date. This paper examines foreign visits to the US Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) from South Asia and the Middle East from 1946 to 1990. Using data from the Foreign Activities Branch of the USBR, we compare the participation rates from 16 countries in South Asia and the Middle East. India, Turkey, and Egypt had the highest rates of participation, followed by Pakistan, Iran, and Israel. The frequency of visits is influenced by political, economic, cultural, and institutional factors. But the most important factors appear to be foreign relations and geopolitics. Given the problems faced by national irrigation bureaucracies around the world, there is a need to focus more directly on political factors than in the past.     

中亚农业水资源脆弱性及其变化特征分析

农业用水是链接自然环境和社会经济发展的重要环节,研究农业水资源脆弱性的时空变化对揭示水资源的可持续开发利用、保障水资源安全、应对洪旱灾害具有重要意义。为研究中亚地区农业水资源脆弱性变化特征,本文以中亚五国为研究区,基于气象、土地覆盖、地形和社会经济数据,依据脆弱性概念框架,从暴露度、敏感度和适应度3个方面选取18个指标,建立了农业水资源脆弱性评价指标体系,采用等权重法和主成分分析法确定指标权重,对1992-2017年中亚农业水资源脆弱性进行了评价及特征分析。结果表明:1)中亚农业水资源脆弱性空间分布表现为"南高北低"的特征,5国中土库曼斯坦农业水资源脆弱性最强,其次为乌兹别克斯坦、塔吉克斯坦和吉尔吉斯斯坦,而哈萨克斯坦农业水资源脆弱性最弱;研究时段内农业水资源脆弱性空间分布格局变化较小。2)中亚农业水资源脆弱性随时间变化表现为"前期升高,中期降低,后期稳定"的态势,整个研究期内研究区农业水资源脆弱性变化类型以相对稳定为主。不同地区农业水资源脆弱性随时间的变化存在差异,吉尔吉斯斯坦西部和土库曼斯坦的农业水资源脆弱性升高,乌兹别克斯坦、塔吉克斯坦以及咸海地区水资源脆弱性降低,其他地区相对稳定。3)不同地区农业水资源脆弱性对各指标的敏感性不同,北部农业水资源脆弱性动态变化对农田灌溉定额和灌溉指数以负敏感为主,对其他指标以正敏感为主,而南部对各指标的敏感性正负均有;相关性分析表明,森林覆盖率、农业用水比例、农田灌溉定额、水分胁迫指数、灌溉指数和农业水分生产率是导致中亚农业水资源脆弱性空间差异的重要因素。4)为降低农业水资源脆弱性,中亚地区需发展集约型农业,调整作物种植结构,推广耐旱品种农作物,进行节水灌溉。研究结果可为中亚农业水资源规划管理、农业生产布局调整以及农业可持续发展提供参考依据。     

Establishing an acid deposition monitoring network in East Asia

Acid deposition is widely recognized as one of the most serious international atmospheric pollution problems. East Asian countries are currently experiencing acid deposition and have only recently begun expanding domestic research and monitoring activities. However, acid deposition is not only a domestic but also a transboundary problem. In addressing the transboundary aspect, cooperative and collaborative action will be essential. The Environment Agency of Japan is advocating the need to establish an acid deposition monitoring network in East Asia. Therefore, it is sponsoring three Expert Meetings on Acid Precipitation Monitoring Network in East Asia between 1993 and 1995. The meetings are attended by both scientific researchers and government officials from numerous East Asian countries. At the administrative and scientific discussions of the first two meetings a consensus on the desirability of establishing a monitoring network in East Asia was obtained and a preliminary technical guideline manual for monitoring acid deposition was adopted. By the end of the third meeting it is hoped that a basic consensus can be reached on a framework for an East Asian acid deposition monitoring network. It is essential to establish such a network in order to evaluate the present state of acid deposition in the region and to reach a common scientific understanding on the acid deposition problem. This is a vital step toward promoting international cooperation on the issue.     

Field measurement of the sheltering effect of vegetation on erodible land surfaces

Natural vegetation on erodible land surfaces, such as the loose sandy soils found in the southwestern United States and in Soviet Central Asia, absorbs part of the wind momentum flux (stress) and thus protects the erodible soil to a degree that depends on the geometry of plant distribution and profile. The sheltering effect of natural plants may be expressed as the ratio, R, of threshold friction velocity for the bare soil (determined in the laboratory or in specially prepared areas of bare soil in the field) to that for the naturally vegetated surface. We used new automated instrumentation to detect erosion thresholds in locations where erosion events are widely separated in time. Measured values of R were low for our most vegetated sites and nearer unity for the sparsely vegetated site.     

BUILDING CLIMATE-RESILIENT FOOD SYSTEMS IN EAST AND SOUTHEAST ASIA: VULNERABILITIES,RESPONSES AND FINANCING

Food system resilience to climate change is uniquely imperative for bringing Sustainable Development Goals within reach and leaving no one behind. Food systems in East and Southeast Asia are interacting with planetary boundaries and are adversely affected by extreme weather-related events. A practical question for East and Southeast Asian stakeholders is how to foster climateresilient food systems in the face of lingering food system vulnerabilities and policy gaps. This paper reviews food syste...     

新疆中亚生态群杏品种果实与叶片形态特征相关性

【目的】研究新疆中亚生态群杏品种果实和叶片的形态特性及相关性,为新品种选育提供理论依据。【方法】以隶属于该生态群的80个新疆杏品种为研究对象,测定其在果实成熟期的叶面积、叶片长、叶片宽、叶周长、单果重、果实纵横侧径,分析这些指标的分布特性和彼此间的相关性。【结果】80个新疆中亚生态群杏品种中,77.5%的杏品种叶面积分布在19.8~30.3 cm²,最大叶面积为44.18 cm²,最小叶面积为12.82 cm²,叶面积整体偏小;86.3%杏品种叶周长分布在16.7~22.7 cm,最大叶周长为24.44 cm,最小叶周长为13.66 cm;63.8%杏品种单果重分布在16.1~32.1 g FW,最大单果重为48.07 g FW,最小单果重为12.13 g FW,果实整体偏小。叶面积与叶片宽之间相关性最高(0.910^**),叶周长与叶片长之间相关性最高(0.870^**),单果重与果实横径之间相关性最高(0.913^**)。【结论】叶面积和叶周长与果实的单果重之间极显著正相关,可作为预测果实单果重的重要指标。     

A typology of agricultural production systems: Capability building trajectories of three Asian economies

Analysing the agricultural sectors of Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore, this paper examines the capability‐building process that encourages productivity and innovation. It describes and explains the origins and subsequent evolution of three forms of agricultural production system, each generating different farming capabilities and distinct forms of competitive advantages. The paper argues that Taiwan's rice‐oriented agricultural production system stimulates both productivity and innovation, helping Taiwanese farmers raise their income level and living standards. The active deployment of state institutions and a malleable labour force, evidenced in the Malaysian palm oil industry, is effective in raising farming productivity but not the ability to innovate. Singapore's aquaculture‐oriented agricultural production system is somewhat useful in stimulating productivity and innovation. Yet the city‐state's inherent lack of space and open international trade regime have circumscribed the potential of its aquaculture industry. It now relies on the regional ethnic Chinese business networks to expand the aquaculture industry's knowledge base and its industrial commons. The principles discussed in this paper provide policy lessons, or at least some initial guidance, for other developing economies aspiring to modernise their agricultural sector.     

Commuting distances to local non‐farm workplaces and out‐migration: The case of Northeast Thailand

The relationship between commuting distances and where people work has been studied for urban contexts in both developed countries and developing countries. However, few studies have examined the situation in rural areas, and none look at commuting distances to non‐farm workplaces in rural areas of developing countries. This paper investigates how commuting distance, and thus accessibility, to local non‐farm work influences non‐farm employment and out‐migration from rural villages in Northeast Thailand. The main issues examined are: (i) the distance that rural residents travel to work in local non‐farm jobs; and (ii) the influence that local non‐farm employment has on the number of outmigrants from rural villages. The study finds: (i) distance between villages and non‐farm work sites impact the number of villagers who are employed in regular wage work; (ii) beyond 20 km villagers are less likely to travel to non‐farm employment using their own means of transportation; and (iii) employment in regular wage work decreases outmigration. The findings from this study contribute to the debates over the drivers of rural out‐migration, rural livelihood changes, and agrarian changes that are taking place in Southeast Asia.